Tag: Entertainment-Variety

Berenice Bejo, the Oscar-nominated of “The Artist,” Swan Arlaud (“Anatomy of a Fall”) and Lea Drucker (“Case 137”) are among the 4,000 French actors who have signed a vitriolic open letter denouncing what they describe as as an “organized plundering” of AI tools and are calling for urgent political action.

Backed by Adami, the collective management organization for performers’ rights, the petition states that the industry has already been struggling with unauthorized voice cloning, image scraping and undervalued AI licensing deals for some time.

“This tool, extraordinarily valuable for certain professions, is also a devouring hydra for the artists that we are,” says the letter. The signatories also pointing out that this “systematic plundering is not a fantasy — it is happening here and now;” citing a recent anecdote of an actor who was recently offered just €250 to authorize the use of his image by AI for a new advertising campaign for a major French company, replacing two full days of filming.

Unauthorized voice cloning is also becoming increasingly widespread and has already prompted some to take legal action. Earlier this month, eight French dubbers of Hollywood stars, including Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, as well as animated characters such as Buzz Lightyear, issued a formal notice to a pair of AI companies, VoiceDub and Fish Audio, to demand that they remove all cloning models exploiting their voices from their platforms within eight days, claiming €20,000 in damages.

The letter (unveiled by French newspaper Le Parisien today) emphasizes that many lesser-established actors, often lacking leverage, feel pressured to sign contracts granting AI rights, “despite the risks to their image and their future.” As such, French actors demand “guarantees that no artist will be forced to give up their digital identity.”

The actors’ lobbying push comes as the European Union is in the process of rolling out its landmark AI Act, which sets transparency requirements on generative AI systems.

The legislation, however, does not yet create a clear regime specifically addressing performers’ likenesses, biometric data or voice cloning. As such, French performers are urging French lawmakers to adopt stronger national measures so that “AI can coexist with the work of artists and respect for copyright and related rights.”

Here’s the full open letter:

On February 26, the Olympia will host the 51st César Awards ceremony. This unmissable event will be an opportunity to celebrate a rich artistic year and laugh at the witty remarks of Benjamin Lavernhe, master of ceremonies for this edition.

But there is one subject that we, as actors and actresses, do not want to joke about. With our minds turned to the future of cinema, we are facing a profound change in our profession since the arrival of Artificial Intelligence. This tool, which is extraordinarily valuable for certain professions, is also a devouring hydra for artists like us.

Not a week goes by without an artist warning about the brutal competition that AI poses to their work. Just recently, an actor was offered a contract to use his image by AI for the creation of a new commercial for a major French group, simply replacing two days of filming. A Faustian pact… paid 250 euros! The cloning of actors’ voices without their permission is becoming commonplace. Complaints have been filed again recently. The work of an actor or actress is then reduced to their personal attributes alone: a voice, a face.

This systematic plundering is not a fantasy, it is happening here and now. It is unbearable, and it is happening right before our eyes. And sometimes it is hundreds of less established artists, who often cannot afford to turn down a contract, who give up their rights to AI, despite the risks to their image and their future. Beyond employment, it is the nature of the creation we want that is at stake.
If the public and professionals are concerned and unanimous, the only possible response today lies with politicians. There is an urgent need to create a legal framework so that AI can coexist with the work of artists and respect for copyright and related rights. Recent legislative initiatives show that parliamentarians are becoming aware of the issue. We call on the entire political class to quickly address the issue of respecting artists’ rights in the face of this unregulated innovation.
French cinema has always been able to embrace technological revolutions to fuel creativity while respecting the role of the artist.

We, as actors and actresses, are now urgently calling for ambitious regulations that will enable France to embrace this digital shift without sacrificing either its cultural heritage or the performers who embody it.

The British Academy has responded to the controversy surrounding the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday night, where Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson made a number of offensive comments during the show. Among his involuntary outbursts — caused by his condition — was the N-word, shouted when Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the award for best visual effects to “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

In a statement issued on Monday, BAFTA said that it took “full responsibility” for putting its “guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all.” It also said it wanted to “apologise unreservedly” to Jordan and Lindo. “We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism,” it said.

The situation was addressed in the ceremony on the night, where host Alan Cumming made two statements, thanking the crowd for its “understanding” of Davidson’s disability and apologizing should anyone have been offended (a line later criticized on X by “Sinners” production designer Hannah Beachler, who described it as “throwaway”).

Davidson excused himself from the ceremony about halfway through, but the situation only escalated when the BBC kept the racial slur in its tape-delayed broadcast (something it too apologized for, before removing the program from its iPlayer streaming service).

In its new statement, BAFTA also took time to praise Davidson for choosing to leave the ceremony and thanked him for his “dignity and consideration of others, on what should have been a night of celebration for him.”

See the full statement from BAFTA below:

At the BAFTA Film Awards last night our guests heard very offensive language that carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many. We want to acknowledge the harm this has caused, address what happened and apologise to all.

One of our guests, John Davidson MBE, has Tourette Syndrome and has devoted his life to educating and campaigning for better understanding of this condition. Tourette Syndrome causes involuntary verbal tics, that the individual has no control over. Such tics are in no way a reflection of an individual’s beliefs and are not intentional. John Davidson is an executive producer of the BAFTA nominated film, I Swear, which is based on his life experience.

We take the duty of care to all our guests very seriously and start from a position of inclusion. We took measures to make those in attendance aware of the tics, announcing to the audience before the ceremony began, and throughout, that John was in the room and that they may hear strong language, involuntary noises or movements during the ceremony.

Early in the ceremony a loud tic in the form of a profoundly offensive term was heard by many people in the room. Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time, and we apologise unreservedly to them, and to all those impacted. We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism.

During the ceremony, John chose to leave the auditorium and watch the rest of the ceremony from a screen, and we would like to thank him for his dignity and consideration of others, on what should have been a night of celebration for him.

We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all. We will learn from this, and keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy.

Tourette’s activist John Davidson, who inadvertently shouted the N-word during the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday night, has released a statement after widespread backlash.

“I wanted to thank BAFTA and everyone involved in the awards last night for their support and understanding and inviting me to attend the broadcast. I appreciated the announcement to the auditorium in advance of the recording, warning everyone that my tics are involuntary and are not a reflection of my personal beliefs,” Davidson said. “I was heartened by the round of applause that followed this announcement and felt welcomed and understood in an environment that would normally be impossible for me. In addition to the announcement by Alan Cumming, the BBC and BAFTA, I can only add that I am, and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.”

He added: “I was in attendance to celebrate the film of my life, ‘I Swear,’ which more than any film or TV documentary, explains the origins, condition, traits and manifestations of Tourette Syndrome. I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette’s community and to teach empathy, kindness and understanding from others and I will continue to do so. I chose to leave the auditorium early into the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing.”

Davidson, who first began experiencing tics and uncontrollable outbursts involving cursing at the age of 12, was a guest at the ceremony after a film about his life, “I Swear,” was nominated for five awards.

In the movie, “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” star Robert Aramayo plays Davidson as he is diagnosed with the syndrome. Aramayo beat out Hollywood stars including Leonardo DiCaprio and Ethan Hawke to take home the leading man statue for his performance. The film, which was nominated in five categories, also won an award for casting.

Davidson made a number of outbursts during the first half of the ceremony, including shouting “shout the fuck up” at BAFTA chair Sara Putt. When Michael B, Jordan and Delroy Lindo took to the stage to present the best visual effects award to “Avatar: Fire and Ash” he was also heard shouting the N-word.

“Sinners” production designer, Hannah Beachler, who was also nominated for a BAFTA, later posted on X that “it happened 3 times that night and one of the three times was directed at myself on the way to dinner after the show.”

She added: “I know we must handle this with grace and continue to push through. But what made the situation worse was the throw away apology of ‘if you were offended’ at the end of the show.”
Before the ceremony began a floor manager introduced Davidson to the audience and warned them they may hear “some involuntary noises or movements.” Host Alan Cumming also twice interrupted proceedings to address Davidson’s outbursts, once to thank the audience, which include William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, for their understanding and the second time to apologize “if you are offended tonight.”

Despite the show being aired with a two hour time delay on BBC One in the U.K., the n-word was not censored or edited from the broadcast. The uncensored broadcast also remained available on the BBC’s streaming platform iPlayer until midday on Monday when the broadcaster pulled it. It was also audible on the U.S. broadcast which went out on E! The BBC said in a statement: “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional. We apologize that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.”

Syndicated entertainment news strip “” has been renewed for Season 33 by the Fox-owned TV station group in key markets. Telepictures senior VP of current programming Lauren Blincoe and Fox Television Stations exec VP of programming Frank Cicha announced the pickup on Monday.

This will keep “Extra” going through the 2026-2027 TV season. “Extra” introduced “Dancing With the Stars” judge Derek Hough as its new host in Season 32; the show is also led by senior correspondent and weekend host Mona Kosar Abdi, as well as correspondent Terri Seymour.

“Amidst challenging times in syndication, the reinvention of ‘Extra’ has emerged as a genuinely positive story,” Cicha said in a statement. “Congrats to Derek Hough, the entire team at ‘Extra,’ and everyone at Telepictures.

Jeremy Spiegel continues as exec producer of “Extra.” As part of the show’s evolution this season (including an opening dance number and new segments), “Extra” also launched the digital series “Rolling with the Stars,” featuring Hough as he interviewed “Dancing with the Stars” contestants in a golf cart.

“Extra” has also expanded into longform content, including its Investigation Discovery program “Trapped: What Is Happening to Wendy Williams?”

“Extra” is the second longest‑running entertainment news magazine in syndication, behind only “Entertainment Tonight.” The show has received 12 consecutive Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Entertainment News Program, an honor it won in 2014 and 2016.

“Thirty-three seasons of ‘Extra’ reflects an enduring ​vision and a commitment to constant reinvention,” Blincoe said. “Nobody does this better than the ‘Extra’ team, led by our phenomenal executive producer Jeremy Spiegel, supported by our dedicated staff and crew, and brought to life by Derek’s singular talent, further strengthened by the on-air excellence of Mona and Terri. As we head into Season 33, we’re immensely proud of this powerhouse group and deeply grateful to our station partners and loyal viewers who’ve supported ‘Extra’ for more than three decades.”

“Extra” comes from Telepictures, which is part of Warner Bros. Television Group, and is distributed by Warner Bros. Discovery Content Sales. The show is currently cleared in 95% of the country, including on Fox Television Stations, Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Tegna, Hearst Television, Scripps Broadcasting, Gray Media, Sunbeam Television, CBS, Mission Broadcasting, Morgan Murphy Media, Coastal Television, Allen Media, American Spirit, Lilly Broadcasting, News-Press & Gazette Company, Block Communications, Imagicomm Communications, Circle City Broadcasting, Weigel Broadcasting, Griffin Media, Marquee Broadcasting, Morris Network, Draper Media, Heartland Media, Heritage, Standard Media, Wray Properties Trust, Channel Communications, Community Broadcast Group and Price Media Corporation stations.

“This renewal is a testament to the extraordinary ‘Extra’ team, whose creativity, dedication, and passion drive the show every day,” Spiegel said. “Derek’s energy, artistry, and creativity have helped us reimagine ‘Extra’ in fresh and innovative ways, a perfect complement to the amazing work of Mona and Terri. We are grateful to Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox and all our station partners for their continued support and belief in ‘Extra.’”

Collectibles brand Funko has struck a deal to develop and produce film, TV and animated content with “LEGO Movie” franchise and Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” producer Rideback and AI-enabled creation tool company Spuree.

Under the agreement, Spuree and Rideback will serve as Funko’s content partners for original Funko-driven projects across animation, hybrid, live-action, scripted and unscripted formats.

Funko’s portfolio of brands includes Funko, Loungefly and Mondo, all of which collaborate with existing IP from Disney, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix and more major media companies, and release original products.

Per the partners, this new deal “is designed to unlock new storytelling opportunities rooted in Funko’s globally recognized brands and deep fan engagement, while building scalable franchises that can live across screens, platforms, and other consumer touchpoints.”

Specific projects will be announced at a later date.

This announcement comes following years of a Funko movie remaining in the development stage at Warner Bros.

“Funko sits at the center of fan culture, turning the moments people love into collectible characters, with more than one billion products in the hands of fans worldwide,” Funko CEO Josh Simon said. “Rideback’s unmatched ability to transform beloved toys and characters — like Lego & ‘Lilo & Stitch’ — into expansive, emotionally resonant stories makes them an ideal partner. Together with Spuree, we’re excited to open a new chapter of storytelling for Funko fans everywhere.”

“Funko has built one of the most recognizable and beloved pop culture platforms in the world,” Rideback co-CEO and Spuree co-founder Jonathan Eirich said. “Together, we see an opportunity to develop ambitious, creator-driven stories that respect the DNA of the Funko universe while reimagining what it can become on screen.”

Rideback co-CEO and Spuree co-founder Michael LoFaso added: “Spuree was founded to help storytellers and rights holders build premium content more efficiently and creatively. This agreement allows us to apply that vision at scale, combining innovative production workflows with globally resonant IP.”

Unions workers at Hearst Magazines ratified a deal with the company, marking their second three-year collective bargaining agreement. The contract was overwhelmingly ratified with 98% approval by the 410-member bargaining unit of the Hearst Magazines members, who are affiliated with the Writers Guild of America East.

The new agreement covers staffers at 29 Hearst Magazines publications including Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar and Good Housekeeping.

The contract establishes 2%-3% annual raises, with the 2026 raise applying retroactively to Jan. 1, 2026, and increases salary minimums in the lowest tier by 11.8% to $62,400 in every location, according to WGA East. Other highlights include “improved severance protections” and enhanced 401(k) and retirement benefits, with the company providing a 100% match on the first 3% of employee 401(k) contributions.

The new contract expires April 29, 2029, establishing “a more favorable bargaining timeline,” WGA East said. The tentative agreement was reached on Feb. 13, 2026.

The union had engaged in more than two months of negotiations with Hearst Magazines, during which the guild agreed to continue talks past the previous contract’s Jan. 31, 2026, expiration date. The WGA East members at Hearst Magazines had authorized a strike if the two sides were unable to reach an agreement by Feb. 13. That came after union members at the company staged walkouts and rallies on Feb. 3 at Hearst Tower in New York City and at Hearst offices in L.A., Easton, Pa., Ann Arbor, Mich., and Birmingham, Ala.

The Hearst Magazines Union bargaining committee said Monday, “We made many important gains — better raises, higher wage floors, and an improved 401k match — for members of our unit with this contract. We also know there is still a great deal of work to be done to make Hearst Magazines a place we can all be proud of. We hope this ratification sends a clear message to management that we are only getting stronger and more cohesive as time goes on, and that we will always fight for a more equitable workplace.”

Sara David, VP of the WGA East’s Online Media Sector said in a statement, “Hearst management consistently underestimated the solidarity of the Hearst Magazines Union. While this contract is a step forward, our members are clear-eyed that there is still more to fight for: meaningful AI protections, flexible remote work policies, and wages that reflect their contributions to the $13.5 billion in profits Hearst boasted last year. We are proud of this membership, and Hearst should understand that this ratification is not complacency — it’s a starting point for the next negotiations.”

The WGA East-affiliated Hearst Magazines Union, established in 2019, includes workers at the following publications: Autoweek, Best Products, Bicycling, Car and Driver, Cosmopolitan, Country Living, Delish, Elle, Elle Decor, Esquire, Food Network Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, HGTV Magazine, Hot Rod, House Beautiful, Men’s Health, MotorTrend, Oprah Daily, The Pioneer Woman, Popular Mechanics, Prevention, Road & Track, Runner’s World, Seventeen, Town & Country, Veranda, Woman’s Day and Women’s Health.

In addition to Hearst Magazines, the WGA East’s Online Media Sector reps employees at companies including Bustle Digital Group, Civic News Group, Committee to Protect Journalists, Fast Company and Inc., Financial Times Specialist, Future PLC, Gizmodo Media USA, Jalopnik at Static Media, HuffPost, Jewish Currents, NowThis, Onion Inc., Salon, Slate, Talking Points Memo, The Intercept, The Root, Vox Media and Vice.

Faraz Shariat’s tightly wound “Prosecution” is a courtroom drama immersed in legalese, but rendered with the gripping intensity of a vigilante thriller. It follows a German-Korean woman prosecuting far-right hate crimes and running up against institutional blockades, until she becomes the victim of a targeted assault. This prompts her to push further and harder against these confines — and circumvent them if she must — at any ethical cost, as the herculean task before her fades into view.

Meticulously researched by co-writers Claudia Schaefer, Jee-Un Kim and Sun-Ju Choi, the story arrives in the wake of a recent uptick in far-right hate crimes in Germany, an apparent universality that Shariat grounds in the hyper-specifics of German law. At the film’s center is Seyo Kim (Chen Emilie Yan), a meek state lawyer looking to make a difference, but who accepts, with begrudging sighs, her department’s 80% rate of dropping hate crime prosecutions as just another part of the job.

While at home in her scant apartment, she speaks to her father in German while he responds in Korean; she seems disconnected from everyone, except occasionally her girlfriend Min-su (Kotbong Yang), whenever she finally answers the phone. During tightly shot and controlled scenes of her arguing in court, Seyo is subject to the gazes and occasional jeers of neo-Nazi defendants and their supporters, but retains her composure as best she can. After all, as characters repeatedly state throughout “Prosecution,” Germany claims the most objective system of law in the world, and maintaining objectivity is paramount. It’s no wonder that, after she’s knocked off her bicycle in a public park and pelted with Molotov cocktails by men in masks, she proves to be a pressure cooker waiting to explode.

Seyo’s immediate response is to throw herself into investigating her own attempted murder, even before she’s left the scene. But her largely Caucasian supervisors, like Senior Public Prosecutor Forch (Arnd Klawitter), insist that she keep her distance. However, with the reluctant help of a fellow non-white colleague, Ayten (Alev Irmak), she begins running a parallel inquiry: sneaking into records rooms to peruse old cases while sticking photographs and news articles on her window, practically walling herself off from the world. When her trial finally begins, she also takes over as her own attorney, not only questioning witnesses, but forcing former victims (some of them vulnerable immigrants) out of hiding, in order to make them testify at the risk of their own safety.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to call Seyo a self-centered protagonist, but her selfishness stems from a lucid sense of self-preservation. However, the film’s ultra-serious character drama is transformed into pulp — of the most ludicrously enjoyable sort — both by Shariat’s tight visual flourishes, which imbue every dialogue scene with oppressive potency, and by the way the initially straightforward Seyo slowly becomes an antiheroine in the vein of Lisbeth Salander from “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” The pseudo-goth hair and costume choices speak to an inner rebelliousness that isn’t so much unleashed as forced loose by a system that values the appearance of a mythical impartiality over her humanity, leaving her with little recourse but to step outside the confines of the law.

The seemingly insurmountable challenge before her is reflected by the double meaning of the film’s German-language title “Staatsschutz,” which roughly translates to “state protection.” When institutions close ranks and downplay threats in the name of neutrality, who is the state truly protecting?

To be clear, Seyo isn’t an action heroine who employs gadgets or fisticuffs. She’s too physically diminutive for that, which only adds to her desperation. Picture if Marvel’s Daredevil were a lawyer by day, and a lawyer who bends the rules a little by night, and you should know what to expect. Except Seyo’s superhero suit is the everyday attire of a woman driven by anger to violently knock on the doors shut in her face — and kick at them if she must, even if it attracts genuine danger from hate groups and institutions alike. (She does, however, have her own Batmobile in the form of a muscly, matte-black Dodge Challenger, which gets a delicious closing shot.)

Much of the action involves Seyo rummaging through dusty boxes in rooms she shouldn’t be in, lest a security guard come snooping and scold her, or she be handed professional consequences. A slap on the wrist hardly sounds exciting on paper, but the stakes grow as the film goes on. These sequences of process and investigation are captured with all the verve and nerve-wracking tension of a slick spy thriller, aided by a detailed, thundering soundscape sure to leave you on edge.

All of this is made further convincing by Yan’s captivating performance, her first for the big screen. She adds great depth to a woman pushing back against the walls closing in around her. Despite her character’s steely resolve, the star isn’t afraid to sketch moments of determination with glimmers of self-doubt, as Seyo becomes increasingly one-tracked, and perhaps loses sight of the difference between personal vengeance and broader, institutional justice, until it nearly breaks her.

While the resolution to this dilemma ends up somewhat easy, the film remains an alluring liberal power fantasy about challenging systems from within. Which is to say it’s more realistic in its aims than your average, metaphor-laden blockbuster — not everybody can kickflip or attain superpowers — and in the process, it’s sure to draw an especially visceral response from any choir to which its anti-racist sentiments might preach. It may not change the world (after all, few movies do), but it’ll certainly rile you up enough to make change seem far less improbable.

Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty on Monday in the deaths of his parents, Rob and Michele, who were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14.

Reiner, 32, appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court, and spoke only once, agreeing to a future court date of April 29.

Reiner is facing two counts of murder with an enhancement that could carry the death penalty or life without parole if he is convicted.

He is being represented by Kimberly Greene, a deputy public defender who took over the case after his initial lawyer, Alan Jackson, withdrew last month.

No mention was made of Reiner’s mental state during the brief hearing.

Reiner is being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles. He was arrested around 9:15 p.m. on Dec. 14, hours after his parents’ bodies were discovered by his sister.

“Rob Reiner was one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation,” said District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who called the Reiners’ killings “shocking and tragic.” “We owe it to their memory to pursue justice and accountability for the lives that were taken.”

Nick Reiner was open about his years-long battle with drug addiction. He told interviewers that he attended 18 rehabs between the ages of 15 and 19. In an interview for Anna David’s recovery podcast, he said he had thrown a rock through a window to prove he needed medication.

“I was insane,” he said. “And I said, ‘I’m insane.’ And they said, ‘No, you’re not.’ I was like, ‘Well, they’re not taking my word for it. I might as well demonstrate what crazy is.’”