The Guardian Culture

Masters of the Universe is a box office flop. Can they really be serious about a sequel?

WARNING: Minor spoiler ahead!By the power of Grayskull, Amazon MGM has the power to revive a franchise that hasn’t been big since Choppers were the coolest bikes in townReports suggest Travis Knight’s Masters of the Universe made just $54m (£40m) globally on debut at the weekend, a figure that, while not exactly fatal, would usually be considered a disappointment for a mainstream movie with a budget of more than $200m. Worse still, this heavily caffeinated, meta take on the 1980s TV show arrived

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Variety

‘House of Guinness’ Renewed for Season 2 by Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)

“House of Guinness,” Netflix’s boozy period drama based on the famed Irish brewing family, is coming back for another round. Variety understands that a second season of the show, created by Stephen Knight, has now been greenlit by the streamer, with production due to kick off in early 2027. Netflix declined to comment. Set in […]

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Variety

Noah Wyle and Sally Field on ‘The Pitt’ Exhaustion, CGI Co-Stars and Their ‘ER’ History: It Was a ‘Big Gamble’ Once for an Oscar Winner to Do TV

This interview is part of Variety and CNN’s Actors on Actors series. Watch the full video interview now at CNN.com/Watch (or on the CNN app) and on Variety’s YouTube channel starting at 11:59 pm ET. Noah Wyle and Sally Field first worked together on “ER,” when Wyle was among that show’s breakout stars and Field was already an established […]

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Variety

‘Candy Crush All Stars’ Tournament Crowns 2026 World Champion (EXCLUSIVE)

The “Candy Crush All Stars” competition has named Luana from Bahia, Brazil as its 2026 champion. After weeks of remote competition among millions of “Candy Crush” players across 25 countries, art student Luana secured a spot in the Live Final. Last week, she came out victorious in the closing game of the tournament’s biggest-ever Live […]

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Variety

Sombr Covers Two Taylor Swift Songs as Steven Spielberg Compares Her to Lennon-McCartney at Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony

As we say every year, the annual Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony is a combination of an awards show and a family reunion — an annual gathering of superstars virtually everyone recognizes, iconic behind-the-scenes songwriters that a few people recognize, and top executives from the music industry who hardly any normal person recognizes. And every […]

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

A Peter Thiel-Backed Tribunal Is Putting Journalists on Trial. I’m Its First Target

The billionaire has reteamed with the legal strategist who helped him bring down Gawker to start an AI-powered appeals court for the rich and aggrieved.

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Variety

The Weeknd Tops 3 Million Tickets Sold in 2026 Alone as ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ Tour Kicks Off U.K. and European Legs

As the Weeknd kicked off the 2026 Europe and U.K. leg of his years-long “After Hours Til Dawn” stadium tour with a sold-out performance at Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Thursday night, he celebrated several milstones. The tour surpassed $1 billion in global gross last year following the addition of 2026 dates across Europe, the […]

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Variety

Chinese Hit ‘Dear You’ Set for U.K., Ireland and France Theatrical Release

“Dear You,” the Teochew-language family drama directed and co-written by Lan Hongchun, is heading to U.K., Ireland and France cinemas after Trinity CineAsia acquired all theatrical rights from Hugoeast and Damai Entertainment. The film opens across U.K. and Ireland screens on June 26, with a French theatrical release to follow. Released in China on April […]

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

The Guardian Culture

Books Q&A live: we answer your questions about our 100 top novels lists

Were our readers right to put Lord of the Rings above Middlemarch? What was missing from our list? Has anyone read the whole 100 … ?Liese Spencer, our joint head of books, and non-fiction editor David Shariatmadari are live now to discuss the huge reaction to our 100 greatest novels list, our readers’ choices of the 100 best – and any other burning questions you may have about what to read nextEscoppycoppy asks: What was the actual question you asked the contributors? Did you ask for “best” nov

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Variety

Pawan Kalyan Confirms ‘They Call Him OG 2,’ Shoot Set to Begin After November

Indian actor-politician Pawan Kalyan’s “They Call Him OG 2” is officially happening. Pawan Kalyan Creative Works confirmed to Variety that the the sequel is in active development, with the shoot expected to commence after November this year. Discussions will begin as soon as director Sujeeth returns from abroad. The production house addressed the timeline directly […]

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

The Guardian Culture

What World Cup? It’s the ultimate summer TV guide

Don’t want to spend months watching corporate greed besmirch football? Fear not. From the spectacular return of Larry David to Will Ferrell’s wild golf comedy and Anya Taylor-Joy as a badass con artist, it’s going to be a summer of fantastic TV. Here are the shows you can’t missHouse of the Dragon finds itself slightly up against it this year, as the faster and funnier A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has snatched its crown as the premium Game of Thrones spin-off. But let’s not discount it, becaus

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

The Guardian Culture

‘Windrush is a love story too’: Renell Shaw on paying homage to Black British life in his new jazz trilogy

The Ivor Novello-winning musician has written works inspired by his family history. He talks about building music from testimony – and why the Windrush generation deserves new narrativesA briefcase-sized console with a large, sleek keypad, the MPC One drum machine is an eye-catching piece of kit. It can’t be easily overlooked among the various synthesisers, guitars, amps, samplers and vinyl albums in Renell Shaw’s studio in Wood Green, north London. This month, when the 38-year-old musician play

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Variety

Olivia Rodrigo’s Best ‘You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love’ Lyrics, From Wishing Her Ex Loved Her ‘Less’ to Not Settling for ‘A Guy With a Fake Job’

Olivia Rodrigo’s third album, “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,” is finally here — and with it comes a raft of new lyrics to quote, analyze and obsess over. As the title suggests, “You Seem Pretty Sad” takes listeners through the lifespan of a relationship, from giddy beginnings full of butterflies […]

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Variety

Lesley Manville, Aldis Hodge, Kevin McKidd to Headline Business Forum Lineup at Monte-Carlo Television Festival

The Monte-Carlo Television Festival, which kicks off Friday, will feature a starry lineup of speakers for its industry segment, the Business Forum, that includes actors Lesley Manville, Aldis Hodge and Kevin McKidd. Headline sessions include “Filmmakers & Friends: Finding Truth & Being Authentic to Their Story,” a conversation with executive producer and actor Aldis Hodge […]

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

The Guardian Culture

The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup

Not With a Bang by Temi Oh; Tillinghast by Clare Cavenagh; Atomic Coffin by Benedict Anning; The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden; Bad Things Happen Here by Mark Morris Not With a Bang by Temi Oh (Solstice, £20) The four daughters of a doomsday prepper were trained what to do in an emergency: grab their bags and head for the well-stocked bunker he had built in the garden of their London home. But when a world-shattering event occurs, the family are dispersed, individually forced to weigh thei

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Variety

Fremantle’s ‘The Uniform’ Returns for a Second Season – and Dives Into the Cracks Within the Police Force (EXCLUSIVE)

“The Uniform” will return for a second season.  Currently showcased at Monte Carlo TV Festival, the show premiered its first season on DRTV in 2026. Following a deal with Fremantle, it is now set to launch on BBC iPlayer and BBC Four in the U.K. Set within a fiercely competitive police academy in Denmark, “The Uniform” […]

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Variety

‘The Leader’ Director Michael Gallagher and Star Tim Blake Nelson on Why the Story of the Heaven’s Gate Cult Is Relevant Today: ‘When There Is Nothing but Certainty Within a Group, Danger Can Strike’

When director Michael Gallagher was eight years old, 39 people died in his neighborhood in San Diego, California. They were the victims of the infamous Heaven’s Gate cult, who died in a coordinated mass suicide timed with the approach of the Comet Hale-Bopp in March of 1997. That event would leave an indelible mark on […]

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

David Hockney, Legendary British Artist, Dies at 88

Hockney "passed away peacefully at home on 11 June," just one month before his 89th birthday, his publicist has said.

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Variety

David Hockney, Iconic British Artist, Dies at 88

David Hockney, the painter widely regarded to be one of the most influential contemporary British artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, has died. He was 88. The news was announced by Hockney’s publicist to the BBC. “The celebrated British artist David Hockney, one of the most important figures in contemporary art in both the […]

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026

Variety

Tony Leung Leads Shanghai Golden Goblet Jury With Open Mind, Vows to Persuade Fellow Jurors

Tony Leung Chiu-wai opened the international jury press conference for the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival’s main competition promising to approach the Golden Goblet selection with an open mind – and, where needed, to argue his case. “Even though the awards process is a team effort, I will do my best to convince them,” said […]

entertainment  Jun 12, 2026