1. Acquired Podcast Hosts Break Down Disney's Acquisition Strategy in the WSJ
    Culture

    Acquired Podcast Hosts Break Down Disney's Acquisition Strategy in the WSJ

    In a WSJ feature, Acquired podcast hosts Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal lay out Disney's core playbook: acquire the best IP — Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Fox — then control distribution through streaming.

    ·1 min read
  2. André 3000 Releases Wordless Short Film '7 Piano Sketches' on MUBI
    Culture

    André 3000 Releases Wordless Short Film '7 Piano Sketches' on MUBI

    André 3000's '7 Piano Sketches,' a wordless short film he co-wrote and co-directed with Graham Mason, is now streaming exclusively on MUBI — a silent-comedy companion to his 2025 instrumental piano EP.

    ·1 min read
  3. Toy Story 5 Opens to $71 Million, Just Short of Animated Opening-Day Record
    Culture

    Toy Story 5 Opens to $71 Million, Just Short of Animated Opening-Day Record

    Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5 opened to $71 million across 4,425 theaters — just short of Incredibles 2's animated opening-day record — and is tracking toward a ~$164 million debut weekend, 2026's biggest.

    ·1 min read
  4. 'Backrooms' Opens to $81 Million Domestic, A24's Biggest Debut Ever
    Culture

    'Backrooms' Opens to $81 Million Domestic, A24's Biggest Debut Ever

    A24's 'Backrooms' opened to $81 million domestically and $118 million worldwide — the studio's biggest debut ever, making 20-year-old Kane Parsons the youngest filmmaker to top the box office.

    ·1 min read
  5. Culture

    Lionsgate Confirms 'Michael 2' Sequel With 25% Already Shot

    Adam Fogelson, Lionsgate film chief, said the studio has 25 to 30% of a second Michael Jackson biopic already in the can from the original 2024 production. Jaafar Jackson returns as MJ. The sequel will cover the Bad-through-Dangerous years left out of the first film.

    ·2 min read
  6. The Mandalorian and Grogu Opens Star Wars' First Theatrical Run Since 2019
    Culture

    The Mandalorian and Grogu Opens Star Wars' First Theatrical Run Since 2019

    Lucasfilm's first theatrical Star Wars release since The Rise of Skywalker opens this Memorial Day weekend. Tracking has The Mandalorian and Grogu at $74-100M domestic over four days, with a $165M budget that lets even a modest opening qualify as a reset for the franchise.

    ·2 min read
  7. Stephen Colbert Ends Late Show With Paul McCartney Singing "Hello, Goodbye"
    Culture

    Stephen Colbert Ends Late Show With Paul McCartney Singing "Hello, Goodbye"

    Colbert's finale ran 17 minutes long, closed with Paul McCartney performing "Hello, Goodbye," and pulled in Barack Obama, David Letterman, and the full Strike Force Five for one last broadcast. The 33-year CBS franchise is now off the air, with the slot returning to local affiliates.

    ·2 min read
  8. John Travolta Receives Honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes Ahead of Directorial Debut
    Culture

    John Travolta Receives Honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes Ahead of Directorial Debut

    Cannes surprised John Travolta with an honorary Palme d'Or — hours before his directorial debut premiered. The timing, and where the film lands next, says everything about the festival in 2026.

    ·1 min read
  9. Stephen Colbert's Final Late Show Airs May 21, Ending CBS's 33-Year Franchise
    Culture

    Stephen Colbert's Final Late Show Airs May 21, Ending CBS's 33-Year Franchise

    Colbert's finale on May 21 doesn't just close a host's run — it retires The Late Show itself after 33 years. The timeslot goes back to affiliates, and a nightly cultural ritual quietly ends.

    ·2 min read
  10. Peter Jackson Receives Honorary Palme d'Or From Elijah Wood at 79th Cannes Opening
    Culture

    Peter Jackson Receives Honorary Palme d'Or From Elijah Wood at 79th Cannes Opening

    Elijah Wood presented the honorary Palme d'Or to Peter Jackson on the opening night of the 79th Cannes Film Festival — a Frodo-Gandalf reunion that doubled as the festival's clearest legacy moment.

    ·3 min read
  11. Guillermo del Toro Brings Pan's Labyrinth Back to Cannes May 12 in 4K Restoration
    Culture

    Guillermo del Toro Brings Pan's Labyrinth Back to Cannes May 12 in 4K Restoration

    Twenty years after its 22-minute standing ovation — still the longest in festival history — Pan's Labyrinth opens Cannes Classics 2026 in a del Toro-supervised 4K restoration.

    ·2 min read
  12. Lady Gaga and Doechii drop "Runway" music video
    Culture

    Lady Gaga and Doechii drop "Runway" music video

    Parris Goebel directed it. Viktor & Rolf and Gaurav Gupta dressed it. Bruno Mars, Andrew Watt, Cirkut, and D'Mile produced it. The Devil Wears Prada 2 doesn't open until Friday — but its actual cultural opening statement landed Monday night.

    ·3 min read