Does filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov somehow own all of the software needed to create a screenlife movie? Though the director of Wanted doesn't technically have a producer credit on every single found-footage-style movie that takes place primarily on a series of device screens, he's had a hand in most of the famous ones, including the Unfriended series of horror movies and the thriller companion pieces Searching and Missing. In a twist that's half clever and half meaningless, Mercy doesn't need to unfold exclusively through an actual screen, because it's set in the near future, where an experimental justice program has integrated artificial intelligence as a way of expediting the oft-clogged court system. At first, the exposition video outlining this procedure seems unrealistic, because it doesn't bother couching any of this in language duplicitously trumpeting its efficiency, humanity, or fairness. But then, there certainly exists a political faction for whom a single entity serving as “judge, jury, and executioner” does indeed sound like a brag rather than the centerpiece of a dystopia; they're the same people will nod in approving disapproval over the film's characterization of future Los Angeles as a crimeridden cesspool where the lawless unhoused strike constant fear into the hearts of citizens, protected only by our “heroes in blue.” That's the movie's wording and alas, the filmmakers don't appear to be satirizing anything with this generically reactionary (and very 1990s-coded) vision of three whole years from now. justice, so long as our hero gets his shot at vindication. As in Minority Report, the movie Mercy most ineptly and shamelessly imitates, that hero is someone who previously championed the technology now holding him in its grip: Detective Chris Raven (Chris Pratt), whose surname only exacerbates the sense that we're watching something like a video game. Raven wakes up as the procedure begins, surprised to learn that he's on trial for the murder of his wife Nicole (Annabelle Wallis). Classic-movie fans may recognize this as a variation on the “blackout noir,” where a crime picture depends on at least one character suffering some manner of memory lapse. So Mercy proceeds as a screenlife noir where we're not strictly confined to the frame of the screen, but instead identify with a character who is confined more or less within one, as various case files, protected data, surveillance footage, and video calls pop up in front of and around him, at his command. (Raven is strapped into a metal chair, but given enough leeway to steer the graphics from his seat.) Even in IMAX 3D, which seems ideal for these effects, Bekmambetov fails to generate much visual interest from the information overload. He seems to have a great advantage in Ferguson's looming face, but by design she's forced to tamp down her charisma for an omnisciently nothing role. It doesn't help that Pratt scarcely comes across as any less synthetic. Through a punishing decade-along process of brand triangulation and franchise work, Pratt seems nearly incapable of delivering anything resembling spontaneity or hidden dimension. At their best, screenlife movies have a way of faking verisimilitude within potentially far-fetched thrillers, finding ways to depict moments of quiet intrigue that might otherwise not fit into a go-go-go narrative. Mercy takes a more bombastic approach with more speculative technology, only to chicken out of using that bombast to do anything other than jostle the audience through a series of contrived absurdities. If this is the future of crime thrillers, everyone needs their screentime severely curtailed. Director: Timur Bekmambetov Writer: Marco van Belle Starring: Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Kali Reis, Kyle Rogers, Annabelle Wallis Release Date: January 23, 2026 Recommended for You1MIO: Memories In Orbit will be hard to forget2Ben Affleck and Matt Damon put on their best grimaces for Joe Carnahan's best film in years3The 10 best anime premieres of winter 20264Matt Damon says Netflix asks creators to repeat the plot "three or four times" for people on their phones5A showstopping Ralph Fiennes keeps the offbeat horror of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple alive

We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Plenty of worthy movies at Sundance and other film festivals go undistributed each year, and the folks at Legion M are now giving you the power to help get those movies into theaters. Related Stories Netflix Will Own Turner Classic Movies if It Buys Warner Bros — Here's 5 Things It Can Do with TCM ‘Tuner' Trailer: Leo Woodall Is a Safecracking Piano Man with a Golden Ear Legion M will be on the ground at Sundance in Park City this week to potentially acquire films that can be supported through this crowdfunding distribution model. Legion M is presenting this method of investing as a “last-in, first-out” economic model. The company believes this is a lower risk investment opportunity aiming for steadier performance rather than riskier, higher-yield returns. “Not every investment needs to be a swing for the fences,” said Legion M co-founder and CEO, Paul Scanlan. “The fund creates huge strategic value by providing P&A for films released by Legion M and our partners, while also giving movie lovers a new way to be a part of the business,” said Jeff Annison, co-founder and president of Legion M. “It's a win for everyone, and yet another example of how we're building the company to unite fans to change the game.” The fund is structured so that capital returned from an investment gets automatically reinvested into future projects, and Legion M says it's a way of diversifying risk across multiple films and see compound returns, though you can also opt to cash out. Legion M's next project currently in post-production is “Fade to Black,” a horror movie directed by filmmaker Andrew Sandler. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.

The country music festival, held on the Las Vegas Strip since 2014, had a particularly strong lineup in its fourth year — Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Jason Aldean — and Gray was enlisted to capture the musical high points and overall vibe. A gunman opened fire from his hotel room in the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino across Las Vegas Boulevard, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds, all in the span of 11 minutes. Gray went from concert reviewer to crime scene witness, and documented his account in a story for Rolling Stone the next morning. Yet Gray's most expansive writing about Route 91 arrived last year with his new book, The Las Vegas Massacre Connections: Finding Strength Through Tragedy After America's Deadliest Mass Shooting. In this week's episode of Rolling Stone's Nashville Now podcast, we talk to Gray about his experiences that night in Las Vegas and how the bonds he forged with fellow Route 91 attendees, including Mary Jo von Tillow, whose husband Kurt was one of the first shot and killed in the incident, have shaped and steered his life since. Canadian PM Rips Trump's Greenland Push: ‘We Are in the Midst of a Rupture' Billie Eilish Condemns Civil Rights Violations, ICE-Inflicted Violence Under Trump Administration Watch the full episode on Rolling Stone‘s YouTube channel below. Download and subscribe to Rolling Stone's weekly country-music podcast, Nashville Now, hosted by senior music editor Joseph Hudak, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts). New episodes drop every Wednesday and feature interviews with artists and personalities like Lainey Wilson, Hardy, Charley Crockett, Kings of Leon, Breland, Bryan Andrews, Gavin Adcock, Amanda Shires, Shooter Jennings, Margo Price, Ink, Halestorm, Dusty Slay, Lukas Nelson, Ashley Monroe, Old Crow Medicine Show's Ketch Secor, Clever, and journalists Marissa R. Moss and Josh Crutchmer.

The country music festival, held on the Las Vegas Strip since 2014, had a particularly strong lineup in its fourth year — Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Jason Aldean — and Gray was enlisted to capture the musical high points and overall vibe. A gunman opened fire from his hotel room in the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino across Las Vegas Boulevard, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds, all in the span of 11 minutes. Gray went from concert reviewer to crime scene witness, and documented his account in a story for Rolling Stone the next morning. Yet Gray's most expansive writing about Route 91 arrived last year with his new book, The Las Vegas Massacre Connections: Finding Strength Through Tragedy After America's Deadliest Mass Shooting. In this week's episode of Rolling Stone's Nashville Now podcast, we talk to Gray about his experiences that night in Las Vegas and how the bonds he forged with fellow Route 91 attendees, including Mary Jo von Tillow, whose husband Kurt was one of the first shot and killed in the incident, have shaped and steered his life since. Canadian PM Rips Trump's Greenland Push: ‘We Are in the Midst of a Rupture' Billie Eilish Condemns Civil Rights Violations, ICE-Inflicted Violence Under Trump Administration Don Lemon Fires Back at Nicki Minaj's Homophobic Post: ‘Sit the F-ck Down' Watch the full episode on Rolling Stone‘s YouTube channel below. Download and subscribe to Rolling Stone's weekly country-music podcast, Nashville Now, hosted by senior music editor Joseph Hudak, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts).

Satirizing human vanity in 2026 is low-hanging fruit, and Ryan Murphy and Matt Hodgson's playfully profane body-horror series The Beauty plucks it eagerly. In this FX show, great news arrives for the vapid and short-sighted: A scientifically engineered shot can transform people into the most gorgeous versions of themselves. The shot contains a disease dubbed “The Beauty,” and it makes people hot—too hot—triggering spontaneous explosions that leave a plume of red mist and sticky goo where a 10 used to be. Covering up the Beauty and its wild side effects (it's a “fucked-up love child of HIV and rabies, but neither,” per John Carroll Lynch's FBI honcho), is the primary concern of billionaire manbaby “The Corporation” (embodied quite capably by Ashton Kutcher). With his Bateman-flavored Assassin (Anthony Ramos) surgically managing this impending splatter epidemic, he intends to monetize the jab on a scale that would make Novo Nordisk swoon. How one entity gains exclusive control over such a disease is just one of the many questions The Beauty, which was adapted from the comics series by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley, takes its sweet time answering. The plotting is languid but never dull, content to luxuriate in chic aesthetic indulgences, pseudo-philosophical ramblings, and a hyperfixation on human anatomy that are punctuated with fawning shots of abs, clavicles, cheekbones, and derrières. Aware that their body-horror premise is loaded with endless social permutations, Murphy and Hodgson stroll us through the most obvious ones—plastic surgeons facing obsolescence, the aesthetically disadvantaged seeking illicit upgrades, bioengineers who manufacture the disease—with an unbothered confidence. This haute-couture carnival ride kicks off with Murphy's typical showmanship. We enter on fashion's hottest new model (played by Bella Hadid) leaping from the runway to a violent spree across Paris, a motorcycle-riding Terminatrix who eventually ends up decorating the walls outside a posh restaurant with her innards. Investigating this random act of carnage are FBI agents Madsen (Evan Peters) and Bennett (Rebecca Hall), whose international assignments double as scenic backdrops to their bedtime debriefings and self-parodic thoughts concerning physical vanity, the fear of aging, and how few are above playing the game. (Bennett had her boobs done, while Madsen dwells on a suggestion that he get his teeth fixed.) “Everything we do is about sex,” Madsen says, with Peters wearing his implacable Dahmer face from Monster. Visually, The Beauty shows Murphy, who directs several episodes, at his most stylish. But it's hard not to clock thematic echoes to Coralie Fargeat's The Substance, with the show's smoldering physicality and heightened reality making all this viscera look so clutch. Some characters are doomed and do not die well, yet we can't look away. The violence is integral to its visceral and erotic pleasures, a balance Clive Barker struck more successfully decades ago with Hellraiser. And one thrusting, bone-bending transformation involves a contortion routine reminiscent of Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria remake. But given the material, it's a good approach. The series also sexes up the disease's transformation process, taking the comics' subtle overnight changes and turning them into a full-on Yuzna/Cronenbergian metamorphosis, complete with goop, flesh, and pod-people chrysalis. Given that this is a Ryan Murphy show, it's sometimes comically difficult to suss out the Beauty's haves and have nots. For instance, one character describes Madsen (who, remember, is played by Evan Peters) as having a face like a catcher's mitt. Squint and the joke very nearly works as a fourth-wall-breaking suggestion that Hollywood beauty standards have run amok. Where else can you watch Isabella Rossellini dress down Ashton Kutcher with an insult like “clown boy,” delivered as if from a gilded balcony? A goofier surreality also creeps into The Beauty further into the season, particularly during a sequence where Kutcher's character dances through a laboratory as technicians hustle around him in immaculate choreography set to Tame Impala's “Dracula” to take his temperature, draw blood, and give him a lollipop for being such a good boy. It's the frothier, more frivolous version that The Beauty could have easily become, an indulgence that teases the eye, pleases the ear, and adds little value other than to reiterate a thematic point that has been adequately expressed elsewhere: Corporations see the world as their playground and people as toys or staff who can facilitate play. Never mind that the sequence extends for a full three minutes, or that someone refers to this very rich guy as a vampire in the next scene. Recommended for You1MIO: Memories In Orbit will be hard to forget2Ben Affleck and Matt Damon put on their best grimaces for Joe Carnahan's best film in years3The 10 best anime premieres of winter 20264Matt Damon says Netflix asks creators to repeat the plot "three or four times" for people on their phones5A showstopping Ralph Fiennes keeps the offbeat horror of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple alive

YouTubers, he wrote, “are buying studio-sized lots in Hollywood and beyond to pioneer new formats and produce beautifully produced, must-see TV. The era of dismissing this content as simply “UGC” is long over. These are shows, built by creators who green-light themselves.” He cited a forthcoming late-night “experience” to be hosted at various New York City locations by YouTuber Julian Shapiro-Barnum. It has been a year of milestones for YouTube in terms of taking over turf long occupied by traditional TV. It drew a sizable global audience with its first live NFL stream last September and last month claimed rights to the Academy Awards after the award show wraps its decades-long run on ABC in 2029. While the dynamism and freshness of creator fare helps explains its explosive growth, Mohan acknowledged that maintaining a viable environment around it on the platform is crucial. “As an open platform, we allow for a broad range of free expression while ensuring YouTube remains a place where people feel good spending their time. Today, once-odd trends like ASMR and watching other people play video games are mainstream hits. But with this openness comes a responsibility to maintain the high quality viewing experience that people want.” In order to combat low-quality AI fare, Mohan said YouTube is “actively building on our established systems that have been very successful in combatting spam and clickbait, and reducing the spread of low quality, repetitive content.” YouTube also labels content produced with its own AI tools and also removes “any harmful synthetic media that violates our Community Guidelines,” Mohan noted. The company is also fortifying identification methods and giving creators tools to manage the use of their likeness in AI-generated content, he added. Get our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy. He's right, but this has been true for like 10 years. Corporate LA/NYC culture is just that far behind the mainstream. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.

Her love doesn't cost a thing. Jennifer Lopez handed cash to a homeless man while sporting a nearly $80,000 Hermès Kelly crocodile handbag. In photos obtained by Page Six, the singer was seen coming out of a business meeting in Los Angeles Tuesday when a man approached her with his hands planted firmly together in an attempt to ask for something. Lopez — chic in blue jeans, a white top, heels and a brown blazer — continued to walk past the man and enter her awaiting Cadillac Escalade. Start your day with Page Six Daily. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Want celebrity news as it breaks? Lopez's generous move came days after Glambot director Cole Walliser shut down claims that the “Marry Me” star was “rude” to him during her shoot at the Golden Globes. “I didn't take it personally. It didn't feel rude in that moment,” the Canadian filmmaker said in an Instagram video over the weekend. Walliser acknowledged “a couple things added to the fuel of this idea.” The content creator added that Lopez was simply preparing for her Glambot moment. “I knew she was getting ready. We were just getting through it. That moment didn't feel rude,” he said. Several fans claimed Lopez was “rude” to Walliser for barely speaking to him during the shoot.

EXCLUSIVE: Bodhi Rae Breathnach, the young Irish-English actress who made her feature debut in Chloé Zhao's Oscar hopeful Hamnet, will have a supporting role in Robert Eggers' anticipated creature feature Werwolf. The fast-rising actress will appear in the Focus Features horror film alongside stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe and Ralph Ineson. The werewolf tale, which began filming in the UK last fall, is set in 13th-century England and sees a mysterious creature stalk the land as local folklore becomes a terrifying reality. Pic is due to release in late December 2026. Horror Movies' Next Wave: What's Coming In 2026, From Auteur Nightmares To Indie Breakouts Willem Dafoe Eyeing Reunion With Robert Eggers For Directors Next Film 'Werwulf' At Focus Features Breathnach, who played William Shakespeare's daughter Susanna in Hamnet, is about to hit big screens co-starring with Jason Statham in action-thriller Shelter, directed by Ric Roman-Waugh. She also secured the role of Margaret Dashwood in the upcoming Focus Features adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Caitríona Balfe and George MacKay. The 14 year-old actress starred in Beth Steel's Olivier-nominated play Till The Stars Come Down at London's National Theatre, and previously appeared in TV series The Capture and UK kids show So Awkward Academy. Get our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks Send us a tip using our annonymous form. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.

A Sony Pictures exec branded Blake Lively a “f–king terrorist” as tensions rose on the set of her and Justin Baldoni's August 2024 movie, “It Ends With Us.” Giannetti — an executive vice president of production and senior creative at the media company — confirmed that she made the comment during her September 2025 deposition, which was unsealed on Tuesday before a summary judgment hearing in Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios. According to People, Giannetti replied, “Yes,” when asked whether she made the remark to Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath after learning that Lively, 38, had threatened to quit the film unless a long list of demands was met. Giannetti testified that Sony had already invested “a tremendous amount of money” in the project, which she felt they “had to finish … or it was unreleasable.” Giannetti went on to say that she did not recall Lively telling her that Baldoni — who starred in and directed “It Ends With Us” — or Heath had done anything specific on the set that made her feel uncomfortable. Your blood, sweat, tears, brilliant smarts, heart and soul in every single frame,” Giannetti wrote. Start your day with Page Six Daily. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Lively's list of demands included banning improvised intimate scenes, discussions of pornography, sexual experiences or genitalia, and comments about her body, weight and personal life. Baldoni, 41, and Heath agreed to the demands; however, according to Lively, that's when they retaliated against her. The judge will decide Thursday whether some or all of Lively's claims will proceed to trial, which is set for May 2026.

We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Although our own David Ehrlich's recent 25 Best Films of 2025 video countdown highlights the heist-y parts of “The Mastermind,” there is a lot more going on in director Kelly Reichardt‘s story of a small-town New England art thief (Josh O'Connor) who can't outfox himself or outrun the times he lives in. MUBI has now put out a box set of four companion booklets about the film, including reflections from Reichardt herself and her longtime collaborators on the production team, a critical essay by Lucy Sante, and an exploration of artist Arthur Dove by Alec MacKaye of the Phillips Collection. Related Stories How Sundance Tees Up Future Oscar Contenders ‘Mercy' Review: This Movie About Chris Pratt Sitting in a Chair Is the Platonic Ideal of a January Release Making a movie set in 1970 allows Reichardt to pay homage to the movies of that time, especially those odes to cutting loose and hitting the road: “Five Easy Pieces” (Bob Rafelson, 1970), “Two-Lane Blacktop” (Monte Hellman, 1971), “Vanishing Point” (Richard C. Sarafian, 1971), with their urgent indeterminacy. It's a landscape she also associates with the early-seventies road-trip photos by Stephen Shore. She savors the broad, empty spaces of that urban-renewal time, a landscape that could give even the most formulaic low-budget picture a minimalist intensity. She loves the top decks of multilevel car parks, strip-mall parking lots (“The Echo”), abandoned roadside taverns (“Salty's”), highways lined with rows of squat brick buildings that might be bars or lube joints or warehouses or just shells. Dialogue tended to be sparse in those movies, too, because people mistrusted language then, and Reichardt also likes her speeches laconic. Instead of silence here, though, there is a consistent, sometimes almost conversational, jazz score that drives things along spikily, evoking the memory of Miles Davis's score for Louis Malle's “Elevator to the Gallows” (1958). Reichardt loves to show process and gives us a gripping minute of Larry the driver hot-wiring a car, his hands invisible below the dashboard. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.

Taylor Swift has become the youngest-ever woman to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She enters the class of 2026 alongside Alanis Morissette, Kiss songwriters Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, and Kenny Loggins, who follows his fellow yacht-rockers the Doobie Brothers after their selection last year. Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, the writer of Beyoncé's “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It),” who went on to sign Frank Ocean to Def Jam, also makes the cut, alongside Mariah Carey collaborator Walter Afanasieff and a duo best known for their work with Tina Turner: Terry Britten and Graham Lyle. Among the unlucky 2026 nominees are David Byrne, LL Cool J, Pink, and Sarah McLachlan, and the Go-Go's. Artists become eligible 20 years after their debut commercial single, meaning Swift, whose released “Tim McGraw” in 2006, just sneaked in. Prospective inductees have to choose five songs for consideration; hers, USA Today notes, were “All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” “Blank Space,” “Anti-Hero,” “Love Story,” and “The Last Great American Dynasty.” An induction gala will take place on June 11 in New York City. Last month, Donna Summer was posthumously inducted; earlier that year, George Clinton and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins were among the Doobie Brothers' fellow inductees. All rights reserved. Pitchfork may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast.

In the new A24 comedy, directed by Aidan Zamiri, Charli xcx plays an alternate-reality version of herself on a ‘brat' tour gone wrong — but digs deep in the process. She tells all in a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The Grammy-winning artist, playing an alternate-reality version of herself in her biggest acting role to date, was set to shoot a tense scene opposite frequent collaborator Rachel Sennott, who was similarly spoofing her real-life persona. Sennott had arrived “in the back of a van from Paris” where she'd been for a Balenciaga show, Charli says, only for the two stars to be squeezed into “this impossible bathroom with three stalls and a huge mirror” alongside director Aidan Zamiri and cinematographer Sean Price Williams. The Ultimate Sundance Oral History: "Screaming, Crying and Almost Throwing Up" One of Sundance's Biggest Surprise Hits: A Fledgling Photo Agency Called WireImage “Sean's wandering around with fucking camera, Rachel was shipped in literally overnight,” Charli says with a nostalgic smile over Zoom, as Zamiri laughs along right beside her. The Moment, which premieres Friday at the Sundance Film Festival before A24 releases it in theaters on Jan. 30, has been defined by that spontaneous, chaotic spirit from its inception — that is, from a little over a year ago. Inevitably, Charli started getting asked about making a blockbuster documentary out of her upcoming headlining arena tour around the world. “It wasn't something that really spoke to me as an artist,” she says. “It was a piece of writing that captured the complexities of what it's like to achieve something that you've worked half your life for, but then to feel how fragile and how fleeting that might be,” he says. “Charli is able to be extremely honest in a way that most people would be frightened of —” he turns toward her mid-thought — “but I don't think it scares you.” She nods, then booms with laughter: “I just do it, then regret it all.” Written by Zamiri with fellow first-time screenwriter Bertie Brandes, The Moment is nothing if not honest. Her team, played by the likes of Hailey Benton Gates, Kate Berlant, Jamie Demetriou and Rosanna Arquette, splinters over the direction; Charli grapples with an identity crisis in struggling to let brat go. The first draft was written in a mere 10 days, finished on New Year's Eve of 2024; filming began three months later. Charli viewed The Moment as a chance to be more truthful about the music industry than anything she'd previously seen in a narrative film. “Being an artist within [the industry], you really get to control every single element of what is put out about you — the angle from which your face is shot; the edits of your music videos; the edits of your product placement, photo shoots, whatever,” Charli says. “That controlled final image is what the public see, but there's this huge run up to that final place where it is a fucking mess. There are these crazy ideas being pitched by absolutely insane people who have no idea who you are as an artist. Brands will enter the room and be suggesting these absolutely bonkers concepts. Charli xcx's first feature acting credits arrived with three movies last fall, which premiered at various festivals: 100 Nights of Hero, Sacrifice and Erupcja, the lattermost of which she also produced and co-wrote. She'll next explode on the Park City scene with a fresh trio of films, including supporting roles in the new movies from Cathy Yan (The Gallerist) and Gregg Araki (I Want Your Sex). The Moment marks her most substantial showcase to date, however. Through this dreamed-up “what if” premise, she gives a surprisingly raw performance. The comedy remains front and center, with Charli delving headfirst into improv under the stewardship of her co-stars Berlant and Demetriou. The conditions of the production set the stage: Charli filmed a movie about a fictional brat tour co-opted by corporate interests, while winding down her actual brat tour and staring down what might be next. “It felt very vulnerable because I tapped into the most extreme parts of my personality that sometimes I feel the need to hide and diminish,” Charli says. I really feel that in my journey as an artist. While The Moment is filled with references for Charli followers to appreciate — winking nods to her loyal queer fanbase, the occasional dissection of her lyrics — the Charli character hits on some more generally prescient themes. When asked about what inspired the character, Zamiri and Charli both giggle, with the latter saying knowingly, “He's not based on a real guy!” Charli then clarifies: “We've met this person so many times. There's also a key scene between Charli and Kylie Jenner, also playing a bizarro version of herself with some barbed self-awareness. “It's one of my favorite scenes in the film,” Charli says. '” For Zamiri, seeing performers like Sennott and Jenner embrace The Moment's unvarnished quality proved crucial. “Especially in a time where there are audiences that can't necessarily separate a character from a person — and when you're doing something so complicated — that willingness to poke fun at themselves was extremely brave,” he says. The whole thing feels so much more lived in.” This was a goal rooted not merely in Charli's own experiences and sensibility, but also her influences. Any fan of Charli's surely knows her Letterboxd lore and cinephilic bona fides. Sure enough, she and Zamiri came into The Moment armed with clear reference points. “It would be pretty impossible for this film to exist without This Is Spinal Tap — that was a big thing for us,” Charli says of the landmark feature debut by the late Rob Reiner. “We wanted to combine this humor based in not quite saying what you mean all the time, which is extremely British of us, with visuals that felt fresh and arresting and exciting,” he says. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

Google's video platform has disrupted traditional TV and positioned itself as a partner for networks, while the U.K. public broadcaster has been looking to reach young audiences and generate more revenue. The BBC will start producing original content for Google's YouTube under a landmark deal unveiled with the Alphabet-owned video powerhouse, which has disrupted traditional TV and increasingly positioned itself as a partner for TV networks. SkyShowtime Sets Original Crime Drama 'National Homicide Unit' in Sweden (Exclusive) Angelina Jolie, Marilyn Monroe, Charli XCX Movies, 13 Scottish Films Set for Glasgow Festival So far, the BBC has not produced original series for YouTube, but its flagship account on the streaming platform has more than 15 million subscribers, who get to watch trailers and clips from its shows. In addition, the BBC News YouTube channel has around 19 million subscribers. Since the BBC does not feature advertising in the U.K., YouTube originals would allow it to monetize these shows abroad at a time when the public broadcaster has been looking to boost income from its license fee, which taxpayers in Britain pay for. By commissioning platform content for YouTube while retaining a right to exploit on the iPlayer and BBC Sounds platforms, the BBC is able to extend its audience reach whilst protecting its public service obligations and long-term commercial rights.” She added: “From a legal perspective, the BBC's move raises important questions around editorial control and brand integrity. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

With this round, which includes a $50 million equity investment from Raine Group, the three-year-old catalog company has raised $635 million in financing. Duetti, a catalog acquisition company that works with independent artists, said on Tuesday (Jan. 20) that it raised $200 million from a Series C and debt financing, bringing the total amount raised by the three-year-old company to $635 million. Founded in 2022, Duetti claims it's growing at more than twice the monthly rate it was last year, acquiring around 80 catalogs of master recordings and publishing rights every month from rightsholders based mostly in the United States, according to a press release. Raine joins existing Duetti investors Flexpoint Ford, Nyca Partners, Viola Ventures and Roc Nation in bringing the total equity investment capital raised to more than $100 million. The additional capital raised comes from a $125 million private asset-backed securitization, Duetti's second ABS, and a $25 million increase on an existing credit facility. Duetti CEO and co-founder Lior Tibon says Duetti is keeping pace with “the explosive growth of the independent music sector.” The company has signed deals typically valued at between $10,000 and $10 million, representing some 1,100 indie musicians and songwriters across 40 countries. “This new funding allows us to continue building proprietary databases and systems to identify, predict and effectively manage music catalogs of independent creators, the fastest growing and most exciting segment of the industry,” Tibon said in a statement. That includes deploying songs from Duetti's catalog for consideration in some 3,000 playlists boasting around 5 million combined followers, and working with artists to produce around 60 remixes of their songs per quarter. The $125 million private ABS is an extension of the $80 million ABS Duetti announced in late 2024, structured and placed by Barclays. A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry

Christina Haack is living her best life, and fans are here for it! The HGTV “The Flip Off” star posted several photos from her romantic beach vacation in Hawaii with her boyfriend, Chris Larocca, and she looks stunning. The first image shows her posing in a white bikini with a cover-up while standing next to Larocca. In the next photo, Haack shared a close-up of her face and the top of her bikini. A pink lei is around her neck. The other pictures show a better view of where the couple is spending their vacation, and Haack shared her thoughts in the caption. Among the reactions to the Instagram post is one from her ex-husband Tarek El Moussa's new wife, Heather Rae El Moussa, who left three heart-eye emojis. Haack and Heather share a close relationship, and the blended family went on New Year's vacation to Park City, Utah, with their children. Larocca also accompanied them, and Haack posted photos from their trip on Instagram. Other reactions include, “you look so happy. Haack and Larocca have been dating since October 2024, but went public with their relationship in January 2025. On October 6, 2025, she celebrated their first anniversary with a loving Facebook post. Haack shared their first photo together, a selfie of them smiling. “Our first photo together, over a year ago. At the beginning of the couple's relationship, some fans were unkind because she had been married three times before, first to El Moussa, then Ant Anstead, and lastly to Josh Hall. However, fans are onboard with Haack's coupling with Larocca now and have remarked on how happy and at peace she seems. It's a beautiful thing to witness. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Go here and check the boxnext to EntertainmentNow

Blake Lively's personal text messages with Taylor Swift have now been made public. As previously reported, a judge determined that the friends' conversations about the working environment on set are relevant to Lively's sexual harassment and retaliation claims against co-star and director Justin Baldoni. INXS, AC/DC, GANGgajang Lead Triple M's Most Played Songs in Network History Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, prevailed in court last June on the issue of Swift's text messages, which have taken center stage in Lively's lawsuit. In one exchange from December 2024, labelled “Exhibit 89” and seen by Billboard, Swift apparently references a favorable published story on Baldoni, quipping: “I think this bitch knows something is coming because he's gotten out his tiny violin.” Swift also likens the broader situation with Baldoni and others to “a horror film no one knows is taking place.” In an earlier message, chunks of which are redacted, Lively apparently apologizes for soaking up so much of Swift's time and energy on various matters. Legitimately,” Lively writes, before adding, “F— that guy and his whole gaggle of supervillains.” Billboard has reached out to Swift's reps for comment. The filmmaker had tried to bring a countersuit accusing Lively and her inner circle of defamation, but Judge Liman threw out those claims as legally invalid mid-2025. At the same time, Lively served a subpoena of her own on music mogul Scooter Braun, a longtime public opponent of Swift's, and who is name-checked in the now-public texts. Lively sought information from Braun about the alleged public relations takedown orchestrated by The Agency Group PR, a controlling stake of which is reportedly owned by Braun's company, HYBE America. A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry