Diego Luna Boards Disney’s Live-Action ‘Tangled’

Diego Luna is joining Disney's live-action version of "Tangled." He will play a new character created specifically for the movie, which is set to start filming in Spain this June. This project is based on Disney's 2010 Academy Award-nominated animated film and is another collaboration between Luna and Disney, following his work on "Andor."

Details about his character have not been shared yet.

 As previously announced, Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim will play Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, the thief who helps her escape the tower. Kathryn Hahn will be casting as the villain, Mother Gothel.

Michael Gracey, who directed "The Greatest Showman" and "Better Man," is set to direct this movie.

The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Struts to $32.5 Million on Opening Day

Don't be silly, Andrea. Everyone wants this. Everyone wants to be us."  

That's probably how people are feeling at 20th Century Studios this weekend, since "The Devil Wears Prada 2" had the top spot on Friday with $32.5 million from 4,150 theaters in North America.

 The fashion-focused sequel is aiming for between $75 million and $80 million by Sunday, but some predictions say it could even make around $90 million during its opening weekend. The first "Devil Wears Prada" came out in June 2006. It made $27.5 million in its first weekend and $125 million overall in the U.S. ($45 million and $204 million when adjusted for inflation).

Original director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna are back for "The Devil Wears Prada 2," along with the original stars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci.

 The sequel follows Hathaway's Andy Sachs, now a big name in fashion journalism, as she reconnects with Streep's powerful editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly at Runway magazine.

Last weekend's top movie, "Michael," dropped to second place with $14.4 million in the U.S. on its second Friday.

 By Sunday, Lionsgate's musical biopic about Michael Jackson is expected to make $51 million, which is about a 48% drop from last week. The total in the U.S. should reach $180 million over the weekend.

If "Michael" keeps doing well, it might overtake 2018's "Bohemian Rhapsody" as the highest-grossing musical biopic ever, which made $910 million in total.

 Even if it doesn't reach that, "Michael" has a better chance than "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" of being the highest-grossing film from Lionsgate, which made $865 million.

Along with "The Devil Wears Prada 2," Angel Studios' animated version of "Animal Farm" also opened on Friday.

 It came in sixth with about $1.1 million in the U.S. from 1,130 theaters. Andy Serkis directed and starred in this family-friendly retelling of George Orwell's 1945 novel. The cast also includes Jim Parsons, Iman Vellani, Seth Rogen, Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, and Kieran Culkin.

"The Super Mario Galaxy" movie took third place with $2.7 million in the U.S. on Friday, and it's expected to add $12 million by Sunday.

 That would bring its total U.S. earnings to $402 million over five weekends.

Neon's new film "Hokum" came in fourth with an estimated $2.6 million in the U.S. It's aiming for about $6 million by Sunday.

 Written and directed by Damian McCarthy, the horror film follows a writer who goes to an Irish inn to scatter his parents' ashes, not knowing the place is haunted by an ancient evil. Adam Scott leads the cast, which also includes Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, and Mallory Adams.

Finally, "Project Hail Mary" placed fifth, making $2.2 million.

 Its U.S. total should reach $318 million by Sunday after adding $8.9 million during the weekend.

The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Struts With Trend-Setting $10M in Previews

The Devil Wears Prada is already making a big splash at the box office, just like it did almost 20 years ago when it became a surprise hit and made over $326.5 million worldwide. It's also become a big part of pop culture.

The new movie, The Devil Wears Prada 2, made $10 million in previews on Thursday, which is one of the best numbers ever for a movie led by women.

 That’s not far behind some of the biggest movies right now, like Michael and Project Hail Mary.

In August 2023, another movie led by women, It Ends With Us, made $7 million in previews and went on to make over $350 million globally.

 Its opening weekend was $50 million.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is the first movie led by women in modern times to start the summer box office season.

 Usually, that honor goes to a Marvel superhero movie or a Fast & Furious film.

The movie is pulling in audiences of all ages who are excited to see the original cast come back.

 Meryl Streep plays a powerful fashion magazine editor, Anne Hathaway is back as the popular character, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt also return. The movie is also directed by David Frankel, who worked with writer Aline Brosh McKenna.

In other countries, The Devil Wears Prada 2 has already made $40.5 million in its first two days from 42 markets, including sneak previews.

 It had the highest opening day of the year in Brazil, Italy, Korea, Australia, as well as Belgium, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Greece, Ukraine, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

If you're expecting a movie with strong fashion, sharp humor, and a big performance from Meryl Streep as the powerful Miranda Priestly character, you’re probably going to be satisfied.

Oscars Rule Changes Ban AI Actors and Overhaul International Submission Process

The Oscars' Best International Feature Film category is now open to more than one film from the same country, actors can now get multiple nominations in the same category, and Tilly Norwood won't be getting any Academy Awards soon. These are some of the main changes for the 99th Academy Awards, which were announced this week.

When it comes to AI, the new rules say that only roles that are clearly performed by humans with their permission are allowed, and screenplays must be written by real people.

 The Academy also said they might ask for more details if needed to confirm the use of human work.

This is the strongest statement yet from the Academy about not allowing AI to be part of the awards process.

Another change in the acting categories is that actors can now be nominated for more than one role in the same year.

 Before, if an actor received enough votes for two nominations, they would only get one for the film with the most votes. Now, it's more like other Oscar categories, where a person can be nominated more than once.

It's not very common for an actor to have two chances in the same year.

 Only a few actors, like Scarlett Johansson in 2019, have been nominated for two different roles in the same year. Usually, one is for a lead role and the other for supporting. Barry Fitzgerald was a special case, as he was nominated for both lead and supporting roles in "Going My Way," but that rule was changed later.

The biggest change is in the Best International Feature Film category.

 Since the 1950s, each country could only submit one film. This led to some good films not being considered because they weren't chosen as official submissions. Now, there are two ways a film can qualify: either through a country submission or by winning the top prize at one of six major film festivals. These are the Berlin International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize), Toronto International Film Festival, or Venice International Film Festival.

If this rule had been in place in recent years, some films that didn't get country submissions would have qualified.

 These include Cannes Palme d'Or winners like "Anatomy of a Fall" and "Titane," along with "The Room Next Door" and "Happening" from Venice, "Yellow Letters" and "Dreams (Sex Love)" from Berlin, "Gloaming in Luomo" from Busan, "To the Victory" and "They Will Be Dust" from Toronto, and "Shame and Money" and "Cactus Pears" from Sundance.

This rule is expected to increase the number of films in the category by four or five each year.

 Cannes might not have the biggest effect because its winners are often already submitted for the Oscars by their home countries. This change also helps films that involve input from multiple countries qualify without having to prove one country was the main contributor.

The international award will now be given to the film itself instead of the country of origin.

 For the last few years, the director's name has been on the Oscar statue, and the director accepts the award on behalf of the entire team.

Other changes include increasing the number of possible statuettes in the casting category from two to three and expanding the cinematography shortlist to 20 films.

The changes to campaign rules were not as big, adjusting the number of possible moderators and the restrictions for Board of Governors members and the Academy president.

According to the Academy's press release, these are the most significant changes.

In the Acting category, actors can be nominated for more than one performance if those performances rank in the top five, similar to how other award categories work.

Only roles that are officially listed in the film's billing and performed by real people with their permission can be considered for this category.

In the Casting category, the number of awards given out will now go from a maximum of two to three.

For the Cinematography category, the first round of voting will now choose 20 films instead of between 10 and 20.

In the International Feature Film category, there are now two ways to enter a film.

 One is through a country or region submitting it as an official entry. The other is if the film wins a qualifying award at an international film festival. The qualifying festivals for the 99th Oscars include the Berlin International Film Festival (Golden Bear), Busan International Film Festival (Busan Award – Best Film), Cannes Film Festival (Palme d'Or), Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize), Toronto International Film Festival (Platform Award), and Venice International Film Festival (Golden Lion).

Also, the film itself will be listed as the nominee, not the country or region, and the director will accept the award on behalf of the creative team.

 The director's name will appear on the statuette next to the film title and, if applicable, the country or region.

In the Makeup and Hairstyling category, members must attend at least one of the two final meetings to be able to vote in the first round.

For the Original Song category, the rules make it clearer how songs are judged if they appear in the credits.

 If the song comes in first after the credits start, the video must show the last 15 seconds of the film before the credits.

In the Visual Effects category, all Academy members must watch the three-minute Before and After reels from the Visual Effects Bake-Off to be eligible to vote in the final round.

In the Writing categories, the rules say that only human-written screenplays are eligible.

For Governors Awards, each year must include at least three different types of work.

Regarding Generative Artificial Intelligence, the Academy can ask for more information about how it was used and whether humans were involved.

Here are the key dates:  

August 13, 2026: First deadline for Animated Short Film, Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film, and Live Action Short Film categories  

September 17, 2026: First deadline for General Entry categories, Animated Feature Film, Best Picture, and the Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry (RAISE) form  

September 30, 2026: Deadline for International Feature Film  

October 8, 2026: Final deadline for Animated Short Film, Documentary Short Film, and Live Action Short Film categories  

October 14, 2026: Deadline for Music (Original Song)  

October 15, 2026: Final deadline for Documentary Feature Film  

November 4, 2026: Deadline for Music (Original Score)  

November 12, 2026: Final deadline for General Entry categories, Animated Feature Film, Best Picture, and the Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry (RAISE) form  

January 8–10, 2027: Voting events for Casting, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound, and Visual Effects  

"Hamnet," "Sinners," and "Weapons" (Credit: Focus Features/Warner Bros.)  

All the 2026 Oscar Winners You Can Stream at Home (and Which Ones You Can Only See in Theaters)

Neon Nabs Bong Joon Ho’s Animated Family Film ‘Ally

Neon has acquired the North American distribution rights for Bong Joon Ho's debut animated film, Ally. The South Korean director, known for his Oscar-winning film Parasite, which won four Academy Awards including Best Picture, is returning to Neon for this new project. Ally is set to be finished in the first half of 2027, with Neon planning a wide theatrical release in North America next year.

Ally has been in development since 2019 and marks Bong's first venture into 3D animation.

 He co-wrote the screenplay with Jason Yu, a 36-year-old filmmaker and protégé who directed the popular Korean horror film Sleep in 2023.

Bong has previously collaborated with younger screenwriters, notably Han Jin Won, his former production assistant, with whom he co-wrote Parasite, the film that made history in 2019.

The story follows a curious and lovable piglet squid living in the south Pacific Ocean, dreaming of seeing the sun and becoming the star of a wildlife documentary.

 When a mysterious aircraft crashes into the ocean, Ally's peaceful world is disrupted, sending him on an adventure with real-life marine creatures. The film explores themes of friendship and bravery.

Financing and distribution for Ally are managed by CJ ENM, Penture Invest, and Pathé, with Barunson C&C handling production.

 Seo Woo-sik is producing the film, marking his third collaboration with Bong after Mother and Okja.

Pathé is responsible for distributing Ally in France, Benelux, Switzerland, and West Africa, while CJ and Penture will handle distribution in South Korea, Vietnam, Turkey, and Indonesia.

 Pathé is also handling international sales, excluding Japan, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, where CJ and Penture are managing sales.

Sarah Colvin, Neon's senior vice president of acquisitions, negotiated the deal with WME on behalf of the filmmakers.

Bong Joon Ho's filmography includes Snowpiercer, Memories of Murder, The Host, Okja, Mother, and most recently Mickey 17.

Ted Lasso’ Sets Season 4 Premiere Date, Releases First Teaser

Three years and a little more after Ted Lasso ended its third season, the Emmy-winning comedy is coming back.

Apple TV announced on Tuesday that the show's fourth season will start on August 5.

 The main character, played by Jason Sudeikis, will return to London to coach AFC Richmond's women's team. The streamer also shared a new image from the upcoming season and a teaser that uses the song "Rubber Band Man" by Mumford & Sons and Hozier.

The teaser shows Ted getting back into his usual routine in London, the women's team playing, and some glimpses of both returning and new cast members.

 Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, and Jeremy Swift are coming back, joining new regulars Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern, and Grant Feely. The teaser also includes Andrea Anders as Ted's (maybe not anymore) ex-wife, Michelle; Matteo van der Grijn as Matthijs, the Dutchman Rebecca (Waddingham) met in season three; and Tracey Ullman in a guest role that hasn't been revealed yet.

Apple TV ordered the fourth season of Ted Lasso in March 2025, ending a long period of uncertainty about the show's future after season three wrapped up Ted's coaching journey with the men's team.

 In January, Apple confirmed the show would return in the summer.

The 10-episode fourth season will focus on Ted taking on his biggest challenge yet: coaching a second division women's football team.

 The description says, "Throughout the course of the season, Ted and the team learn to leap before they look, taking chances they never thought they would."

Jack Burditt, who has an overall deal with Apple TV, executive produces season four along with Sudeikis, Hunt, Joe Kelly, Jane Becker, Jamie Lee, Bill Wrubel, Goldstein, Leann Bowen, Bill Lawrence, Jeff Ingold, and Liza Katzer.

 Goldstein and Bowen are also writers; Sarah Walker and Phoebe Walsh are writers and producers. Sasha Garron co-produces. Julia Lindon is a writer on season four, and Dylan Marron is the story editor. Warner Bros. TV and Universal TV produce the series.

Banijay Takes Immersive Experience ‘Luminiscence’ to Hamburg, Its Third German Location

Banijay Germany is bringing the immersive experience "Luminiscence" to Hamburg's St. Michaelis Church, working with French immersive producer Lotchi, who created "Luminiscence" and is part of Banijay Live.


Hamburg becomes the third German city, after Münster and Nuremberg, to host the experience, which will start on July 2.
The event will transform the church into "a striking landscape of light, sound, and history," according to Banijay.

Since 2023, "Luminiscence" has welcomed more than a million visitors worldwide.
It has been performed in some of the world's most beautiful cathedrals, churches, and historic sites in eight countries, including France, Spain, the U.K., Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Brazil, and the U.S. The experience has been shown in over 20 cities, with nine productions currently running.

While Banijay Group continues to focus on TV content, it has expanded into live events and sports in recent years and has been successful.
The live experiences and other segment grew by 18.2% last year, increasing from 336 million euros ($393 million) to 397 million euros ($465 million).

For St. Michaelis, "Luminiscence" will use advanced 360-degree projection technology, clever lighting effects, original music, live singing, and organ music.
It will include a group of conductors, organists, and a local choir. The performance will feature singer Lucia Duchoňová and organists Magne H. Draagen and Paul Fasang.

Ingrid Langheld, CEO of Banijay Germany Live, said: "Luminiscence has shown it can attract people from different cultures.
It uses technology and music to bring history to life. Its growth in Germany shows how much people like the creative idea from Lotchi and how skilled our team is at making large-scale events. Bringing Luminiscence to St. Michaelis is a big step in our German journey and shows how working together can help businesses grow and change."

Alexander Röder, senior pastor at St. Michaelis, said: "This project shows our bright and airy Baroque church in a new way and brings the church's rich history to life with light, music, and storytelling.
"

François de Brugada, CEO of Banijay Live, added: "When Lotchi joined Banijay Live, Luminiscence had already worked in four French cathedrals.
One year later, the show is running across Europe, the U.K., the U.S., and Brazil. This success is thanks to Banijay Entertainment's strong network of local talent. St. Michaelis in Hamburg is another excellent match between Luminiscence's bold creative and technical vision and the great local skills of Banijay Germany."

Luminiscence at St. Michaelis is produced by Banijay Germany Live and Cape Cross.