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For the first time in Hollywood history, an authorized generative‑AI version of a major star headlines a feature film. The western As Deep As the Grave showcases a digitally recreated Val Kilmer, whose voice was synthesized by UK‑based firm Sonantic using archival recordings. The project, delayed by Kilmer’s death in April 2025, received full cooperation from his estate and his daughter Mercedes, who helped craft the visual deep‑fake of the actor. Mercedes Kilmer confirmed that her father embraced emerging technologies as a storytelling tool, a sentiment the filmmakers say they honored throughout production. At Wednesday’s CinemaCon trade show in Las Vegas, the trailer revealed that Kilmer’s character, Father Fintan—a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist—appears for roughly one hour of screen time. The footage shows the priest at different ages, including a spectral elder who advises a child, “Don’t fear the dead and don’t fear me.” Writer‑director Coerte Voorhees explained that the narrative was built around Kilmer’s heritage and his love of the Southwest. He added that the production adhered to SAG‑AFTRA guidelines and that the estate was financially compensated for the use of archival material. The film also stars Tom Felton, Abigail Breslin and Abigail Lawrie. In a March interview with Variety, Voorhees noted that Kilmer’s family repeatedly emphasized the project’s importance to the late actor. The Kilmer case follows a growing trend of AI‑generated performances. In 2022, Bruce Willis consented to a digital twin after a dementia diagnosis, while actors such as Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine have licensed their voices to AI firms for approved uses. Estates of legends like Laurence Olivier, Judy Garland and James Dean have similarly partnered with the marketplace ElevenLabs. Beyond film, celebrities are exploring AI for digital meet‑and‑greets; Paris Hilton and Kendall Jenner have reportedly signed deals with Meta for AI‑powered appearances on Instagram, and users can even query an AI version of Deepak Chopra for advice on a range of topics. Nevertheless, some stars remain cautious. Morgan Freeman, Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson have publicly expressed skepticism about deep‑fake replicas of their likenesses.

Moya Brennan's voice was a remarkable instrument that captivated audiences worldwide, particularly with Clannad's hit song Theme from Harry's Game, which reached No 5 in the charts in 1982, sung in Irish Gaelic.Her distinctive voice, described as light as a leaf, provided a sacred counterpoint to the band's layered harmonies and Prophet 5 synthesiser sounds, guiding them to new musical territories.Brennan's impact extended beyond music, influencing the transportive possibilities of traditional music in film and TV soundtracks, including Robin of Sherwood, Titanic, and the King Arthur film adaptation.Her singing and harp-playing, nurtured in her parents' remote tavern in County Donegal, formed the foundation of Clannad's unique sound, characterised by 'blood harmony' with her siblings and uncles.Brennan's legacy paved the way for global success of artists like Enya and influenced Kate Bush's The Ninth Wave and The Beloved's The Sun Rising.Throughout her career, Brennan collaborated with various artists, including Bono, Bruce Hornsby, and the Blue Nile, and continued to perform and record music until her terminal diagnosis with pulmonary fibrosis.Her final performance, an a cappella rendition of Clannad's Gaoth Barra Na dTonn on a RTÉ show, was profoundly moving, showcasing her enduring spirit and vocal talent.

Arsenal survived a tense second‑leg against Sporting Lisbon, preserving their 1‑0 first‑leg cushion to advance to a Champions League semi‑final against Atlético Madrid. The victory comes amid a turbulent spell that has seen the Gunners lose the Carabao Cup final to Manchester City, exit the FA Cup to Southampton, and drop points to Bournemouth in the Premier League.The match was a defensive slog. Arsenal managed just one shot on target – a strike credited to Martín Zubimendi – and struggled to create clear chances. Substitute Leandro Trossard rattled the post with a header in the 84th minute, while Sporting’s Geny Catamo and João Simões each struck the woodwork, underscoring the fine margins.Despite the lack of flair, Arsenal’s backline held firm. Goalkeeper David Raya made a crucial save, and the team’s overall resolve mirrored the solidity that has defined their season. The win ensures a semi‑final showdown with Atlético Madrid, the side that humbled Arsenal 4‑0 in the league phase last October.While the result eases immediate pressure, the performance raised questions about Arsenal’s attacking potency. Only one shot on target and a reliance on defensive grit highlight concerns that could haunt them in the upcoming league clash with Manchester City, who sit six points ahead in the title race.Looking ahead, Arsenal will need to translate their defensive confidence into sharper offensive output if they hope to challenge for silverware on multiple fronts.

The V&A; East museum in east London has finally opened its doors, offering a diverse and rich collection that celebrates art, design, and culture from around the world. Outside the museum, a five-meter-tall sculpture by Thomas J Price stands as a generic representation of east London youth, sparking concerns about the homogenization of individuality.Upon entering the museum, visitors are greeted with a delightful gallery showcasing items from the new museum's collection. A constructivist rug by Eileen Gray complements Derek Jarman's punk set designs and costumes by Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo. Althea McNish's glorious printed fabrics take center stage, demonstrating how a designer working within mass production infrastructures can have a profound influence on post-war Britain's look.The museum's collection explores themes of colonial expansion, imperial violence, and the integration of art into everyday life. A display on William Morris's connection to nearby Walthamstow highlights the importance of pegging objects to their place of production. A sinuous wooden armchair by Alvar Aalto and a talismanic shirt inscribed with the Qur'an showcase how everyday items can be invested with restorative properties.The museum's curatorial strategy encourages visitors to choose their own route and make their own connections. The inaugural temporary exhibition, 'The Music Is Black: A British Story', uses headphones with a sensor to guide visitors through a labyrinth of videos, costumes, sculptures, and photographs chronicling Black British music.

After a 90‑year blackout, MGM’s 1932 melodrama Letty Lynton is set for its first legal public screening. The film, starring Hollywood icon Joan Crawford, was withdrawn in 1937 following a plagiarism lawsuit and pressure from the Hays Office, which deemed its risqué themes “unfit for adaptation”.The controversy began when MGM attempted to acquire the rights to the Broadway hit Dishonored Lady, a play notorious for its depictions of booze, drugs and sexual intrigue. After the playwrights demanded $30,000—a sum the studio balked at—MGM settled for the cheaper novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes for $3,500. The resulting film, inspired by the 1857 murder trial of Scottish socialite Madeleine Smith, shocked contemporary censors with scenes such as Crawford’s character watching her ex‑lover sip poisoned champagne.Legal battles intensified when playwrights Edward Sheldon and Margaret Ayer Barnes sued MGM for plagiarism, alleging the movie copied their work rather than the novel. The protracted case forced MGM to pull the film from circulation in 1937, and a year later Crawford herself was labeled “box‑office poison”. Yet both the actress and the film survived, resurfacing in cultural memory through fashion and later adaptations.Beyond cinema, Letty Lynton left an indelible mark on 1930s style. Costume designer Adrian created a white organdy dress with exaggerated sleeves for Crawford; the design was mass‑produced for Macy’s and sparked a nationwide craze. Edith Head later called the dress “cinema’s single biggest influence on fashion”.The film’s revival is largely credited to Crawford’s grandson, Casey LaLonde. In an Instagram post, he announced that the play’s copyright would expire on 31 December 2025, clearing the legal path for a public showing. Warner Bros., which now holds the rights to many pre‑1986 MGM titles, restored the picture in 4K and arranged for its debut at the TCM Film Festival in Los Angeles on 1 May 2026. The movie will also be issued on Blu‑ray and DVD through the Warner Archive.LaLonde thanked Warner Bros. and library historian George Feltenstein for making the restoration possible, noting that without their effort “we wouldn’t have this fabulous film to see again on big and small screens.”Fans of classic Hollywood can finally experience a piece of cinema history that was once deemed too daring for the silver screen, offering a fresh look at Joan Crawford’s daring performance and the era’s bold storytelling.

In an internal email circulated on Tuesday, Disney’s newly appointed CEO Josh D’Amaro disclosed plans to cut about 1,000 jobs as part of a broader effort to streamline the conglomerate’s operations.The reductions will primarily affect the recently restructured marketing division and extend to several other segments, including the studio and television arms, ESPN, product and technology teams, as well as select corporate functions.D’Amaro emphasized the need for a “more agile and technologically‑enabled workforce” to keep pace with the rapid evolution of the entertainment landscape, noting that the cuts are essential to meet future demands.These layoffs come as Disney, like many of its Hollywood peers, confronts a challenging economic backdrop characterized by a weakening television market, declining box‑office receipts, and intensified competition from rivals such as Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount‑Skydance.The company’s most extensive workforce reduction occurred in 2023, when it announced a cut of 7,000 positions to achieve roughly $5.5 billion in cost savings, a move spurred by pressure from activist investor Nelson Peltz to improve financial performance and curb streaming losses.According to Disney’s latest fiscal data, the firm employed approximately 231,000 people as of September, the close of its fiscal year. The Wall Street Journal first reported the current round of job cuts.

Southampton have moved just three points off automatic promotion after a 3-0 victory over Blackburn, coupled with Ipswich’s 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth. The hosts extended their unbeaten run to 18 games in all competitions with a comprehensive victory at St Mary’s, secured by first-half goals from Cyle Larin and Ryan Manning and a late strike from Cameron Archer. The Southampton manager, Tonda Eckert, made five changes to the team which beat Derby 2-1 on Saturday but there was no disruption to the relentless rhythm which has catapulted the club up the Championship table and earned an FA Cup semi-final spot. Saints made the breakthrough in the 24th minute when Kuryu Matsuki set Archer free down the left, and he squared the ball perfectly for Larin to slot home. Shea Charles then went close with a rampaging run and shot, before Manning’s low shot deflected in past Blackburn keeper Balazs Toth two minutes from half-time. Matsuki missed a glorious chance to add a third after brilliant work from Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Larin left him with the goal at his mercy, and substitute Leo Scienza went close at the near post before Blackburn finally threatened. Daniel Peretz beat away Yuki Ohashi’s shot before Ryoya Morishita struck the post on the rebound. Archer completed the scoring late on to secure Southampton’s seventh win in a row, moving them up to fourth with a home fixture against second-placed Ipswich to come, after they head to Wembley and face Manchester City in the FA Cup. “I think no matter who we put on at the moment, they’re all ready to perform. It’s quite an easy decision at the moment to pick a team, because they’re all ready to go,” Eckert said after the game. Ipswich missed the chance to tighten their grip on second place as they slipped to defeat at Fratton Park. Conor Shaughnessy and Colby Bishop claimed quickfire goals as Portsmouth boosted their survival hopes with a crucial victory.

The head of the United Kingdom’s Royal Ballet and Opera publicly thanked Hollywood actor Timothée Chalamet for inadvertently driving a surge in ticket sales after his candid remarks about the art forms during a March interview promoting his upcoming film.Chalamet, whose family has ballet ties, quipped that he was relieved to work in cinema rather than “opera or ballet, where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this any more.’” The comment sparked swift backlash from fellow actors and cultural institutions, but also ignited a wave of public interest.Speaking to the Times, RBO chief Alex Beard described the reaction as “just fantastic” and highlighted the organisation’s measured response. “We chose not to issue a hoity‑to‑ity reply,” Beard said. “Instead we invited people to see what we’re doing – for example, the fact that the largest slice of our audience is aged 20‑30.”Beard revealed that a single Instagram post about the controversy generated 2.5 million engagements and 500,000 shares, translating into an immediate lift in ticket sales. “So cheers, Timmy!” he added, acknowledging the actor’s unintended promotional impact.Other cultural bodies quickly turned the spotlight into a marketing opportunity. The Seattle Opera launched a ticket discount for its production of Carmen using the code “TIMOTHEE,” directly leveraging the buzz.Chalamet’s director, Luca Guadagnino, defended the actor in an interview with Italy’s La Stampa, calling the public outcry “disproportionate.” Guadagnino argued that a single comment should not become a “planetary polemic” and urged unity across artistic disciplines, emphasizing that “every form of imagination should be nurtured.”

In a fresh University of Massachusetts and YouGov poll of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted in early April, country‑music legend Dolly Parton emerged as the most favorably viewed global figure, securing a 70% favorable rating and only 5% unfavorable, translating to a net favorability of +65%. Former President Barack Obama ranked second with a net favorability of +14% (50% favorable, 36% unfavorable). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy followed closely, posting a net favorability of +12% after 35% of respondents expressed a favorable view and 22% an unfavorable one. Other political figures fared poorly: former President George W. Bush earned a modest +5% net score, while Donald Trump and Joe Biden registered negative net favorabilities of ‑18% and ‑19% respectively. Pop star Taylor Swift managed a modest +3% net rating, and Russian President Vladimir Putin landed at the opposite extreme with a stark ‑65% net favorability. Parton’s dominance is notable not only for the size of the margin—over 50 percentage points ahead of her nearest rivals—but also because she is the only figure, aside from Obama, for whom a majority of respondents expressed a favorable opinion. Analysts attribute Parton’s success to her deliberately apolitical public persona and extensive charitable work. In a 2017 interview, she emphasized, “Everybody knows I don’t play politics,” a stance that has helped her maintain a broad bipartisan fan base. Her philanthropic impact is substantial. The Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library has donated more than 270 million books to children under five across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. Additional contributions include a $1 million gift to Vanderbilt University Medical Center that supported the development of the Moderna COVID‑19 vaccine, over $12 million to families displaced by the 2016 Tennessee wildfires, and ongoing funding for pediatric infectious‑disease research. Parton’s charitable achievements were recognized with the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022**, and she was highlighted by Time as one of the most influential philanthropists of 2025. The poll’s findings suggest a public appetite for figures who embody generosity and cultural resonance without entanglement in partisan politics, underscoring a broader trend of voters gravitating toward non‑political icons in an era of heightened polarization.