Entertainment

Actor Luke Evans told The Telegraph that gay people hold varied political views and that sexuality should not determine the characters an actor can play, Fox News reports. Discussing his forthcoming ITV drama The Party, he also called for more opportunities for gay and transgender performers. These are his views about representation.

The Guardian profiles New York’s Designed to Be Red exhibition, which presents Indigenous poster works spanning nearly two centuries. Poster House says the show represents more than 60 tribes and nations and is curated by Monacan designer Brian Johnson. It opened September 25 and runs through February 21, 2027.

Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Tom Morello and other artists performed Saturday at Maryland’s inaugural Power to the People festival, the Associated Press reports. Organizers said part of ticket proceeds would support VoteRiders and HeadCount, while performers voiced political views and encouraged midterm turnout. Final donation totals and any turnout effects remain unknown.

Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance during Dakota Johnson’s Saturday Night Live monologue, NBC News reports. The friends joked about their evenings together, and Swift returned at the curtain call with a birthday cake for Johnson. Turnstile was the episode’s musical guest.

The Bagdad Cafe in California’s Newberry Springs remains open for visitors and souvenirs but cannot serve meals, Fox News reports. Its kitchen has been closed since the pandemic, and the family is weighing the landmark’s future after longtime owner Andrea Pruett’s death. Fundraising targets kitchen and septic-system repairs during Route 66’s centennial.

The Killers singer Brandon Flowers is exploring country music, family and religion on his solo album Thrasher, Fox News reports. He says the Nashville-recorded project makes room for the music he grew up with alongside his rock career. His Tonight Show performance has drawn praise from some Christian and conservative commentators.

Disney president Dana Walden declined to announce whether Jimmy Kimmel will still host his ABC show a year from now, Fox News reports from Bloomberg’s Screentime summit. She said his ratings have risen within a shrinking broadcast audience and described late-night television’s economics as difficult. Disney is discussing its business needs and Kimmel’s wishes; no cancellation was announced.

Marvel released a final trailer for VisionQuest, the limited series completing the television trilogy begun by WandaVision and Agatha All Along, Ars Technica reports. Paul Bettany returns as Vision and James Spader as Ultron. The series follows the rebooted Vision and a boy who may be his son; Disney+ has scheduled its premiere for October 14.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos endorsed a proposed bipartisan federal tax credit for US film and television production at Bloomberg’s Screentime summit, Fox News reports. Senators Tim Scott and Adam Schiff are sponsoring the bill. Sarandos said passage remains uncertain because the midterms and a possible change in congressional control could affect its prospects.

Tim Heidecker’s parody of Joe Rogan-style podcasting premieres on The Onion’s streaming operation Thursday evening, Wired reports. Rajat Suresh and Jeremy Levick return as guests after appearing in Heidecker’s earlier podcast satire. The show’s supposed supplement pitches and pundit conversations are comedy, rather than factual product or political reporting.

Sotheby’s plans to auction 12 paintings from the private Blaquier-Arrieta collection in New York on November 18, The Guardian reports. The auction house values a Van Gogh at $180 million and expects the group to exceed $450 million; these are estimates, not sale prices. Selected works are on an international preview tour, with the Van Gogh due in Hong Kong and Paris later this month.

Promoter Say Agency has cancelled Kanye West’s planned St Petersburg concerts, the BBC reports. Gazprom Arena had already said it never signed a rental agreement for the shows. The cancellation follows weeks of uncertainty and criticism of the booking; West’s recent apologies for antisemitic remarks did not settle the venue dispute.

Grand Rapids Art Museum will open three exhibitions on October 3 exploring art and incarceration, The Guardian reports. Julie Green’s painted plates document death-row prisoners’ final meals; Gary Tyler’s quilts and Ray Materson’s embroidery grew from their time in prison. The shows run into 2027 and examine creative expression and prison life.

A South Korean court sentenced Winner member Song Min-ho to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for repeated unauthorized absences during his alternative military service, the BBC and Korea JoongAng Daily report. The court cited 102 absences and also noted his admission and remorse. Whether he will serve again remains unclear.

A federal judge approved Paramount Skydance’s settlement with California and other states, clearing the final legal hurdle for its $110 billion Warner Bros. Discovery takeover, NBC News reports. The settlement requires at least 30 films a year and an editorial board for CNN and CBS News. The companies have yet to close the merger.

Esther Rantzen’s family announced that the broadcaster and Childline founder died at 86, The Guardian reports. She presented the BBC’s That’s Life! for 21 years and launched Childline in 1986, giving children a confidential way to seek help. Rantzen had publicly discussed living with stage-four lung cancer; her family’s announcement did not specify a cause of death.

London’s William Morris Gallery will reopen on October 3 after transforming six gallery spaces and rearranging its permanent collection, The Art Newspaper reports. The restoration draws on the building’s history as Morris’s family home and brings previously unseen objects into view, including material on his design work, politics and family.

Two bonded dogs from the Animal Rescue League of Boston found a home together after Chris Evans featured them in The Dodo’s Dream Date series, Good News Network reports. The shelter had identified the pair as inseparable, and Evans urged adopters to keep them together. The report names the adopters’ public account as evidence of their placement.

The MacArthur Foundation named 20 fellows who will each receive $800,000 over five years without spending restrictions, NPR reports. Recipients include forensic anthropologist Kate Spradley, artist Christine Sun Kim and saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins. The awards support future work across disciplines, from identifying missing migrants to research and performance.

Lady A and Boyz II Men released “I Love The One,” part of an album inspired by The Chosen due October 30, the Christian Post reports. Creator Dallas Jenkins also announced that filming has finished on the seventh and final season. Season six is scheduled to begin on Prime Video November 15.

Brenham Heritage Museum and the Texas Arts & Music Festival are extending their juried art show into an October-long exhibition for the first time, KWHI reports. More than 50 works include local and statewide artists, Blinn College and Brenham High School. The display begins October 1; its opening reception is October 16, with free admission during festival weekend.

Three songs Chrissy Amphlett recorded with Tim Finn in 1998 are scheduled for release Friday, the BBC reports. Finn found the tapes in his garage in 2023. The upcoming release brings previously unheard work by the late Divinyls singer to listeners.

Madonna won seven awards, including artist of the year, at Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards, according to the official winners list. Taylor Swift won video of the year for “The Fate of Ophelia” and the inaugural Artist Director Honors. Sienna Spiro was named best new artist, and Nirvana received the Video Vanguard award.

Avengers: Endgame’s Encore reissue led the weekend box office with an estimated $26 million domestically and $86 million worldwide, TheWrap reports. New releases Heart of the Beast and Primetime opened at roughly $20 million and $19 million domestically. The figures are opening-weekend estimates and may change when final ticket sales are tallied.

NPR’s reporting from Veracruz traces the revival of son jarocho, the Mexican musical tradition behind “La Bamba.” At community fandangos, musicians and dancers share extended performances shaped by European, Caribbean and Indigenous influences. Local teachers and instrument makers describe growing interest among younger participants and communities abroad.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson hosted Saturday Night Live’s 52nd-season premiere, joined during his monologue by several teammates, Fox News reports. KATSEYE was the musical guest. The appearance brought the NBA Finals MVP from the basketball court to sketches about office basketball and a High School Musical parody.

Actor Billy Gardell described improvements in his health and daily life following bariatric surgery in a recent podcast interview, Fox News reports. He said hiking with his wife and shopping for clothes now feel like meaningful freedoms, while maintaining new eating habits still takes work. His account describes his personal experience.

Singer Natalie Grant said churches should guide how they use AI rather than allow generated material to shape their spiritual direction, the Christian Post reports. In a podcast interview, she described useful applications alongside risks to human creativity and predicted greater demand for live performances. Those predictions remain her assessment.

Christian singer Franni Cash discussed her solo career and new album Here I Am in a Christianity Today interview published Friday. The former We The Kingdom singer describes rebuilding trust and community after leaving a controlling church environment. She is joining Amy Grant on an eight-city tour as she develops her own musical voice.

Ed Sheeran addressed the Gaza war and acknowledged mistakes before his Philadelphia concert Saturday. The remarks followed the removal of Macklemore from his tour over the rapper’s pro-Palestinian comments. Protesters gathered outside the venue as the dispute continued to affect the tour.

Confirmation that Meryl Streep will voice Aslan in Netflix’s adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew has drawn criticism from some Christians. Critics cited by the Christian Post argue that the casting departs from the character’s place in C. S. Lewis’s Christian allegory. The reaction highlights the scrutiny surrounding the adaptation of the Narnia books.

The creators of South Park have renamed the series South America, a move widely read as satire of President Trump's habit of renaming places after America. The president has previously proposed renaming a lake, a gulf and a state. Comedy Central has not commented on how long the change will last.

A report says ABC does not plan to extend Jimmy Kimmel's contract beyond 2027, which would end a twenty-four-year run in late night. The network has disputed the characterization. Kimmel has not commented publicly on his plans.

A large sinkhole swallowed part of the driveway at Nicolas Cage's $10.5 million Malibu property after heavy rain and high surf from a tropical storm. Engineers are assessing whether the house itself is at risk. Neighbors have reported related slope damage.

Star Trek marked its sixtieth anniversary on Tuesday. The original series aired for only three seasons but spawned decades of sequels, prequels and films. Its cast and fans continue to treat the franchise as a cultural touchstone.

Rapper and religious freedom advocate Nicki Minaj continued a public reaffirmation of her Christian faith, sharing Scripture and saying she wants to see Jesus someday. The Small Business Administration named her a judge in its Million Dollar Pitch Competition. She has spoken increasingly about religion in recent months.

Andrew Garfield said he hopes billionaires are frightened by "The Uprising," his new film about the Peasants' Revolt, drawing criticism from commentators who called the remark posturing. Video of the comment spread quickly online. The film opens later this month.

The streamer Hasan Piker said his job is not to help the Democratic Party, after consultant James Carville called him "an idiot" who is not a Democrat. Representative Jamie Raskin dismissed criticism of Piker's pro-Hamas commentary as an "irrelevant distraction." The exchange highlights a widening split over online left media.

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" held the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office for a sixth consecutive weekend, only the second film this decade to do so. The run caps what studios are calling a banner summer. Theater owners point to a stronger slate than in recent years.

On the centennial of his father's birth, Ravi Coltrane described plans to turn the Philadelphia home where John Coltrane lived during a pivotal 1950s period into a cultural heritage and community space. The house had fallen into disrepair. Supporters are raising funds for restoration.

A New York City exhibition traces Snoopy's long reach into art and fashion, gathering the Peanuts character's many costumes and brand collaborations. Curators frame him as an unusually durable design icon. The show runs through the fall.

The first episode of Jim Henson's "The Muppet Show" premiered in the United Kingdom on September 5, 1976, and the ensemble has stayed in the cultural mainstream ever since. What began as a variety show pitch became a multigenerational franchise. New projects continue to arrive five decades later.