A man from Minnesota has been charged with stealing the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland's character Dorothy in 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Terry Martin, 76, has been charged with theft of a major artwork. The shoes were taken from the Judy Garland Museum in 2005 and were later found in a sting operation launched by the FBI's art crime team in 2018. The stolen slippers are one of only four pairs in existence. The treasured items of Hollywood memorabilia have been valued at $3.5m and were insured for $1m when they were taken nearly 18 years ago.
Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal posed for photographers at the Cannes Film Festival promoting their film 'Strange Way of Life', a new Pedro Almodóvar Western. Johnny Depp also made an appearance, saying that he had 'no further need for Hollywood', whilst promoting his film 'Jeanne du Barry', which he stars in opposite Maïwenn. Director Steve McQueen premiered his four-hour documentary 'Occupied City', which he collaborated on with his wife. And the film 'Monster', from Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, was showcased with appearances from Hollywood stars like Hawke, Gemma Chan, Sara Sampaio, and Viola Davis.
American actress and political activist Jane Fonda has accused French director René Clément of asking to sleep with her during filming of his 1964 film Joy House. Appearing on US TV show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Fonda said Clément claimed he needed to know what an orgasm was like as part of the film. Clément, who died in 1996, was a respected filmmaker who won five prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. Fonda also spoke on the show about skinny dipping with Michael Jackson.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell remains a prominent figure in Kentucky politics, despite being hugely unpopular nationally. Republicans in Kentucky recently resoundingly backed former McConnell legal counsel Daniel Cameron, who is now their gubernatorial nominee. McConnell remains deeply concerned with the Kentucky governor’s race, where Cameron is in a close contest with Democratic incumbent Andy Beshear. Cameron is equally tipped to make an impact in national politics following this term. In terms of his own future, McConnell’s Senate term runs through 2026, at which point he would have to consider running for a six-year term that would end when he’s 90 years old. McConnell's continued success in Kentucky in many senses is comparable to the late Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid's standing in his home state of Nevada. Reid's influence lives on today, giving hope to McConnell of an equally long-lasting impact in Kentucky.
The latest installment of the Fast and Furious movie franchise features a record-breaking four Oscar-winning actresses, including Dame Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, Charlize Theron and Rita Moreno. Speaking to the cast of Fast 10, the actors commented on how the franchise has worked hard to portray leading women roles for actresses over the years, particularly since the introduction of Michelle Rodriguez as Letty in the early 2000s. A combination of the role of Vin Diesel as an anchor in the film, its organic-feeling diversity and producers' recognition of the need to generate the space to have strong female characters, has helped make the series a hit.
The Fast and the Furious movie franchise has gone from telling stories of underground drag racing in Los Angeles to a more cohesive action franchise in the style of Mission Impossible. The franchise mix of gender, age and culture helped it grow to become the highest-grossing franchise in Universal history, which is a testament to its staying power. Vin Diesel has also been key in the casting of both an iconic male and female cast while also being likened to a TV showrunner in piecing together the cast, signing off on plots, and creating the franchise’s mythology. However, Diesel’s domination over all aspects of the films reportedly led to some creative tension with other cast members.
The Fast and Furious film franchise, with its "orgiastic emphasis on automobile supremacy," should be curbed as it is contributing to world pollution, opined Adam White in The Independent. White contended the "maximalist propaganda for Big Car" expressed in the series -- where fast cars are heroes rather than villains -- was disastrous when the modern world was already on the brink of climate catastrophe. He admitted the entertainment industry's fascination with cars stretches from James Bond films to Mad Max and Bourne, but said Fast and Furious was the most explicit celebration of the automobile.
Sony is reportedly considering a spinoff and separate listing for its financial unit within the next two to three years, according to documents ahead of a briefing. The move could potentially reverse a $3.7bn take-private deal concluded in 2020. Sony is considering retaining a 20% stake in Sony Financial upon a spinoff and Japanese exchange listing. Sony diversified beyond electronics and gaming into banking in 2001, setting up Sony Financial in 2004, with the unit initially expected to bring in the majority of the conglomerate's profit. In recent years, Sony has shifted its focus to its core entertainment business. The alleged spinoff comes at a time when Sony has unveiled a conservative profit outlook for the current fiscal year, warning about the impact of a global consumer spending slump on its electronics and entertainment businesses.
Former Spice Girl Geri Horner has given King Charles III a hug and a kiss on the cheek and told him, "You’re a very modern king" at a Prince’s Trust event honouring young award winners. Horner, who has known Charles for years, was attending the awards ceremony alongside fellow trust ambassador Oti Mabuse and UK Rising Star winner Funmilola Sosanya. The annual awards recognise young people who have made a positive impact on their communities and have managed to overcome difficulties.
Investors are eagerly waiting for a long-term and effective drug for obesity to bring the companies that produce them a piece of the cake in a $100bn global market. The condition affects about one in eight adults around the world. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are considered the front runners, with sales predicted to grow at a compound rate of 25% in the next three years. However, Pfizer, among other companies, could also benefit from high sales while insurers are monitoring the situation. Patients may need the drugs indefinitely, which is an attractive quality for investors, but this is also likely to increase the risk of side effects and misuse. On the upside, a Medicare ban on obesity drugs being lifted in the US could be costly, with treating 10% of obese over-60s estimated to be almost a fifth of its prescription drug benefit. However, it is a risky industry and pharmaceutical companies will need to tread carefully to avoid litigation and side effects.
A 3D mapping project led by British deep-sea mapping company Magellan has revealed a “digital twin” of the Titanic wreck, which sank on its maiden voyage more than a century ago. The new images provide previously unseen levels of clarity, showing the positioning of the famous grand staircase and even the serial number on a propeller. However, they do not show evidence of the 1,500 lives lost in the disaster. The Titanic became a UNESCO protected heritage site in 2012 and its iron continues to erode.
A mishmash of regulations across US states is causing difficulties for businesses. Different state governments have differing views on everything from the production of lifts to running a bank, and have legislated to ban abortions, encourage diversity on company boards or outlaw race discrimination in pursuit of diversity. A US state government's decision to regulate one area of business can have widespread impact given that American firms operate in a country which has a coast-to-coast marketplace that is too important for it to take for granted. “If the trend of state supermajorities persists after the 2024 elections, things could get worse," warns The Economist's opinion column, Schumpeter. Companies' third headache, when it comes to navigating different legislations, is to do with greenery as states introduce contradictory regulations about oil, gas and coal investments. The challenge is compounded by the fact that doing business in the EU may require sustainability reporting, which some in the US find unpalatable.
The sale to private collectors and wealthy individuals of fossils, including dinosaur skeletons, is booming. Some palaeontologists fear that museums and scientific institutions are being priced out of the market by private collectors who will lock their investments away. However, a thriving market could lead to more discoveries that, if the trade is appropriately regulated, could benefit science and the public. Governments could insist that any discovery and ownership of fossils is catalogued, specimens available for study, or require that museums can make casts. However, fears of crowding out scientists and the public are not entirely without merit. Sometimes specimens do vanish after being bought anonymously. Nationalisation of the ownership of fossils does not make the desire to buy and sell them disappear, instead, it pushes the trade into the black market. Smugglers have much lower standards than auction houses, frequently damaging specimens and stolen fossils are even less likely to end up in museums.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is not a threat to humanity but instead it is our lack of humanity that is threatened, according to this week’s City A.M. editorial. Although AI can provide good, relevant responses to queries, it only has the ability to reproduce humans at their most machine-like and cannot understand emotions in the way this article suggests. Rather than waiting for an almighty technological takeover, society can take control of AI in the same way it has been shaping technology before via some form of government regulation. One of the ways artificial intelligence could have a positive impact on humans is by enabling us to quickly tap into the knowledge base and wisdom of those done before us in a more efficient way. However, there is a significant downside to AI in that it seeds confusion and potential societal discord by enabling our worst impulses and by promoting human intolerance and misinformation.
Channel 4 will air a three-part documentary on the legal battle between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp in January. Director Emma Cooper’s Depp v Heard will reflect on what the 2022 proceedings showed “about violence, gender and the memeification of justice in the era of post-truth”, according to the broadcaster. Depp had sued Heard for $50m in 2022 after an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post on domestic abuse. Although she did not name Depp, he claimed her comments had cost him film roles. Heard countersued, alleging defamation, and the case was eventually settled in December. During seven weeks of court hearings, their legal teams attracted attention on social media. Among images that went viral were of Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez, two lawyers for Depp. Chew is known for his passion for candy and showtunes, as well as representing clients such as Cher and two Olympic gold medalists. Vasquez, meanwhile, appeared in images likened to Thor, and has become NBC News’ legal analyst.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were followed by photographers in New York on Tuesday in what a spokesperson for the prince described as a "near catastrophic car chase". Despite reports to the contrary, no collision or arrests occurred. The incident highlighted the tense relationship between celebrities and photographers, particularly for the royal couple as both cited media intrusion as a reason for stepping back from royal duties, and the incident recalled how Princess Diana died in 1997 after being pursued by paparazzi. Rules regulating paparazzi vary between countries and US states.
Anne Hathaway fans are defending the actress after a TikTok video appeared to show her skipping over Priyanka Chopra Jonas to greet Zendaya at Bulgari’s fashion event in Italy. Although some viewers claimed Hathaway had snubbed Chopra Jonas for Zendaya at the fashion event, others pointed out that Zendaya arrived late to the fashion event and Hathaway had already greeted Chopra Jonas. All three are brand ambassadors for Bulgari, who celebrated the launch of Bulgari’s new jewellery collection at the Palazzo Ducale in Venice.
Johnny Depp has discussed his recent marginalisation by Hollywood and how his trial for domestic violence affected him in an interview with the Associated Press. Depp took a libel suit against Amber Heard, his ex-wife, last year, which was ultimately ruled to have gone in her favour by a British court. As a result, Depp has been dropped from a string of films, including Fantastic Beasts and Pirates of the Caribbean. He is currently in Cannes promoting period drama Jeanne du Barry, which has not yet been acquired for US distribution.
Despite a court finding Johnny Depp guilty of libel, the actor's first film in three years, "Jeanne du Barry", in which he stars as King Louis XV, opened the Cannes Film Festival to great fanfare, with fans shouting "Viva Johnny!". At the time, Depp was approaching the lowest point of his career, as his trial against his then-wife Amber Heard made headlines. While public opinion on Depp may be mixed, his popularity in France reportedly remains high. Depp says he has no regrets about his recent experience in court and remains eager to pursue film projects outside the studio system.
Pierce Brosnan has debuted his first solo art exhibition – a collection of paintings and drawings titled "So Many Dreams", which he created between the 1980s and present day. Brosnan began painting as a young boy living in Ireland and resumed the hobby in 1987, when his late wife, Cassandra Harris, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Brosnan has kept his first painting in the exhibit as the painting was created by touching the paint with his fingers while his wife recovered from chemotherapy treatment.
Hollywood's actors union has asked members to give negotiators the power to call a strike, putting additional pressure on major studios already facing a writers' strike. The SAG-AFTRA actors union has set a June 5 deadline for its 160,000 members to approve a strike authorisation vote, which could lead to a work stoppage if they are unable to reach a new contract agreement with the studios. Actors have similar concerns to writers, such as pay rises and the use of artificial intelligence in compensation. Meanwhile, ongoing negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the studios are set to begin on June 7, with the actors' current labour contract set to expire June 30.
