Entertainment

PARIS - Celine designer Hedi Slimane sent out a lineup of bare-chested models in sheer, unzipped tops and dazzling blazers Sunday night, marking the return of French label to Paris Fashion Week's menswear shows - and closing the week of events. Leggy and long-haired, they marched down a wide runway in sunglasses, hands thrust in front pockets, as spotlights blinked. From sequin-embellished shirts to low-cut, skin-hugging pants and a shimmery crocodile blazer, Celine's summer runway presentation was crammed with clothes imbued with an androgynous rock spirit, à la David Bowie.       A long beige coat over a leather jacket paired with an ultra-slim tie and a white shirt added depth to slip-on shoes and raw edged jeans. Leopard and landscapes of coconut trees patterns appeared on short sleeve shirts while big necklace plastrons acted as clothes. The sparse concrete halls of the show venue – the Palais de Tokyo...

By Rebecca Rubin LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - In an unusually close box office battle, "Elvis and "Top Gun: Maverick" have tied for first place in North America, with each film bringing in $30.5 million over the weekend. "Elvis" and "Top Gun: Maverick" were locked in a close battle all weekend as the King of Rock and Roll took the No. 1 spot on Friday and dropped to second place on Saturday. The final results will be tallied on Monday. Regardless of which film comes out on top, it's a strong result for both. For "Elvis," a $30 million debut is impressive for a movie catering to older audiences. For "Maverick," it's almost unheard of for a movie to generate $30 million in its fifth weekend of release. Overall, it's an encouraging weekend at the box office as five movies are putting up sizable results. Four -- "Elvis" and fellow newcomer Universal's Blumhouse thriller "The Black Phone," as well as holdovers "Top Gun: Maverick...

By Catarina Demony and Miguel Pereira CARCAVELOS, Portugal - In superhero blockbuster Aquaman, popular Hollywood actor Jason Momoa plays the role of protector of the deep, but with the world's oceans under threat in real life, he is also taking the fight off-screen. "Without a healthy ocean life, our planet as we know would not exist," Momoa said with the sea behind him as he took part in an event on a Portuguese beach ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, which starts on Monday. Around 7,000 people, from heads of state to environmental activists, are expected to attend the conference, which was postponed from 2020 to this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dozens of youth activists from various countries clapped and cheered as Momoa, who will soon become the U.N. Environment Programme advocate for Life Below Water, spoke about the problems facing the world's oceans. "We must seek to righ...

By Rebecca Rubin LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Paramount's all-American blockbuster "Top Gun: Maverick" is still flying high at the box office, crossing the coveted $1 billion over the weekend. With those ticket sales, the movie has overtaken Disney's Marvel adventure "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" ($943 million) as the highest-grossing movie of the year at the global box office. Prior to this weekend, the sequel to Tom Cruise's 1986 action flick "Top Gun" was already the highest-grossing movie of the year at the domestic box office, with revenues currently at $521 million. Along with $484.7 million at the international box office, "Maverick" has grossed $1.006 billion worldwide. ...

By Laetitia Volga PARIS - French label Marine Serre sent athletes and artists to stroll a track field runway on Saturday evening, showcasing a sport-inspired wardrobe infused with artistic references in an all-ages, open-to-the-public fashion show. Like Olympic opening ceremonies, delegations succeeded one another. First up was a squad of male and female models in recycled fiber swimwear that melded to the body, framing the curves. Then came a collection of upcycled denim silhouettes with crisp patchwork. Adding color, was a series in pink, including a Chanel-like twinset—but made with towel material. Lourdes Leon, 25, Madonna's oldest child, sashayed down the athletic field in a crescent-moon print catsuit, piled with gilded jewellery. Ex-Liverpool striker Djibril Cissé, 40, soccer ball in hand, wore a floral shirt and short set, while French actor Joey Starr, 54, strutted along in leather pants paired with a...

PARIS - Contemporary French label Officine Generale took to a grand, column-lined courtyard in the historic Marais district of Paris for its latest collection of classic tailored designs for men and women, sending crisp poplin shirts and relaxed, pleated trousers with matching blazers down a cobblestone runway. Models marched in a straight line as a breeze tugged at the looser styles, blowing the tails of silk scarves into the air and adding drama to the evening show. "I think when you put on a pair of white jeans with a black sweater and pair of sandals, you might perhaps be closer to the French dream than some of the extravagance we see," designer Pierre Maheo told , describing his approach to fashion. "You can't just have things that are all over the place on the podium." Founded by Maheo a decade ago, the label has been quietly building up a loyal following and has recently joined a wave of French brands opening stores in the United...

By Laetitia Volga PARIS - Dior transported its audience to a seaside garden between Normandy and Sussex on Friday for its latest menswear collection, aristo-chic with a utilitarian flair. A-lister celebrities including supermodel Naomi Campbell, Hollywood couple Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, ex-soccer star David Beckham, and rival designers Olivier Rousteing of Balmain and Matthew Williams from Givenchy, sat on real grass, along with the rest of the guests, surrounded by wildflowers. Dior menswear artistic director Kim Jones set up the runway in a makeshift space in central Paris for the show during Men's Fashion Week. The catwalk was transformed into a lawn of purple, orange, and pink flowers, with a blue-sky painted panorama and a life-size reproduction of Christian Dior's pink house in Normandy. It was faced by a reproduction of a country house once frequented by the Bloomsbury Group, a British collective of writers...

By Paul Sandle and Sarah Mills GLASTONBURY, England - Music boomed across the fields of Worthy Farm in southwest England on Friday as the world's biggest greenfield festival returned for the first time since 2019 with 20-year-old singer-songwriter Billie Eilish the main draw on its first day. The American singer-songwriter recently told Apple Music 1's Matt Wilkinson that playing the Pyramid stage was a "once in a lifetime opportunity", adding that she was "stoked" to be the youngest ever headliner. Festival goer Gabby Sergeant, a 24-year-old sales executive from London, said the seven-times Grammy winner was a must-see. "I definitely want to see her," she said. "I think she's got some big songs like 'No Time to Die' and 'Bad Guy'." Organiser Emily Eavis, the daughter of festival founder Michael Eavis, said in announcing Eilish in October: "This feels like the perfect way for us to return and I cannot wait!"...

By Hanna Rantala LONDON - For fans eagerly awaiting the season four finale of hit Netflix show "Stranger Things", cast member David Harbour has a clear message: "You'll be blown away." The sci-fi drama, set in the 1980s, returned in late May with a first volume of episodes showing a new supernatural horror emerging from the Upside Down alternate dimension and besetting the fictional Indiana town of Hawkins. Fans have lavished praise on the new season, which four weeks after its release remains in the top spot on Netflix's English TV List with 102.26 million hours viewed, according to the streaming platform. The last two episodes, with a finale running at more than two hours, are released on July 1. "If you've enjoyed season four up until this point, get ready because the (last two episodes) are the best thing that makes what you've seen look like chump change compared to it," Harbour, who plays fan favourite...

ATHENS - One person was injured when two speedboats crashed in Greece on Thursday during the filming of the second sequel to hit romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the coast guard said. During the accident off Thymari beach south of Athens one of the speedboats capsized. A total of 16 people were onboard the vessels and one person with light injuries was transferred to hospital as a precaution, the coast guard said. "They are all safe," said a coast guard official. The 2002 film, which followed young Greek woman Toula, played by actress and writer Nia Vardalos, as she tried to get her family to accept her non-Greek love interest Ian, was a big success, grossing about $368 million worldwide. It also earned Vardalos an Oscar nomination for her screenplay and was followed by a 2016 sequel. Vardalos said on Instagram this week that filming for the third installment has started in Greece. "I...

By Hanna Rantala LONDON - "Stranger Things" star David Harbour says his own experiences with mental illness inspired parts of his new London play "Mad House", a dark comedy written by acclaimed author Theresa Rebeck. The 47-year-old actor, who recently told Britain's Big Issue magazine he was institutionalised and diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 26, said his conversations with the U.S. playwright helped shape the script. "People talk a lot about wanting to have a conversation about mental illness, but I always feel like the discussions are either trite or they're about how mentally ill people are monsters and I think it's neither of those things," Harbour told ahead of a preview performance. "I wanted to have some true expression of what that is because I've had some experience with that myself and so she wrote a play over the pandemic based on a lot of stuff I talked about with her. It's very much her play but I definit...

LONDON - Kit Harington is involved in a "Game of Thrones" spin-off about his character Jon Snow, the actor's co-star on the hit fantasy television series has said. In an interview with Britain's BBC, actress Emilia Clarke was asked about a report in industry publication The Hollywood Reporter last week, which stated that U.S. network HBO was in early development for a spin-off show with character Jon Snow at the helm. It said Harington, who played the character on all of "Game of Thrones" eight seasons, was "attached to reprise the role should a series move forward". "He has told me about it. And I know it exists. It's happening," Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen on "Game of Throne", told the BBC. "It's been created by Kit as far as I can understand, so he's in it from the ground up. So what you will be watching, hopefully, if it happens, is certified by Kit Harington." A representative for Harington, 35,...

By Rollo Ross LOS ANGELES - Although critics seem to either love or hate film director Baz Luhrmann's biopic "Elvis," they all agree on one thing: Austin Butler excels in his portrayal of the 'King of Rock 'n' Roll.' Having started his career playing background characters in Hollywood productions, Butler went on to get parts in teen shows "Hannah Montana," "iCarly," and "Switched at Birth," before landing a small part in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."     Now, he's breaking out the hip-swiveling moves and the verbal cadence of Elvis Presley in Luhrmann's musical film about the singer and actor's trials and tribulations. "I just thought if I couldn't find someone to play Elvis, I wouldn't do it," Luhrmann told .     "(Butler) sent this video in, which was not an audition, it was him breaking down because he lost his mom the same (age) as Elvis did and he had a nightmare and he goes downstairs and puts the iP...

By Paul Sandle and Dylan Martinez GLASTONBURY, England - Tens of thousands of music fans streamed into Worthy Farm on Wednesday for the return after three years of Glastonbury, the beloved music festival that will feature hundreds of artists from Billie Eilish to Paul McCartney. The jubilant scenes come as a relief to a live music industry that battled for survival after COVID-19 wiped out all of the 2020 season and a major chunk of 2021, forcing venues to refund tickets and go without any income. "We're open," Michael Eavis, who founded Glastonbury 52 years ago, told cheering crowds as the first of the 200,000 revellers entered his farm in south-west England. "Absolutely marvellous," he said. "Lovely to see you all." While Glastonbury, the world's largest green field festival, is back with a bang, playing to people who secured their tickets in 2019, many smaller festivals are struggling to cope in one of the toughest eco...

- The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will name its best in show on Wednesday, extending a U.S. tradition that dates to 1877 in bringing together dog breeders and dog lovers for a competition that has become a mainstay annual television event. Finalists in seven groups will compete for the overall title in Tarrytown, New York, about 25 miles (40 km) north of New York City. They have been winnowed down from more than 3,000 dogs from 200 breeds and varieties in America's most prestigious dog show. Four finalists were chosen on Tuesday and another three will be chosen on Wednesday ahead of the best of show competition, due to be judged by Don Sturz, the superintendent of a school district in Long Island, New York. The winner is expected to be named shortly before 11 p.m. EDT (0300 GMT on Thursday). Judges examine the dogs up close, placing their hands on the animal, then watch the handlers lead them around the floor, grading how they meet...

OTTAWA - Canada's lower house of the parliament passed legislation on Tuesday that would bring online streaming platforms under the stewardship of the country's broadcast regulator and compel firms like Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify to offer more local content. The bill, brought by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, cleared the House of Commons by 208 votes to 117, with support from the opposition New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois. The government says the legislation would ensure that online streaming services promote Canadian music and stories and support local jobs. Critics say it was rushed to a vote and concerns raised about the bill, such as the potential impact on independent content creators, were not addressed. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who introduced the bill in February, says the changes are meant for commercial programs streamed online and would not apply to individual Canadians. Bill C-11...

- The Obamas' media company Higher Ground has signed a multi-year deal with Amazon Inc-owned Audible to make original audio content, after ending its three-year run with Spotify. The terms of the agreement announced on Tuesday were not disclosed. The deal gives Audible the right to have a first look at the new material before others in the industry get access to it. Higher Ground signed its first podcast deal with Spotify in 2019 and went on to make shows such as "The Michelle Obama Podcast" and "Born in the USA", a series of conversations between former U.S. President Barack Obama and musician Bruce Springsteen. But the Swedish audio-streaming platform declined to renew its deal with the Higher Ground, prompting the Obamas to seek new partners, Bloomberg News reported https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-21/obamas-sign-audible-audio-deal-leaving-spotify in April. The report had said that Higher Ground was then in...

By Sharon Kimathi LONDON - American pop star Beyonce Knowles-Carter has surprised fans with an early release of her single ‘Break My Soul’ from upcoming album ‘Renaissance’, setting social media ablaze with song lyrics that some say tap into rising worker anger at conditions. “I'm gonna find new drive / damn, they work me so damn hard / Work by nine, then off past five /And they work my nerves, that's why I cannot sleep at night,” sings the artist, adding "I just quit my job." Some commentators said the words channeled the post-pandemic "Great Resignation" in which businesses are struggling to find enough employees. "Beyoncé saw that it was the summer of late-millennial burnout, the labor movement, ‘90s revival, and queer pride and was like, 'Yeah, I can make a song about that'," wrote Patu Patel, editor-in-chief of music magazine Pitchfork on social media platform Twitter. Knowles-Carter has not commented on t...

By Marie-Louise Gumuchian LONDON - Actor Ben Stiller, a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. refugee agency, has said it was "distressing" to hear the experiences of people displaced by the Ukraine conflict, adding he hoped to shine a light on their plight with his visit to the country. He added that it was crucial for people not to turn away from and lose interest in the war, now that it had been going on for several months. Stiller, a UNHCR goodwill ambassador, travelled to Poland and Ukraine over the last few days to meet those who had fled their homes since Russia's invasion began. "It was definitely a different experience to be here in person and see the effects of the war and see how people are having to cope. It's distressing to see and hear the experiences that these people have gone through," Stiller told in a telephone interview. "It's really tough to see and I'm very glad I came to get a different sense...

By Marie-Louise Gumuchian LONDON - The squabbling siblings of "The Umbrella Academy" return for more superhero antics this week, contending with a fresh universal threat and some new family rivals. Season three of the hit Netflix show sees the introduction of the slicker Sparrow Academy as well as the transition of character Vanya Hargreeves to Viktor Hargreeves, mirroring the personal life of actor Elliot Page. Showrunner Steve Blackman said he worked closely with Page on a storyline after the 35-year-old Oscar nominee, formerly known as Ellen Page, said in late 2020 he was transgender and had changed his first name. "Elliot had called me after the scripts were done and said he was making the transition and I obviously wanted to be very supportive. No one...made me write it into the story but I did think was the right thing to do," Blackman told . "I reached out to (LGBTQ media advocacy group) GLAAD, I reached...