AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 2:15 p.m. EST

Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling on the surprisingly sweet BDSM romance ‘Pillion’

Alexander Skarsgård plays a biker who begins a dom-sub relationship with a younger, more inexperienced man in “Pillion.” The film co-starring Harry Melling and directed by Harry Lighton premiered last year at the Cannes Film Festival and is now playing in North American theaters. While it is explicit in its depiction, it's also surprisingly sweet and comedic too. Lighton says he refused to sanitize the sex scenes between Skarsgård and Melling's characters. The filmmaker says the story lands as “sex net positive” because the lead grows into his sexuality. Both the BDSM community and their moms have responded positively to the movie.

Journalist Don Lemon pleads not guilty to civil rights charges in Minnesota church protest

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former CNN host Don Lemon has pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights charges in Minnesota, accused in a protest at a church in St. Paul where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official is a pastor. Four other people were set to be arraigned in the same case Friday, including civil rights attorney and prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong. Lemon says he was reporting on the protesters as an independent journalist at Cities Church on Jan. 18, but prosecutors accuse him of joining a “mob.” Lemon did not comment to reporters as he entered the courthouse accompanied by his attorney Joe Thompson. Nine people have been indicted in the case.

Let the revelry begin: Rio mayor hands city's key to King Momo as Carnival kicks off

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Rio de Janeiro has kicked off Carnival celebrations as the mayor hands the city key to King Momo for a playful five-day reign. Momo “took charge” of the city on Friday until Wednesday. Officials in Rio expect about 6 million people in the street parties. Bands, drummers and stilt artists will be leading huge crowds through neighborhoods. Many also will pack the Sambodrome for samba school parades with giant floats and elaborate costumes. This year's themes highlight sex workers, singer Rita Lee and Black Amazon communities. Officials also are responding to theft concerns. City Hall says 1,100 agents will patrol events.

Taylor Swift rumors spiked ticket sales for Pebble Beach golf tournament

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Travis Kelce is playing in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am, and there was a spike on ticket sales. They weren't for him. Rumors have been swirling this week that Taylor Swift would be there watching her fiancé play in the second round at America's most famous coastal golf course. Alas, she wasn't there. Swifties had to settle for watching the Kansas City Chiefs tight end. Tournament director Steve John says $60,000 in tickets were sold in 12 hours after announcing Kelce was in the field. And then $21,000 in tickets were sold in the 12 hours leading to Friday's round.

Movie Review: Emerald Fennell's 'Wuthering Heights' is a bold but shallow take on Brontë's classic

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi play Catherine and Heathcliff in the new adaptation of “Wuthering Heights.” Filmmaker Emerald Fennell has said she wanted to make a film that captured how she felt when she read it at 14. Emily Brontë’s novel is just the starting point. In her review for The Associated Press, film writer Lindsey Bahr writes that “for all the big swings, Fennell’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ amounts to something oddly shallow and blunt: garish and stylized fan fiction with the scope and budget of an old-school Hollywood epic.” “Wuthering Heights” is rated R and opens in theaters Friday.

'Love Story' revisits JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. It's stirred some backlash

FX and Hulu’s new series “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette” retells the couple’s romance and death, and has sparked criticism from Kennedy's nephew, Jack Schlossberg. The show follows Kennedy and Bessette from an early meeting to the 1999 plane crash that kills them and Bessette’s sister Lauren. Last year, Schlossberg called the series “grotesque” and accused producers of cashing in. Producer Ryan Murphy pushed back on a podcast. Other producers and the lead actors say they tried to be ethical and sincere. The story is adapted from a bestselling book by Elizabeth Beller.

Christian Siriano invites New York Fashion Week guests into his surrealist dream

NEW YORK (AP) — Rather than rely on a dramatic set, Designer Christian Siriano let his designs speak for themselves Thursday at his New York Fashion Week show. The designer transported guests to his surrealist dream of vibrant colors and eye-catching fabrics. The designer said he wanted to invite his attendees to escape with him. The designer's fall 2026 show featured an iridescent green liquid ombré gown that the designer only had little time to transform before his show Thursday after a hold up at customs. Siriano's supermodel muse Coco Rocha closed the show in the gown as celebrities cheered her on from the sidelines.

Netflix's 'Culinary Class Wars' has transformed South Korea's fine dining scene

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Netflix’s popular “Culinary Class Wars” is transforming South Korea’s fine dining scene. Bookings at fine dining restaurants have jumped threefold since the Netflix show first aired in 2024. Chef Jun Lee said that largely thanks to the show, his restaurant is so busy that international visitors struggle to get tables. Chef Kim Sung-woon said he feels like a celebrity and has received fan letters from children. The show builds on years of government efforts to promote Korean cuisine. Despite challenges including intense competition and service staff shortages, chefs see global entertainment content as crucial for elevating South Korea’s culinary status.

Love is found in unexpected places at the Berlin Film Festival

BERLIN (AP) — Two films at the Berlin Film Festival use romance to show life beyond war and politics. On Thursday, the festival opens with “No Good Men,” set in a Kabul newsroom in 2021. It follows the workplace love story of Naru, a camerawoman who fights for her son and her career. Director Shahrbanoo Sadat says a kiss scene cost her the lead actor and she had to step into the role herself. She also faced pushback from funders who were against a rom-com about Afghanistan. Another film, “Only Rebels Win,” follows a Palestinian widow who finds love in Beirut. Director Danielle Arbid calls it feminist and human.