AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 2:55 p.m. EDT

The breathless Korean sci-fi monster movie 'Hope' leaves the Cannes Film Festival floored

CANNES, France (AP) — Sprawling action movies with aliens do not generally compete for the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or. But Na Hong-jin’s “Hope” is not your average science fiction. Few movies were more anticipated in Cannes. It’s been 10 years since Na’s last film, the well-regarded 2016 thriller “The Wailing.” While some of Na’s fellow Korean genre masters, like Bong Joon Ho, have found global renown, for many cinephiles, Na is overdue for the kind of global introduction a Cannes premiere provides. The headlong rush of “Hope” left Cannes awed, befuddled and thrilled by Na’s bonkers would-be international blockbuster.

Don’t sleep on ‘Is God Is,’ a primal scream of a movie inspired by Westerns and Greek tragedy

Aleshea Harris wrote “Is God Is” as a story of rage and revenge, blending Greek tragedy with Spaghetti Westerns. It centers on Black twin sisters on a violent quest to find their father. Harris wanted to challenge stereotypes of Black women. The play, which hit off-Broadway in 2018, resonated with audiences and critics, leading to a film adaptation. Harris, initially hesitant to direct, was encouraged by producer Janicza Bravo. The film stars Kara Young and Mallori Johnson as the twins, with Vivica A. Fox and Sterling K. Brown in supporting roles. Harris emphasizes Black female rage, aiming to break taboos and stereotypes.

Pop star Shakira is acquitted in a Spanish tax fraud case

MADRID (AP) — A Spanish court has acquitted pop star Shakira in a tax fraud case and ordered the government to return over 55 million euros in wrongly imposed fines. The decision follows years of tax troubles for the Colombian superstar. The ruling relates to a dispute over the 2011 tax year. Spanish authorities failed to prove Shakira was a resident of Spain, as she only lived there for 163 days. Shakira expressed relief, stating there was never any fraud. Her lawyer criticized the lengthy ordeal. Spain has also cracked down on soccer stars for tax evasion in recent years.

Cate Blanchett laments that the #MeToo movement 'got killed very quickly' in Hollywood

CANNES, France (AP) — Cate Blanchett says that the #MeToo movement “got killed very quickly” in remarks at the Cannes Film Festival. She lamented in a wide-ranging staged conversation that the tide of #MeToo has been turned in Hollywood, where she has been outspoken about gender equality. In 2018, when she was president of the jury in Cannes, Blanchett took part in a red-carpet protest. She and 81 other women appeared on the steps of the Palais des Festivals, symbolically representing the number of female director who were selected for Cannes’ competition lineup. Over the same period, 1,866 male directors had been selected.

Ella Langley dominates the ACM Awards and Cody Johnson wins entertainer of the year

Cody Johnson won the top prize of entertainer of the year at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards, but it was Ella Langley’s show from the start. Sunday night's first honor, for song of the year, went to Langley for the crossover hit “Choosin’ Texas.” She thanked fans in her speech: “I don’t know why you latched on to this song but thank you for doing it.” She later won single of the year for the same smash. She also joined Riley Green shortly thereafter, as their duet “Don’t Mind if I Do” took home music event of the year. Then she received her fourth on-stage trophy for female artist of the year.

Will White House correspondents' dinner be rescheduled? Some say: ‘Let’s call the whole thing off’

NEW YORK (AP) — And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Or maybe not. More than three weeks after the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was thrown into chaos and panic when a man stormed the Washington Hilton lobby and opened fire in what prosecutors say was an attempt to kill President Donald Trump, the event has yet to be rescheduled. The association “continues to weigh options for rescheduling the event,” its president, Weijia Jiang of CBS News, said from China last week where she was covering Trump. But even if the event can be rescheduled, a question hangs — should it?

What to Stream: John Krasinski, 'Ladies First,' Rod Stewart, Brooke Shields and a 'Lego Batman' game

John Krasinski returning as Jack Ryan in “Jack Ryan: Ghost War” for Prime Video and “Stranger Things” masterminds the Duffer Brothers producing a Netflix show in which a retirement community teams up to battle monsters are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time for the week of May 18 as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Sacha Baron Cohen and Rosamund Pike starring in the gender satire “Ladies First,” “The Chi” returning for its eighth and final season and an ambitious Lego Batman video game acting like a career retrospective for the Caped Crusader.

‘Michael’ reclaims the top box office spot in its 4th weekend

The Michael Jackson biopic, “Michael,” is reclaiming the top spot in the North American box office. Studio estimates on Sunday show the film earned $26.1 million in its fourth weekend in theaters, bringing its worldwide total to over $700 million. “The Devil Wears Prada 2" took second place with $18 million, reaching $546.2 million worldwide. Newcomer “Obsession” exceeded expectations with $16.1 million. “Mortal Kombat II” secured fourth place by bringing in $13.4 million. Amazon MGM Studios had three films in the top 10, including “The Sheep Detectives,” “Project Hail Mary” and newcomer “Is God Is,” which rounded out the top 10.

Bulgaria gives its Eurovision winner Dara a grand welcome upon her return home

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Hundreds of cheering fans waving Bulgarian flags have welcomed Eurovision Song Contest winner Dara upon her return home. The 27-year-old singer was visibly tired but smiling when she arrived on Sunday at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport holding up the Eurovision trophy. Bulgaria’s major television stations made changes to their regular programs to air live coverage from the airport. Dara said that “this award marks the beginning of my future international career.” She won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday in Vienna with her infectious party anthem “Bangaranga.” It gave the southeast European country its first-ever victory in the competition.