AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 8:29 a.m. EDT

Oscar-winning 'Star Wars' editor Marcia Lucas dies at 80

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marcia Lucas, the Oscar-winning editor of the original 1977 “Star Wars,” has died at age 80. A lawyer for her family says she passed away Wednesday from metastatic cancer in Rancho Mirage, California. Lucas was married to “Star Wars” creator George Lucas from 1969 to 1983. She also edited “Return of the Jedi” and worked on other George Lucas films like “THX 1138” and “American Graffiti.” She also worked on the Martin Scorsese-directed 1970s classics “Taxi Driver” and “Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.”

AI helped a musician with Parkinson’s finish his new album when he could no longer play guitar

LONDON (AP) — Artificial intelligence is helping a London-based singer-songwriter continue writing and recording music after Parkinson’s disease largely took away his ability to play guitar. Samuel Smith relied on AI-powered song generators to create the demos for one track on his new album, “The Art of Letting Go.” He says the apps allowed him to convey his vision to the session musicians who recorded the song after his guitar skills deteriorated. AI music generators like Suno and and Udio use models trained on large datasets of recorded music and audio. The technology has divided the music industry and produced copyright infringement lawsuits. Smith gets it. He also thinks his experience demonstrates AI's potential to expand creative access.

What to know about the artists backing out of the Trump-linked Freedom 250 concerts

Musical artists' cancellations from a Donald Trump-linked U.S. celebration in Washington continue the Republican president’s tense history with the entertainment industry. Freedom 250 has organized “The Great American State Fair,” a series of events on the National Mall from June 25 to July 10. The event was launched by Trump and features concerts, exhibits and tributes. But artists including Bret Michaels, the Commodores and Martina McBride have canceled their performances. The artists say they were misled about the event's theme and want to avoid political controversy. Performers including Flo Rida and Vanilla Ice are still expected to appear. Freedom 250 tells The New York Times it's focused on celebrations and events honoring America's history.

What to watch for at the Tony Awards on Broadway's biggest night

NEW YORK (AP) — Broadway's biggest night is approaching with the Tony Awards broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall on June 7. Pink will host, marking her debut as MC. Viewers can watch on CBS or stream on Paramount+ with Showtime. The top nominees are “The Lost Boys” and “Schmigadoon!” each with 12 nominations. June Squibb, at 96, is the oldest Tony-nominated actor in history. Nathan Lane aims for his fourth Tony, which would tie him as the most-awarded male performer. The season set a new box office record, though attendance slightly declined. Performances will include nominees and original cast members from “The Book of Mormon.”

When Sue Tilley met Lucian Freud, it changed her life. Now a painting of her could fetch $47 million

LONDON (AP) — Sue Tilley was working in an unemployment office when she met artist Lucian Freud. His paintings of her in the 1990s are now famous, and very valuable. “Sleeping by the Lion Carpet,” considered one of Freud’s masterpieces, is up for sale at Sotheby’s on June 24. It has a presale estimate of between $33 million and $47 million. Tilley hasn’t received any money from the portraits but doesn’t regret it. She says the experience changed her life. Freud, known for his fleshy nudes, painted Tilley in four monumental portraits. One sold for $33.6 million in 2008 and another for $56 million in 2015.

Shrey Parikh bounces back, battles nerves and dominates spell-off to win the National Spelling Bee

WASHINGTON (AP) — Shrey Parikh has won the Scripps National Spelling Bee, beating Ishaan Gupta in a lightning-round tiebreaker. Shrey is a 14-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, California. He finished third in 2024 but lost his school bee last year when he was battling a fever. He has dominated the bee circuit since. That included winning several online competitions against many of the same kids he outlasted this week in the nation’s capital. On Thursday night he turned a tense, high-quality final into a blowout. He raced through the 90-second spell-off and got 32 words right, a record for the format. Scripps later announced that “bromocriptine” was his winning word.

In ‘Pressure,’ the story of the meteorologist who helped save D-Day

The film “Pressure” explores the tense 72 hours before D-Day, highlighting the crucial role of Scottish meteorologist Capt. James Stagg. He advised Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Allied leadership to delay the invasion due to bad weather. This decision changed the course of the war. Brendan Fraser plays Eisenhower, diving deep into research to portray the general's humanity. Andrew Scott plays Stagg, focusing on the character's integrity. Director Anthony Maras uses colorized archival footage to present a fresh perspective on D-Day. The film emphasizes leadership and the importance of listening to expert advice, resonating with today's challenges.

Music Review: On Paul McCartney's 'The Boys of Dungeon Lane,' an ex-Beatle reminisces

NEW YORK (AP) — For Paul McCartney, “The Boys of Dungeon Lane” is a trip down memory lane. The 83-year-old ex-Beatle reminisces about bus rides with George Harrison, his parents and a long-ago crush who once lived in his neighborhood. He duets with Ringo Starr on a tune about rough surroundings that he didn’t notice because, as the title says, it was “Home to Us.” With the help of producer Andrew Watt, McCartney plays almost all the instruments himself. The pop-rock disc is “pleasant in spots, inoffensive in others,” writes reviewer David Bauder for The Associated Press.

Movie Review: 'Backrooms' goes from internet meme to the big screen

What evil lurks in the drabbest of interiors? The meme-rooted “Backrooms” is the latest movie to pull its mounting horrors out of liminal spaces. It's based on a meme that began as an anonymous 4chan post. But “Backrooms” struggles to retrofit a compelling story to match its disquietingly banal imagery, writes Associated Press Film Writer Jake Coyle. Directed by 20-year-old YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Kane Parsons, the movie is a fitfully unsettling nightmare that never convincingly builds beyond its creepy, dated-decor premise. A24 releases “Backrooms” in theaters on Friday.