AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 9:01 a.m. EDT

A filmmaking tool or an existential threat: Cannes Film Festival weighs the rise of AI

CANNES, France (AP) — The Cannes Film Festival can function like a global water cooler for movies, with prevailing issues and anxieties of the industry tending to surface at the event. This year, the topic du jour is artificial intelligence. The 79th Cannes may go down as the time the world’s grandest film festival for the first time wrestled with the onset of AI — its arrival has been felt like a tsunami on the French Riviera. AI's potential to remake the movie industry, either for good or bad, has been an ongoing debate since the festival opened. And in many quarters, the tone is softening.

Channel 4 pulls episodes of 'Married at First Sight UK' after sexual misconduct claims

LONDON (AP) — Channel 4 has pulled all episodes of “Married at First Sight UK” after three contestants claimed they were sexually assaulted by on-screen partners. The broadcaster calls the allegations “very serious.” The British government said Tuesday there must be “consequences for criminality or wrongdoing.” The claims were made during a BBC investigation, but the claimants have not contacted the police. The men involved dispute the allegations. The show matches strangers, who move in together after mock weddings. The U.K. version has run for 10 seasons on Channel 4. The broadcaster has ordered a review of its welfare standards and procedures, emphasizing contributor well-being.

Cannes standout 'Paper Tiger' reveals a new side to Miles Teller

CANNES, France (AP) — One of only two American films competing for the Palme d'Or, James Gray’s “Paper Tiger” has been one of the standouts of this year’s Cannes. And at the center of the warm reception for “Paper Tiger” is Miles Teller. Teller stars in the film as Irwin Pearl. Pearl is an earnest family man in 1980s New York who lives contentedly with his wife and two sons. After Irwin’s well-connected, former police officer brother gets them involved in a scheme related to cleaning up the Gowanus Canal, Russian mafia threats put their working-class life under siege.

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.

Rachel Maddow takes on the DOJ’s 150-year saga in a new book, 'Department of Fate'

NEW YORK (AP) — Rachel Maddow is working on a new book about the Justice Department. Crown announced Monday that "Department of Fate" will be published on November 10, a week after this year's midterm elections. Maddow says the DOJ's actions can shape political rights and the economy, and determine whether the Constitution is just words, or real life. The book will explore the department's 150-year history, including events from the Red Scare after World War I to the recent changes under President Donald Trump's second administration. Maddow aims to highlight the DOJ's impact on the nation.

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.

The New York Times sues the Pentagon a second time over Hegseth's media restrictions

The New York Times sued the Defense Department Monday for the second time in recent months over media access.  The new lawsuit argues that a requirement that journalists be escorted while on Pentagon grounds violates the First Amendment. The escort policy has remained in place as part of an interim policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell responded on X that the Times’ lawsuit was merely an attempt to remove barriers to "getting their hands on classified information.” The new lawsuit is an attempt to get the courts to directly address the escort rule.

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.