Variety

Bill Rasmussen, ESPN’s Founder, Dies at 93

Bill Rasmussen, a former local-news sports director who parlayed an interest in the nascent business of satellite television into the launch of the sports-media giant known as ESPN, has died after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. The entrepreneur and founder was 93 years old. Rasmussen in 1978 was idling in traffic on Connecticut’s Interstate 84 […]

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian Culture

Yes, you can feel my calves! The endurance extremists pounding treadmills and pumping pedals at the fringe

How do you keep audiences gripped while cycling 27km per show? From the Australian recreating a Tour de France win to a ‘toxically positive’ spin queen, we meet the acts bringing Olympian fitness to EdinburghBlood and sweat drip to the floor. Tears are on their way. In a small room in Edinburgh, Megan Tomei is cleat-clipped into a stationary bike, yelling above the music as she leads a high-intensity spin class gone wrong. “We take the thing you’re running from,” Tomei shouts, pink lights bounci

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

Story Syndicate Promotes Jon Bardin to President of Documentary and Unscripted (Exclusive)

The ‘Maternal Instinct’ and ‘Last Take’ producer has been supervising the company’s expansion into more recurring series like ‘Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross.’

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Variety

Fulvio Lucisano, Italian Producer of ‘Planet of the Vampires’ and ‘What Have You Done to Solange?,’ Dies at 98

Italian producer Fulvio Lucisano, who shepherded a slew of cult B-movies such as “Planet of the Vampires” and “What Have You Done to Solange?” and had a close rapport with Roger Corman, has died. He was 98. His daughter Paola confirmed Lucisano’s death on Tuesday in a statement sent to Italian news agency ANSA, writing: […]

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

The Estate of Marilyn Monroe Helped Mattel Design Barbie Doll for the Legend’s 100th Birthday

The toy company has designed seven dolls in the Hollywood icon's image.

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian Culture

By a Thread review – soulful circus with a sprinkle of magic

Assembly Rooms, EdinburghEmotional group dynamics and individual skills make One Fell Swoop stand out in the crowded circus genreYou cannot move at the Edinburgh fringe for circus shows. There are so many people in this city who can climb a rope, hang upside down, swing on a trapeze – so how do you make a show special when plenty of other folks are hawking the same skills?Melbourne company One Fell Swoop Circus have worked out a way, sprinkling a bit of magic on their festival offering. It’s a s

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Variety

Marilyn Monroe’s Newest Barbie Doll Is Inspired by Her ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ Ensemble

Marilyn Monroe’s birthday celebrations haven’t concluded quite yet. Mattel is honoring the Hollywood icon with a new Barbie Signature doll inspired by her performance of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in the 1953 musical “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” The collectible arrives Aug. 18, a little more than two months after what would have been Monroe’s […]

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Variety

American Black Film Festival 2027 Heads to Los Angeles After 24 Years in Miami (EXCLUSIVE)

After calling Miami home for the past 24 years, the American Black Film Festival is heading to Los Angeles for its 31st edition, which takes place May 20-23, 2027. ABFF 2027 will set up shop across the greater Los Angeles area, making stops at AMC’s Grove location for film screenings and the Academy Museum of […]

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

Bill Rasmussen, Co-Founder of ESPN, Dies at 93

The former New England Whalers exec and his son came up with the idea for an all-sports network in 1978 while stuck in traffic.

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Variety

C+C Music Factory Co-Founder Robert Clivillés Sues Freedom Williams for $30 Million, Alleging He Wrongfully Claimed Trademark Despite Never Being a Group Member

Whatever fallout came as a result of the canceled Freedom 250 concerts on the National Mall in Washington this summer, we can add a lawsuit that otherwise might not have happened. One prominent figure in that D.C. controversy, Freedom Williams, who made newsmaking statements in his role as frontman for the touring edition of C+C […]

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

Woody Harrelson Pays Tribute to “Brilliant” Rob Reiner at Lively Sarajevo Masterclass

The three-time Oscar nominee delighted the crowd by reflecting on his colorful career, including the moment he "fucked up" by turning down Tom Cruise's role in 'Jerry Maguire.'

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Variety

Angélique Kidjo Talks ‘Hope,’ Her Mother’s Legacy and Making History With a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Two things have been crucial to a restless Angélique Kidjo since her childhood in Benin, West Africa: diverse, universal, nuanced brands of truthful musical storytelling in all its forms, and her mother. Selling nearly four million albums worldwide, winning five Grammys, writing a bestselling autobiography, “Spirit Rising,” with its foreword by Desmond Tutu, and becoming […]

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian Culture

Wladimir Klitschko pays tribute to ex-partner Hayden Panettiere: ‘She left this world too soon’

Boxing champion says he will raise their daughter, Kaya, to remember the late actor’s ‘immense talent’ Hayden Panettiere’s daughter will be raised to remember her mother’s “immense talent” and “incredible career”, according to a tribute posted on social media on Tuesday by Wladimir Klitschko, the ex-lineal world heavyweight boxing champion and the late Hollywood actor’s former partner.Their daughter, Kaya, has been raised by the Ukrainian retired world boxing champion since 2018, when Panettiere

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

Jay Shetty Remembers Hayden Panettiere, Reflects on Their Emotional Interview: “You Were the Brave One”

"You were courageous, resilient and so incredibly strong through so many difficult moments in your life,” the ‘On Purpose’ podcast host wrote to the late actress.

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Variety

Ascend Literary Management Signs ‘Average Joe’ Creator Robb Cullen (EXCLUSIVE)

Ascend Literary Management has signed Robb Cullen for representation, Variety has learned exclusively. Cullen continues to be repped by IAG and Jared Levine, Sabrina Padwa and Jonathan Leiter of Yorn Levine. Cullen most recently created the series “Average Joe.” The series originally launched on BET+ in 2023, while the second season will debut on Paramount+ […]

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

Oldenburg Names First Titles for 2026 Selection

New films from regulars Edgar Pêra, Michael Polish and Bertrand Mandico are among the highlights at the German indie film fest this year.

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Variety

Shakira, Global Citizen, Live Nation and CAF Commit $1.25 Million to Rebuild Schools in Colombia Following Earthquake

Shakira, the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, Live Nation and CAF have announced a $1.25 million initial commitment to rebuild schools following the devastating earthquake in Colombia last week. The announcement follows a similar commitment after earthquakes ravaged Venezuela last year. Shakira visited Quibdó on Monday alongside philanthropist Howard Buffett and representatives from CAF, the […]

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Variety

Stella Lefty on the Rise of ‘Boston’ and Her Sudden Fame: ‘When I First Started Writing Songs, No One Cared!’

Early this month, when the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 was occupied entirely by country artists for the first time in its history, most of the names were familiar: There was Taylor Swift, there was Ella Langley, there was Morgan Wallen, there was Morgan Wallen with Ella Langley… and at No. 5, 23-year-old […]

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Variety

SXSW Sets Podcast Festival, Locals-Only Perks and Changes in Music Venues for 2027 Event in Austin

South by Southwest has unveiled plans for a podcast festival, new locals-only perks and temporary changes in music venues for the 2027 event that will unfold on the streets of Austin, Texas in March. SXSW will run from March 15-21. The inaugural Podcast Festival will be held March 17-21. Open to all SXSW badgeholders, the […]

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026

Variety

North Korea-Focused Film Fund Bearing North Launches With ‘School for Defectors’ (EXCLUSIVE)

A new private grantmaking initiative dedicated to films about North Korea has launched out of Los Angeles, with an advisory board drawn from documentary filmmaking, journalism, and human rights advocacy. Bearing North, founded by entrepreneurs and film investors Blaine Vess and Esther Paik Vess, will award grants to independent filmmakers worldwide at any stage of […]

entertainment  Aug 18, 2026