The Guardian Culture

EA Sports FC 27: what does the next instalment of the world’s biggest football game have in store?

The all-conquering franchise’s revamps are technically impressive, its transfers more true to life – and its new grassroots social hub is surprising funAs if the world wasn’t sufficiently football-obsessed, it’s time to prepare for the arrival of its biggest football video game. EA Sports FC 27 (the franchise that used to be Fifa – what better time to no longer be Fifa-branded?) is due to be released on 25 September. I just spent two intense days in Vancouver, where the EA FC games are made, pla

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

‘Descendants’ Franchise Expands With Movie Featuring Iconic Disney Sidekicks

News of the music-filled movie 'Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story' follows on the debut of last month's 'Descendants: Wicked Wonderland,' the fifth film in the successful franchise.

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

Variety

William Orbit, Grammy-Winning Producer for Madonna and Blur, Dies at 69

William Orbit, the Grammy-winning musician and producer best known for his work with Madonna, All Saints and Blur, died on July 23. He was 69. Orbit’s family confirmed his death in a statement posted to his Instagram account on Friday. “It is with profound sadness that the family and friends of William Orbit announce that […]

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

Variety

Lionsgate CEO Wants to See Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Close Soon: ‘Uncertainty and Delay’ Are ‘Not Good for Anybody’

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer voiced support for the stalled Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, which is headed to an antitrust trial to begin in March 2027. While Lionsgate competes with Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. in some areas, including theatrically released movies, Lionsgate also sees both as customers (or potential customers) in other areas. Ultimately, having […]

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

The Guardian Culture

Out of the blue: James Cameron’s surprise departure would be good for Avatar

The director has yet again hinted that he may step away – but if he does actually relinquish control, would it benefit the franchise or would be it be ‘hasta la vista’, Terminator 6 style?After directing the highest-grossing film trilogy of all time, and having spent more than two decades bending technology, studio executives and several hundred million dollars’ worth of underwater motion capture to his will, James Cameron this week signalled that he may be ready to hand the future of the Avatar

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

The Guardian Culture

William Orbit, pop producer for Madonna, All Saints and more, dies aged 69

Musician’s projects included Madonna’s Ray of Light, Blur’s 13 and All Saints’ chart-topping singles Pure Shores and Black CoffeeWilliam Orbit, the British music producer whose dreamy yet propulsive style invigorated work by Madonna, Blur, All Saints, U2 and more, has died aged 69.A statement on his social media, attributed to family and friends, said he died at home on 23 July. “He will be greatly missed by us and by so many whose lives he touched through his music, friendship and kindness,” th

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

The Guardian Culture

‘It might be one of the most unpopular tunes ever written!’: kids’ TV composers tell all

Big cheques, standing ovations, irate adults – there are surprising sides to composing a children’s TV theme tune. From Bluey to Byker Grove, the creators of the best reveal the secretsHow do you write TV theme music for children? Does it make you mega-rich? And does the tune itself eventually drive you (and parents everywhere) nuts?We tracked down the creators of half-a-dozen of TV’s greatest children’s show themes in order to find out. As Bluey’s Joff Bush told us: “The key lesson is

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

The Guardian Culture

‘It’s a Pan-African story’: the artists telling the amazing true tale of Zambia’s mission to reach space

The nation’s audacious 1960s rocket programme was met with ridicule. Now, more than 60 years on, this curious episode is inspiring film-makers, playwrights and a circus show at the fringeExplore the rest of our Edinburgh festival 2026 coverageIn February 1960, Harold Macmillan, the UK’s Conservative prime minister, gave his seminal “wind of change” address to the Parliament of South Africa in Cape Town, announcing the end of the age of colonial rule on the African continent. He had given the sam

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

Sarajevo Unveils Béla Tarr Tribute Program for Former Students of His Film School

The legendary Hungarian filmmaker, who ran the Film Factory at Sarajevo Film Festival from 2013 to 2017, died earlier this year aged 70.

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

Luca Guadagnino to Receive Venice Festival’s Glory to the Filmmaker Award

Guadagnino's 'Artificial' will not be screening at Venice but his new documentary 'Joie de vivre,' on legendary Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci, will have its premiere there.

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

Variety

Take-Two Interactive Reaches $1.4 Billion in Sales During ‘GTA 6’ Preorder Opening Quarter

Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive drew $1.39 billion in sales from April-June, the quarter during which it opened presales for “Grand Theft Auto VI.” That figure is not broken down by title, but Take-Two notes the “largest contributors” to the overall number were “‘NBA 2K,’ the ‘Grand Theft Auto’ series, ‘Toon Blast,’ ‘Match Factory!,’ ‘Empires […]

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

Variety

‘The Blue Trail’ Director Gabriel Mascaro and Top Brazilian Producer Paula Cosenza Launch Trema, Set First Slate (EXCLUSIVE)

Gabriel Mascaro, director of the 2025 Berlinale Grand Jury Prize winner “The Blue Trail,” and top Brazilian producer Paula Cosenza (“Memory House”) have teamed to create Trema, launched as a Northeast Brazil production powerhouse. Trema is headquartered in Recife, Mascaro’s home city and capital of Pernambuco state. Now up and running, Trema is focusing on […]

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

Starz Posts First Quarter Revenue Dip as Digital-Led Strategy Shows Momentum

The premium cabler increased its 2026 outlook in key metrics as it charts a streaming TV future fueled by franchises like ‘Outlander’ and ‘Power.’

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

The Guardian Culture

The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup

The Salt King by Natasha Pulley; A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett; Netherwood by Jake Arnott; Fawn by CN VairThe Salt King by by Natasha Pulley (Gollancz, £22)The latest from the author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street blends an apocalyptic end-of-the-world tale with folk horror and two slowly developing love stories. Avelyn Brocken is a trainee priest at the Vatican, sent to check out a possible miracle in the fens of East Anglia. His only qualification for the job is that he was

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

The Guardian Culture

Add to playlist: the anxiety-ridden sugar rush of Tiffany Day and the week’s best new tracks

Day’s latest album Halo is all high-energy exhaustion, injected with a crushing electroclash chaos that illuminates her insecurities in bright neonFrom Los AngelesRecommended if you like Slayyyter, Charli xcx, UnderscoresUp next Halo out now. UK and Ireland tour starts in DecemberRight now popstar breakthrough and burnout are a hair’s breadth from one another. Enter Tiffany Day, a Wichita-raised artist who first went viral in 2017 when a video of her singing Hallelujah on a school trip blew up o

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

Variety

Starz Revenue Declines 4% in Q2 as Streaming Stabilizes, Company Takes $147 Million Charge Related to Ending Universal Output Deal

Starz saw total revenue slide again in the second quarter of 2026 — but the media company reported its first year-over-year growth in streaming revenue in 18 months. Company execs believe the business is turning around, and they’ve raised their outlook for adjusted OIBDA (operating income before depreciation and amortization) growth for full-year 2026 from […]

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

The Guardian Culture

Target Audience review – zingy satire puts media types in an apocalyptic pickle

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghWith characteristic wit, Dan Bishop’s comedy develops from a jolly send-up of the vacuous TV industry into a politically astute play about power‘I’ve never read anything Greek, but I bet if feels exactly like this,” says Isabelle (RhéAna Kamalu) at the apocalyptic height of this zingy comedy. She is a gen Z intern whose end-of-times neuroses have suddenly become justified after she receives a government alert to stay indoors. Maybe she did not want to die young, aft

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

Variety

Luca Guadagnino to Receive Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award at Venice Film Festival

Luca Guadagnino will receive the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award at this year’s Venice Film Festival. The Italian director, who is premiering his seven-hour Bernardo Bertolucci documentary “Joie de Vivre” at this year’s festival, is being honored as “a personality who has made a particularly original contribution to the contemporary film industry,” according to […]

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

Werner Herzog to Receive San Sebastian Film Festival’s Donostia Award

The German filmmaker joins a prestigious list of Donostia Award recipients, including Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Pedro Almodóvar, David Cronenberg, Juliette Binoche and Javier Bardem.

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026

Variety

Werner Herzog to Be Honored at San Sebastián Film Festival

Prolific filmmaker Werner Herzog will receive the San Sebastián Film Festival’s prestigious Donostia Award during its 74th edition in September. The German director will be honored at the Spanish festival’s opening gala and will screen his latest film “Bucking Fastard,” following its world premiere at Venice Film Festival. “Over a career spanning six decades, Werner […]

entertainment  Aug 7, 2026