movies
Demi Moore Decries “Self-Censorship,” Park Chan-wook Welcomes Politics “Without Prejudice” as Cannes Gets Underway
Hollywood star Demi Moore and Korean auteur Park Chan-wook kicked off the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday with a series of careful but unequivocal statements defending the role of politics in cinema.
Asked whether she had concerns about political statements during the festival potentially distracting from the films themselves, Moore said she strongly hoped not. “I think part of art is about expression, so if we start censoring ourselves, then we shut down the very core of our creativity, which is, I think, where we can discover truth and answers,” she said.
Park, who is chairing this year’s Cannes jury, then offered an extended defense of political filmmaking in response to a similar question, which quickly became the dominant theme of Cannes’ first press conference.
“I don’t think politics and art should be divided,” the South Korean auteur said. “I think it’s a strange concept to think they’re in conflict with each other. Just because a work of art has a political statement, it should not be considered an enemy of art. At the same time, just because a film is not making a political statement, that film should not be ignored.”
But Park also noted that the most “brilliant political statement” can easily devolve into “propaganda” if it’s “not expressed artfully enough.”
Park later added: “I am prepared to watch films with the pure eyes of an audience member, without any prejudice or stereotype, just excitement to watch films that will surprise me.”
The remarks came three months after this year’s politically embattled 76th Berlin International Film Festival, where jury president Wim Wenders told reporters during the opening press conference that filmmakers “have to stay out of politics because if we make movies that are dedicatedly political, we enter the field of politics.” The comments drew immediate online backlash and helped set off one of the most acrimonious editions in the German festival’s recent history. The fallout included an open letter signed by more than 80 industry figures — among them Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton — criticizing the Berlinale for what they called its “silence” over the war in Gaza and Germany’s culture ministry convening a meeting on the festival’s future direction.
This year’s nine-member Cannes jury is characteristically stacked with filmworld talent. Park is joined by Moore; Oscar winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, Hamnet); Swedish veteran Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value); French actor Isaach De Bankolé (Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai); Irish-Ethiopian actress Ruth Negga (Loving); Belgian filmmaker Laura Wandel (Adam’s Sake); Chilean director Diego Céspedes (The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo); and Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty, the longtime collaborator of Ken Loach.
Later in the press conference, Moore was asked about the rise of artificial intelligence in filmmaking and took a more measured stance. “AI is here, and so to fight it is to, in a sense, fight something that is a battle that we will lose. So to find ways in which we can work with it, I think, is a more valuable path,” she said. “Are we doing enough to protect ourselves? I don’t know. My inclination would be to say probably not.” Even so, Moore said the technology has its limits. “There are beautiful aspects of being able to utilize it, but the truth is, there really isn’t anything to fear, because what it can never replace is what true art comes from, which is not the physical. It comes from the soul. It comes from the spirit of each and every one of us sitting here.”
Laverty was by far the most outspoken among the Cannes jurors on the festival’s opening day, offering a sharper critique of the industry’s embrace of AI. The Scottish screenwriter argued that the industry and society at large should be deeply skeptical of the companies and tech billionaires who own and control the world’s most popular AI services, “because they decide on the algorithms that affect our lives in the deepest way.”
“And what seems to me to be absolutely incredible,” he went on, “is that they assume the rest of the world will follow and swallow it, no matter what the consequences are. Look at the whole crisis now in data [centers] — affecting sustainability, water and populations. I think people are beginning to realize that we should not let these tech bros — billionaires who are, mostly, right-wing libertarians — dictate how we live our lives.”
He went on: “What’s the effect on workers — beyond artists, ordinary workers — in our society and for our children? So we have to examine who owns it, and we must demand, I think, that it’s made transparent and more democratic. It’s far too important to leave it to these guys.”
Laverty also shared his view on the value of cultural events like Cannes in a world increasingly riven by war and conflict. “When you see so much systematic violence — genocide in Gaza and all these terrible disputes — the idea of coming to a festival, which is a celebration, you know, of diversity, imagination, tenderness, nuance, beauty and inspiration — it knocks me out, to be honest,” he said, adding: “I can’t wait to begin the adventure with these wonderful characters beside me.”
Park’s jury will hand out the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 features in this year’s competition at the festival’s closing ceremony on Saturday, May 23. The 79th edition of Cannes opens Tuesday evening with the world premiere of Pierre Salvadori’s Roaring Twenties rom-com La Vénus électrique.
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movies
‘Icebreaker’ TV Show Adaptation News & Updates: Everything We Know
Another hockey book adaptation has entered the chat.
Netflix is currently building out its cast for the series adaptation of Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker book that kicks off the Maple Hill series. This in addition to their show The Sticks that is also currently in the works.
For everything we know about Netflix’s Icebreaker book adaptation so far, read on.
When will Netflix’s Icebreaker series adaptation come out?
A release date has not yet been set. The show has begun to assemble its cast.
Who will lead the Icebreaker show at Netflix?
Daisy Jelley (Poser, How To Have Sex) will portray Anastasia “Stassie” Allen, and Connor Simos (Subversion) will portray Nate Hawkins in the college hockey drama series.
Who else is in the cast of Netflix’s Icebreaker adaptation?
Gabriel Tierney (Rivals, Enola Holmes 2), Auliʻi Cravalho (Moana), newcomer and professional athlete Peter Berry, Chaneil Kular (Best of the Best, Sex Education), Devin Craig (Sex Lives of College Girls, Maize) and Aidan Shaw (We Were Liars, Heated Rivalry, Finding Her Edge) have joined the ensemble cast.
Tierney will play Aaron; Cravalho will portray Lola; Berry is Robbie; Kular will play JJ; Craig will portray Henry and Shaw is Russ.
What is Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker book about?
Stassie is a transfer athlete gunning for Olympic gold. Nate is the campus star chasing the NHL. When an accident forces their teams to share one rink, Anastasia Allen and Nate Hawkins collide—and discipline gives way to obsession, because the only thing more dangerous than wanting to win is wanting each other.
Who else is behind Netflix’s Icebreaker series?
Jade Halley Bartlett (Road House, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Miller’s Girl) created and executive produced the series. Amanda Lasher (Gossip Girl, The Bold Type, Togetherness) serves as showrunner, writer and excutive producer. Grace also executive produces along with Alex Cooper, Matt Kaplan and Mina Lefevre for Cooper’s Unwell Productions.
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movies
Cindy Holland Leaving Paramount Ahead Of WBD Merger
One of the biggest executive questions about Paramount following its pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery — who will lead streaming — may have been answered.
Cindy Holland is leaving Paramount where she was Chairman of Direct-To-Consumer since the Skydance-Paramount merger having served as an advisor to Skydance CEO David Ellison prior to that. She announced her departure in a company memo, which you can read below.
The move leaves HBO’s Casey Bloys as the likely streaming head of the combined Paramount-WBD.
“Cindy is one of the most exceptional executives in our industry — a force of nature whose impact on Paramount over the past year has been significant,” Paramount CEO David Ellison said. “Under her leadership, P+ reached new heights, Pluto TV underwent its most significant transformation in a decade, and we strengthened our content and sports portfolio – all while the business exceeded the ambitious goals we set. Just as importantly, she built an exceptional team and a strong foundation for the future. Cindy has been a trusted partner to me and so many others, and I couldn’t be more grateful for her leadership, her relentless drive and everything she’s done for our company.”
Here is Holland’s memo:
When I joined David’s team in January 2025, we proceeded to set three goals: i) advise on the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition, ii) integrate and transform Paramount+ & revive Pluto TV, and iii) build an unparalleled team in this industry. In just over 12 months, I’m proud to say we accomplished all three and it’s been a joy to work closely with all of you.
Together with the Product team, we drove significant strategic and organizational change across DTC — building a new foundation for growth on both services, while investing in greater depth and breadth of programming and delivering strong revenue, profit, and subscriber growth for the division.
As David readies for the next phase of his vision, we’ve discussed my role and the future of the combined businesses. David is optimizing for HBO stability as we move into this next chapter, and I fully support that. I know this team has the leadership and expertise to manage through the transition and the next phase of the company, and to this end today will mark my last day here.
As I reflect on my time here and all that we’ve built together in this short time, what stands out most to me is this team. I have never been more proud of a group of people. What we’ve accomplished together is remarkable — landing quarter after quarter while navigating extraordinary uncertainty and change with resilience, focus and ambition. We grew Paramount+ to an all-time subscriber high, delivered the best retention in the service’s history, and drove double-digit growth in both engagement and revenue. We built an extraordinary content pipeline, greenlighting more than 40 new and returning series and setting all-time records with Landman, the most-watched series in Paramount+ history, and Dutton Ranch, the service’s biggest original series debut ever. We transformed live sports into a powerful streaming growth engine, securing landmark agreements with UFC and Zuffa Boxing and expanding our WNBA and UEFA Champions League rights – with UFC Freedom 250 becoming the largest-ever audience for an exclusive live event on Paramount+ and UFC 329 setting a new platform record for peak concurrent streams for an exclusive live event. And we undertook Pluto TV’s biggest product transformation in a decade, dramatically increasing registered viewing and VOD consumption while delivering strong financial performance across the business. These are extraordinary accomplishments – but what makes me proudest is how we achieved them: together, with an unwavering commitment to our audiences, our creative partners and one another.
I joined Paramount because I believe in these businesses, and because I believe wholeheartedly that the combination of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery serves the best interests of artists and audiences worldwide. I’m looking forward to seeing what you all accomplish together in this next, momentous chapter.
Cindy
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movies
New ‘South Park’ Takes On Data Centers And The Billionaires Who Build Them
While President Trump was holding a press conference at the White House this morning and extolling the AI-related work of Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and SpaceX’s Elon Musk, a promo for tomorrow night’s South Park episode dropped. It was less salutary.
Here’s the logline for Episode 6 of Season 29: “Butters is unhappy with the data centers that the billionaires are building in our backyards.”
The clip opens with an X-Pest exterminator guy ringing the doorbell at Butters’ home.
“I understand you’ve got some billionaires in your back yard,” he says.
“Yeah, there’s more of these stupid billionaires every day!” replies Butters.
The first image from the episode (see it above) shows Butters in what appears to be his back yard with the X-Pest exterminator guy, who has strapped on his tank of poison and has his sprayer wand at the ready.
The topic of data centers is a hot one across the country and especially in Hollywood, where unions and workers worry about job displacement and writers and directors express concern over what it might do to their art.
Among the biggest players in the data center land rush is, of course, Oracle CEO and Paramount-WBD deal financier Larry Ellison. South Park airs on Comedy Central, which is owned by Paramount. As in the past, the show’s creators are seemingly not afraid to bite the hand that feeds them.
Mark Ruffalo and others have decried the introduction of “really profoundly scary technology” into Hollywood and how AI might impact media outlets soon to be owned by Ellison and his son David.
“Larry is a classic Oligarch,” wrote Ruffalo. “They are crushing workers and consolidating the wealth of the world for their own power and concentrated dominance.”
Paramount, for its part, responded by accusing Ruffalo of using “antisemitic tropes” in his argument, especially when linking the Ellisons’ studio acquisition to Oracle’s work with the Israeli military.
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