Gong Li and Jane Fonda during opening ceremony.
(Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
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Cannes Opens With Peter Jackson Palme, ‘La Vénus électrique’ Premiere
Peter Jackson says he’s not really a “Palme kinda guy” but the Cannes Film Festival made him one anyway as the beloved filmmaker received an honorary Palme d’Or Tuesday night as the 2026 Cannes Film Festival officially got underway inside the Palais’ Grand Lumiére Theatre.
Jackson received the coveted trophy from Elijah Wood, who famously played Frodo Baggins in Jackson’s blockbuster Lord of the Rings series. Wood talked about getting the call he was cast in Jackson’s movies, remembering, “I sat down on the floor of my bedroom and knew my life had been divided into before and after.”
“Peter grew up […] in a country that back then barely had a film industry at all,” continued Wood, beaming at attendees. “But in true Pete fashion, that was not about to hold him back… When I was just 18 years old, The Lord of the Rings was not just the beginning of Frodo’s journey, but the beginning of my own. So Pete, I truly have. no words to thank you for that.”
The filmmaker, from New Zealand, came to the market with his first-ever feature Bad Taste in 1987. In 2001, he also screened a preview sequence from The Lord of the Rings, the first of a trilogy that would go on to nab the Kiwi 17 Oscars.
After a standing ovation and celebratory hug from Wood, Jackson talked about making Bad Taste on weekends over four years while working as a photo engraver in New Zealand. “If the film hadn’t sold well at the marketplace here, I would have gone back to New Zealand to my photo engraver job. Fortunately, it sold really well. It started my career.”
Jackson then talked about bringing Lord of the Rings footage to the festival when the franchise was under a lot of scrutiny in the press because the films’ studio, Warner Bros., was up for sale. “What goes around comes around,” joked Jackson to laughs from the crowd, referencing the ongoing sale of Warner Bros to Paramount Skydance owner David Ellison.
“We brought 20 minutes here in 2001 and did some press in a castle up in the hills,” remembered Jackson. “That gamble changed the perception of the film. By the time [Fellowship of the Ring] came out in December, there was an anticipation that wouldn’t have happened unless it was for Cannes.”
After Jackson closed his speech, he was greeted by another lengthy standing ovation. Gala ceremony host Eye Haïdara asked the filmmaker to stay at center stage for a special surprise. After a brief clip of Jackson’s Beatles documentary flashed on the big screen, French-Congolese singer and rapper Theodora and French singer-songwriter Oklou walked into the lights to perform “Get Back,” a rendition so rousing that it had Jackson bopping his head, clapping his hands and singing along to the lyrics (as was jury member Moore).
Jane Fonda and Gong Li then teamed up to officially declare the opening of the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, an honor typically handled by a solo presenter but this year a duo. “Jane comes from the West,” Gong stated. “And I come from the East. Tonight we stand together here. This is the magic of the Cannes Film Festival.”
She added, “Cinema goes beyond the languages, cultures and the generations. It speaks to what we all share — human emotions. Cinema allows us to meet and to connect. This is the power of the movies.”
Fonda then took the spotlight and nodded to the fractured political and social landscape. “I believe in the power of voices,” she said. “Voices on the screen, voices off the screen, and definitely voices in the street — especially now. Cinema has always been an act of resistance because we tell the stories and stories are what make a civilization, stories that bring empathy to the marginalized, stories that allow us to feel across differences.”
Fonda then put an exclamation point on the sentiment by stating, “Let’s celebrate audacity, freedom and the fierce act of creation.”
After a brief intermission, the celebration continued with the world premiere of Pierre Salvadori’s La Vénus électrique to help kick off the proceedings of the prestigious film festival, which this year has seemingly spooked Hollywood entirely. Naturally, The Hollywood Reporter took a deep dive into the social media pile-ons, eye-watering costs and string of high-profile misfires that have put major studios off a trip to the Palais.
Salvadori and the cast of La Vénus électrique took to the iconic steps before a screening. Set in 1920s Paris, it follows a young painter in vogue, Antoine Balestro, played by Pio Marmaï. He has been unable to paint since his wife died, much to the despair of his gallery owner, Armand. But one drunken evening, Antoine tries to contact his wife through a psychic, and unbeknownst to him, is actually speaking with Suzanne, a humble carnival worker. Soon, aided by Armand, she stages one fake séance after another.
Outside the building, fans flanked the red carpet, keen to catch a glimpse of Jackson, Salvadori and the La Vénus électrique cast, and a star-spangled competition jury that boasts Park Chan-wook, Demi Moore, Chloé Zhao, Stellan Skarsgård, Laura Wandel, Diego Céspedes, Isaach De Bankolé and Paul Laverty.
The inclusion of Hollywood names like Moore, Zhao and Skarsgard is bolstered only by the likes of Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller for James Gray’s Paper Tiger, Rami Malek for Ira Sachs’ The Man I Love, as well as Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve for Fjord. At least in the competition selection, anyway.
At the opening ceremony, President Park took to the stage for his speech and acknowledged the number of creatives employed by the films showing at Cannes, saying, “There are only 22 films but the number who worked on them are in the thousands. If we consider [their] families, it might even reach the ten thousands.”
He added of the jury: “I asked Paul if he fought a lot with Ken Loach when they worked together. He said ‘We argued a lot, but we didn’t fight.’ Our jurors will do the same.” He implored those in the audience to do the same — not fight with each other, but argue.
Other industry figures on hand at the opening night ceremony were Palme winner Bong Joon Ho, Diego Luna, Louis Garrel, Joan Collins, Heidi Klum and reality TV star Maura Higgins.
Over 40,000 film professionals from 140 countries have descended on the Côte d’Azur town to witness some of the brightest talent international cinema has to offer in action. THR‘s chief film critic David Rooney weighed in on his 10 must-see movies from the 2026 festival, such as the Sandra Hüller-starring Fatherland and Asghar Farhadi’s Parallel Tales, here.
The 79th annual Cannes Film Festival will run May 13-26.
Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, Gong Li, Jane Fonda, jury president Park Chan-wook, Demi Moore, gala host Eye Haidara, Isaach de Bankolé, Ruth Negga, Chloé Zhao, Laura Wandel and Stellan Skarsgård on stage during the opening ceremony.
Photo by Aurore Marechal/Getty Images)
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SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from Tuesday night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars.
It’s another exciting night in the ballroom as 13 contestants are still eyeing the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy during Week 3 of Dancing with the Stars.
Last week, the judges reinforced just how tough they are going to be this season, once again declining to score anyone above a 7. Still, three couples — Jenna and Val, Ezra and Daniella, and Amber and Pasha — walked away tied for the top of the leaderboard with 21 points. We also said goodbye to Alan Bersten and chef Giada De Laurentiis.
Week 3 is Yacht Rock night, so the remaining couples are performing to hits from artists including Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers, and Luther Vandross.
Here is how the night went.
Olympian Amber Glenn with Pasha Pashkov danced a Foxtrot to “Hold the Line” by Toto. SCORE: 24
Actress Julia Stiles with Ezra Sosa danced a salsa to “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” by Daryl Hall & John Oates. SCORE: 19
Late-night sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez with Whitney Carson danced a Foxtrot to “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes. SCORE: 15
Actress Tatyana Ali with Jan Ravnik performed a Quickstep to “Maneater” by Daryl Hall & John Oates. SCORE: 21
Actor Harry Shum Jr. with Jenna Johnson performed a jive to “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Daryl Hall & John Oates. SCORE: 24
Musician Taylor Hanson with Britt Stewart danced a Foxtrot to “What a Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers. SCORE: 18
Reality star Maura Higgins with Mark Ballas danced a Quickstep to “Turn Your Love Around” by George Benson. SCORE: 22
Reality star Ciara Miller with Brandon Armstrong performed a Cha Cha to “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross. SCORE: 18
Savannah Bananas midfielder Jackson Olson with Emma Slater performed a paso doble to “Easy Lover” by Philip Bailey and Phil Collins. SCORE: 18
Comedian and podcaster Connor Wood with Rylee Arnold danced a Foxtrot to “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac. SCORE: 20
Actress Jenna Dewan with Val Chmerkovskiy danced a samba to “Africa” by Toto. SCORE: 21
Reality star Tyler Cameron with Sharna Burgess danced a jive to “Still the One” by Orleans. SCORE: 17
Paralympian Ezra Frech with Daniella Karagach danced a Foxtrot to “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. featuring Bill Withers. SCORE: 21
Who goes home?
The competition is now down to 12 as Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart were sent home. Next week is all about Mariah Carey, so the couples will perform a variety of the pop superstar’s biggest hits.
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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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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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