Entertainment

Willem Dafoe and Jesse Plemons say working with filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos is akin to being in a cult — a fitting comparison while the two actors are promoting the darkly comic “Kinds of Kindness.” Dafoe and Plemons spoke with AP entertainment journalist Krysta Fauria about what sets Lanthimos apart from other directors and how they think about a movie’s mass appeal.

Rosario Dawson and Hayden Christensen first worked together on the 2003 journalism scandal film “Shattered Glass.” They’re back together on-screen in the “Star Wars” series “Ahsoka” as Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker, a character pairing first seen in the 2008 animated film “The Clone Wars.” The two actors sat down with AP entertainment journalist Leslie Ambriz to talk about their bond, the power of the “Star Wars” fandom — and their future in that galaxy far, far away.

Amy Poehler plays Joy and Maya Hawke is Anxiety in “Inside Out 2.” The two sat down with AP entertainment reporter Krysta Fauria to talk about why “people and process” is as important as the resulting project in Hollywood, mental health, parenthood, and why Hawke would “rather have my eyes gouged out” than return to eighth grade.

Austin Butler and Jodie Comer star in “The Bikeriders,” about a 1960s motorcycle gang in Chicago. They spoke with AP entertainment journalist Leslie Ambriz about immersing themselves in motorcycle culture, the difficulty of filming while on the road, and how the movie explores changing gender roles. Jeff Nichols’ film hits theaters June 21.

Dakota Fanning found common ground with her character and first-time director Ishana Night Shyamalan while making the horror film “The Watchers.” The 30-year-old star spoke with AP entertainment journalist Krysta Fauria about why she is interested in “unlikeable” female characters, finding her creative voice and the importance of trusting directors.

Cyndi Lauper was joined by Cher and Bebe Rexha as she placed her handprints in cement outside Hollywood’s famed TCL Chinese Theatre. The 70-year-old performer is the subject of a new documentary, “Let the Canary Sing,” and is launching her final tour later this year. She spoke with AP entertainment journalist Rick Taber after the handprint ceremony about persistence, experimenting with technology — and embracing opportunities: “Sometimes you get a little sprinkle of fairy dust on you and it’s magic.”

Jennifer Lopez stars alongside Sterling K. Brown and Simu Liu in the Netflix sci-fi movie “Atlas,” which she also produced. The three sat down with AP entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton to talk about Lopez’s “action mom” roles, trust in Hollywood and artificial intelligence, a key part of the film.

Vicky Krieps says her character in “The Dead Don’t Hurt” is “closest to my own suffering.” Krieps stars alongside Viggo Mortensen in the Western that he also wrote, directed, produced and even scored. The actors spoke with AP entertainment journalist Ryan Pearson about Krieps’ connection to her frontierswoman character, Mortensen’s future in “The Lord of the Rings” — and the importance of securing “final cut.”

“Hit Man” stars Glen Powell and Adria Arjona downed tequila to break their Dry January pledges together the first time they met. “Life is not about following rules. It’s about who you break the rules with,” says Powell, who also co-wrote the romantic (dark) comedy with director Richard Linklater. Powell and Arjona spoke with AP entertainment journalist Ryan Pearson about how they connected off-screen, Linklater’s thorough preparation — and the high-wire cell phone scene that had audiences at festivals applauding mid-screening. “Hit Man” is now in theaters and hits Netflix June 7.

Anitta says she’s no longer worried about the likes or the followers. As the pop star launches her Baile Funk Experience tour, she says her focus is on making music that stays true to her roots and bringing Brazil to the rest of the world. AP entertainment journalist Leslie Ambriz sat down with the 31-year-old performer in Los Angeles to talk about her love of film, personal growth — and controversy over her “Aceita” music video, which shows rituals from her Afro-Brazilian faith Candomblé.

When Jon Bon Jovi agreed to let director Gotham Chopra follow him with a camera for a documentary about the history of his band, Bon Jovi, he didn’t anticipate it would catch him at a major low point in his career. One of his vocal cords was atrophying, and he needed surgery to get his voice back. Now, the four-part docuseries “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” is streaming on Hulu, he’s performing again and the band’s next album, “Forever,” will be released June 7. He spoke with AP entertainment journalist Alicia Rancilio about his voice, his famous hair, the music industry — and his work ethic.

Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos are back together again. Their last collaboration “Poor Things” culminated in four Academy Awards, including best actress for Stone. Just two months later, they’ve premiered “Kinds of Kindness” at the Cannes Film Festival. It marks their third feature together, with a fourth, “Bugonia,” set to begin production soon. The 35-year-old star from Arizona and 50-year-old arthouse filmmaker from Athens sat down with AP film writer Jake Coyle to talk about their partnership, savoring the absurd — and welcoming Jesse Plemons to their tight-knit troupe.

Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón star in Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez.” The three stars say “emotions were raw” and they were crying at the Cannes Film Festival premiere of the Mexico City-set drug cartel musical. They spoke with The Associated Press about the film’s physical demands, trans representation — and Gomez’s challenge of acting in Spanish.

Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley star in Coralie Fargeat’s body horror film “The Substance,” which has drawn early buzz after its Cannes Film Festival premiere. The two actors sat down with The Associated Press to talk about showing vulnerability while filming, Hollywood’s “wake up” to older audiences — and the film’s message of “accepting yourself as you are.”

A month before Kevin Costner puts the first installment of his multi-chapter Western “Horizon: An American Saga” into theaters, the actor-director came to the Cannes Film Festival to unveil his self-financed passion project. The first film in the planned four-part series hits theaters June 28. It’s only the fourth time the 69-year-old Costner has directed — and it’s his biggest gamble ever. To raise the money for the $100 million-plus production, he mortgaged his seaside Santa Barbara, California, estate. He sat down with AP film writer Jake Coyle to talk about the three-decade journey of creating “Horizon,” why he risked his own money, and what being at Cannes means to him.

The hit Netflix costume drama “Bridgerton” returns for its third season, this time focusing on the love story between Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington, played by Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan. The two actors spoke with AP entertainment journalist Martina Inchingolo about watching rom-coms, the pressures of living up to Julia Quinn’s novel, “Romancing Mister Bridgerton,” and bringing key moments from the book to life — including that carriage scene.

Four years after purchasing Wales’ Wrexham A.F.C., Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney seem to have no regrets about their investment — despite the high costs of ownership. The experience has been captured in the FX docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham, now airing its third season. The actors spoke with The Associated Press about separating their inner fan with public-facing jobs as chairmen and how late-season episodes will be released closer to real-time.

George Miller is returning to the Cannes Film Festival with “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.” The 79-year-old filmmaker sat down with AP film writer Jake Coyle to talk about how environmental concerns factor into his depiction of the dystopian Wasteland setting for the “Mad Max” movies, feeling “addicted” to the festival — which he likens to “film camp” — and how his time in medical school shaped his career in Hollywood.

John Krasinski’s hit thriller “A Quiet Place” was a love letter to his daughters about the lengths parents go to protect their children. His new film “IF” acts as a tribute to their imaginations. Krasinski wrote, directed, produced and acts in the film, which hits theatres on the U.S. on May 17. He spoke with AP entertainment journalist Alicia Rancilio about his surprise at how much his daughters have influenced his creative process, keeping tablets and cell phones out of the family film, and working with Louis Gossett Jr. in one of the esteemed actor’s final roles.

Anya Taylor-Joy says she wanted to be tested “in every way, shape or form” during the physically arduous filming of George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.” The 28-year-old star plays the titular rebellious character originated by Charlize Theron in 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road.” She sat down with AP film writer Jake Coyle to talk about the many challenges of the Wasteland, trying to shock Miller with her ideas, bonding with a war rig — and bringing the dystopian action movie to the Cannes Film Festival. “Furiosa” rolls into theatres on May 24.

When Jessica Pratt released her self-titled debut album, which she boasts had virtually no post-production, the singer-songwriter was critically praised for her austere guitar and hypnotic voice. The 2011 album’s imperfections were a feature rather than a drawback. It should come as no surprise then that the indie musician is proceeding with caution as she embraces a more complex and refined sound on her fourth album, “Here in the Pitch.” Pratt spoke with AP entertainment reporter Krysta Fauria about the challenges of adding instrumentation, her process for coming up with an album and channeling 1960s pop music.

The second season of the NBC sitcom “Lopez vs. Lopez,” starring George Lopez and his real-life daughter Mayan, mines comedy from subjects including sobriety, cultural identity and Latinx family dynamics. Mayan Lopez and Selenis Leyva, who plays her mother, sat down with AP entertainment reporter Leslie Ambriz before the season finale to talk about Latinx representation, exploring generational trauma through comedy and working with Jaime Camil.

Dua Lipa is releasing her third album, “Radical Optimism,” on Friday. The Grammy-winning pop superstar says its creation was informed by what she’s learned from touring the world over the last few years — drawing influence from trip-hop and Britpop and including newfound interest in live instrumentation. She sat down with AP music writer Maria Sherman to talk about crafting psychedelic electro-pop with Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, her Service95 newsletter, “baby roles” in movies — and creating a “safe space” with dance music.

Kiefer Sutherland starred in William Friedkin’s final film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” and joined the movie Clint Eastwood says will be his last as a director, “Juror No. 2.” The 57-year-old actor says both men were deeply significant to him. As the summer Emmy Awards campaign season heats up, Sutherland spoke with AP entertainment editor Ryan Pearson about aging in Hollywood, whether he’ll direct again, and Guillermo del Toro’s backup role on “Caine Mutiny,” now streaming on Paramount+.

Kristen Stewart knows that not everyone should make movies. She also knows that Rose Glass should. The 34-year-old English director and screenwriter’s second feature, “Love Lies Bleeding,” is now available to stream at home. Stewart stars alongside Katy O’Brian in what Glass calls a “fun and sweaty and violent” thriller. Glass, Stewart and O’Brian spoke to AP film writer Lindsey Bahr about the twist on the idea of “strong female characters,” their aversion to a certain overused shorthand — and “Showgirls.”

With the release of his latest EP “Crooked Boy,” Ringo Starr says he’s enjoying the freedom that comes with making music later in life. While he typically co-writes his new tunes, this time around songwriter Linda Perry took the reins on all four songs. Starr sat down with AP entertainment journalist Krysta Fauria to talk about bringing levity to his latest songs, touring, drumming with a right-handed kit as a lefty — and how he teaches drumming to newbies.

Richard Gadd says it was challenging to relive past trauma while making the Netflix series “Baby Reindeer.” He created and stars in the series based on his Edinburgh Fringe one-man show, a dark comedy/thriller/romance based on the comedian’s real-life relationship with a stalker. He spoke with AP entertainment reporter Hilary Fox about bringing his story to a wider audience, his co-star Jessica Gunning and his “fear of making disingenuous art.”

Zendaya says starting out as a child actor made her want to get more involved behind the camera as an adult. Promoting her new film “Challengers” alongside co-stars Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, the 27-year-old actor and producer said she enjoys being able to have “a seat at the table” when it comes to making creative decisions. She spoke with AP entertainment reporter Krysta Fauria about working with director Luca Guadagnino, whether she wants to direct in the future and her “beautiful journey” in Hollywood.

Phish is performing four unique shows inside the $2.3 billion Sphere in Las Vegas, becoming the first band to perform at the glitzy concert venue since U2 ended a 40-show residency in March. The band’s co-founder Trey Anastasio promises no repeated songs and new visuals each night — plus a theme for fans to figure out. He sat down with the AP’s Josh Cornfield to talk about how how the shows came together, pushing forward creatively — and what’s next for the group.

Dev Patel wrote, directed and stars in “Monkey Man,” a revenge thriller that delivers visceral fights and gunplay while grappling with some heady themes: “religion and faith and politics and identity and trauma,” Patel says. Producer Jordan Peele championed the film behind the scenes, moving it from a streaming release on Netflix to a theatrical release by Universal Pictures on April 5. The 33-year-old Patel sat down with AP entertainment reporter Leslie Ambriz to reflect on how he worked social commentary into his action film, early acclaim at the SXSW festival — and what his mother thought of his move into directing.