Pop Culture
‘Michael’ Crosses $1 Billion, First Biopic to Surpass Coveted Box Office Milestone
The Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" surpassing $1 billion globally underscores the enduring strength of theatrical releases and the commercial viability of biopics.
Behind the ‘Supergirl’ Bomb: Competing Cuts, Creative Differences (Exclusive)
Usually, test scores go up, up, and away. But this March, the scores for Supergirl actually went down when DC Studios held a bakeoff, testing competing cuts from filmmaker Craig Gillespie and from the studio, run by James Gunn and Peter Safran. It was a moment of extreme disappointment for
When the Side Character Gets the Show: Stuart Bloom's Multiverse Moment
The Big Bang Theory ran for twelve seasons on CBS between 2007 and 2019, becoming the highest-rated American sitcom of that decade. It has since spawned Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, both centered on the Cooper family. Now, the fourth entry in the franchise
South Korean Drama "Agent Kim Reactivated" Debuts Industry's First All-AI Sequence
SBS's Friday-Saturday drama "Agent Kim Reactivated" is on an unstoppable ratings tear. After just four episodes, its nationwide rating has already topped 21.6%, and it has climbed to No. 1 on Netflix's global non-English TV chart. Lead actor So Ji-sub&
LEGO's F1 Takeover: How a Toy Company Became the Coolest Brand in Motorsport
Two hours before the British Grand Prix got underway at Silverstone on July 5, twenty-two of the world's highest-paid professional racing drivers took to the track in miniature go-karts built entirely from LEGO bricks -- How LEGO Got Into F1, and Why.
Jon Erwin Isn’t Hiding from AI: The‘Young Washington’Director on How AI Can Save Jobs and Bolster Collaboration
A controversy was brewing around“Young Washington.”Twitter users were sharing screenshots of the credits, which confirmed that the Jon Erwin-directed film included visual effects that utilized artificial intelligence. Others offered up freeze frames of shots they suspected were artificially generated. Then came the exclusive report in Variety:“Young
Homer Goes Blockbuster: What Nolan's Odyssey Means for the Classics
When UC Berkeley launched a seven-session online book club around Homer's Odyssey ahead of Christopher Nolan's film adaptation, organizers expected a modest turnout. Instead, more than 1,300 people from around the world signed up — most of them with no background in classical studies. In
The Streaming Crown Is Up for Grabs — and Bad Bunny Is the One to Beat
On Polymarket, a contract predicting Spotify's most-streamed global artist of 2026 has drawn $1.38 million in trading volume. The current odds paint a picture that would have seemed unlikely just a few years ago: Bad Bunny leads at 77%, Drake sits at 8.9%, Taylor Swift
With Confessions II, Madonna dances in the middle of the road
“The dancefloor is not just a place,” Madonna intones in a breathy voiceover near the start of One Step Away, a new track that strongly recalls her 2000s electronic heyday. “It’s a threshold. / A ritualistic space where movement replaces language.” Good for the Soul doubles down on the message,
Widow's Bay: Can a Cursed Island Crash the Emmy Party?
Widow's Bay premiered on Apple TV+ on April 29 to a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes — a score that has since settled at 97% as more reviews came in. The show has earned five TCA Award nominations, been renewed for a second season, and remained one of Apple
Spotify Verifies Streaming Manipulation After Malcolm Todd’s Suspicious Numbers
A Kalshi-Spotify incident shows how settlement based on the first print can reward temporary manipulation.
Books Are the New Bag: Fashion's Literary Moment Has Only Just Begun
In February 2026, during New York Fashion Week, Elle Fanning sat in the front row of Coach's runway show with a Tabby bag on her lap and a miniature leather-bound edition of Sense and Sensibility dangling from its handle. The image ran on the cover of Vogue,
