PARIS, May 28 — Originating as a creepy shared story told online by ordinary internet users, the “Backrooms” universe erupts into American cinemas tomorrow with a film directed by star YouTuber Kane Parsons.

The work depicts a group of characters who find themselves trapped in a warren of bizarrely laid-out rooms resembling empty offices, illuminated by a pallid yellow light.

Distributed by American production company A24 — behind multiple horror hits, including 2019’s “Midsommar” — “Backrooms” mines the unease generated among users of image board 4chan by a strange photo someone posted in 2019.

“I would have been 13 at the time. I do not recall the first time I saw it exactly, because it was very prevalent as a meme,” Parsons told AFP.

He watched as posters’ imagination developed the image into a “vaguely nostalgic and vaguely dreamlike but also very tangible science-fiction concept”.

The original image was accompanied by a short piece of anonymous text, warning readers against stumbling into its disturbing parallel world.

It quickly became a so-called “creepypasta” — a short horror story reposted and modified around the web, to which other users added details such as monsters and undiscovered dimensions.

“This project is obviously bigger than me,” feeding on the input of countless other online posters, Parsons acknowledged.

Viral phenomenon

It was only in 2024 that online sleuths tracked down the original photo to a 2002 renovation of a furniture store in Wisconsin.

Before that, in 2022, Parsons shared a short film to his YouTube channel that he had made with the 3D software Blender.

It depicted a young boy wandering lost through the Backrooms’ terrifying corridors.

Within two weeks, the video had racked up 20 million views.

“I started getting emails from a whole bunch of different companies,” Parsons remembers.

“I was 16... it was all very new and I was very sceptical of what it could mean to try and adapt this or to be engaging with suits” from Hollywood, he added — especially on “something that I cared so personally about”.

Parsons finally reached a deal with two production companies and A24, with filming taking place in summer 2025.

British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor plays the protagonist in what became Parsons’ first full-length director’s credit.

“There was no version of this where I wasn’t the one directing that I would personally be open to,” he said. “I’ve always been very stingy about that.”

On his YouTube channel, Kane Pixels, Parsons today has more than three million subscribers, with more than 215 million views for the 20 or so videos related to “Backrooms” alone.

Extended universe

The film is “in direct continuity with the YouTube series”, Parsons said.

It alternates between “found footage” segments filmed in first person that resemble his web show, and more classic filmic shots.

“It’s going to be weird seeing how much (‘Backrooms’) has dropped into the mainstream... Formerly this has been semi-niche,” he mused.

Parsons’ work is not the only internet-spawned universe to hit cinemas this year.

YouTuber Mark Fischbach, whose channel Markiplier boasts 38 million subscribers, released the horror movie “Iron Lung” in January.

The film was adapted from a video game he helped popularise with online clips.

And in 2018, another “creepypasta” about the gangly, besuited monster “Slender Man” was turned into a feature film that raked in US$50 million worldwide.

As for Parsons, “‘Backrooms’ is not done”, he said.

“I wouldn’t rule out film. I wouldn’t rule out even television series. That would be my personal hope.”

He has meanwhile launched another series on YouTube, “The Oldest View”, which follows the exploration of an abandoned subterranean shopping mall. — Reuters

WIENER NEUSTADT, May 28 — An Austrian court was to sentence today a 21-year-old who has pleaded guilty to plotting a foiled attack on a Taylor Swift concert.

The three Vienna dates in the US megastar’s record-breaking “Eras” tour were cancelled in the summer of 2024 after authorities warned of the Islamic State plot.

Accused of planning the attack and forming a cell of the Islamic State group, Beran A. went on trial last month on terror offences and other charges in a court in Wiener Neustadt, outside Vienna.

The Austrian — who was arrested the day before the cancelled concert and has been detained since — has pleaded guilty to all charges except being an accomplice to attempted murder.

Beran A. and co-defendant Arda K. were led into court on the final day of hearings by masked police personnel. The two men mostly sat with their heads bent down, looking at the floor in front of them.

Two psychological experts testified they saw no signs of “serious psychological illness” with Beran A.

The jury is expected to deliver its verdict late yesterday after the closing arguments, according to Beran A.’s lawyer Anna Mair.

Beran A. faces up to 20 years in prison.

A defendant in handcuffs hides his face behind a folder as he is escorted to the courtroom by justice officers as the verdict in a trial over a plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna is awaited at a court in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, on May 28, 2026. — AFP pic

If he is acquitted of being an accomplice to attempted murder, he faces up to 10 years in prison, an “immense difference”, Mair told AFP.

Beran A. and Arda K. are accused, together with a third Austrian, Hasan E., imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, of forming a “highly dangerous IS terror cell” planning to carry out several attacks in the name of IS, prosecutors say.

Bomb-making instructions

In his testimony last month, Beran A. said he had become convinced that he “had to wage jihad”, but was “afraid to die”.

He told the court he picked the packed Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna during Swift’s concert as a target.

He detailed how he got instructions and tried but failed to make a bomb. He also sought advice on what weapons to choose in several chat groups and from a high-ranking IS member.

Beran A. is accused of having been a member of a terror organisation from 2023, prosecutors said.

By sharing IS propaganda through messaging services and other offences, he participated and “openly aligned himself” with IS, they added.

He is also alleged to have been involved in other attack plans abroad, including encouraging Hasan E. to stab a security official in Mecca in 2024.

Hasan E. allegedly stabbed the official and injured four others before he was overpowered and detained. Beran A. has denied the accusation he encouraged the attack.

The Swift concert plot was thwarted with the help of US intelligence.

Swift later wrote on social media that “the reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many had planned on coming to those shows”.

Last year, a Berlin court convicted a Syrian teenager of contributing to the plot to attack the Swift concert.

The 16-year-old was given an 18-month suspended sentence. — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Concert promoter Live Nation Malaysia has said all ticket categories for BTS’ upcoming Kuala Lumpur concerts remain fully available, following allegations of insider access and unofficial ticket sales.

The statement came after Malaysian BTS fans, known as ARMY, took to social media platforms including X and Threads to demand answers over claims that tickets were being sold online before official sales had opened.

“Tickets will only be available from June 3 onwards for all pre-sales and general onsale.

“All ticket sales will be conducted strictly online via the official ticketing platform, golive-asia.com and trip.com for Trip.com presale,” Live Nation Malaysia wrote in a statement posted on Instagram.

“The fans are our priority,” it added, including the hashtag “#FansFirst”.

The promoter also urged fans to remain vigilant against misinformation, unauthorised platforms and unofficial postings, and to refer only to official channels for updates.

Alleged early ticket sales spark fan anger

In one screengrab, an influencer was allegedly seen offering a Soundcheck VIP Package ticket for RM3,288 — nearly triple its official price of RM1,288.

The claim sparked frustration among fans as the official membership pre-sale for the concert is only scheduled to begin on June 3, fuelling speculation that tickets had been quietly distributed before public access opened.

The backlash has also seen local ARMY accounts flooding social media with calls for transparency and an explanation from the organisers.

BTS fans from other countries — including Brazil, Mexico and Thailand — also joined calls on X for greater transparency, with some claiming that similar incidents had occurred in their countries.

“What’s happening in Malaysia also happened in Thailand, Mexico, the USA, and Brazil.

“They all went through similar situations at the hands of Live Nation or Ticketmaster.

“We need to unite against this ticket scalping mafia! We deserve RESPECT,” Brazilian fan page BTS Project Brasil wrote on X.

The BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ in Kuala Lumpur will take place on December 12 and 13 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

The shows will mark BTS’ first concert in Malaysia since 2015, when the group performed here during its early Red Bullet tour years.

The upcoming two-day concerts will feature a 360-degree, in-the-round stage design, placing fans at the centre of the experience while expanding overall stadium capacity.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — South Korean horror film Colony has grossed RM10.9 million in Malaysia within six days of release.

The film is the latest work by Yeon Sang-ho, the filmmaker behind Train to Busan and Hellbound.

A special video message was also posted on Golden Screen Cinemas’ (GSC) Instagram, where Yeon thanked fans nationwide for their support.

“I heard that Colony has surpassed RM10 million at the Malaysian box office, and I am truly grateful and happy that so many people are enjoying the film together,” he said in the video.

“Please continue to show Colony your love and support,” he added.

Malaysia quickly emerged as one of the film’s strongest early markets after becoming the first South-east Asian country to officially screen it.

After a debut of RM1.4 million, the film’s collection rose to RM3.3 million within three days, before climbing further to RM5.75 million shortly after.

The film’s reception in South Korea has also been strong, surpassing two million admissions there faster than any other 2026 release so far.

Starring Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been, Kim Shin-rok and Go Soo, Colony follows survivors trapped inside a sealed skyscraper after a mysterious infection spirals out of control.

Cut off from the outside world, they are forced into a brutal fight against infected humans who continuously mutate into increasingly dangerous forms, delivering Yeon’s signature social horror style with a chaotic body-horror edge.

Reviews have been largely positive, with viewers commenting on GSC’s Instagram post to describe the film as “two hours worth it”.

Another viewer gave it a “10,000/1000 rating”, adding that the two hours were far from wasted.

Colony is still screening in cinemas nationwide.

LOS ANGELES, May 28 — A US social media influencer who shares a daughter with former Why Don’t We member Jack Avery has been charged in Los Angeles over an alleged plot to hire a hitman to kill him during a custody dispute.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Gabriela Lauren Gonzalez, 24, her father Francisco Gonzalez, 59, and her then-boyfriend Kai Faron Cordrey, 26, were charged on May 19 with one count each of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder.

Avery was a member of Why Don’t We, a US boy band formed in 2016 that later disbanded in 2022.

Prosecutors alleged that the three defendants tried to arrange Avery’s killing through a hitman on the dark web as part of a dispute over the former couple’s seven-year-old daughter.

“This is a case where the defendants are accused of going to great lengths to find someone to commit murder,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement posted on the district attorney’s office website recently.

Prosecutors said Gabriela allegedly sought Cordrey’s help between 2020 and 2021 to hire someone to kill Avery.

Her father allegedly sent Cordrey US$10,000 (RM39,780) in April 2021 as upfront payment to find and pay someone to kill Avery.

Francisco allegedly sent another US$4,000 two months later after the alleged hitman asked for more funds.

Prosecutors said Cordrey later spoke to an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a hitman in September 2021, allegedly identifying Avery as the target and discussing payment and proof of death.

In a later conversation, Cordrey also allegedly told the undercover officer that Gabriela wanted the killing to happen and that Francisco could pay for it.

The case was investigated by the FBI before being turned over to the district attorney’s office, prosecutors said.

According to US-based news outlet ABC News, a judge set Gabriela’s bail at US$2 million during her arraignment, after which she posted bond and was ordered to wear a GPS monitor.

ABC News said her next court appearance is scheduled for July 23.

The outlet also reported that Francisco was arrested in Florida and was awaiting extradition to Los Angeles County.

Cordrey was also reportedly arrested, with bail set at US$2 million.

All three defendants face 25 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged, according to the district attorney’s office.

Avery thanked law enforcement and prosecutors in an Instagram statement, saying his focus remained on “being the best father I can be.”

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Some names in the Malaysian showbiz scene have remained influential for years, and Scha Alyahya deserves to be part of that conversation.

Scha, whose real name is Sharifah Nor Azean, has appeared in a wide range of films in the 2000s, including classics such as Histeria (2008), Papadom (2009) and Evolusi KL Drift 2 (2010).

The same can be said for television, with appearances in telemovies such as Prebet Jamilah, as well as series like Awan Dania.

She continues to showcase her talent on screen today through recent works, including 2022’s Air Force The Movie: Selagi Bernyawa, in which she portrayed Captain Nur Liyana, and Telaga Suriram (2025) as Inspector Kamilia.

Nadiah Hamzah’s Kata Hati is her latest project, where she takes on the role of Maya.

Reflecting on her journey in the industry, Scha told Malay Mail about the differences between the Malaysian entertainment scene of the 2000s and today.

What stood out to her was the shift, with local stars now more open and confident in expressing their ideas compared to when she first entered the industry.

“Today, actors are more open and confident when it comes to suggesting ideas, which was very different from before.

“When I was still new in the industry, I was really scared, so I would simply follow what the director wanted.

“But now, I can see and sense that we can suggest ideas and speak up if there are things we don’t feel comfortable doing.

“That is one of the biggest differences I feel today.”

Regarding the quality of local projects, Scha agreed that storytelling and cinematography have improved tremendously.

“We are way more advanced.

“Cinematography and storytelling — for now, I would say we are at our peak.

“I’m sure in the future we can do even more.

“I can sense that we are actually getting much better.”

She cited local action films and Kata Hati as examples, saying the project made her realise that Malaysian filmmakers are capable of producing unique and refreshing works, particularly Kata Hati with its blend of romantic comedy and action elements.

Kata Hati will be released in cinemas nationwide on June 4.

“The takeaway I want audiences to get from this movie is the sense of sisterhood, where you can see the struggles between the sisters.

“Older sisters can sometimes become like mothers, and that is an emotional aspect people do not really talk about.

“It’s all about life — don’t take your family for granted,” she added.

The Dewi Remaja winner is showing no signs of slowing down.

When asked how much longer she plans to continue acting, Scha said she is taking things as they come.

She hopes to take on even more roles going forward, adding that more projects allow her to refine her craft.

Scha is also involved in the upcoming film 5 Bomoh, directed by Syed Fariz, and is part of the iQIYI Griya series currently streaming.

LOS ANGELES, May 28 — The personal assistant who repeatedly injected Matthew Perry with ketamine before he died was sentenced to prison yesterday, becoming the fifth person to face justice over the Friends star’s fatal overdose.

Kenneth Iwamasa, 61, was ordered to serve three years and five months in federal lock-up after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.

Prosecutors said that in the days leading up to Perry’s 2023 death in a hot tub, Iwamasa gave the actor more than 25 shots of the drug, including at least three jabs on the day he died.

On Perry’s last day, he told Iwamasa—who lived at his luxury Los Angeles home—“Shoot me up with a big one,” court papers said.

Perry’s mother Suzanne Morrison said the family had trusted Iwamasa.

“Kenny’s most important job—by far—was to be my son’s companion and guardian in his fight against addiction,” she wrote in a letter to US District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett.

“We trusted a man without a conscience, and my son paid the price.”

Lawyers for Iwamasa said he was really little more than a hired hand, bound to do the bidding of his wealthy boss.

Iwamasa had “a particular vulnerability to the relationship dynamic which he fell into with the victim. In short, he could not ‘simply say no.’ That inability had tragic consequences,” the defense wrote in a court filing.

Iwamasa is the fifth person to be sentenced in connection with Perry’s death.

Others include Salvador Plasencia, one of two doctors who profited off Perry’s addiction.

The physician who taught Iwamasa how to inject ketamine, despite knowing that the 61-year-old had no medical training and knew nothing about treating patients with controlled substances.

Plasencia, who was ultimately jailed for two-and-a-half years, worked with another doctor to source drugs for the actor, charging vastly inflated prices and musing at one point: “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”

His co-conspirator Mark Chavez was sentenced to house arrest.

Earlier this month Erik Fleming, a certified drug counselor who acted as a middleman to help supply the star with controlled substances, was sentenced to two years in prison.

And last month Jasveen Sangha—a British-American woman dubbed “The Ketamine Queen” who styled herself as a dealer to the stars—was given a 15-year sentence.

Chandler 

Perry, 54, had openly struggled for decades with addiction, but had appeared to colleagues to be beating his demons when he died.

The actor had been taking ketamine as part of supervised therapy for depression.

But prosecutors say that by late 2023 he had become addicted to the substance, which is used as an anesthetic, but also has psychedelic properties and is a popular party drug.

His death set off waves of grief among generations of Friends fans who loved him as the sarcastic man-child Chandler Bing.

The sitcom, which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive following and made megastars of previously unknown actors.

Perry’s role brought him fabulous wealth, but hid a dark struggle with addiction to painkillers and alcohol.

In 2018, he suffered a drug-related burst colon and underwent multiple surgeries.

In his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry described going through detox dozens of times. “I have mostly been sober since 2001,” he wrote, “save for about sixty or seventy little mishaps.” — AFP

LOS ANGELES, May 28 — Amazon MGM Studios announced yesterday it has greenlit the first three children’s shows that were created under a new initiative to use artificial intelligence (AI) in content development.

The GenAI Creators Fund pays filmmakers, digital creators and startups to use AI to develop their projects in a short time frame.

Punky Duck series director Jorge Gutierrez said he is used to spending two years making a pilot, but his new show was greenlit to run on Amazon after just two months.

“The best way I can describe it is, it’s like you have sex and then someone hands you the baby,” Gutierrez said at the annual AI on the Lot Conference, where the first images of the approved animated series were shown. “It’s pretty crazy.”

Two more projects—Diana Music Hunters from Albie Hecht and Cupcake & Friends from Buzzfeed Studios—were also greenlit in a couple of months, reflecting a new approach from major studios.

Hollywood’s unions and artists have raised concerns about the use of AI, with creatives, writers and actors fearing they could be replaced by digital facsimiles.

AI Studios chief at Amazon MGM Albert Cheng told the conference that the technology won’t eliminate jobs, it will actually reduce costs and timelines to make it possible to increase the number of productions.

But Cheng acknowledged “AI is addictive,” adding that it’s important for humans to make sure they don’t “succumb and let our brains go to waste.” — AFP

SEOUL, May 27 — South Korean actress Han So‑hee is set to appear in the music video for Xlov’s latest title track Serve, released today as part of the group’s second mini‑album I, God.

The four‑member act — Wumuti, Rui, Hyun and Haru — is returning roughly six months after dropping its debut mini‑album UXLXVE. The new project, available on major streaming platforms from 6pm, highlights the group’s continued push into experimental sound and performance.

In a livestream video, the group revealed just how the collab with Han So-hee came about.

Haru’s mother had noticed that Han had used one of the group’s songs in an Instagram post, leading to member Wumuti reaching out to the actress thanking her for using the song.

It ended up becoming a whole conversation in DMs, with Wumuti and Han meeting in person, both squealing in excitement.

Han said she was willing to clear her schedule just to be in the music video, even if it was only a shot of her from the back.

The actress however instead became the full-fledged star of the video, drawing curious onlookers from the music video teaser alone.

Serve features an unconventional arrangement built on a groovy beat and choreography rooted in voguing, reinforcing Xlov’s identity as a group that foregrounds a genderless concept. The music video draws inspiration from the chess rule “pawn promotion,” depicting a character’s evolution from imperfection to completion.

The album carries seven tracks, including jazz‑infused opener The Rules, two unit songs — Extancy by Wumuti and Rui, and Hips by Hyun and Haru — as well as Back 2 Back, Masterpiece and an instrumental version of the title track.

Xlov, promoted as the first male K‑pop idol group to adopt a genderless concept as its core identity, continues blending genres such as jazz, house, hyperpop, hip‑hop and EDM to broaden its musical range.

SEOUL, May 27 — South Korean singer‑songwriter Lee Mu‑jin has filed a lawsuit against his management agency, seeking to terminate his exclusive contract over alleged failures to pay him properly for his work.

According to Korea Joongang Daily, Lee submitted the suit to the Seoul Central District Court, claiming the company had not provided full and timely settlements for his earnings. The dispute reportedly centres on unpaid fees tied to his music activities and appearances.

Lee, best known for his hit Traffic Light, is also said to be pursuing damages alongside the request to nullify the contract. His agency has not issued a public response.

The case adds to a growing list of contract‑related disputes by other artists under Big Planet Made, including SHINee's Taemin, Viviz and EXO-CBX members Chen, Baekhyun and Seohyun.

PARIS, May 27 — Last year’s brazen robbery of the Louvre — when thieves made off with jewellery worth some US$100 million — is set to become a movie and a documentary series, a publisher said on Tuesday.

French director Romain Gavras — whose work includes 2025 Hollywood film Sacrifice starring Anya Taylor-Joy and music videos including most recently a hypnotic schoolboy choreography for GENER8ION — will draw inspiration from the investigative book Main basse sur le Louvre (literally “A grab at the Louvre”).

Film rights to the book about the October 19, 2025 heist had been sold to the production company Iconoclast while rights for a documentary series were acquired by a British producer, the Flammarion publishing house said.

The book, written by three journalists, from French dailies Le Parisien and Le Monde, and weekly glossy magazine Paris Match, is to hit bookstores on Wednesday.

According to trade magazine Le Film Francais, the movie project is in development, though neither the title nor the cast has been announced.

The Louvre heist sent shockwaves around the world and sparked a security crisis within the world-famous museum that ultimately led to the replacement of its director, Laurence des Cars.

After seven months of investigation, and despite the arrests of the main suspects, the jewels have still not been found.

This handout photograph released on February 4, 2026 shows the damaged crown of Empress Eugenie de Montijo after it was dropped during the heist from the Apollo Gallery at the Louvre Museum on October 19, 2025. — AFP pic

The authors said their apparent disappearance “has become a dense mystery, a puzzle that has plunged investigators into deep confusion”.

The heist illustrates how “the theft of artworks has become a business like any other for many criminals”, they say. “The criminal underworld has found a new cash cow.” — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — Malaysian actress Mimi Lana, whose real name is Mimi Rozaiana Zainal Abidin, has steadily built her journey in the entertainment industry over the years.

The public first caught a glimpse of the star through the popular Malaysian reality television talent search Dewi Remaja, where she was a participant. 

Since then, she has ventured into acting, expanding her portfolio with dramas such as Seindah Kasih Cinta, Persepsi, Andai Tiada Dia and, most recently, First Wives: Sisters Before Misters.

Her ability to portray strong characters on screen was further showcased in the critically acclaimed 2019 horror film Pusaka, in which she played Nur Ishak. 

More film projects followed, including The Experts, Mencari Ramlee, and now the latest horror release, Polong.

Mimi embodies Fatima in this horror thriller, a journalist searching for the truth behind old crimes, only to face a terrifying force that begins haunting her.

Speaking during a media interview session, the Malaysian Film Festival nominee shared that she became immediately interested in the film after reading the script for the first time.

One of the biggest challenges, she explained, involved the makeup effects, as the process required a highly subjective creative approach. 

As it is a horror feature, she added that she did not experience any supernatural disturbances on set, noting that this was the first horror project she had worked on without such incidents. 

She did, however, share a strange incident where her bedroom door suddenly slammed shut.

“I did not experience any supernatural disturbances on set, but there was one strange incident when I first received the script from the director.

“The first time I read the script, I fell asleep before being startled awake by the sound of my bedroom door slamming loudly.

“When I woke up, I found the door wide open even though it had been tightly shut before I went to sleep.

“At first, I thought it was just a dream or my imagination because I had just finished reading a horror script,” she said when met at the film’s premiere event recently.

Mimi added that the same experience happened again after she returned home from a second discussion session with the production team.

“I’m not sure whether it was some kind of disturbance or just my feelings playing tricks on me because I was thinking too much about the character and storyline of the film, but it was definitely strange,” she said.

Mimi Lana stars as Fatima in her latest local horror feature, ‘Polong,’ set to scare audiences starting May 28. — Picture courtesy of Primeworks

Speaking to Malay Mail, Mimi shared that the team had already set a high benchmark for Polong, approaching the film with the quality and intensity of an international production.

“This film is very gory.

“Everything feels real because we did not rely heavily on CGI, or visual effects,” she said.

“What audiences are going to experience feels like the real thing.”

Mimi also hoped viewers would appreciate the message behind the film.

“I hope audiences enjoy the movie, take the good lessons from it, leave the negative parts behind, and give it a chance,” she concluded.

Polong will be released in cinemas nationwide starting tomorrow and has already received positive early reactions from audiences who attended the gala premiere on May 20 at 10 Star Cinemas, Petaling Jaya.

The grind continues for Mimi as she continues to make a strong impact in the local entertainment industry.

The dedication in every role she portrays has earned the appreciation of audiences over the years, a recognition that continues to grow today. 

Moving forward, she is also set to appear in more movie projects such as Mojoku Hilang and Astro Shaw’s newly announced film HAK.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 — Local action thriller Tarung: Unforgiven has collected RM20.3 million at the box office nationwide since its release on May 7.

The film crossed RM10.5 million in its first week before reaching RM15.7 million within 11 days of screening.

Its promotional tour continued last weekend with stops in Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak.

Actor, producer and executive producer Aedy Ashraf said meeting audiences in person had been one of the most memorable parts of the film’s release.

“Throughout the journey of Tarung: Unforgiven, one of the things I will remember most is the opportunity to meet and interact with fans personally.

“From promotional tours packed with audiences, the cheers and overwhelming support, to platforms like Threads and other social media where many are still sharing their comments and opinions — all of it means a great deal to us.

“Seeing the audience’s reactions face-to-face gives a completely different feeling because we can truly feel their spirit and support,” he shared.

Director, screenwriter and executive producer Razaisyam Rashid said the response from audiences had been meaningful beyond the box office figure.

“What touches me the most is not just the box office numbers, but the opportunity to personally witness how Tarung: Unforgiven has been received by audiences.

“Throughout the film’s promotional tour, Aedy and I had the chance to meet many fans in person, speak with them directly, and hear their thoughts and experiences after watching the film.

“I hope this success will open more opportunities for local action films to continue growing.”

Tarung: Unforgiven features an ensemble cast including Aedy Ashraf, Mierul Aiman, Bront Palarae, Zul Ariffin, Amir Ahnaf, Azira Shafinaz, Sharifah Sakinah, Ubai Amir, Sky Iskandar, Ikmal Amry, Aeril Zafrel, Razib Salimin, Shaharuddin Thamby, Wak Ruzaidi, Theebaan G and Akmal Asyraf, as well as real-life fighters Jai JMT and Ijam Asri.

The film follows Hatta, played by Mierul Aiman, a former silat champion forced to fight in an underground arena, with the story exploring trauma, betrayal and redemption.

Tarung: Unforgiven is still screening in cinemas nationwide.

KAMPALA, May 26 — The Ghetto Kids, a Ugandan dance troupe made up of street children, spoke of their excitement at being invited by music superstar Shakira to perform at the World Cup.

The Colombian star last week announced on Instagram that the Ugandan kids were her first selection to join her for the half-time show of the World Cup final in the US this summer.

Unsurprisingly, that has triggered massive excitement at Ghetto Kids — an NGO that started in the Ugandan capital Kampala, using dance and performing arts to help abandoned and orphaned children.

The popular dance troupe is scheduled to perform alongside Colombian pop superstar Shakira at the 2026 Fifa World Cup final in New Jersey on July 19, 2026, marking another high-profile appearance after earning the golden buzzer on the 16th season of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’.

“We can’t wait to show the world what we are!” one of the young performers, eight-year-old Busingye Josephine Daniella, told AFP.

The troupe had responded to a call from Shakira for fans to send in dance clips for the new World Cup anthem, and their fun, energetic entries became viral hits.

The troupe had already built up an international following for their performances, which began as clips filmed on the streets of Kampala, and even earned themselves a spot on TV show America’s Got Talent.

But the World Cup, watched by more than a billion worldwide, is another level of fame.

“We feel so excited to perform with Shakira,” said Daniella.

The popular dance troupe is scheduled to perform alongside Colombian pop superstar Shakira at the 2026 Fifa World Cup final in New Jersey on July 19, 2026, marking another high-profile appearance after earning the golden buzzer on the 16th season of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’.

“Getting outside the country... and performing on one of the biggest stages... it feels good and it brings a lot of opportunities,” added Ssegirinyi Madwanah, 16.

Kavuma Dauda, founder of the NGO and a former street kid himself, said he hoped the attention would help them raise funds for a rehabilitation and education centre.

“We have that big dream... It’s a very huge opportunity for the Ghetto Kids, for me, for the children,” he said. — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 — Johor Darul Ta’zim Football Club (JDT) are taking their 12th Super League title celebrations up a notch this year with a special performance by American rap icon 50 Cent.

The announcement was made via the Southern Tigers’ Instagram and X accounts, with the celebration — billed as JDT Realm of 12 Night — set to take place on May 30 at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, is a multiple award-winning rapper known for platinum-certified hits such as In Da Club, Candy Shop, P.I.M.P, 21 Questions and Many Men (Wish Death).

He has also starred in several Hollywood films, including 2005’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’, a loose autobiography, as well as 2018’s Den of Thieves.

He also appeared in The Escape Plan trilogy, acting alongside big names such as Sylvester Stallone and Dave Bautista.

The JDT Realm of 12 Night will also feature several other international acts, including Australian rap group ONEFOUR, world-renowned dance groups Jabbawockeez and Royal Family, as well as local rapper Big Ben.

This is not the first time JDT have brought in major international acts for their title celebrations, having previously hosted names such as Busta Rhymes, Jason Derulo and Fabolous.

They also previously had legendary rapper Snoop Dogg feature on the club’s official theme song ‘Pioneers’ alongside local rapper Joe Flizzow, with the track produced by SonaOne.

JDT have been a dominant force in the Malaysia Super League, completing four undefeated seasons in a row and six in total, including the 2016 and 2020 seasons.

They also recently equalled Ivory Coast club Asec Mimosas’ world record of 108 unbeaten league matches following their 14-1 thrashing of Kelantan TRW FC in the 2025/26 Malaysia Super League season finale on May 10.

The club have also announced a high-profile friendly against English Premier League club Chelsea, which will take place on August 11 at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 — Malaysian horror films continue to hold their ground, but with more releases entering the market each year, it has become increasingly difficult for the genre to stand out and capture audience interest.

Polong, Malaysia’s latest horror entry, cuts through that noise with a fresh approach, delivering eerie tension and a story designed to linger in audiences’ minds long after they leave the cinema.

The hype surrounding the film has been high, with the teaser released last month garnering over three million views across social media platforms in less than 24 hours.

Malay Mail attended the gala night on May 20 at 10Star Cinemas, where Polong’s themes closely reflected its portrayal of black magic legacies, regret, and generational curses.

The story and cast of Polong

Polong is directed by Zulkarnain Azhar, who is known for acclaimed local features such as Air Force The Movie: Selagi Bernyawa and Takluk: Lahad Datu.

The cast features Mimi Lana as Fatima, Fad Anuar as Mamat, June Lojong as Maria Hadi, Namron as Adi, and Nadiya Nisaa as Marissa, alongside Riezman Khuzaimi, Amir Nafis, Nesa Idrus, and Elizad Sharifuddin.

The story follows an ambitious journalist, Fatima, who unintentionally uncovers the dark past of Maria Hadi, a notorious female shaman who attempted to repent for her sins near the end of her life.

Fatima’s search for the truth not only exposes long-buried crimes but also unleashes something far more dangerous — an entity once nurtured and controlled by Maria herself.

Now hunted by an unexplainable force, Fatima seeks refuge with Marissa, Maria’s estranged daughter, who has been living in isolation.

“Polong attempts to portray that certain legacies do not bring protection, but instead destruction to the next generation.

“To me, the greatest fear does not come solely from supernatural beings, but from humans who are willing to do anything to fulfill their desires,” explained director Zulkarnain.

The real-life elements that inspired Polong

Malaysians are familiar with the story of Mona Fandey and the infamous case that shocked the nation in the 1990s.

Watching the trailer for Polong, it is easy to see the film’s link to the real-life figure and story of Mona, especially after June drew early attention due to her character’s resemblance to the convicted murderer.

However, Zulkarnain explained to Malay Mail that the film only draws inspiration from certain elements surrounding those events, describing them as a springboard for the story.

Polong, he clarified, is not a biopic but a fictional horror story inspired by real-life incidents and urban legends linked to several infamous cases from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and North America.

The cast and crew of ‘Polong’ attend the film’s gala premiere at 10Star Cinemas in Petaling Jaya. — Picture courtesy of Primeworks

“It’s about the urban legends people used to talk about—the myths and folklore that existed during that time.

“It’s inspired by several cases — not just one specific case.

“If it were only one, we’ve already watched that kind of movie before,” he said, referring to 2018’s Dukun, which was largely inspired by Mona’s life.

The director compared the approach to the classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, whose iconic character Leatherface was loosely inspired by notorious American murderer Ed Gein.

The American independent film was not a biopic of Gein but took elements of the character and turned it into a franchise, an approach Zulkarnain said similarly shaped Polong.

Polong’s heavy practical effects and strong early reactions

The script for Polong was first drafted decades ago and underwent about three revisions over the years, according to Zulkarnain.

What stands out in Polong is its realism, showing how movies with minimal CGI and visual effects can still captivate modern audiences.

While the film does include some CGI, it relies heavily on practical effects, particularly in the makeup and horror design of its characters.

The director said he deliberately limited the use of CGI, relying on it only when needed to preserve realism.

This feature uses less than 30 per cent visual effects overall, with the majority of the horror created through makeup and practical in-camera techniques.

Early viewers at the gala premiere have shared mostly positive reactions on social media, praising the film’s intense jump scares, eerie entity design, and unexpectedly strong emotional depth from the cast.

Polong is set to haunt Malaysian cinemas nationwide starting May 28.

LOS ANGELES, May 26 — K-pop band BTS was celebrated on Monday with the top award of artist of the year at the fan-voted American Music Awards on Monday.

The group also claimed the song of the summer honour for the single Swim at the ceremony in Las Vegas, which aired live on CBS and Paramount+.

BTS prevailed over Taylor Swift, winner of the most AMAs of any artist over her career, as well as stars including Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga and others.

Twenty-year-old indie musician Sombr was named the recipient of best rock/alternative song for his hit Back to Friends.

“I wrote this song when I was 19 and depressed all by myself in my bedroom,” he said on stage. “So being here, I never would have expected that.”

He later won best rock/alternative album for his debut album, I Barely Know Her.

Song of the year went to Golden, the upbeat tune from the Netflix animated movie KPop Demon Hunters.

The show opened with BTS, dressed in all-black outfits and black sunglasses, in a pre-recorded performance of Hooligan from the Vegas concert stop on the group’s Arirang Tour. — Reuters

LOS ANGELES, May 26 — Indie musician Sombr and the voices behind KPop Demon Hunters took home some of the first trophies on Monday at the American Music Awards, the annual honours determined by fan votes.

The 20-year-old Sombr was named the recipient of best rock/alternative song for his hit Back to Friends.

“I wrote this song when I was 19 and depressed all by myself in my bedroom,” he said on stage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. “So being here, I never would have expected that.”

Song of the year went to Golden, the upbeat tune from the Netflix animated movie KPop Demon Hunters. 

HUNTR/X wins Song of the Year for ‘Golden’ during the 2026 American Music Awards, in Las Vegas, Nevada. — Reuters pic

The award seemed to surprise EJAE, one of the singers in the movie’s fictional group HUNTR/X.

“Oh my god! Oh my goodness,” EJAE said to cheers before thanking fans for voting for the song.

The show opened with K-pop band BTS, dressed in all-black outfits and black sunglasses, singing Hooligan from the Vegas concert stop on the group’s Arirang Tour.

“The energy is crazy in here!” shouted host Queen Latifah from the stage.

BTS presents an award on stage during the American Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 25, 2026. — AFP pic

Taylor Swift led the field with eight nominations going into the ceremony, which aired live on CBS and Paramount+. The pop superstar has claimed more AMA honours than any other artist over her career.

Swift was competing for the top prize of artist of the year with Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga and others. 

Her album, The Life of a Showgirl, was nominated for album of the year. — Reuters 

KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 — Concert promoter Live Nation Malaysia announced the KL Headline Season 2026 which aims to turn the city centre into one of Asia’s key destinations for live music tours.

With 25 global artists set to perform across six venues and an estimated 500,000 fans coming from Malaysia and across the region this year, the KL Headline Season 2026 represents a strategic push to bring more world-class live entertainment to the city. 

The initiative was developed by Live Nation Malaysia in collaboration with PR Worldwide, Tourism Malaysia and CelcomDigi. 

“Not too long ago, fans across Malaysia would travel overseas to Singapore, Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo, China, Australia, to experience the world’s biggest concerts. Today, the world’s biggest tours are coming to KL,” said Live Nation Malaysia’s managing director Paramananthan Rajagopal. 

“And this transformation didn’t happen by chance; it happened because an entire ecosystem came together: government agencies, industry stakeholders, sponsors, venue operators, tourism agencies, media partners, promoters, and most importantly, the fans. 

“Together we have turned Kuala Lumpur into a city trusted by the global touring industry, a city capable of hosting productions at the highest international standards, and a city with one of the most passionate fan bases in the region.” 

Paramananthan said Malaysia hosted over 400 concerts in 2024, generating more than RM553 million in tourism and economic impact, with the industry projected to contribute close to RM1.7 billion to the local economy this year.

He added that concerts today are no longer viewed simply as entertainment events; instead, they are an economic engine that drives several sectors of the economy including tourism, food and beverages, transportations as well as opening up thousands of jobs across the ecosystem. 

Live Nation Malaysia and PR Worldwide Managing Director Para Rajagopal speaks during a Q&A session at a Live Nation press conference in Kuala Lumpur, May 25, 2026. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

“Fans are flying in from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and beyond, just to experience concerts in Kuala Lumpur. 

“This is the power of live entertainment, and that is exactly why KL Headline Season is created: to place Kuala Lumpur firmly on the global touring map, to celebrate the rise of this city as a premier entertainment capital, and create a platform that unites music, tourism, culture, brands, and community under one bold vision: to make Kuala Lumpur the headline,” he said. 

So far, Live Nation Malaysia has announced 13 global artists on its roster, including big names such as The Weeknd, BTS, Laufey, Post Malone and Kodaline.

Paramananthan also teased that more acts will be announced later this year. 

Aside from that, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil as well as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh also attended the KL Headline Season 2026 launch. 

In line with the campaign, Fahmi also announced the Beli Tiket Selamat (BTS) or the Buy Ticket Safely initiative which aims to protect Malaysians before, during and after ticket fraud incidents through awareness, victim support and structured intelligence sharing with enforcement agencies. 

Meanwhile, Yeoh revealed that she, together with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the KL Mayor is looking to streamline standard operating procedures (SOPs) and expedite the approval timeline for event permits, in a bid to cut down bureaucratic red tape for concert and live show organisers in KL.

For more information on the KL Headline Season 2026, please visit https://www.livenation.my/klheadlineseason2026

SEOUL, May 25 — Celebrating 20 years as a member of K-pop royalty BigBang, superstar Taeyang is marking the milestone with his most personal project yet: Quintessence, his first solo studio album in nearly a decade.

Released on his 38th birthday, May 18, the album follows BigBang’s triumphant return at Coachella in April and represents a year-long journey of artistic self-discovery for the veteran idol, The Korea Herald reported.

“Since this year marks BigBang’s 20th anniversary, the most important thing for me was figuring out what felt the most like myself while also being something new,” Taeyang explained at a listening party in Seoul.

“I kept asking myself what kind of new challenge I could take on at this point.”

The answer lay in the album’s title. He revealed that the words “essence” and “quintessence” guided the project, leading him to explore the process of searching for one’s true core identity after two decades in the spotlight.

The 10-track album is a canvas of experimentation, seeing Taeyang collaborate with a wider range of producers beyond his usual in-house team at The Black Label. The opening track, “Bad,” created with American producers The Stereotypes, is a dark, performance-driven song reminiscent of his earlier work.

The album’s main track, “Live Fast Die Slow,” is the fastest-tempo song of his career, reflecting his determination to move at his own pace in a rapidly changing world.

He also brought in fresh talent, featuring Tarzzan and Woochan from the rookie group AllDay Project on the track “Would You.”

“Watching them debut reminded me a lot of BigBang’s own debut days,” Taeyang said. “I felt their rap verses could bring the youthful texture and freshness that BigBang once had.”

Former labelmate Tablo of Epik High also contributed lyrics to three songs, including “Movie,” which Taeyang admitted was the only track he didn’t co-write.

“Tablo’s lyrics were already perfect,” he said. “I recorded it almost immediately.”

By the end of the creative process, Taeyang said he arrived at a profound realisation: that one’s essence cannot be easily defined.

“I realised what matters is the attitude with which I pursue those values,” he said. “Even if I feel like I have found the answer, it is not something I can simply define.”

SEOUL, May 25 — Three years after their explosive debut, K-pop girl group Le Sserafim are returning with their second full-length album, Pureflow Pt. 1, a project that re-examines the very concept that launched their careers: being fearless.

Released on May 22, the 11-track album, led by the Latin-infused single “Boompala,” sees the quintet evolve from declaring their fearlessness to embracing fear as a necessary part of growth.

“Until now, we kept shouting ‘fearless’ and saying that we had no fear,” explained member Huh Yunjin in a recent interview with The Korea Herald.

“But now, we feel that accepting anxiety and fear can actually make us stronger. In that sense, this album opens a new chapter in how we look at fear.”

This new philosophy is captured in the album’s central message: “For we are not fearless, and therefore powerful.”

The members said that the album was the fruit of their journey and a deeper creative involvement.

“With our first LP, it felt like we were only looking ahead,” said Kazuha. “But with this album, we really enjoyed the creative process while thinking more in depth about the kind of image we wanted to show.”

The lead single, “Boompala,” samples the iconic 1993 hit “Macarena,” a choice that member Sakura said gave them confidence.

Yunjin added that the vibrant Latin house sound was a perfect match for the positive energy they wanted to share with their fans, known as Fearnot.

The album also marks new creative milestones, with Kazuha contributing to songwriting for the first time on the track “Trust Exercise.”

Le Sserafim hopes their new, more vulnerable message resonates with listeners.

“Everyone has big and small fears and hardships in their lives,” said Hong Eunchae.

“I hope our team can become one that gives even a little courage and strength in those moments... I hope people can see us and feel comfort, thinking that we go through similar difficulties too.”

LONDON, May 25 — Oscar-winning actor Riz Ahmed has claimed that Britain’s intelligence services attempted to recruit him as an informant on three separate occasions, with one approach allegedly involving a senior executive at the BBC.

The most dramatic attempt, he said, occurred at Luton airport after he returned from filming his breakout role in the 2006 film The Road to Guantánamo, The Guardian reported.

“They took me into a side room, put me in an arm lock, threatened to break my arm, took my phone,” Ahmed recounted.

He said officers then asked him, “Did you become an actor to further the Muslim struggle?” After the intense questioning, they abruptly changed tack. “They were like: ‘OK. Would you like to keep an eye out for us...?’ No thank you.”

The London-born actor made the revelations during a conversation with journalist Mehdi Hasan on his new media platform, Zeteo.

Ahmed detailed two other approaches: one made through a family friend, and a third from a "senior, high up" figure at the BBC, whom he described as someone who has "just left the BBC." He did not name the individual.

When Hasan asked how the public could be sure he hadn’t accepted, Ahmed joked that it would make a “sick biopic if I was actually a fed.”

Ahmed, 43, is one of Britain's most acclaimed actors. He won an Oscar for his short film The Long Goodbye in 2022 and an Emmy for his lead role in the HBO drama The Night Of in 2017.

LOS ANGELES,  May 25 — While stars of the Spiderman franchise have trended younger over the years – from Tobey Maguire to Andrew Garfield to Tom Holland – the new series “Spider-Noir” starring Nicolas Cage explores a more mature version of the web-slinging superhero.

Premiering on Amazon’s streaming platform this week, the series follows Ben Reilly (Cage), a private investigator struggling to make ends meet in New York during the Great Depression.

This marks the first time the superhero, whom Cage voiced in the first Spider-Verse film, has appeared on screen in live-action.

Karen Rodriguez, who plays Janet, Riley’s loyal secretary, said that what sets “Spider-Noir” apart from other versions of the superhero is the era in which it is set.

“Normally, it’s a coming-of-age story, and we’re meeting Peter Parker in a youthful setting,” she told AFP. “But what happens when you’ve done it and life has happened to you and you suffered loss?”

Reilly, a World War I veteran who can’t even afford to pay his secretary, is burdened by personal tragedy.

“He’s lost the love of his life. He’s smack dab in the middle of the Great Depression. There’s a lot of suffering,” Rodriguez added.

For the actress, whose character maintains a constant push and pull with Reilly, working with Cage “was like a dream come true.”

Rodriguez said she learned a lot from the 62-year-old Oscar-winning actor, who has over a hundred films to his credit.

“It’s the type of job that you dream about because you want jobs that are going to make you better,” said Rodriguez, who describes her character as a strong-willed woman who doesn’t mince words.

“Spider-Noir,” produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, among others, can be seen in colour or black and white, in a nod to the film noir genre of the 1940s.

“It’s a wholly unique perspective,” said Rodriguez, who sees the style as an “exciting” alternative for telling a superhero story.

The genre is related to “what kind of danger is looking around the corner,” she said. “And even the visual elements of noir, I think are so evocative, the way that the camera is framed.”

“You understand that the world you’re never really safe, and we really see it in the black and white, because we’re seeing people in shadow or in light, and the shadow is always there.”

“Spider-Noir” also features performances by Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li and Brendan Gleeson, who plays a mobster villain. — AFP

LOS ANGELES, May 25 — Disney’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu saw the much-adored Baby Yoda and his adoptive guardian sweep the North American box office with an estimated US$102 million (RM405 million) take through Monday, industry estimates showed.

The film is a jump to the big screen for the hit streaming series, and the first Star Wars film to be released in theatres since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.

It appeared on some 4,300 screens in its opening weekend, Exhibitor Relations estimated.

The takings are “not on the level of the primary Star Wars films,” said industry analyst David Gross. “But these are big numbers and this is how spin-offs perform.”

“The movie is a piece of the story, and it’s earning a piece of the business,” he added.

Jumping to second place, Focus Features’ original horror film Obsession drew US$28.5 million in sales on its second weekend, bringing its total earnings to an estimated US$59 million.

Trade magazine Variety credits some of its popularity to an exceptional performance by star Inde Navarrette that “demands awards attention.”

Lionsgate brought home the box office’s weekend bronze medal as Michael and took home US$25.7 million this weekend for a total of US$319.9 million. The biopic based on pop icon Michael Jackson was still thrilling fans but dropped out of the top spot in its fifth weekend on the silver screen.

The fashionable fan favourite, The Devil Wear’s Prada 2, dropped to fourth place but still earned another US$16.5 million this weekend for a total of US$200 million.

MGM’s The Sheep Detectives, a farmyard whodunnit, took in US$12.5 million over the weekend for a total of US$47 million – marking a fifth-place finish. — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — Latihan Pestapora Malaysia is returning for its second edition this year with organisers promising a more grounded and fan-focused experience.

Following its ambitious debut at Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil last year, the 2026 edition will move next door to the National Hockey Stadium on August 15.

Latihan Pestapora Malaysia, a precursor to Indonesia’s main Pestapora festival held each September, will again be jointly organised by Indonesia’s Boss Creator and Malaysia’s Hitman Solutions.

Hitman Solutions founder Rohit Rampal said this year’s edition will focus more on improving the overall festival experience.

“This year there’s going to be only one big main stage and we will have a lot of activities around the festival grounds,” Rohit told Malay Mail.

“We are focusing more on experience, more on consumers and what their preferences are.

“We have a robust lineup, we have all the fun stuff and all the improvements and our promises to make this a better experience for everybody.”

The line-up so far

Despite the move to a smaller venue, Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 is maintaining an ambitious line-up featuring acts from across the region.

On the Indonesian side, this year’s edition will feature big names including Tulus, Romantic Echoes, Juicy Luicy, Bernadya and Mahalini, all of whom are no strangers to music charts across Indonesia.

On the Malaysian side, bands such as Insomniacks and FUGŌ are set to bring their energy and possibly some new material to the main stage.

Fans can also expect several collaborative sets, including a performance by Indonesian dangdut legend Rhoma Irama Soneta alongside neo-soul group Maliq & D’Essentials.

Singer Nadhif Basalamah will also team up with Malaysian singer Aisha Retno and Bruneian singer Aziz Harun for a rare collaborative set.

Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 will also spotlight Malaysian music heritage, with local 1960s-inspired band Masdo set to share the stage with local ska veterans Gerhana Ska Cinta for a special debut collaboration.

Last year’s Latihan Pestapora Malaysia featured a total of 21 acts.

Aside from the 14 acts announced so far, organisers hinted at possible additions to this year’s line-up that may be revealed later.

Learning from last year

The inaugural Latihan Pestapora Malaysia had a strong debut with regional acts such as Hindia, Salammusik, .Feast, Barasuara, Bunkface and Sheila On 7 on its line-up.

However, the festival was also marred by several logistical hiccups that resulted in backlash on social media.

Among the complaints were a temporary venue-wide shortage of drinking water and poor audio relay for upper-tier spectators.

Taking note of last year’s setbacks, Rohit revealed that this year’s edition will feature free water stations across the venue alongside a larger production crew.

Founder of Hitman Solutions, Rohit Rampal during the Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 press conference at the Royal Selangor Club in Bukit Kiara. — Picture courtesy of Hitman Solutions

“The audio challenges last year were largely a result of separate production units operating independently, given that a significant portion of the engineering team came directly from Indonesia.”

“We’re trying to streamline all of our standard operating procedures which is why we are bringing a bigger team now.

“Not just to streamline all of our SOP but making sure we have everything internally done before the next handover,” Rohit said.

He added that organisers are also bringing in a full Indonesian crew to handle logistics, creative direction and festival activations.

Pestapora founder and Boss Creator head Kiki Ucop also admitted shortcomings during last year’s event but assured fans that this year’s edition would be better.

“We have taken everything that happened last year as a vital lesson to make this year’s Latihan Pestapora Malaysia even better, more enjoyable, and packed with a much richer experience for everyone attending,” he said during the festival’s press conference last Thursday.

What to expect at Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026

Aside from free water stations across the venue, Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 will also feature 12 hours of continuous “serumpun” music, with prayer breaks in between, from 12pm to 12am on August 15.

Hitman Solutions head of special projects Keeran D said organisers are working round the clock to improve the festival grounds experience.

This includes a bigger food truck area as well as more activation spaces featuring art installations and Instagrammable backdrops.

In the festival layout revealed by organisers, at least three food and beverage (F&B) areas will be stationed outside the main stage area.

One stretch of the grounds will also feature water stations, F&B booths and activation spaces.

The festival also appears to have gained early momentum, with all 5,000 early bird and blind sale tickets selling out before the line-up was revealed.

This marks an increase compared to last year’s blind presale, which saw 2,000 tickets sold before the line-up announcement.

“We also want our fans to know that their concerns matter deeply to us, and we are working around the clock to implement measures that enhance the overall festival experience.

“The 2026 edition will feature free refillable water stations throughout the festival grounds, alongside several new and exciting improvements.

“We truly want this to be a meaningful step up from the previous experience,” Keeran said.

Tickets for Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 are now available online, with prices ranging from RM199 to RM349.

More ticketing information is available on the Latihan Pestapora Malaysia website.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Fans of Malaysian Nu Vintage band FUGO are in for a treat this year as the group prepares to roll out its upcoming new album.

The announcement comes two years after the release of its debut studio album 99, which helped expand the band’s audience, showcased its versatility and established the group as one of Malaysia’s rising acts.

Known for its retro-inspired music and aesthetic, FUGO consists of vocalist and flugelhorn player Hakim Kamal, bassist Kayrol Ami, and keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Faizul Hakim, better known as Fai.

After a busy 2025 that included tours across Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as contributing a soundtrack for the hit local animated film Ejen Ali The Movie 2, the band is now returning with new material, beginning with the release of its upcoming single Izinkan Aku on May 29.

“We are currently in the midst of working on several new releases,” Hakim told Malay Mail.

“Basically our aim this year is to work our way to the release of our new album.

“And within this week, we will also be releasing our first single Izinkan Aku on May 29, which is taken from our new album.”

While keeping details of the new album under wraps, the band hinted at the emotional core of both the album and its upcoming single, describing it as an intimate invitation to practise gratitude and appreciate life’s everyday blessings.

“In our first album, we talked about having good faith, spreading good vibes — but for this album, we’re reflecting on ourselves on whether we are appreciating the blessings in our surroundings enough?

“So this album has taught us that and hopefully it would have the same effect on our listeners,” Hakim said.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by FUGŌ (@fugomy)

Debut show at Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026

Another major highlight for FUGŌ this year will be its appearance at the upcoming Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 music festival, where the group will share the stage with Indonesian and Malaysian acts such as Tulus, Aisha Retno, Mahalini and Rhoma Irama Soneta.

According to Fai, the band is excited to have been selected for the event, which serves as a precursor to Indonesia’s main Pestapora music festival scheduled for September.

He said the opportunity would also help expand the band’s exposure and reach.

“And even as FUGO, we have always dreamt of playing at any one of Indonesia’s music festivals and this seems like a starting point for us to achieve that dream one day.

“We all gotta start somewhere and maybe before getting the chance to perform at big festivals like Pestapora, we should start with practice first,” Fai said.

Fai added that he enjoys performing at cross-cultural events as they provide opportunities to exchange musical and technical knowledge with performers from other countries.

Meanwhile, Kayrol said festivals such as Latihan Pestapora Malaysia and the growing number of music festivals in the country could offer hope and opportunities for local talents.

“We see all these festivals as a platform for all of us and I really hope that these platforms can be a signal of hope for other talents in Malaysia — to say that there is always going to be a place for you and your original work, no matter what.

“It doesn’t matter if our population is not as big as Indonesia’s but if we keep putting out quality and sincere products and if you come on this journey with the right intentions, good things will come for you.

“And hopefully, through these cross-cultural events, we could further celebrate and appreciate our local music even more,” Kayrol said.

Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 will take place on August 15 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

FUGO has also begun teasing fans about Izinkan Aku on social media, with snippets of the song featured in one of the band’s Instagram posts.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — Malaysian audiences are fully locked into Colony.

The latest infection horror spectacle from Yeon Sang-ho — the filmmaker behind Train to Busan and Hellbound — has now grossed RM3.3 million locally, according to Golden Screen Cinemas, extending a breakout Malaysian run that began with RM1.4 million shortly after release.

Malaysia also became the first South-east Asian country to officially screen the film, with an advance premiere held at GSC One Utama on Thursday before the movie opened nationwide on Friday.

The strong local response mirrors the film’s explosive momentum in South Korea, where Colony has already crossed one million admissions just four days after release — making it the fastest film of 2026 to hit the milestone.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by GSC(@gscinemas)

According to the Korean Film Council, the film pulled in 1,089,996 viewers as of yesterday morning, surpassing the pace of this year’s current Korean box-office heavyweight, The King’s Warden, which eventually drew around 16.85 million viewers.

The film also recorded 199,768 admissions on its opening day in South Korea alone, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Starring Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been, Kim Shin-rok and Go Soo, Colony follows survivors trapped inside a sealed skyscraper after a mysterious infection outbreak spirals out of control.

Cut off from the outside world, the survivors are forced into a brutal fight against infected humans who continuously mutate into increasingly dangerous forms — giving Yeon’s signature social-horror formula a more chaotic, body-horror edge.

The project had already generated heavy international buzz after premiering in the Midnight Screenings section at the Cannes Film Festival on May 15 before landing distribution deals across more than 120 territories.

But beyond the scares and large-scale action, Yeon has also framed the film as a reflection of modern anxieties tied to AI, collective consciousness and the erosion of individuality in the digital era.

SEOUL, May 24 — A YouTuber accused of using AI-generated material to falsely claim a top South Korean actor dated a late actress while she was a minor is due in court next week, the court’s spokesman told AFP yesterday.

YouTuber Kim Se-eui allegedly used manipulated screenshots of messenger conversations and AI-generated audio files to make the false claims about actor Kim Soo-hyun, according to South Korean media reports.

The reports said prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for the YouTuber at the request of police over allegations he illegally circulated fabricated material.

A spokesman for the Seoul Central District Court told AFP that YouTuber Kim’s warrant hearing is scheduled for 10:30am (0130 GMT) on May 26.

YouTuber Kim, a former TV journalist widely regarded as a far-right figure, shared on his YouTube channel what he said was the prosecution’s arrest warrant.

The document shared to Kim’s channel said that the YouTuber had publicly played an AI-manipulated audio file using the deceased actress’s voice.

It also said actor Kim was currently receiving psychiatric treatment due to severe emotional distress, and that the YouTuber had deliberately circulated false allegations for profit despite knowing that actor Kim and the late actress were not in a relationship when she was in middle school.

In the video in which he shared the warrant, YouTuber Kim said the prosecutor who requested the arrest warrant should “be ashamed”, and asked to be sent to the detention facility where disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol is being held over his 2024 martial law declaration.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office and Seoul Gangnam Police Station, which handled the case, declined to comment when contacted multiple times by AFP.

A senior police official told AFP the media reports involving the case were “not wrong” but declined to confirm the details.

Kim Se-eui had alleged that actor Kim Soo-hyun dated late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor, and was responsible for her death by pressuring her to repay debts.

The allegations snowballed into a major scandal, forcing Kim Soo-hyun to halt public appearances and activities, and the release of a major project was indefinitely postponed.

Actor Kim has maintained, including during a highly publicised and tearful news conference, that his relationship with the late actress began only after she became an adult.

He later filed criminal complaints against the YouTuber and the actress’s family over what he described as false allegations.

Late actress Kim Sae-ron had also faced online bullying after a 2022 drunk-driving incident became public. She was fined at the time.

The controversy damaged her career, drawing heavy criticism and reportedly forcing her to take part-time jobs outside of acting to make ends meet. — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — A new Malaysian Tamil mini series filmed entirely on an iPhone 15 Pro and produced with less than RM200 is aiming to inspire young creators to pursue digital storytelling without waiting for expensive equipment.

Titled 3SM – 3 Sollu Mattumtha, the nine-episode series was produced through a collaboration between UNITAR International University and SCIFILM to encourage students, aspiring filmmakers, and content creators to explore mini series and micro series formats for digital platforms such as YouTube.

Creator Karthik Shaamalan said the project was developed to challenge the perception that quality productions require costly cinema cameras, professional lighting setups, and large production crews.

In a media release, it was stated that the series was filmed without professional lighting equipment, relying instead on an iPhone 15 Pro, a RM50 wireless microphone, and a RM99 ND filter set for outdoor shoots.

“The message is not to discourage the use of professional equipment, but to encourage beginners not to delay their dreams while waiting for expensive gear,” Karthik said in the media statement.

“I am not saying you should not use great equipment or fancy gadgets. All I am saying is — do not wait until you have such things to kickstart your dream.”

The project also aims to promote digital content creation among Malaysian Indian filmmakers while encouraging youth creators to focus on storytelling, planning, teamwork, and consistency before investing heavily in production tools.

UNITAR said the initiative comes at a time when digital content creation and the creator economy are rapidly growing, with platforms such as YouTube increasingly becoming spaces for episodic and short-form storytelling.

The series stars Loga Varman, Dharshamini Kesavan, Thia Lakshana, Suriyan Magissan, Ruvela, Subatra, Tharane, and Ratna Gowri, with music composed by Hari Mahendran.

3SM – 3 Sollu Mattumtha officially launched at UNITAR PJ today and was officiated by Deputy National Unity Minister Yuneswaran Ramaraj.

New episodes will be released every Monday and Thursday at 6pm on the SCIFILM and UNITAR YouTube channels.

CANNES, May 24 — Acclaimed Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev urged President Vladimir Putin to end the “carnage” in Ukraine yesterday after his new movie set during the war came runner-up at the Cannes Film Festival.

“Millions of people on both sides of the line of contact now dream of only one thing: that the massacres finally stop,” he said in his acceptance speech at the awards ceremony in Cannes.

“And the only person who can put an end to this meat grinder is you... put a stop to this carnage, the whole world is waiting for this.”

Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur was among the frontrunners for the Palme d’Or top prize for best film in Cannes, finishing with the second-place Grand Prix award behind Fjord by Romanian director Cristian Mungiu.

The first movie in nine years from the Russian director of Leviathan and Loveless is set against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

It focuses on a callous businessman who must deal with a marital crisis at the same time as requests from local officials to identify employees who can be enrolled in the army.

“It is absolutely awful for me to acknowledge what Russia is doing in Ukraine. Before you now, I can tell you that I am ashamed,” he told reporters during a post-awards press conference.

Zvyagintsev, who now lives in exile in France, told AFP this week that he did not expect his film to be released in his homeland but that many Russians would watch it on pirated copies or by using VPNs. — AFP

BUCHAREST, May 24 — Cristian Mungiu, who won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival yesterday with Fjord, is not a man who is afraid of taking on difficult issues.

He won his first Palme d’Or almost 20 years ago with Four Months, Three Weeks, Two Days, a gruelling indictment of the criminalisation of abortion in Romania that left audiences wincing.

This time he took on another prickly subject with his story drawn from a real-life culture war story of a conservative Christian family whose children are put into care because they are suspected of smacking them.

It raises questions about the prejudices of well-meaning progressive left-wingers without taking a clear position and left many critics at Cannes hotly debating Mungiu’s views.

“Much more should be expected of a progressive society that believes it has found the right answers for the future and still considers itself superior,” Mungiu, who is only the 10th filmmaker to win two Palmes at Cannes, told AFP this week.

The director put together an A-list cast that includes Norwegian star Renate Reinsve of Sentimental Value fame and Sebastian Stan, who played Donald Trump in The Apprentice.

The story covers a familiar theme in Mungiu’s work—the anxieties of a remote community confronted with the arrival of newcomers, in this case a devout Christian family.

“I’m not here to make people feel comfortable,” he told AFP.

 ‘Try to fix things’ 

Mungiu and other New Wave Romanian directors have shone at international festivals for the past two decades with often gritty stories of the country’s post-communist transition.

“Sometimes what we put in our films is not very nice, but if we don’t like what we see, you should try to fix things,” he told AFP in 2016.

Mungiu himself was among tens of thousands who rallied against corruption and controversial judicial reforms in massive 2017 Bucharest protests that eventually brought down the government.

“Before becoming a filmmaker, I am a citizen of this country. I am raising my children here and I would have liked this country to have progressed more” since the fall of communism in 1989, Mungiu said.

In his movies, Mungiu makes ample use of sequence shots, avoids working in studios and prefers natural decors.

“I like it when the environment also tells its story,” he has said.

Born in Iasi city in northeast Romania, Mungiu studied English and American literature at the local university before going to film school in Bucharest.

During his film studies he worked as assistant director on foreign productions made in Romania, notably French director Bertrand Tavernier’s Captain Conan.

After finishing his studies, he worked as a teacher and then as a journalist before turning to filmmaking.

After directing several short films, he made his first feature, Occident, which was a critical success and was shown in the Director’s Fortnight sidebar at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002.

Mungiu founded his own production company, Mobra Films, the following year.

Ambitious works

Four years later, in 2007, he won the top Palme d’Or at Cannes for the harrowing Four Months, Three Weeks, Two Days about an illegal abortion in the 1980s communist Romania of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

In 2012, his drama Beyond the Hills, which looks behind the walls of an Orthodox convent, won him the best screenplay award at the festival and the two protagonists shared best actress.

He won again in 2016, this time named best director for “Graduation”, a film about fatherhood and the corruption undermining the Romanian education system.

He has also been a member of various juries at Cannes. — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Director Yeon Sang-ho’s (Train to Busan, Hellbound) latest zombie thriller, Colony, is off to a strong start at the Malaysian box office, crossing the RM1.4 million mark.

The latest South Korean zombie flick held an advance screening in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday at GSC One Utama, coinciding with its release in South Korea.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the film recorded 199,768 cinema admissions in South Korea on its opening day, citing data from the Korean Film Council.

Malaysia became the first South-east Asian country to officially screen Colony beginning yesterday, drawing a positive early response.

Yeon’s latest feature began filming in early 2025 and wrapped later that same year.

The film premiered in the Midnight Screenings section at the Cannes Film Festival on May 15, 2026, before securing distribution deals in more than 120 international territories.

Starring Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been, Kim Shin-rock and Go Soo, Colony follows a group of survivors trapped inside a building after an unknown infection spreads rapidly.

Cut off from the outside world, they must fight to survive against infected individuals who continuously mutate into increasingly dangerous forms.

Yeon previously shared in an interview that the zombies in Colony represent modern anxieties in an era where rapid information exchange, collective consciousness and artificial intelligence (AI) are gradually replacing individuality.

The film reimagines the zombie genre with a chilling modern twist, delivering a breed of horror audiences have never encountered before.

South Korea’s zombie genre has no doubt risen to prominence since 2016’s Train to Busan, praised for its intense suspense, emotional storytelling and human drama.

Colony aims to bring a fresh perspective to the genre and is currently screening nationwide.

CANNES, May 23 — The duration of a Cannes Film Festival standing ovation ‌is often reported as a spot test on how good a film is, but film critics and journalists question whether the measure holds any merit.

Entertainment outlet Deadline reported that this ‌year’s Spanish competition entry, The Black Ball, received a 20-minute ovation on Thursday night, just two minutes shy of Guillermo del Toro’s 22-minute record with Pan’s Labyrinth two decades ago.

Whether that long ovation predicted success at Cannes will be revealed this evening, when the jury hands out the Palme d’Or top prize to one of 22 films in the competition.

Ovations of some use?

“It’s got all the ingredients for a long ovation,” Deadline awards editor Damon Wise said about The Black Ball, a 135-minute saga about the Spanish Civil War and gay representation in history.

“As the applause ‌is drowning, going down, going down, going down, you cut to Penelope Cruz ⁠and the applause comes back,” said Wise.

He ⁠added that last year’s second-place Cannes winner Sentimental Value, ⁠which went on to win ⁠best international feature at ⁠the Oscars, had a similar kind of ovation.

“I do think they (the ovations) do have their use,” he said.

Pan’s Labyrinth failed to win anything at Cannes ⁠but won three Oscars, for cinematography, art direction and makeup.

However, a lot of them are “performative,” he said, citing how Danish film maker Nicolas Winding Refn actively encouraged the audience to keep going at his dark fable Her Private Hell.

Times may vary

Adding to the doubt is that standing ovation times vary from publication to publication, ⁠with Variety reporting that The Black Ball ovation was only 16 minutes.

“I’m not sure it really is a measure of a great film,” said Anna ⁠Smith, film critic and host of the “Girls on Film” podcast.

Smith said that the ⁠standing ovations ⁠start as a way of being polite but then can quickly go out of control.

“Often, I’ve enthusiastically joined in. But there is a moment where it does start to ‌taper out a bit, and then someone will start up again. Then everyone sort of thinks, ‘Oh, OK, maybe I should join in’,” she said. — Reuters

CANNES, May 23 — Penelope Cruz wanted to be in Cannes Film Festival entry The Black Ball no matter how small the role because she felt the ambitious gay epic about Spanish history could ‌have an important impact on younger people, she said yesterday.

“My decisions aren’t based on how many minutes my character will be on screen; it’s about being part of something, wanting to be part of something that matters to you,” the Oscar-winning Spanish actor told journalists after the premiere the night before.

“Films can’t change the world, but in some cases, they can help make things better,” she said, especially for young people.

“What you experience can sometimes have a greater impact when you’re sitting in a cinema for two and a half hours ... than anything you might study over three years at school.”

Health scare

Cruz, who along with Glenn Close is the only cast member with name recognition outside Spain, has a brief ‌cameo as a wartime entertainer named Nene in the 155-minute movie.

She recalled facing a health scare shortly ⁠before she was supposed to perform her song and ⁠dance, after her doctor told her she may have a brain aneurysm. ⁠Cruz was cleared to shoot the scene ⁠but did not tell ⁠the directors until the next day.

“For me, that moment — I know that when I die as an old woman — will be one of the moments I’ll remember as the most surreal of my whole life: ⁠being up on that tank thinking I had an aneurysm, which in the end turned out to be a false alarm.”

Directors Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, and cast member Penelope Cruz pose during a photocall for the film ‘La bola negra’ (The Black Ball) in competition at the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes May 22, 2026. — Reuters pic

Three intertwining timelines

The new film from Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, affectionately nicknamed Los Javis, features three story lines that revolve around Spanish poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca, homosexuality and the Spanish Civil War.

Discussions about Lorca, one of the most influential figures of 20th-century Spanish literature, barely included ⁠the influence of his sexuality, recalled Ambrossi.

“If you hide the aspect of sexuality and simply portray Federico as a poet without explaining any further — you’re robbing us (the gay community) of a ⁠role model,” he said.

Through the wartime setting, the directors also wanted to show the importance of dialogue and empathy ⁠as the ⁠only means of avoiding violence.

“A lack of communication leads to violence,” said Ambrossi. “I hope the film serves that purpose, to be a window of empathy and to see the other person for the human being they are.”

The Black Ball, one of 22 films competing for the festival’s top prize, was mostly well-received by critics, with The Hollywood Reporter calling it a major standout while Variety described it as “an ambitious but distended drama”. — Reuters

LOS ANGELES, May 23 — Stephen Colbert’s sign-off as the host of the CBS The Late Show may signal the end of a historic TV franchise, but the late-night tradition is far from dead. Comedy is booming on podcasts, where former late-night hosts like Conan O’Brien, Chelsea Handler and Samantha Bee have all found second acts. They’re joined by established comedians ‌like Amy Poehler, stand-up acts like Theo Von, and emerging stars like Kareem Rahma, whose celebrity interviews on the New York City subway have captured widespread attention. Trevor Noah, the former host of The Daily Show, commands a much bigger total audience on his podcast “What Now? With Trevor Noah,” than he did on television. His podcast has attracted nearly 4.6 million subscribers on YouTube, more than 10 times higher than his Comedy Central show audience, which averaged a reported 372,000 viewers in his last year hosting the show.

“YouTube is fantastic. It’s a place where I get to make the shows that I want, with the people that I want, in a way that I want,” Noah said, while hosting YouTube’s upfront presentation to advertisers this month. Compare that to late night TV where audiences have steadily declined. Fifteen years ago, top comedy programmes on the networks could earn more than US$100 million (RM396 million) a year. The economics have drastically changed. Colbert’s The Late Show, which employed an estimated 200 people, including writers, producers, musicians and support staff, was losing as much as US$40 million a year.

Podcasts cost a fraction of television and the ‌talent owns the show, allowing them to reap the financial benefit of the advertising, subscriptions, sponsorships, events and even product sales.

Ad dollars have followed the audience. ⁠At least US$30 million in spending has shifted from TV comedy shows to podcasting over the ⁠last quarter, according to ad tracking firm Guideline. Ad spending on late-night television, meanwhile, has fallen nearly 60 per cent ⁠since 2017.

YouTube’s dominance in the living room has ⁠helped fuel the surge in podcasts, particularly ⁠video podcasts, which look like TV talk shows. It has become the most popular destination for weekly podcasts, eclipsing Spotify and Apple, according to Edison Research at SSRS.

In October alone, viewers watched more than 700 million hours of podcasts on YouTube from their living rooms, up from 400 million hours a year earlier.

Conan O’Brien speaks on stage during the Oscars show at the 98th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California March 15, 2026. — Reuters pic

O’Brien helped blaze the ⁠trail for other comedians who have exited the late-night stage. He launched the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast eight years after walking away from NBC’s The Tonight Show in 2010.

It now ranks 15th among the nation’s top 50 podcasts, according to Edison Research, and has racked up more than 230 million downloads since it debuted in 2018.

“He got pushed off late-night,” said Megan Lazovick, Edison’s vice president of research. “Now, he has this huge career, and really the freedom to do whatever he wants.”

That freedom stands in stark contrast to the corporate and political pressures found in traditional TV, forces that led to the dismantling of CBS’s The ⁠Late Show franchise.

“You’re not just a hired host on someone else’s real estate,” said Ben Davis, co-head of digital at the WME talent agency, who represents “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans and Amy Poehler. “You can own your show, do what you want with it creatively.”

People gather outside of the Ed Sullivan Theatre before the taping of the final episode of the ‘The Late Show’ with Stephen Colbert, in New York City May 21, 2026. — Reuters pic

Davis said that owning ⁠a podcast, and building its business through advertising, sponsorships, and licensing deals, can yield the sort of payoff that “dwarfs the upfront compensation” talent might receive from a traditional ⁠TV show. He declined ⁠to provide specific financial details about the agency’s clients, which include Colbert.

Advertising giant WPP estimates ad revenue from podcasts has increased by 25 per cent in the first quarter of the year, compared with a year ago.

Comedy has always been at the “fringe of brand safety,” said Sean Wright, Guideline’s chief insights and analytics officer. “The whole point is to push on boundaries to ‌make things funny.”

As for Colbert, he may not take the podcast route anytime soon. He is working with filmmaker Peter Jackson on a new movie based on the early chapters of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

“I will see you all in the shire,” he said in a YouTube video announcing the project. — Reuters

CANNES, May 23 — Austrian director Sandra Wollner won the Cannes Film Festival’s second-tier Un Certain ‌Regard selection on Friday with her ​understated family drama about grief, Everytime.

While less globally famous than the main Competition section, winning or even being selected ‌for Un Certain Regard is a meaningful career boost.

Past selections ​have included work by Sofia Coppola, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Cristian Mungiu — the latter two have films in this year’s competition line-up.

Wollner used her acceptance speech ​to call for protecting unique personal stories in the time of artificial intelligence, which she said produces “the same of the same” to avoid risks.

“I honestly would like to hold on to those quirky, weird thoughts that maybe don’t make ‌sense in the beginning, but hopefully stay with you maybe a ⁠little longer,” she said.

Everytime, Wollner’s ⁠third feature, is “an exceptionally well-calibrated study of ⁠an untimely death and its ⁠aftermath,” wrote entertainment ⁠outlet ScreenDaily in its review.

Elephants in The Fog, the festival’s first Nepali film and director Abinash Bikram Shah’s first feature, took ⁠the second-place jury prize.

He summoned the whole team behind the exploration of Nepal’s transgender community up on stage to celebrate, with festival director Thierry Fremaux having to usher them off to continue.

The animated French film Iron Boy took home the special jury prize, while ⁠Marina De Tavira, Daniela Marin Navarro and Mariangel Villegas shared the best actress prize for the Costa Rica-set Forever Your Maternal ⁠Animal.

Bradley Fiomona Dembeasset won best actor for Congo Boy, a drama about a ⁠teenager ⁠in the Central African Republic who dreams of a music career amid ​a civil war.

The opening film for ​this year’s section was Jane Schoenbruen’s ‌exploration of sexuality and horror with actor Gillian ​Anderson in Teenage Sex and ​Death at Camp Miasma. — Reuters

CANNES, May 23 — A tense family drama set against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is among the favourites for top prize at the Cannes Film Festival which will be handed out on Saturday.

The world’s biggest film festival is set to bestow its annual Palme d’Or for best film at a star-packed ceremony on the French Riviera after two weeks of premieres, red carpets and parties.

Minotaur, by exiled Russian auteur Andrey Zvyagintsev, depicting a callous and calculating Russian businessman in the midst of Russia’s mobilisation for the Ukraine war, has emerged as one of several strong contenders for the prize.

“Those who agree that it’s time to put an end to this hell, and that it’s a nightmare and a disaster for Russia, those people will understand this film clearly,” Zvyagintsev told AFP this week, referring to the war.

Other critics’ favourites include La Bola Negra, a big-budget Spanish drama about multiple gay lives, arty black-and-white historical drama Fatherland, and Fjord, which stars Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve.

A widely praised French production, A Man of His Time, about an ambitious local official working in France’s collaborationist government during World War II, or poignant humanist drama All of a Sudden, by Japan’s Ryusuke Hamaguchi might also be in with a shot.

This year’s jury is headed by South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook and includes Hollywood star Demi Moore and Oscar-winning Nomadland director Chloe Zhao.

Last year’s prize was handed to It Was Just an Accident, a political drama written and directed by dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi that tackled issues of torture and revenge in the Islamic republic.

Other prizes 

Some prizes have already been handed out, with Iranian documentary Rehearsals for a Revolution, about political repression in the war-wracked country by exiled actress and director Pegah Ahangarani, taking the top documentary prize.

One of Britain’s only feature films showing in Cannes, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning, by Clio Barnard about a group of five friends, picked up top prize in the parallel Directors’ Fortnight section.

The 79th edition of the film festival was packed with its usual stable of A-listers from John Travolta to Cate Blanchett, but Hollywood was under-represented.

No major US studio agreed to launch a blockbuster at Cannes this year, or at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, raising questions about why giants such as Universal, Disney or Warner are dodging European events.

Other big talking points included the use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking, as well as the continued under-representation of women in the industry.

Only five out of 22 of the films in the main competition this year were directed by women. — AFP

BARCELONA, May 23 — Hundreds of Bad Bunny fans braved long queues and the heat of Barcelona on Friday as the Puerto Rican superstar kicks off the 29-concert European leg of his world tour.

Bad Bunny devotees, some holding umbrellas to guard against the sun, lined up outside the Spanish city’s Olympic stadium hours ahead of the show on Friday night to try to secure a spot close to the stage.

“We’ve been here for two hours waiting, but really, how long have we been waiting for Bad Bunny here in Catalonia, in Barcelona?” journalist Adria Capdevila, 22, told AFP.

“We don’t know if we’ll ever get to see him again... since it might be the last time, you live it with maximum energy, maximum enthusiasm,” he said.

Bad Bunny’s world tour began last year with a 31-concert residency in San Juan in support of his latest album, Debi Tirar Mas Fotos (I Should Have Taken More Photos), which blends traditional Puerto Rican music with reggaeton and trap.

The European tour includes two nights in Barcelona and two in Lisbon before moving to Madrid for 10 concerts at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium.

The tour will then continue through Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, France, Sweden, Poland and Italy before concluding in Brussels on July 22.

Bad Bunny fans pose outside the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona, as they queue for the Puerto Rican superstar’s World Tour’s first European show on May 22, 2026. — AFP pic

It has already taken in Latin America, Australia and Japan but he did not play in the United States to shield fans from potential raids by immigration authorities.

Bad Bunny appeared in the Super Bowl halftime show in February, but supporters of US President Donald Trump criticised him for performing only in Spanish.

The 32-year-old rose from the Puerto Rican underground music scene to become one of the world’s biggest acts, helping push reggaeton and Latin trap into the global mainstream.

He took home three Grammy awards in February including for album of the year. — AFP

NEW YORK, May 22 — Paul McCartney led an all-star lineup for the final episode of The Late Show as frontman Stephen Colbert bowed out after broadcaster CBS cancelled his show as it courted US President Donald Trump.

But one A-lister who eluded the comic to the end was the pope, whom Colbert, a devout Catholic, had long touted as his dream guest.

“The pope, who was definitely my guest tonight, has cancelled,” Colbert joked, blaming a dispute over hotdogs before McCartney appeared to rapturous cheers.

The show, which Colbert has hosted since 2015, was axed after he mocked the broadcaster for a US$16 million settlement with Trump for allegedly “maliciously” editing an interview with his Democratic election rival Kamala Harris.

Colbert called it a “big fat bribe”.

CBS has insisted the decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the ratings leader in the time slot, was purely financial — and that it was a coincidence the move came as CBS parent company Paramount lobbied for government approval of its UA$8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media.

Stephen Colbert accepts the Outstanding Talk Series Emmy for ‘The Late Show’ at the 77th Primetime Awards in Los Angeles, September 14, 2025. — AFP pic

Around that time, CBS brought in Bari Weiss, a right-wing journalist without significant TV experience, to run its news division.

In the weeks leading to Thursday’s curtain call, 62-year-old Colbert has at times cut a subdued figure, lacking some of his usual cheerful flair.

On Thursday he told the audience that “we were here to field the news with you, and I don’t know about you, but I sure have felt it”.

Colbert did not mention Trump directly on Thursday, instead using a recurring CGI wormhole gag as a metaphor for the president’s impact on US public life.

McCartney sang Beatles mega-hit Hello, Goodbye to the capacity crowd at New York’s Ed Sullivan theatre where the Beatles performed in 1964 when they made their US debut.

“We thought America was just the land of the free, the greatest democracy. Was. Still is hopefully,” he said, wagging his finger at Colbert.

There were cameos from actors Tim Meadows, Paul Rudd, Ryan Reynolds and Bryan Cranston.

Paul McCartney led an all-star lineup for the final episode of ‘The Late Show’ as frontman Stephen Colbert bowed out after broadcaster CBS cancelled his show as it courted US President Donald Trump. — Reuters pic

“It was amazing. No he didn’t cry — he somehow kept his composure through it all,” audience member Koenraad Smits, 31, told AFP after the taping finished.

A huge crowd formed around the storied Manhattan theatre cheering every celebrity arrival and trying to listen through the stage door.

Late night hosts on the main networks have drawn Trump’s ire for their barbs against him and alleged liberal bias.

Colbert’s fellow funnyman Jimmy Kimmel was briefly taken off the air in September 2025 by his network ABC after complaints about a remark he made over the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

“You know, actually, one of these holes opened at my show last year, but it went away after about three days,” Kimmel said of the “wormhole” destroying Colbert’s show.

He has told Colbert’s fans to cancel their subscriptions to CBS’ digital platform.

‘Fired and festive’

Trump has repeatedly attacked media and press freedom since returning to office, using lawsuits and regulatory threats to retaliate for unflattering news coverage and jokes.

The president has long been a fierce critic of late-night talk show hosts and their jabs at him. Trump has called Colbert a “pathetic trainwreck” who should be “put to sleep”.

One late night host bidding a less fond farewell was Greg Gutfeld of right-wing Fox News.

“I was just talking about it this morning with my Uber driver — Stephen Colbert,” he said on his show Wednesday.

Colbert made his name playing a fictitious version of himself, embodying the type of conservative blowhard beloved by Fox News viewers — and derided by the left.

He first played the sharp-suited but dim-witted character on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart before getting a spin-off, The Colbert Report.

Colbert ascended to the pinnacle of US late-night TV when he was named host of the CBS flagship, shedding the character and employing his own voice.

Colbert has been coy about his next steps but announced he will be a writer on a future Lord of the Rings movie.

“Now a lot of people been asking me what I plan to do after tonight, and the answer is drugs,” he joked Thursday.

Rival late-night hosts all aired re-runs Thursday out of respect for Colbert’s swansong, which had an afterparty themed “Fired and festive!” — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — Just months after their last appearance in Malaysia, legendary Cantopop/Mandopop trio Grasshopper — Calvin Choy, Edmond So and Remus Choy — are set to return for another concert in August.

Following the announcement of the GRASSHOPPER THREE IN LOVE CONCERT 2026 at Unifi Arena Bukit Jalil on August 29 (Saturday, 8pm), tickets were snapped up quickly, with the show selling out in a short period of time.

A second show has now been added on August 30 (Sunday) to meet overwhelming demand.

The newly added date will give more fans the chance to join Grasshopper’s anniversary celebration and revisit the group’s biggest hits.

The trio continues to enjoy a strong following in Malaysia, as seen during their performance at Arena of Stars last December, which drew a crowd close to the venue’s 5,000-seat capacity.

Formed in 1985, Grasshopper are regarded as pioneers of the Hong Kong boy band scene and remain widely popular across Asia.

The group, long associated with Hong Kong icon Anita Mui during its early rise, continues to maintain a strong presence in the region, with enduring support from Malaysian fans.

Tickets for the second show will go on sale on May 27, 2026 (Wednesday) at 11am via https://www.fantopia.io/

Prices range from RM288 to RM888.

For more information, refer to Book My Show and Fantopia’s official social media channels.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — As announced back in January, BTS is coming to Kuala Lumpur this December for a two-day show on December 12 and 13 (Saturday and Sunday).

The Malaysia stop has now been confirmed as part of the BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’, with the concerts set to take place at TM National Stadium.

This tour will mark BTS’s first headline tour together since their landmark PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE tour, which included 12 sold-out shows across Seoul, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.

The ARIRANG tour has already delivered several historic milestones, including the first-ever headline K-pop concerts at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Demand for the tour has been unprecedented with the band selling out all 41 stadium dates across North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom, moving nearly 2.4 million tickets.

 

 

 

 

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BTS, consisting of RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook, has captured the hearts of millions of fans globally since debuting in June 2013.

Recognised for their authentic, self-produced music, and top-tier performances, the band’s deep connection with fans has always remained strong through the years.

For Malaysians, it would mark their first concert in Malaysia since 2015, when they last appeared in the country during their early Red Bullet tour years.

The upcoming two-day shows will feature an immersive 360-degree, in-the-round stage design, placing fans at the centre of the experience while expanding the overall stadium capacity.

The general on-sale will begin Friday, June 5, at 11am via https://www.golive-asia.com/home

For more information, visit Live Nation’s social media channels.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — Tarung: Unforgiven, which has passed the RM15 million mark, continues its successful run by holding on to the No. 1 spot at the local box office.

Tamil-language film Karuppu, starring acclaimed Indian actor Suriya, is enjoying similar success in Malaysia and has now climbed to second place.

Adding Libang Libu and Mother Bhumi to the mix, a total of three local films have made the Malaysian box office chart this week.

Local content is also performing strongly on streaming platforms, from Good Boys Go to Heaven reaching No. 1 on Netflix, while Aku Pilih Pelangi has remained at the top of Viu for several weeks.

Cinema line-ups are packed, alongside streaming platforms that include Disney+.

From movies, series, music, and top book recommendations, Malay Mail has compiled the best entertainment picks for you to explore, ensuring your weekend is anything but ordinary.

Top 10 films in local cinemas (Domestic & International) (May 14 to May 17)

1. Tarung: Unforgiven
2. Karuppu
3. Michael
4. Libang Libu
5. Cold War 1994
6. The Devil Wears Prada 2
7. Mortal Kombat II
8. Salmokji: Whispering Water
9. Mother Bhumi
10. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Source: Cinema.com

Top 10 streaming (May 11 to May 17)

Netflix (Top 10 TV)

TV Series

1. Good Boys Go to Heaven: Season 1
2. My Royal Nemesis: Limited Series
3. Griya: Season 1
4. Bapa Mentuaku Mafia: Season 1
5. The WONDERfools: Limited Series
6. Sold Out on You: Limited Series
7. If Wishes Could Kill: Limited Series
8. Phantom Lawyer
9. Devil May Cry: Season 2
10. Wistoria: Wand and Sword: Season 2

Source: Netflix Top 10

Viu (Top 10 shows)

1. Aku Pilih Pelangi
2. The Scarecrow
3. Running Man (2026)
4. Fresh off the Sea in Calape
5. Zhan Zhao Adventures
6. Taxi Driver 3
7. Azure Spring
8. Unplanned Trip: Limited Edition
9. Phantom Lawyer
10. 2 Days 1 Night (Season 4)

Source: Viu Frontpage

Disney+ (Top 10 shows)

1. The Testaments
2. Abbott Elementary: Season 5
3. Gold Land
4. Will Trent: Season 4
5. Bluey Minisodes: Season 2
6. Flowers of the Evil
7. Welcome to Wrexham: Season 5
8. Travis Japan Summer Vacation!! In the USA
9. Rivals: Season 2
10. Tucci in Italy: Season 2

Source: Disney+

Top 10 songs of the week (Spotify) (May 12 to May 20)

1. Gareth.T - 玻璃
2. Bruno Mars - Risk It All
3. Katy Perry - The One That Got Away
4. Justin Bieber - Beauty And A Beat (w/ Nicki Minaj)
5. Piche Kota - Bahagia Lagi
6. Raim Laode - Iqro’
7. Sal Priadi - Ada titik-titik di ujung doa
8. Ifan Seventeen - Jangan Paksa Rindu - Beda
9. Nadhif Basalamah - kota ini tak sama tanpamu
10. Nadhif Basalamah - bergema sampai selamanya

Top 10 Malay songs of the week (Spotify) (May 12 to May 20)

1. Adira Suhaimi - Sayang Orang Sama
2. Aufahanie - Butterfly
3. Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, Ade Govinda - Menamakanmu Cinta
4. Alpha - P Ramlee Saloma
5. Mojo - Romancinta
6. Zynakal, Zamir Harith, Mojack Hafiz, Bel Janni - Dalam Diam
7. Ifan Seventeen - Jangan Paksa Rindu - Beda
8. Hael Husaini, Nadeera - Peluk
9. Nadhif Basalamah, Aziz Harun, Aisha Retno - Kota ini tak sama tanpamu
10. Farrel Hilal - Keliling

Source: kworb.net and Spotify 

Top 10 books of the week (May 8 to May 15)

Fiction

1. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (HarperCollins)
2. Strange Buildings by Uketsu (Pushkin Vertigo)
3. Strange Pictures by Uketsu (HarperVia)
4. Strange Houses by Uketsu (HarperVia)
5. I Could Give You The Moon by Ann Liang (HarperTeen)
6. King of Gluttony by Ana Huang (Piatkus)
7. Heart the Lover by Lily King (Grove Press)
8. Butter by Asako Yuzuki (Ecco)
9. Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak (Flatiron Books)
10. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco)

Non-Fiction

1. Once Upon a Miao (Remastered): I Love My Hometown by Jian Goh (Space Voyager Log PLT)
2. Surrounded by Idiots (10th Anniversary Edition) by Thomas Erikson (Macmillan Audio)
3. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins & Sawyer Robbins (Hay House LLC)
4. Atomic Habits by James Clear (Avery)
5. I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki Baek Sehee (Penerbit Haru)
6. Dark Psychology and Manipulation William Cooper (AcePremier)
7. Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest (2026) by Lee Su Kin & Stephen J. Hall (World Scientific Press)
8. The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest
9. It’s Okay Not to Get Along with Everyone by Dancing Snail (Blink Publishing)
10. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie (Gallery Books)

Mutiara Minda (Malay Novels)

1. Badass Wife Ungku Jabbar by Mia Azwari (Hash Novels Publication)
2. Rubah Putih by Ramlee Awang Murshid (Buku Prima)
3. Cold Case by Azmeer Shah (Buku Prima)
4. Yes! Captain Zul Aaryan by Wnfhanna (Idea Kreatif)
5. Lily, His Forbidden Love by Cik Bawang (Rinsya Chasiani Publication)
6. Thariq Ridzuwan Commando’s: His Treasure by Hudanajwa (Idea Kreatif)
7. Qaid: The Unknown by Effalee (Manes Wordworks)
8. Kaisar by Jiwa (Nukilan Biruni Publication)
9. 100 Hari di Sebuah Restoran Tanpa Menu by Cheongye (Penterjemah: Shafiqah Azman)
10. Dirty Little Secret by Elvroseth (Idea Kreatif)

Source: MPH

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — Taiwanese star Jay Chou will return to perform in Malaysia on January 23, 2027 (Saturday) at 7.30pm at the TM National Stadium as part of his “Carnival II” World Tour.

The concert will introduce the world’s first “One City, One Theme” concept, celebrating Chou’s musical legacy by featuring timeless classics alongside brand-new hits from his 25-year career — all brought to life through a completely renewed grand concert experience.

The singer-songwriter is widely regarded as one of the biggest and most influential figures in the world of Mandopop.

With a career spanning more than two decades, Chou has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and continues to perform to sold-out stadiums across the globe.

 

 

 

 

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He has returned to Malaysia many times since his first visit in 2002 the most recent being in 2024 then named Bukit Jalil National Stadium, that drew around 60,000 fans.

Chou has also showcased his acting talent in films such as Initial D playing the lead role, followed by titles like Curse of the Golden Flower, and even Hollywood features like The Green Hornet and Now You See Me 2.

Fans nationwide are expected to swarm the stadium once again as the King of Mandopop prepares to ignite the stage for his Malaysian supporters.

Tickets of the Malaysia show for “Carnival II” World Tour 2027  will go on sale June 3, 10am via https://my.bookmyshow.com/en/events/jay-chou-2027/JC27WTMY

Ticket Prices: RM1,138/RM988/RM838/RM688/RM588/RM488/RM388 (Ticket prices exclude booking fees)

More information can be found on the book my show official social channels.

SEOUL, May 22 — Director Yeon Sang-ho’s latest zombie thriller Colony has surged to the top of the box office after recording the highest first-day admissions of the year, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The film drew 199,768 cinema admissions on its opening day, Yonhap reported, citing data from the Korean Film Council. 

That figure places it ahead of all other releases this year and surpasses the previous record of around 150,000 set by the Hollywood comedy The Devil Wears Prada 2.

With the strong debut, Colony secured the No. 1 spot at the box office, comfortably leading new and returning titles.

The film marks Yeon’s return to the zombie genre following global hit Train to Busan (2016). 

It stars Jun Ji-hyun as biotechnology professor Se-jeong, who joins a group of survivors attempting to escape a building sealed off after a viral outbreak.

As of 9am on Friday, Colony also led nationwide ticket reservation rates at 49.3 per cent, followed by Michael at 12.9 per cent and Wild Sing at 6.7 per cent, according to Yonhap data.

ANTIBES (France), May 22 — Celebrities including Rami Malek, Eva Longoria and Lizzo gathered on the grounds of the immaculate Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on Thursday evening for the amfAR Gala to raise money for HIV/AIDS research.

Oscar winner Geena Davis returned to the event after nearly three decades to host this year’s gala on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival in the French Riviera village of Antibes.

In addition to Lizzo, singer-songwriters Robbie Williams and Zara Larsson provided the entertainment for the black-tie crowd in between auction rounds at the event, where the least expensive supporter ticket runs to €17,500 (RM80,500).

Items on the auction block included the Philip Colbert sculpture Reclining Lobster, a seven-day private Arctic expedition and a walk-on role in Season 6 of Emily in Paris.

“The world is in such a dark place, so any chance that we have to be able to be some sort of light is so important,” said actor and singer Sofia Carson, best known as a former Disney star who has transitioned into film and producing.

The amfAR gala, first championed by screen icon Elizabeth Taylor in 1993, has to date raised more than US$300 million towards research on HIV/AIDS, according to the organisers.

“It’s not over yet. We’ve made progress. It’s progress we embrace and we’re very proud of. But as I like to say, we can see the finish line right now,” amfAR CEO Kyle Clifford told Reuters before the dinner.

Davis, whose performance in road movie Thelma & Louise features on the film festival’s poster this year, is no stranger to philanthropy, having founded the Geena Davis Institute for equitable media representation in 2004.

The actor, known for A League of Their Own and Beetlejuice, will be starring in Netflix series The Boroughs, from Stranger Things makers the Duffer Brothers, which also launches globally on Thursday. — Reuters 

CANNES, May 22 — A black-and-white photo of World War One soldiers posing in sandbag skirts and shell jewellery, in stark contrast to typical images of the conflict, provided the starting point for Cannes Film Festival entry Coward, said Belgian director Lukas Dhont.

Dhont said growing up in Belgium, where cemeteries from the war are a constant reminder, gave him a strong personal connection to the period.

What struck him about the photograph, he said, was that he had never seen depictions of young men dressing up as women or performing on stage in war films, which tend to focus on the brutality.

“We have pushed those images to the front, and we have forgotten and made those images of softness and of expression rather invisible,” he told Reuters ahead of the premiere on Thursday night.

“I found out that throughout many wars, not only the World War One in all the armies, men, while they were waiting to fight, they created these small performances for one another,” he said.

Dhont said the idea that soldiers used performance and creativity as a form of resistance while waiting to fight was a key motivation for the film, along with his interest in exploring same-sex desire.

“These men live in a time where their love had to be unspoken, had to be incredibly silent,” Dhont said.

“But weirdly enough, the war at that time brought them together.”

Frontline romance

Coward is Dhont’s second feature to compete for the festival’s top prize after Close in 2022, which was later nominated for the Oscar best international feature film.

His directorial debut, Girl, won the Camera d’Or best first feature prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

Newcomer Emmanuel Macchia stars as Pierre, a farmer’s son who is sent to the front to help clean up dead bodies, retrieve the wounded and haul shells. He unexpectedly finds solace — a burgeoning romance — at the camp’s makeshift theatre run by Francis, played by Valentin Campagne.

Critics were broadly favourable, with entertainment outlet Deadline pointing to Macchia as “a fresh talent” who understands that “great screen acting is in the eyes.”

Dhont said he visited agricultural schools in Belgium to cast the role of Pierre, recalling his first meeting with Macchia.

“He was so soft speaking and so tender, and he just moved me,” said Dhont. “He just carries this film, with so much maturity also.”

Coward is among 22 films competing for the festival’s top prize, which will be awarded at Saturday’s closing ceremony. — Reuters 

LOS ANGELES, May 22 —  The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first Star Wars movie in seven years, heads to theatres this weekend as Walt Disney bets on the charm of Baby Yoda to re-energise the film franchise.

Disney put the Star Wars movies on hiatus following 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker after executives concluded they had released too many films in a short period. 

That same year, the Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian became a hit on the Disney+ streaming service.

The series introduced a small green creature with oversized eyes, initially dubbed Baby Yoda and later revealed to be named Grogu, that became a pop culture sensation.

Grogu’s big-screen adventure, however, may open with the smallest domestic box office result for any Star Wars movie since Disney bought the franchise from creator George Lucas in 2012.

Analysts predict The Mandalorian and Grogu will take in roughly US$75 million (RM297 million) to US$100 million over the Memorial Day weekend at US and Canadian theatres.

Disney’s lowest-grossing Star Wars film, Solo: A Star Wars Story, brought in US$103 million over Memorial Day weekend in 2018 and was considered a flop.

“What Disney is trying to figure out is, theatrically speaking, is Star Wars still essential? Do people still feel like they need to go see it in the theatres?” said Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co.

Bock said he expected Mandalorian and Grogu to bring in roughly US$85 million domestically through Monday.

That would be a success, Bock said, given the film cost about US$165 million to make compared with US$300 million-plus production budgets for other Star Wars movies.

It also would spark more sales of Baby Yoda toys and T-shirts, he said.

Critics so far are split

The movie stars Pedro Pascal as a helmeted Mandalorian bounty hunter who works with Grogu to free a prisoner in the galaxy far, far away.

At a fan event in London, Pascal pitched the movie as “a big-screen experience” like the ones he watched as a child.

The franchise debuted in 1977 and has taken in more than US$10 billion at theatres worldwide.

“People lost their minds over Star Wars, which is why it exists as it does today and why it needs to be on a big screen again,” he said.

Critics so far are split on the movie, which as of Wednesday had a 60 per cent positive rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website.

Daily Beast entertainment critic Nick Schager called the film “a swashbuckling space Western that deftly marries combative spectacle and kid-friendly cuteness.”

Bilge Ebiri, Vulture and New York film critic, found the movie “drab and stone-faced to a fault.”

Disney’s next movie, Star Wars: Starfighter featuring Ryan Gosling, is scheduled to hit cinemas in May 2027. — Reuters 

NEW YORK, May 21 — “The Late Show” frontman Stephen Colbert will host the final edition of the 33-year-old US cultural institution tonight after it was cancelled by CBS as the network courted President Donald Trump.

The show, which Colbert has hosted since 2015, was axed after he mocked the broadcaster for a US$16 million settlement with Trump for allegedly “maliciously” editing an interview with his Democratic election rival Kamala Harris.

Colbert called it a “big fat bribe.”

CBS has insisted the decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the ratings leader in the time slot, was purely financial—and that it was a coincidence the move came as CBS parent company Paramount lobbied for government approval of its US$8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media.

Around that time CBS brought in Bari Weiss, a right-wing journalist without significant TV experience, to run its news division.

In the weeks leading to today’s curtain call, 62-year-old Colbert has at times cut a subdued figure, lacking some of his usual cheerful flair.

“Sometimes you only truly know how much you love something when you get a sense you might be losing it,” Colbert said while accepting an Emmy award last year.

Colbert was clearly moved when he was joined in his studio by fellow late night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver, who paid tribute in the penultimate week.

Kimmel was briefly taken off the air in September 2025 by his network ABC after complaints about a remark he made over the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Trump has repeatedly attacked media and press freedom since returning to office, using lawsuits and regulatory threats to retaliate for unflattering news coverage and jokes.

The US president has long been a fierce critic of late-night talk show hosts and their jabs at him. Trump has called Colbert a “pathetic trainwreck” who should be “put to sleep.”

One late night host who did not join the gathering of funnymen who pillory the US president night after night was Greg Gutfeld, host of “Gutfeld!” on Fox News—the network popular with conservatives.

Asked in November about both the cancellation and Kimmel’s suspension, Gutfeld said, “Why did it take so long?”

Colbert has been coy about his next steps but announced he will be a writer on a forthcoming Lord of the Rings movie—as well as lying down and taking a breather. — AFP pic

‘Can’t take a man’s voice’ 

Colbert made his name playing a fictitious version of himself, embodying the type of conservative blowhard beloved by Fox News viewers—and derided by the left.

He first played the sharp-suited but dim-witted character on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart before getting a spin-off, The Colbert Report.

Colbert ascended to the pinnacle of US late-night TV when he was named host of the CBS flagship, shedding the character and employing his own voice.

In the weeks leading to today, Colbert auctioned off a raft of props and costumes featured on the show, as well as pieces of set including a giant illuminated sign. Proceeds will go to World Central Kitchen.

Colbert has been coy about his next steps but announced he will be a writer on a forthcoming Lord of the Rings movie—as well as lying down and taking a breather.

Details of the last broadcast were scant, with show insiders tight-lipped when contacted by AFP.

One guest has eluded Colbert: the pope. The host, a devout Catholic, has called the pontiff his “white whale.”

While an impromptu trip to New York seems unlikely, Pope Leo XIV’s public schedule is clear on May 21.

Colbert’s fellow late-night hosts were all due to air re-runs Thursday out of respect for Colbert’s swansong.

And the theme of the after-party? “Fired and festive!”

Ahead of the final show, Colbert brought back former Late Show host David Letterman who steered the ship from 1993 until 2015.

The pair ascended to the roof of the show’s Ed Sullivan Theater to throw furniture at a giant logo of CBS, describing it as “wanton destruction of CBS property.”

“You can take a man’s show,” said Letterman. “You can’t take a man’s voice.” — AFP

NEW YORK, May 21 — French fashion house Louis Vuitton combined ruffles, biker leather and the graphic art of Keith Haring for its celebrity-packed cruise 2027 show at a New York museum last night.

Under the gaze of Zendaya, Anne Hathaway and Cate Blanchett, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director for women’s wear Nicolas Ghesquiere presented a collection built on contrasts and bright pops of color.

Structured leather jackets were paired with fluffy Medici collars.

Ensembles were punctuated by the Pop Art movement’s orange, pink and green, while also giving way to deep purple, dusty pink and teal.

Whether the models donned heels or sneakers, the shoes were metallic, and legs were on display with boxer shorts, biker shorts and tailored Bermuda suits.

Hats—bucket or brimless—topped models’ heads when hair wasn’t left loose and marked with the horizontal streaks popularized by figure skater Alysa Liu, the brand’s new ambassador.

The show was held at The Frick Collection, marking the first time a fashion show has been hosted by the museum since its renovation last year.

Formerly the mansion of a steel magnate, the museum teems with an impressive collection of European paintings and art dating back to the Renaissance. Models stalked down the runway, passing under archways and past famed artworks.

“Within the timeless rooms of The Frick Collection, beauty and art transcend time in a quiet dialogue, while beyond its walls, New York City pulses with constant reinvention—a convergence of contrasts,” the fashion house posted on Instagram, with the brand and the museum announcing a three-year patronage partnership.

Notably, Louis Vuitton will fund three temporary major exhibitions and host free visitor after-hours evenings at the museum on the first Fridays of every month for a year.

Europe’s major fashion houses have shown exceptional interest in the American market and culture recently.

Louis Vuitton’s men’s collection by hip hop star Pharrell Williams drew inspiration from the Big Apple, and Gucci and Dior have recently unveiled their cruise collections in New York and Los Angeles, respectively.

In December, Chanel held its show in the New York subway. — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — Che Puan Sarimah Ibrahim remains one of Malaysia’s most recognisable entertainment figures, with a career spanning decades as a television host, radio presenter, actress and singer.

Despite her success, the veteran entertainer continues to seek roles that challenge her creatively and broaden her artistic range.

Her latest projects include Pewaris Susuk, where she plays Seroja, and Konspirasi, in which she stars as Datuk Suraya.

In an interview with Malay Mail, Che Puan stressed the importance of education for aspiring entertainers.

“I said the same thing I said to myself — don’t stop studying and always get your education.”

She said lifelong learning has always been a priority for her, including studying Psychology and pursuing a degree alongside other educational pursuits.

“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

“Make sure you complete your education before going into the arts.”

She acknowledged that while other countries may operate on a larger global scale, Malaysia’s entertainment industry is comparatively smaller, making it important to remain realistic and grounded when setting targets.

Che Puan also cautioned against burnout, noting that the entertainment industry can be physically, mentally and emotionally demanding.

“You have to be really prepared before going in so that you don’t fall into things like addiction or depression.

“Jobs are scarce, and opportunities come and go, so you need to make sure you have something to fall back on,” she added, emphasising the importance of education.

She concluded that resilience, preparation and realistic expectations are essential for aspiring entertainers navigating an industry where opportunities can be unpredictable and short-lived.

Over the years, Che Puan Sarimah Ibrahim has earned praise for her emotionally grounded and convincing performances on screen.

Konspirasi, now showing in cinemas nationwide, further highlights her versatility as an actress.

She described the film as carrying a sincere and meaningful message about love for Malaysia without relying on clichés.