Category: 5. Entertainment

  • Squid Game season three divides viewers as bleak themes hit home

    Squid Game season three divides viewers as bleak themes hit home

    Koh Ewe, Juna Moon and Rachel Lee

    BBC News

    Reporting fromSingapore and Seoul
    Getty Images A giant sculpture of a doll from the show Squid Game stands in front of a Korean temple, holding what appears to be a tug-o-war rope, next to a sign of the word NetflixGetty Images

    A giant killer doll, among other motifs of Squid Game, were part of a parade celebrating the show’s final season

    Warning: This article contains spoilers.

    Millions of fans are bidding farewell to Squid Game, the Emmy award-winning TV series that has topped Netflix’s charts and become a symbol of South Korea’s ascendance in Hollywood.

    The fictional show follows cash-strapped players as they battle it out in a series of traditional Korean children’s games – with a gory twist, as losers are killed in every round.

    Squid Game has sucked in viewers since 2021 with its candy-coloured sets and bleak messages about capitalism and humanity. And with its third and final season released last Friday, fans across the world are returning to reality.

    Some South Koreans, however, have found themselves reflecting on the society that inspired the dystopian series.

    “I feel like Squid Game 3 revealed the true feelings and raw inner thoughts of Korean people,” reads one YouTube comment under a clip from season three.

    “It reflected reality so well like how in real life, at work, it’s just full of ruthless people ready to crush you. This show nailed it.”

    Relatable struggles

    Squid Game was born against the backdrop of cut-throat competition and widening inequality in South Korean societywhere people are too stressed to have children and a university placement exam is seen as the defining moment of a person’s life.

    The diverse characters of the show – which include a salaryman, a migrant factory worker and a cryptocurrency scammer – are drawn from figures many South Koreans would find familiar.

    The backstory of protagonist Seong Gi-hun, a car factory worker who was laid off and later went on strike, was also inspired by a real-life event: a 2009 strike at the SsangYong Motor factory, where workers clashed with riot police over widespread layoffs. It’s remembered today as one of the country’s largest labour confrontations.

    “The drama may be fictional, but it feels more realistic than reality itself,” Jeong Cheol Sang, a film enthusiast, wrote in his review of Squid Game’s final season.

    “Precarious labour, youth unemployment, broken families – these aren’t just plot devices, but the very struggles we face every day.”

    Getty Images Pink Guards of Squid Game pose for a photograph with a fan during a parade eventGetty Images

    Squid Game has become a symbol of K-drama’s prowess on the global stage

    Those darker messages seemed to be brushed to the side on Saturday night, as a massive parade celebrated the release of the blockbuster’s final season. A giant killer doll and dozens of faceless guards in tracksuits – among other motifs of the deadly games – marched down central Seoul to much fanfare.

    For South Korea’s leaders, Squid Game has become a symbol of K-drama’s success on the global stage. It is also part of a string of successes – along with K-pop act BTS and Oscar-winning film Parasite – on which newly elected president Lee Jae Myung wants to capitalise as he sets his sights on exporting K-culture far and wide.

    There are signs the Squid Game hype may even go further: the show’s final scene, where Cate Blanchett plays a Korean game with a man in a Los Angeles alley, has fuelled rumours of an American spinoff.

    The series ended on an “open-ended” note, Lee Jung-jae, the star of the series, told the BBC. “So it poses a lot of questions to the audience. I hope people will talk about those questions, ponder upon themselves about the questions and try to find an answer.”

    What can fans expect from Squid Game series three?

    Mixed reactions

    In the show’s later seasons, viewers follow Gi-hun’s quest to bring down the eponymous games, which are packaged as entertainment for a group of wealthy VIPs.

    But his rebellion fails, and by the end Gi-hun is forced to sacrifice himself to save another player’s baby – an ending that has polarised viewers.

    Some argued that Gi-hun’s actions did not square with the dark portrait of reality that showrunners had developed – one that had so well captured the ruthless elements of human nature.

    “The characters’ excessive altruism was disturbing – almost to the point of seeming unhinged,” reads a comment on popular South Korean discussion site Nate Pann. “It felt like a fake, performative kind of kindness, prioritising strangers over their own families for no real reason.”

    But others said Gi-hun’s death was in line with the show’s commitment to uncomfortable truths.

    “This perfectly describes humanity and the message of the show,” another commented on YouTube.

    “As much as we wanted to see Gi-Hun win, kill the frontman and the VIPs, and stop the games once and for all before riding off into the sunset, that’s just not the world we live in and it’s certainly not the one that Gi-Hun lived in.”

    Hwang Dong-hyuk, the show’s creator, told reporters on Monday that he understood the “mixed reaction” to the final season.

    “In season one there were no expectations, so the shock and freshness worked. But by seasons two and three, expectations were sky high, and that makes all the difference,” Hwang said on Monday.

    “Game fans wanted more games, others wanted deeper messages, and some were more invested in the characters. Everyone expected something different.”

    For some, at least, Gi-hun’s final choice offered a hopeful reflection of reality: that even in times of adversity, kindness can prevail.

    “That paradox – of cruelty and warmth coexisting – is what made the finale so moving,” said Mr Jeong, the film blogger. “Watching the Squid Game made me reflect on myself. As someone who has worked in education and counselling, I’ve questioned whether kindness can really change anything.”

    “That’s why I stayed with this story. That’s why I call this ending beautiful.”

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  • Netflix shoots for the moon with new NASA content partnership

    Netflix shoots for the moon with new NASA content partnership

    Netflix is reaching for the stars.

    The streaming giant announced Monday that it “is teaming up with NASA to bring space a little closer to home” by streaming live launches into subscribers’ homes later this summer.

    The move continues Netflix’s voyage into live streaming content, which has proved to be successful so far. Millions tuned in to Netflix on Christmas Day for a livestream of NFL games, as well as a halftime show concert headlined by Beyoncé. Even though it was plagued by reports of problems with the video quality, a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul streamed on Netflix in November was viewed in 60 million households. Netflix also dived into the talk show realm this year with “Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney.”

    Now, Netflix thinks “the next giant leap for humankind might just start with you pressing play,” according to an article on its editorial site, Tudum.

    NASA+, which launched in 2023 as a way for the public to get easier access to space content, is already free on NASA’s app and NASA.gov. But the space agency is hoping that it can tap in some of Netflix’s 700 million+ subscribers and generate even more interest in space exploration.

    “Audiences now will have another option to stream rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks, mission coverage, and breathtaking live views of Earth from the International Space Station,” the space agency said in its news release.

    The goal, NASA’s news release stated, is “to bring the excitement of the agency’s discoveries, inventions, and space exploration to people, wherever they are.”

    “The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 calls on us to share our story of space exploration with the broadest possible audience,” Rebecca Sirmons, general manager of NASA+ at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, said in a statement. “Together, we’re committed to a Golden Age of Innovation and Exploration — inspiring new generations — right from the comfort of their couch or in the palm of their hand from their phone.”

    Netflix is also capitalizing on a broader interest in space — 2025 has been a big year for space exploration so far, as NBC News reported. In April, many tuned in as pop artist Katy Perry and five other celebrities launched into space on a short flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket and capsule.

    NASA+ live feeds will live on the Netflix’s platform alongside series, according to Tudum. Detailed schedules are expected to be shared closer to launch day, the platform said.

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  • Meryll Rogge Is The 2025 ANDAM Fashion Award Winner

    Meryll Rogge Is The 2025 ANDAM Fashion Award Winner

    This article has been updated on June 30 at 5:17 p.m. EST.

    PARIS — Second time was the charm for Meryll Rogge, who scooped up the Grand Prize of the 2025 ANDAM Fashion Award on Monday.

    “Honestly, we just said it like it is, I didn’t really change much versus last year,” said the Belgian designer. “I think we just evolved and grew a lot in the last year.”

    And what a 12-month run it’s been for the Ghent, Belgium-born designer who was a finalist of last year’s ANDAM.

    In addition to becoming the first woman to be named designer of the year at the 2024 Belgian Fashion Awards and being a 2025 Woolmark Prize finalist, she saw her designs land on the likes of Dua Lipa, Chloé Sévigny and Rihanna.

    Having shown her collections in Paris since 2021 in presentations, she held her first fashion show in March, presenting a collection she deemed her “most developed pieces.” These were among the designs she showed to the ANDAM jury earlier in the day.

    Not that she is letting it get to her head. “It just shows that we are stepping it up every year,” she said. “And now we’re going to be able to make huge leaps, of course.”

    A 2008 graduate of Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts who dreamed of being an illustrator as a child, she swapped paint for textile swatches when moving to New York. After working her way up to lead designer at Marc Jacobs over seven years, she was back in Antwerp working for Dries Van Noten as head of women’s design in 2014 before going solo in 2020.

    Several of her pieces have been acquired recently by MoMu Antwerp and Brussels’ Fashion & Lace Museum.

    How she plans on spending the 300,000-euro purse that comes with this win is “very clear for us,” Rogge said.

    One priority is direct-to-consumer channels, particularly e-commerce, a yet-untapped opportunity for her business.

    “It’s a big one for us because we do get a lot of views on our website, lots of DMs and we can never support it, which is a shame,” she said.

    The 41-year-old is also looking at expanding in accessories. “We dabbled in shoes, working on a collaboration with [Japanese footwear brand] Grounds and we want to go further,” she said.

    In addition to the cash award, she will be mentored by 36th jury president Sidney Toledano, an adviser to LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton chairman and chief executive officer Bernard Arnault, as well as president of the Institut Français de la Mode fashion school.

    The seasoned executive will also have another mentee: Special Prize winner Alain Paul, who parlayed a 10-year career working for the likes of Vetements and Louis Vuitton into his eponymous Alainpaul brand, cofounded in 2023 with husband Luis Philippe.

    Here too, being plugged in directly to consumers is a must. It’s a particularly important avenue for emerging brands for the revenue it generates, but also for the direct consumer insights.

    “It really allows us to work on a collection plan that meets what clients are looking for and not waste so much time on pieces we don’t need,” Philippe said.

    Summer will therefore be busy for the brand, as plans for e-commerce that previously were on hold due to the costs involved can now move forward as early as September, the cofounders said.

    And Paul is also among the finalists of the 2025 LVMH Prize for Young Designers.

    Meryll Rogge and Sarah Levy

    Dominique Maître/WWD

    The Pierre Bergé Prize and its 100,000-euro purse went to Burç Akyol, whose eponymous genderless label marries sexiness with austerity — and flawless tailoring.

    He will be mentored by Alexandre Mattiuissi, the founder and artistic director of Ami who scooped up the grand prize in 2013. The brand came on board as a sponsor of the design competition with this edition.

    “You never expect it,” said an elated Akyol. “I talked about the importance of craftsmanship and it resonated. We tend to forget the product in our industry today, and people think it’s borderline ugly to say the word ‘product,’ but I disagree. I think it’s at the heart of what we do and I’m happy, because that’s what I stand for. I won with that.”

    The designer said he looked forward to getting advice from Mattiussi, who has parlayed his independent brand into a thriving business.

    “I want to find out how he did it, because it’s an empire. I remember when Ami was founded. His initial inspiration was so organic. He wanted to dress a few friends that inspired him and make that available for others,” Akyol said. “It’s a great financial success, which again comforts me in the idea that there is a place for product.”

    He plans to use the prize money to fund his next collection for the label, which is a two-person operation.

    “At our level, we have a knife at our throat every season,” Akyol said. “I always have to juggle in terms of cash flow. Now, we will finally be able to develop these categories that we’re always thinking about and don’t have the time to do, because you need real industrial know-how.”

    Also in the running in this category dedicated to emerging creative labels were Jeanne Friot and Mouty by couple Bertille and Thomas Mouty.

    Belgian designer Sarah Lévy of Sarahlevy beat out footwear designer Philéo Landowski and jeweler Marco Panconesi to win the 2025 accessories prize, which comes with 100,000 euros and purse and mentoring by Sophie Delafontaine, creative director of Longchamp.

    Toledano said he’s had eyes on all the winners through the tentacular reach of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. He met Rogge when she worked at Marc Jacobs, which belongs to the luxury group, while Lévy designs accessories for Patou, another one of its labels.

    Meanwhile, he first discovered Paul and Akyol’s work through the LVMH Prize for Young Designers. Akyol was a finalist last year, while Paul is among the final eight this year.

    Alain Paul and Luis Philippe

    Alain Paul and Luis Philippe

    Dominique Maître/WWD

    “These four winners are exactly the type of candidate that need our help because they have reached a critical size. They’re doing fine on their own, but they really want to take their brands to the next level and I want to help them do that,” he said.

    This year, the innovation prize was awarded separately in May and went to Losanje, a fashion tech company based in the central French city of Nevers that is helping brands implement the use of circular textiles.

    The edition’s jury included 11 guest members, including Pascal Morand, executive president of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, Sarah Andelman and fashion documentary director Loïc Prigent.

    Joining them were multihyphenate actress and author Lou Doillon; Lucky Love, the singer who performed at the opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games; musical artist Eddy de Pretto; art gallery founder Emmanuel Perrotin, and model, actress and entrepreneur Liya Kebede.

    Rounding out the 2025 group sitting alongside permanent members, who are mainly executives drawn from sponsors, were creative consultant Carlos Nazario; writer and fashion critic Sophie Fontanel, and Beka Gvishiani, who’s behind the Stylenotcom Instagram account.

    Burc Akyol

    Burc Akyol

    Dominique Maître/WWD

    Created in 1989 by Nathalie Dufour with the support of the French Ministry of Culture and the DEFI, a body that promotes the development of the French fashion industry, and with the late Pierre Bergé as president, ANDAM has been a springboard for designers who would go on to achieve international recognition.

    In October, a retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs gave an overview of the ANDAM’s 35-year run, featuring works by winners across fashion and accessories including Viktor & Rolf, Jeremy Scott, Marine Serre, Y/Project, Christopher Esber and Ukrainian milliner Ruslan Baginskiy.

    – With contributions from Joelle Diderich

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  • Chase Sui Wonders used to have ‘all the shame around’ being mixed race. Now it’s her ‘superpower.’

    Chase Sui Wonders used to have ‘all the shame around’ being mixed race. Now it’s her ‘superpower.’

    For Chase Sui Wonders, being mixed race hasn’t always been easy.

    Wonders, who is half Chinese, used to struggle with her identity — and as a young Asian actress in Hollywood, self-acceptance felt unattainable.

    “I had all the shame around it. I would try so hard and I would put myself on tape, but it never felt quite right,” she told Vanity Fair in June. “It always felt like it was written for a white girl, or it was written for a full Chinese girl, or a Japanese girl who has to play a geisha during World War II or something.”

    This isn’t the first time Wonders has opened up about being mixed race. The 29-year-old actress is outspoken about the complexities of navigating adolescence, adulthood, and now, Hollywood as someone who is biracial.

    As a kid growing up in suburban Michigan, Wonders quickly recognized that she didn’t look like everyone else. Her arrival in Hollywood seemed to reinforce the feeling that she didn’t belong.

    “As far as I’m concerned, being Asian, the community I grew up in was really ‘white’, and I grew up with a single mom, who is white, so I felt like I was a white person, and it took me a while to accept or just come to terms with the fact that I don’t look like everyone else and that’s not bad. That was a journey of my youth,” she told Italian Reve in 2024.

    Eventually, Wonders began to land roles that felt more true to herself. She nabbed her breakthrough role on HBO Max’s coming-of-age drama series Generation in 2021, before starring in A24’s black horror comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies in 2022.

    Wonders, a Harvard graduate, currently stars on Apple TV+’s The Studio as Quinn Hackett, a junior executive at a fictional film studio in Hollywood. Hackett, Wonders told Vanity Fair, wasn’t initially written as a biracial character. It was only after she landed the role that creators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg decided to work that in. (On The Studio, white executives often look to Hackett for guidance regarding diversity.)

    Chase Sui Wonders at an event in March. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

    A special screening of The Studio presented an opportunity for Wonders to celebrate her Chinese heritage offscreen too.

    For the event, Wonders opted for an archival Prada gown from the fashion house’s spring 1997 collection. More than just a charming cherry red dress with a “dreamy design,” as she told Marie Claire in March, it had elements that reminded her of a qipao, a traditional Chinese dress. “My grandmother is going to love this dress when she sees these photos,” she said.

    Next up, Wonders will star in the I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot as Ava Brucks, a role that she told Vanity Fair she was initially drawn to because of how “all-American” she is.

    “You just don’t see that many people who look like me who are playing these kind of leading ingenue roles,” she said. “It felt exciting to step into that and also give her some unique flair.”

    Where there was once shame in being mixed race, Wonders now feels a sense of pride, telling the magazine, “The thing that I originally felt very complicated about has now become sort of my superpower.”


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  • Reddit Changed Andrew Garfield’s Return Scene

    Reddit Changed Andrew Garfield’s Return Scene

    “Spider-Man: No Way Home” director Jon Watts recently revealed to Collider that Reddit helped shape one of the blockbuster’s defining moments: The long-awaited returns of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Watts saw fan-created concept art on Reddit that aligned with his original idea of bringing the former Spider-Man actors back onscreen when Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is at his lowest following the death of Aunt May. The director knew in that moment he’d need more of a surprise.

    “There had been rumors that Tobey and Andrew were going to be in the movie, and this is while we’re shooting,” Watts said. “We were writing the script, and we were working on where we wanted to reveal the guys, and it always seemed like Peter’s going to be sad because Aunt May has just died, and that the portals are going to open, and the two Spider-Men are going to step out. It’s probably a rooftop somewhere. It’s all sort of hazy. You’re still trying to figure it out.”

    “Then I was on Reddit, and I was looking at people who had already made fan art of, ‘This is probably what it’s going to be like when the two Spider-Men get revealed.’ It was on a rooftop. It was sad, two Doctor Strange portals were open and two Spider-Men are stepping out,” Watts continued. “I was like, ‘Well, we can’t do that. If that’s exactly what everyone thinks we’re going to do, we absolutely can’t do that.’”

    That’s when Watts came up with the scene that made it into the movie. As he remembered: “I was like, ‘Probably having the two Spider-Men appear at Ned’s Filipino grandma’s house in Queens.’ I don’t think anyone was doing fan art of that on Reddit. It made perfect sense in the story because it’s kind of the first time we leave Peter’s narrative. We don’t know what’s happened to [Tom’s Peter]. We’re with Ned, we’re with MJ. They have to lay low. Where are they going to go? Ned’s grandma’s house. So, we built this whole scene around that.”

    The returns of Maguire and Garfield helped power “Spider-Man: No Way Home” to $1.9 billion at the worldwide box office, a record sum for the post-COVID era until James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” came along and earned $2.3 billion. Maguire has already expressed interest in returning again, saying: “If these guys called me and said, ‘Would you show up tonight to hang out and goof around?’ or ‘Would you show up to do this movie or read a scene or do a Spider-Man thing?’ it would be a ‘yes!’ Because why wouldn’t I want to do that?”

    The same goes for Garfield, who has said on multiple occasions since “No Way Home” opened in theaters that he would love to play Spider-Man again under the right circumstances.

    “It would have to be very weird,” Garfield said at Middle East Film & Comic Con earlier this year. “I would like to do something very strange. Something very unique, and offbeat and surprising, kind of like the creative freedom they have with the animated ‘Spider-Verse’ movies.”

    Garfield added in a separate interview with Esquire: “For sure, I would 100% come back if it was the right thing, if it’s additive to the culture, if there’s a great concept or something that hasn’t been done before that’s unique and odd and exciting and that you can sink your teeth into. I love that character, and it brings joy. If part of what I bring is joy, then I’m joyful in return.”

    Holland is confirmed to be coming back as the web-slinger in Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which is set for release in July 2026.

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  • Reddit Changed Andrew Garfield’s Return Scene

    Reddit Changed Andrew Garfield’s Return Scene

    “Spider-Man: No Way Home” director Jon Watts recently revealed to Collider that Reddit helped shape one of the blockbuster’s defining moments: The long-awaited returns of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Watts saw fan-created concept art on Reddit that aligned with his original idea of bringing the former Spider-Man actors back onscreen when Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is at his lowest following the death of Aunt May. The director knew in that moment he’d need more of a surprise.

    “There had been rumors that Tobey and Andrew were going to be in the movie, and this is while we’re shooting,” Watts said. “We were writing the script, and we were working on where we wanted to reveal the guys, and it always seemed like Peter’s going to be sad because Aunt May has just died, and that the portals are going to open, and the two Spider-Men are going to step out. It’s probably a rooftop somewhere. It’s all sort of hazy. You’re still trying to figure it out.”

    “Then I was on Reddit, and I was looking at people who had already made fan art of, ‘This is probably what it’s going to be like when the two Spider-Men get revealed.’ It was on a rooftop. It was sad, two Doctor Strange portals were open and two Spider-Men are stepping out,” Watts continued. “I was like, ‘Well, we can’t do that. If that’s exactly what everyone thinks we’re going to do, we absolutely can’t do that.’”

    That’s when Watts came up with the scene that made it into the movie. As he remembered: “I was like, ‘Probably having the two Spider-Men appear at Ned’s Filipino grandma’s house in Queens.’ I don’t think anyone was doing fan art of that on Reddit. It made perfect sense in the story because it’s kind of the first time we leave Peter’s narrative. We don’t know what’s happened to [Tom’s Peter]. We’re with Ned, we’re with MJ. They have to lay low. Where are they going to go? Ned’s grandma’s house. So, we built this whole scene around that.”

    The returns of Maguire and Garfield helped power “Spider-Man: No Way Home” to $1.9 billion at the worldwide box office, a record sum for the post-COVID era until James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” came along and earned $2.3 billion. Maguire has already expressed interest in returning again, saying: “If these guys called me and said, ‘Would you show up tonight to hang out and goof around?’ or ‘Would you show up to do this movie or read a scene or do a Spider-Man thing?’ it would be a ‘yes!’ Because why wouldn’t I want to do that?”

    The same goes for Garfield, who has said on multiple occasions since “No Way Home” opened in theaters that he would love to play Spider-Man again under the right circumstances.

    “It would have to be very weird,” Garfield said at Middle East Film & Comic Con earlier this year. “I would like to do something very strange. Something very unique, and offbeat and surprising, kind of like the creative freedom they have with the animated ‘Spider-Verse’ movies.”

    Garfield added in a separate interview with Esquire: “For sure, I would 100% come back if it was the right thing, if it’s additive to the culture, if there’s a great concept or something that hasn’t been done before that’s unique and odd and exciting and that you can sink your teeth into. I love that character, and it brings joy. If part of what I bring is joy, then I’m joyful in return.”

    Holland is confirmed to be coming back as the web-slinger in Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which is set for release in July 2026.

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  • What We Know About ‘Project Hail Mary’ Starring Ryan Gosling

    What We Know About ‘Project Hail Mary’ Starring Ryan Gosling

    He’s got a job to do.
    Photo: Amazon MGM Studios

    Project Hail Mary, full of grace. Blessed art thou among sci-fi, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, long-haired Ryan Gosling. Ken’s next gig follows a charming white guy on a solo mission through space to save the Earth, and it’s based on a Hugo Award–nominated book by Andy Weir, but it is not 2015’s The Martian. Does The Martian have Sandra Hüller as a commanding boss trying to save the world? Directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, the team behind 21 Jump Street and the Spider-Verse franchise, the trailer signals an apocalypse movie that is, paradoxically, a little silly and fun — certainly more than both The Martian and Gosling’s last trip to space, as Neil Armstrong in First Man. Below, everything we know about Project Hail Mary. 

    Ryan Gosling awakens to find himself with no memory and long hair “several light-years from my apartment.” From there, the trailer reveals that a slew of stars, including our sun, are dying, and Hüller believes that only Gosling’s character, Ryland Grace, a middle-school science teacher, can solve the problem. He, meanwhile, claims he’s “not an astronaut,” saying “I can’t even moonwalk.” Why he was chosen to go on the mission is unclear. Hüller’s character explains that Ryland has a degree in microbiology, but lots of people have degrees in microbiology. Either way, Grace gets sent to space, where he meets an alien whom he teaches to give a thumbs-up.

    Gosling will star as the main character, Ryland Grace, with Anatomy of a Fall breakout Hüller as his imposing German superior, Eva Stratt. They’ll be joined by The Bear’s resident baker, Lionel Boyce; Industry’s baseball bat–wielder, Ken Leung; and AT&T-commercial star Milana Vayntrub.

    Project Hail Mary comes out on March 20, 2026. Yes, that does feel like light-years away.

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  • Royal train to end 156 years of service as King Charles III seeks to economize – San Francisco Chronicle

    1. Royal train to end 156 years of service as King Charles III seeks to economize  San Francisco Chronicle
    2. Royal train to be decommissioned following review, reveal royal accounts  EDP24
    3. King Charles to Retire Royal Train Beloved by Queen Elizabeth After Cost Concerns  People.com
    4. UK Royal Train to be decommissioned by 2027  RailTech.com
    5. Royal train to be decommissioned following decades of service  The Independent

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  • Beat the Heat With These Celebrity-Approved Summer Outfits

    Beat the Heat With These Celebrity-Approved Summer Outfits

    We’re creeping toward triple-digit temperatures, and getting dressed is just as burdensome as it is on frigid winter days. It’s fair to look into one’s own closet and feel that there’s nothing to wear—or at least nothing worth sweating in all day. Luckily, though, celebrities are modeling summer heatwave dressing with aplomb.

    Shorts are taking all lengths this summer, from Olivia Rodrigo’s hotpants to Hailey Bieber’s knee-length capris (both, however, embracing this season’s preeminent polka-dot trend). Elsewhere, Emily Ratajkowski embraced the Adam Sandler look in a pair of oversized Nike basketball shorts, while Lorde opted for the boxer trend in Deiji Studios.

    A go-to sun deflector, white clothing is also in heavy rotation. During a scorching week in New York, Jennifer Lawrence layered a pair of white lace-trimmed slips with an oversized graphic tee. Gigi Hadid, Laura Harrier, and Dakota Johnson took different approaches to the LWD—Hadid in an embellished ultra-mini, Harrier donning a ruffled Jacquemus maxi for the designer’s spring 2026 show, and Johnson opting for a simple sleeveless midi with matching pumps.

    Here, take a gander at some celebrity style inspiration for hot summer days, from Rihanna’s diaphanous dressing at the Smurfs premiere to Bella Hadid’s jorts.

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  • Royal train to be cut in Palace cost-saving measure

    Royal train to be cut in Palace cost-saving measure

    Sean Coughlan

    Royal correspondent

    Getty Images King Charles is seen exiting the royal train in 2023Getty Images

    The royal train could be put on public display after it leaves service

    The royal train is going to be taken out of service by 2027, in a cost-saving measure announced by Buckingham Palace.

    There have been dedicated trains for monarchs since Queen Victoria’s reign, but as part of a “drive to ensure we deliver value for money” it’s been decided to decommission the historic rolling stock.

    The announcement came alongside the annual publication of royal finances, which showed that a journey on the royal train, from Gloucestershire to Staffordshire and then London, over two days in February, had cost more than £44,000.

    The Royal Family will still travel on regular train services – and the annual report showed 141 helicopter trips were taken last year, costing £475,000.

    James Chalmers, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, responsible for the royal finances, said the decision to stop the royal train would mean “the fondest of farewells”, but “in moving forwards we must not be bound by the past”.

    The royal train will be taken around the UK before it is removed from service, after which it could be put on public display. The royal train consists of nine carriages, with different locomotives hired to pull them.

    The idea of a royal train goes back to Queen Victoria commissioning special coaches in 1869, with the service being used to take the Royal Family around the country.

    “The royal train, of course, has been part of national life for many decades, loved and cared for by all those involved,” said Mr Chalmers.

    The train had been used extensively for events during the late Queen Elizabeth’s golden and diamond jubilees – with the most recent update to the carriages taking place in the mid-1980s.

    But the latest accounts, for 2024-25, show the train only being used on two occasions, raising questions about maintenance and storage costs.

    That’s alongside other travel costs such as 55 private charter flights costing almost £600,000 and scheduled flights costing £126,000. The total cost of royal travel is £4.7 million, a rise of £500,000 from the previous year.

    The single biggest travel item was £400,000 for the King and Queen’s trip to Australia and Samoa.

    Royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace

    The Sovereign Grant is being increased to pay for Buckingham Palace renovations

    The latest financial report for 2024-25 shows the Sovereign Grant remaining at £86.3m. This grant is the public funding for the running costs of the monarchy, such as travel for official duties, staffing and the maintenance of royal buildings.

    The level of funding for 2025-26 is rising to £132.1m – with this higher level of funding staying for two years to complete renovation work at Buckingham Palace.

    The cost of this 10-year, £369m building scheme at Buckingham Palace has pushed up the Sovereign Grant – which in real terms, taking into account inflation, is now about three times higher than when the Sovereign Grant funding was introduced in 2012.

    Funding comes from the Treasury, with the amount based on a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate.

    This year’s annual report shows the Royal Family carried out over 1,900 engagements, with almost 94,000 guests attending events at royal residences.

    There were also diplomatic occasions, such as hosting Qatar’s state visit to the UK.

    A financial report for the Duchy of Cornwall, the estates which provide an income for the Prince of Wales, showed a profit of £22.9m, slightly down on the previous year.

    There had been media criticism of the duchy’s finances – and in response Kensington Palace has said that the emphasis will be on a positive social impact.

    Will Bax, the duchy’s new secretary, said there would be a “modern, socially minded” approach, which could see some charitable organisations and community groups having their rents waived and others with 50% reductions.

    This would cost “significant sums”, said Mr Bax, but it was part of a focus on turning the duchy into a social enterprise, supporting communities and reflecting Prince William’s interest in projects such as reducing homelessness and tackling climate change.

    Anti-monarchy campaigners Republic criticised the levels of royal income at a time when there were debates about “cutting welfare for people with disabilities”.

    Republic’s chief executive Graham Smith described royal funding as a “scandalous abuse of public money”, with published figures not including costs such as security.

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