Emilia Pérez” Director Condemns Karla Sofía Gascón’s ‘Hateful’ Tweets: ‘I Don’t Want to’ Speak with Her

“Emilia Pérez” Director Condemns Karla Sofía Gascón’s ‘Hateful’ Tweets: ‘I Don’t Want to’ Speak with Her

Jack Smart

February 5, 2025 at 9:42 PM

Emilia Pérez director Jacques Audiard is speaking out about the controversies surrounding his movie’s star, Karla Sofía Gascón.

In a candid interview with Deadline published Wednesday, Feb. 5, the French writer-director, 72, called her resurfaced social media posts criticizing Muslim culture, George Floyd, diversity and more “inexcusable.”

“It’s very hard for me to think back to the work I did with Karla Sofía,” said Audiard of making Emilia Pérez, his Oscar-contending Netflix musical-thriller about a Mexican drug cartel leader (played by Gascón) who transitions into a woman. The movie led this year’s Academy Awards nominations list with 13, the most ever for a film predominantly in a non-English language, including for Best Picture, Gascón’s lead performance (making her the first openly transgender acting Oscar nominee) and Audiard’s screenplay and direction.

“The exceptional atmosphere that we had on the set,” he continued, “was indeed based on trust. And when you have that kind of relationship and suddenly you read something that that person has said, things that are absolutely hateful and worthy of being hated, of course that relationship is affected. It’s as if you fall into a hole.”

Related: Emilia Pérez Star Karla Sofía Gascón to Skip 2025 Critics Choice Awards amid Her Controversies: Reports

Following the public outcry over her old posts, Gascón, 52, issued an apology and deactivated her X (formerly Twitter) account on Jan. 31. The Spanish actress posted another statement on Tuesday to her Instagram account, saying she has “nothing to hide” and asking media outlets how she should “move forward” amid awards season, where she and Emilia Pérez are nominated at the Feb. 7 Critics Choice Awards, Feb. 16 BAFTA Film Awards and March 2 Oscars.

On Feb. 2, Gascón appeared on CNN in an emotional interview, refuting accusations of racism and Islamophobia and addressing her alleged post on X against Emilia Pérez costar Selena Gomez. “I cannot step down from an Oscar nomination because I have not committed any crime, nor have I harmed anyone,” she said, per CNN. “I am neither racist nor anything that all these people have tried to make others believe I am.”

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“I haven’t spoken to her, and I don’t want to,” Audiard told Deadline when asked about contacting Gascón. “She is in a self-destructive approach that I can’t interfere in, and I really don’t understand why she’s continuing. Why is she harming herself? … She’s talking about herself as a victim, which is surprising. It’s as if she thought that words don’t hurt.”

He added that Gascón is also “harming people who were very close to her,” including the Emilia Pérez crew and her Oscar-nominated costar Zoe Saldaña. “I’m not getting in touch with her because right now she needs space to reflect and take accountability for her actions.”

Related: Zoe Saldaña Says She’s ‘Really Sad’ Over Emilia Pérez Costar Karla Sofía Gascón’s Tweets: ‘I Don’t Support It’

Acknowledging that the conversation around Emilia Pérez has shifted to Gascón’s ongoing controversy, Audiard said, “Very unfortunately, it is taking up all the space, and that makes me very sad.”

Emilia Pérez is now streaming on Netflix.

Read the original article on People

Netflix drops ‘Emilia Perez’ star Oscar bid over offensive posts:…

Images of Karla Sofia Gascon, who made history as the first openly transgender acting nominee in Oscars history, had adorned posters, billboards and trailers for musical film ‘Emilia Perez’

Netflix has dropped Karla Sofia Gascon, the star of “Emilia Perez,” from its high-profile Oscars campaign and distanced itself from the best actress nominee over her offensive social media posts, Hollywood trade outlets reported Tuesday.

Images of Gascon, who made history as the first openly transgender acting nominee in Academy Awards history, had adorned posters, billboards and advertisements for the musical film, which earned 13 Oscar nods — more than any other movie this year.

But that campaign has abruptly changed tack, after old social media posts were uncovered and widely shared last week in which Gascon called Islam “an infection” and “deeply disgusting.”

Gascon also denigrated or mocked wide-ranging subjects, including diversity efforts, China and George Floyd, the Black man whose 2020 killing by police spurred massive protests.

The Spanish star, 52, initially apologized in a statement issued via Netflix and deactivated her account on X, formerly Twitter, but soon reversed course by defending herself publicly.

She told CNN she is “not a racist” and will not withdraw from Oscar contention, and blamed “cancel culture” in an Instagram post.

The Hollywood Reporter and Variety said streaming giant Netflix, which has invested heavily in hopes that “Emilia Perez” will provide its first ever best picture Oscar win, has now dropped Gascon from all campaign efforts.

A Netflix web page promoting the film “for your awards consideration” on Tuesday contained an image of Zoe Saldana, the movie’s best supporting actress nominee.

At a peak moment in Hollywood’s award season, Gascon will no longer attend events including Friday’s Critics Choice Awards gala as scheduled, trade magazines reported.

Contacted by AFP, Netflix declined to publicly comment.

“Emilia Perez” tells the story of a Mexican drug cartel boss who transitions to life as a woman and turns her back on crime.

It had previously received criticism for its depictions of Mexico and its drug war, its representation of trans issues, and its use of artificial intelligence to increase Gascon’s voice range in musical scenes.

But at least until now it had appeared to weather those storms, remaining a perceived frontrunner for multiple Academy Awards.

Controversy has not always prevented films from going on to enjoy success at the Oscars.

“Green Book,” a drama based on the real-life story of a Black musician and his white driver in the 1960s Deep South, was widely condemned for perpetuating “white savior” stereotypes.

A tweet surfaced during Oscars campaigning, in which one of the movie’s producers expressed support for false claims that Muslims were celebrating in New Jersey following the 9/11 terror attacks.

It went on to win best picture.

‘Did she try to control this movie too?: ‘Simple Favor 2’ can’t escape Blake Lively backlash as sequel news gets overrun by brutal comments

Sit up Hollywood gossip fans, because the supremely juicy ongoing Blake Lively drama has just spilled over into an entirely different movie. Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ll know the actress is embroiled in a no-holds-barred legal war against her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, and it’s now also affecting her new film.

Lively recently lobbed a legal hand grenade at Baldoni in the form of a lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni punted that grenade back with counter-allegations of civil extortion and defamation, insisting that Lively seized control of the It Ends With Us production through ultimatums and veiled threats. Since the controversy erupted in Dec. 2024, many have been wondering whether her next movie – the sequel to A Simple Favor – was canceled.

The movie’s director, Paul Feig, shut down those rumors a few weeks ago, telling fans on X that the sequel hasn’t been canceled and was in post-production. On Feb. 5, an announcement was made about the sequel, now titled Another Simple Favor. Prime Video shared a poster on social media revealing that the film will premiere at the SXSW Film & TV Festival on March 7 in Austin, Texas, and will be available for streaming on Prime Video starting May 1.

Many felt the timing was off, given the ongoing controversy surrounding Lively, with the Instagram comments section quickly filling up with scathing remarks from Baldoni supporters. Many also noted how on the poster Lively’s name is positioned slightly higher than her co-star Anna Kendrick’s name, prompting one user to ask, “Did Blake refuse to work unless her name was slightly higher than Anna’s?” Another user wrote, “If we like Anna more Blake will sue Anna saying this is another smear campaign.”

In Baldoni’s lawsuit, he alleges that Lively seized control of the film, claiming that she demanded to rewrite scenes, insisted on picking her own wardrobe, went behind his back to hire an editor to create her own cut of the film, and tried to squeeze out Baldoni from the premiere. Commenters poked fun at Lively, with one remarking, “Produced, written, directed, edited by and starring Blake Lively,” with another adding, “Did she try to control this movie too?”

Another user asked, “Is it Paul Feig’s cut or Blake’s cut?” Feig, who has nothing but praise for Lively, was quick to defend the actress. He took the time to reply to the commenter, writing, “It’s my cut. There is no other cut. Blake has been nothing but supportive and a dream to work with. She is the best and an amazing collaborator and I’m her biggest fan. Just wanted to clear that up.”

After Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni in late Dec. 2024, she garnered support from the public and fellow celebrities. However, following Baldoni’s lawsuit against her, some fans reversed their stance, pledging to boycott Lively and her films. This fountain of behind-the-scenes drama won’t run dry anytime soon, so sit back, brew a pot of tea, and just wait for the next dramatic twist in the Lively/Baldoni tale to unfold.

Gisele Bündchen gives birth to first child with boyfriend Joaquim Valente

Gisele Bündchen has welcomed her first child with boyfriend Joaquim Valente – making her a proud mum of three.

The 44-year-old supermodel has been linked to 37-year-old jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim since June 2023 – and reports emerged last October that they were expecting a baby together. The couple have been silent about their reported relationship – but have been snapped happy in each others’ company while on beaches and out in public in the months since their romance was first discovered.

Gisele was previously married to American football superstar Tom Brady, 47, from 2009 until their divorce was finalised in 2022 and they share a son named Benjamin, 15, and a daughter named Vivian, 12. Tom has another son named John, 17, from a past relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan, 53.

Now Gisele and Joaquim are said to be proud parents together having welcomed their first child together. It is unclear exactly when their baby arrived – and whether they are parents to a new son or daughter.

TMZ broke the news of the arrival on Thursday, writing: “We’re told Gisele is super happy and mom and the baby are healthy. It’s unclear when the new bundle arrived but we’re told it was recently.” It has previously been reported that the pair wanted to wait for their baby to arrive to discover its gender. The Mirror has contacted a spokesperson of Gisele for comment.

The model has previously shared her pride in being a parent – saying it is her biggest role in life. She wrote in her memoir, Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life: “If I ever hear someone saying, ‘She’s just a mom,’ it makes me angry. Being ‘just a mom’ is the foundation of everything.

“Being ‘just a mom’ ensures that our children have the foundation and support they need to succeed not just at work but at life. Millions of ‘just moms’ are busy raising future men and women who will someday influence the world in either positive or negative ways. Our culture likes to treat the daily multitasking that women perform as something to be expected. They’re not. There are a lot of mothers out there who make everything possible and everything happen, and I think they’re amazing.”

She also described the mum guilt she felt after welcoming her kids as she had to spend time away from them due to her busy schedule. She wrote: “I had all this horrible, self-imposed guilt.

“I thought what a terrible mother I was for leaving my child even for like a day… I was feeling guilty for [taking them with her] too. Like, ‘Here we are on a plane and the baby is crying.’”

She also told Vogue in 2017: “As a mother, you’re always giving. It’s important to give something to yourself, so you can give from a place of being full, instead of giving from a place of being depleted, which isn’t healthy for you or for the family.”

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Paul Plishka, whose Metropolitan Opera career spanned 51 years, dies at age 83

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Paul Plishka, a powerful bass with a ready smile and hearty laugh who sang 1,672 performances at the Metropolitan Opera over 51 years, has died. He was 83.

Plishka died Monday at a hospice in Wilmington, North Carolina, his wife, Sharon Thomas, said Wednesday.

His Met career spanned generations, from a debut as the Monk alongside Renata Tebaldi, Sherrill Milnes and Rosalind Elias in Ponchielli’s “La Gioconda” on Sept. 21, 1967, to his final appearance in Puccini’s “La Bohème” on March 10, 2018.

Plishka recalled his debut during a 2012 interview with The Associated Press.

“These were idols. They were all gods for me,” he said. “The thing I remember is my costume. I remember under my arms, I was so nervous the perspiration came flowing out like a fire hydrant.”

He sang 88 roles at the Met, and his performance total ranks ninth in the company’s history. While many were as a comprimario, a supporting part surrounding the stars, he sang all three bass roles in Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov,” Philip II in Verdi’s “Don Carlo” and for his 25th anniversary with the company the title role in Verdi’s “‘Falstaff.”

“As great as ‘Don Carlo’ was, the ‘Falstaff’ really leaves everything in the dust because of the personality of the character and the music. For me, that was the top of the hill,” he said. “I love what I’ve done over the years. I sort of jokingly say it beats working for a living.”

Born Aug. 28, 1941, Plishka grew up in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, and moved with his family to Paterson, New Jersey,. when he was 16. He attended Eastside High School and was directed toward opera by a teacher after he performed Jud Fry in “Oklahoma!” Plishka majored in music at Montclair State College and made his opera debut at the Paterson Lyric Opera Theater.

After singing with the Met’s national touring company, he debuted in that 1967 performance. In 1971, he was the Sacristan in Puccini’s “Tosca” on the night conductor James Levine made his Met debut.

Plishka said that during rehearsals for those 1971 performances, baritone Peter Glossop pointed to the inexperienced singer and said sarcastically: “That’s a Sacristan?” By 2012, Plishka said a colleague praised him in rehearsal for making the small role memorable, saying “Now that’s a Sacristan!”

“It only took 40 years to grow into the part,” Plishka said with a laugh.

He sang with other companies, most notably Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, London’s Royal Opera and the New York City Opera, and sang the Grand Inquisitor in “Don Carlo” at the 1988 Salzburg Festival. But the vast majority of his career was at the Met. He announced his retirement in 2012, but the Met persuaded him to return for 30 additional performances as the landlord Benoit and Musetta’s admirer Alcindoro in “La Bohème” from 2016 to 2018.

Plishka’s first wife, the former Judith Colgan, died in 2004, and they had three sons who all predeceased him: Paul Jr., Jeffrey and Nikolai.

Jeffrey was charged in 2009 in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, with the 1991 killing of a 24-year-old camp counselor near a Poconos waterfall. He was acquitted the following year.

In 1984, Plishka’s 33-year-old brother, Dr. Peter Plishka, was found dead in his Bronx apartment from what police said appeared to be a self-inflicted stab wound.

Plishka married Thomas, a Met staff stage director, on an off day at the opera house in 2005. Thomas said that in retirement he became an avid photographer of birds.

‘The greatest heavy metal show ever’? Original Black Sabbath lineup to reunite for Ozzy Osbourne’s final concert

Epic lineup convenes for farewell to heavy metal icon at Birmingham’s Villa Park stadium in July, with Metallica, Slayer, Pantera and many more in support

Having been the original voice of heavy metal, survived multiple bouts of ill health and relieved various bats and doves of their heads, Ozzy Osbourne is to bring one of the great performing careers to a close with a final gig: a reunion of the original Black Sabbath lineup in their native Birmingham, together for the first time in 20 years.

Titled Back to the Beginning, the charity gig will be held at Villa Park on 5 July, with tickets on sale from 10am on 14 February. The supporting lineup is a Who’s Who of metal greats, including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera and many more, and the concert’s musical director, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, promises: “This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever.”

It is fantasy-fulfilling news for rock fans, who didn’t dare to suspect that the original quartet of Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward would ever play together again, not only because of their combined age of 303, but because of fractious relations between them.

Black Sabbath, who have sold a reported 75m albums worldwide, remain arguably the most influential heavy rock band in history. Playing potent melody and psychedelic moods with crushing force, inspired in part by the industrial sounds of their native Birmingham, they shaped the entire style of heavy metal. Their first eight albums featured Osbourne, and included the UK No 1 Paranoid as well as classics such as Master of Reality and their 1970 self-titled debut.

Osbourne left for a solo career in 1979, and various other vocalists stepped in thereafter, including Rainbow’s Ronnie James Dio, Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan, and Tony Martin, before Osbourne was brought back into the fold in 1997.

The last time the original lineup performed was on the 2005 Ozzfest tour, after which Ward left the group. He was later announced as part of the lineup for a 2012 tour and studio album, but again left before contributing to the recording, citing a contract disagreement. Osbourne publicly upbraided him and said Ward wasn’t up to playing thanks to shoulder surgery, writing on Facebook: “Deep down inside you knew you weren’t capable of doing the album and a 16-month tour … So how is all of this my fault? Stop playing the victim and be honest with yourself and our fans.”

Their final album 13 was released in 2013 and had Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk filling in for Ward.

Black Sabbath later announced an emphatic end to their career, playing a final tour entitled The End, which concluded in Birmingham in February 2017. This time, Tommy Clufetos played drums. But Osbourne said there was friction between him and the other original members: “I spent nine or 10 years in Sabbath, but I’d been away from them for over 30 years. With them, I’m just a singer. With me, I get to do what I want to do. I was getting bad vibes from them for being Ozzy. I don’t know, what the fuck else can I be?”

He also said he missed Ward being part of the band. “I didn’t like the fact that Bill Ward wasn’t there … Tommy did great, but the four of us started this, and it should have been the four of us ending it. Those final gigs in Birmingham were bittersweet because you think of how far we came, and how much we did, and it would have been good to have shared that together. Maybe one day there’ll be one last gig, I don’t know.”

That has now come to pass, with Osbourne saying in a new statement: “It’s my time to go back to the beginning … time for me to give back to the place where I was born. How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham for ever.”

The concert will feature a short solo set from Osbourne before he joins with Black Sabbath. Other supporting bands are Gojira, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Anthrax and Mastodon, while there will be special appearances from Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, Disturbed frontman David Draiman, Duff McKagan and Slash of Guns ‘N Roses, Frank Bello and Scott Ian of Anthrax, Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst, Korn’s Jonathan Davis and numerous others.

Profits from the concert will be shared between three charities: Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the Birmingham-based Acorns Children’s Hospice.

It had looked as if Osbourne’s performing career had already petered out in rather less emphatic fashion. He first announced his retirement from gigging back in 1992 with the No More Tours tour, before reversing his decision, and later re-announcing it with No More Tours 2 in 2019. He postponed the European dates due to illness, then in 2020 announced he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

In 2022 he had extensive spinal surgery after a 2019 fall, which had exacerbated an earlier quad-biking injury. A hoped-for 2023 tour was cancelled as he continued to recuperate, with Osbourne saying: “Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way.” A one-off gig that year was announced, then also cancelled.

His final gig will be at the home of Aston Villa, the football team based in the Aston area of Birmingham where Osbourne grew up before forming Black Sabbath in 1968. Osbourne recently appeared in a video promoting the team’s 2024-25 season kit, and created an official T-shirt line with the club.

The city has long revered the group – even Birmingham Royal Ballet have paid tribute, creating Black Sabbath: the Ballet in 2023, commissioned by Carlos Acosta.

Hollywood Producer Found Guilty of Murder in Overdose Deaths of 2 Women

David Brian Pearce was also convicted on all charges of sexually assaulting seven women between 2007 and 2020

Hollywood producer David Brian Pearce was found guilty on Tuesday of two counts of first-degree murder in the drug overdose related deaths of a Los Angeles-area model and her friend. Pearce was also convicted of sexually assaulting seven other women.

A jury in Los Angeles deliberated for just 2 ½ days. The victims were 24-year-old model Christy Giles and her 26-year-old friend Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola. The girls met Pearce at an East Los Angeles warehouse party and went back to his home where he proceeded to drug them. Both girls overdosed and were taken to separate hospitals about two hours apart on the night on Nov. 13, 2021.

The producer was also found guilty of three counts of forcible rape, two counts of sexual penetration by use of force and one count each of rape of an unconscious person and sodomy by used of force. All of the charges were for crimes against seven different women and took place between 2007 and 2020. Pearce’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 13. He is facing life in prison.

Brandt Osborn, an aspiring actor, was also charged with being an accessory to murder. The jury was unable to reach a verdict for Osborn. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Eleanor J. Hunter declared a mistrial on the accessory chargers after jurors said they had reached an impassable deadlock. A hearing date is scheduled to see if prosecutors will seek a retrial.

Giles was found dead outside Southern California Hospital in Culver City. She died from a drug overdose after a mixture of cocaine, fentanyl, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid and ketamine were all found in her system. According to the police report, Giles was dropped at the hospital by masked men in a car that had no license plate. Cabrales-Arzola died of multiple organ failure after cocaine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) and other undetermined drugs were found in her system. She was left at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Hospital. She remained on life support for 11 days until her parents took her off of life support. Their deaths were classified as homicides by the Los Angeles County Department Medical Examiner.

According to ABC7’s report of the trial, in her closing argument Deputy District Attorney Catherine Mariano insisted that Pearce “knew the dangers of fentanyl” but gave the drug, along with GHB, to the women in an effort to “sexually assault them.”

Pearce’s attorney, Jeff Voll, denied the claim saying that the defendant never gave the girls drugs. In his testimony he also said he “didn’t personally see” them consume any drugs at his residence. He and Osborn allegedly waited over two hours to take the women to a hospital. Pearce claimed the women had passed out and “assumed they just needed to sleep it off” and that it was not an uncommon state to see people in at his home.

Mariano closed her argument by emphasizing DNA evidence. She said there was clearly no reason for Pearce’s DNA to be found on both women, including under Cabrales-Arozola’s fingernails if they had not been drugged and assaulted. “This is no accident, no mistake,” Mariano said.

Of the conviction, newly elected D.A. Nathan Hochman said in a statement, “Today, a serial rapist was held accountable for the deaths of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, both of whom tragically died as a result of fentanyl poisoning, and the victimization of seven other women across Los Angeles. I thank the trial team, Deputy District Attorneys Catherine Mariano and Seth Carmack, for their tireless pursuit of justice and determination to give a voice to the women who bravely came forward to report the crimes committed against them. The office will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who illegally supply fentanyl and destroy lives, especially those who commit sexual assaults.”

Pearce worked as a producer and club promoter. Though he appeared in photos at industry events, whether he had any legitimate film or TV credits couldn’t be immediately determined. Osborn, who worked as an aspiring actor, was taken into custody on the set of “NCIS: Los Angeles” in Hollywood in December. He was not part of the regular cast and had reportedly been working as a background actor. Giles was a model and aspiring actress while Cabrales-Arzola worked as an architect and interior designer.

Scarlett Johansson’s first ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ trailer is…

The first “Jurassic World: Rebirth” trailer is here, and features Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey leading the latest epic in the dinosaur franchise.

The two-and-a-half minute teaser begins with Johansson’s Zora Bennett, a covert operations expert, on a top-secret mission involving a possible “medical breakthrough that would save countless lives.”

Zora and paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Bailey) have to secure genetic material from “the three biggest dinosaurs” left on the planet to get a life-saving drug for humans.

But Zora, Dr. Loomis and Zora’s team leader, Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), find themselves in grave danger from the dinosaurs.

The trio’s adventure also strands them with a civilian family (played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and others) whose boating adventure was overturned by roving aquatic dinosaurs.

In the final moments of the trailer, Johansson points a gun at a massive aquatic dinosaur terrorizing the group’s boat and everyone onboard.

Directed by Gareth Edwards and from a screenplay by David Koepp, “Jurassic World Rebirth” is set five years after the events of “Jurassic World Dominion.”

The film’s logline reads, “The planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.”

The description continues, “When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on a forbidden island that had once housed an undisclosed research facility for Jurassic Park. There, in a terrain populated by dinosaurs of vastly different species, they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that has been hidden from the world for decades.”

The film also stars Rupert Friend, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain, and Ed Skrein.

Steven Spielberg, who directed the first two “Jurassic Park” films, is an executive producer on “Jurassic World Rebirth.”

The new movie comes after the first three “Jurassic World” films that starred Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.

The latest film, “Jurassic World: Dominion,” came out in 2022 and grossed over $1 billion worldwide. It featured appearances by “Jurassic Park” alums Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum.

“Jurassic World: Rebirth” will be out in theaters on July 2.

Huang Ruo’s ‘The Monkey King’ to get world premiere at San Francisco Opera on Nov. 14 – WTOP News

Huang Ruo watched his kids on Halloween during the coronavirus pandemic his son dressed as Spider-Man and Batman, his daughter…

Huang Ruo watched his kids on Halloween during the coronavirus pandemic his son dressed as Spider-Man and Batman, his daughter as Elsa from “Frozen.”

“I was just thinking, wouldn’t it be nice to have a superhero figure from Asia so all these kids could have something from that part of the world to wear, to look up to?” the composer said.

He decided to write “The Monkey King,” based on an episode from the 16th century Chinese novel “Journey to the West” in which a primate born from stone acquires supernatural powers and seeks immortality. The work, with singing in English and Mandarin, will be given its world premiere by the San Francisco Opera on Nov. 14, the company announced Tuesday.

San Francisco Opera general director Matthew Shilvock issued the commission following the success of Bright Sheng’s “Dream of the Red Chamber,” which the company premiered in 2016. Librettos of both were written by David Henry Hwang, whose “M Butterfly” won the 1988 Tony Award for best play.

“We were looking at how do we continue building this repertoire of pieces that really resonate with an Asian American audience here in San Francisco but have the potential to cross the Pacific and find resonance in Asia, as well,” Shilvock said.

Ruo’s compositions include “Bound,” which premiered at the Houston Grand Opera in 2014, and “An American Soldier,” first seen at the Washington National Opera later that year. He is composing “The Wedding Banquet,” based on Ang Lee’s 1993 movie, to appear at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 2027-28 following its premiere at the Seattle Opera.

Ruo wrote “The Monkey Key” in part as a response to discrimination during the pandemic.

“That was during the time that Asians and Asian Americans were being harassed,” he said. “I thought it would be good to have some positive energy.”

There will be eight performances through Nov. 30, including a livestream on Nov. 18. Diane Paulus directs a production with scenic design and puppetry by Basil Twist. The title character is presented in three ways: by a singer, a dancer and a puppet. Tenor Kang Wang makes his company debut in the title role.

San Francisco’s season opens Sept. 5 with a revival of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” in a production originally by Mark Lamos from 1997, led by music director Eun Sun Kim and starring Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Adela Zaharia and Giovanni Sala.

Jake Heggie’s “Dead Man Walking” opens Sept. 14 in new-to-San Francisco Leonard Foglia staging from 2002 to mark the 25th anniversary of its world premiere in San Francisco. Jamie Barton is featured as Sister Helen, and Susan Graham, who sang Helen in the premiere, is Mrs. Patrick De Rocher.

A new production of Wagner’s “Parsifal” directed by Matthew Ozawa opens Oct. 25 with a cast that includes Brandon Jovanovich, Kwangchul Youn and Brian Mulligan.

Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)” starts the spring season on May 28, 2025, in an Emilio Sagi production from 2013 and will be followed by Strauss’ “Elektra” starting June 7 in a Keith Warner production originally seen at the Prague National Theatre in 2016 and San Francisco the following year.

The six productions match 2024-25 and are down from eight in 2023-24. Shilvock anticipates a $15 million structural imbalance in this season’s budget that projects $87 million in expenses, a difference that will be covered by a greater reliance on endowment. San Francisco sold 79% of tickets for its fall season, 3% above goal, and its average audience age has dropped.

“I do take a huge amount of optimism and encouragement,” Shilvock said. “The core relationship of audiences to the artistic product is the strongest I’ve ever seen it.”

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Man charged with stabbing Salman Rushdie is going on trial; author will take the stand

Mayville, N.Y. – In 2022, Salman Rushdie was about to deliver a lecture before a live audience in western New York when a man ran towards him and plunged a knife into the author’s hand as he raised it in self-defense.

“After that there are many blows, to my neck, to my chest, to my eye, everywhere,” Rushdie recalled in a memoir that followed. “I feel my legs give way, and I fall.”

In the coming weeks, Rushdie is expected to return to the same New York county to recount the experience as one of the first witnesses in the trial of the man charged with wielding the knife that day, Hadi Matar.

Jury selection got underway Tuesday. Matar, 27, of Fairview, New Jersey, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and assault.

Five jurors were seated during the first day of screening, which was scheduled to continue Wednesday.

Under different circumstances, Rushdie’s book, which details his account of that day and his recovery, might offer important evidence in the Aug. 12, 2022, attack that left the 77-year-old blind in his right eye and his hand permanently damaged.

But “this isn’t a back alley event that occurs unwitnessed in a dark alley,” said Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt following a pretrial hearing. “This is something that was recorded, it was witnessed live by thousands of people.”

Jurors will be shown video of the attack, as well as photos and documentation, and an estimated 15 witnesses are expected to take the stand. Judge David Foley said once jury selection is complete, the trial would take up to a week and a half.

Matar’s lawyer, Nathaniel Barone, has not explained how he plans to defend his client and has clapped back at critics who question why Matar did not take a plea deal.

“That’s not what this is about. It’s about due process,” Barone said. “It’s about receiving a fair trial … If someone wants to exercise those rights, they’re entitled to do that.”

In a separate indictment, federal authorities allege that Matar was motivated by a terrorist organization’s endorsement of a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death. A separate trial on the federal charges – terrorism transcending national boundaries, providing material support to terrorists and attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization – will be scheduled in U.S. District Court in Buffalo.

Foley asked potential jurors Tuesday whether they could fairly consider a case involving someone of Muslim descent or with strong religious beliefs. All indicated they could.

But finding jurors who have not already formed an opinion was proving harder.

Nearly all of the 27 men and women being screened Tuesday said they knew about what happened to Rushdie, either from news reports or acquaintances, and several said they had formed opinions that are unlikely to change based on what they hear at trial.

Matar’s attorney sought unsuccessfully to move the trial out of Chautauqua County last year, citing pretrial publicity and potential prejudice against people of Middle Eastern descent among the small rural county’s mostly white residents.

Rushdie spent years in hiding after the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued the fatwa in 1989 after publication of the novel “The Satanic Verses,” which some Muslims consider blasphemous. In the federal indictment, authorities allege Matar believed the edict was backed by the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah and endorsed in a 2006 speech by the group’s then-leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

But jurors in the Chautauqua County case are unlikely to hear about the fatwa, according to Schmidt. He has said he doesn’t anticipate needing to show Matar’s possible motive to get a conviction on the state charges.

“From my standpoint, this is a localized event. It’s a stabbing event. It’s fairly straightforward,” Schmidt said. “I don’t really see a need to get into motive evidence, whether that’s applicable or not applicable and what that consists of. I’d like to avoid all of that.”

Barone, the defense attorney, said jurors should be screened for prejudice nonetheless, given the discussions of the fatwa during previous court proceedings.

“They’ve talked about the reason why this alleged crime supposedly occurred was because of this book involving Muslims, all that. So it’s kind of like the barn door’s been opened,” he said.

Matar was born in the U.S. but holds dual citizenship in Lebanon, where his parents were born. Rushdie is a native of India who lived for years in London. He became a U.S. citizen in 2016.

Matar has been held without bail since his arrest after being subdued by onlookers who rushed the amphitheater stage. The event’s moderator, Henry Reese, co-founder of City of Asylum in Pittsburgh, was also wounded.