🎭 Culture & Entertainment
April 5th, 2026
Today's top 5 stories, curated by Daily Direct.
Variety
Pepsi Cancels Sponsorship of U.K. Festival Where Kanye West Is Set to Headline, Hours After Prime Minister Decries ‘His Previous Celebration of Nazism’
Pepsi has pulled its decade-long sponsorship of London's Wireless Festival following the announcement that Ye, formerly Kanye West, is set to headline the event. The move came hours after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly condemned Ye's past antisemitic statements and his "celebration of Nazism." The controversy signals mounting corporate and political pressure on festival organizers to reconsider the booking.
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Variety
WGA Reaches Surprise Deal With Studios a Month Before Contract Expires
The Writers Guild of America struck a tentative four-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, wrapping up negotiations a full month ahead of their contract deadline. The early agreement marks a notable departure from recent labor tensions in Hollywood, where the WGA's 2023 strike lasted 148 days. A longer-than-usual contract term suggests both sides are betting on stability in an industry still recalibrating around streaming and AI.
Read article →Hollywood Reporter
Writers Guild Reaches Tentative Four-Year Deal With Studios
The Writers Guild of America has reached a tentative four-year agreement with studios, wrapping up negotiations that began just weeks ago in mid-March. The deal includes increases to health plan and pension benefits, along with stronger protections preventing studios from using writers' work to train AI models. The relatively swift resolution marks a notable contrast to the guild's bruising 148-day strike in 2023.
Read article →Hollywood Reporter
Easter Box Office: ‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Heads for Gigantic $188.6M U.S. Bow, $371M Globally
Nintendo's animated blockbuster "Super Mario Galaxy Movie" is tracking toward a historic Easter opening, projecting $188.6 million domestically and $371 million worldwide. Meanwhile, the star-studded "The Drama" is underperforming despite its A-list cast of Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. Ryan Gosling's "Project Hail Mary" continues to defy expectations, quietly crossing the $200 million domestic milestone this weekend.
Read article →Hollywood Reporter
Easter Box Office: ‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Soars to Gigantic $190M U.S. Lauch, $372M Globally
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie dominated the Easter holiday weekend with a massive $190 million domestic debut and $372 million worldwide, cementing itself as one of the biggest launches of the year. Meanwhile, Ryan Gosling's Project Hail Mary crossed the $200 million domestic threshold, proving the sci-fi adaptation has the legs of a genuine blockbuster. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson's The Drama opened to more modest enthusiasm, earning a B CinemaScore that signals a narrower audience despite its star power.
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