*The Mandalorian and Grogu* held its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday, May 14. Social embargo lifted on Thursday, May 15, with the first wave of reactions splitting sharply. Positive takes praised the puppetry, the Grogu showcase, the score, and the pulpy Flash Gordon energy; negative reactions repeatedly described the film as "a longer, bigger episode of the TV show" rather than a theatrical Star Wars feature, with one widely-shared post calling it "one of the weakest Star…

Variety broke on Thursday, May 14 that Amazon MGM Studios has hired Nina Gold, the *Game of Thrones*, *Star Wars*, and *The Crown* casting director, to lead the search for the next James Bond. Deadline followed with confirmation the deal had been formally closed. Auditions have been quietly underway "for the past few weeks." Denis Villeneuve directs from a Steven Knight script, with producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman. Gold was Oscar-nominated last cycle for her casting work on *Hamnet*.

During Disney's 2026 upfront presentation at the Javits Center on Tuesday, May 12, Sigourney Weaver took the stage to announce that *Avatar: Fire and Ash* arrives on Disney+ on June 24, 2026. The film opened theatrically on December 19, 2025 and grossed approximately $1.49 billion globally. The Disney+ date follows a 187-day theatrical window. A 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and DVD release is also set for May 19. The same upfront introduced Josh D'Amaro in his first presentation as Disney's new CEO.

On Friday, May 15, John Travolta received an honorary Palme d'Or in a surprise on-stage moment ahead of the world premiere of *Propeller One-Way Night Coach*, the long-developed adaptation of Travolta's own 1997 novel. The festival had not pre-announced the honor; it was added on short notice. Travolta is now the second Honorary Palme of the 2026 festival, joining Peter Jackson, with Barbra Streisand to receive the third at the closing ceremony.

Rex Reed, the long-time film critic, journalist, and occasional actor, died at his Manhattan home on Tuesday, May 12, after a short illness. He was 87. Reed's longtime publicist Sean Katz confirmed the news. Reed was for decades the most-quoted, most-feared, and most-imitated working film critic in America, known for stylish profiles in *The New York Times*, *GQ*, *Esquire*, and *Vogue*, and for a long run as the lead critic at *The New York Observer*. He also acted, playing the pre-transition Myron in 1970's…

Pedro Almodóvar's *Amarga Navidad* (*Bitter Christmas*) had its world premiere in Cannes competition during the festival's first week, the director's 11th time competing on the Croisette. The Spanish-language drama stars Bárbara Lennie as a successful advertising executive whose breakdown after personal tragedy is itself adapted into art by a filmmaker who enters her life. It's described by trade press as Almodóvar's most internally referential film since *Pain and Glory*, explicitly about the act of turning grief…

Variety confirmed this week that Neon has acquired US distribution rights to James Gray's *Paper Tiger*, the director's 8th feature and his 6th time in Cannes competition. The film stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver in what trades describe as a "sweeping crime epic rooted in family loyalty, betrayal, and generational trauma." The acquisition was timed to the film's Cannes competition premiere during the festival's first week. Gray's previous film, 2022's *Armageddon Time*, debuted at Cannes for Focus…