STEVEN SPIELBERG

Billionaire Moshe Kantor has severed his longstanding ties to Tel Aviv University — joining a growing list of Russian Jewish oligarchs who have scaled back their philanthropic activities after coming under international sanctions for their ties to President Vladimir Putin.

The group of eight celebrities, which includes Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, and Rihanna, is collectively worth $15.6 billion.

Classic film lovers know the importance of a grand entrance and the folks at Turner Classic Movies are pulling out all the stops for the return of the TCM Classic Film Festival this week in Hollywood. After two years of virtual editions because of the pandemic, the festival kicks off Thursday with the help of Steven Spielberg, who will be on hand to celebrate the 40th anniversary of “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.”

“The original is a masterpiece … but it’s also a bit of a tough watch today.”

Jane Campion has won the best director Oscar for “The Power of the Dog.”.

Ariana DeBose lived up to Oscar predictions and followed the path of her “West Side Story” predecessor Rita Moreno.

DeBose is the first openly queer woman of color to win an Oscar for her acting.

>> Read more trending newsFor the 20th consecutive year, Distinctive Assets is distributing its famously expensive “Everybody Wins” gift bags to select nominees, valued this year at slightly more than $137,000, CNBC reported. According to the Los Angeles-based marketing company, the grown-up goodie bags include items ranging from designer popcorn to a voucher for $12,000 worth of liposuction. “It’s a very small group of people compared to the 150 gift bags we create for the Grammys,” Distinctive Assets founder Lash Fary told CNBC. Distinctive Assets is not affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science, Fox Business reported. High-profile recipients of this year’s swag bags include “West Side Story” director Steven Spielberg, “Power of the Dog” star Benedict Cumberbatch and “Spencer” star Kristen Stewart, the network reported.

A slate of pieces about some of this year’s nominated films and the artists behind them.

The unlikely Oscar contender “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” recently became the first film from the small Asian nation of Bhutan to be nominated for best international film.

Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.

The Academy Awards have always loved a comeback story.

“West Side Story” star Rachel Zegler may get her Oscars moment after all.

The stage musical about the making of the classic film “Jaws” has speared its leading man — Jarrod Spector.

The Academy Awards return this Sunday, but they face a battle to raise their viewing figures.

“CODA” has won the top prize at the Producers Guild Awards, giving momentum to the possibility that the small film could have a big night at next week’s Oscars.

What's going to win best picture at the 94th Academy Awards.

Rita Moreno told her “Enjoy it, honey!”.

Sci-fi epic “Dune” has won five prizes and dark Western “The Power of the Dog” has been named best film at the British Academy Film Awards.

AFI Awards Luncheon Ariana DeBose, left, and Steven Spielberg arrive at the AFI Awards Luncheon on Friday, March 11, 2022, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) (Chris Pizzello)BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — (AP) — From Bradley Cooper to Steven Spielberg, some of Hollywood’s brightest stars came together to relax and sip wine in a fancy ballroom where everyone ended up walking away a winner at the American Film Institute Awards on Friday. “Squid Game,” “Belfast” and “Summer of Soul (...or: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’)” received special awards during the event. Laughs and hugs were shared before the event between “tick, tick… BOOM!” star Andrew Garfield and Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-yeon from “Squid Game.” Cooper and “Licorice Pizza” actor Cooper Hoffman had a chat before both posed for photos. The game is: There is no game,” AFI President Bob Gazzale said as many in the audience chuckled. For us, it was Sidney Poitier.

From Bradley Cooper to Steven Spielberg, some of Hollywood’s brightest stars came together to relax and sip wine in a fancy ballroom where everyone ended up walking away a winner at the American Film Institute Awards on Friday.

The Oscar race may be heating up, but you wouldn’t know it to peek in on the nominees luncheon Monday in Los Angeles.

“Drive My Car” is a three-hour Japanese drama in which the opening credits don’t even arrive until 40 minutes in.

This week’s new entertainment releases include an album and companion book by Dolly Parton, the comedy-thriller “Fresh” starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Roger Allam playing a French crime-buster in “Murder in Provence.”.

Only seven women have ever been nominated for best director in Oscars history, and as of last year, two have won.

The 94th Oscar nominations were full of surprises in both satisfying and disappointing ways, but when there are only five nominees in most categories, it’s almost guaranteed that a few favorites will miss the cut.

Sci-fi epic blockbuster “Dune” and Jane Campion’s dark Western “The Power Of The Dog” lead the nominations for this year’s British Academy Film Awards, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Leonardo DiCaprio and Lady Gaga among those up for acting awards.

Pfizer's chief executive, Albert Bourla, has been awarded the prestigious Genesis Prize for his efforts in leading the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy, stewards of the Star Wars universe and numerous other notable motion pictures, are being honored by the Producers Guild of America for their contributions to the film industry.

Will Smith, Lady Gaga and Ben Affleck landed individual nominations for the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards on Wednesday, while the casts of “Belfast” and “CODA” were among those nominated for the guild’s top award, best ensemble.

Sasha Spielberg is known for her roles in movies like "Terminal," and Harry McNally works as a musician and restaurant manager.

Hollywood closed out 2021 with more fireworks at the box office for “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which topped all films for the third straight week and already charts among the highest grossing films domestically.

Never underestimate your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, even with a mutating virus afoot.

The first proper footage from the eagerly-awaited "Halo" TV series has arrived, the live-action adaptation of the famous first-person shooter Xbox games.

For the first time since the pandemic began, the box office is booming.

In revising the musical drama for modern sensibilities, Spielberg makes misguided additions and removes much of what’s best.

If 2020 was a pandemic-induced pause, 2021 was when things started up again, albeit slowly and timidly.

Film Review - West Side Story This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Ariana DeBose as Anita, foreground left, and David Alvarez as Bernardo in "West Side Story." A dazzling widescreen adaptation and Spielberg's first musical, “West Side Story” was one of the year's most eagerly awaited titles. But “West Side Story” faced a challenging marketplace for both adult-driven releases and musicals. Starring newcomer Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort as Maria and Tony, “West Side Story” took in $4.4 million in 37 overseas territories. Spielberg’s film was a long time coming.

Despite critical acclaim and two years-worth of anticipation, Steven Spielberg’s lavish “West Side Story” revival made little noise at the box office.

Steven Spielberg creates an authentic, yet true to form remake of the American theater classic "West Side Story."

The film is a genuinely thoughtful update on a classic.

It's never easy to define a year in pop culture, especially in a rollercoaster year like 2021, when we were up and down again, and again, and again.

The American Film Institute lined up behind many of the year’s end-of-year Oscar contenders, naming Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” and Adam McKay’s “Don’t Look Up” among the year’s 10 best films.

Steven Spielberg's acclaimed 'West Side Story' remake won't screen in several Gulf nations after Disney reportedly refused to make censors' edits.

Leftovers were on the menu for moviegoers in North America this weekend.

A World War II veteran who was the last surviving officer of “Easy Company,” which inspired the HBO miniseries and book “Band of Brothers,” has died.

The New York Film Critics Circle on Friday named “Drive My Car,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s three-hour emotional epic and Haruki Murakami’s short story adaptation, the best film of the year.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza” has been named the best film of the year by the National Board of Review.

The award-winning actress won an Oscar for her role in the 1961 film and laughingly recalled her inaccurate prediction.

In 2010, the year he turned 80, Stephen Sondheim had to endure a public fuss when a Broadway theater was being renamed in his honor.

The 89-year-old tells Bill Whitaker about her longevity in show business and the obstacles she has overcome as she gets set to debut in Steven Spielberg's adaptation of "West Side Story." See their interviews, Sunday on 60 Minutes.

One of the hottest clubs in Hollywood is run by “Crazy Rich Asians” actor Jimmy O.

The Walt Disney Co_ is pushing back the release dates of many of its upcoming titles, including the untitled Indiana Jones movie and the Black Panther sequel “Wakanda Forever.”.

An 11th-hour deal has been reached and a strike that would have shut down film and television productions across the U.S. was averted.

A major Hollywood strike could be on the horizon for some 60,000 behind-the-scenes workers in the entertainment industry.

Netflix’s new “Attack of the Hollywood Cliches” spotlights how a in-joke effect ended up in hundreds of films, including “Star Wars” and “Toy Story.”

Academy Museum FILE - People wait up for The Oscars Experience exhibit at the Academy Museum on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, in Los Angeles. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opens in Los Angeles Thursday. It finally happens with Thursday's opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. “Finally, at last, boy howdy hey, welcome to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures," Tom Hanks said at a media preview last week. It is very well built.”FOR YOUR CONSIDERATIONThis is the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, not the Academy Museum of the Academy Awards.

It's premiere time for the film academy's long-awaited museum.

From the return of James Bond and "Top Gun," to the sci-fi epic "Dune" and the musical remake of "West Side Story," Hollywood is aiming big this fall. Check out our list of coming attractions.

After endless disruption due to the pandemic and the super-charged growth of streaming services, moviegoing may be going back to something a little like normal.

The fall movie season -- usually a reliable rhythm and cozy autumn comfort — is this year, like much of the past 18 months, a little disorienting.

Like it or not, the way we work has already evolved.

The filmmaker who turned Christopher Reeve into “Superman” and Mel Gibson and Danny Glover into cop buddies in “Lethal Weapon” has died, his family said Monday through a spokesperson.

Netflix deal FILE PHOTO: Steven Spielberg attends the Premiere of Disney's "Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker" on December 16, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Rich Fury/Getty Images)The next Steven Spielberg blockbuster may be first seen on the small screen thanks to a new deal inked between the iconic filmmaker and Netflix. The deal will not impact Spielberg’s long-term connection with Universal Pictures, The Wall Street Journal reported. Netflix, according to The Wall Street Journal, is still the most popular streaming service, but Amazon, Disney+, HBO Max and Peacock are closing in. “You certainly, if it’s a good show, deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar,” Spielberg had said, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Amblin Partners, which is behind Spielberg's iconic films, has produced countless movies – some of which have already gone to Netflix.

Film Netflix Spielberg FILE - Filmmaker Steven Spielberg poses at the 2019 "An Unforgettable Evening" benefiting the Women's Cancer Research Fund in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Feb. 28, 2019. Spielberg has set a new deal with Netflix in which his production company, Amblin Partners, will make multiple feature films per year for the streaming giant. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File) (Chris Pizzello)NEW YORK — (AP) — Steven Spielberg, a filmmaker synonymous with big-screen enchantment, has set a new deal with Netflix in which his production company, Amblin Partners, will make multiple feature films per year for the streaming giant. The partnership, one long courted by Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer, is a major get for the company that, amid increasing competition, brings perhaps the most beloved film director more officially into the streaming fold. Reports around then circulated that Spielberg believed streaming releases should vie for Emmys, not Oscars.

Steven Spielberg, a filmmaker synonymous with big-screen enchantment, has set a new deal with Netflix in which his production company, Amblin Partners, will make multiple feature films per year for the streaming giant.

Rita Moreno emigrated with her mother from Puerto Rico at age five.

The hype for “In the Heights” has brought great expectation to the Latino community in the United States, which has been historically underrepresented or stereotyped on the screen.

Mark York, the actor best known for playing Billy Merchant in “The Office,” has died. He was 55.

Is there a more woebegone movie genre than the video game adaptation.

One Small Step, which Isay established in 2018, is among a growing number of nonprofit initiatives whose aim is to narrow America's increasingly toxic political divide. But he felt it was a start, and he named his initiative accordingly: One Small Step. One Small Step, which Isay established in 2018, is among a growing number of nonprofit initiatives whose aim is to narrow America's increasingly toxic political divide. Yet they'd never met and probably never would have, if not for their joint involvement in One Small Step. But as One Small Step has developed, expansion has followed, with roughly 800 people meeting in pairs in about 40 cities.

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, file photo, filmmaker Steven Spielberg poses at the 2019 "An Unforgettable Evening" benefiting the Women's Cancer Research Fund, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Spielberg has been awarded Israels prestigious 2021 Genesis Prize, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK – Steven Spielberg said Thursday that he will donate his $1 million Genesis Prize to 10 nonprofits that are working for racial and economic justice. In February, Spielberg received Israel’s prestigious 2021 Genesis Prize in recognition of his contribution to cinema, his philanthropic works and his efforts to preserve the memory of the Holocaust. Stan Polovets, co-founder and chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation, wrote in a statement: “Our democratic foundations are being challenged, and the COVID crisis has further increased social and economic disparities. Steven Spielberg’s decision to focus his Genesis Prize on the pursuit of racial and economic justice reflects the urgent need for us to act.”President Joe Biden congratulated Spielberg for the award in a letter released Thursday.

(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)Like many famous comics, Jo Koy had early struggles at comedy clubs. "Mixed Plate: Chronicles of an All-American Combo,” out Tuesday, is an ideal companion to Koy's stand-up with its humorous — and at times painful — origin stories behind some of his most popular bits. The book shows how Koy's mixed-race background ultimately shaped his brand of comedy and his determination not to give up on his childhood dream. “I’ve always been open to just letting people be inside my life,” Koy said. Even with all these opportunities, Koy's mother sometimes asks him if he'll drop stand-up for a regular job “with benefits.”“I don’t think about retiring.

Amy Irving &Steven SpielbergThe marriage lasted only four years but produced one of the largest settlements in Hollywood, reported at being as much as $100 million. ron galella via getty images

FILE - Actor Hal Holbrook appears during an interview in his New York apartment on Feb. 8, 1973. Holbrook died on Jan. 23 in Beverly Hills, California, his representative, Steve Rohr, told The Associated Press Tuesday. Holbrook died on Jan. 23 in Beverly Hills, California, his representative, Steve Rohr, told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Holbrook’s material is uproarious, his ability to hold an audience by acting is brilliant,” said The New York Times. AdWhen he wasn’t portraying Twain, Holbrook showed impressive versatility.

Hollywoods awards season has gone virtual. For Awards Daily founder Sasha Stone, who has been covering the Oscars since 2000, it’s like nothing she’s ever seen — an awards season without glamour, without red carpets, without anything that feels real. And awards season, such as it is, has gone virtual. The Oscar race will Zoomed. Not everyone is sorry that awards season — an increasingly bloated, overlong, high-priced slog from September to February — has been turned upside down.

In an innovative attempt to harness the artificial intelligence technologies of the present and the future to keep alive the stories of the past, Holocaust survivors may be the first people ever to be able to continue carrying on conversations (virtually, at least) even after their deaths. Heather Maio had worked for years on Holocaust-related exhibits and knew that "Schindler's List" director Steven Spielberg had created the Shoah Foundation to record the testimonies of thousands of Holocaust survivors. Kor died last summer, but using the Shoah foundation's technology, Stahl was able to conduct another 60 Minutes interview with Kor's digital image. "He had a gorgeous face, a movie star face, and very pleasant, actually," Kors' digital image told Stahl. Gutter's digital image replied.

US director Steven Spielberg poses during a photocall for his film 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' at the 61st Cannes International Film Festival on May 18, 2008 in Cannes, southern France. Indiana Jones' iconic bullwhip will no longer be in the hands of director Steven Spielberg. On Wednesday, Variety reported that Spielberg will not direct the fifth movie in the Indiana Jones franchise and director James Mangold ("Ford v. Ferrari") is now in talks to take the helm. Spielberg has directed every Indiana Jones film since the first, "Raiders of the Lost Ark," which premiered in 1981. It's likely the film could see another delay now that Spielberg is out as director.

Steven Spielberg arrives at the premiere of 'Ready Player One' held at Dolby Theatre on March 26, 2018 in Hollywood, CaliforniaSome of the best-known Silicon Valley investors and top names in Hollywood are behind the nonprofit group that launched the app that broke down during the Iowa caucus Monday night. Iowa Democrats were using an app developed by Shadow, a progressive start-up managed by a three-year-old nonprofit called Acronym. That funding is going toward "advancing progressive causes through innovative communications, advertising and organizing programs," Acronym says on its site. In addition to Shadow, Acronym is an investor in a digital news organization called Courier Newsroom and digital strategy firm Lockwood Strategy. Fourteen investors have each contributed at least $100,000 to Pacronym, all between October and December.

(CNN) - That's a wrap on "West Side Story." The musical remake from director Steven Spielberg finished filming just days ago and to celebrate, the legendary filmmaker shared on social media -- via studio 20th Century Fox's official account -- some sneak peek photos from the set. It's a wrap on West Side Story. To mark the end of production, Steven wanted to share a few thoughts and images with you. : @nikotavernise (Photos 1, 2) / #StevenSpielberg (Photo 3)#WestSideStory #StevenSpielberg pic.twitter.com/4PdhHxueKz 20th Century Fox (@20thcenturyfox) October 2, 2019The-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company.

Kaffaga, executor for the estate of her mother Elaine Steinbeck, had alleged that long-running litigation over the author's estate prevented her from making the most of his copyrights at a time when marquee names such as Steven Spielberg and Jennifer Lawrence were interested in bringing masterpieces "The Grapes of Wrath" and "East of Eden" back to the screen. She said the deals instead fell apart over the years.

Director J.J. Abrams, a self-described "fanboy" of the Star Wars franchise, got the job to direct "The Force Awakens" with an assist from Steven Spielberg. Bill Whitaker interviewed the director six weeks before the premiere. Watch Whitaker's report on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth star in new thriller Stars step out for "Devil's Knot" premiere, plus Steven Spielberg presents President Obama with humanity award. Suzanne Marques has those stories and more in today's Eye on Entertainment.

Photos + audio samples of some of the most memorable music by the composer of "Jaws," "Star Wars," and other unforgettable films