AP Entertainment

February 17, 2025

‘Saturday Night Live’ celebrates 50 years with comedy, music and show’s many, many famous friends

Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter opened the 50th anniversary celebration of “Saturday Night Live” and Paul McCartney closed it down. The 83-year-old Simon, who has been a constant on the show since it began in 1975, was joined by the 25-year-old current pop sensation Carpenter on a duet of “Homeward Bound.” One of the show’s most frequent hosts and guests, Steve Martin, delivered the opening monologue, and McCartney closed the show with an “Abbey Road” medley. The pop culture juggernaut has launched the careers of generations of comedians. Many of them are on hand Sunday for the “SNL50: The Anniversary Celebration.” Sketches featured former cast members Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig and Eddie Murphy.

‘Anora’ breakout Yura Borisov is not sure what ‘Russian Ryan Gosling’ means. But he’ll take it

Yura Borisov does not have a flashy entrance in “Anora.” His character Igor isn’t even introduced until the movie’s nearly halfway through. He’s just the hired muscle. And yet you can’t take your eyes off of this stranger. It’s a performance that has caught many off guard: An introduction to a fresh face with an undeniable star quality that has earned him nominations from the Oscars, the Screen Actors Guild and the BAFTAs. But Borisov, 32, is only a newcomer in some parts of the world. Already a star in Russia, Borisov broke through on the international scene in the Cannes title “Compartment No. 6.”

NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon ready to partner with Tom Cruise on ‘Days of Thunder’ sequel

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon wants a “Days of Thunder” sequel and said at Daytona International Speedway that he’s been in touch with Tom Cruise about making the project come to life. The Hollywood Reporter reported in November that Cruise had talked to Paramount about a follow-up to his 1990 NASCAR racing film. The original was a critically panned summer blockbuster that was largely lampooned throughout the NASCAR industry for its exaggeration and overindulgence. Gordon said he had talked to Cruise about another “Thunder” movie.

The 7 most memorable moments from the BAFTAs, from Zoe Saldaña to Mikey Madison

The British Academy Film Awards, or BAFTAs, have given audiences some great moments in recent years. Remember Ariana DeBose’s “Angela Basset did the thing,” that awkward performance that had a joyful second life as a joke? The show might not be the easiest to watch in some parts of the world, including the in the U.S., but The Associated Press has gathered the most memorable moments of the night. Those include speeches from Zoe Saldaña, Jesse Eisenberg and Warwick Davis, host David Tennant’s Proclaimers singalong and Jeff Goldblum’s piano playing during the in memoriam tribute.

Colombian superstar Shakira cancels her concert in Lima after being hospitalized

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Colombian superstar Shakira has canceled her Sunday concert in Lima after being hospitalized with an abdominal condition. The singer shared a statement on her Instagram and X accounts saying she is currently hospitalized and that doctors informed her she was not in condition to perform. “I am very sad that I will not be able to take the stage today. I have been deeply emotional and excited about reuniting with my beloved Peruvian audience,” she said. The singer arrived in Peru on Friday evening, where she was scheduled to perform Sunday and Monday. The country is the second stop on her Latin American tour.

What to stream: ‘1923’ returns, Tate McRae, ‘Reacher,’ Baldwins’ reality show and a ‘Suits’ spin-off

A modern reimagining of the graphic novel “The Crow” starring Bill Skarsgård plus Canadian pop musician Tate McRae offering her third album are some of this week’s new streaming entertainment releases. Trouble once again finds Jack Reacher in season three of the popular Prime Video series, “Reacher,” and Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren reprise their roles of Jacob and Cara Dutton in season two of Taylor Sheridan’s “1923” for Paramount+. Roddy Ricch returns with his third album and Alec and Hilaria Baldwin continue their push and pull with the spotlight in the new TLC reality series called “The Baldwins.”

‘Conclave’ wins best picture at BAFTAs as ‘The Brutalist’ takes directing and acting prizes

LONDON (AP) — Papal thriller “Conclave” won four prizes including best picture at the British Academy Film Awards, at a ceremony with no single dominant winner, “The Brutalist” also won four trophies on Sunday including best director for Brady Corbet. “The Brutalist” star Adrien Brody took the prize for best actor, and Mikey Madison won the best actress prize for “Anora.” Genre-bending musical “Emilia Pérez” proved that it’s still an awards contender despite a multipronged backlash that looked to have dented its chances. It won the prize for best film not in the English language and the best supporting actress prize for Zoe Saldaña. Kieran Culkin was named best supporting actor for “A Real Pain.”

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Feb. 23-29

Celebrities having birthdays during the week of Feb. 23-March 1 include country singer Jason Aldean, actor Edward James Olmos and “Frozen” songwriter Robert Lopez. Musician George Thorogood turns 75, singer Erykah Badu hits 54 and drummer Jared Champion of Cage the Elephant celebrates 42. Other singers with big days include Chilli of TLC, Pat Monahan of Train, Kesha, Justin Bieber and Roger Daltrey of The Who. Actor-director Ron Howard turns 71, “The Dukes of Hazzard” actor Catherine Bach reaches 70, guitarist Ryan Peake of Nickelback hits 52 and actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar celebrates 51.

‘Captain America: Brave New World’ soars toward a $100 million holiday weekend

“Captain America: Brave New World” is infusing some blockbuster cash into the North American box office. The Walt Disney Co. said Sunday that the film earned an estimated $88.5 million over the weekend. By the end of Monday’s Presidents’ Day holiday, it should hit $100 million domestically and $192.4 million globally. Second place went to “Paddington in Peru,” the third installment in the beloved franchise, which finally opened in North America this weekend with an estimated $13 million. Sony’s slasher “Heart Eyes” landed in third place with $10 million. Fourth place went to “Dog Man” with $9.7 million.