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Dwayne Johnson Gets the Rights to the Name ‘The Rock’, Joins Board of WWE Owner TKO Group 

Dwayne Johnson. (AP)
Dwayne Johnson. (AP)
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Dwayne Johnson Gets the Rights to the Name ‘The Rock’, Joins Board of WWE Owner TKO Group 

Dwayne Johnson. (AP)
Dwayne Johnson. (AP)

It is a name that has become almost synonymous with professional wrestling but its bearer, Dwayne Johnson, has never legally owned "The Rock."

That will change under a new agreement with the WWE under which Johnson will also join the board of TKO Group, the sports and entertainment company that houses WWE and UFC.

"The Rock" is a name derived from Johnson's father, WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, who was the first Black champion in WWE history (alongside partner Tony Atlas), according to the WWE.

Johnson, a movie and wrestling star, has a business portfolio that includes production company Seven Bucks Productions, energy drink company ZOA Energy, Project Rock apparel brand and the United Football League.

"I am thrilled to partner with Dwayne and welcome his immense talent to TKO’s Board," TKO CEO Ariel Emanuel said in a prepared statement. "Dwayne brings an incredible track record of creating content and building globally recognized consumer brands, and he will play a key role in realizing our ambitions for TKO."

TKO Group Holdings Inc. says Johnson's board appointment, effective Tuesday, reflects its "commitment to delivering long-term value and strong performance for shareholders through strategic growth initiatives across both UFC and WWE."

Johnson began his wrestling career with WWE in 1996. He has recently appeared on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.'s "Smackdown" and "Raw" television programs, with rumors swirling that he may compete at this year's WrestleMania.

"I’m very motivated to help continue to globally expand our TKO, WWE, and UFC businesses as the worldwide leaders in sports and entertainment — while proudly representing so many phenomenal athletes and performers who show up every day putting in the hard work with their own two hands to make their dreams come true and deliver for our audiences," Johnson said in a prepared statement. "I’ve been there, I’m still there and this is for them."

TKO also announced Tuesday that Brad Keywell will become a board member. Keywell has co-founded and led multiple companies, including Groupon, Echo Global Logistics, MediaOcean, and Uptake Technologies, where he is currently founder and executive chairman.

The additions of Johnson and Keywell will increase TKO's board from 11 to 13 members.

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Entertainment

BTS Light Stick Prices Surge Ahead of Comeback Concert

A view of the main stage for a free concert by K-pop group BTS at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, 18 March 2026. (EPA)
A view of the main stage for a free concert by K-pop group BTS at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, 18 March 2026. (EPA)
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BTS Light Stick Prices Surge Ahead of Comeback Concert

A view of the main stage for a free concert by K-pop group BTS at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, 18 March 2026. (EPA)
A view of the main stage for a free concert by K-pop group BTS at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, 18 March 2026. (EPA)

Second-hand BTS light sticks were selling for up to six times the original price ahead of the K-pop megagroup's huge comeback concert this weekend, an online reseller showed Wednesday.

The world's biggest boy band reunites on Saturday for their first show in nearly four years, taking over central Seoul for a K-pop extravaganza beamed live around the globe.

K-pop fans are known for their concert light sticks, which have become symbols of devotion to their artists.

BTS's global fans, known as the ARMY, calls theirs the Army Bomb.

The original price of the latest official version is around 50,000 won ($33.67), but they are sold out.

Listings on Bunjang, a major platform for used goods, are priced at between 100,000 and 330,000 won per unit.

The concert on Saturday will see BTS take the stage on the doorstep of the famed Gyeongbokgung royal palace.

The area has also long been a site of political protests, including after former president Yoon Suk Yeol's failed 2024 martial law declaration, when K-pop fans took part with glowsticks -- a striking image that drew global attention.

Entertainment

Oscars TV Audience Shrinks 9% in US from Last Year

US filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson accepts the Oscar for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) for "One Battle After Another" onstage during the 98th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California on March 15, 2026. (AFP)
US filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson accepts the Oscar for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) for "One Battle After Another" onstage during the 98th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California on March 15, 2026. (AFP)
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Oscars TV Audience Shrinks 9% in US from Last Year

US filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson accepts the Oscar for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) for "One Battle After Another" onstage during the 98th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California on March 15, 2026. (AFP)
US filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson accepts the Oscar for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) for "One Battle After Another" onstage during the 98th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California on March 15, 2026. (AFP)

The Academy Awards telecast attracted 17.9 million US viewers, a 9% decrease from the previous year and the lowest since 2022, according to Nielsen data released by broadcaster ABC on Tuesday.

The figure for Sunday's show reflected viewing ‌on ABC ‌and on the streaming service ‌Hulu. ⁠Both are owned ⁠by Walt Disney.

Hollywood handed the best picture prize to darkly comic thriller "One Battle After Another" during the more than three-hour-long ceremony. Comedian Conan ⁠O'Brien hosted for the ‌second year ‌in a row.

Viewership for awards shows has ‌been declining for years as TV ‌audiences have shifted to streaming and social media.

ABC said social impressions for the Oscars increased 42% this ‌year over 2025 to more than 184 million.

The ⁠highest-rated ⁠Academy Awards telecast aired in 1998, when megahit "Titanic" swept the honors. More than 57 million people tuned in that year.

In 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Oscar ratings hit their low point with 10.5 million viewers. The Oscars ceremony will be moving from ABC to YouTube in 2029.

Entertainment

‘Dune: Part Three’ Trailer Lands, a Day After Sneak Peek with Zendaya, Director Villeneuve

US actress Zendaya poses during a photocall prior to attend the Louis Vuitton Women's Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2026-2027 collection fashion show as part of the Paris Women Fashion Week, in Paris, on March 10, 2026. (AFP)
US actress Zendaya poses during a photocall prior to attend the Louis Vuitton Women's Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2026-2027 collection fashion show as part of the Paris Women Fashion Week, in Paris, on March 10, 2026. (AFP)
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‘Dune: Part Three’ Trailer Lands, a Day After Sneak Peek with Zendaya, Director Villeneuve

US actress Zendaya poses during a photocall prior to attend the Louis Vuitton Women's Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2026-2027 collection fashion show as part of the Paris Women Fashion Week, in Paris, on March 10, 2026. (AFP)
US actress Zendaya poses during a photocall prior to attend the Louis Vuitton Women's Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2026-2027 collection fashion show as part of the Paris Women Fashion Week, in Paris, on March 10, 2026. (AFP)

Canadian filmmaker Denis ‌Villeneuve revealed he nearly took a break before completing "Dune: Part Three," the conclusion to his epic science-fiction trilogy, but changed his mind after he saw how audiences embraced the first two films.

“I felt an appetite for the third movie that I was not expecting,” said Villeneuve on Monday in Los Angeles at a preview event for the movie's trailer, which was released to the public on Tuesday.

The film, distributed by Warner Bros, arrives in theaters on December 18. It is based on "Dune Messiah," the second book in the "Dune" series of ‌novels written ‌by Frank Herbert, about the battle for control ‌of ⁠the fictional planet ⁠of Arrakis, a harsh desert locale that contains a valuable spice that can extend life.

The new trailer shows the main character, Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, and Chani, played by Zendaya, years after the first two films as they ponder their future as parents. The first two films, released in 2021 and 2024, grossed a combined $1.1 billion ⁠worldwide and received numerous accolades, including several Academy ‌Awards.

Villeneuve describes the third film as ‌a departure from the first two, as Paul Atreides must also reckon ‌with the consequences of the power and influence that he holds.

The ‌director recalled how he kept waking up at night with visions of the final chapter. “I was supposed to do another movie in the meantime but the image kept coming back. And I said, ‘All right, let’s do ‌it.’”

In a surprise, Villeneuve brought out several cast members at the event, including Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Anya Taylor-Joy ⁠and Javier ⁠Bardem.

Zendaya reflected on how she spent her entire 20s working on the "Dune" films. "They have such a special place in my heart," the Euphoria actor said.

Pattinson, known for his appearances in "The Batman" and the "Twilight" series of films, joins the cast as the antagonist, Scytale. “I absolutely adored these movies - I saw them multiple times in theaters,” he said.

“He’s a very unusual character in the book,” the actor added. “You can’t really tell whose side he’s on. He’s not a conventional bad guy - he might even be a good guy. Who knows?”

Villeneuve noted the final movie will take fans to new planets on sets that they have yet to see.