Costner, Gere, Demi Moore: Hollywood Icons on Cannes Comeback Trail 

Demi Moore. (Getty Images North America/AFP) 
Demi Moore. (Getty Images North America/AFP) 
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Costner, Gere, Demi Moore: Hollywood Icons on Cannes Comeback Trail 

Demi Moore. (Getty Images North America/AFP) 
Demi Moore. (Getty Images North America/AFP) 

This year's Cannes Film Festival hosts a trio of heartthrobs from the back end of the 20th century, making their comeback on the red carpet: Demi Moore, Kevin Costner and Richard Gere.

From "Ghost" to "Pretty Woman" to "Dances with Wolves", they are responsible for some of Generation X's favorite movie moments.

AFP looks at what they've been up to since.

- Demi Moore: ghost girl -

On the Croisette, 61-year-old Moore will be making her unexpected return in slasher-horror "The Substance", competing for the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or.

It has been a long time since Moore came anywhere near a Cannes red carpet, having appeared mostly in small TV roles and forgettable films since the early 2000s.

In her heyday, Moore was a global star after the weepie "Ghost" co-starring the late Patrick Swayze as a murdered businessman who watches over his grieving ceramicist girlfriend from beyond the grave.

Her baggy, androgynous look in that movie -- the dungarees and boyish crop -- helped define 1990s style, and she had other era-defining hits with steamy dramas "Indecent Proposal" and "Disclosure".

An Annie Leibovitz photoshoot -- showing off her pregnant belly on the cover of Vanity Fair in 1991 -- was a stunning move at the time, since copied by Beyonce, Rihanna and others.

She proved her acting chops in meatier 1990s movies such as blockbuster courtroom drama "A Few Good Men" opposite Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson.

But since the turn of the century, Moore, who has a life-long passion for collecting dolls and bought an entire house to store her 2,000-strong collection, was in the headlines more for her tumultuous love life than her acting.

She formed two Hollywood power couples, first in the 1980s with "Die Hard" star Bruce Willis, father of her three daughters, and then with Ashton Kutcher, the latter union ending acrimoniously in 2013.

- Kevin Costner: forever West -

The soft-spoken 69-year-old is back in Cannes in his favorite genre, the Western, with the epic "Horizon: An American Saga".

Fans are hoping his fourth feature as director -- which is out of competition at Cannes -- will mark a return to form after a series of expensive duds in the 1990s trashed his Oscar-gilded career.

His directorial debut "Dances With Wolves", despite being a three-hour Western, was a global hit and in 1991 won the double Oscar whammy of best picture and director.

As an actor he captured hearts in smash hits "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" (1991) and as Whitney Houston's protector in "The Bodyguard" (1992).

Teaming up with big-gun directors also proved a winning formula, from Oliver Stone's "JFK" (1991) to Clint Eastwood's "A Perfect World" (1993).

But then a string of ultra-expensive and hubristic flops -- especially "Waterworld" (1995) and "The Postman" (1997) made him into something of a laughing stock.

He continued to work in smaller roles, but invested more in music with his nostalgic country band "Kevin Costner & Modern West".

There has been a late resurgence in his 60s, however, thanks to the long-running hit neo-Western series, "Yellowstone".

- Richard Gere: zen charm -

Gere was the world's sexiest man according to People Magazine in 1999, when he was 50.

By then he had charmed audiences with his quiet seduction in "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982) and, of course, "Pretty Woman" opposite Julia Roberts.

He and supermodel Cindy Crawford were also the ultimate It-couple.

But progressively he gave up glamour for meditation.

Gere had been a Buddhist since he was 25, and increasingly used his fame to speak out, in particular against China's control of Tibet.

He developed a close friendship with the Dalai Lama and gave a fiery speech against China at the 1993 Oscars that got him barred from future ceremonies.

It also cost him movie roles in the 2000s as Hollywood sought to tap the vast Chinese market.

For his Cannes comeback, the 74-year-old has reunited with Paul Schrader -- who directed him in dark cult favorite "American Gigolo" (1980) -- for "Oh, Canada", playing a Vietnam War draft-evader haunted by his past.



Netflix Announces 'Kpop Demon Hunters' Sequel

Figures from the "Kpop Demon Hunters" toy series are on display at Mattel's booth at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany, January 26, 2026. (Reuters)
Figures from the "Kpop Demon Hunters" toy series are on display at Mattel's booth at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany, January 26, 2026. (Reuters)
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Netflix Announces 'Kpop Demon Hunters' Sequel

Figures from the "Kpop Demon Hunters" toy series are on display at Mattel's booth at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany, January 26, 2026. (Reuters)
Figures from the "Kpop Demon Hunters" toy series are on display at Mattel's booth at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany, January 26, 2026. (Reuters)

Streaming giant Netflix announced on Friday it would release a sequel to "Kpop Demon Hunters", its most popular film of all time and a two-time Oscar nominee.

The animated film, about a K-pop girl group descended from demon slayers, is the latest Korean tale to enjoy global recognition.

"KPOP DEMON HUNTERS will return for a sequel written and directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans," Netflix posted on X.

The film is nominated for two Academy Awards this Sunday - Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.

Its hit track "Golden", which dominated music charts worldwide, also won Best Song Written for Visual Media, becoming the first K-pop song to win a Grammy.

Korean-Canadian director and writer Maggie Kang, who created the original and will also be in charge of the sequel, previously said that she wanted to "portray Korean culture authentically".

"I feel immense pride as a Korean filmmaker that the audience wants more from this Korean story and our Korean characters," Kang said, according to Netflix.

Launched in June last year, the film followed the critical success of other works exploring Korean and diasporic experiences, such as "Parasite", "Squid Game" and "Pachinko".


One Surprise after Another? Oscars Night Set to Be Unpredictable

An Oscars ceremony hosted by Conan O'Brien will feature several nail-biting reveals, culminating in the announcement of the year's best film, which remains anyone's guess. Frederic J. Brown / AFP
An Oscars ceremony hosted by Conan O'Brien will feature several nail-biting reveals, culminating in the announcement of the year's best film, which remains anyone's guess. Frederic J. Brown / AFP
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One Surprise after Another? Oscars Night Set to Be Unpredictable

An Oscars ceremony hosted by Conan O'Brien will feature several nail-biting reveals, culminating in the announcement of the year's best film, which remains anyone's guess. Frederic J. Brown / AFP
An Oscars ceremony hosted by Conan O'Brien will feature several nail-biting reveals, culminating in the announcement of the year's best film, which remains anyone's guess. Frederic J. Brown / AFP

With "Sinners" and "One Battle After Another" neck-and-neck for best picture and several acting races far too close to call, this Sunday's Oscars gala is shaping up to be the most unpredictable in years.

A Hollywood ceremony set to feature music from "KPop Demon Hunters" and Conan O'Brien as host will feature several nail-biting reveals, culminating in the announcement of the year's best film, which remains anyone's guess.

Until "the final envelope is opened for best picture, we're not going to know who's going to win," said Variety's awards columnist Clayton Davis.

"Both have a huge opportunity in order to break multiple Oscar records," he told AFP.

"Sinners," a smash-hit vampire period horror film from director Ryan Coogler, has already made Academy Awards history with its whopping 16 nominations.

The blues-inflected race allegory has a chance to chase down the most Oscar wins by a single movie, shared at 11 between "Ben-Hur,Titanic" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Coogler, previously best known for "Black Panther," could become the first ever Black person to win best director, in the 98 years of Oscars history.

"He's only the seventh ever nominated," noted Davis, who spoke to many Oscars voters and says "the love for Coogler is undeniable."

But the frontrunner of this awards season has long been "One Battle," a zany thriller about a retired revolutionary looking for his teen daughter.

Set against a wild backdrop of radical violence, immigration raids and white supremacists, it earned 13 nods and could also break the overall wins record.

Its director Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the greatest auteurs of 21st century US cinema, but has never won any of his 11 previous nominations for films including "There Will Be Blood" and "Boogie Nights."

Though "Sinners" was the bigger commercial hit, the exciting race between two "popular movies that people will know at home" should be good for ratings, Davis predicted.

'Steamroller'

While suspense about best picture doesn't happen every year, what is truly unusual this time is the amount of uncertainty surrounding the acting prizes.

A year after narrowly losing best actor honors with his uncanny Bob Dylan portrayal in "A Complete Unknown," Timothee Chalamet had long appeared a lock for his pushy ping-pong player "Marty Supreme."

But a series of ill-advised comments, most recently dismissing ballet and opera as art forms that "no one cares about," have seen the 30-year-old golden boy's chances plummet.

"Sinners" star Michael B Jordan, who plays two roles as twin brothers, won the important Screen Actors Guild's Actor Award this month, just before Oscars voting closed.

"This is a movie star performance that we don't get very often... he's really two steps away from the finish line," said Davis, who also does not rule out Leonardo DiCaprio ("One Battle") or Ethan Hawke ("Blue Moon").

The supporting acting prizes are also up for grabs.

Sean Penn could win a third acting Oscar for his comic yet terrifying soldier in "One Battle."

But he is up against international arthouse favorite Stellan Skarsgard ("Sentimental Value") and veteran Delroy Lindo, earning his first Oscar nod at 73 for "Sinners."

Supporting actress could see a rare horror villain role rewarded for Amy Madigan in "Weapons," or go to "One Battle" revolutionary Teyana Taylor or "Sinners" Hoodoo healer Wunmi Mosaku.

The only sure thing appears to be Jessie Buckley, who plays William Shakespeare's wife in "Hamnet."

"It's been the steamroller all season. That's the one thing you could take to the bank," said Davis

KPop, Redford tributes

Best international film is arguably the hardest to call of all, with Norwegian family drama "Sentimental Value" up against Brazil's surreal political thriller "The Secret Agent."

O'Brien returns to host the Oscars for a second year running, while Barbra Streisand is rumored to be singing a tribute to her "The Way We Were" co-star Robert Redford, who died in September.

Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, the singing voices behind "KPop Demon Hunters" fictional girl group HUNTR/X, will perform the Netflix smash film's Oscar-nominated song "Golden."

The Oscars will air live on ABC and Hulu from 4:00 pm in Los Angeles (2300 GMT).


Dudamel Says Chalamet Shows Ignorance in Claiming ‘No One Cares’ About Opera and Ballet

New York Philharmonic music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel appears at a special screening of "El Canto de las Manos" in New York on Nov. 7, 2025. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
New York Philharmonic music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel appears at a special screening of "El Canto de las Manos" in New York on Nov. 7, 2025. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
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Dudamel Says Chalamet Shows Ignorance in Claiming ‘No One Cares’ About Opera and Ballet

New York Philharmonic music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel appears at a special screening of "El Canto de las Manos" in New York on Nov. 7, 2025. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
New York Philharmonic music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel appears at a special screening of "El Canto de las Manos" in New York on Nov. 7, 2025. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Famed conductor Gustavo Dudamel said Timothee Chalamet showed ignorance when the Oscar-nominated actor claimed “no one cares” about opera and ballet.

“Sadly sometimes it’s a little bit of ignorance but, look, that is why we have to open more spaces for people to connect with classical music,” Dudamel said Tuesday night at an event to announce the programming of his first season as the New York Philharmonic's music director.

Dudamel spoke from the stage of Lincoln Center's David Geffen to an audience that included donors, musicians, the orchestra board, community leaders and composers in addition to journalists. Dudamel's remarks sparked loud applause.

During a conversation with fellow actor Matthew McConaughey at a CNN and Variety town hall at the University of Texas at Austin’s Moody College of Communication in February, the 30-year-old Chalamet was asked by McConaughey about whether shortened audience attention spans have impacted studio decisions about the content of theatrical films, forcing more early action.

“I admire people, and I’ve done it myself, to go on a talk show and go: Hey, we’ve got to keep movie theaters alive. We got to keep this genre alive,’” Chalamet said. “And another part of me feels like if people want to see it, like 'Barbie,' like 'Oppenheimer,' they’re going to go see it and go out of their way to be loud and proud about it. And I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera or things where it's like where it’s like, ‘Hey! Keep this thing alive,’ even though no one cares about this anymore. All respect to the ballet and opera people out there. I just lost 14 cents in viewership.”

Chalamet received his third Academy Award nomination, for “Marty Supreme.” His comments sparked an online backlash from arts organizations.

“Everybody has the right to say, but you have to do things with knowledge, with facts. I think we have to say to the young generation, the opposite,” Dudamel said. “It’s very funny. Cinema is a result of opera, of music, of all of these kind of things.”

Matías Tarnopolsky, the New York Philharmonic CEO, was seated next to Dudamel and issued a public offer to Chalamet.

“He can sit with me anytime,” Tarnopolsky said. “I’ll give him a free ticket and he’s invited to come and hear the New York Philharmonic.”

Dudamel, 45, is among the world's most famous conductors. He is leaving the Los Angeles Philharmonic this summer after 17 seasons as music director to become the music director of the New York orchestra.

At one point, Dudamel feigned not knowing Chalamet, saying: “Which is the name of that?” before cutting off as the audience laughed.

“That way of thinking has to end,” he said. “Music is reborn all the time and it brings us the values of empathy through the beauty of what it is. So this is the reality of music. This is the real dimension of music and we need that more for our young people.”