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Ana de Armas: The Cuban Taking on Marilyn Monroe

Ana de Armas takes on the role of Marilyn Monroe in 'Blonde' Tiziana FABI AFP
Ana de Armas takes on the role of Marilyn Monroe in 'Blonde' Tiziana FABI AFP
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Ana de Armas: The Cuban Taking on Marilyn Monroe

Ana de Armas takes on the role of Marilyn Monroe in 'Blonde' Tiziana FABI AFP
Ana de Armas takes on the role of Marilyn Monroe in 'Blonde' Tiziana FABI AFP

Ana de Armas's journey from Cuban migrant to starring as Marilyn Monroe in "Blonde", which gets its world premiere in Venice on Thursday, is the stuff of American Dream cliches.

Born in Cuba in 1988, Armas came to the United States in her twenties with barely a word of English, only to become one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood.

Her distinctive look and ass-kicking turns in James Bond film "No Time to Die" and Netflix blockbuster "The Gray Man" have made her a front-page fixture, AFP said.

But "Blonde" is set to test her real acting chops.

Adapted from the semi-fictional biography by Joyce Carol Oates, it delves deep into the childhood trauma, sexual assault and exploitation that lay behind the icon's seductive, sexualized image.

"I'm a Cuban actress. In what world could I have imagined that this was going to happen? Never," Armas told the Los Angeles Times of landing the role.

- 'Glamour, vulnerability' -
Armas was not an obvious choice, with grumblings online about her slight Cuban accent when the trailer was released this summer.

Monroe's estate, though not involved in the film, has supported her performance, however, saying Armas "captures Marilyn's glamour, humanity and vulnerability".

Armas spent nine months with a vocal coach trying to nail the unique intonation of the iconic actress.

Brad Pitt, who served as a producer on the film, told Entertainment Tonight: "It was 10 years in the making. It wasn't until we found Ana that we could get it across the finish line.

"She is phenomenal in it," Pitt added. "That's a tough dress to fill."

- From Cuba to LA -
Armas spent her childhood and adolescence in Cuba.

She entered theatre school at 14, starred in her first film two years later, and left to pursue a career in Madrid at 18, quickly landing a high-profile role in the TV show "El Internado".

When she took the plunge and headed for Hollywood in 2006, she needed four months of intensive language classes to pick up English.

After a string of minor roles, her big break came with a part in 2017's sci-fi sequel "Blade Runner 2049", alongside Ryan Gosling.

But it was her performance in murder mystery "Knives Out" starring Daniel Craig that elevated her to leading lady status, earning her a Golden Globe nomination.

That led to work with A-list director Olivier Assayas ("The Wasp Network"), and her brief but scene-stealing role in "No Time to Die".

A relationship with Ben Affleck -- her co-star in the erotic thriller "Deep Water" -- also ensured plenty of tabloid attention.

But "Blonde" is another dimension of star-making vehicle.

Its director, Australian Andrew Dominik, is known for brutal but poetic biopics "Chopper" and "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" -- the latter earning Pitt a Best Actor award in Venice in 2007.

It has been a long wait for "Blonde", which was reportedly finished in 2019 and delayed amid a stand-off between Dominik and Netflix over its lengthy running time and traumatic scenes.

Asked about his star's accent, Dominik told the Los Angeles Times: "I had concerns, until I saw her act, then I forgot what I was supposed to be concerned about."

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Entertainment

Beyoncé, Bad Bunny and Janelle Monáe Take Artistic Liberties with Met Gala Dress Code

US singer and daughter of Jay-Z and Beyonce Blue Ivy Carter arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
US singer and daughter of Jay-Z and Beyonce Blue Ivy Carter arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
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Beyoncé, Bad Bunny and Janelle Monáe Take Artistic Liberties with Met Gala Dress Code

US singer and daughter of Jay-Z and Beyonce Blue Ivy Carter arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
US singer and daughter of Jay-Z and Beyonce Blue Ivy Carter arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

Met Gala guests from Beyoncé and Naomi Osaka to Emma Chamberlain did not play it safe this year for the Met Gala, delivering custom works of art in honor of the dress code “Fashion is art.”

Beyoncé left the cowboy hat at home and dazzled in a custom Olivier Rousteing sculptural skeleton dress with a cream and dust blue feathered train fitted with a diamond crown for “Queen Bey.” The Grammy winner and her husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy stopped to pose together on the Metropolitan Museum of Art steps, The Associated Press said.

Osaka stunned in a edgy Robert Wun white sculptural fitted dress featuring exaggerated shoulders and adorned with red feathers and a matching headpiece. To complete her show-stopping look, Osaka wore two-toned red gloves. A similar look by Wun sits inside the Met's Costume Institute exhibit, “Costume Art.”

On the carpet, Osaka opened her dress and removed her headpiece for a grand reveal underneath. She wowed in a sleek red beaded gown embellished with the human anatomy.

Chamberlain arrived in a breathtaking Mugler by Miguel Castro Freitas hand-painted dress. The star was dipped in a rainbow of colors from her décolletage down to the spiral train of her body-hugging dress with fringe falling down the cuffs of the long-sleeve gown.

With all the fanfare around “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” Met Gala co-Chair Anna Wintour opted for a cool mint ensemble — not the trendy cerulean blue from the first film. Wintour’s look featured a feathered cape and a beaded dress by Matthieu Blazy for Chanel that she classically paired with her signature bob and oversized sunglasses.

Other co-Chairs of the evening Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams chose more subdued glamorous looks. Williams wore a sparkling black off-the-shoulder gown with a dazzling Swarovski neckpiece in homage to a painting of herself done by Robert Pruitt for the National Portrait Gallery. Event sponsor Lauren Sánchez Bezos arrived in a form-fitting Schiaparelli gown, which she told Vogue was influenced by John Singer Sargent’s 1884 painting “Madame X.”

Artistic references

When guests were not wearing art, they were making references to it. Head of Editorial Content for US Vogue Chloe Malle wore an apricot orange Colleen Allen dress inspired by Sir Frederic Leighton’s “Flaming June” painting. Actor and author Lena Dunham collaborated with Valentino designer Alessandro Michele for her red feathered dress to depict his interpretation of “Judith Slaying Holofernes.” As a child, Dunham told Vogue, she would visit the Met museum on Sundays and admire the paintings in the Renaissance section.

“One of my favorite painters from that era is Artemisia Gentileschi, who was one of the only women painting professionally in that moment,” she told Vogue. “So I sent some of the images to Alessandro, and because he’s a genius, instead of dressing me like her, he said, ‘You are actually the blood spatter as ... Judith cuts the neck off a man.’”

Stars also celebrated the dress code with their accessories. Actor and fashion muse Gwendoline Christie playfully covered her face on the carpet with a mask of her own face while pop star Katy Perry opened and closed her fencing-like mask on the carpet to smile at the cameras.

Venus Williams was not the only guest to break the fourth wall with an artistic reference to herself. It was a trend of the night, with gala host committee members Amy Sherald in a Thom Browne look inspired by her own work of art and singer Sabrina Carpenter wearing a Dior dress designed with film strips from the 1954 movie “Sabrina.”

Fashion as canvas

Some guests brought out their artistic side as they transformed their dresses into works of art. TikTok followers watched along as Jessica Kayll, who designs colorful silk robes, finished painting her dress in the days leading up to the gala. Kayll painted her own take on the famous Monet water lily scene right on top of her dress for the gala.

While her “The Devil Wears Prada 2” castmates kept it classic in black, Anne Hathaway made a statement in her custom Michael Kors Grecian-inspired strapless dress, which was hand-painted with a dove of peace.

“She is the goddess of peace,” Kors told Vogue.

Performance art Madonna makes any carpet her stage. A group of women circled around her in colorful dresses as they held onto sheer fabric wrapped around her pirate ship headpiece on the carpet.

Janelle Monáe also knows how to stand out. The performer delivered a message with her sculptural art piece that featured cords overtaken by moss wrapped around her form with moving animatronic butterflies.

“Remember what made you human,” Monáe told The Associated Press. “Nature is talking to us.”

Dressed body Rather than wear art, models showed off their toned bodies as part of the “Costume Art” exhibit's theme celebrating artistic representations of the body. Supermodels Gigi Hadid and Irina Shayk both wore revealing looks on the carpet.

Bad Bunny went full costume, carrying a cane and dressing up as an older version of himself with gray hair and special effects makeup to add years to his face. The artist joked with Vogue that it took 53 years to finish the look. Supermodel Heidi Klum, known for taking her Halloween costume to new heights, brought that same dedication to the Met Gala as she arrived as a draped statue.

Instead of opting for a body-hugging gown, Kim Kardashian wore a bright orange metallic body plate from the '60s designed by Allen Jones.

The physical form was modeled throughout the night with body parts draped over gowns or overlaid on garments in printed form in a trompe l’oeil. Theater producer and performer Jordan Roth had a 3D figure looming behind him as part of his velvet Wun getup while other celebrities had carefully placed sculpted hands attached to their gowns.

For her first Met Gala, Chase Infiniti donned a colorful sequined Thom Browne gown with the female form embellished with sequins on the front and back of her dress.

In typical fashion, singer and fashion powerhouse Rihanna shut down the carpet as the final guest to arrive, much earlier than in years past. Dressed in a metallic jewel-encrusted cocoonlike dress, Rihanna emerged onto the carpet with her partner A$AP Rocky.

“I feel like a pearl out of an oyster,” Rihanna said to reporters on the carpet.

Entertainment

Theater Operator AMC Beats Revenue Estimates

FILE PHOTO: People gather outside the AMC theatre at The Grove in Los Angeles, California, US, January 20, 2026. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People gather outside the AMC theatre at The Grove in Los Angeles, California, US, January 20, 2026. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
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Theater Operator AMC Beats Revenue Estimates

FILE PHOTO: People gather outside the AMC theatre at The Grove in Los Angeles, California, US, January 20, 2026. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People gather outside the AMC theatre at The Grove in Los Angeles, California, US, January 20, 2026. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo

AMC Entertainment beat quarterly revenue estimates on Tuesday, as a recovering box office and strong demand for its premium movie formats helped the cinema chain draw more moviegoers.

Shares of the Leawood, Kansas-based company rose over 2% in extended trading.

The results suggest AMC's strategy to lean into its network of premium large format screens is paying off, allowing it to capture a larger share ⁠of a recovering market, Reuters reported.

⁠The company benefited from a stronger film slate in early 2026, including Ryan Gosling-starrer "Project Hail Mary."

The theater chain reported first-quarter revenue of $1.05 billion compared with analysts' average estimate of $968.5 million, according to ⁠data compiled by LSEG.

AMC has focused on maximizing revenue from moviegoers through innovative pricing and its popular loyalty programs.

The theater operator also announced "Arena One at AMC," a live entertainment platform launching in June, transforming AMC theater auditoriums into interactive, real-time "arenas."

The exhibitor has also been expanding its footprint of premium screens, including IMAX ⁠and Dolby ⁠Cinema, as well as its own "XL" branded screens.

"We are optimistic about the entire 2026 film slate, especially in the second half of 2026, which we believe will see more continued robust growth, adding up to a record post-pandemic box office for full year 2026," CEO Adam Aron said.

AMC posted a loss of 36 cents per share, in line with estimates.

Entertainment

Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni Agree to End Lengthy Legal Battle

US actress Blake Lively arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. (AFP)
US actress Blake Lively arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. (AFP)
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Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni Agree to End Lengthy Legal Battle

US actress Blake Lively arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. (AFP)
US actress Blake Lively arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. (AFP)

Actor Blake Lively and "It Ends with Us" co-star Justin Baldoni on Monday settled their acrimonious years-long legal battle, avoiding a costly civil trial.

A joint statement provided to AFP said the parties had resolved their dispute -- launched after Lively accused Baldoni of inappropriate on-set behavior -- without disclosing any settlement figure.

"The end product -- the movie 'It Ends with Us' -- is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life," Baldoni and Lively's attorneys said in a joint statement.

"We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard... It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace."

Hours after the announcement that the case was settled, Lively was all smiles as she unexpectedly appeared at the Met Gala in New York in a full ball gown that erupted in a cloud of pink, purple and yellow tulle.

Baldoni and the studio Wayfarer had previously countersued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds with claims of extortion and defamation, but a judge dismissed those claims last year.

Wayfarer previously insisted that neither the studio, its executives, nor its PR team did anything to retaliate against Lively.

A judge dismissed some of Lively's claims, but upheld her allegations of retaliation, which would have proceeded to trial on May 18.

Based on a best-selling novel by the US writer Colleen Hoover, "It Ends with Us" made more than $350 million at the box office in 2024, making it one of the biggest hits of the year.