Arts & Entertainment

The Friend's House Is Here, an Iranian film finished just before Sundance and smuggled out for its premiere, follows an underground theater troupe whose everyday acts of creativity intersect with real-world arrests and protests.

Rock climber Alex Honnold will attempt an unroped climb of Taipei 101 in a Netflix special called Skyscraper Live set to air Friday at 8 p.m. ET, and the broadcast has prompted public debate about the ethics of televising high-risk stunts.

Sundance has long been a major launching pad for queer filmmakers, and the 2026 festival — the last in Utah before a move to Boulder in 2027 — begins this week.

Lucasfilm had already placed the planet Batuu across multiple Star Wars eras before Galaxy's Edge opened in 2019, and Disneyland plans minor redesigns and new character appearances that are scheduled to arrive at the end of April.

Taika Waititi told Variety he wants his Star Wars movie to mix the franchise's high stakes with more of the original films' sense of fun, and the project currently has no confirmed release date.

Winnipeg police say 13-year-old Bella Cook was last seen about 6:20 p.m. near William Avenue and Sherbrook Street and that they are concerned for her well‑being.

Handmade lanterns of mythological figures and animals illuminated the Zigong International Lantern Festival; the event runs until the Yuanxiao Festival on March 3.

A Starfleet Academy episode included a baby Gorn joke that echoes Hemmer's sacrificial death in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Actress Brit Marling provides the computer voice on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and earlier co-wrote and starred in the 2011 film Another Earth, which screened at Sundance and won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize.

Carin Lowerison will manage the city's arts and entertainment venues and launch a ticketing platform called Kitchener Live, while Will Muir is Kitchener's new music officer focused on showcasing local musicians and festival opportunities.

ATOLL: The Game, a 2021 indie title from Tribunal Interactive, is free to download and keep from the Microsoft Store until February 20, and the promotion does not require Xbox Game Pass or another subscription.

The Royal Canadian Legion has responded to public discussion about veterans' roles in Afghanistan and is sharing social media posts and a statement to reflect veterans' realities and sacrifices; the organization says it does not become directly involved in politicking.

Disney released the first trailer for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, an animated Disney+ series of 10 episodes that premieres April 6, 2026 and runs through May 4, 2026, with two episodes released each week.

A ranked list from 2026 highlights ten recent "new‑gen" anime and summarizes what the article says each is noted for, from Sonny Boy and Mob Psycho 100 to Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man.

Ashton Kutcher stars in Ryan Murphy's series The Beauty, which the article reports is the most-watched series on Disney+ in many countries. It is the first series Kutcher has done since returning as Michael Kelso in Netflix's That '90s Show.

Holly Hunter’s Nahla Ake is introduced as captain of the Athena and chancellor of Starfleet Academy, and is described as human and Lanthanite, marking the first main-character Starfleet captain in the central lineage who is not fully human.

Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart reached No. 2 globally and No. 1 in 13 countries within days of its January 21, 2026 release.

AnimeJapan 2026's stage lineup includes a Demon Slayer panel on March 28, and the lineup was announced via the @animetv_jp account on X.

The article notes a bitterly cold weekend and lists five local events across Waterloo region from Jan. 23–25, including concerts, winter activities, sports games and a whiskey festival.

Global fashion figures and members of the public gathered at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs in Rome for Valentino's funeral after a two-day public viewing at his foundation.

The review says Wonder Man focuses on Simon Williams and his friendship with Trevor Slattery while using the superhero setting to explore acting and identity; the article also highlights performances by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley and notes all eight episodes stream on Disney+ from January 27.

The film adaptation of Helen Macdonald’s memoir H Is for Hawk, directed by Philippa Lowthorpe and co-written with Emma Donoghue, stars Claire Foy as Helen and features several trained goshawks including the bird called Mabel. The production captures real hawk flight and hunting and highlights Helen’s process of grieving after her father’s death.

Harry Styles announced a 30-night residency at Madison Square Garden running August through October, and he also announced a new album set for release on March 6.

When the 2026 Oscar nominations were announced, Wicked: For Good received no nominations, while the first Wicked had earned 10 nominations the previous year and later won two awards for costume and production design.

On January 22, 2026, the Academy nominated Sinners in a record 16 categories, and Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan called the recognition surprising and surreal.

Actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will carry the Olympic flame at the Milan Cortina Games; their Crave-produced series 'Heated Rivalry' begins airing in Italy on Feb. 1 and remains available in Canada on Crave.

Actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie from the Crave series Heated Rivalry will be torchbearers for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, and the series will begin airing in Italy on HBO Max on Feb. 1.

The 98th Academy Award nominations include Ryan Coogler's Sinners with a record 16 nods and Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another with 13; the list also features several international films and multiple streaming titles.

BTS will begin a world tour on April 9 after a hiatus for mandatory military service, and the group will play two shows in Toronto on Aug. 22 and 23.

Netflix announced a $72-billion US offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming and studio division and said the proposal would speed a shareholder vote; Paramount has mounted a competing hostile bid.