Rodrigo goes Cure; Spielberg says no to Bond
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- Olivia Rodrigo's third album 'You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love' trades Guts-era pop-punk for 80s new wave, with a Robert Smith duet on 'What's Wrong With Me?' after Glastonbury and a Just Like Heaven nod in 'Drop Dead.'link ›
- Charli XCX announced a fall 'Music, Fashion, Film' tour supporting her seventh album, due July 24, with Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Reading and Leeds on the docket.link ›
- Steven Spielberg said he offered to direct a Bond film for free after Jaws and was twice turned down by Cubby Broccoli; asked now, his answer is 'You can't afford me.'link ›
- Disclosure Day opened to $12.5M worldwide on day one — $6.5M North American previews plus $6M overseas — with a 74% Rotten Tomatoes audience score edging past E.T. (72%).link ›
- Glenn Close will receive an Honorary Oscar on November 15 in Los Angeles, ending her run as the most-nominated living actor never to win a competitive Academy Award at eight nods.link ›
- Hamlet Hail to the Thief, Thom Yorke's Radiohead-fused RSC co-production, opens at the Barbican October 31 through January 23, with Samuel Blenkin reprising the title role.link ›
- Patrick, a 51-year-old Irish debut novelist, argues starting late is a feature, not a bug — citing Penelope Fitzgerald (first novel at 61) and Tessa Hadley (46) as proof the late novel hits different.link ›
Olivia Rodrigo's third album 'You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love' is the rare third-record pivot that actually delivers. The Cure influence runs through it — Robert Smith duets on 'What's Wrong With Me?' after a Glastonbury cameo, and 'Drop Dead' nods to Just Like Heaven — while B-52s, New Order and Devo steer the 80s new wave turn away from Guts-era pop-punk. The Guardian calls it 'spectacularly accomplished pop whoever it is about.' Steven Spielberg, opening his sci-fi Disclosure Day to a $12.5M worldwide first day, also used the week to remind the room he once offered to direct a Bond film for free. Cubby Broccoli said no twice. Asked if he'd do one now, Spielberg replied: 'You can't afford me.'
The stories behind this week
Charli XCX Announces Music, Fashion, Film Tour, AlbumFans gain early access to new material and a chance to see Charli XCX live before the album drops, while the tour’s festival slots amplify her cross‑genre push and boost ticket revenue.
‘Nobody is pretending to like my work because of my fresh-faced good looks’: the pros of being a debut novelist at 51A 51-year-old Irish debut novelist is pushing back against what he describes as a 'cult of youth' in literature, where the industry constantly hunts for the 'next big thing' — a youthful voice of a generation. He argues midlife writers bring distinct advantages: thematic depth, settled worldviews, and release from the pressure of an early breakthrough, an angle often overlooked in coverage of literary debuts.
Olivia Rodrigo: You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love review – who’s she singing about? Who cares when the songs are this goodFor an artist who broke through at 17 and whose debut was sold with a high-school prom concert film, this third album is a confident sonic and emotional pivot — 80s new wave, Cure-obsessed, and substantially less vindictive — that the reviewer says 'feels nothing forced or uncomfortable' and proves Rodrigo 'is in it for the long haul' well past today's gossip cycle.
Disclosure Day Opens $12.5M Worldwide First DayUniversal and Amblin stand to profit from the $12.5 M opening and the 74% audience rating, which outpaces several of Spielberg’s earlier sci‑fi titles, while competing releases such as Twisters and Ready Player One face stiffer competition in key worldwide markets.
Radiohead's Hamlet Fusion Opens at Barbican Oct‑JanStaging the Radiohead‑Hamlet fusion at the Barbican expands the Royal Shakespeare Company’s repertoire to a younger, music‑savvy audience, while the surprise live‑album release gives fans fresh recordings and underscores the production’s relevance to contemporary political anxieties and signals a growing trend of cross‑medium collaborations that can draw theatergoers into pop‑culture narratives.
Hulu ‘Alice and Steve’ Shows Clement‑Walker ChemistryThe strong Clement‑Walker chemistry bolsters the series’ appeal, whereas Izzy’s under‑developed portrayal undercuts its narrative balance, limiting the depth of the story’s emotional arc.
Steven Spielberg Says James Bond Movies ‘Constantly Turned Me Down’ and ‘If They Asked Me Now’ to Direct the Answer Would Be: ‘You Can’t Afford Me’The Bond franchise missed the chance to work with Spielberg, whose later hits like 'Close Encounters' and 'Indiana Jones' reshaped cinema, while Spielberg’s refusal to helm other blockbusters shows how personal priorities and cost constraints shape Hollywood talent decisions in the industry.
Academy Honors Close, Norman, Scott, Vachon & KofflerThe honorees gain prestigious Academy recognition that can boost their legacy and market visibility, while the Academy showcases its commitment to diversity and independent cinema by honoring a Black pioneer and indie producers, potentially influencing future award considerations within the industry.
Why it matters: If Rodrigo's Cure-fied pivot holds commercially past the gossip cycle, she's no longer a one-genre pop star — she's an artist with a 30-year runway.
