Dwayne Johnson, Oscar contender? ‘The Smashing Machine’ starts buzz at Venice Film Festival

Dwayne Johnson takes a serious turn as UFC fighter Mark Kerr in “The Smashing Machine,” premiering Monday at the Venice Film Festival. Reviews aren’t out yet, but Johnson is already sparking Oscar buzz for his transformation in the film from Benny Safdie. Venice has launched several recent best actor Oscar winners, including Brendan Fraser and Adrien Brody. The festival’s artistic director praised Johnson and Emily Blunt, who plays Kerr’s wife. Kerr is a retired UFC fighter who struggled with addiction. “The Smashing Machine” opens in North American theaters on October 3rd.

What to Stream: 'Lilo & Stitch,' 'The Paper,' MTV Video Music Awards and a Hollow Knight sequel

A follow-up TV comedy of “The Office” called “The Paper” and the buddy live action comedy “Lilo & Stitch” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time for the week of Sept. 1 as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are Mark Ruffalo starring in the new cat-and-mouse thriller “Task,” a sequel to the indie legend video game Hollow Knight arrives called Hollow Knight: Silksong and David Byrne releases a new album, “Who Is the Sky?”

'Weapons' regains the top spot as the summer box office winds down

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Weapons” crawled its way back to the top of the box office during the Labor Day weekend. The movie generated $10.2 million during its fourth weekend in theaters. Universal’s 50th rerelease of “Jaws” also made a splash in theaters, securing the second spot with $8.1 million domestically. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore, says this summer's box office is likely to narrowly miss last year's summer earnings, and failed to meet the typical pre-pandemic summer box office benchmark of $4 billion. He says that “there were casualties this summer. It’s a very crowded summer, very competitive."

How to draw every president and first lady in 4 steps

WASHINGTON (AP) — An art history professor from North Carolina has developed a unique method for drawing portraits of U.S. presidents and first ladies. John Hutton starts each portrait with an egg-shaped frame, adding facial features, hair, and shoulders in a four-step process. Hutton's technique is detailed in his new book, “How to Draw the Presidents & First Ladies,” published by the White House Historical Association. He believes anyone can learn to draw by following patterns. Hutton has been drawing since childhood and also illustrates children's books. His method aims to make drawing accessible to everyone.

Jude Law debuts portrayal of Vladimir Putin in 'The Wizard of the Kremlin' at Venice Film Festival

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Jude Law transforms into Vladimir Putin in “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” which premiered Sunday at the Venice Film Festival. The film, directed by Olivier Assayas, adapts Giuliano da Empoli’s bestselling book about Putin's rise to power. Paul Dano plays a fictional adviser inspired by real political strategist Vladislav Surkov. The film's release coincides with Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. This marks Assayas’s English-language debut. Filming took place in Latvia due to restrictions in Russia. Assayas describes the film as a reflection on modern politics and its deceptive nature.

Man is found dead at annual Burning Man festival in Nevada, a sheriff's office says

RENO, Nevada (AP) — Authorities say a man has been found dead in a pool of blood at Burning Man, and the death at the yearly art and music festival in the Nevada desert is being investigated as a homicide. Deputies were alerted Saturday about a deceased man Saturday at the gathering in the Black Rock Desert about 110 miles northeast of Reno. A sheriff's statement Sunday said officers found the single white adult male lying dead on the ground. His identity wasn't known. The sheriff’s office said it appeared to be a singular crime and urged festivalgoers to be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances. The festival ends on Monday.

PBS, NPR stations struggle with Trump-fueled government funding cuts

NEW YORK (AP) — A month after Congress voted to strip public media of public money, PBS and NPR stations are working to cope — and survive. More than 500 radio and television stations are affected, and while some have issues in common, most have problems and strategies unique to their own area. For example, the PBS station in Spokane, Washington, has turned to viewers for emergency donations, but a significant part of their membership is from Canada, and many are already angry with the U.S. because of President Donald Trump's drive to make the country the 51st state. Many stations are heartened by the way viewers are responding, and different ideas to save money are emerging.

The success of AI music creators sparks debate on future of music industry

LONDON (AP) — Oliver McCann, a British AI music creator, uses AI to produce songs across various genres. Despite lacking musical talent, McCann signed with Hallwood Media after one of his tracks gained 3 million streams. The rise of AI tools like Suno and Udio has sparked debate about AI's role in music. Experts say AI is set to transform the industry, though its impact on the global music market remains unclear. AI-generated music is growing, but it faces legal challenges over copyright. Creators hope AI will become a mainstream part of the music world.

Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ premieres at Venice with Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi walked the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival for the world premiere of Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein.” Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein, while Elordi is the monster in this adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel. Del Toro has been dreaming about making this film for decades. The last time he was at Venice was in 2017 with “The Shape of Water,” which won the festival’s top prize. “Frankenstein” is up for big awards at Venice, competing with films like Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Bugonia.” Netflix plans to release it in theaters on Oct. 17.