Cannes Highlights: Kevin Costner, Russian Protests, and Trump's Biopic Premiere

From Kevin Costner's financial humor at Cannes to protests by Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov, the Cannes Film Festival brought diverse headlines. Key highlights include the premiere of Donald Trump's biopic 'The Apprentice,' and notable appearances by Selena Gomez and Scarlett Johansson.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Kevin Costner jokes about blocking Cannes yachts to finance 'Horizon' films

Kevin Costner joked at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday that he was ready to blockade rich people on their yachts unless they gave him money to finance his planned four-part Western series "Horizon: An American Saga." The Hollywood star has already taken out a mortgage on 10 acres of his waterfront property in California to help fund the film project, which tells of the challenges faced by settlers expanding the American West in the late 1800s. Now, he needs more financial backing for the project.

At Cannes, Russian director condemns detentions over play

Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov used his appearance at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday to launch a protest against the detention and trial of a playwright and a theatre director in Moscow. Serebrennikov - who premiered his film "Limonov: The Ballad" at the movie extravaganza - held up a picture of Russian director Zhenya Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk at a news conference in the French Riviera resort town.

Selena Gomez relieved focus on Cannes entry 'Emilia Perez,' not personal life

Selena Gomez said that she was relieved focus had shifted to her role in the new Mexican cartel musical "Emilia Perez" rather than her personal life, the singer told Reuters on Sunday. "It's a relief. I'd rather somebody say I did a terrible job than talk about my personal life. So, I feel very proud," Gomez said at the Cannes Film Festival a day after the premiere of the film, which received a standing ovation for nine minutes.

Scarlett Johansson says OpenAI chatbot voice 'eerily similar' to hers

Scarlett Johansson on Monday accused OpenAI of creating a voice for the ChatGPT system that sounded "eerily similar" to the actress after she declined to voice the chatbot herself. Johansson made the comments in a statement released hours after the artificial intelligence company said it was taking down the voice, called 'Sky.'

Sean 'Diddy' Combs apologizes after video depicting attack on ex-girlfriend

Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs posted an apology to social media on Sunday, two days after the release of hotel surveillance video that appeared to show him attacking his ex-girlfriend. "I'm truly sorry," Combs said in a video post on his Instagram page. "My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I'm disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now."

Demi Moore says Cannes body horror 'The Substance' demanded full vulnerability

Movie star Demi Moore said the vulnerability required for her role in body horror film "The Substance," which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, was both demanding and exciting. Moore stars as Elisabeth, an ageing TV fitness instructor a la Jane Fonda who signs up for a mysterious medical regime called The Substance that promises to create the perfect version of herself - played by Margaret Qualley of "Drive-Away Dolls."

Trump would be surprised by Cannes biopic 'The Apprentice,' says director

Donald Trump would likely be surprised by "The Apprentice," director Ali Abbasi said on Tuesday of his biopic about Trump's early years as a real estate mogul, adding he was open to meeting with the former U.S. president to discuss the film. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday, receiving an eight-minute ovation and mixed reviews from critics.

Election year Trump biopic 'The Apprentice' premieres at Cannes

"The Apprentice", Iran-born director Ali Abbasi's much-anticipated drama of a young Donald Trump's ascendancy as a New York real estate mogul, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday. Part of the pull of the film is its timing, as Trump, now 77, looks to win another term as U.S. president in November.

Russian director and playwright say they oppose terrorism at start of trial

A Russian theatre director and playwright told a court on Monday they were not guilty of charges of justifying terrorism on the first day of their trial over the staging of an award-winning play, Mediazona reported. Director Zhenya Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk were arrested in May last year for putting on "Finist, the Brave Falcon", which tells the story of Russian women who married Islamic State fighters.