Culture news · 19 October 2026
Taylor Swift Debuts New Song Live at Star-Studded Academy Museum Gala
Taylor Swift performed at the sixth annual Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on 18 October, giving the live debut of a new song alongside classic hits at the film-world fundraiser.
Tarantino Confirms His Tenth and Final Film Script Is Complete, But West End Play Comes First
Quentin Tarantino announced he has finished writing the script for his tenth and final film, but his West End swashbuckling play will take priority before any production begins.
South Korea's National Museum Director Bows in Apology Over Mislabelled Colonial-Era Calligraphy
The director of the National Museum of Korea gave a formal 90-degree bow of apology at a parliamentary audit on 19 October after calligraphy from his personal collection was exhibited as a patriot's work but confirmed to be by a pro-Japanese colonial collaborator.
Taika Waititi's Klara and the Sun Premieres: Jenna Ortega Plays an Android Companion
Taika Waititi's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Klara and the Sun had its world premiere this week, with Jenna Ortega starring as an outdated android in a near-future dystopian drama.
Tim Burton and Kazuo Ishiguro Reveal They Secretly Co-Wrote an Original Film Set in Post-War Japan
Director Tim Burton and Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro surprised the film world this week by confirming they have quietly co-developed an original untitled screenplay set in post-World War II Japan, without any producers or studio deal in place.