Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment to cut hundreds of film and TV jobs
Sony Pictures Entertainment plans to lay off a few hundred employees globally in a move to restructure its business.
The cuts, announced Tuesday afternoon, are set to affect employees who work across Sony’s film, TV and corporate divisions. These changes aren’t cost-driven, as Sony is instead hoping to prioritize growth under new business strategies implemented by its new chief executive, Ravi Ahuja.
“As we lean into those priorities, we need to operate with greater focus, speed, and alignment to strengthen our differentiated capabilities,” said Ahuja in a statement. “To support our growth, we are aligning our organization with where the business is going — not where it has been. That requires changes to how we are structured and where we invest.”
Ahuja, who was promoted just over a year ago, added that the company is ”reducing roles in certain areas while increasing focus and investment in others that are most critical to our future.”
Sony plans to focus on franchise strategy and brand extension with game shows, as well as develop more anime, experiences and invest in content that will connect with a younger audience. This includes more game adaptations and growing its YouTube capabilities.
One of the studio’s biggest franchises is the “Spider-Man” universe, which includes both live-action films starring actors like Tom Holland and the Oscar-winning animated “Spider-Verse” movies. The studio is set to release the latest live-action installment, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” this summer. The previous movie “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was a major win for Sony as it generated $1.9B globally.
Sony Pictures operates under its Japanese parent company Sony Group Corp, alongside other subsidiaries like Sony Music Group and Sony Electronics. The film studio was established in 1987 and maintains a strong presence in Culver City.
Recently, the studio acquired the “Peanuts” comic in a $457-million deal, reupped the “Reading Rainbow” for a YouTube audience and is working on PlayStation adaptations for video games like “Helldivers” and “God of War.”
The company has also combined its game-show group with its nonfiction TV department and is slowing down areas of its business that have low growth, like the VFX and virtual production studio, Pixomondo.
The layoffs are the latest blow to the film industry, as productions continue to seek a home overseas in pursuit of tax credits, and as fewer projects are being greenlit by major studios.
Movie Reviews
‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’: THR’s 1982 Review
On August 13, 1982, Universal released teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High in theaters, marking the directorial debut of Amy Heckerling from a screenplay by Cameron Crowe. The film, featuring a breakout performance from Sean Penn, would go on to become a cult classic. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below:
Fast Times at Ridgemont High has it all Pac-Man, pizza, cruising, cursing, rockin’, rollin’ enough to keep even the most “totally awesome” teen tuned in all the way. And, given the recent success of almost every zany adolescent film, Fast Times should easily pull in its share of youngsters. What separates this Universal release from the pack, however, is its warmth. It may be a film about kids, but it’s for adults who have not forgotten what it’s like to be a kid.
Fast Times follows six teenagers through one year at Ridgemont High, clocking every escapade, from ordering a pizza for arrival during U.S. History to boyfriends and unwanted pregnancies. Screenwriter Cameron Crowe has adapted his bestselling book quite well, keeping a very personal perspective (Crowe actually went back to high school before writing the book, posing as a student for a year as research). Amy Heckerling, in her feature debut, has proven herself to be a truly gifted director, able to tickle the ribs with one hand while the other tugs at the heartstrings.
Although the high school setting might at first brand Fast Times as another Porky’s spin-off, the film stands on its own. If comparisons are to be made, they might better link Fast Times with the intimate portrayal of ’50s teens in American Graffiti. Both Graffiti and Times delve beneath the surface of their characters, showing in the process that teenagers haven’t changed all that much. They just quit cruising the main drag with Elvis. Now they “check out” the mall to the beat of the Go Go’s.
The cast approaches the picture with a delightfully devil-may-care sincerity, playing off of one another with a simple ease. It is these characterizations, as written by Crowe and under the skillful eye of Heckerling, that give the film its charm. The most flamboyant in his characterization is Sean Penn as Spicoli, the bleached-out surfer with the permanently blood-shot eyes and a half-smile pinned to his cheeks. Penn provides the wilder moments at Ridgemont High, and to his credit, never dropped the reality of his character in going for a madcap laugh.
Judge Reinhold’s Brad also adds consistent comic edge to the picture with his sad eyes and fast food attitude. Robert Romanus, as Damone, would scalp Ozzy Osbourne tickets to his grandmother, and yet deftly treads the tightrope between cockiness and desperation. Phoebe Cates play the nymphette Linda to the hilt, showing only now and again the lost little girl inside. Jennifer Jason Leigh, as the freshman with a lot to learn, proaches her Stacy with the most even of keels. Her performance, although quite natural, tends toward the monochromatic. Brian Hecker, as the would-be beau, has little to do other than proffer an embarrassed smile. Veteran actor Ray Walston, as the history teacher, plays a sour-pussed straight man to the constant shenanigans of Spicoli.
Music plays an important role in Fast Times, offering an ambience that varies from “Oingo Boingo” to Jackson Browne. Although the likes of the Go Go’s and the Cars are present at times, the soundtrack as a whole seems too staid to provide a backdrop for ’80s kids kicking around in the heyday of punk. Other technical credits include the fine work of Dan Lomin whose art direction gives the Sherman Oaks Galleria an intimacy it has never known. — Gina Friedlande, originally published on Aug. 11, 1982.
Movie Reviews
Super Duperr Movie Review: A wild ride filled with laughter and emotion
The Times of India
Apr 07, 2026, 3:24 PM IST
3.0
Super Duperr is a riot in all senses of the word. A wild ride filled with laughter and emotion it presents an unusual matchup of traditional and modern values.Rohit (Lalit Prabhakar) and Isha (Vidula Chougule) are a young couple trying to make their mark in the entertainment industry. They take their relationship to the next level and purchase a flat in Mumbai with their savings. It is here that they realise that they have fallen for a scam when the same house is sold to and currently occupied by a rural family. What follows is a series of clashes and learning moments that test the morality of both parties. The story is a fun take on a series of real world scams and as such has a very interesting premise. The Sameer Asha Patil film however chooses to take a detour in favour of certain stretched out gags and slow motion shots. What could have been a deep exploration of the two worlds colliding, ends up being a formulaic checklist of a wedding song, an action sequence and a few slapstick gags. These are passable of course, but the ho-hum nature of the story’s progression feels under utilized. Super Duperr does offer impactful emotional sequences, notably the equation between the parents (Shashank Shende and Nirmiti Sawant) and his eldest son (Hrishikesh Joshi). The music and cinematography are well executed and add abundantly to the viewing experience. Super Duperr set a rich tapestry only to ultimately doodle in a corner. While it could have benefitted from adding more inter-family interactions, it remains a good watch for this weekend.
Entertainment
Coachella posts set times and surprise! Jack White is on the bill
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival posted set times for Weekend 1 of the 2026 edition and a former headliner has been added to the lineup.
Jack White, who was the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” with host Jack Black over the weekend, will be the opening performer in the Mojave Tent on Saturday playing from 3 to 3:45 p.m.
White is the latest festival alum added to the bill for a surprise slot in recent years, joining the likes of Weezer and Ed Sheeran in 2025, Blink-182 in 2023 and Arcade Fire in 2022.
White last headlined the festival as a solo act in 2015. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year as a member of the White Stripes, which played Coachella in 2003.
The sold-out festival is topped by Sabrina Carpenter on Friday, Justin Bieber on Saturday and Karol G on Sunday. Carpenter has the earliest headlining spot of the three, with a set scheduled for 9:05 to 10:35 p.m. Following Carpenter on opening night is electronic artist Anyma, who is debuting a production called “Æden” at midnight on the Coachella stage.
Nine Inch Noize, the collaboration between Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and German producer Boys Noize, will be in the Sahara Tent on Saturday night from 8 to 8:45 p.m.
Coachella hasn’t announced Weekend 2 set times yet.
Earlier on Monday, Coachella posted more information about the mysterious Radiohead activation on the poster dubbed “the Bunker.”
A post on Coachella’s Instagram called it the debut of “Radiohead Motion Picture House Kid A Mnesia,” with a 75-minute-long large format film from band frontman Thom Yorke and band artist Stanley Donwood of “sketches, paintings, collages, audio recordings and handwritten notes” captured during the recording of “Kid A” and “Amnesiac.”
It’s free to see, but there’s a reservation system for a time slot. People who can’t make a reservation will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.
On the Coachella website, it describes the Bunker as being located near the Sahara Tent.
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