Entertainment News (05/05/26)

Ayala Cinemas launches ticket booking website

AYALA MALLS Cinemas has unveiled Ayala All Access, its newest online ticket booking platform. Bringing together ticket purchasing, snack bar pre-orders, and gift certificate purchases on a single platform, it aims to make moviegoing more convenient. Tickets come with complimentary popcorn in select cinemas with an operating The Movie Snackbar. Tickets are now available at www.ayalaallaccess.com.

GMA Network now on maritime vessels

THROUGH a collaboration with Home2US Communications and FrontM Limited, GMA Network has expanded its global footprint by bringing its international channels — GMA Pinoy TV and GMA Life TV — on board commercial vessels worldwide. Under the distribution agreement, Home2US serves as the contracting content partner, supported by an integrated delivery ecosystem that combines its advanced global broadcast and streaming capabilities with FrontM’s onboard technology infrastructure. This ensures seamless access to licensed GMA programming at sea.

Zara Larsson releases remix album

GRAMMY-NOMINATED pop star Zara Larsson has dropped Midnight Sun: Girls Trip, a collection of remixes and collaborations that give new life to her songs. Revisiting each track from her breakthrough album Midnight Sun, it features a worldwide all-woman cast of musicians as collaborators, including Shakira, Robyn, Tyla, PinkPantheress, Kehlani, JT, Madison Beer, Emilia, Helena Gao, Margo XS, BAMBII, Malibu, and Eli.

Rakuten Viki offers free streaming of Phantom Lawyer

FOLLOWING its season finale, the hit legal fantasy drama Phantom Lawyer, starring Yoo Yeon Seok and Esom, is now available for free (with ads) on Viki across the region. All 16 episodes are now accessible, so viewers can watch the full season without a subscription. Phantom Lawyer follows a timid lawyer who gains the ability to see and communicate with restless spirits after moving into an office once owned by a shaman. The Rakuten Viki app and website are available for viewers in Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand via www.viki.com.

Sean Archer drops new EP

FILIPINO newcomer Sean Archer has released a new EP titled Kung Ano Ano, which aims to capture the complexities of young adulthood. The guitar-rock record offers a deeply personal narrative drawn from Archer’s life and observations with punk rock grit. It is now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.

PLDT Home offers One Piece experience in stores

WITH the Philippines being home to one of the largest fandoms for One Piece (its various iterations are as an animé, manga, and Netflix live-action show), PLDT Home has transformed its physical stores into an immersive experience for fans. Select PLDT stores now look like the world of the Grand Line come to life. In addition, to celebrate the show, the telco company is offering a PLDT Fiber Netflix Plan 1599 — also spanning Fiber Unli Plans 1699, 2099, and 2699 — with one-month free broadband, a free speed boost, and free installation until May 31.

Sparkle Run 2026 welcomes Kapuso stars and fans

ON MAY 30, Sparkle GMA Artist Center is inviting both seasoned runners and first-timers to join the Sparkle Run 2026, at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila on May 30. Fans will get the chance to run alongside Sparkle artists Alden Richards, David Licauco, Rayver Cruz, Glaiza De Castro, Camille Prats, Derrick Monasterio, Kristoffer Martin, Mikee Quintos, Sofia Pablo, Allen Ansay, and Barbie Forteza. Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab housemates and more surprise guests will also be there. Open to all levels with distances of 3K, 5K, 6.6K, 10K, and 16K, the event is spearheaded by Sparkle in partnership with Manila’s Department of Tourism, Culture and Arts, and organized by RUNRIO Inc. Registration is open via https://raceroster.com/events/2026/115775/sparkle-run-2026/register.

TV5 kicks off primetime viewer promo

THROUGH a new promo called “Kapatid Manood at Manalo,” TV5 viewers can enjoy their favorite shows while getting the chance to win prizes. Featured in this initiative are TV5’s primetime hits A Secret in Prague and My Bespren Emman. To join, viewers need to tune in to these shows daily from 8 to 9:30 p.m. until June 5. There will be a daily episode hashtag on the screen with a promo QR code, which viewers must scan to join and submit their entry. There will be five daily winners of P1,000, one weekly winner of P50,000, and five grand winners of P500,000 each.

Animated documentary 58^th goes to Annecy

GMA PUBLIC AFFAIRS and GMA Pictures’ animated documentary film 58^th has been selected for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026, widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious animation festival. The movie honors the victims of the Maguindanao Massacre, one of the darkest chapters in Philippine history, and sheds light on the story of Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay, the 58^th victim of the massacre. The selection marks the first time a GMA Network film has been chosen for screening at the festival. The documentary combines animation and archival footage in its storytelling, and is directed by award-winning filmmaker Carl Joseph Papa, who will make his third appearance at Annecy following Iti Mapukpukaw (The Missing) in 2024 and Manang Biring in 2016. The film also holds special significance as the final work of the late Ricky Davao, who portrayed Reynaldo Momay. The cast is led by Glaiza De Castro, with Mikoy Morales, Marco Masa, Zyren Dela Cruz, and Biboy Ramirez. The Annecy International Animation Film Festival will take place in June.

Global Filipino acts join &Friends Festival

THE &FRIENDS FESTIVAL, co-presented by Collective Minds, is returning to Okada Manila on June 19 and 20. As the biggest electronic dance music (EDM) festival in the Philippines, it welcomes some of electronic music’s top acts, including Galantis and Porter Robinson. Setting this year apart will be global Filipino acts: Filipino-Japanese Alan Shirahama who is a DJ and the leader of J-pop group GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE; Ian Asher, a Los Angeles-based DJ and producer who has collaborated with P-pop group SB19; US-based Filipino-Chinese DJ Seduza representing digital culture; and Tye Turner, a Filipino-Australian DJ who is a rising name on lineups across North America and Asia. Tickets for the &FRIENDS Festival may be purchased on Ticketmelon and AirAsia’s MoveTix, with Single Day passes available at P5,800 for General Admission (GA) and at P9,800 for VIP. Two-Day passes are available at P9,000 for GA and P15,000 for VIP while Barkada Bundles can be bought for groups of five people at P23,200 for GA and P36,000 for VIP.

HBO’s House of the Dragon to debut Season 3 in June

SEASON THREE of the HBO Original drama series House of the Dragon will drop on June 22 on HBO Max. The eight-episode season will air new episodes weekly, leading up to the season finale on Aug. 10. Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the series, set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen. The cast includes Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, and Harry Collett.