Comedian and impressionist Matt Friend in New York on March 4. Over the past couple of months, Friend has turned the red carpet into a petri dish for viral content, mastering impromptu interactions with actors and musicians who have become increasingly familiar with his online presence.
Meet Matt Friend, Hollywood and TikTok’s new favorite impressionist

The 25-year-old, just a few years removed from college, has amassed more than a million followers on TikTok, frequently guests on cable news networks, has started voicing characters on “Family Guy” and “The Simpsons” and is currently in the middle of a national stand-up tour, mixing in his astute impressions with observational humor. On the red carpet, whether he’s at the Grammys or the Emmys, it seems like every celebrity is pleased to meet him, having become increasingly familiar with his online presence. 

An inkling fights a horde of Jelletons in Side order, the new Wave 2 downloadable content for Splatoon 3.
Splatoon 3 dishes up generous Side Order

The latest wave of Splatoon 3 downloadable content introduces a new single-player mode.

Lily Gladstone, center, in a scene from “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a film that has been nominated for best picture Oscar at the 96th Academy Awards. Gladstone has been nominated for best actress.
What will win at the Oscars?

AP film writers Coyle and Bahr share their predictions ahead of the 96th ceremony on March 10

In the 1997 original Final Fantasy VII game, players needed to use their imaginations with crude, faceless, blocky 3D models. The graphics of Rebirth, however, are so vastly improved that we can see, for example, the creases in its soulful characters’ faces and the shadows they cast against the wall.
Rebirth of a beloved Final Fantasy game

The second chapter in VII’s remake trilogy refreshes the original’s script, and offers improved graphics and an open world.

Summer concert calendars are filling up quickly.
Liner Notes: Willie hits the road with Dylan as Coldplay dominates the touring charts

Check out your favorite amphitheater’s website and you’ll see a lot of those calendars filling up.

Timothée Chalamet, foreground left, and Austin Butler in a scene from “Dune: Part Two.” The two actors trained, separately, with a Kali instructor in Los Angeles to prepare for their characters’ climactic showdown.
Pain, sweat and sandworms

Butler, Chalamet and the rest of the cast rise to the challenge of making 2nd chapter in ambitious and visionary ‘Dune’ franchise

"Prelude to Ecstasy," The Last Dinner Party
Liner Notes: ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’ as appetizing as The Last Dinner Party’s early singles

One of today’s buzziest indie bands has a sound almost impossibly all its own on the group’s debut album.

Voice actor Sarah Elmaleh poses for a photo in Los Angeles on Feb. 1, 2024. Recent years marked a golden age for making an acting career in video games, but now some studios are looking to use artificial intelligence to clone actors' voices. Voice actors like Elmaleh, who played the Cube Queen in Fortnite, are taking a cautious approach to making sure such arrangements can help actors rather than replace them.
Some video game actors are letting AI clone their voices. They just don't want it to replace them

As video game worlds get more expansive, some game studios are experimenting with AI tools to give voice to a potentially unlimited number of characters and conversations. It also saves time and money on the “vocal scratch” recordings game developers use as placeholders to test scenes and scripts. The response from professional actors has been mixed.

Michael Cera, 35, rose to prominence with roles in “Arrested Development,” “Superbad” and “Juno.” Following the release of “Life & Beth” Season 2, Cera will travel to Germany this spring to shoot a movie with Wes Anderson.
Michael Cera came of age on-screen. Now he’s all grown up.

As the ever-boyish actor Cera matures, his cinematic personas — from “Life and Beth” to “Barbie” — follow suit.

From left: Olivia Rodrigo, Chris Stapleton, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish and Jelly Roll are just a handful of artists capable of bringing a classic hit back to life with a remake.
Liner Notes: Searching for 2024’s ‘Fast Car’

Who could follow in Luke Combs’ footsteps and strike gold with a 35-year-old song?