Backrooms' $118M opening and the Kennedy Center name standoff
Digest Newsletter
·
Jun 1, 2026
Backrooms' $118M opening and the Kennedy Center name standoff
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A blockbuster weekend and a legal showdown are keeping the arts on its toes — one proves audiences will reward bold storytelling, the other shows politics still wants a front-row seat. Meanwhile tributes and museum shows are reminding everyone that images and memory remain the currency of culture.
The arts
Box office boom, a Kennedy Center legal fight, and star obits
A federal judge ordered Donald Trump's name removed from the Kennedy Center, but the administration is refusing to comply — a rare cultural-institution standoff with political teeth. [P]At the same time, A24's horror hit Backrooms opened to a record-breaking $118M worldwide, signaling Gen Z will flock to original, risky cinema; and fans are mourning jazz guitarist Joe Negri of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, who died days before his 100th birthday.
Art
Icons, museum blockbusters, and bold visual storytelling
The art world is marking milestones: Marilyn Monroe hits her 100th birthday as photographers and designers rework her enduring image in exhibitions and essays. [P]Museums are spotlighting imperial craftsmanship with India's Great Mughals on view in Richmond (rare Mughal paintings), even as parks, prize-winning architects, and daring TV aesthetics (from Euphoria to revived animation concepts) remind artists that fresh form still beats safe sequel fodder.