Depp vs. Heard Case Goes to Jury

►The end is near. After six weeks of trial, the jury will decide whether Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamed each other in a trial that touched on domestic abuse, Hollywood decision-making and the #MeToo movement. A dynamic that may decide the fate of the defamation duel emerged on Friday during closing arguments: Depp played up evidence that he argues vindicates him of abuse, while Heard played up standards of law that she argues must lead the jury to find in her favor. The story. 

—"Warning: Contains violence involving children." Disney+ has added a warning to the first episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi over an opening scene to the Star Wars series that may be triggering some viewers after the recent Texas school shooting. However, the message does not appear on all Disney+ accounts under the “details” area for the show. And it does not show onscreen prior to the episode beginning. The story.

—Back for more. THR's Borys Kit has the scoop on Bryce Dallas Howard directing an episode of season three of The Mandalorian. This episode marks her fourth outing for a Star Wars series, Howard directed the season one episode "Sanctuary" and the season two episode "The Heiress." She also helmed one of the standout episodes of The Book of Boba Fett, "Return of the Mandalorian." Elsewhere, Dave Filoni is directing episodes of Ahsoka. The story. 

—"I cannot apologize enough." Matthew Morrison’s stint as a So You Think You Can Dance judge is over. The former Glee star and Broadway veteran is departing the show — whose 17th season premiered just nine days ago — after violating its competition protocols. Reps for Fox declined to comment on the nature of the violation. The story. 

—"A ‘Christian Society’ where they would let little children die over and over again." Jamie Foxx criticized lawmakers over their lack of legislative action after shootings like the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas earlier this week. In an emotional Instagram post, Foxx — who is from Terrell, Texas — had harsh words for lawmakers and "so-called Christians." The story.

—"Val’s a huge part of this." Val Kilmer will have a presence in the upcoming Willow series for Disney+, its star Warwick Davis and executive producer Jonathan Kasdan say. Speaking at the Star Wars Celebration events this past week in Anaheim, the duo explained how Kilmer's Madmartigan will play a role in the TV sequel to the 1988 film. The story.

'Top Gun 2' Heading for $150M Opening

►Buzzing the box office. Top Gun: Maverick grossed a massive $51.8 million on Friday — including $19.3 million in previews — as it opened in more than 4,700 theaters in North America. That puts the movie on course to score one of the best Memorial Day openings of all time with a projected three-day haul of $123 million and $150 million for the four days. And either would be a career best for Tom Cruise. The box office report.

—Cruise control. Top Gun: Maverick ranks as the best-reviewed movie of Tom Cruise’s prolific career, alongside the most recent installment in the Mission: Impossible series. The movie presently sports a stellar 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the same score as Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018). The story. 

—"My 15-year-old self is blown away, as is my 51-year-old self." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Top Gun: Maverick star Jon Hamm on his important role as the thorn in the side of Tom Cruise's Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell. Hamm reveals the most enjoyable moments making the picture, including a hilarious back-and-forth with Cruise comparing hobbies. The interview. 

—"No movie star calls the guy that doesn’t get the role." Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell initially auditioned for the role of Goose's son that went to Miles Teller, but Tom Cruise and the producers loved him so much they called him back for the scene-stealing role as Hangman. THR's Mia Galuppo spoke to Powell about auditioning in a tuxedo, and getting that call from Cruise. The interview.

—"It would not be Top Gun without ‘Danger Zone.'” THR's Ryan Parker spoke to Kenny Loggins about the triumphant return of “Danger Zone” in Top Gun: Maverick. The Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated musician also talked about his and upcoming memoir why he enjoys sporadically appearing on Family Guy, among more. The interview.

Ray Liotta Was More Than Another Magnetic Screen Wise Guy

►"Liotta brought an edge even to movies intent on melting audiences’ hearts." THR critic John DeFore writes that the late Ray Liotta brought fearsome energy and edge to projects big and small, beyond his crowning turn in Martin Scorsese's masterwork GoodFellas. The critic’s appreciation. 

—"After much thought, I felt I had to step away." Alexis Bledel announced Friday that she’s departing Hulu's The Handmaid’s Tale after four seasons. Bledel won an Emmy in 2017 and earned three more nominations for playing Emily, a former handmaid turned resistance fighter. The story.

—"I have been struggling." Bridgerton actress Ruby Barker is speaking about her own mental health, including a recent hospitalization, to help encourage others to get support when they need it. In a video shared on her Instagram, the actress who plays Marina Thompson in the Netflix show, shared that she was about to be discharged from a mental health facility and was planning to take some time away. The story.

—One to watch. The legal battle waged by Village Roadshow accusing Warner Bros. of tanking the value of The Matrix Resurrections is about to be moved to arbitration. The judge overseeing the case sided with Warner Bros. on Thursday in an unpublished tentative ruling that the lawsuit should go to arbitration. The story.

—Changing culture. The recent huge correction in Netflix's share price, brought on by stalled subscriber growth, has had reverberations throughout the company including budget cuts and layoffs. THR's J. Clara Chan writes that the cuts has left employees and laid off staff questioning Netflix’s commitment to diversity. The story. 

—All good fights come to an end. The Good Fight, the first scripted original series for the former CBS All Access, is coming to a close. The previously announced sixth season of The Good Wife spinoff will be its last. The final season of the series from creators/showrunners Robert and Michelle King will debut Thursday, Sept. 8 on Paramount+. The story. 

'The Worst Ones,' Vicky Krieps Win Cannes Un Certain Regard Awards

►The best one. Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret’s The Worst Ones, a film-within-a-film drama about a French film crew trying to cast locals in a working-class French town, has won the top prize for best film in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival. Joyland, a Pakistani transgender drama from director Saim Sadiq won the Un Certain Regard jury prize. The winners.

—Sen's sweep. All That Breathes, a New Delhi-set documentary from director Shaunak Sen about a pair of brothers dedicated to rescuing birds of prey, has won the L’Œil d’or, or Golden Eye Award, for best documentary at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. Sen's doc premiered in Sundance where it won the world cinema prize for best documentary. The winners. 

—Humanist cinema. Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Broker, a Korean-language drama about an abandoned child, illegal baby brokers and makeshift families, has won the Ecumenical jury award for best film at Cannes. The Ecumenical jury, made up of members of Christian film organizations Interfilm (Protestant) and Signis (Catholic) selects its best film from Cannes competition that “best touches the spiritual dimension of our existence.” The story. 

TV Review: 'Obi-Wan Kenobi'

►"More than just fan service." THR TV critic Angie Han reviews Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ewan McGregor returns as the Jedi master for the latest Star Wars series, set a decade after Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, with Hayden Christensen also reprising his role as Darth Vader. The review. 
 
—"Overflowing with gentle humor and heart." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Kelly Reichardt's Cannes Competition entry Showing Up. A sculptor nervously prepares for an exhibit while juggling the distractions of her family and friends in this gorgeous reflection on making art, the fourth collaboration between the director and star Michelle Williams. The review. 

—"A work of grim majesty that exerts a powerful hold." David reviews Hlynur Pálmason’s Cannes Un Certain Regard selection Godland (Vanskabte Land/Volada Land). A young priest travels from Denmark to Iceland in the late 19th century, where his mission is mocked by nature and by the corruptibility of his faith in the Icelandic director's striking elemental epic. The review. 

—"Punishingly slow, though not uninteresting." THR film critic Leslie Felperin reviews Albert Serra's Cannes Competition entry Pacifiction. The filmmaker behind Liberté competes with this noir-tinged story set in contemporary French Polynesia starring Benoît Magimel. The review. 

—"Ambitious but evasive." THR critic Lovia Gyarkye reviews Léonor Serraille's Cannes Competition entry Mother and Son (Un petit frère). The French filmmaker's second feature is a sweeping portrait of an Ivorian mother building a life with her two sons in France. The review.

—"An understated and intimate story of sisterhood." Lovia reviews Erige Sehiri's Cannes Directors' Fortnight selection Under the Fig Trees (Sous les figues). The Tunisian-French director's narrative debut chronicles and animates the lives of a group of women Tunisian fig harvesters. The review. 

In other news...

—Star Wars Jedi: Survivor video game unveiled at celebration

—Hollywood flashback: Alec Guinness struck gold with Star Wars 45 years ago

—Harry Styles partners with Everytown for gun safety on upcoming tour in effort to “end gun violence”

—Troy Kotsur to deliver keynote for UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television’s 2022 commencement

—Home that inspired The Conjuring sells for more than $1.5m

What else we're reading...

—Kinda funny: "Top Gun: Maverick loses Chinese investor due to pro-U.S. messaging" [WSJ]

—Debra Kamin has a fascinating story on what happens to the homes shown on TV makeover shows, especially when things go wrong [NYT]

—Jodi Walker asks twenty-one questions about what the hell is going on in The Time Traveler’s Wife [Ringer]

—Chris Murphy on the difference between Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais, who both seem weirdly obsessed with anti-trans jokes [VF]

—Nancy Jo Sales on the depressing similarities between the Depp vs. Heard case and Clint Eastwood's acrimonious and very public legal battle with Sondra Locke [VF]

Today...  

...in 1970, Paramount unveiled Arthur Hiller's comedy The Out-of-Towners in theaters. Written by Neil Simon, with music by Quincy Jones, the film starred Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis as a small town couple struggling to make it to NYC. The film was remade in 1999, starring Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn and John Cleese. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Irwin Winkler (91), Kylie Minogue (54), Carey Mulligan (37), Romain Duris (48), Alexa Davalos (40), Jake Johnson (44), Raza Jaffrey (47), Laura Bailey (41), Christa Miller (58), Jessica Rothe (35), Lukas Gage (27), Emily O'Brien (37), Monica Keena (43), Megalyn Echikunwoke (39), Krista Kosonen (39), Anne Reid (87), Rafi Gavron (33), Michael Barrett (52), Adriana DeGirolami (37), Chiara Mastroianni (50), Roger Kumble (56), Don Burgess (66)