World Movie News: The Last 24 Hours
Dolly Parton dies at 80 and Hollywood remembers her film career, TIFF locks in its final 2026 lineup, Venice opens ticket reservations this week, and sad farewells to Bollywood director Kuku Kohli and Italian actor Fabio Grossi.
Morning all — today’s roundup has to lead somewhere very different from the usual festival admin, because the world lost a genuine icon yesterday. Here’s what happened in the world of movies during the last 24 hours.
Dolly Parton dies at 80, and her film career gets its moment: Country music legend Dolly Parton died Tuesday in Nashville, her family confirming she passed peacefully at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center after a brief battle with cancer, surrounded by loved ones. Her nephew Bryan Seaver delivered the news in a video statement he said Parton had asked him to make years in advance, describing her as “sister, sis, aunt, granny to one generation and Gigi to the next.” While her music career needs no introduction, Parton’s dozen-or-so feature film credits also left a mark. She made her acting debut in 1980’s 9 to 5, playing put-upon secretary Doralee Rhodes opposite Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin — a role that earned her a Golden Globe nomination and gave the world its title-track earworm. She followed it two years later with The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, playing brothel madame Miss Mona opposite Burt Reynolds, a second Golden Globe nomination, and the film that gave her the re-recorded version of “I Will Always Love You” that (via The Bodyguard) Whitney Houston would later turn into one of the biggest songs of all time. There was also 1984’s Rhinestone alongside Sylvester Stallone, and — for many, most beloved of all — 1989’s Steel Magnolias, in which she played beauty-salon owner Truvy Jones in an ensemble stacked with Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine and Olympia Dukakis. Jane Fonda’s tribute summed up the mood across the industry today: “Dolly will always be with us because she was so present, so powerful, so generous and playful that she is woven into all our lives and hearts forever.” Rest in peace, Dolly.
TIFF unveils its final wave of 2026 titles: In rather smaller news, the Toronto International Film Festival announced the last additions to its lineup yesterday, led by Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, which arrives in Canada fresh off its Venice premiere and an anticipated Telluride stop in between. Also newly confirmed: Anton Corbijn’s A Talent for Murder, Courteney Cox’s directorial effort Evil Genius, and Takashi Miike’s Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, alongside a strong crop of Cannes and Sundance carry-overs. The festival runs 10th–20th September.
Venice ticket reservations open this week: Online reservations for September’s 83rd Venice Film Festival open this Thursday, ahead of Danny Boyle’s Ink opening the festival on the 2nd, with George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn both confirmed for Golden Lion lifetime achievement honours. With Clooney in Italy accepting a lifetime achievement award, this feels like life imitating art, or more specifically Jay Kelly.
And two further sad farewells: Indian cinema is also mourning director Kuku Kohli, born Avtar Kohli, who died yesterday of a heart attack aged 77, best known for his movies Phool Aur Kaante, Suhaag and Kohraam. Italian actor and stage director Fabio Grossi has also died, aged 68, remembered for his work in films including I fichissimi and The Family Friend.
A genuinely heavy day for film and music both. That’s your lot for today — until next time.
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