The Frame

With rock 'n' roll bands no longer headlining top music festivals, is the genre finally dead?; what to expect from this year's Cannes festival; comedic actor Drew Droege came to L.A. with glamorous dreams of making it in Hollywood, only to find success with a viral video.

Writer Tanya Saracho talks about her arc in the TV business — from being a "diversity hire" on "Devious Maids" to creating her own show "Vida" about two Latinx sisters who move back home after their mother's death; and Goldenvoice, the concert promoter of FYF Fest has canceled this year's festival because of low ticket sales. Is it a case of festival fatigue or something else?

Jim DeRogatis has been reporting on allegations of sexual abuse against R. Kelly for nearly two decades including a new report in Buzzfeed today – why this singer may be finally facing his #metoo moment; and as costume designer for "The Crown," Jane Petrie discusses the pressure to get the look of the royal family just right.

A new exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Arts Center celebrates the life and work of composer Leonard Bernstein; the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences votes to expel Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski; and Memphis-based author and filmmaker Robert Gordon captures the grit of his hometown's music in his new book “Memphis Rent Party.”

Actor Martin Freeman goes from 'The Office,' to 'Black Panther,' into two small-scale horror films; Billionaire businessman Wang Jailin of the Dalian Wanda Group hoped that Hollywood studios would see China as a location for making movies, but the Wall Street Journal reveals that’s not happening; We go inside the new production called, “theater is a blank space,” which takes you from Powell Library to the rafters of UCLA’s Royce Hall, literally.

"Mean Girls” and “SpongeBob” led this year’s Tony nominations with 12 picks each. New York Times theater reporter Michael Paulson helped break down the nominations for us; We talk with 'RBG' co-director Betsy West about convincing Justice Ginsburg to give them access to her life; “Spongebob Squarepants the Musical” snagged 12 Tony nominations today, including the top prize, best musical. We talk with playwright Kyle Jarrow.

The screenwriters of "Avengers: Infinity War" explain how the sitcom "Frasier" influenced the film; the Hulu documentary “Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie” shows how executives at Mattel went about changing the body shape of their iconic and controversial doll.

Alia Shawkat co-wrote and stars in “Duck Butter," a movie about two women who spend 24 hours doing nothing but being with each other and having sex; San Francisco's Grace Cathedral holds a Beyoncé-themed service; YouTube struggles to clean up its act.

With her new film, "Disobedience," Rachel Weisz found something she had been seeking but couldn't find: a story with two female leads; former comedian and TV host Byron Allen has quietly built a company with interests in both film and television.

Movie theater owners look beyond popcorn to find new concessions at CinemaCon; Chicano photographer George Rodriguez captures two very different L.A.'s over a 50-year period; CalArts celebrates world music with its own salsa band.

Writer/director John Ridley (far right, with actor Timothy Hutton) talks about his edgy new TV series, “American Crime"; We crash a viewing party for the breakout TV hit, “Empire"; Musician and attorney Joe Escalante on the fallout from the “Blurred Lines” verdict.

A jury ruled that Robin Thicke (pictured) and Pharrell Williams violated the copyright to Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up"; an assistant director on the film "Midnight Rider" was found guilty of charges relating to the death of a camera assistant; producer David Shore revived a TV project created a dozen years ago by Vince Gilligan, before his "Breaking Bad" success.

"Midnight Rider" director Randall Miller was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to charges resulting from the death of a crew member on the set; Clint Eastwood talks about "American Sniper" (pictured) becoming the biggest-grossing film released in 2014; actress Gillian Jacobs has added director to her resumé with a documentary about computer pioneer Grace Hopper.

A fan laments that legendary radio DJ Art Laboe (pictured) can't be heard in L.A., at least for now; Robert Christgau, the Dean of American Rock Critics, has a memoir covering his 40-plus years on the music beat; Claire Keane is a third-generation artist who left a cushy job to write and illustrate children's books.

The trial for the lawsuit brought by Marvin Gaye's children against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams is nearing an end; how "Dead Man Walking" was transformed from a movie to an opera (pictured); comedian Wayne Federman rounds up his hilarious friends to host a film festival where they chose the lineup; comic book writer Scott Snyder put his anxieties into his version of "Batman."

Ed Piskor’s "Hip Hop Family Tree” (pictured) takes a look at the music's history in a comic book series; young comedians test their chops in roast battles; the Writer's Guild examines the lack of racial and gender diversity among TV writers.

Late night host Conan O'Brien tells us about his trip to Cuba and his thoughts on the late night TV shuffle; Vulture.com's Margaret Lyons recommends some TV shows that have an air of optimism; comic book writer Ed Brubaker goes from Captain America and Batman to a Hollywood noir graphic novel.

Will Smith's "Focus" (pictured) did middling business in its opening weekend, so where does this leave his career?; filmmaker Ed Burns on the highs and lows of his career since bursting on the scene with "The Brothers McMullen" in 1995; Valiant Entertainment has a simple goal: make comic books like they used to be made.

Leonard Nimoy (pictured) died today. We discuss his artistic journey as an actor, writer and photographer; the copyright trial pitting Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and T.I. against Marvin Gaye's children is underway; Will Forte is "The Last Man on Earth," a new Fox comedy.

Singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane (pictured) wrote "The Ambassador," a song cycle inspired by architectural landmarks around L.A.; Yann Demange's new film is set amidst the violent Northern Ireland conflict known as The Troubles; a new study concludes that watching even just one film can change minds about a topic as charged as politics.

A new report by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA says movies and TV shows with diverse casts (such as "Empire," pictured) make good financial sense; Song Exploder breaks down the theme song for "House of Cards"; a new stage production at CalTech takes "Alice Through the Wormhole."

How did Amy Poehler's sitcom (pictured) survive seven seasons of average ratings?; Sam Beam, aka Iron & Wine, returns to his musical roots with "Archive Series Volume Number One"; Wes Anderson's Oscar-winning film is the subject of a new book; the L.A. Philharmonic stages a multimedia production of "Alice in Wonderland."