Labor Day is usually where movies go to die, or at least take a very long nap. But honestly, entertainment news today September 1 2025 is looking a little more chaotic than your average holiday Monday. We’re sitting right at the intersection of a summer box office that refused to quit and the high-brow prestige of the fall festival circuit.
If you’re nursing a BBQ hangover, here’s the reality: Hollywood isn't resting. While you were flipping burgers, Kim Novak was making grown men cry in Italy, and Weapons was somehow still holding onto the top spot at the domestic box office despite being out for nearly a month. It’s a weird time.
The Lido goes wild: Venice Film Festival highlights
Over in Venice, the 82nd International Film Festival is hitting its stride. Today was a big one. Kim Novak, the absolute legend from Vertigo, accepted the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. She’s 92. Let that sink in. She looked incredible, and her speech basically reminded everyone why the "old Hollywood" mystique is something we just can't replicate with TikTok stars.
But it wasn't all nostalgia.
The competition is getting fierce. We’ve seen some early footage from Julian Schnabel’s In the Hand of Dante and the buzz is... mixed? People love the ambition, but it's Julian Schnabel, so "experimental" is an understatement. Meanwhile, the Lido is crawling with A-listers. You’ve got everyone from The Rock to Charli XCX popping up in water taxis. It’s basically a high-fashion fever dream.
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Telluride’s quiet power
While Venice has the glitz, Telluride is doing its "exclusive mountain retreat" thing. Today marks the final day of the 52nd Telluride Film Festival. If you aren't there, you've missed the Silver Medallion presentations for Noah Baumbach and Ethan Hawke.
Baumbach’s Jay Kelly is the name on everyone’s lips. It’s being hailed as a return to form, whatever that means for a guy who hasn't really missed lately. People are calling it "deeply human," which is critic-speak for "bring tissues."
Box office: Horror and nostalgia are winning
The numbers for the long weekend are trickling in, and the domestic box office is surprisingly healthy. Horror is carrying the weight. Weapons—the latest from the Barbarian director—is still the king of the hill, raking in another $2.6 million today.
- Weapons: $135M total (and counting)
- Freakier Friday: The Lohan/Curtis sequel is actually holding up! It did about $1.9M today.
- Caught Stealing: This one is newer, starring Austin Butler, and it’s pulling in the younger crowd.
Interestingly, the 50th-anniversary re-release of Jaws is still top five. Apparently, fifty years later, people still want to be afraid of the ocean. Or maybe it’s just the air conditioning. Either way, Steven Spielberg is probably smiling somewhere.
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Music and the VMAs: The Gaga era returns?
We are officially in the countdown to the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards on September 7. The nominations are out, and Lady Gaga is leading the pack with 12 nods. Today, the "Little Monsters" are basically vibrating with excitement because more performance details leaked.
We know Ariana Grande is set to present the Video Vanguard Award to Mariah Carey. That’s a "passing the torch" moment that’s going to break the internet. Honestly, the VMAs have felt a bit stale lately, but with LL Cool J hosting and a lineup that includes Rosé and Kendrick Lamar, it feels like MTV is actually trying again.
What to watch tonight
If you’re staying in, The Runarounds just premiered on Prime Video today. It’s a music-based drama created by Jonas Pate (the Outer Banks guy). If you like teen angst and garage bands, it’s probably your new obsession.
What most people get wrong about September releases
There’s this myth that September is a "dump month" for bad movies. That's not really true anymore. Look at the schedule:
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- The Conjuring: Last Rites hits theaters this Friday (Sept 5).
- Lilo & Stitch (the live-action one) drops on Disney+ on Sept 3.
The industry is shifting. They’re using the "slow" month of September to launch mid-budget horror and big-budget streaming titles because the competition isn't as suffocating as July.
Actionable insights for the week ahead
If you want to stay ahead of the curve this week, keep your eyes on the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It kicks off on the 4th. That is where the real "Audience Award" winners—the ones that actually win Best Picture—usually start their run.
Also, if you're a fan of The Traitors, the new season’s outfits are already trending. Donna Kelce is apparently the fashion icon we didn't know we needed. Check your streaming queues; the fall TV rush is officially starting, and it’s going to get crowded very fast.
Stay tuned for more updates as the Venice winners are announced later this week.