Stars converge in Palm Springs to celebrate year’s best films, Emma Stone’s career

By KRYSTA FAURIA
Associated Press

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — Emma Stone reflected on her career highlights and Meryl Streep praised Billie Eilish and “Barbie” with saving the movie industry Thursday during one of the first stops of Hollywood’s awards season. Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Stone and Cillian Murphy were among the A-listers who descended on the desert for the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s annual opening gala. This year’s awards season comes on the heels of the summer’s historic strikes and news that 2023 resulted in the best year-end box office seen since the pandemic. Stone, who stars in “Poor Things,” says she’s grateful she still gets to try new things in her career. Streep praised Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell for their “Barbie” song.