What a cover shot, right? Scarlett looks incredible for Variety magazine’s Power of Women issue which features multiple cover stars–including Helen Mirren, Miley Cyrus, Laverne Cox and Ava Duvernay. Scarlett’s interview is available to read below, and outtakes from the shoot have also been uploaded.

VARIETY – Planned Parenthood has come under attack during the presidential election, as pro-life Republicans attempt to cut funding for the organization that provides abortions and an array of other medical services for women.

“It’s pretty terrifying,” says Scarlett Johansson. “Somehow, a woman’s right to choose has become a subject that’s on the Republican platform. I don’t really know what it has to do with politics at all. It seems to be a deeply personal issue.”

Growing up in New York, the actress relied on Planned Parenthood for regular checkups, she says.
“I used them to screen me for STDs or take care of my reproductive health, as did all my girlfriends. When I was asked to represent their initiative, it was a no-brainer.”

Planned Parenthood turns 100 this year, with 650 health centers across the U.S. that see 2.5 million patients a year for cancer screenings, birth control, STD testing, and breast exams.

Johansson is a major advocate of such services. In 2012, she made Planned Parenthood and women’s health central themes of her speech at the Democratic National Convention. Two years later, she helped design T-shirts to boost voting in the midterm elections, and she has recorded an audio message that encourages listeners to enroll in less-expensive insurance options available through the Affordable Care Act.

Her high-profile efforts on behalf of the nonprofit don’t stop there, according to Caren Spruch, Planned Parenthood’s director of arts and entertainment engagement.

“She even filmed a video about the impact that Congressional assaults would have on millions of women who rely on Planned Parenthood when she was on location shooting a film,” Spruch says.

Johansson is enhancing her efforts by publicly backing Hillary Clinton, who has vowed to support Planned Parenthood if elected president.

“Hillary is the right candidate for right now,” Johansson says. “I think she’s got a lot of integrity. She’s got a lot of stamina. She’s a very clever politician, and that’s actually important to me. Maybe it’s because I have a daughter now.”

Photos of Scarlett in attendance at tonight’s premiere of Sing at the Toronto International Film Festival have been added to the gallery. It’s great to see her again!

You may have noticed them already, but screen captures from the Blu-ray edition of Captain America: Civil War have been added to the gallery–including special features. Scarlett’s performance as Natasha is as ever, great to watch and I’m intrigued to see where her character goes from the events of this film. It’s just a shame that we didn’t see a whole lot of her as her role seemed somewhat smaller than in previous installments.

At long last, we have our first photos of Scarlett at an event this year! She has of course been very busy over the past few months with the filming of Ghost in the Shell in New Zealand and Hong Kong–so it’s nice to see her again, and looking as beautiful as ever. She was in attendance at the event on Monday night in her beloved New York City, which celebrated the life and career of Tony Bennett-who was awared The Entertainment Icon Award.

I have added screen captures from the Blu-ray edition of Hail, Caesar! to the gallery–including bonus features. Unfortunately, Scarlett’s role in the film is very small (she has just two scenes), so if you’re thinking of watching it solely for her, you’ll probably be a little underwhelmed by the size of her part. However, she is very funny and memorable as DeeAnna Moran, once again proving that she’s very capable of portraying comedic characters (she looks great doing it, too).

I have updated the gallery with the recently released stills of Scarlett in Captain America: Civil War, which is released next Friday in the US and for those lucky enough to be in the selected countries of its early release, I hope you will all enjoy it! You can view the international release information and dates here.

THE PLAYLIST – The #filmtwitter world is focused on France and the Cannes Film Festival announcement this morning, but there’s much more going on beyond the Croisette. Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures have announced that production has started on “Ghost In The Shell” starring Scarlett Johansson, and they’ve released the inaugural first look image from the movie.

Rupert Sanders (Snow White And the Huntsman) is directing the anime adaption, with lensing taking place in Wellington, New Zealand. Paramount Pictures will release the film in the U.S. on March 31, 2017. Press release details below.

The film, which is based on the famous Kodansha Comics manga series of the same name, written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow, is produced by Avi Arad (THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1 & 2, IRON MAN), Ari Arad (GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE), and Steven Paul (GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE). Michael Costigan (PROMETHEUS), Tetsu Fujimura (TEKKEN), Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, whose animation studio Production I.G produced the Japanese GHOST IN THE SHELL film and television series, and Jeffrey Silver (EDGE OF TOMORROW, 300) will executive produce.

Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, GHOST IN THE SHELL follows the Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology.

“We are so pleased to be in Wellington to shoot ‘GHOST IN THE SHELL,’” said producers Avi Arad, Ari Arad, Michael Costigan and Jeffrey Silver. “The city boasts state-of-the-art production facilities and a rich urban landscape that make it an ideal setting for a sci-fi action film. The crew-base in New Zealand working on the film is first class, and working with Sir Richard Taylor and the team at Weta Workshop is inspirational on every level. The people of New Zealand have been terrific partners in helping us bring this story and its beloved characters to audiences around the world and we are thankful for their continued hospitality.”

Great news! Scarlett is featured as the cover star for the May issue of Cosmopolitan, looking gorgeous as ever. The issue is on newsstands from April 12, so be sure to pick up a copy if you have the chance.

On cutting the budget for Planned Parenthood: “There are countries at war, there’s terrorism, global warming, and we’re like, ‘We should definitely cut the budget for Planned Parenthood. Let’s take away the availability of women’s health initiatives!’… It’s nuts. We’re talking about preventing cervical and breast cancers. Growing up, I used [PP’s] services. All my girlfriends did—not just for birth control but for Pap smears and breast exams. You read about the rise of back-alley abortions, women having to mutilate themselves and teenagers having to seek help in unsafe conditions, and for what?! We’re moving backward when we’re supposed to be moving forward.”

On equal pay: “There’s something icky about me having that conversation unless it applies to a greater whole… I am very fortunate, I make a really good living, and I’m proud to be an actress who’s making as much as many of my male peers at this stage… I think every woman has [been underpaid], but unless I’m addressing it as a larger problem, for me to talk about my own personal experience with it feels a little obnoxious. It’s part of a larger conversation about feminism in general.”

On hitting rock bottom: “Long, long ago, I had someone in my life who was forever unavailable…but, like, so attractively unavailable. You have to get to your breaking point… rock bottom is the moment when you’re like, ‘I’ve lost myself. Why am I standing outside this bar at 1:30 in the morning texting while my friends are inside? Or taking a taxi to see him at some ungodly hour? This isn’t me.’ That is the moment you’ve gotta cut it off. Otherwise, it will keep coming back, suck your blood.”