LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Mad Mike” Hughes, a self-styled explorer and daredevil bent on proving that the earth is flat was killed over the weekend when his homemade rocket crashed in the California desert over the weekend. “Michael ‘Mad Mike’ Hughes tragically... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – Making films in a bitterly divided Brazil that is increasingly hostile to artistic freedom is an act of resistance in itself, the maker of a new drama about race relations in the years after the country abolished slavery said. Speaking ahead... More »
MILAN (Reuters) – Dolce & Gabbana prepared for the winter chill on Sunday, staging a Fall/Winter 2020 show featuring oversized chunky sweaters, woolly socks and furry slippers. The Italian fashion house’s presentation at Milan Fashion Week came shortly after G... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – After a close box office battle, Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” pulled ahead of Disney and 20th Century’s “The Call of the Wild” on North American charts. The two movies had been in a tug-of-war for first place. Heading into the ... More »
MILAN (Reuters) – Raf Simons will join Prada as co-creative director, marking the first time the Italian fashion house has hired an outsider to work with renowned head designer Miuccia Prada. Belgian-born Simons, 52, will join Prada on April 2, the group said ... More »
(Reuters) – WarnerMedia is reuniting its “Friends” cast for an untitled, unscripted special for its upcoming streaming service, HBO Max, the company said on Friday. AT&T Inc’s (T.N) WarnerMedia said series stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Ma... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Paramount’s family film “Sonic the Hedgehog” ignited over Presidents Day weekend with $57 million in North America and $100 million globally, the best showing ever for a video game adaptation. “Sonic” is expected to earn $68 millio... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Victoria Beckham chose black dresses paired with distinctive belts and chunky thigh-high platform boots for a collection she characterized as a “gentle rebellion” at London Fashion Week on Sunday. The former Spice Girl pop star turned design... More »
(Reuters) – Singer R. Kelly, already facing trial in three states on sexual abuse, child pornography, kidnapping and obstruction of justice charges, has been hit with an updated indictment in Chicago stemming from a newly-identified victim, court documents sho... More »
(Reuters) – At the heart of Harvey Weinstein’s New York rape trial is a power dynamic between a producer of some of the biggest culture-defining films of the past 20 years and two women who accuse him of abusing that stature by sexually assaulting them. Weinst... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Osaka’s Itami airport is setting up a toilet area for travelling dogs, complete with a pole for them to cock a leg on. The toilet, in a fenced-off yard outside the terminal, will also have a shower and water bowls, operator Kansai Airports sa... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Parasite,” a dark social satire from South Korea, won the Oscar for best picture on Sunday, making history as the first film in a language other than English to claim the movie industry’s highest honor. “Parasite,” about the gap betwee... More »
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean social media erupted in celebration on Monday after the dark comedy “Parasite” became the first non-English language movie to win the Best Picture award, already having netted three other Oscars in a historic first for the countr... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – At an Oscars ceremony nearly devoid of acting nominees of color and lacking any women among the contenders for best director, it fell to an Asian filmmaker and his cast to bring diversity to the American film industry’s highest honors. ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “American Factory,” a Netflix film from Barack and Michelle Obama’s nascent production house chronicling what happened to a group of Ohio autoworkers laid off during the 2008 recession, won the Oscar for best documentary feature on Sund... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Academy Awards, the highest honors in the movie industry, were handed out on Sunday at a ceremony in Hollywood. Following is a list of winners in key categories: Best Picture “Parasite” (Neon) Best Actor Joaquin Phoenix – “Joker” Be... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Three-year-old independent film distributor Neon upstaged the traditional Hollywood studios and streaming giant Netflix Inc on Sunday to grab the coveted best picture Oscar for South Korean have-and-have-nots tale “Parasite.” The movie ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – South Korean Bong Joon Ho won the best director Oscar for dark social satire “Parasite” on Sunday, becoming the first person from the Asian nation to win the award. The film was one of the biggest winners at the Academy Awards, having a... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Joaquin Phoenix won his first Oscar on Sunday for his terrifying performance as an isolated loner who becomes one of the world’s best known comic book villains in “Joker,” and invoked his late brother River Phoenix in one of the most em... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Renee Zellweger was crowned best actress at the Oscars on Sunday for her portrait of Hollywood legend Judy Garland in “Judy,” a biographical drama exploring the singer’s personal and professional turmoil at the end of her life. It marke... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – South Korea’s “Parasite,” a pitch-black comedy about haves and have-nots in modern Seoul, won the Oscar for best international film on Sunday after also taking home the award for best original screenplay. The thriller, showing how strug... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – A lost portrait of Charles Dickens and 25 of his unpublished letters will go on display for the first time after a major acquisition from a private collector. The Charles Dickens museum in London has bought a huge collection of objects belon... More »
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Guinness World Records has named a South African restaurant as the official titleholder for ‘Most Varieties of Milkshakes Commercially Available’. With a total 207 varieties on their menu, Gibson’s Gourmet Burgers and Ribs has a milkshake... More »
BRIDGETOWN (Reuters) – Internationally acclaimed Barbadian poet, essayist and historian Edward Kamau Brathwaite, whose prolific writings sought to assert the identity of Caribbean peoples and their African roots, died at his home in Barbados on Tuesday. He was... More »
(Reuters) – Jennifer Lopez and Shakira brought Latina star power to Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show, delivering a medley of pop hits and hip-shaking choreography on one of the world’s glitziest stages. Latin artists Bad Bunny and J Balvin, in addition to Lop... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Box office newcomers “Rhythm Section” and “Gretel and Hansel” fumbled as “Bad Boys for Life” remained champions during a painfully slow Super Bowl weekend. Football’s biggest matchup is usually a slow time at movie theaters since S... More »
(Reuters) – British actress Imelda Staunton will play an older Queen Elizabeth in the final season of award-winning television series “The Crown,” the show’s creator said on Friday. The Netflix series about the British royal family will end after five seasons ... More »
(Reuters) – Actor and comedian Adam Sandler has reached a deal with Netflix Inc to make four new movies for the global streaming service, the company said on Friday. Sandler, a former “Saturday Night Live” cast member who built a career on movies such as “Grow... More »
MIAMI (Reuters) – Kobe Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash has reminded everyone how fragile life is, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira said on Thursday, and the pop superstars plan to use their Super Bowl halftime show to convey that message. “Life is so fragile an... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Australian actress Margot Robbie hinted that her new female-led action film “Birds of Prey” could be the first in a series of movies as she reprised the role of comic antihero Harley Quinn in what she has called a passion project. Robbie, 29... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – An actress-turned-costume designer told jurors in the Weinstein rape trial on Wednesday the former Hollywood producer promised her a movie deal if she had three-way sex with him and his assistant. The designer, Dawn Dunning, and another ac... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Newly minted Grammy winner Billie Eilish will perform live at the Oscars ceremony next month, organizers said on Wednesday, raising speculation she may debut her recording of the new James Bond movie theme song. Eilish, 18, swept the Gr... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Teen sensation Billie Eilish swept the Grammy Awards on Sunday, winning all four top prizes – album, song, record of the year and best new artist – in a rare feat at the music industry’s highest honors. Eilish, an 18-year-old newcomer w... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was slain in March of last year, won two posthumous Grammy Awards on Sunday and was remembered at the Awards with a tribute medley that had audience members on their feet, dancing and in tears. Hussle, whose re... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Grammy Awards, the highest honors in the music industry, were handed out on Sunday at a ceremony in Los Angeles hosted by Alicia Keys. Following is a list of winners in key categories: ALBUM OF THE YEAR “When We All Fall Asleep, Whe... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Musicians and performers at the Grammy Awards paid tribute to Kobe Bryant on Sunday at his former home arena, the Staples Center in Los Angeles, hours after the NBA great was killed some 40 miles (65 km) away in a helicopter crash. Brya... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Grammy Awards, the highest honors in the music industry, will be handed out on Sunday at a ceremony in Los Angeles hosted by Alicia Keys. Following is a list of nominations in key categories: ALBUM OF THE YEAR “I, I” Bon Iver “Norma... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – STX’s “The Gentlemen” proved no match for Sony’s “Bad Boys for Life,” which again left box office competitors in the dust after collecting $34 million in its sophomore outing. Those ticket sales, pushing the Will Smith and Martin L... More »
MALAGA, Spain (Reuters) – Pedro Almodovar’s Oscar-nominated “Pain and Glory” was the big winner at the 34th Goya Awards, Spain’s top film honors, held in Malaga on Saturday night, going home with seven awards including best actor for Antonio Banderas, best dir... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actor Johnny Depp and musician Alice Cooper joined Aerosmith on Friday at a gala dinner and performance in Los Angeles to celebrate the band’s 50-year career as one of the best-selling American hard rock bands of all times. Cooper and D... More »
BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Chinese theaters and film studios are protesting a deal by Huanxi Media Group to premiere its new movie “Lost in Russia” on Bytedance’s online platforms, with some saying it was “trampling” and “destroying” China’s cinema industry.... More »
(Reuters) – The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards for film and television were handed out on Sunday at a ceremony in Los Angeles. Following is a list of winners in key categories: BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE “Parasite” BEST FILM ACTOR Joaquin Phoenix... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Korean-language film “Parasite” won the top prize, for best ensemble cast in a motion picture, at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. “Parasite,” a comedic thriller that turns on social class divisions, scored its upset victor... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Robert De Niro, considered one of the finest motion picture performers of his generation, was saluted on Sunday with a lifetime achievement award from his acting peers, and used the occasion to take a veiled jab at U.S. President Donald... More »
PASADENA, Calif. (Reuters) – The second season of Apple Inc’s “The Morning Show” will deal with the leadership vacuum created by the sexual misconduct scandal on the fictional news program and may or may not see the return of star Steve Carell, producers said ... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Universal’s “Dolittle” and “1917” found out what “Bad Boys” will do when they come for you at the box office. Sony’s “Bad Boys for Life,” the third entry in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-led series, beat expectations and tower... More »
BANGKOK (Reuters) – In geography and in culture, the rice paddies of northeastern Thailand are thousands of miles away from the birthplace of hip hop in New York City’s Bronx, but for Thai rapper RachYo, the language of hip hop is universal. A recent video fea... More »
PHOENIX (Reuters) – Twenty-one vehicles owned by the late actor Paul Walker, who starred in the popular “Fast and Furious” movie franchise, sold for a combined $2.33 million during spirited bidding at an annual car auction in Arizona, officials said. The colle... More »
PASADENA, Calif. (Reuters) – Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West said on Saturday she had successfully completed her first year of law studies while preparing to release a documentary about her advocacy work for criminal justice reform. “Kim Kardashian West: T... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Sam Mendes’ “1917” marched to box office victory, earning a solid $36.5 million from 3,434 theaters in its first weekend of wide release. Universal and DreamWorks’ World War I drama also defeated Disney’s “Star Wars: Rise of Skywal... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Rapper Dave and Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi lead the nominations for this year’s BRIT Awards with four nods each, in a new, slimmed-down list of prizes at Britain’s top pop music honors. Both will contest the same categories at ... More »
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – One of China’s longest-running and largest independent film festivals has suspended operations “indefinitely”, with the organizers saying it was now “impossible” to organize a festival with a “purely independent spirit”. The China Independ... More »
(Reuters) – The 1968 Ford Mustang GT that Steve McQueen drove in the classic car chase from the movie “Bullitt, one of the most famed cars from American cinema, sold for $3.4 million at auction in Florida on Friday, Mecum Auctions said. It was the highest pric... More »
(Reuters) – Lawyers for Bill Cosby on Thursday asked the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to hear his appeal of his 2018 sexual assault conviction, a month after a lower court rejected their argument that the disgraced comedian did not get a fair trial. Cosby, wh... More »
BRASILIA/SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s Supreme Court on Thursday overturned an injunction against Netflix Inc that had prevented the video streaming service from showing a domestically-made controversial Christmas special that depicts Jesus as gay. The Suprem... More »
(Reuters) – Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber revealed on Wednesday that he had been battling Lyme disease and a serious case of mononucleosis but said he was overcoming his health issues. On Instagram, Bieber noted that some people had recently criticized ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek said on Wednesday he has no plans to retire any time soon, but after 36 years on the television quiz show he knows what his legacy should be. “I hope I have been an influence on the benefits of emphasizing t... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Spoon-bending celebrity psychic Uri Geller, 73, has applied for a job in the British government in response to an advert for “misfits” and “weirdos”, saying no other candidate would possess his powers. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The 2020 Oscars ceremony in February will again have no host, the head of ABC Television Entertainment said on Wednesday. “Let me confirm it now. Together with the Academy (of Motion Pictures), we have decided there will be no tradition... More »
(Reuters) – Here is a timeline recounting the highs and lows over 40 years in the life of Harvey Weinstein. Once one of Hollywood’s most powerful executives, Weinstein faces criminal sexual assault charges at a jury trial beginning this week in New York. Weins... More »
PARUNG, Indonesia (Reuters) – On the outskirts of suburban Jakarta, housewife Dita Agusta lives with more than 250 cats she has taken in off the streets, creating a shelter for the animals she hopes will one day be adopted. “It is hard to see abandoned cats on... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – “Cats” star Jason Derulo has hit back at critics who have slammed the film adaptation of the hit stage musical, calling the movie “an incredible, brave piece of art”. From “cat-tastrophic” to “the worst thing to happen to cats since dogs”, m... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The highly anticipated movie “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” collected $40 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales on its opening night, the fifth-highest debut of all time, Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) said on Friday. Longtime fans of t... More »
(Reuters) – The estate of a stuntman who died after falling 20 feet onto a concrete floor on a set of the AMC horror series “The Walking Dead” has been awarded $8.6 million by a jury in Atlanta, his family’s lawyer said. John Bernecker’s parents had sued AMC N... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Netflix Inc’s (NFLX.O) animated holiday movie “Klaus” has been watched in nearly 30 million households worldwide during its first month, landing among the streaming service’s most-watched original movies, according to data the company p... More »
(Reuters) – Apple Inc (AAPL.O) executives met James Bond franchise-owner MGM Holdings Inc and the collegiate athletic conference Pac-12 earlier this year as part of its efforts to boost the Apple TV service, the Wall Street Journal reported on.wsj.com/2PEGhH7 ... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – Adidas will start selling a new collection designed with singer Beyonce on Jan. 18 in a relaunch of her Ivy Park brand that includes shoes, clothes and accessories, mostly in maroon, orange and cream. Adidas described the collection, which f... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Presenting his World War One battlefield movie “1917” as a single shot had pros and cons for Oscar winning director Sam Mendes. Mistakes meant lengthy retakes but “accidents” also gave an authenticity of life in the trenches. From start to f... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Walt Disney Co’s highly anticipated “Star Wars” movie “The Rise of Skywalker” divided film critics on Wednesday, earning more detractors than any film in the nine-episode saga since 1999 movie “The Phantom Menace.” “Rise of Skywalker,” ... More »
(This Dec. 15 story corrects headline to give full name of new Jumanji movie) By Rebecca Rubin LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – It’s shaping up to be a merry holiday season for “Jumanji: The Next Level.” Sony’s adventure sequel debuted in first place to $60.1 mill... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – Danish-born actress Anna Karina, one of the most acclaimed luminaries of influential French New Wave cinema, has died of cancer at age 79, her agent said on Sunday. Karina, famous for her kohl-rimmed blue eyes, was the frequent muse of direct... More »
(Reuters) – British actor Colin Firth and his Italian wife on Friday announced they had split up after 22 years of marriage. Firth, 59, known for playing stiff-upper-lipped Englishmen in films like “Love Actually,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and a television vers... More »
(Reuters) – Danny Aiello, a veteran stage and film actor remembered for his roles in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,” Woody Allen’s “The Purple Rose of Cairo” and dozens of other movies, died at age 86, his publicist and agent said on Friday. Aiello, who earn... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The next “Star Wars” movie arrives in theaters on Thursday promising an epic conclusion to three trilogies over four decades and answers to at least some of the biggest questions that have puzzled fans of the galaxy far, far away. But o... More »
(Reuters) – Italy’s Fashion Chamber (CNMI) announced on Thursday a collaboration with the British Fashion Council which will bring part of London’s Fashion week to Milan’s men’s fall-winter collections in January. On the day that UK citizens vote in an electio... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Bombshell” tells the story of how sexual harassment accusations brought down the powerful creator of Fox News, but rather than taking a broad brush to paint the cable network chief, the film shows him as both menace and mentor to women... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – British ballerina Francesca Hayward is getting ready to take a leap from stage to the silver screen, with a star turn in the film version of the musical “Cats”. This holiday season, the Royal Ballet principal dancer will be appearing in a pr... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Bombshell,” a drama about sexual harassment allegations at Fox News, led the movie nominees for the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Wednesday and will compete for the top prize of best cast. The film from Lions Gate Entertainment earned ... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A performance artist who ate a banana taped to a wall that was an artwork valued at $120,000 said his actions were not vandalism and he does not regret his snack at Art Basel in Miami Beach, Florida. “I decided in the morning. But I was no... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A lovelorn singing whale, a world-famous feline sourpuss and ravenous goats credited with thwarting a dangerous California wildfire were among animals whose escapades across the United States made news in 2019. Animal antics drawing attent... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Singer Linda Ronstadt, actress Sally Field, and music group Earth, Wind & Fire received the United States’ top awards for the arts on Sunday with a rocking, rousing performance at the annual Kennedy Center Honors show in Washington. Chil... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who brought boyish vulnerability to Big Bird, the towering yellow-plumed character, during 50 years on the groundbreaking children’s television show “Sesame Street” and even made garbage-loving Oscar the Grouc... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – “Frozen 2” dominated box office charts for the third weekend in a row as Disney’s animated sequel scored another $34.7 million in North America. Those ticket sales, a 60% decline from its massive Thanksgiving haul, boost its domest... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The actress who appeared in a widely criticized Christmas advertisement for exercise bike maker Peloton Interactive Inc has a new role selling gin for actor Ryan Reynolds. The tongue-in-cheek video advertisement for Aviation American Gin, ... More »
MILAN (Reuters) – “Tosca”, Giacomo Puccini’s opera about a diva prepared to do anything for love, was given a cinematic flavor as it opened La Scala’s season for the first time, winning a 16-minute ovation and a stage strewn with flowers from the audience on S... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has at times failed to wear a required electronic tracking device, New York prosecutors said Friday, asking a judge to increase his bail to $5 million, from $1 million, as he awaits trial on sexual assau... More »
(Reuters) – Martin Scorsese’s new gangster film “The Irishman” was watched by an estimated 17.1 million Americans in its first five days of release on Netflix, according to Nielsen data released on Friday. The Nielsen estimates were the first indications of au... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – From a superfan’s shrine to a replica of the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest stage where they triumphed with “Waterloo”, a new exhibition opening in London on Friday looks back at the huge success of Swedish pop sensation ABBA. Personal items s... More »
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgarian Stoyanka Mutafova, one of the world’s oldest actresses performing regularly on stage, has died aged 97. Dubbed the queen of Bulgarian comedy, Mutafova began performing in 1945, when she played a maidservant in Moliere’s “Scapin the ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Camila Cabello is making up for lost time. The 22 year-old singer has been on a roll since joining girl band Fifth Harmony six years ago, going solo, and scoring hit records like “Havana” and duet “Senorita” with boyfriend Shawn Mendes.... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Braving perils from blood-sucking leeches to tigers and using transport as basic as elephants, scientists have journeyed like “Indiana Jones” to remote locations to collect wild cousins of crop seeds in a project to help tackle climate chang... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – From the world’s youngest self-made billionaire to celebrities in court, the world of entertainment produced a wide array of headlines this year. Below are some of the biggest showbiz stories of 2019. * The year began with rap making history... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Disney’s “Frozen 2” stuffed the box office competition during Thanksgiving, generating $85.2 million over the weekend and a record-setting $123.7 million over the five-day holiday frame. The animated adventure soared past the previ... More »
OSLO (Reuters) – The sequel to Walt Disney Co’s 2013 hit animated musical “Frozen” is generating excitement among indigenous Sámi people in northern Europe, whose culture the movie has taken inspiration from. “Frozen 2” debuted in U.S. cinemas on Nov. 22 and i... More »
SEOUL (Reuters) – The apparent suicide of a second K-pop artist in a month has cast renewed focus in South Korea on vicious personal attacks and cyber bullying of vulnerable young stars, and how it mostly goes unpunished. The police consider cyber violence a s... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – The Pussycat Dolls are reforming for a reunion tour kicking off in Dublin next year, the American girl band said on Thursday. A decade after they split, the group – originally formed as a burlesque dance troupe and known for songs like “Don’... More »
(Reuters) – British actor John Boyega said on Wednesday that he left his copy of the closely-guarded script for the new “Star Wars” movie under his bed, and that it ended up for sale on eBay. Boyega, who plays Stormtrooper turned resistance fighter Finn in “St... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Clothes should be cherished, re-worn and even passed on to the next generation, Anna Wintour, the influential editor of Vogue magazine said, calling for more sustainability in the fashion world and less of a throwaway culture. In an intervie... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A New York judge has denied Harvey Weinstein’s request to dismiss two predatory sexual assault charges, ahead of the former Hollywood producer’s trial in January. The decision released on Wednesday by Justice James Burke of the State Supre... More »
(Reuters) – Taylor Swift took the high road as she won six American Music Awards on Sunday to surpass Michael Jackson’s all-time record, avoiding any direct mention of a bitter dispute with her old record company. Swift won the top award, artist of the year, a... More »
