Entertainment News Roundup: WarnerMedia to reunite Friends; Trump blasts best-picture Oscar for South Korean film Parasite and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Irons defends himself against critics of his Berlinale role

Actor Jeremy Irons said on Thursday he fully supported same-sex marriage and the women's rights movement as he sought to dispel criticism over his role as president of the Berlinale film festival prize jury. The choice of the British actor as head of the panel was criticized in German newspapers and the movie press, who highlighted past comments attributed to him on gay marriage, inappropriate touching of women and abortion.

Jurors in Weinstein trial focus on 'Sopranos' actress Sciorra

New York jurors weighing rape and sexual assault charges against former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein ended their third day of deliberations by asking on Thursday to review testimony from actress Annabella Sciorra. Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting former production assistant, Mimi Haleyi in 2006, and raping Jessica Mann, a former aspiring actress, in 2013.

WarnerMedia to reunite 'Friends' in HBO Max special

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 WarnerMedia said https://pressroom.warnermediagroup.com/na/media-release/hbo-max/one-where-they-got-back-together series stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer will return to the hit comedy's original soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Bros studio lot in Burbank, California.

Weinstein jury suggests hung on predatory sexual assault counts

Jurors weighing rape and sexual assault charges against Harvey Weinstein asked the judge presiding over the case whether they could be hung on two counts of predatory sexual assault. Conviction on those counts could put the former movie producer behind bars for life.

Baby Yoda toys from Disney 'The Mandalorian' to hit store shelves next month

Baby Yoda toys from Walt Disney Co's streaming TV hit "The Mandalorian" will reach store shelves next month, the company said on Thursday, after missing the 2019 holiday shopping season. The character, officially called The Child, but which has been dubbed Baby Yoda by fans, is the breakout star of the "Star Wars"-themed show on the Disney+ subscription streaming service.

Pro-North Korea daily praises Oscar-winning 'Parasite' for 'exposing' South Korea's reality

A pro-North Korea daily praised Academy Awards best picture-winning South Korean movie "Parasite" on Friday, calling it a masterpiece that "starkly exposed the reality" of the rich-poor gap in South Korea. “Parasite” became the first foreign-language film to win the best picture in the 92-year history of the Academy Awards on Feb 9. It won a total of four Oscars, including best director and original screenplay for Director Bong Joon-ho and the best international feature film.

'I take it personally': Berlinale stars' vent anger over German race killings

The racist killings of nine people in a German town cast a shadow over the Berlin Film Festival on Thursday, where a minute's silence was held to commemorate the victims, and stars who will feature in the festival spoke out. Filmmakers, some from Germany's minority communities, expressed their shock over the attacks at the Berlinale, seen as the most political of the major film festivals and traditional champion of arthouse movies and progressive causes.

Trump blasts best-picture Oscar for South Korean film 'Parasite'

President Donald Trump on Thursday ridiculed the historic best-picture Oscar win for South Korean film "Parasite," telling a campaign rally he wished for the return of Hollywood classics like 1939's "Gone with the Wind." "Parasite," a dark social satire about the gap between rich and poor in modern Seoul, earlier this month became the first non-English-language film to take Hollywood's top prize. It also won three other Oscars - best director and original screenplay for Bong Joon Ho and the best international feature film.

Finding a purpose: Johnny Depp plays a troubled genius in "Minamata"

A broken, washed-up genius is roused from drink-sodden seclusion for one last flaring of creative brilliance: actor Johnny Depp hinted that at some level he was able to identify with legendary photographer W Eugene Smith, whom he plays in his latest film. Speaking before Friday's premiere of "Minamata", Depp, who has talked frankly of his own struggles with drink and drugs through successive marriages, described his admiration for a man who had to conquer his own demons in order to create his art.

Allegations against Weinstein changed everything, says 'Salinger' star Sigourney Weaver

The cascade of allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein, currently being tried on charges of rape and sexual assault, has "changed everything" for women in the film world, actress Sigourney Weaver said on Friday. The "Aliens" star is one of two lead actresses in "My Salinger Year", the story of an aspiring young writer mentored by Weaver's experienced literary agent, which premiered out of competition at the Berlin Film Festival on Thursday.

(With inputs from agencies.)