Entertainment News Roundup: #BlackOutTuesday sweeps social media; Zimbabwean film industry makes Netflix debut and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

#BlackOutTuesday sweeps social media as U.S. street protests escalate

The hashtag #BlackOutTuesday became the top trending item on Twitter as hundreds of thousands of businesses and individuals, including TV channels and celebrities, posted black screenshots to signal support for racial justice as street protests over the police killing of George Floyd entered a second week. Many companies paused normal work and directed their efforts to support the work of Black Lives Matter and other social justice groups.

'Carmen' and coronavirus don't match: NYC's Met Opera closed till December 31

New York's Metropolitan Opera will keep its curtains closed until a New Year's Eve opening gala, it said on Monday, as it announced a season shortened by the coronavirus epidemic. "Social distancing and grand opera simply don't go together," general manager Peter Gelb said in a video message.

Zimbabwean film industry makes Netflix debut with 'Cook-Off'

Zimbabwean film Cook-Off, a romance about a struggling single mother who finds love during a cooking competition, premiered on Netflix on Monday, a debut that its makers hope will propel the country's small film sector to global audiences. Zimbabwe often grabs headlines for its economic woes and political crises, but producer Joe Njagu said the film sought to project a different image.

Death of reality TV show star in Japan spotlights cyberbullying

The recent death of Hana Kimura, a bubbly, pink-haired 22-year-old wrestler and reality TV show star, has spotlighted a rise in cyberbullying in Japan and prompted swift official pledges to do more to protect victims. Kimura, a cast member on the popular program "Terrace House", was found dead at her home on May 23 from an apparent suicide after being deluged with negative comments on her social media feeds.

Virtual no more - real Michelangelo awes again in Vatican Museums

If you've ever dreamed of being in the Sistine Chapel without feeling like you are craning your neck in a packed open-top tourist bus, now is your chance. The Vatican Museums re-opened to the public on Monday after being closed for nearly three months because of the coronavirus lockdown.

Frequent testing, less contact recommended getting Hollywood cameras rolling again

Hollywood studios and labor unions on Monday proposed extensive coronavirus testing and other safeguards to allow actors and crew members to resume movie and TV show production in the United States. An entertainment industry task force sent dozens of recommendations to the governors of California and New York, two of the largest U.S. production hubs, and was awaiting a green light to return to sets. Filming around the world was halted in mid-March to help curb the coronavirus pandemic.

Post-lockdown cinema trip in Portugal is a blast from the past

For Manuela Figueiredo, going out with her family to see her first movie after weeks of lockdown was a trip down memory lane. For her 24-year-old son Joao, it was a completely new experience. They sat two meters (six feet) apart, in separate cars at a pop-up cinema which launched on Monday in a beach area near Lisbon - the latest sign of a revival of drive-in movies as countries emerge from coronavirus lockdowns.

MTV goes dark, record labels hit pause as U.S. protests rage

Youth television channel MTV and other stablemate channels said they will go dark around the world on Monday to mark the death in police custody of George Floyd, joining other U.S. entertainment outlets in condemning racial inequality. MTV will be joined by its other ViacomCBS youth and music channels, including Comedy Central, CMT, and VH1, at 5 p.m. ET (2100 GMT) in an eight-minute, 46-second blackout - the length of time they said that a white Minneapolis police officer last week knelt on the neck of Floyd, a black man.