Entertainment News Roundup: How Disney should handle 'Black Panther 2' after Chadwick Boseman's death; Robert Pattinson's positive test on 'Batman' set underscores challenges for Hollywood and more

Nintendo to re-release Mario games in 35th anniversary year Nintendo Co Ltd said on Thursday it would re-release classic titles featuring popular character Mario for a limited time on its hit Nintendo Switch console to mark 35 years since the launch of landmark game "Super Mario Bros".

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Australian film-maker braves double COVID quarantine for Venice festival

Australian director Roderick MacKay braved COVID-19 restrictions to make a "daunting" trip to the Venice film festival, where his debut feature "The Furnace" premieres on Friday. MacKay had to get permission from Australian authorities to leave his own country, quarantine in Rome for two weeks before travelling to Venice, and will have to quarantine again when he goes back to Australia.

Watchdog orders Netflix to block 'Cuties' film in Turkey

Turkey's broadcasting watchdog said on Thursday it will order Netflix to block access locally to the soon-to-be-released French film "Cuties" on grounds that it contains images of child exploitation. The ruling came ahead of the film's Sept. 9 international release on the U.S. online streaming service, and followed recent media reports of Turkish government interference in a separate planned Netflix series featuring a gay character.

Nintendo to re-release Mario games in 35th anniversary year

Nintendo Co Ltd said on Thursday it would re-release classic titles featuring popular character Mario for a limited time on its hit Nintendo Switch console to mark 35 years since the launch of landmark game "Super Mario Bros". The release will help bolster the Switch device's bare gaming pipeline ahead of the key year-end shopping season and could provide some succour to investors who have long lamented the Japanese company's reluctance to take greater advantage of its back catalogue of hit titles.

Robert Pattinson's positive test on 'Batman' set underscores challenges for Hollywood

British actor Robert Pattinson has tested positive for COVID-19, news media reported on Thursday, halting production of "The Batman" and highlighting the industry's struggles to get back to business after months of a pandemic-induced shutdown. Movie studio Warner Bros. said in a statement that "a member of 'The Batman' production" in Britain had tested positive for the coronavirus, but did not give a name. "Filming is temporarily paused," the studio's statement added, but did not say for how long.

How Disney should handle 'Black Panther 2' after Chadwick Boseman's death

Soon after learning that “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman had died at age 43, fans urged Marvel Studios not to recast the role, setting up a dilemma for the studio planning a sequel to Hollywood's first major superhero film with a predominantly Black cast. Writers, academics and activists - speaking to Reuters about the film’s cultural impact and Boseman’s performance - believe Marvel and its parent company, Walt Disney Co, should honor Boseman’s legacy with a storyline that anoints a new Black Panther from the film’s existing cast or elsewhere in the Marvel Universe.

'Tenet' tests American appetite for coronavirus movie-going

Christopher Nolan's thriller "Tenet" finally arrives in U.S. movie theaters this weekend, hoping to revive movie going after a pandemic-induced closure of indoor theaters and a dearth of new content. Hollywood breathed a sigh of relief last weekend when "Tenet" brought in a solid $53.6 million in Europe and other markets, suggesting that audiences are hungry for new content and prepared to put up with social distancing and masks to see them on big indoor screens.

(With inputs from agencies.)