Entertainment News Roundup: Anthony Rapp sues Kevin Spacey for sexual misconduct in 1980s; Bollywood actor's death grips India with frenzied TV coverage and more

NBCUniversal shakes up top ranks, promotes new TV chief Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal on Wednesday promoted Pearlena Igbokwe to run the media conglomerate's global television business as chairman of Universal Studio Group in a corporate restructuring.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Actor Anthony Rapp sues Kevin Spacey for sexual misconduct in 1980s

Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey was accused in a civil lawsuit on Wednesday of sexual assault and battery in the 1980s by actor Anthony Rapp and a second, unnamed person when both plaintiffs were about 14. The suit, filed in New York state court in Manhattan, refers to the same alleged incident that Rapp first recounted in an October 2017 BuzzFeed interview that triggered Spacey's fall from grace in Hollywood.

'Start Me Up' - Rolling Stones open store in London despite pandemic

The Rolling Stones will open their first dedicated store on Wednesday in London's Carnaby Street, despite the coronavirus pandemic having drastically reduced footfall and the number of tourists visiting the city. RS No. 9 Carnaby will sell clothes, merchandise and music and feature a video wall with a film of the band, a soundwave installation to represent part of the 1960s track "Paint It Black" and a super-sized version of the band's lips and tongue logo.

Disney 'very pleased' with 'Mulan' debut ahead of China opening

Walt Disney Co is "very pleased" with initial results of its unusual release strategy for live-action movie epic "Mulan," Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy said at an investor conference on Wednesday. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, "Mulan" was made available for purchase in the United States on the Disney+ streaming platform over the Labor Day weekend, and in movie theaters in a handful of other countries.

Oscars academy sets out new diversity standards for best picture contenders

The body that hands out the Academy Awards on Tuesday published detailed inclusion and diversity guidelines that filmmakers will have to meet in order for their work to be eligible for a best picture Oscar, starting in 2024. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has been criticized for honoring few movies and creators of color, said the standards represent a new phase of a 5-year effort to promote diversity on and off screen.

Cheek to cheek,'Dancing with the Stars' waltzes back despite pandemic

There will be no studio audience, no group dances, no sky box where the celebrities and their partners congregate. But there will be all the usual tangos and waltzes, and no masks on the dancers when television's "Dancing with the Stars" returns next week with Derek Hough as a new judge.

TV's 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' to end after 14 years

The American television reality show that shot Kim Kardashian and her family to fame is ending in 2021 after 14 years, the E! network said on Tuesday. "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," which helped make Kim Kardashian and her siblings Kylie, Kendall, Khloe and Kourtney household names and launched their careers in the fashion and beauty business, will air its last season early next year, the network and the extended family said.

Hong Kong director describes 'fantastic struggle' to make new film

Director Ann Hui has described her "fantastic struggle" to make her new film "Love After Love" as pro-democracy protests broke out in her home Hong Kong and then the global pandemic all but halted travel. Hui, 73, will be awarded a Golden Lion award for lifetime achievement by the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday. Alberto Barbera, the festival's director, called her "one of Asia's most respected, prolific, and versatile directors."

Disney's 'Mulan' sparks backlash over ties to Xinjiang, Hong Kong

Walt Disney Co's release of "Mulan", which is set in China and meant to appeal to audiences there, has provoked a backlash on social media over its star's support of Hong Kong police and for being partly filmed in the Xinjiang region. Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong and internet users in Taiwan and Thailand are among those who promoted hashtags "#BoycottMulan" and "#BanMulan" on Twitter, following this month's launch of the film on Disney's streaming platform.

NBCUniversal shakes up top ranks, promotes new TV chief

Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal on Wednesday promoted Pearlena Igbokwe to run the media conglomerate's global television business as chairman of Universal Studio Group in a corporate restructuring. Bonnie Hammer, who held the role, will take over as vice chairman of NBCUniversal and advise NBCU Chief Executive Officer Jeff Shell.

Bollywood actor's death grips India with frenzied TV coverage

The demise of a young movie star has transfixed India like no other news in a year of bad headlines. The abrupt death of Sushant Singh Rajput has spurred a debate about the stigma of mental health, the rarefied insider world of Bollywood, and, more recently, condemnation of the media for the non-stop coverage of the duelling accusations between Rajput's family and his girlfriend.

(With inputs from agencies.)