Entertainment News Roundup: Europe, North America should learn from Asia; AMC to reopen more theaters in the United States and more

The company said it will reopen about a dozen locations in New York state starting Oct. 23, following guidance from Governor Andrew Cuomo over the weekend, and plans to have more than 530 theaters open in the country by the end of the month.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Europe, North America should learn from Asia on COVID-19: WHO expert

Europe and North America should follow the example of Asian states by persevering with anti-COVID measures and quarantining anyone who comes into contact with infected people, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Monday. The WHO's Europe region, which includes Russia, has recorded up to 8,500 deaths in the past week - and half the countries have seen a 50 percent rise in cases, Mike Ryan, the body's top emergency expert, told a news conference.

AMC to reopen more theaters in the United States

AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc, the world's largest theater chain, said on Monday it plans to open more cinemas in the United States this week, offering some hope to an industry hammered by pandemic restrictions and sending its shares up 24%. The company said it will reopen about a dozen locations in New York state starting Oct. 23, following guidance from Governor Andrew Cuomo over the weekend, and plans to have more than 530 theaters open in the country by the end of the month.

Former ABC executive to become chairwoman of Warner Bros. TV

Former ABC network executive Channing Dungey will take over as chairwoman of Warner Bros. Television Group, the AT&T Inc unit said on Monday, replacing veteran television executive Peter Roth, who will step down next year. Dungey, who is currently vice president of Original Series at Netflix Inc, has previously worked at Walt Disney Co's ABC network for over 14 years, according to her LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/channingdungey.

Movie theaters outside New York City to reopen at 25% capacity, Cuomo says

Movie theaters outside of New York City will be allowed to reopen on Oct. 23 after a month-long hiatus spurred by the coronavirus, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday. Theaters will be required to cap capacity at 25% with a maximum of 50 people per screen, and only in counties that have a positivity rate below 2% on the 14-day-average and no cluster areas, Cuomo said.

Liam Neeson Thriller 'Honest Thief' Leads Cratering U.S. Box Office

Liam Neeson's thriller "Honest Thief" limped to first place at the domestic box office, debuting at $3.7 million. Those ticket sales, among the lowest ever to land at No. 1, came in slightly ahead of Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" and Robert De Niro's family comedy "War With Grandpa." "Tenet," now in its seventh week of release, grossed 1.6 million, bringing its U.S. haul to $50.6 million. The sci-fi epic, from Warner Bros., continues to fare better overseas. "Tenet" generated $5 million at the international box office for a global haul of $333.9 million.

(With inputs from agencies.)