Entertainment News Roundup: South Korea's pop culture machine boosts Netflix's international growth; Borat bounces back just ahead of U.S. elections and more

Netflix said 46% of its net new global paid customers in the third quarter came from the Asia Pacific region, where revenue rose 66% from last year, primarily Japan and South Korea, the company reported in a letter to investors on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Borat bounces back just ahead of U.S. elections

In 2006, he shocked the world with his scathing cultural satire of the United States in "Borat." Now British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen is back with a mockumentary sequel that is garnering mixed reviews two weeks ahead of the U.S. elections. "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," available on Amazon Prime from Friday, sees Baron Cohen back in character as racist, sexist Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev who once again travels to America.

Paul McCartney to release solo album in December

Paul McCartney will release "McCartney III" in December, a new collection of stripped-back songs all written, performed and produced by the ex-Beatle, 50 years after his first solo album. Recorded this year in Sussex in southern England, McCartney III is mostly built from McCartney's live takes on vocals and guitar or piano, overlaying his bass playing and drumming.

'Rebecca' proves to be the novel that keeps on giving

Daphne du Maurier's beloved novel “Rebecca” has seen multiple screen adaptations but the director of the latest film version believes his may be the closest to the 1938 book. The thriller about a young, naive woman who marries an older aristocrat but finds herself in the shadow of his late wife, Rebecca, was an Oscar best picture winner for director Alfred Hitchcock in 1940, starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. But the ending of the book was changed.

Italian govt enlists top influencers to promote COVID masks

Top Italian influencer Chiara Ferragni and her rapper husband Fedez have urged their fans to wear face masks, heeding a call from Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to raise awareness about battling COVID-19. Ferragni, 33, and Fedez, 31, are especially popular amongst teenagers and interrupted their usual flow of Instagram glamour to stress the importance of masks in curbing infections.

South Korea's pop culture machine boosts Netflix's international growth: source

A zombie drama, a TV series about a supernatural nurse and one about an antisocial children's book author helped turn South Korea into one of Netflix's biggest sources of growth in the international markets, a source familiar with the matter said. Netflix said 46% of its net new global paid customers in the third quarter came from the Asia Pacific region, where revenue rose 66% from last year, primarily Japan and South Korea, the company reported in a letter to investors on Tuesday. (Graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/3jhdq7e)

Academy-award winner Jeff Bridges diagnosed with lymphoma

Academy-award winner Jeff Bridges, known for his role in the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski", has been diagnosed with lymphoma, the actor announced on Monday evening. Bridges used the signature voice of his character The Dude from the cult-classic film to disclose his condition, tweeting: "As the Dude would say.. New S**T has come to light."

Punk lives again as The Damned reform for 2021 tour

British punk band The Damned has reformed in its original line-up after more than three decades and the members, all now in their mid-60s, will hit the road for a one-off tour next July. The group on Wednesday announced a four-date UK tour including shows in London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester, which will mark 45 years since the band's formation.

Netflix turns to telecoms tie-ups in challenging African markets

Netflix Inc is showing more African-made content and working with telecoms operators to make it easier for potential subscribers to make payments, a senior executive told Reuters ahead of its third-quarter results on Tuesday. The online content streaming giant, which has 193 million subscribers globally, is keen to expand in Africa and is seeking ways to overcome challenges including slow and expensive internet and the lack of proper payments infrastructure in the 55-nation continent.

Pitt's 'Fight Club' jacket, 'Pretty Woman' boots up for sale in memorabilia auction

Film fans will have the chance to get their hands on the thigh-high patent leather boots worn by Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" or Tom Cruise's "Top Gun" bomber jacket when nearly 1,000 items of movie memorabilia go on sale in an auction in December. The artefacts in the annual Prop Store Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction have been hunted down by Prop Store boss Stephen Lane through his network of filmmakers, cast and crew members, production companies and collectors.

(With inputs from agencies.)