Entertainment News Roundup: Director Spike Lee changes direction with musical about Viagra; Country singer LeAnn Rimes turns to chants to relieve pandemic blues and more

Jordan named People magazine's 'sexiest man alive' "Black Panther" actor Michael B. Jordan was named People's magazine's 'sexiest man alive' on Tuesday, the third Black actor in a row to be given the annual pop culture honor.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Director Spike Lee changes direction with musical about Viagra

Director Spike Lee, best known for making movies about the experience of being Black in America, is switching course with his first ever musical - on the subject of Viagra. Lee will direct the as-yet-untitled film from a screenplay he has co-written about the discovery and launch of the erectile dysfunction drug. It is based on a 2018 article in Esquire magazine called "All Rise," producers said on Tuesday.

Celebrity snapper Rankin focuses on death in online show

Rankin, the British photographer best known for his shots of celebrities and supermodels, has turned his lens to the subject of death in a online exhibition that opened on Monday. "Lost for Words" consists of portraits of people with images of their deceased loved ones projected onto them. Alongside the pictures, they talk about their experiences of grief and loss in videoed interviews.

Country singer LeAnn Rimes turns to chants to relieve pandemic blues

After a nearly 25-year country music career, singer LeAnn Rimes is finding new ways to share her voice - through a podcast and her first chant record. The Grammy Award winner, 38, meditates regularly and says she wanted to make chanting more accessible to her fans to relieve the pandemic blues. The stress caused Rimes' psoriasis to flare up, which she revealed through a picture of her skin outbreak in October to encourage people to shed their hang-ups.

Universal, Cinemark agree on earlier home release for movies

Movie theater operator Cinemark Holdings Inc struck a deal that will allow Universal Pictures to offer its movies in U.S. homes as soon as 17 days after they debut in theaters, the companies said on Monday. The multi-year agreement is similar to one that Comcast-owned Universal made in July with AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc, the world's largest theater chain, embracing a major shift from traditional movie release patterns.

Taylor Swift says her master tapes sold off for second time

Taylor Swift said on Monday that her master recordings had been sold off to a private equity company, denying her the chance to buy back the tapes herself and resume control over the rights to her first six albums. "This was the second time my music had been sold without my knowledge," the 30-year-old singer wrote in a Twitter posting.

Thomas Markle not important witness in Meghan's UK court case, judge says

Thomas Markle does not appear to be an important witness in the London court battle pitting his daughter Meghan, the British royal, against a tabloid newspaper, so he need not give evidence in person, the judge overseeing the case said on Wednesday. Meghan, the wife of Queen Elizabeth's grandson Prince Harry, is suing Associated Newspapers over articles in the Mail on Sunday that included parts of a handwritten letter she had sent to her estranged father in August 2018.

Michael B. Jordan named People magazine's 'sexiest man alive'

"Black Panther" actor Michael B. Jordan was named People's magazine's 'sexiest man alive' on Tuesday, the third Black actor in a row to be given the annual pop culture honor. Jordan, 33, who is single, said the title gave him "a cool feeling."

(With inputs from agencies.)