Entertainment News Roundup: Korean-language movie 'Minari' is talk of Hollywood; New K-Pop band, American style and more

Big Hit Entertainment said it was teaming with Universal Music Group to find, develop and train the new K-Pop boy band. Rebranded for the digital age as Virgin Music Label & Artist Services, the label is now part of the giant Universal Music Group (UMG), which hopes its global reach and economic clout can help the indie scene thrive.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

A year after 'Parasite,' Korean-language movie 'Minari' is talk of Hollywood

A year after South Korean satire "Parasite" took Hollywood by storm, another Korean-language movie, "Minari," is making waves during awards season. Yet the two films could not be more different.

Badgley Mischka eyes 'the return to wonderful' in glitzy fall line

Dinners with friends and nights out inspired Badgley Mischka's fall 2021 line presented at New York Fashion Week on Tuesday, with the American label presenting an array of shiny dresses for when fashionistas will be able to socialise freely again. Designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka shared a video of their "return to wonderful" collection, filmed at one of their favourite New York restaurants, as part of the event, which is mostly virtual this season because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Wanted: New K-Pop band, American style

The company behind South Korean boy band BTS on Wednesday announced a project to find the next K-Pop sensation, through a global audition program that is expected air in the United States in 2022. Big Hit Entertainment said it was teaming with Universal Music Group to find, develop and train the new K-Pop boy band.

Pandemic blues fuel record sales for Czech vinyl maker

Housebound music lovers starved of live shows during the pandemic got their groove on with vinyl records instead, fuelling a buying boom that drove the world's biggest LP maker to its best-ever annual sales and profit. GZ media, which presses records ranging from global superstar Lady Gaga to independent punk band Cock Sparrer saw sales jump 11% to 4 billion crowns ($187 million) and shipped 38 million LPs in 2020, said Chief Executive Michal Sterba.

Virgin record label revived as Universal looks to boost indie scene

Virgin, the storied record label once home to acts including the Sex Pistols and Spice Girls, was relaunched on Thursday with a mission to nurture a new generation of indie talent. Rebranded for the digital age as Virgin Music Label & Artist Services, the label is now part of the giant Universal Music Group (UMG), which hopes its global reach and economic clout can help the indie scene thrive.

New wave singer Numan revisits climate change on new album

British new wave singer Gary Numan, recalling the release of his last album in 2017, says he cried "like a baby" when it brought him success he last tasted nearly four decades earlier. That album, "Savage: Songs From A Broken World", tackled the issue of global warming, and he's explored the same theme - one he says he feels passionate about - on its successor, "Intruder", from which he has released a single.

Google adds Apple's TV app to latest Chromecast device

Alphabet Inc's Google has added Apple Inc's TV app, which includes paid streaming service Apple TV+, to the latest Chromecast TV device, the search giant said on Thursday. The move comes at a time when Apple has grown warmer to granting access to its services to hardware devices outside its ecosystem, with Chromecast users getting access to its renowned originals like "The Morning Show" and "Greyhound".

Demi Lovato says 2018 overdose led to three strokes and heart attack

Pop star Demi Lovato said she had three strokes and a heart attack when she was hospitalized for a drug overdose in 2018, and was also left with some brain damage. Lovato, 28, was promoting a new documentary on Wednesday that she said would give full details of the widely-publicized overdose that almost killed her.