Entertainment News Roundup: 'No Zoom' Oscars causes backlash; George Segal dies at age 87 and more
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
'No Zoom' Oscars causes backlash, Hollywood media reports
The "No Zoom" policy for this year's Oscars ceremony is proving a headache for multiple nominees who live outside the United States and who are still under pandemic restrictions, according to Hollywood publications. Variety and Deadline Hollywood reported on Wednesday that publicists and some studio executives have complained to the film academy about logistics, costs, and quarantine issues raised by the decision to bar nominees from taking part in the ceremony remotely.
Disney delays 'Black Widow' debut, adds streaming option in summer movie shuffle
Walt Disney Co on Tuesday delayed the worldwide release of Marvel Studios film "Black Widow" by two months until July and said it would offer the movie simultaneously in theaters and for a fee on the Disney+ streaming service. Theater operators had been hoping that "Black Widow," starring Scarlett Johansson as the Russian-born spy-turned-superhero, would kick off a summer blockbuster season in early May and draw crowds back to theaters after extended closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Indian lingerie model, 52, hopes to inspire inclusivity, change
A 52-year-old Indian lingerie model is pushing e-commerce firms to hire older women for their advertising campaigns, challenging what she says are the ageist norms practiced by many companies. Geeta J, a former teacher who took to modeling when she turned 50, says she wants innerwear companies in India to be more inclusive and avoid featuring only younger women in their promotion drives.
Harry Connick Jr. releases pandemic-produced album, 'Faith'
Jazz musician Harry Connick Jr. is showcasing a spiritual side with his new album, "Alone With my Faith." Connick Jr. created the album in his home studio during the pandemic, playing all the instruments, recording all background vocals, and doing the engineering. The singer said the process acted as therapy during uncertain times.
Cineworld seeks to beat pandemic blues with Warner Bros deal
U.S. cinema chain Regal will reopen next month in time for big-budget release "Godzilla vs. Kong", owner Cineworld said on Tuesday, as it set out a deal to show Warner Bros films before they are made available for home streaming from 2022. The world's second-largest cinema group, whose reopening plans follow larger U.S. rival AMC's, said the multi-year deal with Warner Bros would let it show the studio's movies in U.S. cinemas with 45 days exclusivity, beginning next year.
Music soothes pandemic blues as 2020 record sales hit high note
Turn on, tune in and stay at home. That's what millions of music fans did in 2020, with a rise in subscription streaming leading to global recorded music revenue growth of 7.4%. The market reported total revenues of $21.6 billion, marking its sixth consecutive year of growth, industry trade body the IFPI said in its Global Music Report on Tuesday.
Tina Turner bows out of public life with emotional documentary
Tina Turner opens up about her troubled past and living with PTSD in the new documentary "TINA", a film the soul and rock star says is the final act of her public life before bowing out. Woven around a candid interview with the 81-year-old, testimonies from people who know her, and archive material, the film tracks the singer's rise from a self-described "girl from the cotton fields" to a global music icon.
'Touch of Class' actor George Segal dies at age 87
George Segal, the Oscar-nominated actor who sparred with Richard Burton in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," romanced Glenda Jackson in "A Touch of Class" and won laughs in the TV sitcom "The Goldbergs," has died at the age of 87. "The family is devastated to announce that this morning George Segal passed away due to complications from bypass surgery," his wife Sonia Segal said in a statement on Tuesday.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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