Entertainment News Roundup: Oscar nominee Andra Day says, Billie; McDonald's adds K-pop spice to menu and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Oscar nominee Andra Day says Billie Holiday role made her 'braver'

American singer Andra Day says portraying legendary blues performer Billie Holiday has made her braver. The 36-year-old has been nominated for the best actress Oscar for her debut role in "The United States vs. Billie Holiday", which looks at the jazz singer's part in the push for Black civil rights and the outcry caused by her singing the ballad "Strange Fruit".

Oscar-nominated 'Do Not Split' now part of Hong Kong's story of waning freedoms - director

The decision in Hong Kong not to air this year's Oscars has only brought more global attention to its struggle for democracy said the director of the "Do Not Split" documentary about the city's 2019 protests, which has been short-listed for an award. Free-to-air broadcaster TVB, which has broadcast the Oscars every year since 1969, said it would not carry the ceremony this year for commercial reasons.

McDonald's adds K-pop spice to menu with new BTS meal

McDonald's Corp has tapped Korean pop sensation BTS to promote a new meal, in a move that the world's largest fast-food chain hopes will expand the reach of its U.S.-based celebrity promotional campaigns to a global scale. The Grammy-nominated boy band's meal will launch starting next month in nearly 50 countries, including South Korea, McDonald's said in a statement on Monday and will include chicken McNuggets, fries, and two dips.

Human-octopus love story up for best documentary Oscar

Pets can easily bond with humans, but when a wild octopus befriends a diver and becomes his life coach, that true story scores a best documentary nomination for this Sunday's Oscars. Ten years in the making, "My Octopus Teacher" began as a personal video project by South African filmmaker Craig Foster to rekindle his connection with nature by observing an inquisitive female mollusk while free-diving near Cape Town.

'Godzilla vs. Kong' Tops Box Office Again, Crosses $80 Million in the U.S.

"Godzilla vs. Kong" remained atop the domestic box office in its third weekend of release. The Legendary and Warner Bros movie added another $7.7 million, boosting its North American tally to $80.5 million. The film looks to be the first to cross $100 million in the U.S and Canada since the pandemic began. Its ticket sales are especially notable, and not just because movie theaters across the country have been operating at reduced capacity. "Godzilla vs. Kong" has been available on HBO Max to subscribers, meaning people who pay for the streaming service can watch it at home for no extra charge. Warner Bros.'s entire 2021 slate will follow a similar release pattern.

Stars come out for Country Music awards show in genre's hometown, Nashville

Broadcasting before live audiences from country music's hometown, Nashville, Tennessee, the 56th Academy of Country Music awards show brought a star-studded Sunday night. For the second year, the ACM awards took place in multiple smaller sites around Nashville, including the emblematic Grand Ole Opry House, rather than at the usual Las Vegas venue.

High heels! Real pants! 'Teeny' Oscars red carpet signals return to glamour

What's an Oscars ceremony without a red carpet? After a year that saw the coronavirus pandemic shut down in-person events and replace them with actors on Zoom, sometimes at home in hoodies and pajamas, celebrity watchers are looking forward to seeing stars stepping out in show-stopping gowns on the movie industry's biggest night on Sunday.

(With inputs from agencies.)