Entertainment News Roundup: Oscars nominee 'Sound of Metal' puts rare spotlight on deaf culture; Beyond Oscars glitz, movie theaters face uncertain future and more

To recreate the experience of performing together live when artists and audiences are apart, a collective effort has been under way to reduce the lag between a sound being produced and being heard, known as latency. 'A little bit of sparkle': fashionistas eye Oscars red carpet frocks Looking through a rack of colourful evening gowns, celebrity stylist Cristina Ehrlich pulls out a shiny black and chrome frock she describes as a classic red carpet look.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Hollywood ponders post-pandemic future of cinemas

As Hollywood prepares to celebrate the Oscars on Sunday, movie theaters are trying to lure back audiences that have been streaming films at home for over a year. Some cinemas have closed permanently while others are trying to recover and hope that a string of delayed blockbusters will produce a moviegoing rebound. Reuters asked actors, directors, writers and producers what they see for the future of cinemas. Their replies have been edited for length and clarity.

Music and tech team up to cut the milliseconds

Musicians desperate to work together in harmony while kept apart by COVID-19 lockdowns have been collaborating with tech companies to shave milliseconds from delays on their online connections, driving innovations that will transcend music. To recreate the experience of performing together live when artists and audiences are apart, a collective effort has been under way to reduce the lag between a sound being produced and being heard, known as latency.

'A little bit of sparkle': fashionistas eye Oscars red carpet frocks

Looking through a rack of colourful evening gowns, celebrity stylist Cristina Ehrlich pulls out a shiny black and chrome frock she describes as a classic red carpet look. "The actual design of the dress is very classic and simple," Ehrlich says. "This is the perfect kind of dress for an evening like the Academy Awards because you can do so much to what we call style it out."

Excitement builds in Icelandic fishing town vying for Oscars glory

The tiny Icelandic town of Husavik, which was propelled to global fame by a hit Netflix comedy, has rolled out a red carpet on its main street in anticipation of even greater glory on Oscars night. The power ballad "Husavik (My Hometown)", which featured as the climactic moment in the movie about a couple bumbling their way through the Eurovision Song Contest, is nominated for Best Original Song, and residents are fired up.

Oscars nominee 'Sound of Metal' puts rare spotlight on deaf culture

Paul Raci, nominated for an Oscar for playing a drug abuse counselor who has lost his hearing in "Sound of Metal," said the most common response he receives from deaf people about the film is "how cool you show a bunch of deaf addicts." "That sounds a little strange," Raci said in an interview, "but they're just happy that you're showing them in a light that makes them normal, like you and I. They have the same struggles."

'Who's going to play me?' Boy George launches casting search for biopic

British singer Boy George launched a casting search on Tuesday, looking for an actor to portray him in a music biopic set to start filming this summer. The Culture Club frontman, whose real name is George O’Dowd, took to social media to make the announcement. In a video he said "Line of Duty" actor Daniel Mays would play his father, and added teasingly "there's rumours of Keanu Reeves popping in".

Beyond Oscars glitz, movie theaters face uncertain future

Maryo Mogannam snuck into the Empire theater in San Francisco with his older cousins to watch "Animal House" when he was 14. He watched most of the James Bond movies at the historic art house and took his wife there on some of their first dates.

The cinema, which had been showing movies since the silent film era, served notice in February that it was permanently closing because of the impact of COVID-19. The marquee is now blank, and cardboard and paper cover the box office window.

Disney to bring 'Spider-Man' and other Sony movies to streaming, TV

Walt Disney Co said on Wednesday it had reached a deal with Sony Pictures to bring future "Spider-Man" movies and other films to Disney's streaming services and TV networks after they play on Netflix. The agreement runs from 2022 to 2026, Disney said in a statement.

Burberry's Tisci eyes "modern armour" for winter womenswear

Capes, flags and helmet-like hats dominated the Burberry catwalk on Wednesday in what designer Riccardo Tisci described as a "modern armour" collection for women this winter. In a runway presentation filmed at the British brand's flagship London Regent Street store, models strutted in an array of outerwear adorned in faux fur as well as block coloured dresses with fluttering fringes and cape-like sleeves.

Space drama 'Stowaway' puts Kendrick, Kim and Collette in tight spot

Actors Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim and Toni Collette star as a space crew whose two-year mission to Mars is thrown into turmoil when they discover an unplanned passenger on board their spacecraft in the new Netflix movie "Stowaway". The unexpected presence of an additional person on a damaged space ship, already pushed to its capacity with a three-member crew, forces the trio to make tough choices in order to survive.

(With inputs from agencies.)