Entertainment News Roundup:
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
Tony Awards set for September after coronavirus delays
The Tony Awards for Broadway theater that were delayed for more than a year by the coronavirus pandemic will take place on Sept. 26, organizers The Broadway League said in a statement on Wednesday. The awards, the highest honors for plays and musicals, will be handed out during a four-hour special on CBS television and streaming platforms and will mark the return of live shows in New York City that have been shuttered since March 2020.
Arrest warrant issued for singer Marilyn Manson on assault charges in New Hampshire
Police in the U.S. state of New Hampshire said late on Tuesday that they had issued an arrest warrant for rock singer Marilyn Manson in connection with assault charges. The alleged assaults involved a videographer, the police said, adding that Manson, his agent, and legal counsel had been aware of the warrant "for some time" and "no effort has been made by him to return to New Hampshire to answer the pending charges".
Amazon brings James Bond, Rocky to fight Netflix with $8.5 billion MGM buy
Amazon.com Inc will buy MGM, the fabled U.S. movie studio home to the James Bond franchise, for $8.45 billion, giving it a huge library of films and TV shows and ramping up competition with streaming rivals led by Netflix and Disney+. The deal aims to bolster Amazon's television-focused studio with new and historic filmmaking from MGM, which has snapped up lucrative series including "Rocky" and "Tomb Raider" since its founding in 1924.
Oscar body slows growth of new members but reaffirms diversity goals
The drive to expand the number of film professionals who vote on the annual Oscar winners will slow down in 2021 after several years of rapid growth aimed at increasing diversity, the Film Academy said on Wednesday. In the past few years, some 800-950 actors, directors, cinematographers, producers, and other filmmakers from around the world have been invited each year to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Fast & Furious star John Cena apologises for calling Taiwan a country
U.S. wrestling superstar and actor John Cena apologized to Chinese fans on Tuesday after calling Taiwan a country during an interview to promote his latest movie "Fast & Furious 9". Speaking to Taiwanese television TVBS earlier this month, 44-year-old Cena said Taiwan would be the first "country" to see the latest Fast and Furious.
Analysis-Amazon's Washington critics set to pounce on MGM deal
Amazon's move to buy the MGM movie and TV studio will provide fuel for the Seattle company's critics in the nation's capitol who complain it is already too big and powerful, but experts said the deal poses few classic antitrust concerns.
A little more than an hour after the deal was announced, Republican Senator Josh Hawley blasted Amazon.com as a "monopoly platform" on Twitter, adding, "This sale should not go through," and that the company shouldn't be allowed to buy anything.
Fun and fantasy fuel staying power of 'Friends'
K-pop band BTS said they improved their English by watching it, soccer player David Beckham says the show makes him smile "almost to the point of crying," and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai said a friend got her hooked on the comedy. "Friends" may have ended its run in 2004 but the appeal of the comedy about six friends living in New York City shows no sign of waning and is reflected in a reunion special on HBO Max on Thursday.
'Friends' reunite with tears, laughter, memories and guest stars
From "Smelly Cat" to whether Rachel and Ross were "on a break," the "Friends" reunion on Thursday takes fans of the hit TV comedy series on a sentimental journey down memory lane. "Friends: The Reunion" brings stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc back to the set for a tearful get-together 17 years after the final episode of the show about the lives of 20Somethings in New York.
Moby discusses music, drink and missing mother's funeral in new film
American musician Moby looks back on his life in a new documentary, sharing the highs and lows of his fame including being so drunk he missed his mother's funeral. In "Moby Doc", the 55-year-old opens up about his past substance abuse, animal rights activism, and chart success with no.1 albums like 1999's "Play" and "18" released three years later.
James Bond movies to stay in theaters despite Amazon deal, producers say
The James Bond movies will stay in movie theaters despite the Amazon.com acquisition of the MGM studio which is home to the action adventure franchise, the film's producers said in a statement to Variety on Wednesday. “We are committed to continuing to make James Bond films for the worldwide theatrical audience,” producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who run London-headquartered Eon Productions, said in the statement obtained by Variety.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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