Entertainment News Roundup: 'Black Widow' screening rolls out the red carpet for London film fans; Glass half full for Cannes hotels as festival guests return after 2020 washout and more

Curtis made her film debut in John Carpenter's 1978 horror flick "Halloween", playing babysitter Laurie Strode, who faced off against deadly serial killer Michael Myers. Actress Allison Mack gets 3 years prison for role in NXIVM cult "Smallville" TV show actress Allison Mack was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday for her role in NXIVM, a New York-based cult in which women were branded with its leader's initials and ordered to have sex with him.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

'Black Widow' screening rolls out the red carpet for London film fans

Film fans young and old, some dressed as their favorite "Avengers" characters, walked and posed on a red carpet in London's Leicester Square on Tuesday for a special screening of the superhero story "Black Widow". The Marvel Studios movie, starring Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, the Russian-born spy-turned-Avenger, is among a slate of upcoming major releases postponed from last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and which cinema operators hope will revive ticket sales.

Glass half full for Cannes hotels as festival guests return after 2020 washout

After COVID-19 put paid to their summer showpiece in 2020, relieved Cannes hotel and restaurant are gearing up for next month's return of the world's biggest film festival as bookings rise - but business as usual it isn't. This year's event runs from July 6-17 and, with France's coronavirus curfew lifted last week, visitors should - albeit under strict social distancing and infection control norms - be able to mingle round the clock.

Venice festival to honour Jamie Lee Curtis with lifetime achievement award

Hollywood star Jamie Lee Curtis will receive a lifetime achievement award at the Venice International Film Festival in September, where the latest installment of her "Halloween" movies will screen out of competition, organizers said on Wednesday. Curtis made her film debut in John Carpenter's 1978 horror flick "Halloween", playing babysitter Laurie Strode, who faced off against deadly serial killer Michael Myers.

Actress Allison Mack gets 3 years prison for role in NXIVM cult

"Smallville" TV show actress Allison Mack was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday for her role in NXIVM, a New York-based cult in which women were branded with its leader's initials and ordered to have sex with him. Mack, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis in Brooklyn, after pleading guilty in 2019 to racketeering and conspiracy. She is expected to begin serving her sentence on Sept. 29.

Amazon scoops up exclusive rights to celebrity podcast 'SmartLess'

Amazon.com Inc said on Tuesday it had signed an exclusive rights deal with "SmartLess", a podcast hosted by Hollywood actors Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes in which they talk to other celebrity guests. New episodes of "SmartLess" will be released a week early and exclusively on Amazon's podcast platform Wondery and Amazon Music, the company said. The episodes will also be available ad-free on Wondery+, the channel's subscription membership.

As 'The Tomorrow War' debuts online, Chris Pratt wants mobile phones off

As aliens plan to destroy the world, a ragtag team of earthlings travels to the future to stop them. In "The Tomorrow War," Chris Pratt plays a young father who is drafted for the mission in a blockbuster originally meant for release in theaters by Paramount Pictures. Instead, it was sold to Amazon for a rumored $200 million.

Britney Spears' father asks for probe of her abuse claims

Jamie Spears, father of Britney Spears, has asked for an investigation of the pop superstar's claims that she had been mistreated under a legal conservatorship by being denied the ability to make her own medical decisions. In a court filing late on Tuesday, attorneys for Jamie Spears said he was "greatly saddened to hear of his daughter's difficulties and suffering" and "believes there must be an investigation into those claims."

Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen to pick up stake in crypto exchange FTX

National Football League quarterback Tom Brady and his supermodel wife, Gisele Bundchen, will each take an undisclosed equity stake in crypto exchange platform FTX Trading Ltd, the company said on Tuesday. Under the deal, Brady will also become an FTX ambassador and Bundchen will take the role of environmental and social initiatives adviser. Both will receive an unspecified amount of cryptocurrency, the company said.

A Minute With: 'No Sudden Move' cast on twists and filming in COVID

Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh brings together an all-star cast for the crime drama "No Sudden Move" in which a bunch of criminals is called on to carry out a heist that goes wrong. Benicio Del Toro, Don Cheadle, Ray Liotta, Jon Hamm, Brendan Fraser star in the movie, set in 1954 Detroit, where the robbers embark on a mission to find out who hired them.

Bill Cosby home from prison after court reverses sexual assault conviction

Bill Cosby was freed from prison and returned home on Wednesday, less than two hours after Pennsylvania's highest court overturned his sexual assault conviction, saying he never should have faced charges after striking a non-prosecution deal with a previous district attorney more than 15 years ago. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued its split decision after Cosby had served more than two years of a three- to 10-year sentence following his 2018 conviction, prompting outrage from sexual assault victims and their advocates.

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