Entertainment News Roundup: Grassroots of Home: Tom Jones joins small-gig kick-start for UK live music scene; Assassin-turned-Avenger 'Black Widow' finally takes movie spotlight and more

Celebrities including film director Sofia Coppola and French actress Carole Bouquet mingled in the courtyard of the Palais Galliera fashion museum, where an exhibition on Chanel's founder, Gabrielle Chanel, is currently on show. 'Annette' kicks off Cannes with all-singing tale of twisted love A musical starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard as lovers caught in an ominous relationship kicked off the Cannes movie competition on Tuesday, bringing rock riffs and operatic airs to the film festival for its big comeback night.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Grassroots of Home: Tom Jones joins small-gig kick-start for UK live music scene

Tom Jones and Rag'n'Bone Man are the star names in a line-up of singers scheduled to give more than 300 concerts at grassroots venues across Britain this summer, helping to kick-start a live music industry shut down during COVID-19. The National Lottery is contributing 1 million pounds ($1.38 million) towards touring and production costs for the Revive Live Tour, which it launched on Wednesday along with UK charity Music Venue Trust.

Assassin-turned-Avenger 'Black Widow' finally takes movie spotlight

After numerous delays because of the global pandemic, Marvel's Black Widow takes center stage in a new movie that debuts Friday and delves into the past of the Avengers character played by Scarlett Johansson. The actress reprises the role for the ninth time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even though Black Widow died in 2019 blockbuster "Avengers: Endgame."

Armani dazzles with ruffles and elegance in Paris couture show

Italian designer Giorgio Armani displayed a haute couture collection at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday that interspersed glittering Hollywood-style silhouettes and ruffles with smart pantsuits featuring a touch of sparkle. In front of a limited number of guests, models walked through the rooms of the Italian embassy in Paris showing off a Autumn/Winter line of sky blue and silver outfits with a metallic sheen, topped off with black velvet jackets.

Female-led Cannes jury hopes for end to gender debate

Women will outnumber men on the Cannes Film Festival jury this year - but members including French actress Melanie Laurent said on Tuesday they dreamed of a time when female representation would no longer be newsworthy in the cinema industry. The world's biggest movie festival, along with rival showcases in the likes of Venice, has long come under scrutiny over the low number of women directors in the running for top awards or in positions of influence.

Chanel splashes plenty of colour at haute couture live show

Colourful flowers, sequins and feathers adorned Chanel's Impressionist-inspired haute couture show in Paris on Tuesday, held in front of a live audience as COVID-19 restrictions ease in France. Celebrities including film director Sofia Coppola and French actress Carole Bouquet mingled in the courtyard of the Palais Galliera fashion museum, where an exhibition on Chanel's founder, Gabrielle Chanel, is currently on show.

'Annette' kicks off Cannes with all-singing tale of twisted love

A musical starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard as lovers caught in an ominous relationship kicked off the Cannes movie competition on Tuesday, bringing rock riffs and operatic airs to the film festival for its big comeback night. Heady and highly theatrical, "Annette", directed by French director Leos Carax, proved a fitting big screen pick for the cinema showcase after its 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spike Lee tells Cannes Black people still 'hunted down like animals'

Director Spike Lee on Tuesday denounced the state of race relations in the United States three decades after he first shook audiences in Cannes with films on bigotry and violence, drawing parallels with the 2020 killing of George Floyd. Lee, the first Black person to head up the jury at the Cannes Film Festival, said little had progressed since 'Do The Right Thing' premiered on the French Riviera in 1989 - a Brooklyn-based tale of spiralling racial tensions and police brutality with a startling resonance now.

Universal movies to move to Peacock streaming service on quicker timeline

Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures will send new movies exclusively to the company's Peacock streaming service no later than four months after they debut in theaters, the company said on Tuesday. Universal movies currently go to AT&T Inc's HBO TV channel and the HBO Max streaming service about six months after they hit cinemas.

Marion Cotillard, Jodie Foster lead Cannes glamour in red carpet return

Decked out in a shimmering silver Chanel gown, Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard helped kick off Cannes' comeback on Tuesday as movie stars from far and wide descended onto the red carpet for the French cinema showcase. The world's biggest film festival is marking its return after skipping 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in slightly more subdued form, with fewer attendees and parties over the 12-day whirlwind of film premieres.

Indian actor Dilip Kumar, who embodied melancholy on screen, dies at 98

Dilip Kumar, one of India's most respected actors known for his roles as a tragic hero in Bollywood films, died on Wednesday morning, his family said. Kumar was 98 and had been ailing for some time, one of the doctors treating him told reporters.

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