Entertainment News Roundup: Netflix hit show 'Squid Game' spurs interest in learning Korean; Director Villeneuve hopes to win over fans old and new with 'Dune' film and more

Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya star in the hotly anticipated film, which hits U.S. and UK cinemas later this month and follows past attempts to take Herbert's 400-page book to the silver screen. It's an allegory: North Korea website says 'Squid Game' reflects South Korea's 'beastly' society A North Korean propaganda website said on Tuesday that the international Netflix hit "Squid Game" exposes the reality of South Korean capitalist culture where "corruption and immoral scoundrels are commonplace".

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Clooney goes for kindness with new movie 'The Tender Bar'

George Clooney is back behind the camera for "The Tender Bar", a coming-of-age story starring Ben Affleck and Tye Sheridan. The feature film, Clooney's eighth as director, is based on the memoirs of American author J.R. Moehringer, who found substitutes for his absent father at his uncle Charlie's New York pub.

Netflix hit show 'Squid Game' spurs interest in learning Korean

Interest in learning Korean has spiked since the launch of hit Netflix show "Squid Game", tutoring services reported, underscoring a growing global obsession with South Korean culture from entertainment to beauty products. Language learning app Duolingo Inc said the nine-part thriller, in which cash-strapped contestants play deadly childhood games in a bid to win 45.6 billion won ($38.19 million), had spurred both beginners and existing students hoping to improve their skills.

Director Villeneuve hopes to win over fans old and new with 'Dune' film

Denis Villeneuve hopes to win over fans of Frank Herbert's epic 1965 science fiction novel "Dune" as well as introduce new ones to the story with his mammoth movie adaptation, the most challenging production of the Canadian director's career. Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya star in the hotly anticipated film, which hits U.S. and UK cinemas later this month and follows past attempts to take Herbert's 400-page book to the silver screen.

It's an allegory: North Korea website says 'Squid Game' reflects South Korea's 'beastly' society

A North Korean propaganda website said on Tuesday that the international Netflix hit "Squid Game" exposes the reality of South Korean capitalist culture where "corruption and immoral scoundrels are commonplace". North Korea's Arirang Meari site cited unnamed South Korean film critics as saying that the TV series shows an "unequal society where moneyless people are treated like chess pieces for the rich."

Mini-series 'Dopesick' tells stories from all sides of the opioid epidemic

New television series "Dopesick" aims to tell stories from the opioid epidemic still ravaging the rural United States, weaving together accounts from Purdue Pharma board members, prescription drugs salespeople, victims and government officials. Based on the book by Beth Macy, the semi-fictional mini-series is produced by 20th Television and will air on Hulu starting Wednesday.

Media veteran Alan Horn to retire as Disney Studios head

Walt Disney Co's Alan Horn, who turned the company's studio business into a media powerhouse and oversaw blockbusters such as "Avengers:Endgame" and "Black Panther", is retiring at the end of the year after nearly a decade. A former U.S Air Force captain, Horn joined Disney in 2012 and led the integration of Marvel Studios, home to some of the biggest box-office successes worldwide. Horn also oversaw "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" - the highest-grossing domestic release in history.

With 'Captain Kirk' aboard, Blue Origin to return to 'space, the final frontier'

Three months after billionaire U.S. businessman Jeff Bezos soared into space aboard a rocketship built by his Blue Origin company, the craft is set on Wednesday to take another all-civilian crew on a suborbital ride, this time with "Star Trek" actor William Shatner in the lead role. As one of four passengers selected for the flight, Shatner, at age 90, is poised to become the oldest person ever to venture into space.

Paul McCartney blames John Lennon for breakup of the Beatles

Paul McCartney has said he wanted to continue performing with the Beatles when the band famously split in 1970 and that John Lennon instigated the breakup. Speculation about what caused the demise of the world's most famous pop group has ranged from artistic differences and legal disputes, to Lennon's marriage to artist Yoko Ono.

Amy Winehouse possessions hit the auction block

Nearly 800 of Amy Winehouse's belongings, including the short dress the late British singer wore in her final concert, are up for auction. The green-and-black dress, and a heart-shaped Moschino purse the Grammy Award winner was frequently photographed with, are each expected to fetch $15,000 to $20,000.

Superman comes out as bisexual; 'not a gimmick,' writer says

Out, out and away! - for Superman on National Coming Out Day. Jon Kent, the son of original Superman Clark Kent and journalist Lois Lane, turns out to be bisexual in DC Comics' latest iteration of the superhero's adventures.

(With inputs from agencies.)