Entertainment News Roundup: Spielberg brings life-long fandom to reimagined 'West Side Story'; Disney's 'Encanto' Leads Another Quiet Weekend at Box Office and more

Famed as one of the greatest dancers of all time, Astaire had a seven-decade career in film and on stage in Broadway and the West End. Tearful reunions, music comebacks and pop freedom: 2021 showbiz stories From the return of cinema's favourite spy to "Friends" reuniting, an array of stories dominated entertainment news headlines this year.


Reuters | Updated: 06-12-2021 18:37 IST | Created: 06-12-2021 18:31 IST
Entertainment News Roundup: Spielberg brings life-long fandom to reimagined 'West Side Story'; Disney's 'Encanto' Leads Another Quiet Weekend at Box Office and more
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Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Spielberg brings life-long fandom to reimagined 'West Side Story'

Steven Spielberg has been remaking classic musical "West Side Story" in his head for decades but says that finally taking it on was his riskiest challenge in a career that has spanned 50 years. Half a century after the musical written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim won 10 Oscars, Spielberg has reimagined the love story set among rival street gangs for a new generation but with the reverence of a true fan.

Disney's 'Encanto' Leads Another Quiet Weekend at Box Office

Without any new releases to pose a threat, Disney's animated musical fable "Encanto" has again notched the No. 1 spot on domestic box office charts. In its second weekend of release, "Encanto" has collected $12.38 million from 3,980 venues in the U.S. and Canada. That marks a 54% drop from its debut and pushes the film's two-week total to $57.6 million domestically.

Google, Meta dominate as digital propels global advertising growth -forecasts

The global advertising industry will notch higher growth this year than previously expected as brands are relying more heavily on search engine and social media companies such as Alphabet Inc's Google and Meta Platforms Inc to reach customers during the pandemic, according to two ad industry forecasts released on Monday. Despite a year marked by worldwide supply chain disruptions that delayed products from reaching shelves and a user privacy clampdown by Apple Inc that many feared would disrupt mobile advertising, brands have continued to advertise online as in-store shopping has been slow to return due to the ongoing pandemic, said Jonathan Barnard, director of global intelligence at advertising firm Zenith, which published an ad expenditure forecast on Monday.

Actor Tom Holland says he will play Fred Astaire in new biopic

British actor Tom Holland said he will portray legendary film star Fred Astaire in an upcoming Sony biopic, who is best remembered for dancing and singing with Ginger Rogers in several musicals, including "Top Hat" and "Swing Time". Famed as one of the greatest dancers of all time, Astaire had a seven-decade career in film and on stage in Broadway and the West End.

Tearful reunions, music comebacks and pop freedom: 2021 showbiz stories

From the return of cinema's favourite spy to "Friends" reuniting, an array of stories dominated entertainment news headlines this year. Below are some of the biggest stories. * After several delays, the release of James Bond movie "No Time To Die" gave pandemic-hit cinemas a much-needed boost.

Polish opera star's Met performance broadcast live in world movie theaters

Polish opera star Jakub Jozef Orlinski's debut performance at New York City's Metropolitan Opera in "Eurydice" in November was broadcast live in movie theaters across the globe on Saturday. Orlinski, 30, who studied and lived in Manhattan while attending The Juilliard School for the arts, said being in the city as a working performer was a new experience.

Return to tradition: Biden celebrates Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell at Kennedy Center Honors

President Joe Biden celebrated artists including Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell and Lorne Michaels on Sunday at the Kennedy Center Honors, bringing back presidential participation to an annual event skipped by Republican Donald Trump. Singer Justino Díaz and Motown founder Berry Gordy rounded out the group of artists selected by the Kennedy Center for top honors this year at a show that had been upended by politics and the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ghetts, Dave and Little Simz win at Britain's MOBO Awards

Rappers Ghetts, Little Simz and Dave triumphed at Britain's MOBO Awards this year, which returned with their first live show in four years. Held on Sunday night in the British city of Coventry, the MOBOs, which honour Music of Black Origin, saw London-born Dave scoop album of the year for his no.1 record "We’re All Alone In This Together".

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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