Entertainment News Roundup: Peter Dinklage leads new remake of French classic in 'Cyrano'; Trial of actor Jussie Smollett, accused of faking hate crime, goes to jury and more

The partnership will include co-productions for original series and films, content licensing and distribution across ViacomCBS' and entertainment company CJ ENM's streaming services. 'West Side Story,' 'Dune' among AFI's top 10 movies of 2021 Musical "West Side Story," sci-fi epic "Dune," and "King Richard," the biopic about the father of tennis champions Serena and Venus Williams, were among the top 10 movies of 2021 as chosen on Wednesday by the American Film Institute (AFI).

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Peter Dinklage leads new remake of French classic in 'Cyrano'

"Game of Thrones" actor Peter Dinklage takes the lead role in musical drama "Cyrano", a new movie adaptation of the classic French story, which had its UK premiere on Tuesday. Adapted from a theatre production written by his wife Erica Schmidt, Dinklage reprises his 2018 stage role of the swordsman with a gift for words, who struggles to declare his feelings to the woman he loves because of his perceived unattractive appearance.

Trial of actor Jussie Smollett, accused of faking hate crime, goes to jury

A Chicago jury began deliberating on Wednesday in the trial of actor Jussie Smollett, a onetime star of the TV drama "Empire" who is accused of orchestrating a hate crime against himself to raise his celebrity profile. Jurors heard closing arguments in the case and spent about 2-1/2 hours deliberating before being sent home for the day.

DiCaprio calls 'Don't Look Up' a 'unique gift' to climate change fight

Leonardo DiCaprio calls his new movie "Don't Look Up" a gift. Not because he got to work with a cast that includes Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Timothee Chalamet and Jonah Hill, to name just a few, but because the film captures the perils of climate change, while also making people laugh.

S.Korea "webtoon" firms leverage low-cost stories with potential huge upside

Netflix's most-watched series in late November, "Hellbound", is making a splash on TV, but it first appeared on much smaller screens as an online comic, or "webtoon", optimised for smartphones. The webtoon format, which began in Korea two decades ago, has shaken up content creation for the movie industry around the globe.

Drake pulls out of Grammy Awards race

Canadian rapper Drake withdrew on Monday from the Grammy Awards, removing his two nominations for music's highest honors, sources close to the musician said. Drake, 35, got two Grammy nominations last month in the rap field - best rap album for "Certified Lover Boy" and best rap performance for his song "Way 2 Sexy."

Robbie Shakespeare of reggae duo Sly and Robbie dies at 68

Robert “Robbie” Shakespeare, the Jamaican bass guitarist best known as half of the reggae and dub duo Sly and Robbie, died on Wednesday, Jamaica's culture minister said. He was 68. Born Robert Warren Dale Shakespeare in East Kingston in 1953, Shakespeare was a prolific bassist who worked with reggae greats including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Gregory Isaacs.

ViacomCBS teams up with 'Parasite' distributor to make Paramount+ Asia debut

ViacomCBS Inc and Seoul-based CJ ENM, the distributor of Oscar winning movie "Parasite", have signed a content partnership agreement, the companies said on Tuesday, marking the Asia debut for the U.S. company's Paramount+ streaming service. The partnership will include co-productions for original series and films, content licensing and distribution across ViacomCBS' and entertainment company CJ ENM's streaming services.

'West Side Story,' 'Dune' among AFI's top 10 movies of 2021

Musical "West Side Story," sci-fi epic "Dune," and "King Richard," the biopic about the father of tennis champions Serena and Venus Williams, were among the top 10 movies of 2021 as chosen on Wednesday by the American Film Institute (AFI). The list, which is not ranked, gives an early glimpse into likely frontrunners for the annual Oscars next year. The films were chosen for their cultural and artistic significance.

Spielberg opens doors to Latino artists with new 'West Side Story'

Steven Spielberg marks a milestone in U.S. film history by insisting on an authentic Latin cast for his remake of the musical "West Side Story," opening worldwide this week. For the film, an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway play and 1961 movie, Spielberg recruited young Latino artists and researched what life was like for Puerto Ricans in the 1960s in New York.

The show must go on; 'Macbeth' opens La Scala opera season despite COVID

Giuseppe Verdi's "Macbeth" kicked off La Scala's opera season before hundreds of spectators on Tuesday just as the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic is again forcing many theaters elsewhere in Europe to shut their doors. Italy's President Sergio Mattarella and celebrities attended the premiere that marks the opening of Milan's cultural calendar.

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