Entertainment News Roundup: Alec Baldwin seeks dismissal of civil suit over fatal 'Rust' shooting; Mattel reclaims rights for Disney Princess toys from Hasbro and more

Each winning bidder will be able to claim ownership of a digital file described as an "audio/visual collectible" in which Julian Lennon narrates a "specific heartfelt memory". Spotify removing Neil Young's music after his Joe Rogan ultimatum Neil Young's music is being removed from Spotify's streaming service after the singer-songwriter objected to his songs playing on the same platform that offers Joe Rogan's podcast, the company and the musician said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Alec Baldwin seeks dismissal of civil suit over fatal 'Rust' shooting

Attorneys for Alec Baldwin and other producers of the movie "Rust" are asking a court to dismiss a civil lawsuit filed by a script supervisor who was on the set when the actor fatally shot a cinematographer. In a filing in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, the attorneys said the claim by Mamie Mitchell should be thrown out because there was no evidence that Baldwin or any of the producers intended harm. Baldwin was the lead actor and a producer of the independent film, a Western.

Mattel reclaims rights for Disney Princess toys from Hasbro

Mattel Inc on Wednesday won the rights to produce dolls based on Disney royalty like Elsa and Jasmine, snatching back a highly lucrative license from archrival Hasbro Inc. The reunion sent Mattel's shares surging 11% and is part of Chief Executive Ynon Kreiz's plan to turn the company around by getting more entrenched in big entertainment properties.

NBCUniversal lowering its TV ratings expectations for Winter Olympics

NBCUniversal is lowering its TV ratings expectations for the Beijing Winter Games by as much as half depending on the time of day and the platform, the company said on Tuesday, as it prepares to broadcast its second Olympic Games in a pandemic. Comcast Corp-owned NBCU and other media companies are also wrestling with a rating measurement system they say fails to capture consumers’ shift to streaming.

Disney says it's 'taking different approach' for Snow White remake after criticism

Walt Disney Co says it is "taking a different approach" for its upcoming live-action remake of the animated movie "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", following criticism from actor Peter Dinklage. In an interview on comedian Marc Maron's podcast "WTF" on Monday, Dinklage, who has a form of dwarfism known as achondroplasia, said the casting of a Latina actress in the titular role was "progressive" but called the story, based on the 19th-century fairytale, "backward".

Chile's President-elect Boric sends Taylor Swift 'hugs' over song writing tiff, goes viral

Chile's millennial President-elect Gabriel Boric has taken sides in his first international incident: backing pop music superstar Taylor Swift in a social media stand-off with Blur frontman Damon Albarn over her songwriting credentials. Albarn, the British co-founder and songwriter for the Gorillaz, had suggested that Swift did not write all her own songs in a media interview, which prompted an angry reaction from the U.S. singer. Albarn later apologized.

Elton John has COVID, postpones U.S. tour dates

British singer and songwriter Elton John said he has COVID-19 and has been forced to postpone some U.S. concerts although his symptoms were mild and he expected to be able to resume his farewell tour at the weekend. The singer of hits such as "Rocket Man" and "Tiny Dancer" restarted his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour last week, returning to the stage in New Orleans after a nearly two-year hiatus.

Neil Young to Spotify: Either remove my music or Joe Rogan podcast

Neil Young has threatened to pull his music from the Spotify streaming service in protest of its relationship with podcaster Joe Rogan, who the prolific singer-songwriter accuses of spreading misinformation about COVID-19, according to media reports on Tuesday. Young, who survived polio as a child, briefly posted a letter on his website addressed to his manager and his record label, Warner Music Group, demanding that Spotify no longer carry his music. The letter was later deleted.

Imagine no possessions: Beatles memorabilia (virtually) up for auction

John Lennon's son Julian is auctioning off pieces of memorabilia relating to the Beatles, including three guitars given to him by his father and handwritten notes about the 1968 song "Hey Jude" - but not physically. Instead, the auction is a sale of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), a type of digital asset. Each winning bidder will be able to claim ownership of a digital file described as an "audio/visual collectible" in which Julian Lennon narrates a "specific heartfelt memory".

Spotify removing Neil Young's music after his Joe Rogan ultimatum

Neil Young's music is being removed from Spotify's streaming service after the singer-songwriter objected to his songs playing on the same platform that offers Joe Rogan's podcast, the company and the musician said on Wednesday. Earlier this week, Young had released a letter addressed to his manager and record label, Warner Music Group, demanding that Spotify no longer carry his music because he said Rogan spreads misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.

Stéphane Rolland returns to Paris catwalk with bold silhouettes

French label Stéphane Rolland returned to the runway on Tuesday for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began, offering an array of feminine draped dresses and billowing cloud-like gowns at Paris Fashion Week. After almost two years, the designer Stéphane Rolland said he felt it was time to get back to an in-person show for his new couture collection.

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