Entertainment News Roundup: Netflix expects ad-supported tier to get 40 million viewers by 2023; Greek actress and singer Irene Papas dies aged 96 and more

The streaming pioneer told ad executives in preliminary projections that 4.4 million "unique viewers" globally are expected to sign up for the new tier by year-end, with 1.1 million coming from the United States, the report said. Zac Efron stars in unbelievably true story 'The Greatest Beer Run Ever' In 1967, John "Chickie" Donohue was sitting at a Manhattan bar with his buddies thinking up a way he could support his friends from the neighborhood who were fighting in the Vietnam war.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Quinta Brunson helps broadcast break through at TV's Emmy awards

Network sitcoms have rarely won Emmy awards in recent years as Hollywood has showered honors on shows at streaming outlets. On Monday, Quinta Brunson helped change that when she won the prize for best comedy writing for ABC show "Abbott Elementary." Brunson, 32, is the first Black woman to be nominated three times within the comedy category in the same year. She received nominations for writing, lead actress and series for the show that she created.

'Succession,' 'Ted Lasso' repeat as winners of top Emmy awards

Media dynasty drama "Succession" and feel-good comedy "Ted Lasso" took the top trophies at the Emmy awards on Monday, and a "Squid Game" actor landed a major acting prize as Hollywood handed out the highest honors in television. "Succession" was named best drama series, an award the HBO show had won in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted its production schedule. The show, which secured four trophies overall, tells the story of the wealthy and back-stabbing Roy family as members jockey for power.

Netflix expects ad-supported tier to get 40 million viewers by 2023 - WSJ

Netflix Inc expects its upcoming ad-supported subscription plan to reach about 40 million viewers worldwide by the third quarter of 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing a document shared with ad buyers. The streaming pioneer told ad executives in preliminary projections that 4.4 million "unique viewers" globally are expected to sign up for the new tier by year-end, with 1.1 million coming from the United States, the report said.

Zac Efron stars in unbelievably true story 'The Greatest Beer Run Ever'

In 1967, John "Chickie" Donohue was sitting at a Manhattan bar with his buddies thinking up a way he could support his friends from the neighborhood who were fighting in the Vietnam war. The U.S. Marine Corps veteran and merchant seaman decides there is no better way than to head into the war zone to deliver them American beer. Zac Efron stars as Chickie, a staunch supporter of the Vietnam War who spent his time lazing at his parents house and drinking at the local bar, in director Peter Farrelly's follow-up to the Oscar-winning "Green Book" (2018).

For 'Women Talking' at the Toronto film festival, an urgency to listen

Years out from her most recent film, director and screenwriter Sarah Polley says she felt an urgency to bring a story of rape and rebuilding to the big screen. Based on a book by Miriam Toews, "Women Talking" tells the story of women members of a cloistered Mennonite community debating how to respond to a series of systematic rapes perpetuated by men in their community. Do nothing? Stay and fight? Leave, even if it means losing the only home they have known?

Leading New Wave film director Jean-Luc Godard dies aged 91

Film director Jean-Luc Godard, the godfather of France's New Wave cinema who pushed cinematic boundaries and inspired iconoclastic directors decades after his 1960s heyday, died on Tuesday aged 91, his family and producers said. Godard was among the world's most acclaimed directors, known for such classics as "Breathless" and "Contempt", which broke with convention and helped kickstart a new way of filmmaking, with handheld camera work, jump cuts and existential dialogue.

Greek actress and singer Irene Papas dies aged 96

Greek actress and singer Irene Papas, who gained international recognition starring in classic 1960s films such as "Zorba the Greek" and "The Guns of Navarone", has died at the age of 96, Greece's culture ministry said on Wednesday. Papas enjoyed a 50-year film career capped by John Madden's "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" in 2001 alongside Hollywood stars Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz, and Manoel de Oliveira's "A Talking Picture" in 2003, her final performance alongside Catherine Deneuve and John Malkovich.

Emmys telecast audience slumps to all-time low

This year's U.S. television viewership for the annual star-studded Emmy awards ceremony fell roughly 24% to 5.9 million people compared to 2021, broadcaster NBC said on Tuesday, making it an all-time low according to the industry trade publication "Variety." NBC combined viewership from its Peacock streaming service and its network TV broadcast to calculate total views. Both NBC and Peacock are units of Comcast Corp.

Season premiere of 'Handmaid's Tale' shows women resisting oppression

Elizabeth Moss is returning for Season 5 of the Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale” as June Osborne, a woman resisting the oppressive government of Gilead. The series has gained popularity for addressing the timely issues of reproductive rights and women’s rights with acclaim for the depth of its characters. The dystopian storyline is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by author Margaret Atwood.

HBO reclaims its Emmy crown with 'Succession,' 'White Lotus' wins

The dysfunctional dynasty of "Succession," the teen drama "Euphoria" and a comedy series set in the fictional White Lotus resort helped propel HBO to the top of the Emmy Awards heap Monday, surpassing streaming rival Netflix Inc. The Warner Bros Discovery Inc division entered the night with the most nominations of any network or streaming service, with a total of 140 nominations for HBO and its companion online offering, HBO Max.

(With inputs from agencies.)