Reuters Entertainment News Summary

It has proven much more willing to file antitrust lawsuits against giant companies - including the ongoing December 2020 lawsuit against Google - and fight mergers, not all of which it wins. Ticketmaster cancels Taylor Swift ticket sales; Congress wants answers Ticketmaster canceled Friday's planned ticket sales to the general public for Taylor Swift's 2023 U.S. concert tour as 3.5 billion ticket requests from fans, bots and scalpers overwhelmed the website with record demand.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Analysis-Taylor Swift ticket snafu turns up regulatory heat on Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster's botched sale of tickets to Taylor Swift's 2023 tour, the megastar's first in five years, has led to calls for the company to be broken up - a proposal that antitrust experts say could find a far more receptive audience than in the past. The U.S. Justice Department, which approved Ticketmaster's much-criticized purchase of Live Nation in 2010, is different than it was 12 years ago. It has proven much more willing to file antitrust lawsuits against giant companies - including the ongoing December 2020 lawsuit against Google - and fight mergers, not all of which it wins.

Ticketmaster cancels Taylor Swift ticket sales; Congress wants answers

Ticketmaster canceled Friday's planned ticket sales to the general public for Taylor Swift's 2023 U.S. concert tour as 3.5 billion ticket requests from fans, bots and scalpers overwhelmed the website with record demand. Meanwhile customer complaints mounted over high prices and poor service, and prominent members of the U.S. Congress backed public pleas for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Ticketmaster on antitrust grounds.

New Mexico sheriff releases 'Rust' movie shooting investigation

A New Mexico sheriff's office on Friday released documents from his investigation into the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins last year on the set of Western movie "Rust," as a state prosecutor decided whether to press criminal charges. Among 551 pages published by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office were interviews with witnesses, including star Alec Baldwin, and text messages and emails from crew and cast members sometimes detailing chaotic and acrimonious conditions on set prior to Hutchins' death on Oct. 21, 2021.

'Spectacular:' Adele fans rave as Vegas shows finally start

An "incredibly nervous" Adele kicked off her Las Vegas concerts on Friday, 10 months after she angered fans by postponing the shows at the last minute. People who attended the chart-topper's first "Weekends with Adele" show at Caesars Palace said they were thrilled to finally see the Grammy-winning singer live on stage and seemed to forgive her for the postponement. The audience greeted her with a standing ovation.

Jake Gyllenhaal explores family dynamics, new terrains in 'Strange World'

Disney's new animated movie "Strange World" is an action adventure film with universal themes about family at its heart, says its star Jake Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal voices Searcher Clade, a farmer who grew up in the shadow of his larger-than-life explorer father and forged a very different path for himself. An environmental emergency threatening his crops forces Searcher, now a father himself, to embark on a mission in a faraway, strange world.

Amazon to bring back Australia's longest running soap Neighbours in 2023

Australian soap opera Neighbours will return to the screen in 2023 after a deal with Amazon revived the show that launched the career of stars such as Margot Robbie, Kylie Minogue and all three Hemsworth brothers. Four decades after its premiere, filming on Australia's longest-running television drama stopped in June when the main financial backer, British free-to-air broadcaster Channel 5, cut the series after years of declining ratings.

Upset Taylor Swift says she was told Ticketmaster could handle demand

Pop superstar Taylor Swift said on Friday it was "excruciating" for her to watch fans struggle to secure tickets for her upcoming U.S. tour after she had been assured that Ticketmaster could handle large demand. The New York Times reported that the U.S. Justice Department was investigating whether Ticketmaster parent Live Nation Entertainment had abused its power over the multibillion-dollar live music industry.

Flour thrown at Warhol car in Milan climate change protest

Climate-change protesters threw flour on Friday over a sports car painted by the U.S. pop artist Andy Warhol that is on display in Italy's financial capital. It was at the third time this month that activists from the group Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) have targeted art exhibitions.