Entertainment News Roundup: Oscar contenders court box-office bounce as drama audiences dwindle; 'RRR' composer confident his 'Naatu Naatu' song is Oscar-worthy and more

On Tuesday, it received an Oscar nomination for best original song, making history as the first Indian feature film to be nominated for anything other than best international film at the Academy Awards. A Minute With: Michelle Williams on playing Steven Spielberg's mother Michelle Williams won critical acclaim for her performance in Steven Spielberg's autobiographical coming-of-age drama, "The Fabelmans", and her portrayal of the director's mother secured her a best actress Oscar nomination on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Elvis Presley's address book, other items up for auction

Personal items once owned by Elvis Presley are expected to fetch big bucks when they come up for auction this week. The nearly 40 lots from Presley include a jacket designed by the man behind his famous jumpsuit and cape, a well-loved briefcase, and an address book filled with his handwriting, expected to bring in over $10,000.

Germany's 'All Quiet on the Western Front' revels in nine Oscar nods

Germany's reboot of the famous anti-war classic "All Quiet on the Western Front" landed nine Oscar nominations on Tuesday, including best picture, a haul that surprised its creators. The Netflix movie, the first German version of the epic 1929 novel by German author Erich Maria Remarque, was one of the most recognized films in the 2023 Oscar nods, behind "Everything Everywhere All at Once" with 11 and tied with "The Banshees of Inisherin".

Oscar contenders court box-office bounce as drama audiences dwindle

More movie theaters this weekend will be showing "The Fablemans," "Tar" and "Women Talking," a move to capitalize on the films' Oscar nominations at a time when dramas are struggling to draw people to cinemas. After moviegoing plunged during the pandemic, audiences have returned in droves to action-packed blockbusters such as "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Avatar: The Way of Water." The "Avatar" sequel has raked in more than $2 billion, ranking as the sixth-highest grossing film of all time.

'Give Labour a go': British rocker Rod Stewart makes surprise call to news programme

British rock singer Rod Stewart made a surprise phone call to a live TV news programme on Thursday to slam the "ridiculous" state of the health system, urge the government to stand down and give the opposition Labour Party a chance. Stewart, known for his 1970s hits "Maggie May" and "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?," called in to a Sky News programme about the crisis in Britain's National Health Service (NHS) that had been taking calls from members of the public.

'RRR' composer confident his 'Naatu Naatu' song is Oscar-worthy

"Naatu Naatu", the standout song in the Indian period film "RRR," has won a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award, garnered hundreds of millions of views on YouTube and spawned a TikTok challenge. On Tuesday, it received an Oscar nomination for best original song, making history as the first Indian feature film to be nominated for anything other than best international film at the Academy Awards.

A Minute With: Michelle Williams on playing Steven Spielberg's mother

Michelle Williams won critical acclaim for her performance in Steven Spielberg's autobiographical coming-of-age drama, "The Fabelmans", and her portrayal of the director's mother secured her a best actress Oscar nomination on Tuesday. Co-written by Spielberg and Tony Kushner, the movie is set in the 1950s and 60s and follows the fictional character Sammy Fabelman, based on Spielberg as a young man, as he falls in love with the moving pictures and discovers a family secret that changes the way he views the world.

Belgian costume maker hopes for carnival boom after COVID 'black hole'

Huge ostrich feather headpieces are one of the costumes made by the Kersten family for Belgium's celebrated Mardi Gras carnival, and after the event was cancelled due to COVID in recent years, the 120-year-old family business is hoping for a revival. Rooted in the Middle Ages, the Binche carnival, a UNESCO World Heritage event, is one of Europe's oldest surviving street carnivals and the biggest in Belgium.

Shah Rukh Khan's spy film sees bumper Bollywood opening despite protests

Shah Rukh Khan's Hindi spy thriller opened to packed movie theatres in India on Wednesday in one of Bollywood's top openings on record, despite protests from some religious groups over scenes they deemed obscene. The success of "Pathaan", where Khan plays a spy fighting a militant outfit, is crucial for the Indian film industry that has seen a spate of high-profile flops since the COVID-19 pandemic began, as Netflix and Amazon have provided varied, and much cheaper, content at home.

(With inputs from agencies.)