Entertainment News Roundup: Ed Sheeran did not violate 'Let's Get It On' copyright, US jury finds; 'Some Like It Hot' leads 2023 Tony nominations and more

Roughly 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike on Tuesday, saying that studios had "created a gig economy inside a union workforce." 'Guardians' Vol. 3, a bittersweet goodbye for eclectic space crew Actor Chris Pratt, whose movie career took off with the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" in 2014, decided that he wouldn’t watch the third and final installment of the film franchise, until the world premiere in Los Angeles.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

'Some Like It Hot' leads 2023 Tony nominations

Film-turned-musical "Some Like It Hot," led the nominations announced Tuesday for the 2023 Tony awards, the highest honors in American theater, followed by "& Juliet," "New York, New York," and "Shucked." "Kimberly Akimbo," and a revival of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," also topped the list of nominations by production for the 76th annual awards, according to a statement from the Tony Awards committee.

Hollywood insiders predict writers strike to drag on through summer

The Hollywood writers' strike that kicked off this week could last well into the summer and likely beyond, top executives close to the discussions told Reuters this week. On day three of the walkout that has roiled the industry, the two sides remained so far apart that each side blamed the other for the abrupt end of 11th-hour negotiations to avert the strike. No new talks have been scheduled.

'Plagiarism machines': Hollywood writers and studios battle over the future of AI

Hollywood writers have for decades penned sci-fi scripts featuring machines taking over the world. Now, they are fighting to make sure robots do not take their jobs. The Writers Guild of America is seeking to restrict the use of artificial intelligence in writing film and television scripts. Hollywood studios, battling to make streaming services profitable and dealing with shrinking ad revenues, have rejected that idea, saying they would be open to discussing new technologies once a year, according to the guild.

Country legend Willie Nelson, at 90, among 2023 Rock Hall inductees

Country music icon Willie Nelson, who celebrated his 90th birthday last weekend with a star-studded concert at the Hollywood Bowl, is among the performers who will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, organizers announced on Wednesday. A first-time nominee for the rock honor, Nelson joins country legends Dolly Parton, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash.

Ed Sheeran did not violate 'Let's Get It On' copyright, US jury finds

Ed Sheeran's 2014 hit "Thinking Out Loud" did not unlawfully copy from Marvin Gaye's classic 1973 song "Let's Get It On," a jury decided on Thursday in a closely watched copyright lawsuit - a verdict that the British pop star said would help protect the creative process for song writers in the U.S. and globally. The jury in Manhattan federal court determined that heirs of "Let's Get It On" songwriter Ed Townsend had not proven that Sheeran, his label Warner Music Group and his music publisher Sony Music Publishing had infringed their copyright interest in the Gaye song. Sheeran hugged his attorneys in the courtroom after the verdict was read.

Hollywood unions back striking writers as TV production slows

Striking film and television writers met with union leadership on Wednesday, the second day of a work stoppage that has thrown Hollywood into disarray as the industry deals with changes brought on by the streaming TV boom. Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) turned out for briefings from negotiators in New York and Los Angeles after walking picket lines in front of Netflix Inc, Walt Disney Co and other major studios.

Cannes Film Festival to honour Michael Douglas with honorary Palme d'Or

Hollywood actor Michael Douglas will add to his long list of accolades this month when the Cannes Film Festival awards him an honorary Palme d'Or. Organisers of cinema's biggest showcase said on Wednesday they would pay tribute to the two-time Oscar winner at the festival's opening ceremony on May 16 in recognition of "his brilliant career as well as his engagement for cinema".

Hollywood studios push back against striking writers' claim of 'gig' workforce

The group representing Hollywood studios fired back on Thursday at claims from striking film and television workers that they have been forced into the "gig economy" because of changes brought by the streaming TV era. Roughly 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike on Tuesday, saying that studios had "created a gig economy inside a union workforce."

'Guardians' Vol. 3, a bittersweet goodbye for eclectic space crew

Actor Chris Pratt, whose movie career took off with the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" in 2014, decided that he wouldn't watch the third and final installment of the film franchise, until the world premiere in Los Angeles. Pratt had seen one or two short unfinished sequences of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," but at the premiere he took the time to savor the entirety of the swan song in Marvel's "Guardians" trilogy.

Ed Sheeran calls copycat claims 'insulting' in 'Thinking Out Loud' trial

A sometimes-riled Ed Sheeran on Monday denied copying Marvin Gaye's classic "Let's Get it On" in his second day of testifying to jurors in a copyright trial in Manhattan federal court, calling the claim "insulting." As he had last week, the British singer-songwriter played guitar and sang from the witness stand to underscore his testimony, telling jurors his song "Thinking Out Loud" had actually been inspired by Irish musician Van Morrison.