Entertainment News Roundup: Warner Bros to expand British studios' production capacity by over 50%; Striking Hollywood writers, studios to meet again Friday and more

Several banners appeared on four major roads in Tijuana warning in red letters that if the 24-year-old, whose real name is Hassan Kabande, sang in the city, it would be his last performance. Nigerians march for late Afrobeats star as police exhume body Nigerians marched in several states this week in an outpouring of grief and to press authorities to investigate the death last week of popular Afrobeats musician Mohbad, forcing the police to exhume his body on Thursday for an autopsy.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

'Let's Get It On' songwriter's estate ends Ed Sheeran copyright fight

The heirs of a musician who co-wrote Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" have agreed to drop their appeal of a U.S. jury verdict clearing British pop star Ed Sheeran of allegations his song "Thinking Out Loud" illegally copied Gaye's classic. A court filing on Wednesday said that songwriter Ed Townsend's estate would withdraw the appeal with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled.

Hollywood workers resort to flea markets, bake sales as strikes drag on

"Set decorator for 20 years. Single mom of 15-year-old twins," said the sign above a table of cupcakes, cookies and other baked goods for sale. "Struggling to pay bills, especially my mortgage." A prop master nearby was selling handmade quilts, normally a side gig, to help make ends meet. "I now work two part-time jobs just to barely pay rent and utilities," her sign read.

Romania's Enescu music festival eyes next edition as 2023 event wraps up

As this year's George Enescu Festival winds down in Romania's capital city, organizers of one of Europe's biggest classical music events are already training their sights on the next edition of the festival to be held in 2025. The 27th Enescu festival, a biennial event, could bring in American orchestras for the first time in years, said Cristina Uruc, one of the main planners, alongside established festival performers.

Warner Bros to expand British studios' production capacity by over 50%

Warner Bros Discovery on Thursday said it planned to expand production capacity at its Leavesden studios near London by more than 50%, adding 10 new sound stages to the facility where much of the "Barbie" blockbuster and HBO's "House of the Dragon" were filmed. The project, announced during a visit to Los Angeles by British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt, is expected to create some 4,000 direct and indirect jobs, the company said in a statement.

Mexican singer Peso Pluma cancels concert after death threats

The Mexican singer known as Peso Pluma has called off an October concert in Tijuana, a city on the border with the United States, after receiving death threats, his record label said on Wednesday. Several banners appeared on four major roads in Tijuana warning in red letters that if the 24-year-old, whose real name is Hassan Kabande, sang in the city, it would be his last performance.

Nigerians march for late Afrobeats star as police exhume body

Nigerians marched in several states this week in an outpouring of grief and to press authorities to investigate the death last week of popular Afrobeats musician Mohbad, forcing the police to exhume his body on Thursday for an autopsy. The 27-year-old singer, whose real name was Ilerioluwa Aloba, died in a Lagos hospital in unclear circumstances.

Striking Hollywood writers, studios to meet again Friday

Negotiators for Hollywood's major studios and striking film and television writers plan to meet again on Friday, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) said in a statement. The two sides on Thursday negotiated for more than 10 hours but failed to reach an agreement to end a months-long stalemate over pay and the use of artificial intelligence, CNN reported.

(With inputs from agencies.)