Entertainment News Roundup: Disney CEO Iger promises 2026 exit, says ABC not for sale; Shane MacGowan, hard-drinking poet of The Pogues, dies at 65 and more

MacGowan brought Irish traditional music to a huge new audience in the late 1980s by splicing it with punk, and achieved mainstream success with his bittersweet, expletive-strewn 1987 Christmas anthem "Fairytale of New York". Timothee Chalamet turned to vocal coach to the stars for ‘Wonka’ Timothee Chalamet took lessons from a top vocal coach as he prepared to follow in the footsteps of Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp to play Willy Wonka in a new movie that tells the origin story of Roald Dahl's famed character.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Disney CEO Iger promises 2026 exit, says ABC not for sale

Walt Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger said on Wednesday he would "definitely" step down when his current contract ends in 2026 and that the ABC broadcast network was not for sale. In a wide-ranging interview at the New York Times Dealbook Conference, Iger also said he was "bullish" on the prospects for Shanghai Disneyland and he expected the company would expand the theme park "relatively soon."

Shane MacGowan, hard-drinking poet of The Pogues, dies at 65

Shane MacGowan, the London-Irish punk who transformed Irish traditional music with The Pogues and penned some of the 1980s' most haunting ballads before sinking into alcohol and drug addiction, died on Thursday. He was 65. MacGowan brought Irish traditional music to a huge new audience in the late 1980s by splicing it with punk, and achieved mainstream success with his bittersweet, expletive-strewn 1987 Christmas anthem "Fairytale of New York".

Timothee Chalamet turned to vocal coach to the stars for ‘Wonka’

Timothee Chalamet took lessons from a top vocal coach as he prepared to follow in the footsteps of Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp to play Willy Wonka in a new movie that tells the origin story of Roald Dahl's famed character. In "Wonka", a musical film, the "Dune" and "Call Me by Your Name" actor plays a younger version of the chocolate-loving inventor.

Dove Cameron sheds Disney past to become her own kind of pop star

Singer-songwriter and actor Dove Cameron is breaking away from her Disney star persona and putting a new version of herself out there with “Alchemical: Volume 1,” the first part in her debut studio album. “Alchemical: Volume 1,” which has eight songs, including "Sand," will be released on Dec. 1.

Paul McCartney performs surprise concert for 300 fans in Brazil

Used to filling stadiums with tens of thousands of screaming fans worldwide, Paul McCartney took to the stage of a small music venue in Brazil's capital on Tuesday night for a special performance with an intimate, ecstatic 300-person audience. In a space comparable to the famous Cavern Club in Liverpool where the Beatles began their career, McCartney, 81, performed a 22-song set that included hits from the group and his solo career despite intense heat.

Pharrell Williams takes Louis Vuitton to Hong Kong harbour runway

Pharrell Williams took to Hong Kong for his second Louis Vuitton runway outing, showcasing the label’s latest menswear designs on a runway overlooking the city's harbour at night. The event drew crowds to the Victoria Dockside, a waterfront promenade lining a sprawling complex of shopping malls, exhibit halls and hotels built by Adrian Cheng, the scion of one of Hong Kong’s top property developers.

'Leave The World Behind': Strangers, danger and layers, says Julia Roberts

U.S. actress Julia Roberts says her new film "Leave The World Behind" is a multilayered disaster thriller that allowed her to play someone very different from herself. Executive produced by former U.S. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, the movie is written and directed by "Mr. Robot" creator Sam Esmail and based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Rumaan Alam.

Actions speak louder than words in dialogue-free film 'Silent Night'

Director John Woo opted not to have any actor dialogue in the action-thriller film "Silent Night," and focus on his own unique visual and sound techniques to engage audiences. Woo, known for helping to pioneer the action genre in both Hollywood and Hong Kong cinema with films including “Mission: Impossible 2,” said during an interview that less dialogue in a movie creates more opportunities for actors to connect with audiences through nonverbal communication.

New book reignites British royal race row

Almost three years after Prince Harry and his wife Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey sent shockwaves through the British monarchy, their most sensational claim which provoked a royal race row has been reignited by a new book. In the dramatic interview with the U.S. talk show host in 2021, Meghan, whose mother is Black and father is white, said while she was pregnant with son Archie there were "concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born".

(With inputs from agencies.)