Entertainment News Roundup: Roger Corman, influential B-movie king who nurtured great directors, dies at 98; Eric Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' guitar up for sale, cigarette burns included and more

There is much to be thrilled about, with Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis," and Emma Stone - fresh off "Poor Things" success - teaming up again with Yorgos Lanthimos in "Kinds of Kindness" - among the big-name films premiering. Switzerland wins Eurovision Song Contest amid Gaza protests Switzerland on Saturday won the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Swedish host city Malmo, beating runner-up Croatia, after having been among bookmakers' top-three to win the competition.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Director Mohammad Rasoulof flees Iran ahead of Cannes premiere

Mohammad Rasoulof, a celebrated Iranian director whose latest film is competing in the Cannes Film Festival, has fled Iran after being sentenced to eight years in prison and flogging. In a statement dated Sunday, Rasoulof said he was in an unspecified location in Europe. "I had to choose between prison and leaving Iran. With a heavy heart, I chose exile," it said.

Roger Corman, influential B-movie king who nurtured great directors, dies at 98

Low-budget cinema maestro Roger Corman, who cranked out hundreds of outrageous films over six decades and helped launch the careers of acclaimed directors Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron and Ron Howard, died on Thursday at age 98, family members said. Corman, a producer and director hailed as the "king of B movies," died at his home in Santa Monica, California, his wife and daughters said in an post on his Instagram account late on Saturday without giving the cause of death.

Eric Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' guitar up for sale, cigarette burns included

For sale, vintage guitar with proven heritage. At least one not-so careful owner. The acoustic guitar that auctioneers say Eric Clapton used to compose his hit ballad "Wonderful Tonight" is going under the hammer next month with a guide price of up to $500,000.

Cannes festival director laments focus on controversies rather than cinema

Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux lamented on Monday an increased focus in recent years on political and social issues in the movie industry, which he said came at the expense of the actual films. "In the past, people only talked about the cinema. We as organizers only had one anxiety - the films: will people like them, will people hate them?" Fremaux said at a news conference with journalists on Monday.

TV upfront presentations clouded by digital video ad supremacy

As television executives prepare lavish stage presentations in New York this week to dazzle advertisers during the annual TV upfront sales season, a harsh economic reality looms offstage -- digital video advertising now eclipses spending on traditional television ads. The shift in spending and competition from tech players like Amazon has taken a toll on media companies' financial results, raising the stakes for the annual showcase of TV content to attract spending commitments from advertisers.

Nemo's Eurovision win fires up Swiss advocates for non-binary rights

Swiss advocates for non-binary rights hailed local star Nemo's victory in Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest, urging the country's authorities to enable official recognition of people who identify as neither male or female. In a politically charged night in the Swedish city of Malmo, Nemo, a 24-year-old Swiss musician who uses they/them pronouns, claimed the top spot after dominating the jury section of the vote to beat out the audience favourite, Croatia's Baby Lasagna.

'Downton Abbey' to return with a third movie

The fictitious Crawley family and their servants running a sprawling English country estate in the early 20th century are returning for a third "Downton Abbey" movie, which will feature old and new faces. The award-winning "Downton Abbey" gained a huge following in Britain and the United States after it first aired as a television series in 2010. It went on for six seasons and was followed by two films, released in 2019 and 2022.

Big movies, strange mood as Cannes Film Festival prepares for opening night

The excitement that usually builds to a crescendo ahead of the Cannes Film Festival's opening night has been reined in this year by rumours of potentially explosive #MeToo allegations, and a possible festival workers' strike that could shut down the event. There is much to be thrilled about, with Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis," and Emma Stone - fresh off "Poor Things" success - teaming up again with Yorgos Lanthimos in "Kinds of Kindness" - among the big-name films premiering.

Switzerland wins Eurovision Song Contest amid Gaza protests

Switzerland on Saturday won the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Swedish host city Malmo, beating runner-up Croatia, after having been among bookmakers' top-three to win the competition. Billed as a feel-good celebration of European diversity, this year's contest has been thrust into the political spotlight with calls for Israel to be excluded over its military campaign in Gaza, triggered by Hamas' deadly attack on Oct. 7 in Israel.

Let in our flag, EU encourages Eurovision after ban 'mistake'

The Eurovision Song Contest's ban of the European Union flag was a "completely regrettable" mistake that should be rectified next year, the European Commission said on Monday. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which operates Eurovision, said Swedish host broadcaster SVT chose to limit flags among participants and the audience at the venue in Malmo to those of the participating countries, along with the rainbow flag.

(With inputs from agencies.)