Entertainment News Roundup: Kristen Stewart aims to shine spotlight on Jean Seberg; Taylor Swift's 'Lover' album breaks new record in China

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Actress Valerie Harper of 'Mary Tyler Moore show' dies at 80

Actress Valerie Harper, who won four Emmy awards playing budding feminist Rhoda Morgenstern on the classic 1970s TV series "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and her own spinoff sitcom, died on Friday at the age of 80. Harper died on Friday morning, her daughter Cristina Cacciotti said, declining to give further details. Harper's husband, Tony Cacciotti, said in July that doctors advised that the actress, who was suffering from brain cancer, be placed in hospice care.

Woman on fire: Larrain's 'Ema' tells tale of liberation

To the thumping beat of reggaeton, Chilean television actress Mariana Di Girolamo dances her way through Pablo Larrain's "Ema", her major film debut about a woman on a journey of self-discovery as her family life falls apart. Set in the Chilean port city of Valparaiso, Di Girolama and Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal play married couple Ema and Gaston, a dancer and choreographer in an experimental dance troupe.

More than a haircut: Kristen Stewart aims to shine spotlight on Jean Seberg

Forty years after actress Jean Seberg died, Kristin Stewart says she wants to show the world that the star of the French New Wave should be known for more than just her short haircut. The 29-year-old plays the actress in a political thriller detailing how the FBI targeted Seberg in the late 1960s because of her personal and political links to African American civil rights activist Hakim Jamal.

Villain in Venice: Joaquin Phoenix goes from tragic to comic in 'Joker'

One of Gotham's most famous villains arrived at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, in a standalone dark story telling the origins of the Joker. Joaquin Phoenix follows in the footsteps of Jack Nicholson, the late Heath Ledger and most recently Jared Leto to play Batman's nemesis in "Joker", turning him from a vulnerable beaten down loner into the confident, makeup wearing baddie.

Prague opera lovers watch 'Don Giovanni' on rooftop - and in bath tubs

Mozart's "Don Giovanni" has been a favorite among opera lovers since it premiered in Prague in 1787 but it is unlikely that any have ever watched it on a rooftop in the Czech capital while submerged in a bath tub, a glass of bubbly in hand - till now. That's how Prague cafe owner and culture promoter Ondrej Kobza arranged his performance, delivered by top Czech opera singers, including soloist Adam Plachetka from the Vienna Opera, as the sun set over the historic city center on Thursday night.

Darth Dorian? Hurricane nixes some 'Star Wars' fans' Disney dream trips

Some "Star Wars" fans who have waited decades to see the Millennium Falcon, blue milk and other artifacts of the long ago, far, far away, universe up close will have to wait just a little longer, thanks to Hurricane Dorian. The storm is bearing down on Florida just as Orlando's Walt Disney World resort is opening its "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" attraction for the Labor Day holiday weekend, prompting some travelers to cancel their trips.

Persecution a point of issue as Polanski's Dreyfus Affair movie premieres at Venice

Roman Polanski's new film "An Officer and a Spy", a portrayal of the notorious Dreyfus Affair in 19th Century France, premieres at the Venice Film Festival on Friday to renewed controversy over the director, given his conviction for a sex crime. Polanski has sought to compare his own situation with that of Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish artillery officer in the French army who in 1894 was convicted of treason and shipped to the Devil's Island penal colony off South America's Atlantic coast.

Dutch port city of Rotterdam to host 2020 Eurovision Song Contest

The Dutch port city of Rotterdam will host the 65th Eurovision Song Contest next year, organizers said on Friday, after it triumphed over its only other rival, the southern town of Maastricht. Dutch singer-songwriter Duncan Laurence won this year's contest in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, beating 25 other contestants with his piano ballad "Arcade". It was the first time the Netherlands had won the contest since 1975.

Taylor Swift's 'Lover' album breaks new record in China

U.S. singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's album "Lover" broke a new record for an international artist in China on Friday as it surpassed one million combined total streams, downloads and sales within a week of its release. The combined total makes it China's most-consumed full-length international album ever in such a short space of time.

Polanski's Dreyfus affair film premieres at Venice amid controversy

Roman Polanski's new film "An Officer and a Spy", a portrayal of the notorious Dreyfus Affair in 19th-century France, premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Friday to a renewed controversy over the director, given his conviction for a sex crime. Polanski has sought to compare his own situation with that of Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish artillery officer in the French army who in 1894 was convicted of treason and shipped to the Devil's Island penal colony off South America's Atlantic coast.

Also Read: People News Roundup: Actress Valerie Harper of 'Mary Tyler Moore show' dies at 80

(With inputs from agencies.)