Entertainment News Roundup: Netflix and Amazon face censorship threat in India; Robbie Williams to release first ever Christmas album

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Alicia Alonso, Cuba's ballet legend, dies at age 98

Legendary Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso, who achieved global acclaim in the 1940s and went on to run the internationally renowned National Ballet of Cuba for decades, died on Thursday at age 98, state-run media said. "Alicia Alonso has gone and left an enormous void, but also an unbeatable legacy," President Miguel Diaz-Canel said in a post on Twitter. "She positioned Cuba at the altar of the best of dance worldwide. Thank you Alicia for your immortal work."

'Panama Papers' law firm sues Netflix over film based on scandal

Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian law firm at the center of the "Panama Papers" scandal, has filed a lawsuit against Netflix Inc over its new movie based on the case, accusing the video streaming company of defamation and seeking to stop the film's release. The Panama Papers, which consist of millions of documents stolen from Mossack Fonseca and leaked to the media in 2016, provoked a global scandal after showing how rich and powerful clients including Russian President Vladimir Putin and soccer superstar Lionel Messi used offshore corporations to evade taxes.

WarnerMedia's HBO Max to stream films of 'Spirited Away' producer

HBO Max, the forthcoming streaming service from AT&T Inc's WarnerMedia, will screen films from Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation producer behind the Academy Award-winning movie "Spirited Away". This is the first time a streaming provider has obtained rights to Ghibli's films, WarnerMedia said on Thursday.

Hitler satire 'Jojo Rabbit' mixes dark humor with plea for tolerance

New Zealand movie director Taika Waititi says he likes a challenge and his satire of Adolf Hitler and Nazi culture may be his riskiest and most successful yet. "Jojo Rabbit," which Waititi wrote, directed and in which he plays a ridiculous Hitler, combines dark, absurdist humor with a serious plea for tolerance as an antidote to hate.

Netflix and Amazon face censorship threat in India: source

India is deliberating potential censorship on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, a senior government source told Reuters. While film and TV certification bodies already moderate public content in India, the country's laws do not allow censorship of content on the increasingly popular online streaming platforms.

Grime star Stormzy, rockers the 1975 among Q Awards winners

Rockers the 1975 and grime star Stormzy triumphed at the Q Awards in London on Wednesday, winning Q Best Act in the World Today and Q Best Solo Artist, respectively, at the annual ceremony hosted by British music magazine Q. Eighteen awards, including some voted upon by readers, were handed out, including new accolades Q Song of the Decade which went to singer/songwriter Lana Del Rey's 2011 hit "Video Games" and Q Best Vocal Performance given to rapper and actor Little Simz.

Number of new Netflix shows to dwarf those from Disney, Apple at launch

Streaming video leader Netflix Inc is planning to release around 62 new original productions, including films, series, documentaries, and comedy specials, from October to December as it braces for the debut of rival services from Apple Inc and Walt Disney Co in November. By number of original episodes, Netflix will dominate the quarter, though Disney and Apple both have highly anticipated new series with A-list Hollywood stars.

Wanted: Intimacy coordinators. Hollywood's fastest growing job

Two years after a sexual harassment scandal roiled Hollywood, one of the fastest growing jobs in the entertainment industry is that of the intimacy director. Fueled by the #MeToo and Time's Up movements, demand is soaring for intimacy directors or coordinators who help choreograph TV and movie scenes involving sex or nudity and ensure that actors are not exploited or made to feel uncomfortable.

Singer Robbie Williams to release first ever Christmas album

British singer Robbie Williams is getting into the festive cheer, announcing on Friday he would release his first ever Christmas album this holiday season. "The Christmas Present", made up of two "Christmas Past" and "Christmas Future" discs and released on Nov. 22, will feature original songs and covers, including duets with the likes of singers Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Jamie Cullum as well as boxer Tyson Fury and Williams' father Peter Conway.

Malaysia orders China map cut from 'Abominable' film as furor widens

Malaysia's film censors have ordered a scene removed from the animated movie "Abominable" which shows China's "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea, an official said on Thursday, amid growing anger among countries with overlapping claims in the waterway. The U-shaped line is used on Chinese maps to illustrate its territorial claims over vast expanses of the resource-rich South China Sea, including areas claimed by other countries.

Also Read: Alicia Alonso, Cuba's ballet legend, dies at age 98

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