Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs. It's a (mostly) man's world as 'Joker' leads Oscar nominations

Dark comic-book story "Joker" led nominations on Monday for the Oscars in a best picture lineup dominated by stories by or about men and featuring only one actor of color despite efforts over the past few years to diversify the field. The 11 nods for "Joker," which turned the comic-book genre on its head with its terrifying portrayal of an isolated loner, covered all the major fields, including best picture, director Todd Phillips and Golden Globe-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix. The controversial Warner Bros. movie has taken in more than $1 billion at global box offices. Oscar voters pass over big names including Eddie Murphy, JLo

Hollywood's Oscar voters passed over big names including Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro on Monday, while issuing a surprise first Academy Award nomination to actor Antonio Banderas for Spanish film "Pain and Glory." Singer and actress Lopez was widely praised for her role as an enterprising pole dancer in "Hustlers" as was Murphy for his lead role in "Dolemite is My Name." But neither landed among the contenders for acting honors that will be awarded at the Oscars ceremony on Feb. 9 after both had been nominated for Golden Globe awards. Obamas' production company lands Oscar nod for documentary 'American Factory'

Barack and Michelle Obama's production company scored an Oscar nomination on Monday for "American Factory," a documentary that chronicled what happened to workers when a Chinese billionaire purchased a manufacturing plant in the U.S. Midwest. "American Factory" is the first release from Higher Ground Productions, a company the former U.S. president and first lady founded in 2018 as they unveiled a multiyear deal to supply programing to Netflix Inc. The film will compete for best documentary at the Academy Awards on Feb. 9. Box Office: '1917' Defeats 'Star Wars' With $36.5 Million Weekend

Sam Mendes' "1917" marched to box office victory, earning a solid $36.5 million from 3,434 theaters in its first weekend of wide release. Universal and DreamWorks' World War I drama also defeated Disney's "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker," the final chapter in the sequel trilogy that has ruled box office charts since debuting in late December. The tentpole slid to second place, generating another $15 million for a domestic haul of $478 million. Netflix lands a leading 24 Oscar nominations in quest for best picture trophy

Streaming video service Netflix Inc will have another chance to snatch the movie industry's top prize from Hollywood's traditional film studios at next month's Academy Awards. Two Netflix movies, Mafia epic "The Irishman" and divorce drama "Marriage Story," scored nominations on Monday for the coveted best picture trophy that will be awarded on Feb. 9. Netflix received 24 nominations overall, more than any other movie distributor. Keeping it real: a behind-the-scenes look at 'The Lion King' visual effects

How do you make a computer-generated lion, warthog and hyena look real while singing and talking at the same time? That was the challenge a visual effects team of more than 1,000 people faced when working on Disney's "The Lion King" remake of the 1994 animation, aiming to bring to life the much-loved characters, Mufasa and Simba, against a stunning but fake African savannah backdrop. Model Gigi Hadid shows up for New York jury duty in Weinstein rape trial

More than 100 potential jurors showed up on Monday in a Manhattan courtroom for the rape trial of former movie producer Harvey Weinstein, including model Gigi Hadid. The Weinstein trial entered its second week as the judge and lawyers in the case sought to select a panel of 12 impartial New Yorkers to decide his fate. Brad Pitt bounces back with Oscar acting nod

Brad Pitt scored an Oscar nomination on Monday for his performance as a charming stuntman in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," cementing his return to the forefront of show business. Pitt, 56, has never won an acting Oscar despite 30 years in the movie industry and three previous nominations. French designer cancels Paris fashion show, derailed by strike chaos

French designer Christophe Josse decided on Monday to cancel his catwalk show in Paris next week, blaming weeks of strikes against pension reforms for wrecking his preparations, just as the city gears up for two weeks of fashion events. The cancellation is an early sign of the disruption that the strikes, which have hit transport services in and around Paris hardest, could cause to Paris Fashion Week, and hotels, retailers and restaurants are already counting the costs. 'Parasite' director Bong says 'language barrier' broken after Oscar nod

"Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho said he was surprised and overjoyed when the film won six Oscar nominations on Monday, a historic first for South Korea's film industry and a sign that language is no longer a barrier to global success. "Parasite," a dark comedy about the vast gap between the rich and poor in South Korea, snagged a coveted best picture nomination, best director for Bong, and best screenplay in addition to its best international feature nomination.