Entertainment News Roundup: Jewish characters stir debate in Middle East; World's biggest film festivals unite for 10-day global streaming event and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Ramadan period drama with Jewish characters stirs debate in Middle East

A period drama about the trials of a Jewish midwife airing on Saudi-controlled MBC for Ramadan has drawn both criticisms as an attempt to promote Arab "normalization" with Israel and praise for a rare exploration of the Gulf's social history. "Umm Haroun", a fictional series about a multi-religious community in an unspecified Gulf Arab state in the 1930s to 1950s, began airing on Friday as part of MBC's lineup for the Muslim holy month when viewership typically spikes.

World's biggest film festivals unite for 10-day global streaming event

More than 20 film festivals around the world have joined together to stream movies free on YouTube after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered movie theaters and forced the cancellation of annual showcases in Cannes and New York. The 10-day "We Are One: A Global Film Festival" will feature content curated by the Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Sundance, Toronto and Tribeca film festivals, among others, starting on May 29, organizers Tribeca Enterprises and YouTube said in a statement on Monday.

Hungarian couple recreate scenes from 'Game of Thrones', 'Ghost' during lockdown

Bored by the weeks-long coronavirus lockdown? Not Hungarian film buffs Fanni and Norbert who have recreated dozens of scenes in their flat from "Ghost", the "Game of Thrones", "Scarface" and other films using whatever household utensils they could find. The couple's photos quickly went viral on social media, and now they just can't stop, coming up every day with new ideas.

HBO Max streaming service will be available on Apple devices at May 27 launch

HBO Max, the forthcoming streaming service from AT&T Inc. -owned WarnerMedia, will be available on Apple Inc. devices when it launches on May 27, the company said on Monday. Customers will be able to access HBO Max on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices, as well as the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD. Customers with second- and third-generation Apple TV models will be able to stream HBO Max content from their iPhone or iPad to their TV with AirPlay.