Entertainment News Roundup: Grammy Awards organizers tighten rules; DJ Avicii in Sweden to be honored and more

Los Angeles movie theaters fail to get green light to reopenLos Angeles County officials said on Wednesday that movie and TV production could resume on Friday, but movie theaters in the biggest market in the United States must remain closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Grammy Awards organizers tighten conflict of interest rules, say show to go ahead in January

Organizers of the annual Grammy Awards on Wednesday announced tighter rules regarding conflicts of interest after claims that nominations for the highest honors in the music industry were rigged. They also said the next Grammy Awards show would go ahead as planned in January 2021, despite the coronavirus epidemic that has sidelined multiple cultural events.

New museum to honour late Swedish DJ Avicii in Sweden

A museum in memory of the late electronic dance DJ Avicii will open in his birthplace Stockholm as part of a new digital culture center next year, its founders announced on Tuesday. Avicii, whose real name was Tim Bergling, achieved world fame with his feel-good tracks "Wake Me Up", "Hey Brother" and "Sunshine", which he co-produced with David Guetta and which was nominated for a Grammy in 2012.

Los Angeles movie theaters fail to get green light to reopen

Los Angeles County officials said on Wednesday that movie and TV production could resume on Friday, but movie theaters in the biggest market in the United States must remain closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. California state officials said earlier this week that movie theaters could reopen as early as Friday, pending approval from local officials, with attendance capped at 25% of capacity and other hygiene and social-distancing protocols.

'Gone with the Wind,' 'Cops' pulled as pop culture reckons with racism

Oscar-winning Civil War epic "Gone with the Wind" was pulled from the HBO Max streaming service and reality TV show "Cops" was canceled as America's reckoning with systemic racism extended to its popular culture. Less than 24 hours later, the DVD for "Gone with the Wind" jumped to the top of Amazon.com Inc's list of best-selling TV shows and movies.

The show can't go on - bleak times for London's theater people

Rehearsals had been going on for months and opening night was just a week away when the coronavirus outbreak forced the theater to close. Actors Rosalie Craig and Hadley Fraser were due to appear in a production of the musical "City of Angels" at the Garrick, one of many theaters in London's West End district, when the government shut down entertainment venues on March 16.

U.S. theatre world accused of exploiting, excluding people of color

Viola Davis, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Cynthia Erivo joined some 300 actors and playwrights on Tuesday in decrying racism in the U.S. theatre world, saying it had exploited, excluded and diminished people of color. In an open letter addressed to "Dear White American Theatre," the signatories complained of tokenism, prioritizing white theatre for white audiences, and a failure to make promised changes in programming or leadership.

Harry Potter star says 'transgender women are women' after J.K. Rowling tweets spark row

Daniel Radcliffe, who played the young wizarding hero in the Harry Potter films, has said "transgender women are women" after an outcry over tweets by author J.K. Rowling criticizing the use of the phrase "people who menstruate". Rowling, 54, said women menstruated, prompting some people to respond that being a woman should not be defined by having periods.

Disney eyes July reopen for California theme parks

Walt Disney Co plans to reopen the Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure park on July 17, pending approval from state and local authorities. The theme parks based in Anaheim, California have been shut since March 14 to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coachella, Stagecoach music festivals canceled for 2020 on virus concerns

The 2020 editions of the Coachella music festival and its country music counterpart Stagecoach have been canceled due to concerns over a possible autumn resurgence of COVID-19 cases, Riverside County health officials said late Wednesday. "I am concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall," said the County's Public Health Officer Cameron Kaiser, who signed the order canceling the festivals.

Disney's take on young adult novel 'Artemis Fowl' debuts Friday

Walt Disney Co on Friday will release a film adaptation of popular young adult book series "Artemis Fowl," one that its stars and director admit differs from the story written by Irish author Eoin Colfer. A movie trailer released in March prompted criticism from some fans because it appeared the title character was a hero rather than the villain he was made out to be in the first "Artemis Fowl" book, which was published in 2001. Seven other books followed through 2012.

(With inputs from agencies.)