Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Oscars organizers say academy exceeds diversity goal as 'Parasite' cast, others join The organization that awards the Oscars said on Tuesday it had invited 819 new members to join its ranks and exceeded a goal set four years ago to diversify the group's membership by 2020.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs. New York attorney general announces $19 million settlement in Harvey Weinstein lawsuits

An agreement has been reached to settle for nearly $19 million two sexual misconduct lawsuits on behalf of multiple women against imprisoned former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, attorneys said on Tuesday. But lawyers representing six of the women who have made accusations against Weinstein called the proposed deal a "complete sellout" that did not require the 68-year-old former film producer to accept responsibility or pay out of his own pocket. Carl Reiner, American comedy pioneer, dead at 98

Carl Reiner, a driving force in American comedy as a writer for television pioneer Sid Caesar, partner of Mel Brooks and creator and co-star of the classic sitcom "The Dick Van Dyke Show," has died at age 98 of natural causes, his assistant said on Tuesday. His career spanned seven decades and every medium from theater and recordings to television and movies, including directing "Oh, God!," three collaborations with Steve Martin and a role as an elderly con man in the revived "Ocean's Eleven" series. Kanye West praised for new single on racism, slammed for 'billionaire' tweet

Kanye West received both plaudits and criticism on Tuesday when he released a powerful new single about racism and faith a day after congratulating his wife Kim Kardashian on what he said was her billionaire status. West was slammed on social media for touting his family's wealth in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that has seen more than 36 million Americans lose their jobs. Mickey Mouse fans 'over the moon' as Tokyo Disney reopens

Tokyo Disney Resort welcomed visitors on Wednesday for the first time in four months after being closed due to the coronavirus, with fans practicing social distance as they returned to see Mickey Mouse and other beloved characters. Visitors in face masks queuing on floor marks clapped as the gates of the Magic Kingdom reopened, and were encouraged to clean hands, pay without cash and avoid screaming while enjoying one of Japan's largest theme parks. Los Angeles delays movie theater reopenings after rise in coronavirus cases

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday announced he was taking a "hard pause" on when movie theaters in the city can reopen, citing an increase in coronavirus cases. Los Angeles County is the biggest movie theater market in the United States. Oscars organizers say academy exceeds diversity goal as 'Parasite' cast, others join

The organization that awards the Oscars said on Tuesday it had invited 819 new members to join its ranks and exceeded a goal set four years ago to diversify the group's membership by 2020. Among the new members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are several stars of South Korean drama "Parasite," the group said in a statement. In February, "Parasite" became the first foreign-language movie to win best picture. Universal Declaration of Human Rights inspires musical work, 'Voices'

Composer Max Richter's new album "Voices" features narrators reading parts of the 70-year-old Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which he believes can stir hope in a world where we "lurch from crisis to crisis". His piece starts with the voice of Eleanor Roosevelt, first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, who was instrumental in setting up the Declaration in 1948 after World War Two. AMC delays reopening date by two weeks to July 30

AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc said on Monday it has delayed the reopening of its theaters in the United States by two weeks to July 30. The world's largest movie theater operator said that the date aligns with the release of Disney's "Mulan" and Christopher Nolan's thriller, "Tenet", that have been pushed to August. Writing on the wall: Congolese murals counter COVID-19 denial

In central Kinshasa, freshly painted murals show traditional idols wearing medical masks or applying hand sanitiser, part of an art initiative to counter public disbelief in the face of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping Democratic Republic of Congo. The number of confirmed cases in Congo has doubled in less than a month to almost 7,000, piling pressure on the poorly equipped health system. Some hospitals have started turning patients away even as many across the central African nation remain unaware or sceptical of COVID-19's dangers. MTV Video Music Awards to be held in physical New York venue on August 30

The MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) show will take place in New York at the end of August, MTV and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday, marking the first major awards show since the coronavirus pandemic that will occur in a physical venue. MTV and Cuomo said the Aug. 30 VMA show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn would follow safety guidelines and would have "limited capacity or no audience."