Entertainment News Roundup: Angolan app gives performers a lifeline; Uffizi masterpieces show Black culture's role and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Angolan app gives performers a lifeline - streaming to paying public

When the Angolan government imposed its coronavirus lockdown in late March, local entrepreneur and innovator Claudio Kiala saw a gap in the market when it came to virtual entertainment. Kiala and his team had been developing a performance platform known as Soba Channel App, before the crisis struck, where artists would be able to stream live shows and fans would pay to gain access.

Uffizi masterpieces show Black culture's role in the Renaissance

Italy's Uffizi gallery said on Thursday it was planning to pick out nine of its masterpieces for a project to highlight the part that Black people and culture played in the Renaissance. Under the "Black Presence" initiative, images of works including Cristofano dell'Altissimo's "Portrait of the King of Abyssinia" will be posted online from this weekend for a series of discussions and other events.

Musical 'Hamilton' goes from Broadway to America's living rooms

Five years after taking Broadway by storm with its multi-racial, hip-hop take on America's founding fathers, "Hamilton" arrives in millions of homes around the world on Friday as a film. Shot over three days in 2016 at the stage musical featuring the original cast, the film lands on the Disney+ streaming service as America celebrates Independence Day weekend.

Harry Potter fan sites step back from Rowling over transgender views

Two of the biggest Harry Potter fan sites on Thursday distanced themselves from author J.K. Rowling because of her beliefs on transgender issues, calling them at odds with the message of empowerment in her best-selling books. Websites The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet said they would no longer provide links to the British author's personal website, use photos of her, or write about achievements that do not relate to the Wizarding World she created.

Hollywood weighs how to foster lasting Black inclusion

Hollywood came under intense scrutiny for a lack of diversity in 2015 when the #OscarsSoWhite movement spotlighted the dearth of Black nominees for the film industry's highest honors. Following the mass protests after the death of African American George Floyd in U.S. police custody, the entertainment business faces new criticism for failing to do enough to include Black people in front of and behind the camera.

Scaled-down Czech film festival opens in empty auditorium

A Czech film festival disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic unveiled a scaled-down program of movies on Friday with an opening ceremony in an empty auditorium and a star-free red carpet. The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, central and eastern Europe's leading movie extravaganza, announced in April it was canceling its main events as the novel coronavirus shuttered cinemas and mass gatherings.

Johnny Depp's 'wife beater' libel case can go ahead, UK judge rules

A British judge ruled on Thursday that Hollywood star Johnny Depp's libel case against The Sun newspaper over claims he abused his ex-wife can go ahead next week after rejecting the publication's bid to have the case thrown out. Depp, the 57-year-old star of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, is suing the tabloid's publisher, News Group Newspapers, and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at London's High Court for libel over an article Wootton wrote in 2018 calling Depp a "wife beater".

Mexico's TV Azteca invests in music streaming company Deezer

Mexico's TV Azteca, a unit of Grupo Salinas, is investing in music streaming company Deezer with an agreement that includes an equity stake and commercial partnerships, the companies said in a statement on Thursday. Paris-based Deezer said the agreement, including commercial partnerships and access to TV Azteca's production capabilities, is estimated to have a $40 million value.

U.S. television broadcaster Hugh Downs dies at age 99

Hugh Downs, whose congeniality and authoritative manner allowed him to move between the world of game shows and U.S. network news, has died at the age of 99, the Arizona school named after him said on Thursday. Downs hosted the game show "Concentration" and the ABC News show "20/20" during a radio and television career of more than 60 years.

(With inputs from agencies.)