Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs. 1970s-era musicians sue Sony, UMG to reclaim song rights

David Johansen, John Waite and other prominent 1970s musicians filed lawsuits on Tuesday accusing Sony Music Entertainment Inc and UMG Recordings Inc of improperly refusing to let them reclaim rights to songs they had long ago signed away. The proposed class actions filed in Manhattan federal court said U.S. copyright law gives songwriters who bargained away their works on unfavorable terms a "second chance" to reclaim their rights by filing termination notices after 35 years. Birth certificate suggests rapper 21 Savage was born in London

A man with the same name as Grammy-nominated rapper 21 Savage, who was taken into custody in Atlanta on immigration charges over the weekend, was born in London, according to a copy of a British birth certificate obtained by Reuters. 21 Savage, whose name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was arrested on Sunday in Atlanta, the southern U.S. city in which he has based his music career. Oscars show to go hostless for only second time

This year's Oscar ceremony will go ahead without an official host for only the second time in its history, an ABC television executive said on Tuesday. Speaking just three weeks before the highest honors in the movie industry are handed out, ABC entertainment president Karey Burke said the Feb. 24 event would forgo a host and "just have presenters host the Oscars." High stakes as 'Alita: Battle Angel' hits screens

Manga-inspired action epic "Alita: Battle Angel" begins its worldwide cinema roll out this week but with a hefty budget and years in the making, producer James Cameron and director Robert Rodriguez acknowledge the stakes are high at the box office. The CGI-heavy action adventure about a cyborg heroine in a post-apocalyptic world is reported to have been made with a budget of around $200 million, according to the Hollywood press. Pop star Pink to be honored at London's BRIT Awards

Pop star Pink will receive the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award at this year's BRITs, organizers of Britain's pop music honors said on Thursday, naming the American singer-songwriter as the first international artist to receive the prize. The Grammy Award winner, known for chart-topping hits such as "Raise Your Glass, "Just Like a Pill" and "What About Us" since releasing her debut album in 2000, joins the likes of David Bowie, Elton John, Queen and the Spice Girls in receiving the award. Red carpet event for Liam Neeson movie scrapped after revenge remarks

The New York celebrity red carpet event on Tuesday for actor Liam Neeson's new film "Cold Pursuit" has been canceled in the wake of an interview in which Neeson said he wanted to kill a black man in response to the rape of a friend who said her attacker was black. Movie studio Lionsgate declined to comment but a source familiar with the matter said that a red carpet, where movie stars pose for photos and speak with reporters, would be inappropriate. Berlinale unrolls green carpet for politically charged film festival

A mother fleeing her violent husband, a serial killer who preys on women and famine in 1930s Ukraine are among the weighty social and political themes explored in films showcased at this year's Berlin Film Festival. Short on star power but strong on gender balance and political engagement, the 2019 Berlinale opens on Thursday evening with the premiere of Danish director Lone Scherfig's "The Kindness of Strangers". Puppets on a string draw children's smiles in Gaza

A Palestinian puppeteer is tugging at heartstrings in Gaza. At a kindergarten, Mahdi Karera, who describes himself as Gaza's first marionette-maker, put on a show about the importance of reading. Cardi B to lead girl power charge at Grammy Awards

Rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake may lead the nominations, but Sunday's Grammy Awards looks set to be a showcase for girl power. Outspoken rapper Cardi B, whose music and personal life has dominated pop culture for the past two years, leads the charge on music's biggest night with a live performance and five Grammy nominations, including for album and record of the year. Actress Jennifer Lawrence is engaged to art gallery director: media

Oscar winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, one of the most popular film stars in the world, is engaged to her boyfriend, an art gallery director, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday Her future husband is Cooke Maroney, 34, her representative confirmed to People Magazine, the publication reported on its website.

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