Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

'Totally outrageous': Tom Cruise unleashes 'Digger' at star-studded royal premiere

Tom Cruise described his character in "Digger" as "totally outrageous" and unlike any role he had ​encountered before, speaking at the film's world premiere in London on Tuesday. "He's the kind of character that says things that ​some people think, some people can't imagine thinking," the Hollywood star told Reuters. "I've never read ‌a ​character like it. I've never read a film like this."

Filipino folklore takes center stage in DreamWorks' 'Forgotten Island' film

Oscar-winning R&B singer Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, professionally known as H.E.R., was transported back to the Filipino folktales her mother used to tell her while discussing DreamWorks' upcoming animated film "Forgotten Island," which arrives in theaters on Friday. The Black and Filipino American singer, who voices one of the movie's lead characters, told Reuters that ‌her mother often focused on the fearsome Manananggal, a creature from Filipino folklore known for splitting its body in two.

Paramount wins Warner Bros takeover after settling states, union lawsuits

Paramount Skydance emerged victorious on Monday from a legal battle over its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery after settling with a California-led group of US states and a Hollywood writers union, paving the way for one of the largest media mergers in history. The settlement marks a major win for Paramount CEO David Ellison, who battled the states for months to finalize a deal that would dramatically concentrate power across Hollywood's ‌film, TV, streaming and news businesses.

Taylor Swift announces new music on 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore'

Taylor Swift announced an expanded version of her 12th studio album titled "The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore" on Wednesday, with four new songs written after the historic success ‌of the record's release a year ago. "The Encore" will be released on Friday, Swift said in an Instagram post. "The Life of a Showgirl" was released last October and topped several records, with every one of its 12 songs landing in the top 12 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Disney to raise prices on Disney+, Hulu subscriptions, Bloomberg News reports

Disney will raise prices on several streaming subscriptions, including its flagship ad-free Disney+ plan, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Major streaming platforms have steadily increased subscription prices and rolled out advertising-backed plans as they look to drive revenue growth, offset rising content costs and improve the profitability of their digital businesses.

Jarvis Cocker remembers ⁠Pulp's first time ​in new documentary

Almost half a century after their birth, Britpop darlings Pulp ⁠are stars of a documentary that delves back into the band's roots in the childhood dreams of gangly frontman Jarvis Cocker. In "Pulp: What Do You Do For An Encore?" Cocker narrates flashbacks based on diary entries he scrawled out at school in the northern English city of Sheffield in the 1970s, mapping out his "masterplan" for Pulp's ⁠success.

CNN, CBS News oversight board will be 'toothless,' experts warn

David Ellison is set to take control https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/paramount-settles-with-california-other-states-clearing-major-hurdle-warner-bros-2026-09-21/ of two of the biggest news organizations in the US after his Paramount Skydance completes its takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, giving him wide influence over the news media landscape. But experts warn his promise of editorial independence ​for CNN and CBS News is a hollow one. Ellison agreed to create an editorial independence board to oversee CNN and CBS as part of Monday's settlement https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/key-terms-paramounts-warner-bros-discovery-settlement-with-us-states-2026-09-21/ with a coalition of 12 US states and a Hollywood writers' union. The group ⁠will be made up of five veteran journalists, to "establish guiding editorial and journalism principles for the combined entity's news channels," according to the agreement.

Canadian and French publishers stand by author accused of using AI for prize-winning novel

The publishers of an award-winning novel by Haitian-Canadian author Thelyson Orelien have defended the writer against accusations he used artificial intelligence to ⁠write ​it, and said they stand behind him. Orelien denied using AI tools to write "C'etait Ca ou Mourir" ("It Was Either That or Die") on Tuesday, a day after a little-known X account called "Balance ton Claude" said that running passages through AI detection tool Pangram showed the novel "was written almost entirely by artificial intelligence."

Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 15 years for New York sexual assault

A New York judge sentenced former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein to 15 years in prison on Wednesday for sexually assaulting a former production assistant in 2006, following the ex-movie mogul's conviction at a retrial ⁠last year. Weinstein, 74, was convicted in June 2025 of first-degree criminal sexual act for assaulting Miriam Haley at his Manhattan apartment, the culmination of a six-year legal saga that saw his 2020 conviction overturned by New York's highest court. Weinstein has denied assaulting anyone ⁠or having non-consensual sex.

Ex-BBC Radio DJ Westwood charged with two further sexual assault charges

Former ⁠BBC Radio DJ Tim Westwood has been charged with two further sexual offences, London's Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday. Westwood, a prominent figure in British hip-hop, faces a charge of indecently assaulting a teenage girl in 1991 and sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman in 2004.

Netherlands drops boycott of Eurovision song contest

The Netherlands will return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, abandoning a boycott over Israel's participation after public ‌broadcaster NPO said it would take over ‌responsibility for the Dutch entry. The Netherlands shunned the contest in 2026 to protest Israel's participation, and last month AvroTros, the broadcaster that usually facilitates the ​Dutch entry, said it would boycott the event again in 2027.