Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Apple TV's dark comedy 'Where's Wanda?' shows German TV can travel, cast says

The cast of Apple TV's dark comedy "Where's Wanda?" says streaming platforms have given German-language television productions international reach and challenged perceptions ​that the country's entertainment industry has only national appeal. "Where's Wanda?", which launched its second season on Wednesday, centres around the Klatt family, whose daughter Wanda finds herself caught ​up in her picturesque town's criminal underbelly while her parents and brother investigate the neighbours in an attempt to ‌clear her ​name.

‘Glee’ to return in reboot for Disney+ and Hulu

"Glee," the hit musical comedy-drama television series, is set to return in a reboot, streaming services Disney+ and Hulu announced on Wednesday. "It's official, Glee is returning," the platforms said in a joint Instagram post, though they provided no additional details about the project or its release timeline.

Netflix's ad stumble deepens fears its growth is hitting a wall

Netflix's cut to its advertising sales forecast is fuelling concerns that its growth engine is losing steam, threatening the edge that made it a model ‌for the media industry. Shares of the company fell nearly 5% in Wednesday afternoon trading after Netflix forecast a fourth consecutive quarter of slowing revenue growth, as one of Hollywood's biggest spenders on original content struggles to deliver major hits.

Comedian Russell Brand anally raped me, woman tells UK trial

British actor and comedian Russell Brand anally raped a woman who had willingly gone to his house for consensual sex, ignoring her pleas for him to stop, the accuser told police in an interview played to a London court on Tuesday. Brand, once one of Britain's most high-profile broadcasters and the former husband of US singer Katy Perry, is on trial accused of three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault against six women between ‌1999 and 2009.

UK actor Noel Clarke pleads not guilty to six sexual offence charges

British actor and filmmaker Noel Clarke appeared in a London court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to six charges, including two counts of sexual assault. Clarke also denied three counts of voyeurism and one count of exposing himself, with the allegations spanning 2007 to 2016.

Actor ‌Tom Skerritt, star of 'Alien' and 'Top Gun,' dies at 93

Versatile actor Tom Skerritt, who starred in Hollywood megahits including the sci-fi classic "Alien," the war comedy "M*A*S*H," and the action drama "Top Gun," has died at the age of 93. Skerritt, a Detroit native whose Hollywood career spanned from the 1960s to the 2020s, died on Wednesday of natural causes, his family said in a statement.

Netflix co-CEO Sarandos says 'we could do better' after weak forecast

Netflix issued weaker-than-expected guidance for fourth-quarter profit and cut its full-year advertising forecast on Tuesday, days after the streaming pioneer laid off 6% of its workforce and replaced two of its top programming executives. Shares of Netflix fell nearly 6% to $64.66 in after-hours trading. The stock had fallen more than 40% in a year before the earnings report.

Judi Dench says worsening eyesight means she can no longer act

British actress Judi Dench said her eyesight had deteriorated to the point that she could ⁠no longer act on ​stage or in films. Dench, 91, has had macular degeneration for more than a decade.

Canadian publisher says Thelyson ⁠Orelien used AI to write award-winning book, ends relationship

Canadian publishing house Les Editions du Boreal said on Wednesday it had ended its professional relationship with Haitian-Canadian author Thelyson Orelien after it found that he had used artificial intelligence to write his award-winning book. Orelien's debut novel, "C'etait ca ou mourir" ("It was either that or die"), won a host of literary awards and was due to be translated into multiple languages before a little-known X account said ⁠last month that it was written almost entirely with AI

Comcast plans significant job cuts, Bloomberg News reports

Comcast Corp is planning a significant number of job cuts as part of a restructuring of its cable-TV, broadband and wireless businesses, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the plan. The cuts, aimed at creating a nimble workforce and freeing up cash for investments, could start being announced in a ​matter of weeks, the report said, without revealing how many jobs were at stake

Elon Musk invests about $1 billion in Skydance, CNBC reports

Elon Musk has made a roughly $1 billion investment in Skydance, CNBC reported on Thursday, citing a person familiar with the matter. Representatives for Skydance and Musk did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for ⁠comment.

The whimsical world of 'Wildwood' comes to life in Laika's most ambitious stop-motion film

What began as a visit to a forest on the outskirts of Portland blossomed into the magical world of the stop-motion film "Wildwood," Laika Studios' most ambitious project to date.

"The beginning was this germ of an idea," said Colin Meloy, author of the 2011 novel of the same name on which the film is based.

Tom Cruise to be honored with American Film Institute award

Actor ⁠Tom Cruise, ​known for movies from "Risky Business" to "Top Gun," will receive the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award at a Hollywood ceremony in April, organizers said on Wednesday. The AFI, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting movies, has bestowed the honor annually since 1973. Previous recipients include Bette Davis, Gene Kelley, Elizabeth Taylor and Tom Hanks.

EA to shutter BioWare studio, cut jobs as it narrows game slate

Electronic Arts is planning to close BioWare, the developer of the "Mass Effect" series of games, and lay off employees to focus on more lucrative projects, the company said on Wednesday in an email to employees. Here are some details:

Marvel's gem-studded Infinity Gauntlet replica heads to auction in Abu Dhabi

A replica of the Infinity Gauntlet, the powerful artifact featured ⁠in Marvel Comics and Marvel films, will go up for auction on December 8 in Abu Dhabi, Julien's Auctions and East Continental Gems said on Thursday. The oversized glove, embedded with six gemstones representing the Infinity Stones, was made famous in the 2018 film "Avengers: Infinity War," in which the purple villain Thanos uses the gauntlet to wipe out half ⁠of all life with a snap of his fingers.

Singer Raye wins Mercury Prize for 'This Music ⁠May Contain Hope'

Singer Raye won the Mercury Prize for her second studio album "This Music May Contain Hope" on Thursday, beating the likes of veteran Paul McCartney, rock band Suede and rapper Dave for the British music award. Judges praised the "scale, structure, ambition and sheer charm" of the 28-year-old chart-topper's 73-minute record, which blends jazz, orchestral pop, funk and other genres.

Soccer-FIFA opens bidding for 2030 and 2034 World Cup media rights covering US and Puerto Rico

FIFA opened the bidding process for US media rights to the 2030 World Cup on Thursday along with ‌an option to secure the 2034 edition, adding that it has ‌yet to decide whether to keep the controversial hydration breaks introduced this year that opened up additional advertising windows for broadcasters. FIFA said in a press release that it was open ​to "innovative approaches" to reach large audiences and that the bid submission deadline is November 19.