Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

A century on, Budapest circus revives ​Houdini's daring escapes

Bound in chains, plunged upside down into a ​water-filled tank and flirting with death, Harry Houdini returned ‌to ​the stage in Budapest on Friday as a new circus production celebrated the legendary escape artist a century after his death. The Circus of Budapest premiered a performance inspired by Houdini's most famous feats, recreating ‌some of the daring escapes that left audiences astonished and helped turn him into one of the world's first entertainment superstars.

Hello Kitty maker Sanrio cuts ties with TV spy show after China backlash

Hello Kitty maker Sanrio has cancelled a collaboration with a Japanese TV spy show after a ‌backlash in China, the second incident in days to highlight the tightrope foreign firms and celebrities must walk in the lucrative market. The ‌Wednesday announcement by Sanrio's Chinese subsidiary came just after French soccer star Kylian Mbappe apologised for remarks about late Chinese leader Mao Zedong that saw several Chinese sponsors cut ties with him.

Indian broadcaster Zee’s profit falls as FIFA-related costs weigh

India’s Zee Entertainment Enterprises reported a 38% drop in quarterly profit on Friday, as costs related to the FIFA ⁠World Cup broadcast ​and other initiatives offset gains ⁠from subscription growth. Here are some details:

Empathy and purpose drive Los Javis' Oscar hopeful 'La Bola Negra'

Spanish filmmakers Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi said their sophomore feature "La Bola Negra", which has ⁠emerged as an Oscar contender, took them on the journey of their lives and left them with many more ideas they cannot wait to tackle. Industry buzz ​over a possible Oscar has built for the film since its launch at the Cannes Film Festival in May where ⁠the duo, nicknamed "Los Javis", won a best directing prize.

Universal Music Q3 subscription revenue growth tops expectations

Universal Music Group reported on Thursday a pick-up in subscription streaming revenue in the third ⁠quarter ​and said pressures on market share has moderated from the first half of the year. "This quarter showed clear progress: subscription revenue growth accelerated and adjusted EBITDA margin, excluding Downtown, expanded by 40 basis points, led by stronger margins in Recorded Music," CFO Matt Ellis said.

Patrick Stewart, ⁠Shakespearean actor turned 'Star Trek' and 'X-Men' star, dies at 86

Patrick Stewart, who rose from poverty in England to become an accomplished Shakespearean stage ⁠actor and then achieved global stardom ⁠as the erudite Captain Jean-Luc Picard in TV's "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the telepathic Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" movies, has died at the age of 86.

Stewart, knighted in 2010 by Queen ‌Elizabeth II for his contributions ‌to drama, died at his home in Los Angeles, according to a ​statement on his X account.