Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

South Korean TV drama production at risk of collapse, industry groups warn

Twelve South Korean industry groups urged ​the government on Wednesday to invest in and support production of Korean television dramas, known as K-dramas, ​warning that the country's production base risked collapse. K-dramas have been hugely popular globally, but ‌the ​number produced has fallen about 30% from 141 titles in 2022, according to the Korea Drama Production Association.

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.

Jury begins deliberations in Russell Brand's UK sexual offences trial

The jury in the trial of British comedian and actor Russell Brand, who is accused of a string of historical sex offences, began their deliberations on Tuesday. Brand, once a regular figure on British ‌television and star of a number of Hollywood movies, is accused of three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and an attempted indecent assault involving six women between 1999 and 2009.

Versant's MS NOW brings streaming membership ‌to Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV

Versant's MS NOW said on Monday it was expanding its direct-to-consumer membership to connected TV platforms, letting members watch its live feed on a TV without a cable subscription for the first time, a day before the US midterm elections. Here are more details:

Keira Knightley says returning spy thriller 'Black Doves' balances humour and moral complexity

"Black Doves" may be packed with assassins and high-octane action sequences, but the joy of the Netflix spy thriller lies in its blend of humour and morally complex characters, Keira Knightley said at the London launch ⁠of the show's ​second season on Monday. Speaking against a backdrop of fireworks over ⁠the city skyline, actor Knightley, 41, told Reuters, "It's meant to be fun, it's meant to be ridiculous, but it equally has these really interesting characters who are morally very complicated."

'I Play Rocky' tells the underdog story behind the classic underdog film

A young Sylvester Stallone had one non-negotiable ⁠demand when he was trying to sell his script about a small-time boxer named Rocky Balboa. Stallone wrote the lead part for himself. "I play Rocky," the then-unknown actor insisted when studio executives suggested a Hollywood star such as Ryan O'Neal for the title role.

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.

At 'China's ⁠Hollywood', ​visitors become stars as consumers spend more on experiences

Onlookers craned their necks outside an ornate palace chamber, peering through the doors at four women in silk robes and jade hairpins acting out a court intrigue. One consort slapped another across the face, the director called for another take, and the cast huddled over their phones. Then they started laughing. But the scene was not for a television drama.

Exclusive-Skydance shuffles distribution ranks as eight executives depart

Skydance, the media giant ⁠that merged Paramount-Skydance with Warner Bros Discovery last month, named Sarah Bergman and Mickey Carter to lead its distribution business, as eight executives are set to leave the company following the takeover, according to a memo sent on ⁠Tuesday and reviewed by Reuters. The memo, sent by Ray Hopkins, ⁠Skydance's president of distribution, said the new leadership team would work on the structure of their respective organizations in the coming weeks.

'It is a cappuccino. It can't be $10,' says Harry Styles about NYC coffee prices

Singer Harry Styles, who recently completed a 30-show residency at Madison Square Garden in New York, thought prices for coffee in the city ‌were some of the spookiest things ‌he saw around Halloween. "It is a cappuccino. It can't be $10, it can't be," he said during one of his last ​concerts, according to videos posted by fans on social media.