Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Film 'One in a Million' follows young Syrian refugee's journey over 10 years

Israa was 11 years old and selling cigarettes with her father on a ​street corner in Turkey when filmmakers Jack MacInnes and Itab Azzam met the Syrian refugee in 2015. They were charmed by the ​bubbly young girl and wanted to tell her story as her family, who had fled ‌war-ravaged ​Aleppo, journeyed across eight countries to settle in Germany.

Brand conviction shines light on entertainment industry's culture of silence

Russell Brand's conviction for sex crimes has renewed scrutiny of how Britain's entertainment industry has treated high-profile performers accused of abusing their power, with some women saying they feared speaking out could damage their careers. The British comedian and actor was convicted on Thursday of one count of rape and three sexual assaults near the height ‌of his fame in the mid-2000s, when he worked for Channel 4 and the BBC. Three of the four victims had worked in the media industry.

Brand conviction shines light on entertainment industry's culture of silence

Russell Brand's conviction for sex crimes has renewed scrutiny of how Britain's entertainment industry has treated high-profile performers accused of abusing their power, with some women saying they feared speaking out could damage their careers. The British comedian and actor was convicted on Thursday of one count of rape and three sexual assaults near the height of his fame in the mid-2000s, when he worked for Channel 4 and ‌the BBC. Three of the four victims had worked in the media industry.

Jordan Firstman brings a softer side to screen in directorial debut 'Club Kid'

Actor and filmmaker Jordan Firstman wanted his directorial debut, "Club Kid", to reveal a side of himself audiences had not seen before. "In my ‌real life, I'm very sensitive. I'm very emotional," he told Reuters. "I wanted to wear my heart on my sleeve and make a movie that reflected that."

Bob Dylan blows in for meeting with Pope Leo at Vatican

Bob Dylan has spent more than six decades knocking on heaven's door. On Wednesday, the door opened at the Vatican, where the legendary musician had a private audience with Pope Leo. Leo and Dylan, fellow travellers from the U.S. Midwest, were seen meeting together in the pope's office at the ornate apostolic palace in photos shared by the Vatican's newspaper on social media.

'The Cat in the Hat' movie combines children's classic with new characters

Quinta Brunson wants to set the record straight about the animated Warner ⁠Bros. film "The Cat ​in the Hat": kids still read the classic Dr. Seuss story in schools. Brunson, ⁠creator of "Abbott Elementary," which follows the lives of schoolteachers and their students, said "The Cat in the Hat" is already familiar to many children by the time they reach preschool or kindergarten, making the film less of an introduction to the character than a new take on a beloved classic.

New York Times Company in advanced talks to acquire Letterboxd ⁠for roughly $330 million, NYT reports

The New York Times Company is in exclusive talks to acquire film-focused social platform Letterboxd in a deal valued at about $330 million, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing two people familiar with the discussions. A deal would extend the media organization's push beyond its core news business, following acquisitions including ​sports site The Athletic, product-review service Wirecutter and the Wordle game. The company added 420,000 digital-only subscribers in the third quarter, bringing total paid subscribers to 13.8 million.

Disney's Pixar names Jonathan Garson president as Jim Morris steps back

Pixar Animation Studios said on Wednesday ⁠that veteran Jonathan Garson will become president on January 4, replacing Jim Morris, who will step back from day-to-day leadership ahead of his eventual retirement. Pixar is part of the Disney empire, which bought the animation studio in 2006 and brought the maker of "Toy Story" and "The Incredibles" under the same corporate roof as Disney's own animation business.

'Godzilla Minus Zero' fulfills director Takashi Yamazaki's childhood ⁠dream

As ​a child, director Takashi Yamazaki dreamed of seeing King Ghidorah, Godzilla's three-headed archrival, destroy his hometown on screen, a wish he finally fulfilled decades later in "Godzilla Minus Zero," which arrives in theaters on Friday. Yamazaki, who grew up in the Japanese city of Matsumoto, said he eagerly awaited the release of the 1964 film "Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster" because he hoped to see the dragon wreak havoc on his hometown. Instead, he was disappointed by how briefly Matsumoto appeared in the monster's path of destruction.

Russell Brand, convicted of rape, now likely to face more allegations, says ⁠UK police chief

Russell Brand, once a high profile British comedian and star of several Hollywood movies, is likely to face further allegations as more victims come forward in the wake of his rape conviction, the country's top policeman said on Friday. Brand, the former husband of ⁠US pop singer Katy Perry, is facing a lengthy jail term after being ⁠convicted in a London court on Thursday of raping a woman and sexually assaulting three more.

Factbox-Details of Russell Brand's convictions

British comedian Russell Brand was found guilty on Thursday of rape and three sexual assaults. Here are details of his convictions.

The rise and fall of Russell Brand

Russell Brand was once considered so culturally important that the opposition leader hoping to be Britain's next prime minister went on his online show, while former ‌US Vice President Al Gore was happy to ‌be interviewed by him. A comedian and presenter turned Hollywood actor and then unlikely political activist, Brand was one of the most recognisable and sought-after figures ​in the British entertainment world from the late 2000s until the mid-2010s.