Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Skydance details cost cuts, sets streaming bundle for early next ​year

Skydance on Monday detailed plans to deliver $6 billion in cost savings ​from its Warner Bros Discovery acquisition and said it would ‌launch ​a streaming bundle of HBO Max and Paramount+ early next year. Shares of the company dropped about 2% to $8.50 in after-hours trading.

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.

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.

Skydance names Marvel veteran Latcham ⁠to lead ​DC Studios, replacing Gunn and Safran

Skydance is ⁠replacing DC Studios chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran with former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham as it overhauls its superhero business following the Warner Bros acquisition. Latcham will take over on December 1 and ⁠lead DC's film, television and animation slate, overseeing its creative pipeline, production, talent and strategy.

Take-Two lifts annual revenue, profit forecasts as 'GTA VI' launch nears

Take-Two Interactive raised its annual revenue and profit forecasts ​on Monday, as the videogame publisher banks on the launch next week of the much-anticipated "Grand Theft Auto VI" to drive strong demand. The company's shares ⁠rose 4% in extended trading with CEO Strauss Zelnick saying pre-orders for "GTA VI" were tracking far in excess of initial expectations, even as Take-Two stuck to its bookings forecast for the year.

Media industry still ⁠has ​a problem with sexual abuse, UK minister says

Britain's culture minister, Lisa Nandy, said on Sunday there was still a problem with sexual abuse in the media industry after Russell Brand, once a high-profile comedian and actor, was convicted of raping a woman and sexually assaulting three more. Brand's conviction on Thursday renewed scrutiny of ⁠how Britain's entertainment industry has treated well-known performers accused of abusing their power, with some women saying they feared speaking out could harm their careers.

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.