Entertainment Roundup: Depardieu rape case; blast in Bond 25; Howard's documentary


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 06-06-2019 13:26 IST | Created: 06-06-2019 10:28 IST
Entertainment Roundup: Depardieu rape case; blast in Bond 25; Howard's documentary
Director Ron Howard did not know much about opera, but he understands drama when he sees it, and Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti's life was packed with it. Image Credit: ANI

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

The new season of 'Handmaid's Tale' not meant to be 'torture to watch,' creator says

With its chilling portrait of a patriarchal dictatorship where women are routinely raped, mutilated and forcibly separated from their children, "The Handmaid's Tale" has sometimes proved tough to stomach. But Bruce Miller, creator and executive producer of the television series based on Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel, says he is "not in the business of inventing cruelties."

French prosecutors drop rape investigation against actor Depardieu

French prosecutors have dropped an investigation into rape allegations against the actor Gerard Depardieu, the public prosecutor's office said on Tuesday. One of France's most prolific actors, Depardieu, 70, has starred in some 170 movies throughout his career and gained international recognition in 1990 with his starring role in the English language comedy "Green Card".

Crew member injured during blast filming for new Bond movie

A crew member working on the new James Bond movie was injured during the filming of a controlled explosion at Pinewood Studios outside London, producers have said. A statement issued on Tuesday said the exterior of a stage had also been damaged in the blast.

Actor Jussie Smollett not returning to 'Empire,' TV creator says

Jussie Smollett will not be returning to U.S. television series "Empire", the show's creator says, marking the first public confirmation that the actor has been dropped after a furore over claims that he was the victim of a hate crime. Responding to a Variety report that writers were discussing scenarios in which Smollett's character would return towards the end of the sixth and final season, "Empire" creator Lee Daniels wrote on Twitter on Tuesday; "Jussie will NOT be returning to Empire."

Ron Howard frames Pavarotti story through arias for the new documentary

Director Ron Howard did not know much about opera, but he understands drama when he sees it, and Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti's life was packed with it. So when it came to making a documentary about the late, beloved "king of the high C's," Howard decided to tell Pavarotti's story largely through some of his most famous arias.

HBO show success drives Chernobyl tourism boom

The success of a U.S. television miniseries examining the world's worst nuclear accident at Chernobyl has driven up the number of tourists wanting to see the plant and the ghostly abandoned town that neighbours it for themselves. One Chernobyl tour agency reported a 40% rise in trip bookings since the series, made by HBO, began in May and which has attracted outstanding reviews.

Godzilla: from radioactive colossus to unlikely climate hero

Ever since Godzilla first rampaged across cinema screens 65 years ago, film critics have seen the reptilian anti-hero as a symbol of the fears gnawing away in the deepest recesses of movie-goers' minds. With the giant lizard's return in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, launched in cinemas at the weekend, reviewers are parsing the blockbuster for insights into the world's paralysis in the face of climate breakdown.

Woody Allen to shoot next movie in Spain, with Christoph Waltz

Woody Allen is set to shoot his next movie in Spain this summer with Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, the director's first film project since "A Rainy Day in New York" that was shelved at the height of the #MeToo movement. Spanish production company MediaPro Studio said in a statement on Tuesday that Allen would begin filming in San Sebastian in July on a romantic comedy about an American couple who visit the San Sebastian film festival.

Julio Iglesias says a 50-year singing career is 'a miracle'

At age 75, singer Julio Iglesias can't run and can no longer play soccer. But still singing for a living after 50 years? That, he said, is "a miracle in my life." The Spanish crooner kicks off the European leg of his 50 year anniversary tour in Antwerp on Sunday with a Grammy lifetime achievement award to add to his many accolades.

Madonna loses appeal over the auction of Tupac Shakur breakup letter, other items

Madonna lost a court battle to keep a trove of intimate belongings including a pair of satin panties, a brush containing her hair and a breakup letter from a former boyfriend, the late rapper Tupac Shakur, from heading to the auction block. A New York state appeals court in Manhattan on Tuesday cleared the way for an auction, saying Madonna could not pursue claims against Darlene Lutz, her former friend and art consultant, or the GottaHaveRockandRoll.com online auction website, to which Lutz consigned the items for sale.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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