Reuters Entertainment News Summary
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
Actors ratify three-year contract, ending Hollywood's labor turmoil
Members of the SAG-AFTRA actors union approved a three-year contract with major studios on Tuesday, formally ending six months of Hollywood labor disputes that halted film and television production. SAG-AFTRA said 78% of those who voted supported the deal with Netflix Inc, Walt Disney Co and other members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
'Everything Everywhere' and other A24 movies heading to HBO and Max
Oscar-winning film "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and other movies from independent studio A24 will become available on Warner Bros Discovery's HBO, Cinemax and Max under a deal announced on Wednesday. The agreement provides the company with dozens of films to attract subscribers to the HBO and Cinemax premium cable channels and the Max streaming service.
BLACKPINK members renew contract, boosting shares in label YG Entertainment
South Korea's YG Entertainment Inc said on Wednesday that all four members of South Korean K-pop girl group BLACKPINK have renewed their contracts with the label, sending shares of the company up by nearly a third. For months, there has been speculation that some members of BLACKPINK would not renew their contracts with the label, putting pressure on its shares.
Emmy-winning TV producer-writer Norman Lear dies at age 101
Producer-writer Norman Lear, whose groundbreaking hit comedies such as "All in the Family" and "Maude" addressed race, abortion and other social issues rarely seen before on U.S. television, died on Tuesday, at the age of 101, his family said.
Lear, one of the most influential people in television, died at his Los Angeles home of natural causes, "surrounded by his family as we told stories and sang songs until the very end," the family said on Facebook on Wednesday.
Disney begins integrating Hulu into Disney+ streaming service
Walt Disney began offering Hulu as part of its namesake streaming service on Wednesday, bolstering Disney+'s family-friendly content with more general entertainment fare, such as FX's intense kitchen drama "The Bear" and the popular reality show "The Kardashians." The combined offering, known as "Hulu on Disney+," will be available in an early "beta" version to domestic subscribers to the Disney Bundle of streaming services. The formal launch of the integrated service is scheduled for March.
Taylor Swift named Time's 'Person of the Year,' capping her record-breaking 2023
After launching a record-shattering global tour and becoming the world's most-streamed musical artist in 2023, Taylor Swift notched yet another accolade on Wednesday when Time magazine named the mega pop star as its "Person of the Year." Swift took the award in a year when her nearly two decades of fame and influence came to a peak, the magazine said in announcing the title. She was the first person from the arts to be honored for her success as an entertainer, it said.
Rapper Bad Bunny lashes out over viral AI copycat hits
Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny's voice quickly went viral last month. However, the songs circulating did not belong to him. Chilean artist Maurico Bustos launched the trend with the song NostalgIA - a play on the Spanish abbreviation for AI. It was written and recorded by Bustos using artificial intelligence to modify Bad Bunny's vocals, producing a viral track that prompted parodies and copycat versions on TikTok.
Jamie Foxx makes first public appearance since hospitalization
Actor Jamie Foxx made his first public appearance on Monday after suffering an undisclosed health scare in April and he said that six months ago he was unable to walk. An emotional Foxx took center stage to accept the Vanguard Award from the Critics Choice Association´s Celebration of Cinema & Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievement in Los Angeles, presented by his "The Burial" co-star Jurnee Smollet.
Italian opera singing added to UNESCO World Heritage list
Italian opera singing has been added to the United Nations' cultural heritage list, a prestigious accolade for the four-centuries-old art mixing costume drama and music. U.N. culture agency UNESCO said on Wednesday it had included opera under its category of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which already features other famed Italian practices such as pizza-making.
Mixed emotions as cast of 'The Crown' celebrates series finale
The cast and the makers of the sixth and final season of Netflix's royal drama "The Crown" came together in London on Tuesday to bid farewell to the series. The Emmy-winning show, created by Peter Morgan and launched in 2016, tells the story of Britain's late Queen Elizabeth´s reign against the backdrop of various royal dramas.
