Reuters Entertainment News Summary
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
'Wicked' director wants fans to see characters soar
Jon M. Chu, the director behind the musical film "Wicked", felt pressure from both himself and the rest of the team at Universal Pictures to make a masterpiece. "For ourselves to fulfill the promise that we had to these characters when we first walked into this, I'm really excited," he told Reuters. "We love the show. We love these characters."
NBA-Christmas Day viewership jumps as league contends with NFL-Netflix appeal
The NBA saw its most-watched Christmas Day lineup in five years, the league said on Thursday, as it went head-to-head with the NFL's splashy debut on streaming giant Netflix. An average of 5.25 million viewers tuned in per game across five games on Walt Disney Co's ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+, the NBA said, up 84% over last year's audience.
In Bollywood-obsessed India, art-house film wins accolades, audiences
Indian cinema is best known for Bollywood extravaganzas, but an art-house film about three women navigating loneliness and love in a metropolis is gaining viewers and earning international recognition, including nominations to the Golden Globe awards. "All We Imagine as Light", a multi-language film set in Mumbai, the country's financial capital, has won several international awards this year, including the Grand Prix at Cannes, and is the first Indian film to be nominated in the Best Director category at the Golden Globes, which will be presented on Jan. 5.
Chinese tricksters take cue from Squid Game to prey on the indebted
In China's take on Squid Game, fraudsters are preying on the financially distressed in a slumping economy with promises of prize money, debt restructuring and other schemes that are not always what is promised. Unlike the dystopian South Korean TV series, which returns to the small screen for a second season on Thursday, Chinese players taking on "self-discipline" challenges do not risk their lives if they lose.
