Reuters Entertainment News Summary
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
Britney Spears bids again to permanently get dad out of her personal affairs
Lawyers for Britney Spears will again ask a Los Angeles court next month to make official the replacement of her father as her conservator in a long-running battle over control of her personal and financial affairs. Her lawyer, Samuel Ingham, told a court hearing on Wednesday that he would ask that Jodi Montgomery, who in 2019 was appointed temporary conservator of the singer's personal affairs, be made permanent. Ingham said he would present the petition at an April 27 hearing.
'Justice League' original director's cut sought by fans debuts Thursday
Fans disappointed by 2017 film "Justice League" will finally be able to see the original director's vision for the movie that united several DC Comics superheroes on screen for the first time. Zack Snyder's cut of "Justice League" debuts Thursday on HBO Max, a subscription streaming service launched last year by AT&T Inc's WarnerMedia.
Nobody streams it better? Carole Bayer Sager's songs join Hipgnosis playlist
U.S. songwriter Carole Bayer Sager, famed for the James Bond theme "Nobody Does It Better", has become the latest artist to sell her catalogue to Hipgnosis Songs Fund, as a surge in streaming makes up for concert earnings lost to the pandemic. London-listed Hipgnosis did not disclose the size of the deal in its announcement on Thursday, although it has said the year had got off to its "strongest start ever".
Hungary's Sziget cancels early summer music festivals
Hungary's Sziget, which organises some of the largest music festivals in Europe, said it would decide in the coming weeks whether to hold its main event in August in Budapest after it cancelled two other festivals due to the pandemic. The company cancelled the VOLT Festival, an event in the Western corner of Hungary due in June, and July's Balaton Sound at Lake Balaton and said these would next take place in 2022.
Disneyland theme parks in California to reopen April 30
Walt Disney Co's two theme parks in California will reopen on April 30 to a limited number of guests, the company said on Wednesday, over a year after they closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendance will initially be capped at roughly 15% of capacity, Disney Chief Executive Bob Chapek said on CNBC television.
'Falcon and the Winter Soldier' illuminates Marvel's post-blip world
Marvel Studios' newest TV spinoff, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," promises to show fans what life is like in the superheroes' universe following the spectacle of 2019 film "Avengers: Endgame." The six-episode series, debuting Friday on Walt Disney Co's Disney+ streaming service, stars Anthony Mackie as The Falcon and his alter-ego Sam Wilson. Sebastian Stan plays Bucky Barnes, also known as The Winter Soldier.
Six Flags to reopen theme parks in Mexico, California
Amusement park operator Six Flags Entertainment Corp said it will reopen its theme park in Mexico starting Thursday, and both of its California properties to the public on April 3.
The company, known for roller coaster rides such as the El Toro, Batman the Ride and Bizarro, said the parks will operate at reduced attendance levels, in accordance with state reopening guidelines for theme parks and extensive safety measures will be implemented.
Famed Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine dies at 77
James Levine, one of the world's most acclaimed conductors who served as music director for the Metropolitan Opera in New York for four decades before sexual abuse accusations prompted a messy exit, has died at age 77. Dr. Len Horovitz, his personal physician, said Levine died on March 9 in Palm Springs, California, of "natural causes."
Actor Depp seeks retrial in wife beater case, saying ruling 'plainly wrong'
Lawyers for Hollywood actor Johnny Depp said his ex-wife's claim she had donated her divorce settlement to charity was a "calculated lie", as they sought permission to appeal a London High Court ruling which upheld that he was a wife beater. Judge Andrew Nicol ruled last November that Depp had violently assaulted Amber Heard during their tempestuous five-year relationship, at times putting her in fear for her life.
Country star Dolly Parton gets her own comic book
Country singer Dolly Parton is getting her own comic book, the latest addition to TidalWave Comics' "Female Force" series dedicated to inspirational women. The 22-page "Female Force: Dolly Parton" will be released on March 31, in print and digital formats.
