Entertainment

Michael Jackson’s artistic legacy explored in London show

  by Joséphine Gruwe-Court Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – Michael Jackson’s legacy as a pop-culture and artistic icon is explored in a new exhibition at London’s National Portrait Gallery opening Thursday. “Michael Jackson: On the Wall” — a play on the title of classic 1979 album “Off the Wall” — follows the king of pop, who still captivates artists nine years after his death, through his multi-million selling career. The exhibition features paintings, […]

Grammys expand nominee field after criticism on diversity

    by Shaun TANDON Agence France-Presse   NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – The Grammys will expand the number of nominees in main categories for music’s most prestigious awards as organizers try to counter a backlash over how few women and minorities are winning. In one of the biggest changes at the Grammys in years, the Recording Academy — which administers the prizes — said Tuesday in a letter to members that next year’s […]

Motion Picture Academy announces record recruitment

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Monday it has swelled its ranks by a record 928 members, as part of its drive for a more inclusive Hollywood. The Oscar-awarding body announces a round of invitations every year, and has been bolstering its ethnic and female representation following criticism over its predominantly white, male membership. More than a third of the list — drawn from 59 countries […]

Big, mean and making the green: ‘Jurassic’ tops N. America box offices

  HOLLYWOOD, United States (AFP) — Huge, green and scary stomped on cute, young and funny in North American theaters over the weekend as new release “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” took in a healthy $150 million to leap past last weekend’s leader, “Incredibles 2.” The dinosaur sequel, from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment studio, fell short of the then-record $208 million opening by the last “Jurassic” movie in 2015, according to figures released Sunday by industry […]

‘Jurassic’ tops box offices in N. America

HOLLYWOOD, United States (AFP) — Huge, green, and scary stomped on cute, young, and funny in North American theaters this weekend as new release “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” took in a healthy $150 million to leap past last weekend’s leader, “Incredibles 2.” The dinosaur sequel, from Pixar and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment studio, fell short of the then-record $208 million opening by the last “Jurassic” movie in 2015, according to figures released Sunday by industry […]

5 Seconds of Summer ends Jay-Z, Beyonce No. 1 debut streak

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Australian pop band 5 Seconds of Summer stunned Beyonce and Jay-Z by opening Sunday at the top of the US album chart, with the couple’s surprise collaboration ending the superstars’ streak of number one debuts. 5 Seconds of Summer had stepped up promotion of their album “Youngblood” after Jay-Z and Beyonce dropped “Everything Is Love,” with the Australians telling fans they were in a close race for number one […]

‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’: Marvel’s first superheroine movie

by Frankie TAGGART Agence France-Presse PASADENA, United States (AFP) – They made history and $1 billion with the first titular superhero of color in “Black Panther” — now Marvel’s creatives and stars are repeating the trick for gender equality. “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” the sequel to 2015’s “Ant-Man,” is the 20th release in a decade from the Marvel Cinematic Universe series of comic book movies, and the first to feature a woman in the title. […]

‘Game of Thrones’ Jon Snow marries on-screen flame

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP)–Actors Kit Harington and Rose Leslie, who played on-screen lovers Jon Snow and Ygritte in fantasy TV saga “Game of Thrones”, wed in Britain on Saturday. The 31-year-old stars tied the knot in northeastern Scotland, with co-stars Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen, and Peter Dinklage, who played Tyrion Lannister, arriving at nearby Aberdeen on Friday. The couple, who met on set in 2012, announced the engagement in the Times newspaper last September, and […]

Disney boosts Fox bid to $71.3-B to counter Comcast

by Rob Lever with John Biers Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Disney raised its offer for key assets of 21st Century Fox on Wednesday to $71.3 billion to counter a rival bid from Comcast in the latest move in a bidding war that could create a dominant player in the media-entertainment world. The move by Walt Disney Co. comes a week after Comcast, the largest US cable provider and owner of the […]

Paul McCartney turns 76 and teases ‘Egypt Station’

NEW YORK,United States (AFP)—Paul McCartney on Monday teased news of “Egypt Station” — presumed to be the title of his next album — as the former Beatle celebrated his 76th birthday. The rock legend on social media released a video of the Pyramids and palm trees swaying in the wind on a sand-colored background set to snippet of ambient music mixed with vehicular traffic. McCartney and his label did not provide further details but speculation […]

‘Incredibles 2’ makes heroic N. America box office debut

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) —  “Incredibles 2,” the long-awaited return of a quirky animated superhero family from Disney-Pixar, reigned supreme at the North American box office, raking in a record $182.7 million in its debut, data showed Monday. It was the highest ever opening for an animated film, easily besting the $135 million debut of its Pixar stablemate, “Finding Dory” (2016). The sequel picks up the story of the Parr family as matriarch Helen (Holly […]

Mozart manuscript expected to sell for 500,000 euros

PARIS, France (AFP) — The first draft of music Mozart wrote for the last act of his opera “The Marriage of Figaro” is expected to sell for half a million euros ($578,000) when it goes under the hammer in Paris. The “exceptional” manuscript from 1786 which will be auctioned on Wednesday in the French capital comes from the peak of the composer’s career in Vienna, the auction house Ader Nordmann said. Called “Scena con Rondo”, Mozart […]