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By Matteo Negri and Giulia Segreti ROME, Jan 23 (Reuters) – Valentino, Italy's haute couture "emperor", was laid to rest in Rome on Friday, with the distinctive red he championed in his collections echoed in splashes of crimson among the black-clad mourners. The biggest names in fashion – including Donatella Versace, Tom Ford and Maria Grazia Chiuri – gathered in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, a church designed by Michelangelo and built on the ruins of ancient Roman baths. Valentino's co-founder Giancarlo Giammetti, dressed in a sharply tailored black satin suit, and the designer's last partner, Bruce Hoeksema, accompanied the plain wooden coffin as it entered the church, drawing applause from the crowds outside. "Through him, I discovered beauty, a beauty that followed us throughout our lives, that has kept us busy. We met when we were kids, we dreamed the same dreams, we managed to realise some of them, I would even say many of them," Giammetti said in his eulogy. In an improvised speech, Hoeksema said: "Valentino, you were the person I spoke to, not the person I spoke about. You were beside me when words were not needed. Life was not always perfect, but it was real. One day at a time, for more than 40 years." Mourners included Vogue's Global Editorial director Anna Wintour, actors Anne Hathaway and Elizabeth Hurley, American socialite Olivia Palermo and Valentino's current creative director Alessandro Michele and his predecessor Pierpaolo Piccioli. Valentino's Chief Executive Riccardo Bellini, French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault, Antoine Arnault, the eldest son of LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, and Rachid Mohamed Rachid, CEO of Mayhoola, also attended. The couturier who built one of Italy's most celebrated fashion houses died on Monday at his home in Rome, aged 93. Hundreds gathered outside and inside the basilica, famed for the red of its marbled walls and columns – darker than Valentino red. White flowers framed the altar and a black-and-white photo of Valentino stood next to his coffin. There were flashes of red among the pews – hats, scarves, bright carmine coats and a woollen shawl. More than 10,000 people paid their respects to Valentino on Wednesday and Thursday as he lay in state in Rome's Piazza Mignanelli, next to his fashion house's historical headquarters and a stone's throw from the city's iconic Spanish Steps. There will be a private burial after the service. (Reporting by Matteo Negri and Giulia Segreti; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Matteo Negri and Giulia Segreti ROME, Jan 23 (Reuters) – Valentino, Italy's haute couture "emperor", was laid to rest in Rome on Friday, with the distinctive red he championed in his collections echoed in splashes of crimson among the black-clad mourners. The biggest names in fashion – including Donatella Versace, Tom Ford and Maria Grazia Chiuri – gathered in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, a church designed by Michelangelo and built on the ruins of ancient Roman baths. Valentino's co-founder Giancarlo Giammetti, dressed in a sharply tailored black satin suit, and the designer's last partner, Bruce Hoeksema, accompanied the plain wooden coffin as it entered the church, drawing applause from the crowds outside. "Through him, I discovered beauty, a beauty that followed us throughout our lives, that has kept us busy. We met when we were kids, we dreamed the same dreams, we managed to realise some of them, I would even say many of them," Giammetti said in his eulogy. In an improvised speech, Hoeksema said: "Valentino, you were the person I spoke to, not the person I spoke about. You were beside me when words were not needed. Life was not always perfect, but it was real. One day at a time, for more than 40 years." Mourners included Vogue's Global Editorial director Anna Wintour, actors Anne Hathaway and Elizabeth Hurley, American socialite Olivia Palermo and Valentino's current creative director Alessandro Michele and his predecessor Pierpaolo Piccioli. Valentino's Chief Executive Riccardo Bellini, French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault, Antoine Arnault, the eldest son of LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, and Rachid Mohamed Rachid, CEO of Mayhoola, also attended. The couturier who built one of Italy's most celebrated fashion houses died on Monday at his home in Rome, aged 93. Hundreds gathered outside and inside the basilica, famed for the red of its marbled walls and columns – darker than Valentino red. White flowers framed the altar and a black-and-white photo of Valentino stood next to his coffin. There were flashes of red among the pews – hats, scarves, bright carmine coats and a woollen shawl. More than 10,000 people paid their respects to Valentino on Wednesday and Thursday as he lay in state in Rome's Piazza Mignanelli, next to his fashion house's historical headquarters and a stone's throw from the city's iconic Spanish Steps. There will be a private burial after the service. (Reporting by Matteo Negri and Giulia Segreti; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Jungmin Ryu SEOUL, Jan 22 (Reuters) – Chart-topping K-pop boy band BTS is set to embark on a global concert tour in April, marking its first new album release in more than three years, and on Thursday fans rushed to secure tickets for the tour's opening shows. The band had been on hiatus since 2022 while each of its seven members undertook South Korea's mandatory military service. "I flew all the way to Korea just to get the tickets so it was all worth it," said 34-year-old Joanna Marie in an internet cafe in Seoul. "I've been waiting for them… a very long time, now that we're seeing them again, it's like a big dream." Earlier this month, BTS announced it will release a new album, "Arirang" in March, sparking intense anticipation among fans worldwide, known collectively as "Army". The accompanying world tour launches in Goyang, South Korea on April 9 and will span 79 shows across Asia, the U.S. and Europe through July, the group's agency has said. Fans vying for seats at the first three concerts in Goyang Stadium braced for ticket sales to go live at 8 p.m. Seoul time (1100 GMT). Some even flew into Seoul to take advantage of its high-speed internet connection for the ticketing war. "I think we all waited really long and now that it's happening, let's hope we all are satisfied," said 20-year-old Valentina Le Pera in the cafe. "They really are doing a lot of (tour) dates so I think they know what the fans are expecting." The band's most recent album, "Proof", released in 2022, debuted at number one in 18 countries and has amassed about 16.7 billion streams, according to industry data. (Reporting by Jungmin Ryu; Writing by Joyce Lee; Editing by Ros Russell)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

HONG KONG, Jan 23 (Reuters) – China's first big feature film focused on contemporary national security is being released for Lunar New Year box office crowds as the government looks to ramp up awareness of the risks of foreign espionage. In the film "Jingzhe Wusheng", known in English as "Scare Out", information about China's latest fighter jet is leaked, prompting a thrilling cat-and-mouse game that pits national security officers against a spy. Filmed mainly in China's booming tech hub of Shenzhen, the movie is being promoted in Chinese media as the country's first feature film to focus on contemporary national security. Guided by China's Ministry of State Security (MSS), the fictional plot aims to push issues such as counter-espionage and secrecy into mainstream popular culture, China's Central Television (CCTV) said. MSS has previously produced or influenced television dramas and documentaries on national security, but this is the first potential blockbuster with a Lunar New Year release. That is the peak movie-going season that typically produces record-setting revenues and draws families and young people to cinemas in large numbers. Directed by internationally acclaimed film director Zhang Yimou, and starring local celebrities Yi Yangqianxi and Zhu Yilong, the film showcases a tense spy-hunting operation against the backdrop of Shenzhen's futuristic skyline. The framing and narrative of the movie fit into China's broader soft power strategy of using cinema to promote national security narratives in a modern and urban setting. Official news agency Xinhua said that in recent years foreign espionage has been active frequently and counter-espionage is "no longer a distant topic." The film focuses on the "current hidden front, and counter-espionage and counter-infiltration has become an unavoidable proposition of the times, which is closely related to each of us," Xinhua said. Beijing has in recent years placed renewed emphasis on cultural influence and "telling China's story well," linking China's soft power to broader national goals. China's President Xi Jinping has called for strengthening China's international narrative and for presenting an image of China that is "credible, appealing and respectable," according to official readouts and state media including newspaper China Daily. China has rapidly modernised its military, producing new aircraft, ships and missiles even as a corruption crackdown is underway. China's People's Liberation Army was one of the main targets of a broader corruption crackdown ordered by Xi in 2012, reaching the upper levels of the military in 2023 when its Rocket Force was targeted. (Reporting by Farah Master and the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Jamie Freed)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES, Jan 22 (Reuters) – Vampire thriller “Sinners” stormed into Oscars history on Thursday with a record 16 nominations, positioning the Warner Bros film as the frontrunner for best picture and pitting star Michael B. Jordan against Timothee Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio as rivals for best actor. "Sinners," a celebration of blues music and Black culture in the Segregation-era U.S. South, will face off against "One Battle After Another," "Frankenstein," "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme" and more for the coveted best picture prize.  The previous record for most nominations was 14, a mark hit by "All About Eve," "Titanic" and "La La Land." "Bugonia," "F1," "The Secret Agent," "Sentimental Value" and "Train Dreams" also were nominated for this year's best picture trophy at the highest honors in the movie business. Together, the nominations span genres – from historical drama to supernatural horror – and reflect a film academy increasingly willing to reward unconventional storytelling. A handful of nominees also are commercial hits, which could help boost viewership for the March 15th Oscars ceremony.  Jordan was nominated for best actor for his dual role in "Sinners" as twin brothers who set up a juke joint in 1930s Mississippi, triggering a bloody gangsters vs. vampires showdown that serves as an allegory for segregation and racism. The Warner Bros film also earned nominations for director Ryan Coogler, supporting actor Delroy Lindo, supporting actress Wunmi Mosaku and cinematography, costume design, original screenplay and visual effects. Jordan's competition includes Leonardo DiCaprio in offbeat action movie "One Battle After Another," which scored 13 nominations, and Timothee Chalamet in table tennis tale "Marty Supreme."  Paul Thomas Anderson earned a nomination for directing "One Battle After Another," which features DiCaprio as a one-time radical turned weed-smoking father of a teenager. Co-stars Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Teyana Taylor were nominated in supporting categories. "My career has been filled with battles, doubts, and moments of deep uncertainty," Taylor said in a statement. "It has felt like one long fight for space, for respect, and for opportunity. But today feels like a gentle reminder that dreams really do survive."  For best actress, Jessie Buckley was nominated for playing William Shakespeare's wife, Agnes Hathaway, in "Hamnet," and Kate Hudson for "Song Sung Blue," the story of a Neil Diamond tribute band.  Chloe Zhao, one of only three women to win best director in the 97 Oscar ceremonies to date, for "Nomadland," landed a nomination for "Hamnet." The film imagines how Shakespeare's family dealt with the death of their 11-year-old son, whose name was Hamnet. Historians believe Hamnet's death inspired the playwright to pen the play "Hamlet."  Paul Mescal, who earned critical praise for his role as Shakespeare, did not receive an Oscar nomination. COUNTDOWN TO MARCH 15TH CEREMONY Winners of the gold Oscar statuettes will be chosen by the roughly 10,000 actors, producers, directors and film craftspeople who make up the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Walt Disney's ABC will broadcast the awards and stream them on Hulu, and comedian Conan O'Brien will host for the second straight year.  Warner Bros Discovery, the studio subject to a bidding war between Netflix and Paramount Skydance, led all studios with 30 nominations.  Netflix has never won best picture despite nominations for "Roma," "Emilia Perez" and "The Irishman." It has a chance this year with Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein," which earned nine nominations, and "Train Dreams." The streaming service releases its movies in theaters for only a limited time to qualify them for awards consideration. Global phenomenon "KPop Demon Hunters," also from Netflix, was nominated for best animated feature and original song for "Golden." Two best picture contenders are non-English language films. They are Norwegian family drama "Sentimental Value" and Brazilian political thriller "The Secret Agent." "Sentimental Value" star Stellan Skarsgard said the recognition will boost awareness of a film without a multi-million-dollar advertising budget. "We are depending on the awards and festivals to get it out, so I'm glad it will get out there," he said. The movie has collected $16 million at global box offices, compared with $368 million for "Sinners" and $206 million for "One Battle After Another."  The highest-grossing best picture nominee is Brad Pitt racing drama "F1," with nearly $632 million in worldwide ticket sales. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine;Additional reporting by Danielle Broadway;Editing by Nick Zieminski)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK, Jan 22 (Reuters) – A lawyer for actor Justin Baldoni urged a federal judge on Thursday to dismiss actor Blake Lively's lawsuit stemming from their 2024 movie "It Ends with Us,” saying her sexual harassment and retaliation case was built on “petty slights.”  Lawyers for Lively rejected that characterization, accusing Baldoni and other defendants of taking liberties during the film's production to promote a sexually charged atmosphere that marginalized women, and then lashing out publicly when she complained. Lively, 38, accused Baldoni, who directed and co-starred in "It Ends with Us," and his Wayfarer Studios of coordinating a scheme to silence her and others from speaking out about the hostile environment they allegedly created on the film's set. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan heard three hours of arguments on whether the case should continue. These followed an acrimonious, 13-month battle that transfixed Hollywood and involved celebrities including Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds and longtime friend Taylor Swift. Liman did not say when he would rule. Lively is seeking unspecified damages for alleged harassment, defamation, invasion of privacy and violations of federal and state civil rights laws. A trial is scheduled for May 18. BALDONI'S LAWYER CALLS ALLEGATIONS 'SMALL POTATOES' Thursday's hearing followed this week's release of thousands of pages of documents, including Lively's claim that Baldoni pressured her unnecessarily to simulate nudity during a film scene in which her character gave birth in a hospital. Also released were messages between Lively and Swift, including a December 5, 2024, text where the superstar singer likened Lively and Baldoni's relationship to "a horror film no one knows is taking place." Jonathan Bach, a lawyer for Baldoni, told the judge that "context matters," and that in the context of a film with adult situations, including a pregnancy where people on set aimed for "a certain aesthetic," the "trivial things and petty slights" that Lively alleged didn't support letting her case continue. "It's not enough to show that sex or sexuality found its way into the workplace," Bach said. "Their burden is to show that it not only entered the workplace, but was used to discriminate against women." Bach also characterized Lively's case as being littered with "small potatoes," prompting the judge to say: "A whole bunch of little things can add up to a big thing." LAWYER FOR LIVELY SAYS BALDONI CROSSED BOUNDARIES Esra Hudson, a lawyer for Lively, countered that Baldoni's behavior was "consistently inappropriate and crossing boundaries," including by deviating from the script and adding unnecessary sexual content. Hudson said this included the birth scene, as well as a dance sequence in which Baldoni allegedly "nuzzled" Lively without consent. "You can see the look on her face," Hudson said. "She is clearly having her boundaries crossed in that moment … She did not think this should be a hot and sexy movie at all." Liman questioned whether some individual defendants, including Baldoni and Wayfarer Chief Executive Jamey Heath, should be held responsible for others' conduct, and how closely Baldoni was required to adhere to the script. "Your proposition would seem to have every director's decision decided by a jury, and that can't be right," Liman told Hudson. In seeking a dismissal, lawyers for Baldoni said he resolved Lively's concerns, including over her physical appearance, as soon as she raised them, and that he had a right to hire a crisis management firm after Lively began disparaging him publicly. BALDONI LAWSUITS AGAINST LIVELY, NEW YORK TIMES PREVIOUSLY DISMISSED The dispute burst into public view in mid-December 2024, when Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, followed by her lawsuit, and a New York Times article titled: "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine." Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit accusing Lively and Reynolds of trying to destroy his reputation, but Liman dismissed that case in June. The judge also dismissed Baldoni's related $250 million defamation case against the Times. "It Ends with Us" generated mixed reviews but grossed more than $351 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, writing by Tom Hals; Editing by Philippa Fletcher, Bill Berkrot and Lisa Shumaker)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK, Jan 22 (Reuters) – A lawyer for actor Justin Baldoni urged a federal judge on Thursday to dismiss actor Blake Lively's lawsuit stemming from their 2024 movie "It Ends with Us,” saying her sexual harassment and retaliation case was built on “petty slights.”  Lawyers for Lively rejected that characterization, accusing Baldoni and other defendants of taking liberties during the film's production to promote a sexually charged atmosphere that marginalized women, and then lashing out publicly when she complained. Lively, 38, accused Baldoni, who directed and co-starred in "It Ends with Us," and his Wayfarer Studios of coordinating a scheme to silence her and others from speaking out about the hostile environment they allegedly created on the film's set. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan heard three hours of arguments on whether the case should continue. These followed an acrimonious, 13-month battle that transfixed Hollywood and involved celebrities including Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds and longtime friend Taylor Swift. Liman did not say when he would rule. Lively is seeking unspecified damages for alleged harassment, defamation, invasion of privacy and violations of federal and state civil rights laws. A trial is scheduled for May 18. BALDONI'S LAWYER CALLS ALLEGATIONS 'SMALL POTATOES' Thursday's hearing followed this week's release of thousands of pages of documents, including Lively's claim that Baldoni pressured her unnecessarily to simulate nudity during a film scene in which her character gave birth in a hospital. Also released were messages between Lively and Swift, including a December 5, 2024, text where the superstar singer likened Lively and Baldoni's relationship to "a horror film no one knows is taking place." Jonathan Bach, a lawyer for Baldoni, told the judge that "context matters," and that in the context of a film with adult situations, including a pregnancy where people on set aimed for "a certain aesthetic," the "trivial things and petty slights" that Lively alleged didn't support letting her case continue. "It's not enough to show that sex or sexuality found its way into the workplace," Bach said. "Their burden is to show that it not only entered the workplace, but was used to discriminate against women." Bach also characterized Lively's case as being littered with "small potatoes," prompting the judge to say: "A whole bunch of little things can add up to a big thing." LAWYER FOR LIVELY SAYS BALDONI CROSSED BOUNDARIES Esra Hudson, a lawyer for Lively, countered that Baldoni's behavior was "consistently inappropriate and crossing boundaries," including by deviating from the script and adding unnecessary sexual content. Hudson said this included the birth scene, as well as a dance sequence in which Baldoni allegedly "nuzzled" Lively without consent. "You can see the look on her face," Hudson said. "She is clearly having her boundaries crossed in that moment … She did not think this should be a hot and sexy movie at all." Liman questioned whether some individual defendants, including Baldoni and Wayfarer Chief Executive Jamey Heath, should be held responsible for others' conduct, and how closely Baldoni was required to adhere to the script. "Your proposition would seem to have every director's decision decided by a jury, and that can't be right," Liman told Hudson. In seeking a dismissal, lawyers for Baldoni said he resolved Lively's concerns, including over her physical appearance, as soon as she raised them, and that he had a right to hire a crisis management firm after Lively began disparaging him publicly. BALDONI LAWSUITS AGAINST LIVELY, NEW YORK TIMES PREVIOUSLY DISMISSED The dispute burst into public view in mid-December 2024, when Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, followed by her lawsuit, and a New York Times article titled: "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine." Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit accusing Lively and Reynolds of trying to destroy his reputation, but Liman dismissed that case in June. The judge also dismissed Baldoni's related $250 million defamation case against the Times. "It Ends with Us" generated mixed reviews but grossed more than $351 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, writing by Tom Hals; Editing by Philippa Fletcher, Bill Berkrot and Lisa Shumaker)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES, Jan 22 (Reuters) – Vampire thriller “Sinners” stormed into Oscars history on Thursday with a record 16 nominations, positioning the Warner Bros film as the frontrunner for best picture and pitting star Michael B. Jordan against Timothee Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio as rivals for best actor. "Sinners," a celebration of blues music and Black culture in the Segregation-era U.S. South, will face off against "One Battle After Another," "Frankenstein," "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme" and more for the coveted best picture prize.  The previous record for most nominations was 14, a mark hit by "All About Eve," "Titanic" and "La La Land." "Bugonia," "F1," "The Secret Agent," "Sentimental Value" and "Train Dreams" also were nominated for this year's best picture trophy at the highest honors in the movie business. Together, the nominations span genres – from historical drama to supernatural horror – and reflect a film academy increasingly willing to reward unconventional storytelling. A handful of nominees also are commercial hits, which could help boost viewership for the March 15th Oscars ceremony.  Jordan was nominated for best actor for his dual role in "Sinners" as twin brothers who set up a juke joint in 1930s Mississippi, triggering a bloody gangsters vs. vampires showdown that serves as an allegory for segregation and racism. The Warner Bros film also earned nominations for director Ryan Coogler, supporting actor Delroy Lindo, supporting actress Wunmi Mosaku and cinematography, costume design, original screenplay and visual effects. Jordan's competition includes Leonardo DiCaprio in offbeat action movie "One Battle After Another," which scored 13 nominations, and Timothee Chalamet in table tennis tale "Marty Supreme."  Paul Thomas Anderson earned a nomination for directing "One Battle After Another," which features DiCaprio as a one-time radical turned weed-smoking father of a teenager. Co-stars Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Teyana Taylor were nominated in supporting categories. "My career has been filled with battles, doubts, and moments of deep uncertainty," Taylor said in a statement. "It has felt like one long fight for space, for respect, and for opportunity. But today feels like a gentle reminder that dreams really do survive."  For best actress, Jessie Buckley was nominated for playing William Shakespeare's wife, Agnes Hathaway, in "Hamnet," and Kate Hudson for "Song Sung Blue," the story of a Neil Diamond tribute band.  Chloe Zhao, one of only three women to win best director in the 97 Oscar ceremonies to date, for "Nomadland," landed a nomination for "Hamnet." The film imagines how Shakespeare's family dealt with the death of their 11-year-old son, whose name was Hamnet. Historians believe Hamnet's death inspired the playwright to pen the play "Hamlet."  Paul Mescal, who earned critical praise for his role as Shakespeare, did not receive an Oscar nomination. COUNTDOWN TO MARCH 15TH CEREMONY Winners of the gold Oscar statuettes will be chosen by the roughly 10,000 actors, producers, directors and film craftspeople who make up the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Walt Disney's ABC will broadcast the awards and stream them on Hulu, and comedian Conan O'Brien will host for the second straight year.  Warner Bros Discovery, the studio subject to a bidding war between Netflix and Paramount Skydance, led all studios with 30 nominations.  Netflix has never won best picture despite nominations for "Roma," "Emilia Perez" and "The Irishman." It has a chance this year with Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein," which earned nine nominations, and "Train Dreams." The streaming service releases its movies in theaters for only a limited time to qualify them for awards consideration. Global phenomenon "KPop Demon Hunters," also from Netflix, was nominated for best animated feature and original song for "Golden." Two best picture contenders are non-English language films. They are Norwegian family drama "Sentimental Value" and Brazilian political thriller "The Secret Agent." "Sentimental Value" star Stellan Skarsgard said the recognition will boost awareness of a film without a multi-million-dollar advertising budget. "We are depending on the awards and festivals to get it out, so I'm glad it will get out there," he said. The movie has collected $16 million at global box offices, compared with $368 million for "Sinners" and $206 million for "One Battle After Another."  The highest-grossing best picture nominee is Brad Pitt racing drama "F1," with nearly $632 million in worldwide ticket sales. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine;Additional reporting by Danielle Broadway;Editing by Nick Zieminski)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK, Jan 22 (Reuters) – A lawyer for actor Justin Baldoni urged a federal judge on Thursday to dismiss actor Blake Lively's lawsuit stemming from their 2024 movie "It Ends with Us,” saying her sexual harassment and retaliation case was built on “petty slights.”  Lawyers for Lively rejected that characterization, accusing Baldoni and other defendants of taking liberties during the film's production to promote a sexually charged atmosphere that marginalized women, and then lashing out publicly when she complained. Lively, 38, accused Baldoni, who directed and co-starred in "It Ends with Us," and his Wayfarer Studios of coordinating a scheme to silence her and others from speaking out about the hostile environment they allegedly created on the film's set. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan heard three hours of arguments on whether the case should continue. These followed an acrimonious, 13-month battle that transfixed Hollywood and involved celebrities including Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds and longtime friend Taylor Swift. Liman did not say when he would rule. Lively is seeking unspecified damages for alleged harassment, defamation, invasion of privacy and violations of federal and state civil rights laws. A trial is scheduled for May 18. BALDONI'S LAWYER CALLS ALLEGATIONS 'SMALL POTATOES' Thursday's hearing followed this week's release of thousands of pages of documents, including Lively's claim that Baldoni pressured her unnecessarily to simulate nudity during a film scene in which her character gave birth in a hospital. Also released were messages between Lively and Swift, including a December 5, 2024, text where the superstar singer likened Lively and Baldoni's relationship to "a horror film no one knows is taking place." Jonathan Bach, a lawyer for Baldoni, told the judge that "context matters," and that in the context of a film with adult situations, including a pregnancy where people on set aimed for "a certain aesthetic," the "trivial things and petty slights" that Lively alleged didn't support letting her case continue. "It's not enough to show that sex or sexuality found its way into the workplace," Bach said. "Their burden is to show that it not only entered the workplace, but was used to discriminate against women." Bach also characterized Lively's case as being littered with "small potatoes," prompting the judge to say: "A whole bunch of little things can add up to a big thing." LAWYER FOR LIVELY SAYS BALDONI CROSSED BOUNDARIES Esra Hudson, a lawyer for Lively, countered that Baldoni's behavior was "consistently inappropriate and crossing boundaries," including by deviating from the script and adding unnecessary sexual content. Hudson said this included the birth scene, as well as a dance sequence in which Baldoni allegedly "nuzzled" Lively without consent. "You can see the look on her face," Hudson said. "She is clearly having her boundaries crossed in that moment … She did not think this should be a hot and sexy movie at all." Liman questioned whether some individual defendants, including Baldoni and Wayfarer Chief Executive Jamey Heath, should be held responsible for others' conduct, and how closely Baldoni was required to adhere to the script. "Your proposition would seem to have every director's decision decided by a jury, and that can't be right," Liman told Hudson. In seeking a dismissal, lawyers for Baldoni said he resolved Lively's concerns, including over her physical appearance, as soon as she raised them, and that he had a right to hire a crisis management firm after Lively began disparaging him publicly. BALDONI LAWSUITS AGAINST LIVELY, NEW YORK TIMES PREVIOUSLY DISMISSED The dispute burst into public view in mid-December 2024, when Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, followed by her lawsuit, and a New York Times article titled: "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine." Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit accusing Lively and Reynolds of trying to destroy his reputation, but Liman dismissed that case in June. The judge also dismissed Baldoni's related $250 million defamation case against the Times. "It Ends with Us" generated mixed reviews but grossed more than $351 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, writing by Tom Hals; Editing by Philippa Fletcher, Bill Berkrot and Lisa Shumaker)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Harshita Mary Varghese, Aditya Soni and Svea Herbst-Bayliss Jan 22 (Reuters) – Paramount Skydance on Thursday extended the deadline on its hostile tender offer for Warner Bros Discovery by about a month to February 20, buying more time to persuade investors that its bid for the Hollywood studio trumps a rival deal with Netflix.  The company did not raise its bid on Thursday. Only about 168.5 million Warner Bros shares, representing 6.8% of the company's outstanding stock, had been tendered by the offer's original January 21 deadline. A successful deal will change the landscape of Hollywood by giving the suitor ownership of iconic franchises from "Friends" to "Batman" as well as the HBO Max streaming service.  Netflix on Tuesday revised its $82.7 billion offer to go all-cash in hopes of expediting the deal closure and providing greater financial certainty to investors worried about its previous stock-and-cash deal. It is now willing to pay $27.75 per share in cash for the streaming and studio assets of the David Zaslav-led company, an offer that was unanimously approved by the Warner Bros board. Paramount has launched a charm offensive and sued Warner Bros to bring the HBO owner to the negotiating table. But Warner Bros and analysts have suggested Paramount needs to raise its offer of $108.4 billion, or $30 per share, for the whole company to restart deal talks. BIDDING WAR LIKELY TO COME DOWN TO SHAREHOLDER VOTE  Shares of Paramount rose 1.9%, while Netflix was down 2.4% and Warner Bros was little changed. "We are confident in our ability to achieve regulatory approval for the Netflix merger," Warner Bros said, adding that the deal provided "tremendous and certain value" and Paramount continues to make an offer its board has rejected repeatedly. Netflix did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Warner Bros' board earlier this month rejected an amended Paramount bid that included a $40 billion in equity, personally guaranteed by Oracle's co-founder and Paramount CEO David Ellison's father, Larry Ellison.  The race is expected to come to a head at a shareholder vote that is likely to be held by April as Warner investors weigh the value of cable assets that Paramount argues are worthless. Once Paramount receives the green light from regulators at the U.S. SEC, it plans to ask Warner Bros investors to vote "against" what it is calling "the inferior Netflix transaction". Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos is planning to testify next month at a U.S. Senate committee hearing on the proposed deal, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. The company did not respond to a request for comment. Warner Bros said its chief revenue and strategy officer, Bruce Campbell, is scheduled to appear in the hearing. Paramount has also suggested that if shareholders were to reject the Netflix deal, it would immediately move to oust the Warner Bros board members and replace them with directors who would be ready to review the Paramount offer, a person familiar with the matter said. The company has argued that the Netflix offer relied on offloading $17 billion in debt to the Discovery Global spinoff that would house Warner Bros' cable assets and was essential to the Netflix deal. If Warner Bros cannot move all of the debt as planned, it would substantially reduce what shareholders stand to make on a sale to Netflix, Paramount said. Warner Bros has said that its advisers used three separate approaches for valuing Discovery Global.  The lowest share price they arrived at was $1.33 per share, by applying a single value across the whole company. The high end of the range was a price of $6.86 a share, if the spinoff became involved in a future deal. Paramount has repeatedly said that its offer is superior to Netflix's deal and has a clearer path towards regulatory approval. The Ellisons have argued their relationship with President Donald Trump gives them an easier regulatory path to approval. Sarandos said on a post-earnings call on Tuesday that the company has made progress towards securing the necessary regulatory approvals.  Netflix expects the addition of HBO Max will allow it to offer more personalized and flexible subscription options to better meet the needs of its diverse global audience. It also sees the theatrical business as a new revenue stream. But some analysts argue the deal would create near-term uncertainty around integration costs, content spending and the large debt load of the combined company. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona and Anil D'Silva)

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