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By Bo Erickson and Dawn Chmielewski WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) – With tensions in Minneapolis still high and a possible U.S. military strike on Iran looming, movers and shakers in the Trump administration took a timeout on Thursday to attend a lavish event celebrating a big-budget documentary about first lady Melania Trump. The movie, “Melania,” was financed at an eyebrow-raising $75 million by Amazon MGM Studios. Amazon’s chairman, Jeff Bezos, also contributed to President Donald Trump’s inaugural fund earlier this year. Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million to license the film and a related docuseries, which is scheduled to be released later this year on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service. The first lady is one of the producers of the film, which documents the 20 days leading up to Trump’s 2025 inauguration and the family’s return to the White House.  The studio spent another $35 million promoting and distributing the movie, which will be available in about 25 territories outside North America, according to a person familiar with the matter. This week, promotional ads could be seen in places such as London’s Piccadilly Circus. Amazon, along with the film’s director, Brett Ratner, have rejected suggestions that the studio bought and promoted the film to curry favor with the administration. “It wasn't about getting rich,” Ratner told reporters at Thursday's premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington. “I think the Trumps are wealthy and successful enough,” said Ratner, whose credits as a director include the “Rush Hour” film series with Jackie Chan. Asked at the event if the Amazon film deal was to curry favor with him and the White House, Trump said that was fake news. “I'm not involved, and it was done with my wife.” A spokesperson for Amazon told Reuters, “We licensed the film for one reason and one reason only – because we think customers are going to love it.” BLACK, NOT RED, CARPET The film offers rare access to the deeply private, enigmatic first lady, who has kept a low public profile during her husband’s second term. The trailer opens on Inauguration Day in January 2025, showing her donning a navy wide-brimmed hat for the ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. It also depicts her role as an adviser to the president, including a moment in which she encourages him to emphasize “peacemaker and unifier” in his inaugural address. The film’s premiere was attended by top Trump administration officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. They strode upon a black – not red – carpet in front of a large backdrop emblazoned with the word “MELANIA” in black-and-white letters as flashbulbs popped. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the cabinet's attendance was seen as obligatory. Kennedy said the first lady has “largely been misunderstood. She’s a deep person. She’s deeply concerned about our country.” The documentary opens in about 1,700 theaters in the U.S. and Canada on Friday, following a robust marketing campaign of the kind typically associated with a major Hollywood release, one that included television ads during the NFL playoff games, billboards and a promotional video projected on the exterior of Las Vegas’s Sphere. Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, head of documentary film at the University of California Los Angeles, said the promotional budget was well above a typical budget for marketing documentary films, which often rely on reviews and word-of-mouth to attract viewers. "It's an extremely high budget for promotion of a documentary," said Guevara-Flanagan. "It really feels like it's so much in excess it's like stuffing it down our throats." Box office forecasters predict “Melania” could bring in as much as $5 million on opening weekend. “The question is, for opening weekend, ‘How much does Donald Trump's appeal to the public extend to Melania?” said Daniel Loria, senior vice president of The Boxoffice Company, a data analytics firm for cinemas. (Dawn Chmieleski reported from Los Angeles. Additional reporting by Phil Stewart. Writing by James Oliphant, editing by Ross Colvin and Diane Craft)

(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 Hanna Rantala LONDON, Jan 29 ((Reuters)) – Rachel McAdams' maltreated and underappreciated character battles it out with her boss on a desert island in director Sam Raimi's new horror-comedy "Send Help".    McAdams stars as smart but frumpy Linda Liddle, who has long toiled in the strategy and planning department of a consultancy firm, but gets sidelined by her new misogynistic and entitled boss, Bradley (Dylan O'Brien).     Given a final chance to prove her worth, Linda joins Bradley and his band of brothers on a business trip to Bangkok. When their plane crashes in a freak storm, Linda and Bradley are the only survivors and find themselves stranded on a remote island. A fan of the TV show "Survivor", Linda thrives in the new environment, reversing the power dynamics, and tensions between the two soon turn into a battle of wills.    The film, which opens in cinemas globally this week, features gory scenes and blends thriller elements and dark humour in Raimi's hallmark style.    "Linda's been definitely one of the most fun parts I've played," McAdams said at the film's London premiere on Thursday. "There's just so much to do, from the survival training to being bloodied up like nobody's business. I definitely had a lot of firsts on this film. And after 25 years, you know, that's kind of exciting," the "Mean Girls" and "The Notebook" actress said.    O'Brien said the movie, which was shot in Thailand, Australia and Los Angeles, was less physically demanding for its leads than it appears on screen.    "I think it was a lot more fun than maybe you're thinking," he said. "I guess that's the movie magic of it. It looks really miserable and we're having all this stuff thrown onto us and coming out of us, but it was a blast."    Raimi, who directed from a script by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, said he hoped the film would keep audiences on their toes.    "I really wanted to follow the screenplay, which suggested it could be a really good audience manipulation film where they just don't know what's happening next," the "Evil Dead" and "Spider-Man" filmmaker said. "It's a lot of fun to be in the crowd when you're invested in the characters and you're trying to figure out which way it's going to go," he added. (Reporting by Hanna Rantala; 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 Mike Scarcella WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) – Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire testified on Wednesday at the U.S. criminal tax trial of Tom Goldstein, telling jurors in Greenbelt, Maryland that he once hired the prominent American lawyer to help recover more than $7 million in poker winnings. Maguire said he met Goldstein, a former top U.S. Supreme Court lawyer, through “poker circles.” The actor, who starred as Spider-Man in Sam Raimi’s 2002 blockbuster film, recounted learning poker in his youth, before later playing in casinos and at private homes. Federal prosecutors allege that Goldstein concealed his true finances while leading a “high roller” lifestyle as a high-stakes card player. Maguire turned to Goldstein in 2020 and 2021 to recover more than $7 million that the actor said he won playing poker with a Texas businessman. Maguire, who is not accused of wrongdoing, testified that Goldstein had him route his $500,000 legal fee to a third party rather than pay it directly to Goldstein. Prosecutors, who called Maguire to testify on the eighth day of trial, allege Goldstein used the payment to pay off one of his own poker debts. A lawyer for Goldstein said that it was common in the poker world to have three-way transactions to resolve debts. Maguire declined to comment after his testimony. Goldstein pleaded not guilty last year to charges he failed to report millions of dollars he won in poker games, lied on loan documents and made improper payments through his law firm Goldstein & Russell.  He contends that he relied on his accountants and law office managers for tax and financial matters, and never willfully violated any federal laws. Goldstein co-founded the SCOTUSblog news website and argued more than 40 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court before retiring in 2023. His trial is expected to last about four weeks. Professional poker player Vivek Rajkumar also testified on Wednesday and recounted having won $200,000 to $300,000 in matches with Goldstein. “He was an unpredictable player, I would say — definitely capable of bluffing,” Rajkumar said, describing his opponent. “A smart player, but wasn't afraid to gamble.” (Reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by David Bario, Rod Nickel)

(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 Mike Scarcella WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) – Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire testified on Wednesday at the U.S. criminal tax trial of Tom Goldstein, telling jurors in Greenbelt, Maryland that he once hired the prominent American lawyer to help recover more than $7 million in poker winnings. Maguire said he met Goldstein, a former top U.S. Supreme Court lawyer, through “poker circles.” The actor, who starred as Spider-Man in Sam Raimi’s 2002 blockbuster film, recounted learning poker in his youth, before later playing in casinos and at private homes. Federal prosecutors allege that Goldstein concealed his true finances while leading a “high roller” lifestyle as a high-stakes card player. Maguire turned to Goldstein in 2020 and 2021 to recover more than $7 million that the actor said he won playing poker with a Texas businessman. Maguire, who is not accused of wrongdoing, testified that Goldstein had him route his $500,000 legal fee to a third party rather than pay it directly to Goldstein. Prosecutors, who called Maguire to testify on the eighth day of trial, allege Goldstein used the payment to pay off one of his own poker debts. A lawyer for Goldstein said that it was common in the poker world to have three-way transactions to resolve debts. Maguire declined to comment after his testimony. Goldstein pleaded not guilty last year to charges he failed to report millions of dollars he won in poker games, lied on loan documents and made improper payments through his law firm Goldstein & Russell.  He contends that he relied on his accountants and law office managers for tax and financial matters, and never willfully violated any federal laws. Goldstein co-founded the SCOTUSblog news website and argued more than 40 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court before retiring in 2023. His trial is expected to last about four weeks. Professional poker player Vivek Rajkumar also testified on Wednesday and recounted having won $200,000 to $300,000 in matches with Goldstein. “He was an unpredictable player, I would say — definitely capable of bluffing,” Rajkumar said, describing his opponent. “A smart player, but wasn't afraid to gamble.” (Reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by David Bario, Rod Nickel)

(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 29 (Reuters) – – The music industry will hand out its highest honors on Sunday at the Grammy Awards, where Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga will battle for the most coveted album of the year prize and a chance to make history. Trevor Noah is returning to host for a sixth time, which he says will be his last Grammys gig. The show will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+ at 5 p.m. Los Angeles time (0100 GMT on Monday).  Any of the three artists could take home the album accolade during the ceremony in Los Angeles, awards experts say. None of the musicians has ever won the honor, which last year went to Beyonce for "Cowboy Carter." A 'SUPER TIGHT' THREE-WAY RACE "It's going to be super tight," Paul Grein, awards editor at Billboard, said of the album category. Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican rapper who is scheduled to headline next month's Super Bowl halftime show, is in the running for "Debi Tirar Más Fotos." It would be the first Spanish-language album to win in the category since the Grammys began 68 years ago. If Lamar wins for "GNX," he would be the first solo male rapper to win the award. Only two hip-hop musicians have been honored in the category – female artist Lauryn Hill and the duo Outkast. For pop singer Lady Gaga, the album prize would be the first of her celebrated career. She has never won any of the top four Grammy prizes despite more than two decades in the music business. This year, she is competing with the album "Mayhem." Grein predicted the trophy would go to Lamar, who won five Grammys a year ago for the single "Not Like Us." Current events may boost support for Bad Bunny, Grein said. BAD BUNNY SKIPPED U.S. SHOWS FOR FEAR OF FEDERAL RAIDS The singer skipped the continental United States on his recent concert tour, saying he feared federal agents carrying out U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown would show up to arrest his fans. His selection for the coming Super Bowl halftime show on February 8 also drew objections from critics who argued the National Football League championship game's entertainment should be performed in English. "I think the culture wars work in his favor," Grein said. "There are people who will vote for him in part – not only for this reason, but in part – as a rebuke to President Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric." Lamar and Gaga are represented by Universal Music Group. Bad Bunny is signed by Puerto Rican label Rimas Entertainment. Grammy winners will be chosen by the roughly 15,000 voting members of the Recording Academy — industry peers including artists, songwriters, producers and engineers — whose ranks have been revamped over the past seven years to increase diversity. About 1,000 Latin Grammys voters became eligible to vote this year, and 73% of members have joined since 2019. Recording Academy Chief Executive Harvey Mason Jr. said the changes reflect the growing popularity of different types of music such as KPop and Afrobeats that now have fans around the world. "For us, the academy, we had to keep up with that," he said. "We have to make sure we are responsible and we're honoring music regardless of where it comes from." KPop will be represented in the song of the year category, an honor for songwriters. "Golden," from Netflix movie "KPop Demon Hunters," will face off with "APT.," a duet between KPop singer Rosé and Bruno Mars. "APT." also will vie for record of the year, given to the performers and producers, against Lamar's "luther" collaboration with SZA and Gaga's "Abracadabra." In the best new artist category, R&B and soul musician Leon Thomas is considered a frontrunner. He received six Grammy nominations in total including an album of the year nod for "Mutt." His competitors include British soul-pop singer Olivia Dean and pop musician Alex Warren. Scheduled performers include Sabrina Carpenter, Addison Rae and all eight best new artist nominees. Producers promised some surprise appearances among performers and presenters who have not been announced. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Additional reporting by Rollo Ross; Editing by Howard Goller)

(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 29 (Reuters) – – The music industry will hand out its highest honors on Sunday at the Grammy Awards, where Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga will battle for the most coveted album of the year prize and a chance to make history. Trevor Noah is returning to host for a sixth time, which he says will be his last Grammys gig. The show will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+ at 5 p.m. Los Angeles time (0100 GMT on Monday).  Any of the three artists could take home the album accolade during the ceremony in Los Angeles, awards experts say. None of the musicians has ever won the honor, which last year went to Beyonce for "Cowboy Carter." A 'SUPER TIGHT' THREE-WAY RACE "It's going to be super tight," Paul Grein, awards editor at Billboard, said of the album category. Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican rapper who is scheduled to headline next month's Super Bowl halftime show, is in the running for "Debi Tirar Más Fotos." It would be the first Spanish-language album to win in the category since the Grammys began 68 years ago. If Lamar wins for "GNX," he would be the first solo male rapper to win the award. Only two hip-hop musicians have been honored in the category – female artist Lauryn Hill and the duo Outkast. For pop singer Lady Gaga, the album prize would be the first of her celebrated career. She has never won any of the top four Grammy prizes despite more than two decades in the music business. This year, she is competing with the album "Mayhem." Grein predicted the trophy would go to Lamar, who won five Grammys a year ago for the single "Not Like Us." Current events may boost support for Bad Bunny, Grein said. BAD BUNNY SKIPPED U.S. SHOWS FOR FEAR OF FEDERAL RAIDS The singer skipped the continental United States on his recent concert tour, saying he feared federal agents carrying out U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown would show up to arrest his fans. His selection for the coming Super Bowl halftime show on February 8 also drew objections from critics who argued the National Football League championship game's entertainment should be performed in English. "I think the culture wars work in his favor," Grein said. "There are people who will vote for him in part – not only for this reason, but in part – as a rebuke to President Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric." Lamar and Gaga are represented by Universal Music Group. Bad Bunny is signed by Puerto Rican label Rimas Entertainment. Grammy winners will be chosen by the roughly 15,000 voting members of the Recording Academy — industry peers including artists, songwriters, producers and engineers — whose ranks have been revamped over the past seven years to increase diversity. About 1,000 Latin Grammys voters became eligible to vote this year, and 73% of members have joined since 2019. Recording Academy Chief Executive Harvey Mason Jr. said the changes reflect the growing popularity of different types of music such as KPop and Afrobeats that now have fans around the world. "For us, the academy, we had to keep up with that," he said. "We have to make sure we are responsible and we're honoring music regardless of where it comes from." KPop will be represented in the song of the year category, an honor for songwriters. "Golden," from Netflix movie "KPop Demon Hunters," will face off with "APT.," a duet between KPop singer Rosé and Bruno Mars. "APT." also will vie for record of the year, given to the performers and producers, against Lamar's "luther" collaboration with SZA and Gaga's "Abracadabra." In the best new artist category, R&B and soul musician Leon Thomas is considered a frontrunner. He received six Grammy nominations in total including an album of the year nod for "Mutt." His competitors include British soul-pop singer Olivia Dean and pop musician Alex Warren. Scheduled performers include Sabrina Carpenter, Addison Rae and all eight best new artist nominees. Producers promised some surprise appearances among performers and presenters who have not been announced. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Additional reporting by Rollo Ross; Editing by Howard Goller)

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