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By Angelica Medina SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 6 (Reuters) – Oversized sunglasses, colourful shirts, Puerto Rican straw hats, and even an "ICE out" sign filled a San Francisco restaurant on Thursday as Bad Bunny lookalikes competed for $100 and bragging rights ahead of the reggaeton star's Super Bowl halftime show. Tacolicious along with Mision Loteria hosted the lookalike contest that drew massive interest. Organizers said 300 VIP tickets sold out in two days, with a wait list of 600 people. "We knew it was going to be a lot of people because we sold out in two days," Luis Guido, one of the organizers told Reuters. "There were at least 300 people inside and at least 200 people outside. So it was a big crowd, but we made it work." Attendees saw the 34 contestants parade their best impersonations of Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio. Two radio hosts cut the field to 11 finalists before the crowd chose the top four based on cheers and applause. The winner, "Abdul Bunny", who works as a Bad Bunny impersonator, took home the cash prize and NFL swag. "I feel really good because Bad Bunny, Benito is representing all the Latinos and even more now with Super Bowl this Sunday," Abdul said. "Benito, if you hear me, blessings. I do this, your tribute, the Bad Bunny tribute … because I love you bro, I love so much." Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday will be a historic moment for Latin music on one of the world's biggest stages. The 31-year-old Puerto Rican star, fresh off winning Album of the Year at the Grammys for "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos," will perform for an expected audience of over 130 million viewers when the Seattle Seahawks face the New England Patriots in the NFL championship game on Sunday. The artist has been outspoken about his political views, particularly his criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump's deportation policies and support for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race. Upon accepting one of his three Grammy awards last week, he declared "ICE out" from the stage, referencing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — a message that resonated with fans who turned out in droves for the San Francisco lookalike contest. (Reporting by Angelica Medina in San Francisco, additional reporting by Maria Cardona; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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By Danielle Broadway and Rollo Ross LOS ANGELES, Feb 6 (Reuters) – Actor Margot Robbie says her romance film “Wuthering Heights” sinks into a love dark enough to wound, describing her Cathy and Jacob Elordi’s Heathcliff as doomed lovers whose dynamic makes the brooding new adaptation both “sadomasochistic and desperately sweet.” "I think they're just a couple who are destined to be doomed,” the “Barbie” actor told Reuters in an interview.   Warner Bros Pictures will roll out British director Emerald Fennell’s film globally in theaters on February 11 to coincide with Valentine’s Day week. The film revisits one of literature’s most enduring and reinterpreted love stories.  Since Emily Brontë published the book "Wuthering Heights" in 1847, its convoluted tale of Cathy and Heathcliff — bound by childhood devotion yet divided by class, privilege and their own self‑sabotaging impulses — has inspired generations of filmmakers, playwrights, musicians and directors. Robbie and Elordi are both Australians. "It is ironic that we're Queenslanders playing two very iconic, you know, English characters but here we are," Robbie said, referring to Australia's northeastern state. The story begins with Cathy's father deciding to adopt Heathcliff into their household when both are children. While the two are infatuated with each other, they are divided by both class and privilege.    Fennell aims to capture the same sensuousness she has brought to her previous productions, including numerous shots of intimate touch in the film.  "We had a wonderful little gremlin present with us all the time,” Elordi said in an interview. “It was Emerald Fennell in a raincoat in the bushes near where we'd be doing a scene and she'd be like, 'Now stroke her hair, now pull her leg up, yes, yes, yes, yes, now, kiss her on the neck if you're comfortable with that.'"      Fennell, the director of "Saltburn," also starring Elordi, said in an interview that she sought to depict the nuances of Cathy and Heathcliff, including their imperfections as people and how they often sabotage each other.  “All of the people that I love have things about them that are terrible and I have things about me that are terrible. And I think that's all part of what makes love so extraordinary is that we forgive and we accept," Fennell said. (Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Rollo Ross; Editing by Howard Goller)

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By Greg Bensinger SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 6 (Reuters) – Now reporting to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy: Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth. The Australian “Thor” actor appeared Thursday morning on Amazon’s official internal organizational chart, which was viewed by Reuters, with the title of “Chief Heartthrob” for Alexa Devices, the organization overseeing Amazon’s voice assistant.  Hemsworth, 42, was given an Amazon email address and the additional role of bar raiser, a high-profile internal designation for corporate employees who help with hiring across the company. “When I’m not starring in movies, I enjoy spending time with my family, campaigning for Ad Meter votes, snake wrangling, bear wrestling, hammer throwing and a nice cinnamon scrub,” read a quote attributed to Hemsworth on the chart. It was a stunt, meant to promote the airing of Amazon’s Super Bowl advertisement highlighting Alexa’s AI capabilities. In the ad, Hemsworth is shown imagining his own death at the hands of a sentient Alexa AI, including being crushed by his garage door, drowning in his pool and wrestling a bear sicced upon the actor.  Alexa’s voice in the ad assures him in the end that it is a force for good. Companies shell out big amounts for pricey ads during the annual football championship. This year ads cost about $8 million for 30 seconds of air time. Amazon's rivals in AI, Anthropic and OpenAI, are also airing Super Bowl commercials this year. For Amazon employees, though, Amazon’s splashy antics appeared tone deaf in light of recent layoffs, and a stock price reeling from a disappointing fourth-quarter earnings report Thursday. The company last week laid off 16,000 corporate employees, including many working on Alexa. The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, began widespread layoffs on Wednesday, gutting a third of employees. “This definitely makes up for the hollow feeling of cleaning out my peer’s desk and meeting him out front with his boxes given he was laid off last week,” wrote one employee on a social media site used by Amazon employees and viewed by Reuters. “It’s less of a joke than it is an insult to the rest of us,” wrote another. An Amazon spokesperson called it “a fun internal Easter egg as we head into the Big Game this weekend.” She declined to address employees’ concerns. Representatives for Hemsworth did not respond to a request for comment. Amazon this week said its new Alexa+ service running on generative AI would be available to all Prime members. Alexa, which can answer questions and enable purchases and some home automation by voice, has been a money loser since its introduction more than a decade ago. The company has been pushing to turn that around with a costly AI-imbued revamp of Alexa, culminating in this week's ad. On Hemsworth's profile page, Amazon employees quickly awarded him with badges given for showing certain propensities outside of regular work, including being a flan enthusiast, CPR instructor and proficient in Mandarin. He had garnered nearly 500. By late Thursday, though, Hemsworth was demoted. He is now reporting to the head of devices and services. (Reporting by Greg Bensinger in San Francisco; Editing by Sayantani Ghosh and Shri Navaratnam)

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LONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Tony Benna hadn't worked with former advertising creative Andre Ricciardi in years, when one day his friend reached out to tell him, "I've got stage four cancer, but I want to make a comedy and I want you to direct it," Benna said. He was taken aback. "First off, I was having to digest the fact that he has cancer. But second, how do you turn this into a comedy? Obviously, cancer is not funny, but Andre is one of the most hilarious and brilliant people I've ever met. So I figured if I could just capture Andre's character, there was a chance to look at something so dark… through a very different lens.” The result is "Andre Is an Idiot", a raw and funny documentary following Ricciardi as he comes to terms with his terminal illness. The title refers to Ricciardi's mistake of passing up on a colonoscopy the year before he finds out he has stage four colon cancer. The movie follows Ricciardi as he deals with his progressing cancer but also uses humour to prepare for death. Audiences see him meet a "death yell" teacher to practice his last words or share wacky ideas like a television show in which participants offer up unique ways for him to die. "What you see in the film is the tip of the iceberg as far as the adventures Andre took us on. And you never knew… if Andre was really serious about getting a head transplant or if it was just something he was joking about," said Benna. He used stop-motion animation to illustrate Ricciardi's stories and ideas. "You can't show… ten different ways to have your body disposed of with a human… But with a puppet, it's approachable. It adds the humour that Andre was really going for." The film features interviews with Ricciardi's wife Janice, their daughters, and best friend Lee among others, and brought a lot of emotional challenges. "Andre Is an Idiot" premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won two awards. It is released in UK cinemas on Friday. "A lot of us hide, as Andre says in the film, from sickness. We're afraid of it. We're afraid to talk to our friends and family that have cancer. We don't know what to say," Benna said. "And what Andre teaches us is – just go be you." (Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

(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, Feb 5 (Reuters) – The emotional side of Emerald Fennell's highly anticipated adaptation of Emily Bronte's 1847 novel "Wuthering Heights" may surprise audiences, actor Margot Robbie said as she joined her co-star Jacob Elordi and the film's cast at the movie's rain-lashed London premiere on Thursday. The film tells the tumultuous love story of Catherine "Cathy" Earnshaw and Heathcliff, played by Robbie and Elordi.  The two forge a tight bond from a young age after Catherine's volatile father brings the orphaned Heathcliff home to the misty Yorkshire Moors from his travels. But despite vowing to always stay together, their unruly tempers, misunderstandings and social conventions of the time tear them apart, with toxic consequences.  Newcomer Charlotte Mellington and "Adolescence" star Owen Cooper play the younger versions of the characters. "Everyone's talking about how steamy it is, but I think people might be surprised about how emotional it is," Robbie, who also produced the movie, said on the red carpet. "It's pretty heart-wrenching, but beautiful. It leaves you with that full feeling, if that makes sense." Elordi described the experience of making the movie as "the greatest journey" and "a wonderful adventure", saying that his version of the famed literary character was grounded in Fennell's vision. "I just wanted it to be as, I don't know, sort of, truthful as possible, I suppose. But really, I'm in service to Emerald, so I just wanted to do whatever she wanted with him," said Elordi, who previously starred in Fennell's 2023 film "Saltburn". His "Saltburn" co-star Alison Oliver, who plays Isabella Linton in "Wuthering Heights", described the movie as a character-driven study of human nature. "There's a lot of stuff in this film that doesn't happen in the book and especially, I guess, the intimacy that happens between Catherine and Heathcliff," said Oliver, adding of Fennell: "I think she's really examining this sort of deepness and darkness of love and obsession." Warner Bros is releasing "Wuthering Heights", which also features original songs by popstar Charli xcx, internationally from February 11. (Reporting by Hanna Rantala; Editing by Stephen Coates)

(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, Feb 5 (Reuters) – The emotional side of Emerald Fennell's highly anticipated adaptation of Emily Bronte's 1847 novel "Wuthering Heights" may surprise audiences, actor Margot Robbie said as she joined her co-star Jacob Elordi and the film's cast at the movie's rain-lashed London premiere on Thursday. The film tells the tumultuous love story of Catherine "Cathy" Earnshaw and Heathcliff, played by Robbie and Elordi.  The two forge a tight bond from a young age after Catherine's volatile father brings the orphaned Heathcliff home to the misty Yorkshire Moors from his travels. But despite vowing to always stay together, their unruly tempers, misunderstandings and social conventions of the time tear them apart, with toxic consequences.  Newcomer Charlotte Mellington and "Adolescence" star Owen Cooper play the younger versions of the characters. "Everyone's talking about how steamy it is, but I think people might be surprised about how emotional it is," Robbie, who also produced the movie, said on the red carpet. "It's pretty heart-wrenching, but beautiful. It leaves you with that full feeling, if that makes sense." Elordi described the experience of making the movie as "the greatest journey" and "a wonderful adventure", saying that his version of the famed literary character was grounded in Fennell's vision. "I just wanted it to be as, I don't know, sort of, truthful as possible, I suppose. But really, I'm in service to Emerald, so I just wanted to do whatever she wanted with him," said Elordi, who previously starred in Fennell's 2023 film "Saltburn". His "Saltburn" co-star Alison Oliver, who plays Isabella Linton in "Wuthering Heights", described the movie as a character-driven study of human nature. "There's a lot of stuff in this film that doesn't happen in the book and especially, I guess, the intimacy that happens between Catherine and Heathcliff," said Oliver, adding of Fennell: "I think she's really examining this sort of deepness and darkness of love and obsession." Warner Bros is releasing "Wuthering Heights", which also features original songs by popstar Charli xcx, internationally from February 11. (Reporting by Hanna Rantala; Editing by Stephen Coates)

(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 Angelica Medina SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Bad Bunny was thinking about his family, friends, and culture as he prepared for his historic Super Bowl LX halftime show on Sunday, where the Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots in the NFL championship game. The 31-year-old Puerto Rican star, whose album "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" won Album of the Year at last week's Grammys, wants to bring a sense of belonging to people around the globe with his performance. Last year's Super Bowl halftime show by Kendrick Lamar set a record, drawing more than 130 million viewers. "My biggest feeling is being grateful," the artist, wearing an unusual beanie hat with bunny ears, told reporters on Thursday. "I feel more excited about the people than even me, about my family, about my friends, people that I know that always believed in me and they're happy because of this moment and the culture." He emphasized unity and celebration as his main goals for the 13-minute performance and was candid about how his deeply personal album exceeded his expectations. Bad Bunny's selection as halftime headliner has drawn criticism from some traditionalists, including President Donald Trump, who called it "absolutely ridiculous." The artist has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump's deportation policies and openly supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race. Upon accepting one of his three Grammy awards last week, he declared "ICE out" from the stage, referencing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He notably skipped touring the continental U.S., citing fears that immigration agents would arrest his fans. After announcing his residency in Puerto Rico, he recalled thinking: "Oh, wow. The world really wants me. So I should go also to give some love, show love to the world, to Latin America." "And then the opportunity to bring that feeling that I put on that album to one of the biggest stages in the world is something that I never thought," he said. When asked about potential guest appearances, Bad Bunny, or "El Conejo Malo", deflected with characteristic warmth: "I think I have a lot of guests. It's gonna be my family, my friends, or all the Latino community around the world." He even joked with the 'Kid Correspondent' from the NFL Play 60 programme — one of three youngsters at the conference who were allowed to ask questions — who wanted to know how he keeps his body healthy for such demanding performances. "Eating smash burgers and thinking about the Super Bowl halftime show at 4 a.m." He added he's been working out and eating healthy, though he's had to make sacrifices: "I'm not even playing that much dominoes and that's just killing me, bro." Although this isn't his first rodeo, six years ago he joined Jennifer Lopez and Shakira on stage for Super Bowl LIV, yet he insists the return wasn't part of some master plan. "My biggest achievement, my biggest pleasure is just create, have fun doing it, and connect with the people," he added. What should fans expect Sunday? "As I said, I just want people to have fun. It's gonna be huge, the party is going to be what people always can expect from me. Of course, a lot of my culture, but I really don't want to give any spoilers. "It's going to be fun and it's going to be a party," he added. (Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by David Gregorio)

(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 Angelica Medina SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Bad Bunny was thinking about his family, friends, and culture as he prepared for his historic Super Bowl LX halftime show on Sunday, where the Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots in the NFL championship game. The 31-year-old Puerto Rican star, whose album "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" won Album of the Year at last week's Grammys, wants to bring a sense of belonging to people around the globe with his performance. Last year's Super Bowl halftime show by Kendrick Lamar set a record, drawing more than 130 million viewers. "My biggest feeling is being grateful," the artist, wearing an unusual beanie hat with bunny ears, told reporters on Thursday. "I feel more excited about the people than even me, about my family, about my friends, people that I know that always believed in me and they're happy because of this moment and the culture." He emphasized unity and celebration as his main goals for the 13-minute performance and was candid about how his deeply personal album exceeded his expectations. Bad Bunny's selection as halftime headliner has drawn criticism from some traditionalists, including President Donald Trump, who called it "absolutely ridiculous." The artist has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump's deportation policies and openly supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race. Upon accepting one of his three Grammy awards last week, he declared "ICE out" from the stage, referencing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He notably skipped touring the continental U.S., citing fears that immigration agents would arrest his fans. After announcing his residency in Puerto Rico, he recalled thinking: "Oh, wow. The world really wants me. So I should go also to give some love, show love to the world, to Latin America." "And then the opportunity to bring that feeling that I put on that album to one of the biggest stages in the world is something that I never thought," he said. When asked about potential guest appearances, Bad Bunny, or "El Conejo Malo", deflected with characteristic warmth: "I think I have a lot of guests. It's gonna be my family, my friends, or all the Latino community around the world." He even joked with the 'Kid Correspondent' from the NFL Play 60 programme — one of three youngsters at the conference who were allowed to ask questions — who wanted to know how he keeps his body healthy for such demanding performances. "Eating smash burgers and thinking about the Super Bowl halftime show at 4 a.m." He added he's been working out and eating healthy, though he's had to make sacrifices: "I'm not even playing that much dominoes and that's just killing me, bro." Although this isn't his first rodeo, six years ago he joined Jennifer Lopez and Shakira on stage for Super Bowl LIV, yet he insists the return wasn't part of some master plan. "My biggest achievement, my biggest pleasure is just create, have fun doing it, and connect with the people," he added. What should fans expect Sunday? "As I said, I just want people to have fun. It's gonna be huge, the party is going to be what people always can expect from me. Of course, a lot of my culture, but I really don't want to give any spoilers. "It's going to be fun and it's going to be a party," he added. (Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by David Gregorio)

(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 Sam Tobin LONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) – British singer Elton John's husband, David Furnish, on Thursday told London's High Court that the publisher of the Daily Mail had unlawfully obtained information about them, including from their friend Prince Harry. Furnish – who with John is one of seven claimants suing Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, for alleged privacy breaches – also said in his witness statement that the Mail titles had been "actively homophobic" about him and John. Associated denies allegations of phone hacking and other unlawful acts made by Furnish, John and the other claimants, and says the information its newspapers reported was already in the public domain or obtained from legitimate sources. The publisher's lawyer, Catrin Evans, suggested that information in the stories Furnish and John complained about had come from other media, John's website or statements from his spokesperson. But Furnish, giving evidence by video link, said details in the Mail articles had been much more specific. FURNISH SAYS MAIL STOLE INFORMATION FROM HARRY Furnish was the sixth claimant to give evidence in the high-profile lawsuit, after Harry, actors Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, former lawmaker Simon Hughes and anti-racism campaigner Doreen Lawrence. John is due to give evidence on Friday. Furnish and John's case relates to 10 articles published between 2002 and 2015, including a 2007 story in the Mail on Sunday about a concert to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Harry's mother Princess Diana, who died in a 1997 car crash. Harry said in his witness statement that he thought he and John would have exchanged voicemail messages about the concert. The Mail's lawyers, however, say the information came from well-placed royal sources. Furnish said in his written evidence that he and John believed their home's landlines had been bugged and the Mail was involved in "the stealing of our information through our friends Elizabeth Hurley and Prince Harry". "Elton absolutely adores Prince Harry," his statement said. Furnish also said that he and John "have a long and difficult history with The Mail", accusing the publisher of writing "judgmental and narrow-minded stories about us". Furnish said that, in relation to a 2010 article about him and John having a child through surrogacy, the Mail obtained a copy of their son's birth certificate before they did, which he said was "deeply disturbing". "It has outraged us that The Mail used our friendships against us by stealing information through them," he added in his statement. "It has outraged us that our family home was violated and our son's birth certificate stolen before we even had a chance to see it ourselves and Elton's medicals were ransacked with impunity." (Reporting by Sam Tobin and Michael Holden; 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.)