मनोरंजन

(Reuters) -Paramount Skydance plans to keep much of Warner Bros Discovery intact if the two companies merge, with CEO David Ellison aiming to retain creative teams at both studios while streamlining marketing and distribution, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The companies did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Last week, Reuters reported Warner Bros board rejected a nearly $60 billion offer from Paramount. No decisions have been made on whether Paramount would divest real estate assets tied to either company, the Bloomberg report said, citing people familiar with the matter, adding that under Ellison's plan, Warner Bros' HBO Max streaming service would merge into the existing Paramount+ platform. There are no plans to sell or spin off the cable networks of either business, the report added. Although Paramount's CBS News could potentially share resources with Warner Bros' CNN news division, according to the report. Ellison also aims to leverage emerging technologies and artificial intelligence to ramp up production, targeting 30 films annually across the combined entities, the report said. Warner Bros, the studio behind the "Harry Potter" and DC Comics film franchises, announced that it would explore its options for the sale of the company. David Ellison's Paramount Skydance is seen as the top contender to buy Warner Bros Discovery, with analysts and experts saying the tech scion's access to deep pockets and Washington ties give him an edge in what could be the media industry's biggest merger in years. (Reporting by Angela Christy in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

(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 Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -For director Nia DaCosta, adapting the acclaimed 19th century play “Hedda Gabler” into her 2025 film “Hedda” was like forging a “self-insert fanfiction.” “What would it be like if I were there or like literally any Black woman?” DaCosta recalled asking herself. Beyond the desire to see a lead actor who looked more like herself in the period story, DaCosta fell in love with the role of Hedda in the play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in 1890. The “Candyman” director loved debating the character Hedda with her friends and interrogating the motives of the fictional literary woman. “Hedda” is set in 1950s England and follows the titular character Hedda Gabler, played by Tessa Thompson, as she navigates dissatisfaction in her marriage to George Tesman, portrayed by Tom Bateman, and explores her complex feelings toward Eileen Lovborg, played by Nina Hoss. The film arrived in theaters on October 22 and will be available for streaming on Prime Video on Wednesday. Thompson feels her role as Hedda is career-defining, not just for the spotlight it shines on her, but for its substance. “The provocation of the material” demands that people unearth something in themselves, she said, adding that it took bravery to go to some of the psychological places the character took her. Similarly, Hoss felt that playing Eileen and exploring the struggles and successes of queer women in the 1950s was a worthy role. Eileen and Hedda have a romantic past that Hoss was interested in exploring. “What was the dance with them before?” Hoss said of how she tried to imagine their backstory prior to the film's events. “And what is it that draws Eileen back into the room, facing Hedda and kind of provoking her again? They both feel, it’s still not done," she said. (Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Rollo Ross; Editing by Leslie Adler)

(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 Will Dunham (Reuters) -June Lockhart, who became the archetypal TV mom of the 1950s and 1960s with her roles on the campy sci-fi series "Lost in Space" and alongside a collie and a little boy on the family drama "Lassie," died this week at age 100, her family announced on Saturday. She died of natural causes at her home in Santa Monica, California, according to a spokesperson for the family.  Lockhart portrayed planet-hopping mom Maureen Robinson on producer Irwin Allen's "Lost in Space," which ran from 1965 to 1968 and was later very popular in syndication. From 1958 through 1964 she had played Ruth Martin, the mother of the young main character Timmy, on "Lassie." "Lost in Space," which aired in the years leading to the first moon landing in 1969, adapted the castaway novel "The Swiss Family Robinson" to a space theme: a family is sent from Earth to colonize a distant planet but a stowaway sends the craft wildly off course. Clad in a silvery space suit, Lockhart played the wife of the mission leader, portrayed by Guy Williams, whose three children, played by Billy Mumy, Angela Cartwright and Marta Kristen, join in the journey. The series started as a serious foray into science fiction but became sillier in the second and third seasons as it focused on Mumy's youthful Will Robinson, buffoonish stowaway Dr. Smith (Jonathan Harris) and the show's popular robot. At the first hint of trouble, the robot would exclaim, "Danger, Will Robinson!" Lockhart fondly remembered the goofy 1968 episode titled "The Great Vegetable Rebellion" featuring a villainous carrot that plotted to turn the family into plants. "The 'Vegetable Rebellion' is definitely my favorite because we laughed so very hard through all of the shooting," Lockhart told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2004. "In fact, Guy and I laughed so much and so often that we had to do take after take, which did not sit well with Irwin. So as punishment he wrote us out of the next two episodes. We got paid but we weren't in them." Lockhart was born in New York on June 25, 1925. Her parents were actors — her father Gene Lockhart is best remembered as the judge in the 1947 holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street" — and she made her film debut at age 12 alongside them in a 1938 version of "A Christmas Carol." As a young actor, she played supporting roles in major films including the 1944 Judy Garland movie "Meet Me in St. Louis," one of the leading musicals of that decade, and starring roles in B movies like "She-Wolf of London" (1946). She won a Tony Award in 1948 for her performance in the Broadway play "For Love or Money" and later was twice nominated for Emmy awards. TIMMY'S MOTHER Lockhart replaced Cloris Leachman as the adoptive mother of Timmy, played by Jon Provost, in the fifth season of the long-running series "Lassie." After "Lost in Space," she played a doctor for the final two seasons of the sitcom "Petticoat Junction" and had a recurring role on the soap opera "General Hospital."  Lockhart also had a small role in the 1998 big-budget film version of "Lost in Space." Lockhart, a space aficionado who attended NASA space shuttle launches, learned that despite all the rubbery monsters and far-fetched plot lines, "Lost in Space" inspired future astronauts. "I spend a lot of time at NASA with the astronauts," she told the New Jersey newspaper the Record in 2002, "and to a man, or woman, they say that watching 'Lost in Space' made them know what they wanted to do when they grew up. So when I'm down there, of course, they treat me like a duchess. It's wonderful." After appearing on a quiz show in the 1950s with members of the White House press corps, she was given an open invitation to attend White House press briefings, and for many years did so. During former actor Ronald Reagan's presidency, she said he confessed to her his regret about a scene he played in a 1942 movie with her father in which Reagan's character smashed a tomato filled with chocolate sauce into Gene Lockhart's face. "The president told me, 'I felt bad I had to do that to your father because the idea of chocolate sauce and tomato sauce together is repulsive,'" she told the Chicago Tribune in 1987. Lockhart married twice, with both marriages ending in divorce.  (Reporting by Will Dunham in Washington; Additional reporting by Valerie Volcovici in Washington; Editing by Sergio Non and Matthew Lewis)

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

(Reuters) -Netflix has shut down the studio behind its mobile game "Squid Game: Unleashed", amid a shift in strategy for its video gaming unit. The studio's closure was confirmed by its co-founder and former CEO, David Rippy, in a LinkedIn post on Thursday. "Rough news, for sure, but I'm very grateful for the time we had at Netflix," Rippy said. The streaming giant, which has ventured into advertising and video games to diversify its revenue streams, acquired Boss Fight Entertainment in 2022 to broaden its offering. "After 10+ great years working at Boss Fight, the last few as part of Netflix, the time has come for the studio to close down," David Luehmann, a director of game development at the studio, said in another LinkedIn post. Netflix did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Boss Fight's two games, "Netflix Stories" and "Squid Game: Unleashed", will continue to be available on the streaming platform. Netflix, which named Alain Tascan as president of games last year, has a new strategy that will focus on party, narrative, kids and mainstream games. Netflix Co-CEO Greg Peters touted "Squid Game: Unleashed" during its earnings call earlier this week as an example of the types of narrative games it would like to make based on its own shows. (Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Anil D'Silva)

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

LONDON (Reuters) -U.S. rocker Jon Bon Jovi says he is "grateful and humble" to be able to return to the stage again following vocal cord surgery as the band that carries his name announced a comeback tour this week. The 63 year-old singer underwent surgery in 2022 and needed three years of rehabilitation to regain the strength to sing live again. "I'm excited. I'm also grateful and humble," Bon Jovi told Reuters on the sidelines of a press conference for the 2026 tour at Wembley Stadium on Friday. "(It) has taken a lot of rehabilitation. It's sort of like an athlete… because you're retraining… (like) a leg break for a footballer on this field. You have to slowly walk until he can run." The band, which Bon Jovi founded in 1983 and is known for hits like "Livin' on a Prayer", "Always" and "It's My Life", announced its "Forever Tour" on Wednesday, saying it would kick off on July 7 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Bon Jovi will then play at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin's Croke Park in August before wrapping the tour at London's Wembley stadium on September 4. The European leg marks Bon Jovi’s first shows in Britain and Ireland since 2019. "The inspiration was not to get back on the stage. The inspiration when you write a song and you feel that resonance between the sound waves of that music and the band and that resonance between you and the band and the audience," Bon Jovi said of his decision to tour again. The tour announcement coincides with the release of "Forever (Legendary Edition)", a new version Bon Jovi’s 2024 album, featuring collaborations with the likes of Robbie Williams, Bruce Springsteen and Avril Lavigne. (Reporting by Natasha Montague; Editing by Crispian Balmer)

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

LONDON (Reuters) -U.S. rocker Jon Bon Jovi says he is "grateful and humble" to be able to return to the stage again following vocal cord surgery as the band that carries his name announced a comeback tour this week. The 63 year-old singer underwent surgery in 2022 and needed three years of rehabilitation to regain the strength to sing live again. "I'm excited. I'm also grateful and humble," Bon Jovi told Reuters on the sidelines of a press conference for the 2026 tour at Wembley Stadium on Friday. "(It) has taken a lot of rehabilitation. It's sort of like an athlete… because you're retraining… (like) a leg break for a footballer on this field. You have to slowly walk until he can run." The band, which Bon Jovi founded in 1983 and is known for hits like "Livin' on a Prayer", "Always" and "It's My Life", announced its "Forever Tour" on Wednesday, saying it would kick off on July 7 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Bon Jovi will then play at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin's Croke Park in August before wrapping the tour at London's Wembley stadium on September 4. The European leg marks Bon Jovi’s first shows in Britain and Ireland since 2019. "The inspiration was not to get back on the stage. The inspiration when you write a song and you feel that resonance between the sound waves of that music and the band and that resonance between you and the band and the audience," Bon Jovi said of his decision to tour again. The tour announcement coincides with the release of "Forever (Legendary Edition)", a new version Bon Jovi’s 2024 album, featuring collaborations with the likes of Robbie Williams, Bruce Springsteen and Avril Lavigne. (Reporting by Natasha Montague; Editing by Crispian Balmer)

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

LONDON (Reuters) -U.S. rocker Jon Bon Jovi says he is "grateful and humble" to be able to return to the stage again following vocal cord surgery as the band that carries his name announced a comeback tour this week. The 63 year-old singer underwent surgery in 2022 and needed three years of rehabilitation to regain the strength to sing live again. "I'm excited. I'm also grateful and humble," Bon Jovi told Reuters on the sidelines of a press conference for the 2026 tour at Wembley Stadium on Friday. "(It) has taken a lot of rehabilitation. It's sort of like an athlete… because you're retraining… (like) a leg break for a footballer on this field. You have to slowly walk until he can run." The band, which Bon Jovi founded in 1983 and is known for hits like "Livin' on a Prayer", "Always" and "It's My Life", announced its "Forever Tour" on Wednesday, saying it would kick off on July 7 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Bon Jovi will then play at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin's Croke Park in August before wrapping the tour at London's Wembley stadium on September 4. The European leg marks Bon Jovi’s first shows in Britain and Ireland since 2019. "The inspiration was not to get back on the stage. The inspiration when you write a song and you feel that resonance between the sound waves of that music and the band and that resonance between you and the band and the audience," Bon Jovi said of his decision to tour again. The tour announcement coincides with the release of "Forever (Legendary Edition)", a new version Bon Jovi’s 2024 album, featuring collaborations with the likes of Robbie Williams, Bruce Springsteen and Avril Lavigne. (Reporting by Natasha Montague; Editing by Crispian Balmer)

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

LONDON (Reuters) -U.S. singer Chris Brown made a surprise appearance in a London court on Friday for a hearing ahead of his trial next year on charges of attacking a music producer in a London nightclub. Brown earlier this year denied attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm, and also a less serious charge of assault causing actual bodily harm, over what prosecutors say was an "unprovoked attack" with a bottle in 2023. The 36-year-old was not required to attend but appeared at London's Southwark Crown Court on Friday, where he spoke only to confirm his name. Brown appeared in the dock alongside his co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, 38, who has also previously denied the charges against him. The pair's trial is due to begin in October 2026. Brown, a two-time Grammy Award winner known for hits such as "Loyal", "Run It" and "Under the Influence", was granted bail in May after paying 5 million pounds ($6.71 million) in order to begin his "Breezy Bowl XX" tour, which concluded this week. The R&B star was arrested at a hotel in Manchester, northern England in May after returning to Britain for the first time since the incident. ($1 = 0.7451 pounds) (Reporting by Sam Tobin, editing by William James)

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

LONDON (Reuters) -U.S. singer Chris Brown made a surprise appearance in a London court on Friday for a hearing ahead of his trial next year on charges of attacking a music producer in a London nightclub. Brown earlier this year denied attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm, and also a less serious charge of assault causing actual bodily harm, over what prosecutors say was an "unprovoked attack" with a bottle in 2023. The 36-year-old was not required to attend but appeared at London's Southwark Crown Court on Friday, where he spoke only to confirm his name. Brown appeared in the dock alongside his co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, 38, who has also previously denied the charges against him. The pair's trial is due to begin in October 2026. Brown, a two-time Grammy Award winner known for hits such as "Loyal", "Run It" and "Under the Influence", was granted bail in May after paying 5 million pounds ($6.71 million) in order to begin his "Breezy Bowl XX" tour, which concluded this week. The R&B star was arrested at a hotel in Manchester, northern England in May after returning to Britain for the first time since the incident. ($1 = 0.7451 pounds) (Reporting by Sam Tobin, editing by William James)

(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 Mihika Sharma and Mrinmay Dey (Reuters) -Kim Kardashian, the American reality television star and businesswoman, disclosed that she has a brain aneurysm during the Season 7 premiere of "The Kardashians". A preview clip from the opening episode on Thursday titled "Feels Like the Old Days" shows Kardashian, 45, undergoing brain imaging. "There's like a little aneurysm," she is heard saying, as close-up visuals of brain scans are displayed on a monitor. A brain aneurysm occurs when a weak spot in a blood vessel in the brain bulges outward under pressure, resembling a blister. While most aneurysms are small and pose no immediate threat, a rupture can trigger bleeding in the brain — a medical emergency known as a hemorrhagic stroke. Her sister, Kourtney Kardashian Barker, reacts to the revelation with a brief, "Whoa." Kim Kardashian continues, "They're like, 'Just stress,'" before reflecting, "People think I have the luxury of walking away." The clip then cuts to another moment where Kardashian says, "This week has been the hardest week of my life." Details about Kardashian's current condition remain unclear, including whether she is experiencing any symptoms. Kardashian's agent, public relations representative and attorney did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Kim Kardashian, reported to be a billionaire, derives her wealth from multiple ventures, including her television career, social media influence, and the development of a profitable line of cosmetics and foundation garments. Kardashian, who rose to fame through the reality TV series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians", filed for divorce from rapper Kanye West in 2021 after nearly seven years of marriage. They share four children. The latest season of The Kardashians on Disney-owned Hulu continues its close-up of the personal and professional lives of Kris Jenner and her daughters: Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie. It offers viewers a blend of high-stakes drama, emotional disclosures and behind-the-scenes access to their expansive business empires. (Reporting by Mihika Sharma and Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus and Philippa Fletcher)

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