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HAVANA (Reuters) -A small group of Cuban musicians, together with the top U.S. diplomat in Cuba, paid homage in Havana to salsa icon Celia Cruz, who died in 2003 but would have celebrated her 100th birthday on Tuesday. The discreet ceremony, which took place in a Catholic church in central Havana, came after Cuba's National Center for Popular Music last week canceled another homage organized by well-known theater group "El Publico" at a local music hall.  The state-run entity did not say why it had called off the event in a brief statement on social media. The decision nonetheless prompted accusations of censorship from some fans of the so-called Queen of Salsa, who left Cuba shortly after Fidel Castro's rise to power and had long criticized the island's communist-run government.  U.S. Chief of Mission in Havana Mike Hammer attended the ceremony on Tuesday, shaking hands with musicians and paying homage to the top female singer who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1977.  “She … brought joy and hope, but also wanted freedom for Cuba, and liberty, something she cherished, something we all want to see, so for me is a great honor to be able to participate in this beautiful ceremony." Hammer, a career U.S. diplomat who arrived in Cuba in 2024, has traveled the island widely to meet with political dissidents, raising the ire of the Cuban government, which accuses him of seeking to foment unrest.  He has denied that accusation. Cruz was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal by the U.S. Congress in 2005 and won three U.S. Grammys and four Latin Grammys, making her one of the most celebrated Latin American musicians of the 20th century.   Her decision to leave Cuba following the Cuban revolution, and later statements in opposition to Cuba's government, made clear her political stance, but her politics rarely surfaced in her music.    (Reporting by Mario Fuentes and Anett Rios in Havana, Writing by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

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HAVANA (Reuters) -A small group of Cuban musicians, together with the top U.S. diplomat in Cuba, paid homage in Havana to salsa icon Celia Cruz, who died in 2003 but would have celebrated her 100th birthday on Tuesday. The discreet ceremony, which took place in a Catholic church in central Havana, came after Cuba's National Center for Popular Music last week canceled another homage organized by well-known theater group "El Publico" at a local music hall.  The state-run entity did not say why it had called off the event in a brief statement on social media. The decision nonetheless prompted accusations of censorship from some fans of the so-called Queen of Salsa, who left Cuba shortly after Fidel Castro's rise to power and had long criticized the island's communist-run government.  U.S. Chief of Mission in Havana Mike Hammer attended the ceremony on Tuesday, shaking hands with musicians and paying homage to the top female singer who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1977.  “She … brought joy and hope, but also wanted freedom for Cuba, and liberty, something she cherished, something we all want to see, so for me is a great honor to be able to participate in this beautiful ceremony." Hammer, a career U.S. diplomat who arrived in Cuba in 2024, has traveled the island widely to meet with political dissidents, raising the ire of the Cuban government, which accuses him of seeking to foment unrest.  He has denied that accusation. Cruz was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal by the U.S. Congress in 2005 and won three U.S. Grammys and four Latin Grammys, making her one of the most celebrated Latin American musicians of the 20th century.   Her decision to leave Cuba following the Cuban revolution, and later statements in opposition to Cuba's government, made clear her political stance, but her politics rarely surfaced in her music.    (Reporting by Mario Fuentes and Anett Rios in Havana, Writing by Dave Sherwood; Editing by 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.)

By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Netflix missed Wall Street's third-quarter earnings targets because of an unexpected expense from a Brazilian tax dispute while it offered a forecast a touch ahead of Wall Street projections for the rest of the year. The report failed to impress investors accustomed to fast-paced growth from the streaming video pioneer. Shares of Netflix, which had risen 39% this year ahead of the earnings release, fell 5.6% to $1,171.24 in after-hours trading on Tuesday. Netflix is seeking to expand in new areas such as advertising and video games after attracting more than 300 million customers around the world. It faces competition from YouTube, Amazon's Prime Video, Disney+ and others. The media business is facing major changes including the potential sale of industry titan Warner Bros Discovery and the rise of generative artificial intelligence with the ability to produce short videos. CNBC reported that Netflix was among the parties interested in examining Warner Bros' assets. Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, in response to analysts' questions about possible media consolidation, said the company "can and will be choosy" about acquisition targets. He said the company has no interest in owning legacy media networks but would evaluate opportunities to buy intellectual property. "Nothing is a must-have for us to meet our goals that we have for the business," Sarandos said. Co-CEO Greg Peters said he did not believe media industry consolidation would make things more challenging for Netflix. "Watching some of our competitors potentially get bigger via (mergers and acquisitions) does not change in and of itself, at least our view, the competitive landscape," Peters said. Netflix posted net income of $2.5 billion and diluted earnings-per-share of $5.87 for July through September, a period when the animated "K-Pop Demon Hunters" became the most-watched movie in Netflix history. Analysts had expected $3.0 billion and $6.97, respectively, according to LSEG. Revenue was even with forecasts, at $11.5 billion. Netflix reported an operating margin of 28% for the third quarter. Without the Brazilian tax expense of roughly $619 million, the margin would have exceeded the company's guidance of 31.5%, it said, adding that it did not expect the matter to have a material impact on future results. PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore said he believed the tax issue weighed on Netflix shares. "All things considered, this was another robust quarter, despite a blip due to an unforeseen expense," Pescatore said. For the fourth quarter, Netflix forecast revenue of $11.96 billion, compared with Wall Street's projection of $11.90 billion. It projected diluted earnings-per-share a penny ahead of analysts' targets, at $5.45. For the third quarter, Netflix said it recorded its best ad sales quarter in history but did not disclose a number. "This gives the impression that the sustained revenue growth achieved this quarter, and forecasted for next quarter, will predominantly continue to come from subscription fees," eMarketer analyst Ross Benes said. Netflix will release the final season of one of its biggest hits, "Stranger Things," in November and December and stream two live National Football League games on Christmas. "We're finishing the year with good momentum and have an exciting Q4 slate," Netflix said in its quarterly letter to shareholders. Earlier this year, Netflix stopped reporting subscriber numbers and urged investors to focus on revenue and profit. It has expanded into video games and advertising, two areas that have contributed little to revenue so far, according to analysts and investors.  (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Richard Chang)

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

HAVANA (Reuters) -A small group of Cuban musicians, together with the top U.S. diplomat in Cuba, paid homage in Havana to salsa icon Celia Cruz, who died in 2003 but would have celebrated her 100th birthday on Tuesday. The discreet ceremony, which took place in a Catholic church in central Havana, came after Cuba's National Center for Popular Music last week canceled another homage organized by well-known theater group "El Publico" at a local music hall.  The state-run entity did not say why it had called off the event in a brief statement on social media. The decision nonetheless prompted accusations of censorship from some fans of the so-called Queen of Salsa, who left Cuba shortly after Fidel Castro's rise to power and had long criticized the island's communist-run government.  U.S. Chief of Mission in Havana Mike Hammer attended the ceremony on Tuesday, shaking hands with musicians and paying homage to the top female singer who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1977.  “She … brought joy and hope, but also wanted freedom for Cuba, and liberty, something she cherished, something we all want to see, so for me is a great honor to be able to participate in this beautiful ceremony." Hammer, a career U.S. diplomat who arrived in Cuba in 2024, has traveled the island widely to meet with political dissidents, raising the ire of the Cuban government, which accuses him of seeking to foment unrest.  He has denied that accusation. Cruz was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal by the U.S. Congress in 2005 and won three U.S. Grammys and four Latin Grammys, making her one of the most celebrated Latin American musicians of the 20th century.   Her decision to leave Cuba following the Cuban revolution, and later statements in opposition to Cuba's government, made clear her political stance, but her politics rarely surfaced in her music.    (Reporting by Mario Fuentes and Anett Rios in Havana, Writing by Dave Sherwood; Editing by 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.)

By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Netflix missed Wall Street third-quarter earnings targets because of an unexpected expense from a dispute with Brazilian tax authorities and it offered a forecast a touch ahead of Wall Street projections for the rest of the year. Shares of Netflix fell 4% to $1,186.82 in after-hours trading on Tuesday.   The streaming service posted net income of $2.5 billion and diluted earnings-per-share of $5.87 for July through September, a period when the animated "K-Pop Demon Hunters" became the most-watched movie in Netflix history. Analysts had expected $3.0 billion and $6.97, according to LSEG. Revenue was even with forecasts, at $11.5 billion. Netflix is searching for growth from new areas such as advertising and video games after attracting more than 300 million customers around the world. It faces competition from YouTube, Amazon's Prime Video, Disney+ and others. Netflix said its operating margin for the third quarter came in at 28%. Without the Brazilian tax expense of roughly $619 million, operating margin would have exceeded the company's guidance of 31.5%, the company said.  "We don't expect this matter to have a material impact on future results," Netflix said in its quarterly letter to shareholders. For the fourth quarter, Netflix forecast revenue of $11.96 billion, compared with Wall Street's projection of $11.90 billion. It projected diluted earnings-per-share a penny ahead of analysts' targets, at $5.45. The company will release the final season of one of its biggest hits, "Stranger Things," in November and December and will stream two live National Football League games on Christmas. "We're finishing the year with good momentum and have an exciting Q4 slate," Netflix said in its letter. Earlier this year, Netflix stopped reporting subscriber numbers and urged investors to focus on revenue and profit. It has expanded into video games and advertising, two areas that have contributed little to revenue so far, according to analysts and investors.  (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Richard Chang)

(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 Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Fans arrived for an early screening of the absurdist sci-fi comedy film “Bugonia,” on Monday night in Los Angeles with one unique condition—the theater only admitted bald people. The film's distributor, Focus Features, challenged audiences to shave their heads to see “Bugonia,” starring Oscar-winning actor Emma Stone. Stone and Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos gained a powerful fanbase after teaming up for Oscar-nominated films “Poor Things” and “The Favourite.” “Bugonia” will be released in select theaters on Friday and then across the U.S. on October 31. In “Bugonia,” Stone plays a powerful pharmaceutical CEO named Michelle Fuller, who is kidnapped by two conspiracy theorist-cousins who are convinced that she's an alien – so much so, they shave her head. With a barber in the foyer, fans like Sam Sherman from Los Angeles stepped up to get their buzz cut to gain entry to the screening. "I was already thinking of shaving my head," Sherman said. "I saw, like, a post about this and I was like, that's a perfect excuse because I want to see 'Bugonia' anyway and I get to see it two weeks early or whatever it is, and then I get a free haircut and a free movie. It's hard to say no to that,” he added. Matthew Lopez, 29, from Los Angeles, thought the bald screening inspired by Stone's shaved head was a great idea. "It's almost feeling immersive, like, ok, 'I did it, she did it.' I can feel some connection to the story,” he said. For Richard Chong, 36, it was a chance to appease his friends and family. "I like the director. I think he's really good, very weird and my friends hate my bowl cut, so this is for them, also my wife, she really hates it," Chong said. (Reporting by Sandra Stojanovic, Daniel Cole, Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway; Editing by 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 Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Fans arrived for an early screening of the absurdist sci-fi comedy film “Bugonia,” on Monday night in Los Angeles with one unique condition—the theater only admitted bald people. The film's distributor, Focus Features, challenged audiences to shave their heads to see “Bugonia,” starring Oscar-winning actor Emma Stone. Stone and Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos gained a powerful fanbase after teaming up for Oscar-nominated films “Poor Things” and “The Favourite.” “Bugonia” will be released in select theaters on Friday and then across the U.S. on October 31. In “Bugonia,” Stone plays a powerful pharmaceutical CEO named Michelle Fuller, who is kidnapped by two conspiracy theorist-cousins who are convinced that she's an alien – so much so, they shave her head. With a barber in the foyer, fans like Sam Sherman from Los Angeles stepped up to get their buzz cut to gain entry to the screening. "I was already thinking of shaving my head," Sherman said. "I saw, like, a post about this and I was like, that's a perfect excuse because I want to see 'Bugonia' anyway and I get to see it two weeks early or whatever it is, and then I get a free haircut and a free movie. It's hard to say no to that,” he added. Matthew Lopez, 29, from Los Angeles, thought the bald screening inspired by Stone's shaved head was a great idea. "It's almost feeling immersive, like, ok, 'I did it, she did it.' I can feel some connection to the story,” he said. For Richard Chong, 36, it was a chance to appease his friends and family. "I like the director. I think he's really good, very weird and my friends hate my bowl cut, so this is for them, also my wife, she really hates it," Chong said. (Reporting by Sandra Stojanovic, Daniel Cole, Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway; Editing by 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 Kritika Lamba and Anuja Bharat Mistry (Reuters) -Netflix is teaming up with Mattel and Hasbro to turn its blockbuster animated film  "KPop Demon Hunters" into toys, deepening a consumer-goods push that could help diversify its revenue. The partnership, announced on Tuesday, will produce toys, collectibles, games and role-play products based on the film that follows a successful female K-pop trio who play massive concerts while trying to save the world from sinister forces. The first products from the tie-up will release next year. Since its June debut, "KPop Demon Hunters" has topped more than 325 million views, making it Netflix's most-watched original movie. Its soundtrack has received platinum certification and the breakout single "Golden" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The movie has also sparked a steady stream of cosplay and dance challenges across social media platforms. By turning it into toys, Netflix is betting smaller, non-franchise films can scale into lucrative intellectual property. The company is already offering "KPop Demon Hunters" apparel, accessories and collectibles through its online shop. DIVERSIFICATION PUSH The streamer also offers toys based on other hit franchises, such as "Stranger Things," and has heavily invested in mobile games and immersive experiences stemming from its original content to diversify its revenue away from subscriptions. Other media companies including Walt Disney have leaned on toys to turn breakout hits such as "Frozen" into massive franchises that bring a reliable stream of revenue. Financial details of Tuesday's deal were not disclosed. Mattel declined to share further details, while Hasbro did not immediately respond to a Reuters request. Shares of Mattel closed regular trading 2.5% higher as the deal offers the company another chance to tap into a global entertainment phenomenon, like its success with "Barbie." Mattel will develop and market a global line of "KPop Demon Hunters" products starting in 2026, spanning dolls, action figures, accessories, collectibles and playsets. Its CEO, Ynon Kreiz, called the deal "a win-win for both the companies" in an interview with Reuters. "This is especially exciting given the scale and appeal of this new franchise." Kreiz said Mattel was fast-tracking development of the products due to strong expected demand and would expedite shipping. "We will do everything we can to fulfill the demand," he said. The company also reported third-quarter results on Tuesday, with its sales and profit falling short of estimates due to sluggish demand in North America amid economic uncertainty. Meanwhile, Hasbro's range from the Netflix tie-up will include special-feature plush, youth electronics and role-play items, with the first release being a "MONOPOLY Deal: KPop Demon Hunters" edition. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

(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 Kritika Lamba and Anuja Bharat Mistry (Reuters) -Netflix is teaming up with Mattel and Hasbro to turn its blockbuster animated film  "KPop Demon Hunters" into toys, deepening a consumer-goods push that could help diversify its revenue. The partnership, announced on Tuesday, will produce toys, collectibles, games and role-play products based on the film that follows a successful female K-pop trio who play massive concerts while trying to save the world from sinister forces. The first products from the tie-up will release next year. Since its June debut, "KPop Demon Hunters" has topped more than 325 million views, making it Netflix's most-watched original movie. Its soundtrack has received platinum certification and the breakout single "Golden" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The movie has also sparked a steady stream of cosplay and dance challenges across social media platforms. By turning it into toys, Netflix is betting smaller, non-franchise films can scale into lucrative intellectual property. The company is already offering "KPop Demon Hunters" apparel, accessories and collectibles through its online shop. DIVERSIFICATION PUSH The streamer also offers toys based on other hit franchises, such as "Stranger Things," and has heavily invested in mobile games and immersive experiences stemming from its original content to diversify its revenue away from subscriptions. Other media companies including Walt Disney have leaned on toys to turn breakout hits such as "Frozen" into massive franchises that bring a reliable stream of revenue. Financial details of Tuesday's deal were not disclosed. Mattel declined to share further details, while Hasbro did not immediately respond to a Reuters request. Shares of Mattel closed regular trading 2.5% higher as the deal offers the company another chance to tap into a global entertainment phenomenon, like its success with "Barbie." Mattel will develop and market a global line of "KPop Demon Hunters" products starting in 2026, spanning dolls, action figures, accessories, collectibles and playsets. Its CEO, Ynon Kreiz, called the deal "a win-win for both the companies" in an interview with Reuters. "This is especially exciting given the scale and appeal of this new franchise." Kreiz said Mattel was fast-tracking development of the products due to strong expected demand and would expedite shipping. "We will do everything we can to fulfill the demand," he said. The company also reported third-quarter results on Tuesday, with its sales and profit falling short of estimates due to sluggish demand in North America amid economic uncertainty. Meanwhile, Hasbro's range from the Netflix tie-up will include special-feature plush, youth electronics and role-play items, with the first release being a "MONOPOLY Deal: KPop Demon Hunters" edition. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

(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, Jaspreet Singh and Dawn Chmielewski (Reuters) -Warner Bros Discovery's board rejected a nearly $60 billion offer from Paramount Skydance on Tuesday, a source said, and the company announced it would explore its options for the sale of the company. Reuters exclusively reported that the company's board rejected a mostly cash offer of nearly $24 a share for the company, whose assets include the Warner Bros film and television studios, its CNN and other cable television networks and its HBO Max streaming service, according to a source familiar with the matter. Shares of the company closed 11% higher on Tuesday.  Warner Bros and Paramount declined to comment. Comcast is likely to examine the media firm's assets, another source told Reuters on Tuesday. Netflix is also among the interested parties, CNBC reported, following earlier reports that Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison was also in talks to acquire the whole company. Warner Bros — the studio behind the "Harry Potter" and DC Comics film franchises — announced plans in June to split into studio-centric and cable-focused units by next year to separate its growing streaming business from its lagging cable network unit. The board will consider a range of options including its planned separation, a deal for the entire company, or separate transactions for its Warner Bros or Discovery Global businesses, the company said on Tuesday. It is also considering an alternative separation structure that would enable a merger of Warner Bros and a spinoff of Discovery Global.  SALE COULD RESHAPE MEDIA LANDSCAPE A sale or a split would be one of the most consequential moments reshaping the media industry. Streaming has fundamentally transformed the industry, stealing the audiences for traditional television broadcasts, and sapping advertising revenue. Any deal for Warner Bros Discovery would give the buyer control of a major studio and a leading streaming service, but also saddle it with the company's roughly $35 billion debt. Shares of WBD, which has a market valuation of $45.36 billion, have surged more than 46% since early September, when reports of Paramount's interest in the company surfaced. "Paramount is the most likely to purchase the company. For Netflix, a purchase would make more sense following the planned split because the studio would be very valuable to Netflix but the TV networks not as much," said eMarketer senior analyst Ross Benes. The company already rejected an initial bid from Paramount because the offer of around $20 per share was too low, two sources told Reuters. Bank of America research analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich estimated the whole company was worth $30 per share, given its assets, and noted that WBD was not commenting on the offers.  "Given the company's wealth of premium IP (Harry Potter, DC, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, etc.) and robust library, we continue to believe Warner Bros is an extremely attractive potential acquisition target," she wrote in an investor note. Comcast is in the process of spinning off its NBCUniversal cable channels, including USA Network and CNBC, into a new company called Versant later this year.  "Potential WBD suitors, including Paramount, Comcast, Netflix, Amazon and Apple, could see value in moving sooner rather than later to acquire the entirety of WBD versus waiting to purchase just the streaming and studios assets," said Seth Shafer, principal analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan. Netflix did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.  ELLISON FAMILY'S AMBITIONS Skydance's advances soon after snapping up Paramount speak to the Ellison family's voracious appetite to dominate the global media landscape amid a favorable regulatory regime in the United States.  Analysts believe David Ellison's deep pockets — backed by his father, Oracle co-founder and the world's second-richest person Larry Ellison — give him the firepower to take the risk. The elder Ellison's close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump may also smooth regulatory hurdles and avoid the scrutiny that would usually come with such a merger, analysts say.  (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Harshita Mary Varghese and Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru and Milana Vinn in New York; Editing by Leroy Leo and Matthew Lewis)

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