मनोरंजन

Dec 31 (Reuters) – Netflix's Christmas Day National Football League broadcasts set new records, with the Detroit Lions vs the Minnesota Vikings becoming the most-streamed NFL game in the United States, the streaming giant said on Wednesday. The Lions vs Vikings game drew 27.5 million viewers on average in the U.S., with viewership peaking at over 30 million, the company said, citing data from Nielsen. The first game, the Dallas Cowboys vs the Washington Commanders, averaged 19.9 million viewers in the U.S. The NFL is the most popular professional league in the U.S., with games regularly drawing tens of millions of viewers on traditional broadcast networks. CBS's broadcast of the Kansas City Chiefs vs the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day drew 57.2 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The Netflix broadcasts extend the NFL's push for global dominance. Netflix struck a deal last year to stream the league's games on Christmas Day through 2026. Live sports programming is key to Netflix's push to build out its ad-supported subscription tier, with advertisers paying premium rates for placements during events that attract large, loyal audiences. Netflix said last month that ads on its platform have reached over 190 million monthly active viewers (MAVs) globally. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

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

Dec 31 (Reuters) – Netflix's Christmas Day National Football League broadcasts set new records, with the Detroit Lions vs the Minnesota Vikings becoming the most-streamed NFL game in the United States, the streaming giant said on Wednesday. The Lions vs Vikings game drew 27.5 million viewers on average in the U.S., with viewership peaking at over 30 million, the company said, citing data from Nielsen. The first game, the Dallas Cowboys vs the Washington Commanders, averaged 19.9 million viewers in the U.S. The NFL is the most popular professional league in the U.S., with games regularly drawing tens of millions of viewers on traditional broadcast networks. CBS's broadcast of the Kansas City Chiefs vs the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day drew 57.2 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The Netflix broadcasts extend the NFL's push for global dominance. Netflix struck a deal last year to stream the league's games on Christmas Day through 2026. Live sports programming is key to Netflix's push to build out its ad-supported subscription tier, with advertisers paying premium rates for placements during events that attract large, loyal audiences. Netflix said last month that ads on its platform have reached over 190 million monthly active viewers (MAVs) globally. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

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

Dec 31 (Reuters) – Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia 2" surpassed 2019's "Frozen 2" to become its highest-grossing film ever, the company said on Wednesday, marking a bright spot in a year when global box office continues to trail pre-pandemic levels. The animated sequel is the fifth Walt Disney Animation Studios film to cross $1 billion globally, grossing around $1.46 billion at the box office after its strong U.S. Thanksgiving weekend opening. The film's success has been fueled by an extraordinary reception in China, where "Zootopia 2" has grossed over $560 million. The sequel dominated its opening weekend in China, capturing approximately 95% of all movie ticket sales. "Zootopia 2" launched Hollywood's crucial holiday season with an estimated $556 million in global ticket sales in the opening weekend. The film reunites rabbit police officer Judy Hopps and her fox partner Nick Wilde in a new adventure through the bustling animal metropolis. With global box office still falling short of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, the sequel's success has been a welcome relief to the studio and theater owners banking on packed shows during the year's second-busiest moviegoing season. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)

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

Dec 31 (Reuters) – Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia 2" surpassed 2019's "Frozen 2" to become its highest-grossing film ever, the company said on Wednesday, marking a bright spot in a year when global box office continues to trail pre-pandemic levels. The animated sequel is the fifth Walt Disney Animation Studios film to cross $1 billion globally, grossing around $1.46 billion at the box office after its strong U.S. Thanksgiving weekend opening. The film's success has been fueled by an extraordinary reception in China, where "Zootopia 2" has grossed over $560 million. The sequel dominated its opening weekend in China, capturing approximately 95% of all movie ticket sales. "Zootopia 2" launched Hollywood's crucial holiday season with an estimated $556 million in global ticket sales in the opening weekend. The film reunites rabbit police officer Judy Hopps and her fox partner Nick Wilde in a new adventure through the bustling animal metropolis. With global box office still falling short of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, the sequel's success has been a welcome relief to the studio and theater owners banking on packed shows during the year's second-busiest moviegoing season. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)

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

Dec 31 (Reuters) – Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia 2" surpassed 2019's "Frozen 2" to become its highest-grossing film ever, the company said on Wednesday, marking a bright spot in a year when global box office continues to trail pre-pandemic levels. The animated sequel is the fifth Walt Disney Animation Studios film to cross $1 billion globally, grossing around $1.46 billion at the box office after its strong U.S. Thanksgiving weekend opening. The film's success has been fueled by an extraordinary reception in China, where "Zootopia 2" has grossed over $560 million. The sequel dominated its opening weekend in China, capturing approximately 95% of all movie ticket sales. "Zootopia 2" launched Hollywood's crucial holiday season with an estimated $556 million in global ticket sales in the opening weekend. The film reunites rabbit police officer Judy Hopps and her fox partner Nick Wilde in a new adventure through the bustling animal metropolis. With global box office still falling short of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, the sequel's success has been a welcome relief to the studio and theater owners banking on packed shows during the year's second-busiest moviegoing season. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)

(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 Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, Dec 29 (Reuters) – A veteran jazz ensemble announced on Monday it was canceling its New Year's Eve performances at the Kennedy Center, the latest group to withdraw from the Washington arts institution after it was renamed to include U.S. President Donald Trump. "Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice. Some of us have been making this music for many decades, and that history still shapes us," the Cookers jazz ensemble said in a statement. The Kennedy Center had promoted two New Year's Eve performances by the Cookers as an "all-star jazz septet that will ignite the Terrace Theater stage with fire and soul." Richard Grenell, a longtime ally of the U.S. president whom Trump named as the center's president, said on Monday that such boycotts are a "form of derangement syndrome" and the cancelations are coming from artists booked by the institution's previous leadership. He has previously termed cancelations a "political stunt." The withdrawal adds to a growing list of cancellations since the name change was announced this month by the Center's board, which the Republican president filled with allies during a broad takeover earlier this year. A Christmas Eve jazz concert was canceled last week, with the host of the show, musician Chuck Redd, attributing it to the name change. The New York Times reported that Doug Varone and Dancers, a New York dance company, has pulled out of two April performances.Democrats have called the decision by the board of the Kennedy Center to add Trump's name to the institution illegal, while John F. Kennedy’s family denounced the move as undermining the slain president's legacy. The board voted to rename the arts venue The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, or Trump Kennedy Center for short. Trump has been eager to put his stamp on Washington and his name on buildings in his second term. His critics say he has compromised institutions by installing loyalists and making funding threats. Trump says he is tackling what he calls those institutions' liberal bias. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Colleen Jenkins and Saad Sayeed)

(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 Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, Dec 29 (Reuters) – A veteran jazz ensemble announced on Monday it was canceling its New Year's Eve performances at the Kennedy Center, the latest group to withdraw from the Washington arts institution after it was renamed to include U.S. President Donald Trump. "Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice. Some of us have been making this music for many decades, and that history still shapes us," the Cookers jazz ensemble said in a statement. The Kennedy Center had promoted two New Year's Eve performances by the Cookers as an "all-star jazz septet that will ignite the Terrace Theater stage with fire and soul." Richard Grenell, a longtime ally of the U.S. president whom Trump named as the center's president, said on Monday that such boycotts are a "form of derangement syndrome" and the cancelations are coming from artists booked by the institution's previous leadership. He has previously termed cancelations a "political stunt." The withdrawal adds to a growing list of cancellations since the name change was announced this month by the Center's board, which the Republican president filled with allies during a broad takeover earlier this year. A Christmas Eve jazz concert was canceled last week, with the host of the show, musician Chuck Redd, attributing it to the name change. The New York Times reported that Doug Varone and Dancers, a New York dance company, has pulled out of two April performances.Democrats have called the decision by the board of the Kennedy Center to add Trump's name to the institution illegal, while John F. Kennedy’s family denounced the move as undermining the slain president's legacy. The board voted to rename the arts venue The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, or Trump Kennedy Center for short. Trump has been eager to put his stamp on Washington and his name on buildings in his second term. His critics say he has compromised institutions by installing loyalists and making funding threats. Trump says he is tackling what he calls those institutions' liberal bias. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Colleen Jenkins and Saad Sayeed)

(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 Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, Dec 29 (Reuters) – A veteran jazz ensemble announced on Monday it was canceling its New Year's Eve performances at the Kennedy Center, the latest group to withdraw from the Washington arts institution after it was renamed to include U.S. President Donald Trump. "Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice. Some of us have been making this music for many decades, and that history still shapes us," the Cookers jazz ensemble said in a statement. The Kennedy Center had promoted two New Year's Eve performances by the Cookers as an "all-star jazz septet that will ignite the Terrace Theater stage with fire and soul." Richard Grenell, a longtime ally of the U.S. president whom Trump named as the center's president, said on Monday that such boycotts are a "form of derangement syndrome" and the cancelations are coming from artists booked by the institution's previous leadership. He has previously termed cancelations a "political stunt." The withdrawal adds to a growing list of cancellations since the name change was announced this month by the Center's board, which the Republican president filled with allies during a broad takeover earlier this year. A Christmas Eve jazz concert was canceled last week, with the host of the show, musician Chuck Redd, attributing it to the name change. The New York Times reported that Doug Varone and Dancers, a New York dance company, has pulled out of two April performances.Democrats have called the decision by the board of the Kennedy Center to add Trump's name to the institution illegal, while John F. Kennedy’s family denounced the move as undermining the slain president's legacy. The board voted to rename the arts venue The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, or Trump Kennedy Center for short. Trump has been eager to put his stamp on Washington and his name on buildings in his second term. His critics say he has compromised institutions by installing loyalists and making funding threats. Trump says he is tackling what he calls those institutions' liberal bias. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Colleen Jenkins and Saad Sayeed)

(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, Dec 30 (Reuters) – Oscar winner Mel Gibson and Rosalind Ross have separated after nine years together, a representative from Gibson's legal team told Reuters on Tuesday. The representative confirmed a joint statement provided exclusively to PEOPLE on Tuesday that the couple had split about a year ago, but chose not to share the news publicly until now. The couple, who first began dating in 2014, added they planned to continue co-parenting their 8-year-old son, Lars. "Although it’s sad to end this chapter in our lives, we are blessed with a beautiful son and will continue to be the best parents possible," the couple wrote in the statement. The "Mad Max" actor, 69, and Ross, 35, a film director and former equestrian vaulter, were never married. Gibson has seven children with Robyn Moore, his wife from 1980 to 2011. The "Lethal Weapon" actor also has a 16-year-old daughter with songwriter Oksana Grigorieva. Gibson is renowned in Hollywood as an actor, director and producer who has steered the action drama genre with popular titles including "The Patriot," "Blood Father," and "Braveheart," which in 1996 won the best picture Oscar and best director for Gibson. (Reporting by Danielle Broadway; Editing by Howard Goller)

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PARIS, Dec 30 (Reuters) – Hollywood star George Clooney and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, have obtained French citizenship, along with their two children, official French government documents show. Clooney told broadcaster RTL earlier this month that it was essential for him and his wife that their eight-year-old twins Alexander and Ella could live in a place where they had a chance to live a normal life. “Here, they don’t take photos of kids. There aren’t any paparazzi hidden at the school gates. That’s number one for us,” he told RTL on December 2. The couple purchased a house on a vineyard, with an estimated value of around 9 million euros ($10.59 million), in the southern French town of Brignoles in 2021. The property also includes a swimming pool and a tennis court, according to French media. "We also have a house in the United States, but our happiest place is on this farm where the kids can have fun," he said. U.S. film director Jim Jarmusch on Friday told France Inter radio that he would also make an application to obtain French citizenship. "I would like to have another place to escape from America if necessary," he told France Inter. "And France, and Paris, and French culture are very deep in me. So I think I would be very honored if I could have a French passport," he said. ($1 = 0.8495 euros) (Reporting by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Sharon Singleton)

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