Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Reuters

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Cyndi Lauper settles copyright lawsuit over 'Kinky Boots' finale

Cyndi Lauper has settled a lawsuit by songwriter Benny Mardones that accused her of lifting elements of his song "Into the Night" for the finale of her 2013 Tony Award-winning musical "Kinky Boots," according to a court filing. In a letter filed on Friday night with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, a lawyer for Mardones and his writing partner Robert Tepper said the parties have agreed in principle to settle the case. They asked U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero for 30 days to complete a final settlement.

Woodstock producer 'pretty bummed' at missed bid to recreate 1969 activism

The man behind the failed Woodstock 50 anniversary festival said on Friday he was "pretty bummed" at losing out on a chance to encourage people to take action on global warming. Michael Lang, who was also one of the producers of the 1969 Woodstock music festival, said he had hoped that the new event would recreate the activism of the late 1960s.

Hollywood star Gere visits stranded migrants on Open Arms ship

American actor Richard Gere on Friday visited 121 migrants stranded for the past week on a rescue ship in the Mediterranean, as the European Union's executive urged member countries to show solidarity in finding a solution. Arriving on a boat outfitted with a banner reading "You are not alone," the 69-year-old Hollywood star brought water and other supplies to the ship Open Arms, speaking to several migrants about their experience of fleeing war-torn Libya.

Exclusive: Robert Durst's attorneys take aim at filmmakers behind 'The Jinx' in murder case

Attorneys for real estate scion Robert Durst, charged in Los Angeles with murdering his confidante Susan Berman in 2000, have asked a judge to declare that prosecutors "consulted, coordinated and collaborated" with filmmakers behind an HBO documentary series who uncovered key evidence in the case. Authorities arrested Durst in New Orleans on March 14, 2015, one day before the airing of the finale of the HBO documentary series, "The Jinx." In the final episode, Durst is heard muttering to himself off-camera in the bathroom, "There it is, you're caught" and "Killed them all, of course," after the filmmakers confronted him with potential evidence. Prosecutors contended he killed Berman because she knew too much about the 1982 disappearance of his wife.

Hollywood studio cancels 'The Hunt' movie release after criticism

Universal Pictures on Saturday canceled the release of "The Hunt," a satirical thriller about a group of Americans who are captured to be hunted and killed for sport, following apparent criticism by President Donald Trump and a recent series of mass shootings. The Comcast Corp division had held back on marketing the film, slated for release on Sept. 27, after the shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, last week.