Reuters Entertainment News Summary
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
Queen returns lost toy monkey to Australian girl
A toy monkey accidentally left behind at Buckingham Palace by a five-year-old girl has returned home to Australia after enjoying royal treatment by palace staff and gaining a traveling companion - a toy corgi. Harriet, one of six toy monkeys from Woodside Kindergarten in Adelaide, was taken on holiday to Europe by Savannah Hart and her family when it was misplaced.
New Zealand to be Middle-earth again in Amazon's The Lord of the Rings series
New Zealand will be home again to hairy feet and pointed-ear Hobbits after Amazon Studios confirmed the Pacific country will be the location for its new "The Lord of the Rings" series, a TV show widely tipped to be the most expensive ever made. The Amazon.com Inc unit said the multi-series adaptation will explore new storylines preceding author J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring", the first instalment in the famed fantasy trilogy set in the fictional land of "Middle-earth".
Hip hope: Universal Music opens Southeast Asia HQ betting on rap
Korea brought the world K-Pop. India, the music of Bollywood. Could the chaotic, fast-growing region of Southeast Asia be a new hotbed for hip hop? Vivendi's Universal Music Group (UMG) is hoping so.
Dinosaurs, droids and holy hand-grenade up for grabs at film auction
Jurassic Park dinosaur skulls, a Star Wars stormtrooper helmet and Monty Python's holy hand grenade are among movie memorabilia going under the hammer in London this month at an auction organizers expect to exceed 6 million pounds ($7.5 million). Also on sale will be Jack Nicholson's axe from "The Shining" and his purple "Batman" Joker costume.
NBCUniversal names streaming service 'Peacock,' to launch in 2020
Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal will name its upcoming streaming service "Peacock," offering a broad slate of original content, including "Dr Death" starring Emmy and Golden Globe winner Alec Baldwin, the company said on Tuesday. Peacock, which will also offer classic sitcoms like "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation", is scheduled to launch in 2020, NBCUniversal said. The company owns traditional television network NBC, whose logo features a peacock.
Bazinga! HBO Max wins U.S. streaming rights for 'The Big Bang Theory'
HBO Max, the upcoming streaming service from AT&T Inc's WarnerMedia, has secured exclusive five-year streaming rights in the United States to all 12 seasons of comedy hit "The Big Bang Theory". Ranked as the No. 1 comedy on U.S. television for the past seven years, the show has garnered an audience of some 20 million people.
New esports network VENN aims to bring 'gaming as a lens into pop culture'
A new, 24/7 esports gaming network called VENN that aims to blend pop culture and gaming was announced on Tuesday, after generating $17 million in seed round funding. Co-founders Ariel Horn and Ben Kusin told Reuters that the venture will launch sometime in mid 2020 and is angling to be a "universal network" with programs like first-run esports events, reality shows, documentaries and game shows.
Style trumps fashion at Prada, Pilotto goes to the beach at Milan shows
Prada chose personal style over fashion while Peter Pilotto merged the beach with the ballroom at their catwalk shows on Wednesday, kicking off the first day of Milan Fashion Week. Miuccia Prada, considered an industry trailblazer, presented a spring line she said was about "the power of women over clothing" dressing models in breezy dresses and sharp suits.
