Reuters Entertainment News Summary
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
Berlinale study of slavery unearths the roots of modern Brazil
Making films in a bitterly divided Brazil that is increasingly hostile to artistic freedom is an act of resistance in itself, the maker of a new drama about race relations in the years after the country abolished slavery said. Speaking ahead of the Berlin premiere of "All the Dead Ones" on Sunday, director Caetano Gotardo said the dozens of Brazilian films being screened at international festivals was testimony to the power of art to resist oppression.
'Parasite' star hopes film will help Japan-Korea cultural ties
One of the stars of "Parasite" said on Sunday he hoped the film would help improve cultural ties between Japan and Korea, which have been strained by disputes including a trade row that ignited between the Asian neighbors last year. Actor Song Kang-ho, who in the Oscar-winning film plays the father of the basement-dwelling Kim family, said he was happy about the warm welcome Japanese fans had given "Parasite" and hoped relations would continue to improve.
Box Office: 'Sonic' Narrowly Beats Harrison Ford's 'Call of the Wild'
After a close box office battle, Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog" pulled ahead of Disney and 20th Century's "The Call of the Wild" on North American charts. The two movies had been in a tug-of-war for first place. Heading into the weekend, "Sonic" was expected to easily dominate again but Harrison Ford's "Call of the Wild" surprised by taking the top spot on Friday. Ultimately, "Sonic" finished the weekend with $26.3 million, enough to defeat "Call of the Wild" and its $25 million debut.
WarnerMedia to reunite 'Friends' in HBO Max special
WarnerMedia is reuniting its "Friends" cast for an untitled, unscripted special for its upcoming streaming service, HBO Max, the company said on Friday. AT&T Inc's WarnerMedia said series stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer will return to the hit comedy's original soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Bros studio lot in Burbank, California.
Weinstein jury suggests hung on predatory sexual assault counts
Jurors weighing rape and sexual assault charges against Harvey Weinstein asked the judge presiding over the case whether they could be hung on two counts of predatory sexual assault. Conviction on those counts could put the former movie producer behind bars for life.
Belgian designer Raf Simons joins Prada as co-creative director
Raf Simons will join Prada as co-creative director, marking the first time the Italian fashion house has hired an outsider to work with renowned head designer Miuccia Prada. Belgian-born Simons, 52, will join Prada on April 2, the group said in a statement. He was most recently creative director at Calvin Klein and before that at Christian Dior and Jil Sander, a brand which was then owned by Prada.
Amazon in Holocaust row about 'Hunters' series, anti-Semitic books
The Auschwitz Memorial criticized Amazon on Sunday for fictitious depictions of the Holocaust in its Prime series "Hunters" and for selling books of Nazi propaganda. Seventy-five years after the liberation of the Nazi German Auschwitz death camp by Soviet troops, world leaders and activists have called for action against rising anti-Semitism.
Roger Waters of Pink Floyd joins Assange supporters in London protest march
Hundreds of people including Roger Waters, co-founder of the Pink Floyd rock group, and designer Vivienne Westwood, marched through central London on Saturday demanding that jailed Wikileaks founder Julian Assange be released. A London court begins hearings on Monday to decide whether the Australian-born Assange should be extradited to the United States, almost a decade after WikiLeaks enraged Washington by publishing secret U.S. documents.
