Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

'Men in Black: International' leads box office with muted $28 million

Hollywood seems to be coming down with a contagious case of franchise fatigue this summer, as "Men in Black: International" and "Shaft" become the latest sequels largely dismissed by moviegoers in North America. Sony's "Men in Black: International" led ticket sales at the box office this weekend with $28.5 million, but still fell short of expectations. Those receipts represent roughly half of what the previous installments in the sci-fi series earned during their first weekend in theaters.

CNN's Anderson Cooper remembers mom Gloria Vanderbilt as visitor from 'distant star'

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper remembered his mother, designer and society grand dame Gloria Vanderbilt, as a woman who endured a string of heartbreaks but still remained deeply in love with love. "I always felt it was my job to protect her. She was the strongest person I ever met but she wasn't tough," Cooper said in a seven-minute video https://youtu.be/cfbRneB9wcA obituary on CNN.

Empowerment rules at MTV awards, with win for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Superhero blockbuster "Avengers: Endgame" was the top winner at the MTV Movie and TV awards on Monday in a show marked by messages of empowerment and self-esteem. The Marvel movie, the second biggest box office hit of all time, took wins for best movie, villain (Josh Brolin's Thanos) and hero (Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man.)

Taylor Swift releases song and petition calling for LGBTQ equality

Pop singer and songwriter Taylor Swift on Monday released a star-studded music video that scolded social media trolls and urged fans to sign a petition demanding U.S. legal protections for gays, lesbians and transgender people. The video for Swift's new single "You Need to Calm Down" featured a surprise cameo by former rival Katy Perry plus a host of other celebrities. Perry's appearance signaled an end to a spat between the two musicians which began in 2013 over backup singers in their shows.

Comcast partners with Charter, Cox to advance targeted advertising

U.S. cable provider Comcast Corp on Tuesday launched a program to further develop an advertising strategy that better targets audiences, as the TV industry looks to lure more advertisers away from digital players like Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google. The initiative, called "On Addressability," aims to create standards for addressable advertising, which targets ads to certain households based on their interests. It has so far been done only on a small scale in TV advertising.

U.S. fashion icon, socialite Gloria Vanderbilt dead at 95

Gloria Vanderbilt, the "poor little rich girl" who lived a life at the highest levels of fashion, society and wealth as an heir to one of the greatest family fortunes in U.S. history, died on Monday at the age of 95, her son, CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper, said. The network said Vanderbilt died at home among family and friends. Cooper said she had learned this month that she had stomach cancer.

Crowds gather in Florence for farewell to Franco Zeffirelli

Hundreds of people gathered in Florence on Tuesday for the funeral of film and opera director Franco Zeffirelli, who died on Saturday at the age of 96. Zeffirelli, a native of Florence, was the last of a generation of Italian film luminaries who came of age after World War Two, including Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti and Vittorio De Sica. Family, friends and politicians, including Culture Minister Alberto Bonisoli, filled the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral. "Florence is giving back to the master everything he gave to the city," Mayor Dario Nardella said. Zeffirelli, who was often appreciated more by the public than by critics, directed more than two dozen films, working with stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Laurence Olivier, Alec Guinness, Faye Dunaway and Jon Voight. He brought Shakespeare to the screen several times, and his "Romeo and Juliet" was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director Oscars. His 1990 "Hamlet" starred Mel Gibson.

Bill Cosby's post as 'America's Dad' on Father's Day sparks anger online

Convicted sex offender Bill Cosby's Instagram post identifying himself as "America's Dad" in a Father's Day message touched off online reaction from admiration to outrage. "Hey, Hey, Hey...It's America's Dad... I know it's late, but to all of the Dads... It's an honor to be called a Father, so let's make today a renewed oath to fulfilling our purpose - strengthening our families and communities," Cosby posted on Instagram late Sunday night.

Megadeth's Dave Mustaine diagnosed with throat cancer; band cancels 2019 shows

Dave Mustaine, lead singer and guitarist for the heavy metal band Megadeth, has been diagnosed with throat cancer, forcing the band to cancel most of its 2019 shows, he said on Monday. Megadeth had been scheduled to perform this year in Milwaukee, Las Vegas, Buenos Aires and other cities in North and South America.