Reuters Entertainment News Summary
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
Madonna cancels Paris shows over coronavirus restrictions: promoter
Madonna has canceled shows in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday due to restrictions imposed over the coronavirus outbreak, promoter Live Nation said on Monday. France on Sunday banned gathering of more than 1,000 people as the death toll and number of coronavirus infections continued to rise.
Swedish actor Max von Sydow, star of 'Seventh Seal' and 'Exorcist', dies aged 90
Max von Sydow, the tall, blond Swedish actor who brought gravitas to arthouse dramas, horror movies and Hollywood blockbusters, has died in France aged 90, his agent said on Monday. His wife, producer Catherine Brelet, told Paris Match: "It is with a broken heart and with infinite sadness that we have the extreme pain of announcing the departure of Max von Sydow on March 8, 2020."
Led Zeppelin wins 'Stairway to Heaven' copyright case
Led Zeppelin on Monday persuaded a U.S. appeals court to reinstate a jury verdict that it did not steal the opening guitar riff for "Stairway to Heaven" from an obscure song written four years earlier. In a 9-2 decision, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said lead singer Robert Plant's and guitarist Jimmy Page's 1971 rock anthem did not infringe "Taurus," written by guitarist Randy Wolfe of the band Spirit.
Billie Eilish's 'bad guy' is top global single for 2019
Billie Eilish's "bad guy", a pounding song that pokes fun at distorted perceptions, was named as the top global single of 2019 by the record industry. "bad guy", the fifth single from the 18-year-old American singer's first album, "WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?", was a hit across the world and the most listened-to track of the year.
Travel curbs on South Koreans prompt K-pop cancellations, especially in Japan
Japan's travel restrictions on South Koreans over the coronavirus epidemic have spurred cancellations of a string of K-pop concerts scheduled in Japan, threatening to hurt the Korean entertainment industry in its most lucrative market. Japan said starting Monday, people arriving from South Korea will be quarantined for two weeks. Tokyo also suspended visa waivers and the validity of existing visas for Koreans, followed by a similar move by South Korea, rekindling a diplomatic feud between the neighbors.
Sony Pictures postpones 'Peter Rabbit 2' to August from March due to movie market disruption
Sony Pictures on Tuesday said it was postponing the release of movie "Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway" to August from March, citing disruptions in movie markets. The decision followed the announcement last week that the new James Bond movie "No Time to Die" would be postponed to November from its previously scheduled April release because of disruptions to movie-going in China and other parts of Asia due to the coronavirus.
Pearl Jam postpones North American tour due to coronavirus
U.S. rock band Pearl Jam, with hit songs including "Black" and "Even Flow", said on Monday it would postpone the first leg of its Gigaton Tour, which has 17 shows in North America and was set to begin March 18, amid the coronavirus outbreak. "We are being told that being part of large gatherings is high on the list of things to avoid as this global health crisis is now beginning to affect all of our lives," the band said http://bit.ly/2IB5NsI in a letter on its website, adding that the postponed shows will be rescheduled.
Miley Cyrus cancels bushfire aid show in Australia due to coronavirus warnings
Pop star Miley Cyrus has canceled a trip to Australia for a bushfire relief concert three days ahead of the show, citing recommendations that travel be curtailed to counter the spread of the global coronavirus epidemic. Cyrus, 27, who rose to fame with global hits like 'Party in the USA' and 'Wrecking Ball', was set to be the headline act for a concert on March 13 in Australia's second-largest city, Melbourne, which the organizers have now called off.
Weinstein lawyers seek five years in jail for sex crime conviction
Lawyers for former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who was convicted last month of rape and sexual assault, have asked a New York court to take into consideration his health and age and sentence him to prison for five years. Weinstein, 67, faces up to 29 years in prison after being found guilty of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping former aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013.
'Mulan' goes on, Bond waits as Hollywood tracks virus spread
Walt Disney Co held a red carpet premiere for its action epic "Mulan" on Monday, pushing ahead with the movie's rollout even though the coronavirus spread will keep the film out of China, the second-largest film market, indefinitely. At the moment, film studios have decided the show must go on at movie theaters in most of the world. The major exception is James Bond thriller "No Time to Die," which producers moved to November from April.
