Reuters Entertainment News Summary

08/16/2016 0:58

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Harry Potter 'Cursed Child' producers crack down on scalpers

Tickets for London stage play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" are in such high demand that asking prices are reaching thousands of pounds (dollars), but producers are warning buyers to be beware. Holders of about 60 tickets bought from touts, or scalpers as they are known in the United States, or through resale websites have been refused entry so far because producers are barring resold tickets. The eighth story in the Harry Potter franchise is sold out through December 2017 at London's Palace Theatre.

The Shires eye 'British invasion' of American country music

The Shires hope to win over American country music fans with their own British twist to the genre after making UK chart history with their debut album last year. Singer-songwriters Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes, who met through Facebook, became the first British country band to make it into the UK's top 10 album chart with "Brave."

'Suicide Squad' soundtrack tops Billboard 200 chart

The soundtrack for comic book movie "Suicide Squad" took top billing on the weekly U.S. Billboard 200 charts on Monday in the best showing for a film soundtrack since "Pitch Perfect 2" in May 2015. The "Suicide Squad" soundtrack features songs from Twenty One Pilots, Skrillex and Panic! At the Disco and other artists, and sold more than 182,000 album units, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.

Cosby effort to reseal case files declared moot: U.S. appeals court

A federal appeals court on Monday rejected an effort by the comedian Bill Cosby to reseal court documents that helped support a ream of recent sexual assault cases against him. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled that Cosby's appeal was moot after the contents, including "damaging" admissions he had made in a 2005 deposition regarding his sexual behavior, received wide publicity.

Box Office: 'Sausage Party' scores with $33.6 million, 'Suicide Squad' plunges in second weekend

"Sausage Party" scored at the box office this weekend, debuting to a meaty $33.6 million and providing a much-needed win for struggling Sony Pictures. In a summer dominated by spinoffs and reboots, the story of a gang of grocery items grappling with the dangers of the kitchen was an antidote to sequelitis and a reminder of the power of original ideas.

08/16/2016 0:58