Reuters Entertainment News Summary

08/28/2016 16:57

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Box Office: 'Don't Breathe' scares up $26.1 million as hot summer for horror continues

"Don't Breathe," a twisty story of a group of teenage delinquents who pick the wrong house to burglarize, dominated the late summer box office, debuting to a potent $26.1 million and topping charts. It joins a long list of recent horror films such as "The Purge: Election Year," "The Conjuring 2," "Lights Out," and "The Shallows" that have all found success with audiences. It's a genre that's particularly attractive to studios, because these films don't require much in the way of special effects or star power, making them cheaper to produce than comic book adventures and science-fiction fantasies. "These are the films of bean counters' dreams," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore. "They are profit machines and even when they're poorly reviewed, people line up for them."

Oops! Britney Spears does it again in latest pop culture comeback

Britney Spears is hitting up pop culture one more time, releasing a new album, singing retro karaoke hits and about to take the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) stage for the first time since 2007. Spears, 34, who became a teen pop phenomenon with breathy, sexually-charged hits like "Toxic" and "Oops!.. I Did it Again," released new album "Glory" on Friday ahead of a much anticipated return to the VMA show on Sunday in New York.

Hollywood stars pose for 2017 Pirelli Calendar

Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Lupita Nyong'o have posed for the 2017 Pirelli Calendar, which features a host of Hollywood's biggest names. The likes of Uma Thurman, Kate Winslet and 'House of Cards' actress Robin Wright are also among the 15 stars who appear in the calendar.

Fire severely damages 'Knightfall' set in Prague: media

A fire severely damaged a set for the "Knightfall" television series at studios in Prague overnight, causing damage worth about $4 million, Czech media reported on Saturday. Firefighters brought the fire under control late on Friday after they used helicopters to dump water on the blaze at the Barrandov Studios from the nearby Vltava river, CTK news agency reported.

Divas, disruptors set to dominate MTV Video Music Awards

The divas of pop and R&B look set to steal the show at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs)on Sunday, with Beyonce leading all nominations for her testament to female empowerment "Lemonade," and excitement building over performances by Rihanna and Britney Spears. But don't count out Kanye West, the rapper with a talent for the unpredictable, who is a contender for the coveted video of the year award and who will be seated in the front row just a short leap from the VMA stage.

'Birth of a Nation' filmmaker reflects on his 2001 rape trial, acquittal

Actor-director Nate Parker says he never gave another thought to his trial and acquittal on rape charges in 2001 until forced to confront the issue again as the promotion for his film "Birth of a Nation" was gaining steam this month. In an interview with Ebony magazine published on Saturday, his first since learning in recent weeks that the women who accused him of rape in 1999 had committed suicide, Parker also acknowledged his previous comments to the media about the case were "insensitive."

08/28/2016 16:57