Reuters Entertainment News Summary

09/09/2016 0:59

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Relationships between women a mystery to men, says 'spiritualist' Portman

Relationships between women remain a mystery to men, U.S.-Israeli actress Natalie Portman said at the Venice film festival on Thursday, adding her voice to calls for the movie industry to employ more female directors. Portman spoke while presenting "Planetarium," a drama in which she and Lily-Rose Depp play two spiritualists in late 1930s France who are also sisters. Screening in the out-of-competition section in Venice, it is directed by Rebecca Zlotowski.

'Jackie' paints mystery of First Lady after assassination

Film director Pablo Larrain said his portrayal of Jacqueline Kennedy in the aftermath of her husband's assassination is not a biopic but rather a chance to look at an intriguing and painful story from the point of view of the former first lady. Larrain was speaking at the Venice film festival where "Jackie," starring Natalie Portman, will premier later on Wednesday and is competing against 19 other movies for the coveted Golden Lion that will be awarded on Saturday.

Meg Ryan uses 'fierce' maternal instincts in her directorial debut

Hollywood actress Meg Ryan goes behind the camera for her directorial debut "Ithaca," a World War II drama for which she said she used her maternal instincts in telling the story. The movie, based on William Saroyan's novel "The Human Comedy," follows a teenager who wants to help his widowed mother financially by getting a job as a messenger. He soon gets some tough lessons in life as he delivers messages to families who have lost loved ones in the war.

Western remake 'The Magnificent Seven' opens Toronto Film Festival

A merry band of outlaws and hired hands kicks off the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday in "The Magnificent Seven," leading a slew of action films and intimate true stories vying for early buzz leading into Hollywood's annual awards season. While the cast of Sony Pictures' remake of its 1960 namesake is far more ethnically diverse than the original, director Antoine Fuqua said he was not trying to make a statement on diversity when casting for the film.

Tom Hanks explores the drama and trauma of being a hero in 'Sully'

When a US Airways pilot landed a damaged plane in the Hudson River in the middle of winter, saving all 155 people on board, he was immediately hailed a hero - but even heroes can be crumbling on the inside. "Sully," directed by Clint Eastwood and out in theaters on Friday, follows the immediate aftermath of the extraordinary events on Jan. 15, 2009 that saw Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger land the plane on the Hudson after the Airbus A320-214's two engines were destroyed by a flock of birds.

Konchalovsky says 'Rai' tackles evil done in the name of good

Andrei Konchalovsky uses the Holocaust-theme in his drama "Rai" to explore how people back then and today commit evil acts all the while believing that what they do is right, the veteran Russian director said at the Venice film festival on Thursday. "Rai" (Paradise), which follows three characters as they make life-altering choices, is one of 20 films competing for the coveted Golden Lion that will awarded on Saturday.

Andrew Lloyd Webber brings 'School of Rock' to West End stage

Prolific British Andrew Lloyd Webber is bringing the Broadway stage adaptation of the Jack Black comedy "School of Rock" to London's famed West End, hoping to show people the power of music in children's' lives. Lloyd Webber, the composer of "The Phantom of the Opera," and "Cats," said the play shows how the lives of people can be enriched and changed through music.

Playboy wins copyright battle over web links to its images

Playboy won a legal fight to stop a website from posting links to images published without permission on Thursday, a decision which could have far wider consequences across the Internet. The European Union's top court decided that posting such links infringes copyright when the website doing it is seeking to profit from pictures published without permission.

French actor Belmondo says has done all he wanted in life

Veteran French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo said on Thursday he had done everything he wanted in life as he accepted the Venice film festival's Golden Lion for lifetime achievement. The charismatic 83-year-old star, best known for movies such as the 1964 hit "L'Homme de Rio" (That Man from Rio), received a long standing ovation as he walked on stage, leaning on a cane, to receive the coveted award.

FCC chief unveils revised U.S. pay-TV set-top box rules

The chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Thursday unveiled revised proposed rules to allow tens of millions of Americans to drop costly rented pay-TV set-top boxes for programing and get service through app-based software. The plan, first proposed in January and updated on Thursday, is aimed at ending the cable industry's long domination of the $20-billion-a-year set-top box market and lowering prices for consumers. Nearly all pay-TV subscribers lease set-top boxes from their cable, satellite or telecommunications providers at an average annual cost of $231.

09/09/2016 0:59