Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
Actress Seydoux tests COVID positive ahead of Cannes appearances: Variety
James Bond actress Lea Seydoux, who was to appear next week at the Cannes Film Festival, where organisers are trying to keep COVID-19 contagion in check, has tested positive for COVID-19 in Paris, entertainment site Variety reported on Saturday. The world’s biggest cinema showcase, which kicked off on the French Riviera on July 6 and has so far drawn stars from around the world despite health crisis restrictions, was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Box Office: Marvel’s ‘Black Widow’ Debuts With Dazzling $80 Million in Theaters, $60 Million on Disney Plus
Disney and Marvel’s superhero adventure “Black Widow” captured a massive $80 million in its first weekend, crushing the benchmark for the biggest opening weekend since the pandemic. In a first for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film opened simultaneously in theaters and on Disney Plus as part of the streaming service’s Premier Access offering, where subscribers can rent “Black Widow” for an extra $30. Disney reported that “Black Widow” generated more than $60 million “in Disney Plus Premier Access consumer spend globally,” marking the rare occasion in which a studio discloses revenues for digital rentals. Overseas, “Black Widow” collected $78 million in its debut, boosting its global box office haul to $158 million.
Acting with daughter, Sean Penn explores family ties in Cannes film
Sean Penn said on Sunday he nearly passed up the chance to act opposite his daughter Dylan for the first time in “Flag Day”, his latest movie which is vying for awards at the Cannes Film Festival – until actor Matt Damon egged him on. Oscar-winning Penn plays John Vogel, a real-life wheeler-dealer who lurched from one failed business venture to another, causing heartbreak for daughter Jennifer, who reveres him.
Murakami adaptation by Japan’s Hamaguchi vies for Cannes awards
Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi unveiled his awards contender at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, a tale of heartbreak and regrets which emerges in almost road movie-style over the course of several car journeys. “Drive My Car” was adapted from a short story by Haruki Murakami. Hamaguchi, who has notched up distinctions on the film circuit including in Berlin, said he was drawn by the potential of the enclosed space enveloping the characters.
Cannes veteran Deneuve says moved by festival return after stroke
Catherine Deneuve, who has walked the red carpet at Cannes since the 1960s, said on Sunday she had never been as moved as this year to return to the film festival after the coronavirus pandemic and her stroke in 2019. The 77-year-old is a pillar of French cinema and still appears in multiple movies. Wearing a black velvet dress and a chunky gold necklace, Deneuve returned to Cannes on Saturday for the premiere of “Peaceful” by French director Emmanuelle Bercot, which is being presented out of the main competition.
Cannes animated film revives Anne Frank story for new generation
Featuring Anne Frank’s imaginary friend Kitty as its guiding force, a new animated film presented at the Cannes Film Festival seeks to reconnect one of the defining stories of the World War Two Holocaust against the Jews to the present day – and a new audience. By “Waltz with Bashir” creator Ari Folman, “Where is Anne Frank” goes beyond the narrative of Frank’s diary, written by the teenager when she hid with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.
(With inputs from agencies.)
