Entertainment News Roundup: Bollywood actor's death grips India with frenzied TV coverage; Daddy Yankee, Universal Music in global music, film, TV partnership and more

Disney 'very pleased' with 'Mulan' debut ahead of China opening Walt Disney Co is "very pleased" with initial results of its unusual release strategy for live-action movie epic "Mulan," Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy said at an investor conference on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

COVID-19 restrictions give New York Fashion Week a new look

New York Fashion Week will look a little different this season, with the typical seven-day parade of events stripped down to five days because of COVID-19 restrictions, with online runway shows, and smaller, socially distanced audiences. Host IMG said it had worked closely with the governor's office to understand the protocols needed in order to have the shows running from Sept. 13-17.

Exclusive: China bars media coverage of Disney's 'Mulan' after Xinjiang backlash - sources

Chinese authorities have told major media outlets not to cover Walt Disney Co's release of "Mulan", in an order issued after controversy erupted overseas over the film's links with the Xinjiang region, four people familiar with matter told Reuters. Set to open in local theatres on Friday, Disney had high hopes for Mulan in China, but starving it of publicity in the country's strictly censored media would be another blow to the $200 million production.

Milan Fashion Week makes cautious live return but major brands stay virtual

Milan Fashion Week is preparing a mix of live and virtual shows for its first edition since the coronavirus lockdown as designers and fashion houses seek to balance the buzz of the catwalk with precautions imposed by the global pandemic. Unlike in Men's Week in July, when with the exception of one open-air event by Dolce & Gabbana, Italy's fashion industry opted for digital-only showings, a third of the 64 women's and men's spring-summer collection shows from Sept. 22-28 will be live with protective measures.

Actor Anthony Rapp sues Kevin Spacey for sexual misconduct in 1980s

Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey was accused in a civil lawsuit on Wednesday of sexual assault and battery in the 1980s by actor Anthony Rapp and a second, unnamed person when both plaintiffs were about 14. The suit, filed in New York state court in Manhattan, refers to the same alleged incident that Rapp first recounted in an October 2017 BuzzFeed interview that triggered Spacey's fall from grace in Hollywood.

Europe's creative industry slams EU Commission for rewriting copyright rules

Europe's creative industry has criticised the European Commission's consultation on new EU copyright rules for departing from the original directive agreed last year and being unworkable. The new copyright directive, which marked the first overhaul in two decades, had pitted artists and news publishers against tech companies, internet activists and consumer groups and aimed to provide fair compensation for the bloc's $1 trillion creative industries and its 11.7 million employees.

Disney 'very pleased' with 'Mulan' debut ahead of China opening

Walt Disney Co is "very pleased" with initial results of its unusual release strategy for live-action movie epic "Mulan," Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy said at an investor conference on Wednesday. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, "Mulan" was made available for purchase in the United States on the Disney+ streaming platform over the Labor Day weekend, and in movie theaters in a handful of other countries.

British actress Diana Rigg, who portrayed spy Emma Peel and murderer Medea, dies aged 82

British actress Diana Rigg, who came to fame in the cult 1960s TV show "The Avengers" and enjoyed a distinguished and varied career on stage and screen from James Bond to "Game of Thrones", died on Thursday aged 82. Rigg won numerous Emmy, Tony and Bafta awards during her long and prestigious career, equally at home in classical theatre roles as those in popular TV shows.

Daddy Yankee, Universal Music in global music, film, TV partnership

Latin music star and entrepreneur Daddy Yankee has joined forces with Universal Music Group, a unit of French media conglomerate Vivendi SA, to create music, film and television projects, starting with a new track release on Friday. The global entertainment partnership is "one of the biggest commitments to an artist in the history of Latin music," the partners said in a statement on Thursday, without disclosing financial details.

NBCUniversal shakes up top ranks, promotes new TV chief

Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal on Wednesday promoted Pearlena Igbokwe to run the media conglomerate's global television business as chairman of Universal Studio Group in a corporate restructuring. Bonnie Hammer, who held the role, will take over as vice chairman of NBCUniversal and advise NBCU Chief Executive Officer Jeff Shell.

Bollywood actor's death grips India with frenzied TV coverage

The demise of a young movie star has transfixed India like no other news in a year of bad headlines. The abrupt death of Sushant Singh Rajput has spurred a debate about the stigma of mental health, the rarefied insider world of Bollywood, and, more recently, condemnation of the media for the non-stop coverage of the duelling accusations between Rajput's family and his girlfriend.

(With inputs from agencies.)