Entertainment News Roundup: Fun and fantasy fuel staying power of 'Friends'; The One With the Truth about Ross and Rachel and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Rockers Royal Blood excited for 'alien' live music to return

British rock band Royal Blood says they can't wait to tour their latest chart-topping album even if right now the concept of playing for audiences seems "alien" after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down live music shows for more than a year. The duo, who formed in 2011, we're halfway through recording their third album "Typhoons" when Britain went into its first national lockdown in March 2020 and they had to abandon the sessions.

Amazon brings James Bond, Rocky to fight Netflix with $8.5 billion MGM buy

Amazon.com Inc will buy MGM, the fabled U.S. movie studio home to the James Bond franchise, for $8.45 billion, giving it a huge library of films and TV shows and ramping up competition with streaming rivals led by Netflix and Disney+. The deal aims to bolster Amazon's television-focused studio with new and historic filmmaking from MGM, which has snapped up lucrative series including "Rocky" and "Tomb Raider" since its founding in 1924.

Oscar body slows growth of new members but reaffirms diversity goals

The drive to expand the number of film professionals who vote on the annual Oscar winners will slow down in 2021 after several years of rapid growth aimed at increasing diversity, the Film Academy said on Wednesday. In the past few years, some 800-950 actors, directors, cinematographers, producers, and other filmmakers from around the world have been invited each year to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Italy's leading prima ballerina, Carla Fracci, dies at 84

Carla Fracci, one of the most famous ballerinas of the 20th century who emerged from humble origins in Italy to dazzle audiences in theatres around the world, has died, her family said on Thursday. She was 84 and had been suffering from cancer.

Analysis-Amazon's Washington critics set to pounce on MGM deal

Amazon's move to buy the MGM movie and TV studio will provide fuel for the Seattle company's critics in the nation's capital who complain it is already too big and powerful, but experts said the deal poses few classic antitrust concerns.

A little more than an hour after the deal was announced, Republican Senator Josh Hawley blasted Amazon.com as a "monopoly platform" on Twitter, adding, "This sale should not go through," and that the company shouldn't be allowed to buy anything.

Fun and fantasy fuel staying power of 'Friends'

K-pop band BTS said they improved their English by watching it, soccer player David Beckham says the show makes him smile "almost to the point of crying," and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai said a friend got her hooked on the comedy. "Friends" may have ended its run in 2004 but the appeal of the comedy about six friends living in New York City shows no sign of waning and is reflected in a reunion special on HBO Max on Thursday.

'Friends' reunite with tears, laughter, memories and guest stars

From "Smelly Cat" to whether Rachel and Ross were "on a break," the "Friends" reunion on Thursday takes fans of the hit TV comedy series on a sentimental journey down memory lane. "Friends: The Reunion" brings stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, and Matt LeBlanc back to the set for a tearful get-together of 17 years after the final episode of the show about the lives of 20Somethings in New York.

Moby discusses music, drink and missing mother's funeral in new film

American musician Moby looks back on his life in a new documentary, sharing the highs and lows of his fame including being so drunk he missed his mother's funeral. In "Moby Doc", the 55-year-old opens up about his past substance abuse, animal rights activism, and chart success with no.1 albums like 1999's "Play" and "18" released three years later.

James Bond movies to stay in theaters despite Amazon deal, producers say

The James Bond movies will stay in movie theaters despite the Amazon.com acquisition of the MGM studio which is home to the action-adventure franchise, the film's producers said in a statement to Variety on Wednesday. “We are committed to continuing to make James Bond films for the worldwide theatrical audience,” producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who run London-headquartered Eon Productions, said in the statement obtained by Variety.

'Friends': The One With the Truth about Ross and Rachel

After 10 years on the air and 17 years since the final episode, "Friends" still has its secrets, and one of the biggest was revealed on Thursday in a reunion special airing on HBO Max.

The on-again, off-again romance between characters Ross Geller and Rachel Green wasn't just for the cameras.

(With inputs from agencies.)