Entertainment News Roundup: Aml Ameen makes director debut with UK's first Black Christmas rom-com; Real and virtual fans attend 'The Witcher' London premiere and more

In an emotional television interview, the actor said he did not pull the trigger on the gun he was holding during a rehearsal, and that he did not think he would be criminally charged in the case. More minority faces in film, TV, music as audiences demand diversity More minorities are showing up in mainstream U.S. entertainment, from films and TV to music, as audiences demand stories that reflect the world's diversity, showing that inclusion is good business, industry executives said.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Aml Ameen makes director debut with UK's first Black Christmas rom-com

Part inspired by his own life, actor Aml Ameen says his directorial debut "Boxing Day" is different from other festive films: it is the first British Christmas rom-com led by a majority Black cast. As well as directing and co-writing the movie, Ameen plays Los Angeles-based British author Melvin, who returns to his London home for Christmas to introduce his American fiancee Lisa to his British-Caribbean family.

Real and virtual fans attend 'The Witcher' London premiere

The cast of Netflix's "The Witcher" hit the red carpet in London's Leicester Square on Wednesday for the premiere of the second season of the epic fantasy series that fans attended in person and virtually. Based on the series of novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, the highly-anticipated second season follows Geralt of Rivia, played by British actor Henry Cavill, as he hunts monsters in a fantasy realm known as the Continent.

Alec Baldwin denies responsibility for fatal shooting on movie set

Alec Baldwin on Thursday denied responsibility for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of his Western movie "Rust," saying he would have killed himself if he believed it was his fault. In an emotional television interview, the actor said he did not pull the trigger on the gun he was holding during a rehearsal, and that he did not think he would be criminally charged in the case.

More minority faces in film, TV, music as audiences demand diversity

More minorities are showing up in mainstream U.S. entertainment, from films and TV to music, as audiences demand stories that reflect the world's diversity, showing that inclusion is good business, industry executives said. "Our industry has caught up with reality. The majority of the world is actually Asian," said Bing Chen, president of Gold House, a nonprofit collective that promotes Asian Pacific Islander voices, on a panel at the Reuters Next conference broadcast on Thursday.

ELLE magazine bans fur in all its titles to support animal welfare

Fashion magazine ELLE is banning fur from the pages of all its international editions in a move to support animal welfare and reflect changing tastes, the publication said on Thursday. Hailing a "fur-free future," ELLE senior vice president and international director Valeria Bessolo LLopiz told Reuters: "It's a really great opportunity to increase awareness for animal welfare, bolster the demand for sustainable and innovative alternatives and foster a more humane fashion industry."

NFTs next hit may be music industry, former manager for Elton John, Beyonce says

As a former music manager who once counted Elton John, Beyonce and Guns N’ Roses as clients, Merck Mercuriadis has an eye for talent and a knack for identifying trends. As streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music gained mainstream popularity, Mercuriadis formed the Hipgnosis Songs Fund to acquire music rights. The fund, which went public in 2018, has invested $2.5 billion acquiring the publishing rights to 64,000 compositions from such hitmakers as Timbaland, Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, Rick James and Neil Young.

Olivia Colman attends UK premiere of true-crime tale 'Landscapers'

Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman attended the UK premiere of her new HBO true-crime miniseries "Landscapers" in London on Tuesday. A tale of a quiet and unassuming English couple accused of murder, the series follows their sometimes surreal attempts to evade justice.

A clown and an orchestra: conductor brings love of music to the stage

Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra hopes to entice audiences with her love of classical music through a new multi-disciplinary performance in which she pairs an orchestra and a clown on stage. De la Parra, who has conducted more than 100 orchestras including the London Philharmonic and the Orchestre de Paris, embraces a new format with "The Silence of Sound", and puts musicians on stage rather than in the pit.

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