Entertainment News Roundup: DC superhero 'Blue Beetle' brings Latino family team to big screen; Algeria bans 'Barbie' movie, media and official source say and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

DC superhero 'Blue Beetle' brings Latino family team to big screen

Xolo Mariduena quickly learned that he and his character in the latest DC Studios film "Blue Beetle" have one big thing in common — they cannot hide anything from their families. The "Cobra Kai" actor plays college graduate-turned-superhero Jaime Reyes, the first Latino superhero in a DC movie, who finds it impossible to keep his alter-ego a secret.

Algeria bans 'Barbie' movie, media and official source say

Algeria has banned the movie "Barbie," which had been showing at some cinemas in the country for several weeks, an official source and the local 24H Algerie news site said on Monday. The official source said the film "promotes homosexuality and other Western deviances" and that it "does not comply with Algeria's religious and cultural beliefs."

Sony Music, Triller end copyright case over platform's music use

Sony Music Entertainment has dropped a lawsuit against Triller over allegations the short-form video platform used the label's music without permission, according to a filing in Manhattan federal court. Sony Music and Triller told the court on Friday they would end the copyright case with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled.

Striking Hollywood writers expected to respond to studios' proposal

In what would be a sign of progress in a months-long labor dispute, striking Hollywood writers were expected to respond this week to the latest contract proposal from the major studios, according to two sources with knowledge of the talks.

One of the sources said the negotiating team for the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) spent the weekend reviewing the proposal from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the trade group representing Walt Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery and the other major studios and streaming services.

Naver's 'Webtoon' CEO says barrier for new entrants is high

South Korean tech giant Naver's webcomics business, called "Webtoon", will rely on its deep bank of content and creators to fend off new competition from larger Silicon Valley rivals, its CEO said, as it plans a listing next year. Webtoons are digitalised short-form comics optimised for reading on mobiles and read vertically by scrolling through short, full-colour episodes.

Tencent Music's quarterly revenue rises but warns of decline ahead

China's Tencent Music Entertainment Group said on Tuesday second-quarter revenue rose 5.5% year-on-year, driven by a rise in user subscriptions, but warned that future revenue will shrink as tighter live-streaming controls come into effect.

Total revenue of the Spotify-like music streaming company controlled by Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings Ltd stood at 7.29 billion yuan ($1.00 billion) in the quarter to June 30, in line with Wall Street estimates, according to Refinitiv data.

Hollywood studios offer new concessions to striking screenwriters - Bloomberg News

Hollywood studios have made a new offer to striking screenwriters that includes concessions on issues such as the use of artificial intelligence and access to viewer data, Bloomberg News reported on Monday citing people familiar with the discussions. The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers has agreed to ensure humans are credited as writers of screenplays, instead of replacing them with AI, the report said, adding that the companies would also share data on the number of hours viewed on streaming services.

Disney's future, a hot topic among Hollywood elite

Hollywood's favorite parlor game of the week: What will Bob Iger do next? From Culver City to New York City, the U.S. media and entertainment industry's powerbrokers are spinning scenarios about the future and the possible breakup of the industry's most powerful conglomerate.

(With inputs from agencies.)