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Actor Hugh Grant wins bid to take Sun publisher to trial

A London court on Friday rejected an attempt by the publisher of The Sun tabloid to throw out a lawsuit by actor Hugh Grant alleging that journalists and investigators it hired illegally snooped on him.

Justice Timothy Fancourt said a trial in January will have to determine whether The Sun had carried out unlawful information gathering that included tapping his landline and bugging his car and breaking into his home.

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Disenchantment under the sea in live-action 'The Little Mermaid'

It's not Rob Marshall's fault that Disney's latest live-action retread doesn't really sing. "The Little Mermaid," a somewhat drab undertaking with sparks of bioluminescence, suffers from the same fundamental issues that plagued "The Lion King," "Aladdin" and "Beauty and the Beast." Halle Bailey might be a lovely presence and possesses a superb voice that is distinctly different from Jodi Benson's, but photorealistic fins, animals and environments do not make Disney fairy tales more enchanting on their own.

The essential problem is that the live-action films have prioritized nostalgia and familiarity over compelling visual storytelling. They try to recreate beats and shots from their animated predecessors, defiantly ignoring the possibility that certain musical sequences and choices were enchanting and vibrant because they were animated, not in spite of it.

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'Queen of Rock 'n' Roll' Tina Turner dies at 83

Tina Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer who teamed with husband Ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows in the 1960s and '70s and survived her horrifying marriage to triumph in middle age with the chart-topping "What's Love Got to Do With It," has died at 83.

Turner died Wednesday, after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, according to her manager. She became a Swiss citizen a decade ago.

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Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne weigh in on 'When Harry Met Sally' debate of 'Platonic' friendships

Can men and women be friends? 1989's " When Harry Met Sally " said no, but Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen disagree.

The pair co-star in the new Apple TV+ series " Platonic," debuting Wednesday, about longtime best friends who, as the title suggests, are just that. In fact, the actors had conversations early on to make sure the characters never cross a line.

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Wes Anderson on his new '50s-set film 'Asteroid City,' AI and all those TikTok videos

When Wes Anderson comes down from Paris for the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France, he and his actors don't stay in one of Cannes' luxury hotels but more than an hour down the coast and well outside the frenzy of the festival.

"When we arrived here yesterday, we arrived at a calm, peaceful hotel," Anderson said in a interview. "We're one hour away, but it's a total normal life."

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Portman, Haynes dive into the nature of performance in 'May December' at Cannes

In Todd Haynes' tonally shape-shifting "May December," the first announcement of the movie's playful intentions comes with a theatrical zoom in, a few lushly melodramatic piano notes and the frightful announcement that there no more hot dogs in the fridge.

That moment — which Haynes says signals "that there's something coy happening in the language of the film" — is just a taste of what's to come in "May December," a delicious and disquieting drama laced with comedy and camp that Haynes premiered over the weekend at the Cannes Film Festival.

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Lenny Kravitz, Billie Eilish set for Global Citizen's 'Power Our Planet' show

Music superstars Lenny Kravitz, Billie Eilish and H.E.R. will team with advocacy nonprofit Global Citizen for a free concert in front of the Eiffel Tower designed to convince world leaders to take further action against climate change.

"Power Our Planet: Live in Paris" is set for June 22 to coincide with the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, a gathering of the world's political and business leaders to help developing nations finance sustainability projects.

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Wish you could tweak that text? WhatsApp is letting users edit messages

Wish you could reword that snarky text message you just sent?

WhatsApp is allowing users to do just that, for up to 15 minutes after they send a message. The popular chat app announced in a blog post Monday that users can correct misspellings, add more details or otherwise change what they have sent to friends, family and coworkers.

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Prince Harry's effort to pay for British police protection fails in court

A London judge ruled Tuesday against Prince Harry in his efforts to pay for police protection when he visits Britain.

A High Court judge rejected the Duke of Sussex's assertion that the British government exceeded its authority when it denied him the right to hire police to provide security in the U.K.

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First-time filmmaker makes mark in Cannes competition with Senegalese drama

Most filmmakers in the Cannes Film Festival's top-rung competition lineup are well-known directors who have been around for decades. One dramatic exception this year is Ramata-Toulaye Sy, a French-Senegalese filmmaker whose first film, "Banel & Adama," landed among the 21 films competing for the Palme d'Or.

"It's only now that I realize that being in competition means being in a competition," Sy said, laughing, in an interview shortly after "Banel & Adama" premiered in Cannes. "Now that we're really in the middle of it, I realize there's a lot of passion going around."

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