Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Rami Malek's relatives in Egypt celebrate his Oscar victory

Rami Malek's relatives in Egypt huddled around a TV set at home as if cheering the national soccer team, but they were celebrating his first best actor Oscar for his role in "Bohemian Rhapsody." Rami's 24-year-old cousin, Fadi, said uncles, aunts and their children had gathered at the family house in the hamlet of Feltaous in Minya province, 265 km (165 miles) south of Cairo, to watch the Academy Awards live from Los Angeles.

'Ref made a bad call,' Spike Lee says of 'Green Book' award

Director Spike Lee, whose film "BlacKkKlansman" was Oscar-nominated for best picture, said "the ref made a bad call" when the competing racial drama "Green Book" won the top prize at Sunday's Academy Awards. Lee tried to storm out of the Dolby Theater just after "Green Book" was announced the winner at the end of the Oscar show, according to various media accounts, then came back to his seat, where he turned his back on the stage during "Green Book" acceptance speeches.

'Green Book' denies Netflix top Oscar on night of music and diversity

Road trip movie "Green Book" triumphed over "Roma" to win best the best picture Oscar on Sunday, denying Netflix bragging rights as the first streaming service to beat Hollywood at its own game. Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron was chosen as best director for "Roma," his sentimental black-and-white journey back to his childhood, and the film won two other Oscars, including for best foreign language.

U.S. TV audience for Oscars jumps, hostless show earns praise

The first hostless Academy Awards broadcast in 30 years attracted a 12 percent bigger U.S. television audience to Walt Disney Co's ABC than last year's record-low viewership, the network said on Monday. Sunday night's live telecast drew an average audience of 29.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen data released by ABC. In 2018, the Oscars show averaged 26.5 million viewers, a record low and down from 32.9 million in 2017.

Mexican leader knocks racism at home after 'Roma' Oscar wins

Mexico's president on Monday denounced racism in his country a day after the Mexican film "Roma" emerged as a big winner at the Academy Awards with a plot that highlighted prejudice and inequality. Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron won the best director Oscar on Sunday for his semi-autobiographical film "Roma," which told the story of an indigenous domestic worker who cares for a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City.

Oscars not so white? Academy Awards winners see big shift

A black superhero action flick. A film about an indigenous maid in Mexico. A portrayal of a gay, immigrant rock star. Spike Lee's first Oscar. The 2019 Oscars were a win for films telling stories from a range of racial and cultural perspectives, marking a major shift three years after the movie industry's top awards show was slammed for overlooking work by nonwhite artists.

Universal's 'Green Book' beats Netflix entry for top film prize

Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures claimed the prestigious best picture Oscar trophy on Sunday for race relations dramedy "Green Book," denying Netflix Inc the film industry's top prize. Netflix had campaigned heavily for "Roma" to win the first best picture award for a streaming service and broke with its usual practice of allowing the film to debut in theaters three weeks ahead of its online debut. "Roma" earned 10 nominations and was considered a frontrunner for the top Academy Award.

French prosecutors drop rape investigation against filmmaker Luc Besson

French prosecutors have dropped a preliminary investigation into rape allegations against film director Luc Besson, the public prosecutor's office said on Monday. Prosecutors in Paris opened an investigation in May last year, which according to police sources followed allegations by a 27-year-old actress that she had been raped by Besson after meeting him at a hotel in the French capital. Besson had denied the allegations.

Rock band Queen plus Adam Lambert open first hostless Oscars in 30 years

British rock band Queen, featuring "American Idol" star Adam Lambert as lead vocalist, opened the first hostless Oscars show in 30 years on Sunday with a rollicking performance that brought the Dolby Theatre's celebrity crowd to its feet. Queen's turn at the Academy Awards marked the first time that the U.S. film industry's highest honors were kicked off by a rock band and set the tone for a telecast punctuated with memorable musical moments and major recording stars.

R&B star R. Kelly pleads not guilty to sexually assaulting teens

Grammy-winning R&B star R. Kelly pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges that he sexually assaulted three teenage girls and a woman in alleged incidents dating back to 1998, weeks after a television documentary leveled new accusations against him. The 52-year-old performer, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was charged in a 10-count indictment returned on Friday by a Cook County grand jury in Chicago, and later surrendered to police. If convicted, he would face up to seven years in prison for each count.