Entertainment News Roundup: Paramount shares fall after CNBC reports Sony rethinking its bid; Roman Polanski acquitted by French court in defamation trial and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Factbox-Cannes 2024: Who are the jury members presided by Greta Gerwig?

Almost as prestigious as winning the Palme d'Or, the Cannes Film Festival's top prize, is being on the jury that picks the winner. Artists from around the world who have made a name for themselves in their respective field are picked to sit on the jury, with one member designated as jury president.

Eric Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' guitar up for sale, cigarette burns included

For sale, vintage guitar with proven heritage. At least one not-so careful owner. The acoustic guitar that auctioneers say Eric Clapton used to compose his hit ballad "Wonderful Tonight" is going under the hammer next month with a guide price of up to $500,000.

Cannes festival director laments focus on controversies rather than cinema

Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux lamented on Monday an increased focus in recent years on political and social issues in the movie industry, which he said came at the expense of the actual films. "In the past, people only talked about the cinema. We as organizers only had one anxiety - the films: will people like them, will people hate them?" Fremaux said at a news conference with journalists on Monday.

Nemo's Eurovision win fires up Swiss advocates for non-binary rights

Swiss advocates for non-binary rights hailed local star Nemo's victory in Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest, urging the country's authorities to enable official recognition of people who identify as neither male or female. In a politically charged night in the Swedish city of Malmo, Nemo, a 24-year-old Swiss musician who uses they/them pronouns, claimed the top spot after dominating the jury section of the vote to beat out the audience favourite, Croatia's Baby Lasagna.

Roman Polanski acquitted by French court in defamation trial

A French court on Tuesday acquitted film director Roman Polanski of defaming British actress Charlotte Lewis after she accused him of raping her when she was a teenager. Lewis, 56, alleged in 2010 that the Franco-Polish director had sexually abused her at his Paris apartment in 1983 when she was 16 after she had travelled to the French capital for a casting session. She starred in his 1986 film "Pirates".

Paramount shares fall after CNBC reports Sony rethinking its bid

Shares of Paramount Global fell more than 7% on Tuesday after CNBC reported, citing sources, that Sony Pictures is rethinking its bid for the U.S. media company. "People close to the situation that I've been speaking to of late indicate that the likelihood of a bid, at least for the full company, seems to be fading a bit," CNBC's David Faber said.

'Downton Abbey' to return with a third movie

The fictitious Crawley family and their servants running a sprawling English country estate in the early 20th century are returning for a third "Downton Abbey" movie, which will feature old and new faces. The award-winning "Downton Abbey" gained a huge following in Britain and the United States after it first aired as a television series in 2010. It went on for six seasons and was followed by two films, released in 2019 and 2022.

Meryl Streep honoured in emotional ceremony as Cannes opens

The Cannes Film Festival officially kicked off on Tuesday night as celebrities walked the red carpet into the plush Grand Theatre Lumiere to honour Hollywood actor Meryl Streep before settling in to watch this year's opening film, "The Second Act." The French comedy's cast, including Lea Seydoux and Vincent Lindon, were joined by actor Jane Fonda, model Heidi Klum and Messi, the dog star of 2023's Palme d'Or winner "Anatomy Of a Fall," as well as this year's jury, headed by Greta Gerwig.

Big movies, strange mood as Cannes Film Festival prepares for opening night

The excitement that usually builds to a crescendo ahead of the Cannes Film Festival's opening night has been reined in this year by rumours of potentially explosive #MeToo allegations, and a possible festival workers' strike that could shut down the event. There is much to be thrilled about, with Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis," and Emma Stone - fresh off "Poor Things" success - teaming up again with Yorgos Lanthimos in "Kinds of Kindness" - among the big-name films premiering.

Let in our flag, EU encourages Eurovision after ban 'mistake'

The Eurovision Song Contest's ban of the European Union flag was a "completely regrettable" mistake that should be rectified next year, the European Commission said on Monday. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which operates Eurovision, said Swedish host broadcaster SVT chose to limit flags among participants and the audience at the venue in Malmo to those of the participating countries, along with the rainbow flag.