P.m. Entertainment News Links: J.k. Rowling On Oprah, Lady Gaga Loses Grandad

Alibaba Group, China’s e-commerce, entertainment and tech giant, reported a 5% increase in revenues to RMB237 billion ($33.7 billion) in the three months to September. It reported a 63% increase in net profits to RMB43.7 billion ($6.25 billion), but said that the bottom line surge was primarily attributable to the mark-to-market changes from equity investments, […]

Jimmy Kimmel reacted to Donald Trump nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a prominent vaccine skeptic — as secretary of health and human services during his “Jimmy Kimmel Live” monologue on Thursday night, saying the decision is “heavy on the F.” “Who better to be in charge of health and humans than a guy whose […]

Last year’s industry program at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) placed great emphasis on the livelihood of documentarians as the industry sees budgets shrink and European funding bodies like public broadcasters invest less. Have things changed in the past year as the festival prepares for another edition? Unfortunately not, says Adriek van Nieuwenhuyzen, […]

A sprawling lineup of filmmakers, including Sean Penn, Tim Burton, Alfonso Cuaron, Justine Triet, Ava DuVernay and David Cronenberg will attend the Marrakech Film Festival and take part in conversations in front of audiences. In total, 18 directors, actors, screenwriters and producers from six continents will participate in on-stage discussions to reflect on their craft, […]

Initially a magazine short story, then expanded to novel form in 1972, Barbara Robinson’s “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” has remained a holiday staple ever since. Its enjoyable central conceit of Roald Dahl-style comedic nastiness — the first sentence pegs principal figures as “absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world” — no […]

GQ Men of the Year honoree John Mulaney jokes that he knew even as a child that one day he’d be recognized as such by the magazine. “Little boy John was one of most grandiose delusional people you’ve ever met,” he told Variety at the Men of the Year party Thursday at Chateau Marmont in […]