US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary

Huge crowd seen for star-packed Michael Jackson memorial

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Michael Jackson fans will crowd into downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday for a star-packed memorial to the King of Pop whose sudden death nearly two weeks ago shocked the world. Pop music singers Mariah Carey, Usher and Jennifer Hudson will mix with R&B veterans Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder while sports stars like Kobe Bryant and other celebrities such as Brooke Shields also are expected to turn out.

Romance rocks wizard world in new Potter movie

LONDON (Reuters) - Romantic comedy meets the wizarding world in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment in the hit movie franchise in which hormones, as well as hexes, are on the loose at Hogwarts school. And with filming on the final two pictures due to wrap up in 2010, the young actors who spent much of their teen years on set and coping with the superstardom their success has brought are finally looking ahead to life after Potter.

"Ice Age" sequel heats up worldwide box office

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In a rare tie, reigning champ "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and the new cartoon "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" shared the top spot at the holiday weekend box office in North America. According to studio estimates issued Sunday, the movies each sold about $42.5 million worth of tickets during the three-day U.S. Independence Day holiday weekend.

Chinese pen "instant" Michael Jackson biography

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Two Chinese writers slaved for 48 hours straight to produce an "instant" biography of late singer Michael Jackson, despite having never met him, a state-run newspaper said on Monday. The book, called "Moonwalk in Paradise", hit the bookshelves over the weekend, the China Daily said, after the authors subsisted on a diet of coffee and cigarettes and worked round-the-clock to complete it.

"Hangover" star Galifianakis considers next move

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Zach Galifianakis is in one of the biggest hits of the summer, "The Hangover." Now he's being very careful before he orders his next drink. The actor's name has surfaced in connection with at least three projects, those familiar with the situation have said: Todd Phillips' pregnancy-themed comedy "Due Date"; the laugher "Say Uncle"; and another Phillips project, the supernatural comedy "Man-Witch." All three are set up at Warner Bros.

Jay Leno to roll out in style on new show

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - When Jay Leno's new 10 p.m. show goes on air in September, some of his vintage cars will be making guest appearances. The host intends to drive his prized possessions onstage some nights. The gambit is one reason NBC is using a larger venue than Leno has been accustomed to. Workers are busy customizing the soundstage once used by "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and the Disney Channel sitcom "Sonny With a Chance," both of which have moved out.

Tokyo premiere launches return of "Harry Potter"

TOKYO (Reuters) - Thousands of fans, some dressed as wizards in long gowns with pointy hats, lined up in Tokyo to catch the sixth in the blockbuster "Harry Potter" film series on Monday, kicking off a string of such events around the world. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the latest movie about the boy wizard and his friends and enemies at Hogwarts school promises both action and budding romance, along with the expected death of a major character.

Lang Lang, Herbie Hancock in bold Montreux premiere

MONTREUX, Switzerland (Reuters) - Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang made his first appearance at the Montreux jazz festival on Sunday, teaming up with veteran Herbie Hancock in an audacious show blending classical and jazz music. The two men dressed in black sat facing each other at twin grand pianos to perform a program ranging from Maurice Ravel to George Gershwin.

Palestinian youngsters make music in former prison

NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) - Ramzi Abu Redwan says he remembers waiting in the halls of Al-Fara'a prison as a boy, holding his grandfather's hand and staring up at the walls as he waited to see his father, jailed by Israel. Now, those same walls echo, not with the footsteps of Palestinian prisoners, but with music and children's laughter.

Russian writer Aksyonov dies aged 76: reports

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian writer Vasily Aksyonov, best known for his novels critical of the Soviet system, died in Moscow on Monday aged 76, Russian news agencies said. Aksyonov was among a group of Soviet writers who emerged during a period of experimentation in the 1960s and 1970s after the end of dictator Josef Stalin's 'Socialist Realism,' which had enforced a strictly conformist style.