Holly to Bolly: Britney Spears to debut her new single, Amber Heard, Johnny Depp reach settlement, and more

Guns N’ Roses adds Japan, Australia to tour

Guns N' Roses has announced concerts in Japan and Australia, extending a long-awaited reunion tour into 2017. The hard rock group said it would play three shows in Japan in January, followed by five Australian dates. Guns N' Roses, whose 1987 Appetite for Destruction remains the top-selling debut album ever, reunited in April with their classic line-up of singer Axl Rose and guitarist Slash for the first time since 1993. The rockers are first touring North America, followed by Latin America. But the band will then take a break after the North American dates as Rose tours with AC/DC, replacing singer Brian Johnson who risked hearing loss if he kept performing. -AFP

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper will be co-stars in upcoming film

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper will star in a remake of A Star is Born. Warner Bros has announced that the film will mark the singer-actress' first leading role in a movie and the directorial debut of Cooper. Gaga will compose and perform new songs for the musical drama. She recently appeared in the fifth season of the FX series American Horror Story. Cooper is best known for starring roles in such films as American Hustle, The Hangover and Silver Linings Playbook. The original A Star Is Born was released in 1937 and featured Janet Gaynor as a budding actress entangled in a relationship with an established Hollywood star played by Fredric March. -AP

Gandhi movie, 31st October, will hit screens in October

31st October, a movie based on the assassination of the country's former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and its aftermath, will release in October. Its producer says the journey of making the movie has not been easy. Producer Harry Sachdeva said: "It was not an easy journey to attempt and complete 31st October, owing to the sensitivity of the subject in which thousands of Sikh families had to leave their country and settle in a foreign land." The film, starring actors Soha Ali Khan and Vir Das, is centred around a Sikh family who is stuck in their house while the entire city is aflame with communal riots. It tells the journey of this Sikh family, their battle for life and strongly portrays the mindset of many non-Sikhs and Hindus who risked their lives to save many Sikhs during that time. 31st October has been screened at Vancouver International Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival and in London as well. -IANS

Britney Spears to debut her new single on MTV award show

Britney Spears will return for the latest edition of the MTV Video Music Awards on August 28 with a new song. The former teen idol will present the live debut of her track Make Me...with rapper G-Eazy. Spears announced the upcoming performance in a video on social media with references to her past VMA performances as a python slithered through her dressing room. She was alluding to one of her past appearances at the VMAs in 2001 when she sang Slave 4 You with a snake around her body. She will perform at the VMAs two days after releasing Glory, her first album since 2013, which features Make Me...The VMAs, which take place this year at New York's Madison Square Garden, is the signature annual music extravaganza of MTV, which reaches more than 170 countries on 60 channels. -AFP

Amber Heard, Johnny Depp reach settlement

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp have reached an out-of-court settlement to end their 18-month marriage, after the actress withdrew allegations that her husband physically abused her. Heard filed papers to withdraw her claims of abuse, dropping an application to extend a restraining order against the Oscar-nominated actor. “Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love,” Depp and Heard said in a statement. “Neither party has made false accusations for financial gains. There was never an intent of physical or emotional harm. Amber wishes the best for Johnny in the future.” The two have agreed that Depp will pay Heard US $7 million. The statement said Heard would be donating financial proceeds from the divorce to a charity. -AFP

Justin Bieber shuts down Instagram account

After threatening to shut down his Instagram account earlier this week, Justin Bieber has actually done it. Bieber posted several pictures of himself with Sofia Richie over the weekend. He responded to negative comments, writing “I’m gonna make my Instagram private if you guys don’t stop the hate this is getting out of hand, if you guys are really fans you wouldn’t be so mean to people that I like.” The comment sparked more criticism from some, including from ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez. And now, Bieber’s Instagram account with more than 77 million followers is gone. Bieber hasn’t commented, but Richie posted on Twitter, “Justin is not shutting out his beliebers. He’s thankful everyday for y’all, y’all got him here.. He doesn’t forget that.. Period.” -AFP

Jason Sudeikis to lead stage adaptation of Dead Poets Society

Former Saturday Night Live star Jason Sudeikis will lead the cast of the world premiere stage adaptation of Dead Poets Society. The actor will play the same inspirational teacher John Keating that Robin Williams played in the hit film. The story is about a straight-laced, conformist boys' prep school whose harmony is disturbed when Keating arrives to teach English. Performances begin in October. More cast members will be announced later. -AP