AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 2:37 p.m. EDT

You can thank Elvis for Elvira, Cassandra Peterson says

NEW YORK (AP) — Cassandra Peterson has entertained fans as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, for over four decades. She developed the character in the 1980s after leaving her showgirl career, partly due to advice from Elvis Presley. She eventually became a horror host with a risque signature look that became iconic. Elvira's cult following grew through TV, films and, now, books. Her latest project, “Elvira's Cookbook from Hell,” features spooky recipes and crafts. Peterson regrets not making Elvira's costume more comfortable, as she rarely inhabits the character now.

A ‘Call of Duty’ movie is in the works with Peter Berg and Taylor Sheridan

“Call of Duty” is being adapted into a feature film. Paramount Pictures and Activision say Thursday that Peter Berg and Taylor Sheridan are leading the project based on one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. Berg will direct, and both will co-write and produce the film. The pair previously worked together on “Hell or High Water” and “Wind River.” The film will be live action, but other details are scarce. The game, first released in 2003, has sold over 500 million copies worldwide. The announcement comes after news about Sheridan's new deal with NBCUniversal and recent layoffs at Paramount.

Movie Review: 'Nouvelle Vague' is a meticulous ode to the French New Wave

To a remarkable degree, Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague”” has fully imbibed the spirit of the French New Wave, resurrecting one of the most hallowed eras of movies to capture an iconoclast in the making. The result is something endlessly stylish and almost absurdly uncanny, even if “Nouvelle Vague” never adopts the brash daring of its subject. Instead, “Nouvelle Vague” is more of a straightforward though deeply affectionate ode to a singularly unconventional filmmaker in Jean-Luc Godard, writes AP Film Writer Jake Coyle. The contrast makes “Nouvelle Vague” a curious thing: a meticulous recreation of a rule-breaking cinematic revolution. Godard would have hated it. That doesn’t make it any less enchanting.

Universal Music and AI song tool Udio settle lawsuit and partner on new platform, sparking backlash

LONDON (AP) — Universal Music Group and AI platform Udio have settled a copyright lawsuit and will collaborate on a new music creation and streaming platform. The companies announced on Wednesday that they reached a compensatory legal settlement and new licensing agreements. These agreements aim to provide more revenue opportunities for Universal's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the music streaming industry, leading to accusations from record labels. This deal marks the first since Universal and others sued Udio and Suno last year. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs seeks speedy appeals court hearing while he serves a 4-year sentence

NEW YORK (AP) — Hip-hop producer Sean “Diddy” Combs wants a federal appeals court to quickly consider the legality of his conviction on prostitution-related charges and his more than four-year prison sentence. His lawyers filed papers with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday, asking that oral arguments in his appeal occur in April. Combs was convicted in July of flying his girlfriends and male sex workers across state lines to engage in drug-fueled sexual encounters. However, he was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life.

Be inspired and bewitched by culinary creations on 'Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking'

LONDON (AP) — What tastes delicious but also floats, explodes or levitates? The showstopper cakes in competition on Food Network’s “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking” are inspired by the films made about Hogwarts. On the second season premiering Sunday, they have to be delicious but also charmed. On the set, the show’s hosts James and Oliver Phelps say that the cakes made by the paired professionals competing are so good, the Weasley twins actors hang around with spoons to try them out. Judges Jozef Youssef and Carla Hall are both Harry Potter fans and say to expect even more elaborate creations this season.

Janelle Monáe embraces HalloQueen role, creating an empire where art and freedom collide in October

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Janelle Monáe has transformed Halloween into a creative empire with her HalloQueen events. The artist blends play, performance and purpose in a monthlong celebration. This week, the festivities include Vampire Beach at the Santa Monica Pier and the annual Wondaween party. Monáe's love for Halloween began with dressing up and has grown into a movement of self-expression. The events, like the DJ set at Cinespia, capture the essence of Monáe’s artistic universe. Monáe hopes to expand HalloQueen to other cities, keeping the spirit alive year-round. Monáe’s creative foundation began with the Wondaland collective, co-founded with Nate “Rocket” Wonder and Chuck Lightning in Atlanta. That community of musicians, writers and filmmakers evolved into a multidisciplinary hub for world-building.

William and Kate win privacy case against French magazine over family holiday photos

LONDON (AP) — The Prince and Princess of Wales have won a legal case against a French magazine for publishing photos of their children on a skiing holiday. The royal couple took action against Paris Match after it ran photos in April of them and their children in the French Alps. The latest edition of Paris Match includes a notice saying a judge found the images and article infringed on the couple's privacy. William and Kate's office said the magazine had published a "grossly intrusive article." It said William and Kate are committed to protecting their family's privacy and will take action to enforce those boundaries.

40 years later, Michael J. Fox looks back on 'Back to the Future'

NEW YORK (AP) — For Michael J. Fox, traveling through time with “Back to the Future” has been part of life. It’s the film that strapped a flux capacitor to his career and that has, ever since, stayed in his rear view. On Friday, “Back to the Future” is, again, back in theaters. The anniversary celebration also includes a new 4K trilogy gift set that comes complete with an OUTATIME license plate. What was once so firmly lodged in the space-time continuum has, over the years, turned curiously timeless. Watch “Back to the Future” now and you might be astonished at how effects-free most of Robert Zemeckis’ science-fiction landmark is.