After a six-week trial, a civil jury in Virginia was still discussing the defamation claims by Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard on Tuesday. A verdict was still pending in the case as the jury finished their day on Tuesday.

The trial has featured lurid testimony with explicit details about the movie stars' short and volatile marriage. But the question the jury needs to answer is whether Heard defamed Depp in an op-ed in which she wrote that she was "a public figure representing domestic abuse."

The jury was also tasked with deciding a counterclaim filed by Heard. She said she was defamed when Depp's former lawyer called her abuse allegations a "hoax."

Craig Hudson/AP

Throughout the trial, various spectacles have played out, outside of the courtroom. Fans have stood outside to catch a glimpse of the stars and wave. On Tuesday, Court TV captured images of a large Pirates of the Caribbean replica ship traveling by.

The lawsuit filed by Depp asks for $50 million in damages related to defamation claims against Heard and that 2018 op-ed she wrote for the Washington Post. Heard said she was a "public figure representing domestic abuse,” but didn't mention Depp by name in the article.

Amid the weeks of trial proceedings, Heard laid out over a dozen alleged examples where she says she experienced abuse, including at least one incident of alleged sexual abuse she claims Depp committed against her. Depp also claimed that Heard physically attacked him in the past.

The seven-member jury was tasked with deciding if two passages from the Washington Post piece, plus the headline, defamed Depp. A verdict form given to the jury will guide them on how to determine that. The jury will have to decide if Heard acted with "actual malice," since she is a public figure. Heard's lawyers told the seven jury members that if she suffered even a single incident of abuse, they must find that Depp's libel claim then fails.

Heard has filed a $100 million counterclaim against Depp after Depp's former lawyer called the allegations she has made a "hoax." The jury will have to decide if Depp's former lawyer's three published statements were about Heard, were false, and if they were seen by people other than Heard. They must also decide if Depp's former attorney also made those statements with "actual malice," as the Associated Press reported.

Remember when a new television season started in September? Not this year.

Looking forward to big-budget blockbusters coming to a theater near you next summer? Maybe not.

You've always heard great things about "Breaking Bad" or "The Wire" but you never got around to watching it? Now's your chance.

And it might be a while before you know how many Emmys your favorite show eventually takes home. The awards show, as with much in the TV and movie industry, is also very much uncertain right now.

But what you can count on is more reality shows, and maybe game shows, and probably more opportunities to binge shows that have already been on.

That's because about 160,000 actors who belong to SAG-AFTRA are about to go on strike, joining more than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America who have been on strike since May 2.

Prepping for the long-haul

Some movies are already complete, of course, like "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer," and set to hit theaters.

But any pipeline of new shows is already slowing to a trickle.

Data from film permits in California indicates that production of most shows and movies already has been halted by the writers' strike. Even though movies typically have a script in hand when they start shooting, revisions and changes mean a writer is usually needed while production proceeds.

Now with actors also going on strike, most remaining production will stop. The exception will be independent movies that are not associated with one of the major studios.

One group of television shows that will continue to produce new episodes is the traditional daytime soap operas. The writers of those shows are typically nonunion, and the unionized actors work under a different contract than the one that expired at 11:59 p.m. PDT on Wednesday.

But most other actors will stop working as soon as the union's government board votes to go on strike later Thursday. Rank-and-file members have already voted 98% in favor of authorizing a strike.

Actors will not be doing publicity for movies that are being released, including appearing on the red carpet at movie premieres or doing interviews on podcasts. Of course, the writers' strike brought an immediate halt to new episodes of U.S. late night shows, so the opportunity to do that sort of publicity was already limited.

How long will it last?

What isn't clear is how long this will continue. There are hopes in the industry that since writers and actors are out at the same time, that will put pressure on the studios to improve their offers and get everyone back to work sooner rather than later. The last time the writers and the Screen Actors Guild, the precursor of SAG-AFTRA, were on strike at the same time was 1960 — so long ago that Ronald Reagan was the SAG president leading that strike.

But everyone agrees the industry is going through unprecedented change as the ways that the public consumes shows are changing rapidly, and the economics are changing with it.

Disney CEO Bob Iger didn't seem to suggest there will be a solution in the near term, in comments Thursday morning.

Video below: Hear from SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher

"They are adding to a set of challenges this business is already facing that is quite frankly very disruptive," said Iger, who is set to receive more than $25 million in compensation this year, about SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild in an interview on CNBC. "You have to be realistic about the business environment and what this business can deliver."

But the unions say their members are suffering because of the changes in the business, like the shrinking amount of broadcast residuals in the age of streaming, and they've been pushed to the point where they can't accept what the studios are offering.

"The studios and streamers have implemented massive unilateral changes in our industry's business model, while at the same time insisting on keeping our contracts frozen in amber," said a statement from Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union's chief negotiator, issued early Thursday morning. "The studios and streamers have underestimated our members' resolve, as they are about to fully discover."

So don't expect to see the return of many of your favorite shows any time soon.

LOS ANGELES —

Unionized Hollywood actors on the verge of a strike have agreed to allow a last-minute intervention from federal mediators but say they doubt a deal will be reached by a negotiation deadline late Wednesday.

"We are committed to the negotiating process and will explore and exhaust every possible opportunity to make a deal, however we are not confident that the employers have any intention of bargaining toward an agreement," the Screen Actors Guild -American Federation of Radio and Television Artists said in a statement Tuesday night.

Video above: A Writers Guild of America member weighs in on the possibility of an actor's strike

The actors could join the already striking Writers Guild of America and grind the already slowed production process to a halt if no agreement is reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The sides agreed to an extension before the original contract expiration date on June 30, resetting it to Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.

Growing pessimism surrounding the talks seemed to turn to open hostility when SAG-AFTRA released a statement Tuesday night.

It came in response to a report in Variety that a group of Hollywood CEOs had been the force behind the request for mediation, which the union said was leaked before its negotiators were informed of the request.

The AMPTP declined comment through a representative. It's not clear whether federal mediators have agreed to take part, but such an intervention would presumably require more time than the hours left on the contract.

"The AMPTP has abused our trust and damaged the respect we have for them in this process," the SAG-AFTRA statement said. "We will not be manipulated by this cynical ploy to engineer an extension when the companies have had more than enough time to make a fair deal."

Issues on the table in the talks include residual pay and the threat of unregulated use of artificial intelligence.

A list of lawmakers came out to issue renewed criticism over widely-held disapproval of the grip that events giant Ticketmaster has over the industry and its record of poor customer service.

The reinvigorated critiques over the ticketing giant came after multiple days of issues with ticket presale windows for Taylor Swift fans waiting in line to purchase high-priced concert tickets.

Thursday, Ticketmaster tweeted, "Due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand, tomorrow's public on-sale for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour has been cancelled."

The frustrating news for fans came after multiple site crashes with Ticketmaster's purchasing platform.

Accusations that Ticketmaster has become a monopoly, or a near-monopoly, have been hurled at the company on social media, after many believe it has become too large and powerful to deal with a plethora of issues that its customers have been having over the years since its merger with Live Nation.

This month, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted her criticism of the company writing, "Ticketmaster is a monopoly, its merger with LiveNation should never have been approved, and they need to be reigned in."

"Break them up," she said.

On the state level, Tennessee's Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said Tuesday, "We have received complaints, we are concerned about this very dominant market player, and we want to make sure that they're treating consumers right and people are receiving fair opportunity to purchase the tickets that clearly matter a great deal to them."

As the Tennessean reported, the attorney general is concerned that there could be consumer protection laws being violated.

With little to no other competitor companies for fans and artist to turn to in order to buy and sell tickets to shows, Taylor Swift fans found themselves, this time, stuck in long online queues amid the multiple site crashes, to purchase tickets that many see as exorbitant in price, with a list of fees.

The issue has been ongoing for lawmakers who have watched the company continue to provide customer service and benefits that aren't always in the best interest of the customer.

In 2020, Rep. Katie Porter from California, the Deputy Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, wrote on Twitter saying Ticketmaster appeared to be trying to "provide the worst customer service in any industry" after it announced in April of that year that the company would not be providing refunds for tickets to postponed shows.

This can be a major financial blow for fans who have to travel from other cities to see concerts and attend other types of events, to then find out there has been a postponement to another date because of unforeseen circumstances.

Lawmaker criticism for Ticketmaster has been ongoing, but this recent resurgence of red hot disapproval came after Taylor Swift announced her Eras Tour, a massive 52-show concert series set to begin in March. For fans, it's incredibly exciting as it's her first since 2018, and her largest, as the New York Times reported.

Tickets went on presale Tuesday via Ticketmaster's Verified Fan program that tries to keep tickets out of the hands of resellers, and first in the hands of fans.

Ticketmaster said in a statement on Tuesday that the company was “aware fans may be experiencing intermittent issues with the site and are urgently working to resolve" the issue, the company said in a tweet.

Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey wrote in a tweet that same day, "You'd think all these service and convenience fees could go to a working website Ticketmaster."

In 2009, Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged two years after an announcement that the live-events company planned to create its own ticketing service. Before the deal Live Nation was Ticketmaster's biggest customer, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Since then the merger has been criticized by artists, fans and lawmakers. In 2009 Bruce Springsteen tried to get fans to purchase tickets from his own ticketing platform.

While Springsteen lists tour dates with Ticketmaster, he said in a statement to fans, “the one thing that would make the current ticket situation even worse for the fan than it is now would be Ticketmaster and Live Nation coming up with a single system, thereby returning us to a near monopoly situation in music ticketing.”

An activist group has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to unwind the Live Nation and Ticketmaster merger, joining lawmakers, fans and artists in their continued pursuit to allow for more competition in the space.

LONDON (AP) — Britain's press erupted in outrage Friday at Prince Harry and Meghan's documentary series, which lambasts the U.K. media over its treatment of the royal couple.

But much of Britain reacted to the Netflix show with a shrug. Buckingham Palace had no comment, and the prime minister didn't watch.

The first three hour-long episodes of "Harry and Meghan" were released Thursday, with three more due Dec. 15. So far, the series has contained few of the bombshells the palace had feared.

In the program the couple, along with friends and Meghan's family members, recount their early lives and blossoming romance, leading up to their fairy-tale wedding at Windsor Castle in 2018, and their growing discontent with what they saw as the media's racist treatment of Meghan and a lack of support from the palace.

Harry and Meghan walked away from royal duties in early 2020 and moved to California to start a new life as campaigners, charity benefactors and media personalities.

At the heart of the show is the symbiotic and sometimes toxic relationship between Britain's royal family and the media. Each side needs the other, but both are often dissatisfied with the arrangements. Prince Harry has long railed against press intrusion that he says clouded his childhood and contributed to the death of his mother, Princess Diana. She was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by photographers.

Meghan claims in the documentary that the media wanted to "destroy" her, while Harry says his wife was subjected to a press "feeding frenzy."

That riled British newspapers, many of which splashed their anger across front pages and editorial columns.

Some objected to claims in the series that the Commonwealth of the U.K. and its former colonies — an organization led until her death by Queen Elizabeth II — is an extension of the British Empire and its racism. The Daily Telegraph's front page accused the show of being a "direct hit" on the queen's legacy. In an editorial, the conservative-leaning Daily Mail called the show "little more than a hatchet job from start to finish."

The tabloid Sun said the documentary was "made for an American audience — cementing their money-making potential in the US — and to hell with everything and everybody else, including the truth."

Scotland's Daily Record said the palace was stunned by the couple's allegations, running the headline: "We are not amused."

Bob Seely, a lawmaker with the governing Conservative Party, said he would try to introduce a bill in Parliament to strip the couple of their royal titles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Seely said Prince Harry was attacking important British institutions, "as well as trashing his family and monetizing his misery for public consumption."

Employment Minister Guy Opperman branded the couple "utterly irrelevant" and urged people "to boycott Netflix and make sure that we actually focus on the things that matter."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office said it did not back Seely's bill, or a Netflix boycott.

"It's a matter for the public what channels they want to watch," said spokesman Jamie Davies. He said the prime minister had not watched the series, and the government "would never comment on royal matters."

The show comes at a crucial moment for the monarchy. King Charles III is trying to show that the institution still has a role to play after the death in September of the queen, whose personal popularity dampened criticism of the crown during her 70-year reign.

The king declined to comment on the Netflix series during public engagements in London on Thursday or during a visit Friday to Welsh soccer club Wrexham AFC, where he met the team's owners, Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Both said they had not watched the series, with McElhenney joking, "I've never heard of it."

Many in Britain had mixed feelings about a show that rehashes long-running grievances between the Sussexes, the palace and the press.

In London, 59-year-old Lucy Barratt said the documentary was "too much" — but that she might watch it anyway,

"I know it's awful being a royal, but part of being a royal is not complaining," she said. "Go on, have a drink with a mate and talk about it.

"I'm torn between watching it and I slightly want to cancel Netflix. But then, as a sort of voyeur, I might watch it."

After going dark for a year, the Golden Globes made a return to television Tuesday in a one-year audition to win back awards-season relevancy.

Stars and studios boycotted last year's ceremony, which was not televised, taking a stance that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association needed to make reforms when it came to ethics and diversity.

Here's a look at the winners of this year's Golden Globes:

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

Ke Huy Quan, "Everything Everywhere All at Once"

Brendan Gleeson, "The Banshees of Inisherin"

Barry Keoghan, "The Banshees of Inisherin"

Brad Pitt, "Babylon"

Eddie Redmayne, "The Good Nurse"

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

Angela Bassett, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

Kerry Condon, "The Banshees of Inisherin"

Jamie Lee Curtis, "Everything Everywhere All at Once"

Dolly De Leon, "Triangle of Sadness"

Carey Mulligan, "She Said"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical-Comedy or Drama Television Series

Tyler James Williams, "Abbott Elementary"

John Lithgow, "The Old Man"

Jonathan Pryce, "The Crown"

John Turturro, "Severance"

Henry Winkler, "Barry"

Best Original Score

Justin Hurwitz, "Babylon"

Alexandre Desplat, "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio"

Hildur Guðnadóttir, "Women Talking"

John Williams, "The Fabelmans"

Carter Burwell, "The Banshees of Inisherin"

Best Original Song — Motion Picture

"Naatu Naatu," Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani, Rahul Sipligunj ("RRR")

"Carolina," Taylor Swift ("Where the Crawdads Sing")

"Ciao Papa," Guillermo del Toro & Roeban Katz ("Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio")

"Hold My Hand," Lady Gaga and Bloodpop ("Top Gun: Maverick")

"Lift Me Up," Tems, Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna and Ryan Coogler ("Black Panther: Wakanda Forever")

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy

Jeremy Allen White, "The Bear"

Donald Glover, "Atlanta"

Bill Hader, "Barry"

Steve Martin, "Only Murders in the Building"

Martin Short, "Only Murders in the Building"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy

Quinta Brunson, "Abbott Elementary"

Kaley Cuoco, "The Flight Attendant"

Selena Gomez, "Only Murders in the Building"

Jenny Ortega, "Wednesday"

Jean Smart, "Hacks"

Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

Colin Farrell, "The Banshees of Inisherin"

Diego Calva, "Babylon"

Daniel Craig, "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery"

Adam Driver, "White Noise"

Ralph Fiennes, "The Menu"

Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

Michelle Yeoh, "Everything Everywhere All at Once"

Lesley Manville, "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris"

Margot Robbie, "Babylon"

Anya Taylor-Joy, "The Menu"

Emma Thompson, "Good Luck to You Leo Grande"

Best Motion Picture — Animated

"Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio"

"Marcel the Shell With Shoes On"

"Puss in Boots: The Last Wish"

"Turning Red"

Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama

Austin Butler, "Elvis"

Brendan Fraser, "The Whale"

Hugh Jackman, "The Son"

Bill Nighy, "Living"

Jeremy Pope, "The Inspection"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama

Zendaya, "Euphoria"

Emma D'Arcy, "House of the Dragon"

Laura Linney, "Ozark"

Imelda Staunton, "The Crown"

Hilary Swank, "Alaska Daily"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical-Comedy or Drama Television Series

Julia Garner, "Ozark"

Elizabeth Debicki, "The Crown"

Hannah Einbinder, "Hacks"

Janelle James, "Abbott Elementary"

Sheryl Lee Ralph, "Abbott Elementary"

Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama

Cate Blanchett, "TAR"

Olivia Colman, "Empire of Light"

Viola Davis, "The Woman King"

Ana de Armas, "Blonde"

Michelle Williams, "The Fabelmans"

Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of rock and blues legend Elvis Presley, will be buried at Graceland next to her son Benjamin Keough, who died in 2020.

The famous mansion in Memphis, Tennessee was once owned by Elvis and was later inherited by his daughter after his death.

Elvis died in 1977 at 42 years old, when Lisa Marie was just 9.

She was staying at Graceland at the time of his death.

She told a reporter for Rolling Stone in 2003 of her father's death, “I just had a feeling,” she said.

“He [Elvis] wasn’t doing well. All I know is I had it [a feeling], and it happened. I was obsessed with death at a very early age,” Presley said.

Her only son, Keough died by suicide at 27.

Lisa Marie died Thursday at 54 after she was hospitalized following a medical emergency.

Raquel Welch, an actress of television, film and stage, has died. The well-known model and entertainer was 82.

Welch was known for her roles in films like 1966's "Fantastic Voyage."

Her death was confirmed to Scripps News by one of her representatives who said, "Her career spanned over 50 years starring in over 30 films and 50 television series and appearances. The Golden Globe winner, in more recent years, was involved in a very successful line of wigs."

The representative said, "Raquel Welch, the legendary bombshell actress of film, television and stage, passed away peacefully early this morning after a brief illness."

Born on Sept. 5, 1940 in Chicago she moved to San Diego when she was a young child.

She studied theater arts at San Diego State College in 1958.

She became well-known after another role in 1966 on the film "One Million Years B.C."

She launched businesses selling wigs and a line of deerskin bikinis all turning her into a star of the 1960s and 1970s.

Welch went on to star in other roles like in the film "A House Is Not A Home" and an Elvis Presley musical titled "Roustabout."

A representative for the actress and model said, "Raquel leaves behind her two children, son Damon Welch and her daughter, Tahnee Welch,"

The opening of the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday is going to be a "moment," the show's producers promise.

But they won't say what exactly it is – A montage? A Billy Crystal-inspired skit where Jimmy Kimmel pretends to be in all the best picture nominees? A secret performance? Tom Cruise landing a jet atop the Dolby Theatre? It will not, however, include Lady Gaga — the best original song nominee is currently in the midst of production on the "Joker" sequel.

Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, this year's executive producers and showrunners, are certain that it's going to pull audiences in and keep them engaged for the duration.

Both Weiss and Kirshner are live television veterans. They've done the Grammys, Tonys, Emmys, the Super Bowl and even a presidential inauguration. But the Oscars is a first for Kirshner.

"There's only a few shows on the bucket list," Kirshner said. "I needed to go for the awards show EGOT."

Video below: A chef recommends pairing popcorn and wine for your Oscars viewing party

It's a job not everyone is cut out for. One might even wonder why Weiss, who was the director of the show when both Envelopegate and The Slap happened, would want to put himself through it again.

"I think part of what scares a lot of people away from what I love about live television is having to think on your feet and keep moving forward and changing despite what's in the script," Weiss said. "A lot of directors are all about what's in the script. I think my energy comes from leaving that script and going forward. Any particular incident aside, I really love the thrill of live television."

The producers' goal this year is to celebrate a great year of movies. And it doesn't hurt that they have several billion-dollar blockbusters in the mix, with "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" both up for best picture. And though their involvement was decided much earlier than usual, it always ends up being a race to the finish: There's only so much planning that can be done before they know who the nominees are.

"I really think that the nominations have put so much interesting material in front of us," Weiss said. "We want to keep the audience who have seen these movies really wanting to see more and wanting to learn more about the creators. We're here celebrating the movies. We're celebrating the moviemakers both in front of and behind the camera."

Video below: A look at the five longest Oscars speeches in history

The show's runtime is always an issue, with the goal being to stick to three hours. ("Three hours, yeah right," Kimmel joked in his "Top Gun: Maverick" inspired promo for the show.) This year all the categories are being announced live on the show, which will also include performances of four of the best original song nominees. But they're not sweating the runtime.

"All we really care about is that people have a great time," Kirshner said. "There are things we can't control. And if a speech is great, we're not going to cut you off."

And their plan should, say, an envelope gets mixed up, a streaker runs across the stage or a best actor nominee slaps a presenter? Well, frankly, that's someone else's job.

"When we do the inauguration, we don't tell the Secret Service how to protect the president," Weiss said. "We just make a show that entertains and keeps going. That's our job here. We're going to make sure it's entertaining and keep it going."

Academy President Bill Kramer has said there is a crisis team and security in place ready for any number of scenarios.

Video below: After last year's infamous on-stage slap, the Academy has created a "crisis team"

As for the host, Molly McNearney, who is the show's executive producer and is married to Kimmel, said he thrives on unexpected moments.

"When the 'La La Land"https://www.wlwt.com/"Moonlight' thing happened I've never seen him so excited in my entire life," McNearney said. "He loves moments like that. He loves to be in the moment."

And the slap is fair game for Kimmel, too.

"We're going to acknowledge it and we're going to move on. I think that's what everyone wants. We don't want to make this year about last year," McNearney said. "It's something we can and will address in a comedic fashion."

The Oscars will reportedly require nominees and guests of the awards show to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

They must also provide two negative PRC tests, according to Variety and The New York Times.

However, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will not require vaccinations for performers or presenters. Instead, they will reportedly be subject to rigorous testing.

This year's Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. It will take place on March 27.

The show will feature three female hosts, Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, for the first time.

Nominations for the Oscars were held last week.

Jane Campion's gothic western "The Power of the Dog" leads all other films with 12 nominations.

Never underestimate your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, even with a mutating virus afoot.

Despite rising concerns over the omicron variant, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" not only shattered pandemic-era box office records; it became the third-best opening of all time behind "Avengers: Endgame" ($357.1 million) and "Avengers: Infinity War" ($257.7 million).

The Sony and Marvel blockbuster grossed a stunning $253 million in ticket sales from 4,325 North American locations, according to studio estimates on Sunday, also setting a record for the month of December.

The web-slinger's success couldn't have come sooner for a movie business that has had a roller coaster 2021 and could be headed for a difficult start to 2022 as the omicron variant of the coronavirus forces more and more event cancellations.

In its five days playing in theaters internationally, it's amassed $334.2 million in ticket sales, bringing its global total to $587.2 million against a $200 million production budget.

The film has yet to open in markets like Thailand and Japan, and there is no release date set for China.

As the third standalone Spider-Man film in the Tom Holland era, "No Way Home" was always going to be an "event film" for fans.

After several delays over the year, Sony planted its launch in the pre-Christmas frame and as of late last week had anticipated a pandemic-best opening in the $130 million to $150 million range.

But it quickly became clear that "Spider-Man" was going to fly much higher. The film netted an incredible $121.5 million in its first day — bumping "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" out of the No. 2 position.

And it's not just fans who have been giving the film good marks: Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive as well.

It has a 94% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Spider-Man" could also help the industry at large as it heads into 2022.

Dave Briggs and Alex Livingston from Newsy along with the Associated Press contributed to this story.

CALEXICO, Calif. -- High school seniors around the country are coping with missed milestones like prom and walking across the graduation stage.

"Our students invested 12, 13 years in their education, so we must invest in something to give them back, a ceremony they can be proud of," said John Moreno, principal of Aurora High Continuation in Calexico, California.

Several of the students graduating will be the first in their families to get a diploma. Students come to the continuation school for a fresh start; many were at risk of not graduating.

"It's a very big deal, many of them have not received any accolades, or any awards or any kind of recognition, any kind of victory. So when we see them with this victory, this is a big one," said Moreno.

When graduation was canceled due to COVID-19, students and their families were devastated.

So the district wanted to do something special, enlisting help from VEGO Pictures to create a virtual graduation.

The Hollywood production company changed its business model seemingly overnight to create virtual graduations for schools around the country. The move also helped employ Hollywood producers and directors out of work due to the pandemic.

With guidance from a VEGO Pictures producer, schools tape various clips they'd like to include in the virtual ceremony, and then the production company handles the rest.

Customized for each school, the ceremony is a tribute to student's talents and achievements from the last four years.

Anyone around the world can tune in to the virtual ceremony.

"I think it's pretty cool!" said Lorenzo Lopez, an Aurora High graduate. "Since it's going to be recorded and not in person, I can save it and watch it another time and show it to my kids and my grandkids."

While disappointed they couldn't have a traditional ceremony, students say they're grateful to at least have this memory.

LOS ANGELES —

A plaque and a palm tree weren't enough to mark the swagger and star power of Burt Reynolds.

That's why a bronze bust, mustachioed of course, and sporting his "Smokey and the Bandit" cowboy hat, were unveiled on Monday, three years after his death.

"Anybody else want to touch him?" Loni Anderson, Reynolds' wife from 1988 to 1994, asked the small crowd that gathered around the sculpture after the unveiling at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.

"Yes, he's made to be touched!" said Caroline P.M. Jones, the artist who made it.

Anderson and her son with Reynolds, Quinton, chose the spot where Reynolds' cremated remains were laid to rest in February because it was next to a palm tree and water, which evoked his native Florida. A simple plaque with his name marked the spot.

But Hollywood Forever co-owner Tyler Cassity told them that the many visitors to his grave would appreciate more of a monument, something to look at, to touch, to take photos with. So the bust was commissioned.

"It's absolutely beautiful, it's exactly what we both envisioned," Quinton Reynolds told The Associated Press after a brief private ceremony where a crowd of several dozen people who were close to Reynolds gathered to mark the occasion.

Guests included actors Stefanie Powers and Ruta Lee.

Most gathered around the bust to get a close look and take pictures before heading to a screening of a new documentary, "I Am Burt Reynolds," for a far bigger audience on a nearby cemetery lawn.

While the bust's cowboy hat suggests a 1970s Reynolds, it's designed to look like a more ageless version.

"That was one of the things we talked about, do we do baby Burt, do we do middle-aged Burt, do we do 'Smokey' Burt?'" Anderson told The AP. "He's worked in every decade, so which decade do we do?"

What they ended up with was "more of an interpretation of every decade," she said.

Jones' workspace during the process would make her look like the world's biggest Reynolds fan.

"On one side of my studio I had photos of Burt from all eras," the sculptor said.

There were many detailed discussions about things like the precise length of his mustache. Jones conceded that she really fell for him as she worked.

"He's such a handsome chap, really, what a handsome man," she said.

Anderson definitely wanted to get one thing right.

"He needs those great lips," she said, "because I think everybody wants to kiss him."

A college football standout at Florida State, Reynolds became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and biggest sex symbols in the world in the 1970s and '80s, known for his mustache, his cocky laugh and his maverick swagger. He starred in two "Smokey and the Bandit" films along with "Deliverance," "Gator" and "Boogie Nights," for which he was nominated for an Oscar.

He died at age 82 on Sept. 6, 2018, at a hospital in Jupiter, Florida. He was cremated a few days later. It is not clear why it took until earlier this year for his ashes to reach the Hollywood gravesite, his family has chosen to keep the details private, but the pandemic contributed to the delays.

Anderson and Quinton Reynolds spoke jointly at Monday night's ceremony.

She opened by acknowledging that she wasn't, in the eyes of many, the most likely person to be offering fond remembrances of Reynolds, given the sometimes rocky relationship that played out constantly in the tabloids.

"There's nobody here that, unless you're from another planet who doesn't realize that we had a tumultuous 12 years together," Anderson said, speaking with her son at her side. "But I just want to remember the good times. And there were a lot of them."

Hollywood Forever, founded in 1899 and located near the Paramount Pictures lot, has in recent years become both a historical landmark, home to the graves of major stars including Judy Garland and Douglas Fairbanks, and a cultural hub, home to concerts and movie screenings.

Cassity told Reynolds' family and friends at the ceremony that his grave is near those of the heartthrobs of two earlier eras of cinema, Tyrone Power and Rudolph Valentino.

"Please know that he's in good company," Cassity said.

LOS ANGELES —

Jane Powell, the bright-eyed, operatic-voiced star of Hollywood's golden age musicals who sang with Howard Keel in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and danced with Fred Astaire in "Royal Wedding," has died. She was 92.

Powell died Thursday at her Wilton, Connecticut, home, longtime friend Susan Grander said. Granger said Powell died of natural causes.

Powell performed virtually her whole life, starting about age 5 as a singing prodigy on radio in Portland, Oregon. She made her first movie at 16 and graduated from teenage roles to costarring in the lavish musical productions there were a 20th-century Hollywood staple.

Her 1950 casting in "Royal Wedding" came by default. June Allyson was first announced as Astaire’s co-star but withdrew when she became pregnant. Judy Garland was cast but was withdrawn because of personal problems. Jane Powell was next in line.

"They had to give it to me," she quipped at the time. "Everybody else is pregnant." Also among the expectant MGM stars: Lana Turner, Esther Williams, Cyd Charisse and Jean Hagen.

Powell had just turned 21 when she got the role; Astaire was 50. She was nervous because she lacked dancing experience, but she found him "very patient and understanding. We got along fine from the start."

"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" proved to be a 1954 "sleeper" hit.

"The studio didn’t think it was going to do anything," she recalled in 2000. "MGM thought that 'Brigadoon' was going to be the big moneymaker that year. It didn’t turn out that way. We were the ones that went to the Radio City Music Hall, which was always such a coup."

The famed New York venue was a movie theater then.

Audiences were overwhelmed by the lusty singing of Keel and Powell and especially by the gymnastic choreography of Michael Kidd. "Seven Brides" achieved classic status and resulted in a TV series and a Broadway musical.

"Blonde and small and pretty, Jane Powell had the required amount of grit and spunk that was needed to play the woman who could tame seven backwoodsmen," John Kobal wrote in his book "Gotta Sing Gotta Dance: A Pictorial History of Film Musicals."

NEW YORK —

Ned Beatty, the indelible character actor whose first film role as a genial vacationer raped by a backwoodsman in 1972's "Deliverance" launched him on a long, prolific and accomplished career, has died. He was 83.

Beatty's manager, Deborah Miller, said Beatty died Sunday of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by friends and loved ones.

After years in regional theater, Beatty was cast in "Deliverance" as Bobby Trippe, the happy-go-lucky member of a male river-boating party terrorized by backwoods thugs. The scene in which Trippe is brutalized became the most memorable in the movie and established Beatty as an actor whose name moviegoers may not have known but whose face they always recognized.

"For people like me, there's a lot of 'I know you! I know you! What have I seen you in?'" Beatty remarked without rancor in 1992.

Beatty received only one Oscar nomination, as supporting actor for his role as corporate executive Arthur Jensen in 1976′s "Network," but he contributed to some of the most popular movies of his time and worked constantly, his credits including more than 150 movies and TV shows.

Beatty's appearance in "Network," scripted by Paddy Chayefsky an directed by Sidney Lumet, was brief but titanic. His three-minute monologue ranks among the greatest in movies. Jensen summons anchorman Howard Beale (Peter Finch) to a long, dimly lit boardroom for a come-to-Jesus about the elemental powers of media.

"You have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr. Beale, and I won't have it!" Beatty shouts from across the boardroom before explaining that there is no America, no democracy. "There is only IBM and ITT and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those are the nations of the world today."

He was equally memorable as Otis, the idiot henchman of villainous Lex Luthor in the first two Christopher Reeve "Superman" movies and as the racist sheriff in "White Lightning." Other films included "All The President's Men," "The Front Page," "Nashville," and "The Big Easy." In a 1977 interview, he had explained why he preferred being a supporting actor.

"Stars never want to throw the audience a curveball, but my great joy is throwing curveballs," he said. "Being a star cuts down on your effectiveness as an actor because you become an identifiable part of a product and somewhat predictable. You have to mind your P's and Q's and nurture your fans. But I like to surprise the audience, to do the unexpected."

He landed a rare leading role in the Irish film "Hear My Song" in 1991. The true story of legendary Irish tenor Josef Locke, who disappeared at the height of a brilliant career, it was well reviewed but largely unseen in the United States. Between movies, Beatty worked often in TV and theater. He had recurring roles in "Roseanne" as John Goodman's father and as a detective on "Homicide: Life on the Streets."

On Broadway he won critical praise (and a Drama Desk Award) for his portrayal of Big Daddy in a revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," a role he had first played as a 21-year-old in a stock company production. He created controversy, however, when he was quoted in The New York Times on the skills of his young co-stars, Ashley Judd and Jason Patric.

"Ashley is a sweetie," he said, "and yet she doesn't have a lot of tools." Of Patric, he remarked: "He's gotten better all the time, but his is a different journey." His more recent movies included "Toy Story 3" in 2010 and two releases from 2013, "The Big Ask" and "Baggage Claim." He retired soon after.

Ned Thomas Beatty was born in 1937 in Louisville, Ky., and raised in Lexington, where he joined the Protestant Disciples of Christ Christian Church. "It was the theater I attended as a kid," he told The Associated Press in 1992. "It was where people got down to their truest emotions and talked about things they didn't talk about in everyday life. ... The preaching was very often theatrical." For a time he thought of becoming a priest, but changed his mind after he was cast in a high school production of "Harvey."

He spent 10 summers at the Barter Theater in Abingdon, Virginia, and eight years at the Arena Stage Company in Washington, D.C. At the Arena Stage, he appeared in Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" and starred in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman." Then his life changed forever when he took a train to New York to audition for director John Boorman for the role of Bobby Trippe. Boorman told him the role was cast, but changed his mind after seeing Beatty audition.

Beatty, who married Sandra Johnson in 1999, had eight children from three previous marriages.

VICTOR, Colo. — In the middle of the Rocky Mountains lies the City of Gold Mines, but gold isn’t the only treasure nestled in Victor, Colorado. Victor Trading Company is a gem in itself and manager Karen Morrison knows it all too well.

“But it’s kind of stuck in a time warp," Morrison said.

The shop will send you back more than 100 years.

"Very circa 1900," Morrison said. "Guy this morning just walks in the door and goes, 'this is my kind of place.'”

After more than three decades running the shop, Morrison says it wasn’t always like it is today.

“We started with a Christmas shop, but Christmas doesn’t sell in Victor," Morrison said.

What does sell? Handmade items. From famous brooms to printing, they do it all. They even make 19th-century cans.

“Historically correct cans, as far as we know, we are the only ones doing them," Morrison said.

It all started when a reenactment of the Civil War called for 19th-century cans. So, Morrison tried to replicate them.

“A lot of the reenactors tell me they are scary good," Morrison said.

They were so good that they got noticed all over the country and her skills were needed in Holly wood.

“Disney called up one year," Morrison said. “The first one was 'The Missing' with Tommy Lee Jones.”

These cans were made specifically as props for movies like "The Lighthouse," "The Missing," and even "The Greatest Showman."

“And then they tell us that they need the cans and oh we’re going to film a musical about PT Barnum and you’re going 'really?' And it was 'The Greatest Showman' and that was a really neat movie," Morrison said.

These multi-million dollar productions found the only place that makes these recreations and what makes them so special is the attention to detail.

“They don’t expect it, they don’t expect it here in Victor," Morrison said. “When you start looking, people online sometimes have antique labels that have never been used and they are not cheap, but I need one because I make a color copy, so I preserve the original label. But the labels are so gorgeous that they did such artwork and graphics back then. We have almost 300 different can labels that we make the cans for now.”

Each can is made through this careful process to create a hole and cap style which is pre-1920.

“It’s rewarding that people come in here and want to buy something that we made," Morrison said. “I guess we were meant for this and I think we’ve kind of helped Victor as well because people know about us so they come here.”

It's an unexpected outcome from a shop that stumbled onto success.

“No, this is it, one and only. There isn’t another store like this," Morrison said.