MUMBAI: The weekend is here and we bring you all the latest news and happenings from the world of Hollywood. Read on…

Giving birth was harder than Cardi B imagined

The process of delivering a child was much more painful for rapper Cardi B than she ever imagined.

"It was totally harder," the 26-year-old said on Jimmy Kimmel Live about welcoming daughter Kulture Kiari in July.

"She broke my vagina," Cardi told the host Jimmy Kimmel, reported the leading publication.

Kimmel replied, "That's a rude thing for her to do. I was always worried about falling on stepping on a crack and breaking my mother's back."

"Why nobody tells you about those things? Nobody told me they were gonna stitch my vagina," Cardi lamented and added, "People just be like, 'Oh, you know, when you give birth, it's gonna hurt.' But nobody tells you (that)."

Cardi said an entourage including her sister, publicist, husband Offset, parents and mother-in-law all crowded into the delivery room when the time came.

The delivery process may have been harder than she expected, but Cardi is embracing motherhood now.

"Yes, I am enjoying it. It's the best. It's like, ‘Oh my gosh, I should have had you when I was a teenager. This is what I was missing my whole life? I love you.'"

She, however, does not enjoy shielding her child from fame.

"There's certain things that I want to do with my daughter. Like, I want to go to the beach with my baby, I want to take a stroll down the street with my baby. And I can't because I don't know who's next to me and who has certain intentions. I don't wanna show my baby out to the public right now. I just want to protect her. I'm not mentally ready. So paparazzi be everywhere."

Cardi, who hopes to expand her brood further, sees a lot of herself in her baby. Calling Kulture "demanding," Cardi explained, "She's very feisty. My husband used to tell me, ‘Stop screaming and stop catching an attitude when you pregnant because you're gonna pass that to the baby.' And it's like, I did."

Maisie Williams 'petrified' of friends

Game of Thrones fame star Maisie Williams says she feels scared of her friends.

In an interview with The Guardian, the 21-year-old actress said she is still "petrified" of her peers because she "gave up being a normal teenager" for the role and left school to be taught at home after being cast in the series at the age of just 12.

Williams said, "I gave up a huge part of my adolescent life. I'm still petrified of my peers, because I just didn't spend a lot of time with them."

Earlier this year, the actress wrapped filming on the series, which is based on the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin.

Talking about her scenes in the finale season, Williams added, "I got to the end and I didn't want more. I had exhausted every possible piece of Arya. And this season was quite big for me. I had a lot more to do. Mainly because there's just less characters now, so everyone's got more to do."

Indians prefer free digital content over paid services: Study

Indians prefer to stream free content offered by the likes of YouTube over paid services like Netlfix and Amazon, according to a study.

Boston-based Jana, which claims to be the largest provider of free internet in emerging markets through its mCent browser, conducted the study titled 'Video Streaming Services Report' by surveying nearly 2,000 mCent users in India to determine consumer sentiment and trends across the streaming video landscape.

The study indicates that nearly 30 per cent of Indian consumers in a sample survey plan to cancel paid video subscriptions over free content, with YouTube being the dominant platform of choice, according to a leading publication.

As per the report, 63.7 percent of surveyed users said they only stream free content from platforms like YouTube, MXPlayer and Fox's Star India network-backed digital platform Hotstar, which also offers a free ad-sponsored service in addition to a paid service which costs $13.87 per year.

Only 7.5 per cent of users said they streamed more paid content than free content, while nine per cent said they streamed paid and free content about the same and 19.8 per cent said they streamed more free content than paid content.

With six in 10 users preferring to only stream free content, Jana said its data showed that "the net impact of free content is poised to have a massive impact on paid subscription services with 29.1 per cent of respondents saying they plan to cancel all premium services altogether".

YouTube leads the pack for free content in India for 78.1 per cent of users, followed by MXPlayer garnering 57.5 per cent. Hotstar's free ad-supported service came in third at 38.7 per cent.

"Our study shows that along with increasingly affordable data rates in India, consumer consumption of video content is also on the rise," said Jana co-founder and CEO Nathan Eagle.

He explained that with free content from YouTube, JioTV and MXPlayer, "we expect this will have a dramatic impact on premium subscriptions in both the long and short term, as millions are planning to ditch paid services altogether."

As for content preferences, movies and television shows dominated for 77.4 per cent of users, with sports at 54.9 per cent and children and family content at 32.1 per cent.

Judi Dench joins 'Cats' cast

Oscar winning actress Judi Dench has come on board for Tom Hooper's film adaptation of the musical Cats in the role of Deuteronomy, the ancient cat who presides over the singing felines' Jellicle Ball.

The casting is interesting as the role has traditionally been played onstage by a man, according to a leading publication.

Dench is no stranger to musical theater. She was set to play Grizabella, the cat who sings "Memory" in the original 1981 London production of Andrew Lloyd Weber's Cats but had to withdraw due to an injury. She played Desiree in a 1995 London production of A Little Night Music, and featured in Stephen Sondheim's Send in the Clowns.

The cast of the Cats movie also includes Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, James Corden and Ian McKellen. It will release on 20 December 2019.

Hollywood stars rally against LGBTQ bullying

Hollywood stars including Adam Lambert, Jimmy Kimmel, Mariah Carey, Alyssa Milano, Laverne Cox, Tyra Banks, Ross Mathews and Kim Petras lent their support to a LGBTQ anti-bullying campaign here.

They raised their voice in support of GLAAD for Spirit Day on Thursday.

Spirit Day first began in 2010 when then-high school student Brittany McMillan created a Tumblr post asking students to wear purple following the suicides of several LGBTQ and LGBTQ-perceived young people.

The stars released videos about bullying, including stories about their own experiences, to help spread the word about anti-bullying in the LGBT community, reported by leading publications.

Cox said, "I've been there. I was bullied severely as a kid. I survived and right now I'm thriving. I want you to know there's a better tomorrow and there's something out there for you in this world that's bigger than the bullying you're experiencing."

Milano urged those who felt bullied to look for help. "It can feel very alone, it can feel very isolating, but the most important thing you can do is find your allies. Ask for help. Sometimes we can't do everything on our own."

Across social media too, stars shared their support for the cause.

Lambert tweeted a picture of himself in a purple leather jacket, urging people to take a stand against LGBTQ bullying and supporting inclusion.

Actor Sterling K. Brown wrote, "Together, let's wear purple. Together, let's make a statement... That it is okay to be who you are, no matter your background, race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity."

Allison Janney shared a photo from the set of her sitcom Mom alongside her co-stars -- all in purple -- and said, "Let's tell every young person that it's okay to be who you are, no matter your background, race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. No one should be bullied or called names simply for being who they are. That's why we're wearing purple for Spirit Day."

DuVernay wrote, "Holding hands with millions across the country against the bullying of our LGBTQ youth. You are loved."

 Post Malone, Swae Lee's song from 'Spider-Man' out

Rappers Post Malone and Swae Lee have dropped a new song titled "Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)" from the soundtrack of the upcoming film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

The single re-teams Malone and Lee after the two joined forces for "Spoil my night" from Malone's album "Beerbongs & Bentleys".

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Republic Records have teamed up for the first time to create a "contemporary musical companion" for the upcoming feature film, according to the announcement, reports a leading publication.

"Post and Swae have delivered a song that's both heroic and emotional, which is exactly what a Spider-Man story needs," said Spring Aspers, Head of Music, Creative Affairs Worldwide for Sony Pictures Entertainment's Motion Picture Group.

Hailee Steinfeld to star in music drama 'Idol'

 Actress Hailee Steinfeld will produce and star in musical film Idol.

Along with Steinfeld, Matt Reeves is also in talks to produce Netfilx's Idol, reports the leading publications.

The film revolves around a girl who becomes an assistant for a popular singer and then tries to become her.

Steinfeld made debut with 2010's True Grit for which she was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar. She also starred in Pitch Perfect 2, Pitch Perfect 3 and The Edge of Seventeen.