The age-old rivalry between Broadway and Hollywood took central stage at this year's Venice film festival, which winds up on Saturday, with a host of theatre-based tales and stars denouncing a declining Silver Screen industry.

"Hollywood's gone in the wrong direction," master of screwball comedy Peter Bogdanovich said ahead of the premier of his delicious theatre-based comedy "She's Funny That Way", starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston.

Subtle cultural differences and subtitles often make the business of selling foreign-language films in the North American marketplace a challenge, but demand for remakes in English is strong.

Several filmmakers and buyers told Agence France Presse on the sidelines of the Toronto International Film Festival that a North American distribution deal requires patience and determination.

Hollywood star Robin Williams, who died August 11 and was a devoted video game fan, has made a subtle cameo in "World of Warcraft," as promised by gamemaker Blizzard Entertainment.

In a test version of "Warlords of Draenor," a futuristic character named Robin emerges from a lamp to quote two lines from Disney's "Aladdin" genie, who was voiced by Williams.

US actress Scarlett Johansson has given birth to a baby girl with her French fiance Romain Dauriac, her spokesman said Thursday.

The 29-year-old, whose latest movie "Lucy" by director Luc Besson came out in July, was in good health with baby Rose, her first child.

Barcelona-based label Desigual celebrated its 30th birthday in a riot of print and color at New York Fashion Week on Thursday with CEO Manel Jadraque signaling a more sophisticated future.

For its third collection in the Big Apple on the first official day of Fashion Week, Desigual hired top Brazilian model and brand ambassador Adriana Lima to strut the Lincoln Center runway.

Critically acclaimed English designer Gareth Pugh promised New York Fashion Week a different experience and outdid himself with a startlingly innovative show light years from the traditional runway.

There was no model in the flesh. There was no runway and nobody strutted down the catwalk, there was just a giant warehouse and a series of video screens.

Joan Rivers, the acerbic U.S. stand-up comic and television presenter, died on Thursday, a week after being rushed to a New York hospital, her family announced. She was 81.

"It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my mother, Joan Rivers. She passed peacefully at 1:17 pm surrounded by family and close friends," daughter Melissa Rivers said in a statement.

France's former first lady Valerie Trierweiler was roundly attacked Thursday for her kiss-and-tell book about her acrimonious split with President Francois Hollande after his affair with an actress.

The surprise memoir, which hit bookstands on Thursday and in which she recounts her stormy relationship with Hollande, was described as "outrageous" by Prime Minister Manuel Valls and a "dishonor for France" by right-wing leader Marine Le Pen, usually a trenchant critic of Hollande.

The "Frozen" princess stars of Disney's Oscar-winning animated film are set to return in a short sequel to be released next spring, the studio said Wednesday.

"Frozen Fever" will reunite Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf from the blockbuster movie, which took best animated feature and best music at this year's Academy Awards show.

George Clooney is to direct a film about the British phone hacking scandal, the studio behind the project announced Wednesday.

"Hack Attack" will be based on the book of the same name by Guardian journalist Nick Davies about the hacking scandal surrounding Rupert Murdoch's news empire, which triggered the demise of its weekly News of the World.