US entertainment giant Disney is to cut 650 jobs worldwide as part of plans to produce fewer adult-oriented films and concentrate on family blockbusters. The firm is to reduce its film output from about 18 to 12 movies a year, with only two or three from adult-oriented subsidiary Touchstone Pictures. Touchstone releases do not match Disney films'' profits or provide the same marketing tie-ins, the company said. The Pirates of the Caribbean sequel has been a huge success for Disney. A hit like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man''s Chest can spawn other products including video games and action figures. Full Article

Superman Returns has flown to the top of the US and Canada box office chart after taking an estimated $52m (£28m) in three days over its opening weekend. Warner Bros said the film had also achieved the most successful five-day opening in the studio's history. It has taken $84m (£45m) since last Wednesday, studio estimates suggest. Early reviews of the film, which cost more than $200m (£108m), have been positive. Directed by Bryan Singer, it stars Brandon Routh and Kevin Spacey. Fashion magazine satire The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep, took second place in the chart with an estimated opening weekend take of $27m (£15m). Full Article

It's touching to think that when Richard Donner's Superman was released in 1978, the ads could tempt audiences with the line "You'll believe a man can fly." Nearly three decades later, it's hard to find a man in the movies who doesn't fly. Special-effects comic-book fantasy is the atmosphere we breathe, and when you go to see Bryan Singer's "Superman Returns," it's with the expectation that you'll believe a man can fly, and also speed through blasts of underground fire, land a crashing airplane, and stop a bullet, in slow motion, with his left eyeball -- all of which Superman does, without breaking a supersweat. Full Article

Moose the dog, better known as Eddie in US sitcom Frasier, has died aged 16 in Los Angeles, his trainer has said. The Jack Russell terrier passed away of old age last week at trainer Mathilde Halberg's home, she told People magazine and the Access Hollywood show. "He just had an incredible charisma and was a such a free spirit," Ms Halberg said of Moose, who appeared in 192 Frasier episodes from 1993. Moose shared the part of Eddie with his son, Enzo. He made his first appearance on the long-running Cheers spin-off in the first episode on 16 September 1993, retiring 10 years later in 2003. The show finished in 2004. Full Article

Disney is to start selling films over the internet via CinemaNow, including new films on the day they come out. Disney's home video arm, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, will make the films available on a download-to-own basis. Customers will be able to buy current and older films to view on personal computers and portable devices. The service, which is scheduled to start on 6 June, comes after five Hollywood rivals launched similar services in April. Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Paramount Pictures jointly started a download-to-own film service via Movielink. Full Article

In 1926, pioneering film-maker Claude Friese-Greene travelled from Land's End to John O'Groats. His unique film - one of the first in colour - reveals not only how life has changed, but what remains unaltered. Britain between the world wars enjoyed a golden age, yet it is a period typically captured in monochrome. But a recently restored film from the British Film Institute's vaults puts the colour back into this bygone age. The Open Road was made by Claude Friese-Greene in 1926 to showcase his new colour filming techniques. Full Article

The third annual "Pig Olympics" have been held in Russia where the pigs might not have flown but they did show their prowess in several activities. Some 12 piglets from seven countries took part in the games, which included pig-racing, pig-swimming and pigball. Pig enthusiasts laid bets on the competitors in each event, at an exhibition centre near Moscow. Each pig, dressed in a numbered bib, was carried squealing into the arena for each event. Contestants included Mykola from Ukraine, Nelson from South Africa, and the home favourite Kostik Russisch Schwein. Full Article

Animated sequel Ice Age 2: The Meltdown has become the first film of the year to pass the $100m (£57.3m) mark at the US box office, early figures show. The film, which features the voice of Ray Romano, maintained its position at number one, with total takings since it release of $116.4m (£66.7m) In second spot was baseball comedy The Benchwarmers, starring David Spade and Rob Schneider. Antonio Banderas' ballroom dancing film Take the Lead made its debut at three. There was also a new entry at number five for Lucky Number Slevin, which has already opened in the UK. The film, starring Josh Hartnett, Lucy Liu and Sir Ben Kingsley, took $7.1 (£4m) in its opening three days. Full Article

Curator Sarah Malone believes the £1.2m has been well spent A famous Scottish army museum has re-opened after winning a £1.2m refurbishment battle. The Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen has undergone a major makeover which includes interactive displays. Two years of fundraising resulted in £500,000 being donated by the Heritage Lottery Fund. In 1994, the famous regiment was amalgamated to become part of the Highlanders. Prince Charles was its last colonel-in-chief. Full Article

A 10-minute arts bulletin for users of Sony's Playstation Portable (PSP) is being offered for download by London's Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA). ICA: The Show includes short features on emerging New York band Battles and the recent fantasy film Mirrormask. ICA artistic director Ekow Eshun said the initiative was "putting art and culture directly in people's hands". Arts minister David Lammy said the scheme could represent "a pivotal development for culture in the UK". Full Article

"Ice Age: The Meltdown" heated up the box office with a mammoth $70.5 million weekend, while audiences gave the cold shoulder to Sharon Stone, whose "Basic Instinct 2" debuted with a paltry $3.2 million. The "Ice Age" sequel, from 20th Century Fox, took over the top box office spot from Universal's "Inside Man," which slipped to No. 2 in its second weekend with $15.7 million, raising its 10-day total to $52.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Full Article

With that sturdy man-of-steel look about him, you'd think Brandon Routh was the next coming of Superman. Oh, wait, he is. Overnight, Routh went from yet another struggling actor in Hollywood to superhero of superheroes, landing the role of mild-mannered Clark Kent and his caped alter ego in "Superman Returns," due in theaters June 30. Routh is gearing up for the whirlwind of attention that will make him one of the most recognizable faces on the big screen, much as another unknown -- Christopher Reeve -- did when he premiered in the title role of "Superman" in 1978, the year before Routh was born. Full Article

Two more series of The Simpsons have been commissioned by US television network Fox, ensuring the show will be on screens until at least 2008. The decision ensures the popular animated sitcom will rack up its 400th episode in the next two years. The show, which is the longest-running prime-time entertainment series in the US, is currently in its 17th season. Full Article

Three impoverished South African women, whose father wrote "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," have won a six-year battle for royalties in a landmark case that could affect musicians worldwide. No one is saying how many millions will go to the daughters of the late composer Solomon Linda, who died in poverty from a curable kidney disease in 1962 at age 53. But the family's settlement with New York-based Abilene Music, which gives Linda's heirs 25 percent of past and future royalties, has broad implications. Full Article