The Grammy Awards are sticking with their man: Trevor Noah will host the show for the fifth consecutive time, the Grammys announced Tuesday.

Each of the last three telecasts has improved on the last’s ratings, culminating in 2024, when 16.9 million Americans watched — the highest TV audience since the 2020 ceremony.

Last year, the comedian joked about the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, and made fun of TikTok and Universal Music Group. “So anything can happen, right?” he said in his monologue. “This is like flying in a Boeing airplane. One minute there’s a door, the next one we are outside.”

The only other people to host five or more Grammy telecasts were musical artists: Andy Williams hosted seven shows, followed by John Denver with six and LL Cool J with five.

In addition to host, Noah will be a producer — and a nominee. His “Where Was I” has a nod for best comedy album. Noah was nominated in the same category last year for “I Wish You Would,” losing to Dave Chappelle. This time he’s up against offerings by Chappelle again, Ricky Gervais, Jim Gaffigan and Nikki Glaser, who hosted the Golden Globes.

Beyoncé goes into the night with the most nods. “Cowboy Carter” is up for album and country album of the year, and “Texas Hold ’Em” is nominated for record, song and country song of the year. Post Malone is just behind Beyoncé, with seven nominations, tied with Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Charli xcx, who earned her first nominations as a solo artist.

For more Grammys coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/grammy-awards

LAS VEGAS — Circus Circus, the venerable 56-year-old north Strip resort that caters to families and low-budget visitors, may soon be sold by owner Phil Ruffin, according to a published report.

Ruffin, who also owns Treasure Island, is in Washington for President Donald Trump’s inauguration and was unavailable for comment Friday, but a story in business magazine Forbes outlined Ruffin’s strategy for selling the property, saying it and the surrounding 102 acres used as an outdoor festival grounds is worth $5 billion.

“It’s the best piece of land on the West Coast,” Ruffin said in the Forbes article. “It’s got the highway, it’s got the Sahara, it’s got 2,000 feet on the Strip, and it’s the last Strip property. And 102 acres is just a massive amount of land — you can almost build a city on it.”

Ruffin said he has been approached by buyers to sell the 3,767-room property, but he did not say who the potential buyers are. If he sells Circus Circus, Ruffin told Forbes he will use the proceeds to buy another property, possibly in Las Vegas.

Ruffin’s potential sale of Circus Circus mirrors a strategy he used when acquiring the Frontier in 1998 for $165 million. After helping settle a labor dispute at the Frontier, Ruffin established the New Frontier, but ended up selling it nine years later for $1.2 billion.

He used that as seed money to acquire Treasure Island and to partner with Trump, one of his best friends, to build the neighboring non-gaming Trump International Hotel

“Why do you think I bought Circus Circus?” Ruffin said in the Forbes article. “For the 102 acres. That’s the land play. Remember what I did at the Frontier, how the value of the land went crazy — here it’s going crazier.”

The north Strip seems to be well positioned for prosperity, even as some of Circus Circus’ neighbors struggle.

Other north Strip properties

Snuggled between the Sahara and Fontainebleau Las Vegas is a 17-acre property under development by LVXP, a team of Las Vegas-based real estate professionals that hopes to build a 752-foot, 2,605-unit hotel and condominium project with an 18,000-seat arena and a 6,000-seat theater. The Clark County Commission has green lit development of that project.

Just south of Fontainebleau on 10 acres where the Riviera once stood is land being developed by Brett Torino and his BPS Partners LLC.

County commissioners voted unanimously to approve the plan for the mixed-use attraction featuring two 600-foot towers and a 439-foot amusement ride at Las Vegas and Elvis Presley boulevards.

The towers would include a 750-room nongaming hotel and a 425-unit multifamily condominium. A 3,310-seat domed performance venue also is tabbed for the easternmost five acres, which Fontainebleau is buying for $112.5 million.

The north Strip is home to the city’s newest convention venue, the Las Vegas Convention Center’s West Hall. And, a few blocks south is Sphere, the 17,000-seat entertainment venue that has activated a new push to become one of the most active arenas around with multiple shows daily and a lineup of concert residencies that currently includes the Eagles, Dead & Company and the newest addition, country star Kenny Chesney, whose shows begin in May.

While the future appears bright for the neighborhood, not all of the existing resorts are flourishing.

Sphere Entertainment, which operates the Sphere, lost $480 million last year. The company’s next earnings call is weeks away.

Resorts World Las Vegas, which opened in 2021 and is mired in regulatory issues, recently reported its worst quarter in two years with revenues down 23 percent.

The Fontainebleau, partly owned by Koch Real Estate Investments, is reportedly struggling to find its financial footing, the Forbes article stated.

Bright days for Circus

Ruffin sees brighter days ahead and says Circus Circus is performing well.

“We do well,” Ruffin told Forbes. “We sell $2 beer, $2 hot dogs, $2 popcorn. People love it. A guy can eat and drink for six bucks.”

While the property routinely attracts customers on a low budget, it has a steady customer base with its live circus acts – a staple for the property since it opened – its indoor amusement park, Adventuredome, and its next-door neighbor, Slots O Fun.

According to the Forbes article, when Ruffin sells Circus Circus, he plans to buy another property on the Strip with the proceeds, thus avoiding paying capital gains. His preference is to buy something in Las Vegas, where Brendan Bussmann, a gaming industry analyst with Las Vegas-based B Global, said “everything is always on the table” at the right price.

But if Las Vegas does not work out for Ruffin’s next move, he is willing to look for opportunities in other states.

“I have my eyes on some properties,” Ruffin said. “It could be in another town, if it’s good enough.”

Ruffin already owns a greyhound racing track in his former hometown, Wichita, Kansas, converting it to a racino to be called The Golden Circle with a $200 million investment. He plans to add an outdoor concert venue and install a Gilley’s Saloon similar to what he has at Treasure Island by fall.

He also owns Casino Miami in Florida, managing it from his Las Vegas office.

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©2025 Las Vegas Review-Journal. Visit reviewjournal.com.. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

CHESSY, France (AP) — A cutting-edge nighttime show at Disneyland Paris featuring lasers used at the Paris Games is heralding a bold new chapter for Europe’s most-visited theme park, as a raft of ambitious developments comes to fruition under a 2 billion euro ($2.05 billion) expansion plan.

The overhaul includes the completed revamp of the luxury Disneyland Hotel, the upcoming renaming and doubling in size of Walt Disney Studios Park, and the much-anticipated arrival of The World of Frozen and a first-of-its-kind The Lion King land — cementing the resort’s gains after the wilderness years for theme parks during the pandemic.

Disney Tales of Magic

Disney Tales of Magic, an immersive 20-minute spectacle blending mind-boggling drones, synchronized fountains, high-definition projections and ultra-bright lasers, was unveiled this month, wowing crowds.

The show’s standout feature — ultra-bright lasers — has been used only once before, at the Paris 2024 Olympics at the Eiffel Tower during the iconic opening ceremony featuring a performance by Celine Dion. The lasers, which travel 23 miles (37 kilometers), deliver extraordinary power while remaining safe near crowds.

“The Paris Olympics used it first. But we saw it first,” said Dana Harrel, executive entertainment director at Disneyland Paris.

Featuring Disney and Pixar tales brought to life amid drone-made 3D figures dazzling the night sky, synchronized fountains and a 100-piece orchestra, the show is elevated further by the original anthem “Live in Magic.”

Audiences of any age have been awestruck. “It’s marvelous. We’ve never seen such a beautiful light show,” said Sacha Tellier, a 33-year-old mother visiting with her family. “It gave me goosebumps,” added Nathan Ruiz, a graphic designer from Madrid. “The combination of music, lights, and the drones felt like pure magic. I’ve been to Disney before, but this show is on another level.”

“For the very first time, not only will we be projecting onto Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, but also Main Street USA,” said Tim Lutkin, artistic director of the production, referring to the park’s main commercial artery lined with boutiques and merchandise.

The spectacle also reflects Disney’s storytelling evolution. Lutkin noted the shift from classic ballgown tales to modern narratives like “Encanto” and “Inside Out 2,” which delve into deeper themes such as anxiety and depression. The level of the latter’s box office success, Lutkin said, “was a big surprise for everybody.”

It was “an indicator the world and its relationship with Disney are ready to embrace more complex stories.”

This shift is mirrored in the show’s selection of movies, spanning Disney’s timeless classics and emotionally resonant modern hits.

Disney Adventure World

At the heart of Disneyland Paris’ expansion is the transformation of Walt Disney Studios Park, doubling in size and reimagined as Disney Adventure World. Opening in spring 2025, a new park entrance, World Premiere, will greet visitors with the glamour of a Hollywood film premiere, leading them into immersive themed areas.

“These projects reflect our commitment to innovation and storytelling,” said Natacha Rafalski, head of Disneyland Paris, adding that they will further strengthen it as Europe’s top tourist destination.

Already Europe’s most-visited theme park and France’s top tourist attraction outdrawing the Louvre, Disneyland Paris welcomed over 10 million visitors in 2023.

The expansion includes two eagerly awaited themed lands. The World of Frozen, debuting in 2026, will transport guests to Arendelle with a central lake hosting water performances and the Frozen Ever After boat ride, alongside themed dining, shopping, and accommodations. Meanwhile, The Lion King land will bring the Pride Lands to life with a log flume cascading from Pride Rock and encounters with beloved characters like Simba and Timon.

Life after the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic delivered one the toughest challenges to Disneyland Paris, as with all resort parks around the world, forcing an eight-month closure in 2020 and another in 2021.

But Disney doubled down.

The ongoing €2 billion expansion is part of a $60 billion global investment announced in September 2023, aiming to redefine Disney parks, cruises and attractions over the next decade.

A centerpiece of the Paris overhaul is the revamped Disneyland Hotel, with suites themed around classic Disney royalty.

Birth and evolution

Disneyland Paris opened in 1992 under its original name, Euro Disney Resort. Situated just outside Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, it marked Disney’s first foray into Europe. However, the park’s early years were fraught with challenges, including cultural missteps, financial struggles and lower-than-expected visitor numbers. Critics in France derided it as an American cultural invasion, dubbing it a “cultural Chernobyl.”

To reverse its fortunes, the park underwent significant rebranding, changing its name to Disneyland Paris in 1994 to emphasize its French location and connection to the capital. Over time, strategic changes, including the addition of new attractions and a shift in marketing, helped the resort recover. It is now a cornerstone of Disney’s global operations.

That, plus those who operate the restaurant are known as “well respected veterans in the hospitality industry.”

Not only was it recently named 2024 restaurant of the year, that honor also made the relative newcomer the first Fairfield County restaurant to capture the state title from Connecticut Restaurant Association.

Bar Rosina’s in Greenwich topped all the others in the CRA’s Crazies awards, where 25,000 votes were cast by the public and industry experts.

CRA president and CEO Scott Dolch, who didn’t have a vote in the awards, said the win “is a big deal in that area, especially a restaurant that is a stone’s throw from the New York line getting recognized as the best in the state.”

The restaurant was opened in August 2021 by longtime friends Chef Jared Falco, 39, and Coby Blount, 40, who specializes in working front of house and is general manager.

The two met working in a restaurant in 2014 and became fast friends with a dream to open their own place.

“I’ve had the opportunity to dine at the restaurant and their food, drinks and overall hospitality was extraordinary,” Dolch said.

Falco, who has been experimenting with cuisine since childhood, as both of his parents worked, later “fell in love with business,” he said.

Receiving the Best Restaurant in Connecticut award, “blew me away,” he said.

“For me it was a surprise. We were significantly younger and never thought we had a shot,” he said.

But Dolch isn’t surprised, he said all the signs of success were there.

“They are both well respected veterans in the hospitality industry in Fairfield County,” Dolch said.

He said Chef Jared was a finalist for Chef of the Year at the CRAZIES in 2022, their bartender Juan Meyer was up for Bartender of the Year in 2022 and the restaurant was a finalist for Restaurant Newcomer in 2022. This is the 6th year of the awards.

“Also know that Chef Jared has a huge chef following among the chef/culinary community, he is a rising star who works hard on his craft day in and day out,” Dolch said.

Guests who have reviewed the restaurant online rave about the food and atmosphere in the restaurant with simple, but elegant decor.

“The food here was fantastic! Awesome drinks and wine list too,” one guest wrote. “Everything is made in house with a clear passion for food. We ordered a lot, and everything was absolutely delicious.”

Another wrote: “We love bringing the family here… The ambience in the restaurant is perfect, with a solid menu and wine list to match. Wood fired pizzas with perfect base/crust and all homemade pasta.”

Blount said they’re going for an “upbeat, energetic vibe,” and reviews indicate that’s been accomplished.

Everything on the menu is from scratch, the pasta, the cheese, and the fresh produce flows from many sources, as the restaurant has a garden, they buy at farmer’s markets and Blount’s father-in-law, a silent partner, contributes from his own massive garden.

The restaurant is named after Blount’s father-in-law/silent partner’s late mother, Rosina, an avid cook and gardener.

Blount said they buy products “hyper local,” including meats.

“We do our best to make guests happy,” Blount said. “I like that every day there’s a new challenge… a new chance to make someone’s day better.”

The menu is brimming with interesting offerings, including appetizers such as ravioli filled with house made ricotta and truffle; octopus and potato with marinara, pimento, lemon aioli; chicken cutlet with house breading, parmesan, lemon; grilled artichoke with garlic aioli.

One online reviewer said Bar Rosina’s Caesar salad is “the best” she’s ever had.

They carry 11 kinds of New York-style pizza, eight pasta dishes and entrees such as center cut veal chop parmesan, Branzino, New York strip, and chicken scarpariello.

One reviewer said Bar Rosina, “Is a place I dream about now.”

“A fantastic restaurant where you walk in and immediately feel at home. The attention to detail is everywhere,” they wrote.

Another reviewer wrote the pasta was “delicate, yet firm,” with the most perfect juxtaposition of mouthfeel.”

Customers say Chef Jared and Blount are quick to engage them.

“These guys are the best,” the reviewer wrote.

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry’s mission to put the British tabloids on trial for decades of alleged unlawful snooping into his life was in question Tuesday as last-minute settlement talks delayed the start of a high-stakes trial pitting him against Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers.

Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, and one other claimant are the only two remaining who have not joined the hundreds of others who have settled lawsuits against News Group Newspapers over allegations their phones were hacked and investigators unlawfully snooped on their lives.

In more than 1,300 claims brought against the publisher since a widespread phone hacking scandal forced Murdoch to close News of the World in 2011, Harry’s case is the closest to get to trial.

The trial, which was due to start Tuesday morning, was delayed for a day after an unusual series of events in court that revolved around private out-of-court settlement discussions.

When Judge Timothy Fancourt refused to allow a further delay until Wednesday, attorneys on both sides said they would go to the Court of Appeal to challenge his ruling, effectively stalling the trial start.

News Group attorney Anthony Hudson said there had been productive discussions and said there was a “very substantial sum” on the line if the trial began before they could complete “very intense negotiations.”

The trial was due to be the Duke of Sussex’s second in London’s High Court in his long-running feud with the press that he blames for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi in Paris. He also blames them for persistent attacks on his wife, actor Meghan Markle, that led them to leave the royal life and flee to the U.S. in 2020.

Harry has said his battle with the media has led to a rift with his family, but it’s one he feels compelled to carry out to expose wrongdoing.

He won a similar case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror newspaper in 2023 and he has another case pending against the Daily Mail’s publisher.

Allegations aimed at editors and executives

Harry claims News Group journalists and private investigators they hired violated his privacy by using unlawful tactics to dig up dirt on him and his family between 1996 and 2011.

His fellow claimant, Tom Watson, a former deputy leader of the Labour Party, said his voicemails were intercepted during a period when he was investigating the hacking scandal.

Their lawyer said the newspapers had a widespread practice of using deception to obtain medical, phone and flight records, bugged homes and placed listening devices in cars.

They allege that executives concealed the skullduggery through means that included destroying documents.

“This allegation is wrong, unsustainable, and is strongly denied,” News Group said in a statement.

Former executives accused of playing a role include Will Lewis, now CEO of the Washington Post, and Rebekah Brooks, CEO of News UK, a division of News Corp. They have denied wrongdoing.

Brooks was acquitted of phone hacking conspiracy charges in a criminal trial in 2014, though her former colleague, Andy Coulson, who was later spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron, was jailed.

News Group strongly denies the allegations and it said Harry failed to bring his lawsuit within the required six-year limit.

News Group apologized to News of the World phone hacking victims in 2011. The Sun has never accepted liability.

Litigation, a source of family friction

The trial, expected to last 10 weeks, would put Harry back in the witness box for several days in February.

In 2023, Harry became the first senior member of the royal family to testify in court since the late 19th century, when Queen Victoria’s eldest son, Prince Albert Edward, testified twice.

That has put Harry at odds with a family famous for a “never complain, never explain” attitude.

Harry revealed in court papers that his father opposed his litigation. He also said his older brother William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, had received a “huge sum” to settle a complaint against News Group.

Harry said his tabloid war was central to his fallout with his family.

“The mission continues, but it has, yes, it’s caused, as you say, part of a rift,” Harry said in the documentary “Tabloids On Trial.”

Harry said he wished his family had joined him in making a stand against media offenses.

“But, you know, I’m doing this for my reasons,” he said.

Strong incentive to settle

Actor Hugh Grant had been one of Harry’s remaining co-claimants, but said he was forced to accept “an enormous sum of money” to settle because he could have faced a legal bill of 10 million pounds ($12.3 million) even if he won at trial.

Under English civil law, a claimant who wins a court judgment that is lower than what they were offered to settle, has to pay the legal bills for both sides. The law is intended to discourage lengthy trials.

Despite the grave financial risk, Harry told The New York Times Dealbook Summit in December that he was not going to fold.

“They’ve settled because they’ve had to settle,” he said of other claimants. “One of the main reasons for seeing this through is accountability, because I’m the last person that can actually achieve that.”

Unexpected delay at the 11th-hour

The trial’s delay was unremarkable, but the sequence of events leading to it was unusual.

After an adjournment through the lunch hour expired, attorneys donned their wigs again and sought another postponement as they verbally danced around the settlement that was on everyone’s mind.

But Fancourt, who noted their use of “code” words to discuss the matter, said that while he understood the “settlement dynamic,” the parties had months to reach an agreement.

“I am not persuaded that if there is a real will to settle this, first that it could not have been achieved by today,” Fancourt said. “These parties have had a very long time to come to terms in this matter.”

After reluctantly granting a 10-minute break ostensibly to give Harry’s lawyer David Sherborne time to remove anything provocative from his opening statement that could affect the ongoing talks, the parties returned to court and said they would appeal.

Fancourt, who was not happy, said they had ultimately achieved the delay they sought by deciding to go to a higher court.

“I’m not going to stand in the way of access to justice if the parties wish to go to the Court of Appeal,” Fancourt said.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A$AP Rocky turned down a final prosecution plea offer of 180 days in jail, risking the possibility of a guilty verdict and years in prison as jury selection began at his trial on Tuesday.

But Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, told a judge he respectfully declined.

He is accused of firing at a former friend near a Hollywood hotel in 2021, and could get a maximum sentence of 24 years in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.

Rocky’s attorney Joe Tacopina also revealed for the first time in court Tuesday that the defense plans to call witnesses to testify that a firearm seen on a security video is a starter pistol that Rocky carried as a prop for security.

A panel of more than 100 prospective jurors were summoned to the downtown Los Angeles courtroom and packed into the gallery. Opening statements will come once 12 of them and alternates are seated. That won’t be until at least Wednesday, when selection is set to resume. Cameras will be allowed in the courtroom starting with openings.

The Grammy-nominated hip-hop star’s longtime partner is Rihanna, and the couple have two toddler sons together. Tacopina suggested that it’s unlikely the pop star will show up in court.

Rocky has been named one of the celebrity chairs of the Met Gala in May, and has a major role in a Spike Lee-directed film with Denzel Washington to be released soon after. But his life could be upended with a conviction.

Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold has said he hopes to seat a jury quickly, and is keeping strict limits on how long attorneys can question prospective jurors.

“Mr. Mayers is an entertainer,” Arnold told the prospective jurors. “His stage name is A$AP rocky. His life partner is also an entertainer. Her name is Rihanna. Because Mr. Mayers is an entertainer, a celebrity, that cannot harm him, and it cannot benefit him.”

Of the initial 12 jurors questioned, four said they knew who Rocky was, and 10 said they knew who Rihanna was.

In 2023, another judge ruled after a preliminary hearing that Rocky should stand trial on charges that he fired a gun at Terell Ephron, a childhood friend who testified that their relationship had soured and a feud came to a head on the night of Nov. 6, 2021. Ephron testified that bullets grazed his knuckles.

Initial questioning on Tuesday revealed that the recent Los Angeles-area wildfires have affected many of the potential jurors’ lives, including one woman who is fostering many displaced animals, and at least one man who had to evacuate. The judge himself revealed he had to evacuate from his home for 11 days.

“Luckily the house didn’t burn down,” Arnold said.

One man was excused early in the process because he said his anti-gun feelings were too strong for him to be fair.

Tacopina tried to explore the potential jurors’ feelings about hip-hop artists and their music, and several said they had negative feelings, though not overwhelming ones. Some cited parenting as the reason.

“I used to love it but then I had a kid,” one panelist said.

Deputy District Attorney John Lewin, questioning for the prosecution, told those with negative feelings, “You will not be called upon to render a verdict on how you feel about rap music, do you understand that?” All said yes.

Tacopina, who like his client Rocky is from New York and has represented President Donald Trump, also asked whether anyone on the jury is rubbed the wrong way by New Yorkers, bringing laughs throughout the room.

“When I get up here with this ridiculous accent, which I try not to have but I do, is anyone going to have a problem?” he said. “I will point out that we gave you guys the Dodgers a few years ago.”

No one conceded any negative feelings.

“I love LA,” the lawyer added.

While red baseball caps have become synonymous with President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump made her own millinery-related fashion statement, sporting a navy wide-brimmed hat by an American designer on Inauguration Day.

The hat designed by Eric Javits shielded the first lady’s eyes as her husband was sworn in Monday for the second time. Javits said dressing the first lady has been one of the greatest honors of his career.

“My art background gave me an edge in bringing harmony and balance to the face by creating hat shapes that would flatter and enhance every kind of face,” he said in a statement. “In this specific case that was not difficult to do, in that Mrs. Trump is blessed with great bone structure, beauty and a wonderful sense of style.”

The hat made its mark throughout the inauguration ceremony: As Trump went to kiss his wife after entering the Capitol Rotunda, the hat left only room for an air kiss. Even now-former President Joe Biden had to navigate around the hat while trying to talk to her husband on the other side.

Trump, speaking in Emancipation Hall after the swearing-in ceremony, joked about his wife’s hat nearly blowing away. The first lady had held onto her hat as a military helicopter taking off with Biden generated wind.

“She almost blew away,” Trump said with a laugh. “She was being elevated off the ground.”

“The tradition of the presidential inauguration embodies the beauty of American democracy and today we had the honor to dress our first lady, Mrs. Melania Trump,” Lippes said in a statement. “Mrs. Trump’s outfit was created by some of America’s finest craftsmen and I take great pride in showing such work to the world.”

Her first inauguration ensemble drew comparisons to Jacqueline Kennedy’s style. Kennedy also famously wore a pillbox hat for her husband’s inauguration in 1961. But dressing the first lady became a point of political contention in 2017, with some designers saying they would not dress the incoming first lady — typically a coveted opportunity. Some social media users pushed to boycott Ralph Lauren at the time.

Fast forward to 2025, and Ralph Lauren was the designer of choice for departing first lady Jill Biden, who chose the designer for her parting look. She opted for a monochromatic purple, from her coat to her shoes and gloves, to mark the transition of power.

Ralph Lauren did not return a request for comment.

Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed to this report.

The new “Wolf Man” from Universal Pictures and co-writer/director Leigh Whannell may likewise provoke some puzzled Count Floyd-esque looks of confusion among horror fans. Not that it’s a failure or a joke. Whannell, whose bracing, sharp-edged 2020 remake of “The Invisible Man” ushered us into the cold-creeps COVID era, makes genre films for a wide audience, adults included. He doesn’t play these Universal franchise reboots for kicks.

In “Wolf Man,” he really doesn’t. The results are equal parts marital crisis, sins-of-the-father psychodrama and visceral body horror. They’re also a bit of a plod — especially in the second half, when whatever kind of horror film you’re making should not, you know, plod.

The first half is crafty, patient and deceptively good. A 1990s prologue introduces young Blake (Christopher Abbott) and his surly father, venturing into a remote corner of the Oregon woods (New Zealand portrays Oregon) on a hunting expedition. They live nearby; Blake has yet to hear about the rumored “face of the wolf” creature sharing the same woods that First Nation tribes have feared for centuries. Protecting his son in a shrewdly staged attack, the father disappears into the woods, presumed dead.

Thirty years later in present-day San Francisco, Blake is an unemployed writer and full-time caregiver, married to workaholic journalist Charlotte (Julia Garner). She’s stress incarnate, envious of her husband’s close emotional bond with their daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth). With the arrival of his long-missing father’s death certificate, Blake inherits the rural Oregon house. For the sake of the troubled family, Charlotte agrees to spend some time with Ginger in this place.

From there, the movie narrows its geographic parameters, transforming into a close-quarters drama of three people in an old dark house, surrounded by lots of shrewdly designed sounds and beset by a werewolf stalking the visitors like it means business. Once Blake suffers a flesh wound at the hands of this predator, Whannell’s devotion to, among other films, David Cronenberg’s “The Fly” becomes apparent.  “Wolf Man” delves into the fractured psyche and grotesque physical disintegration of a man stricken with an animal-borne virus, terrified of what it’s doing to him and what he may end up doing to those he loves. In other words, it’s a movie about every indignity an unemployed writer must suffer, lycanthropy included.

Even when her character takes a more urgent role in this hermetic story, the excellent Garner doesn’t have much to play outside a parade of slow-roll nonverbal shots of Charlotte peering this way and that, taking charge of a rapidly dissolving situation but never really getting her due. (The script is by Whannell and his partner Corbett Tuck.) “Wolf Man’s” seriousness is heavy going. Its leitmotif sticks, doggedly, to the idea of transmutable, unholy fears, and sins of the fathers, transmitted like a virus down the family line. A rare in-joke pops up on the side of the moving van Blake rents to clear out his father’s house: The company has been in business since 1941, the slogan notes, taking us back to the year Universal made hay with Lon Chaney Jr. in “The Wolf Man.”

That was neither the first nor the last werewolf movie. This one, originally slated for Ryan Gosling and director Derek Cianfrance, goes about its business with a solemn air, even when it’s super-blechy and Abbott is chewing on his own forearm for obvious reasons: an unemployed writer’s gotta eat.

“Wolf Man” — 2.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for bloody violent content, grisly images and some language)

Running time: 1:43

How to watch: Premieres in theaters Jan. 17

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

The items generated nearly $1.5 million in sales overall through in-person and online bidding, the auction house said. Julien’s said 50 of the items, including the lyrics that received the highest sale price, came from the personal collection of late music journalist Al Aronowitz.

The typewritten lyrics, which covered three drafts of the 1965 song, were written on two sheets of yellow paper, with Dylan’s annotation on the third draft.

Dylan wrote the original draft lyrics in the journalist’s New Jersey home, according to Julien’s, citing a 1973 newspaper article by Aronowitz.

Dylan sat “with my portable typewriter at my white formica breakfast bar in a swirl of chain-lit cigaret smoke, his bony, long-nailed fingers tapping the words out” on copy paper, Aronowitz was quoted as writing.

The third draft, while close to the final version, still had significant variations from the final lyrics, the auction house said on its website.

The song appeared as the lead track on the acoustic side of his 1965 “Bringing It All Back Home” album and was the first Dylan composition to reach No. 1 in the United States and the United Kingdom, Julien’s said.

Other high-selling items Saturday included a 1968 Dylan-signed oil-on-canvas painting for $260,000 and a custom 1983 Fender guitar that he owned and played for $225,000.

Dylan, now 83, is garnering attention with last month’s release of the movie “A Complete Unknown,” which focuses on his rise to stardom in the early 1960s. Dylan is played by Timothée Chalamet, who has worked for several years on the role, which involves singing and playing guitar.

MILAN (AP) — Giorgio Armani’s menswear collection previewing Monday on the final day of Milan Fashion Week was all about catching the light, which the 90-year-old designer achieved with shimmering textiles and a smattering of crystals.

Fans gathered behind barricades to snap photos of VIPs including Adrien Brodie, Joe Alwyn, Rocco Ritchie and Darren Star, arriving for the show under a light drizzle.

The Silhouette

Armani set the runway show deep inside the headquarters to a rhythmic almost club beat. Brimmed hats gave structure to the soft silhouette of wintery velvet and corduroy complemented by shimmering textiles that grabbed the light.

Trousers were pleated, gathering slightly at the ankle, creating movement and allowing an easy tuck into laced boots. Jackets layered over zipped vests. Scarfs substituted for ties, sometimes big knits that converted to hoods. Faux fur collars, a trend in Milan this season, were used sparingly on outerwear.

Light and color

Jewel tones of ruby, emerald and sapphire brightened a neutral palette. Delicate crystal pins decorated evening wear lapels.

A handful of women’s looks emphasized the versatility of the menswear silhouette. The show closed with couples dressed for a festive evening, glistening with sequins and crystals for him and for her.

Armani took a final bow wearing a blue velvet jacket, underlining his hallmark of comfort and elegance.

Trend watch

Brimmed hats. Textiles that shimmer. Unstructured bags. Sporty zip vests for suits. Scarves with built in turtlenecks.