AP Entertainment NewsBrief at 1:15 p.m. EST

(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) 'Call of Duty: Black Ops II' aims toward futureLOS ANGELES (AP) _ When the latest installment in the wildly popular "Call of Duty" video game franchise is released Tuesday, it will transport fans to a completely new place: the future. But setting half of "Call of Duty: Black Ops II" in the year 2025 could be the riskiest gambit yet for the successful shoot-'em-up series known for its relentless past-and-present realism. "Black Ops II" flip-flops between the clandestine Cold War of yesteryear and a cutthroat conflict in the near future where cyber-terrorism, drones and souped-up rifles that can peek through walls serve as everyday instruments of warfare. It's a bold leap for a franchise that's spent the past nine years firmly rooted in an unflinching "Rambo"-esque reality.

As mom to Bond, Dench reflects on her 007 reignNEW YORK (AP) _ Nothing is so much of a boys' club as a James Bond movie. That is, except when Judi Dench is on screen. As MI6 head M, Dench has been the Bond matriarch: the strong-willed, no-nonsense mainstay of feminine authority in a movie franchise that has, more often than not, featured slightly more superficial womanly traits.

Roger Waters plays with band of wounded veteransNEW YORK (AP) _ Roger Waters honored wounded veterans in New York by performing with them at the annual Stand Up for Heroes benefit, Thursday night. The founding member of Pink Floyd took to the stage of the Beacon Theater with 14 wounded soldiers he met recently at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He rehearsed with them at the hospital, and for the past few days in New York.

Mark Wahlberg to star in next 'Transformers' movieLOS ANGELES (AP) _ Mark Wahlberg, roll out. "Transformers" director Michael Bay says the 41-year-old actor will star in the franchise's fourth film.

Miley Cyrus talks music, movie and marriageLOS ANGELES (AP) _ Miley Cyrus is working hard to finish her new album so she can take some time off to enjoy being engaged. The 19-year-old entertainer plans to marry "Hunger Games" star Liam Hemsworth. They announced their engagement in June but haven't revealed their wedding date.

Hasselhoff hopes for retro 'Knight Rider' filmNEW YORK (AP) _ David Hasselhoff still feels a connection with the younger generation, even though his popular TV series "Baywatch" has been off the air for more than a decade. "When Justin Bieber comes up and goes, `Hoff!' and then Selena Gomez says, `It's so weird he loves you,' it's great. It just means that you're hip and it's cool," the 60-year-old actor said in a recent interview.

Texas judge to consider DNA in Hemsley caseEL PASO, Texas (AP) _ A man who says he is deceased actor Sherman Hemsley's brother is in a West Texas court, and says DNA evidence will back his claim. Richard Thornton, of Philadelphia, is expected to reveal results of a DNA test during the probate court trial that opened Friday in El Paso.

Kenneth Branagh knighted by Queen Elizabeth IILONDON (AP) _ Kenneth Branagh, who has played royalty on stage and screen, has been made a real-life knight by Queen Elizabeth II. The British actor said he was pleased to be honored in the year of the queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. He said that "it's been a hell of a year for the U.K. and I feel very honored to be a tiny part of it." 'Coronation Street' actor Bill Tarmey dies at 71LONDON (AP) _ Actor Bill Tarmey, who for 30 years played loveable rogue Jack Duckworth on the British soap opera "Coronation Street," died Friday at the age of 71, the show's producers said. Tarmey died on the Spanish island of Tenerife. He had been in poor health for many years with heart problems and other ailments.

'NBA 2K13' tops video games titles in OctoberNEW YORK (AP) _ U.S. retail sales of new video game hardware, software and accessories fell 25 percent in October, marking the 11th straight month of declining sales for physical game products, according to a report from NPD Group. Many gamers are waiting for big holiday releases such as Activision's "Call of Duty: Black Ops II." (c) 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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