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| Australian trees made famous by Aboriginal artist destroyed Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 08:26 PM PST SYDNEY (Reuters) - A pair of "ghost gum" trees in Australia's outback made famous in watercolors by Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira have been destroyed in a suspected arson attack, shortly before they were due to be placed on a national heritage register. Namatjira is credited with bringing ghost gums, native trees featured in Aboriginal Dreamtime stories and named for their white bark that glows in moonlight, to wider public consciousness as a symbol of Australian identity. ... Full Story | Top |
| Elvis play generates controversy at Utah high school Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 08:22 PM PST SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - Elvis Presley, whose gyrating hips caused an uproar in the 1950s, has become the center of a controversy at a Utah high school where a parent complaint prompted officials to revise a musical featuring the music of the late "king of rock 'n' roll." The Jordan School District in a Salt Lake City suburb said on Thursday the reworked production of "All Shook Up" at Herriman High School allowed it to avoid canceling the show, as it had announced on Wednesday it was doing. ... Full Story | Top |
| Adele's "21" scores again, beating Swift for 2012's top album Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 07:59 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British singer Adele's Grammy-winning "21" scored a rare feat in 2012 as it topped U.S. album sales for a second straight year, beating out U.S. country-pop star Taylor Swift's "Red, Nielsen Soundscan said on Thursday. It was the first time a single album had been a top-seller for two years in a row since Nielsen began tracking album sales in 1991, the organization said. But U.S. album sales overall fell 4 percent in 2012 to 315.96 million albums, after 2011 saw a rare 3 percent bump in sales. Adele's "21" sold 4. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Star Wars" creator George Lucas engaged to businesswoman Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 07:56 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Star Wars" creator George Lucas will marry his longtime girlfriend Mellody Hobson, the director's production company Lucasfilm Ltd said on Thursday. Lucas, 68, and Hobson, the president of Chicago investment firm Ariel Investments LLC, have been together for the past six years. It will be Lucas' second marriage. He was married to Oscar-winning film editor Marcia Lucas from 1969 to 1983. No date or location for the wedding has been made public. ... Full Story | Top |
| Santa Barbara film fest opening with "Disconnect," honoring Leonardo DiCaprio Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 07:53 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced Wednesday that "Disconnect," the first narrative feature from Henry-Alex Rubin ("Murderball"), will screen on January 24, the festival's opening night, and Leonardo DiCaprio will join several other leading actors being honored throughout the festival. "'Disconnect' is a visceral and timely film experience - and an extraordinary way to start the 28th edition of SBIFF," Executive Director Roger Durling said in a statement. "Disconnect" will be making its American debut at the festival. ... Full Story | Top |
| Glenn Beck: Al Gore wouldn't sell current to me, chose buyer that "hates America" Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 07:47 PM PST NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Glenn Beck says Al Gore refused to consider selling him Current TV before selling the channel to Al Jazeera, a network that Beck says "hates America." Current TV announced Wednesday that it had been sold to Al Jazeera, the network financed by Qatar. It plans to shut down Current's lineup of liberal-skewing news and talk in favor of its own programming. After the Wall Street Journal reported that Gore turned away interest from Beck last year, Beck took to the airwaves Thursday to offer his side of the story. ... Full Story | Top |
| From Jeff Zucker to Kathleen Kennedy: 14 who have a lot on the line in 2013 Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 07:46 PM PST NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - One has to rescue a failing cable network while another has to turn Twitter's global audience into piles of cash. One is banking on Johnny Depp to save his bacon while a fourth must succeed George Lucas. TheWrap counts down 14 executives who have a lot on the line in 2013. DAVID ELLISON Skydance Productions David's sister Megan drew headlines in 2012 for bankrolling directors like Paul Thomas Anderson ("The Master") and Kathryn Bigelow ("Zero Dark Thirty"). ... Full Story | Top |
| Bill O'Reilly, National Geographic team up again for "Killing Kennedy" movie Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 07:39 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Bill O'Reilly and National Geographic Channel are back in the assassination game. Following its film adaptation of Fox News personality O'Reilly's book "Killing Lincoln," the National Geographic Channel will produce a two-hour film based on O'Reilly's follow-up book, "Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot," the channel's president, Howard T. Owens, said Thursday. As it did with "Killing Lincoln," National Geographic will team with Ridley Scott's Scott Free Productions to produce the new film. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Django Unchained" on pace to be Tarantino's biggest box office film ever Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 07:31 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - After nine days in theaters, "Django Unchained" is on pace to be Quentin Tarantino's highest grossing movie ever. That's right, if the trend holds, the blood-soaked slave-revenge fable will rack up more at the box office than "Pulp Fiction" ($213.9 million worldwide), "Kill Bill Vol. 1" ($180.9 million worldwide), "Kill Bill Vol. 2" ($152.1 million worldwide) and previous record holder, "Inglourious Basterds" ($321.4 million worldwide). Even though "Django Unchained" has only debuted stateside, with $82. ... Full Story | Top |
| Open Road Films acquires 'jOBS' with Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 07:18 PM PST NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Open Road Films has acquired domestic distribution rights to ‘jOBS," the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic starring Ashton Kutcher as the Apple co-founder. The film will premiere on the closing night of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, but this deal takes the movie off the table before the public debut. Open Road, an independent distributor owned by major theater chains AMC and Regal, plans to release the film in April. Inferno Entertainment is handling international sales. ... Full Story | Top |
| Codeblack snags next Kevin Hart concert film, Summit plots July 4 release Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 07:10 PM PST  NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Codeblack Films has acquired Kevin Hart's concert film, "Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain," which Summit plans to release in theaters over the July 4 weekend. Hart's 2012 tour spanned 10 countries and 80 cities, selling more than 540,000 tickets. He stopped at some of the world's biggest venues, including Madison Square Garden and London's O2 Arena. "Let Me Explain is my best work to date," Hart said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Hawaii Five-0" to run choose-your-own-ending episode Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 06:53 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Tired of those elitist television writers crafting episode endings that don't go the way you want them to? (We're looking at you, "Sopranos" finale!) "Hawaii Five-0" feels your pain. In a television first, the hit CBS drama will bring democracy to the airwaves with its January 14 episode and allow viewers to vote for the ending of their choice in real time. The episode, which will center on the death of an O'ahu State University professor, will prompt viewers to log onto CBS. ... Full Story | Top |
| "A Dark Truth" review: cheesy thriller with political aspirations Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 06:50 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The painfully silly conspiracy thriller "A Dark Truth" comes in two basic settings: It's either whisper-whisper-mumble as the characters drone their way through an endless series of dull conversations or BAM-KA-BLAM as everyone shoots their way through pedestrian action scenes that wouldn't be out of place in a direct-to-DVD cheapie. Had this movie gone straight to video without passing Go and without collecting (possibly a literal) $200, we could ignore it. ... Full Story | Top |
| "The Hobbit" will continue to rule over post-holiday box office Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 06:47 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" will not suffer much of a post-holiday hangover this weekend as the fantasy adventure will continue to rule over the domestic box office, according to analysts' tracking. The prequel to "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy will rack up an estimated $19.8 million, which will leave it with a stateside haul of more than $260 million. Also profiting from the lack of many major new releases will be Christmas season-holdovers "Django Unchained" and "Les Misérables," which will vie with each other for the runner-up spot at the box office. ... Full Story | Top |
| Al Jazeera's new channel struggles for U.S. distribution Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 05:09 PM PST  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Al Jazeera's announced plans to establish a new U.S. cable news channel via the purchase of Current TV isn't even 48 hours old and already it finds itself in a vicious battle to retain distribution rights. Al Jazeera's acquisition of Current TV is basically a pay-for-distribution play. The Qatar-backed network plans to replace Current TV in the more than 40 million homes where it is currently distributed with its own news network, tentatively dubbed Al Jazeera America. The new network's success is predicated on maintaining, if not increasing, that level of distribution. ... Full Story | Top |
| Helen Mirren "happy" her Hollywood star next to Colin Firth's Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 04:24 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren finally got her wish on Thursday, receiving a star along the Hollywood Walk of Fame right next to dashing fellow Briton Colin Firth. "I couldn't be prouder and more happy that I'm actually going to finally lie next to Colin Firth, something I've been wanting to do for a very long time," Mirren said wryly. Mirren, 67, who won the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in 2006's "The Queen," was honored with the iconic terrazzo and brass star along Hollywood Boulevard in the historical heart of the U.S. film industry. ... Full Story | Top |
| Congressional critics of bin Laden film step up pressure on CIA Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 04:15 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three U.S. senators, including the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, have stepped up their pressure on the CIA over its response to "Zero Dark Thirty," a new film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. In a letter sent to the CIA and released on Thursday, Dianne Feinstein, the head of the Intelligence Committee, Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin and Senator John McCain asked the agency for evidence that "enhanced interrogation techniques" produced information that helped U.S. authorities locate and kill the al Qaeda leader in May 2011. ... Full Story | Top |
| Liberty Media gets nod from FCC to take control of Sirius XM Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 03:50 PM PST (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission gave Liberty Media Corp the green light to take control of satellite radio company, Sirius XM Radio Inc, Liberty said on Thursday. The company said it expects to complete the transfer of control within 60 days. Liberty, which is Sirius' largest shareholder, filed with the FCC in August requesting control. The company has effectively been acting as Sirius' owner over the past several months, choosing new interim Chief Executive Jim Meyer and initiating a stock buy back program and special dividend. ... Full Story | Top |
| Auction houses expect top prices for Renaissance works Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 02:00 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - A portrait by Italian artist Agnolo Bronzino is expected to fetch as much as $18 million this month at auction, the highlight among top-priced paintings and antiquities that include works by Goya, Batoni and Rubens. "Portrait of a Young Man with a Book," which auction house Christie's has touted as one of the most important Renaissance portraits remaining in private hands, dates to the early 16th century and is among Bronzino's earliest known portraits. ... Full Story | Top |
| Taylor Swift's ''Red'' holds down top spot on Billboard chart Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 01:23 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Country-pop star Taylor Swift's "Red" finished 2012 atop the Billboard 200 album chart on Thursday, claiming the No. 1 spot for the fourth consecutive week. It was the album's seventh non-consecutive week at No. 1 on the chart as post-holiday digital sales accounted for more than half of its 241,000 units sold, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan. ... Full Story | Top |
| Putin makes French film star Depardieu a Russian Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 01:08 PM PST  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has granted citizenship to Gerard Depardieu, the French movie star whose decision to quit his homeland to avoid a tax hike prompted accusations of national betrayal. The "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Green Card" actor bought a house across the border in Belgium last year to avoid a new tax rate for millionaires planned by France's Socialist President Francois Hollande, but said he could also seek tax exile elsewhere. ... Full Story | Top |
| Al Jazeera buys Gore's Current TV, terms undisclosed Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 11:36 AM PST  LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Al Jazeera said on Wednesday it will buy Current TV, the struggling cable channel founded by Al Gore and partners, in a move that will boost the Qatar-based broadcaster's footprint in the United States. Terms were undisclosed, but analysts estimated the deal could be worth as much as $500 million. Al Jazeera said it would start a new U.S.-based news channel with the acquisition, which will make it available in more than 40 million U.S. households, up from 4.7 million prior to the deal. ... Full Story | Top |
| John Grisham's 'The Racketeer' keeps perch atop bestseller list Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 11:10 AM PST (Reuters) - John Grisham's latest novel, "The Racketeer," held on to the No. 1 spot on Publishers Weekly's best-seller list on Thursday. The list is compiled using data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide. Hardcover Fiction Last Week 1. "The Racketeer" by John Grisham (Doubleday, $28.95) 1 2. "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn (Crown, $25.00) 2 3. "Threat Vector" by Tom Clancy (Putnam, $28.95) 3 4. "The Casual Vacancy" by J.K. Rowling (Little, Brown, $35.00) 4 5. "Merry Christmas, Alex Cross" by James Patterson (Little, Brown, $28.99) 5 6. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Hunger Games" and "Hobbit" most-anticipated films of 2013: poll Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 06:30 AM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - This year will look a lot like 2012 at the box office, with "The Hunger Games" and Hobbits at the top of cinemagoers must-see lists, according to a survey by ticket-seller Fandango released on Thursday. The second installment in "The Hunger Games" trilogy, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," which is set for a November release, topped the list as 2013's most-anticipated blockbuster. The first film in the life-or-death thriller series starring Jennifer Lawrence, raked in some $687 million at the worldwide box office in 2012. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rain check: South Korean star gets dressing down over hat Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 05:27 AM PST  SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean singer-actor Rain has been given a dressing down for going out with South Korea's sweetheart, Kim Tae-hee, while on compulsory military service - but without his army hat. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said on Thursday that Rain, 30, one of South Korea's best known stars, had admitted the uniform violation. His punishment will be decided next week. No one at Rain's agency or his record company was available for comment. South Korean men have to do about two years' military service. ... Full Story | Top |
| Book Talk: Lawyer writes tale of the Last Judgment Thursday, Jan 03, 2013 04:00 AM PST TOKYO (Reuters) - Lawyer Brek Cutler has a husband she adores, a baby daughter and a successful, high-powered career, but suddenly she finds herself standing on a train platform, covered in blood. It turns out she is in heaven, where she is quickly recruited to defend people's souls in the Last Judgment - a responsibility that forces her to face her past, her own need for judgment, and to ask herself how capable she is of forgiving. James Kimmel Jr. ... Full Story | Top |
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