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| US-FILM Summary Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:33 PM PDT A Minute With: "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer on "The Host" LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer brings her romantic futuristic thriller "The Host" to movie fans on Friday, trading the vampires and werewolves for aliens who invade planet Earth, taking over human bodies. The film stars, Saoirse Ronan as Melanie Stryder, whose body is taken over by an alien soul called Wanda. Eventually the two-in-one female team work to save the human race from total annihilation. Candice Bergen to play Robin Williams' wife in holiday comedy By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap. ... Full Story | Top |
| Owen Wilson-led animated film gets new title Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:33 PM PDT  By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Relativity and Reel FX have renamed their upcoming animated film "Free Birds," replacing the previous title of "Turkeys." "Turkeys" was a working title, and the parties felt that this new name aptly fit a raucous buddy comedy. It has not yet been decided if the Lynyrd Skynyrd song will be used (but we asked). The film features the voices of Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson as two spunky turkeys that take a time machine back to the first Thanksgiving. They want to expunge turkeys from Thanksgiving's culinary tradition. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-TELEVISION Summary Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:31 PM PDT TV comedies "Girls," "Louie" headline Peabody Awards (Reuters) - Irreverent U.S. cable television series "Girls" and "Louie" on Wednesday headlined the winners of the annual Peabody Awards, the oldest and one of the top honors in broadcasting. The awards recognize excellence in television and radio broadcasting, as well as by webcasters, producing organizations and individuals. "Bachelor" lawsuit over spoilers settled ... again By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Another season of the ABC reality hit "The Bachelor" came to a close earlier this month. ... Full Story | Top |
| CBS renews 18 Shows, is in talks for "Two and a Half Men" return Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:31 PM PDT By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - In a major vote of confidence in its primetime roster, CBS has renewed 18 shows, including "2 Broke Girls," "NCIS: Los Angeles," and the new series "Elementary." The network also said it is in talks about bringing back "Two and a Half Men." It offered no word on the fate of "Vegas," a freshman series recently moved to Fridays, or the new "Golden Boy," which took over its Tuesday timeslot. The renewals mean CBS is taking an if-it-ain't-broke approach to programming, as it usually does. ... Full Story | Top |
| CA-ENTERTAINMENT Summary Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:29 PM PDT TV comedies "Girls," "Louie" headline Peabody Awards (Reuters) - Irreverent U.S. cable television series "Girls" and "Louie" on Wednesday headlined the winners of the annual Peabody Awards, the oldest and one of the top honors in broadcasting. The awards recognize excellence in television and radio broadcasting, as well as by webcasters, producing organizations and individuals. Actress Ashley Judd opts not to enter Kentucky Senate race WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Actress Ashley Judd's next role will not be as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky. ... Full Story | Top |
| Actress Ashley Judd opts not to enter Kentucky Senate race Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:29 PM PDT  By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Actress Ashley Judd's next role will not be as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky. Judd said on Wednesday she has decided not to run in 2014 to try to unseat Republican Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, after considering such a candidacy for months. "After serious and thorough contemplation, I realize that my responsibilities & energy at this time need to be focused on my family," she wrote on Twitter. ... Full Story | Top |
| "House of Cards" star Kate Mara joins Johnny Depp in "Transcendence" Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:28 PM PDT  By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Kate Mara will join Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany and Rebecca Hall in the cast of "Transcendence," the upcoming sci-fi film from Oscar-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister, Alcon Entertainment announced on Wednesday. Alcon which most recently made "Beautiful Creatures," is financing and producing the project. Mara, the older sister of actress Rooney Mara and daughter of New York Giants co-owner John Mara, just gave a career-defining performance in "House of Cards. ... Full Story | Top |
| J.K. Simmons, Chris Elliot board untitled Hugh Grant comedy Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:26 PM PDT  By Greg Gilman LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - J.K. Simmons and Chris Elliott are joining Marisa Tomei and Hugh Grant in Castle Rock Entertainment's untitled romantic comedy from director Marc Lawrence ("Did You Hear About The Morgans?"), producer Martin Shafer announced on Wednesday. The film follows Grant as a screenwriter who, thanks to an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, was on top of the world in 1998. Flash forward fifteen years later: His creativity has disappeared along with his wife and money, so he takes a gig teaching screenwriting at a small college on the East Coast. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Mindy Project" star Ike Barinholtz joins Seth Rogen, Zac Efron in "Townies" Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:23 PM PDT  By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Ike Barinholtz will star opposite Seth Rogen and Zac Efron in "Townies," an upcoming comedy about frat boys and their interaction with the local town. Rogen plays a family man upset by the behavior of Efron's fraternity, spawning a rivalry ripe for comedy. Rose Byrne, Dave Franco and Christopher Mintz-Plasse have also signed on to the project. Nicholas Stoller ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall") is directing the film for Universal from a script by Andrew Cohen and Brendan O'Brien. ... Full Story | Top |
| Anderson Cooper not replacing Matt Lauer on "Today," NBC says Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:21 PM PDT  By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Sorry, Anderson Cooper fans: NBC denies he's taking over for Matt Lauer on "Today." In fact, according to "Today" executive producer Alex Wallace, NBC doesn't have plans to get rid of Lauer at all. "We are not considering replacing Matt Lauer," Wallace said in a statement. "As we've said before, Matt is the best in the business. We want him in the 'Today' show anchor chair for many years to come. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-ARTS Summary Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:19 PM PDT Argentina's Isol wins world's biggest children's book prize STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Argentinian author and illustrator Isol won the world's biggest prize for children's literature on Tuesday with the jury for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award praising her ability to expose the absurdities of the adult world to children. She beat "War Horse" author Michael Morpurgo, the former British Children's Laureate, America's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" writer Eric Carle, and British fantasy writer Terry Pratchett among others to the annual prize. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Gigi" revival eyes Broadway Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:18 PM PDT By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Gigi," the musical celebration of all things French, is being freshened up for a possible Broadway run, producers said Wednesday. The Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe ("My Fair Lady") confection served as the basis for Vincente Minnelli's 1958 Best Picture-winning musical. A later stage version was not as successful with critics or audiences, closing after 103 performances when it was mounted in 1973. Producers are hoping that this time will be different and they've enlisted Eric D. ... Full Story | Top |
| Candice Bergen to play Robin Williams' wife in holiday comedy Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:16 PM PDT  By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Candice Bergen will play Robin Williams' wife in "A Friggin Christmas Miracle," an upcoming comedy about a dysfunctional family during Christmas time, Tom Rice of Sycamore Pictures, which is financing and producing the film, told TheWrap. Bergen's character Donna Mitchler is the Wisconsin matriarch of said family. Phil Johnston's script follows Boyd (Joel McHale), Donna's son, who forgets his son's presents at home. To save Christmas, he ventures out on the road with his father Mitch (Williams) and brother Nelson (Clark Duke). ... Full Story | Top |
| The new movie stars: how Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain and Ryan Gosling are redefining stardom Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:11 PM PDT  By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Movie stars are an endangered species, so how does a rising generation of Hollywood talent break into the big time if having their name above the title means less than it ever has before? Studios are making fewer movies and handing out smaller deals to the actors who anchor them. The number of stars who command a big paycheck, boast major acting chops and deliver a massive opening weekend at the box office can be counted on both hands. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-MUSIC Summary Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 02:26 PM PDT Rolling Stones to play Britain's Glastonbury festival for first time (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones will play Britain's Glastonbury music festival for the first time, organizers announced on Wednesday, joining Arctic Monkeys and folk band Mumford & Sons as headliners at the three-day June event. The appearance by the veteran British rock group follows weeks of rumors that the Stones, who in 2012 celebrated 50 years in the music business with a handful of concerts, finally would play at Glastonbury, one of Europe's biggest music festivals. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rolling Stones to play Britain's Glastonbury festival for first time Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 02:26 PM PDT  (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones will play Britain's Glastonbury music festival for the first time, organizers announced on Wednesday, joining Arctic Monkeys and folk band Mumford & Sons as headliners at the three-day June event. The appearance by the veteran British rock group follows weeks of rumors that the Stones, who in 2012 celebrated 50 years in the music business with a handful of concerts, finally would play at Glastonbury, one of Europe's biggest music festivals. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Bachelor" lawsuit over spoilers settled ... again Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 02:18 PM PDT By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Another season of the ABC reality hit "The Bachelor" came to a close earlier this month. And now, as it turns out, so has a lawsuit over the show. "Bachelor" production companies NZK Productions Inc. and Horizon Alternative Television have settled their lawsuit against Reality Steve website operator Stephen Carbone, over "Bachelor" spoilers that he had published on the site, according to papers filed in U.S. District Court in Central California on Monday. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-INDUSTRY Summary Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 01:55 PM PDT Murdoch's The Sun tabloid to charge for online access LONDON (Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch's British tabloid The Sun will start charging for access to its website in a package with highlights of Premier League soccer matches, publisher News International (NI) said on Wednesday. "Later this year the pay model will be applied to The Sun across every platform," said a spokesman for NI, the British newspaper arm of News Corp. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-PEOPLE Summary Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 01:47 PM PDT France's Bruni makes emotional defense of husband Sarkozy PARIS (Reuters) - Former French first lady Carla Bruni took up a passionate defense of her husband Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday, saying it was unthinkable he could have tricked an old lady out of millions of euros. In a blitz of interviews with French media, Bruni said a formal investigation of the ex-president opened last week for allegedly exploiting the mental frailty of 90-year-old L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt was causing her great pain. U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. rapper Gucci Mane jailed for alleged assault Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 01:47 PM PDT ATLANTA (Reuters) - Rapper Gucci Mane was jailed in Georgia on Wednesday for allegedly hitting a fan in the head with a champagne bottle at an Atlanta nightclub earlier this month. Mane, whose real name is Radric Davis, turned himself in to authorities late on Tuesday, according to Fulton County Sheriff's Office records. Mane, 33, faces an aggravated assault charge after causing a "severe laceration" to the man whom he hit with a champagne bottle on March 16, according to a police report. The fan had approached Mane and tried to strike up a conversation, police said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Participant Media cable channel to offer stand-alone subscription Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 01:45 PM PDT (Reuters) - A new cable channel from Participant Media, backer of movies such as "Lincoln" and "The Help," plans to offer an Internet subscription to customers without a pay television service, its executives said on Wednesday. The network called "pivot" will reach 40 million homes through deals it struck with Pay TV companies such as DirecTV when it launches in August. Participant is also working with broadband providers to offer a stand-alone streaming subscription to customers without a pay TV package, network president Evan Shapiro said. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-REVIEW Summary Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 01:28 PM PDT "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" review: Saturday morning cartoon writ large By Alonso Duralde LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Studio marketers love to call action movies "thrill rides," but here's the thing about thrill rides - they work because they occasionally stop to let you catch your breath before jolting you again. Roller coasters don't just speed downhill for the entire ride; there are climbs and flat parts so that you can scream again all the louder when you take another plunge. "The Croods" reviews: Critics mixed on prehistoric toon By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap. ... Full Story | Top |
| "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" review: Saturday morning cartoon writ large Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 01:28 PM PDT By Alonso Duralde LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Studio marketers love to call action movies "thrill rides," but here's the thing about thrill rides - they work because they occasionally stop to let you catch your breath before jolting you again. Roller coasters don't just speed downhill for the entire ride; there are climbs and flat parts so that you can scream again all the louder when you take another plunge. That's not what happens in "G.I. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Matrix" creators making science fiction series for Netflix Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 01:14 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Netflix is teaming up with the creative force behind "The Matrix" action movie franchise for a new science fiction series that will be available only to subscribers of the video streaming service. "Sense8," a 10-episode series described as a tale of minds linked and souls hunted, will debut on Netflix in late 2014, Netflix said in a statement on Wednesday. "Several years ago, we had a late night conversation about the ways technology simultaneously unites and divides us, and out of that paradox 'Sense8' was born," directors Andy and Lana Wachowski said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| NBC "Today" show's Jenna Wolfe expecting baby with gay partner Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 12:40 PM PDT (Reuters) - NBC "Today" news anchor Jenna Wolfe announced on the morning show on Wednesday that she is having a baby girl with partner and NBC News correspondent Stephanie Gosk, acknowledging her gay partnership publicly for the first time. "This is big for me, I'm actually pregnant," Wolfe, who is the anchor for "Weekend Today," said. "I'm quite pregnant, actually." Wolfe said the baby is due on August 27 and that she will keep a diary-style blog about her pregnancy. "It's ... ... Full Story | Top |
| British ex-policeman, prison officer jailed in hacking case Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 11:30 AM PDT  By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - Two former policemen and an ex-prison officer were jailed on Wednesday for selling stories to Rupert Murdoch's tabloid the Sun, Britain's top-selling newspaper. The three men were convicted as part of a wide-ranging police investigation begun two years ago into claims journalists from Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World newspaper had hacked into mobile phone voicemail messages. That inquiry has led to dozens of arrests of current and former staff at News International, the British newspaper arm of Murdoch's News Corp. ... Full Story | Top |
| TV comedies "Girls," "Louie" headline Peabody Awards Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 10:47 AM PDT  (Reuters) - Irreverent U.S. cable television series "Girls" and "Louie" on Wednesday headlined the winners of the annual Peabody Awards, the oldest and one of the top honors in broadcasting. The awards recognize excellence in television and radio broadcasting, as well as by webcasters, producing organizations and individuals. HBO's "Girls," which has earned creator and star Lena Dunham, 26, two Golden Globe awards and a slew of Emmy nominations, was lauded by the Peabody panel for its "singular, decidedly unglamorous take on sex and the single girl." Comedian Louis C.K. ... Full Story | Top |
| Supreme Court rules for Comcast in class action Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 08:54 AM PDT  By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled in favor of Comcast Corp in an antitrust case over how much it charged cable TV subscribers, further curtailing the ability of people to pursue class action lawsuits. In a 5-4 decision, the court said a group of cable TV subscribers in the Philadelphia area who accused Comcast of overcharging them as part of an effort to monopolize the market could not sue as a group. ... Full Story | Top |
| World Chefs: New cookbook upends notion of Irish cooking Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 08:27 AM PDT  By Noreen O'Donnell NEW YORK (Reuters) - David Bowers grew up in Dublin, but he had never tasted corned beef and cabbage until he moved to New York. The dish that many Americans believe epitomizes Irish cooking was a mystery to him. "Generally we have boiled bacon and cabbage in Ireland," he said. "And the cabbage is different and the meat is different, so it's a completely different dish." Salty beef and soggy cabbage is replaced with Irish bacon and cabbage that is dark and full of flavor and texture, and it doesn't become waterlogged, he said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Argentina's Isol wins world's biggest children's book prize Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 07:55 AM PDT  STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Argentinian author and illustrator Isol won the world's biggest prize for children's literature on Tuesday with the jury for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award praising her ability to expose the absurdities of the adult world to children. She beat "War Horse" author Michael Morpurgo, the former British Children's Laureate, America's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" writer Eric Carle, and British fantasy writer Terry Pratchett among others to the annual prize. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ford was "shocked" by sexist poster ads in India, executive says Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 07:02 AM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co was "shocked" by a series of Indian poster advertisements that included one showing women tied up in the trunk of a Ford driven by ex-Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, its chief marketing executive said on Wednesday. The Indian company that produced the ads fired employees over the incident earlier this week. "All of us were shocked," said Jim Farley, Ford's global marketing and sales chief. "We've updated, of course, all of our creative review process. We take this matter very seriously. ... Full Story | Top |
| Murdoch's The Sun tabloid to charge for online access Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 05:58 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch's British tabloid The Sun will start charging for access to its website in a package with highlights of Premier League soccer matches, publisher News International (NI) said on Wednesday. "Later this year the pay model will be applied to The Sun across every platform," said a spokesman for NI, the British newspaper arm of News Corp. ... Full Story | Top |
| A Minute With: "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer on "The Host" Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:20 AM PDT  By Zorianna Kit LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer brings her romantic futuristic thriller "The Host" to movie fans on Friday, trading the vampires and werewolves for aliens who invade planet Earth, taking over human bodies. The film stars, Saoirse Ronan as Melanie Stryder, whose body is taken over by an alien soul called Wanda. Eventually the two-in-one female team work to save the human race from total annihilation. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU regulators to approve Random House, Penguin deal: sources Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 03:16 AM PDT  By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Bertelsmann and Pearson are set to win unconditional EU regulatory approval for a plan to merge their publishers Random House and Penguin, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Bertelsmann, Europe's largest media group, and British publisher Pearson announced the deal in October to strengthen their bargaining power against Amazon and Apple, especially in the fast-growing e-book market. "The companies have not provided concessions," one of the sources said. ... Full Story | Top |
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