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| Oklahoma tornado benefit concert unites nation's music stars Wednesday, May 29, 2013 11:04 PM PDT By Heide Brandes OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Music stars from across the nation joined forces in Oklahoma on Wednesday in a benefit concert for victims of the deadly tornado that struck the state last week. Tickets for the "Healing in the Heartland" concert, held at Oklahoma City's roughly 20,000-capacity Chesapeake Arena and broadcast on NBC television, sold out in minutes when they went on sale on Saturday. It closed with a duet between Oklahoma-born country singer Blake Shelton, who is a judge on NBC singing competition "The Voice," and Grammy winning R&B star Usher. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-ARTS Summary Wednesday, May 29, 2013 09:49 PM PDT Venice Biennale seeks to capture the "unruly" world of art LONDON (Reuters) - Blocks of ice from the Bahamas, cardboard bed clothes from Iraq and a thumping Vatican heartbeat will help the 2013 Venice Biennale attempt to capture the "unruly" world of art. The rich diversity of unexpected sights and sounds at the world's largest non-commercial art exhibition are partly a result of sheer numbers, with shows from 88 countries installed across the canal city in time for this week's opening. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-REVIEW Summary Wednesday, May 29, 2013 09:49 PM PDT Ringo Starr unveils unseen Beatles photos in e-book (Reuters) - Former Beatle Ringo Starr is lifting the lid on a collection of previously unseen photographs of the Fab Four in their heyday from his personal collection, in a new photography book due out next month. "Photograph," which will be released as an e-book on Apple's iBookstore on June 12, will coincide with a Grammy Museum exhibit on Starr, entitled "Ringo: Peace & Love," the book's publishers said on Wednesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-PEOPLE Summary Wednesday, May 29, 2013 09:49 PM PDT Ringo Starr unveils unseen Beatles photos in e-book (Reuters) - Former Beatle Ringo Starr is lifting the lid on a collection of previously unseen photographs of the Fab Four in their heyday from his personal collection, in a new photography book due out next month. "Photograph," which will be released as an e-book on Apple's iBookstore on June 12, will coincide with a Grammy Museum exhibit on Starr, entitled "Ringo: Peace & Love," the book's publishers said on Wednesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mystery and science fiction author Jack Vance dead at 96 Wednesday, May 29, 2013 09:48 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mystery and science fiction writer Jack Vance, whose works included "The Dragon Master" and "The Last Castle," has died at age 96, according to a statement posted on his official website on Wednesday. Vance passed away at his Oakland, California, home on Sunday, according to the statement at www.jackvance.com, a site maintained by his friends and family. He won the Hugo award for his science fiction book "The Dragon Masters" in 1963 and again in 1967 for "The Last Castle." The Hugo is given for excellence in the fields of science fiction and fantasy. ... Full Story | Top |
| CA-ENTERTAINMENT Summary Wednesday, May 29, 2013 06:53 PM PDT Ringo Starr unveils unseen Beatles photos in e-book (Reuters) - Former Beatle Ringo Starr is lifting the lid on a collection of previously unseen photographs of the Fab Four in their heyday from his personal collection, in a new photography book due out next month. "Photograph," which will be released as an e-book on Apple's iBookstore on June 12, will coincide with a Grammy Museum exhibit on Starr, entitled "Ringo: Peace & Love," the book's publishers said on Wednesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-MUSIC Summary Wednesday, May 29, 2013 06:53 PM PDT Ringo Starr unveils unseen Beatles photos in e-book (Reuters) - Former Beatle Ringo Starr is lifting the lid on a collection of previously unseen photographs of the Fab Four in their heyday from his personal collection, in a new photography book due out next month. "Photograph," which will be released as an e-book on Apple's iBookstore on June 12, will coincide with a Grammy Museum exhibit on Starr, entitled "Ringo: Peace & Love," the book's publishers said on Wednesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ringo Starr unveils unseen Beatles photos in e-book Wednesday, May 29, 2013 06:53 PM PDT  (Reuters) - Former Beatle Ringo Starr is lifting the lid on a collection of previously unseen photographs of the Fab Four in their heyday from his personal collection, in a new photography book due out next month. "Photograph," which will be released as an e-book on Apple's iBookstore on June 12, will coincide with a Grammy Museum exhibit on Starr, entitled "Ringo: Peace & Love," the book's publishers said on Wednesday. A limited-edition hand-bound book signed by Starr will be available for purchase in December. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-TELEVISION Summary Wednesday, May 29, 2013 06:17 PM PDT Actor Neil Patrick Harris to host Emmy Awards NEW YORK (Reuters) - Television, film and stage actor Neil Patrick Harris will host the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, the highest honors in U.S. television, in September, organizers said on Wednesday. It will be the second time the Emmy Award-winning performer, who stars in the television series "How I Met Your Mother," will host the live broadcast from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on September 22. Larry King returning to U.S. TV via Russian station By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Larry King is returning to U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| E! to air 'Access Hollywood Live' in daytime slot Wednesday, May 29, 2013 06:16 PM PDT By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - E! has picked up syndicated entertainment news show "Access Hollywood Live," TheWrap has learned exclusively. Hosted by Billy Bush and Kit Hoover, the "Access Hollywood" daytime spinoff will begin airing daily starting June 10 on the cable channel at 3 p.m./2c, an E! representative told TheWrap. Produced in Los Angeles by KNBC-TV and distributed by NBC Universal Domestic Television, "Access Hollywood Live's" airings on E! represent some synergy between the sister NBCU companies. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-FILM Summary Wednesday, May 29, 2013 06:15 PM PDT Disney taps 'Kon-Tiki' filmmakers to direct Johnny Depp in 'Pirates of the Caribbean 5' By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Hot off their acclaimed foreign film "Kon-Tiki," directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg are in final negotiations for the coveted job to direct "Pirates of the Caribbean 5" for Disney, TheWrap has learned. 'Skyfall's' Sam Mendes in talks to direct next James Bond movie By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap. ... Full Story | Top |
| Disney taps 'Kon-Tiki' filmmakers to direct Johnny Depp in 'Pirates of the Caribbean 5' Wednesday, May 29, 2013 06:15 PM PDT  By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Hot off their acclaimed foreign film "Kon-Tiki," directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg are in final negotiations for the coveted job to direct "Pirates of the Caribbean 5" for Disney, TheWrap has learned. Johnny Depp is set to reprise his beloved, Oscar-nominated role of Capt. Jack Sparrow in the sequel, which will be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Jeff Nathanson wrote the last draft of the script. Rønning and Sandberg recently dropped out of Legendary's "Spectral" as it became apparent the "Pirates" job was theirs to lose. ... Full Story | Top |
| Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg to 'Sell Out' for Sony Wednesday, May 29, 2013 05:54 PM PDT  By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Sony Pictures has acquired movie rights to former "Saturday Night Live" writer Simon Rich's four-part New Yorker novella "Sell Out" for "This Is the End" filmmakers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg to produce through their Point Grey Pictures banner, TheWrap has learned. "Sell Out" follows a fictionalized version of Rich as he meets his great-great-grandfather Herschel, who was preserved in brine for 100 years after a pickle factory accident and is baffled by his descendant Simon's lifestyle as a script doctor in hipster-filled Brooklyn. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'The Kings of Summer' review: A giddy, goofy teenage lark Wednesday, May 29, 2013 05:51 PM PDT  By Alonso Duralde LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - It might not have the lyricism of "Mud," the eccentricity of "Moonrise Kingdom" or the angst of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," but "The Kings of Summer" brings its own strengths to the table, from the oddball wit of Chris Galletta's screenplay to a charming ensemble cast that includes vets like Nick Offerman and Mary-Lynn Rajskub as well as a slew of young TV talent. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Two and a Half Men' planning addition of female cast member Wednesday, May 29, 2013 05:48 PM PDT By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Two and a Half Men" just might need a name change when it returns for its next season. The CBS sitcom, which saw the departure of Angus T. Jones as a regular cast member after its most recent season, plans to fill the void with the addition of a female cast regular, an individual with knowledge of the plan told TheWrap on Wednesday. The new character would be a woman who claims to be the daughter of Charlie Harper, who was played by Charlie Sheen until he was ousted from the series in 2011 following a run of bizarre behavior. ... Full Story | Top |
| Adam Bernstein to direct FX's 'Fargo' premiere Wednesday, May 29, 2013 05:46 PM PDT By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Emmy Award-winning director Adam Bernstein has signed on to direct the premiere hour of FX's first limited series, "Fargo." The "Breaking Bad" and "Rescue Me" veteran won his Emmy for "30 Rock." He also directed the premiere of "Alpha House," one of five new shows ordered by Amazon on Wednesday. "Fargo," a 10-episode series inspired by the 1996 Coen brothers film of the same name, will feature a new crime story but retain the original's humor and darkness. Production begins this fall, and the show is expected to debut in spring 2014. ... Full Story | Top |
| WWE and 'The Flintstones' tag-team to throw down some bedrock Wednesday, May 29, 2013 05:39 PM PDT  By Tony Maglio LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Have you ever been watching a "Flintstones" cartoon and thought, "This would be much better with professional wrestlers?" Us neither. But we're getting it anyway. WWE Studios has tag-teamed with Warner Bros. to co-produce a "Flintstones" direct-to-home-video animated movie, to be released on Blu-ray, DVD, VOD and digital download in early 2015, WWE Studios said on Wednesday. WWE talent John Cena, CM Punk and others will join owner Vince McMahon to provide voices for the movie, which will see Fred, Barney and the gang attending a WWE match. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hollywood goes Broadway: Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Jesse Eisenberg presenting at Tony Awards Wednesday, May 29, 2013 05:36 PM PDT By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Tony Awards will have a touch of Hollywood glamor as the theatrical community gathers to honor the best of Broadway. Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and Cuba Gooding Jr. are among the movie stars who have been tasked with handing out awards at the ceremony. Hanks is starring in the hit play "Lucky Guy" and received a Tony nomination for his work. Johansson appeared in a critically maligned revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" earlier this year and won a Tony in 2010 for her work in "A View From the Bridge. ... Full Story | Top |
| Larry King returning to U.S. TV via Russian station Wednesday, May 29, 2013 05:34 PM PDT  By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Larry King is returning to U.S. television by way of a Russian station. RT, the English-language news channel owned by the Russian government, said it will begin airing "Larry King Now" in June on its U.S. station, RT America. It will also air a new show called "Politics With Larry King." "Larry King Now, which debuted in July 2012 on Hulu.com and Ora.tv, will continue to be streamed from both sites, and will also be available online on rt.com. Ora. ... Full Story | Top |
| Yes, it's true - Psy, YouTube and Iron Man actually unite countries, survey finds Wednesday, May 29, 2013 05:32 PM PDT  By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - From "Iron Man 3" to "Gangnam Style," films, YouTube clips, music and television shows are breaking through cultural and language barriers in unprecedented fashion. Fueled by the growth of social media platforms, entertainment is becoming the great ambassador between far-flung countries. That's the conclusion of Edelman's annual survey of consumer attitudes towards entertainment. ... Full Story | Top |
| LuAnn de Lesseps close to finalizing 'Real Housewives of New York' deal Wednesday, May 29, 2013 05:28 PM PDT By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - LuAnn de Lesseps is returning to Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New York City" after all. According to an individual with knowledge of the negotiations, de Lesseps is in the final stages of signing her contract to resume filming on Season 6. But contrary to other reports, the individual told TheWrap that she isn't signing on for a lesser role on the season. Bravo declined to comment on negotiations. Earlier this month, de Lesseps and her castmates held the production hostage while it negotiated for higher salaries. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Skyfall's' Sam Mendes in talks to direct next James Bond movie Wednesday, May 29, 2013 05:27 PM PDT  By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - After initially resisting the urge to return for another installment, "Skyfall" director Sam Mendes is in early discussions to direct the next James Bond movie for Sony, MGM and Eon Productions, TheWrap has learned. Mendes had been focusing his attention on launching the West End stage musical "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," prompting Bond producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to meet with other filmmakers for the coveted gig, including Nicolas Winding Refn ("Drive"). ... Full Story | Top |
| Could 'Man of Steel' star Henry Cavill be WB's 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.'? Wednesday, May 29, 2013 05:25 PM PDT  By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - WB's "Man of Steel" star Henry Cavill is now in talks to be the studio's "Man From U.N.C.L.E.," TheWrap has learned. Cavill is making a deal to play Napoleon Solo in Guy Ritchie's feature adaptation of the classic 1960s TV series. Cruise left the project last week in order to focus his attention on producing "Mission: Impossible 5" for Paramount and Skydance. With "Man of Steel" buzz swirling in Burbank, WB execs are confident that Cavill has what it takes to launch a franchise that lacks the built-in audience of Superman fans. ... Full Story | Top |
| Two 'Rites', no riot, for Stravinsky centenary Wednesday, May 29, 2013 02:46 PM PDT  By Michael Roddy PARIS (Reuters) - Right on cue, the "chosen one" danced herself to death, twice in a row, for the centenary of Igor Stravinsky's pagan and pulsating "The Rite of Spring" ballet on Wednesday at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees. But this time, unlike at the premiere in the same theatre on May 29, 1913, there was no near riot, though there were a few boos for the second, contemporary version of the ballet. A concert celebrating the centenary of the notoriously stormy premiere of a groundbreaking work that set the tone for music in the 20th century otherwise went off without a ... Full Story | Top |
| Daft Punk's analog 'Random Access Memories' tops Billboard chart Wednesday, May 29, 2013 02:37 PM PDT  By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - French electronic dance music duo Daft Punk scored their first No. 1 album on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, as their risk to use retro technology paid off with fans. "Random Access Memories," the highly anticipated fourth studio album from Daft Punk, sold 339,000 copies in its first week, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan. That was the group's best sales week to date. Digital downloads of the album were approximately 65 percent of overall sales, with 221,000 copies downloaded. ... Full Story | Top |
| Amazon moving ahead with five original TV series Wednesday, May 29, 2013 01:36 PM PDT  By Alistair Barr SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc said on Wednesday that it will make five original TV series, having used viewer feedback to pick the shows from a group of 14 pilots filmed by the world's largest Internet retailer earlier this year. The chosen series are: "Alpha House", a political comedy starring John Goodman; "Betas", a comedy about start-up culture in Silicon Valley; "Annebots", a kids' show about robots; "Creative Galaxy", an animated art adventure series; and "Tumbleaf", another kids' show about a small blue fox named Fig. ... Full Story | Top |
| Justin Bieber under investigation for reckless driving: police Wednesday, May 29, 2013 12:59 PM PDT  By Eric Kelsey LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Teen pop star Justin Bieber is under investigation for allegedly speeding through his gated Los Angeles-area community in a Ferrari sports car, prompting neighbors to complain to police, authorities said on Wednesday. Residents of the singer's private Calabasas, California, neighborhood called police on Monday saying Bieber was driving recklessly through the gated estate, Los Angeles County Sheriff spokesman Steve Whitmore said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Velvet Underground, Warhol settle after banana split Wednesday, May 29, 2013 12:40 PM PDT  By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - Velvet Underground, the 1960s avant-garde rock band, has settled a fight with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts over the rights to an iconic pop art image of a banana that graced the band's best-known album. Velvet Underground sued the Warhol Foundation in January 2012 after reports that the foundation was planning to license the banana design for cases, sleeves and bags for Apple Inc's iPhone and iPad. The settlement, disclosed in a filing in federal court in New York on Wednesday, averts a trial that was set to begin July 29. ... Full Story | Top |
| Actor Neil Patrick Harris to host Emmy Awards Wednesday, May 29, 2013 12:32 PM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Television, film and stage actor Neil Patrick Harris will host the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, the highest honors in U.S. television, in September, organizers said on Wednesday. It will be the second time the Emmy Award-winning performer, who stars in the television series "How I Met Your Mother," will host the live broadcast from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on September 22. "Four years ago, Neil was an amazing Emmy host and we are excited to have him back," Bruce Rosenblum, the Television Academy chairman and CEO, said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-INDUSTRY Summary Wednesday, May 29, 2013 11:35 AM PDT Murdoch aims to defy naysayers with new News Corp (Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch tried to convince Wall Street on Tuesday that there is still money to be made in newspapers, reminding investors that he had defied skeptics over the past 60 years to build one of the world's biggest media empires. As News Corp prepares to separate its publishing business from its entertainment assets, Murdoch said that while some brands face individual challenges, as a whole the publishing portfolio is "undervalued and underdeveloped. ... Full Story | Top |
| Roku says raises $60 million in latest funding round Wednesday, May 29, 2013 11:34 AM PDT (Reuters) - U.S. television start-up Roku said on Wednesday it has raised $60 million in new funding from some of the largest media companies including Hearst Corporation, News Corp and British Sky Broadcasting as well as institutional investor Fidelity. The company said in a statement on Wednesday that the new investment will help Roku expand its streaming services. Fidelity, which led the latest round of funding, and Hearst are both new investors. Roku said it has now raised $140 million to date. Roku competes with Apple Inc's Apple TV and is working with U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Singer George Michael out of hospital after car accident Wednesday, May 29, 2013 10:55 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - British singer George Michael is out of hospital after being treated for head injuries from a car accident two weeks ago, his website said on Wednesday. The 49-year-old former Wham! frontman, who has been "under observation" since the May 16th accident, has been discharged and is resting, www.georgemichael.com said. "We can confirm that George Michael has been discharged from hospital and continues to rest and recuperate," the message on Michael's website said. "He is well and thanks everyone for all the messages of support. ... Full Story | Top |
| Edinburgh Film festival attracts films from 53 nations Wednesday, May 29, 2013 10:44 AM PDT By Ian MacKenzie EDINBURGH (Reuters) - A portrait of family life in a Palestinian refugee camp and the rites of an ethnic Russian group will show alongside 146 other movies at this year's edition of the world's longest continuously running film festival in the Scottish capital. The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) on Wednesday promised to deliver a broad program of features from 53 countries during its 12-day run from June 19. ... Full Story | Top |
| CNN veteran Larry King to host Kremlin-funded TV show Wednesday, May 29, 2013 10:10 AM PDT  MOSCOW (Reuters) - CNN veteran Larry King will host a new show on Kremlin-funded TV station Russia Today next month, RT said on Wednesday. The English-language station, beamed to 630 million viewers worldwide, said it would launch "Politics with Larry King" in June. The show will be produced by Ora TV, an online broadcaster founded by King and Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim last year, and recorded in RT America's Washington, DC, studio and Ora TV's Los Angeles studio. RT said it also signed a deal to air the online talk show "Larry King Now", which has been hosted by web broadcasters ... Full Story | Top |
| Uruguay's Torres-Garcia tops Sotheby's NY Latam art sale Wednesday, May 29, 2013 09:43 AM PDT  By Walker Simon NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pioneering South American abstract artists, led by Uruguay's Joaquin Torres-Garcia, Brazilian Sergio Camargo and Venezuelan Carlos Cruz-Diez, were the top sellers at Sotheby's Latin American art auction. Torres Garcia's 1931 "Composition Constructive," fetched $1.4 million in the Tuesday evening sale, which totaled $14.7 million with records set for works by Venezuelan artists. "Latin American art abstraction was keenly sought after," said Axel Stein, Sotheby's Latin American art chief. ... Full Story | Top |
| Venice Biennale seeks to capture the "unruly" world of art Wednesday, May 29, 2013 09:11 AM PDT  By Isla Binnie LONDON (Reuters) - Blocks of ice from the Bahamas, cardboard bed clothes from Iraq and a thumping Vatican heartbeat will help the 2013 Venice Biennale attempt to capture the "unruly" world of art. The rich diversity of unexpected sights and sounds at the world's largest non-commercial art exhibition are partly a result of sheer numbers, with shows from 88 countries installed across the canal city in time for this week's opening. ... Full Story | Top |
| A Minute With: Zoe Saldana on her ambition to direct Wednesday, May 29, 2013 09:00 AM PDT  By Rollo Ross LONDON (Reuters) - Actress Zoe Saldana has starred in the blockbuster movies "Avatar" and "Star Trek" so her latest movie, the smaller budget "Blood Ties," was quite a shift. But she is also eyeing another new role - director. In "Blood Ties," which had its world premiere at the Cannes film festival this month, 34-year-old Saldana plays the girlfriend of a policeman whose complex relationship with his brother pits duty against family loyalty. The film, by French actor-turned-director Guillaume Canet, also stars Clive Owen, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis and James Caan. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. spelling bee starts with a new challenge - Definitions Wednesday, May 29, 2013 08:30 AM PDT  By Ian Simpson OXON HILL, Maryland (Reuters) - Young contestants in the Scripps National Spelling Bee launched two days of competition on Wednesday, facing the new challenge of not only having to spell obscure words correctly, but also knowing what they mean. A total of 281 spellers aged 8 to 14 from across the United States and foreign countries were to take to the stage for a preliminary round on their knowledge of English words. The finals are on Thursday night. ... Full Story | Top |
| Twitter and drunken texting trouble Bridget Jones in new novel Wednesday, May 29, 2013 07:12 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - British author Helen Fielding's comic creation returns to battle her insecurities in a third novel entitled "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" due out in October, her publisher Jonathan Cape said. The fictional 30-something Londoner, who sprang from Fielding's newspaper column in the 1990s to become a popular novel and film franchise, is a little older in her latest outing and grappling with the cringe-making challenges of social media. In the book, she laments the nightmare of drunken texting, skinny jeans and the fact she has no Twitter followers. ... Full Story | Top |
| Thomson Reuters hires Economist CEO to lead media unit Wednesday, May 29, 2013 06:45 AM PDT (Reuters) - Thomson Reuters Corp said on Wednesday it had hired Andrew Rashbass, currently group chief executive of The Economist Group, to be CEO of its Reuters news business. "We are determined that Reuters news should not only fulfill its critical mission but also its potential in creating long-term value for our customers and shareholders," David Thomson, chairman of Thomson Reuters, said in a statement. Rashbass has spent 15 years at The Economist in several roles, including managing director of Economist.com and publisher of the magazine. ... Full Story | Top |
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