| | |
| Oprah tops Forbes most powerful celebrity list Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 09:14 PM PDT  By Patricia Reaney NEW YORK (Reuters) - After two years as a runner-up, Oprah Winfrey was named the most powerful celebrity on Wednesday by Forbes, heading the six women and four men who make up the top 10. It was the fifth time the former talk show host who runs her own TV network has headed the annual ranking of 100 celebrities. Singer Lady Gaga came in second, followed by director/producer Steven Spielberg and singers Beyonce and Madonna. "There is nobody else with that kind of consistency and power," said Dorothy Pomerantz of Forbes.com. ... Full Story | Top |
| Michael Jackson's son to testify in singer's wrongful death trial Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 06:30 PM PDT  By Eric Kelsey LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prince Jackson, the eldest son of late pop star Michael Jackson, is expected to testify on Wednesday in the wrongful death suit filed by his family against concert promoter AEG Live, a Jackson family attorney said. Lawyers for the Jackson family will call Prince Jackson, 16, to the stand four years and one day after the King of Pop died from a drug overdose, attorney Perry Sanders said on Tuesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ex-National Geographic photo chief Gilka dead at 96 Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 06:09 PM PDT (Reuters) - Robert Gilka, director of photography for National Geographic magazine for 22 years and a mentor to leading photojournalists, died on Tuesday at age 96, the National Press Photographers Association said. He died in hospice care in Arlington, Virginia, following his third case of pneumonia this year, the NPPA said, citing photojournalist Bruce Dale. "There is laughter and there are tears because Bob touched so many lives in remarkable ways," Chris Johns, National Geographic's editor in chief, told News Photographer magazine. ... Full Story | Top |
| Jeff Bridges movie 'The Giver' eyes rising stars from 'Mud,' 'Kings of Summer' Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 05:04 PM PDT  By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Among the hottest open roles in Hollywood right now is the young male lead in the Weinstein Co. and Walden Media's "The Giver," the long-gestating adaptation of Lois Lowry's acclaimed novel that will star Jeff Bridges as the title character. ... Full Story | Top |
| Why 'Under the Dome' is good news for Broadcast TV Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 05:02 PM PDT By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - The premiere of CBS's "Under the Dome" beat almost everything else on television Monday, but CBS's rivals should still be happy about the success of the Stephen King miniseries -- because it bodes well for them, too. The promising debut of "Under the Dome" suggests a scripted show can do well, even in summer. And it partially validates broadcasters' recent strategy of ordering fewer episodes of splashy new shows, then promoting them as "event" series. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'A Time to Kill' becomes first John Grisham novel adapted for Broadway Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 05:01 PM PDT By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "A Time to Kill" will be adapted for Broadway, marking the first time one of John Grisham's legal thrillers has made it to the stage. The new version will be written by Rupert Holmes, who is probably best known for penning the hit song "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" that was featured prominently in "Shrek." Holmes' oeuvre extends beyond catchy pop numbers, however. He won a Tony Award for his comic musical "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and a Drama Desk honor for the musical mystery "Curtains. ... Full Story | Top |
| Julianna Margulies lawsuit with ex-manager to go forward in October Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 05:00 PM PDT  By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "The Good Wife" star Julianna Margulies was allegedly a bad client, and now the actress will have to face trial over it. Margulies suffered a legal setback in court on Tuesday, when a judge denied her motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit brought against her by her former management company over commissions it says it's owed. D/F Management claims it's owed money stemming from Margulies' work on "The Good Wife" and for her work with cosmetics company L'Oreal. ... Full Story | Top |
| Singer Chris Brown charged in hit-and-run traffic accident Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 03:01 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B singer Chris Brown, on probation for beating his former girlfriend, was charged on Tuesday with a hit-and-run and driving without a valid license in connection with a May 21 traffic accident in Los Angeles. Brown, 24, allegedly rear-ended another car and faces up to six months in jail on each misdemeanor charge, L.A. City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said. He will be arraigned in Los Angeles Superior Court on July 15, Mateljan said. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' Casts Rising Aussie Actor Josh Helman Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:32 PM PDT By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Rising star Josh Helman has joined the cast of Bryan Singer's "X-Men: Days of Future Past," which reunites the Australian actor with his "Mad Max: Fury Road" co-star Nicholas Hoult. "X-Men: Days of Future Past" finds original "X-Men" stars Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry returning to the superhero franchise along with "First Class" actors James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence. The sequel has also added Peter Dinklage, Omar Sy, Fan Bingbing and Evan Peters as Quicksilver. ... Full Story | Top |
| OWN Doubles Episode Order for Tyler Perry's 'The Haves and Have Nots' Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:31 PM PDT By Greg Gilman LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Oprah Winfrey Network has ordered an additional 16 episodes of Tyler Perry's drama series, "The Haves and the Have Nots," the network announced on Tuesday. As a result, the first season will now consist of 32 episodes. The current cycle of the hit series will conclude on September 3, while the additional episodes will air early next year. When the drama debuted on May 28, it became the highest-rated series premiere in network history with 1.77 million total viewers tuning in. ... Full Story | Top |
| Starz Orders 'Outlander' From 'Battlestar Galactica's' Ronald D. Moore Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:31 PM PDT By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Starz has ordered "Battlestar Galactica" executive producer Ronald D. Moore's "Outlander," based on Diana Gabaldon's bestselling books. The show's 16 episodes will begin filming in Scotland this fall and premiere next year. Moore and Jim Kohlberg are executive producers of "Outlander," which is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Story Mining and Supply Company and Left Bank Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television. ... Full Story | Top |
| Emmys: Inside the Unexpected Body Count at Elegant 'Downton Abbey' Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:30 PM PDT By Steve Pond LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Shows like "Game of Thrones," "Boardwalk Empire" and "Breaking Bad" killed off high-profile characters during this past season - but was any death as upsetting as the car accident that killed "Downton Abbey's" Matthew Crawley as he sped home from the hospital moments after seeing his wife and newborn son? The crash happened in the final moments of Season 3 for the British drama, putting an abrupt and tragic end to a season that had begun with the long-awaited marriage of Matthew to Lady Mary. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'American Idol' Adding MTV Video, Movie Awards Duo to Producing Team Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:29 PM PDT By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Fox's "American Idol" is going for full spectacle when it returns for Season 13. An individual with knowledge of the negotiations told TheWrap that producing pair Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager are close to signing on to the music competition as the producers for 19 Entertainment. Under their production company Den of Thieves, Ignjatovic and Prager are well versed in creating big televised music events. No strangers to reboots, the duo took over production of the MTV Movie Awards last year, edging out "The Voice" producer Mark Burnett. ... Full Story | Top |
| Emmys: MTV 'Catfish's' Nev Schulman Says Manti Te'o Proved His Reality Show's Legit Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:28 PM PDT By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - With a second season of MTV's "Catfish: The TV Show" debuting Tuesday at 10/9c, Nev Schulman has become one of reality television's most interesting people. He has seen himself catapulted from indie documentary filmmaker to TV's most well-known internet scam buster/matchmaker. His reality career was created and then boosted by serendipitous story turns, beginning with the success of "Catfish," the 2010 doc in which Schulman's brother Ariel and friend Henry Joost filmed his online romance with a woman who turned out to have created a fake identity. ... Full Story | Top |
| Jonathan Greenberger returns to 'This Week With George Stephanopoulos' as Executive Broadcast Producer Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:26 PM PDT By Sara Morrison LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jonathan Greenberger is returning to ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" as its executive broadcast producer, the network announced Tuesday. Greenberger last served as the show's senior producer as well as "virtually every other position on the program," ABC News president Ben Sherwood said in a note to the news division. The position has been a bit of a revolving door in the last few years. Rick Kaplan got the job in May 2011 when the program was moderated by Christine Amanpour. Jon Banner was appointed EP in September 2011. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Teen Wolf' Twins Land HBO's Damon Lindelof Pilot 'Leftovers' Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:25 PM PDT By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Damon Lindelof's HBO pilot has just acquired a double dose of "Desperate Housewives" alumni, TheWrap has learned. Charlie and Max Carver, who played the Scavo twins on ABC's "Desperate Housewives," have been cast in "The Leftovers," the upcoming drama pilot from "Lost" co-creator Damon Lindelof. The pilot, which is adapted from Tom Perrotta's 2011 novel - who's writing and executive producing the pilot with Lindelof - centers around a Rapture-like situation, and those who were left behind by the event. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ed Oxenbould to star in 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day' Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:18 PM PDT By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Disney has cast young actor Ed Oxenbould to play the title character in "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner star in the film, which is based on the award-winning children's book by Judith Viorst. Miguel Arteta is directing, while The Jim Henson Company is producing with 21 Laps. Story follows young Alexander through the mishaps of a terrible day for his family after he wishes they all would experience the same troubles he does. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hollywood's zombie overload: Why flesh-eater pitches are a tough sell Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 11:10 AM PDT By Greg Gilman LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - With zombie projects replicating almost as fast as zombies themselves, film studios say no more flesh-eaters need apply. That doesn't mean they're done with zombie projects - given the $66 million weekend take for Brad Pitt's "World War Z," they plan many more. But Hollywood now has so many features about the living dead that any new zombie pitches are a hard sell, insiders tell TheWrap. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chris Rock casts Kevin Hart, J.B. Smoove, Sherri Shepherd in new comedy Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 11:09 AM PDT By Jeff Sneider and Lucas Shaw LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - After working together on "Think Like a Man," comedians Kevin Hart, J.B. Smoove and Sherri Shepherd have joined the cast of Chris Rock's showbiz-themed comedy that is known around Hollywood under the title of "Finally Famous," TheWrap has learned. Rock plays Andre, a comedian-turned-movie-star who tries to reinvent himself as a serious actor. He's also a recovering alcoholic who owes his sobriety to his fiancée (Gabrielle Union), a reality TV star eager to stage their wedding on her show. ... Full Story | Top |
| Tupac Musical, 'Holler If Ya Hear Me,' headed to Broadway Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 11:08 AM PDT By Tony Maglio LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Tupac openly wondered "If Heaven Got a Ghetto." Now, producers are hoping that Broadway has one, too. Kenny Leon is currently directing a workshop of "Holler If Ya Hear Me" in New York, according to the Associated Press. Leon helped bring "Fences" and "The Mountaintop" to Broadway. The show will not set Shakur's catalog to an original story about a present-day Midwestern industrial city. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rick Santorum Joins the Movie Business as New CEO of EchoLight Studios Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 11:07 AM PDT  By Greg Gilman LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - While former Pennsylvania Senator and 2012 Presidential candidate Rick Santorum waits for another opportunity to run for the oval office, he'll be running a Christian film studio in Dallas. Santorum has been named CEO of production company EchoLight Studios, which produces, finances, markets and distributes faith-based family films across all releasing platforms. "This is the right place and right time, and I've jumped in with both feet," Santorum said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Emmys: Alex Karpovsky on 'Girls' - 'Every character has shown unsavory, forbidden aspects' Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 11:04 AM PDT  By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Alex Karpovsky had written, directed and edited three movies and starred in several more before he met Lena Dunham at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2009. Dunham was there with her first movie, "Creative Nonfiction," and she recruited Karpovsky to star in her next, "Tiny Furniture." Dunham soon scored a deal with HBO and brought Karpovsky into the fold for one of the most divisive shows on television, "Girls." Karpovksy plays Ray, the manager of a coffee shop who dated Shoshana (Zosia Mamet) until the last episode of Season 2. ... Full Story | Top |
| Emmys: Monica Potter's 'Parenthood' cancer battle began with her own real-life scare Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 11:03 AM PDT  By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Monica Potter's journey through the experiences of a mom with cancer on NBC's "Parenthood" actually began with her own medical scare. "When I went in last year for a mammogram, my first one, they said they found something," Potter told TheWrap. On the heels of the discovery, the 41-year-old mother of three went home and emailed executive producer Jason Katims, pitching a cancer storyline in the show's fourth season for her character Christina. ... Full Story | Top |
| Emmys: 'House of Cards' star Corey Stoll - 'I know what it's like to be out of control' Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 11:02 AM PDT  By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Corey Stoll said one of the turning points in his life came when he was a "morbidly obese" teenager, trying to choose roles for an acting showcase at his high school. "Someone said, 'How about the Elephant Man? How about the Hunchback of Notre Dame?'" Stoll told TheWrap. "I mean, these are amazing roles, but are these the only roles I'm good for?" Shedding weight allowed Stoll, now an athletic-looking 37-year-old, to play the dashing Ernest Hemingway in Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" and to land the lead in FX's upcoming series "The Strain. ... Full Story | Top |
| Broadway theaters to pay tribute to late actor James Gandolfini Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 10:56 AM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Broadway theaters will dim their marquees on Wednesday night in memory of James Gandolfini, who had a successful stage career in addition to his Emmy-winning role on HBO's "The Sopranos." "James Gandolfini was a consummate actor who brought individuality to each role and inspired a true connection with the audience," Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League, said in a statement. "Whether on screen or on the Broadway stage, he made every role believable and seemingly effortless. ... Full Story | Top |
| Author Tim O'Brien wins Pritzker award for military writing Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 10:34 AM PDT (Reuters) - U.S. author Tim O'Brien was awarded the Pritzker Military Library Literature Award, the first fiction writer to win the six-year-old prize, the Pritzker Military Library in Chicago said on Tuesday. O'Brien, a Vietnam War veteran, is best known for his 1990 story collection "The Things They Carried" about a platoon of U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam War. "Tim O'Brien's fiction about Vietnam, which derives from his own experience as a soldier, is haunting, evocative and wonderfully inventive," historian Rick Atkinson, the 2011 award winner, said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Kick-Ass' creator baffled by Carrey's rebuke of film's violence Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 08:50 AM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The creator of the "Kick-Ass" action film franchise said on Monday that he was "baffled" over why its star Jim Carrey has publicly objected to violence in the movie since Carrey's character takes an anti-gun stance and refuses to fire a weapon. Comedic actor Carrey, 51, said on Twitter that the December shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, had changed his mind about the violent superhero film that is due to open in theaters in August. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gaza Palestinians give hero's welcome to their 'Arab Idol' Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 07:42 AM PDT  By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of joyous fans turned out on Tuesday to welcome "Arab Idol" Mohammed Assaf on his return to the Gaza Strip and the song contest winner appealed for harmony among divided Palestinians. The fresh-faced 22-year-old from humble roots in a Gaza refugee camp has endeared millions of voting television viewers with his Palestinian patriotic anthems and folk songs. ... Full Story | Top |
| French actor Depardieu in minor car collision in Moscow Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 07:30 AM PDT  MOSCOW (Reuters) - French actor Gerard Depardieu was involved in a car accident in Moscow on Tuesday when a taxi rammed into a Mercedes carrying him in his adopted homeland of Russia, where he is filming a movie. The 64-year-old star of films such as "Green Card" and "Cyrano de Bergerac" was unhurt and posed for photos with Russian traffic police in footage shown by tabloid portal Lifenews.ru. ... Full Story | Top |
| Director George Lucas marries long-time girlfriend at U.S. ranch Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 06:24 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - Famous directors, fans and even Darth Vader congratulated "Star Wars" creator George Lucas on Tuesday on his marriage to long-time girlfriend Mellody Hobson at his Skywalker ranch in California. Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington, who was at the wedding on Saturday, tweeted a picture of Lucas in white tie with a white flower on his label and his bride in a white dress with a veil. "The visionary "Star Wars" filmmaker wed the Ariel Investments president before an intimate gathering," Huffington wrote in a report for her news and gossip website. ... Full Story | Top |
| Director Emmerich brings 'White House Down' with terrorism plot Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 06:18 AM PDT  By Sandra Maler WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Film director Roland Emmerich has made obliterating the White House a trademark in his apocalyptic blockbusters and true to form, he ravages it in spectacular fashion with a terrorist attack in "White House Down," opening in theaters on Friday. "White House Down," starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx and Maggie Gyllenhaal, is Emmerich's first foray into terrorism. "It's about the division in America, it's about lobbyism and about how some people feel entitled to do certain things and totally believe in them patriotically," Emmerich told Reuters. ... Full Story | Top |
| LVMH chief's daughter to take top role at Louis Vuitton Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 05:06 AM PDT  PARIS (Reuters) - The daughter of LVMH boss Bernard Arnault, will take a top role at Louis Vuitton, the world's biggest luxury brand, the French luxury goods group said on Tuesday. Delphine Arnault, 38, is leaving her post as deputy general manager of Dior, which she has held since 2008, to take a similar role at Louis Vuitton in September, reporting to chief executive, Michael Burke. Her appointment comes as Louis Vuitton, known for its monogrammed handbags, faces a drop in European sales and sluggish demand in China. ... Full Story | Top |
| Jane Austen 'waiting in wings' to feature on UK banknotes Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 05:04 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Author Jane Austen is "waiting in the wings" to become the next famous Briton to be honored on the country's banknotes, outgoing Bank of England governor Mervyn King said. The writer of 19th century classics such as "Pride & Prejudice", "Sense & Sensibility" and "Emma" is already a "reserve" figure whose image could be a clear candidate to replace that of naturalist Charles Darwin on the 10-pound note when his time is up, King said on Tuesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mumford & Sons bassist well enough to perform at Glastonbury Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 04:20 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - British folk band Mumford & Sons said bassist Ted Dwane has recovered well enough from brain surgery to appear with them this weekend at Glastonbury, the world's biggest music festival. The Grammy-award winning band canceled a series of U.S. concerts during a North American tour earlier this month after doctors discovered a blood clot on the surface of Dwane's brain which required immediate surgery. The band said in an interview published on Tuesday that Dwane will be on stage when they play their headline show at the sold-out Glastonbury festival on Sunday. ... Full Story | Top |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment