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| Hit spy comedy tackles the tragedy of divided Korea Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 07:48 PM PDT By Michelle Kim and Daum Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - A trio of elite, but bumbling, North Korean spies has won the hearts of southern compatriots in a blockbuster South Korean film that views the tragedy of the divided peninsula through the unusual prism of comedy. The record-breaking success of "Secretly Greatly" - which scored a million viewers in just 36 hours after its release early last month, a first for a domestic film, and will debut in the United States this month - testifies to the fascination the North holds even 60 years after the end of the Korean War. ... Full Story | Top |
| Douglas Engelbart, inventor of computer mouse, dies at 88 Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 07:28 PM PDT By Gerry Shih SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Douglas Engelbart, a technologist who conceived of the computer mouse and laid out a vision of an Internet decades before others brought those ideas to the mass market, died on Tuesday night. He was 88. His eldest daughter, Gerda, said by telephone that her father died of kidney failure. Engelbart arrived at his crowning moment relatively early in his career, on a winter afternoon in 1968, when he delivered an hour-long presentation containing so many far-reaching ideas that it would be referred to decades later as the "mother of all demos. ... Full Story | Top |
| 8 Tell-Tale signs that a movie could be a flop Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 05:19 PM PDT  By Brent Lang and Sara Morrison LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "White House Down" landed in theaters this past weekend with a thud. Blowing up much of the Beltway cost $150 million, but the film only eked out a $25.7 million opening despite boasting the triple threat of Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx and "Independence Day" director Roland Emmerich. And this week sees the debut of "The Lone Ranger," which rides into theaters on a flurry of bad reviews and damaging reports about a bursting budget and production snafus. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Amazing Spider-Man 2,' 'RoboCop' heading to Comic-Con with stars In tow Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 05:17 PM PDT By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Sony Pictures is bringing "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," "RoboCop" and "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2" to Comic-Con this year. All three panels will take place July 19 in Hall H. The "Spider-Man" panel will feature director Marc Webb; stars Andrew Garfield, Jamie Foxx and Dane DeHaan, and producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach. Notably absent are Emma Stone and Paul Giamatti. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'The Way, Way Back' tops releases at specialty box office on Friday Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 05:15 PM PDT By Todd Cunningham LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - For moviegoers looking for an alternative to "Despicable Me 2" and "The Lone Ranger" over the July 4 weekend, a handful of independent movies will debut at the specialty box office on Friday. Fox Searchlight's coming-of-age tale "The Way, Way Back" is written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash and stars Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Sam Rockwell and newcomer Liam James. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Orange Is the New Black' creator on getting renewed ahead of debut: 'Netflix Has Balls' Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 05:13 PM PDT (Strong language in last paragraph) By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Netflix just handed out a season renewal to its fourth original series, "Orange Is the New Black," more than a week before it premieres July 11. "Look, it works for me," showrunner Jenji Kohan said on a press call on Tuesday. "I think it's terrific, and I think it shows, at least in my case, that Netflix has balls. They were just like, 'We like it, we believe in it, we're going to pick it up.' I'm just grateful. I think it's awesome. ... Full Story | Top |
| Disney's 'Lone Ranger' starts box office ride with $2 million Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 05:11 PM PDT  By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's big-budget Western "The Lone Ranger," starring Johnny Depp as Native American sidekick Tonto, rode off with $2 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales during its first shows on Tuesday night, trotting well behind animated "Despicable Me 2." Both films are fighting for audiences heading into the U.S. Independence Day holiday on Thursday, one of the biggest movie going periods of the year. "Despicable Me 2" took in $4.7 million in its Tuesday night preview shows, according to distributor Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp. ... Full Story | Top |
| Frank Darabont's TNT Mobster Drama Casts '24' Actor Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 05:08 PM PDT  By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Louis Lombardi is getting mobbed up for TNT. Lombardi, who played agent Edgar Stiles on "24," has signed on for a recurring role on "Lost Angels," the upcoming TNT crime drama from former "The Walking Dead" showrunner Frank Darabont. Lombardi will play Stucky, a henchman for mob boss Mickey Cohen. Based on the John Buntin book "L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City," "Lost Angels" will chronicle the decades-long feud between the LAPD, led by then-Chief William Parker, and Cohen's West Coast gang. ... Full Story | Top |
| 7 TV show retools that actually worked Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 05:05 PM PDT By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Over the past few days, the news broke that Fox's "Glee" had let go of five original cast members only to promote five newer cast members to series regular status. It's just the newest indication that the musical series is going through yet another retooling. Last season, the musical series made some big changes in storyline, setting and cast. Several new students joined the series and several characters moved on to their lives after McKinley High. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rapper 50 Cent charged with domestic violence in Los Angeles Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 04:14 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. Rapper 50 Cent has been charged with domestic violence and vandalism in Los Angeles after an alleged altercation with the mother of his child, the city attorney's office said on Wednesday. The rapper, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, is accused of kicking the woman and destroying $7,100 worth of property in her condominium on June 23 in the Toluca Lake community of Los Angeles. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Big Brother' contestant dropped by modeling agency over racist, homophobic comments Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 03:46 PM PDT (Offensive content in paragraph 4) By Sara Morrison LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Big Brother houseguest Aaryn Gries, the 22-year-old Texan college student who hasn't had anything nice to say about her fellow gay, Asian American, or black houseguests, has been dropped by her modeling agency. Austin-based Zephyr Talent released a statement on its Facebook page saying that it did not condone Gries's "prejudices and other beliefs," which did not represent Zephyr. The company said that Zephyr, "upon much consideration," has "decided to release Aaryn from her contract with Zephyr Talent. ... Full Story | Top |
| George Clooney and Sandra Bullock's 'Gravity' Will Be First 3D Film to Open Venice Film Festival Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 03:43 PM PDT  By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - "Gravity," the new film from "Y tu mama tambien" director Alfonso Cuaron, will hold its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on August 28. Two of Cuaron's last three films, "Y tu mama tambien" and "Children of Men," both screened at the festival in competition and took home awards. Though "Gravity" will not be in competition, it will be the first 3D film to open the festival. Cuaron's deep space thriller stars Sandra Bullock as Dr. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Second Honeymoon' knocks 'Inferno' from top of U.S. best-sellers list Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 01:58 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Second Honeymoon" by James Patterson and Howard Roughan soared to the top of the U.S. best-sellers list on Wednesday, deposing Dan Brown's "Inferno," which had held the top spot for six consecutive weeks. The list is compiled using data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide. Hardcover Fiction Last Week 1. "Second Honeymoon" by James Patterson and Howard Roughan (Little, Brown, $28.00) 28 2. "Inferno" by Dan Brown (Doubleday, $29.95) 1 3. "And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead, $28.95) 4 4. ... Full Story | Top |
| Douglas Engelbart, father of the mouse, dies at 88 Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 01:51 PM PDT By Gerry Shih SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Douglas C. Engelbart, a technologist who conceived of the computer mouse and laid out a vision of an Internet decades before others brought those ideas to the mass market, died on Tuesday night. He was 88. Engelbart had suffered from poor health and died peacefully in his sleep, his daughter, Christina, told friends in an email. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rapper Wale knocks Kanye West from atop Billboard album chart Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 01:40 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - American rapper Wale grabbed the top spot on Wednesday on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart for the first time with his record "The Gifted," while fellow rapper Kanye West's "Yeezus," last week's No. 1, fell to third place. "The Gifted" sold 158,000 copies in its first week, according to figures compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. Wale's previous album, 2011's "Ambition," sold 164,000 copies in its first week but only reached No. 2 on the weekly album chart. West's "Yeezus" fell to No. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Man of Steel' pushes June box office to record heights Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 12:51 PM PDT By Todd Cunningham LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The domestic box office kept up its record pace in June, toppling the four-year-old record for the month on the strength of hits such as "Man of Steel" and "Monsters University." Overall grosses for the month hit $1.25 billion, 15 percent ahead of the $1.09 billion haul in 2009, according to BoxOfficeMojo, and 18 percent higher than last June. Warner Bros.' "Man of Steel" led the box-office hit parade with $249 million domestic and Disney's Pixar family film "Monsters University" was second, with $170 million through just 10 days. ... Full Story | Top |
| Feline frenzy meets Fellini on Gaultier's Paris catwalk Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 12:38 PM PDT  By Alexandria Sage PARIS (Reuters) - Jean Paul Gaultier sent glittering panthers and clowns down the runway on Wednesday as the French designer tapped into feline glamour and Fellini-esque nostalgia for his Autumn/Winter 2013-2014 haute couture collection. On the last full day of shows at the prestigious Paris fashion week, he put on a highly theatrical display of outfits sewn from leather, feathers and velvet, and named "Catwoman," "Pink Panther" and "Cruella de Ville". Even the models' upswept hair was made to resemble the spotted fur of a jungle cat. ... Full Story | Top |
| ‘Despicable Me 2' Reviews: Not as Good as the First, But Plenty Sweet Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 12:00 PM PDT  By Lucas Shaw LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Like "Monsters University," "Despicable Me 2" is sure to be a hit with audiences, lining the pockets of everyone at Universal and selling countless toys in the process. And like "Monsters University," "Despicable Me 2" is not as big a hit with critics as the original film - but most still embraced it with open arms. In the sequel to the 2010 smash hit, reformed super-villain Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) has settled into suburban life, domesticated by three young girls he cares for on his own. His neighbor routinely tries to set him up with women. ... Full Story | Top |
| YouTube invests in video music site Vevo Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 09:58 AM PDT  By Alexei Oreskovic SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc's YouTube said on Wednesday that it has made an investment in Vevo, an online music video hub that provides some of the most popular content on YouTube. YouTube and Vevo also renewed the partnership that allows YouTube to feature Vevo's music videos on its website, with the two companies sharing the ad revenue. The original partnership deal, which dates back to 2009, ended in December, but had been temporarily renewed while the two companies negotiated a renewal. The companies did not provide details about the terms of the renewal. ... Full Story | Top |
| Disney's 'Lone Ranger' starts box office ride with $2 million Tuesday Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 09:00 AM PDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's big-budget Western reboot "The Lone Ranger" rode off with $2 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales during its first shows on Tuesday night, trotting behind animated "Despicable Me 2" with $4.7 million, according to studio estimates. Both films are fighting for audiences heading into Thursday's U.S. Independence Day holiday, one of the biggest moviegoing periods of the year. ... Full Story | Top |
| Depardieu accused of breaking Georgian law with Abkhazia trip Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 07:25 AM PDT  TBILISI (Reuters) - French-born actor Gerard Depardieu broke the law in Georgia by visiting the country's breakaway Abkhazia region and meeting separatist leaders without warning national authorities, an official said on Wednesday. Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, deputy minister for reintegration in the Caucasus state bordering Russia, said the action was punishable but signaled he was unlikely to face arrest. "We think he does not know what's going on in Abkhazia," she said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Netflix adds more PBS programming in U.S., Canada Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 06:03 AM PDT  (Reuters) - Netflix Inc said it has reached a multi-year deal to stream more programming from U.S. public television network PBS, expanding the content available to subscribers in the United States and Canada, the company's two profitable markets. The deal announced on Wednesday includes exclusive subscription video-on-demand rights to all seasons of British murder mystery drama "The Bletchley Circle" starting in the fall, and to preschool series "Super Why!" in 2014. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Lady and Tramp' animator John Wilson dies at 93 Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 05:30 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - British-born animator and producer John David Wilson, famed for the "Grease" and "Lady and the Tramp" films, has died at the age of 93, his wife told Reuters on Wednesday. The World War Two veteran animated the opening sequence for the 1978 high school musical film "Grease" that starred John Travolta, and in a long career at Disney worked on much-loved characters Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck. ... Full Story | Top |
| Turk Telekom, others eye $1 billion pay-TV group Digiturk: sources Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 03:47 AM PDT By Seda Sezer and Dinesh Nair ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turk Telekom, Dogan Holding and Dogus Group are among potential buyers for Turkish digital pay-TV operator Digiturk, in a deal seen worth up to $1 billion, banking sources close to the matter told Reuters. NewsCorp and Liberty Global may also be interested in Digiturk, majority owned by Cukurova, they said. State agency the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) in May seized control of Digiturk and dozens of other companies belonging to the troubled Cukurova Group. U.S. private equity group Providence Equity Partners own 47 percent of ... Full Story | Top |
| A Minute With: Steve Carell on being a 'Despicable' dad Wednesday, Jul 03, 2013 02:27 AM PDT  By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Steve Carell has inhabited many different roles, from a 40-year-old virgin, a bumbling office manager and a Vegas magician, but it is an evil villain in animated film "Despicable Me 2" where he finds a close connection as a real-life dad. Carell, 50, who appears again as Gru in "Despicable Me 2," and as a dysfunctional dad in independent comedy "The Way, Way Back," both out in theaters this week, is also exploring new challenges in his career with the hopes of more dramatic roles. ... Full Story | Top |
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