Disney CEO Bob Iger has hinted at a "slowdown" in the making of Star Wars films in the aftermath of the below par performance of "Solo: A Star Wars Story" at the box office.
Since 2014, the studio has made four films in the famous franchise, starting with JJ Abrams "Stars Wars: The Force Awakens".
In an interview, the media mogul said he made a mistake of pushing the franchise "too much, too fast".
"I made the timing decision, and as I look back, I think the mistake that I made  I take the blame  was a little too much, too fast. You can expect some slowdown, but that doesn't mean we're not going to make films.
"JJ (Abrams) is busy making (Episode) IX. We have creative entities, including ('Game of Thrones' creators David) Benioff and (DB) Weiss, who are developing sagas of their own, which we haven't been specific about. And we are just at the point where we're going to start making decisions about what comes next after JJ's," Iger said.
He also said that the studio will be careful ...

Expect a 'slowdow' in making of Star Wars films, says Disney boss Bob Iger

PTI Automatic

Hulu has officially given a direct-to-series order to popular mystery show "Veronica Mars".
The series, which will see the return of actor Kristen Bell as the title character, will consist of eight episodes and is slated to debut in 2019.
The new season will centre around a serial killer who is targeting spring breakers in Neptune, California and threatening the town's crucial tourism industry.
After the parents of one of the victims hires Mars Investigations to find their son's killer, Veronica is drawn into a "mystery that pits the enclave's wealthy elites, who would rather put an end to the month-long bacchanalia, against a working class that relies on the cash influx that comes with being the West Coast's answer to Daytona Beach".
Original series creator Rob Thomas will executive produce and write the first episode, according to Variety.
An excited Bell also shared the news on Twitter and wrote, "BREAKING NEWS out of Mars Investigations! A new #VeronicaMars series is comin atcha ..

Veronica Mars reboot officially happening at Hulu

"Black Panther" star Michael B Jordan is all set to star in a new film series based on Tom Clancy's character John Clark.
According to Variety, Paramount Pictures is planning a film series on Clark, who is Clancy's second most famous character after Jack Ryan.
The studio is developing two movies for the character, with an origin story planned for an adaptation of "Without Remorse" followed up by a sequel based on "Rainbow Six".
Clark aka John Terrence Kelly, is an ex-Navy Seal-turned-operations officer for the CIA. He has been described by his creator as "Ryan's dark side" and "more inclined to take physical action than Jack is".
Paramount is in talks with writers for the "Without Remorse" adaptation and has hired writer-producer Akiva Goldsman to lead the project.
On the big screen, Clark has been portrayed by Willem Dafoe in "Clear and Present Danger" (1994) and Liev Schreiber in "The Sum of All Fears" (2002).
Clancy's classic Jack Ryan was recently played by actor John Krasinski in 

Michael B Jordan to pay Tom Clancy hero John Clark

"Avengers: Infinity War" star Chris Evans has signed on to play the lead in Apple miniseries "Defending Jacob".
The thriller series, to be directed by "The Imitation Game" helmer Morten Tyldum, is based on the novel of the same name by William Landay, reported Variety.
The 37-year-old actor will play Andy Barber, a district attorney who finds that his teenage son is a suspect in the case of a murdered 14-year-old boy he is investigating.
This is Evans' first major television role since 2000's "The Opposite of Sex" miniseries.
Mark Bomback, the scribe of "War for the Planet of the Apes", has created and written the eight-episode series. He will also executive produce and serve as the showrunner.
Evans will also executive produce the show alongside Tyldum.
The actor, best known for playing fan favourite superhero Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently starred on Broadway to critical acclaim in "Lobby Hero".

Chris Evans to star in Apple series 'Defending Jacob'

K-Pop sensation BTS will address the United Nations on Monday for the launch of a campaign by the UN children's agency UNICEF as world leaders prepare to open their annual General Assembly debate.
BTS will be speaking at the launch of "Generation Unlimited," a new partnership to promote education, training and employment for the world's youth, said a UNICEF spokesperson.
Among South Korea's best known and most lucrative musical exports, BTS made music history this year by becoming the first K-Pop group to top the Billboard 200 music charts.
The septet will bring its "Love Yourself" tour to New York for a series of concerts next week including its first-ever stadium performance.  World leaders on Tuesday will begin six days of high-level debate at the General Assembly during which the new thaw in relations on the Korean peninsula will be a top agenda item.

Korean boy band BTS to address UN

Actor Michael B Jordan has said his upcoming film "Creed II" has more to its story than just a man seeking revenge for the death of his father.
The new film is a sequel to Rocky series spinoff "Creed".
Directed by Ryan Coogler, "Creed" featured the 31-year-old actor as Adonis Creed, the son of boxer Apollo Creed, who was the arch rival and friend of Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa.
In the sequel, Adonis will go up against boxer Viktor Drago, son of Ivan Drago, who had killed Apollo in the boxing ring over thirty years ago.
In an interview with Toronto Sun, Jordan said Stallone insisted on having a villain in the sequel but stressed the film is much more than just a revenge story.
"Sly was very adamant about this one having a villain. Drago was so huge in 'Rocky IV' and he really (put a stamp) on the franchise at that time, so we wanted to make a sequel that was bigger...
"We didn't have a real villain the first time around. That was more of an origin story with Adonis fighting ...

'Creed II' not just about revenge: Michael B Jordan

Director-producer Aanand L Rai on Thursday defended the decision to cut three smoking-related scenes from the film "Manmarziyaan", saying their non-inclusion does not "compromise" with its genre.
His response came after director Anurag Kashyap took to Twitter and expressed a strong displeasure over the move, indicating that he was not consulted about the decision.
Earlier, Eros implied that the decision to cut the scenes were taken by the creative producer of the film, Colour Yellow Productions which is run by Rai.
In a statement, Rai said, "These cuts were made on a call taken by Colour Yellow Team. I feel we need to understand that this controversy happened after the film has released which leaves the producers and studio extremely vulnerable."
The scenes in question had upset a certain section of the Sikh community and Kashyap, who is out of the country, had on Wednesday issued a "genuine" apology to those who were hurt genuinely.
Rai said if the concept of the film was "smoking, ..

Aanand L Rai defends decision to delete scenes from 'Manmarziyaan'

Ugandan pop star turned opposition MP Robert Kyagulanyi was taken away by security officers upon arrival at the country's international airport Thursday, his wife Barbie told AFP.
"After landing at Entebbe, security surrounded him and took him away. We are not sure where they are taking him," she said.  Kyagulanyi, 36 and better known as singer Bobi Wine, had been seeking medical treatment in the United States.
He says he was tortured in custody after being arrested last month.  The pop star turned opposition firebrand was charged with treason alongside more than 30 others after President Yoweri Museveni's motorcade was stoned by opposition supporters.
His American lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, said on Twitter that his client had "again been unlawfully detained" upon arrival in Uganda.  Uganda's police chief, Martin Okoth Ochola, insisted that Kyagulanyi "is not under arrest".
"What we have done is to escort him from Entebbe airport to his home," he told AFP.
"We are under obligation to ..

Uganda's pop star MP 'taken away' by security officers

Actor Claire Foy, who bagged Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the recent Primetime Emmy Awards, was almost denied entry to the TV Academy's official after party.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Foy, 34, was making her way to Governors Ball when the actor was stopped by security personnel as her ticket was ripped.
However, Jonathan Van Ness, the star of Netflix's "Queer Eye", came to her rescue and explained the situation to the security.
The THR reporter also posted about the incident on Twitter.
"Just witnessed crazy #EMMYS moment: Queen almost couldn't get into Governors Ball. Claire Foy, best actress in drama winner, denied entry because of ripped ticket that prevented her team from entering back entrance until @jvn came to rescue after gushing over how much he loves her," the reported wrote.
Foy and Van Ness had met moments earlier and he had even recorded a message for the actor's sister Gemma, who she said is a big fan of "Oueer Eye".
"Be fabulous, be ...

Claire Foy was nearly denied entry to Emmy after party

The rise and fall of South African paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, who shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, is the subject of a new documentary by Vaughan Sivell, who believes the story serves as a parable for the nation post-apartheid.
The filmmaker said the four-part documentary was an attempt to understand what went wrong with the athlete, who was found guilty of culpable homicide.
"There was a concern that I did not have really anything new to say because it has been in news so much already. But during the initial research, it struck me that he was born just a few years after the birth of the rainbow nation. The country and the man had so much in common as in so little had been expected of them but they confounded everyone by what they achieved.
"But if you fast forward in time, the trial basically shows how the dream of the nation and Oscar, both came crashing down in a way that highlighted the poverty, crime and inequalities of the country," Sivell told PTI in a ...

Pistorius documentary examines what went wrong with the Blade Runner: Sivell

Actor Nicolas Cage has vented out his frustration over "Cage Rage" memes circulating on the web, saying they do "disservice" to his new film "Mandy".
The 54-year-old actor has long been a subject of internet jokes with many taking screenshots of his outlandish expressions from his films and turning them into hilarious memes, which are often termed as "Cage Rage".
In an interview with Indiewire, Cage said the memes are unfair to "Mandy", directed by Panos Cosmatos. It features the actor as a revenge seeking lover.
"The issue is, with the advent of the internet, doing these mashups, where they pull these choice moments without the context of the whole film around it to support it, has created this meme-ification, if you will. It's been branded 'Cage Rage', and it's frustrating.
"I'm sure it's frustrating for Panos, who has made what I consider a very lyrical, internal, and poetic work of art, to have this 'Cage Rage' thing slammed all over his movie. It's one thing for me, because I'd ..

Nicolas Cage finds 'Cage Rage' memes 'frustrating'

"True Detective" helmer Cary Fukunaga has been announced as the replacement of Danny Boyle for the upcoming James Bond movie.
The news was shared by producers in a statement posted on Twitter, saying that the 41-year-old filmmaker, best known for directing films such as "Jane Eyre" and "Beasts of No Nation", will start shooting for the project in March next year with a release date of February 14, 2020.
"We are delighted to be working with Cary. His versatility and innovation make him an excellent choice for our next James Bond adventure," said Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli in the statement.
Boyle had last month dropped out of the project, which will mark Daniel Craig's last outing as the famed British spy, over creative difference with the producers. He was supposed to start shooting in December.
The director had boarded the project along with his "Trainspotting" co-writer, John Hodge, but they both have now exited it.
Last week, screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, ...

Cary Fukunaga to direct new James Bond film

Allen Heinberg, writer of "Wonder Woman", is set to develop a female-driven Marvel drama at ABC.
The Disney-owned network has handed out production commitment to the top-secret project, Deadline reported.
True to Marvel style, details about the premise are being kept under wraps, though it is expected to shine light on lesser-known characters in the comic book giant's library.
Heiberg has earlier served as showrunner on ABC's "The Catch".
He will also executive produce alongside Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb.
Currently, Marvel's "Agents of SHIELD" will return in next year for an abbreviated 13-episode order. It is unclear if this would be the show's final season.
ABC previously aired "Agent Carter" and "Inhumans", from the MCU, which have both been cancelled.
It was announced Wednesday that popular Marvel comics character Loki and Scarlett Witch are all set to get stand-alone TV shows that will air on Disney's new streaming video service, set to launch in 2019.

'Wonder Woman' scribe Allan Heinberg to pen female-led Marvel drama

"Manmarziyaan" has landed in fresh controversy over the deletion of three smoking-related scenes with director Anurag Kashyap expressing a strong displeasure over the move, implying that he was not consulted about the decision.
The scenes in question had upset a certain section of the Sikh community and Kashyap, who is out of the country, had on Wednesday issued a "genuine" apology to those who were hurt genuinely.
The makers had apparently approached the censor board to chop off the alleged objectionable scenes from the film, starring Taapsee Pannu, Abhishek Bachchan and Vicky Kaushal.
Kashyap vented out his anger against the move on Twitter, calling out Eros International, who are the presenters of the film.
"Before my tweet is taken down - Congratulations. Here by all problems of Punjab are solved and Sikh youth have been saved . Happy to be back in LaLa land again. Next time you are threatened by a film please call Kishore Lulla directly... Eros knows how to solve matters in ...

Anurag Kashyap fumes after scenes deleted from 'Manmarziyaan'

Maroon 5 will be the halftime performers at Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show in 2019.
Multiple sources confirmed to Variety, the music group was locked by the organisers owing to their all-star collaborations, such as Cardi B-featuring Girls Like You, What Lovers Do with SZA, Cold with Future and Don't Wanna Know with Kendrick Lamar.
A representative for Maroon 5, fronted by lead vocalist Adam Levine, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Last year, Justin Timberlake headlined the Super Bowl Halftime.
The group joins the artistes, including Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and Beyonce, to headline the show.

Maroon 5 to perform at Super Bowl Halftime 2019

Looking back, Bob Odenkirk says he should have been more afraid to be the face of Better Call Saul, the critically-acclaimed show that  followed up the phenomenon that was Breaking Bad.
"Breaking Bad", he says, had both magic and luck on its side and there were high chances that anything that comes from the same universe would be hated by the fans.
Instead they loved Better Call Saul, which is more of a deconstruction of how Jimmy McGill, a flawed but good-hearted man, morphs into the confident but shady persona of Saul Goodman.
"I guess it was a little intimidating but it probably should have been more intimidating... I should have been more wary of it. There was a chance that I would have been hated around the world," Odenkirk told PTI in a telephonic interview from Los Angeles.
"I did not know what I was saying yes' to. I was just kind of throwing myself in head first and that's because I trusted Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan to do, at the very least, something interesting, he ...

Had no idea what I was saying yes to: Odenkirk on moving from Breaking Bad to Better Call Saul

"Downton Abbey", the film, is set to release on September 13 next year around the world.
Universal Pictures International will present the movie internationally, CNN reported.
The movie, however, will hit the North American theatres on September 19, 2019.
Based on the British historical period drama TV series, set at the turn of the 20th Century, focused on the wealthy Crawley family and the servants who work for and live with them.
The film, officially announced back in July, will be about "the Crawley family's next chapter," according to Focus Pictures chairman Peter Kujawski.
Julian Fellowes, who created "Downton Abbey" and wrote the film's screenplay, is producing alongside Gareth Neame and Liz Trubridge.
The original cast, including Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, and Maggie Smith, are expected to return.
The shooting officially began last week.

'Downton Abbey' film to release on September 13, 2019 worldwide

"Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke showed off her dragon tattoos Wednesday.
The 31-year-old actor got three little dragons flying away inked on her right-hand wrist after declaring earlier this year that she was planning on getting a "GOT"-inspired tattoo as a tribute to her role, Daenerys Targaryen, popularly known as Mother of Dragons, in the fantasy epic series.
Clarke took to Instagram to share the news.
"MOD 4 LYFE! @_dr_woo_ made sure this mamma ain't NEVER forgetting her babies..." Clarke captioned the photo.
She had earlier said, "I'm going to get a dragon right here (points at wrist) kind of flying away. So I think that's cool. A little kind of peace out."
The actor joins fellow "GOT" stars Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams got matching inkings to commemorate the date when they clinched their roles as Sansa and Arya Stark.
"GOT" returns for its eighth and final installment next year.

Emilia Clarke shows off dragon tattoos

Ryan Coogler has come on board to produce "Space Jam 2", featuring professional basketball player LeBron James.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the "Black Panther" director will back the sequel to the 1996 film, which will be helmed by Terence Nance.
Production on the long-anticipated follow-up to the Michael Jordan-Bugs Bunny hit is tentatively slated for 2019, during the NBA off-season.
This will be James' first starring role after a successful turn as a supporting character in Amy Schumer's "Trainwreck" (2015).
"Space Jam" was a live-action/animated film that mashed up Looney Tunes characters with basketball stars and aliens.
Bugs Bunny is expected to return for the sequel.

Ryan Coogler to produce LeBron James 'Space Jam' sequel

Bruce Greenwood is set to join the cast of "The Shining" sequel "Doctor Sleep".
The 62-year-old actor will play Dr John in the film based on Stephen King's 2013 novel of the same name, Deadline reported.
The description of the character is being kept under wraps.
"Doctor Sleep" is the sequel to King's "The Shining", which was adapted in 1977 by Stanley Kubrick for a film by the same name, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall.
The new film, to be directed by Mike Flanagan, will feature Ewan McGregor as Danny Torrance, the grown-up son of Nicholson's part, who in the original movie had psychic powers and watched his father descend into a murderous rage.
The story follows Danny, who is an angry alcoholic dealing with his re-emerging psychic powers by working in a hospice, where he helps dying patients and earns the nickname "Dr Sleep".
Into his life enters Abra Stone, a little girl with psychic abilities of her own, and Torrance finds himself caught up in a battle with a group of ..

Bruce Greenwood to star in 'The Shining' sequel

Mahesh Bhatt is set to return to direction with "Sadak 2", after a hiatus of 19 years, his daughter, actor Alia Bhatt said Thursday.
Alia, who is also part of the cast of the film, which is a sequel to Bhatt's 1991 film, made the announcement on her father's 70th birthday.
"On your 70th birthday you have given me the greatest present I could ask and dream for. Your are directing me! 'Sadak 2' is a dream come true...
"What I thought will never be possible you have made possible. Thank you daddy from the bottom of my heart, soul and bones. This will be a journey of discovery..." the "Raazi" star wrote on Twitter.
This is the first time Bhatt will direct the actor.
Pooja Bhatt and Sanjay Dutt, the original leads, also star in the film, along with new entrant Aditya Roy Kapur.
Bhatt's production house Vishesh Films confirmed the news on the microblogging site.
"27 years ago, a love story won your hearts. A timeless tale. The next chapter begins... @MaheshNBhatt's #Sadak2 in cinemas 25th ..

Page 587 -