It makes Paul Schneider happy that his popular sitcom "Parks and Recreation" continues to find new audiences and he now hopes that people watch his Amazon series Tales from the Loop", which uses science-fiction to tell human stories.
Among the avid fans of Parks and Recreation, Schneider is still known for playing Mark Brendanawicz, the colleague of Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope, in the first two seasons of the show.
"Tales from the Loop", created by Nathaniel Halpern of The Killing fame, is based on the critically-acclaimed artwork of Swedish artist Simon Stalenhag, features Jonathan Pryce and Rebecca Hall.
Schnieder believes the sci-fi setting of the show, which started streaming on Amazon Prime Video from Friday, is just a tool to tell stories about humans and what binds them together.
"I feel science fiction is a great vehicle to get us into human stories. As an actor, I don't know a lot about what it's like to be in space or I'm not  a physicist in my real life. I'm not pondering ...

'Tales from the Loop' about human relationships: Paul Schneider

PTI Automatic

Actor Jesse Eisenberg says he was wrongly labelled as a rude person after his 2013 interview with a young female journalist.
The Social Network star was widely slammed on social media for the interview in which he came across as arrogant and was seen mocking the journalist's questions. He was promoting his film Now You See Me at the time.
The interviewer, Romina Puga, had later penned a column, describing her experience with the actor, calling him an obnoxious person.
Talking to NME, Eisenberg said he had different memory of the interview as he found it to be quite fun.
I remember she was laughing. Even after she left, I said to the people in the room, what a relief'. Like, that was the most funny, interesting interview I'd had all day, the 36-year-old actor said.
Eisenberg said he later received a call from his publicist saying that the media wants his statement about the interview.
And I said, what interview?' I watched the thing and she had written an editorial (saying) I had made .

Jesse Eisenberg talks about infamous 2013 interview

Stand-up artiste and actor Kanan Gill has got his first-ever Netflix original comedy special.
Titled Yours Sincerely, Kanan Gill, the special will premiere on Netflix on April 24.
The comedian said the show is about rediscovering the goals he had set for himself when he was younger.
It's about how I thought my life would be, how it turned out to be and how I feel about it. The process of writing is spending long periods of time with nothing but ideas. Each line has been agonised over and told to thousands of people around the world before being recorded, Kanan said in a statement.
In the special, he will share his views on Indians and small/big talks, brushes up on the different formats of letters and discusses achievable goals his younger self set for him.
Kanan is the latest Indian stand-up artiste to have a special on Netflix after Vir Das, Aditi Mittal and Amit Tandon.

Kanan Gill gets first Netflix original comedy special

Celebrated Italian shoe designer Sergio Rossi has died at the age of 84 from complications over novel coronavirus.
The shoemaker died on Thursday in Italy's Cesena, a city in Emilia-Romagna, one of the regions hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Riccardo Sciutto, CEO of the Sergio Rossi Group, shared the news of the designer's demise on Instagram.
Today everyone at Sergio Rossi joins me in remembering our dear Sergio, the inspiring founder of our dream. Sergio Rossi was a master, and it is my great honour to have met him and gotten to present him the archive earlier this year. His vision and approach will remain our guide in the growth of the brand and the business, Sciutto said.
"He loved women and was able to capture a woman's femininity in a unique way, creating the perfect extension of a woman's leg through his shoes. Our long and glorious history started from his incredible vision, and we'll remember his creativity forever, he added.
Rossi was born in 1935 and started making 

Italian designer Sergio Rossi dies due to coronavirus

Marvel Studios has roped in Jeff Loveness, the scribe of popular animated series Rick and Morty, to pen the screenplay for the third Ant-Man film.
Peyton Reed, who directed the first film Ant-Man in 2015 and then its 2018 sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp, will return to helm the threequel.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Loveness boarded the project in the early days of the US shutdown due to coronavirus pandemic. He has already started working on the screenplay.
Paul Rudd is coming back to reprise his superhero role of Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, while Evangeline Lilly will return as Hope van Dyne aka Wasp.
Disney-owned Marvel Studios is yet to announce a release date for the film.

Rick and Morty' scribe to write Ant-Man 3' for Marvel

Actor Logan Williams, who played young Barry Allen in The Flash, has died at the age of 16.
The young actor died on Thursday, his mother Marlyse Williams confirmed to the Tri-City News of British Columbia.
Marlyse said the family is "absolutely devastated.
She added that the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing restrictions have made the family's mourning even more difficult. "I am not able to hug my parents who lost their only grandchild. It's hard."
Actor Grant Gustin, who plays the grown-up version of Barry Allen and his titular alter ego, paid homage to Williams.
"Just hearing the devastating news. This picture was early in the filming of The Flash pilot episode back in 2014. I was so impressed by not only Logan's talent but his professionalism on set.
My thoughts and prayers will be with him and his family during what is I'm sure an unimaginably difficult time for them. Please keep Logan and his family in your thoughts and prayers during what has been a strange and trying ..

The Flash' actor Logan Williams dead at 16

Pop star Pink has revealed that she was tested positive for coronavirus two weeks ago but has since recovered.
In a statement posted on her social media accounts, the 40-year-old singer said that her three-year-old son Jameson was also diagnosed with the disease.
"Two weeks ago my three-year old son, Jameson, and I were showing symptoms of COVID-19. Fortunately, our primary care physician had access to tests and I tested positive," Pink wrote.
"My family was already sheltering at home and continued to do so for the last two weeks following the instruction of our doctor. Just a few days ago, we were re-tested and are now thankfully negative, she added.
She then slammed the US government led by President Donald Trump for conducting inadequate tests of COVID-19, calling it an absolute travesty.
It is an absolute travesty and failure of our government to not make testing more widely accessible. This illness is serious and real.
People need to know that the illness affects the young and ...

Pink reveals coronavirus diagnosis, says she has recovered

Singer Selena Gomez opened up about her bipolar disorder diagnosis.
She made the revelation during an Instagram live chat session with fellow Disney star Miley Cyrus.
Recently, I went to one of the best mental hospitals in the world, but definitely in America, McLean's Hospital, and I discussed that after years of going through a lot of different things, I realized that I was bipolar.
"And so, when I got to know more information, it actually helps me. It doesn't scare me once I know it. And I think people get scared of that, right? Gomez said during Cyrus' Bright Minded Instagram live stream.
The 27-year-old singer compared learning about her mental health to a childhood memory.
When I was younger, I was scared of thunderstorms, and my mom bought me all these different books on thunderstorms. She said, the more that you educate yourself on this, the more that you're not going to be afraid.' And it completely worked, she told Cyrus.
Cyrus launched "Bright Minded" on March 17 to "bring .

Selena Gomez shares bipolar diagnosis

Bollywood couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh on Saturday announced that they will be donating money to the PM-CARES Fund to help combat coronavirus pandemic in the country.
Both the actors took their respective Instagram accounts to announce that they have decided to contribute to the relief fund and also urged their fans to do so.
In times like these, every bit counts. We humbly pledge to contribute to the PM-CARES FUND, and hope that you will too. We're all in this together, and we shall overcome. Jai Hind, the statement from the couple read.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 2,902 on Saturday while the death toll rose to 68, according to the Union Health Ministry.
In the last week, various relief funds have received donations from a number of Bollywood celebrities, including Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Varun Dhawan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and others.

Deepika, Ranveer pledge support to PM-CARES

Fox's modern-day Western procedural drama Deputy has been cancelled by the network after first season.
The series launched in January, featured Stephen Dorff and hailed from writer Will Beall and director David Ayer, who also served as executive producers.
Deputy wrapped its 13-episode run on March 26 with an average of 3.66 million total viewers.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the decision to cancel the police drama has nothing to do with the state of the entertainment industry due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The show also featured Yara Martinez, Brian Van Holt, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Sienna Goines and Shane Paul McGhie.

Fox cancels 'Deputy' after season one

Streaming platform Netflix on Saturday announced that it will contribute Rs 7.5 crore to Producers Guild of India (PGI) Relief Fund to help daily wage earners in the entertainment industry in the country.
This fund, which was set up last month by PGI, will provide emergency short term relief to thousands of daily wage earners in the Indian creative community, who have been directly impacted by the closure of film, TV and web productions in the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"We're grateful to be working with the Producers Guild of India to support the hardest hit workers in TV and film production - from electricians to carpenters, hair and makeup artists to spot boys. Crews in India have always been vital to Netflix's success and now we want to do our part and help those who most need support in these unprecedented times," Netflix spokesperson said in a statement.
Siddharth Roy Kapur, President, Producers Guild of India said, he values Netflix's contribution to the fund.
I ..

Netflix donates Rs 7.5 crore to help daily wage workers in India

Disney Studios has announced the new release dates for its much-awaited movies Black Widow and Mulan which were pushed after theatres were closed in many countries across the globe due to coronavirus pandemic.
Black Widow, the Scarlett Johansson-led Marvel Studios project, which was scheduled to hit the theatres on May 1, will now release on November 6, while the live-action remake of Disney's animation classic Mulan will bow out on July 24.
The shift in the Black Widow release has also forced the studio to delay The Eternals. The movie, which features Hollywood bigwigs such as Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek and Kit Harington among others, has been pushed to February 12, 2021.
Other Marvel Cinematic Universe movies to have been postponed are: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (May 7, 2021), Doctor Strange 2 (November 5, 2021) and Thor: Love and Thunder (February 18, 2022).
Black Panther 2 will still release on May 6, 2022, while Captain Marvel 2 has been set for July 8, ...

'Black Widow', 'Mulan' get new release date

Bill Withers, the legendary performer who defined 1970s soul with timeless hits like "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean on Me" has died, his family said in a statement. He was 81 years old.
The Grammy-winning artist succumbed to heart complications, according to his family, which said it was "devastated" over the loss.
"A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other," they said.
"In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones." The artist's recording career lasted just 14 years -- he released his final album in 1985 -- but his hits that melded gritty southern blues with smooth R&B have endured for decades as global classics, including "Lovely Day" and "Just the Two of Us." The youngest of six, Withers was born on July 4, 1938 during the final years of the Great Depression  in Slab Fork, West Virginia, in a segregated ...

Bill Withers, soul icon behind 'Lean On Me,' dies at 81

Filmmaker Ekta Kapoor on Friday said she will be letting go of her one-year salary of Rs 2.5 crores so as to provide financial aid to her co-workers in her company Balaji Telefilms.
The country is currently under the 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus pandemic. In view of the outbreak, film shoots have been suspended, which has severely impacted the lives of the daily wage workers in the industry.
Several Bollywood celebrities have come forward to help daily wage workers and Ekta has decided to do her bit.
The impact of corona crisis is huge, unprecedented and multi-pronged. We all need to do things that will ease the hardships of people around us and of our country at large.
It is my first and foremost responsibility to take care of the various freelancers and daily wage workers, who work at Balaji Telefilms and who are going to suffer immense losses due to no shootings in the current scenario and uncertainty over the indefinite period to follow, Ekta said in a ...

COVID-19: Ekta Kapoor to forsake her salary of Rs 2.5 crore to help co-workers

Actor Karisma Kapoor says staying away from the camera was a conscious decision as she wanted to focus on her children.
The 45-year-old actor, whose last full-fledged on screen appearance was in 2012 "Dangerous Ishq", believes motherhood is a huge commitment and she didn't want to miss out on her kids, Samiera and Kiaan's growing up years.
"I never really missed being in front of the camera, or not being in the spotlight. I do work regularly, but I haven't faced the camera in a full-fledged role in a long time.
"This decision was completely made out of choice because I wanted to spend time at home and not do a movie, which at that time was a big commitment. I really felt that I wanted to give the time to my family, my children and I didn't want to miss out on that, Karisma told PTI in an interview.
The actor, who ruled the 90s and early 2000s with films Coolie No.1, Jeet, Raja Hindustani, Hero No 1, Dil To Pagal Hai, Fiza and Zubeidaa, has returned to acting with web series ...

Never missed being in the spotlight: Karisma Kapoor

Jessica Chastain was at one point in talks with Marvel Studios for the role of Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange but the actor declined the part as she herself wanted to play a superhero.
The revelation was made by writer C Robert Cargill, who worked with director Scott Derickson and fellow scribe Jon Spaihts on the 2016 superhero movie, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme.
During his appearance on hisSticher podcastJunkfood Cinema, Cargill revealed that Chastain told the producers that featuring in Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a once in a lifetime opportunity but she doesn't want to waste it by playing an ordinary human character.
She's like, Hey, look, this project sounds awesome, and I would love to do it. But I'm only going to get one shot at being in aMarvelfilm and becoming a Marvel character; and I trained in ballet, and I really want to wear a cape,' Cargill said.
It'sthe coolest rejection everShe wanted to be in a Marvel movie, but she wanted to be ...

Jessica Chastain rejected Doctor Strange' in coolest way, says writer

Writer Tahira Kashyap Khurrana has started a video series titled "The Lockdown Tales", where she will be narrating mini fictional stories with the aim to celebrate happy moments amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Tahira said she had no "agenda" to start the story series, but in the current unprecedented situation, everyone is doing their bit to align themselves "towards the positive aspect of life."
"Apart from cooking and painting, something which comes most natural to me and flows out of me are stories, since I write. These stories started coming after observing people in the vicinity, news. It's inspired by the current moment we are in but there's a whole lot of imagination," Tahira told PTI.
On Friday, Tahira uploaded her first story in the series titled "6 Foot Duur", but said she doesn't have a fixed number on how many stories she will put up.
"There are going to be more than a couple since I've been writing them but honestly the day I feel this is it I don't want to share more, I ..

Tahira Kashyap starts video series 'The Lockdown Tales' to celebrate happy moments

Hollywood superstar Will Smith has announced a new original series for Snapchat where he will be discussing his day-to-day activities during the isolation period.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 51-year-old will be interacting with family members, celebrity friends and everyday people who are isolating indoors as part of the 12-episode series, titled Will From Home.
The first episode of show, which debutted on Friday on the Snapchat app, features the actor and musician hanging out in his garage while he is practising social distancing.
The show will also feature guest appearances going forward, most notably from Tyra Banks, who is also practising social distancing at her home.
Will From Home, produced by Westbrook Media, will drop new episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Will Smith launches series Will From Home' on Snapchat

With cinema halls shut and film releases suspended amid the nation-wide lockdown, theatre owners battle fears that the digital platforms might end up changing the collective movie watching experience, resulting in a dent in the footfalls whenever the screens open up again.
India is currently under the 21-day lockdown with around 1.3 billion people asked to stay home in view of the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected over 2,300 people in the country as of Friday while the death toll rose to 56, according to the Union Health Ministry.
Bihar-based exhibitor Vishek Chauhan said with everyone quarantined, digital platforms are "taking us by the throat and pushing down their content every week."
"Cinema is a habit, if you break a habit for four-six months, you'll get a lot of people dissuaded to come to cinemas. Even if there is a reduction of 15-20 per cent in the footfall, which is anyway on a decline, cinema is going to be badly hit," Chauhan told PTI.
The exhibitor, who runs ...

Amid lockdown, cinema halls stare at the fear of OTT taking over

As shootings of serials, films,
web series are suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak,  technicians of the industry, who get their wages daily, are  finding it difficult to make both ends meet.
Around 12,000 technicians - dressers, hairdressers,  spot boys, light men, canteen staff and others - get wages in  the range of Rs 850-1,500 per day from production houses,  industry sources said.
Dresser Birju Lal was working for Hindi film 'Bob  Biswas', a Sujoy Ghosh production, in Kolkata.
Now, shooting has been stopped and he is waiting for  the "dark phase, the uncertainty" to get over.
"It's a difficult phase, but still we can manage if  the lockdown is lifted on April 15 and shooting resumes  thereafter. But I don't know what will happen if it  continues!" said Lal, who has been in the profession for 15  years.
The 35-year-old man has a little child, wife and  parents to look after.
However, he considers himself lucky as he received  some money from the producer for the scheduled ...

COVID19: Shootings suspended, technicians feeling the heat

Vir Das, who next features Netflix series Hasmukh, believes the show will be able to resonate strongly with his fellow stand-up comedians.
The show, directed by Nikhil Gonsalves, is Vir's fourth collaboration with Netflix after his three stand-up comedy specials for the streamer.
Vir said performing in front of a live audience is different from being in a fictional film or series.
I'm back on screen playing a strange and unusual character, so I'm excited. He's super awkward, soft spoken, always mild...until he murders or gets on stage. Stand-up comedians will relate to Hasmukh's journey Well, most of it at least.
We're all looking for innovative ways to make people laugh, but this guy takes it to the next level, Vir said in a statement.
The show follows the journey of a young man from Saharanpur who wants to be the greatest comedian in the world.
While he is a great writer, what he lacks is comic timing. Determined to achieve his dream, he will do absolutely anything to make sure the .

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