Oscar-nominated Japanese anime director Isao Takahata, who co-founded Studio Ghibli and was best known for his work "Grave of the Fireflies", has died aged 82, the studio said today.
The winner of many awards domestically and internationally, Takahata was considered one of the greats of Japanese animated film and is often linked with long-term Studio Ghibli collaborator Hayao Miyazaki.
He enjoyed a career spanning several decades, producing both films and work for the small screen and his latest production, "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya", earned him an Academy nomination for best animated feature.
An adaptation of a popular tale from the 10th century -- considered one of the founding texts of Japanese literature -- the film was also selected for a slot in the Director's Fortnight sidebar to the main Cannes film competition in 2014.
It also won rave reviews, with the New York Times in 2014 describing it as "exquisitely drawn with both watercolour delicacy and a brisk sense of ...

Japan anime giant Takahata dead at 82

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Hollywood star Anne Hathaway is gaining weight for a role and has slammed "all the people who are going to fat shame me".
The actor posted a video of her exercising on her Instagram.
"I am gaining weight for a movie role and it is going well. To all the people who are going to fat shame me in the upcoming months, it's not me, it's you. Peace," she wrote.
The 35-year-old actor added that she "wanted to set this to Queen's 'Fat Bottomed Girls' but copyright said no."
The "Devil Wears Prada" star has not shied away from calling out her haters in the past. Last month, Hathaway addressed those who criticised her 2013 Oscars dress, which she wore when she won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Les Miserables".
The "Ocean's 8" actor also talked about a time when people disliked her for no particular reason nearly five years ago.
"It's not that I've gotten a rhino skin to it, but I sort of see all of that for what it is. How the world feels about me has nothing to do with .

Anne Hathaway slams body shamers

Streaming giant Netflix today announced that production has started on its second Indian original show, "Selection Day".
The show will narrate a compelling coming-of-age story of cricket and corruption, which explores the glory and rivalry in Mumbai.
It will be produced in partnership with Seven Stories and Anil Kapoor's Anil Kapoor Film and Communication Network Pvt. Ltd.
"We are thrilled to see Selection Day, a beautifully written coming-of-age story set in the vibrant and sometimes dark world of cricket, come to life.  While rooted in India, the themes of family, adolescent discoveries, and the evolution of childhood dreams are relevant everywhere in the world.
"We couldn't imagine a better partner than legendary Anil Kapoor, with his unique sensibilities and wide Indian and international experience, in developing this series," said Simran Sethi, Director, International Originals, Netflix.
Anil said that show is "sweeping in its scope and the range of themes it covers: from the ...

Production starts on Netflix's 'Selection Day'

"The Good Wife" star Josh Charles is set to make his Broadway debut in the Second Stage Theatre production of Young Jean Lee's "Straight White Men".
Tony winner Anna D Shapiro will direct the play, which marks the first work by an Asian-American female playwright produced on Broadway, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The play takes place at Christmas, when three adult sons gather in the home of their widowed father to sit around in holiday pajamas, eat Chinese takeout and wrestle with their respective identities, until one of them upsets the balance by rejecting the expectations his family and society have placed on him.
Also joining previously announced stars Armie Hammer and Tom Skerritt are performance artistes Kate Bornstein and Ty Defoe.
Skerritt will play the father, Ed, with Charles as hotshot banker Jake and Hammer as award-winning fiction writer Drew.
Casting of the remaining key role of their underachieving elder brother Matt is yet to be announced.

Josh Charles to make Broadway debut with 'Straight White Men'

Sean Penn and Robin Wright's 24-year-old son, Hopper Penn, has been arrested on drug possession charges.
According to E! online, a Nebraska State Patrol spokesman said Hopper and his girlfriend, 26-year-old Uma Von Wittkamp, were arrested on Wednesday afternoon after a trooper stopped their vehicle on Interstate 80.
Authorities said the trooper detected drug activity inside the vehicle and found 14 grams of marijuana, four amphetamine pills and three grams of mushrooms.
Penn was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. Possession of a controlled substance is a felony.

Sean Penn and Robin Wright's son arrested on drug charges

"Star Trek" actor Karl Urban is returning to the small screen with Amazon Studios' superhero drama series "The Boys".
According to the Hollywood Reporter, "The Boys" takes places in a world where superheroes embrace the darker side of their massive celebrity and fame, and centers on a group of vigilantes known informally as "the boys" who set out to take down corrupt superheroes with no more than blue-collar grit and a willingness to fight dirty.
Urban will play Billy Butcher, who is described as mysterious and brutal with a personal but secret agenda.
"Supernatural" creator Eric Kripke will serve as creator and showrunner on "The Boys", which will be directed by Seth Rogen and his longtime producing partner Evan Goldberg.
A premiere date for "The Boys" is yet to be announced.

Karl Urban to star in superhero drama series 'The Boys'

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal is set to produce and star in the thriller "Welcome to Vienna" for Focus Features.
The project is based on the Kevin Wignall novel "To Die in Vienna," which will be published in June by Thomas & Mercer, reported Deadline.
Gyllenhaal will play a Vienna-based civilian surveillance contractor for hire who is tracking a Chinese scientist. He interrupts a break-in at his apartment and the intruder escapes, but then comes back and tries to kill him  leading the contractor to believe that the CIA may be trying to kill him.
Gyllenhaal will produce through his production company Nine Stories alongside Riva Marker.

Jake Gyllenhaal to produce and star in 'Welcome to Vienna'

Following the conviction of Salman Khan in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case by a Jodhpur court, a host of industry friends dropped at the superstar's residence to meet his family.
Family members including brother Sohail and Arbaaz, brother in law Aayush Sharma were at Salman's Galaxy Apartment in suburban Bandra.
Soon after the judgment was announced Congress leader Baba Siddiqui rushed to the actor's house.
Arbaaz's ex-wife Malaika and her sister Amrita Arora, "Race 3" producer Ramesh Taurani, Sonakshi Sinha, along with her parents Shatrughan and Poonam Sinha, Sneha Ullal and Daisy Shah were seen visiting his residence.
Sonakshi, Sneha and Daisy were launched in Bollywood as actors by Salman.
Filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala, who is a close friend of the the 52-year-old actor, cancelled the success party of his latest release, "Baaghi 2 , and left for Jodhpur.
After the verdict, fans had gathered outside the "Sultan" actor's house. Police constables were also stationed outside the ...

Friends visit Salman Khan's house as actor spends night in jail

Hollywood star Tom Hanks' war drama "Greyhound" will hit the screens on April 5, 2019.
The Sony Pictures film, which stars Hanks, is based on C.S. Forester's novel "The Good Shepherd." Aaron Schneider is directing from Hanks' script, reported Variety.
"Greyhound" is currently filming in Baton Rouge, Los Angeles. It is set in the early days of World War II as an international convoy of 37 Allied ships, led by Hanks' Captain Ernest Krause, crosses the treacherous North Atlantic while being hotly pursued by wolf packs of Nazi U-boats.
Sony Pictures has also set "Grudge reboot for an August 16, 2019 release.
Directed by Nicolas Pesce, the film is a re-imagining of the supernatural thriller, for Ghost House and Good Universe.
"Grudge" will begin shooting in May.

Tom Hanks' war drama 'Greyhound' to release in 2019

Nat Geo has put in development a potential series inspired by the Oscar-nominated film "Hidden Figures".
The Theodore Melfi-directed historical film tells the untold true story of three brilliant African-American women working at NASA who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history.
Based on Margot Lee Shetterly's book "Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race", the film stars Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae as Katherine G Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, respectively, who performed work that was crucial to American success in the space race and most impactfully, in the successful 1969 Apollo moon landing.
The TV project, which is in the early stages of development, will be executive produced by Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping of Chernin Entertainment, both of whom executive produced the film. National Geographic will also produce, reported Variety.
The film was nominated for three ...

'Hidden Figures' series in works at Nat Geo

Amazon has greenlit a documentary series on Lorena Bobbitt with Jordan Peele attached to executive produce via his Monkeypaw Productions and Sonar Entertainment.
The four-part series, titled "Lorena," will delve into the notorious case of husband and wife John and Lorena Bobbitt. In 1993, Lorena made headlines around the world when she cut off her husband's penis. She later claimed that she did so after he raped her.
The series will examine how the case laid the groundwork for the modern 24-hour news cycle and increasing sensationalistic media coverage. It will also explore the national discussion on domestic and sexual assault in America, reported Variety.
"When we hear the name 'Bobbitt' we think of one of the most sensational incidents to ever be catapulted into a full-blown media spectacle. With this project, Lorena has a platform to tell her truth as well as engage in a critical conversation about gender dynamics, abuse, and her demand for justice. This is Lorena's story and ...

Jordan Peele to produce Lorena Bobbitt docuseries

"Solo: A Star Wars Story" will make its debut at the Cannes Film Festival.
According to Variety, the Lucasfilm origin story will premiere in a special screeninGg on May 15, before the film makes its global premiere on May 25.
The Ron Howard-directed origin story stars Alden Ehrenreich as the young Han Solo, the role made famous by Harrison Ford.
Donald Glover plays Lando Calrissian, and "Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Paul Bettany and Thandie Newton also star.
"Solo" is the second anthology film following 2016's "Rogue One," which made more than USD 1 billion at the global box office.
In the past, "Star Wars: Episode II  Attack of the Clones" (2002) and "Star Wars: Episode III  Revenge of the Sith" (2005) both played out of competition.
Opening the festival is two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi's psychological thriller "Everybody Knows," starring Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, and Ricardo Darin.
The festival runs from May 8 to May 19.

'Solo: A Star Wars Story' to premiere at Cannes Film Festival

Salman Khan may be a heartthrob of millions, but at the Jodhpur Central Jail he is just Qaidi No. 106 who was served simple dal-roti which he did not eat.
Khan, who was today sentenced to five years in prison for killing two blackbucks about 20 year ago, has been kept in ward no. 2,  adjacent to the cell of self-styled godman Asaram.
Jail superintendent Vikram Singh, while briefing the media on the celebrity inmate, said Khan would be treated as a normal prisoner and no special treatment would be given to him.
He will have a simple wooden bed, a rug and a cooler in his cell, Singh said.
He (Khan) was given normal jail diet like Dal chapatti and the morning meal will include simple khichdi," he said.
Sources, however, said the Bollywood icon did not eat the jail food.
Singh said that the actor had a blood pressure issue when he came inside the jail and the doctor of the prison dispensary checked him. His blood pressure was later declared normal.
On the reported threat to Khan by a ...

Qaidi No. 106 Salman given dal-roti in jail

The name of the film that landed Salman Khan in trouble was ominous. It was during the shoot of "Hum Saath Saath Hain" -- or We Are All Together -- in Rajasthan that its hero encountered two blackbucks late one night near Jodhpur.
That could well be the name of a group of actors from Bollywood who have served time. The thread that ties them is that they were all imprisoned -- though not together, of course.
Khan, who was jailed in Jodhpur today after being sentenced for shooting and killing two endangered blackbucks in 1998, joins a line of stars who found themselves on the wrong side of the law.
The Dabangg actor, who has been in and out of jail on poaching cases and a 2002 hit and run incident that resulted in the death of a man, follows friend and colleague Sanjay Dutt, whose turbulent life is now the subject of a Bollywood film.
Dutt put behind his dark past in  2016 when he was released after spending 42 months in the Yerawada jail after being convicted in a 1993 Mumbai serial ...

Salman not alone, joins stars who have spent time in jail

Here is a chronology of events in the case in which Bollywood star Salman Khan was sentenced today:
October 1-2, 1998: Poaching of two blackbucks in Kankani
October 2, 1998: Complaint registered by the forest department
Total accused in the case: 7 (Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelma, Tabu, Dushyant Singh and Dinesh Gawre)
Eye witnesses in the case: 4 (Chhogaram, Poonam Chand, Sheraram and Mangilal)
November 9, 2000: Cognisance and registration of the case at the CJM
February 19, 2006: Followed by the charge arguments, charges are framed against the accused
Repeated revision petitions, first by the defence in the session court and then by the prosecution in the high court, held up the trial for 7 years.
March 23, 2013: Revised charges are framed against all the accused by the trial court.
May 23, 2013: Trial of the case begins in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate.
Total prosecution witnesses deposed before the court during trial: 28
January 13, 2017: The ...

CHRONOLOGY OF THE SALMAN KHAN CASE IN WHICH HE WAS SENTENCED TODAY

The Parents Television Council has urged streaming giant Netflix to put on hold the release of the second season its hit show "13 Reasons Why".
The conservative group said Netflix should pause the release of the second season until "experts in the scientific community have determined it to be safe for consumption by an audience that is comprised heavily of minor children".
The show was heavily criticised last year for the graphic depiction of its lead character's suicide. It also touched upon various other issues such as teen depression, bullying, rape and suicide.
Netflix had last month announced that it added warning cards and crisis hotlines information to episodes and also commissioned a global research study with Northwestern University's Center on Media and Human Development titled, "Exploring How Teens and Parents Responded to 13 Reasons Why."
The study led Netflix to introduce even more changes, including a custom introduction to each season from the show's cast about the ...

PTC asks Netflix to hold '13 Reasons Why' season two until deemed safe

Irrfan Khan starrer "Blackmail" is getting rave reviews from industry stalwarts such as Shabana Azmi and Amitabh Bachchan.
At a special screening of the film, celebrities like Shabana Azmi, director David Dhawan, Omung Kumar, Vineet Kumar Singh, Sharad Kelkar, Swanand Kirkire were present last evening.
"'Blackmail' is a mad predictable script directed with such relish by Abhinay Deo, performed with unrestrained delight by a super ensemble cast led by Irrfan, Arunoday Singh and Divya Dutta," Azmi said after the screening.
Lyricist and writer Swanand Kirkire called "Blackmail" as a "Waakda" film, which should not be missed.
Filmmaker Omung Kumar found the film incredibly funny, witty, quirky and he enjoyed watching it so much that he did not want the movie to end.
"It's fantastic, I wanted to see all the stupid things that are in the film and I was guessing who is going to die next. The writing, the direction, the cast is believable. Irrfan is obviously fantastic but everyone put ...

'Blackmail' gets thumbs from Bollywood

"Sex and The City" star Cynthia Nixon, who is in the running for the office of New York governor, has said the election of Donald Trump as the US President in 2016 pushed her to announce her candidacy.
The 51-year-old actor said she decided to take the political plunge as she loves New York and believes she would be able to make a difference, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"Well, I love New York. I believe so much in New York and I believe that we're a real progressive bastion, and I have to say, the election of Donald Trump was a real wake-up call.
"If we don't like the direction our government is going in, we have to step up," Nixon said on "The Wendy Williams Show".
This was her first nationwide TV interview after announcing her gubernatorial bid last month.
The actor will be up against incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running for his third term, in the Democratic primary to be held on September 13.
If elected, Nixon would create history by becoming the first female ...

Trump's election was a real wake-up call: Nixon on NY guv bid

Actor-model Jaime King's son was hit by glass after a man allegedly attacked the car the toddler was sitting in.
The incident took place in Beverly Hills, California last afternoon.
According to a release from the Beverly Hills Police Department, King's four-year-old son, James Knight, and her female friend were in a car that was parked along a curb when Paul Francis Floyd, 47, of Los Angeles allegedly jumped onto the vehicle.
The 38-year-old star was not in the vehicle when the alleged attack took place.
"(James) was secured in a child car seat positioned in the back seat of the vehicle as the suspect jumped on the rear windshield causing glass to shatter and strike the child.
"In an effort to protect the child, the female driver exited the vehicle and confronted the suspect at which time he threw a can at her, striking her arm," the release stated.
Floyd has been booked on the charges of felony child endangerment, misdemeanour battery and two counts of felony vandalism and is being .

Jaime King's son struck by glass after man allegedly attacks car

Salman Khan's lawyer said that they will appeal to the sessions court to seek relief for the actor, who was today sentenced to five years in jail in the 1998 black buck poaching case.
The 52-year-old actor has been sent to the Jodhpur Central Jail for killing two black bucks in October 1998.
Anand Desai, Salman's legal counsel, said although they respected the court's verdict, the decision "came as a surprise" as the actor had been acquitted in the previous cases which had the same facts as in this one.
"We respect the decision of the Hon'ble Court. While we are studying the judgement, it just came as a surprise, as the entire investigation, and facts of this case were the same as those for which Salman has been acquitted by the Hon'ble High Court of Rajasthan in two cases, and even by the Hon'ble CJM in the Arms Act matter for the alleged offence on the very same night as is the subject matter of the present case," Desai said in a statement.
"Also, in the present case the Hon'ble ...

Have preferred an appeal to sessions court: Salman Khan's lawyer

Actor Dwayne Johnson has opened up about his conflict with "Fate of the Furious" co-star Vin Diesel during the making of the film, saying that they have a "fundamental difference" in their approach towards filmmaking.
In an interview with Rolling Stones, Johnson affirmed to the fact that he and Diesel did not feature in any scenes together in "Fate of the Furious" owing to their ongoing quarrel.
"Vin and I had a few discussions, including an important face-to-face in my trailer. And what I came to realise is that we have a fundamental difference in philosophies on how we approach movie making and collaborating. It took me some time, but I'm grateful for that clarity. Whether we work together again or not," Johnson said.
The "Rampage" star had lashed out at an unnamed co-actor, who was later revealed to be Diesel, in an Instagram post.
"Some (male co-stars) conduct themselves as stand-up men and true professionals, while others don't. The ones that don't are too chicken sh*t to do ...

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