Page 1602 - Entertainment Culture
George Clooney's 'Catch-22' series heads to Hulu
George Clooney's series based on the novel "Catch-22" is nearing a series order at Hulu. The streaming outlet has landed the limited series from Paramount Television and Anonymous Content starring, directed and executive produced by Oscar winner Clooney, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The project marks Clooney's first TV series regular role in nearly two decades, after NBC's beloved "ER". Adapted from the 1961 Joseph Heller novel, "Catch-22" the series is set in Italy during World War II. It focuses on Captain John Yossarian, a US Air Force bombardier who is furious because the bureaucratic rule known as Catch-22, which specifies that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers which are real and immediate is the process of a rational mind; a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but a request to be removed from duty is evidence of sanity and therefore makes him ineligible to be relieved from duty. Clooney, ...
Want Vikas Gupta to win 'Bigg Boss' finale: Manveer Gurjar
"Bigg Boss" season 10 winner Manveer Gurjar says that he wants Vikas Gupta to win the current season of Reality TV show.
Hall donates salary from Allen's film to Time's Up fund
Actor Rebecca Hall has donated her salary from an upcoming Woody Allen film to the 'Time's Up' fund to combat sexual harassment. Hall, who starred in Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" in 2008 and his upcoming "A Rainy Day in New York," posted a photo of the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund logo to Instagram and said she regrets working with the director. In the caption, the actor wrote that the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal made her re-evaluate her decision to work with Allen, who has been accused of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow when she was seven years old. "He (Allen) gave me one of my first significant roles in film for which I have always been grateful, it was one day in my hometown - easy. I have, however subsequently realised there is nothing easy about any of this. In the weeks following I have thought very deeply about this decision, and remain conflicted and saddened. "My actions have made another woman feel silenced and ...
Facebook COO, Twitter CEO to exit Disney's board
Following their respective companies' push into generation of video content on their platforms, Facebook Chief Operating Officer (COO) Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey are leaving Walt Disney's board, a regulatory filing has revealed.
Clive Owen to star alongside Will Smith in 'Gemini Man'
Actor Clive Owen is set to star in Ang Lee's "Gemini Man", which features Will Smith in the lead role. The exact details behind the role are unknown other then that it will be an antagonist role, reported Variety. Actors Tatiana Maslany, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Elizabeth Debicki are being considered to play the the female lead in the Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media project. Skydance came on to the project, which has been in development for two decades, last year. The film follows an over-the-hill hitman who faces off against a younger clone of himself. The makers are eyeing an October 4, 2019 release. "Gemini Man" was first set up at Disney in 1997 as a pitch by Darren Lemke, with Murphy producing and Tony Scott directing. Curtis Hanson was also attached to direct at one point as well before Lee came on in the spring of 2017.
I-B ministry plans to merge film units
The information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry plans to merge its various film units, a move aimed at realigning its resources to enhance efficiency, an official said. The initiative is seen as part of ongoing restructuring process at the ministry. Last month, the ministry had integrated its three departments -- Directorate of Field Publicity (DFP), Song and Drama Division (S&DD) and Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP). Now the ministry is planning to merge its film units -- National Film Development Corp (NFDC), Children's Film Society India (CFSI), Directorate of Film Festivals (DIFF) and Films Division of India, the official said. NFDC, which has so far produced or financed over 300 films, works with filmmakers to co-produce movies in public- private partnerships. CFSI is involved in content for children, while Films Division produces documentaries, short films and animation films. DIFF organises International and National film festivals ..
Leonardo DiCaprio to star in Tarantino's Manson movie
Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio is finally set to star in Quentin Tarantino's Manson movie, which will reteam the actor and director from 2012's "Django Unchained". The new film, Tarantino's ninth as director, already has an August 9, 2019 release date. DiCaprio will play an ageing, out-of-work actor in the film. Margot Robbie, meanwhile, is being eyed for the role of Sharon Tate, reported Variety. The movie is set in the 1969 Los Angeles during the summer of the Manson murders. The release date coincides with the 50th anniversary of Tate's murder at the hands of the Manson family. The project will also mark DiCaprio's first since winning the Oscar in 2016 for his performance in Alejandro G Inarritu's "The Revenant." As reported earlier, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt have been circling the project with DiCaprio for what is known to be "two meaty" male roles. The film is being produced by Harry Potter's David Heyman, Tarantino and Shannon McIntosh.
'Veere Di Wedding' will release on June 1
Director Shashank Ghosh's film "Veere Di Wedding" is now scheduled to release on June 1.
Of trolls and 'stifling' showbiz: Soha Ali Khan on being 'moderately famous' (Book Review)
Title: "The Perils of Being Moderately Famous"; Author: Soha Ali Khan; Publisher: Penguin Books: Pages: 210; Price: Rs 299
John Cena to once again host Kids' Choice Awards
Actor and wrestler John Cena will once again emcee the Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards. The 40-year-old star believes that there is not much difference between hosting the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and stepping into the wrestling ring, reported Variety. "It's a wonderful environment. I compare it to a WWE event where the show is absolutely 100 per cent made for the audience," Cena said. "Being in front of a live audience for so long so many nights in a row, I think it prepares you for the chaos of a live television production which is so, so fun," he added. Cena has also signed on to join the voice cast of the Nickelodeon's new animated series "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles".
Digital medium requires actors, not stars: Kay Kay Menon
Kay Kay Menon believes digital medium can be wonderful for the growth of quality cinema as it thrives on actors, not stars. The actor, who was in the capital to promote his new film "Vodka Diaries", said people should not "adulterate" the new medium like television. "For me all the digital medium, especially all the formats that you see, these are the openings for improving the status of cinema, provided we don't adulterate it like we did with TV. "Television is a wonderful medium but we have ruined it completely. I hope it does not happen with any of these web formats. It does not require stars. It requires actors," the actor said in a group interview. Menon says his films may not have done well in theatres but they found a second life on streaming services. "I think I am one of the pioneers of this. My films have not been watched in theatres but they are popular on other mediums. They have been big hits and given me lot of accolades," he said.
Jake Gyllenhaal recalls how he met Heath Ledger
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal said he first met his "Brokeback Mountain" co-star Heath Ledger while auditioning for Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge!". In an interview with GQ Australia, Gyllenhaal said that he and Ledger, who passed away at the age of 28 in 2008 from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, became friends because of "mutual frustration" of not getting the part they auditioned for. "I was auditioning for 'Moulin Rouge!'. Baz Luhrmann had chosen three actors. It was Ewan [McGregor], it was Heath, and me. And we auditioned with many different actresses, it was a long process. But I never met Heath, I only heard about him. "When Ewan was cast, I finally met Heath and we sort of became friends before 'Brokeback Mountain' based on our mutual frustration," Gyllenhaal said. The 37-year-old actor recalled a conversation where Ledger turned down the lead in Luhrmann's next. "When 'Brokeback Mountain' came out and it got all the attention it did, I remember, a few months .
Mira Sorvino regrets working with Woody Allen
Actor Mira Sorvino has penned an open letter to Dylan Farrow and apologised for working in Woody Allen's 1995 comedy "Mighty Aphrodite". Sorvino had won an Oscar for her role as a prostitute in the film. She expressed regret for being part of the film and said she will never work with the director again. "I confess that at the time I worked for Woody Allen I was a naive young actress. "I swallowed the media's portrayal of your abuse allegations against your father as an outgrowth of a twisted custody battle between Mia Farrow and him, and did not look further into the situation, for which I am terribly sorry. For this I also owe an apology to Mia," Sorvino wrote in an essay for HuffPost. Last month, in an op-ed published in a newspaper, Farrow had called out Hollywood stars including Kate Winslet, Blake Lively, and Greta Gerwig for working with Allen amid her accusations that the 82-year-old filmmaker molested her as a child in 1992 . Sorvino said that her relationship ..
John Malkovich boards cast of Ted Bundy biopic
Veteran actor John Malkovich has joined the cast of serial killer Ted Bundy biopic "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile". The film, to be directed by Joe Berlinger, features Zac Efron as Ted Bundy and Lily Collins as Elizabeth Kloepfer, his former girlfriend. Malkovich will play the role of Judge Edward Cowart, the man who presided over Bundy's sensational trial in 1979 and sentenced him to death, reported Variety. The movie explores Kloepfer's perspective during the long time that Bundy hid his murder spree from her when they were living together. Shortly before his execution in 1989, Bundy confessed to committing 30 homicides in seven states between 1974-1978. The original screenplay was written by Michael Werwie, which won the Nicholl Fellowship first prize and was featured on the Black List.
'Deadpool 2' release preponed
The much anticipated "Deadpool 2" will hit the theatres two weeks earlier than the scheduled date. Twentieth Century Fox has shuffled the release dates for its slate of "X-Men" films and moved "Deadpool 2" to May 18 from June 1, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film will open against against Sony's horror film "Slender Man", and the move leaves the June 1 date without a film opening. "Deadpool 2" marks the return of the foul-mouthed superhero (Ryan Reynolds) with Josh Brolin playing Cable. The superhero sequel also stars "Atlanta" breakout Zazie Beetz as the mutant mercenary Domino. Fox also announced that another "X-Men" movie "New Mutants" has been moved back by 10 months from April 13, 2018 to February 22, 2019. The film stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, and Charlie Heaton.
'Gambit' loses Gore Verbinski as director
Director Gore Verbinski has exited the film "Gambit" starring Channing Tatum in the lead. Tatum, 37, will serve as a producer on the "X-Men" spin- off with his partner Reid Carolin through their Free Association production company, along with Simon Kinberg. Following Verbinski's exit over scheduling issues, Fox has pushed back the release date of the film from February 14, 2019, to June 7, 2019, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Rupert Wyatt and Doug Liman were previously attached as directors on the project. The Gambit's character, also known as Remy LeBeau, was created in 1990 by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee, a mutant who is an expert card-thrower with the ability to mentally create, control and manipulate kinetic energy. Taylor Kitsch first played The Gambit on screen in the 2009 film "X-Men Origins: Wolverine".
Oscar-winning art director Terence Marsh passes away
Two-time Oscar-winning production designer and art director Terence Marsh has died at the age of 86.According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marsh died Tuesday at his Pacific Palisades home after a four-year battle with cancer, his wife, former talent agent Sandra Marsh, announced.The London native won two Oscars for his work as an art director on David Lean's romantic epic 'Doctor Zhivago' and Carol Reed's 1968 musical 'Oliver!', and was nominated for three Baftas.In 2010, Marsh was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Art Directors Guild.He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
Russia to provide funds to boost homegrown movies
The Russian government has decided to provide funds to boost homegrown movies on an international level in a bid to improve their overall financial performance.
My memoir opened up my soul: Karan Johar
From his films to his relationships in Bollywood, Karan Johar opened up about a lot of things through his memoir "An Unsuitable Boy". The filmmaker says talking about all the things "opened up" his soul "even more".
George Clooney's TV comeback lands at Hulu
George Clooney is all set to return to the television space with 'Catch-22', adaptation of Joseph Heller's classic novel.The actor will star in and direct a six-episode, limited-series for Hulu, according to The Hollywood Reporter.The series landed at the streaming service following a bidding war that ensued when Paramount TV and Anonymous Content's development of the project was announced late last year.This marks Clooney's first series regular role in decades, since he departed ER nearly two decades ago.In the series, which is close-ended and will not have a second season, Clooney will star as Col. Catcart, the role played by Martin Balsam in director Mike Nichols' 1970 feature film adaptation of Heller's novel.Set in Italy during World War II, Catch-22 tells the story of Yossarian, a U.S. Air Force bombardier trying to fulfill his service requirements so he can go home. The novel explored the paradox of requirements where airmen who felt mentally unfit to fly were not obligated to .