Page 674 - Entertainment Culture
'The Simpsons' showrunner refutes reports of Apu's exit
"The Simpsons" showrunner Al Jean rubbished reports of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon being written off from the show amid the much-heated debate over the character's stereotypical portrayal. Last week, producer and "Castlevania" animator Adi Shankar told IndieWire that the show is planning to "drop the Apu character altogether". Shankar, who is not attached to "The Simpsons, clarified that he received the news from two people who work for the show and a third source who works directly with creator Matt Groening. Jean discredited the news saying Shankar was "not a producer" on the show. "I wish him the very best but he does not speak for our show," he wrote on Twitter. The writer also went on to deny another report which claimed that the character "is being deported from Springfield". In his reply, Jean tweeted, "@NRO the story is untrue." One of the longest running animated sitcoms on American TV, the show has been criticised for its stereotypical portrayal of the South Asian community which
Mel Gibson joins 'Waldo'
Mel Gibson is onboard the cast of action thriller "Waldo". According to The Hollywood Reporter, the veteran actor is teaming with Charlie Hunnam and Eiza Gonzalez. Details of the Gibson's role are awaited. The film is being directed by Tim Kirkby, who has directed episodes of "Veep" and "Fleabag". Based on Howard Gould's books, "Waldo" is the story of disgraced former LAPD detective Charlie Waldo (Hunnam), currently living a quiet life in the woods. His life comes to a halt when he is roped back into working as a private eye to investigate the murder of an eccentric TV star's wife. Andrew Lazar, Christina Weiss Lurie and Steve Shainberg are attached as producers. Shooting begins in the first quarter of 2019.
Dev Patel to make directorial debut
British-Indian actor Dev Patel is set to take up direction with revenge thriller "Monkey Man". According to Variety, the "Lion" star will also act in the film, which is being presented to buyers at this year's American Film Market. The plot of the film revolves around the Kid (Patel), who emerges from prison to fight off a world marred by "corporate greed and eroding spiritual values". Set in modern-day India, the movie will also be layered in mythology. Other plot details are sparse when the project was announced. Patel co-wrote the script with Paul Angunawela and John Collee. Thunder Road's Basil Iwanyk is producing, along with Joe Thomas, Samarth Sahni from Xeitgeist and Patel. "It" fame Chung-hoon Chung is attached as director of photography. Production is set to start in spring of 2019 in Mumbai. Patel will next be seen in "The Personal History of David Copperfield" and "Hotel Mumbai".
Shakeela to make cameo in her biopic
A biopic on southern film industry's adult film star Shakeela will see her play a cameo.
Ronaldo becomes most followed person on Instagram
Ace footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has surpassed actor-singer Selena Gomez to become the most-followed person on Instagram.Ronaldo now has 144,338,650 followers to Gomez's 144,321,029, reported US Weekly.This comes after Gomez's self-imposed exile from social media."As much as I am grateful for the voice that social media gives each of us, I am equally grateful to be able to step back and live my life present to the moment I have been given," Gomez on Instagram on September 23, prior to entering treatment for mental health issues.Gomez held the title since 2016 after overtaking singer Ariana Grande, who currently has 132 million followers.
Mel Gibson joins team 'Waldo'
Actor Mel Gibson has joined hands with Charlie Hunnam and Eiza Gonzalez to star in the upcoming action-thriller film 'Waldo'.Directed by filmmaker Tim Kirkby, the film follows a brilliant former detective gone rogue and is based on the novel 'Last Looks' by Howard Gould, reported The Hollywood Reporter.'Waldo' introduces a new hero in disgraced former LAPD detective Charlie Waldo (Hunnam), currently living the life of a minimalist in the woods. His quiet life comes to a startling halt when he is roped back into working as a private eye to investigate the murder of an eccentric television star's wife.The movie will go on floors in the first quarter of 2019.
Dev Patel to make directorial debut
Actor Dev Patel, a British native of Indian descent, is all set to make his directorial debut with upcoming revenge thriller film 'Monkey Man'.The 'Slumdog Millionaire' fame actor will also star in the movie, Variety reported.'Monkey Man' tells the story of Kid (Patel), who emerges from prison to grapple with a world marred by, in the words of the logline, "corporate greed and eroding spiritual values."The film will be set in modern-day India, but will also deal with mythology.Patel has co-written the script for the movie with Paul Angunawela and John Collee. His upcoming projects include 'The Personal History of David Copperfield' and 'Hotel Mumbai'.
Amol Parashar roped in for 'Dolly Kitty Aur Voh Chamakte Sitare'
Actor Amol Parashar has been roped in for a role in Alankrita Shrivastava's "Dolly Kitty Aur Voh Chamakte Sitare". He has begun shooting for the movie.
'Kedarnath' not an everyday love story, says producer (Lead, Changing date in last para)
On the eve of teaser release of Sara Ali Khan's debut film "Kedarnath", producer of the film Pragya Kapoor on Monday said the film is not a usual love story.
'Kedarnath' not an everyday love story, says producer
On the eve of teaser release of Sara Ali Khan's debut film "Kedarnath", producer of the film Pragya Kapoor on Monday said the film is not a usual love story.
Tatas cancel contract with Suhel Seth after allegations of sexual harassment
Tata Sons said on Monday that it would end its contract with brand consultant Suhel Seth, who has been accused of sexual harassment by several women in India's #MeToo campaign.
Camila Cabello promises fans a new album after holidays
In a special note to her fans on Sunday, singer Camila Cabello revealed that she is excited to make new music after she gets back from her short break.In an emotional post, she announced, "I don't have words to express how excited I am about things coming up next year, and imagining this next chapter and writing this next album".The 'Havana' singer, who is currently spending a quality time with her family, said during the last six years, touring and performing for her fans was "the most magical chapter" of her life.Describing her level of excitement, she further wrote that the "10-year-old in" her is "still running around with her arms in the air screaming at everything that's happened" to her because of the performances she did around the world.Speaking about the importance of family, the 'Never be the same' singer said that because of all these performances around the world she is "excited for the holidays" because of "these last years being away from home".Describing her vacation ..
Aussie humour: Melbourne comedy fest to return to India in Nov; tour 5 cities
Get ready for some laugh riots as Australia's largest comedy festival is coming to India next month as part of a mega event that will take it to five cities, including Delhi. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow is returning to India as part of Australia Fest, a six-month long celebration of Australian culture and creativity that kicked off recently. The comedy festival will be heading for a five-city tour this November, hitting Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Delhi before a season at the Bengaluru Comedy Festival, the Australian High Commission said Monday. Australia's High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu said, "Audiences in Australia have been enjoying the fun and frivolity of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for a long time now." "We are thrilled to bring four of the funniest Australian comedians to India to showcase everything from stand-up and sketch to satire as part of Australia Fest," she said. It featuring a diverse and dynamic line-up of performers
Please don't spread rumours: Dilip Kumar's family friend on actor's health
A family friend of screen legend Dilip Kumar, Faisal Farooqui Monday refuted reports that the actor has again contracted "lung infection". The 95-year-old actor was last month admitted to a hospital for treatment for mild pneumonia. Farooqui rubbished a couple of reports claiming that Kumar was being treated for the ailment at his residence. "This news is not true. @TheDilipKumar is fine. Pls don't spread rumors. Dilip Kumar sahab is doing well- at home in the company of his loved ones. -FF," he tweeted from the actor's official Twitter account. Farooqui also called out an online portal for spreading "mischievous posting and fake commentary" about Kumar's health. Known as the Tragedy King of Bollywood', Dilip Kumar has given memorable performances in films such as "Andaz", "Aan", "Madhumati", "Devdas" and "Mughal-e-Azam".
Audrey Hepburn was a staunch Nazi opposer!
Turns out, one of the most stylish Hollywood stars, Audrey Hepburn was a staunch opposer of the Nazis.According to Page Six, the late actor's hatred for the Nazis was born after they killed her uncle, Count Otto van Limburg Stirum, who used to work for the Resistance during World War-II.In a yet to be released book 'Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II', authored by Robert Matzen, presents factual proof that the actor used to directly work for the Resistance leaders, in order to fight off the Nazis. The book is due to be released in April 2019. Before writing the book, Matzen discovered a 188-page diary, Otto wrote during his prison term. Hepburn's younger son, Luca Dotti, who wrote an introduction for Matzen's novel, mentioned that when his mother told him about her life, she often used to give "obscure and sometimes unpronounceable Dutch" locations instead of mentioning her life in Hollywood. He further said that she narrated her reminiscences of the time spent during the ...
Hollywood big on symbolism, not so much on change: Olivia Munn
Hollywood may be considered the birthplace of the #MeToo movement but Olivia Munn believes the entertainment industry is more talk and less work on tackling sexual harassment and abuse. The actor, who was one of the several women to accuse director Brett Ratner of sexual misconduct last year, said she was surprised by the outrage after the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke out. "I remember where I was when I heard that people were getting outraged about Weinstein and I thought, 'People care? They didn't used to care, nobody cared'. For so long, people turned a blind eye. "When it hits their movie, their show, their bottom line - no one wants it to happen, but when it does happen, what do you do? Hollywood is really big on symbolism but crappy on change," Munn told Cosmopolitan US magazine for its December issue. The 38-year-old actor said she was shocked by the piece of advice she was given after she went public with allegations against Ratner. She claimed that the director had performed
#MeToo overdue, exciting: Sigourney Weaver
"Alien" star Sigourney Weaver believes #MeToo movement is an important step in the battle for equality at workplace. The actor, who is currently working on "Avatar 2 and 3" with James Cameron, believes there is a "sense of sisterhood" in the women now. "What has been accomplished with #MeToo is such an important step in the battle for equality in the workplace. I think actually nowadays, women, in my opinion, do try to help each other. There's a greater sense of sisterhood. When I was in college we really thought we would get equality in the constitution. We're still waiting!," she told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview on the sidelines of Rome Film Festival. The 69-year-old actor said there was a need for more diversity at the crew level in Hollywood, something that has not be prioritised until now. "I think the answer is, the unions and the studios need to actively start embracing that now. Everyone that I work with agrees that it would be so much better if, when you looked ...
Anurag Basu's next not a sequel of Life...in a Metro'
Amid the speculation surrounding his upcoming film, director Anurag Basu on Monday said it is not a sequel to his critically acclaimed movie "Life... In A Metro", released in 2007.
Australian comedians to spread laughter in India
Popular Australian comedians like Daniel Connell, MelButtle and Aaron Chen will be a part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow, to be held in five Indian cities next month.
Bachchan's character has contrasting personalities, costume reflects that: 'Thugs...' designers
Amitabh Bachchan's look in "Thugs of Hindostan" had gathered attention even before the shooting was completed and designer duo Rushi and Manoshi say the "contrasting personalities" of the megastar's character reflects in their costume. The designers researched for months to design the look for the actor which is a combination of armour, leather and the traditional dhoti pants. Bachchan plays Khudabaksh, a commander of the Thugs, in the action extravaganza, directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya. "Our brief for Khudabaksh was that of a warrior who is a farmer at heart. This character has very contrasting personalities. Our costume spoke this brief aloud. We have given him a kurta and the dhoti is absolutely kisan (farmer) like. "The kurta has a cotton and a linen rib with a mulmul lining to give it that softness and on top of that we have given that hard armour which brings out the fierceness of a warrior of Khudabaksh's stature," the costume designers said in a statement. Bachchan said ...