Page 734 - Entertainment Culture
James Gunn to write 'Suicide Squad 2', may also direct
James Gunn is joining the DC bandwagon with the director being all set to pen the sequel of "Suicide Squad". Gunn, best known for helming two "Guardians of the Galaxy" films, was fired by Marvel in August this year after his old, offensive tweets resurfaced on Twitter. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 52-year-old director has struck a deal with Warner Bros to write "Suicide Squad" sequel and will possibly direct as well. The studio had earlier roped in "The Accountant" helmer Gavin O'Connor to direct the film but he is no longer attached to the project. "Suicide Squad", written and directed by David Ayer, featured an ensemble cast of Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Scott Eastwood, and Cara Delevingne. Released in 2016, the film raked in close to USD 750 million at the global box office, despite being criticised by the reviewers. After his firing, Gunn had received support from "Guardians of the Galaxy" cast, including Chris ...
Swift's political stance prompts spike in voter registration
Seems like Taylor Swift has hit the right note with her recent political post.On Sunday, the American singer took to her Instagram account to open about her views on the current political situation in America.The 'Ready for it?' singer perfectly timed this as she wrote the post ahead of the midterm elections, encouraging her fans to register to vote.Interestingly, within 24 hours of the post, according to the Vote.org director of communications, Kamari Guthrie, 65,000 registrations were recorded, E Online reported.In her Instagram post, Swift wrote, "I'm writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I'll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past, I've been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now.Stating that she would not be supporting Marsha Blackburn, Swift said, "As much as I have in the past and would like to ...
Dwayne Johnson joins hands with Netflix
Dwayne Johnson is all set to rock the Netflix world with the upcoming project.The media services provider has secured the rights to 'Jumanji' director Jake Kasdan's 'John Henry and The Statesmen'.According to The Hollywood Reporter, in addition to featuring in the film, Johnson will also be handling the production of the project, which is an original pitch from the American television writer Tom Wheeler. Wheeler's past credits also include 'The Lego Ninjago Movie' and 'Puss in Boots'.The 'Skyscraper' actor will be seen as Henry, a mythic African-American steel-driver from American folklore, who leads an ensemble cast of the most popular figures from folklore and legend from all around the world.Commenting on the project, Johnson said, "Netflix is the perfect partner and platform for us to continue entertaining our global audience in a disruptive way. These diverse characters speak to a legacy of storytelling that is more relevant than ever and span across a worldwide audience ...
Samuel L. Jackson to star in George Nolfi's next
Samuel L. Jackson is all set to star in director George Nolfi's upcoming movie 'The Banker'.The cast list also includes Anthony Mackie, Nicholas Hoult, and Nia Long. The fact-based drama will focus on the true story of two African-American entrepreneurs, Mackie's Bernard Garrett and Jackson's Joe Morris, reported Deadline.During the 1950's, Garrett and Morris tried to dodge the racial limitations of the period by recruiting a working-class white man Matt Steiner, played by Hoult, and training him to act as the head of their business empire while they pretended to be the janitor and a chauffeur.Garrett and Morris end up becoming the most successful real-estate owners but the success came with a risk of exposure. Nia Long played the role of Bernard's wife Eunice.Nolfi's past credits include Bruce Lee pic 'Birth of The Dragon', 'The Adjustment Bureau', 'The Bourne Ultimatum' and 'Ocean's Twelve'.Anthony Mackie has featured in many Hollywood hits, including 'Avengers', 'Captain America', .
Dave Bautista wants to join James Gunn's 'Suicide Squad' sequel
American filmmaker James Gunn is all set to sign the next Suicide Squad movie and actor Dave Bautista wants to be a part of it.'Guardians of the Galaxy' star Dave Bautista took to his Twitter handle to express his desire to work in the project.Tweeting a link of a story about Gunn's move to Marvel's comic book rival, DC Universe, Bautista wrote, "Where do I sign up!"The American filmmaker, who was recently fired from directing the upcoming installment of Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, is all set to pen the script of Warner Bros. and DC's Suicide Squad sequel.According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn might also take up the direction of the film, depending on the outcome of the scripting process.In July, Disney had fired Gunn from the Marvel project after a couple of his insensitive and controversial tweets surfaced the internet-- which he shared nearly a decade ago on topics like pedophilia and rape.Following the firing, Dave Bautista, along with many other celebrities including ...
Ruby Rose to play 'Batwoman' in three TV shows
Hollywood actor Ruby Rose is all set to play the role of female superhero 'Batwoman' in three American TV shows.The superhero character will make debut in three superhero TV shows namely, 'The Flash', 'Arrow' and 'Supergirl', reported Variety.The filming began on Tuesday in Vancouver. Rose was roped in to play the lesbian DC character back in August.The character of Batwoman is that of an outspoken woman trained in martial arts, whose passion for justice takes her to the streets to fight crime.Rose recently quit Twitter and deactivated the comments section on her Instagram account after receiving backlash over her casting as lesbian superhero Batwoman in a new CW show.Before bidding adieu to Twitter, 'The Meg' star responded to criticism in a series of tweets. The actor wrote that she wished "we would all support each other and our journeys.
Out of Marvel, James Gunn hops onboard with DC
James Gunn has migrated from the Marvel Universe to DC Universe.The American filmmaker, who was recently fired from directing the upcoming installment of Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, is all set to pen the script of Warner Bros. and DC's Suicide Squad sequel.According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn might also take up the direction of the film, depending on the outcome of the scripting process.Earlier in July, Disney had fired Gunn from the Marvel project after a couple of his insensitive and controversial tweets came out-- which he shared nearly a decade ago on topics like paedophilia and rape.Following the firing, many celebrities including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and other Guardians stars came out in support of Gunn. They also signed an open letter to rehire the director for the project.Talking with The Hollywood Reporter about Gunn's sacking, Walt Disney CEO Bob said, "The James Gunn decision was brought to me as a unanimous decision of a variety of executives at the studio
Rishi Kapoor unveils reason behind his grey hair
Actor Rishi Kapoor, who is currently in the US for a medical treatment, said the reason behind his sudden visible grey hair is nothing but one of his upcoming untitled films.
Stolen Stradivarius found after decades comes to life again
The Stradivarius stolen from the late violinist Roman Totenberg and miraculously found more than three decades later has a new life under the chin of a budding 18-year-old virtuoso. On Tuesday in New York, his three daughters presented the multimillion-dollar instrument on loan to Juilliard student Nathan Meltzer. The 18th century violin was snatched in 1980 from Totenberg's dressing room after a concert in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was recovered in 2015, after his death, among a former student's belongings. An anonymous benefactor then purchased it and made sure its sound would again fill the world's concert stages. Jill Totenberg says she and her sisters can now go to listen to their father's violin as if he were still playing. Nina Totenberg says its voice is "beautiful, brilliant and throaty.
Joe Wright expecting first baby with Haley Bennett
Actor Haley Bennett and her director husband Joe Wright are expecting their first baby together.A friend close to the couple confirmed that they are expecting a baby this winter, reported Page Six.The news of Bennett's pregnancy surfaced after Wright moved to the United States earlier this year.Bennett went public about her relationship with Wright last month after she posted a photo online of the pair sharing an intimate moment. The caption read, "Cling to me, Joe, my bliss."Wright, who was earlier married to Sitar maestro Anoushka Shankar, split after seven years of marriage. They share two kids together.Currently, Wright is filming for the movie 'The Woman in the Window', also starring Amy Adams of 'Man of steel' fame, Julianne Moore and Gary Oldman.
An evening of Maloya music in Kolkata
Music enthusiasts in the city on Tuesday grooved to the tunes of new generation Maloya musicians from the Reunion Island, a French overseas territory, situated in the Indian Ocean.
#MeToo: Was asked to visit Vairamuthu in hotel, says singer Chinmayi
Popular singer Chinmayi Sripaada on Monday backed accusations of sexual harassment against veteran Tamil lyricist-poet Vairamuthu by sharing her own story how she was asked to "cooperate" and visit him in a hotel.
S Korea to open film centre to enhance cultural exchanges with North
The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) of South Korea on Tuesday announced that it is all set to launch a pan-Asian film centre in order to commence cultural exchanges with North Korea.In the ongoing Busan film festival, the state-backed council announced that the centre will be unveiled in 2019, reported The Hollywood Reporter.Speaking to the media, Director of KOFIC, Oh Seok-Geun said that the film centre will also help film governing bodies of South Korea, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), China and Japan to discuss film-related policies.In July, the council even set up a special committee to encourage South and North Korean film exchanges. It also aimed to explore opportunities to shoot in North Korea.The council is also aiming to provide support for the local film industry. KOFIC is even on its way to build an online database system for compiling box-office information on independent cinema.
Women should definitely speak up when they are wronged: Sonakshi Sinha
With #MeToo movement gaining momentum in India, actor Sonakshi Sinha voiced her support for the sexual harassment victims and said that women should definitely speak up when they are wronged.Her statement comes at a time when several cases of sexual harassment are coming in fore in the Indian film and television industry.In a recent media interaction, she said, "Women should speak up when they have been wronged, of course, 100 percent, and the men who have wronged the women should be punished, 200 percent."However, the 'Lootera' actor added, "I also feel that the facts and figures should be verified before the media talks about it or we talk about it.""If it's in the hands of the law, I think the law should take its course but definitely women should speak up and the men who have committed such things should be punished.," she added.The #MeToo movement gained pace in India after Tanushree Dutta spoke up against Nana Patekar almost two weeks ago. Recently, a lot of such cases have come
YouTube driving global consumption of music
If you are listening to music, chances are you're on YouTube. A music consumer report by the industry's global body IFPI published on Tuesday found that 86 percent of us listen to music through on-demand streaming. And nearly half that time, 47 percent is spent on YouTube. Video as a whole accounted for 52 percent of the time we spent streaming music, posing challenges to such subscription services as Spotify and SoundCloud. But while Spotify's estimated annual revenue per user was $20 (17.5 euros), YouTube's was less than a dollar. The London-based IFPI issued a broader overview in April that found digital sales for the first time making up the majority of global revenues thanks to streaming. The report published on Tuesday looked into where and when we listen to music. It found that three in four people globally use smartphones, with the rate among 16 to 24 year olds reaching 94 percent. The highest levels were recorded in India, where 96 percent of consumers used smartphones for .
IFTDA issues show-cause notice to Vikas Bahl
Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) has issued a show-cause notice to director Vikas Bahl seeking his response on the sexual harassment allegations levelled against him within a week.In an official release, IFTDA warned Bahl that if he fails to respond within the mentioned time, then his IFTDA membership will be terminated.Bahl has been accused of sexually harassing a woman who used to work as a crew member with him in now-dissolved production banner, Phantom Films.IFTDA also said that this despicable act has brought shame to the entire film industry and lowered the prestige of Indian Film and Television Directors' Association.The directors' body further said that they are specifically disturbed and enraged as these charges were confirmed by his Phantom Films' partners--Anurag Kashyap, Madhu Mantena, Vikramaditya Motwane, and Neeraj Ghaywan.IFTDA also set up a Women's grievances Redressal Cell to address sexual harassment cases. The cell will be headed by Swapna .
Today's parents cannot help but be protective: Kajol
Actor Kajol, who is portraying the role of a doting mother in her upcoming release 'Helicopter Eela', feels in today's world, parents cannot help but be protective about their children. Asked whether she is equally protective about her children like the protagonist in the film, she said, "I like to believe a little bit of both - protective and cool... I think the world has changed and you can't help but be protective." The popular Bollywood star said parents take interest to discuss and explain certain topics to children. "I believe somewhere down the line we underestimate our children... We would love to discuss and explain certain topics to our children... To make them understand this is ethical and this is not, this is correct and this is not," she told reporters here. Talking about the film directed by Pradip Sarkar,the 44-year-old actress said, "This is definitely a tale of mother and son but this is also a tale of 'rishtey' (relationship). The relationship ...
Was asked to visit Vairamuthu in hotel, says singer Chinmayi
Popular singer Chinmayi Sripaada has backed accusations of sexual harassment against veteran Tamil lyricist-poet Vairamuthu by alleging that she was asked to "cooperate" and visit him in a hotel but she refused.
Maha women's panel issues notices to Nana Patekar, 3 others on Dutta's complaint
Taking note of a harassment complaint by Tanushree Dutta, Maharashtra State Commission for Women on Tuesday issued notices to actor Nana Patekar, producer Samee Siddiqui, choreographer Ganesh Acharya and director Rakesh Sarang. The Commission has sent notices to those named by Dutta and asked them to revert within 10 days with their response, its chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said. The commission has also written to Mumbai police, seeking information on the action it had taken on Dutta's complaint in this regard. Dutta had sought the Commission's intervention after claiming that Patekar allegedly misbehaved with her on the sets of a film in 2008. Patekar has dismissed the allegations against him. In a video statement, Rahatkar said the panel has taken cognisance of Dutta's complaint on her alleged sexual harassment. "We have asked them (Patekar and the three others) to present their side within 10 days. We have also asked Dutta to appear before the Commission and share more information .
#MeToo campaign removes shame associated with incidents: Kajol
Actor Kajol on Tuesday hailed the #MeToo campaign that has intensified across the country, saying the movement has taken away the shame associated with incidents of sexual harassment. Asked about the campaign at a film promotion event here, the popular Bollywood star said, "To take away the shame and embarrassment that people feel over an incident which happened in their lives, that exactly is what I think happened with this particular movement." The #MeToo movement has gathered momentum with more women recounting their experiences of sexual harassment in the entertainment and media industry. "The most important thing is by taking away the shame, the people have come to a position to draw the line and have the chance to say 'no more after this'," she told reporters. The movement started in India after actor Tanushree Dutta alleged that well-known actor Nana Patekar sexually harassed her on the sets of a movie in 2008.