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| Actor Wentworth Miller says he's gay, turns down Russian festival invite Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 07:02 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor and screenwriter Wentworth Miller, best known for his leading role in Fox television drama "Prison Break," came out as a gay man on Wednesday in a letter declining an invitation to attend a Russian film festival in light of Moscow's recently adopted anti-gay laws. Miller, 41, turned down an offer to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival as a "guest of honor" in a letter posted on the website of advocacy group GLAAD, which monitors media representation of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people and issues. "Thank you for your kind invitation. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Bar Rescue' Star Jon Taffer Lands New Spike TV Series Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 06:08 PM PDT By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jon Taffer, the guru who helps revive struggling booze emporiums on Spike TV's "Bar Rescue," has landed another reality show with the network. Taffer will team with celebrity chef John Besh and "Top Chef All-Star" vet Tiffany Derry for a new series, "Hungry Investors," which will premiere in spring 2014, Spike TV said Wednesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Time Warner Cable offers free Tennis Channel in CBS blackout areas Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 03:04 PM PDT  (Reuters) - Time Warner Cable Inc said on Wednesday it will offer a free preview of the Tennis Channel during the U.S. Open tournament to its customers affected by a blackout of broadcaster CBS. Subscribers in the affected markets with digital set-top boxes can watch the Tennis Channel for free between August 26 and September 9, when the cable network will run close to 240 hours of U.S. Open coverage, Time Warner Cable said in a statement. Customers also have access to many live US Open matches on the CBS Sports Network and ESPN2, the cable operator said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Those Wacky Foreigners: Germans Love 'Django,' Japan Digs 'Monsters U' and Other Overseas Box-Office Anomalies Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 03:02 PM PDT By Todd Cunningham LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The British love "Les Miserables," Japan's favorite film this year has been "Monsters University" and in Germany, Austria and Sweden, the leader is still ... "Django Unchained"? With Disney/Marvel's "Iron Man 3" blasting away overseas - more than $805 million of its $1.21 billion worldwide comes from abroad - it's easy to presume it No. 1 across the map. That's true in the majority of the biggest markets, including Russia, Brazil, France and Australia. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sylvester Stallone in Talks for 'Rambo' TV Series Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 03:01 PM PDT  By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Sylvester Stallone could soon be blowing stuff up and mangling people on the small screen. The actor is in negotiations to take part in television series based on his iconic movie "Rambo," Entertainment One - which is co-developing the project - said Wednesday. Should Stallone sign on, he would be involved on a creative level, and could potentially reprise his role as Rambo. ... Full Story | Top |
| Disney's 'Lone Ranger' Lands China Release in October (Exclusive) Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:57 PM PDT  By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "The Lone Ranger" will open in China this October after its initial debut in the country was postponed by three months, according to two individuals with knowledge of the film's plans. That delay left Disney no choice but to abruptly postpone a promotional trip to China by stars Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Chinese authorities have now approved October 6 as the premiere date for the western. ... Full Story | Top |
| James Franco Hosting Ovation Arts Show 'James Franco Presents' Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:56 PM PDT  By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - James Franco is using his ubiquitousness to further the arts on television: The actor will host and executive produce "James Franco Presents," a new show on Ovation dedicated to increasing interest in the arts. Ovation is sticking with its arts mission long after other cable stations, such as A&E and Bravo, have abandoned high art for reality shows. Franco's celebrity may help Ovation draw eyes without changing its focus. It debuts this fall. ... Full Story | Top |
| Katy Perry to Close iTunes Music Festival Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:55 PM PDT  By Tony Maglio LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Katy Perry seems to be closing a lot these days. Shortly after she was announced as a performer at the upcoming 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, reports surfaced that she would close the show. Now, Perry is also confirmed for a September 30 headlining gig at the month-long iTunes Festival. The music fest returns this September with a 30-day long run of free shows at The Roadhouse in London. Fans can watch the concerts for free on iTunes or via the festival app. ... Full Story | Top |
| Spike Lee Revises 'Essential' Films List to Include 7 By Women Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:53 PM PDT  By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Spike Lee realizes he made a few omissions when he posted his "Essential List of Films for Filmmakers": It didn't contain any films directed by women. He's improved the situation, adding seven films to the list, which now contains 94 films in all. One omission was apparently especially egregious: Italian filmmaker Lena Wertmuller went from not appearing on the list at all to appearing on it four times - more than any other director, including Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Federico Fellini, and Stanley Kubrick, who appear three times each. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fall Movie Preview: 'Hunger Games,' 'Thor' Shoot for Record-Breaking 2013 at the Box Office Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:52 PM PDT By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Katniss Everdeen, the God of Thunder and a treasure-hunting hobbit will do the heavy lifting at the box office this fall - but if 2013 is going to beat last year, studios need prestige movies to connect in a big way, too. As summer draws to a close, theatrical revenues are running roughly even with 2012. That means not only will "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" have to be the blockbuster smash most predict, but more serious-minded films - like the Alfonso Cuaron space thriller "Gravity" and the Ron Howard racing drama "Rush" - will have to surge. ... Full Story | Top |
| Cannes Winner 'Blue Is the Warmest Color' Accepts NC-17 Rating Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:50 PM PDT By Steve Pond LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Cannes Palme d'Or winner "Blue Is the Warmest Color" will be released with an NC-17 rating in the United States, Sundance Selects announced on Tuesday. The decision to release Abdellatif Kechiche's sexually explicit coming-of-age story with the NC-17 makes it the first movie of the year to bear that rating, and only the fourth in the last five years. The film will be released on October 25, after upcoming screenings at the Toronto and New York Film Festivals. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'The Following' Casts '90210' Alum Jessica Stroup Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:50 PM PDT  By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jessica Stroup has found a post-"90210" gig. Stroup, who played Erin Silver on The CW's recently canceled "90210," has signed on for Fox's ultra-creepy serial-killer drama "The Following" as a recurring cast member. Stroup will play Max, the niece of Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon). In the Hardy tradition, Max is an NYPD cop, currently working in the Intel Division. Max reconnects with Ryan and she becomes a valuable ally. ... Full Story | Top |
| Melanie Griffith Cast on 'Hawaii Five-0' After Screenplay Rant Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:48 PM PDT  (Strong language in paragraphs 4 and 5) By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Guess the squeaky wheel really does get the grease, huh, Melanie Griffith? Griffith, who made headlines on Tuesday with a foul-mouth lament about the quality of contemporary screenplays, has landed a guest-spot on the CBS drama "Hawaii Five-0. The 56-year-old actress has been cast as the mother of Danny "Danno" Williams, played by Scott Caan on the series, CBS Television Studios revealed via its Twitter account on Tuesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Orphan Black's' Dylan Bruce Joins Lifetime's 'Flowers in the Attic' Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:46 PM PDT  By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Dylan Bruce is joining Lifetime's television movie, "Flowers in the Attic." The actor broke the news on Twitter, tweeting, "Excited to get started on Lifetime's #FlowersintheAttic! #bartwinslow." Bruce will play Bart Winslow, the younger man and Corrine's (Heather Graham) father's attorney. He'll become her second husband. Because he's unaware that Corrine has children, he will be one of the excuses she uses for leaving her kids with her mother, Olivia (Ellen Burstyn), a Lifetime representative told TheWrap. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Breaking Bad' Star Jonathan Banks Joins NBC's 'Community' Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:44 PM PDT By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Mike Ehrmantraut has been resurrected - as a "Community" cast member! Jonathan Banks, who played meth-ring enforcer Ehrmantraut on AMC's "Breaking Bad" before his character was killed off earlier in the fifth and final season, has signed on as a recurring cast member for NBC's "Community," which is entering its fifth season. Banks will play Pat Nichols, a criminology professor whose background is in the military and police work. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rapper DMX arrested on marijuana charge in South Carolina Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:24 PM PDT  By Harriet McLeod CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - Rapper DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was arrested on Tuesday in South Carolina and charged with possession of marijuana, two days before he was due in court on a drunk driving charge. Police stopped a truck in which Simmons was a passenger for making an improper lane change shortly before midnight, according to a police report. On inspecting the car, police found three bags of marijuana, the report said. Simmons complained of a medical condition and was aggressive, police said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bloomberg to appoint ombudsman after customer complaints Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:15 PM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bloomberg LP will appoint an ombudsman and create a task force to review the way the company gathers news after a report confirmed its journalists routinely looked at client information intended for customer support employees. The report, which Bloomberg commissioned and released on Wednesday, found that journalists could gain access to data including clients' log-in history, contact information and messages that customers left when they were moving firms. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sid Bernstein, promoter of Beatles, other legends, dead at 95 Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:01 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - Music promoter Sid Bernstein, who worked with legends from Judy Garland to Jimi Hendrix and orchestrated the Beatles' historic concert in New York's Shea Stadium in 1965, died on Wednesday aged 95. Bernstein, an agent and manager who according to his friend, publicist Merle Frimark, died in New York, worked with some of the biggest names in show business, including Frank Sinatra, the Rolling Stones and Ray Charles. ... Full Story | Top |
| Major 2012 Hollywood films lacked central gay characters -group Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 01:31 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fewer than 15 percent of major Hollywood films last year included gay characters and virtually all of those were minor or bit parts, the media advocacy group GLAAD said in a report released on Wednesday. GLAAD, which monitors media for representations of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people and issues, tracked Hollywood output for its first Studio Responsibility Index mapping the quantity, quality and diversity of images depicted. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones' Review: Part 'Harry Potter,' Part 'Twilight,' All Dull Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 01:14 PM PDT By Alonso Duralde LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Stop me if you've heard this one: Photogenic teen discovers she's part of a long line of special people with super-human powers, and she's now the target of a supremely evil figure from her past who wants to use her as part of his plot to destroy humanity. Meanwhile, she's torn between two handsome boys (one blond, one brunet) who are obsessed with her. ... Full Story | Top |
| Jane Lynch's 'Hollywood Game Night' Renewed for Season 2 by NBC Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 01:13 PM PDT  By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - It's game on for another round of "Hollywood Game Night." NBC said Tuesday that it has renewed the freshman game show for a 10-episode Season 2, with Jane Lynch returning has host. The series, which was conceived of by actor Sean Hayes and is based on his own real-life game nights, transports two contestants from their everyday lives into a once-in-a-lifetime night of fun and celebration as they step beyond the velvet rope and rub shoulders with some of their favorite celebrities. ... Full Story | Top |
| NBC's Hillary Clinton Project Looks Doomed, Rivals Say Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 01:05 PM PDT  By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - NBC's Hillary Clinton miniseries looks likely to fizzle out, executives at two rival networks told TheWrap. "It's going to die a slow death," one of the executives said, following NBC entertainment Bob Greenblatt statement Friday that the project was only in development and might never be made. The executives spoke on condition of anonymity. Greenblatt's statement came in response to the Republican National Committee voting to bar NBC and CNN from hosting 2016 Republican primary debates. CNN Films is also planning a Clinton project, a documentary. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Eyes 'Social Network' Scene-Stealer Dakota Johnson Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 01:02 PM PDT  By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The "Fifty Shades of Grey" rumors are flying fast and furiously on the Universal lot as the film - set to fog up theaters less than a year from now - prepares to finally tie down its all-important cast. The latest actress to emerge as a serious contender for the coveted role of Anastasia Steele is Dakota Johnson, the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. Johnson started out as an IMG model before transitioning to acting and launching a movie career, including a memorable scene with Justin Timberlake in "The Social Network. ... Full Story | Top |
| Luke Bryan tops Billboard album chart; Perry has No. 1 download Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 12:58 PM PDT  By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Country singer Luke Bryan's latest record stormed straight to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, while pop singer Katy Perry scored her biggest digital song debut to date with new single "Roar." "Crash My Party," the fourth studio album from Bryan, sold more than 527,000 copies in its first week, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, making it his best debut. It is also the third-biggest opening for an album this year, behind Jay Z's "Magna Carta ... ... Full Story | Top |
| Disney's ABC TV unit to lay off two percent of staff: source Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 12:39 PM PDT By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's ABC television unit on Wednesday will begin laying off about 175 people, or 2 percent of its workforce, to adjust to changes in technology and viewing habits, a person familiar with the decision said. The move was prompted by a company-wide review to explore cutbacks in jobs Disney no longer needs, either because of improvements in technology or redundancies following a string of major acquisitions in the past few years. Reuters first reported on the internal review in January. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. actor David Cassidy charged with drunken driving Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 12:21 PM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former teenage idol David Cassidy of 1970s U.S. television series "The Partridge Family" was arrested and charged with felony drunken driving on Wednesday, authorities said. Cassidy, 63, was stopped shortly after midnight in Schodack, N.Y., about 15 miles south of state capital Albany, when he failed to turn off his car's high-beam headlights against oncoming traffic, said Schodack Police Chief Bernhard Peter. "That's fairly typical behavior of someone who's been drinking," Peter said. ... Full Story | Top |
| A Minute With: Lily Collins on fantasy, fans and first kisses Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 09:52 AM PDT  By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Once an aspiring reporter, actress Lily Collins has swapped journalism for Hollywood, as she prepares to step into the spotlight with her biggest role to date: playing a heroine in a young adult franchise. Collins, 24, the daughter of British singer Phil Collins, studied journalism at the University of Southern California but has been displaying her acting chops with films such as 2009's "The Blind Side" and 2012's "Mirror Mirror. ... Full Story | Top |
| Longtime NPR jazz host Marian McPartland dead at 95 Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 09:25 AM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - Marian McPartland, a British musician who hosted a jazz program on National Public Radio for more than four decades, has died at age 95, NPR said on its website. McPartland, the longtime host of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz, died of natural causes at her Long Island home on Tuesday, NPR said. As host, the jazz pianist paired conversation and duet performances, reaching an audience of millions as she interviewed jazz luminaries, before stepping down in 2011. ... Full Story | Top |
| Dutch DJ brings Egypt's 'electro-shaabi' street music to Europe Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 06:16 AM PDT By Helena Williams LONDON (Reuters) - A Dutch DJ is bringing underground Egyptian street music to Western night clubs with the hope that it will paint the troubled North African country in a better light. Music producer and DJ Joost Heijthuijsen, 35, from Tilburg in the Netherlands, does not speak Arabic and only visited Egypt for the first time last April. But he is the founder and one-third of "Cairo Liberation Front", a Dutch DJ set dedicated to "mahragan" music, derived from the Arabic word for festival. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain defends detention of journalist's partner Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:36 AM PDT  By Estelle Shirbon and Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - The British government, accused of abusing media freedom, said on Tuesday police were right to detain a journalist's partner if they thought lives might be at risk from data he was carrying from fugitive U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. ... Full Story | Top |
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