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| "Family Guy" MacFarlane adds his voice to 'Simpsons' gig Friday, Nov 30, 2012 05:58 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Seth MacFarlane may already have three hit animated television shows, one hit raunchy comedy movie and the coveted Oscars hosting job for next year, but the comedian is adding another notch on his resume: guest voicing on "The Simpsons." "Family Guy" creator MacFarlane will appear in the season premiere of the 25th season of "The Simpsons" in 2013, Fox Television, home to both shows, said on Friday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Stevie Wonder cancels show at Israel Defense Forces fundraiser Friday, Nov 30, 2012 05:17 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Veteran singer and United Nations Messenger of Peace Stevie Wonder has canceled a planned performance for the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces after several organizations asked him not to perform. The soul singer, 62, was scheduled to sing at a December 6 fundraising gala in Los Angeles hosted by the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), an organization set up to help those serving in the Israel Defense Forces and families of fallen soldiers. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bryce Dallas Howard film among the live-action short films on Oscar nominations shortlist Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:48 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "when you find me," directed by "Twilight" star Bryce Dallas Howard and executive-produced by her father Ron Howard, is among 11 films that have been shortlisted for possible Oscars nomination, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Thursday. Though the Academy typically only short-lists 10 entries, a tie in the nominations balloting resulted in an 11th title making the list. In all, 125 films originally qualified in the category. ... Full Story | Top |
| Clint Eastwood's daughter named Miss Golden Globe Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:44 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Hooray for nepotism. One of Clint Eastwood's daughters, Francesca Eastwood, has been named Miss Golden Globe for this January's awards show. She joins a long list of celebrity offspring including Rumer Willis (Demi Moore and Bruce's little girl) and Lorraine Nicholson (the apple of Jack's eye) in receiving the honor. Other past Miss Gold Globes include Melanie Griffith (daughter of Peter Griffith and Tippi Hedren) and Laura Dern (daughter of Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd). Francesca Eastwood is the daughter of Eastwood and actress Frances Fisher. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Guardians of the Galaxy" director sorry for blog post seen as sexist, homophobic Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:42 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - James Gunn, the man entrusted with steering Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" to the big screen, apologized publicly for a 2011 blog post that was criticized as sexist and homophobic. Gunn, who is best known for directing the 2006 horror-comedy "Slither," found himself under fire this week after reports about a blog post titled "The 50 Superheroes You Most Want to Have Sex With." In it, he called the superhero Gambit a "Cajun fruit" and suggested that Iron Man could "turn" the lesbian Batwoman into a straight woman. ... Full Story | Top |
| Seth MacFarlane will let - gasp - college students touch Oscars Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:38 PM PST  NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - So this is the kind of lowbrow vulgarity we get when we allow the creator of "The Family Guy" to host the Oscars: Seth MacFarlane will let the golden statuettes be handled by - brace yourself - college students. We'll give you a moment to unclutch your pearls. For an episode of MTVu's "Stand In" series, in which celebrities visit college classes, MacFarlane talks to a group of UCLA film students about his work. He also announces the details of "The Oscar Experience College Search," which will be presented by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and mtvU. ... Full Story | Top |
| NBC sets premiere date for "Do No Harm" drama Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:37 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - NBC will premiere its new drama "Do No Harm" at 10 p.m. on January 31, NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt said Friday. The premiere date takes advantage of the one-hour series finale of "30 Rock," which will air at 8 p.m. on that same night. "Do No Harm" stars "Rescue Me" alum Steven Pasquale as Dr. Jason Cole, a neurosurgeon whose life is going swimmingly until his dangerous alter-ego emerges, hell-bent on creating havoc on Cole and those around him. ... Full Story | Top |
| Katie Holmes in "Dead Accounts": what did the critics think? Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:29 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - With her marriage to Tom Cruise firmly ensconced in the rearview mirror, Katie Holmes has returned to Broadway to star in Theresa Rebeck's "Dead Accounts." But the "Dawson's Creek" actress who will forever be synonymous with one mega-star's epic Oprah freakout, got credit from many critics for giving it the proverbial college try - although most reviewers savaged the production. "Dead Accounts" centers on a hotshot Wall Street-type (Norbert Leo Butz) who returns to his Cincinnati home with a dark secret. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Star Trek's" future is history in new book Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:28 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - For a fan base obsessed with a fictional future, the past sure seems to matter. More than 45 years after "Star Trek" took fans boldly into the 23rd century, television writer David A. Goodman has written the first detailed narrative in history-book form of events depicted in the iconic science-fiction TV and movie franchise. "This is the history of the galaxy as it's already been painted by the writers of the original 'Star Trek' series, the sequel series, and the movies up to but not including the (2009 "Star Trek") J.J. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Searching for Sugar Man" wins Producers Guild documentary nomination Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:27 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Searching for Sugar Man" is the best-known of the five films whose producers have been nominated for documentary motion pictures by Producers Guild of America, which announced its nominations on Friday. Malik Bendjelloul's film about the rediscovery of '70s recording artist Rodriguez joined a slate of nominees that also includes Jon Shenk's doc about the ousted president of the Maldives, "The Island President"; Marius A. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senators urge Obama to release more water into Mississippi River Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:27 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sixteen U.S. senators have appealed to President Barack Obama to divert more water to the Mississippi River to prevent barge traffic from shutting down due to low water on the country's inland waterway, a crucial route for goods bound for export. Low water is a looming disaster, said the senators in a letter to Obama that was released on Friday. The senators, from states along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, asked for emergency action to release more water from Missouri River reservoirs to feed the drought-sapped Mississippi River. ... Full Story | Top |
| Seth MacFarlane on "Family Guy" movie: "it's just a matter of when" Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:25 PM PST  NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane wants to bring his beloved and controversial Fox show to the big screen, telling students at UCLA on Wednesday that a theatrical version of the show will definitely happen. "It's just a matter of when," MacFarlane said, according to Entertainment Weekly. "It's hard to do that while you have the series going on at the same time; I think that's why it took ‘The Simpsons' 20 seasons to figure out how to do it." "Family Guy," which is in its 11th season, has made MacFarlane one of the most successful writers in television. ... Full Story | Top |
| Carrie Underwood to star in new "Sound of Music" broadcast Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:23 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Country singer Carrie Underwood will perform "My Favorite Things" and other tunes from the musical "The Sound of Music" when she portrays Maria von Trapp in a live broadcast of the perennial favorite, NBC television said on Friday. In a production to be aired late next year, the five-time Grammy winner will star as the rebellious would-be nun who married Austrian Naval commander Georg von Trapp and fled the Nazis with him and his children. NBC did not say where the musical would be staged. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Silver Linings" David O. Russell on how Jennifer Lawrence skyped her way to Oscar front-runner Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:18 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jennifer Lawrence is at the forefront of best actress Oscar talk for her lead role in "Silver Linings Playbook." But, as writer-director David O. Russell explained to the audience at TheWrap screening series Thursday night, he was so convinced she wasn't right for the role that he only had her audition via Skype. "Quite frankly, it was like a formality," Russell told the capacity crowd at the Landmark Theatre. "I didn't think she was really a contender. We had three very serious contenders (already). ... Full Story | Top |
| "Honey Boo Boo" star arrested for going ape on Georgia Freeway Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:13 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - If you tend to believe that the cast members of TLC reality series "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" are less than totally evolved, rejoice; this story might just confirm your suspicions. "Crazy" Tony Lindsey - the cousin of "Honey Boo Boo"'s titular star Alana Thompson" - was arrested in Georgia earlier this week following a goofy, but dangerous, stunt involving a gorilla suit, TMZ reports. ... Full Story | Top |
| Led Zeppelin will Reunite - for "Letterman" interview Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:11 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The surviving members of Led Zeppelin will make a rare appearance together on "Late Show With David Letterman" on December 3, CBS said Friday. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones will drop in on the late-night show for an interview - which isn't quite the reunion that Zep fans have been patiently waiting for, but it might have to do. ... Full Story | Top |
| "iCarly" and "Victorious" spinoff gets greenlight from Nickelodeon Friday, Nov 30, 2012 03:00 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Tweens of the world, rejoice: "iCarly" may be relegated to the dustbin of TV-programming history, but a part of it will live on. Nickelodeon has greenlit "Sam & Cat," a hybrid spinoff of "iCarly" - which ended its run last week - and the Nickelodeon series "Victorious." The series - from "iCarly" and "Victorious" creator Dan Schneider - will star Jennette McCurdy (who played Sam Puckett on "iCarly") and Ariana Grande (perhaps better known as Cat Valentine to "Victorious" viewers). ... Full Story | Top |
| "Walking Dead" midseason finale preview: attack of the bloodthirsty killers, aka our heroes Friday, Nov 30, 2012 02:57 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - (Spoiler warning: Don't read this if you don't want to know what happened this season on "The Walking Dead" or in the comics. We're also giving some general details about Sunday's midseason finale.) As eventful as this season of "The Walking Dead" has been, they're just getting to the best stuff. Showrunner Glen Mazzara tells TheWrap that Sunday's midseason finale will include several intense faceoffs, including one between Michonne and The Governor's zombified daughter, Penny. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gushing UK papers laud PM Cameron's stance on press law Friday, Nov 30, 2012 01:54 PM PST  LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron woke on Friday to find usually hostile newspapers gushing about his statesman-like qualities after he signaled his opposition to a new law governing the press. After his party suffered a night of humiliation in three parliamentary by-elections, instead of facing questions over his leadership, he was cheered for rejecting the main plank of proposals from a public inquiry he set up in the wake of outrage at the excesses of tabloid newspapers. ... Full Story | Top |
| Court weighs broadcasters' challenge to Diller's Aereo Friday, Nov 30, 2012 12:17 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Aereo Inc, an online television venture backed by billionaire Barry Diller, was scrutinized on Friday by U.S. appeals court judges who questioned whether the service was stealing U.S. broadcasters' copyrighted programming. Broadcasters are challenging a July decision by a U.S. district court that rejected a request for a preliminary injunction against Aereo, a service that lets subscribers stream live broadcasts on phones, tablet computers and other devices. Aereo was launched in March to New York-area subscribers for $12 per month. ... Full Story | Top |
| Korean pop rides "Gangnam Style" into U.S. music scene Friday, Nov 30, 2012 12:11 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Gangnam Style," the catchy Korean song by rapper Psy, may have danced its way into the American charts but the Korean pop industry isn't horsing around when it comes to capitalizing on the singer's phenomenal U.S. success. With "Gangnam Style" topping the current Billboard Digital Songs chart and becoming the most-watched video on YouTube ever with more than 800 million views, fellow Korean pop, or K-pop, artists are positioning themselves for similar U.S. breakthroughs. Korea's pop music industry is thriving. ... Full Story | Top |
| Putin aide denies Russian president has health problems Friday, Nov 30, 2012 11:49 AM PST  TOKYO/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin is in good health, his chief of staff said on Friday after Japanese media said Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda had postponed a visit to Moscow next month because the Russian president had a health problem. A former KGB officer who enjoys vast authority in Russia, Putin has long cultivated a tough-guy image, and health issues could damage that. His condition though has been questioned in some media since he was seen limping at a summit in September. ... Full Story | Top |
| Judge who named Starr to probe Clinton to retire Friday, Nov 30, 2012 11:24 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The conservative U.S. federal judge who helped to appoint Kenneth Starr as an independent counsel to investigate President Bill Clinton, prompting first lady Hillary Clinton to complain of a "vast right-wing conspiracy," is planning a partial retirement in February. The decision by Judge David Sentelle, an anchor of the conservative side of the federal judiciary, will open a fourth vacancy on a Washington, D.C., appeals court considered second in influence to the U.S. Supreme Court. ... Full Story | Top |
| Strauss-Kahn in preliminary deal to settle case with maid Friday, Nov 30, 2012 11:04 AM PST  NEW YORK/PARIS (Reuters) - Former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn has reached a preliminary agreement to settle a civil lawsuit brought against him by a hotel maid who accused him of sexual assault last year, sources familiar with the case said. U.S. and France-based lawyers for Strauss-Kahn, who was once tipped to become French president, on Friday acknowledged a deal was under discussion, but said it had not yet been finalized. They also denied as "flatly false" and "fanciful" a report that he agreed on a $6 million settlement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Actor Johnny Lewis not on drugs at time of death: coroner Friday, Nov 30, 2012 10:59 AM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former "Sons of Anarchy" actor Johnny Lewis, who was found dead in September and linked to a suspected homicide, did not have any drugs or alcohol in his body, coroner's officials said on Friday. A toxicology examination detected no amounts of cocaine, marijuana, hallucinogenic drugs or prescription medications, the Los Angeles County Coroner's office said in a report. Lewis, 28, was found dead in the driveway of a home he had been renting in Los Angeles and his 81-year-old landlady was found dead inside. ... Full Story | Top |
| UK artist hits out at Christie's over stolen work Friday, Nov 30, 2012 10:02 AM PST LONDON (Reuters) - Turner Prize-winning Scottish artist Douglas Gordon has criticized auction house Christie's after a solid gold sculpture was stolen from the auction house's London warehouse. Gordon's 2007 "The Left Hand and the Right Hand Have Abandoned One Another" was reported missing by the world's biggest auction house on November 12 and is believed to have an insurance value of around 500,000 pounds ($800,000). But Gordon complained that he was not informed about the theft until more than two weeks later. ... Full Story | Top |
| Monty Python stars in court over "Spamalot" profits Friday, Nov 30, 2012 09:53 AM PST  LONDON (Reuters) - Three members of the Monty Python British comedy troupe were in court in London on Friday for the opening of a lawsuit over the profits from a spin-off of one of their greatest hits, the 1975 movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Jones arrived together and sat at the back of a small, modern courtroom to listen to opening arguments in the case. All three are expected to give evidence next week. ... Full Story | Top |
| German producers plan Pope Benedict biopic Friday, Nov 30, 2012 07:55 AM PST  MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Two German producers have bought the film rights to an upcoming biography of Pope Benedict by the Bavarian author of three best-selling interview books with the pontiff. The Odeon Film company said producers Marcus Mende and Peter Weckert planned a film for international release based on a biography by journalist Peter Seewald due to be published in early 2014. ... Full Story | Top |
| Dr. Dre ranks as Forbes' highest-paid musician, at $100 million Friday, Nov 30, 2012 07:14 AM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - You may be singing "Call Me Maybe" or dancing "Gangnam Style" to this year's music, but it was veteran hip-hop artist Dr. Dre who topped Forbes' list of the 25 highest-paid musicians in 2012, released on Thursday. California native Dre, 47, became one of the leading names in hip-hop and rap in the early 1990s and has worked with artists including Eminem and Snoop Dogg. Along with his extensive back catalog, Dre's lucrative headphones business, Beats by Dre, helped him gross $100 million in pre-tax earnings according to Forbes. ... Full Story | Top |
| Dolly Parton talks dreams, love, plastic surgery Friday, Nov 30, 2012 07:14 AM PST  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Although Dolly Parton has cemented her place in country and popular music, pop culture, and as an entrepreneur and philanthropist, she still, on occasion, gets nervous. Her new book, "Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You" encourages readers to overcome their fears, believe in their passions and keep taking risks. The "I Will Always Love You" singer/songwriter, 66, who has written more than 3,000 songs and sold more than 100 million records, talked to Reuters about the message of the book, which was published this week. Q. You say you put off writing this book? A. ... Full Story | Top |
| Vivendi completes pay-TV tie-up deal with Polish TVN Friday, Nov 30, 2012 05:48 AM PST WARSAW (Reuters) - France's media and telecoms group Vivendi and Polish broadcaster TVN completed a long awaited deal to combine their pay television platforms in Poland, TVN and its controlling owner said on Friday. The link-up, approved by Polish regulators, is part of a wider partnership deal that could see Vivendi ultimately take control of TVN. Vivendi will hold 51 percent in the joint venture valued at 5.9 billion zlotys ($1.9 billion). The French group will also take 40 percent in TVN's controlling company for 230 million euros ($298.5 million). (Reporting by Adrian Krajewski) Full Story | Top |
| London plan to sell Henry Moore work hits legal snag Friday, Nov 30, 2012 05:12 AM PST LONDON (Reuters) - Plans by a cash-strapped London borough to sell a Henry Moore sculpture worth up to 20 million pounds ($32 million) to help pay the bills has hit a snag after the Art Fund charity launched a legal challenge over who owns "Draped Seated Woman". Tower Hamlets in the east of the capital, which has one of the highest poverty rates in the country, is struggling to make austerity savings of 100 million pounds over the next two years, and proposed the sale of the Moore as a partial solution. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Hobbit" may bring a Hollywood ending to 2012 box office Friday, Nov 30, 2012 04:20 AM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It took more than a decade, two directors and a lawsuit before "The Hobbit" made it to the big screen. Hollywood executives are crossing their fingers that the culmination of that journey will help smash movie box office records this year. The film, which opens on December 14, is expected to contribute to the first annual box office increase in North America in three years, a sign that big movie studios have made more films enticing enough to get people into theaters and away from their TVs, games and the Internet. ... Full Story | Top |
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