1-20 of 36 items « Prev | Next »
Francis Lawrence offered 'Catching Fire' director gig
1 hour ago | EW - Inside Movies | See recent EW.com - Inside Movies news »
Barely a week after Gary Ross bowed out of directing Catching Fire, the sequel to his blockbuster megahit The Hunger Games, Francis Lawrence has been offered the hotly contested job, EW has confirmed.
The I Am Legend helmer — no relation to star Jennifer Lawrence — won the gig over reported contender Bennett Miller (Moneyball), whose commitment to a fall shoot for the biopic Foxcatcher likely ultimately put him out of the running. (The Hollywood Reporter first broke the story.)
Catching Fire is set on a much larger, more exotic canvas than The Hunger Games, and the choice suggests Lionsgate was keen on Lawrence’s ability to handle large-scale visual effects sequences while also giving them a sense of style. He’ll have precious time to prepare; Catching Fire already has a set release date (Nov. 22, 2013), and needs to finish shooting by December, in time for Jennifer Lawrence to begin production on the sequel to X-Men: First Class. »
- Adam B. Vary
Levon Helm, Drummer for The Band, Dies at 71
6 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Levon Helm, former drummer for rock group The Band, died at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, the Times Herald-Record reports. Helm, who had been battling throat cancer, was 71. "We lost Levon at 1:30 today surrounded by friends and family and his musicians have visited him," Larry Campbell, Helm's guitarist and band leader, told the paper. "As sad as this was, it was very peaceful." Also read: Jonathan Frid, "Dark Shadows" Vampire Barnabas Collins, Dies at 87 Fans received a warning that Helm had taken a turn »
- Tim Kenneally
Cannes Festival announces 2012 line-up
11 hours ago | EW - Inside Movies | See recent EW.com - Inside Movies news »
Cannes announced its complete line-up for the 2012 festival. As previously reported, Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom will open the festival, which runs from May 16-27. Other films in contention for the prestigious Palme d’Or include David Cronenberg’s ultra-violent Cosmopolis, Brad Pitt’s upcoming Killing Them Softly, Lee Daniels’ Precious follow-up The Paperboy, John Hillcoat’s Lawless, Eva Mendes starrer Holy Motors, and films from Abbas Kiarostami, Ken Loach, Michael Haneke, Alain Resnais, and Walter Salles.
Highlights beyond the Palme d’Or race include Sundance favorite Beasts of the Southern Wild, Ken Burns doc The Central Park Five, Madagascar 3 »
- Lanford Beard
Dark Shadows Star Frid Dead
13 hours ago | WENN | See recent WENN news »
Cult actor Jonathan Frid has died, aged 87.
Frid passed away on 13 April from natural causes at Juravinski Hospital in Ontario, Canada.
The actor was best known for playing vampire Barnabas Collins in '60s supernatural TV soap opera Dark Shadows, which is the subject of an upcoming big screen remake directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp in the role made famous by Frid. The actor makes a cameo appearance in the film and it was fittingly his final screen role.
Other notable credits include roles in The Devil's Daughter and 1974 horror film Seizure.
Frid's former Dark Shadows co-star Kathryn Leigh Scott paid tribute to the actor on her official website, writing, "I am so grateful to have worked with Jonathan and to have known him as the charismatic, entertaining, complex and plain spoken man that he was. What fun we had working together! He was irascible, irreverent, funny, caring, lovable and thoroughly professional, and in the end became the whole reason why kids ran home from school to watch Dark Shadows." »
Jake Gyllenhaal Making U.S. Stage Debut for Roundabout Theatre Company
9 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Jake Gyllenhaal will make his American stage debut in "If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet," the Roundabout Theatre Company said Thursday. The Oscar-nominated star of "Brokeback Mountain" and "Prince of Persia" will star in the story of a girl who is bullied at school and finds herself suspended after head-butting a tormentor. Gyllenhaal will play the girl's foul-mouthed uncle, who forms a bond with his struggling niece. The piece was written by up-and-coming British playwright Nick Payne, who also wrote the critically adored "Constellations." Michael Longhurst, who directed "Constellations," will oversee »
- Brent Lang
Sheree Whitfield leaves 'Real Housewives of Atlanta'
10 hours ago | EW - Inside TV | See recent EW.com - Inside TV news »
EW has confirmed that Real Housewives of Atlanta star Sheree Whitfield will no longer be with the show after this season. The news first broke yesterday when Whitfield tweeted, “Yes it is official I’m leaving Real Housewives of Atlanta. I enjoyed my time working with everyone affiliated with the show.”
Whitfield explained to WetPaint, “The direction the show is going in is no longer a fit for my lifestyle. I’m tired of the fighting and the cattiness.” She added, “I want to be part of something that empowers and inspires women to not only be healthy, but to treat themselves with respect. »
- Lanford Beard
Francis Lawrence Will Be Catching Fire
23 minutes ago | EmpireOnline | See recent EmpireOnline news »
The old saying runs that nature abhors a vacuum, but that’s nothing compared to the howling void a studio fears when a director departs a big name franchise. So you can understand Lionsgate acting quickly to plug the gap created by Gary Ross’ decision to pass on Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire. His replacement elect? I Am Legend director Francis Lawrence.After a fast but apparently extensive search, word broke earlier this week from the gang over at The Playlist that Lionsgate had narrowed their choice down to either Lawrence or Moneyball man Bennett Miller. But with Miller ploughing ahead on true-life tragedy tale Foxcatcher (Mark Ruffalo just joined a cast that already includes Steve Carell and Channing Tatum), he was simply too busy to take on the gig.And Lawrence, who has shown he can handle both spectacle and more intimate dramas such as Water For Elephants, seems »
Team Obama Saves Spots for 2 Winners at George Clooney Dinner
24 minutes ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Want to meet George Clooney? President Obama? How about both of them at once -- over dinner? Two lucky Obama boosters will get their chance on May 10, thanks to some creative party planning by the president’s re-election team. Obama's Deputy Campaign Manager Julianna Smoot announced a contest via email on Thursday that grants the winner and a guest access to a posh Hollywood fundraiser for the president. Also read: Clooney Goes to the White House Here’s the kicker: The swanky dinner will be held at Clooney’s L.A. home. It’ll cost competitors all of $3 »
- Kasia Anderson
Hilary Duff and Kelly Preston: Hollywood's Latest Tmi Moms?
34 minutes ago | E! Online | See recent E! Online news »
Talk about milking the spotlight! From Alicia Silverstone feeding her baby boy via mouth-to-mouth and January Jones sharing that she ate her son's placenta, we've had our fair share of interesting tales of motherhood, and luckily, they never seem to end. New mommies Hilary Duff and Kelly Preston have each given us something that might result in them joining the Tmi Moms Club. So what's their special addition to the group? Duff shared with People that she and husband Mike Comrie recently celebrated four-week-old Luca's biggest milestone to date. "You know what was a big milestone? The belly button falling off. That was a huge one. And then I wanted to keep it but »
Hunger Games Sequel Goes to Francis Lawrence
36 minutes ago | Vulture | See recent Vulture news »
So the rumor that Lionsgate would offer the Hunger Games sequel to a director by week's end was no farce — it's Francis Lawrence, Jennifer Lawrence's dad! Just Kidding. (Totally warned you about the impending confusion, though.) Moneyball director Bennett Miller was the other final contender, but he lost out when F-Law slayed him with lethal prowess atop the Cornucopia when he hesitated to push back production for his Steve Carell-starring film Foxcatcher. So now Catching Fire will be brought to you by the guy who did I Am Legend and Water for Elephants, also the stupendously lucky fellow who got like three months to prep the follow-up to the biggest thing ever. »
- Zach Dionne
American Idol Elimination Shocker: First-Timer in the Bottom Three Goes Home!
42 minutes ago | E! Online | See recent E! Online news »
Who had a bad night on American Idol? There was no use guessing ahead of time who would be kicked off: Elise Testone probably got the least positive feedback on Wednesday. Jessica Sanchez sounded fierce, but the voters tried to get rid of her last week. Hollie Cavanagh did better than usual. Colton Dixon had one top-notch song and one just so-so. In any case, tonight's blood-letting was going to be painful, especially if the voters decided to throw the judges for a loop like they did last time. So, did they? Yup! Just when we thought the natural order of things had been restored with Hollie and Elise back in the bottom three, American Idol ended up saying goodbye to Colton—who »
'Hunger Games' Sequel Finds a Director
45 minutes ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
"The Hunger Games" sequel "Catching Fire" has found a director, a little more than a week after "Hunger Games" writer/director Gary Ross bowed out of the project. Lionsgate is preparing to make an offer to Francis Lawrence, who helmed "I Am Legend" and "Water for Elephants," to direct the second installment of the "Hunger Games" franchise. Also read: Gary Ross Bows Out of Directing "Hunger Games" Sequel Lawrence is currently filming the TV movie "Gotham," and lensed the pilot for Fox's Kiefer Sutherland drama "Touch." Ross dropped out of the project last week, citing »
- Tim Kenneally
American Idol Reveals the Top Six
45 minutes ago | PEOPLE.com | See recent PEOPLE.com news »
The save is gone. So, one of American Idol's talented top seven has to go home. After performing two songs each the night before, the remaining contestants faced elimination once again - and if they learned anything from last week's shocking results show, it's that no one is safe. Keep reading to find out who was sent home on Thursday's show ... Despite a her comeback with "Rolling in the Deep" and "Son of a Preacher Man," Hollie Cavanagh was the first contestant told by host Ryan Seacrest that she was in the bottom three. The second was Elise Testone, »
- Aaron Parsley
American Idol Top 7 (Redux) Results Recap: 'Everything' But the Girls
50 minutes ago | TVLine.com | See recent TVLine.com news »
“Another Shock Rocks Idol.”
With four simple words splashed across the screen at the top of this week’s American Idol Top 7 (Part Deux) results show, fans of Phillip, Colton, Skylar, Jessica, and Joshua clutched their throw pillows and began saying their novenas.
Yeah, these fan bases paused to enjoy the pleasures of Kris Allen’s inspirational new single, “The Vision of Love,” — and to hit the mute button when two neon-clad cavepersons crawled out the bottom of a tequila bottle and vomited some notes (and probably some phlegm) into the audience.
But then it was time to get down »
- Michael Slezak
Box Office Hunger Game: 'Lucky One' or 'Think Like a Man'?
1 hour ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
“The Hunger Games” will surely lose its box-office crown this weekend – and it’s going to be to a romance. The question is, Will it be the Zac Efron military sudser “The Lucky One” or the African-American ensemble “Think Like a Man”? Both are based on books by authors with devoted followings: Warner Bros.’ “Lucky One” on a novel by romance king Nicholas Sparks, and Sony’s Screen Gems release on an advice book by comedian Steve Harvey. After four consecutive victories, “The Hunger Games” is expected to come in third with $13 million »
- Diane Garrett
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Casts Tony Danza for Directorial Debut
1 hour ago | Vulture | See recent Vulture news »
Who could say no to Joseph Gordon-Levitt? Not Scarlett Johansson or Julianne Moore, nor Tony Danza; Variety reports he's joining Jgl's directorial debut. Awesomely enough, the two co-starred in Angels in the Outfield back in 1994. Danza will play Gordon-Levitt's dad in the still-untitled film, which features Johansson as Joe's girlfriend and Moore as an unlikely mentor to his porn-addled, trying-to-change-his-playa-ways self. »
- Zach Dionne
Actor who originated Johnny Depp's 'Dark Shadows' character dies
1 hour ago | Hitfix | See recent Hitfix news »
Toronto (AP) — Jonathan Frid, a Canadian actor best known for playing Barnabas Collins in the 1960s original vampire soap opera "Dark Shadows", has died. He was 87. Frid died Friday of natural causes in a hospital in his home town of Hamilton, Ontario, said Jim Pierson, a friend and spokesman for Dan Curtis Productions, the creator of "Dark Shadows." Frid starred in the 1960s gothic-flavored soap opera about odd, supernatural goings-on at a family estate in Maine. His death comes just weeks before a Tim Burton-directed version of Dark Shadows is due out next month starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas »
- Rob Gillies (AP)
Movie Review: The Lucky One Jinxed by Far-Fetched Plot
1 hour ago | E! Online | See recent E! Online news »
Review in a Hurry: Zac Efron has fallen in love with Taylor Schilling before he's even met her! When they do finally meet in this adaptation of yet another best-selling Nicholas Sparks' novel, sparks fly. Too bad the story lets the young stars down, relying way too much on the villainy of a small-town bully and enough miscommunication for a whole season of Three's Company. The Bigger Picture: The film adaptation of Sparks' novel of The Notebook succeeded thanks in large part to the irresistible heat generated between Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. The Lucky One could have been the same since Efron and Schilling have plenty of onscreen chemistry. There's even a successful nod to The Notebook's classic »
Clybourne Park: Theater Review
1 hour ago | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
New York –A lot has been written about Bruce Norris’ 2011 Pulitzer winner – in its original Off Broadway run; its hit London production, where it won the Olivier Award for best play; and in its recent Los Angeles stop. So much, in fact, that it seems almost superfluous to weigh in so late on this meaty satirical swipe at ingrained prejudices and the way we address them – or fail to. But the fresh revelation is how well Clybourne Park plays on Broadway. In Pam MacKinnon’s expert staging, this is provocative entertainment that generates as much uneasiness as laughter.
read more
»
- David Rooney
Francis Lawrence reportedly offered director's chair for 'Hunger Games' sequel
1 hour ago | Hitfix | See recent Hitfix news »
Francis Lawrence has emerged as the favorite to replace Gary Ross as the director of "Catching Fire," the highly-anticipated sequel to "The Hunger Games," and according to a report just published in The Hollywood Reporter, he'll get his official offer to helm the movie this afternoon. This has been a lightning-fast process, primarily because Lionsgate can't afford to waste any time. They have a specific timetable they have to meet if they plan to have Jennifer Lawrence done with shooting in time for her to make the jump to the sequel to "X-Men: First Class" that she is also committed to, »
- Drew McWeeny
1-20 of 36 items « Prev | Next »
« Prev | Next »
company.