Page 19 - Entertainment Culture

I am not cut out for franchise films, says Danny Boyle

Filmmaker Danny Boyle, who made headlines last year over his departure from Bond 25, says the key takeaway from the experience is the realisation that he is not "cut out" for franchise cinema. The Oscar-winning filmmaker had in August last year dropped out of the project along with his frequent collaborator, screenwriter John Hodge, over "creative differences" with the producers. Boyle was replaced by "True Detective" and "Maniac" director Cary Joji Fukunaga on the film. In an interview with Metro, the 62-year-old director said he will never take on a big studio franchise again. "I learned my lesson that I am not cut out (for franchises) otherwise you're digging in the same hole. I am better not quite in the mainstream franchise movies, is the honest answer. I learned quite a lot about myself with Bond, I work in partnership with writers and I am not prepared to break it up," Boyle said. "We were working very, very well, but they didn't go down that route with us, so we decided to ...

'Pretty Woman' originally had dark ending, reveals Julia Roberts

Actor Julia Roberts has recalled that the original ending of her 1990 romantic hit "Pretty Woman" was quite dark and hard hitting. The film is considered a classic and one of the most memorable projects of Roberts who portrayed prostitute Vivian Ward opposite Richard Gere's Edward Lewis, a rich corporate raider and playboy from New York. Roberts, 51, recently appeared on Variety's Actor on Actor series alongside Patricia Arquette, who revealed that she had originally auditioned for the film that was earlier titled "3,000". "So many, many, many years ago, one of my early auditions was for a movie called '3,000'. Most people don't know that '3,000' was the original 'Pretty Woman' script. And the ending was really heavy," Arquette said. To this, Roberts revealed the original ending in which her character, Vivian Ward, is shoved out of a car and someone "threw the money on top of her, as memory serves, and just drove away, leaving her in some dirty alley." The actor further said the ...

Michael Fassbender to star in spy thriller 'Malko'

Actor Michael Fassbender is all set to star in and produce Lionsgate's spy thriller "Malko". According to Variety, the film is based on Gerard de Villiers' action-spy novel series "S.A.S" and studio intends to launch a franchise with it. The 42-year-old actor, who most recently reprised his role of Magneto in "X-Men: Dark Phoenix", will portray Malko Linge, an Austrian nobleman and freelance CIA operative who spent his formative years in a special Nazi work camp for captured spies. The character is described as a gentleman warrior without a country who works according to his own moral code and lives with a wicked wit and a lust for life. The studio has bought the rights to de Villiers' catalog of espionage thrillers, serialised through 200 books that have sold throughout the world. The first film will be based on de Villiers' book "Checkpoint Charlie", with Eric Warren Singer, the Oscar-nominated scribe of "American Hustle", adapting the script. Fassbender will produce via his ...

Saiyami Kher to star in Anurag Kashyap's next

Actor Saiyami Kher has bagged filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's next directorial, which is currently in production. Saiyami, who made her debut with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Mirzya", will feature alongside Malayalam actor Roshan Mathew in the film. "It has still not sunk in that I am in an Anurag Kashapy film. Its an understatement to say that I am extremely excited to be a part of this project. Can't really talk too much about the film right now," the actor said in a statement. Last week, the filmmaker had announced his new company and a new film without giving any details. The project is being shot in Mumbai and will be filmed within 3 months. Saiyami was last seen in the hit Marathi film "Mauli" opposite Riteish Deshmukh. She recently wrapped shoot on her digital debut in the Amazon prime series "Breathe" opposite Abishek Bachchan.

'Queer Eye' renewed for season four and five by Netflix

Netflix has ordered two more seasons of its Emmy-winning series "Queer Eye". The unscripted show, which is a reboot of Bravo series "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy", features five makeover experts: Antoni Porowski (Food & Wine), Bobby Berk (Interior Design), Jonathan Van Ness (Grooming), Karamo Brown (Culture), and Tan France (Fashion). The show's fourth season will debut on July 19 and will see the Fab Five travel to Kansas City, reported Variety. Production on season five will begin production next week and will see them head to Philadelphia. "Queer Eye" is executive produced by David Collins, Michael Williams and Rob Eric for Scout Productions, and David George, Adam Sher, David Eilenberg and Jordana Hochman for ITV Entertainment Jennifer Lane serves as the showrunner and executive producer.

Kareena, Karisma spend 'wonderful afternoon' with Nita Ambani

Bollywood's hottest sisters - Kareena Kapoor Khan and Karisma Kapoor - are on a relaxing vacation in London.The elder one, Karisma, has been documenting her exotic holiday by sharing beyond adorable pictures on social media.The actor added another beautiful picture to her London diaries which features the stunning siblings with none other than Nita Ambani.In the photo shared on Instagram, Kareena looks simple yet chic in a black sweatshirt with blue denims and neatly tied hair while Karisma looks beautiful in a black-and-white striped sweater and jeans, bright lips and hair left loose. On the other hand, Nita looks elegant-as-ever in an all-white outfit and straight hair.Going by Karisma's post, it seems like the ladies had a good time together. The actor captioned, "Wonderful afternoon" with heart emojis.Karisma, who is quite active on the photo-sharing application, has been treating her fans with pictures of her exotic vacation which are now viral on social media.In one of the ...

Shruti Haasan joins USA Network's Jason Bourne-universe series 'Treadstone'

Actor Shruti Haasan has boarded the cast of USA Network's upcoming series "Treadstone", which will be based in the Jason Bourne universe. The studio had ordered a pilot for the series in April this year and later greenlit the project in August, reported Deadline. Haasan, 33, joins Jeremy Irvine and Brian J. Smith in the show, which recently started production in Budapest. She will portray Nira Patel, a young woman in Delhi whose waitress job serves as a cover for a dangerous double life as a trained assassin. Ben Smith, a producer of the 'Bourne' franchise, has co-created the series with Tim Kring. Apart from Haasan, actors Michelle Forbes, Patrick Fugit, Michael Gaston and Tess Haubrich have also boarded the cast. The show will follow fictional CIA black ops program Operation Treadstone, which was the program that created superspy Jason Bourne, played by actor Matt Damon in four films. The covert program uses behaviour modification protocol to turn recruits into nearly superhuman ...

Biopic on singer Jenni Rivera announced

A film on the life of late singer Jenni Rivera has officially been announced. The revelation was made by Jenni Rivera Enterprises, Mucho Mas Media and De Line Pictures, reported Variety. Kate Lanier of "What's Love Got to Do With It" fame will pen the script for the film. The yet-to-be-titled film will try to capture the essence of the Mexican-American superstar who was as admired for her soulful voice as she was for her openness about her experiences with abuse, sexual assault and finding success in a male-dominated industry. "My sister dreamt of a biopic of her life for many years. We are thrilled it will come to fruition. We never imagined such an amazing producing and writing team like Donald De Line and Kate Lanier would join together with us to help make her dream a reality. "We are overjoyed and excited to begin this process and we are confident that we made the best partnership with Mucho Mas Media and this creative team," her sister Rosie Rivera said. Rivera died in December .

Kriti Sanon to star in Rahul Dholakia's next

Kriti Sanon will be playing the lead in filmmaker Rahul Dholakia next directorial. The yet-to-be-titled thriller film will be produced by Sunir Kheterpal for Azure Entertainment, the makers said in a statement. Kriti, who delivered back-to-back hits with "Bareily Ki Barfi" and "Luka Chuppi", said she was yearning to do a female-centric thriller for a long time. "I have been waiting for the right female-driven thriller to come my way and this film ticked all the boxes and has all the elements of a commercial film. It's an entertainer that has a powerful core idea and will connect with the audiences without being preachy about the subject. "I play a media professional for which the research has already started and I am looking forward to beginning this journey in August," Kriti said in a statement. Kriti has her hands full with three more releases this year including "Arjun Patiala" with Diljit Dosanjh, "Housefull 4" and Ashutosh Gowarikar's "Panipat". The project marks the first ...

Jermaine Fowler to joins Eddie Murphy's 'Coming to America' sequel

Actor-comedian Jermaine Fowler has boarded the cast of Eddie Murphy's "Coming to America" sequel. The much-awaited project, which hails from Paramount Studios, has a release date of August 7, 2019. Craig Brewer is directing the follow-up to the 1988 comedy which will see Murphy reprise his role of Prince Akeem. Fowler is best known for starring as Franco Wicks on "Superior Donuts" for CBS. However, the details of his character from the film are not yet known. "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris wrote the most recent draft of the sequel. The plot would see Akeem learning about a long-lost son and returning to America to meet his unlikely heir to the throne of Zamunda. Murphy is producing alongside Kevin Misher, while Barris is executive producing. Brewer and Murphy are also working on the Netflix film "Dolemite Is My Name".

Uma Thurman's 'Chambers' cancelled by Netflix

Netflix has decided to pull the plug on Uma Thurman-starrer "Chambers" after just one season. The show, created by Leah Rachel, who also served as the showrunner, debutted on the streaming giant's platform in April this year to dismal ratings. The cast also included Tony Goldwyn, Sivan Alyra Rose, Lilliya Reid, Nicholas Galitzine and Kyanna Simone Simpson. In a statement to Variety, a Netflix spokesperson confirmed that the series will not be returning for a sophomore run. "We're grateful to creator and showrunner Leah Rachel for bringing this story to us and to her fellow executive producers Alfonso Gomez Rejon, Steve Gaghan from Super Emotional, Winnie Kemp and Wolfgang Hammer from Super Deluxe, and Jennifer Yale. "We're also thankful to the tireless crew, and to our incredible cast, especially Uma Thurman, Tony Goldwyn and talented newcomer Sivan Alyra Rose," the spokesperson said. "Chambers" follows a young heart attack survivor who becomes consumed by the mystery surrounding the

Farhan Akhtar shares sneak peek from workout session for 'Toofan'

Seems like Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar is leaving no stone unturned to get into the skin of his character in the upcoming film 'Toofan'.After playing an athlete in the 2013 blockbuster 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag', the actor is gearing up for another power-packed role for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra directorial where he will play a boxer.Taking to his Instagram account, Farhan shared a video of himself prepping hard for his role in the upcoming sports-drama, which is a narrative of a boxer and his endearing love story.The clip shows the 45-year-old actor sharpening and working on his boxing skills. He captioned the post as, "It's never over till the trainer says it's over .. #ToofanInTheMaking."The 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' actor is quite active on the photo-sharing application and keeps sharing several posts about his preparation for the film that will definitely make his fans eager to watch him essay the role of a professional boxer on the big screen.Akthar and Mehra had earlier collaborated

Meet Amitabh Bachchan's lookalike- Shashikant Pedwal

The uncanny similarities that Shashikant Pedwal shares with veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan will leave you awestruck. His mannerism, usage of words, dress sense, spectacles, and of course the looks will make you feel that he is none other than senior Bachchan.Recently, the videos of Pedwal mimicking the actor are doing rounds on social media. The videos show him delivering famous dialogues of Big B.On asking him if he has ever met Amitabh, he said, "Yes, I met him in 2011 at his home and showed him my album. He did not believe that those were my pictures. He praised me for my work."Professor by profession, Pedwal is a big fan of Amitabh. He realised that he looks like Amitabh when his college friends told him so. He started learning Amitabh's famous dialogues and performed at various events during his college days.Not only Amitabh, but Pedwal can also mimic other actors as well. He joined an orchestra and started doing stand-up comedy and continued it for 20 years. However, for the ...

Another woman accuses Cuba Gooding Jr. of 'sexual assault'

Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. has been accused of sexual assault by a blogger Claudia Oshry.Oshry claimed that the actor touched her inappropriately when she was 16.Last week, the actor was charged with a misdemeanor count of forcibly touching a woman at a bar in Manhattan."All I have to say is #MeToo. I feel so weird about it because at the end of the day I don't know if I've ever considered myself a victim of sexual assault because I'm not, I would never compare myself to them. But yes when I was in high school -- I was f---- 16 years old -- Cuba Gooding Jr. put his finger up my butt and I felt wild," People quoted Oshry as saying in 'The Morning Toast' podcast last week.However, Gooding's attorney Mark Heller denied the allegation saying, "Mr. Gooding told me such an event never happened. He doesn't know this individual."Oshry became famous with her social media account 'Girl With No Job'.Gooding shot to fame with the film 'Boyz N the Hood' and won an Oscar for ...

Big B feels Resul Pookutty gives him too much credit

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan says Oscar-winning sound artiste Resul Pookutty gives him more credit than he deserves.

Olivia Wilde, Jon Hamm roped in for Clint Eastwood's 'Richard Jewell'

Olivia Wilde and Jon Hamm have joined Clint Eastwood's already star-studded upcoming film "Richard Jewell."The film will feature Paul Walter Hauser playing the titular role of Jewell in the Warner Bros. film. Alongside Hauser, Sam Rockwell will play the role of Jewell's attorney and Kathy Bates will be Jewell's mother, Variety reported.Produced and directed by Eastwood, the film is a drama based on the real-life heroic security guard who after findings a suspicious backpack at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, quickly evacuated the area and ended up saving many lives. However, his life was turned upside down when he was implicated as a possible suspect in the subsequent Olympic Park bombing.This is one of the early cases of fake news having real and extreme consequences. While the media instantly turned him into an instant social pariah, the security guard maintained his innocence throughout the 88-day ordeal, Variety reported.After 88 days, he was finally fully cleared by the FBI. However, .

HC moved against telecast of Kamal Haasan's 'Bigg Boss'

A plea was filed in the Madras High Court Tuesday seeking a direction for constitution of a panel to censor television programmes and restrain Star Vijay channel from broadcasting the show "Bigg Boss" hosted by actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan without censor certificate. Advocate K Suthan, who filed the plea, also wanted the court to direct the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) to take appropriate action against the channel and producer Endemole India Private Limited for conducting the programme contrary to IBF's content code and certification rules. According to the petitioner, IBF's rules expressly prohibit sex, obscenity and also indecent degrading, derogatory content. However, television channels across the country were least bothered about the rules, he submitted. "Particularly, "Bigg Boss" show hosted by actor Kamal Haasan is being telecast with abusive content only with the view to increase the TRP ratings and get monetary benefits without any social responsibility," ...

'The Rock' shares pearl of wisdom at 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards

Dwayne Johnson presented with the Generation Award at 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards on Monday shared some valuable advice with his fans.Giving the acceptance speech, Dwayne took a stroll down memory lane and said "When I first got to Hollywood, they didn't know what the hell to do with me. I mean, I was half black, half Samoan, six foot four, 275-pound pro wrestler," E! Online quoted the actor as saying."I was told at that time you gotta be a certain way. You gotta drop some weight. You gotta be somebody different. You gotta stop working out, stop doing the things that I love. You gotta stop calling yourself 'The Rock'," he added.Advising his fans, the actor said, "Yes it's important to be yourself. [But] you gotta recognize the joy and the responsibility of bringing everybody with you. We bring everybody with us and you do that by being kind, by being compassionate, by being inclusive and straight up, just being good to people because of that matters."Dwayne continued, "And if you

Leslie Mann joins Noel Coward's 'Blithe Spirit' adaptation

Leslie Mann has been roped in to star in adaptation fantasy 'Blithe Spirit' based on the renowned play by Noel Coward.Mann joins the already star-studded star cast that includes, Dan Stevens, Isla Fisher, Julian Rhind-Tut, Emilia Fox, Dave Johns, James Fleet, and Judi Dench.According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film, directed by Edward Hall, has been penned by Nick Moorcroft, Meg Leonard, and Piers Ashworth.The adaptation of Cowards' classic comedy focuses on a best-selling crime novelist, played by Stevens, whose desperate search for inspiration leads him to invite a medium, recently exposed as a fraud, to perform a seance in his home.Leslie Mann's past credits include, '17 Again' (Co-starring Zac Efron), 'The Comedian' (co-starring Robert De Niro), and Knocked Up (co-starring Seth Rogen).

Hrithik Roshan pens heartfelt note for Farhan Akhtar as 'Lakshya' clocks 15 years

Hrithik Roshan penned a heartfelt note for friend Farhan Akhtar as 'Lakshya' clocks 15 years of its release today. The actor expressed his love for the film and how it tied them together in a strong bond of friendship."A beautiful story of self-discovery that touched my life in many ways. Lakshya resonated with my phase of self-discovery as an actor. It gave me a friendship of a decade and a half with Farhan Akhtar & Ritesh Sidhwani1/2)," he tweeted.In another tweet, he wrote about the immense love and appreciation he received from the people. "It blessed me with the overwhelming love of my audience. Here's to #15yearsOfLakshya, a film that will always be very special :) (2/2)," Hrithik wrote.The story of the Indian romantic war drama revolves around Karan Shergill (essayed by Hrithik) who has no goals for his future and gets guided by her girlfriend and a journalist Romila Dutta (essayed by Preity Zinta). Later, Karan joins the Indian army and becomes focused, disciplined ...