International Show, Film & Celebrities News
SIR ELTON JOHN wowed the crowds at the opening gala of his BILLY ELLIOT musical in Australia on Thursday (13Dec07) - by turning up in a tutu.
The Rocket Man rocker, who wrote the musical’s score, joined partner David Furnish, the show’s producer, for the big night at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney.
The gala also attracted actor Anthony La Paglia.
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
LATEST: Leaders of a Catholic group are outraged by claims BRITNEY SPEARS is in talks to play the Virgin Mary in a spoof movie.
French producers want the troubled pop star to take the lead role in new film Sweet Baby Jesus - about a pregnant 19-year-old who goes into labour alone on Christmas Eve.
And officials at America’s Catholic League are appalled the single mother-of-two is up for the role.
President Bill Donohue tells the New York Daily News, "She is seriously miscast. She would be better suited to play the lead role in a flick called Monica (as in Lewinsky). If she did, the Catholic League would be delighted to send her a box of cigars."
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
ALICIA KEYS is still sitting pretty at the top of the U.S. pop charts after claiming a fourth week at number one.
The R&B star’s No One also scores a ninth week atop the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs countdown.
Timbaland’s Apologize jumps up a spot from three to two, while Flo Rida’s Low, featuring T-Pain, climbs to three on the new Hot 100.
On the Modern Rock chart, the Foo Fighters make history by tying the record for the most weeks at number one.
The group’s The Pretender claims a 16th week on top - a feat matched only by Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Staind.
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
Hollywood best friends WILL SMITH and TOM CRUISE coach each other for movie roles in a bid to sculpt and polish their performances.
Smith reveals Cruise spent 15 hours making notes on new movie I Am Legend, so he could give his pal advice.
The Top Gun star then jetted across America on Tuesday (11Dec07) to appear alongside his friend at the movie’s New York premiere.
Smith tells the New York Daily News, "It seems like we’d be in competition with each other, but we’re not. We help each other. "
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
WILL SMITH became so attached to his canine co-star in new movie I AM LEGEND, he begged to take the dog home with him.
The movie star has refused to get attached to family pets ever since his beloved pooch was killed after getting hit by a car when Smith was nine, but he couldn’t help falling for his Alsatian sidekick on the set.
He says, "I always refused to become emotionally attached to animals and then I met this dog.
"I asked her owner if she could live with me, but she said she had to work."
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Oscar winner JULIA ROBERTS has emerged from a "pop culture fest" sickened by what Americans read and watch on TV.
The actress spent the summer reading gossip magazines and watching trash culture TV shows in an effort to understand why Americans are so obsessed with celebrities - and it gave her a headache and left her exhausted.
She says, "I’ve actually gone on a pop culture fest. The TV shows and gossip magazines - it seems so polluting and toxic now. It’s exhausting just looking at a newsstand these days. Your eyes cross. You can’t even focus.
"People aren’t as interested in making a cool movie or constructing interesting characters. Now it’s just about being big and shiny and fabulous."
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GEORGE CLOONEY, BILL MURRAY and JASON SCHWARTZMAN are among the stars who have brought ROALD DAHL’s beloved children’s tale FANTASTIC MR. FOX to life.
The trio has provided the voices for the leading characters in the new Wes Anderson movie.
Schwartzman recorded his part in the film in just 20 minutes in London after Anderson duped him about rehearsal time.
He tells MovieHole.net, "I asked Wes whether we could put aside some time first to talk about the movie, my character, his motivation and so on.
"He said, ‘Sure, we’ll be fine. We’ll rehearse first and then talk about those things later, way before we record anything.’ "It got to the day we were recording… seven o’ clock rolls around and we still haven’t (rehearsed) anything.
"He says, ‘Should we cancel it? It might seem a bit rushed now if we do it." And I said, ‘Yeah, it’ll be too rushed, let’s cancel it.’ "Thing is, he’d already paid the money for the studio. So, he says, ‘Lets just go in there and mess around.’ And what did we do? We did the entire movie in 20 minutes. Every single take! It was so much fun."
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
LATEST: Property tycoon and reality TV king DONALD TRUMP has won his battle to build "the world’s finest golf course" in Scotland.
Councillors in Aberdeenshire reversed their earlier rejection of Trump’s plans and voted 65-0 in favour of the course on the north-east coast of Scotland.
Meanwhile, the council member who opposed Trump’s plans and led a protest against them has been sacked.
Trump says, "This was a very big vote. It’s terrific. It’s really terrific." The proposal now needs to be approved by the Scottish Government.
The 18-hole course will include a 450-room five star hotel, 900 vacation homes, and 500 luxury homes costing up to $2 million (£1 million) each.
Earlier this week (begs10Dec07), it was revealed Trump had written to Aberdeen councillors pledging his environmentally-friendly credentials, in a bid to win them over.
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
Actor SEAN KANAN has been sentenced to 96 hours in jail after pleading guilty to driving under the influence.
The Karate Kid Part III star, 41, was pulled over by Los Angeles police in August (07) and charged with drink-driving.
At a hearing on Thursday (13Dec07), Kanan was also ordered to pay a fine and participate in an 18-month alcohol education program.
This is not Kanan’s first run-in with the law - he was previously convicted of DUI in 1998, reports TMZ.com.
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
THE SOPRANOS, THE OFFICE and THE WIRE are among the TV shows nominated for honours at the 60th Writers Guild Of America (WGA) Awards.
The Sopranos, The Wire, Dexter, Friday Night Lights and Mad Men will fight it out for Best Dramatic Series.
The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, 30 Rock and Flight Of The Conchords all secured nominations for Best Comedy Series.
The awards ceremony takes place on 9 February (07) with simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.
Union bosses insist the current WGA strike won’t affect the event.
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Funnyman DAVID SPADE has split from his actress girlfriend NICKY WHELAN because she wasn’t ready to give up life in her native Australia and move to Hollywood.
The couple has been dating since the spring (07), but agreed to split when time differences and thousands of miles got in the way of their romance.
A source tells America’s In Touch Weekly magazine, "David is heartbroken."
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
LATEST: Actress RICKI LAKE has denied tabloid reports she’s romantically involved with JOHN MAYER, after the singer confessed he has had a crush on her for years.
Lake met Mayer at a Christmas party last week (04Dec07), and the pair exchanged phone numbers before going their separate ways.
But Lake insists rumours of a romance are far fetched.
She says, "I swear to God, there is no story. I met him at a party. He admitted he had a crush and I admitted, hey, vice versa. That was it. I wish there was actually something to tell. There was nothing."
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
LATEST: Veteran actress TIPPI HEDREN has spoken of the horror that washed over her after hearing an employee at the big cats sanctuary she founded had been attacked by a tiger.
A four-year-old, 450 pound (204 kilograms) Bengal tiger, called Alexander, pounced on caretaker Chris Orr at the Shambala Preserve in California earlier this month (Dec07).
And The Birds star Hedren, whose daughter is Melanie Griffith, is grateful Orr not only survived his injuries but is expected to make a full recovery.
She says, "The tiger was lying on his back and he was rolling around. All of a sudden he looked over and he saw one of the caretakers who was bending over, because when you clean you have to bend over.
"And that’s something these cats can’t resist. When you’re below the height of a tiger you can very easily become a prey or a toy, neither of which you want to become." Hedren insists Orr’s only major injury was a broken jaw - thanks to "a wonderful man" who saved the caretaker from a messy death.
She adds, "The injuries (sustained) were a broken jaw, a number of wounds in the neck, and wounds in other places on his body. But the wound to his jaw was the only really severe injury.
"(Fortunately), we have a wonderful man who jumped right in and saved Christopher’s life."
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
The family of actor ROBERT BLAKE’s slain wife is fighting for the fallen star’s hidden millions, claiming he is refusing to come clean about his fortune.
Bonny Lee Bakley’s family members, who brought a civil case against Blake and won millions in the decision, insist the Baretta star is hiding more than $20 million (£10 million) from them.
A criminal court cleared Blake of the 2001 murder of Bakley, but he was ordered to pay out $30 million (£15 million) after being found responsible for his wife’s death.
Blake will appeal the decision in January (08), claiming he has nowhere near enough money to settle the debt - but the Bakley family lawyer, Eric Dubin, is convinced Blake has millions hidden away.
He tells the New York Post, "It’s hidden. There’s upwards of $20 million. I know he pulled out of his bank hundreds of thousands - 5, 10, 15, 20,000 at a time - smallish increments, which wouldn’t put up a red flag.
"He’s very smart… This man’s capable of having buried cash under the third palm tree in the desert." Dubin also reveals that Rosie, the child Blake and Bakley had together, has been legally adopted by the actor’s older daughter, and the family members are keen to get on with their lives, once the financial outcome is settled.
The appeal hearing will begin on 15 January (08).
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
Rapper M.I.A. has beaten out competition from BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and JAY-Z to land Rolling Stone magazine’s coveted Album Of The Year (07) honour.
The British star’s second disc, Kala, is the American music publication’s top album of 2007, while Springsteen’s Magic is at number two.
At three is Jay-Z’s American Gangster, which was inspired by the film of the same name, and Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible is at four.
Rounding out the top five is Kanye West’s Graduation.
Meanwhile, Jay-Z’s Roc Boys was Rolling Stone’s Best Song Of The Year. Randy Newman’s A Few Words In Defense Of Our Country and Rihanna’s Umbrella came second and third respectively.
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
Pop star DEBORAH GIBSON has dismissed speculation she’s had cosmetic surgery, insisting her nose changes appearance depending on the direction she’s facing.
The Only In My Dreams singer claims her nose looks radically different if photographed from various angles, which is the reason some tabloids have reported she’s had plastic surgery.
Gibson says, "If I turn to the right, it has a slope. If I turn to the left, it looks more like a hook. (But) I’m comfortable in my own nose." She adds, "I’m petrified of surgery. In L.A., everyone’s got the same nose. I love that I don’t look like every other girl."
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A generous Canadian restaurant manager has paid HILARY DUFF’s bar bill after the pop star left without settling up.
Rather than turn the incident into a big fuss, Glowbal Grill & Satay Bar boss Jeffery Penna covered the $400 (£200) bill Duff and her sister Haylie forgot to pay.
Penna insists the bill was worth it for a night with the Duff sisters: "They were delightful to be with."
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One over-zealous VAN HALEN fan was left injured when a stagedive at the end of the group’s Vancouver, British Columbia show last week (05Dec07) left him dazed and confused.
The unnamed fan jumped up onstage as the reunited group took it’s bow at the close of the show, and ran around trying to shake the bandmates’ hands, while avoiding burly security guards.
He then attempted to jump from the stage but fell awkwardly and was left writhing backstage in agony.
But hen was rewarded for his courage - Eddie Van Halen waved off the security men, who were intent on roughing the fan up further, and then helped the devotee to his feet and walked him around, acting as his crutch, according to Blabbermouth.net.
Speaking to a local radio DJ after the show, the fan said, "After I bailed, I noticed security all around me and I accepted my fate, then I felt a hand on my shoulder and I thought it was another guard, but I turned and lone behold it was the mighty Eddie Van Halen.
"Right away he asked if I was all right and told the security to back off and not beat me to a pulp."
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)