Producer ICE CUBE, director F. GARY GRAY, producer DR. DRE, COREY HAWKINS (Dr. Dre), JASON MITCHELL (Eazy-E) and O’SHEA JACKSON JR. (Ice Cube) (Credit: Todd MacMillan/Universal Pictures)
Universal Pictures has bumped the untitled next film in the Bourne franchise from its August 14, 2015 release date to July 15, 2016. The studio’s also confirmed Justin Lin is on board as director, and Jeremy Renner will once again play Aaron Cross in this fifth film of the series.
Lin, Frank Marshall, Jeffrey Weiner, and Ben Smith are producing the movie inspired by Robert Ludlum’s book series.
By moving the Bourne film off of the August 14th date, Universal Studios has made room for the dramatic film Straight Outta Compton. Directed by F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job), Straight Outta Compton will star O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, and Jason Mitchell as N.W.A. members Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E. Ice Cube and Dr. Dre will be involved behind the scenes as producers.
The Plot:
In the mid-1980s, the streets of Compton, California, were some of the most dangerous in the country. When five young men translated their experiences growing up into brutally honest music that rebelled against abusive authority, they gave an explosive voice to a silenced generation. Following the meteoric rise and fall of N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton tells the astonishing story of how these youngsters revolutionized music and pop culture forever the moment they told the world the truth about life in the hood and ignited a cultural war.
The first official photo of Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey has been revealed. Well, technically we’ve seen Dornan in character previously but that official photo was of his back so it doesn’t count in our book. This just-released photo was put out in support of Christian Grey’s birthday, and we can expect to see more photos soon as the film heads toward its February 13, 2015 theatrical release.
Based on the first book of E L James’ bestselling Fifty Shades series, Fifty Shades of Grey is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (wife of Godzilla star Aaron Taylor-Johnson). The cast also includes Dakota Johnson (daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson), Max Martini, Rita Ora, Callum Keith Rennie, Jennifer Ehle, and Luke Grimes.
The Book’s Synopsis:
When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.
Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.
Comedian Kevin Hart during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon on June 17, 2014 (Photo by: Douglas Gorenstein/NBC)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is broadcasting from Universal Orlando Resort, the home of some gigantic, nausea-inducing roller coasters. So, when you have a guest who hates roller coasters and you have a roller coaster that would cause any sane person to feel scared, what do you do? If you’re Jimmy Fallon, you talk roller coaster-hating Kevin Hart into taking a wild ride.
The winners of the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards have been revealed by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group, spotlighting indie books that deserve more readers.
“We like to think of our awards program as the ‘Sundance’ of the book publishing world,” said Catherine Goulet, Chair of the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards program. “Like other independent artists, many indie book publishers face challenges that the industry giants don’t experience. They typically have to work a lot harder to get their best books into retail stores and ultimately into the hands of readers.”
2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winners
Top Non-Fiction Books
First Place Winner ($1,500 Prize) The Boy Who Lived With Ghosts, by John Mitchell (Inclusic)
Second Place Winner ($750 Prize) Explosion Green, by David Gottfried (Morgan James Publishing)
Third Place Winner ($500 Prize) The Imagine Project: Stories of Courage, Hope and Love, by Dianne Maroney (Yampa Valley Publishing)
Top Fiction Books
First Place Winner ($1,500 Prize) A True Novel, by Minae Mizumara (Other Press)
Second Place Winner ($750 Prize) The Translator, by Nina Schuyler (Pegasus Books)
Third Place Winner ($500 Prize) Head Long, by Ron MacLean (Last Light Studio)
Other Winners:
Action/Adventure Winners – Tie King’s Crusade (Seventeen Book 2), by A.D. Starrling Paddling to Winter, by Julie Buckles (Raven Productions, Inc.)
African American Losing My Religion, by Jide Familoni (CreateSpace)
Animals/Pets Winners – Tie Nothing Ventured: An Inspiring Story of Dogs, Hope and Survival, by Pamela Lovato (Plumeria Press) Odie the Stray Kitten, by Kristen Mott (AuthorHouse)
Anthology Chiral Mad 2, by Jack Ketchum, David Morrell, John Skipp, Thomas F. Monteleone, Gary A. Braunbeck, et al. (Written Backwards)
Autobiography/Biography Mission to Teach: The Life and Legacy of a Revolutionary Educator, by Dipak Basu (JBF Books)
Business Explosion Green, by David Gottfried (Morgan James Publisher)
Career The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan (Bard Press)
Chick Lit At the Edge of the Sea, by Karen M. Cox (Meryton Press)
Children’s/Juvenile Fiction Winners – Tie Elizabeth’s Landing, by Katy Pye (Pyewacky Press) Paranormal Properties, by Tracy Lane (Pants on Fire Press)
Children’s/Juvenile Non-Fiction The Mouse and the Meadow, by Chad Wallace (Dawn Publications)
Well, bummer. Colin Firth will no longer be providing the voice of Paddington Bear in the upcoming live-action/CG animated hybrid Paddington. The family-friendly, bear-friendly film will still hit theaters this Christmas but with someone else bringing the adorable little bear to life vocally.
Firth called the decision to leave a “conscious uncoupling.” In a statement to EW, Firth said, “It’s been bittersweet to see this delightful creature take shape and come to the sad realization that he simply doesn’t have my voice. I’ve had the joy of seeing most of the film and it’s going to be quite wonderful. I still feel rather protective of this bear and I’m pestering them all with suggestions for finding a voice worthy of him.”
Director Paul King said, “I cannot thank him enough for his contribution to Paddington. We love the voice and we love the bear, but as our young bear came into being we agreed that the two didn’t seem to fit. So, with somewhat heavy hearts, we decided to part ways.”
King hasn’t announced a replacement voice actor, but apparently, The Weinstein Company hasn’t budged on the release date.
The Plot:
From the beloved novels by Michael Bond and producer David Heyman (Harry Potter), Paddington tells the story of the comic misadventures of a young Peruvian bear (voiced by Firth) who travels to the city in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone, he begins to realize that city life is not all he had imagined – until he meets the kindly Brown family who read the label around his neck that says “Please look after this bear. Thank you,” and offer him a temporary haven. It looks as though his luck has changed until this rarest of bears catches the eye of a museum taxidermist.
The LEGO Movie arrives on Blu-ray and DVD jam-packed with extra features in the special “The LEGO Movie Everything is Awesome Edition.” In stores on June 17, 2014, the home video release of one of 2014’s best – and most original – animated movies delivers all the fun and entertainment of watching the film on the big screen but with tons of extra material to dig into after viewing the movie.
Writer/directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street) have created an animated movie loaded with humor and heart, a brilliant piece of satirical storytelling that could have been just a promotional piece to sell LEGOs but instead is loaded with important messages including the importance of creativity and drawing outside the lines (or, in this case, building LEGO items without using the directions).
The movie focuses on an ordinary, generic little LEGO guy named Emmet (Chris Pratt) who’s pulled out of his mundane little world when he is mistaken for ‘The Special’ by Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks). It seems Lord Business (Will Ferrell) wants to use the Kragle to freeze the world, and it’s up to The Special, as prophecized by Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), to pull together the rebels and using the Piece of Resistance to stop Lord Business from destroying the world as the LEGO community knows it.
The entire voice cast is terrific, led by Chris Pratt, who makes audiences root for poor Emmet, who learns everyone, no matter how ordinary, is special in their own way. Banks, Freeman, Charlie Day, and Alison Brie all enthusiastically commit to these characters, but the stand-out among the supporting cast is Will Arnett who out-Batmans even Christian Bale as the steely-voiced superhero who competes with Emmet for Wyldstyle’s affection.
The film itself looks just as crisp and colorful as it did in theaters, with the transfer to Blu-ray losing none of The LEGO Movie‘s vivid color palette.
With hours of extra content to explore, The LEGO Movie Blu-ray’s must-watch extra features include a commentary track with the actors and filmmakers during which the voice cast have so much fun goofing around together that not much about the actual film is discovered. But, no matter, it’s still worth listening to, even if it doesn’t go into great depth about the filmmaking process.
Other bonus features that deserve a look include “Batman’s A True Artist,” an entertaining heavy metal music video featuring the Dark Knight. The “Dream Job: Meet the LEGO Builders” featurette focuses on the actual LEGO builders who get paid for spending their days building fun stuff. Seriously, it’s a real job!
There are also deleted scenes in storyboard form, outtakes featuring real lines from Morgan Freeman, and a behind-the-scenes featurette on bringing LEGOs to life on the screen. Emmet plays host as viewers are treated to a look at everything that went into making The LEGO Movie, from the research to character design to casting the voices.
The extra features also include an “Everything is Awesome” sing-along that you don’t want to watch unless you’re ready to have the song stuck in your head for hours afterward.
Nickelodeon has given the go-ahead to a fourth season of the CG-animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The network’s greenlit a 20 episode season four and they’ve announced Seth Green is joining the show to voice Leonardo beginning with the upcoming season three. Green will be joining the voice cast that includes Sean Astin as Raphael, Rob Paulsen as Donatello, Greg Cipes as Michelangelo, Mae Whitman as April O’Neil, Hoon Lee as Master Splinter, Kevin Michael Richardson as Shredder, Josh Peck as Casey Jones, and Corey Feldman as Slash.
“The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been a global hit, maintaining impressive numbers across the network’s ratings and our digital and consumer products platforms,” said Russell Hicks, President, Content Development and Production, Nickelodeon. “While new episodes will continue to debut on Nickelodeon, we look forward to propelling the momentum with a fourth season for our loyal fans.”
Season four will air in the fall of 2015 with season three airing this fall. Among the guest stars on the upcoming season are Danny Trejo, J.B. Smoove, Fred Tatasciore, Jon Heder, Robert Englund and Renae Jacobs. Plus, Roseanne Barr will be back as Kraang Prime.
Ever wonder what Game of Thrones‘ Cersei Lannister would be like as a late night talk show guest? No? Well, as Lena Headey proves in this clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live, Cersei would be just as ruthless as she is when confronting any of her many, many enemies. And she’d deliver the stinging barbs while gracefully drinking wine with her adversary.
Tony Curran as Datak Tarr in 'Defiance' season two (Photo by Joe Pugliese/Syfy)
Season two of Syfy’s groundbreaking series Defiance premieres on June 19, 2014 at 8pm ET/PT with Julie Benz, Grant Bowler, Tony Curran, and Jaime Murray back in starring roles. The network’s most ambitious project picks up with the town of Defiance in turmoil and as Curran told us in our interview between seasons, Datak Tarr’s no longer around. He wouldn’t give away any spoilers about his location at the start of season two, but he did say that Datak has a lot to learn about handling his enemies.
The Season 2 Plot:
As the story of Defiance resumes, the lives of the townspeople are in drastic turmoil. The Earth Republic has assumed control of the town, with far-reaching consequences including a new mayor. Nolan traverses the badlands to find a lost Irisa, Amanda has an unexpected new role in the town as she searches for Kenya and the Tarr family desperately tries to keep control of their criminal empire in the midst of dramatic changes.
Tony Curran Defiance Interview
Can you talk about getting into the character?
Tony Curran: “As soon as you put the makeup on and the wig and the eyes on, it definitely gives you a certain swagger. Obviously with the alien languages as well I think gives a great depth to the show. It’s fun for us this first season and we’re hoping the second season’s as good, if not better.”
How difficult is it to handle the alien language?
Tony Curran: “It’s tricky at first. I’m looking forward to seeing what [linguist] David J. Peterson has. He’s obviously done Game of Thrones and cool projects, so at first it’s a bit like gobbledygook. ‘Okay, I just have to know what I’m saying.’ It’s very much like learning a new language in many ways. It’s tricky, but it’s a lot of fun to see it and get your words right.
Jaime [Murray] and I would talk about it. She said to me one time, ‘We both sound a lot different when we say it.’ I said, ‘Well, darling, you know you’re from a higher class than I am. I’m from the gutter.’ If you get people from different societies in some countries, they both sound different. It’s a lot of fun to do. I enjoy it.”
How fun is it to sink your teeth into a character like this?
Tony Curran: “It’s a lot of fun because the scripts have been interesting. The dynamic between Stahma and Datak are similar to human relationships unfortunately…or fortunately, it depends how you look at it. [Laughing] Stahma is very wise. She’s cunning, she’s cold, calculating, and some might say she’s more evil than Datak. That’s yet to be seen, although the ending of season one would suggest it. But it’s a great experience to play that with Jaime because there’s a lot going on within their relationship and how she behaves to me when she has to have this pseudo-way of behaving. When I’m thinking something is my idea, of course she’s planted the seed in my head.
It’s funny next season as well because Datak is not going to be in Defiance at the beginning of the season. I can’t say where he is, but he’s not in the Tarr household. It’s like a ship without the rudder, if you will, although Datak’s rudder was steering them to the rocks at the end of season one. I think he has to learn to know when to shoot from the hip and learn when to keep his mouth shut. Maybe one can find out more information about certain characters and then you can reel them around your finger and find out where the source is. I’m being very ambiguous right now… If you maim and kill people right away, you won’t find out about them. I think Datak needs to learn that. The place where he goes to I wouldn’t say he becomes humbled, but he definitely has time to reflect.”
The Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars lead the list of nominees for this summer’s Teen Choice 2014 awards set for Sunday, August 10th at 8pm ET/PT. Voting is now open for Teen Choice 2014 at teenchoiceawards.com.
Teen Choice 2014 Nominees
Choice Movie: Action
“Divergent”
“Edge of Tomorrow”
“Godzilla”
“Maleficent”
“The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones”
Choice Movie Actor: Action
Jamie Campbell Bower, “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones”
Tom Cruise, “Edge of Tomorrow”
Theo James, “Divergent”
Kellan Lutz, “The Legend of Hercules”
Mark Wahlberg, “Lone Survivor”
Choice Movie Actress: Action
Emily Blunt, “Edge of Tomorrow”
Lily Collins, “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones”
Elle Fanning, “Maleficent”
Angelina Jolie, “Maleficent”
Shailene Woodley, “Divergent”
Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
“The Amazing Spider-Man 2”
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”
“Thor: The Dark World”
“X-Men: Days of Future Past”
Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Chris Evans, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
Andrew Garfield, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”
Chris Hemsworth, “Thor: The Dark World”
Liam Hemsworth, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”
Josh Hutcherson, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”
Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Halle Berry, “X-Men: Days of Future Past”
Scarlett Johansson, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
Jennifer Lawrence, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past”
Natalie Portman, “Thor: The Dark World”
Emma Stone, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”
Choice Movie: Drama
“American Hustle”
“Heaven is for Real”
“Million Dollar Arm”
“The Fault in Our Stars”
“Veronica Mars”
Choice Movie Actor: Drama
Bradley Cooper, “American Hustle”
Russell Crowe, “Noah”
Jason Dohring, “Veronica Mars”
Ansel Elgort, “The Fault in Our Stars”
Jon Hamm, “Million Dollar Arm”
Choice Movie Actress: Drama
Kristen Bell, “Veronica Mars”
Sandra Bullock, “Gravity”
Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”
Emma Watson, “Noah”
Shailene Woodley, “The Fault in Our Stars”
Choice Movie: Comedy
“Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”
“Blended”
“Ride Along”
“The Other Woman”
“Vampire Academy”
Choice Movie Actor: Comedy
Will Ferrell, “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”
Kevin Hart, “Ride Along”
Ice Cube, “Ride Along”
Johnny Knoxville, “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa”
Adam Sandler, “Blended”
Choice Movie Actress: Comedy
Christina Applegate, “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”
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