It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Nirvana released Nevermind, but the album will, in fact, mark it’s 20th anniversary this September. In honor of its two decades of radio play, Universal Music’s releasing a special commemorative Nevermind deluxe edition.
Nirvana, the trio comprised of Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl, hailed originally from a coastal fishing town in Washington and rose to become one of the most influential rock bands in history with irreverence, intense honesty and an overriding passion. The cultural shift Nirvana’s Nevermind initiated was felt instantly on release — and the profundity and depth of that shift becomes even more apparent when seen through the prism of the two decades of art and music created in its wake.
Released in September of 1991, Nirvana’s Nevermind garnered near-unanimous praise and rose within a few months to the No. 1 slot on Billboard’s U.S. sales chart. Nevermind was propelled to No. 1 across the globe by their young fans worldwide that identified with the band and embraced their anthem “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and its landmark music video. Since then, it has sold more than 30 million albums.
Nirvana changed the course of popular music forever and remains an inspiration to those who have followed.
Today, Universal Music Enterprises announced the 4-CD/1-DVD Super Deluxe Edition of Nirvana’s Nevermind will be available September 19, 2011, in the U.K. and September 20, 2011, in North America. The CDs will include previously unreleased recordings, rarities, b-sides, BBC radio appearances, alternative mixes, rare live recordings, and an unreleased concert in its entirety on DVD.
The 20th anniversary of Nirvana will be marked throughout the year with various events and releases.
J.K. Rowling Announces Pottermore (Photo Courtesy of J.K. Rowling)
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling announced on June 23, 2011 she’s launching a brand new website called Pottermore based on the world she created in the Harry Potter books.
The announcement today was heralded by the revealing of the website’s name via an online search for its letters and a ‘coming soon’ holding page, which received over a million visits within 36 hours of launching.
For this groundbreaking collaborative project, J.K. Rowling has written extensive new material about the characters, places, and objects in the much-loved stories, which will inform, inspire and entertain readers as they journey through the storylines of the books. Pottermore will later incorporate an online shop where people can purchase exclusively the long-awaited Harry Potter eBooks, in partnership with her publishers worldwide, and is ultimately intended to become an online reading experience, extending the relevance of Harry Potter to new generations of readers, while still appealing to existing fans.
As the Pottermore Shop develops, it is intended that it should include further products designed specifically for Harry Potter fans, offering a potential outlet for Sony products and services related to Pottermore. In keeping with Harry Potter’s international appeal, the site will launch in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish, with more languages to follow.
In the new website, which launches in Beta on 31st July, the storylines will be brought to life with sumptuous newly-commissioned illustrations and interactive ‘Moments’ through which you can navigate, starting with the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone.
On entering, you choose a magic username and begin your experience. As you move through the chapters, you can read and share exclusive writing from J.K. Rowling, and, just as Harry joins Hogwarts, so can you. You visit Diagon Alley, get sorted into a house, and cast spells and mix potions to help your house compete for the House Cup.
At a press conference at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Rowling revealed some key features of the website. In an announcement that will thrill fans, she described how she has brought to life both the Sorting Hat and Ollivanders experiences from her books for the first time on Pottermore, by revealing the questions asked by the Sorting Hat – which places newcomers into their Hogwarts houses according to their characteristics – and the magic behind the Wand Chooser – which finds the right wand for each user from over 33,000 possible combinations. She also revealed glimpses of the new information she has provided on some of the best-loved characters.
J.K. Rowling’s announcement today revealed that Pottermore (along with the Pottermore Shop) will be open to all users in October 2011. From today, 23rd June, fans can submit their email addresses on Pottermore.com in order to be contacted by the site following the opening of registration on 31st July, Harry’s birthday. Also on that date, an online challenge will be launched, whereby the first million people to complete their registration will gain early entry into the website and help put the final touches to the experience.
“I wanted to give something back to the fans that have followed Harry so devotedly over the years, and to bring the stories to a new digital generation. I hope fans and those new to Harry will have as much fun helping to shape Pottermore as I have,” stated J.K. Rowling. “To add to my input into the website, everyone will be able to join in by submitting their own comments, drawings and other content in a safe and friendly environment – Pottermore has been designed as a place to share the stories with your friends as you journey through the site.”
Pottermore has been made possible with the support and partnership of Sony.
“Sony’s association with J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore brings together one of the world’s most innovative brands with the most successful book series in history, in a pioneering partnership that will help shape the future of storytelling. We are proud to be a part of it, both at this momentous announcement and as we collaborate on its development over the coming years,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Sony Corporation
Rowling added: “As I think people know, I am very protective of Harry and have always been very selective with any new initiatives, but I am totally committed to making this partnership with Sony and this wonderful new website a success. There are many companies I could have worked with on this ultimate digital expression of Harry Potter‘s universe, but it is Sony’s unique philosophy of creativity in harmony with technology that made them my first choice. The spirit behind Sony’s make-believe philosophy is one that rings true with Pottermore’s own values.”
The storyline of the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, will go live on the site in early 2012. The Pottermore Shop opens when the site opens to all in October, selling complete ranges of the eBooks and digital audiobooks in a selection of languages, exclusively.
Designed for fans of all ages, the website has been created with child safety in mind, employing best practice and compliance with internet codes of practice in the UK, Europe and USA, and elsewhere.
Are you a big The Hunger Games fan? Do you want a chance to visit the film’s set? Lionsgate’s going to give one lucky fan that chance with their “The Ultimate Hunger Games Fan Sweeps” on Facebook.
Here’s the scoop from Lionsgate:
Lionsgate will launch “The Ultimate Hunger Games Fan Sweeps” on Facebook on Friday, June 24, 2011. One lucky winner will receive a trip to the set of the highly anticipated film which is currently shooting and scheduled for release March 23, 2012.
To enter the sweepstakes, which will run through July 24, fans need to visit The Hunger Games on Facebook and “like” it. They have the option to submit two additional entries if they share the page with friends. The winner will be announced online the week of July 25. Included in their set visit will be a tour of set, select meet and greets with some of the cast and crew and autographs.
“We are very excited to welcome a fan to set,” says director Gary Ross. “We are grateful to all of the fans for their enthusiasm and support.”
About The Hunger Games:
Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Part twisted entertainment, part government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains.
Jesse Eisenberg is forced into robbing a bank after two ‘entrepreneurs’ (played by Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) decide the best way to come up with a rube to do the job for them is to use the pizza delivery guy in 30 Minutes or Less. This second trailer for the film might give away too much of the plot, but I actually don’t care. I still want to see this wild comedy that reunites Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer with his Zombieland star.
The R-rated action comedy opens in theaters on August 12, 2011.
The Plot: Nick is a small-town pizza delivery guy whose mundane life collides with the big plans of two wanna-be criminal masterminds. The duo kidnaps Nick and forces him to rob a bank. With only a few hours to pull off the impossible task, Nick enlists the help of his ex-best friend, Chet. As the clock ticks, the two must deal with the police, hired assassins, flamethrowers, and their own tumultuous relationship.
Justin Timberlake plays a wealthy substitute teacher who becomes the target of a gold-digging co-worker in Bad Teacher. The R-rated comedy finds Cameron Diaz not so concerned about actually teaching her students, but rather looking for a way out of having to come to work by hooking up with a wealthy man.
In this video interview, Timberlake talks about working on this raunchy comedy.
The Plot: Some teachers just don’t give an F. For example, there’s Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz). She’s foul-mouthed, ruthless, and inappropriate. She drinks, she gets high, and she can’t wait to marry her meal ticket and get out of her bogus day job.
When she’s dumped by her fiancé, she sets her plan in motion to win over a rich, handsome substitute (Justin Timberlake) – competing for his affections with an overly energetic colleague, Amy (Lucy Punch). When Elizabeth also finds herself fighting off the advances of a sarcastic, irreverent gym teacher (Jason Segel), the consequences of her wild and outrageous schemes give her students, her coworkers, and even herself an education like no other.
Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway star in the romantic drama One Day based on the bestselling book by David Nicholls. Nicholls adapted the book for the screen, and Lone Scherfig directs this PG-13-rated romance heading to theaters on August 19, 2011.
The Plot:
Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter (Jim Sturgess) meet on the night of their college graduation – July 15th, 1988. She is a working-class girl of principle and ambition who dreams of making the world a better place. He is a wealthy charmer who dreams that the world will be his playground.
For the next two decades, every July 15th reveals to us how “Em” and “Dex” are faring, as their friendship ebbs and flows with the passing of the years. Through laughter and romance, heartbreak and exhilaration, they experience the grandeur of life. Somewhere along their journey, these two people realize that what they are searching and hoping for has been there for them all along.
Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway play Dexter and Emma in One Day, total opposites who remain friends after one brief night spent together in college. Dex uses his charm and good looks to get a career in TV, while Emma pursues a far less glamorous but more important career. As they meet up over the years, their friendship evolves into something completely special.
Based on the bestselling novel, One Day hits theaters on August 19, 2011.
In addition to Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway, the cast of the PG-13 drama includes Tom Mison, Patricia Clarkson, Romola Garai, and Rafe Spall. Ken Stott, Jodie Whittaker, Josephine de la Baume, Heida Reed, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes, and Georgia King also star.
Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway in 'One Day'
The Plot:
Emma (Hathaway) and Dexter (Sturgess) meet on the night of their college graduation – July 15th, 1988. She is a working-class girl of principle and ambition who dreams of making the world a better place. He is a wealthy charmer who dreams that the world will be his playground.
For the next two decades, every July 15th reveals to us how “Em” and “Dex” are faring, as their friendship ebbs and flows with the passing of the years. Through laughter and romance, heartbreak and exhilaration, they experience the grandeur of life. Somewhere along their journey, these two people realize that what they are searching and hoping for has been there for them all along.
It’s about time somebody named Snoop Dogg an ‘icon.’ Snoop Dogg will pick up the BMI Icon Award at the BMI Urban Awards to be held August 26, 2011, in Hollywood. According to BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc), Icons are selected for their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.”
As a BMI Icon, Snoop Dogg will join ranks that include George Clinton, The Jacksons, James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, The Bee Gees, Willie Nelson, and Carlos Santana, to name a few.
As Snoop Dogg approaches his 20th year in the entertainment industry, he remains a visionary mc with sharp instinct and velvet delivery. Twelve BMI Awards spanning urban and pop point to his prominent role in hip-hop’s seduction of the mainstream. Songs including “Next Episode,” “Gin and Juice,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “Beautiful,” “Sexual Eruption,” “Nuthin’ But a “G” Thang,” and so many more created the soundtrack of a generation.
He has been honored by the American Music Awards, Source Awards, BET Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and many others, and has also garnered innumerable Grammy nominations. Snoop Dogg has also appeared in films and TV series, including Training Day, Old School, Starsky & Hutch, Brüno, Futurama, Weeds, and more.
“Loose, footloose, kick off my Sunday shoes. Please, Louise, pull me offa my knees…” Oh yeah, Footloose is back, but will it do for Kenny Wormald what it did for Kevin Bacon? Only time will tell.
Ren MacCormack (Kenny Wormald) is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont where he experiences a heavy dose of culture shock. A few years prior, the community was rocked by a tragic accident that killed five teenagers after a night out and Bomont’s local councilmen and the beloved Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) responded by implementing ordinances that prohibit loud music and dancing. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalizing the town and falling in love with the minister’s troubled daughter Ariel (Julianne Hough) in the process.
The Crow franchise is about to be brought back by Relativity Media with Alex Tse (Watchmen) tapped to write the script. Based on the comic book series, The Crow will be flying into theaters with Bradley Cooper in the lead role.
Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later), The Crow adaptation will be a gritty reboot of the gothic iconic character Eric Draven, who returns from the grave as The Crow on a mission to avenge his wife’s murder so that his soul can finally rest.
Bradley Cooper (Limitless) is attached to star as Draven. The original film is known for its breakthrough visual style as well as its unique production design and cinematography. Fresnadillo and Tse are perfectly suited to bring these beloved characters back to life and to create a world worthy of this modern classic.
Relativity and Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation will be teaming with Spain-based Apaches Entertainment on the production. The Crow is being produced by Edward R. Pressman, Jeff Most, Relativity’s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh, and Apaches’ Enrique López Lavigne and Belén Atienza. Relativity’s Tooley (The Fighter) and Apaches’ Jesus de la Vega will serve as executive producers. José Ibáñez and Pressman Film Corporation’s Jon Katz will serve as co-producers.
