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Ansel Elgort in Talks to Star in ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Movie
11 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Ansel Elgort is in early talks to star in Warner Bros.’ “Dungeons & Dragons” movie about the classic role-playing game.
Elgort, who broke out in “The Fault in Our Stars,” is the first actor to emerge as a star for the project. “Goosebumps” director Rob Letterman came on board last month and will direct from a script written by David Leslie Johnson.
Producers are Hasbro’s Brian Goldner and Stephen Davis; Courtney Solomon and Allan Zeman of Sweetpea Entertainment; and Warner-based Roy Lee. Development began moving forward last year after Sweetpea and Hasbro reached a settlement over sequel rights litigation.
Hasbro owns the company that first published the Dungeons & Dragons game in 1974. Sweetpea Entertainment exercised an option on film rights in the ’90s and later sold those rights to Warner Bros.
Elgort’s credits include the “Divergent” films. He’s starring in the upcoming remake of “The Billionaire Boys Club” and »
- Dave McNary
Emma Stone and Alicia Vikander set for rival Agatha Christie biopics
23 hours ago | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news »
Paramount is believed to be courting the Amazing Spider-Man actor, while Sony has reportedly sounded out the Danish Girl star
The Danish Girl star Alicia Vikander and The Amazing Spider-Man’s Emma Stone have both been lined up to play a young Agatha Christie in biopics being developed at rival Hollywood studios.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Vikander has been approached by Sony to play the celebrated crime author in her formative years as a “proto-feminist” unhappy with traditional wife-and-mother expectations. Stone, on the other hand, has been pencilled in for Paramount’s take on Christie’s “missing” 11 days in 1926 – a subject already covered in Michael Apted’s 1979 film Agatha, which starred Vanessa Redgrave and Dustin Hoffman.
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- Andrew Pulver
Owen Wilson to Co-Star With Julia Roberts in ‘Wonder’ (Exclusive)
11 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Owen Wilson is in final negotiations to join Julia Roberts in Lionsgate’s “Wonder.”
Jacob Tremblay, who broke out last year in “Room,” is also attached to star as August Pullman, who was born with facial differences that prevented him from going to a mainstream school earlier in life — and then became an unlikely hero when he entered the local fifth grade.
Roberts plays Tremblay’s mother in the adaptation of Raquel J. Palacio’s novel and Wilson’s will portray the father. Lionsgate had no comment on the casting.
Lionsgate recently dated the movie for April 7. Stephen Chbosky is directing from a script by Jack Thorne and Steve Conrad.
Producers are Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman through their Mandeville Films banner.
Palacio’s book has sold more than 2 million copies since it was published in 2012 by Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Wilson has been filming Alcon’s comedy “Bastards” with Ed Helms. »
- Justin Kroll
Jesse Williams’ BET Awards Speech: 5 Highlights That Make It a Must Watch
12 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
“Grey’s Anatomy” star Jesse Williams has always been outspoken about the tumultuous racial and political climate in the U.S., and his acceptance speech at the Bet Awards on Sunday was no different. The actor took the stage to accept his humanitarian award and delivered a powerfully inspiring speech that has since gone viral — yielding more than 1 million Google searches in less than 24 hours. Here are five highlights from his speech that make it worth watching. Also Read: Watch the Best Prince Tributes at the Bet Awards -- aka the Prince Tribute Awards (Videos) 1. Police brutality against black men “We know that police. »
- Rasha Ali
Picturehouse Set To Release Sky Atlantic Original Documentary “The Fall”
18 minutes ago | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
Zola Budd and Mary Decker, the headline-hitting 1984 Los Angeles Olympic runners, are set to reunite for the first time in more than 30 years for Sky Atlantic’s original docu feature “The Fall.”
The 90-minute feature will preem in London’s Picturehouse Central on July 27 with preview screenings on July 28 before unspooling nationwide on July 29, when it will also air on Sky Atlantic.
“Hillsborough” helmer Daniel Gordon will direct the docu, which is produced by Passion Pictures’ John Battsek (“One Day in September,” “Hillsborough”).
“The Fall” will follow the story of Budd, a 17 year-old living in South Africa during the apartheid who was persuaded to adopt British nationality to avoid the international sporting boycott of South Africans as well as the rise of world-breaking American runner Decker. Budd, who was famed for running barefoot and Decker, who was tipped to win the gold medal in the 3,000m women’s track final at the 1984 Olympics, captivated »
- Diana Lodderhose
BBC Appoints Piers Wenger as Drama Chief
1 hour ago | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
The BBC has appointed Piers Wenger, Channel 4’s head of drama, as controller of BBC drama commissioning, responsible for overseeing more than 450 hours of drama a year. Beth Willis replaces him at Channel 4, where she is his deputy.
Wenger has been Channel 4’s drama chief since 2012, commissioning original scripted drama across both Channel 4 and its youth-skewed channel E4. He has broadened the range of drama on the main channel and shifted the emphasis to include more returning series. “Indian Summers,” Paul Abbott’s “No Offence” and “Humans” were all re-commissioned for second seasons following strong ratings performances. In 2015, “Indian Summers” recorded the highest-ever overnight in 20 years for a Channel 4 drama, and “Humans” went onto break that record later the same year.
At the same time, Wenger has maintained Channel 4’s penchant for topical and challenging drama with the BAFTA-winning “This is England 90” and “Southcliffe,” as »
- Leo Barraclough
BBC Names Piers Wenger Drama Chief
2 hours ago | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
The BBC has named Piers Wenger its new controller of BBC drama commissioning, starting in the fall. Charlotte Moore, BBC controller of TV channels and iPlayer, made the announcement on Tuesday. He replaces Polly Hill who earlier this year moved to ITV as its new head of drama. Wenger, most recently Channel 4's head of drama, will be responsible for commissioning across the U.K. public broadcaster's portfolio and overseeing more than 450 hours of drama a year. "Piers is a brilliant creative leader with great taste and a passion for writing," said Moore. "He has a breadth of
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- Georg Szalai, Alex Ritman
Bud Spencer, Italian Spaghetti Westerns Star, Dead at 86
3 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Rome — Burly Italian actor Bud Spencer, who starred in dozens of genre movies including many widely exported Spaghetti Westerns such as “Trinity is Still My Name,” which is among Italy’s all-time top grossing titles, has died. He was 86.
Spencer, whose real name was Carlo Pedersoli, passed away “peacefully” in Rome on Monday, his son Giuseppe Perdersoli said in a media statement which did not disclose the exact cause of death.
In the late 1960’s, just as his acting career was starting to take off, Pedersoli had changed his name to Bud Spencer as a homage to Budweiser beer and Spencer Tracy. He also reportedly thought it was ironic to call himself Bud despite his Herculean physique which made him known to his fans as “the big friendly giant” of the screen.
Born in Naples in 1929, Spencer first gained a measure of fame as an athlete, becoming the first Italian »
- Nick Vivarelli
WWE Teams Up With the Special Olympics for International Partnership (Video)
5 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
The WWE announced the launch of an international partnership with the Special Olympics during “Monday Night Raw,” with the help of Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback Jameis Winston sitting ringside during the show. WWE Superstars will participate in Play Unified events with Special Olympics athletes from around the world, including China, India, Mexico, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S., and WWE will generate awareness through its television broadcasts, live events, and digital and social media. Earlier in the day, several Special Olympics athletes visited the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, getting both wrestling and dance lessons from Superstars »
- Debbie Emery
Donald Trump Hires Former Ted Cruz Communications Guru
7 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Donald Trump has hired Jason Miller to serve as senior adviser for his campaign, finally providing help to the one-woman communications shop Hope Hicks. Jason Miller led communications for the Ted Cruz campaign and will become Trump’s senior adviser for communications, as first reported by Bloomberg and since confirmed by CNN. He becomes the most senior member of the Cruz campaign to jump ship to Trump’s team. Miller was previously critical of Trump while working for Cruz, once saying: “When things don’t go his way, he acts out and he calls names and I’m sure he »
- Brian Flood
Did Trump Just Rescind His Ban on Muslims?`
7 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
There has been speculation that Donald Trump is backpedalling from his proposal to ban Muslims from entering America after falling slightly behind Hillary Clinton in the polls, prompting mixed messages coming from his campaign on the controversial issue. However, Trump’s national campaign spokesperson Katrina Pierson told CNN’s “The Situation Room” Monday night that there has “been no change,” and people were just confused about the presidential candidate’s policy. “It is only really a change if you never knew what the ban was to begin with,” she said. “The news media has been reporting that the official ban was against all Muslims, »
- Debbie Emery
‘The Bachelorette’ Recap: Don’t Cry For JoJo, Argentina
7 hours ago | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
The season is half over and, is there something in the Buenos Aires air? These boys are getting cocky. But unlike Argentina’s soccer team, the final eight still have a shot at victory. (That one goes out to the non-existing Venn diagram overlap of Copa America and “The Bachelorette” fans.) “Hola!” the men greet JoJo because remember? They’re in Argentina.
From the top of episode we know that there is going to be a two-on-one date, which normally would mean it’s safe to skip to the last 30 minutes. But JoJo’s first date is with Wells, and it’s a good one.
The men are shocked and appalled upon learning that Wells still hasn’t kissed JoJo. The date begins and Wells, whose spirit animal is somewhere between a turtle and a weasel, crawls into his shell/hole. Take your pick. The pizzicato strings and crooning clarinet in the background »
- Seth Kelley
Jesse Jackson Slams Dish Network's Decision to Drop Wgn America as Discriminatory
7 hours ago | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
Reverend Jesse L. Jackson called for Dish Network to put Tribune Broadcasting stations and Wgn America back on the air, referencing slavery in regards to the network's decision to darken Wgn which boasts the critically acclaimed show Underground. On Friday, Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Push Coalition released a letter to Dish chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen stating the importance of Wgn America portraying positive images of African-Americans on television during a necessary time in society. Jackson suggested that Dish network ignoring the high ratings and milestones of the show is a discriminatory act. "Is Dish using the same kind of math
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- Arlene Washington
Iconic Manga ‘Wolf And Cub’ Set for Live-Action Remake by Sp Int’l (Exclusive)
7 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Iconic Japanese comic book property “Lone Wolf And Cub: Final Conflict” is to be made as a live action, English language movie by producer Steven Paul’s Sp International Pictures.
The company acquired remake and sequel rights Koike Kazuo Gekiga Sonjuku, Inc., who produced the motion picture “Kozure Okami: Sono Chisaki Te Ni” in 1993. It plans a remake that will shoot from 2017. The “Lone Wolf And Cub” property first emerged in 1970 as a comic book written by Koike Kazuo and illustrated by Goseki Kojima. Their stories were subsequently adapted as six feature movies starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, four stage plays and a TV series.
“Final Conflict” sees a noble samurai plotted against and framed in an assassination conspiracy the samurai disobeys his Shogun’s orders and becomes an assassin for hire. “I have been a huge fan of the property for many years and can’t tell you how excited »
- Patrick Frater
Mike Huckabee Campaign Pays $25K to Settle With ‘Eye of the Tiger’ Songwriters
8 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Mike Huckabee is still paying for his failed presidential campaign. The former candidate has been ordered to pay $25,000 for using the Survivor hit song “Eye of the Tiger” at a political event last year without the band’s permission, CNNMoney reported. Huckabee played the triumphant song at a rally he held for Kim Davis, the controversial Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Also Read: Led Zeppelin Trial: 5 Reasons Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Won The Republican hopeful — who suspended his campaign on Feb. 1 — agreed to a confidential settlement with Rude Music, the company that is owned. »
- Debbie Emery
Tim Tebow Helps Dying Passenger During Delta Flight
8 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Tim Tebow is as famous for his religious beliefs as his quick-thinking football skills, and on Sunday he displayed both on a Delta from Atlanta, Georgia, to Phoenix, Arizona. The former NFL quarterback joined flight attendants to help a passenger who suffered an apparent heart attack onboard the cross-country flight, People reported. After approaching the man’s family, Tebow led the group in prayer as the flight descended into Phoenix, where the sick passenger received immediate medical attention but later died in hospital. Also Read: 12 Rising Sports Media Stars Take On Ray Rice, Washington Redskins and La's Potential NFL Team »
- Debbie Emery
Korea Box Office: ‘Independence Day’ Tops Slow Weekend
9 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
“Independence Day: Resurgence” debuted on top of the South Korean box office, scoring $7.3 million from 987,000 admissions between Wednesday and Sunday. “Resurgence” opened on 926 screens nationwide and accounted for 36% of the total weekend box office.
Disney’s “The Jungle Book” slipped to second from first with a week-on-week drop of 46%. The family adventure earned $2.48 million between Friday and Sunday for a total of $16.1 million after two weekends.
Warner Bros.’ “The Conjuring 2” took fourth. It earned $1.5 million between from Friday and Sunday to extend its total to $11.1 million after three weekends.
Korean trio, “Proof of Innocence,” “The Handmaiden” and “The Truth Beneath” took third, fifth and sixth respectively. New’s “Innocence” earned $1.7 million between Friday and Sunday for a total of $6.85 million after two weekends. Park Chan-wook’s “Handmaiden” earned $1.13 million and has accumulated $28.28 million after four weekends. Thriller, “Truth” scored $1.36 million between Thursday and Sunday. Distributed by Cj, “Truth” involves »
- Sonia Kil
Microsoft Unveils ‘Game of Thrones’-Inspired Xbox One
9 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Before Microsoft switches over to its newer, sleeker Xbox One S, it’s giving the original big black box one last hurrah with a special sweepstakes in France. Three people who enter will win an Xbox One with a design inspired by “Game of Thrones,” although how exactly it’s inspired by the show is unclear. The side of the box looks like the show’s title card, but there’s no noticeable images that actually link to Westeros lore or the imagery of the series beyond the animal sigils of the major houses circling the logo. Protruding from the box is a big, »
- Jeremy Fuster
Brexit: Kate Beckinsale, British Hollywood Stars Huddle Up on UK’s ‘Conscious Uncoupling’ From the EU
9 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
When media and entertainment influencers from the U.K. gathered at British Consulate General Chris O’Connor’s Hancock Park backyard for the 29th annual BAFTA La Garden Party on June 26, Brexit was naturally the hot topic of conversation. An annual summer Sunday of sunshine as guests — including Kate Beckinsale in Louboutins — juggled Pimm’s cups, tea and biscuits, and fish and chips, BAFTA’s gathering raised funds for their Los Angeles community, education and scholarship initiatives. However at the end of the historic week in British politics, the topic in each of host O’Connor’s social circles was Brexit, »
- Mikey Glazer
U.S. Olympic Basketball Team Not Quite the Dream NBCUniversal Needs
9 hours ago | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
Unless you’re a hardcore hoops fan, the 12 players officially unveiled Monday as the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball team competing next month in Rio may come as some disappointment. But no one should feel more let down than NBCUniversal, which has the TV rights to the Summer Games.
That might seem a little counter-intuitive considering the league that provides that team its players, the National Basketball Association, couldn’t be flying any higher right now. We’re barely a week removed from a championship that drove record ratings to Disney-owned ABC, which benefited from an epic seven-game match-up between the teams boasting the league’s biggest stars, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Just one problem: Neither Curry nor James is on this year’s Olympics team, with both men citing their need for some well-deserved R&R after a bruising series that took them past the »
- Andrew Wallenstein
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