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| 'How I Met Your Mother' gets final season - and reveals the mother Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 11:38 AM PST NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - "How I Met Your Mother" will be back for a ninth and final season that will reveal - finally - who the mother is. CBS and 20th Century Fox Television announced Wednesday that the series would be back for one final go-round with series regulars Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris and Alyson Hannigan, as well as series creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas. For eight years, viewers have wondered about the identity of the titular mother - and she will finally be revealed in the final season. ... Full Story | Top |
| Dr. Phil says Manti Te'o hoaxer admits to love for linebacker Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 11:32 AM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California man who has admitted to fabricating Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend in an elaborate hoax told talk show host Phil McGraw he felt a deep romantic love for the football player, McGraw said on Wednesday. "Here we have a young man that fell deeply, romantically in love," McGraw told the television morning show "Today" to discuss his two part interview with Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, which will air on "Dr. Phil" on Thursday and Friday. "I asked him straight up, 'Was this a romantic relationship with you?,' and he says yes. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Time Warner asks brokers for value of N.Y. HQ Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 11:21 AM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Time Warner Inc is considering selling its New York headquarters and has asked real estate brokers to evaluate the building's value, according to two sources familiar with the situation. The company is considering a wide range of options, including selling the midtown Manhattan building and leasing it back, moving more employees into the building and closing other New York offices, or moving out from the building entirely, one source said on Wednesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Despite previous beating, Rihanna back with Chris Brown Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 11:15 AM PST  NEW YORK (Reuters) - It's official: R&B diva Rihanna says she is back together with Chris Brown, who is still on probation for assaulting her in 2009, saying "It's different now." "I decided it was more important for me to be happy," Rihanna told Rolling Stone magazine in an interview published on Wednesday on its website. "I wasn't going to let anybody's opinion get in the way of that. Even if it's a mistake, it's my mistake," she said of her renewed romance with singer Brown, 23, that has prompted consternation from fans and celebrity media because of their history. ... Full Story | Top |
| Lindsay Lohan could face jail after March trial in California Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 11:02 AM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Lindsay Lohan will stand trial on March 18 on charges she lied to California police about a June car crash and violated probation, raising the possibility she could be sent back to jail. A judge in Los Angeles on Wednesday set the trial date on charges related to the car crash and said the court will hold a hearing at the same time on whether Lohan in the incident violated probation from a 2011 jewelry theft. ... Full Story | Top |
| Time Inc cuts staff by 6 percent, hitting business and news Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 10:59 AM PST (Reuters) - Time Inc on Wednesday began the process of cutting about 500 jobs, about 6 percent of its total staff as the largest U.S. magazine publisher grapples with challenges beleaguering the print industry. The layoffs mark the first major move made by Time Inc CEO Laura Lang, who joined the company in January 2012. "With the significant and ongoing changes in our industry, we must continue to transform our company into one that is leaner, more nimble and more innately multi-platform," wrote Lang in a memo to employees. ... Full Story | Top |
| Actor Jim Nabors weds long-time male partner: report Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 10:50 AM PST SEATTLE (Reuters) - American actor Jim Nabors, the star of 1960s television comedy "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.," married his long-time male partner at a downtown hotel earlier this month, according to report by a television news program in Hawaii, where the 82-year-old actor lives. Nabors, 82, also a singer, wed 64-year-old Stan Cadwallader, his partner of some 38 years, in a small ceremony on January 15 at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle, where the couple traveled after same sex marriage became legal in Washington state last month. ... Full Story | Top |
| UK's Prince Charles takes first "Tube" trip since 1986 Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 10:41 AM PST  LONDON (Reuters) - Four million Londoners cram onto the city's Underground passenger railway nearly every day, but it is a rarer event for Prince Charles. He rode the British capital's bustling commuter network on Wednesday for the first time since 1986. The heir to the British throne and his wife Camilla took a one-stop journey from Farringdon to King's Cross on the Metropolitan Line as part of celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of a transport service affectionately known to Britons as the "Tube". ... Full Story | Top |
| Bolshoi ballerina afraid to return to Russia: Newspaper Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 09:40 AM PST MOSCOW (Reuters) - A scandal involving allegations of blackmail and threats against a top ballerina at the Bolshoi is unfolding just days after the artistic director of ballet at Russia's most prestigious theatre was attacked, a Russian newspaper reported this week. Dancer Svetlana Lunkina has extended a leave of absence because she is afraid to return home from Canada as a result of threats targeting her and her film producer husband, Russian daily Izvestia reported in stories it ran on Monday and Tuesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| World Chefs: Thomson dishes up Washington state from Seattle to Spokane Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 09:26 AM PST  NEW YORK (Reuters) - When food writer Jess Thomson moved to Seattle, Washington, she expected to find the adventuresome cooking for which the city is famous. But she admits to being pleasantly surprised by the rich diversity of the rest of the state. The 150 recipes in her book "Dishing Up Washington" attempt to capture the authentic regional flavors of the entire state, from Seattle to Spokane, Yakima to Walla Walla. "It is a total food heaven," said Thomson, cookbook author, recipe developer and food blogger. ... Full Story | Top |
| Final cut: The gems and stars left off the Oscars list Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 08:28 AM PST (Reuters) - If I could remove any word from Oscar conversations, it would be "snubbed." It's catchy and makes good headline fodder, but it implies that a cabal of Academy members sat in a room and consciously decided to ostracize this actor or that moviemaker. These ballots are filled out by 6,000 to 7,000 voters, ranging from visual effects experts to screenwriters to studio chiefs. I can't envision secret meetings to decide the fate of each candidate. ... Full Story | Top |
| ABC orders drama pilots from Martin Campbell, Maria Maggenti Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 08:11 AM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Casino Royale" director Martin Campbell is taking on another intrigue-filled project, this time with ABC. The network has ordered a pilot for the drama "Reckless," which Campbell, left, will executive produce. The pilot involves David, a resourceful problem-solver whose wife is unjustly imprisoned during a political uprising overseas. Desperately to rescue her, he tries every legal option, but after being stymied by the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| ABC orders pilots for "Big Thunder" drama, Gothic soap opera Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 08:11 AM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - ABC has ordered pilots for the dramas "Big Thunder" and "Gothica," the network said Tuesday. "Big Thunder," which is written by "Ice Age" writer Jason Fuchs (pictured) and executive produced by Chris Morgan ("Wanted," "The Troop") follows a brilliant doctor in late 19th century New York whose family is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to relocate to a frontier mining town run by a powerful, but mysterious tycoon. However, they quickly realize that not everything in Big Thunder is as it seems. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fox cuts $400 million funding deal to finance film slate Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 08:10 AM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - 20th Century Fox has sealed a $400 million financing deal that will help fund its film slate over the next five years, a source with knowledge of the pact told TheWrap Tuesday. Chicago-based Magnetar Capital provided the majority of the money, part of which will go to finance the next two "Avatar" movies. Financier Chip Seelig helped broker the deal, which replaces an arrangement with Dune Capital Management, for whom Seelig was a partner when the company cut a similar 2005 funding deal. That one helped finance the original "Avatar" and was renewed several times. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Sin City 2" casts Eva Green and Julia Garner Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 08:08 AM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" has cast Eva Green as a femme fatale and Julia Garner to portray yet another stripper struggling to make a dime in the gritty comic-book metropolis. Green ("Casino Royale") will appear in the sequel to the 2005 hit, "Sin City," as a deadly muse named Ava Lord. Garner ("The Perks of Being a Wallflower") plays a stripper who appears in scenes with Johnny, a cocky young gambler played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Like the first film, "A Dame to Kill For" is adapted from Frank Miller's graphic novels. ... Full Story | Top |
| Barbra Streisand to sing at Oscars for first time in decades Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 07:41 AM PST  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Actress, singer and director Barbra Streisand may be a familiar figure at Hollywood's Oscars, but she has only sung on the annual awards show once. Streisand will perform again at the Academy Awards on February 24, producers said on Wednesday, without providing details about how her appearance would fit into the show or what she might sing. Streisand, 70, has won two Oscars, one for best actress in "Funny Girl" and another for best original song, "Evergreen" from her 1976 vehicle "A Star Is Born. ... Full Story | Top |
| Afghan singer's star is rising, as are the threats Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 07:24 AM PST  KABUL (Reuters) - With a scarf loosely covering a fancy television hairstyle, Latifa Azizi raised her arms in victory after surviving another elimination round on the hit talent show, "Afghan Star". But the victory pales into insignificance when compared with the larger battle 17-year-old Azizi is fighting - to pursue her dream of becoming a famous singer despite the censure of ultra-conservative Afghan society. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Diabolical" Spacey plots revenge in Netflix show "House of Cards" Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 07:07 AM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In the new political drama series "House of Cards," Kevin Spacey plays a win-at-all-costs American politician scheming to disrupt the young administration of a president he helped elect. The setting serves as the backdrop for a series that distributor Netflix Inc hopes will leave its mark by shaking up the television landscape. All 13 episodes of the show's first season will be viewable starting Friday only through the Netflix subscription video-streaming service and not on any of the traditional broadcast or pay TV channels. ... Full Story | Top |
| A Minute With: Director Deepa Mehta on "Midnight's Children" Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 06:47 AM PST  MUMBAI (Reuters) - Film director Deepa Mehta is no stranger to controversy. Two of her movies - "Fire" and "Water" - were hit by protests from right-wing groups in India, and there were fears her latest cinematic offering would meet a similar fate. "Midnight's Children", Mehta's adaptation of the Booker Prize-winning novel by Salman Rushdie, opens in Indian cinemas on Friday. The film, which chronicles the story of an Indian family living through the tumultuous events of India's recent past, features a voice over by Rushdie. ... Full Story | Top |
| A Minute With: Rapper T.I. dips into comedy in "Identity Thief" Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 06:46 AM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Tip "T.I." Harris has seen and done it all - three Grammy Awards, a novel, time in jail, a fashion line, TV reality show, businessman and several movies. Now the Atlanta-based singer is dipping into comedy, appearing in the film "Identity Thief" as an armed enforcer on the trail of a character played by Melissa McCarthy who is on the run from many of those she's swindled. T.I., 32, sat down with Reuters ahead of the movie's February 8 release to talk about the film, what's left on his to-do list, and his personal views on gun control. ... Full Story | Top |
| First black South African billionaire donates fortune to poor Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 06:45 AM PST  JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's first black billionaire, Patrice Motsepe, on Wednesday said he has signed up for the Giving Pledge, becoming the first African to join some of the world's wealthiest people in donating vast sums of personal wealth to the poor. Mining magnate Motsepe, with assets estimated by Forbes magazine of $2.65 billion, said he is making the pledge to benefit the millions of South Africans who have seen little gain in their personal fortunes since white-minority rule ended in 1994. The Giving Pledge is a philanthropic initiative started by U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Spielberg seen winning director Oscar for "Lincoln" Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 04:02 AM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - American filmmaker Steven Spielberg is clear favorite among the public to win the best director award for his film about President Abraham Lincoln at the Academy Awards this year, a Reuters poll showed on Wednesday. While the race to win best film at the February 24 ceremony was shaken up by "Argo" stealing the thunder of "Lincoln" at two award ceremonies last weekend, the best director statuette was deemed destined for one man. ... Full Story | Top |
| Musical comedy "The Sapphires" sparkles at Aussie Oscars Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 03:05 AM PST  SYDNEY (Reuters) - Home-grown romantic musical comedy "The Sapphires" shone at Australia's film industry awards on Wednesday, picking up best film and lead acting trophies for Deborah Mailman and "Bridesmaids" star Chris O'Dowd. Awards host Russell Crowe, an Oscar winner for "Gladiator," led a star-studded evening whose theme was pride in Australia's outsized success on the international film stage. ... Full Story | Top |
| From Doc Watson to lifetime folk award, Dougie MacLean sings on Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 02:50 AM PST  LONDON (Reuters) - In the 1970s, before he could make a living playing music, Scottish folk singer Dougie MacLean found himself with a temporary job driving an American family around Europe in a mini-bus. It was a serendipitous moment for a performer who is poised to receive a lifetime achievement accolade at the BBC Folk Awards: The family was that of Doc and Merle Watson, two of America's most celebrated bluegrass, country and gospel singers. ... Full Story | Top |
| Police arrest 'Dazed and Confused' actor after Arizona bar fight Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 07:56 PM PST  PHOENIX (Reuters) - "Dazed and Confused" star Jason London has been arrested in Arizona and charged with assault and disorderly conduct over a bar room fracas in which he is accused of throwing punches and later defecating in a patrol car on his way to jail, a police report showed on Tuesday. The 40-year-old actor, who played the main character of Randall "Pink" Floyd in the 1993 coming-of-age comedy "Dazed and Confused," responded on Twitter that he was attacked and injured and that the allegations against him were false. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ke$ha bringing her "crazy beautiful life" to MTV series Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 07:07 PM PST  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer Ke$ha is coming to cable television with a new reality series that promises to document the "drama, madness and euphoria" of her professional and personal life, MTV said on Tuesday. "Ke$ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life," will premiere on MTV in April, the network said. "You might have heard my voice on the radio, seen me onstage or in a music video, but that's only a part of the story," the 25-year-old singer, known for hits including "Tik Tok" and "We R Who We R," said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Actress Ashley Judd and race car driver Dario Franchitti split Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 06:26 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - American actress Ashley Judd and her Scottish race car driver husband Dario Franchitti are ending their marriage after 11 years. The movie star, 44, and the Indianapolis 500 race car driver, 39, married in 2001 and have no children. "We have mutually decided to end our marriage. We'll always be family and continue to cherish our relationship based on the special love, integrity and respect we have always enjoyed," a representative for the couple told People magazine in a statement on Tuesday. No reason was given for the split. ... Full Story | Top |
| Academy gets collection of B-movie posters from golden era Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 04:11 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has received a gift of 1,088 original film posters, many of them "B movies" from Hollywood's golden age, the organization announced Tuesday. The donated posters, from Chicago real estate developer Dwight Cleveland, document the studio era of "B movies" in the first half of the 20th century and are mainly from Twentieth Century-Fox. ... Full Story | Top |
| David Koepp to receive WGAE's Ian McClellan Hunter award Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 04:10 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Screenwriter and director David Koepp will receive the Ian McClellan Hunter Award for career achievement, the Writers Guild of America, East announced Tuesday. The award honors a WGA member for his or her body of work as a writer in motion pictures or television, and will be presented during the 65th annual Writers Guild Awards, at B.B. King Blues Club in New York City on Sunday, February, 2013. ... Full Story | Top |
| Short Spotlight: After 37 Emmys, The Simpsons want an Oscar Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 04:09 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - If "Maggie Simpson in 'The Longest Daycare'" stuck out among the titles in the Oscar Best Animated Short category, it may be because we think of Maggie and her family as belonging to television. After all, "The Simpsons" is TV's longest-running series ever, with 37 Emmys under its belt over the last 24 seasons. But director David Silverman can testify to the fact that Homer's brood also has a place on the big screen: He was admitted to the Academy on the heels of the 2007 feature "The Simpsons Movie," even though that film was overlooked by voters. ... Full Story | Top |
| Muse to play anniversary gig for War Child charity Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 04:05 PM PST LONDON (Reuters) - British rock band Muse will headline a gig in London next month to mark the 20th anniversary of War Child, a charity that aims to protect young victims of conflicts around the world. The gig on February 18 at the Shepherd's Bush Empire will be the fifth time War Child has staged a concert in association with the BRIT Awards, Britain's top pop honors which take place this year at the O2 Arena on February 20. War Child is to receive the inaugural Special Recognition Award at the ceremony, while Muse has been nominated for best British group and best British live act. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kennedy Center plans expansion, with floating stage on Potomac Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 02:53 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is planning a $100 million addition, including an outdoor floating stage on the Potomac River, in its first major expansion since it opened in 1971. Three connected pavilions to house classrooms, rehearsal rooms, lecture space and other facilities were also included in initial plans for the U.S. capital's premier performance space, which were laid out on Tuesday. The expansion, designed by architect Steven Holl, will take place south of the Center and includes an outdoor video wall. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gore Verbinski directing outsourcing comedy 'Pyongyang' Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 02:22 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Gore Verbinski will direct and produce the outsourcing comedy "Pyongyang." New Regency and Verbinski's shingle Blind Wink will join forces on the film, which will adapt a graphic novel by Guy Delisle. The book recounts the French-Canadian cartoonist's travels to North Korea, where he supervised the production on a children's cartoon show. His work visa allowed him to be one of the few Westerners to see up close and personal what it is like to live in the secretive and repressive Communist society. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Shameless,' 'Californication,' 'House of Lies' renewed by Showtime Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 02:22 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Showtime has renewed its series "Shameless," "Californication" and "House of Lies," the network said Tuesday. The announcement comes two weeks after all three series posted record ratings with their season premieres. All three series have also showed year-to-year growth with their current seasons, with the third season of "Shameless" growing 22 percent over its previous season so far, "House of Lies" averaging 10 percent over its first season and "Californication" showing a 21 percent boost over its fifth season so far. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Girl Meets World' casts Cory and Topanga's daughter Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 02:21 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Boy Meets World" fans, meet the Rowan Blanchard, the young star of Disney Channel's "Girl Meets World" pilot. The 11-year-old actress, whose credits include "The Back-Up Plan" and "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World," has been cast as Riley, the spawn of Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel), Blanchard's rep told TheWrap. Her fictional parents couldn't be more excited to welcome her to the family. "Congratulations beautiful girl," Fisheltweeted late on Monday. "Can't wait!" "I have a beautiful, new daughter," Savage said over Twitter. ... Full Story | Top |
| Alan Ball's 'Banshee' renewed for season 2 by Cinemax Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 02:20 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "True Blood" creator Alan Ball's "Banshee" has been renewed for a second season by Cinemax, HBO Miniseries and Cinemax Programming president Kary Antholis said Tuesday. The show, which is executive produced by Ball, Greg Yaitanes, Jonathan Tropper, David Schickler and Peter Macdissi, premiered on January 11., drawing 483,000 total viewers with its initial 10 p.m. airing, and another 235,000 and 247,000 total viewers with subsequent re-airings that night. ... Full Story | Top |
| MGM picks up rights to Jojo Moyes' romance novel 'Me Before You' Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 02:19 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios has secured the feature film rights to Jojo Moyes' novel "Me Before You," MGM announced Tuesday. "Jojo's book is frankly one of the most unique, emotional and engaging love stories written in recent years," said MGM president Jonathan Glickman. "We're so thrilled to collaborate with her on creating a classic film romance that lives up to this exceptional novel." The best-selling romance follows a small-town girl caught between dead-end jobs. ... Full Story | Top |
| Starz developing ballet project from Lawrence Bender, 'Breaking Bad' co-producer Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 02:18 PM PST NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Starz is developing a ballet drama from "Breaking Bad" co-executive producer Moira Walley-Beckett and Lawrence Bender, both former ballet dancers, the network announced Tuesday. The currently untitled drama follows a young and troubled dancer, Claire, as she joins a prestigious ballet company in New York. The series will trace the dark underbelly of the ballet world. It will be produced by Starz Entertainment with Bender, the Oscar-nominated producer of "Inglourious Basterds" and "Pulp Fiction," and Kevin Brown ("Roswell"). ... Full Story | Top |
| Mantel's history novel picks up another major award Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 01:07 PM PST  LONDON (Reuters) - British novelist Hilary Mantel added to her groaning trophy cabinet on Tuesday, picking up the Costa Book Award 2012 for "Bring Up the Bodies," her historical novel about the life and court of Henry VIII and his chief minister Thomas Cromwell. The acclaimed bestseller has already won the Man Booker prize for fiction, making Mantel the first Briton and first woman to win that coveted award twice. The 60-year-old also won the Booker Prize in 2009 for "Wolf Hall," the first installment in what will be a trilogy. ... Full Story | Top |
| CNN begins overhaul, top editor Whitaker leaves Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 12:30 PM PST (Reuters) - Cable news network CNN began to make long awaited changes on Tuesday, announcing the departure of its managing editor Mark Whitaker along with three political contributors. The moves come two months after Time Warner Inc-owned CNN tapped Jeff Zucker, the former CEO of NBC Universal, to be the news channel's worldwide chief. Zucker started his job in January and an overhaul of the network was expected under his watch. CNN has been struggling with poor ratings, with its prime-time numbers hitting historical lows last year, and losing out to both Fox News and MSNBC. ... Full Story | Top |
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