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| US-INDUSTRY Summary Friday, May 31, 2013 12:03 PM PDT Vivendi agrees proposal for mediator in Canal+ spat PARIS (Reuters) - French media group Vivendi on Friday backed a proposal to name a mediator in the legal spat with media group Lagardere over their Canal+ France pay-TV venture. "Vivendi confirms it has accepted the proposal from Commercial Court President Franck Gentin to open the way to a mediation in the lawsuit filed by Lagardere, demonstrating its goodwill and full confidence," a Vivendi spokesman told Reuters. ... Full Story | Top |
| CBS acquires full ownership of TV Guide online and mobile units Friday, May 31, 2013 12:03 PM PDT (Reuters) - CBS Corp said on Friday it acquired full ownership of TV Guide's online and mobile apps divisions, buying out the 50 percent share held by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. CBS now owns TV Guide Digital, which includes the TVGuide.com website and TV Guide Mobile properties, the company said in a statement. CBS and Lions Gate share ownership of TV Guide's cable network, known as TVGN. TV Guide.com attracts 16.5 million visitors each month, and its mobile apps have been downloaded more than 9 million times, CBS said. ... Full Story | Top |
| CA-ENTERTAINMENT Summary Friday, May 31, 2013 11:35 AM PDT Oprah must face lawsuit over 'Own Your Power': appeals court NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oprah Winfrey will have to defend in court her use of the phrase "Own Your Power" in her magazine and on her website, a U.S. appeals court said Friday. Overturning a lower court ruling, the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals revived claims brought by the owner of a motivational services business who claimed she owns a trademark on the phrase. ... Full Story | Top |
| Financier Hands' EMI lawsuit versus Citigroup revived Friday, May 31, 2013 11:35 AM PDT  By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court has revived British financier Guy Hands' lawsuit accusing Citigroup Inc of defrauding him into overpaying for music company EMI Group Ltd, a disastrous purchase that reflected the risk of buying debt-laden companies during the buyout bubble. Ordering a new trial, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan threw out a November 2010 jury verdict against Hands' private equity firm, Terra Firma Capital Partners, over its 4 billion pound purchase of EMI in 2007 - now US$6.1 billion. The court said a new trial was needed because U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Vivendi agrees proposal for mediator in Canal+ spat Friday, May 31, 2013 11:06 AM PDT  PARIS (Reuters) - French media group Vivendi on Friday backed a proposal to name a mediator in the legal spat with media group Lagardere over their Canal+ France pay-TV venture. "Vivendi confirms it has accepted the proposal from Commercial Court President Franck Gentin to open the way to a mediation in the lawsuit filed by Lagardere, demonstrating its goodwill and full confidence," a Vivendi spokesman told Reuters. Lagardere could not be immediately reached for comment. Lagardere had said in February it was suing Vivendi for 1.6 billion euros ($2 billion) in a dispute over Canal+ France. ... Full Story | Top |
| Oprah must face lawsuit over 'Own Your Power': appeals court Friday, May 31, 2013 10:49 AM PDT  By Erin Geiger Smith NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oprah Winfrey will have to defend in court her use of the phrase "Own Your Power" in her magazine and on her website, a U.S. appeals court said Friday. Overturning a lower court ruling, the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals revived claims brought by the owner of a motivational services business who claimed she owns a trademark on the phrase. The case should go forward, the appeals court said, because the plaintiffs have plausibly alleged that Winfrey was "attempting to build a new segment of her media empire around" the phrase "Own Your Power. ... Full Story | Top |
| Justin Bieber's abandoned monkey moves to German wildlife park Friday, May 31, 2013 09:59 AM PDT  BERLIN (Reuters) - A pet monkey that had belonged to Justin Bieber has moved into a German wildlife park after the teenage popstar failed to provide the necessary paperwork to release it from customs. "Mally", a 23-week-old capuchin monkey, was confiscated by authorities at Munich airport in March while the Canadian singer was on tour. The pet has since become German national property because Bieber did not provide health and species protection certificates. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-FILM Summary Friday, May 31, 2013 09:36 AM PDT Jesse Eisenberg explores world of street magic for heist film LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Jesse Eisenberg may be best known for his Oscar-nominated performance as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, but in his latest film, the fast-talking actor explores the underground world of magic for comedy heist caper, "Now You See Me." The film, out in theaters on Friday, sees a group of street magicians come together as the "four horsemen," staging large scale magic shows during which they rob a bank and distribute the money among the audience. ... Full Story | Top |
| Jesse Eisenberg explores world of street magic for heist film Friday, May 31, 2013 09:36 AM PDT  By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Jesse Eisenberg may be best known for his Oscar-nominated performance as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, but in his latest film, the fast-talking actor explores the underground world of magic for comedy heist caper, "Now You See Me." The film, out in theaters on Friday, sees a group of street magicians come together as the "four horsemen," staging large scale magic shows during which they rob a bank and distribute the money among the audience. Eisenberg plays silver-tongued sleight-of-hand expert J. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-TELEVISION Summary Friday, May 31, 2013 07:05 AM PDT Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj leaving 'American Idol' LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop singer Mariah Carey and rapper Nicki Minaj will leave "American Idol" after just one season as judges on the singing contest show, following on the heels of longtime judge Randy Jackson who left amid a TV ratings slump. "Thank you American Idol for a life changing experience! Wouldn't trade it for the world! Time to focus on the Music!!!" Minaj said on her Twitter page on Wednesday. Oprah Winfrey should dump Tyler Perry because of racial stereotypes, petition demands By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap. ... Full Story | Top |
| Dancing scorpions, leaping spiders star in British 3D TV series Friday, May 31, 2013 07:04 AM PDT By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - Two scorpions do a courtship dance in the moonlight. A female praying mantis bites off a male's head and feasts on him while his rear end impregnates her. An assassin bug glues its dead insect victims to its back as camouflage. These are some of the bizarre scenes from the world of bugs captured for the first time with macroscopic 3D cameras for a British TV series, giving a vivid close-up of natural wonders on a scale so tiny the naked human eye cannot discern them. ... Full Story | Top |
| Producers pin hopes on jailed Bollywood actor Dutt's new film Friday, May 31, 2013 05:32 AM PDT  By Shilpa Jamkhandikar MUMBAI (Reuters) - The makers of actor Sanjay Dutt's last completed screen role before going to prison are preparing for the release of "Policegiri" in July, hoping fans of the beefy Bollywood hero will boost ticket sales. Dutt, 53, went back to jail on May 16 to serve the remainder of a five-year sentence for firearms offences during the Mumbai bombings 20 years ago. The actor wrapped up work on pending Bollywood projects in the weeks before he reported to prison. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-MUSIC Summary Thursday, May 30, 2013 09:56 PM PDT Boston rockers play fundraiser for bomb victims BOSTON (Reuters) - A succession of all-star bands from Aerosmith to Jimmy Buffet rocked a packed house at Boston's TD Garden on Thursday night in a mostly raucous fund-raiser for the victims of last month's marathon bombing. Tickets priced between $35 and $285 sold out fast at the 17,500-seat venue, with net proceeds to be donated to The One Fund, a reserve established by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick that has so far received more than $37 million in donations to compensate victims of the April 15 bombing. ... Full Story | Top |
| Boston rockers play fundraiser for bomb victims Thursday, May 30, 2013 09:56 PM PDT  By Richard Valdmanis BOSTON (Reuters) - A succession of all-star bands from Aerosmith to Jimmy Buffet rocked a packed house at Boston's TD Garden on Thursday night in a mostly raucous fund-raiser for the victims of last month's marathon bombing. Tickets priced between $35 and $285 sold out fast at the 17,500-seat venue, with net proceeds to be donated to The One Fund, a reserve established by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick that has so far received more than $37 million in donations to compensate victims of the April 15 bombing. ... Full Story | Top |
| US-PEOPLE Summary Thursday, May 30, 2013 07:06 PM PDT Ringo Starr unveils unseen Beatles photos in e-book (Reuters) - Former Beatle Ringo Starr is lifting the lid on a collection of previously unseen photographs of the Fab Four in their heyday from his personal collection, in a new photography book due out next month. "Photograph," which will be released as an e-book on Apple's iBookstore on June 12, will coincide with a Grammy Museum exhibit on Starr, entitled "Ringo: Peace & Love," the book's publishers said on Wednesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hunters for Amelia Earhart plane wreckage excited by sonar image Thursday, May 30, 2013 07:06 PM PDT  By Malia Mattoch McManus HONOLULU (Reuters) - A team of researchers seeking to solve the mystery of aviator Amelia Earhart's 1937 disappearance say a sonar image taken from just beyond the shore of a remote Pacific island could be a piece of wreckage from her plane. A forensic imaging specialist for a research team that conducted a $2.2 million expedition to the island of Nikumaroro searching for Earhart's plane last year said the image could represent a wing or part of the fuselage from Earhart's aircraft. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Hannibal' renewed for second season by NBC Thursday, May 30, 2013 06:21 PM PDT  By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - NBC has given a second season to its serial-killer drama "Hannibal," the network said Thursday. The 13-episode second season of "Hannibal," will air "no earlier than midseason," NBC said. The series follows serial killer Hannibal Lecter (played by Mads Mikkelsen) in his early days, and his relationship with criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), who has a unique ability to peer into the mind of serial killers. Though the series premiered in April to a relatively soft 1. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj leaving 'American Idol' Thursday, May 30, 2013 06:18 PM PDT  By Eric Kelsey LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop singer Mariah Carey and rapper Nicki Minaj will leave "American Idol" after just one season as judges on the singing contest show, following on the heels of longtime judge Randy Jackson who left amid a TV ratings slump. "Thank you American Idol for a life changing experience! Wouldn't trade it for the world! Time to focus on the Music!!!" Minaj said on her Twitter page on Wednesday. Carey's departure was also announced on Twitter by her public relations firm PMK BNC, which said the singer "says goodbye 2 idol" as she prepared to embark on a world ... Full Story | Top |
| Forest Whitaker in talks to play Martin Luther King Jr. in Paul Greengrass' 'Memphis' Thursday, May 30, 2013 06:16 PM PDT  By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - With a long awards season on the horizon, Oscar winner Forest Whitaker may be adding another prestige project to his plate, as he's in talks to play Martin Luther King Jr. in writer-director Paul Greengrass' drama "Memphis," an individual familiar with the long-gestating project has told TheWrap. Now that Abu Dhabi-based Veritas Films and French financier Wild Bunch have agreed to back Greengrass' passion project, it looks like it will be the filmmaker's next movie. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'The Muppets' James Bobin in early talks to direct Johnny Depp in 'Alice in Wonderland 2' Thursday, May 30, 2013 06:14 PM PDT  By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - James Bobin is in early talks to direct "Alice in Wonderland 2" for Disney and producer Joe Roth, according to two individuals with knowledge of the deal. Johnny Depp would also return to star as the Mad Hatter, although that has not been explicitly announced. Bobin already oversees another franchise for Disney, albeit a smaller one, in "The Muppets." He directed the first film, which was a big hit in 2011, and is currently wrapping up the second one, which will open in theaters next year. ... Full Story | Top |
| Universal sets Liam Neeson thriller 'Non-Stop' for February 21, 2014 Thursday, May 30, 2013 06:03 PM PDT  By Todd Cunningham LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Universal Pictures will release its Liam Neeson thriller "Non-Stop" on February 21, 2014, the studio announced Thursday. The only other film currently set for release on that date is Paramount's Jonny Weston time-travel tale "Almanac." "Non-Stop," which reunites Neeson with "Unknown" director Jaume Collet-Serra and producer Joel Silver, co-stars Julianne Moore. It's the first project for Silver under the new five-year deal the producer sealed with the studio last summer. The drama plays out 40,000 feet in the air. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chris Columbus in talks to direct 'Pixels' for Sandler and Sony Thursday, May 30, 2013 06:00 PM PDT By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Chris Columbus, whose last movie was 2010's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," is in early talks to direct "Pixels" for Sony Pictures and Adam Sandler's Happy Madison banner, an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap. Columbus is expecting an offer next week to adapt Patrick Jean's popular Internet short, which Sony acquired in 2010 with the goal of developing the project as an action-comedy in the vein of "Ghostbusters." Sony would like to have the movie ready for release in summer of 2015. ... Full Story | Top |
| Alec Baldwin to host Nat Geo's weekly 'Night of Exploration' Thursday, May 30, 2013 05:56 PM PDT  By Tony Maglio LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Alec Baldwin will host National Geographic Channel's weekly "Night of Exploration" beginning Friday, June 14, the network announced on Thursday. The Emmy-award winning actor's first on-air hosting duty will be "Crossing the Ice," an adventure across Antarctica. "Alec has the perfect combination of energy and gravitas that we think our Night of Exploration viewers will love," said David Lyle, CEO, National Geographic Channels. ... Full Story | Top |
| Oprah Winfrey tells Harvard graduates to learn from mistakes Thursday, May 30, 2013 05:47 PM PDT  By Daniel Lovering CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Talk show host, entrepreneur and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey used the struggles of her television network on Thursday to try to inspire Harvard graduates, saying they were armed with more tools of empowerment than any generation in history. In a commencement address at the Ivy League school outside Boston, Winfrey told the graduates that they were bound to stumble no matter how high they might rise, but that "there is no such thing as failure — failure is just life trying to move us in another direction. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'After Earth' may actually beat 'Fast & Furious 6' at weekend box office Thursday, May 30, 2013 05:41 PM PDT  By Todd Cunningham LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Reigning champ "Fast & Furious 6" has the inside track this weekend at the box office, but Will and Jaden Smith could put them in the rear-view mirror with their sci-fi thriller "After Earth." That's if "After Earth" delivers at the high end of analysts' projections -- and Universal's cars and criminals sequel takes a big dip, as other entries in the franchise have. "Fast and Furious 6" will wind up around $40 million if it drops roughly 55 percent from its opening, when it drove the box office to a Memorial Day weekend record. ... Full Story | Top |
| PBS mocks reality TV with fake shows 'Knitting Wars,' 'Married to a Mime' Thursday, May 30, 2013 05:38 PM PDT By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - No, there isn't really a reality show called "The Dillionaire" about a pickle mogul. Yet. But New York City's PBS station, WNET Thirteen, is posting subway ads for "The Dillionaire," "Knitting Wars," and "Bayou Eskimos," among other fake shows, to point out the state of television and offer itself as an alternative as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. The shows have perfect reality taglines. "Clean up on every aisle," says the one for "Bad Bad Bag Boys." "It's sew on," says the one for "Knitting Wars. ... Full Story | Top |
| Disney, Jerry Bruckheimer sued over 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise Thursday, May 30, 2013 05:36 PM PDT  By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Could Disney have done a little plundering of its own when coming up with the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie franchise? The company has been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit by a man who claims that he came up with numerous elements of the hugely successful "Pirates" film series, including characters, supernatural elements, storylines, plots, themes, sequence structures and screenplay elements, according to court documents obtained by TheWrap. In the suit, filed in U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Oprah Winfrey should dump Tyler Perry because of racial stereotypes, petition demands Thursday, May 30, 2013 05:32 PM PDT  By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Madea goes bye-bye? A new petition published on Change.org is demanding that Oprah Winfrey's network remove Winfrey's friend and business partner Tyler Perry from OWN's airwaves, claiming that Perry "perpetuates stereotypes" about the black community. Or, as the petition puts it more whimsically, Perry "is 'malt liquor' for the community!" Perry's new series, "The Haves and the Have Nots," premiered Tuesday night on OWN to record breaking ratings. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'After Earth' review: Parents just don't understand Thursday, May 30, 2013 05:30 PM PDT  By Alonso Duralde LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "After Earth" tells the story of an inexperienced boy trying desperately to please his father while making one mistake after another, and as such, it becomes an uncomfortable metaphor for itself. Jaden Smith, who stars in the film, can at least take comfort in his predecessors - Anjelica Huston stumbled through her father John's mostly-forgotten "A Walk with Love and Death" before eventually becoming an Oscar-winning actress, and Sofia Coppola survived the global embarrassment of "The Godfather Part III" to become an acclaimed writer and director. ... Full Story | Top |
| Singer Mariah Carey leaving 'American Idol' Thursday, May 30, 2013 04:50 PM PDT  By Eric Kelsey LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop singer and "American Idol" judge Mariah Carey will leave the TV singing contest and go on a world tour next year, following on the heels of longtime judge Randy Jackson after the show suffered from a ratings slump. "@MariahCarey confirms world tour & says goodbye 2 Idol," public relations firm PMK BNC, which represents Carey, said on Twitter on Thursday. The tweet said Carey was planning the tour to promote her recent single, "Beautiful," which features singer Miguel. Tour dates have yet to be announced. ... Full Story | Top |
| Internet sensation Grumpy Cat to star in upcoming film Thursday, May 30, 2013 03:47 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Grumpy Cat, who won fame on the Internet for her permanent scowl, will be getting Hollywood treatment in an upcoming film, the feline's manager Ben Lashes said in an email. Grumpy Cat, whose real name is Tarder Sauce, went viral last year after the brother of owner Tabatha Bundesen posted a photo of the cat on the user-submitted social news site Reddit. The film will be produced by Broken Road Productions, which has been behind such films as the Kevin James' 2009 comedy "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," and Adam Sandler's 2011 comedy "Jack and Jill. ... Full Story | Top |
| Comedian Jim Carrey to publish children's book Thursday, May 30, 2013 01:08 PM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Actor and comedian Jim Carrey will publish a children's book, "How Roland Rolls," in September, his publisher said on Thursday. Sabrina McCarthy, the president of Perseus Distribution Client Services, described Carrey, known for his zany characters and comedy routines, as the perfect person to write a children's book. "He is such a vibrant, dynamic actor who brings amazingly vivid characters to life, and I think children will respond to the energy and enthusiasm he has brought to 'How Roland Rolls,'" she said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
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