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MUMBAI: The weekend is here, and we bring you all the new and fresh happenings from the world of Hollywood. Take a look.
Internet as powerful as nuclear bomb: John C. Reilly
Actor John C. Reilly feels Internet is the central issue of our time, and says it was exciting to address several concerns around it through a "fun and entertaining" story with Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Ralph Breaks the Internet, a sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, shows the way the Internet affects everyone's life, and puts a spotlight on online bullying and trolling.
"I remember this one really moving conversation I had with them (the makers of the film) where I realised the Internet is like the central issue of our time," Reilly said while explaining his process of getting into the character.
"Our relationship to this technology, its power, and its effect on us, we don't even quite understand yet. It's as powerful as like a nuclear bomb. But it uses other means," he added.
The actor says it was "really exciting in the context of an entertaining Disney film to be able to talk about some of these issues in a really real way".
"Its effect on people... Why do we crave the anonymous acceptance of people we don't know? All of this stuff. The way we're bombarded with commerce on the Internet. So we made this fun entertaining story," he said at the press conference on his forthcoming animated film Ralph Breaks the Internet here.
Directed by Rich Moore and Phil Johnston, Ralph Breaks the Internet brings back Ralph (Reilly) and his fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz, voiced by Sarah Silverman.
This time, the digital duo go on a journey to explore the world of Internet, where they hope to find a replacement steering wheel for Vanellope's own racing game, the arcade classic Sugar Rush. The Walt Disney Animation Studios' project will release in India on 23 November.
Reilly says it was a "real treat to get into the studio again" with Silverman.
"In a way, like our friendship has aged five years since the last film. So it tracks in a way with Ralph and Vanellope. Sarah is not my only friend. One of my only friends," he added.
Talking about working on the film, Reilly said, "It was a real treat to be able to start at a place of intimacy with Sarah and with Phil and Rich and everybody. We all kind of knew each other. And we learned how to work together on the first film. And we built these characters and the story together. So that when it came time to start this one, we could start from a very advanced place in terms of the kind of conversations we could have about the relationships and all that."
He insisted the cast should get together in a room "as much as possible".
"Because I know the way improve works, it works best in real time. So yeah. There's a ton of improvised stuff, which Phil and Rich were very kind to just let us explore things every day."
With the animated film, he hopes children are entertained.
"And feel like this story relates to them. And that they recognise some of their own friendships in these characters."
Donald Trump is inspiring hate: Actress Katherine Waterston
Katherine Waterston gets scared when she sees leaders around the world manipulating people to create a divide. The Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald actress says US President Donald Trump is inspiring hate, and so are a lot of other leaders globally.
The actress feels her new film might be set in the 1920s, but it is rooted in today's reality.
"The most important and disturbing issue that the film explores is the dangers of charismatic, manipulative leadership that aims to divide people. I haven't talked to J.K. Rowling about this. But I figured that this particular period of the film ties very neatly with the events of those years in Europe leading to World War II," Waterston told leading publication in an exclusive sit-down interview here.
"You can see the parallels of a leadership that encourages people to blame others in the community for their own frustrations, joblessness and the difficulties that they are having. We know where that led in Germany. That is the parallel with Grindelwald," she added of Rowling's prequel to the Harry Potter series.
With some hints of his past, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald explores the story of Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), showing his power to influence people to embrace the dark world.
"He is not a scary old bad person who convinces people that they should turn against one another. It is someone who presents ideas in a way that can seem logical to people and their outrage encourages their worst impulsive.
"And we see this happening globally. And it is something to fear," said the actress, who essays role of auror Tina Goldstein in the franchise.
As for the descriptions reminding one of Trump, she said, "Yes. He is inspiring hate. And that is exactly the opposite of what most of us expect from our leaders and hope from them. It is worrying."
"But it is not just him. It is happening in many countries all around the world and it is a kind of contingent that we would like to stop."
Set in 1927, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is set 70 years before the Harry Potter franchise. It is the second in the planned five movies spin-off franchise from the Harry Potter films.
The Warner Bros Pictures project explores the fight between good and evil, the right and wrong with a focus on belief, tolerance and acceptance. The film opened in India on Friday.
Asked if she was hesitant about picking the role with a thought that she will be pigeonholed, she said, "No. I am pretty lucky that way that people have given me a chance to play lots of different characters. I probably should have worried about that. But I didn't."
The actress has also featured in The Babysitters, Steve Jobs, Alien: Covenant and Logan Lucky.
She has no master plan to proceed in the business.
"I just look for parts which interest me," she said, adding that she follows her own curiosity while picking projects.
"I want to find characters who seem like people that are being put in interesting circumstances.
Because that is just more fun to play. You can also argue that it is kind of feminist pursuit because I don't want to play one-dimensional character or underwritten women or a woman who doesn't have a voice or much interesting things to do in the film.
"But most actors feel that way -- men and women alike. They want to play surprising, interesting, challenging role," she said.
Kumail Nanjiani enters 'The Twilight Zone'
Pakistan-origin actor-comedian Kumail Nanjiani is crossing over into The Twilight Zone. He will star in an episode of the Jordan Peele-led reboot.
The Silicon Valley star and Oscar-nominated co-writer of The Big Sick is the third actor to join the series, following Sanaa Lathan and Adam Scott. Executive producer Peele will introduce and narrate each episode, just like series creator Rod Serling, reports by media.
Details about Nanjiani's role are being kept under wraps.
The original Twilight Zone ran from 1959-64 on CBS. Four classic segments from the original were also remade as a 1983 feature film.
All episodes of the 1959-64 series stream on CBS All Access. The new version is set for a 2019 premiere.
Eva Longoria to direct '24-7’
Actress Eva Longoria Baston will make her feature directorial debut with workplace comedy 24-7.
She will also produce and star with Kerry Washington in Universal's comedy, reports of media.
Paul Feig is producing with partner Jessie Henderson through their FeigCo Entertainment banner. Longoria Baston is producing through UnbeliEVAble Entertainment as is Washington via her Simpson Street company. UnbeliEVAble's Ben Spector is also a producer. Longoria Baston will direct from Sarah Rothschild's script about a group of women accountants in a firm who band together against a similar male group in order to solve a fraud case that will save their jobs.
Longoria Baston recently completed work on live-action Dora the Explorer movie, portraying the mother of the title character.
Hugh Grant joins Nicole Kidman in 'The Undoing'
Actor Hugh Grant will star opposite actress Nicole Kidman in the upcoming series The Undoing.
The six-episode HBO series is based on the book You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz, reports of leading publication.
It centers on Grace Sachs (Kidman), who is living the only life she ever wanted for herself. She's a successful therapist, has a devoted husband, Jonathan (Grant), and young son who attends an elite private school in New York City. Overnight a chasm opens in her life: a violent death, a missing husband, and, in the place of a man Grace thought she knew, only a chain of terrible revelations. Grace must dismantle one life and create another for her child and herself.
Jonathan is described as an acclaimed pediatric oncologist, devoted husband to Grace and doting father, whose past undergoes scrutiny when he suddenly disappears, leading to a chain of terrible revelations.
Grant most recently starred in the critically-acclaimed miniseries A Very English Scandal.
Model, actress Kim Porter dead at 47
Model and actress Kim Porter, who dated rapper P. Diddy for 13 years and is the mother of three of his children, is dead. She was 47.
Porter died on Thursday at her Toluca Lake, California, home, a source close to Porter confirmed to media.
According to media reports, Porter went into cardiac arrest on Thursday at noon after suffering from pneumonia for several weeks, though her official cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Diddy and Porter have three children together.
Christian Combs was born in 1998, followed by twin girls Jessie James and D'Lila. Porter also has a son, Quincy (named after her personal mentor, Quincy Jones), from a previous relationship with producer Al B. Sure!
Diddy and Porter began dating in 1994 and were on and off until their final break-up in 2007.
"Sadly, I can confirm the passing of Kim Porter. I ask that you give the families privacy at this time," Diddy's representative Cindi Berger told leading publication.
Porter, who was born in 1971 moved to Atlanta to pursue a modelling career, appearing on the covers of Runway and Essence magazines. She appeared on television shows including Law & Order and Wicked Wicked Games.
She also had roles in the films The Brothers and Mama, I Want to Sing.
Each baby is different: Helen Flanagan
Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan has hit back at "negative" mum-shamers who criticised her for weaning her baby at five months.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday morning, the 28-year-old wrote, "So this morning I posted about weaning my baby girl at nearly 5 months and I got quite a lot of negative comments.
"I know a lot of Mums follow me, so I wasn't being irresponsible posting that I'm weaning my baby who's nearly five months. I'm not an expert but I do think each baby is different. Matilda was walking at 11 months and some little ones take longer with that but she wasn't great with her food.
"I suppose they all go at their own pace and Delilah is loving little baby fruit purées and is really interested," she added, reports of leading publication.
Flanagan said now she is giving her little one only little licks of the spoon.
"No mum shaming please that I didn't boil the fruit. I am still feeding her myself and will do as long as she needs," she said.
She continued, "I breastfeed and my toddler is still in my bed but what works for me won't work for someone else. It doesn't make you a better mum what ever your choice of feeding. I do think as mothers we're all in it together, we should support each other, it's not a competition.
"We're all just trying our best really no one is perfect and we should uplift each other as women as it's the best job but not always the easiest."
Flanagan faced criticism after her first post in which she wrote: "We are weaning. With Matilda (first daughter), I waited until she was six months before I started weaning her."
She explained that Matilda wasn't interested in food until she was a year old, so she wanted to start earlier with second daughter Delilah.
Kris Jenner wants Kanye to 'share' some thoughts 'privately'
Reality TV star Kris Jenner wishes her son-in-law Kanye West would keep some of his strong opinions to himself.
The Keeping Up with the Kardashians matriarch, 62, had a candid conversation about West on an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, reports suggest so.
Asked about her thoughts on his recent headlines, Jenner remained sympathetic towards daughter Kim Kardashian West's husband.
"My job as a mom is just to be there for my kids and be support and love them. Kanye's an amazing son-in-law. He's an amazing dad and husband and friend and brother-in-law. So we know my son-in-law, Kanye," she said.
"I think what I really want to do is be there to help him be the best version of himself that he can be," she said, adding: "You're always concerned when there's controversy and drama and things are going on and it's sometimes worrisome. When you have six kids and extended family and nine grandchildren, there's a lot going on.
"And I just want to be there and be supportive and be there if he needs me. That's really where my heart is."
In the past few months, West has met with Trump in the Oval Office, delivered an impromptu speech in favor of the president onSaturday Night Live, called first for abolishing and then for amending the 13th Amendment, deleted his social media, and went on an epic TMZ rant in which he controversially called slavery a choice.
Jonas Blue wants to collaborate with Cheryl
Superstar DJ Jonas Blue, who recorded a hit with Liam Payne, now wants to work with the One Direction star's former girlfriend, singer Cheryl on new material.
"I would love to work with Cheryl. She's an incredible talent and I love what she's doing now musically," Blue told The Sun newspaper.
Blue had earlier teamed up with Payne, whose relationship with Cheryl ended over the summer just over a year after welcoming their son Bear together, and Lennon Stella on "Polaroid", reports by media.
He and Payne have become good friends, and the 29-year-old producer even knows the ins and outs of the former One Direction star's fitness regime.
He added, "He's super into his fitness training. I think I saw some dumbbells in his dressing room. I have Calvin Klein pants (on my rider)."
His comments regarding a potential track with Cheryl come after Jonas heaped praise on 2015 X Factor champion Louisa Johnson, and said they have been working hard plotting her next big move.
Amber Heard exercised for five hours every day for 'Aquaman' role
Actress Amber Heard had to work out five hours every day for six months to prepare for her role as Mera, the daughter of King Nereus in the forthcoming film Aquaman.
"I did six months of rigorous training. It was a lot of weight and strength training, as well as special martial arts training. By the end, I was working out for five hours a day," Heard told Shape magazine.
The actress makes sure her workouts are never an "obligation".
"When I'm not preparing for a movie, I have more freedom, and I incorporate my workout into my life, so that I enjoy it and it does not feel like an obligation. I like running because it's a way for me to alleviate stress, clear my mind, and refocus.
"Plus, I can do it anywhere. I travel so much that it's invaluable to me to have something that keeps me healthy and feeling good no matter where I am," she said.
Sarah Silverman insecure about her age
Actress Sarah Silverman, 47, says she is insecure about grappling with her age.
Asked what is she insecure about, Silverman said, "You know, it moves around."
"Like grappling with being the age I am. I've never been this age. And it's the oldest I've ever been. But then I'll go, 'It's the youngest I'll ever be'. That's what I tell myself too," added the actress at the press conference on her forthcoming animated film Ralph Breaks the Internet here.
"And then like, how I'm supposed to be. And then I go, however I am. I conversation myself, I'll go see the cellulite on my thighs. I go ugh. And then I go 'I'm strong and my body works. And I love these thighs. These thighs help me stand and walk and move'. So whenever I pass, I live in an apartment building and there's a mirror by the elevators.
"When I pass it, I make myself go like this. And it helps," she added.
At the moment, she is looking forward to the release of Ralph Breaks the Internet, sequel to Wreck-It Ralph. It explores some complex issues and shows the way the Internet affects everyone's life, and puts a spotlight on online bullying and trolling.
Directed by Rich Moore and Phil Johnston, Ralph Breaks the Internet brings back Ralph (John C. Reilly) and his fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz, voiced by Silverman.
This time, the digital duo go on a journey to explore the world of Internet, where they hope to find a replacement steering wheel for Vanellope's own racing game, the arcade classic Sugar Rush.
The Walt Disney Animation Studios' project will release in India on 23 November.
Talking about the reason why she joined Twitter, she said, "Years ago, I have a group of friends that we play poker together. One of them was like, 'You've got to check out this thing, Twitter. I'm going to take a picture of us and post it on Twitter and people will comment on it. And I go oh jeez. You with the latest technologies'.
"And I made fun of him. Then one day, I was listening to the radio. They said follow us on Twitter. And I wanted to hear more about that story. So you have to log on. Then that was it."
How has been your own relationship with the Internet?
"It is a gateway drug. For a comedian, it's a great place to try out jokes or like places where you just have a funny thought and you want to put it out there or whatever. But then it became the place where I take in my news. And now I want only look back on the times when I was funny on it."
Silverman, who has featured in Bad Santa, The Aristocrats and The Muppets, wonders how the online world is "good or bad".
"But we had to learn how to navigate and how to protect ourselves. And what we can handle. And what we can allot ourselves. It's like anything. There can be way too much of it. It's nice as a treat. And there are bells that can't be unwrung that probably happen a couple of times a week or a day or in the middle of the night.
"But I think there's a lot of good in the Internet. It has brought the world a lot closer. It has made it a lot smaller. And then of course there are terrible things about it."
Apart from the good, she says there is a lot of "misinformation" floating around in the big world of Internet.
"This new world of chaos. And lack of knowing what is true I would attribute to the Internet. But also learning truths about other people that I would have never known, culturally. Like waking up to my own white privilege had a lot to do with the Internet for what it's worth.
"It's a very complicated relationship with the Internet, that we all have. And we have to try to find a healthy balance," she added.
Idris Elba's daughter named Golden Globe ambassador
Isan Elba, daughter of Hollywood star Idris Elba, has been named this year's Golden Globe Ambassador.
Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Meher Tatna announced the news on Wednesday.
Retitled last year as Golden Globe Ambassador, the role was previously known as Miss (or Mr.) Golden Globe with previous title holders including the children of such Hollywood figures as Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood and Bruce Dern. Last year's Ambassador was Simone Garcia Johnson, the daughter of Dwayne Johnson and producer Dany Garcia, reports of media.
"Last year, the HFPA renamed the title to represent a more inclusive role that was not only gender-neutral but also spoke of the HFPA's commitment to philanthropy," said Tatna.
She added, "However, we are continuing to stand by the tradition that the honouree is the daughter or son of a well-known actor."
In addition to ushering presenters on and off stage and handing out awards, Isan will choose a non-profit organization and work to raise awareness for a cause of her choosing. She has chosen to focus on the issue of mental health.
"I feel honoured to hold this title and use this role to not only further educate people on the work of the HFPA, but also shine a light on issues that I care about," Isan said in a statement.
She added, "Mental health, specifically among African Americans and my peers in particular, is something I really want to be more vocal about. There's this perceived stigma and I've seen friends struggle. We need to empower young people to not be afraid to ask for help."
The HFPA on Tuesday cancelled its annual party to reveal this year's Golden Globe Ambassador amid the Woolsey Fire that has devastated Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
The Golden Globes are set to take place 6 January at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.
(SOURCE : IANS)
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