Selena Gomez and her band splitting up for now
TrendPK.com: Selena Gomez and her band, The Scene, are going their separate ways for now as they announced that they will be temporarily splitting up.
Gomez and the band announced the news on Facebook as she revealed that she will not be focusing on music during the next year, states UsMagazine.com. “My band and I are going our separate ways for a while. This year is all about films and acting and I want my band to play music wherever with whoever,” Gomez commented.
However, she also revealed that they will return in the future: “We will be back but, it will be a good while.”
The band has released three albums together.
Are you sad she won’t be working on music this year?
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Whitney Was “Fine” and in “Great Mood” says Ricky Minor, Whitney Houston’s longtime musical director
By Roger Friedman
TrendPK.com: EXCLUSIVE Ricky Minor, Whitney Houston’s longtime musical director, tells me that he met with her on Thursday morning here at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. “She’d just been swimming. It was before 9am. She loves to swim. She had wet hair and she was getting it all over me.”
Minor was getting ready to rehearse Brandy and Monica for a medley of Supremes songs for Clive Davis’s dinner–being held now, only three hours after Whitney’s tragic death. “She stayed, gave the girls advice. She was singing along from the theater. She said, Can I have a mike? And I said No, this is their show,” Minor said, remembering that he was joking. He is in shock he says.
While we spoke, another member of the Davis team came along and said “I spoke to her yesterday. She was fine.” Minor tells me Whitney showed him her athletic arms from swimming, and was “very proud” of her athletic condition. “She said she was very excited about producing Sparkle and wanted to produce more films. It’s unbelievable.”
To read more go to www.showbiz411.com
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New York Giants player thinks Gisele Bundchen should stay out of it
TrendPK.com: Gisele Bundchen got in some hot water when she commented about the other Patriots players – not her husband, Tom Brady – basically being the reason the team lost the Super Bowl.
Now, one player on the New York Giants, Brandon Jacobs, is commenting about what he thinks Bundchen should be doing instead of saying things like that, states UsMagazine.com. “She just needs to continue to be cute and shut up,” Jacobs allegedly told reporters.
And it seems others agree a little but also understand her position as Patriots player Osi Umenyiora commented, “She’s supposed to stay out of things like that. But at the end of the day that’s their relationship and she has the right to say whatever she wants to.”
What did you think of the comments?
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Beyonce and Jay-Z reportedly trademarking daughter’s name
TrendPK.com: Beyonce and Jay-Z are apparently taking their daughter’s name very seriously as they are reportedly trademarking the name Blue Ivy.
The two have allegedly filed documents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to prevent businesses from using the now very famous name, states Hollyscoop. It is rumored that attempts to use the name have already been turned down by the office.
Beyonce and Jay-Z are allegedly doing this in order to make sure that it doesn’t seem they are endorsing different businesses.
Do you think this is a good move?
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Gina Carano to be honored at ActionFest
By Sean O’Connell
TrendPK.com: ActionFest has grown in size and stature over the years, attracting action-movie junkies to Asheville, N.C. to celebrate cinema’s general bad-assedness. This year’s event is scheduled for April 12-15, and they’ve just announced a very special guest that will help lure new attendees.
“Haywire” star Gina Carano will be the recipient of the inaugural Chick Norris Award at the 2012 festival. The prize, according to a release, honors the Best Female Action Star of the year, in a play off the attitude, spirit, athleticism and grit of Hollywood legend Chuck Norris, who was awarded ActionFest’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.
“It is an incredible honor to be included in this event,” said Carano, a fixture of the MMA world who made a successful transition to action movies earlier this year.
“Chuck Norris has always been someone I respect and look up to. Being able to represent martial arts as a woman has been a blessing in my life and I am so intensely grateful to the people who have supported and shared this passion with me,” she continued.
Said ActionFest co-founder Aaron Norris: “An award to honor the work of women in action films is long overdue, and we’re honored to present the first Chick Norris Award to the astonishing Gina Carano, who I am a huge fan of. She has exploded on the movie scene with the magnificent Haywire. We know from very bruised and reliable sources that she’s as tough as they come—making her the perfect honoree for ActionFest.”
Even Chuck Norris weighed in, saying, “I am honored to have Gina Carano receive this award. My entire career has been blessed because martial arts allowed me to do what I love — make action movies. I cannot think of a better person than Gina for this honor, and I am proud that she is the first to receive this award. I highly respect her martial arts ability and she deserves all her accolades for Haywire. Watch out world, a star is born. A proven fighter and very tough action star is here to stay.”
The 2012 film line up, information about celebrity attendees, and badge sales are upcoming at www.actionfest.com.
And here’s a link to our interview with Carano, which we conducted back when “Haywire” opened in theaters. Norris is right. She’s an action star on the rise, and ActionFest is very smart to honor her and her unique skills.
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Oscars: The Academy won’t perform “Muppets” and “Rio” songs at the Oscars – AWARDS ALLEY
By Sean O’Connell
TrendPK.com: It doesn’t matter if you are a Muppet or a man. The Academy still doesn’t want to hear your song on Oscar night.
The Academy has decided not to perform the Oscar-nominated songs from “Rio” and “The Muppets” at this year’s Academy Awards, according to Deadline. It’s the latest change to the awards format in an effort to shake up a telecast that has grown decidedly stale in the past few years.
“It seems like a huge missed opportunity to me, and we certainly tried,” one song insider told the site, while another added, “It doesn’t make sense. They could have so much fun with Muppets and Rio staging.”
The site adds that the show is not locked yet, and the producers could change their mind, but why? The show’s too long as it is. Keep cutting. Get rid of most of the categories. Hand out the top eight categories, and shift the rest to a separate ceremony.
When it comes to the Oscars lately, people want less. The ceremony needs to be streamlined, and if it means Randy Newman doesn’t get to sing “Muppet or a Man,” I’m OK with that.
What about you?
Awards Alley brings you the best Oscar coverage. Click below to read our exclusive interviews with:
– Harvey Weinstein
– The cast of “The Artist.”
– Kenneth Branagh for “My Week With Marilyn.”
– Bennett Miller talks “Moneyball.”
– Producer Jim Burke for “The Descendants.”
– Sir Ben Kingsley and Chloe Grace Moretz for “Hugo.”
– Tilda Swinton for “We Need to Talk About Kevin.”
– David Fincher, Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara on “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”
– Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer for “The Help.”
– Tate Taylor for “The Help.”
– Woody Harrelson for “Rampart.”
– Gavin O’Connor for “Warrior.”
– Gary Oldman and Colin Firth for “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”
– Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody for “Young Adult.”
– Steve McQueen for “Shame.”
– Glenn Close for “Albert Nobbs.”
– Seth Rogen and Will Reiser for “50/50.”
– Producer Grant Heslov for “The Ides of March.”
For complete Oscar and Film Festival coverage, visit our Awards Alley for the latest news items, reviews and interviews all season long.
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Super Bowl movie trailers: Grade ‘em!
By Sean O’Connell
TrendPK.com: The New York Giants prevailed over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI Sunday night, but for dedicated movie buffs, the commercials were more exciting than the game. That’s when we caught longer glimpses at this summer’s major tentpoles, from Marvel’s “The Avengers” to a new spot for Universal’s “Battleship.”
We’ve collected the trailers below. In my opinion, the cut for Joss Whedon’s “Avengers” was the clear-cut winner … especially if you went to the movie’s Facebook, “liked” it, and unlocked a longer spot. But “The Hunger Games” comes in a close second.
What did you think? Check them out below, and tell us in our comments section which movie trailer “won” the Super Bowl!
The Avengers
Battleship
John Carter
21 Jump Street
The Lorax
Act of Valor
The Hunger Games
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn01MHnH-_g
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
The Dictator
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“Chronicle,” “The Woman In Black” both debut to around $20 million
By Scott Mendelson
TrendPK.com: As I wrote yesterday (HERE), I don’t care which of the two big releases end up at number one for this weekend. Chronicle and The Woman In Black are both low-budget over/under $15 million releases that are somewhat abnormal in terms of what’s considered a mainstream release, both were exceedingly well-marketed (as opposed to ‘saturation marketing’), and both are unqualified hits after their first three days. But since I have to choose which film to discuss first, I will pick Chronicle (review), which A) I’ve seen and B) is the unofficial #1 film this weekend with $22 million (as opposed to The Woman In Black, which made ‘just’ $21 million). Chronicle announces the arrival of director Josh Trank (and writer Max Landis, son of John). The quite compelling and thoughtful character study, which is plays with the genre trappings of as super-hero origin story through the ‘found footage’ format, cost just $12 million and drew a large chunk of young audiences of both genders (it played 45% female). I have no idea what the legs will be like on this downbeat morality play (it received a B from Cinemascore), but I’d argue its artistic and box office success pretty much kills Warner Bros’s planned live-action Akira remake and hurts Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man (which is advertising itself as a more low-key and emotionally-gritty superhero origin story… whoops). Come what may, a very good and creative little movie just opened very well, and that’s a win for everyone.
The Woman In Black also is a winner on several fronts. Its $21 million debut is nearly twice the previous opening weekend record for CBS Films, which acquired the $17 million production for $3 million. The allegedly rock-solid Hammer Horror ghost story (I held off because my wife might want to see it) played mostly to younger females, which may be a sign that Daniel Radcliffe is in fact a box office draw/heartthrob. He has had a history of packing his London stage turns (Equus and How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying) and he killed on Saturday Night Live a couple weeks ago, so it may be the case where the Harry Potter series has turned him into something closer to Harrison Ford than Mark Hamill. Still, the PG-13 horror sub-genre is strong enough, especially with younger women, to put the opening entirely on Radcliffe’s shoulders, but it will be very interesting to see how him or any of the other former Potter actors fare as they begin their post-Hogwarts careers (here’s Elisabeth Rappe’s rundown on what projects each of the major actors – young and old – have lined up next).
The other wide debut was a qualified bust, as Big Miracle opened with just $8.5 million. Universal was surely hoping for something similar to the $20 million+ debut of Dolphin Tale last September, but the jam-packed cast (John Krasinski, Drew Barrymore, Kristen Bell, Dermot Mulroney, Ted Danson, Stephen Root, Tim Blake Nelson, and Rob Riggle) didn’t seal the deal. The film cost $40 million, which means that Universal will have to hope for uncommonly strong legs as well as the title becoming a casual family rental choice over the next several years. It played 68% female and 67% under 25 years old. The major limited release was the four-screen debut of Madonna’s directorial debut W.E., which earned just $11,200 per screen. There isn’t too much to report in holdover news. The Grey dropped 51%, which actually isn’t bad considered how divisive the film’s ending turned out to be, but a bit below the 42% drop for Liam Neeson’s Unknown last year. The $25 million Liam Neeson action drama now has $34 million, which means it should make it to around $55 million, although it’s going to get clobbered next weekend by the Denzel Washington/Ryan Reynolds action picture Safe House. Underworld: Awakenings has $54 million after three weekends, meaning it is neck-and-neck with Underworld: Evolution. Expect Underworld IV to end up slightly out-grossing Underworld II to take the domestic crown for the franchise. But the real story will be overseas business, where Sony is hoping for a 3D boom. With $108 million worldwide thus far, it’s just $3 million away from being the top-grossing global hit in the franchise as well.
Katherine Keigl’s One For the Money floundered in weekend two, dropping 54% and ending all hope for an ongoing franchise. It has grossed $19 million thus far, meaning it will easily be her lowest-grossing lead role. Man On A Ledge dropped a decent 44%, but it was working off of a $8.5 million debut in the first place. Hence the $40 million thriller has just $14 million in ten days. Red Tails continues to trudge along, with $41 million in the domestic bank. It probably won’t make it to $58 million (its budget), but producer George Lucas earns points for trying. In good news for good movies, Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol crossed the $600 million worldwide mark, as it slowly makes its way towards Mission: Impossible II’s $215 million domestic gross (it’s at $205 million stateside). It’s already Cruise’s biggest worldwide hit ever, and as I wrote a few days ago (HERE), it remains a prime victim of the over-saturation of new releases and the lack of viable second run options. Point being, it’s been bleeding theaters even as it remains a potentially popular attraction purely due to the onslaught of new releases.
In Oscar nominee news, Hugo had a tiny drop and powered its way past the $60 million mark. It’s still going to be a financial bath (it cost $140 million), but at least some of that Devil Inside money ($53 million on a $1 million budget) won’t be in vain. The Artist dropped just 22% and finally crossed the $20 million mark, as did The Iron Lady (which dropped 42%). The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo sits just outside too major benchmarks, as it has $99 million in domestic box office and $199 million worldwide. So yes, it is finally a hit, but it still cost way too much for its various restrictions. War Horse now has $77 million while The Adventures of Tintin crossed $75 million this weekend (the two Spielberg films have, respectively, $112 million and $367 million worldwide). The Descendants has arguably benefited the most from Oscar attention, as the Alexander Payne drama is now at $65 million, or a stone’s-throw away from Sideways’s $72 million cume. And Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (which, warts and all, is a good movie that I frankly think is better than The Artist or Midnight In Paris) has now matched its $25 million budget.
That’s it for this weekend. Join us next weekend for a big ‘something for everyone!’ weekend. Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds bring the old-school R-rated action with Safe House, Dwayne Johnson replaces Brendan Fraser in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 3D, Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams do the rom-drama route in The Vow, and George Lucas re-releases Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace in 3D. Yeah, the President’s Day holiday is going to be a busy one indeed.
To read more go to Mendelson’s Memos
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Jennifer Lawrence on reaction to getting ‘Hunger Games’ role
TrendPK.com: Jennifer Lawrence is geting ready for the release of the highly anticipated ‘Hunger Games,’ but first she is remembering what it was like when she was first offered the role.
Lawrence revealed to ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ that she wasn’t prepared to be offered the role and almost turned it down, states UsMagazine.com. “It was the middle of the night in England, and I was in bed when I got the call. And I was so in love with the books and the script, and suddenly it was right in my face — and the size of the decision was terrifying,” Lawrence revealed.
Luckily, she had her mom to talk her through it: “She said, ‘Here’s a movie you love and you were thinking of turning it down because of its size.’”
Are you getting excited for the film?
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Adam Sandler heading to “Candy Land”
By Sean O’Connell
TrendPK.com: Multiple studios have flirted with board-game adaptations over the years. Some have succeeded, from “Clue” to this summer’s “Battleship.” But many have stalled.
One project we thought was dead, however, appears to have found new legs. Hasbro has moved its “Candy Land” project to Columbia Pictures, and with that announcement, they’ve revealed that “Grown Ups” star Adam Sandler is attached to star.
EW.com reports that “enchanted” director Kevin Lima is on board to helm the big-screen adaptation, while Sandler has expressed interest in collaborating on the screenplay with frequent writer Robert Smigel.
“The news comes a day after Hasbro announced it was moving its adaptation of Stretch Armstrong from Universal to Relativity Media,” the magazine writes. “That film does not have a star or filmmakers attached as of yet — Taylor Lautner, who had been attached to play the impossibly bendy action figure, has dropped out — but it is eyeing an April 11, 2014, release.”
So if “Candy Land” moves forward, would you like to see Sandler in the lead? And will it be anything like his “Bedtime Stories,” which went after the family dollar?
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