Hollywood 49
WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 8, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com
Jared Leto to play Hugh Hefner in Brett Ratner directorial
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ugh Hefner, who died on September 27 at the age of 91, is getting a biopic with Oscarwinning actor Jared Leto playing the Playboy founder. To be directed by “Rush Hour”-fame Brett Ratner, the film is currently in early development, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Jared is an old friend. When he heard I got the rights to Hef’s story, he told me, ‘I want to play him. I want to un-
derstand him.’ And I really believe Jared can do it. He’s one of the great actors of today,” Ratner, 48, said. The director is also onboard as a producer with his banner, RatPac Entertainment. Hefner’s life has always fascinated producers as there plans to make a biopic on him since 2007. The film was initially set up at Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment and later the rights were bought by Jerry Weintraub. Ratner
snapped up the rights from Weintraub. The director had invited Leto the Playboy Mansion for the premiere of Amazon’s docu-series “American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story” but the media mogul could not meet the actor due to ill health. Ratner, however, believes it would not be hard for Leto to channel the silk pyjama and smoking jacket wearing Hefner as there is enough footage for research. Hefner revolutionised the publishing scene in the US by launching his niche men’s magazine in 1953. The magazine had interviews and articles of some of the biggest literary names, along with a centrefold featuring nude pictures of women as its special feature. (Indian Express)
Josh Gad: ‘Frozen 2’ is going to be special
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ctor Josh Gad, who lent his voice for the character of magical snowman Olaf in the hit 2013 Disney animation film ‘Frozen’, believes the second installment is going to be special. Voice recordings for the sequel of the blockbuster animated film ‘Frozen’ have begun, Gad announced on his Instagram account. The first installment also starred Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell and Jonathan Groff. Gad posted an image of himself with the costars with the backdrop of a voice recording studio and wrote, “Nothing is more exciting than getting back in the booth with this incredible team. Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Bobby Lopez along with John Lasseter and the amazing people at
Disney animation have created a story that carries on the incredible legacy of the original ‘Frozen’ and continues to build and expand on the characters and themes in new and exciting ways. “Unfortunately, that’s all I can tell you right now. But, rest assured ‘Frozen 2’ is on the way and damn is it going to be special.” The film is releasing on November 27, 2019. The first movie was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow
Queen”, which revolved around a fearless Princess Anna (voiced by Bell), who sets off on a journey alongside iceman Kristoff (voiced by Groff) and his pet reindeer to rescue her sister Elsa (voiced by Menzel), whose icy powers have left the kingdom trapped in an eternal winter. In March 2015, the sequel was announced with Buck and Lee returning as directors and Peter Del Vecho as producer. The plot of the film is yet unknown. (Indian Express)
Sarah Jessica Parker: Sex And The City 3 not happening Nicole Kidman speaks against domestic violence in a letter
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arah Jessica Parker has confirmed that Carrie Bradshaw and her three friends are not reuniting for a third movie in the ‘Sex And The City’ franchise. Parker said they had a “funny and relatable” script but things did not move forward. “It’s over… we’re not doing it,” Parker told Extra. The actor famously played Bradshaw on the HBO hit that ran from 1998 to 2004 and reprised it on the big screen in 2008 and 2010. “I’m disappointed. We had this beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, joyful, very relatable script and story. It’s not just disappointing that we don’t get to tell the story and have that experience, but more so for that audience that has been so vocal in wanting another movie.” The actor’s confirmation comes amid reports that actor Kim Cattrall’s alleged demands led to the cancellation of the third part. But Cattrall, in a tweet, slammed the report, saying she had made it clear in 2016 that she did not want to do a third movie. “The only ‘DEMAND’ I ever made was that I didn’t want to do a 3rd film,” she tweeted. Actor Kristin Davis, who
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played Charlotte in the hit series, however, said it was “deeply frustrating” to not be able to make the movie. “It is true that we are not going to be able to make a 3rd film. I wish that we could have made the final chapter, on our own terms, to complete the stories of our characters. “It is deeply frustrating not to be able to share that chapter (beautifully written by MPK) with all of you,” Davis wrote on Instagram, referring to ‘Sex and the City’ writer-director-producer Michael Patrick King’s script. “So we will just have our memories, but please know that all of the love and support for us through the years is felt by us and we are so grateful for all of you! ‘SATC’ forever in our hearts.” ‘SATC’ also featured Cynthia Nixon. (Indian Express)
ctor Nicole Kidman, who played the role of a domestic abuse victim in hit TV show ‘Big Little Lies’, has penned a touching letter calling for women to support and celebrate each other. The 50-yearold actor, who has been a goodwill ambassador of the United Nations Development Fund for Women for the past decade, recently won an Emmy for her performance as an abused wife in the drama. “It never occurred to me that I should be at a disadvantage because I was born a girl. The idea that women and men are equal is part of my DNA. I was raised by a strong feminist mother and a fully supportive father, so it never occurred to me that I should be at a disadvantage because I was born a girl,” Kidman wrote in the letter to Porter Magazine. Crediting her forward-thinking parents for instilling confidence in her, Kidman said she has always been attracted to roles of strong, independent women. “Each of us, in ways big or small, will come across challenges, often arising out of the fact that we are
women in a still unequal world. It has happened to me; I am sure it has to you,” she said. “In those moments, I like to think of those who have my back, who lifted me up and encouraged me to believe in myself. And I think of the inspiring solidarity I experienced when meeting with survivors of violence during my travels for UN Women.” Kidman ended her message by appealing to women to come together in celebrating each other. “More than ever I am aware of the need to support and celebrate each other … Imagine: if you can fall back on the 3.5 billion sisters, and the many good men who are with us, what could we possibly not achieve?” she wrote. (Indian Express)
‘Men In Black’ spin-off to release in May 2019
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en in Black’ spin-off will hit the theatres on May 17, 2019. According to the sources, ‘Iron Man’ scribes Matt Holloway and Art Marcum will pen the script. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones will not reprise their roles in the film, which is meant to launch a new franchise with fresh talent involved, the report further reads, Deadline reported. Sony had originally planned to combine the ‘Men and Black’ and ’21 Jump Street’ franchises,
but have since shelved that idea. Walter F Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are producing with Steven Spielberg executive producing. David Beaubaire is overseeing the project for Sony. The original movie followed Smith and Jones, who played agents of a secret organisation known as the Men in Black and protected Earth from intergalactic bad guys. The first film was big success and produced two more sequels. The three films hauled a cu-
mulative USD 1.7 billion worldwide. “The studio also is
moving on multiple fronts with its SpiderMan universe, work-
ing simultaneously on a Phil Lord & Christopher Miller-scripted animated
film for Christmas 2018, as well as the Ruben Fleischer-directed Tom Hardy-Michelle Williams starrer Venom to be released October 5, 2018, and Silver & Black, with Gina PrinceBythewood directing the two female superheroes in the Spidey universe for February 8, 2019. There is also the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming, with Jon Watts directing Tom Holland and the Zendaya-led ensemble. That will be released July 5, 2019,” the Deadline reported. (Indian Express)