LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Lindsay Lohan escaped injury in a major car crash on Friday after her Porsche collided with an dump truck on a Southern California highway.
Police said Lohan was driving her black Porsche with an unidentified male passenger on the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica on her way to the set of her latest movie project, and collided with a dump truck.
The actress and her passenger were taken to the hospital as a precaution, and released shortly after. Neither Lohan or the driver of the truck were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, police said.
'Lindsay was involved in an automobile accident today on her way to the set....She is fine and was released less than two hours later and is already headed back to the set to resume work. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in the accident,' Lohan's publicist, Steve Honig, said in a statement.
Celebrity news website TMZ posted pictures of Lohan's Porsche following the incident, showing a crushed front and smashed windows.
Lohan, 26, is forging ahead with a comeback after a string of legal and personal troubles since 2007, including stints in jail, rehab and court. She was released in March from almost five years of formal probation stemming from a 2007 drunken driving and cocaine possession arrest.
The actress is currently playing late screen legend Elizabeth Taylor for a Lifetime TV movie 'Liz & Dick,' based on Taylor's love affair with actor Richard Burton.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bob Burgdorfer)
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Friday, June 8, 2012
"The Fast and the Furious" meets Isaac Newton
NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Rob Cohen, director of 'The Fast and the Furious' and 'XXX,' is working with Academy Award-winning producer Gene Kirkwood ('Rocky') to develop a new action franchise based on the life of famed physicist Isaac Newton for BiteSize Entertainment.
Cohen will write the screenplay and guide the design of a graphic novel based on a lesser-known part of Newton's life - his time as chief detective and head of the British Mint.
'Working with someone of Rob's creative reach gives us the opportunity to go beyond the traditional concept of a movie franchise and develop a cross platform entertainment franchise from the ground up,' Kirkwood said in a statement. 'We see this as a real opportunity to redefine the concept from day one, using multiple channels and outlets to more creatively develop and extend the characters and storyline, while generating huge excitement in advance of the theatrical release.'
Kirkwood and producing partner Ross Eliot's Kirkwood-Eliot Production is the exclusive feature film production arm for Ron Bloom's BiteSize. The studio is currently working on 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen,' a dramedy starring Colin Firth.
Cohen said he has wanted to work with Kirkwood since 1975, when he was at Motown. Kirkwood sought out Billy Dee Williams to play Apollo Creed in 'Rocky,' but that never happened.
This project finally unites the two Hollywood veterans.
Cohen has a series of projects in development, including Lionsgate/Summit's 'Alex Cross' starring Tyler Perry and Ed Burns.
This news article is brought to you by AFFAIRS - where latest news are our top priority.
Cohen will write the screenplay and guide the design of a graphic novel based on a lesser-known part of Newton's life - his time as chief detective and head of the British Mint.
'Working with someone of Rob's creative reach gives us the opportunity to go beyond the traditional concept of a movie franchise and develop a cross platform entertainment franchise from the ground up,' Kirkwood said in a statement. 'We see this as a real opportunity to redefine the concept from day one, using multiple channels and outlets to more creatively develop and extend the characters and storyline, while generating huge excitement in advance of the theatrical release.'
Kirkwood and producing partner Ross Eliot's Kirkwood-Eliot Production is the exclusive feature film production arm for Ron Bloom's BiteSize. The studio is currently working on 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen,' a dramedy starring Colin Firth.
Cohen said he has wanted to work with Kirkwood since 1975, when he was at Motown. Kirkwood sought out Billy Dee Williams to play Apollo Creed in 'Rocky,' but that never happened.
This project finally unites the two Hollywood veterans.
Cohen has a series of projects in development, including Lionsgate/Summit's 'Alex Cross' starring Tyler Perry and Ed Burns.
This news article is brought to you by AFFAIRS - where latest news are our top priority.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Lionsgate, Grindstone extend deal with Emmett/Furla Films
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Lionsgate and its Grindstone Entertainment Group have renewed a slate deal with Emmett/Furla Films to cover an additional 10 films, the partners said Thursday.
The collaboration between the Hollywood mini-major and the film producer has included such titles as 'Set Up,' starring Bruce Willis and Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson; 'Freelancers,' starring Robert De Niro and Forrest Whitaker; 'The Frozen Ground,' starring Nicolas Cage and John Cusack; and 'Empire State,' with Liam Hemsworth and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
Emmett/Furla and Lionsgate are also producing 'The Tomb,' an upcoming thriller starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
'Grindstone has been an important supplier of content for our filmed entertainment business in recent years, and their pipeline of commercially exciting, quality films from Emmett/Furla has been a key element of their success,' Lionsgate Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President Steve Beeks said in a statement.
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The collaboration between the Hollywood mini-major and the film producer has included such titles as 'Set Up,' starring Bruce Willis and Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson; 'Freelancers,' starring Robert De Niro and Forrest Whitaker; 'The Frozen Ground,' starring Nicolas Cage and John Cusack; and 'Empire State,' with Liam Hemsworth and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
Emmett/Furla and Lionsgate are also producing 'The Tomb,' an upcoming thriller starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
'Grindstone has been an important supplier of content for our filmed entertainment business in recent years, and their pipeline of commercially exciting, quality films from Emmett/Furla has been a key element of their success,' Lionsgate Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President Steve Beeks said in a statement.
This news article is brought to you by MEMORY-TRAINING - where latest news are our top priority.
Obama's famous friends rally Hollywood's gay community
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - President Obama made his second campaign stop in Los Angeles in as many months on Wednesday, capitalizing on the goodwill he gained from his recent marriage-equality endorsement with two fundraisers geared toward the LGBT community.
The first event drew around 600 supporters to the Beverly Wilshire hotel, while the second was a much smaller affair at the Beverly Hills home of 'Glee' creator Ryan Murphy.
At the Beverly Wilshire, the president stressed the progress his administration made over his first term and cased out the challenges ahead. 'I could not be prouder of the work that we've done on behalf of the LGBT community,' Obama said, following a series of opening acts and a boisterous standing ovation.
During his half-hour speech, the president blended familiar campaign slogans from 2008 with themes targeting his audience's interests. He recalled a memorable workout at a Marine base in Hawaii during which several Marines paused to thank him for ending the U.S. military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy.
'I tell that story so that if anybody out there asks you what this campaign's about, you tell 'em it's still about hope and change,' he said.
Obama also predicted that he would be taken to task, as he makes another play for the presidency, for the ongoing economic challenges Americans have faced since he took office. 'The good news is, it turns out that Americans are tougher than tough times,' he said.
Before the president took the stage, 'Glee' star Darrin Criss was on hand to warm up the crowd, along with Ellen DeGeneres, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and California Attorney General Kamala Harris, among others.
Peter Roth, CEO of Warner Bros. Television; Dana Perlman, co-chair of the LGBT Leadership Council; Chad Griffin, incoming president of the Human Rights Campaign and 'Modern Family' star Jesse Tyler Ferguson showed up at the Beverly Wilshire. And fittingly, Cher was also spotted there.
Obama told his story of the grateful Marines again at his next stop, an intimate fund-raiser at the home of 'Glee' creator Murphy and fiancé David Miller in Beverly Hills.
'I will not be singing tonight,' the president joked following his host's introduction, as roughly 70 guests gathered at tables arranged around a fountain in Murphy's courtyard.
'A whole lot of progress has been made but ... you recognize that the journey we started in 2008 isn't finished' Obama said, calling for supporters to drum up 'even greater determination' than they did four years ago.
Guests at the second event included Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon, 'Glee' actress Jane Lynch, Banana Republic/Gap Inc. president Jack Calhoun, and HBO executive Michael Lombardo, according to the White House pool report.
These two latest Hollywood-heavy events follow on the heels of Obama's hugely successful May 10 fund-raiser at George Clooney's Studio City home, which raised $15 million for the president's re-election campaign.
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
The first event drew around 600 supporters to the Beverly Wilshire hotel, while the second was a much smaller affair at the Beverly Hills home of 'Glee' creator Ryan Murphy.
At the Beverly Wilshire, the president stressed the progress his administration made over his first term and cased out the challenges ahead. 'I could not be prouder of the work that we've done on behalf of the LGBT community,' Obama said, following a series of opening acts and a boisterous standing ovation.
During his half-hour speech, the president blended familiar campaign slogans from 2008 with themes targeting his audience's interests. He recalled a memorable workout at a Marine base in Hawaii during which several Marines paused to thank him for ending the U.S. military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy.
'I tell that story so that if anybody out there asks you what this campaign's about, you tell 'em it's still about hope and change,' he said.
Obama also predicted that he would be taken to task, as he makes another play for the presidency, for the ongoing economic challenges Americans have faced since he took office. 'The good news is, it turns out that Americans are tougher than tough times,' he said.
Before the president took the stage, 'Glee' star Darrin Criss was on hand to warm up the crowd, along with Ellen DeGeneres, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and California Attorney General Kamala Harris, among others.
Peter Roth, CEO of Warner Bros. Television; Dana Perlman, co-chair of the LGBT Leadership Council; Chad Griffin, incoming president of the Human Rights Campaign and 'Modern Family' star Jesse Tyler Ferguson showed up at the Beverly Wilshire. And fittingly, Cher was also spotted there.
Obama told his story of the grateful Marines again at his next stop, an intimate fund-raiser at the home of 'Glee' creator Murphy and fiancé David Miller in Beverly Hills.
'I will not be singing tonight,' the president joked following his host's introduction, as roughly 70 guests gathered at tables arranged around a fountain in Murphy's courtyard.
'A whole lot of progress has been made but ... you recognize that the journey we started in 2008 isn't finished' Obama said, calling for supporters to drum up 'even greater determination' than they did four years ago.
Guests at the second event included Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon, 'Glee' actress Jane Lynch, Banana Republic/Gap Inc. president Jack Calhoun, and HBO executive Michael Lombardo, according to the White House pool report.
These two latest Hollywood-heavy events follow on the heels of Obama's hugely successful May 10 fund-raiser at George Clooney's Studio City home, which raised $15 million for the president's re-election campaign.
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Morgan Freeman on God, aliens and "Dark Knight"
NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Morgan Freeman exudes gravitas. He has played the president and God. His name is almost synonymous with authority.
So as he patiently explains that aliens might be traveling to Earth to eat us, you can't help but feel a little nervous.
The man-eating alien scenario is just one of the possibilities Freeman explores with his Science series 'Through the Wormhole,' returning for its third season tonight. Each episode addresses a different question about the universe, no matter how difficult or contentious. Tonight's premiere, for example, is titled, 'Is There a Superior Race?'
We asked the Oscar winner, 75, his thoughts on that and other questions upcoming shows will address, including, 'Did We Invent God?' and 'Can We Eliminate Evil?'
We also asked about a certain evil eliminator for whom he plays inventor-in-chief in 'The Dark Knight Rises.' He surprised us by answering very directly when asked if his character survives the upcoming film.
Q: You're asked to do projects like 'Through the Wormhole' because have such an authoritative presence. Is that something you aspired to as a young actor?
A: Oh heavens no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. When I was a young actor I just set out to get work. Like the rest of us.
Q: What drew you to answering life's big questions?
A: I think I just fall into a huge pot of people who are fascinated with what's out there. I used to read a lot of science fiction... particularly that of Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein and some other very interesting people, and they came up with thoughts about what's possible on Earth.
Q: I was hoping to ask for your personal answers to some of the questions raised in upcoming episodes. The season premiere asks, 'Is there a superior race?' I'm not sure if that refers to an alien race or races on Earth.
A: We discuss the idea of a superior race coming here. Professor Michio Kaku has an interesting discussion on it. Intelligence apparently requires an enormous amount of protein, which is why we eat meat instead of being vegetarians. We have this enormous brain capacity.
Suppose a superior race did come from outer space and land here. It would need a food supply because if they were superior, they would have an even larger brain than we do. So we might - might - qualify as sustenance.
Q: Do you think that meat-eating humans are smarter than vegetarian humans?
A: Ehhh. You don't want to get me in trouble here. ... I don't know. The question is evolutionary. Whoever is a vegetarian today, they didn't evolve as vegetarians. They became vegetarians.
Q: Another question from the show: Can we eliminate evil?
A: No. You cannot. Because if you eliminate evil you'll also eliminate good.
Q: What is evil?
A: Evil is the opposite of good. Like up is the opposite of down, left is the opposite of right. You only have one because you have the other.
Q: You don't play a lot of villains, but do you think there are villains? Because we always hear that villains don't think that they're villains?
A: I think that there is balance in the universe. And these questions are the questions of balance.
Q: This next question may be the hardest, and I'm especially curious about your answer because you've played God, and had to guess how God would act...
A: Well, I need to play the devil now, to balance it out.
Q: Did we invent God?
A: Yes.
Q: So there isn't a God up in the sky somewhere. We came up with God ourselves.
A: Well, here's a scientific question: Has anybody ever seen hard evidence? What we get is theories from our earlier prophets. Now, people who think that God invented us think that the Earth can't be more than 6,000 years old. So I guess it's a question of belief. My belief system doesn't support a creator as such, as we can call God, who created us in His/Her/Its image.
Q: Would you consider yourself an atheist, or agnostic?
A: It's a hard question because as I said at the start, I think we invented God. So if I believe in God, and I do, it's because I think I'm God.
Q: Of the questions you ask on the show, which one was the closest to you? What did you think about the most?
A: Travel. The idea of travel. That incorporates two or three different questions. One is how long can we live? Is it possible for us to extend our lifespan into, I don't know, not infinity, but let's say a thousand years? If we could, the idea of space travel would become much more plausible.
Q: Would you like to live a thousand years?
A: Absolutely. ... You're just satisfying your curiosity. Imagine if you could live for a thousand years. Considering that - when did the Wright Brothers fly? In the next 200 years, what will we be doing?
Q: Do you think we'll still be going to movie theaters and watching TV?
A: I could foresee holograms in your living room.
Q: One of the big questions in my little universe: Will your character, Lucius Fox, make it out of the 'Dark Knight Rises' alive?
A: Yeah.
Q: How does it feel to be done with the Batman series?
A: I don't see it so much as being done with it. It's the end of a chapter, that's all.
The third season of Science's 'Through the Wormhole' premieres tonight at 10/9 c.
This news article is brought to you by ATTRACTION - where latest news are our top priority.
So as he patiently explains that aliens might be traveling to Earth to eat us, you can't help but feel a little nervous.
The man-eating alien scenario is just one of the possibilities Freeman explores with his Science series 'Through the Wormhole,' returning for its third season tonight. Each episode addresses a different question about the universe, no matter how difficult or contentious. Tonight's premiere, for example, is titled, 'Is There a Superior Race?'
We asked the Oscar winner, 75, his thoughts on that and other questions upcoming shows will address, including, 'Did We Invent God?' and 'Can We Eliminate Evil?'
We also asked about a certain evil eliminator for whom he plays inventor-in-chief in 'The Dark Knight Rises.' He surprised us by answering very directly when asked if his character survives the upcoming film.
Q: You're asked to do projects like 'Through the Wormhole' because have such an authoritative presence. Is that something you aspired to as a young actor?
A: Oh heavens no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. When I was a young actor I just set out to get work. Like the rest of us.
Q: What drew you to answering life's big questions?
A: I think I just fall into a huge pot of people who are fascinated with what's out there. I used to read a lot of science fiction... particularly that of Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein and some other very interesting people, and they came up with thoughts about what's possible on Earth.
Q: I was hoping to ask for your personal answers to some of the questions raised in upcoming episodes. The season premiere asks, 'Is there a superior race?' I'm not sure if that refers to an alien race or races on Earth.
A: We discuss the idea of a superior race coming here. Professor Michio Kaku has an interesting discussion on it. Intelligence apparently requires an enormous amount of protein, which is why we eat meat instead of being vegetarians. We have this enormous brain capacity.
Suppose a superior race did come from outer space and land here. It would need a food supply because if they were superior, they would have an even larger brain than we do. So we might - might - qualify as sustenance.
Q: Do you think that meat-eating humans are smarter than vegetarian humans?
A: Ehhh. You don't want to get me in trouble here. ... I don't know. The question is evolutionary. Whoever is a vegetarian today, they didn't evolve as vegetarians. They became vegetarians.
Q: Another question from the show: Can we eliminate evil?
A: No. You cannot. Because if you eliminate evil you'll also eliminate good.
Q: What is evil?
A: Evil is the opposite of good. Like up is the opposite of down, left is the opposite of right. You only have one because you have the other.
Q: You don't play a lot of villains, but do you think there are villains? Because we always hear that villains don't think that they're villains?
A: I think that there is balance in the universe. And these questions are the questions of balance.
Q: This next question may be the hardest, and I'm especially curious about your answer because you've played God, and had to guess how God would act...
A: Well, I need to play the devil now, to balance it out.
Q: Did we invent God?
A: Yes.
Q: So there isn't a God up in the sky somewhere. We came up with God ourselves.
A: Well, here's a scientific question: Has anybody ever seen hard evidence? What we get is theories from our earlier prophets. Now, people who think that God invented us think that the Earth can't be more than 6,000 years old. So I guess it's a question of belief. My belief system doesn't support a creator as such, as we can call God, who created us in His/Her/Its image.
Q: Would you consider yourself an atheist, or agnostic?
A: It's a hard question because as I said at the start, I think we invented God. So if I believe in God, and I do, it's because I think I'm God.
Q: Of the questions you ask on the show, which one was the closest to you? What did you think about the most?
A: Travel. The idea of travel. That incorporates two or three different questions. One is how long can we live? Is it possible for us to extend our lifespan into, I don't know, not infinity, but let's say a thousand years? If we could, the idea of space travel would become much more plausible.
Q: Would you like to live a thousand years?
A: Absolutely. ... You're just satisfying your curiosity. Imagine if you could live for a thousand years. Considering that - when did the Wright Brothers fly? In the next 200 years, what will we be doing?
Q: Do you think we'll still be going to movie theaters and watching TV?
A: I could foresee holograms in your living room.
Q: One of the big questions in my little universe: Will your character, Lucius Fox, make it out of the 'Dark Knight Rises' alive?
A: Yeah.
Q: How does it feel to be done with the Batman series?
A: I don't see it so much as being done with it. It's the end of a chapter, that's all.
The third season of Science's 'Through the Wormhole' premieres tonight at 10/9 c.
This news article is brought to you by ATTRACTION - where latest news are our top priority.
Miley Cyrus engaged to Australian actor Hemsworth
NEW YORK (Reuters) - American actress and singer Miley Cyrus is engaged to Liam Hemsworth, the Australian actor and 'The Hunger Games' co-star, People magazine reported on Wednesday.
'I'm so happy to be engaged and look forward to a life of happiness with Liam,' Cyrus, 19, told the magazine.
The young couple has been dating on and off since shooting the film 'The Last Song' together in 2009.
The Melbourne-born Hemsworth, 22, who plays the role of Gale Hawthorne in 'The Hunger Games' movie series, proposed on May 31 to Cyrus with a 3.5-carat diamond ring, the magazine said.
(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
This news article is brought to you by GOING GREEN NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
'I'm so happy to be engaged and look forward to a life of happiness with Liam,' Cyrus, 19, told the magazine.
The young couple has been dating on and off since shooting the film 'The Last Song' together in 2009.
The Melbourne-born Hemsworth, 22, who plays the role of Gale Hawthorne in 'The Hunger Games' movie series, proposed on May 31 to Cyrus with a 3.5-carat diamond ring, the magazine said.
(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
This news article is brought to you by GOING GREEN NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Oscilloscope gets rights to "Tchoupitoulas"
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Oscilloscope Laboratories said Tuesday that it has acquired North American rights to 'Tchoupitoulas.'
The documentary by Bill and Turner Ross captures New Orleans' rich nightlife.
'Tchoupitoulas,' pronounced chop-ih-tou-less, follows three adolescent brothers' nocturnal journey through the Big Easy, where they discover its distinctive music, dance hall and party scene.
It premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival this past March, and has screened at The Dallas International Film Festival and The Ashland Independent Film Festival.
The Ross Brothers, best known for the 2009 documentary '45365,' raised roughly $56,000 from more than 720 backers using the crowd-funding site Kickstarter.
Oscilloscope will show 'Tchoupitoulas' at festivals and select theatrical engagements later this year, with a digital release to follow.
'We're terribly excited to be working with Oscilloscope, a creative company with a unique and individual philosophy that is ideal for our film,' the Ross Brothers said in a statement. 'They're our kind of people, doing our kind of business.'
The deal was finalized at the recently completed Cannes Film Festival. David Laub and Dan Berger of Oscilloscope negotiated the deal with George Rush on behalf of the filmmakers. The film is produced by the Ross Brothers along with Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, and Josh Penn of Court 13.
This news article is brought to you by EXTREME - where latest news are our top priority.
The documentary by Bill and Turner Ross captures New Orleans' rich nightlife.
'Tchoupitoulas,' pronounced chop-ih-tou-less, follows three adolescent brothers' nocturnal journey through the Big Easy, where they discover its distinctive music, dance hall and party scene.
It premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival this past March, and has screened at The Dallas International Film Festival and The Ashland Independent Film Festival.
The Ross Brothers, best known for the 2009 documentary '45365,' raised roughly $56,000 from more than 720 backers using the crowd-funding site Kickstarter.
Oscilloscope will show 'Tchoupitoulas' at festivals and select theatrical engagements later this year, with a digital release to follow.
'We're terribly excited to be working with Oscilloscope, a creative company with a unique and individual philosophy that is ideal for our film,' the Ross Brothers said in a statement. 'They're our kind of people, doing our kind of business.'
The deal was finalized at the recently completed Cannes Film Festival. David Laub and Dan Berger of Oscilloscope negotiated the deal with George Rush on behalf of the filmmakers. The film is produced by the Ross Brothers along with Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, and Josh Penn of Court 13.
This news article is brought to you by EXTREME - where latest news are our top priority.
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