Scarlett Johansson and Romain Dauriac. (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES | Hollywood superstar Scarlett Johansson quietly tied the knot with her fiance Romain Dauriac, in October, US media reported Monday.
Johansson — best known for her roles in “Lost in Translation”, “The Avengers” and a string of Woody Allen films — married Dauriac, a French journalist, in Montana on October 1, People magazine reported.
The couple have a daughter, Rose.
Johansson, considered one of Hollywood’s modern sex symbols, also starred in “Girl with a Pearl Earring” and Luc Besson thriller “Lucy.”
Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins in a scene from 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'.
LONDON | Rich with special effects, the final installment of director Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” trilogy debuted in a much-anticipated premiere in London on Monday.
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” was filmed in 3D in a vivid 48 frames per second and the final part of a trilogy reported to be the most expensive three-part series ever made.
The premiere was also lavish, with the landmark Leicester Square cinema designed to look like ruins for the night and filled with giant screens showing excerpts from the film.
Hundreds of fans gathered, many dressed as wizards and warriors, to ask for autographs and take photos with a star-studded cast that includes Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellan.
“Excited, very excited to share it with fans, it’s a very good end to the story, I saw it last night and I’m very pleased with it,” said Martin Freeman, who stars as Hobbit Bilbo Baggins.
Based J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 book “The Hobbit”, the trilogy tells the story of Baggin’s journey with a group of dwarves to reclaim their Lonely Mountain homeland from Smaug the dragon, helped by the wizard Gandalf.
Director Jackson had originally planned to interpret the book as a two-part film, but changed his mind to make a trilogy like the hugely successful “Lord of the Rings” series, released between 2001 and 2003.
In the film, Jackson replaces the original light and humorous tone with a darker feeling and sense of danger.
Working with Tolkien’s notes for inspiration, the film series also adds in storylines and characters such as the woodland elf Tauriel, played by “Lost” star Evangeline Lilly, who did not appear in the original book.
“For Tolkien himself, the novel as published did not tell the whole story,” said the production notes for the film, referring to the extensive world of Middle-earth created by Tolkien, complete with its own languages, peoples and history.
Cast members (from left) Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis and Orlando Bloom pose for pictures on the red carpet upon arrival for the world premiere of 'The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies' in central London on Dec 1, 2014. (AFP)
The film offers just under 2.5 hours of non-stop action, starting with the aerial bombardment of a village by the dragon Smaug.
The dragon is portrayed by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who lent his voice to the character as well as his movements and facial expressions, recorded through sensors.
The film is expected to take in a similar large haul to its predecessors “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (2012) and “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” (2013), thought to have made almost $2 billion between them.
Jackson, who has spent 16 years making six films based on the works of Tolkien, indicated he is ready for something new.
“The idea of doing a little drama with people in a house seems very attractive right now,” Jackson said recently, describing his effort as an “endurance test”.
The final installment will appear in cinemas around the world from December 10.
Bruce Springsteen and Chris Martin. (Reuters/Reuters)
NEW YORK | Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay’s Chris Martin performed with U2 Minus 1 in a live World AIDS Day performance on Monday in New York’s Time Square, filling in for the group’s injured lead singer Bono who is recovering from a cycling accident.
The two rock stars joined the other members of the Irish band, Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr., to perform U2 songs. Rapper Kanye West and Carrie Underwood also performed at the concert on World AIDS Day.
“This year is a World Aids Day like no other,” Bono, who was hurt in New York last month, said from Dublin in a statement on the group’s website.
“Today, 13 million people have access to life-saving treatment, up from 300,000 just over 10 years ago. Americans don’t know the role they’ve played in this fight. Tonight’s event is to inform them and thank them,” the 54-year-old rocker added.
A report released on Monday showed the evolution of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS has slowed and could be a factor contributing to a turning point in the pandemic that began more than 30 years ago.
United Nations data show that in 2013, 35 million people were living with HIV, 2.1 million people were newly infected with the virus and some 1.5 million people died of AIDS.
Bono, who has lobbied for a variety of causes including debt relief, world poverty and AIDS, was hurt when he tried to avoid another cyclist in New York’s Central Park. He sustained injuries to his face, shoulder blade and arm, which required hours of surgery.
Three metal plates and 18 screws were needed to repair the bone in his upper arm, which was shattered in six places. He will have intensive therapy but is expected to make a full recovery.
Kathy Griffin. (Reuters)
NEW YORK | Comedian Kathy Griffin will be joining cable television’s “Fashion Police,” replacing the late Joan Rivers on the show that critiques celebrity choices on the red carpet, E! Entertainment said on Monday.
Griffin, 54, an Emmy and Grammy award-winning comedian, will be a host on the show along with returnees Kelly Osbourne and Giuliana Rancic and newcomer, celebrity stylist Brad Goreski.
Melissa Rivers, who first co-hosted the show with her mother, will continue as the E! series executive producer.
“These are some big shoes I’m going to fill. Joan was truly one of a kind,” Griffin said in a statement.
Rivers had a no-holds-barred approach to critiquing celebrity fashion and her barbs on red carpet disasters were particularly stinging.
After Rivers died in hospital in September at the age of 81, actress Anna Kendrick said on Twitter: “RIP Joan Rivers. Being publicly told that my dress is hideous will never feel quite as awesome. You will be truly missed.”
Rivers died a week after she stopped breathing following a complication during a throat procedure at a New York clinic. Melissa Rivers has hired a New York law firm to investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding her mother’s death.
Bill Cosby. (Reuters)
PHILADELPHIA | Comedian Bill Cosby has resigned from the board of trustees of Temple University, his alma mater said in a statement on Monday that comes as the entertainer faces accusations of sexual assault.
More than a dozen women have come forward in the past few weeks with accusations that Cosby, 77, sexually assaulted them at some point over the past few decades.
Patrick O’Connor, chairman of the Philadelphia university’s board of trustees, said that Cosby had called him on Monday to resign.
“He didn’t want his personal issue to detract from his service to Temple,” O’Connor said in a phone interview. “He was a great trustee. I thanked him for his service.”
NBC and Netflix have since canceled planned projects with Cosby and promoters have pulled out of some of the dates on Cosby’s U.S. stand-up comedy tour.
Cosby was a frequent visitor to Temple’s sprawling urban campus and often mentioned the school in his act. Temple’s silence on the situation since allegations came to light had raised uncomfortable questions for some students at the prestigious university.
“I have always been proud of my association with Temple University. I have always wanted to do what would be in the best interests of the university and its students,” Cosby said in a statement released by the university.
Cosby’s publicist, David Brokaw, did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
Ellar Coltrane in a scene from 'Boyhood'.
NEW YORK | “Boyhood,” a coming-of-age drama filmed over 12 years with the same actors, dominated the New York Film Critics Circle Awards on Monday, winning best picture of 2014, best director for Richard Linklater and the best supporting actress category.
Actor Timothy Spall was named best actor for his portrayal of one of Britain’s greatest painters, J.M.W. Turner, in “Mr. Turner,” and Marion Cotillard nabbed the top actress honors for roles in two films, “The Immigrant” and “Two Days, One Night.”
With presentation set for on Jan. 5 in New York, these are the first major movie awards in the run-up to the Oscars, the film industry’s highest accolades.
Actor J.K. Simmons picked up the best supporting actor prize for playing a music teacher who terrorizes a student in “Whiplash,” while Patricia Arquette won best supporting actress as the mother in “Boyhood,” which follows a boy growing up from age 5 to 18.
The New York Film Critics Circle, founded in 1935, is among the oldest such groups in the country and its members represent newspapers, magazines and online publications.
The awards are regarded as a bellwether for the Oscars, which will be bestowed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Feb. 22.
The NYFCC selected “The Lego Movie” as the best animated film and “Ida,” the story of a young woman on the verge of taking her vows as a nun in 1960s Poland, as best foreign film.
“Citizenfour,” a documentary by director Laura Poitras about former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who released tens of thousands of classified documents to the media, was named best non-fiction film.
The best screenplay award went to Wes Anderson for “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” a tale about a concierge in a famous fictional hotel between the first and second World Wars, and the best cinematography prize to Darius Khondji for “The Immigrant.”
Jennifer Kent won the best first-film prize for her thriller “The Babadook.”
