Sherman Hemsley, the actor better known as George Jefferson died Tuesday at the age of 74.
According
to his agent, Todd Frank, the actor died at his home in El Paso.
Police say there is no evidence of foul play and they are waiting on an
autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Born in 1938, Hemsley was
a native of Philadelphia. He paid his way through drama school by
working at the post office. The actor moved to New York in pursuit of
his acting career.
From 1971-1973 the George Jefferson character
was only known by references from his onscreen wife Weezy (Isabel
Sanford). Hemsley first appeared on TV as George when he officially
joined the All In The Family cast in 1973.
In 1975 Hemsley “moved on up to The East Side” for the spinoff, The Jeffersons.
Where he and Weezy portrayed an African American couple who’s dry
cleaning business allowed them to jump to a higher economic class. They
even had their own maid (Marla Gibbs).
The Jeffersons ran for 11 seasons during which Hemsley was nominated for lead actor in a comedy in 1984. He was later cast in NBC’s Amen, where he played the schisty Philly preacher Deacon Ernest Frye.
After Amen was cancelled in 1991, Hemsley went on to do voice overs for the animated series Dinosaurs and was a regular on UPN’s Goode Behavior until it was canceled after one season in 1996.
He would later be seen in guest-starring roles in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, both in which he played the beloved George Jefferson character.
Former co-star Gibbs said she was shocked to hear he had died.
“I
thought Sherman was doing very well. I am saddened to hear that
Sherman has made his transition. We were trying to come up with a new
show that we could participate in, but of course, that cannot happen
now. Sherman was one of the most generous co-stars I have ever worked
with. He happily set me up so that I could slam him, and I did the same
for him. I shall miss him deeply.”
Tyler Perry also recalled the time he worked with Sherman Hemsley on House of Payne commented on how the actor affected his life.
“I
had the pleasure of working with him on ‘House of Payne. He brought
laughter and joy to millions. My childhood would have been a lot sadder
without him. Thanks for the joy, thanks for your talent and thanks for
your life. I celebrate it in all of its beauty. God bless you, Mr.
Hemsley.”
Robert
Pattison may be going through a tough time right now since hearing his
girlfriend Kristen Stewart has been a bad girl. However, some good news
has just came in for the star that should help him get over the scandal.
Pattison
is slated to star in The Rover, a film the production company Screen
Australia just announced they will finance. Guy Pearce has also signed
on to star, with Animal Kingdom’s David Michod at the helm.
The
film, set in the Australian desert, tells the story of Eric, a man who
has left almost everything worldly behind him. He is later forced to
join a severely injured gang member named Rey to hunt down his former
gang of thieves to recover whats left of Eric’s possessions.
This news comes on the heels of Pattison finding out his girlfriend Kristen Stewart was cheating on him with Snow White
director Rupert Sanders, who is married. Pictures have surfaced showing
Stewart and Rupert sharing an intimate encounter in a car on the set of
Snow White.
Stewart has admitted guilt by coming out with an official apology saying,
“I’m
deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I’ve caused to those close
to me and everyone this has affected. This momentary indiscretion has
jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and
respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I’m so sorry.” It
has been reported that the Robert Pattison is heartbroken, but maybe the
news about The Rover will make him feel a little better.
Renowned director James Cameron says Avatar 2 will not hit theaters anytime near the date initially purposed by Fox studios.
According
to a story in The New York Times, Camreron told the author Avatar 2
may not be released until at least 2015. That puts the debut of the
sequel well behind the initially proposed 2014 date.
Avatar made
the most money of any film in movie history, but Cameron doesn’t seem
keen on rushing to take advantage of the success and carrying the
momentum into a second installment.
The director is currently
writing the script for Avatar 2 & 3. He has reportedly bought 2,500
acres of farmland in New Zealand and is expected to live there for at
least half the year during production of the films.
Cameron says
he is confident the film will be shot in Peter Jackson’s Wellington
production studio, with Weta Digital handling the visual effects.
However, the motion-capture work will take place in California.
Although
it’s very likely that Avatar fans will be disappointed with the latest
news from James Cameron, he certainly can count on them to remain
interested even if it takes three or four years.
The makers of The Expendables 2 have been sued by the parents of a stuntman who died while working on the set of the film in Bulgaria.
The
26-year-old stuntman, Kun Liu, was killed by a nearby explosion while
performing a stunt in a rubber boat. Now his parents, Zong Yu Liu and
Tan Mei Bai, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit this past Thursday in
Los Angeles Superior Court.
The incident took place on the set of The Expendables 2 on the Ognyanovo Reservoir/Dam in Elin Pelin, Bulgaria on October 27, 2011.
According
to the lawsuit, Liu’s parents are blaming Millenium/Nu Image and the
film’s stunt coordinator for his death saying they “recklessly
organized, planned, set up, produced, directed, trained, coordinated and
otherwise prepared for and implemented the stunt which involved the use
of explosives and other similar ultra-hazardous activities in the
rubber boat so as to cause an explosion, thereby injuring [Liu] and
causing his death.”
Now they are seeking unspecified damages of over $25,000 for the alleged unsafe conditions that lead to his death.
None
of the actors, which include Sylvester Stalone, Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Terry Cruise, Jet Li, and Jean-Claude Van
Damme, were named in the lawsuit.
Expendables 2 is set to be released by Lionsgate in the U.S. on August 17th of this year.
These
are the times when very few producers take the risk creating brand new
movies from scratch. If a movie made money in the past, it seems that’s
the only criteria needed to warrant a reboot. Even though its only
been five years since Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan starred in Rush Hour 3, producer Arthur Sarkissian is ready to make Rush Hour 4. This weekend at the Television Critics Association Tour, Sarkissian expressed that he was interested in making Rush Hour 4, and also confirmed that Tuck and Chan are interested in returning. In a interview with CraveOnline, Sarkissian said:
“I am working on Rush Hour 4 right now with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. I’m trying to do it closer to how I did Rush Hour,
more down to earth, more gritty, introduce two new characters and make
it real the way the first one was. I personally was not happy with the
third one. I thought 1 and 2 were very good. I think 3 got out of hand a
little bit. It’s not a matter of just bringing them back to do another
segment of that or a sequel to it by putting them in another city and
having them bicker. I don’t want that. I want something new.
Well
after that statement from Sarkissian, it’s safe to say that he don’t
know what he wants. He first said, “I’m trying to do it closer to how I
did Rush Hour and then five lines later he wants something new.
He
continued to think out loud about the plot of the movie and said,
“maybe Chris is now married, maybe Jackie is married to Octavia Spencer,
I don’t know. Married to Chris’ cousin, they live in Shanghai, Chris
goes out to visit them. I don’t know, I want something energetic.”
Sarkissian has not settled on a screenwriter yet, but stated that he has a list of five people that he is courting.
Bret Ratner directed all three Rush Hour films, but Sarkissian wasn’t to thrilled with the outcome of Rush Hour 3.
Sarkissian doesn’t mind bringing Ratner on to direct, but said, “If he
wants to do it he’s more than welcome to do it, but he’s got to do it
in the right way.”
James
Holmes has been charged with 24 counts of murder by Colorado
prosecutors. Holmes is the man accused of killing 12 people and injuring
58 others at a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado.
He
was also charged with 116 counts of attempted murder and possession of
an explosive device, after police discovered his apartment was booby
trapped to kill officers that entered his apartment.
Unlike
Holmes’ first court appearance, cameras were not allowed in the
courtroom by the judge. District Chief Judge Williams Sylvester said the
coverage could interfere with Holmes’ right to a fair trial.
The
24-year-old former neuroscience student is not expected to enter a plea
in the courtroom, and will do so verbally or through his attorney at a
later time.
Kobe has been having a good ole’ time partying with random chicks in Spain and London over the past week but that has all come to an end. Vanessa Bryant has entered the building.
She reportedly arrived in London over the weekend with her kids for
the remainder of the Olympic Summer Games. Earlier today, she was
spotted out shopping on Bond Street at Dolce & Gabbana and other
high end stores while rocking a blazer, red leather pants and flats.
When you are trying to save your marriage,
the last thing you want to do is get caught in compromising photos…even
if it is innocent. Over the weekend, photos surfaced of Kobe Bryant
partying it up in Barcelona last week with his shirt off and surrounded
by chicks. Although the photos may look a little suspect, a source close
to Kobe claims that he came out of his shirt, only after someone
spilled a drink on him. The photos were allegedly taken while someone
was fetching him another shirt. [From where? a nearby store?] Granted,
he looks kind of awkward and embarrassed so this could be true.
Vanessa, however, may not be too pleased about this one. She’s known to check a bish proper! She’s already arrived in London.
Savannah Brinson, meanwhile, is one of the only other wives (well fiancee technically) out there holding it down with Lebron.
Over the weekend, Nicki Minaj paid a southern visit to her Barbz down
in Houston while bringing out some of the city’s rap legends for some
guest appearances. Rappers Slim Thug and an incredibly slim Paul Wall
took the crowd back to the days of chopped and screwed while performing
their hit “Still Tippin”. Later, Bun B (1/2 of UGK) gave the audience
life as he performed his verse from Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin.’”
You never know who will pop up on the ‘Pink Friday Tour’ when it hits
your city. Last weekend in ATL, Nicki’s guest list included Waka
Flocka, Bobby V, Lil Scrappy, T.I., Monica, and Young Jeezy and a few
days later, she surprised her Miami Barbz with an appearance from her
YMCMB fam including Lil’ Wayne, Birdman, DJ Khaled and Mack Maine.
Dirk Nowitzki and his new wife Jessica are an example of how to make an multi-cultural wedding arrangement work.
Earlier this month, rumors surfaced that the Dallas Maverick forward wed his girlfriend Jessica Olsson in a traditional Kenya ceremony with plans to have a second wedding
in Germany for his family. Photos have now surfaced of the bride and 7
foot groom, dressed in traditional Kikuyu garments, during the ceremony. According to reports:
The short version of the Kikuyu wedding, that is meant to
announce to the community that the daughter is engaged, provided
relatives from both sides with an opportunity to get to know each other
and conclude ruracio (dowry payments) discussions. When a couple goes through the ruracio phase, their wedding is officially recognized by customary laws. The bride, Jessica was also presented with a kiondo (handwoven bag)
by elderly kikuyu women. She had to demonstrate how she would go to the
market and shop for her husband. Later the couple together with the
guests danced to mugithi tunes
Hollywood’s 40 and over crew are definitely proof that we get better
with age. Halle Berry, Taraji P. Henson, Nia Long and Jada Pinkett are
definitely doing it!
Last night, Jada (41) posted a bikini shot to her facebook with the caption:
“To my Forty and over crew! Don’t believe the hype…we DO get better with age!”
Yes Jada! Those abs are amazing.
In an interview with Essence, she recently revealed how she maintains her healthy lifestyle:
‘I eat for my schedule so I have to eat high-protein, lots of greens and healthy carbs so that I don’t fall flat on my face.’ I don’t eat for pleasure,”[I] ”had the only West Indian grandmother
that could not cook. She was an awful cook, and she taught me that you
don’t eat for taste, you eat for nourishment. And I have kept that over
the years, so I can eat anything that’s healthy.”
She also keeps herself in shape by working ’out five days a week, including boxing, gymnastics, yoga and martial arts’. Werk!
What are the odds of Rihanna And Chris Brown being in St. Tropez at the same damn time?
Over the past week, Rihanna has been photographed on her 55 meter
Super Yacht while enjoying an extended vacation on the Mediterranean Sea
(Ballin!!!). On Saturday, her yacht made a few pit stops in France
where Rihanna and her girls were spotted out doing rich people ish while
clubbing at hot spots like the VIP Room in St. Tropez. Meanwhile, Chris
Brown was snapped by the paps on Sunday while checking into the St. MartinezHotel in
Cannes, but in an interesting turn of events, he tweeted that his
helicopter (flown by Ludacris) had landed on a boat in St. Tropez.
Rihanna followed up with the tweet, ‘Touch down baby, help me pick out my fit‘.
What is going on here?
Chris wouldn’t be the first famous visitor Rihanna had on her boat while sailing
the seas. Over the weekend, Magic Johnson was spotted by paparazzi on
Ri’s Super Yacht and later tweeted, ‘We had a great time hanging with
Rihanna and her friends on the yacht’.
Interesting tweets by Rihanna that riled up Chrianna fans (who would love to see the two reconnect)
included, ”Love is the easy part… Respect? Now that’s some impressive
sh-t!!! #1Love’, ‘You don’t need the n-gga that loves you… You need the
n-gga that VALUES the phuck outta you!!! #1Love, ‘Don’t let company
choose you… CHOOSE YOUR COMPANY!’, and earlier today, ‘#3words last
night was beautiful’.
In other news, there was a model call that was posted in Cannes for
models to be in a video a few weeks ago and it is believed that Chris is
shooting a music video with Swizz Beatz while out there.
This is all relatively rich people ish!
Despite all of the speculation and rumors over the past week, Chris
Brown has not broken up with his girlfriend Karrueche. A fan tweeted
yesterday that she saw Chris Brown arriving at the private area in Nice
Airport (France), accompanied by Karrueche.
Nicki Minaj had a serious ATL flashback this past weekend as she
rolled through her old stomping grounds with her manager Manny Halley
and boyfriend Safaree in tow for the Pink Friday Tour Atlanta stop.
Back in 2008-2009, when she was hanging with Gucci Mane and they both
were managed by Waka Flocka’s mom, Deb had her performing all throughout Atlanta in clubs, strip clubs and small venues while she was gunning for her big moment to come. [Back then, Nicki looked a little intimidated by Deb but Deb was getting her that hood money].
On Sunday, it was all love as Nicki hit the stage to perform a scheduled 70 minute show at Fox Theater,
complete with surprises from ATL friends Monica, Bobby Valentino, Lil
Scrappy, Young Jeezy, T.I and Waka Flocka. Rapper 2 Chainz, who did a
few shows with Nicki & Young Money when he was going by the name
Tity Boi a few years ago, opened the show. Backstage, she caught up with
Monica (who she referred to as one of the biggest musical influences in
her life) and Tiny for some girl talk while joking that they looked
like the newest singing group sensation to her twitter followers.
Check the pics
Who needs security when you have Scaff Beezy and that big a– suitcase? What’s in there?
Two years ago, a Miami chick by the name of Kat Stacks shook up the
game when she came onto the scene blogging and making videos about all
of the rappers she slept with while throwing names around like Bow Wow, Nelly,
Soulja Boy, Fabolous, Lil Twist and more. Her shenanigans resulted in
twitter beefs with Chris Brown, Carmelo Anthony and The Game, while she
bragged about rappers courting her and sexing people up for money.
Her quick internet fame got her mentioned on radio stations across the
nation, the BET Hip Hop Awards and all over blogs for months before she
was arrested and thrown in jail after a few club promoters set her up
after a failed club appearance.
Now that she’s been in jail since November 2010, she claims that she
has had some time to think things over and has changed her evil ways.
She caught up with XXLMag.com
recently and told them she’s let go of the ‘Kat Stacks’ persona and is
hoping that she is given a second chance so that she can help young
girls that are in her shoes. She also admits that she set Soulja Boy up by circulating a video that showed ‘cocaine’ in his hotel room and it was actually just crushed advil. Sounds like someone is dealing with Karma!
Peep the excerpts:
On her deportation case Well, I was going to the court for immigration and they had changed my
court date to two days earlier without notifying me or my lawyer.
So, they put that I didn’t show and put out a warrant for deportation
[to Venezuela]. But once I told them that they didn’t notify me, they
re-opened my case again. By the time they did that, I got apprehended at
the airport in Nashville and they took me to the cell detention
facility in Louisiana. They didn’t give me a bond,
so I had to fight my case there. The judge didn’t like my Kat Stacks
persona. He didn’t like it at all. That’s the reason he told me that I’m
not allowed to stay in the country, even though I showed him evidence
of underage sex trafficking and domestic violence. That’s violating my
freedom of speech and press rights. Now, I have to stay here and fight
them back. On Changing Her Twitter Handle I decided to let the whole Kat Stacks name go, so when I’m outside, it’s
not, “It’s Kat Stacks, b—h!” I wanted to come outside and be different.
I left it at that @AdmireAndrea and I told the judge that I’m gonna let
go of the Kat Stacks thing, but he didn’t listen. On what she’s missed since she’s been in jail I haven’t even see my son walk for the first time or talk for the first
time or anything. The only time I see him is behind bulletproof glass
every two to three weeks. It’s hard seeing my son out there. He thinks
my mother is his mother. The judge is heartless. He knows that and
doesn’t care. He just wants to judge me for the WorldStar videos. I told
them I’m not going to do that anymore. I told them I changed and I want
to be a mother. I never finished the seventh grade. I asked them to
give me a second chance to make my life right. I came to jail when I was
20 years [old]. I told them I changed, I go to weekly therapy, I take
my medication, I go to bible
study. I told them I’m trying to do right. I even had a woman from a sex
trafficking organization tell me that I could join the organization
when I get out of here and get the help that I need to be a better
person. He just doesn’t want to listen. He doesn’t care about evidence
or anything. On Being a Different – Then vs. Now Well, back then, just like my psychologist said…I suffered from
post-traumatic stress disorder because of what happened in my childhood
and that’s what started the whole Kat Stacks character. Now, that my
head is right and I know better now, things have changed. I was young
then. Everybody deserves a second chance and the government
won’t give it to me. It’s not right. People will see a different side
now. If they’re going to persecute me for being Kat Stacks then they
should persecute rappers for their lyrics and what they do in the
videos. On What She Wants to Do With Her Life If She’s Able to Get Out of Jail First of all, I want to finish my education. I have never finished the seventh grade. I want to get my GED.
I want to get my record expunged, so I can work social work to help
younger people who were in my shoes. I want to do that and go in a
positive lane and leave all the rappers and drinking and going nuts
alone. Just be better and show people that people can change. On The Soulja Boy Video Where She Said He Was Snorting Cocaine [and it may have eventually killed his career] The real story from that day is we got together—again, because we were
seeing each other on the low…we had a low-down relationship—and that
day, he pissed me off. I was drunk, he was drunk too. He left me
stranded alone at the hotel and when I kept texting and calling him, he
didn’t answer. He just texted me a ticket number to the airport. I was
pissed. So, I called my friend to take me to the airport, but he came
with his boys and ordered room service and all got drunk. I had a
headache because when I was on the plane on the way there, I drank a lot
and threw up, so I had ordered Advil for room service. So, there were
Advil pills there, sitting around. My phone had died and I had bent down
to charge it and the laptop fell on the floor. My boy was like, “What
you doing, coke up in here?” When I went to go look, the laptop had
crushed up the pills. That’s when the boys got the coke idea to set it
up. They set up the scenes and I didn’t care because I was already mad
at Soulja Boy. But when I did the video, I didn’t know it was going to
be that big. I apologized, but I didn’t know how to make things right
again. I felt really bad. I got in contact with him again and he told me
to tell the truth. I went on my Twitter and told everyone the truth,
but he did everything in his power to hurt me, so I just let him go. I
don’t need to deal with that stuff.
This Kat Stacks situation is definitely proof that short term fame
doesn’t lead to long term benefits. Being thrown in jail for almost two
years is definitely not winning.
Minka
Kelly has just found out what a lot of people are discovering in the
age of digital technology–what’s done when your young and dumb comes
back to haunt you.
Just as the actress has begun filming for The Butler, a sex tape rumor has begun popping up.
According
to TMZ, a Minka Kelly sex tape is currently being shopped around to the
highest bidder by an ex-boyfriend of the actress.
The report
claims that the 30 minute tape was filmed in New Mexico and features
Kelly and her ex getting all hot and heavy. The footage is reportedly
shot in a semi-professional manner with a tripod and TV monitor hooked
up so Minka and her boyfriend could enjoy all the festivities on and off
the screen.
The TMZ report also said there is concern that the
actress could have been a minor at the time because a couple of the
songs off the soundtrack belonged to Brandy’s second album, “Never Say
Never,” which was released on June 8, 1998 — 16 days before Minka’s
18th birthday.
The Minka Kelly sex tape rumors couldn’t have come
at a worst time for the actress. She is currently working on the set of
Lee Daniels’ The Butler, a movie told from the prospective of a butler who served eight presidents over the course of 30 years.
Kelly
plays the beloved Jackie Kennedy and her sex tape scandal may render
her performance unbelievable if it made its way before the public eye.
On
the other hand, self made porn has been known to help a few people’s
careers blossom, so maybe a Minka Kelly sex tape could enhance things
for the actress. We’ll have to wait and see how this one plays out.
Stay tuned for an update.
Terry Crews has joined the cast of the new Aaron Sorkin HBO drama The Newsroom.
According to reports, the Everybody Hates Chris actor has been cast in a recurring role as a “bodyguard and unofficial life coach,” for Jeff Daniels’ character.
The Newsroom has just been renewed for a second season, but whether Crews will return to the show next year is unknown.
In
the series, Daniels stars as news anchor Will McAvoy, who takes a
forced-upon leave of absence after a public rant against the USA during a
political debate. When he returns, he learns that most of his staff has
quit and that his boss Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston) has hired his
ex-girlfriend MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer) as the new executive
producer. The two, Will and Mackenzie immediately clash when she
pictures a new kind of news show, where entertainment and ratings are
irrelevant and facts are of primary importance.
Terry Crews may be best known for his role on the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris and his part on sit-com Are We There Yet?
Ken Jeong, the original naked Chinese mob boss, has landed an expanded role on Hangover III.
The
doctor-turned-actor has inked a deal with Warner Bros., to not only
return to the blockbuster franchise, but to play in significantly
expanded role for the third edition.
Jeong was relatively unknown at the time of the release of The Hangover
in 2009, but he was solidified as a respectable character. Thus, he
starred in the 2nd edition of the franchise, where he appeared to die of
a cocaine overdose, but later was discovered to be alive in an ice box.
The studio is keeping details of The Hangover: Part III
under wraps. Jeong is the last major actor to signed on for the
upcoming film, which also stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach
Galifianakis who have already signed to return.
Todd Phillips’ directed film will take place in Tijuana and is slated for release Memorial Day 2013.
Actor Michael Clarke Duncan was rushed to a Los Angeles Hospital after suffering a life-threatening heart attack Friday morning.
It
is very possible that the actor may have died if it wasn’t for his
girlfriend Omarosa Stallworth performing CPR immediately after she
discovered him unconscious.
Duncan was transported to a nearby hospital where he was subsequently admitted to the ICU.
TMZ
reported that Duncan’s heart is currently stable and the Oscar-nominate
actor is resting at the hospital. His doctors have not yet determined
what caused the 54-year-old actor’s heart to stop.
Duncan is best know for his performance in the Green Mile. His next silver screen appearance will be in the horror film The Sibling. He also stars as Leo Knox in Fox’s TV show The Finder.
The Dark Knight Rises
was on pace to make $160 million in the box office, which would be a
record for 2-D films, but figures are uncertain due the mass shooting at
a theater showing the Batman film in Aurora, Colorado.
Other media outlets have made some guesses that despite the incident, the film still earned $160 to $162 million.
If those numbers are correct, that amount would beat The Dark Knight debut in 2008 of $158.4 million. That amount would also give The Dark Knight Rises the third-highest domestic weekend opening ever, following 3-D films such as The Avengers with $207.4 million and Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 with $169.2 million.
Dark Knight Rises
grossed $70 million from nine of the 17 countries where it debuted over
the weekend, including the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea and
Spain.
The real numbers have not been released because, Sony, Fox, Disney, Paramount, Universal and Lionsgate joined Dark Knight Rises
distributor Warner Bros in publicly withholding their usual revenue
reports out of respect for the victims and their families in Colorado.
Box-office
tracking service Rentrak, also did not report figures following the
Colorado theater shooting that killed 12 and injured 58 at a midnight
screening of The Dark Knight Rises on Friday.
Paramount/Marvel has already given The Avengers
sequel the green light. Now fans are speculating what superheroes will
be making an appearance in the next installment of the uber-successful
franchise.
At Comic-Con last week, Don Cheadle hinted that one of those Marvel heroes may be his Iron Man 2
character James Rhodes. Initially played by Terrance Howard in the
first Iron Man movie, Rhodes is a military colonel with a tenuous
friendship with Tony Starks. He wears the War Machine suit, which he
kind of borrowed from Stark, and had outfitted with some big military
guns.
Cheadle will reprise his role in Iron Man 3, but he told
Comic-Con reporters that there is a good chance he may be in The
Avengers sequel or even a War Machine movie. Here is what he told Hit Fix:
“I
wouldn’t have been able to do the [first 'Avengers'] film…I was
shooting the Showtime show at the time, ‘House of Lies,’” said Cheadle,
speaking to reporters on the press line for “Iron Man 3″ at Comic-Con
last week. “But the good thing about the Marvel universe obviously is
that they intersect, and anyone can show up in any one at any time, so
it’s not a done deal that War Machine won’t show up in an ‘Avengers’
[sequel], or in something that’s just War Machine. We don’t know.”
Chealde also told Fandango
that War Machine could be making an appearance in the next installment
of the Avengers saying, “The good thing about the Marvel Universe is
that all the characters can intersect and everybody can play with each
other,” Cheadle hinted. “So, that may happen just for War Machine on
his own. We’ll see. Everything’s been discussed.”
War Machine will be seen in Iron Man 3
for sure. The move is set for a May 3 2013, release in the U.S. Stay
tuned for a confirmation of the release date of The Avengers sequel.
After the success of the first two installments, it was inevitable that there would be The Hangover 3.
For the third part of the over-the-top raunchy comedy, producers have
decided correct an oversight that may have cost Hangover 2 some
entertainment value — Mike Epps” character Black Doug!
Now, Epps
will reprise his role as the wrong guy in the wrong place. Black Doug
was the guy who was kidnapped by Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) and handed over to
the bad lucked trio played by Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakispals
and Ed Helms. Justin Bartha will also be returning as the previously
missing groom and Black Doug’s namesake.
Various outlets have
reported that Jeong’s character Mr. Chow will have an expanded role in
the upcoming film, but the extent of Epps’ role is currently unknown.
His funny appearance in the first Hangover was very brief.
The Hangover 3
is scheduled to be released May 24, 2013. Do you think Mike Epps can
help the third attempt be better than the second installment?
In
an interview with a British newspaper, R&B singer Ne-Yo revealed
that he rejected an opportunity to play Martin Luther King Jr. in a new
film. The singer turned actor expressed he had to turn the role down
because the director wanted him to gain 30 pounds and that went against
his efforts to prepare for his new album release.
“I definitely
want to do more acting but it’s got to make sense with the music. I
recently had to turn down an amazing opportunity to be in a movie
playing Martin Luther King. They wanted to start shooting at the time my
album R.E.D. comes out and wanted me to gain 30 pounds, so I couldn’t
do it. I’m kicking myself but acting can’t take the place of my music.
Plus, I’ve been killing myself in the gym for months preparing for this
album because I wanted a complete makeover.”
Ne-yo didn’t disclose
who the director was or the name of the film. There were at least five
projects recently in production that are based on MLK’s life — Paul
Greengrass’ Memphis, Oprah’s Winfrey’sAmerica: In the King Years, Wesley Snipes Code Name Zorro, and Lee Daniels’ projects Selma and The Butler. The fact that The Butler
is the only film out of the five that seems to be moving forward with
casting and other production activities, means it is likely the movie
the R&B star is referring to. However, there still exists the
chance there is another MLK project that nobody in Hollywood has heard
of.
Well it doesn’t matter now because Ne-Yo turned down the role.
This is an unfortunate decision due to the fact that it’s not often
that singers trying to be actors are given an opportunity to play such
an iconic figures.
Sony Pictures is moving forward with Denzel Washington as their main man for The Equalizer. The studio moved quickly after receiving the script from writer Richard Wenk .
That script must have been good, because the studio has set a April 8th 2013 start date soon after getting it. Before the script came, the film was stuck in the development phase for over a year.
Being
the top tier actor he is, Washington will be earning his usual $20
million to show his face on the screen. Washington’s price tag is
nearly half the film’s budget of $50 million, but it seems the studios
don’t mind spending that type of cash for the veteran actor.
No
director has been selected yet, but Pierre Morel, Nicolas Winding Refn,
Gavin O’Connor and Gareth Evans are ont the short list of names to helm
the project.
The film is a revision of the 1980’s TV series that
starred Edward Woodward, an ex CIA operative who help people in trouble.
The new script is said to follow that same premise, but written
specifically for Washington. The star will play a guy who hates
injustice and devotes his life to helping those who need it most.
Washington can next be seen in Robert Zemeckis’ Oscar contender Flight and is currently shooting 2 Guns with Mark Wahlberg.
(CNN) -- Rescuers were scheduled to resume their
search Friday morning for survivors of a ferry that sank off the
Tanzanian island of Zanzibar, killing 60 people and leaving more than 80
people unaccounted for, the Red Cross said.
As night fell Thursday, crews halted their search until the next morning, the Red Cross said.
The vessel with about 290
people aboard -- including 31 children -- capsized near Zanzibar on
Wednesday, according to a spokesman for the agency's office in Tanzania.
About 145 people have been found alive, and rescue operations are ongoing, said Raymond Kanyambo, a spokesman for the agency.
Authorities intensified efforts Thursday by using army helicopters, government troops and boats.
Strong winds and rough waves, which officials blame for the capsizing, complicated ongoing rescue efforts, he said.
Ferries in the region
often carry passengers not included in the manifest, making it hard to
pinpoint the exact number of people aboard.
The ferry was traveling
between the Tanzanian commercial capital of Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar,
the Indian Ocean archipelago popular with tourists for its pristine
sandy beaches.
The capsizing Wednesday is the latest such disaster in the popular tourist destination of Zanzibar in less than a year.
More than 200 people perished when a crowded ferry traveling between two islands of Zanzibar sank in September.
In that incident, the ferry had a capacity of about 600 passengers, but
was carrying more than 1,000 people, officials said at the time.
Tanzanian authorities
charged five men with negligence in the September capsizing, including
the owner of the ferry and the captain.
In the dark, people couldn't even see the fumes they were breathing in, a witness says
A witness describes seeing people with bullet holes in their backs
"Mass chaos" followed the attack, another witness says
A police officer was seen carrying a little girl who wasn't moving
(CNN) -- It was a dark theater, playing a movie that
includes gunshots, in the middle of the night. So when a gunman burst
through an exit door, threw a gas can into the crowd and began shooting,
many inside the Aurora, Colorado, theater didn't realize what was
happening.
Emma Goos saw a man come
through the exit door at the front of the theater, wearing a gas mask
and body armor and wielding a gun.
Jennifer Seeger, who was
in Theater 9 at the Century Aurora 16 multiplex, said the shooter lit a
gas can and threw it into the crowd, then he shot the ceiling to scare
everyone.
"They just started scattering, and mass chaos just happened," she told CNN affiliate KCNC-TV in Denver.
"I was terrified, so I
just dove into the aisle. And at that point he started shooting people
behind me." Burning bullet fragments ended up on her forehead, she said.
"I just told myself: 'I need to get out of here. I need to get out of
here.'"
Police Chief Dan Oates
said officers were on scene within 90 seconds of the first call and
immediately detained suspect James Holmes near his car behind the
theater. "The response was very rapid," he said.
The man suspected in the
mass shooting had colored his hair red and told police he was "the
Joker," according to a federal law enforcement source with detailed
knowledge of the investigation.
Adam Witt told CNN that he and his wife had been looking forward to seeing the movie for months.
"The first thing I
noticed was a hissing sound coming from the left side of the theater. I
noticed people beginning to react in the area. I knew something was
wrong," he said in an iReport.
"Then the gunshots
began. A sudden flash of light and loud bang from the right side of the
screen. Then another, and another. There must have been 20-30 at the
least. At first glance they looked like fireworks or something, perhaps a
prank."
"I hit the floor and hid
behind the seats in front of me, pulling my wife down to hide with me.
It was the longest minute of my life," Witt said. "The gunshots just
kept coming. I knew it could be over any second. I knew my wife could be
gone any second. It was absolutely surreal. I felt something hit my
left arm, and my first thought was 'at least it's just my arm.'"
When the gunfire
subsided people took to the exits en masse, he said. "I took my wife by
the hand and we booked it for the back door, trying to breathe through
the gas that now permeated the room."
The area was filled with people screaming -- in some cases, for their children, he said.
"The entire ordeal was completely surreal, and entirely horrifying."
An emotional movie
patron told CNN that a man sitting next to him was shot. Two people he
believes were the victim's teenage daughters tried to wake the man,
according to Chris Ramos.
Ramos later saw the girls outside, on the phone.
"They were crying," he said. "Their dad was in there," in the theater.
Darius Harvey said the
room was so dark it was difficult to see what was happening. "I couldn't
see anything" -- not even the fumes he was breathing in, he said.
Trey Freeman, another
witness, said the shooter threw a second gas canister. "He looked so
calm when he did it, it was so scary," Freeman said in a YouTube video.
Moviegoer Quentin
Caldwell, who was in an adjacent theater, said, "I think we were 15
minutes in, and there was a chase scene where there was gunfire on
screen.
"And right then out of nowhere on the right side of us we hear a very distinct 'pop, pop, pop, pop.'"
Caldwell saw wounded
people, including one young couple who was holding a bleeding woman by
her face and guiding her down the stairs, Caldwell said.
"I looked to my right
and another gentleman is holding his stomach and running down the stairs
trying to get out of there," he said.
Even after he left the
theater, some people stayed behind not understanding what happened and
thinking the movie might continue, Caldwell said. "I looked at them
like, 'This is real. There's something wrong. We need to leave now.'"
Witnesses described the man as dressed in black and wearing a gas mask and bulletproof vest.
When the gunman began shooting, "I thought there was no way I was going to get out of there without getting shot," Freeman said.
In the rush to leave, some people were stepped on or pushed, Derek Poag told CNN.
Outside the theater, it
was chaotic, with wounded people everywhere, Caldwell said. He saw one
girl in a pink hoodie, her left side peppered with wounds.
Cell phone video taken
outside the doors of the theater complex showed panicked moviegoers
calling out for help or searching for friends.
One man can be seen
walking out with assistance, the back of his shirt covered in blood. A
woman examines her body, as if checking for wounds.
Donovan Tate said he saw
a man crawling, a girl spitting up blood, and people with bullet holes
in their backs. "There was this one guy who was stripped down to his
boxers, it looked like he had been shot," perhaps in the back, Tate
said. "It was crazy."
Alex Milano was in the next theater over that was also showing the Batman film.
He also said there was a shooting scene happening on screen when the sound of real bullets was heard nearby.
"Loud bangs came from
the right of the theater. Smoke took over the entire theater, and it was
really thick and no one could really see anything," he said.
Confused at first,
Milano realized the severity of the incident when he saw "objects"
starting to come through the wall, presumably bullets.
"I saw holes in the wall," he said.
Some people in his theater started moaning in pain, and alarms at the building started sounding.
Outside, Milano spoke with a woman who was inside Theater 9. What she heard "sounded like madness to me," he said.
One scene stuck in his head -- a police officer carrying a little girl in his arms. The girl wasn't moving.
Photos: Shooting at Colorado movie theater
Witness: He pointed gun at my face
Witness: People bleeding in theater