- Artist: Usher
- Label: LaFace Records, JLG
- Director: Anthony Mandler
- Album: Raymond V. Raymond
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1270&vid=551930
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Usher - OMG
Johnny Depp's 'Lone Ranger': Why Disney Shut It Down
Poor performance of 'Cowboys & Aliens' may have influenced studio.
By Eric Ditzian
Johnny Depp
Photo: WireImage
As cinematic collaborators go, there are few in Hollywood who can match the storytelling cred and box-office clout of Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski. The duo has delivered a trifecta of "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, taking the property from hokey amusement-park ride to multibillion-dollar franchise juggernaut.
Last fall, well before their kooky, captivating animated adventure "Rango" opened to $38.1 million domestically, Depp and Verbinski announced their next live-action collaboration would be "The Lone Ranger," a project Depp and Disney had been trying to get off the ground for years.
Now, quite surprisingly, Disney has shut down the production amidst concerns about a Western-themed film with a budget north of $200 million. Deadline reported the development on Friday, and the Los Angeles Times followed up on Monday (August 15) with further details about the stoppage. The Times reports the "Lone Ranger" budget could have ballooned to $250 million at a time when studios are looking to keep costs under control, even as a heavily reliance on CG effects drives those costs up.
"It's our intention to take a very careful look at what films cost," Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger said on a conference call with analysts on Tuesday, according to the Times. "And if we can't get them to a level that we're comfortable with, we think that we're better off actually reducing the size of our slate than making films that are bigger and increasingly more risky."
But there's also little doubt that Disney was influenced by the performance of "Cowboys & Aliens," a Western that faltered at the box office this summer despite A-list talent in front of and behind the camera. After the expensive, Harrison Ford-starring action flick opened to just $36.2 million during its first weekend, industry insiders fully anticipated that studios would shy away from the genre. "There is no getting around the fact that the Western-sci-fi genre mashup has been a terrible failure in Hollywood," Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations, told MTV News at the time. "Expect studios to stay far away from this genre in the near future."
Not even Depp and Verbinski — and their long-standing relationship with Disney — were immune to Hollywood's growing understanding that big-budget Westerns just aren't resonating with moviegoers. The move means that unless a new approach (and a new budget) can be worked out, Depp won't get to bring Tonto, the Lone Ranger's dutiful sidekick, to the screen, despite years of involvement with the project. Armie Hammer, of "Social Network" fame, was set to play the Lone Ranger himself.
"This is the origin of Lone Ranger," producer Jerry Bruckheimer told MTV News in March 2010, "so you're gonna see how the Lone Ranger became the Lone Ranger. He was a Texas Ranger, and how he became the Lone Ranger."
Are the chances that audiences get to see that origin story in theaters totally dead? The Times floats an optimistic note, citing other projects shut down because of high costs, like Denzel Washington's "Unstoppable," that were resurrected at the last minute. For now, though, it seems more likely Depp would reprise his "Pirates" role of Jack Sparrow than step into Tonto's boots — though even a fifth seafaring adventure is uncertain at this point.
"It boils down to story, script and filmmaker," Depp said earlier this year about "Pirates 5." "It's not something where I would say, 'Let's shoot it next month to get it out by Christmas 2012.' We should hold off for a bit. They should be special, just like they are special to me."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1669046/johnny-depp-lone-ranger-shut-down.jhtml
Team order rule needs a re-think
 Jean Todt arives for Wednesday's hearing |
?Whether you are for or against team orders, if the FIA could not back up its own rules and nail a competitor in a blatant case such as this the rule really does need reviewing. Perhaps Ferrari?s thinly-veiled threat to take the matter to the civil courts if they were punished too harshly scared the governing body, who as much as admitted the flimsiness of its rule."Paul Weaver, reporting for the Guardian in Monza, was in favour of the ruling which keeps alive Ferrari?s slim chances in an enthralling championship.
?The World Motor Sport Council was right not to ruin a compelling Formula One season by taking away the 25 points Alonso collected in Germany. That would have put him out of the five-man title race. But the council was widely expected to increase the fine and possibly deduct points from the team, as opposed to the individual. In the end, it could be argued that common sense prevailed. But the decision will dismay those who were upset by the way Ferrari handled the situation as much as anything else.?The Daily Mail's Jonathan McEvoy expressed outrage at the FIA tearing up its own rule book by allowing Ferrari to escape unpunished.
"Although the race stewards fined them �65,000 for giving team orders in July, the FIA World Motor Sport Council, to whom the matter was referred, decided not to impose any further punishment. It leaves the sport's rulers open to derision. It was, after all, their rule they undermined. In a statement, the WMSC said the regulation banning team orders 'should be reviewed'."
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/team_order_rule_needs_a_rethin_1.php
It's Another Girl For Tina Fey!
The '30 Rock' star gave birth to another daughter. Plus, Brooke Burke weds. And, Joy Behar also ties the knot.
Source: http://www.ivillage.com/its-another-girl-tina-fey/1-h-373048
Ke$ha - Take It Off
- Artist: Ke$ha
- Label: RCA
- Director: Paul Hunter, Dori Oskowitz
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3213641&vid=549666
Monday, 15 August 2011
PICS & VIDEO: Beyonce Kicks Off SOLD-OUT 4-Nights-Only Concerts At Roseland Ballroom
If you couldn't get tix to one of Beyonce's New York concerts at Roseland ballroom, you're not alone. The "Best Thing You Never Had" singer kicked off her first of 4 nights of fabness last night to a sold out, standing room only crowd. And if you weren't one of the many there, we've got pics and video inside....
The stormy NYC weather didn't stop the stans last night. Bey performed her entire 4 album (and a few of her past hits like "Irreplaceable & "Single Ladies") for the lucky ticket buyers. And even got some pre-concert words of encouragement from her hubby Jay-Z, who was partying down in Miami last night at LIV to promote Watch The Throne.
Jay told Power 99's Lorenzo Thomas yesterday that Beyonce is "the second coming" of Michael Jackson. *hiding from jungle-like e-fight that's about to pop off because of his statement* He said the hard work and dedication she puts into her shows makes him want to work harder at his craft. PEEP THE AUDIO HERE where he starts gushing about his wife around the 9:50 mark.
More pics:
Beyonce rocked a sparkling gold slight midriff baring mini front-angled dress by Tina Knowles, paired with her fishnets and signature blonde & brown curls. Fab.
Here's video of her "Best Thing You Never Had" performance:
"Countdown":
"I Was Here":
Photog: Myrna Suarez/SPLASH
Giuliana DePandi Giulianna Ramirez Grace Park Gretha Cavazzoni
Sugarland Describe 'Grief, Pain' Following Indiana Stage Collapse
Memorial is planned for five people killed at concert at Indiana State Fair.
By Jocelyn Vena
A collapsed stage at the Indiana State Fair August 13, 2011
Photo: WireImage
A memorial is planned on Monday (August 15) for the five people who were killed on Saturday night when a stage collapsed at a Sugarland concert at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis. According to the event's official website, the fair will reopen on Monday with Governor Mitch Daniels in attendance at the memorial service.
The memorial is set to take place at the Free Stage; the website also laid out plans for the remainder of events during the Indiana State Fair. The Chicago Tribune reports strong wind gusts may have contributed to the stage's collapse at the show, which was attended by upwards of 12,000 people. USA Today reports that a severe thunderstorm warning had been issued in the hours leading up to the concert.
In addition to the five who died, four dozen people were injured in the incident, which took place before the headliners took the stage. Sugarland are currently on tour with Sara Bareilles. "The accident at the Indiana State Fair felt like a bad dream," Bareilles wrote on her site. "The weather changed in a matter of minutes and the stage collapsed in a matter of seconds."
Sugarland's frontwoman, Jennifer Nettles, released a lengthy statement on the band's official site about the incident. "I am so moved. Moved by the grief of those families who lost loved ones. Moved by the pain of those who were injured and the fear of their families. Moved by the great heroism as I watched so many brave Indianapolis fans actually run toward the stage to try and help lift and rescue those injured. Moved by the quickness and organization of the emergency workers who set up the triage and tended to the injured," she wrote. "There are no words to process a moment of this magnitude and gravity. There are only prayers for peace in the hearts of the bereft, and prayers of thanksgiving for those who were spared or safe. A piece of our heart is left in that grandstand. May God provide peace and healing to the people of Indianapolis."
The statement continued, "We wish to pass along our most sincere thanks for the messages of love, prayer and support from our fan family. We'll post any further updates here as they become available."
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1669037/indiana-fair-sugarland-stage-collapse-memorial.jhtml
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