Quantcast
Channel: Business Insider
Viewing all 103267 articles
Browse latest View live

Why Bruce Willis' 'Die Hard' Return Will Blow Up The Box-Office

$
0
0

bruce willis die hard

Moviegoers are not going where the action is, at least so far this year.

Sylvester Stallone's “Bullet to the Head” is the latest slam-bang misfire, taking in just $4.5 million over the weekend for Warner Bros. That was even worse than Arnold Schwarzenegger's “The Last Stand,” which managed just $7.2 million in its debut earlier this month, and Jason Statham's “Parker,” which opened to $7 million two weeks ago.

It's only three movies, but that's a nasty trend for three action films with well-established stars, though Schwarzenegger, 65, and Stallone, 66, may be creaking a little. With their two films opening three weeks apart -- and “Parker” in between them -- there may have been just too much material in the marketplace that skewed to older males. All three were rated R as well, and while none was expected to do gangbusters business, all were expected to do better than they did.

“The mistake that Arnold and Sly made was in thinking they had their fans back after 'Expendables' and that they'd follow them anywhere,” BoxOffice.com vice-president and senior analyst Phil Contrino told TheWrap Monday. “That's not the case and fans sent that message loud and clear.”

Also read: Stallone and Schwarzenegger Are Finished: 10 Who Should Replace Them

It's possible the success of the “Expendables” movies -- the first made $274 million worldwide in 2010, the second just crossed $300 million -- may have unrealistically raised expectations for the solo projects.

robocall arnold schwarzenegger terminator 2Contrino thinks both of them should have waited for more established projects,.

“If Arnold had waited for a 'Terminator,” or a “Conan' or even a 'Kindergarten Cop' we'd be having a whole different conversation now,” Contrino said. “Those are the kind of films that would tap into what audiences are looking for from these guys now, which is a rush of nostalgia, and to be reminded of characters they loved..”

The two will be paired in "The Tomb," the Lionsgate prison thriller set for September. "That film has a great concept, and the sum of Arnold and Sly has us bullish," Lionsgate's executive vice-president and general sales manager David Spitz told TheWrap

It has been bad projects, rather than action fatigue that's resulted in the box-office dip, said Contrino. He's convinced that the genre malaise is nothing that  “Good Day to Die Hard,” the Bruce Willis film from Fox that opens on Feb. 14, won't cure.

“The mistake that Arnold and Sly made was in thinking they had their fans back after 'Expendables' and that they'd follow them anywhere,” — Phil Contrino, BoxOffice.com Vice President

“It's tracking very strongly and we have it opening to around $45 million over the four days,' he said.. “It's also looking very strong overseas, and we see it doing $300 million globally.”

And it's a healthy franchise. Starting with the original film in 1988, which made $148 million worldwide, each successive movie has made more money at the global box office. The last one, “Live Free Or Die Hard,” made $383 million in 2007. In all, the “Die Hard” franchise has taken in $1.13 billion.

Also read: Glut of R-Rated Movies Putting Box Office on Overload

Willis is 57, but his age isn't the only thing that's putting him in a different realm than his “Expendables 2” pals Stallone and Schwarzenegger.

bruce willis joseph gordon-levitt looper“He's seen as more versatile,” Contrino said, “and cooler. 'Looper' was a really interesting project and exposed him to younger audiences.” 

"Looper," a $30 million sci-fi thriller co-starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt that was shot in Shanghai, made $160 million worldwide for Sony since its release last year. It made more than $20 million in China, and “Good Day to Die Hard” is expected to pack a punch there, too.

It's not set in stone, but the latest “Die Hard” film has a March 16 opening date in the works in China.  Film officials there, anxious to protect their domestic films at the box office, are considering putting it up against Disney's “Oz: The Great and Powerful,” which opens March 8 domestically.

It might not be the box-office throw down that the Chinese orchestrated in August, when they paired “Dark Knight” and “The Amazing Spider-Man,” but Bruce Willis vs. the Wizard of Oz  should be a pretty good match-up, too. 

SEE ALSO: The first photo from "The Amazing Spider-Man" sequel set >

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »




James Cameron Didn't Steal The Idea For 'Avatar'!

$
0
0

james cameron avatar

A U.S. District Court judge ruled today in Los Angeles that James Cameron didn't steal the idea for "Avatar."

Judge Margaret Murrow granted summary judgment against visual effects designer Gerald Morawski, ruling there is "clear, undisputed evidence" that Cameron came up with the idea for the billion-dollar blockbuster on his own.  

Morawski is one of a handful of people who have come forward since the film's 2009 release with plagiarism lawsuits. 

Here's Cameron's statement following the case via Deadline:

“It is a sad reality of our business that whenever there is a successful film, people come out of the woodwork claiming that their ideas were used. AVATAR was my most personal film, drawing upon themes and concepts that I had been exploring for decades. I am grateful that the Court saw through the blatant falsity of Mr. Morawski’s claim.”

Last year, Cameron filed a 45-page detailed declaration documenting the long process that went into creating the box-office blockbuster.  

The analysis described four early sci-fi projects of Cameron's from which he borrowed to create "Avatar." 

The film went on to become the highest-grossing movie of all time earning $2.7 billion worldwide. 

Cameron's currently working on "Avatar 2" which is scheduled for a 2015 release.

SEE ALSO: The first photo from "The Amazing Spider-Man" sequel set >

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »



How The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Went From Conservative To Tops Optional

$
0
0

kate upton

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, which will be on newsstands next week, debuted in 1964 as a five page supplement meant to increase readership during the winter sports lull after the Super Bowl.

The very first cover featured a model in a conservative, non-revealing bikini. The photo was shot at a wide angle, almost focusing more on the beach background than the model.

Throughout the 60's, 70's, and 80's, the covers remained fairly tame; they generally featured a beautiful model wearing a bathing suit any young woman would wear to the beach.

In the 90's and 2000's, a trend began. The models started wearing less and less, and the camera focused more and more on their bodies, and less on the surrounding scene.

Here's the first swimsuit cover from 1964. The bathing suit is hardly revealing and the camera angle is wide



A few years later in 1969, the model wore a skirt over her bikini and someone else was in the background of the shot



In 1970, the model wore a very conservative long sleeve top



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.



The Celebrity Obsession With Coconut Water Is Changing Life In The Philippines

$
0
0

vitacoco coconut water rihanna ad

Philippine farmer Liezl Balmaceda has never heard of Madonna, but the US pop star's endorsement of coconut water may help change her impoverished life for the better.

After centuries of replenishing Filipinos, the mineral-rich liquid has become a must-have health drink thanks to aggressive marketing by a beverage industry looking to offset soda sales that have lost their fizz.

Balmaceda, 33, and her husband process truckloads of coconuts at their backyard each week to get the meat that is turned into vegetable oil. The arduous labour earns the family of five about $9 a day, barely enough to get by.

"We just throw the water away when we extract the copra (coconut meat). But if you tell me people actually pay money to drink it, we could use the extra cash," she told AFP in rural Mulanay town, four hours' drive south of Manila.

In his most recent state of the nation address, President Benigno Aquino hailed coconut water as one of the country's most promising new export opportunities.

He cited industry figures showing exports jumping more than nine-fold to 16.76 million litres (4.4 million gallons) in 2011.

Manila-based Fruits of Life is one local business to have started profiting from the growing appreciation in the West for coconut water as an alternative to sugar-laden carbonated drinks.

"People have become more health-conscious in general," said Phoebe de la Cruz, sales manager for Fruits of Life.

"Athletic types have taken to coco water for its natural electrolytes."

Fruits of Life, which began exporting its own branded product in 2006, now exports about 240 tonnes in cans and tetra packs a year directly to supermarket chains in the United States and Canada.

The biggest players in the global beverage industry, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi, have also jumped into the coconut water health drink craze in recent years.

ZICO, a US coco water brand majority owned by Coca-Cola, has supermodel Gisele Bundchen and basketball star Kevin Garnett as its endorsers.

Meanwhile, pop stars such as Madonna and Rihanna, as well as baseball player Alex Rodriguez, are among celebrity shareholders in Vita Coco, one of the other major brands.

Its 0.33-litre (11-ounce), $3 drink is touted as a healthier alternative to energy drinks for athletes and the company boasts an office in New York's Flatiron District.

The Philippines is already the world's biggest exporter of coconut products.

Big Philippine mills have for years processed desiccated coconut meat and turned it into powder for baking biscuits, snack bars, cakes and pastries.

Coconut flesh is also turned into vegetable oil used for cooking and in a range of common household products, including bath soap.

Supply is not a problem in the Philippines with 350 million coconut trees growing from the beaches up to its hills and yielding 15 billion fruits a year, according to industry regulator the Philippine Coconut Authority.

In the Philippines, coconut water remains a popular, cheap drink, with stalls selling it straight from the fruit—a common site throughout the big cities as well as the countryside.

However, because of a lack of demand as well as the costs required to process and preserve it, the water had never been profitable enough to sell overseas, Philippine Coconut Authority chief Euclides Forbes told AFP.

"From mere waste it's being turned into gold," Forbes said.

Nevertheless, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that while coconut water holds the potential of improving the lot of impoverished Filipino coconut farmers, logistical issues held the industry back.

"The demand is huge. The only problem is how to bring the liquid to the processing centres before it spoils, since most coconut farms are in hilly areas without good roads," Alcala said.

Meanwhile, some farmers remain sceptical that they will cash in on the Western craze, citing the fact they have remained poor for decades while big business has profited from other coconut exports.

Among them is Rodolfo Aquino, 68, who is paid by traders to haul coconuts by ox-drawn cart about two hours' drive from Manila.

"Whether they want the meat and water or just the meat, we get paid the same," Aquino told AFP.

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »



8 Ways Online Streaming Killed The Video Store

$
0
0

blockbuster south park

When DISH announced it would be closing only 300 of its remaining 850 Blockbuster video stores, we were a little surprised the number was that small. 

The only thing we may have been more surprised by was that there were still so many Blockbusters open across the country.

"South Park" did an episode recently on the very topic.

One of the protagonists' father (Stan) purchases a Blockbuster thinking it's a great idea to invest all of the family's savings. But in the end, it turns up a bust.

Why?

Simple – the rise of streaming content and Internet viewing consumption in the past few years. 

Back in September 2010, Blockbuster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy because it wasn't able to transition to online content like Netflix and Hulu.

Slowly, the franchise's more than 7,000 worldwide video stores began shutting down over the course of the past two years.

In many instances, a replacement came in the form of Coinstar's Redbox locations popping up conveniently inside (and outside) of supermarkets, Wal-Marts, and 7/11s. 

And, of course, there were Netflix accounts there to keep consumers satiated from the comforts of their couches.

As the DVD King began closing shop, those online streaming services began rising in subscribers. Add in the ease of access to video-on-demand from cable providers and there was never a reason to leave the couch on a Friday night to wander down the aisles of a Blockbuster or its former competitor Hollywood Video.

Since DISH acquired Blockbuster's assets – and 1,700 stores – for $320 million in 2011, there hasn't been a sweeping change in content delivery to customers.

DISH did launch a streaming site initially thought to be a Netflix killer called Blockbuster Movie Pass. The site also shipped out DVDs and video games by mail and offered streaming video. However, the service was abandoned after a year when it failed to compete with Netflix. 

Instead, the continued presence of the antiquated video store in comparison to Netflix, Hulu, or video-on-demand has made it so going anywhere outside one's living room is a major inconvenience to a consumer.

The amount of time people have spent using DVD and Blu-ray devices decreased 16% in the last year.

(Source: Nielsen



Instead, 37% more people are watching video on the Internet ...

(Source: Nielsen



... and 25% more people are watching video on mobile devices.

(Source: Nielsen



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.



8 Stars Who Got Their Big Breaks In Super Bowl Ads

$
0
0

ali landry doritos

Playing to an audience of 108 million-plus viewers, a Super Bowl commercial serves as an unknown actor's ideal launching pad.

Actress, model, and former Miss USA Ali Landry can thank Doritos for helping her become a household name. Her first commercial was for the chip's 1998 Super Bowl ad, in which Landry did a series of complex acrobatic moves before eating a Doritos.

This year, there's no doubt that career-extra Jesse Heiman is on the brink of the big time after his starring role as tech nerd/Bar Refaeli make-out partner in Go Daddy's 2013 Super Bowl ad.

Heiman has been an extra — typically given names like "3rd UFO Enthusiast" or "Winking Comic Book Nerd" — in more than 200 television shows and movies, including "American Pie 2," "Spiderman," and "Entourage." But he has yet to get his big break.

"I hope this [ad] leads to the next step, whatever that may be," Heiman told Business Insider. "Hopefully a pilot, new TV show, or movie — any offers that come in are good offers."

It took a lot to nab the commercial — which Refaeli and Heiman had to shoot 65 times— that aired in front of 108 million people.

"They had me audition with a bunch of people, and in the first audition they had us kissing a blow up doll," Heiman told BI. "And the doll had a name: Lindsay Lohan." (Luckily it was sanitized in between each auditioner.)

But hopefully those days of hard auditions are over.

Heiman's agent's phone is "ringing off the hook," he told HuffPost.

If Heiman makes it big, he'll be among other celebrities who launched their careers after appearing in Super Bowl ads.

Ali Landry did a series of complex gymnastic moves in a 1998 Doritos Super Bowl ad.

Model and actress Ali Landry owes her career to her very first ad, which just happened to be Doritos' 1998 Super Bowl commercial.

"Doritos changed my life," Landry told Yahoo. "I bought my first house with Doritos."

More than a decade later, the former Miss USA is still known as the "Doritos Girl." After you watch the crazy gymnastic moves Landry did to get that Doritos ad, you'll see why:



Sean Hayes also starred in the same Doritos' 1998 Super Bowl spot.

Before he was on "Will & Grace," Sean Hayes stared at Ali Landry in awe during that same Doritos' ad that launched her career.



Betty White played a pickup football in Snicker's 2010 Super Bowl ad.

Although Betty White seems to be just about everywhere these days — from "SNL" appearances to movies to her own reality shows — the former "Golden Girl" saw a lag in her career when we entered the new Millennium.

What caused her career to get back on track? A 2010 Snickers Super Bowl commercial in which White played a crucial role in a pickup football game.

"That's what really started the little surge," White told Ad Age.

Watch the ad below:



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow Advertising on Twitter and Facebook.



Former Child Actor Isn't Scared Of The Law School Bubble

$
0
0

Cardozo School of lawForget the depressing data about the lack of jobs for new lawyers.

For at least one incoming student, law school is still the best possible career option.

"This is the most job security I've had in my life," says Elise, who's been accepted into Cardozo Law School.

Business Insider had the opportunity to tour Cardozo Law School last week. Since the tour was only us, Elise, and the tour guide, we were able to really learn about one prospective law student's views of the legal industry.

Elise, who asked that we not use her last name, is a former child actor who now works for a theatrical casting agency.

When she compares employment rates in the entertainment industry with those of Cardozo grads, law school is the clear winner.

Cardozo says just 197 of the 380 students who graduated in 2011 have full-time, long-term employment. But Elise says she's "heartened" by those statistics.

Plus, Elise believes the risks of going to law school outweigh the risks of not going.

"If I was governed by fear in all of my choices," she says, "I'd still be waiting tables."

DON'T MISS: Cosmo's Lawyer Bachelor Of The Year Fills Girls In On What They Can Expect From Today's Dating Scene >

Please follow Law & Order on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »



HOUSE OF THE DAY: Arrested Development's Jason Bateman Buys A $3 Million Fixer-Upper In Beverly Hills

$
0
0

jason bateman house

Actor Jason Bateman and his wife, Amanda Anka, have paid $3 million for the former estate of the late actor Ernest Borgnine, according to Trulia.

The five-bedroom home is on a secluded cul-de-sac above Beverly Hills' Mulholland Drive. It belonged to Borgnine for 60 years, and  from a look at the listing photos  is in desperate need of an upgrade.

But the 6,100-square-foot home has potential, with a sweeping grand staircase, large master suite, and awesome views.

The home is located on a secluded cul-de-sac in Beverly Hills.



The entrance, with a spiral staircase, is grand.



There are several impressive public rooms in the home.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.




Disney CEO Bob Iger Confirms There Will Be More Than Three 'Star Wars' Films

$
0
0

star wars

Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed on CNBC that there will be more "Star Wars" films in addition to the three already in the works!

"There's been speculation ... and I can confirm that we are in fact working on a few standalone films," says Iger. "Larry Kasden and Simon Kinberg are both working on films derived from great 'Star Wars' characters."

The standalone films will be in addition to episodes 7, 8, and 9 that are currently in the works. 

Iger says that Disney plans on making the new trilogy over a six-year period with the standalone films being released within that time frame as well.

Could we be seeing a Yoda or Chewbacca spinoff down the line?

Watch the announcement below:

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »



11 Crazy National Enquirer Stories That Turned Out To Be True

$
0
0

Elin Nordegren with Tiger Woods

The National Enquirer recently made the crazy claim that Tiger Woods and his ex-wife Elin Nordegren were back together.

The story was dismissed by the media. 

But the publication has been right about Woods' personal life before. The National Enquirer was the first to report Woods' extramarital affairs back in 2009. 

The company's been credible with other big stories, too. 

From high-profile love children to shocking divorces, check out National Enquirer stories that actually turned out to be true. 

1994: O.J. Simpson's Bruno Magli shoes.

When Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown was murdered along with her friend Ron Goldman in 1994, footprints from Bruno Magli brand shoes were found at the scene.

Simpson denied owning that brand, but the National Enquirer published photos of him wearing the shoes. 



2001: Jesse Jackson's love child.

In 2001, the National Enquirer reported that long-married activist Jesse Jackson had an affair and fathered a child.

Before the issue went to stands, word got out and Jackson issued a statement confirming the story.



2003: Rush Limbaugh's painkiller addiction.

In 2003, the Enquirer alleged that conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh was addicted to painkillers, although he had previously decried drug use on his show.

Soon, he admitted to his audience that the reports were true and entered treatment. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.



It Took 200 Hours To Make Beyoncé's Super Bowl Outfit—Here's Today's Buzz

$
0
0

SEE ALSO: 11 National Enquirer stories that turned out to be true >

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »



30 Million People Say These Are The Best Places In The US

$
0
0

tourists nycEveryone wants to try great local dives when they're traveling, but they're hard to come by.

Foursquare crunched 3 billion check-ins across the nation and more than 10 million tips its 30 million users have left to find them for you.

It released guides in 30 major US cities based on where people actually go.

Here are the most popular recommendations for bars, restaurants, speakeasies and outings across the United States.

If you're headed to Atlanta...

Best American Restaurant:Top Flr

Best Pizza: Jack's Pizza & Wings

Best Bar: Cypress Street Pint & Plate

Best place to grab a beer: SweetWater Brewing Company

Best thing to do: Piedmont Park

Best Southern Food: Empire State South

Here's the complete Atlanta guide.



If you're headed to Austin...

Best Mexican Restaurant: Chuy's

Best BBQ Joint: Stub's Bar-B-Q

Best Coffee Shop: Jo's Coffee

Best Bar: Lustre Pearl Bar

Best place to grab a beer: The Ginger Man or Jackalope if you want a dive

Best thing to do: Lady Bird Lake Trail (hiking)

Best Rock Club: The Mohawk

Here's the complete Austin guide.



If you're headed to Baltimore...

Best American Restaurant:Alexander's Tavern

Best Pizza: Joe Squared Pizza & Bar

Best Bar: Max's Taphouse

Best place to grab a beer: Alewife

Best thing to do: Patterson Park and the National Acquarium is also popular

Best Seafood: Mama's on the Half Shell

Here's the complete Baltimore guide.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.



Here's Everything We Know About The 'Star Wars' Spinoff Films

$
0
0

Bob Iger

Before yesterday's Disney Q1 earnings were released, CEO Bob Iger announced on CNBC there would be more "Star Wars" spinoff films, in addition to episodes 7, 8, and 9.

Iger said the standalone films will follow individual characters from inside the "Star Wars" universe and that veteran Lucasfilm writer Lawrence Kasden and Simon Kinberg ("X-Men: Days of Future Past") will be working on new films, but didn't say much more.

Though we can still ponder who the films may follow, Iger expanded a bit more on his earlier announcement during the Q1 earnings call:

"When we were exploring very seriously with George the acquisition of Lucasfilm, the idea of producing a few so-called standalone films that were not part of the overall saga came up. And we discussed not in great detail, a few of the possibilities. What I confirm today is that those possibilities are becoming more real and they are now creative entities that are working on developing scripts for what would be those standalone films. We are not saying how many."

 "Lawrence Kasdan who wrote 'Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi' is working on one. And Simon Kinberg is working on another. And Lucasfilm will have details about these projects at a later date."

What to take from this:

  • How many we can expect: There will be at least two "Star Wars" spinoffs. One created from Kinberg and Kasdan.
  • The idea has been brewing since October: Spinoff films were in mind during Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm. 
  • Release dates: In his CNBC interview, Iger said the spinoffs will hit theaters sometime between the releases of episodes 7, 8, and 9 which are expected to rollout over a six-year period beginning summer 2015.

UPDATE:EW is reporting the first two films will center around Boba Fett and a young Han Solo.

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »



Why Bruce Willis Is Against Gun Control

$
0
0

bruce willis john mcclane

Bruce Willis says he's against new gun control laws that could infringe on Second Amendment rights.

The "Die Hard" star also dismisses any link between Hollywood shootouts and real-life gun violence.

"I think that you can't start to pick apart anything out of the Bill of Rights without thinking that it's all going to become undone," Willis told The Associated Press in a recent interview while promoting his latest film, "A Good Day To Die Hard."

''If you take one out or change one law, then why wouldn't they take all your rights away from you?"

Willis' fifth outing as wise-cracking cop John McClane, due in theaters Feb. 14, comes as his action franchise marks its 25th anniversary. The 57-year-old actor will also be seen firing away at bad guys in the upcoming sequels "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" and "Red 2," both due later this year.

But he believes "the real topic is diminished" when observers link Hollywood entertainment with high-profile mass shootings like those last year in Connecticut and Colorado.

"No one commits a crime because they saw a film. There's nothing to support that," Willis said. "We're not making movies about people that have gone berserk, or gone nuts. Those kind of movies wouldn't last very long at all."

Willis added that he doesn't see how additional legislation could prevent future mass shootings.

"It's a difficult thing and I really feel bad for those families," he said. "I'm a father and it's just a tragedy. But I don't know how you legislate insanity. I don't know what you do about it. I don't even know how you begin to stop that."

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Ryan Pearson: http://twitter.com/ryanwrd

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »



Yoda Is The Rumored Star Of The First 'Star Wars' Spinoff

$
0
0

Yoda

An iconic figure he is, beloved of generations of children and adults alike.

Now Yoda is rumoured to be getting his own spinoff movie as part of Disney's new series of Star Wars films.

News of the diminutive Jedi master's elevation from supporting character status comes courtesy of the US blog Ain't It Cool News, and follows the announcement of a new trilogy of Star Wars films after Disney purchased all rights to the series for $4.05 billion last October.

The studio announced last month that Star Trek director JJ Abrams will take on the first movie, Episode VII, and screenwriters are already in place to take on the two subsequent instalments.

However, there have also been regular rumours that Disney plans spinoff films in a similar vein to the plethora of character-based superhero movies that have emerged in the past few years under its wholly-owned Marvel Studios banner.

Now it looks as if Yoda could be coming out of retirement as part of plans put in place by new LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy.

"To start with, they're going to focus on established characters and do solo films," writes Ain't It Cool editor Harry Knowles, thought to be close to the top brass at the now Disney-owned LucasFilm (he was one of the first journalists invited to view Lucas's poorly-received prequel series a decade ago).

"The first standalone film is going to centre upon Yoda. At this stage, specifics are sparse, but Kathleen Kennedy is putting together a Star Wars slate.

"I've also heard tale of a Jabba story that Lucas has floated to some of his buddies. But word is Yoda is first."

Yoda featured in all three of the prequel movies, though in the last two he was depicted in CGI rather than in original puppet mode, much to the chagrin of some older fans. The character was voiced (and controlled for the classic trilogy) by Frank Oz, the former Jim Henson collaborator who also brought Muppets such as Miss Piggy to life. It is not known whether the 68-year-old, who has made a career as a film director in recent years, is in line to return to the role.

A Yoda movie could potentially throw a spanner in the works for Disney's previously announced plans to set the new Star Wars trilogy after 1983's Return of the Jedi. Were the Jedi master to appear in his own movie before turning up in the new trilogy, it would require some serious recon work, because Yoda died in that film.

Nevertheless, the series has shown in the past that death need not be a barrier to returning in a future instalment. Despite being killed off in the 1977 debut instalment, Alec Guinness played Obi Wan Kenobi in two more Star Wars films.

• This article was amended on Tuesday 5 February 2013. Yoda died at the end of Return of the Jedi, not The Empire Strikes Back as we originally said above. This has been corrected.

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »




CBS Issues No-Nudity 'Wardrobe Advisory' For Sunday's Grammy Awards

$
0
0

Pink 2012 Grammys

Musicians take note, Grammy officials and CBS do not want to see your buttocks, breasts or genitals during Sunday's 55th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

CBS Program Practices have issued a "wardrobe advisory" asking "that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered."

Not always an easy fete for a group of musicians that include artists whose brands rely on nearly nude costuming.

The advisory goes on to say that "Thong type costumes are problematic." Uh oh, Pink!

And "Please avoid sheer see-through clothing that could possibly expose female breast nipples." What's Nicki Minaj supposed to do?!

And Lady Gaga is NOT going to be happy about "Bare sides or under curvature of the breasts is also problematic."

To see the rest of the stern advisory, read it here on Deadline >

But who can blame CBS for being extra cautious, they are the network, after all, who got fined $550,000 by the FCC after Janet Jackson's famous "wardrobe malfunction" during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004.

SEE ALSO: 11 crazy National Enquirer stories that turned out to be true >

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »



Celebrities Aren't Getting Paid As Much To Sit In The Front Row At Fashion Week

$
0
0

Amy Adams Emma Stone Diane Kruger Calvin Klein Front Row

It's been reported that movie stars, singers and even bloggers are paid the big bucks to attend fashion shows. 

The presence of celebrities creates hype for the collection and lends credibility to the brand. 

But designers are slashing budgets and aren't dishing out for the big names anymore, reports Hayley Phelan at Fashionista

The "golden age" of paying celebrities happened several years ago, Phelan writes. 

"In 2008, for instance, Rihanna, Fergie, Zoe Saldana, Malin Ackerman, Amy Smart, Brittany Murphy, Jaime King, Mandy Moore, Joss Stone, Joy Bryant, and Ginnifer Goodwin all attended at least one Max Azria show," Fashionista reports. "In 2012, the brand pulled less A-listers: Olivia Palermo, Jessica White, Petra Nemcova, Whitney Port, and Daisy Fuentes."

While tighter budgets contributed somewhat to the trend, a bigger factor at play is the over-saturation of Fashion Week. 

With hundreds of designers and press, a B-list celebrity simply doesn't elicit the buzz worthy of a big paycheck. 

Fashionista gave a run-down of what celebrities get paid today. 

"A-List (like Beyonce, Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain) Exclusive: $100,000
A-List Non-Exclusive: $40,000-$60,000
Red Carpet Darling (Kerry Washington, January Jones) Exclusive: $40,000-$60,000
Red Carpet Darling Non-Exclusive: From $15,000 to generous non-monetary compensation such as flights, hotels, transportation, clothing
Reality TV Star/Buzzy “Celeb” (Bethenny Frankel, Kris Humphries): Between $0 and $5,000, plus non-monetary compensation depending on the brand.
A-list Bloggers: $0 to possible non-monetary compensation."

DON'T MISS: 11 Crazy National Enquirer Stories That Turned Out To Be True >

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »



Thank You For Aggregating Us!

$
0
0

henry blodget

I just wanted to post a quick note of thanks to every blogger, media organization, and reader who has ever shared our work and spread the word about Business Insider.

Thanks to you, we're now privileged enough to have more than 23 million unique readers a month--a milestone we would never have achieved if so many of you weren't writing about and linking to our work every day.

We occasionally hear other media organizations speak ill of such "aggregation," as though it's some sort of a bad thing. This has always been mystifying to us. 

It is not mystifying because we have a large readership. It was also mystifying five years ago, when we were a tiny tech site and needed every reader and page view we could get. We were thrilled when our stories spawned a follow-on story that earned us a mention in, say, the New York Times, even without a link. The New York Times chose to share our existence and story with their readers! Cool!

Now, to be clear, there are good and bad forms of aggregation, and we're certainly not in favor of the latter. If another site completely rewrites one of our stories and doesn't credit or link to us, we get frustrated. Our policy here is to use others' work the way we want our own work used--which is usually to say, "provide full credit with our names and a link" or just "direct-link."  If a writer who chooses to aggregate us in that way gets more pageviews from our story than we get from it, that's fine. It takes the writer and publication time to write their article, and we're grateful that they found our work important enough to share it with their readers.*

We assume the knee-jerk anti-aggregation attitude at some companies stems from the era in which big media organizations were like hydrants in the desert--the only place to find news and information--and therefore came to view their immense power, control, and profits as something they were entitled to.

Now, of course, media organizations are like hydrants in the ocean and readers are drowning in choices  So the idea that we would frown on someone for recognizing and highlighting our work sounds not just ungracious, but self-defeating.

Another thing to remember about aggregation is that media companies have always aggregated from each other. When I worked at CNN in the early 1990s, much of the news we reported came from Reuters. The New York Times frequently runs stories on stories that were first reported by the Wall Street Journal (and vice versa)--and the Wall Street Journal doesn't get anything more than credit for that. TV networks constantly broadcast news uncovered by print and digital publications, often without credit. The fact that digital companies often build on each others' stories, therefore, is certainly nothing new. The key is to do it in a way that is a win-win for both sides.

In short, your aggregation of our stories helps spread the word about our work to a wider audience. In the past, publications like ours would have had to hire PR firms to send their articles around and beg other journalists to write about them. Now you not only choose to read our posts with no prodding, you write about them, link to us, raise awareness of our brand and writers, and make it easy for more readers to find us.

And we're grateful for every mention and link.

We know that you and your readers are busy people with millions of articles and sites you can visit every day. So the fact that you're reading us and telling your readers about our work is a huge compliment.

We're thrilled you enjoy our site, and we look forward to continuing to get better every day.

In the meantime, thank you for aggregating us!

* Yesterday, for example, I had a back-and-forth with the editor of an excellent ad-industry site called Digiday, Brian Morrissey, who was unhappy with the way we had written about one of his stories. This is rare for us: Other publications email us frequently in the hope that we will write about their stories, and normally we get thank-you notes from other writers for highlighting their work, not frustration. We gave Brian enthusiastic and full credit for the story, but we used a screenshot from his story and more people read our story about his story than clicked through to read his story. Brian felt both were unfair. We would not look at it that way, but we're not Brian, and we never want someone to be frustrated with our use of their work. So on behalf of Business Insider, I apologize to Brian for that.

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »



DreamWorks Animation Bracing For Up To 500 Layoffs Following Poor Box-Office Performance

$
0
0

Rise of the Guardians

Rumors are circulating that there's about to be layoffs at DreamWorks Animation. 

Cuts are expected to come to the studio's production, technology, and overhead departments, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

Deadline is now reporting that the company may cut up to 500 employees in the coming months.

Word of a potential staff reduction comes after the announcement this morning that the studio plans to cut its 2013 film lineup down from three to two films. 

"Mr. Peabody & Sherman" which was originally scheduled for release November 1 of this year has been pushed back until next March leaving films "The Croods" with a March release and "Turbo" to debut in July. 

In addition, the Kate Hudson and Bill Hader 2014 animated flick "Me & My Shadow"  has been shelved indefinitely. 

The move of "Peabody" from November to March leaves a clear pathway for Disney's November release, "Frozen."

CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg released a brief statement on the move:  

"We believe the best strategy for DreamWorks Animation in the long run is to ensure that every one of our films has an optimal release date with the biggest opportunity to succeed at the box office," said Katzenberg, "The move of Mr. Peabody & Sherman means that we will now release two films in 2013, and we are adjusting our operating infrastructure costs accordingly." 

The changed film schedule follows the underwhelming performance of "Rise of the Guardians" last fall. Though the film eventually earned $300 million worldwide (thanks to a $200 million cushion from the foreign box office), its opening weekend was $23.8 million. For comparison, a DreamWorks film hasn't had that low of an opening since its 2006 film "Flushed Away" which earned $18.8 million in 2006. 

The film's weak opening caused DreamWork's stock to sink nearly five percent following final weekend box-office estimates.

A DreamWorks spokesperson declined further comment. 

SEE ALSO: Everything we know about Disney's "Star Wars" spinoff films >

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »



James Bond's Gadget-Filled Aston Martin Is On Sale For $4.7 Million

$
0
0

bond 007 skyfall aston martin db5 history

Only four Aston Martin DB5s were specially made for the James Bond movies "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball."

Only two of those were fully equipped with all the gadgets that made them fit for 007.

Now, one of those rare vehicles is for sale.

Listed for £3 million ($4.7 million), the DB5 has fake machine guns, revolving license plates, and the "tire-slicer" that sticks out of the wheel, according to the Daily Mail.

It also comes with a bulletproof shield, oil slick and nail dispensers, and a smoke screen.

The other DB5 made with all the gadgets was sold in 2010 for $4.6 million, according to UrbanDaddy.

The car is offered for private sale by RS Williams, a British Aston Martin dealer.

[Hat Tip: UrbanDaddy]

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »



Viewing all 103267 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images