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KANYE WEST: Kanye West Is The Next Steve Jobs

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Kanye West

Rapper Kanye West told Jon Caramanica of The New York Times in an extensive Q&A that he's going to be the next Steve Jobs and run a billion-dollar company.

Here's how Kanye phrased his ambitions to The New York Times: 

I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means. I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture. Period. By a long jump. I honestly feel that because Steve has passed, you know, it’s like when Biggie passed and Jay-Z was allowed to become Jay-Z.

I’ve been connected to the most culturally important albums of the past four years, the most influential artists of the past ten years. You have like, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, Nicolas Ghesquière, Anna Wintour, David Stern.

I think that’s a responsibility that I have, to push possibilities, to show people: “This is the level that things could be at.” So when you get something that has the name Kanye West on it, it’s supposed to be pushing the furthest possibilities. I will be the leader of a company that ends up being worth billions of dollars, because I got the answers. I understand culture. I am the nucleus.

Incredible. 

Read the full interview at the New York Times >

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Microsoft: If You Don't Like The Xbox One's Restrictions, Buy A Xbox 360 Instead (MSFT)

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XBOX MAIN IMAGE

Xbox chief Don Mattrick has responded to the uproar over the Xbox One's mandatory online connectivity, and it's not exactly what people wanted to hear.

In an interview we read on Engadget, Mattrick said, "fortunately, we have a product for people who aren't able to get some form of connectivity, it's called Xbox 360."

Mattrick went on to argue that the required Internet connection will "future proof" the device, and that if they hadn't included the feature, fans could have been just as angered.

It's a bold statement in light of concrete evidence stating otherwise, with pre-orders for the PlayStation 4 outnumbering Xbox One according to Amazon.

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The 25 Hottest Celebrity Offspring

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hollywood offspring collage melia

Children of celebrities often inherit something more valuable than, well, their inheritance.

Talent? Diana Ross' son sings like an angel.

Personality? Robin Williams' daughter got his clownish sense of humor.

Looks? Here's a slideshow of the blessed Baldwin women to prove it.

Of course, there are exceptions. Jack Nicholson's daughter turned out exponentially better-looking. Tom Hanks' middle son raps. Not well.

We rounded up the 25 hottest celebrity offspring, 18 and older, who are making waves in entertainment.

Prepare to ogle.

25. Sasha Spielberg

Age: 23

Celeb Parent: Steven Spielberg

What She's Up To: Sasha stepped out of her father's shadow hand-in-hand with adopted brother Theo, creating the soulful alternative-rock band Wardell.

The keyboard and ukulele player lulls listeners into a folksy summer anthem in the debut track, "Opossum."

Last year, the Brown University graduate caught Nicole Richie's eye at a concert and became the face of her bohemian-chic fashion lines, Winter Kate and House of Harlow 1960.



24. Indio Johnson

Age: 18

Celeb Parent: Robert Downey, Jr.

What He's Up To: The "Iron Man" actor's son shreds on guitar and vox in his band, The Seems.

The trio's debut single, "Buysexual," features a bluesy garage sound and edgy, lovestruck lyrics.

The LA-based rocker, brooding like his father and now sporting platinum blonde locks, says he strives to find the sentimental in a world of excess.



23. Billie Lourd

Age: 20

Celeb Parent: Carrie Fisher

What She's Up To: Princess Leia's little princess dreamed of being a comic.

"You have plenty of material," Fisher told her daughter, a New York University student, according to an interview with The Daily Mail. "Your father's gay, your mother is a drug addict and manic depressive, your grandmother tap-dances for a living and your grandfather took speed."

Billie's extra-curriculars include volunteering for the Obama for America campaign in 2008 and interning with HBO Documentary Films.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    


The Kid In The Mixed Race Cheerios Ad Has A Black Dad And A White Mom In Real Life, Too

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Screen shot 2013 05 30 at 4.05.34 PM

Grace Colbert, the adorable little girl in a new Cheerios ad that features a mixed race family, comes from a mixed race family in real life, MSNBC discovered.

The Colberts are turning out to be a huge bonus for Cheerios.

When the ad first ran, it attracted scorn from racists who didn't like seeing a family where the parents had different skin colors.

But audience research showed those people were the small — albeit vocal — minority. Most people loved the ad and its 6-year-old star.

And now it turns out that not only was General Mills not making any particular statement in its ad, but that Grace's family looks a whole lot like her actor family in the commercial (Christopher Colbert is black and Janet Colbert is white): Meaning the ad is a lot more "real" than the haters think it is.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

SEE ALSO: This Is The Mixed-Race Cheerios Ad All The Idiots Are Complaining About

SEE ALSO: Statistical Proof That People Who Hate The Mixed-Race Cheerios Ad Are Idiots

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The Most Gag-Worthy Quotes From Kanye West's New York Times Interview

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Kanye WestKanye West gave a ridiculous, gag-worthy, self-important new interview to Jon Caramanica of The New York Times.

In the article titled "Behind Kanye's Mask," Caramanica talks to the rapper about his new album "Yeezus" out Tuesday, his place in the music industry, impending fatherhood and "Keeping up with the Kardashians."

The interview spanned several hours over three days and resulted in a lengthy, revealing piece inside the unique mind of Kanye West.

So you don't have to read through the entire 5-page article, we've pulled out the 20 most ridiculous Kanye quotes (yes, there were that many legitimate ones) that everyone will be talking about today:

  1. "If anyone’s reading this waiting for some type of full-on, flat apology for anything, they should just stop reading right now."
  2. “I was on the junior team when I was a freshman, that’s how good I was. But I wasn’t on my eighth-grade team, because some coach — some Grammy, some reviewer, some fashion person, some blah blah blah — they’re all the same as that coach.”
  3. “You know, if Michael Jordan can scream at the refs, me as Kanye West, as the Michael Jordan of music, can go and say, ‘This is wrong.’”
  4. "I don’t know if this is statistically right, but I’m assuming I have the most Grammys of anyone my age, but I haven’t won one against a white person."
  5.  "I am so credible and so influential and so relevant that I will change things."
  6. "I don’t have some type of romantic relationship with the public. I’m like, the anti-celebrity, and my music comes from a place of being anti."
  7. "[I knew]  I was going to be a big star. At the time, they used to have the Virgin music [stores], and I would go there and just go up the escalator and say to myself, 'I’m soaking in these last moments of anonymity.' I knew I was going to make it this far; I knew that this was going to happen."
  8. “I am in the lineage of Gil Scott-Heron, great activist-type artists. But I’m also in the lineage of a Miles Davis — you know, that liked nice things also.”
  9. "I don’t believe that it’s luxury to go into a store and not be able to afford something. I believe luxury is to be able to go into a store and be able to afford something."
  10. On "Keeping up with the Kardashians":  "It’s not that I have an issue with the show; I just have an issue with the amount of backlash that I get. Because I just see like, an amazing person that I’m in love with that I want to help."
  11. "I don’t want to explain too much into what my thoughts on, you know, fatherhood are, because I’ve not fully developed those thoughts yet. I don’t have a kid yet ... Like, this is my baby. This isn’t America’s baby."
  12. On his "Yeezus" album: "This one Corbusier lamp was like, my greatest inspiration ... Like I say, I’m a minimalist in a rapper’s body."
  13. On the moment he called out President Bush at the Hurricane Katrina telethon: "Yeah, it was pretty bugged out. When you think about it, I was wearing like, a Juicy Couture men’s polo shirt. We weren’t there, like, ready for war."
  14. On his outfits from five years ago: "Yeah, kill self. That’s all I have to say. Kill self."
  15. "The idea of Kanye and vanity are like, synonymous. But I’ve put myself in a lot of places where a vain person wouldn’t put themselves in. Like what’s vanity about wearing a kilt?"
  16. "If you don’t make Christmas presents, meaning making something that’s so emotionally connected to people, don’t talk to me."
  17. "Like, I want the world to be better! All I want is positive! All I want is dopeness!"
  18. "Yeah, respect my trendsetting abilities. Once that happens, everyone wins. The world wins; fresh kids win; creatives win; the company wins."
  19. On whether his instinct to fight for what's fair has led him astray, as in the instance he tried to take Taylor Swift's MTV Video Music Award away from her during her acceptance speech: "It’s only led me to complete awesomeness at all times. It’s only led me to awesome truth and awesomeness. Beauty, truth, awesomeness. That’s all it is."
  20. "I will be the leader of a company that ends up being worth billions of dollars, because I got the answers. I understand culture. I am the nucleus."

To read the full NYT interview, click here >

Now read: See what else Kanye says about being the next Steve Jobs

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Hugh Jackman Missed His Daughter's First School Play In Favor Of A Wal-Mart Shareholder's Meeting

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Hugh Jackman revealed that he missed his daughter's first play to appear at Wal-Mart's annual shareholder's meeting for free. 

In a cringe-worthy moment highlighted by MSNBC's "All In with Chris Hayes," Jackman told the audience about the conflict: 

"My daughter, Eva, is in her very first school play, which have we got any parents here? All right. Trust me. I'm thrilled to be here, but my daughter is not so thrilled that I'm here. She's like, Dad, can you — I'm a bit nervous. Can you help me learn the lines? And you're going to be there, right, Dad? I'm like, not really," Jackman told the audience. 

He then asked them to watch a video clip his wife sent of his daughter performing. 

Celebrities including Jackman, Cruise, and Hudson appeared at the event in exchange for promotion of their most recent projects. 

As America's largest retailer, Wal-Mart is a huge seller of CDs and DVDs. 

Hayes suggested that Wal-Mart could use its power for a more noble cause. 

"The reason he's there is because Wal-Mart is so powerful, it has relationships with all the studios, they're not paid for this," Hayes said. "They give them a wish list that, to me, the power to get Hugh Jackman and Tom cruise is the power of this enterprise that if it wanted to could do a lot of other things like make sure Bangladeshi factory building codes work." 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

SEE ALSO: 16 Small Businesses On The Verge Of A Breakthrough >

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M. Night Shymalan Reveals He Ghost Wrote 'She's All That'

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"After Earth" director M. Night Shymalan reveals in an interview with Movies.com that he ghost-wrote the hit '90s teen film "She's All That." 

Yes, the Freddie Prinze Jr. film that replays on cable all the time featuring the actor as a high school jock making over nerdy recluse Rachel Leigh Cook as part of a bet. 

The film made $103 million worldwide at the box office. Not bad for a film with a production budget of $10 million back in 1999. 

That's not all.  

While discussing the typical surprise endings that come with a Shyamalan film, the director pointed out another project that was a deviation from the material he does now. 

Any guesses? 

"Stuart Little." 

"You're saying the audience's relationship started with me with 'The Sixth Sense,'" said Shyamalan. "That same year I wrote 'Stuart Little.'" 

A look at the writer of "She's All That" leads to R. Lee Fleming Jr. whose IMDB listing shows he has written and produced a number of TV shows from "Friends" to "One Tree Hill" and currently "The Lying Game." 

This has led people to wonder whether Shyamalan is also writer Fleming Jr.  

The reasoning? 

For starters, it's an odd coincidence the two are the same age, and were both born August 1970. 

Maybe it's coincidence. Maybe not.

Rewind to 1999 with two clips from the film.

Here's Prinze Jr. making the bet to makeover a student with a young Paul Walker.

Here's the big reveal of Cook's makeover:

SEE ALSO: 10 awesome moments in the new 'Hobbit' sequel trailer

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Drink A Real Duff Beer At The New Simpsons Theme Park In Orlando [PHOTOS]

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The Simpsons

Universal Orlando Resort is featuring a new attraction this summer: Springfield, hometown of America's favorite animated family.

That's right. Homer, Marge, and the kids are moving to Orlando.

Parts of the attraction  a new section of the expansive theme park  are still under construction, but areas like Fast Food Boulevard are already open. Visitors will be able to eat a Krusty Burger and even sip on Duff Beer, brewed especially for the park.

Springfield will mimic the same immersive experience that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter brought fans.

Thanks to Ricky Brigante of Insidethemagic.net for sharing these photos of the park with us. You can read his preview here.

The park-in-a-park is an expansion of the Simpson's franchise at Universal.



The pre-existing Simpsons Ride, a virtual roller coaster, anchors the area. A new ride called Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ’n’ Hurl will take fans on an "intergalactic spin."

Photo credit: Ricky Brigante / InsideTheMagic.net



Springfield's brightly colored storefronts mirror the animated originals from the TV show.

Photo credit: Ricky Brigante / InsideTheMagic.net



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    



Naomi Watts Looks Identical To Princess Diana In First Trailer For Biopic

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Naomi Watts emerges as Oscar bait in the first trailer for "Diana."

The biopic centers on the last two years of Princess Di's life, highlighting her campaign against land mines and romance with Dr. Hasnat Khan, played by "LOST" actor Naveen Andrews.

The zero-dialogue teaser spotlights the late princess's compassion abroad, juxtaposed against shots of ravenous paparazzi.

"Diana" opens September 20 in the U.K., with a U.S. release yet to be announced.

Watch the trailer below.

SEE ALSO: M. Night Shymalan Reveals He Ghost Wrote 'She's All That'

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Keanu Reeves Returns To The Big Screen In An Ultra-Violent Movie About Tai Chi

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Keanu Reeves, who knows kung fu, is making his return to the big screen by directing and starring in a pretty righteous-looking martial arts movie about tai chi.

It's called "Man of Tai Chi," and the trailer is blindingly cool for those of us predisposed to unapologetic action movies.

According to the synopsis from IMDB, the movie is about what happens when "a young martial artist's skill places him in position to experience opportunities and sacrifices." Translation: it's a supercharged cinema explosion to watch and squeal through.

Stop everything and watch the trailer below.

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Epic Feud: WME Takes Out 'CAAN'T' Attack Ads Against Rival Talent Agency CAA

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Ari Emanuel Justin TimberlakeHollywood talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) is playing dirty by placing a series of posters reading "CAAN’T" all around Hollywood on Tuesday in an effort to slam rival agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

The red and white posters are a parody of the CAA logo and "CAAAN'T" is a reference to a recent New York Post blind item asking which Oscar-nominated director was so frusturated with his agency during a meeting that he started yelling “They should be called Caan’t! Caan’t, Caan’t, Caanttttttt!”

It has been reported that "Silver Linings Playbook" director David O.Russell said the now famous quote, which he has denied.

CAANT Posters The WrapIn an effort to bash their competition, WME  placed the ads in select locations near both agencies.

"The posters have been spotted along sidewalks from Hollywood to Santa Monica, as well as in 78 display cases at the Westfield Century City mall, which is near several talent agencies, including CAA," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Those signs are right around the corner from CAA, and they aren’t cheap," a Hollywood insider told Page Six. "For a month, they must cost around $100,000. Whoever did this has to be somebody with serious balls and serious coin.”

Sources tell THR that the attack ads were "authorized by WME co-CEOs Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell, and is intended as a joke."

A WME insider confirmed to Deadline's Nikki Finke: “We thought it was funny. So we put it up. Someone did a logo here and arranged for the ads to go up around town, not just in Century City Mall but in other strategic places. We also arranged for someone to wear a “CAAN’T” T-shirt on this morning’s Today Show. Everyone takes themselves too seriously.  Have some humor.”

But it's no laughing matter for CAA, who have demanded that the signage be taken down.

THR further explains the tension between the two rival agencies:

"The potshot comes at time when WME has seriously stepped up its competitiveness against CAA. The two agencies are currently fighting in court over commissions from Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Risesafter Nolan followed his agent Dan Aloni from CAA to WME last March. Last week, Great Gatsbyactress Carey Mulligan left CAA for WME as well, and Steven Spielberg recently took his TV business from CAA to WME."

"I knew it had to be Ari," one producer told THR. "This exactly falls into his sense of humor. Who else has any fun in this business? The intent is clear — just to piss them off. Which I'm sure it's succeeded in doing."

WME also reportedly created a website, caant.comwhich sources say it acquired after hearing about the director's outburst.

The site now simply displays a homepage featuring a clipping of the NY Post gossip item that inspired the poster prank.

CAAnt CAA ny post website

Neither WME or CAA is commenting on the matter.

SEE ALSO: The 20 most repulsive quotes from Kanye West's New York Times interview >

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Andy Samberg Enlists P. Diddy And Paul Rudd For A Hilarious New Music Video

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Yesterday, the guys behind comedy troupe The Lonely Island Group debuted their new music video for "Go Kindergarten."

The video features big stars like Sean Combs aka P. Diddy, actor Paul Rudd, and singer Robyn. The video is a hilarious critique of today's music standards and videos.  

Check it out:

The Lonely Island Group is a comedy troupe fronted by former SNL funny guy Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone. You may have seen their videos, "I'm on a Boat", "Yolo", and "D--- in a Box" on SNL.

SEE ALSO:  Here's What To Expect From Lonely Island's New 'Wack Album'

SEE ALSO: New York City's Big Music Festival Was Totally Epic [PHOTOS]

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Kanye West Has Never Started A Trend In His Life

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Kanye West

No need for the preamble here, we all know what this is about — Kanye West's super candid, super cocky interview with the New York Times.

Kanye's quotes from the story have, as likely was intended, both delighted and enraged fan and foe across the country. Kudos Kanye, you got what you wanted, but  just one tiny quibble on this end.

These quotes right here:

"Yeah, respect my trendsetting abilities. Once that happens, everyone wins. The world wins; fresh kids win; creatives win; the company wins...

“I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture. Period. By a long jump. I honestly feel that because Steve has passed, you know, it’s like when Biggie passed and Jay-Z was allowed to become Jay-Z.”

Let's not even touch the Steve Jobs concept. It seems unseemly to pull him into this. The problem here is that Kanye West has never set the standard for downtown fashion, culture, or the kids that truly own it in his life.

In fact, it's arguable that he's never set a trend in his life.

kanye west graduation coverWhat's actually happening here is that Kanye West is following downtown culture, and the kids are respectfully letting him have his say. To break this down, let's take it back to 2007, when Kanye released his 3rd album, Graduation.

That was the year Kanye started wearing neon and putting on skinny jeans. That's really when a lot of people — uptown, downtown, black and white did. The cover of his album reflected the palate of the moment — bright colors designed by the work of Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.

It was 2007 and 2008 when electronic music really started showing up in pop music, and a lot of things changed.

But Kanye didn't lead that movement, he followed it behind the same downtown kids that embody the style he claims to innovate. Perhaps he was one of the first rappers to do this, but it definitely didn't come from him.

Before Graduation hit the airwaves, indie band and true innovators LCD Soundsystem released their 2nd album, Sound of Silver. It had the sentiment, and its listeners had the skinny jeans. Even more to this point, French techno DJs Justice released their underground hit gone above, D.A.N.C.E in 2007, and it's neon technicolor dream of a video was a smash.

Justice D.A..N.C.EKanye copped that. And that's fine, it was great stuff. As for the Murakami inspired cover, the Japanese artist had been showing a major exhibit at L.A.'s Getty Museum in 2007, which was later taken to Brooklyn with great success in 2008.  The kids loved it, and so did Kanye.

So there's that.

A few other trends Kanye can claim to have started — shutter sunglasses. Thanks for that, Kanye. Everyone fist pumping at Avicii concerts thanks you as well.

Perhaps his fashion line?

Lest we not forget, Kanye's first attempt at  Paris Spring Fashion Week in 2011 was largely panned. The NY Times said "yawn," actually, and given their track record at identifying what is cutting edge, that's pretty horrific.

From the NY Times:

At the after-party for his first runway show here on Saturday night, Kanye West, even before the reviews came out, made an obscenity-laced speech in which he complained about people treating his aspiration to be a serious fashion designer as a joke, and said he had taken out loans to hire the best models, designers and location.

“I gave you everything that I had,” he said, one of his few printable remarks.

If that is true, Mr. West faces bigger obstacles in life than credit-card debt. His show was described by those who attended as, at best, a disappointment, and yet the rapper could be found almost everywhere during Paris Fashion Week defending himself.

The following season Fall Fashion Week 2012, Kanye didn't show at all.

His glorious return the season after that was overshadowed by this disturbing news: Rolling Stone reported that Kanye would not allow critics at his fashion show at all. Not exactly the fearless attitude of a trendsetter, and not exactly the embodiment downtown energy that he claims to imbue which is, by nature, never tired, and never scared.

Now, all that said, as a musician Kanye is more than solid. His songs are thoughtful, passionate and refreshing. He makes amazing beats for very talented lyricists (something we wouldn't call him either).

However,  you won't find downtown scenesters with an eye for art  pre-ordering his next album on iTunes, waiting for it with bated breath. They're likely more appreciative of his latest single as a welcome reprieve from the onslaught of Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus tunes while they're waiting in line at their local bodega.

By and large, Kanye has done little more than appropriate the innovations of others into his own work and call it something completely new. 

But it's not.

He is not the master of all that is cool, he just writes good songs that everyone can groove to. This isn't meant to ream him, he's talented — it's just meant to set the record straight.

Thanks for the Workout Plan, though Kanye — and this mixtape from Mick Boogie. That was awesome.

For good measure, here's Justice's D.A.N.C.E video:

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10 Bonnaroo Shows You Definitely Don't Want To Miss

Carey Mulligan Turns Down Hillary Clinton Biopic

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Carey Mulligan

Carey Mulligan has turned down the chance to star as Hillary Clinton in Rodham, a forthcoming biopic of the former first lady, New York senator and secretary of state, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Great Gatsby actress, 28, had emerged as the favourite to play a young Clinton, and was reportedly offered the part after meeting director James Ponsoldt.

However, Mulligan, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2010 for her performance as a schoolgirl coming of age in An Education, was not in a position to commit to the film and producers have begun their search once again.

Other names that have been bandied about for the role of Clinton include Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation), Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) and Reese Witherspoon, who's no stranger to playing public figures having won an Oscar in 2006 for her pitch-perfect portrayal of June Carter in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line.

Scripted by up-and-coming screenwriter Young-il Kim, Rodham will focus on Clinton's formative years as a student and her subsequent rise in the world of politics. A leaked early draft obtained by the Daily Beast apparently features a surprisingly risqué scene, in which Bill and Hillary Clinton try to "devour each other".

However, Kim insisted that the final product would be far less salacious. "I didn't write 50 Shades of Rodham as some news outlets are suggesting," he told The Daily Telegraph . "I am a boring prude with little imagination."

Asked whether the film would include sex scenes, Kim replied: "It's an evolving process so I don't know. She was an attractive 26-year-old with an amazing future. And that's our thematic focus."

The makers of Rodham are allegedly aiming for a 2016 release date to coincide with the next US Presidential campaign, in which Hillary Clinton could be a candidate.

Mulligan, who was born in London, will next be seen in the Coen brothers' Cannes film festival hit Inside Llewyn Davis, which the Telegraph's Robbie Collin awarded five stars.

Follow Telegraph Film on Twitter

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The One Thing Critics Are Getting Wrong About 'Man Of Steel'

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Warning: There are some minor spoilers ahead.

As early reviews for "Man of Steel" are coming out, while most are positive, many critics are calling it the gloomiest version to date.

Specifically, many reviews are using one word to describe the film and its lead Henry Cavill.  

Associated Press:

"Cavill’s performance is less memorable for his introspective brooding than for his six-pack (a fetish for Snyder, the director of ‘‘300")."

Time Out:

"… It forgets to give the new Kal-El (muscle-bound Henry Cavill) a single recognizable emotion, save The Dark Knight’s all-purpose brood—which isn’t going to cut it when our S-clad hero, more than any other, has to inspire a gushing citywide love (so well-captured in the Koch-era original)."

Entertainment Weekly:

"But he's been transformed into the latest in a long line of soul-searching super-brooders, trapped between his devastated birth planet of Krypton and his adopted new home on Earth. He's just another haunted outsider grappling with issues."

Variety:

"Blessed with the most classically chiseled jawline of any actor who’s yet donned the red cape, Cavill is also the most dour and brooding, lacking even the sardonic self-amusement of Christian Bale in Bruce Wayne mode."

This simply isn't the case.  It's not a depressing, dark film at all. 

We were able to see a screening of Warner Bros. reboot Tuesday evening, and we enjoyed it a lot.

Director Zack Snyder's take on Superman isn't perfect — we'll get to that later — but it's definitely entertaining and should hit the projected $100 million number opening weekend.

Rather, it's a coming-of-age story about a man trying to come to grips with being different and it's executed well.

"Man of Steel" delivers a fresh take on the rehashed Superman story about an altruistic, do-gooder who is the ultimate force for good. 

cavill man of steelThis is the story about Clark Kent getting to be that person, and guess what? It's not all rainbows and sunshine.

Being an alien among humans is scary and director Zack Snyder drives this point home showing the world through a young Kent's eyes. 

We know Superman has X-ray vision, super strength, heat vision, and supersonic hearing and that all sounds cool.

In reality, it's not.

According to Snyder, Superman doesn't see skeletons when seeing others. He sees people's muscular systems.

That's terrifying.

The simplest sounds — the opening of a door, getting out of a chair, and placing a coffee pot down are deafening.

Snyder has said in countless interviews his goal with "Man of Steel" was to make a superhero who was relateable. He  explains this in the production notes for the film:

"He's [Clark Kent] wondering, 'What is my purpose?' We all ask that of ourselves, but it's harder for Clark because the things that he's best at are also the things that are most frightening about him to others; knowledge of his existence would cc all into question everything we know about who we are. So he's on his own, trying to find out what his place is in the world, where he belongs, what is his destiny. I think the audience will relate because most of us share those same questions and insecurities when we are starting out in life."

The story line's resonance with real-world issues comes across while listening to the sage wisdom of Superman's dad (Kevin Costner) who forces Clark to hide his powers — and true self — from the people of Earth.

man of steel kevin costner"People are afraid of what they can't understand," Kent preaches to son Clark.

Though we know papa Kent is doing his fatherly duties to protect his adopted son, his controlling presence in Clark's life comes across as if he's slightly embarrassed by the repercussions of people knowing about his son's differences.

In many ways it reminded us of Spider-Man and the whole "with great power comes great responsibility" mantra. 

However, it's this that makes it difficult to watch the film and not think about parallels to bullying and gay-marriage rights as well.

Is Henry Cavill  the cheeriest Man of Steel? At the start of the film, no. 

But when your adopted parents are telling you to hide the special attribute that makes you unique, and subsequently you can't answer back to the bullies who constantly refer to you as a freak — who could blame him? 

Still, Kent's not shuffling around like an angsty, angry superhero with a vendetta.

Before becoming Supes, Kent uses his powers for random acts of kindness — saving strangers and school children in his youth. 

By the end of the nearly two-and-a-half hour film, after he gets the iconic Superman suit and assimilates, Cavill looks closer to the Superman figure we're more familiar with as he tosses some clever asides to generals and Lois Lane (Amy Adams).

A fitting alternate title for the film would be Superman Begins.

Of course, that was already taken.

"Man of Steel" is in theaters Friday with evening showings Thursday.

More Superman:  The incredible 75-year evolution of the Superman logo

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'Wolverine' Tries Out Life As A Mortal In Latest Trailer

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 The latest international trailer for "The Wolverine" is out and we get to see a lot more footage of the film. 

Hugh Jackman will reprise his role as Wolverine Logan trading in his powers for a mortal life.

With villains Viper and the Silver Samurai in his sights, it doesn't look like that will work out in the end.

 "Wolverine" is out in theaters July 25.

One takeaway from the trailer — for some reason it seems like every superhero's favorite hangout spot is in the same hole Bruce Wayne was dumped inside in "the Dark Knight Rises."

Here's Wolverine:

wolverine in a hole

Here's Bruce Wayne:

the dark knight rises

SEE ALSO: "Man of Steel" is out this weekend. Here's what the critics are getting wrong >

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REPORT: British Tabloid Spent $230,000 In Plot To Catch Pop Star In Cocaine Scandal

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Tulisa Contostavlos

Rupert Murdoch's now infamous News of the World (NoTW) may mostly be remembered for phone-hacking a murdered schoolgirl, but the late British tabloid had another memorable trait — an incredible thirst for scoops.

Now it seems that NoTW's successor, The Sun on Sunday, is displaying that same incredible thirst for scoops, The Guardian's Glenn Greenslade writes. Amazingly, The Sun is rumored to have spent as much as £150,000 ($230,000) on an elaborate sting involving private jets and Bollywood stars to catch a b-list pop star in a cocaine plot.

The Sun's big scoop was published on the 4th of June. In it, the paper claimed to have caught 24-year-old pop star Tulisa Contostavlos, a former member of N-Dubz and a judge on the talent show X Factor, arranging a £800 ($1200) cocaine deal.

Tulisa allegedly told an undercover reporter from the newspaper that she could get half an ounce of the drug from a friend. “Whatever you want, he’s got it," she is reported to have said.

It was an extremely damaging article for Tulisa, who has already had the misfortune of having a sex tape leak. Following the Sun report, the singer was arrested on suspicion of supplying drugs, released on bail, and lost her position on X Factor.

But for Murdoch's British tabloid, it was an incredible scoop.

Perhaps it was no surprise that the man behind it was a notorious former NoTW employee, Mazher Mahmood, according to Greenslade. Mahmood, a well-known undercover reporter in the U.K., is best known for his "fake sheikh" persona, whereby he poses as a wealthy sheikh to get sources to drop their guard.

So how did he manage to gain the trust of Tulisa?

A clue lies in a story published by rival newspaper The Sunday People, which details how Tulisa was taken in by a hoax involving a Bollywood film production. According to the People, fake film executives promised Tulisa £8 million ($12.5 million) for playing a British girl who moves from London to India. Tulisa was flown around the world during two months of "negotiations," visiting Los Angeles and Las Vegas, where she met the so-called stars of the film in a five-star hotel's penthouse, the People reported.

While the People did not report that the Sun was behind the plot, the Guardian's Greenslade wrote that he has heard otherwise.

"I understand the People know exactly who was responsible," he wrote in his media column June 12, "and have worked out the possible cost of their rival's exercise as being somewhere close to £150,000 ($230,000)."

Many people balked at Gawker's plan to spend $200,000 on Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's alleged "crack" video, which at least had some kind of public interest angle. 

If this story is true, it's pretty remarkable —  the effort and expense involved to ensnare a 24-year-old pop singer in a cocaine scandal seems completely over the top.

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Where You've Seen 'This Is the End' Bros Together Before

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This Is The End movie james franco

In "This Is the End," we see the likes of Seth RogenJames FrancoJonah Hill, and a slew of other stars gather together to face the apocalypse.

The funny thing is, most of these guys are friends in real life — and have costarred together a lot of times before.

Don't believe us? 

"Freaks and Geeks" (1999-2000): Seth Rogen and James Franco

"This Is the End" may have never happened if not for the short-lived series "Freaks and Geeks." The cult favorite only lasted one season, but it marks the first major roles for Seth Rogen and James Franco. The show is referenced many times throughout the film, and costars Jason Segel and Martin Starr make cameo appearances.



"Undeclared" (2001-2002): Jay Baruchel, Jason Segel, and Seth Rogen

Like "Freaks and Geeks," "Undeclared" is an underrated (and short-lived) TV show that was brought to us by Judd Apatow. It doesn't have the same following as "Freaks and Geeks," but it does feature the same caliber of now-famous stars, like Jay Baruchel, Jason Segel, and Seth Rogen (bonus: Charlie Hunnam also starred!).



"The 40-Year-Old Virgin" (2005): Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Paul Rudd



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'Man Of Steel' Actor: A Batman-Superman Crossover Film Would Be Awesome

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superman batman crossover

We know what the immediate future holds for Henry Cavill and the DC cinematic universe. However, once we go beyond the release of "Man of Steelon June 14th, the future becomes very blurry and uncertain.

For a while now, we’ve all been expecting DC to go the Marvel route and develop their own superhero-ensemble franchise. A Justice League movie has ‘officially’ been in the works for some time, but it seems like progress is slowly turning down a notch. Zack Snyder has already stated that the previously suggested 2015 release date was untenable and now Cavill has arrived to drive further nails into the Justice League movie coffin. During an IGN interview, the star of "Man of Steel" was asked how he’d like to see his character develop: Would be like a "Man of Steel 2," a Justice League movie, or what about a Batman/Superman crossover? He explained:

"Well, if any of these things were to happen  which I don’t know if they are, I don’t know if they’ve even been spoken about  I think, ultimately, a Justice League movie could be fun, but to get to that stage, you have to do other movies in between. You can’t just suddenly have a world full of gods when one god has just arrived. So  how do you get to that stage? I think a ‘Batman/Superman’ movie would be great because it brings that world together. Whether they’re going to let that happen, I don’t know. But a sequel to continue [Man of Steel] would certainly be amazing… and maybe start introducing some other things. Every single one of those… [which comes] next? I don’t know."

Now, Cavill’s constant assertions of “I don’t know” might be a little bit worrying to fans who were really looking forward to a Justice League movie. You would expect the star of one of DC’s biggest upcoming blockbusters to know about the future of the franchise, wouldn’t you? Of course, he could just be remaining mum for contractual reasons, but still, it is a bit disconcerting.

Having said that, I don’t know about you, but I think I would prefer a Batman/Superman crossover movie before a Justice League one. Firstly, it would just be awesome to see the two crime-fighting titans team up, and secondly, Superman and Batman will undoubtedly dominate any superhero ensemble. By giving them their own crossover first, it might give some of the other members of the Justice League at least a chance to standout.

This week’s revelation that Man of Steel will feature a reference to Wayne Enterprises further raises questions of how close DC see’s Superman’s and Batman’s universes. Could they be subtly hinting at a future superhero co-op movie?

The idea has certainly existed before. In the early 2000s, Wolfgang Petersen was down to direct a Batman vs Superman movie starring Jude Law and Josh Hartnett as the respective caped crusaders. You might even remember catching an Easter Egg glimpse at the poster in "I Am Legend." Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), contractual obligations meant Petersen had to abandon the project for "Troy."

What do you think superhero fans? Would you rather see "Man of Steel 2," a Batman/Superman crossover or the Justice League next? Drop your answer in the comment section below.

SEE ALSO: 'Avengers' director 'pissed off' about lack of female superheroes >

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