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This new drug war movie starring Benicio Del Toro looks intense

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Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio Del Toro star in this drug war thriller set on the border between Mexico and the United States. It looks like a wild ride.

"Sicario" comes out on September 18, 2015.

Produced By Matt Johnston. Video courtesy of Lionsgate.
 
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The 'Jurassic Park' theme song from 1993 hits No. 1 on Billboard charts

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Twenty-two years after the release of "Jurassic Park," the memorable theme song from the 1993 film has found its way to the top of a Billboard chart.

On the strength of the recent box-office domination by the film's sequel, "Jurassic World," John Williams' "Jurassic Park Theme" has jumped to No. 1 on Billboard's Classic Digital Songs list — a "205 percent gain" after selling 3,000 copies last week, according to Nielsen Music.

john williams composerWith 2,000 digital copies sold, the No. 2 song on the list is a cover of the same "Jurassic Park Theme" by The Piano Guys. The group also recently released a cover of the "Jurassic World Theme," accompanied by a music video with surprisingly impressive production values

On this week's Billboard 200, Michael Giacchino's original soundtrack for "Jurassic World" is sitting rather dormant at No. 126.

By comparison, Williams' original soundtrack for "Jurassic Park" debuted at No. 28 on the same chart back in 1993 and has sold 863,000 copies to date.

Watch Williams conduct a live rendition of "Jurassic Park Theme" below:

SEE ALSO: Marvel sent an awesome congratulations to 'Jurassic World' for breaking the Avengers' box-office record

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There's a 'Finding Nemo' Easter Egg in 'Inside Out'

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Disney and Pixar's latest film "Inside Out," is out this weekend.

If you're a big Pixar fan, you know the studio has a knack for hiding fun hidden messages and images in its films, some of which give nods to previous and future films. 

Supposedly, the Pizza delivery truck from "Toy Story" makes an appearance in every single Pixar film. Occasionally, you'll spot the Luxo ball or lamp

It's always a fan favorite to scour Pixar movies for these hidden gems. 

While we're sure "Inside Out" is filled with Easter eggs, they're definitely not the easiest to spot. 

Warning: There are some minor spoilers below.

While seeing the film earlier this week, though we couldn't spot the pizza truck (we'd be surprised if it isn't there!), there is one Easter Egg fans are bound to notice. 

Around midway through the film, when Joy (Amy Poehler) is heading through a part of Riley's mind called Imaginationland, atop a stack of items is a blue board game labelled with a familiar clownfish. The words on the box read "Find Me." It's a clever nod to Pixar's 2005 hit "Finding Nemo," in which the small clownfish of the same name gets snatched up by humans, prompting a search that leads down the EAC (East Australian Current). 

Pixar is releasing a sequel to the film, "Finding Dory," next summer.

finding nemoBelow the "Find Me!" game, is one called "Dinosaur World," which is almost certainly a reference to Pixar's November release, "The Good Dinosaur."

Unfortunately, there's no image available from Disney/Pixar at the moment of the scene. 

But it is showed prominently in the background more than once on screen.

This site The Disney Blog appears to have a low-res image you can view here.

"Inside Out" is in theaters Friday, June 19.

Happy hunting!

SEE ALSO: "Inside Out" is Pixar's most stunning film since "Finding Nemo"

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NOW WATCH: Marvel's new 'Ant-Man' trailer looks even better than 'Guardians of the Galaxy'








The untold story of how James Gandolfini broke down after having an unusual conversation with a wounded soldier

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Sheila Nevins James GandolfiniHBO Documentary Films president Sheila Nevins makes a living telling compelling stories. When Business Insider recently interviewed Nevins at her office in Manhattan, we got to hear a few good tales from her illustrious career, including a never-been-told story about the late James Gandolfini.

Nevins once accompanied Gandolfini as he visited injured military staying at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. At the time, “The Sopranos” actor had recently starred in and produced the HBO documentary about soldiers returning home from war, “Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq.

Alive Day Memories“His heart was in the suffering of guys coming home,” Nevins said of Gandolfini. “I don't know why, I never got a chance to ask him why because we were too busy doing shows, but he truly cared about these guys.”

Nevins and Gandolfini were prepping another PTSD-related project at the time when they visited Walter Reed. Inevitably, the project would get scrapped due to the 2007 scandal at the medical center regarding the neglect of patients by the staff, which occurred soon after their visit.

However, the experience would be one Nevins would never forget.

Here’s her recollection of Gandolfini visiting patients on the traumatic brain injury ward:

“Jim came down to Washington and we went on a tour of the floor. We went in and out of rooms. He was a real celebrity, he signed stuff, he was a very good sport about it. And then we went into a room where there was a guy who had half a head and his mother was reading the Bible and sitting there and she said, ‘Oh, my son loves you, he thinks you're the best, he just loves everything you do.’ She said, ‘Talk to him, tell him to get better.’ It was clear this kid was not going to get better. He wasn't there. And Jim talked and said ‘You get better, your mother is really reading to you and loves you and you're a great hero,’ and she said, ‘No, not that way, really talk like you are.’ Meaning Tony Soprano. So he said, ‘Listen you mother f-----g piece of s--t, you get your f-----g act together. You don't let your mother suffer after all she gave you, you piece of s--t.’ And the mother said, ‘Oh thank you, thank you.’

The Sopranos

“And Jim signs the Bible, or whatever she was reading, and he walks out of the room and just bursts into tears.” 

James Gandolfini cryingThough the Walter Reed project never came together, Nevins said she and Gandolfini were working on a documentary focused on prisoners with learning disabilities when he suddenly died of a heart attack in June of 2013.

But Nevins will never forget Gandolfini’s appreciation for those who serve our country.

“His heart was in these wounded guys," Nevins said. "I don't know why, but he felt like one of them.”

SEE ALSO: MEET SHEILA NEVINS: The woman who has greenlighted all HBO documentaries for the past 30 years

MORE: Here's the moment HBO knew its Scientology doc 'Going Clear' would be a huge hit

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NOW WATCH: 6 words to eliminate from your vocabulary to sound smarter








A clothing brand that is usually the butt of jokes just got a massive endorsement for free

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lena dunham book signing

Loft — Ann Taylor's casual and inexpensive sister brand — is known for its conservative clothing.

But one major celebrity has recently expressed that she's a fan of the company's attire.

Lena Dunham, executive producer and star of HBO hit show 'Girls,' posted a photo of herself on Instagram donning a Loft outfit she says she wore for three days in a row.

"Been in the same outfit for going on 3 days — Ann Taylor Loft shirt & shorts from a very unexpectedly fruitful trip through their doors (must I stop making Ann Taylor jokes?)," she writes. 

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"This is not an ad for Ann Taylor Loft," she adds. 

But even though Dunham's post wasn't officially an ad for the women's chain, it certainly could help the brand.

"We loved it," said Michelle Horowitz, senior vice president of marketing at Loft, to AdWeek. "Often, we are at the butt of some comedian's jokes, and Lena has often teased us. We appreciate humor and see the levity in that and don't take it too seriously. We didn't ask her to do this. We knew nothing about it."

Loft has been trying to attract younger customers.

The retailer is traditionally seen as an uncool brand meant for older women.

In 2012, Ann Inc. President Kay Krill told Bloomberg she wants people to think of "fun, engaging, girlfriends, happiness," when they think of the brand. 

Recently, it was announced that mega-company Ascena would be purchasing Ann Taylor's brands.

SEE ALSO: The top 15 apparel brands for millennials

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NOW WATCH: Victoria's Secret just revealed the 10 new 'angels'








Here's how Pharrell used his power to get incredible music in indie hit 'Dope'

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It was at the Mercer Hotel in New York City in 2013 when Pharrell Williams and creative director/VP of his company i am OTHER, Mimi Valdes, first met filmmaker Rick Famuyiwa to talk about potentially teaming up on a project.

Famuyiwa did not have a script, but just a look book and wild ideas of melding geek culture with the violent area of South Los Angeles known to those who lived there as “The Bottoms.”

Williams and Valdes immediately said yes and agreed to come on as producers. The film that would become titled “Dope” was one step closer to being realized.

But with a music producer like Williams now on board (whose worked with everyone from Britney Spears to Jay-Z), Famuyiwa also felt another hurdle could be cleared: getting classic ’90s hip-hop songs featured in the film.

What Famuyiwa didn’t realize was he would get more than that from Pharrell.

Pharrell and Mimi final“Dope” looks at the life of Malcolm (Shameik Moore), and his two friends Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons) as they navigate their geek existence through the violent streets of the Inglewood section of Los Angeles.

But what makes it stand out is the music featured that ranges from memorable songs from legends like Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, and Public Enemy to original songs written and arranged by Pharrell that exemplify the outsider quality of the main characters.

“Rick wanted something similar to N.E.R.D.,” said Valdes, referring to Pharrell’s band know for its unique sound of electronic and funk. “But lyrics that really reflect what these characters are going through.”

Pharrell volunteered his services and came up with four songs that Malcolm, Jib, and Diggy's band, Awreeoh (pronounced “Oreo”), perform in the movie.

According to Valdes, no one knew if the three actors had singing abilities until a mic was put in front of them.

“They were cast first and foremost for their acting ability and we all hoped and prayed that they could deliver on these songs,” said Valdes. “I remember once the kids got cast Rick and I did Google searches to see if they could sing. So we got lucky. We recorded the four songs in the studio in two days [before production began] and it was amazing.” 

But when it came to getting clearance to use '90s tracks Famuyiwa wanted in the film, sometimes even Pharrell's fame and Valdes pull (former editor-in-chief at Vibe) wasn’t enough.

“Rick had specifically put in the script songs that he wanted featured,” said Valdes. “But we couldn’t get some just because a lot of ‘90s songs have a lot of samples that weren’t cleared the first time [the songs were released] so we couldn't find some of the writers of those songs.”

Dope1 finalValdes recalls Ice Cube’s “Jackin’ for Beats” as one of the songs Famuyiwa really wanted but was a casualty to rights issues.

But at the end of the day, classic songs that make you nostalgic of a time that Valdes calls “the golden age of hip-hop” are prominently featured in the film. Including Valdes’ personal favorite, which plays during the end credits.

"It was my idea to put “Humpty Dance” in there,” said Valdes of the classic anthem from Digital Underground. “It's a nice little touch at the end of the film. The screenings I’ve been to it feels like a party at the end. There's a happy vibe when that song plays.”

SEE ALSO: These 2 indie movies are going to give the summer blockbusters a run for their money

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NOW WATCH: This new drug war movie starring Benicio Del Toro looks intense








If you loved 'Entourage,' HBO's 'Ballers' may be your new favorite show

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Warning: Spoilers Ahead

For those who miss the champagne popping, hot girl gawking, throw money at the most ridiculous luxury items imaginable antics of the “Entourage” gang, then get ready for “Ballers.

Premiering on HBO this Sunday, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars as Spencer Strassmore, a retired NFL star who has transitioned into a second career as a financial advisor for current players.

The authenticity is striking from the get go. Strassmore wakes up having visions of his glory days on the field and immediately grabs painkillers that he pops like tic tacs.

Judging by the first episode, it's likely we'll see more situations in which Strassmore must deal with ailments from his playing days.

ballers10The show portrays how fleeting a pro football career can be. Though Strassmore is one of the few to find a good job that keeps him close to the game after hanging up his cleats, we also see the other side of the spectrum from his friend Charles Greane (Omar Benson Miller), who, now retired, has to find work selling cars to make ends meet.

Along with giving the viewer the harsh realities of life after the game, we see through Strassmore the current stars who are making the mistakes he did when he first became a pro.

This is where Strassmore steps in.

Through the prodding of his boss Joe (Rob Corddry, who is perfect in the role), Strassmore uses his friendships to build his client base.

ballers03He has Ricky Jerret (John David Washington), a brash receiver who gets cut from the Green Bay Packers after getting into a fight at a night club. And Vernon (Donovan W. Carter), a game changer at the defensive line who has brought the whole projects out with him to Miami since signing his big contract from the Dallas Cowboys. Strassmore sees Vernon is in need, but getting Vernon to split from his family and friends (who are bleeding him dry) is going to be a challenge.

Like “Entourage,” the show is done in a comedic style playing on the sport’s absurdities. In one scene during the first episode, real NFL star running-back Steven Jackson boasts to have recently bought an elephant.

And it shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering “Entourage” creators Mark Wahlberg, Rob Weiss, and Stephen Levinson are executive producers on “Ballers.”

But the glue that holds the show together is definitely The Rock. In his first attempt at television, Johnson (also an executive producer) has incredible presence playing someone who still hungers to be in the football culture, but has to in some ways “use his friends” to stay in it.

To do that, he plays a much more gentle, soft spoken character in tailored suits. A far cry from the roles he’s done to make him one of today's most bankable action stars. And though it's not likely he’ll be giving anyone body slams on this show, don’t be shocked if he has to get a little physical to get his point across.

SEE ALSO: Here's why The Rock's new HBO show "Ballers" can legally use NFL logos without the league's consent

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NOW WATCH: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson: At 23, I Had Only $7 In My Pocket — Then I Turned My Life Around








ROYAL & LOOKING: The world's 14 most eligible royals

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Prince Philippos of Greece

Royal bachelors and bachelorettes are flying off the market. 

Since we last rounded up the world's most eligible royals, in 2012, seven have either married or become engaged. Most recently, Sweden's Prince Carl Philip created a media frenzy when he wed a former waitress and reality TV star

But as one royal puts a ring on it, another enters the international dating game. 

Here are the world's 14 most eligible royals, hailing from Great Britain all the way to Thailand.

Aly Weisman contributed to an earlier version of this post.

Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand

The 28-year old princess is the daughter of the Crown Prince Maha Vajralongkorn.

She was educated at Chalalongkorn University where she received a degree in Fine Arts.

In 2007, she was invited to show her collection at Paris Fashion Week, entitled "Presence of the Past." The following year she debuted another collection, gaining a royal presence within the fashion world. Recently, she decided to rename Tachai Island, part of the Similan Islands in the Andaman Sea, "Sirivannavari," after herself. 

 



Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales

Prince Harry is 30 years old and fifth in line for the throne.

The second son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, he made headlines for a few scandalous adventures during his teenage years but has since calmed down.

Harry is an officer in the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned in a regiment of the Household Cavalry in the British Army. The younger brother of Prince William has publicly dated Chelsy Davy, who was his date to his brother's wedding. Lately he's been spotted with "Doctor Who" star Jenna Coleman. 



Princess Beatrice Elizabeth Mary of York

Princess Beatrice is 26 years old and seventh in line for the throne.

She is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew of York and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. She graduated from the University of London with a degree in history. In early 2015, she left her job as a coordinating producer at Sony's London office. The departure came shortly after her salary (allegedly £19,500) was revealed by hackers. 

Often called "the party princess," she is the only member of the Royal Family to have completed the London Marathon.

 



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What really happened to Jon Snow in 'Game of Thrones'?

It doesn't matter that Taylor Swift and other famous musicians won't be part of Apple's new music service (AAPL)

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Taylor Swift gave Apple's new music streaming service the cold shoulder this week.

And it's not just Taylor. A lot of big-name artists like Metallica, Def Leppard, The Beatles, Jay Z, and Beyoncé all have odd relationships with the various music-streaming services out there. They're the superstars of the music world, and they have the clout to circumvent the labels' negotiations with streaming services and do pretty much whatever they want.

But at the end of the day, a handful of superstars revolting against Apple and Spotify won't destroy the music-streaming business. It's the only segment in the industry showing any real growth, and Apple Music has the potential to provide a massive boost.

Ideally, you'd be able to get any song or album you want for that $10 per month you pay for Apple Music or Spotify. But there are far too many wonky contracts, egos, and other moving parts keeping that from ever becoming a reality.

Taylor Swift and some other indie artists appear to be upset because Apple Music gives you a free three-month trial for unlimited music streaming. The artists don't want to participate because they won't be getting paid while new Apple Music users are gobbling up all their music for free.

Of course, Apple has plenty of cash to compensate artists for the three-month free trial period for Apple Music. But that's not a wise investment. Taylor Swift has a lot of fans, but just because her most recent album isn't going to be on Apple Music doesn't mean the service will flop. When she did the same thing to Spotify about a year ago, Spotify's paid user base continued to grow. People didn't suddenly ditch the service because they couldn't listen to Taylor Swift.

Taylor's most rabid fans have probably already purchased the album through iTunes or — yikes! — at a record store. And if they did that, "1989" will be available within the new Apple Music app when it launches at the end of the month.

drake apple jacketAnd that highlights a big potential advantage for Apple Music over Spotify and the rest. Apple Music syncs with iTunes, the largest digital music store on the planet. If for some reason you can't find the song you want in Apple's 30-million-track streaming library, you'll still be able to buy it through iTunes and listen to it in the same app.

Music streaming isn't a perfect alternative to buying individual songs the old-fashioned way. It's a wonderful supplement, but you're still essentially renting the music you listen to. Apple Music can bring the best of both worlds together.

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NOW WATCH: The 6 best new features coming to Apple computers








A powerful new documentary takes us deep inside the life of brave Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai

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Malala Yousafzai's story is one of the more amazing of our time. This 17-year-old Pakistani girl won the Nobel Peace Prize for her relentless efforts to advocate for equal education rights. An effort that led to the Taliban to hunt her down and nearly take her life. Malala's story is incredible.

Here is the trailer for "He Named Me Malala" which comes out October 2, 2015.

Produced By Matt Johnston. Video courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.
 
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This upcoming Christmas movie features an epic face-off between Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg

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"Daddy's Home" pits Mark Wahlberg against Will Ferrell in a family comedy about a dad (Wahlberg) coming back home and making a step father's (Ferrell) life very challenging. It looks like a lot of fun.

"Daddy's Home" comes out on Christmas day 2015.

Produced By Matt Johnston. Video courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
 
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Here's how Chris Pratt got in such great shape for 'Jurassic World'

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"Jurassic World" smashed box-office records this weekend, in part thanks to the universal appeal of its star, Chris Pratt.

chris pratt jurassic worldBut Pratt, who worked with a trainer six days a week to prepare for the role, didn't always have muscles bulging through his shirts.

chris pratt jurassic worldDespite Pratt's superfit physique in "Jurassic World," the 35-year-old actor's latest look is actually less intense than last summer.

Before shooting the long-awaited "Jurassic Park" sequel, Pratt initially got in insane shape to star in August's "Guardians of the Galaxy."

chris pratt guardians of the galaxy lighterIn order to prepare for the action-packed role, the actor lost 60 pounds in just six months.

Last July, Pratt posted a photo to his Instagram account showing off his dramatic weight loss and newfound six-pack.

How did he do it? "Six months no beer. #GOTG Kinda douchey to post this but my brother made me," Pratt wrote alongside the below photo.

Chris Pratt ripped

In reality, the process of losing pounds was a bit tougher.

"Three or four hours a day of just consistent, ass-kicking hard work," he told Men's Fitness.

Pratt's workouts included P90X , running, swimming, boxing, and kickboxing, and he even completed a triathlon.

With the help of a personal trainer and nutritionist, the actor increased his caloric intake to 4,000 calories a day and drank tons of water. "I was peeing all day long, every day," Pratt told the magazine. "That part was a nightmare."

But the actor was happy to learn he could still eat on the intense weight-loss program.

"I actually lost weight by eating more food, but eating the right food, eating healthy foods, and so when I was done with the movie my body hadn't been in starvation mode," Pratt told People magazine. "It wasn't like I was triggered to just gorge myself and get really fat again."

Now, he says: "It's something that I think I can maintain because I don't spend four hours in the gym each day. I do maybe one hour in the gym maybe four days a week, and that's it."

Pratt joked to Vulture of his weight loss and gain for roles: "I just like to gain weight and lose weight. It's a roller-coaster. I just want to do this. I want to touch God."

Before beefing up, Pratt was best known for playing the bumbling Andy on NBC's "Parks and Recreation."

chris pratt parks and rec

Pratt says he packed on 60 pounds for his role as a lawyer in 2013's "Delivery Man," in which he costarred alongside Vince Vaughn.

"The first 20 pounds was sympathy weight because my wife was pregnant," Pratt told SheKnows. "I was gaining weight as she was gaining weight ... The other 35 pounds I did just by declaring that I was going to do it. And then my rule of thumb became: 'If it's there, eat it.' And then I would order two entrees at every meal. I would always have dessert, and I would drink the darkest beer on the menu."

Chris Pratt Vince Vaughn Delivery ManBut before that, in 2012, he got into tip-top shape for the Oscar-winning film "Zero Dark Thirty."

To play a Navy SEAL, Pratt told People he "was doing 500 push-ups a day, working out at the gym, running five miles a day, but with no food, and I tore my body apart ... I felt terrible afterwards, had to get shoulder surgery, and I wore myself down doing that because I didn't have the proper coaching."

At the film's premiere months later, Pratt told E! Online: "I was about 50 pounds or 40 pounds lighter than I am now. I worked out really hard and I cut out everything bad for me for a long time and I just focused on trying to become a believable Navy SEAL."

The actor shared the below photo of his physique while filming during an appearance on "Conan."

Chris Pratt Zero Dark ThirtyIn 2011, Pratt played real-life Oakland A's baseball player Scott Hatteberg — opposite Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Philip Seymour Hoffman — in "Moneyball."

Chris Pratt "MoneyBall"Before that, Pratt appeared as Anne Hathaway's ill-fated fiancé in the 2009 comedy "Bride Wars."

Chris Pratt That same year, he married his real-life love, actress Anna Faris.

Chris Pratt Anna Faris

The comedic couple, who welcomed their first child in 2012, showed off their svelte physiques promoting "Guardians of the Galaxy" last July.

Chris Pratt Anna FarisThis June, the couple have again been busy promoting Pratt's latest summer blockbuster, "Jurassic World."

Chris Pratt Anna Faris

Despite Pratt's A-list looks these days, let's not forget that a lighter-haired Pratt starred as Bright Abbott on the WB's "Everwood" way back in 2002.

Chris Pratt Everwood

SEE ALSO: 'Jurassic World' is the first movie ever to crack $500 million in its opening weekend

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NOW WATCH: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The original 1993 'Jurassic Park' cast today








These 2 indie movies are going to give the summer blockbusters a run for their money

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You’ve seen “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” and “Jurassic World.” Though you concede they are all thrilling and visually stunning, you’re still searching for movies this summer with a little bit more … story.

Thankfully there are two movies in theaters that can help feed that need.

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” and Rick Famuyiwa’s Dope” on the surface look like two very different movies, from where they're set to dialogue and characters. But they have a lot in common.

me and earl and the dying girl1Both films played at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and walked away with awards (for “Me and Earl” the prestigious Audience Award and Grand Jury prizes, and for “Dope” best editing), they both look at modern-day high-school life, and they have both been thrust in the middle of the summer blockbuster season (“Me and Earl” is in theaters; “Dope” opens Friday).

Distributors Fox Searchlight (“Me and Earl”) and Open Road Films (“Dope”) are using the classic counter-programming maneuver in the hopes that audiences who aren’t into Hollywood blockbusters, or by mid-June are ready for something new, will give these indie darlings a try.

This was a play Searchlight had success with when releasing the cult comedy “Napoleon Dynamite” in mid-June 2004.

Building off the success of the film-festival circuit without a star or name director, the film had an impressive opening weekend take of $117,000 and went on to have a total domestic gross of over $44 million (the film’s budget was around $400,000).

napoleon dynamiteIn its opening weekend “Me and Earl” took in similar numbers with over $196,000.

For this weekend, “Dope” is also getting creative in their purchase options, allowing tickets to be purchased via Bitcoin, making it the first time digital currency has ever been allowed for ticket sales.

But strategic placement and gimmicks aside, the movies are strong enough to grab the attention of even the most dedicated Hollywood blockbuster moviegoer.

In “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” we follow the senior year of outsider Greg (Thomas Mann). With a daily existence that includes staying friendly with all the different cliques at his Pittsburgh high school (but not committed to any) and making ultra-low-budget knocks-offs of classic films with his buddy Earl (RJ Cyler), Greg’s priorities change when he befriends Rachel (Olivia Cooke), a classmate who has recently been diagnosed with cancer.

me and earl and the dying girl2The story has a been-there-done-that feel, but the style is a fresh one to the high-school dramedy genre with its creative use of stop-motion animation and high IQ in movie geekdom.

“Dope” is set in the Inglewood neighborhood (known to those who live there as “The Bottoms”) of Los Angeles and follows another geek, Malcolm (Shameik Moore), and his two friends Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons).

Unlike Greg and Earl, who have zero aspirations, Malcolm and his crew have high hopes for the future. Keeping away from the gang culture of South Los Angeles and completely obsessed with ’90s hip-hop, their main goal is to leave the 'hood and get into college, especially Malcolm, who has aspirations to attend Harvard.

Dope1 finalBut things get complicated when Malcolm goes to the party of the neighborhood drug dealer and unknowingly leaves with drugs. Malcolm and friends then embark on an adventure through LA to get rid of the goods. 

If you listened to hip-hop in the ’90s, you will likely love “Dope.”

It’s filled with nostalgic tracks from A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Public Enemy, Digital Underground, and Naughty By Nature, curated by executive producer Pharrell Williams. They are perfectly placed and elevate the enjoyment of the story that’s part “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” part “Friday.”

What both films exemplify is that movies with strong stories (and without massive explosions) can survive in the summer months. Whether the hook is geek culture, or a killer soundtrack, once you’re watching, it’s the excellent crafting of these characters by Gomez-Rejon and Famuyiwa that keep you engrossed for the next few hours.

This weekend, take a break from the CGI-fueled blockbusters and check out one of these films instead.

And if you need more convincing, here are the trailers for both films.

SEE ALSO: Here's how Chris Pratt got in such great shape for "Jurassic World"

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Watch a young Brian Williams warn the world about virtual reality back in 1996

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old virtual reality headsets

Virtual reality may be considered somewhat mainstream now thanks to Facebook's Oculus Rift and Sony's Project Morpheus headsets, but that wasn't always the case.

This was humorously highlighted in an old NBC feature on virtual reality from back in 1996, where a young Brian Williams warned the public about the potential dangers of VR headsets.

"In focus this evening, those so-called virtual reality games," a somber Williams said. "When they were first unveiled, the science of it all was staggering, but now there’s some evidence that’s have a staggering effect  literally  on some who use it when they try to return to the real world."

The news report then goes on to examine how early virtual reality headsets at the time often made people feel dizzy and nauseous after extended periods of wearing the device, an issue we now know was caused by technology limitations. That's because modern virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift have been able to solve the dizziness and simulator sickness problem by increasing the refresh rate of the screens residing inside the headset, while also limiting motion blur and latency  factors that can all combine to make a user feel sick if not accounted for.

"Kay Stanney, a researcher at the University of Central Florida is studying the real world consequences of virtual reality for NASA," the 1996 NBC feature said. "Experts warn of possible dizziness, nausea, and loss of coordination after extended exposure. It’s hard to know who will be effected and to what extent."

Gizmodo points out that NBC is referencing this 1996 study conducted by researchers at the University of Central Florida, which concluded that "Exposure to virtual environments often causes users to experience symptoms of motion sickness." Of course, that's certainly true, but Williams and the reports in the NBC feature take a somewhat fearful and alarmist stance on the study's findings, painting virtual reality in a scary light and extrapolating its potential effects.

"Most manufacturers warn players to take regular breaks, but experts say until legislation catches up with technology, it is up to each user to make sure their virtual experience does not become a real world nightmare," Williams said.

You can watch the full clip of NBC's 1996 feature on virtual reality below.

 

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MEET SHEILA NEVINS: The woman who has greenlighted all HBO documentaries for the past 30 years

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Sheila Nevins Stephen Lovekin Getty

For over three decades, Sheila Nevins has been at the forefront of delivering documentary films into our living rooms as the head of HBO Documentary Films. 

Whether it be a hot-button issue like the fight to get the West Memphis Three off death row (as the “Paradise Lost” films help made possible), or a risqué look into our primal instincts (the late 1990s series “Taxicab Confessions”), Nevins has spent her career making audiences realize that nonfiction programming can be just as fulfilling than any scripted show on television.

Nothing better solidifies that notion than the recent success seen by HBO documentaries greenlit by Nevins.

In March, the Alex Gibney-directed documentary “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief,” became the second most-watched HBO doc in the past decade with its look at the antics that allegedly occur within the controversial church.

scientology going clearThat was on the heels of director Andrew Jarecki’s investigation of reclusive millionaire Robert Durst in the docu mini-series, “The Jinx.

The series grabbed headlines when it concluded with Durst, who's linked to three killings spanning four decades, supposedly admitted to committing the murders following his final interview with Jarecki when talking to himself while using the bathroom. 

robert durst hboThen in May, the documentary by Brett Morgen (“The Kid Stays In The Picture”), “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck,” wowed audiences with its animation-infused look at the troubled life of the Nirvana frontman.  

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But Nevins isn't getting too excited about all of the recent attention on her HBO documentaries.

“Stick around three or four months and tell me if docus are still hot,” Nevins recently told Business Insider in her corner office in midtown Manhattan.

Despite the whopping 27 Primetime Emmy Awards Nevins has received at HBO, she still can’t forget the documentaries that were ratings duds. 

Born and raised in Manhattan, Nevins received her MFA at the Yale School of Drama with aspirations to have a career in theater. But after getting married and having a family, she began work behind the camera producing man on the street interviews in the early '70s. That led to her having stints as a producer at ABC and CBS. Then, in 1979, she became the director of documentaries at HBO. In 2004, she earned the title as president of HBO Documentary Films. 

When Nevins first started her career, the type of documentaries being made were primarily in the talking head style you’d find on PBS, or played in schools.

The breakthrough for Nevins came when she realized that regular people had the potential to be showcased in astonishing ways. 

“I'm a great believer in the anonymity of the documentary subject,” she explained. “I think the stories of ordinary people are much more interesting because they are extraordinary. Fame tends to repeat itself. Someone's famous because they wear certain clothing or are famous because they've been in something or famous because of their political views. They just kind of regurgitate the same philosophy. It's interesting, but it doesn't require discovery in the same way that anonymity does.”

paradise lost documentarySo she began green-lighting films that had a movie-like feel and looked at the human condition and social issues, like the 1996 Emmy-winning “One Survivor Remembers,” a short that recounts a Holocaust survivor’s six-year survival of Nazi abuse.

She also took stories ripped from the headlines, like getting then-unknown filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky to travel to Arkansas and look into a story she read about the alleged murders of three children at the hands of three teens. From that, the seminal doc “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills” was born, showing that in all likelihood the teens did not commit the crime. This launched the 11-year crusade to free the teen murder suspects (which inevitably happened in 2007), from then on to be known as the West Memphis Three.

The blueprint of the stories Nevins wants to tell hasn’t changed much over the years. She still searches through The New York Times for stories that need deeper exploration, her team brings her ideas, and filmmakers with a relationship at HBO pitch her.

She says what makes the best films are the ones “you’re just busting with a desire to tell a story and find out more about it.”

When we talked to Nevins a few weeks ago, it was the day after the crash of an Amtrak train in Philadelphia. It was the lead story on all the morning news shows, but she didn’t see a story there to tell as an HBO doc. However, something like law enforcement’s handling of the capture of those responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing still fascinates her.

“That’s what makes the job so interesting,” Nevins said. “It’s always different.”

What has changed drastically is the prestige a film has by including the HBO Documentary Films logo, and Nevins name, attached to it. It's something Nevins takes very seriously. 

“I don’t take [credit] unless there’s some sort of authorship because I would be embarrassed to ask for it,” she said.

In fact, it took some time after being at HBO for Nevins to realize that her name should be on the works she develops there. It was a chance encounter with “60 Minutes” creator and her mentor Don Hewitt at a department store that made her realize how important it was. 

“He said, ‘What do you do at [HBO]?’” Nevins recalls. “I said, ‘Well, people pitch to us and sometimes we have the ideas.’ He said, ‘Like an executive producer?’ He then said, ‘You should get credit, what if they go out of business?’ So the next time it came to renewing my contract I said ‘I want credit on my shows.’”  

Sarah Bernstein Courtney Love Brett Morgen Shiela Nevins_Ben Gabbe GettyNevins sees her contribution as telling the filmmaker when she doesn’t understand something.

Gibney’s narration on “Going Clear” happened because Nevins couldn’t understand what was happening when watching portions of the film he sent her to look at, so she suggested he narrate it. 

Alex Gibney“For a change, I was going to go without narration,” Gibney told BI via email. “Sheila was right. Narrating allowed me to be more efficient.”

“I’ve been doing this for a long time and what I'm good at is not understanding something,” said Nevins with a laugh.

To find that clarity, Nevins has to be fully engrossed in watching what the filmmakers send her. And in an era when everyone is on their phones or multi-tasking on three different screens at once, it’s shocking to walk into Nevins' office to find no desk or computer in sight. Just couches and a small coffee table in the center of the room. 

Nevins says she owes HBO subscribers works that have had her full attention. 

“They are paying to watch,” she said. “I think on their behalf.”

To accomplish that, Nevins doesn't even take notes when looking at the rough cuts filmmakers send her.

“I’ve never taken a note about films,” she said. “I can't watch, think, and write at the same time. I can watch, think, and remember.”

It’s a process that director Shari Cookson knows very well. She came up in the business by producing and directing HBO docs for Nevins in the '90s. 

“Sometimes she’ll watch the film ahead of time so she’ll have a sense of it when the filmmakers are there,” Cookson told BI about Nevins’ feedback sans notes. “She just stops [the film] and says how she feels. By the end she knows the film pretty intimately.”

On June 22, HBO will air Cookson’s latest doc, “Requiem for the Dead: American Spring 2014,” which looks at the lives affected by gun-related deaths that occurred last spring. It was a project that Nevins sent out to Cookson and co-director Nick Doob to make. But the filmmakers wanted to tell it a different way, using only what the victims left behind on their social media to tell their stories. It was an unorthodox method, but Nevins instantly responded.

requiemforthedead03It's that kind of trust Nevins has in her filmmakers that Cookson says sets her apart from other executives in the business.

“She really has her whole heart and soul into the stories that are being told on her network,” Cookson said. “She really lives it and she lives it with you and gives you the freedom to do your best work.”

That commitment to her projects has also brought a streak of competitiveness in Nevins as more networks have created documentary programming over the years.

“I mean, everybody wants to be HBO,” she said. “I'm deeply competitive. I want it if it's good and I want it on HBO. Even if nobody recognizes it. If it's good, if it's excellent, if it's quality, I don't want it somewhere else.”

One project that Nevins still regrets slipped through her fingers is the 2011 Oscar-nominated “Restrepo,” which looked at a year in the life of a platoon stationed in one of the most deadly locations in Afghanistan.

“’Restrepo’ eats away at me,” Nevins said. “It pissed me off that I didn’t see it as being successful. I was more careful the next time about choosing a war story.”

That next time would be her executive producing the documentary short “Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1,” which looks at a trauma hotline for military veterans. 

crisis hotline veterans press 1 1024The film won Best Documentary – Short Subject at this year’s Academy Awards.

“Crisis Hotline” may have settled her frustration in missing out on “Restrepo,” but she’s certain there are dozens of other things she can use as motivation to stay on top of the documentary mountain.

“I'm the victim of my own philosophy,” she said. “I always think tomorrow is going to be worse or better but never the same. And these stories are about worse or better. I like that storytelling, and I believe it.”

SEE ALSO: This new HBO documentary will make you want to delete your search history

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NOW WATCH: New HBO documentary reveals what controversial singer Kurt Cobain was really like








Emma Stone 'did one of the worst things ever' after her contact info was published in the Sony hack

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Emma Stone eyes

Emma Stone is notoriously private about her personal life, so the actress recently went into a panic after her email address and cellphone number were published on WikiLeaks after the Sony hack.

In a new cover interview with The Wall Street Journal Magazine, Stone says she reacted to the privacy breach "really quickly" and "then I did one of the worst things ever."

Emma Stone

I was getting all these emails and texts from people I didn't know — 'Hi, I'm Joe from the UK I like your movies' — and I was so overwhelmed that I went to my inbox and I deleted all my emails. In about a 30-second span, I hit 'Select All' and 'Delete Forever,' and thousands of emails, like six years of emails, are now gone forever. I was just so freaked out that someone was in there ... It was horrible. I cried for like an hour. Most of the emails I'm mourning I can still talk to the person and get them back. But there's others where the person is actually gone. It really sucks.

But just how many fan emails did Stone — who has appeared in six Sony films, including "The Amazing Spider-Man" franchise — get to prompt such a drastic gesture? Fewer than you may think.

"It was probably five emails and five texts," Stone says. "I just went there."

Stone simply prefers to keep her personal life private, especially when it comes to her actor-boyfriend, Andrew Garfield.

"It's so special to me that it never feels good to talk about," she tells The Journal of her relationship. "So I just continually don't talk about it.”

Emma Stone Andrew GarfieldIn April, WikiLeaks published 173,132 emails and 30,287 documents stemming from the Sony hack in a searchable database, revealing email addresses and phone numbers for tons of celebrities.

Sony, which was "totally blindsided" by the Wikileaks dump of private information, responded to the privacy invasion by calling it a "criminal act."

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange, however, argued in a press release that the public had a right to the hacked Sony information, which was initially leaked ahead of the release of "The Interview."

SEE ALSO: Sony 'strongly condemns' WikiLeaks 'criminal act' of publishing leaked emails

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NOW WATCH: Watch Obama Slam Sony For Pulling 'The Interview'








Whether or not you watched the show 'Entourage' — you will absolutely love the movie

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Entourage MovieWarning: There are some spoilers ahead

I'm not going to beat around the bush here, I was a huge fan of the show "Entourage" and I knew with little doubt in my mind the movie would be awesome.

I was not wrong.

It makes sense, though, when you think about it. For all intents and purposes, the team that made the movie also made the show. They didn't mess with anything.

If you went into the movie expecting and hoping for an hour and 45 minute long version of the successful show, that's what you get here. And that's fantastic. It's also worth noting that I went with someone who hadn't seen a shred of the original series and she loved it too. Creator Doug Ellin has done something very right here.

The movie picks up just six days after the conclusion of the HBO series. That's a bit surprising considering the show's been off the air since 2011. But we don't stay there too long and soon flash forward eight months into the future and launch into our plot.

The basic premise of "Entourage" is generally this: Four childhood friends from humble upbringings in Queens move to LA armed with the new found success of one of the four, Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier).

Throughout the course of the show, Vince rises through a series of highs and lows to Hollywood super stardom. His best friend growing up, Eric (Kevin Connolly), is his manager. His brother, Johnny (Kevin Dillon), a D-list actor, is also around, as well as Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), who drives everyone around and plans parties. Things change and evolve through the course of the series' eight seasons, but that's the basic idea. Those four guys make up the entourage of "Entourage." Most of the time, they all live together and live off of Vince's spoils.

Entourage super gif

The fifth main character is their agent, Ari Gold, played with as much zest and intensity as ever by Jeremy Piven.

The basic plot here revolves around Ari's first project as a Hollywood studio head. Vince has convinced him to let him both star in and direct the movie (which he hasn't done before). Eric is producing, and Johnny gets a small but "pivotal" role.

Things are going decently well with the movie, except Vince and Eric need more money to get the movie finished. To do that, Ari is forced to try to convince the movie's financiers in Texas (played by Billy Bob Thornton and Haley Joel Osment) to pony up more cash. Osment, in a somewhat crazy and a little brilliant turn, travels to LA to see the goings on with the movie itself — and all hell breaks loose.

There's not really much that will surprise you about this movie if you watched the show, and that's why it works. Creator and director Doug Ellin didn't try to fix what wasn't broken, and didn't overstep the bounds of the show. It's the boys of "Entourage" in all their crassness and hilarity in a movie as sharply funny as the series.

ari gold entourageThis is not to say, though, that if you're coming into this movie with no prior knowledge you won't enjoy it. Everyone in the theater I was at seemed to eat this movie up, and there is plenty of exposition at the beginning. It feels a bit forced, especially if you've seen the show. But after thinking about it a bit, I think it works. 

Ellin made the choice to use a Piers Morgan long form journalism piece on the guys as a way to give us the basics on our main characters for those who hadn't seen the show. It's fine. I'm sure the team behind the movie thought long and hard about how to sum up eight seasons of television into 15 minutes of exposition. Looking back, I think they made the right choice.

The plot was funny and engaging, a classic "Entourage" tale of rescuing movies from the depths of hell, dealing with relationship stumbles, and of course, partying like rock stars.

One of the big surprises comes courtesy of Haley Joel Osment. Yes, that cute 11-year-old who claimed he could see dead people in an M. Night Shyamalan movie all those years ago is back. He's playing a crass, rich, young Texan that's a royal pain in Vince, Eric, and Ari's butt.

His transformation is awesome in this movie. The guy can act. He's funny, obnoxious, and completely believable as the misguided and naive Texas millionaire.

Entourage Movie

There is also a veritable army of star-studded Hollywood cameos in this one. Let me first put fans of the show at ease, everyone from Billy Walsh to Andrew Dice Clay make appearances here on the tails of their arcs in the original series.

And that's just the beginning. There are cameos here from all over Hollywood and beyond: Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Alba, Warren Buffett, Mark Cuban, Russell Wilson, Ronda Rousey (who makes more than a cameo), Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady, Pharrell Williams, Liam Neeson, Armie Hammer, Kelsey Grammer, George Takei, and the list goes on and on.

There's not much to say about the original cast. They're all as entertaining as they've always been. These guys have plenty of practice in these roles and they all nail them again. It was no surprise the audience was particularly drawn to Ari Gold, Piven's character. He's always been the funniest thing in the show and that didn't change in this movie.

"Entourage" isn't reinventing the wheel here. They found a formula that worked very well for nearly a decade, and now it's on the big screen. This movie is going to alienate the same audience it always has (those sensitive to the sometimes chauvinistic humor), and delight most. It's not a think piece, it's just raunchy, fast-paced fun.

The real achievement here is that the creators didn't overthink this movie, they just continued a beloved story with beloved characters. And those who don't know the show will probably love it almost as much as the ones who do for the same reason it was popular to begin with: great writing, solid cast, and fun stakes. Don't miss this one.

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NOW WATCH: Here's The First Trailer From The New 'Entourage' Movie








David Letterman reveals the two 'Late Show' guests who made him the most anxious

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david letterman finale early ratings

Since leaving his "Late Show" hosting duties nearly a month ago, David Letterman has opened up about his new life as a retiree and is reflecting on his late-night experiences in a new interview with Indianapolis Monthly

In the article, Letterman revealed that he had a particularly tough time interviewing two guests: singer-songwriter Warren Zevon and former President Bill Clinton. 

Letterman said he was "anxious" to interview Zevon because he wasn't sure how to address the singer's terminal illness.

warren zevon letterman"Warren Zevon was on years ago, and we all knew he was dying," Letterman said in the interview. "I was at a loss because I couldn’t think of an entry point for a conversation with a dying man on a television show that’s supposed to be silly. 'How are you doing? You look great!' doesn’t exactly work. I was really dissatisfied with my part of that conversation. I was ill-equipped to connect with a friend who was going through something like that."

Zevon died in 2003 due to an inoperable form of mesothelioma, and his appearance on Letterman in 2002 ended up being his last interview and final public performance

Bill Clinton LettermanInterviewing Bill Clinton for the first time, however, Letterman said he was "anxious for totally different reasons."

"Of course, what I learned about Bill was that you don’t even need to be in the studio for that interview. He’ll take care of it," Letterman said about the famous orator and former president.

Clinton would go on to make nine other appearances on Letterman's show. Their tenth and final interview took place during Letterman's penultimate week as host of "The Late Show," where Clinton joked that there's a 100% chance he'll move back to the White House if his wife, Hillary Clinton, wins the presidential election.

SEE ALSO: David Letterman kept his assistants after 'Late Show': 'I can no longer operate a telephone'

MORE: Tina Fey, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Murray, and more read Letterman's final 'Top 10' list

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NOW WATCH: 'Princess Bride' Star Cary Elwes Describes His Bizarre Meeting With Bill Clinton








Bradley Cooper's new movie tells the crazy-but-true story behind inflatable artillery used to trick the Nazis

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bradley cooper golden globes 2013On the heels of his Oscar-nominated performance as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in last year’s hit, “American Sniper,” Bradley Cooper looks to be returning to the war-drama genre.

Deadline reports that 22 & Green, Cooper and his "The Hangover" director Todd Phillips' production company, has teamed with Warner Bros. to adapt the book “The Ghost Army Of World War II: How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived The Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects, And Other Audacious Fakery.

The book title kind of says it all.

In World War II, the US Army recruited artists to make up the secret 23rd Headquarters Special Troops with the mission to fool the Nazis in thinking the US Army was larger than it actually was.

They would become known as the “Ghost Army.”

ghost army 2

To pull this off the unit created inflatable tanks and rubber airplanes and delivered phony radio messages to make Nazi forces think there were US forces in the area (when, in fact, they were not). 

ghost army 1

ghost army 2Ghost Army members who went on to have glowing careers in the arts included painter/sculptor Ellsworth Kelly, wildlife artist Arthur B. Singer, and fashion designer Bill Blass

The film will also use the 2013 documentary “Ghost Army” (directed by coauthor of "The Ghost Army" book, Rick Beyer) as resource material.

There’s no word yet if Cooper will also star in the film.

See the elaborate creations made by the Ghost Army in this trailer for the doc below:

SEE ALSO: Bradley Cooper's movie "Limitless" is getting turned into a TV show — Here's the first trailer

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