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Hollywood and Australian News: The Avengers, Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Games, Spider-Man, WWE, John Cena, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, Paramount Pictures, Celebrity Gaming and casino news, Arcade And Slot games, Hollywood gossip, UFC...
The Avengers enjoys worldwide box office success; Breaking records...
Marvel superhero fans in Australia and around the world. We've got tons of news for you today. There's Avengers news, gaming and slot games, interviews, quotes, numbers, A WWE connection and more...
The Avengers proved that five superheroes are better than one by bursting into Hollywood's record books with a massive $197 million in ticket sales over its opening weekend in US and Canadian theatres, kicking off Hollywood's summer movie season with a bang.
The film now easily holds the record for greatest box office takings on its first weekend of cinema release, speeding past last summer's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 2, which opened with $166 million, and Batman franchise film The Dark Knight, according to Box Office Mojo.
In March, The Hunger Games opened with $150 million, the fourth largest opening in box office history.
The Avengers, which reunites Marvel comic heroes Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk and Black Widow, has collected $630 million since it opened in international markets on April 25.
"We keep thinking we have a sense of what this movie can do, or will do, and every time we get a report it does even better," said Dave Hollis, Disney's executive vice-president of distribution.
"This is very satisfying, to say the least."
Disney's aggressive marketing, which included promotions aimed at women that included sending stars to The View daytime talk show, resulted in women making up 40 per cent of the audience for the action film, according to Disney's survey. Half the audience was also over 25 years of age, the studio said.
Winner of the past two weekends, Sony's romantic comedy Think Like a Man, slipped to second place with $7.8 million at North American theatres, according to Hollywood.com.
Hunger Games, from Lions Gate Entertainment, took the No 3 spot in its seventh week in theatres, with $5.6 million, and has collected $374 million in US and Canadian theatres during its run.
Warner Brothers' The Lucky One landed in fourth place with $5.4 million, and the animated film The Pirates! Band of Misfits from Sony finished in fifth place with $5.3 million.
The undisputed success of Avengers brought Disney the type of redemption that Hollywood loves to put on screen. In March, Disney released the expensive sci-fi adventure film John Carter, one of the biggest flops in box office history. The company said it expects to lose up to $196 million on that film.
Avengers is the first Marvel film released by Disney since the media and theme park giant purchased Marvel Entertainment in 2009 for $3.9 billion, a move to expand its appeal to boys with a stable of superheroes.
Disney would not say whether it plans to make a sequel. Sequels to films based on the Thor and Iron Man characters are scheduled for next year and Captain America in 2014.
About 52 per cent of The Avengers ticket sales came from higher-priced 3D tickets, Disney said.
The first weekend in May kicks off Hollywood's summer movie-going season, a four-month period typically filled with big-budget action movies and sequels. Coming movies include Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man, Men in Black 3, and Battleship. (Reuters)
Scarlett Johansson: comic book movie superhero...
Scarlett Johansson first enrolled in the Marvel comic book superhero universe when she was introduced as the mysterious Black Widow opposite Robert Downey Jr. in the 2010 blockbuster Iron Man 2.
The action-filled movie role marked a massive change of direction for the actress, who's known more for low-key performances in films like Sofia Coppola's drama Lost in Translation or Woody Allen's sly comedy Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
But Johansson is in fighting form to reprise her role as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, in Marvel Studios' The Avengers. With her bright red hair and sexy latex suit, the Black Widow teams up with Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye and Thor to stop the evil Loki from conquering Earth with his army.
Johansson sat down with media to talk about the film, the fighting style she learned for her role and what it was like to master her character's native Russian language.
Black Widow was introduced in Iron Man 2 but gets far more exposure in The Avengers. How did you expand the character?
At the end of Iron Man 2, we know she's a part of S.H.I.E.L.D., but we don't know what S.H.I.E.L.D. is. In this film, (director) Joss Whedon and I talked about her past. Who is she? How does she get to be a mercenary? What path do you follow in order to get to that place? We both wanted to see the darker side of her - not just that she's someone who is highly skilled, but why did she have to learn those skills?
You're in top form physically on screen. What new fighting skills did you learn?
We incorporated this Wushu style (of fighting) when the Widow wields a huge alien gun. That was new and really challenging. I had to learn how to spin it and move it. It was hard because I'd hit myself with it all the time. And it's heavy.
You learn (by using) a broom handle so you're like, 'Ah, I got it down, I've mastered it.' Then all of a sudden they're like, 'Here's the prop' and you're like, 'What? This thing is 20 pounds!' I was so terribly battered. I'd wake up every day in agony but it was a continuous thing, so it became normal (laughs).
Black Widow also speaks in her native Russian language, which you seemed to nail. Was it difficult to learn?
I had two days, so I had to learn it phonetically. I knew what I was saying but I had to be able to pronounce it and breathe some life into the lines so that it didn't sound like I was repeating some Berlitz tape.
We hired this great Russian translator, and she worked with the dialogue coach. She was really expressive, which helped, so my mouth found the words in a way that didn't just sound like I was a parrot.
You often play with hair color in your movie roles. Did you enjoy being a redhead for the duration of the shoot?
It's nice because it allows me to go a bit under the radar - people don't expect me to have that color of hair. I'm always happy when I do it because it's the first step of the process of finding the character again.
To me more than anything, the hair color represents a huge piece of work that we dive head first into. And I'm really happy when I can wash it out because then I'm like, 'Yes, It's finished, we actually did it!' Out it goes and you know you've accomplished something.
You're the only female Avenger in the cast. Did your male co-stars treat you any differently because of that?
If anything, the guys weren't as delicate with me as I thought they would be. They like to play hard and always dragged me along for the ride. I'd always come back with battle wounds. But they're a great group of guys. All of us got on so well.
Who did you spend most of your time with on location in New Mexico?
Jeremy (Renner, Hawkeye) because (we share scenes) together a lot. We fight together, so we had to do a lot of our stunt training together. We had the same battle wounds! Tom (Hiddleston, Loki), Jeremy and I spent a lot of time in the stunt gym because we fight so much hand to hand, so we ended up hanging out together. But we all equally had a closeness.
What was the dynamic like with all of you?
We're all fans of each other's work. Some of us have worked together in the past. Chris Evans and I have made three movies together. Sam Jackson and I made three movies together. Mark Ruffalo I've known for quite some time. Every time Robert (Downey Jr.) was on set, it was like, so alive.
We're just lucky that there was no diva on set. It was everybody trying to support one another. It was really nice to have that.
The Avengers is screening now (to packed and very enthusiastic audiences).
Disney's "The Avengers" a winner for Paramount Pictures also: source...
Walt Disney's blockbuster "The Avengers" has five superheroes and record ticket sales. It also has a silent partner in Viacom's Paramount Pictures, which is in line to to get a massive payday even though the studio didn't spend a cent to produce or market the film.
Paramount Pictures already snatched $57.5 million in April, when the film was released internationally. And it stands to collect 8 percent of the millions that the film will earn in theaters, on DVD, and when it is watched on the Internet, according to two people with knowledge of the business deal.
Under a 2005 distribution agreement between Paramount Pictures and Marvel, Paramount receives a distribution fee for the theatrical distribution of "The Avengers" as well as its distribution of its home video, Internet and TV rights. That agreement transferred to Disney, when Disney acquired Marvel for a cool $4 billion in 2009.
Disney and Paramount agreed in 2010 to amend that agreement, giving Disney the rights to distribute Marvel-produced "The Avengers" and "Iron Man 3," the second sequel to the 2008 film that Paramount distributes. That agreement stipulated that Disney would pay Paramount a $115 million advance against future fees that Paramount would have earned.
Half of that fee was paid when Disney released "The Avengers" in international markets.
Spokesmen for Disney and Paramount declined to comment on the matter.
Paramount does not have rights to merchandise from the Marvel movies, and Iger told investors after the deal closed that he signed the getting the movie rights allows he to rev up Disney's marketing machine.
"Not only will we distribute it and market it, but we know that Marvel is working really hard with the cooperation of a number of entities at Disney to turn The Avengers into a true franchise," he said on the earnings call.
Studios and theater owners generally split ticket sales 50-50, meaning that Disney has collected $320.9 million based on "The Avengers" $641.8 million in worldwide ticket sales. Paramount's $25.7 million take would be applied against the pre-paid fee from Disney.
The two parties also agreed that "The Avengers" would appear on the Epix online and premium TV service that Paramount owns with Lions Gate Entertainment and the famous MGM studio. That's a big boost for the nearly three-year-old channel. Disney is legally obligated to show most of its movies on the Starz pay channel.
What size Paramount's take will be depends on how big a hit "The Avengers" becomes. The deal gets even sweeter for Paramount Pictures in 2013, when Disney is scheduled to release the third Iron Man. Paramount will get 9 percent of the money that film will generate.
It's going to be tough to match the hulking numbers of 'The Avengers', but the studios and business partners in on the action should be looking at plenty more green stuff generated from the ultra successful and cool Marvel franchise. Movies, games, fashion...what's next? Stay tuned true believers.
The Amazing Spider-Man Games Let's You Play Stan Lee...
True Believers, get ready for spectacular news — Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Spider-Man Merchandising L.P., a subsidiary of Marvel today announced some amazing pre-order exclusives for fans that reserve an early copy of The Amazing Spider-Man™ video game in North America.
Planned to launch June 26th, the game brings Spidey back to the thrill of free-roaming through Manhattan in an original epilogue story to Sony Picture Entertainment's upcoming feature film. The pre-order exclusives for The Amazing Spider-Man video game are available today and include the Rhino Challenge from GameStop and a special mission featuring a fully playable Stan Lee from Amazon.com.
Take control of the massive, genetically engineered villain RHINO and rampage around Manhattan in an exclusive gameplay challenge of pure destruction! As Rhino, players will be able to unleash his formidable powers to destroy anything and everything that gets in his way in a timed event full of speed, combo streaks, and of course, a ton of things to break! Unlockable for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 system ONLY.
All the rumors can officially be put to rest — for the first time ever, fans will be able to play…STAN…LEE as himself in The Amazing Spider-Man. Players will take on the role of Stan "The Man" Lee in his own special mission across Manhattan, borrowing abilities from his old pal Spider-Man as they help Stan collect pages of his latest script in a spectacular race around Manhattan. Stan's mission is punctuated with his witty banter that fans have come to know and love, and a special surprise waits for them at the end of the mission — after all, it is Spider-Man's 50th anniversary this year! Unlockable for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 system ONLY.
Go beyond the feature film and find out what happens next in The Amazing Spider-Man™ video game, which brings Spider-Man's free-roaming, web-slinging action back to New York City. Players take on the role of a young Peter Parker discovering his new Spider-Man powers and added Super Hero responsibilities, using the game's innovative Web Rush mechanic to swing freely around Manhattan, combat a variety of criminal activities and take on classic Marvel Super Villains. Set against an original story crafted by Hollywood writer Seamus Kevin Fahey (episodes of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica) that takes place entirely after the events of the upcoming feature film, The Amazing Spider-Man video game delivers a brand-new, immersive and cinematic adventure allowing players to truly harness the power of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
For more information on The Amazing Spider-Man video game, please check out http://www.TheAmazingSpiderManGame.com and
http://www.Facebook.com/TheAmazingSpiderManGame
The Avengers video game in the works...
Now that they've saved the world on film, The Avengers are teaming up for a motion-control video game.
Ubisoft Entertainment have announced a partnership with Marvel Entertainment to create a game based on the popular Marvel superhero posse. The game will be titled Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth and will be released for both the upcoming Wii U console from Nintendo Co. and the camera-based Kinect system for the Xbox 360 from Microsoft.
"The idea that we're making a motion-control version of The Avengers is a unique proposition if you compare that to superhero games of the past," said Tony Key, Ubisoft's vice president of sales and marketing.
"This is the perfect type of game for that because these characters are very action oriented. They're always fighting and throwing things."
Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth will focus on such characters as Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk fending off an invasion of genetically altered Skrull aliens. The title will feature more than 20 characters from the Marvel universe and would be based on the Secret Invasion comic series, not the recent film.
No release date was announced, but Key said the disc-based title is expected to launch after Nintendo debuts the Wii U later this year. The successor to Nintendo's Wii will feature high-definition graphics, increased online capabilities and a touch-pad controller. He said more details about the game would be unveiled at next month's Electronic Entertainment Expo.
The game will be the latest addition to Ubisoft's motion-control arsenal. Previous titles released by the Canadian publisher that rely on gesture-based devices include the artsy shooter Child of Eden, street brawler Fighters Uncaged, superhero dueler PowerUp Heroes, the Your Shape fitness franchise and top-selling Just Dance series.
Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth will mark the first time that the Assassin's Creed publisher has developed a game based on a franchise from Marvel, which was purchased in 2009 by The Walt Disney. The developers previously worked with Avatar director James Cameron to craft a third-person 3D action-adventure game set on the planet Pandora.
Sega created each of the games pegged to the films of The Avengers forerunners, including last year's Thor: God of Thunder and Captain America: Super Soldier, but there was no console game released this year alongside director Joss Whedon's blockbuster The Avengers, just the mobile game Marvel's The Avengers and Facebook title "Marvel: Avengers Alliance."
Fans freaked out last year over unofficial footage and concept art posted online of a first-person Avengers game that was reportedly in development by THQ. The footage of Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America and Thor battling the infamous Skrull was yanked by Marvel from YouTube. A representative for Marvel declined to be interviewed for this story.
Traditionally, games based on Marvel movies have been released around the same time as their super-powered counterparts to benefit from parallel buzz. The open-world action-adventure title The Amazing Spider-Man from Activision. is set for release June 26, ahead of director Marc Webb's film of the same name on July 3.
The big-screen adaptation of The Avengers starring Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye has smashed box office records, earning $US207.4 million in the US in its opening weekend.
"For us, that obviously raises the brand itself to an even higher level, and that's good for our video game because we have an opportunity to reach a broader audience than just the guys who love comic book characters," said Key, who added that Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth would be family friendly despite the game's focus on fighting.
Marvel's superheroes have been a dominant presence throughout the history of games. They most recently assembled for the Capcom brawler "Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3" and the Activision role-playing sequel Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2. Gazillion Entertainment is currently developing a free-to-play online game featuring them called Marvel Heroes. Website: www.AvengersBattleForEarth.com
Robert Downey Jr. learns to be a team player...
Billionaire genius Tony Stark had to learn to play well with others in "The Avengers" after he was the main attraction in two "Iron Man" films.
So did Robert Downey Jr., though his path to superhero team player came without the fisticuffs and rivalries that Stark stumbles into with his fellow Avengers, who beat up on one another a bit before they figure out how to work as a group.
Downey has had a long time to get ready for something beyond his close-up in the solo outings as Stark, the Marvel Comics superhero in a metal suit. The idea that Downey would become part of an ensemble of heroes was teased at the end of the first "Iron Man," with "Avengers" producer and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige steering such follow-ups as "Thor" and "Captain America: The First Avenger" toward that aim.
"I had five years to prepare myself, because Kevin Feige and the Marvel team had been saying that it was kind of heading toward this," Downey said.
The film debuted this past weekend in the United States with $200.3million at the box office, a record opening that surpasses last year's "Harry Potter" finale. The film casts Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, head of peacekeeping agency S.H.I.E.L.D., which rounds up a dream team of good guys (Downey's Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow, Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Chris Evans' Captain America, Mark Ruffalo's Incredible Hulk and Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye) to battle Thor's evil brother (Tom Hiddleston), who plots to subjugate humanity.
While it's an all-star cast, Downey's the mega-star. But unlike the diva moments among Stark and some of the other alpha dogs of the Avengers, there was no big-footing among the performers, according to the actors and director Joss Whedon.
Adjusting to ensemble life simply continued the path on which Stark and his healthy ego have been all along, Downey said.
"Personally, the 'Iron Man' series so far has always been about making space for others and collaborating," Downey said. "It's Tony's quote-unquote story, but it's always about all the folks we get around him who are kind of what make him interesting or give him someone or something to fight."
Stitching together so many characters and storylines could have turned into herding cats, but the communal structure meant no single actor had to carry the action all of the time.
Everyone took turns at center stage, and each got to take welcome breathers during the long shoot, Downey said.
"It was like a complicated pregnancy," Downey said. "What was fun, this bit of WWE superhero tag-team wrestling, is where Hemsworth's all beat up and he's been shooting nights, and my character's got the helmet closed, so I'm not there. Then he's flying home to be with the missus, and I'm coming in to do a bunch of scenes with Ruffalo. I think everybody really bought into the spirit of the thing."
Downey, 47, is preparing to shoot "Iron Man 3" in Wilmington, which is due in theaters in May 2013. The film reunites Downey with his "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" director Shane Black.
He won't disclose details, but Downey said the next installment is a "sort of storytelling that's really in Shane's wheelhouse, which is it doesn't need to be quite as linear, and Tony definitely is brought out of his comfort zone. So there's a lot of travel in this."
A third "Sherlock Holmes" movie also is in the works, with Downey's great detective expected to travel to North America this time.
Amid his two film franchises, Downey's busy with a newborn son with his wife, producer Susan Downey, with whom he has formed a film production company.
It's uncertain whether Downey will be back as Stark after "Iron Man 3," either in another solo film or a second "Avengers" tale. With his fourth Marvel flick getting under way, though, Downey said he feels he has a vested interest in the superhero business.
"It's dumb not to be open to possibilities, you know?" Downey said. "I kind of almost feel like a shareholder in the company, even sometimes more than an actor in the movies."
No small roles for megastar Downey...
This won’t come as a surprise to anyone who sat through the credits of The Avengers, or who simply looked at the film’s record-breaking box office sales this past weekend. Still, fans (and investors) will be glad to hear that Disney CEO Bob Iger just announced that the company is developing a sequel. The film’s success “is a great illustration of why we like Marvel so much.” Demand for Avengers merchandise has been strong, he added.
Note Of The Rock Making Comment About John Cena And Divorce...
During the build to the WrestleMania 28 main event, The Rock held a "Rock Concert" on the March 12, 2012 edition of WWE RAW.
Not having learned about the news of John Cena filing to divorce his wife this week, one verse of The Rock's song stands out.
"Rock saw Cena makin' out with Eve, Grabbin' on her thigh, tuggin' on her weave. Cena was havin' the time of his life, I guess he didn't tell her that he's got a wife. Let's rock. Everybody let's rock. Divorce lawyer's right up the block, but we're dancing because Cleveland Rocks."
There have been no reports of Cena being romantically involved with Eve but it was known The Rock and John Cena were legitimately taking personal shots at each other during their promos building to their match.
TMZ.com did report that John Cena was open about his marital problems with his co-workers in the WWE locker room. It seems The Rock's remarks about Cena's wife and a "divorce lawyer right up the block" hit closer to home than we realized at the time.
Celebrity Gambling List...
Nothing is more entertaining than watching gambling celebs in action. Celebrity gamblers consist of the biggest VIPs you would find in Las Vegas. Just being stars they are pampered with the luxurious lifestyle that is offered to them at the numerous Las Vegas casinos and hotels.
Though most celebrities enter games and tournaments for fun, there are some who enter into special tournaments to help raise money for an orphanage and other causes. Some actually played to win money like you and I. Most of these casino gambling celebs play in poker tournaments, like Ben Affleck. Read more below about the top 10 USA Celebrity Gamblers.
Top 10 USA Celebrity Gamblers...
Ben Affleck – star of great Hollywood pictures like Pearl Harbor, Daredevil and Armageddon is one of the most serious gamblers and perhaps the most accomplished poker player. In 2004, the star outsmarted professional poker star Stan Goldstein and 90 other players winning $356,400. He also won a $25,000 seat in the WPT 2005 Championship.
Hugh Hefner – Hefner owns the Playboy Club & Fantasy Tower in Las Vegas. Playboy now operates as a land-based casino and as an online casino in USA. The Fantasy Tower includes casino games such as blackjack, roulette, and playboy themed slot machines. Mr. Hefner plays many casino games, but you can bet he has played strip poker with a couple of his bunnies.
Matt Damon – the star of The Talented Mr. Ripley, Bourne identity, Dogma, and star of one of the best poker movies ever, Rounders, was tutored to play poker by the legend Johnny Chan. The actor is quite passionate about gambling and considers himself as an excellent poker player.
Matthew Perry - "Could this flush be any more royal?" Best known as Chandler Bing from the award winning televisions series ‘Friends’ is yet another good poker player. He regularly plays at tournaments and other charity events including Celebrity Poker Showdown TV show. Matthew is indeed a VIP at the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas.
Frank Sinatra – the biggest and best singer ever known in the history of music had performed several shows in Las Vegas. After all the time he spent in Las Vegas, Sinatra started to share his love for gambling. Known to play with his mob friends and other celebs.
The Queen – yes Her Royal Highness herself rarely misses out on gambling lifestyle. The Queen has a passion for making sports bets and loves slots machines.
George Clooney – inspired by his motion picture Oceans 11, 12 and 13, George Clooney has invested $3 billion in a Vegas casino complex along with co-star Brad Pitt.
Macy Gray – very famous singer and songwriter and not forgetting a celeb poker star made her appearance in Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown and completed the contest in third place.
Brad Pitt – and his gambling friend George Clooney have both invested around $3 billion in luxury Vegas casinos like the Vegas Casino Complex.
Teddy Sheringham – Also a poker fan and former soccer player in the UK for Manchester United is the longest serving playboy. He is quite regular on the celeb poker circuit. Retired from football he was recently made the Ambassador for online giants VC poker, where he will provide support for tournament players.
Bill Goldberg Talks WWE, Pro Wrestling And 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin Dream Match...
On his and Brock Lesnar's initial departure from WWE: "Obviously it was kind of unfinished business. We both left there under circumstances that weren't the most favorable for anybody, let alone the fans who are the most important at the end of the day."
On Lesnar in general: "Brock, as a young kid, he succeeded in every single thing that he did. To venture out and try to play professional football without having college experience — LaVar will tell you how hard that is. Big pat on the back to him for that. And then going to MMA and succeeding and becoming the World Heavyweight Champion. Whatever Brock wants to do, I'm in his corner. He's a good buddy of mine and we talk frequently. I just hope at the end of the day whatever he chooses his health is in a positive note. We all know he's had some issues over the past number of years."
On having a final match: "It's really tough for a guy like myself. Look at a guy like Animal. Look at Road Warrior. Look at guys who are big power guys. . . the older you get the harder it is to be that guy."
He added his ideal final match would be against Steve Austin: "That'd be a dream come true… that'd be killer. I think at the end of the day they probably don't trust me enough to put me in there with guys, considering I'm 'a dangerous guy to work with' and 'I haphazardly ended Bret Hart's career.' At the end of the day these people have to understand it's a violent deal, number one. Number two, accidents happen. And number three, that's why I work in Japan — they don't cry if you hit them …That's a joke."
CMT, Steve Austin Team for Redneck Island; Former Pro Wrestler Signs Development Deal...
CMT has inked a development deal with actor and former WWE superstar Steve Austin, tapping him as host of a new 10-episode series, Redneck Island.
Produced by 51 Minds Entertainment, Redneck Island takes 12 red, white and blue-collared Americans out of the South, far away from cold beer, and drops them in a tropical paradise where they will compete for $100,000. The series will debut in June, paired with a second season of CMT's hit series, My Big Redneck Vacation.
As part of his development deal, Austin will look to produce additional series for CMT with his production company, Broken Skull Ranch Productions.
"I am thrilled to join the CMT family and for the opportunity to work with them on future projects," Austin said. "I'm also excited to work with the great folks at 51 Minds Entertainment on Redneck Island. If there's one thing I know, it's how to keep a bunch of rednecks in line. And that's the bottom line!"
Redneck Island begins with 12 men and women competing as teams in a fight for $100,000 cash. From a remote location, Austin will guide the contestants through a number of hilarious mental and physical challenges designed to celebrate the group's strengths and limitations. At the end of each episode, teammates will send one competitor packing.
One of the most popular pro wrestling superstars of all time, Austin has been reinventing himself since retiring from the ring in 2003. The WWE Hall of Fame inductee hit the big screen in 2010 in Sylvester Stallone's action thriller, The Expendables, co-starring alongside a who's who in action films. He followed that project with the lead role in Damage, one of Fox Home Video's best-selling releases.
In 2011, he starred in The Stranger and Hunt to Kill, both released by Anchor Bay. Austin also served as host for the USA Network's hit reality series, Tough Enough. Future projects include The Package with Dolph Lungdren and Maximum Conviction with Steven Seagal.
WWE® CFO George Barrios to Participate in the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference on May 16th...
STAMFORD, Conn. -- WWE (NYSE:WWE) announced today that its Chief Financial Officer, George A. Barrios, will participate in the 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, on May 16, 2012, in Boston, MA.
Mr. Barrios’ remarks are expected to begin at approximately 4:10 p.m. ET. A live audio webcast will be available online at corporate.wwe.com/investors. Also, a replay of the presentation will begin shortly after the actual presentation time and will be available until August 14, 2012.
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 600 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul and Tokyo.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
If you have additional questions, please contact WWE Investor Relations via e-mail at investor.relations@wwecorp.com.
Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television and pay-per-view programming distribution agreements; the need for continually developing creative and entertaining programming; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent McMahon; the conditions of the markets in which we compete and acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; our exposure to bad debt risk; uncertainties relating to regulatory and litigation matters; risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of our markets; uncertainties associated with international markets; the importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual property rights of others; risks associated with producing and travelling to and from our large live events, both domestically and internationally; the risk of accidents or injuries during our physically demanding events; risks relating to our film business; risks relating to increasing content production for distribution on various platforms, including the potential creation of a WWE Network; risks relating to our computer systems and online operations; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family and the possibility of the sale of their stock by the McMahons or the perception of the possibility of such sales; the relatively small public float of our stock; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends, general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant.
Videogame Classic Space Invaders launched as online slot game...
FremantleMedia Enterprises has signed a two-year agreement with Square Enix to develop the arcade videogame classic Space Invaders as an online slot game.
Launched in 1978, the original Space Invaders game ignited an entertainment medium and founded a gaming generation. The new online slot game will target UK and European players and be available to customers via the OpenBet and GTS platforms later in the year.
Simon Murphy, head of gambling EMEA, said: “The deal with Square Enix further demonstrates our goal to become one of the leading developers and distributors of premium branded gaming content.”
FME’s gambling division has previously licensed, developed and distributed branded games for online, mobile and land-based slots across a number of brands including The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, The Price Is Right and Family Fortunes.
Casino King James Packer really aiming for Echo Entertainment...
Gaming analysts believe billionaire James Packer would consider offloading some of Queensland's casinos if he is successful in acquiring the Echo Entertainment Group.
Greg Fraser, a senior analyst at Fat Prophets, said yesterday that Mr Packer's real goal in his expected takeover tilt for Echo was to snare the scandal-plagued Star Casino in Sydney and merge it into his Crown group.
Apology after monks caught gambling, smoking...
The head of South Korea's largest Buddhist order has made a public apology after video footage was released showing monks gambling, drinking and smoking.
The Jogye order represents most of South Korea's 12 million or so Buddhists.
The head of the order called a news conference to make a personal apology for the latest scandal to hit his organisation.
It has been plagued by vicious internal feuds that at one time used to erupt in mass brawls at the main temple.
Footage shown on national television this week showed a group of eight senior monks and abbots engaged in an all-night, high stakes poker game.
Some were drinking and smoking during the session, which was secretly filmed at a resort hotel where monks had gathered for a memorial service.
Members of the Jogye order's head office have offered to resign en masse.
Luke Evans In Talks To Join Vin Disel and Dwayne Johnson In Fast And Furious 6...
The last Fast franchise movie exceeded financial and critical expectations, and Universal is reteaming with director Justin Lin for the next film in the franchise. Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson and other cast members are set to reprise their roles, and a new addition has now been revealed.
Luke Evans (Immortals, The Three Musketeers) has now entered into negotiations to join the large ensemble cast. According to Variety.com, "plot details are being kept under wraps, but sources say it would involve the crew heading overseas to work on a heist job. Evans would play the leader of another crew trying to pull off the same job." He can next be seen in Peter Jackson's highly anticipated film The Hobbit which hits theaters this December.
The Fast and the Furious franchise follows former police detective Brian Connor and street racer Dominic Toretto as they attempt to evade law enforcement while participating in high stakes races and heists around the country. Dwayne Johnson was the latest addition to the franchise in the role of federal agent Luke Hobbs. Fast and Furious 6 is currently slated for theatrical release on May 24, 2013.
UFC Announces ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K.’...
The Ultimate Fighting Championship's expansion of its biggest sub-brand will continue.
The promotion on Thursday night announced an international edition of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series for this fall. UFC president Dana White tweeted news of the series, and an official release from the UFC followed.
"The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K. – The Smashes" will film later this year, likely in late summer for a fall airing. The series will pit fighters from Australia against fighters from the United Kingdom. "The Smashes" in the title, according to the UFC, is "a play on the 130-year-old cricket rivalry" between Australia and the U.K.
The last international edition of TUF was Season 9 of the original U.S.-based series, which featured fighters from the United States against fighters from the United Kingdom. That season was coached by Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping, one of the most successful UFC fighters to come out of the TUF program – he won Season 3 of the show. The UFC also currently has "The Ultimate Fighter Brazil," which taped earlier this spring and is airing in that country, as well as on TUF.tv on Sunday nights.
Just like with the U.S. version of the reality show, as well as the one in Brazil, the winner or winners will receive a contract with the UFC. Past winners have included future UFC champions like Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans, as well as title contenders and stars like Bisping, Nate Diaz and Ryan Bader. Other alums of the groundbreaking show, which aired in the U.S. for seven years and 14 seasons on Spike TV, and now airs in a new live format Friday nights on FX, include Stephan Bonnar, Josh Koscheck, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Chris Leben, Joe Lauzon, Roy Nelson and Matt Mitrione.
"Australia and the U.K. have a fierce, long-standing rivalry, and where better to settle the score than in the UFC's Octagon?" said Marshall Zelaznik, the UFC's managing director of international development. "The popularity of MMA has exploded in Australia and the U.K., with gyms opening all over the respective countries. There is an athlete in one of those gyms who hasn’t had the chance to show the world what he can do. 'The Ultimate Fighter' is going give to him that opportunity. We’re going to discover the UFC's future stars – you can bet on it."
Coaches for the series have not yet been named, nor has an exact broadcast plan been announced.
Prospective fighters from bantamweight to welterweight – 61-77 kilograms – should visit special sites set up for registration forms, rules and criteria for qualification. Tryouts are planned for June 12 in Sydney, Australia, and June 15 in London. For fighters from Australia, visit au.ufc.com/TUFForm; for fighters in the U.K, visit uk.ufc.com/TUFForm.
The Avengers enjoys worldwide box office success; Breaking records...
Marvel superhero fans in Australia and around the world. We've got tons of news for you today. There's Avengers news, gaming and slot games, interviews, quotes, numbers, A WWE connection and more...
The Avengers proved that five superheroes are better than one by bursting into Hollywood's record books with a massive $197 million in ticket sales over its opening weekend in US and Canadian theatres, kicking off Hollywood's summer movie season with a bang.
The film now easily holds the record for greatest box office takings on its first weekend of cinema release, speeding past last summer's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 2, which opened with $166 million, and Batman franchise film The Dark Knight, according to Box Office Mojo.
In March, The Hunger Games opened with $150 million, the fourth largest opening in box office history.
The Avengers, which reunites Marvel comic heroes Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk and Black Widow, has collected $630 million since it opened in international markets on April 25.
"We keep thinking we have a sense of what this movie can do, or will do, and every time we get a report it does even better," said Dave Hollis, Disney's executive vice-president of distribution.
"This is very satisfying, to say the least."
Disney's aggressive marketing, which included promotions aimed at women that included sending stars to The View daytime talk show, resulted in women making up 40 per cent of the audience for the action film, according to Disney's survey. Half the audience was also over 25 years of age, the studio said.
Winner of the past two weekends, Sony's romantic comedy Think Like a Man, slipped to second place with $7.8 million at North American theatres, according to Hollywood.com.
Hunger Games, from Lions Gate Entertainment, took the No 3 spot in its seventh week in theatres, with $5.6 million, and has collected $374 million in US and Canadian theatres during its run.
Warner Brothers' The Lucky One landed in fourth place with $5.4 million, and the animated film The Pirates! Band of Misfits from Sony finished in fifth place with $5.3 million.
The undisputed success of Avengers brought Disney the type of redemption that Hollywood loves to put on screen. In March, Disney released the expensive sci-fi adventure film John Carter, one of the biggest flops in box office history. The company said it expects to lose up to $196 million on that film.
Avengers is the first Marvel film released by Disney since the media and theme park giant purchased Marvel Entertainment in 2009 for $3.9 billion, a move to expand its appeal to boys with a stable of superheroes.
Disney would not say whether it plans to make a sequel. Sequels to films based on the Thor and Iron Man characters are scheduled for next year and Captain America in 2014.
About 52 per cent of The Avengers ticket sales came from higher-priced 3D tickets, Disney said.
The first weekend in May kicks off Hollywood's summer movie-going season, a four-month period typically filled with big-budget action movies and sequels. Coming movies include Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man, Men in Black 3, and Battleship. (Reuters)
Scarlett Johansson: comic book movie superhero...
Scarlett Johansson first enrolled in the Marvel comic book superhero universe when she was introduced as the mysterious Black Widow opposite Robert Downey Jr. in the 2010 blockbuster Iron Man 2.
The action-filled movie role marked a massive change of direction for the actress, who's known more for low-key performances in films like Sofia Coppola's drama Lost in Translation or Woody Allen's sly comedy Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
But Johansson is in fighting form to reprise her role as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, in Marvel Studios' The Avengers. With her bright red hair and sexy latex suit, the Black Widow teams up with Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye and Thor to stop the evil Loki from conquering Earth with his army.
Johansson sat down with media to talk about the film, the fighting style she learned for her role and what it was like to master her character's native Russian language.
Black Widow was introduced in Iron Man 2 but gets far more exposure in The Avengers. How did you expand the character?
At the end of Iron Man 2, we know she's a part of S.H.I.E.L.D., but we don't know what S.H.I.E.L.D. is. In this film, (director) Joss Whedon and I talked about her past. Who is she? How does she get to be a mercenary? What path do you follow in order to get to that place? We both wanted to see the darker side of her - not just that she's someone who is highly skilled, but why did she have to learn those skills?
You're in top form physically on screen. What new fighting skills did you learn?
We incorporated this Wushu style (of fighting) when the Widow wields a huge alien gun. That was new and really challenging. I had to learn how to spin it and move it. It was hard because I'd hit myself with it all the time. And it's heavy.
You learn (by using) a broom handle so you're like, 'Ah, I got it down, I've mastered it.' Then all of a sudden they're like, 'Here's the prop' and you're like, 'What? This thing is 20 pounds!' I was so terribly battered. I'd wake up every day in agony but it was a continuous thing, so it became normal (laughs).
Black Widow also speaks in her native Russian language, which you seemed to nail. Was it difficult to learn?
I had two days, so I had to learn it phonetically. I knew what I was saying but I had to be able to pronounce it and breathe some life into the lines so that it didn't sound like I was repeating some Berlitz tape.
We hired this great Russian translator, and she worked with the dialogue coach. She was really expressive, which helped, so my mouth found the words in a way that didn't just sound like I was a parrot.
You often play with hair color in your movie roles. Did you enjoy being a redhead for the duration of the shoot?
It's nice because it allows me to go a bit under the radar - people don't expect me to have that color of hair. I'm always happy when I do it because it's the first step of the process of finding the character again.
To me more than anything, the hair color represents a huge piece of work that we dive head first into. And I'm really happy when I can wash it out because then I'm like, 'Yes, It's finished, we actually did it!' Out it goes and you know you've accomplished something.
You're the only female Avenger in the cast. Did your male co-stars treat you any differently because of that?
If anything, the guys weren't as delicate with me as I thought they would be. They like to play hard and always dragged me along for the ride. I'd always come back with battle wounds. But they're a great group of guys. All of us got on so well.
Who did you spend most of your time with on location in New Mexico?
Jeremy (Renner, Hawkeye) because (we share scenes) together a lot. We fight together, so we had to do a lot of our stunt training together. We had the same battle wounds! Tom (Hiddleston, Loki), Jeremy and I spent a lot of time in the stunt gym because we fight so much hand to hand, so we ended up hanging out together. But we all equally had a closeness.
What was the dynamic like with all of you?
We're all fans of each other's work. Some of us have worked together in the past. Chris Evans and I have made three movies together. Sam Jackson and I made three movies together. Mark Ruffalo I've known for quite some time. Every time Robert (Downey Jr.) was on set, it was like, so alive.
We're just lucky that there was no diva on set. It was everybody trying to support one another. It was really nice to have that.
The Avengers is screening now (to packed and very enthusiastic audiences).
Disney's "The Avengers" a winner for Paramount Pictures also: source...
Walt Disney's blockbuster "The Avengers" has five superheroes and record ticket sales. It also has a silent partner in Viacom's Paramount Pictures, which is in line to to get a massive payday even though the studio didn't spend a cent to produce or market the film.
Paramount Pictures already snatched $57.5 million in April, when the film was released internationally. And it stands to collect 8 percent of the millions that the film will earn in theaters, on DVD, and when it is watched on the Internet, according to two people with knowledge of the business deal.
Under a 2005 distribution agreement between Paramount Pictures and Marvel, Paramount receives a distribution fee for the theatrical distribution of "The Avengers" as well as its distribution of its home video, Internet and TV rights. That agreement transferred to Disney, when Disney acquired Marvel for a cool $4 billion in 2009.
Disney and Paramount agreed in 2010 to amend that agreement, giving Disney the rights to distribute Marvel-produced "The Avengers" and "Iron Man 3," the second sequel to the 2008 film that Paramount distributes. That agreement stipulated that Disney would pay Paramount a $115 million advance against future fees that Paramount would have earned.
Half of that fee was paid when Disney released "The Avengers" in international markets.
Spokesmen for Disney and Paramount declined to comment on the matter.
Paramount does not have rights to merchandise from the Marvel movies, and Iger told investors after the deal closed that he signed the getting the movie rights allows he to rev up Disney's marketing machine.
"Not only will we distribute it and market it, but we know that Marvel is working really hard with the cooperation of a number of entities at Disney to turn The Avengers into a true franchise," he said on the earnings call.
Studios and theater owners generally split ticket sales 50-50, meaning that Disney has collected $320.9 million based on "The Avengers" $641.8 million in worldwide ticket sales. Paramount's $25.7 million take would be applied against the pre-paid fee from Disney.
The two parties also agreed that "The Avengers" would appear on the Epix online and premium TV service that Paramount owns with Lions Gate Entertainment and the famous MGM studio. That's a big boost for the nearly three-year-old channel. Disney is legally obligated to show most of its movies on the Starz pay channel.
What size Paramount's take will be depends on how big a hit "The Avengers" becomes. The deal gets even sweeter for Paramount Pictures in 2013, when Disney is scheduled to release the third Iron Man. Paramount will get 9 percent of the money that film will generate.
It's going to be tough to match the hulking numbers of 'The Avengers', but the studios and business partners in on the action should be looking at plenty more green stuff generated from the ultra successful and cool Marvel franchise. Movies, games, fashion...what's next? Stay tuned true believers.
The Amazing Spider-Man Games Let's You Play Stan Lee...
True Believers, get ready for spectacular news — Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Spider-Man Merchandising L.P., a subsidiary of Marvel today announced some amazing pre-order exclusives for fans that reserve an early copy of The Amazing Spider-Man™ video game in North America.
Planned to launch June 26th, the game brings Spidey back to the thrill of free-roaming through Manhattan in an original epilogue story to Sony Picture Entertainment's upcoming feature film. The pre-order exclusives for The Amazing Spider-Man video game are available today and include the Rhino Challenge from GameStop and a special mission featuring a fully playable Stan Lee from Amazon.com.
Take control of the massive, genetically engineered villain RHINO and rampage around Manhattan in an exclusive gameplay challenge of pure destruction! As Rhino, players will be able to unleash his formidable powers to destroy anything and everything that gets in his way in a timed event full of speed, combo streaks, and of course, a ton of things to break! Unlockable for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 system ONLY.
All the rumors can officially be put to rest — for the first time ever, fans will be able to play…STAN…LEE as himself in The Amazing Spider-Man. Players will take on the role of Stan "The Man" Lee in his own special mission across Manhattan, borrowing abilities from his old pal Spider-Man as they help Stan collect pages of his latest script in a spectacular race around Manhattan. Stan's mission is punctuated with his witty banter that fans have come to know and love, and a special surprise waits for them at the end of the mission — after all, it is Spider-Man's 50th anniversary this year! Unlockable for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 system ONLY.
Go beyond the feature film and find out what happens next in The Amazing Spider-Man™ video game, which brings Spider-Man's free-roaming, web-slinging action back to New York City. Players take on the role of a young Peter Parker discovering his new Spider-Man powers and added Super Hero responsibilities, using the game's innovative Web Rush mechanic to swing freely around Manhattan, combat a variety of criminal activities and take on classic Marvel Super Villains. Set against an original story crafted by Hollywood writer Seamus Kevin Fahey (episodes of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica) that takes place entirely after the events of the upcoming feature film, The Amazing Spider-Man video game delivers a brand-new, immersive and cinematic adventure allowing players to truly harness the power of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
For more information on The Amazing Spider-Man video game, please check out http://www.TheAmazingSpiderManGame.com and
http://www.Facebook.com/TheAmazingSpiderManGame
The Avengers video game in the works...
Now that they've saved the world on film, The Avengers are teaming up for a motion-control video game.
Ubisoft Entertainment have announced a partnership with Marvel Entertainment to create a game based on the popular Marvel superhero posse. The game will be titled Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth and will be released for both the upcoming Wii U console from Nintendo Co. and the camera-based Kinect system for the Xbox 360 from Microsoft.
"The idea that we're making a motion-control version of The Avengers is a unique proposition if you compare that to superhero games of the past," said Tony Key, Ubisoft's vice president of sales and marketing.
"This is the perfect type of game for that because these characters are very action oriented. They're always fighting and throwing things."
Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth will focus on such characters as Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk fending off an invasion of genetically altered Skrull aliens. The title will feature more than 20 characters from the Marvel universe and would be based on the Secret Invasion comic series, not the recent film.
No release date was announced, but Key said the disc-based title is expected to launch after Nintendo debuts the Wii U later this year. The successor to Nintendo's Wii will feature high-definition graphics, increased online capabilities and a touch-pad controller. He said more details about the game would be unveiled at next month's Electronic Entertainment Expo.
The game will be the latest addition to Ubisoft's motion-control arsenal. Previous titles released by the Canadian publisher that rely on gesture-based devices include the artsy shooter Child of Eden, street brawler Fighters Uncaged, superhero dueler PowerUp Heroes, the Your Shape fitness franchise and top-selling Just Dance series.
Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth will mark the first time that the Assassin's Creed publisher has developed a game based on a franchise from Marvel, which was purchased in 2009 by The Walt Disney. The developers previously worked with Avatar director James Cameron to craft a third-person 3D action-adventure game set on the planet Pandora.
Sega created each of the games pegged to the films of The Avengers forerunners, including last year's Thor: God of Thunder and Captain America: Super Soldier, but there was no console game released this year alongside director Joss Whedon's blockbuster The Avengers, just the mobile game Marvel's The Avengers and Facebook title "Marvel: Avengers Alliance."
Fans freaked out last year over unofficial footage and concept art posted online of a first-person Avengers game that was reportedly in development by THQ. The footage of Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America and Thor battling the infamous Skrull was yanked by Marvel from YouTube. A representative for Marvel declined to be interviewed for this story.
Traditionally, games based on Marvel movies have been released around the same time as their super-powered counterparts to benefit from parallel buzz. The open-world action-adventure title The Amazing Spider-Man from Activision. is set for release June 26, ahead of director Marc Webb's film of the same name on July 3.
The big-screen adaptation of The Avengers starring Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye has smashed box office records, earning $US207.4 million in the US in its opening weekend.
"For us, that obviously raises the brand itself to an even higher level, and that's good for our video game because we have an opportunity to reach a broader audience than just the guys who love comic book characters," said Key, who added that Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth would be family friendly despite the game's focus on fighting.
Marvel's superheroes have been a dominant presence throughout the history of games. They most recently assembled for the Capcom brawler "Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3" and the Activision role-playing sequel Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2. Gazillion Entertainment is currently developing a free-to-play online game featuring them called Marvel Heroes. Website: www.AvengersBattleForEarth.com
Robert Downey Jr. learns to be a team player...
Billionaire genius Tony Stark had to learn to play well with others in "The Avengers" after he was the main attraction in two "Iron Man" films.
So did Robert Downey Jr., though his path to superhero team player came without the fisticuffs and rivalries that Stark stumbles into with his fellow Avengers, who beat up on one another a bit before they figure out how to work as a group.
Downey has had a long time to get ready for something beyond his close-up in the solo outings as Stark, the Marvel Comics superhero in a metal suit. The idea that Downey would become part of an ensemble of heroes was teased at the end of the first "Iron Man," with "Avengers" producer and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige steering such follow-ups as "Thor" and "Captain America: The First Avenger" toward that aim.
"I had five years to prepare myself, because Kevin Feige and the Marvel team had been saying that it was kind of heading toward this," Downey said.
The film debuted this past weekend in the United States with $200.3million at the box office, a record opening that surpasses last year's "Harry Potter" finale. The film casts Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, head of peacekeeping agency S.H.I.E.L.D., which rounds up a dream team of good guys (Downey's Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow, Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Chris Evans' Captain America, Mark Ruffalo's Incredible Hulk and Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye) to battle Thor's evil brother (Tom Hiddleston), who plots to subjugate humanity.
While it's an all-star cast, Downey's the mega-star. But unlike the diva moments among Stark and some of the other alpha dogs of the Avengers, there was no big-footing among the performers, according to the actors and director Joss Whedon.
Adjusting to ensemble life simply continued the path on which Stark and his healthy ego have been all along, Downey said.
"Personally, the 'Iron Man' series so far has always been about making space for others and collaborating," Downey said. "It's Tony's quote-unquote story, but it's always about all the folks we get around him who are kind of what make him interesting or give him someone or something to fight."
Stitching together so many characters and storylines could have turned into herding cats, but the communal structure meant no single actor had to carry the action all of the time.
Everyone took turns at center stage, and each got to take welcome breathers during the long shoot, Downey said.
"It was like a complicated pregnancy," Downey said. "What was fun, this bit of WWE superhero tag-team wrestling, is where Hemsworth's all beat up and he's been shooting nights, and my character's got the helmet closed, so I'm not there. Then he's flying home to be with the missus, and I'm coming in to do a bunch of scenes with Ruffalo. I think everybody really bought into the spirit of the thing."
Downey, 47, is preparing to shoot "Iron Man 3" in Wilmington, which is due in theaters in May 2013. The film reunites Downey with his "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" director Shane Black.
He won't disclose details, but Downey said the next installment is a "sort of storytelling that's really in Shane's wheelhouse, which is it doesn't need to be quite as linear, and Tony definitely is brought out of his comfort zone. So there's a lot of travel in this."
A third "Sherlock Holmes" movie also is in the works, with Downey's great detective expected to travel to North America this time.
Amid his two film franchises, Downey's busy with a newborn son with his wife, producer Susan Downey, with whom he has formed a film production company.
It's uncertain whether Downey will be back as Stark after "Iron Man 3," either in another solo film or a second "Avengers" tale. With his fourth Marvel flick getting under way, though, Downey said he feels he has a vested interest in the superhero business.
"It's dumb not to be open to possibilities, you know?" Downey said. "I kind of almost feel like a shareholder in the company, even sometimes more than an actor in the movies."
No small roles for megastar Downey...
This won’t come as a surprise to anyone who sat through the credits of The Avengers, or who simply looked at the film’s record-breaking box office sales this past weekend. Still, fans (and investors) will be glad to hear that Disney CEO Bob Iger just announced that the company is developing a sequel. The film’s success “is a great illustration of why we like Marvel so much.” Demand for Avengers merchandise has been strong, he added.
Note Of The Rock Making Comment About John Cena And Divorce...
During the build to the WrestleMania 28 main event, The Rock held a "Rock Concert" on the March 12, 2012 edition of WWE RAW.
Not having learned about the news of John Cena filing to divorce his wife this week, one verse of The Rock's song stands out.
"Rock saw Cena makin' out with Eve, Grabbin' on her thigh, tuggin' on her weave. Cena was havin' the time of his life, I guess he didn't tell her that he's got a wife. Let's rock. Everybody let's rock. Divorce lawyer's right up the block, but we're dancing because Cleveland Rocks."
There have been no reports of Cena being romantically involved with Eve but it was known The Rock and John Cena were legitimately taking personal shots at each other during their promos building to their match.
TMZ.com did report that John Cena was open about his marital problems with his co-workers in the WWE locker room. It seems The Rock's remarks about Cena's wife and a "divorce lawyer right up the block" hit closer to home than we realized at the time.
Celebrity Gambling List...
Nothing is more entertaining than watching gambling celebs in action. Celebrity gamblers consist of the biggest VIPs you would find in Las Vegas. Just being stars they are pampered with the luxurious lifestyle that is offered to them at the numerous Las Vegas casinos and hotels.
Though most celebrities enter games and tournaments for fun, there are some who enter into special tournaments to help raise money for an orphanage and other causes. Some actually played to win money like you and I. Most of these casino gambling celebs play in poker tournaments, like Ben Affleck. Read more below about the top 10 USA Celebrity Gamblers.
Top 10 USA Celebrity Gamblers...
Ben Affleck – star of great Hollywood pictures like Pearl Harbor, Daredevil and Armageddon is one of the most serious gamblers and perhaps the most accomplished poker player. In 2004, the star outsmarted professional poker star Stan Goldstein and 90 other players winning $356,400. He also won a $25,000 seat in the WPT 2005 Championship.
Hugh Hefner – Hefner owns the Playboy Club & Fantasy Tower in Las Vegas. Playboy now operates as a land-based casino and as an online casino in USA. The Fantasy Tower includes casino games such as blackjack, roulette, and playboy themed slot machines. Mr. Hefner plays many casino games, but you can bet he has played strip poker with a couple of his bunnies.
Matt Damon – the star of The Talented Mr. Ripley, Bourne identity, Dogma, and star of one of the best poker movies ever, Rounders, was tutored to play poker by the legend Johnny Chan. The actor is quite passionate about gambling and considers himself as an excellent poker player.
Matthew Perry - "Could this flush be any more royal?" Best known as Chandler Bing from the award winning televisions series ‘Friends’ is yet another good poker player. He regularly plays at tournaments and other charity events including Celebrity Poker Showdown TV show. Matthew is indeed a VIP at the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas.
Frank Sinatra – the biggest and best singer ever known in the history of music had performed several shows in Las Vegas. After all the time he spent in Las Vegas, Sinatra started to share his love for gambling. Known to play with his mob friends and other celebs.
The Queen – yes Her Royal Highness herself rarely misses out on gambling lifestyle. The Queen has a passion for making sports bets and loves slots machines.
George Clooney – inspired by his motion picture Oceans 11, 12 and 13, George Clooney has invested $3 billion in a Vegas casino complex along with co-star Brad Pitt.
Macy Gray – very famous singer and songwriter and not forgetting a celeb poker star made her appearance in Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown and completed the contest in third place.
Brad Pitt – and his gambling friend George Clooney have both invested around $3 billion in luxury Vegas casinos like the Vegas Casino Complex.
Teddy Sheringham – Also a poker fan and former soccer player in the UK for Manchester United is the longest serving playboy. He is quite regular on the celeb poker circuit. Retired from football he was recently made the Ambassador for online giants VC poker, where he will provide support for tournament players.
Bill Goldberg Talks WWE, Pro Wrestling And 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin Dream Match...
On his and Brock Lesnar's initial departure from WWE: "Obviously it was kind of unfinished business. We both left there under circumstances that weren't the most favorable for anybody, let alone the fans who are the most important at the end of the day."
On Lesnar in general: "Brock, as a young kid, he succeeded in every single thing that he did. To venture out and try to play professional football without having college experience — LaVar will tell you how hard that is. Big pat on the back to him for that. And then going to MMA and succeeding and becoming the World Heavyweight Champion. Whatever Brock wants to do, I'm in his corner. He's a good buddy of mine and we talk frequently. I just hope at the end of the day whatever he chooses his health is in a positive note. We all know he's had some issues over the past number of years."
On having a final match: "It's really tough for a guy like myself. Look at a guy like Animal. Look at Road Warrior. Look at guys who are big power guys. . . the older you get the harder it is to be that guy."
He added his ideal final match would be against Steve Austin: "That'd be a dream come true… that'd be killer. I think at the end of the day they probably don't trust me enough to put me in there with guys, considering I'm 'a dangerous guy to work with' and 'I haphazardly ended Bret Hart's career.' At the end of the day these people have to understand it's a violent deal, number one. Number two, accidents happen. And number three, that's why I work in Japan — they don't cry if you hit them …That's a joke."
CMT, Steve Austin Team for Redneck Island; Former Pro Wrestler Signs Development Deal...
CMT has inked a development deal with actor and former WWE superstar Steve Austin, tapping him as host of a new 10-episode series, Redneck Island.
Produced by 51 Minds Entertainment, Redneck Island takes 12 red, white and blue-collared Americans out of the South, far away from cold beer, and drops them in a tropical paradise where they will compete for $100,000. The series will debut in June, paired with a second season of CMT's hit series, My Big Redneck Vacation.
As part of his development deal, Austin will look to produce additional series for CMT with his production company, Broken Skull Ranch Productions.
"I am thrilled to join the CMT family and for the opportunity to work with them on future projects," Austin said. "I'm also excited to work with the great folks at 51 Minds Entertainment on Redneck Island. If there's one thing I know, it's how to keep a bunch of rednecks in line. And that's the bottom line!"
Redneck Island begins with 12 men and women competing as teams in a fight for $100,000 cash. From a remote location, Austin will guide the contestants through a number of hilarious mental and physical challenges designed to celebrate the group's strengths and limitations. At the end of each episode, teammates will send one competitor packing.
One of the most popular pro wrestling superstars of all time, Austin has been reinventing himself since retiring from the ring in 2003. The WWE Hall of Fame inductee hit the big screen in 2010 in Sylvester Stallone's action thriller, The Expendables, co-starring alongside a who's who in action films. He followed that project with the lead role in Damage, one of Fox Home Video's best-selling releases.
In 2011, he starred in The Stranger and Hunt to Kill, both released by Anchor Bay. Austin also served as host for the USA Network's hit reality series, Tough Enough. Future projects include The Package with Dolph Lungdren and Maximum Conviction with Steven Seagal.
WWE® CFO George Barrios to Participate in the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference on May 16th...
STAMFORD, Conn. -- WWE (NYSE:WWE) announced today that its Chief Financial Officer, George A. Barrios, will participate in the 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, on May 16, 2012, in Boston, MA.
Mr. Barrios’ remarks are expected to begin at approximately 4:10 p.m. ET. A live audio webcast will be available online at corporate.wwe.com/investors. Also, a replay of the presentation will begin shortly after the actual presentation time and will be available until August 14, 2012.
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 600 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul and Tokyo.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
If you have additional questions, please contact WWE Investor Relations via e-mail at investor.relations@wwecorp.com.
Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television and pay-per-view programming distribution agreements; the need for continually developing creative and entertaining programming; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent McMahon; the conditions of the markets in which we compete and acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; our exposure to bad debt risk; uncertainties relating to regulatory and litigation matters; risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of our markets; uncertainties associated with international markets; the importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual property rights of others; risks associated with producing and travelling to and from our large live events, both domestically and internationally; the risk of accidents or injuries during our physically demanding events; risks relating to our film business; risks relating to increasing content production for distribution on various platforms, including the potential creation of a WWE Network; risks relating to our computer systems and online operations; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family and the possibility of the sale of their stock by the McMahons or the perception of the possibility of such sales; the relatively small public float of our stock; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends, general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant.
Videogame Classic Space Invaders launched as online slot game...
FremantleMedia Enterprises has signed a two-year agreement with Square Enix to develop the arcade videogame classic Space Invaders as an online slot game.
Launched in 1978, the original Space Invaders game ignited an entertainment medium and founded a gaming generation. The new online slot game will target UK and European players and be available to customers via the OpenBet and GTS platforms later in the year.
Simon Murphy, head of gambling EMEA, said: “The deal with Square Enix further demonstrates our goal to become one of the leading developers and distributors of premium branded gaming content.”
FME’s gambling division has previously licensed, developed and distributed branded games for online, mobile and land-based slots across a number of brands including The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, The Price Is Right and Family Fortunes.
Casino King James Packer really aiming for Echo Entertainment...
Gaming analysts believe billionaire James Packer would consider offloading some of Queensland's casinos if he is successful in acquiring the Echo Entertainment Group.
Greg Fraser, a senior analyst at Fat Prophets, said yesterday that Mr Packer's real goal in his expected takeover tilt for Echo was to snare the scandal-plagued Star Casino in Sydney and merge it into his Crown group.
Apology after monks caught gambling, smoking...
The head of South Korea's largest Buddhist order has made a public apology after video footage was released showing monks gambling, drinking and smoking.
The Jogye order represents most of South Korea's 12 million or so Buddhists.
The head of the order called a news conference to make a personal apology for the latest scandal to hit his organisation.
It has been plagued by vicious internal feuds that at one time used to erupt in mass brawls at the main temple.
Footage shown on national television this week showed a group of eight senior monks and abbots engaged in an all-night, high stakes poker game.
Some were drinking and smoking during the session, which was secretly filmed at a resort hotel where monks had gathered for a memorial service.
Members of the Jogye order's head office have offered to resign en masse.
Luke Evans In Talks To Join Vin Disel and Dwayne Johnson In Fast And Furious 6...
The last Fast franchise movie exceeded financial and critical expectations, and Universal is reteaming with director Justin Lin for the next film in the franchise. Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson and other cast members are set to reprise their roles, and a new addition has now been revealed.
Luke Evans (Immortals, The Three Musketeers) has now entered into negotiations to join the large ensemble cast. According to Variety.com, "plot details are being kept under wraps, but sources say it would involve the crew heading overseas to work on a heist job. Evans would play the leader of another crew trying to pull off the same job." He can next be seen in Peter Jackson's highly anticipated film The Hobbit which hits theaters this December.
The Fast and the Furious franchise follows former police detective Brian Connor and street racer Dominic Toretto as they attempt to evade law enforcement while participating in high stakes races and heists around the country. Dwayne Johnson was the latest addition to the franchise in the role of federal agent Luke Hobbs. Fast and Furious 6 is currently slated for theatrical release on May 24, 2013.
UFC Announces ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K.’...
The Ultimate Fighting Championship's expansion of its biggest sub-brand will continue.
The promotion on Thursday night announced an international edition of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series for this fall. UFC president Dana White tweeted news of the series, and an official release from the UFC followed.
"The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K. – The Smashes" will film later this year, likely in late summer for a fall airing. The series will pit fighters from Australia against fighters from the United Kingdom. "The Smashes" in the title, according to the UFC, is "a play on the 130-year-old cricket rivalry" between Australia and the U.K.
The last international edition of TUF was Season 9 of the original U.S.-based series, which featured fighters from the United States against fighters from the United Kingdom. That season was coached by Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping, one of the most successful UFC fighters to come out of the TUF program – he won Season 3 of the show. The UFC also currently has "The Ultimate Fighter Brazil," which taped earlier this spring and is airing in that country, as well as on TUF.tv on Sunday nights.
Just like with the U.S. version of the reality show, as well as the one in Brazil, the winner or winners will receive a contract with the UFC. Past winners have included future UFC champions like Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans, as well as title contenders and stars like Bisping, Nate Diaz and Ryan Bader. Other alums of the groundbreaking show, which aired in the U.S. for seven years and 14 seasons on Spike TV, and now airs in a new live format Friday nights on FX, include Stephan Bonnar, Josh Koscheck, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Chris Leben, Joe Lauzon, Roy Nelson and Matt Mitrione.
"Australia and the U.K. have a fierce, long-standing rivalry, and where better to settle the score than in the UFC's Octagon?" said Marshall Zelaznik, the UFC's managing director of international development. "The popularity of MMA has exploded in Australia and the U.K., with gyms opening all over the respective countries. There is an athlete in one of those gyms who hasn’t had the chance to show the world what he can do. 'The Ultimate Fighter' is going give to him that opportunity. We’re going to discover the UFC's future stars – you can bet on it."
Coaches for the series have not yet been named, nor has an exact broadcast plan been announced.
Prospective fighters from bantamweight to welterweight – 61-77 kilograms – should visit special sites set up for registration forms, rules and criteria for qualification. Tryouts are planned for June 12 in Sydney, Australia, and June 15 in London. For fighters from Australia, visit au.ufc.com/TUFForm; for fighters in the U.K, visit uk.ufc.com/TUFForm.
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Media Man Agency Blog: SEO, Search Engines, Hunt Machine
Media Man Agency Blog
SEO, Search Engines, Hunt Machine on the web and more; Gonzo news for business
SEO, Search Engines, Hunt Machine on the web and more; Gonzo news for business
SEO or Hunt Machine Optimisation is the process of perfecting the website’s visibility to have applicable quests on hunt machines. More visibility in hunt results makes the point attract the attention of the druggies.
Search Machines similar as Google, Yahoo, Bing use technology to bottleneck on the web on different spots. They collect information about each point and also put them in an indicator. Further, the algorithm analyses the runners in the indicator grounded upon numerous different factors to determine the applicable spots that appear in a hunt result. The ranking factors for seo toronto can be keywords, unique content, applicable length of content, image attributes, etc. Optimizing the point with SEO factors can grease crawling and indexing and help the point rank advanced in hunt results. Unlike paid hunt advertisements, organic rankings on point can’t be achieved on hunt machines. thus, it becomes important to optimize websites to rank advanced in hunt results.
When it comes to Statistics, The first five Google quests on the first runner account for 67.60, while only 0.78 of Google quest click on the alternate runner. 70 of the marketers consider SEO more effective than PPC for generating deals. 51 of shoppers surveyed say they use Google to probe a purchase they plan to make online. These are a many statistics to punctuate the significance of SEO in 2021.
An effective SEO strategy can help the runner rank advanced and reach the right followership and increase website business when it comes to businesses. It can also help in getting transformations. Readout why SEO is important for businesses in 2021.
1. Increases visibility of a website
SEO, when done right, can help businesses increase their visibility on the website. It’s the direct motorist of bettered visibility and prints in the hunt results. Using the right keywords, adding backlinks from high sphere authority websites, optimizing metadata on the point, and participating unique content are among the many factors that can help the point increase visibility. SEO facilitates crawling and indexing, which helps in adding the visibility of a website.
2. Increases website business
Organic hunt is pivotal to a business. Search Machines contribute to a business’s visibility, and SEO can help druggies land to the point. SEO builds an online presence, increases website business, and helps the business to grow. The advanced the website ranks, the further business the business shall admit. The first Google hunt result has a28.5 click- through rate which falls down to2.5 for the tenth hunt result.
3. Enhances stoner trust on website
SEO establishes the authority of content on the hunt machine by admitting parameters like unique content, quality backlinks, advanced runner ranking, and stoner geste, which enhances stoner trust in the website. spots that are listed on the hunt machine are considered believable than the runners that are n’t. Quality SEO helps establish business credibility, gives exposure, and enhances its character.
4. This leads to a better consumer experience of the website.
SEO can help in perfecting the consumer experience and furnishing quality content to the consumers. It makes the content dependable through quality backlinks and the right keywords. SEO helps search machines in relating the right spots that are helpful to the stoner. Website speed is another criterion that plays an important part. A slow website will have a high brio and tends to distort the stoner experience.
5. Search Machines aren’t perfect, and if you do n’t take applicable way, your website will be ranked lower.
Hunt Machines need or, as we call, colorful conditions to identify point applicability. SEO enables the hunt machine to effectively judge its applicability and show the same in the hunt results. The better these conditions are satisfied, the advanced the runner ranks, which can help the business get website business, make credibility, and lead to transformations.
6. High website business would lead to advanced transformations.
Transformations can be appertained to the asked thing the point or business has. That can be enabling deals, subscribing to a service, adding readership, etc. Quality SEO promotes high website business which in turn leads to advanced transformations. High-engaging websites are bound to get a better conversion as they can gather maximum eyeballs.
Conclusion
SEO has come a critical element to the online success of businesses. Businesses who want to make sure of their strong online presence need to invest in SEO.
Pop Culture Flashback
Entertainment news, WWE, Hollywood, Australia, Sin City, Las Vegas, gaming and more...
What an exciting time for entertainment, movies, gaming and wrestling fans. WWE new angles and storylines, plus Main Event hits Australian TV
We've also got Hollywood box office reports, pro wrestling scoops, celebrity news and lots more. The Media Man agency with the latest...
James Bond new documentary...
The highs and lows of the James Bond film franchise have been brought into the spotlight with the release of a new documentary. 'Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007' charts the story behind the movie franchise and has been launched to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the films. Director Steven Riley told Reuters he was pleased the producers let him delve into the story behind the stories. 'I wanted to tell a real truthful history of the franchise, so I had requested that we could tackle some of the tricky areas, some of the hard luck story of Bond and they were thankfully very open about that,' he said. 'There were many obstacles in the way, there were changing times to cope with changing generations, tastes, there were changing relations - well personal struggles and personal relationship failures and really how did the films survive despite those obstacles in the way was something I really wanted to get to the root of.' Riley said. The documentary interviews five of the six official bond actors with the original Bond, Sean Connery, a noticeable absence after turning down interview requests. Former Bond girls mingled with the biggest names in James Bond at the premier screening in London earlier this week. Among the guests were the children of the pioneering producers of the film franchise Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. 'Well you know it's our baby and we feel very very protective over the Bond franchise, it's something our father started over 50 years ago and he had great passion for it and we have just been carrying the flame.' Cubby's daughter Barbara Broccoli told Reuters. 'Everything or Nothing' was released in theatres on Friday October 5, branded 'Global James Bond Day'.
Adele's Bond theme tops iTunes...
Adele's theme for the new Bond film Skyfall has shot to the top of the iTunes chart within hours of its release today. The track is hotly tipped to become the first 007 theme to make it to number one in the official chart when it is announced on Sunday. The song - also called Skyfall is her first new material since her career exploded following the success of second album 21 early last year.
The Rock on: Dwayne Johnson’s new competition series, The Hero; U.S auditions...
Adele's Bond theme tops iTunes...
Adele's theme for the new Bond film Skyfall has shot to the top of the iTunes chart within hours of its release today. The track is hotly tipped to become the first 007 theme to make it to number one in the official chart when it is announced on Sunday. The song - also called Skyfall is her first new material since her career exploded following the success of second album 21 early last year.
The Rock on: Dwayne Johnson’s new competition series, The Hero; U.S auditions...
Arnie admits cheating with Stallone's ex-wife...
Arnold Schwarzenegger had an affair with Brigitte Nielsen shortly before she wed Sylvester Stallone. The philandering actor has revealed he had a steamy fling with the actress - who was once married to his good pal Sylvester - during the early years of his relationship with now ex-wife Maria Shriver. Arnold has confessed to having an affair with the Danish actress while he was dating Maria in his new autobiography, according to US gossip website TMZ. He wrote that he and Brigitte became close while filming 'Red Sonja' together in 1985; the same year she married Sylvester. The 'Terminator' film star's admission comes more than a year after Brigitte originally blew the whistle on their "outrageous affair" in her own memoir 'You Only Get One Life', in which she claimed she didn't know he was living with Maria at the time. Maria is said to be furious with the actor for doing an interview about her reaction to his new book on '60 Minutes' because she did not receive an advance copy of his tell-all and was not contacted by the show to give her own reaction before their interview. He has also reportedly told Maria that she should not expect a share of the profits from his autobiography, 'Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story', even though much of the book is about their relationship. Arnold recently admitted his affair was the "stupidest thing" he ever did in his marriage. He said: "I think it was the stupidest thing I've done in the whole relationship. It was terrible. I inflicted tremendous pain on Maria and unbelievable pain on the kids."
WWE Studios 'The Day' positive movie reviews...
"The Day" hit theaters this week and the positive reviews are in on WWE Studios and Anchor Bay Films' chilling horror film about a day in the lives of a group of people living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Variety by Marc Graser
" 'The Day' is one of the most effective horror movies made in years, successfully delivering a feeling of dread that so many films in the genre lack these days, along with a unique story and captivating characters. Douglas Aarniokoski doesn’t take the easy out in his direction and never relies on camp or amps up the gore quotient to thrill audiences. He’s an impressive filmmaker who is worth keeping an eye on."
HollywoodLife.com by Russ Weakland
"WWE Studios and Anchor Bay Films have always delivered films all over the spectrum and with 'The Day' they continue to entertain us with a story of humanity torn by war, destroying civilizations and most of all life on earth, which makes those that are the survivors realize they must do whatever it takes to stay alive." ...
"So if you want to go out and see a film that will make you think and give you some jumps and chills 'The Day' is your movie. You will not be disappointed!"
The Los Angeles Times by Mark Olsen
"Luke Passmore's screenplay is stingy with his explanations about who these people are or how the world came to be in this state, and that turns out to be one of the film's greatest strengths." ...
"As Mary, the most recent enlistee to the tribe, [Ashley] Bell has a secretive reserve and steely resolve."
The Rock 'foils would-be burglars in London'...
The Rock has apparently foiled an attempted burglary in London.
The actor - also known as Dwayne Johnson - was working on his new movie Fast and Furious 6 in Hackney when he spotted the group of would-be thieves as they attempted to break into vans.
Johnson, who was dressed as an FBI agent for filming, was said to have abandoned a fight scene mid-take in order to confront the group.
"It was so funny. The Rock looked like an action hero because he had his flak jacket on and an FBI badge in his hand," an insider recalled to The Sun. "All of a sudden, there was loads of gunfire and this giant dressed as a copper was about to mow them down. The lads jumped out of their skin and scarpered down the canal path and left the crew in peace.
"It was like the Only Fools [and Horses] 'Batman' sequence - they must have thought they were in the middle of a real-life action movie."
The source also quipped that the crew have suggested that actor - wrestler Johnson should be single-handedly responsible for security on the Fast and Furious 6 set.
The source said: “It was so funny. The Rock looked like an action hero because he had his flak jacket on and an FBI badge in his hand. All of a sudden there was loads of gunfire and this giant dressed as a copper was about to mow them down. The lads jumped out of their skin and scarpered down the canal path and left the crew in peace.
“It was like the Only Fools Batman sequence — they must have thought they were in the middle of a real-life action movie.
“Now the crew are joking that they should drop security and just have The Rock do it.”
Dwayne Johnson wards off burglars...
London - Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson scared off a gang of would-be thieves on the set of his latest film.
The 40-year-old actor spotted a group of youths breaking into a warehouse in Hackney, East London while filming The Fast and the Furious 6 and stormed off the set mid-scene - dressed in full FBI agent costume - to chase the burglars away.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "It was so funny. The Rock looked like an action hero because he had his flak jacket on and an FBI badge in his hand.
Quick thinking
"All of a sudden there was loads of gunfire and this giant dressed as a copper was about to mow them down.
"The lads jumped out of their skin and scarpered down the canal path and left the crew in peace. They must have thought they were in the middle of a real-life action movie.
"Now the crew are joking that they should drop security and just have The Rock do it."
The former wrestler managed to prevent the theft of expensive equipment thanks to his quick thinking and his impressive 6'5" frame.
The Fast and the Furious 6 also stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and singer Rihanna, who is set to play a villain in the popular film franchise.
Box Office results for new WWE movie...
WWE Studios's latest movie, "The Day," drew an estimated $10,100 in its first full weekend in theaters. The movie, which was shown in 12 theaters, ranked 52 out of 54 movies tracked over the weekend, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. (Pro Wrestling Torch) - U.S news report
No Holds Barred star facing prison time...
Tommy "Tiny" Lister, who was back in the spotlight this summer when WWE re-released "No Holds Barred" on DVD, faces up to five years of prison time for alleged mortgage fraud. Lister, who played Zeus in the WWE movie, pled guilty to "conspiring to commit mortgage fraud" in federal court on Friday, according to a TMZ report.
According to the plea agreement, Lister and other individuals conspired to obtain mortgages worth $5.7 million, costing lenders $2.6 million. Lister was also accused of defrauding lenders of another $1.1 million. Lister is due back in court in September for sentencing, which could be up to five years in federal prison.
David Otunga talks WWE and movies...
WWE wrestler David Otunga said in a recent interview that he hopes to eventually advance to the top of the card in WWE. "I am very goal oriented and want to see my character go to the top. I am hoping to have the creative freedom to do that and let it pan out the way I would like. It’s exciting for sure and hopefully in the next few weeks my character continues to grow," Otunga told ChicagoNow.com promoting Monday's Raw.
Otunga also discussed his recent movie role for WWE Studios's "The Hive." Otunga said, "The film was unbelievably fun because it came to me second nature. With the WWE, the acting classes, and the improv I do it was very easy to blend in. The only major difference was me having to shave. I haven’t shaved in many, many years but it had to be done and it helped me get into character."
WWE Interested In Lingerie Football Star...
The WWE NXT website has added a profile for Summer Rae and in that profile they acknowledge her past career with the Lingerie Football League. On a related note, WWE apparently has interest in another LFL star - Zipporah Chase.
NWA documentary news...
Charleston Post & Courier columnist Mike Mooneyham's Sunday column features a review of a new NWA documentary, "History and Tradition: The Story of the National Wrestling Alliance," which focuses heavily on the history and prestige of the NWA World Title. The story also reviews the current state of the NWA, which is being re-organized by R. Bruce Tharpe after buying the rights to the organization. Included are quotes from PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell on the history of and state of the NWA and his view on whether the organization has a place in today's wrestling era.
WWE News: Jericho details WWE's lack of long-term planning & day-of-TV-changes in interview on his 2012 WWE run...
In an interview with the Busted Open satellite radio show, Chris Jericho highlighted WWE's lack of long-term planning and changes on the day of TV tapings, which has been exacerbated by Raw shifting to three hours, in a review of his 2012 WWE run.
Notably, Jericho said he did not find out about his "Contract vs. Contract" send-off match against Dolph Ziggler on the August 20 Raw the night after Summerslam until ten minutes before Raw started.
"I didn’t know until the day I showed up, actually ten minutes before Raw started in Fresno that we were doing this contract vs. contract thing. So, I didn’t even know this was going to happen. I just figured I would have a match with Dolph and that would be the end of it," Jericho said.
"So, people who think that there is some long, drawn-out, plan, it really wasn’t. It was about ten minutes before the show started and I was like 'Oh, we are doing a contract vs contract thing? Oh okay.' So there you go, a little special behind the scenes look."
Jericho also said WWE did not have a plan for his feud with Dolph Ziggler when it started after the Money in the Bank PPV in July. Jericho said he pressed for a back-story to their feud before their strong opening promo.
"I couldn’t wait to work with Dolph but I needed a story. What’s the story? They said, 'we will think of one later.' I said, 'I don’t like that.' I need to think of one now since I have a promo tonight with Dolph. We can't think about this next week," Jericho said.
Jericho added, "That’s when I came up with the concept of everyone was bitching that Jericho never won a match on PPV... I thought it would be real interesting to go with the 'you can’t win the big one' scenario. But sometimes the writers will write 'this old broken down guy who is on the last legs of his career.' I’m like, 'Wait a second, broken down? I’m in the best shape of my life, never been hurt, I’ve never missed a match...' I wanted to focus on the storyline of 'he can’t win the big one.' It gave us a great place to go."
Jericho has said in recent interviews that he wasn't supposed to feud with Ziggler in his send-off program culminating at Summerslam. Jericho expanded on his reaction to being told he wouldn't be feuding with the other candidates, Sheamus and Daniel Bryan.
"Originally I was supposed to feud with Sheamus, and then it was Daniel Bryan. Then the day of Raw, they said I was doing something with Dolph. I was like, 'What happened to Daniel Bryan and Sheamus?' They said it changed and I was fine with it. I’ve been doing this long enough that I roll with the punches," Jericho said.
Regarding future stars on the roster replacing the old guard, Jericho talked about the uphill battle that wrestlers like Ziggler and Miz have in front of them not being having well-rounded wrestling experience outside of WWE. Jericho said, "When that light bulb comes on and they already have ninety percent, but that last ten percent is what makes you a great performer; some guys never figure out that last ten percent and when the guys do, that’s when they become guys you can base companies around and put in main events."
Specifically on whether Ziggler can be a future main-eventer, Jericho said, "Dolph is one of the best guys on the roster, but he is still learning as are a lot of the other guys. People say, 'Oh, Damien Sandow is the next guy or Kofi.' These guys are still learning. In time, I think these guys will be amazing, amazing performers. But, right now they are still on their way up the learning tree. So, yes, I think Dolph is going to be an amazing performer. Yes, I think the Miz is going to be a great performer. Lots of guys are getting into that zone, but they are still learning... It’s a different world out there right now than the way it used to be. There is a lot of great, great performers or potential great performers that are on the way to getting there."
[ FYI: Busted Open with Dave Lagreca and Doug Mortman can be heard from 2:00 to 4:00 EST on Sirius 94, XM 208, and Sportszone 860 on the Internet ] (Pro Wrestling Torch)
Ric Flair Comments On 'Hangover 3' Campaign And His Daughter Working For WWE NXT...
We noted before that fans online are trying to get WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair a cameo appearance in The Hangover 3 movie. Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald spoke with Flair this weekend about the campaign and The Nature Boy is perfectly fine with it.
"Oh man, I love my fans. So cool they started this whole campaign. I could play anything, as long as I'm not the guy getting married."
Flair also says he's proud of his daughter Ashley, who is currently working as Charlotte in WWE NXT. Flair said:
"It's my hope that people see that her accomplishments aren't a result of me. She's worked extremely hard for this. It's a very physically and mentally demanding business, and I really just couldn't be more proud."
You can check out the full article by clicking here.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/01/2980014/hangover-suits-wwe-hall-of-famer.html
Ric Flair going through fourth divorce, waiting for WWE call up...
Details are scarce at the moment, but Dave Meltzer, in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter, reported that Ric Flair is currently going through a divorce, his fourth one, with his current wife, Jacqueline Beems. Apparently, Flair is the one who filed for divorce and cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their break up.
The news is unsurprising as less than two months ago Flair was assaulted by Beems at his home, according to a local police report. This wasn't the first such incident during their marriage together, as Beems was arrested for simple assault on February 21st, 2010 after getting into a fight with Flair upon their return to their residence after a night out. They managed to patch things up after that highly publicised and embarrassing affair, but obviously the second fight that required police intervention was the straw that broke the camel's back.
The cause of their second fight together never came out publicly. But Ric Flair still living The Nature Boy lifestyle and their money problems worsening, what with Flair losing his job with TNA, were all likely at least partly to blame. Ric's adultery was at the heart of his divorce with second wife, Beth; while third wife, Tiffany VanDemark, quickly "had enough" of his inability to retire gracefully and lead a more normal lifestyle with her.
Expect a fifth marriage in the not too distant future for Flair, as he obviously has a psychological need to be in a serious relationship at all times, even though he clearly finds it difficult to fully commit to a partner and amend his behaviour to ensure that a marriage lasts the test of time.
Meltzer also had the latest on his status with WWE:
There was talk surfacing of Flair replacing [Vickie] Guerrero with [Dolph] Ziggler but I don't know how serious that is. Plus, even though Flair can legally start with WWE on 9/10, WWE has yet to sign anyone from TNA since the lawsuit was filed.
This may explain why Ziggler is currently in a holding pattern of putting over the likes of Randy Orton and Sheamus on a seemingly weekly basis. WWE may not want to pull the trigger on him cashing in the Money In The Bank briefcase and winning the World Heavyweight Championship until TNA's lawsuit against them for contract tampering has been dealt with and Flair can return to WWE as his manager.
I have mixed feelings on Flair becoming Ziggler's new manager. Though it should help Ziggler to be taken more seriously, there is the risk that he will be overshadowed by Flair and make it more difficult for him to get heel heat. At least being managed by Vickie ensures plenty of boos. Personally, I think Flair would be much better utilised in an onscreen figurehead role - what do you think Cagesiders? (Cageside Seats)
Joss Whedon: 'The Avengers isn't a perfect movie'...
Joss Whedon has claimed that The Avengers isn't "a great movie".
The film has met with critical acclaim and outstanding commercial success, becoming the third highest-grossing film of all time in just a few months, but Whedon, the superhero blockbuster's writer and director, is determined to keep his feet on the ground.
In an interview with Vulture, the 48-year-old claimed that the box office numbers became, ultimately, "meaningless".
He said: "They're large, and you can't really count that high."
Describing what his goals were with The Avengers, he claimed: "I felt like I had a particular mission in making what I felt was a slightly old-fashioned movie, because I grew up wanting to make summer movies and wanting to make superhero movies, and I got to do both at once.
"I felt like summer movies haven't been what I remember them to be, so I felt like I would love to evoke something that's less hip and ironic and more heartfelt and character-driven, and apparently, other people cared about that in a large way."
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly creator then conceded: "I don't think it's a perfect movie. I don't even think it's a great movie. I think it's a great time, and I'm proud of it, but for me, what was exciting is that people don't go to see a movie that many times unless it's pulling on something from within, unless there's a need there. That's very gratifying."
The film is set to increase its box office even further this weekend, after being re-released in the US to take advantage of the Labour Day holiday.
Whedon will oversee a Marvel-produced SHIELD television show for ABC, before starting work on the Avengers sequel, due for a summer 2015 release.
The Avengers Crosses $1.5 Billion At Worldwide Box Office...
While the re-release of The Avengers at the U.S. box office might have failed to break into the top ten Labor Day weekend movies, it did help The Avengers reach another major milestone. The Avengers has become the third movie in history to cross the $1.5 billion mark at the worldwide box office.
While retaining its number three position on the worldwide box office list, The Avengers took in another estimated $1.7 million over Labor Day weekend, which brought The Avengers U.S. box office total to $619.5 million and The Avengers worldwide box office total to $1.501 billion.
Interestingly enough, The Dark Knight Rises also reached a milestone today, surpassing $1 billion at the worldwide box office, which means that combined The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises have accounted for $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office this year. If you add in The Amazing Spider-Man, which currently sits at number four on the 2012 worldwide box office list with $734.9 million, then the total rises to $3.2 billion. It’s definitely a good time to be in the superhero movie making business.
Jim Carrey joins Kick-Ass 2 cast...
Jim Carrey has been offered the role of Colonel Stars in Jeff Wadlow's superhero comedy, director Jeff Wadlow has strongly hinted.
Director Jeff Wadlow and creator Mark Millar have hinted that the 50-year-old funnyman has landed the coveted role of Colonel Stars in the sequel to 2010's wacky superhero comedy.
Jeff tweeted: "6 days till we start shooting... and we officially have our Colonel. Alrighty f'n then! @ChloeGMoretz @MintzPlasse @donald_faison #kickass2. (sic)"
After Christopher Mintz-Plasse replied asking who his new co-star was going to be, the original comic book's author Mark replied: "Clue - he lives with 200 raccoons and parrots, owns the mask of Loki and named by spielberg as a genius. (sic)"
During Jim's 1994 film 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective', which sees him play the titular character, his alter-ego is a private investigator who specialises in the retrieval of captive animals.
'The Mask' star Jim is reportedly a big fan of the original 'Kick-Ass' film by Matthew Vaughn and was being courted to play the born again Christian superhero, who assembles a motley crew of superheroes to help fight evil.
The sequel will see several new additions to the cast, including 'Scrubs' actor Donald Faison as Doctor Gravity and John Leguizamo as Red Mist's bodyguard, Javier.
The comedy will begin shooting this Friday (07.08.12) and sees Aaron Johnson returning as the lead Kick-Ass, while co-stars Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz and Nicolas Cage are also reprising their roles from the first film.
'Kick-Ass 2' is set for release in June 2013.
Aussie actors Crowe and Jackman at war...
Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman are at war!
According to various news reports, the actors having been fighting like catty tween girls while shooting the new Les Miserables movie.
“They refuse to be in the same room – trying to get them to promote a film together is a nightmare,” a source tells Star magazine.
“They’ve known each other for a decade, but during this shoot, any shred of civility was thrown aside. They can’t stand each other, each calling the other an embarrassment to the profession.
“Russell sneers at Hugh’s musical-theater background. But Hugh says Russell embarrassed his country with his bad reputation in Hollywood.”
Costar Anne Hathaway has tried to mend fences, but the actors won’t budge.
“Producers hope she can convince them to come to a truce, but it’s not looking very promising,” said the source.
Idea of the moment: Crowe VS Jackman at WWE WrestleMania (Jackman is a known massive WWE fan and has participated in a physical WWE angle in the past, so here's hoping).
Howzat: Kerry Packer's war on cricket may be missing Dennis Lillee...
Many in media and sports circles are now buzzing that the true founding father of one-day cricket was not Kerry Packer but Dennis Lillee - yet the TV smash Howzat! whitewashes him from history, one of the original World Series directors has revealed.
In an rocket on Channel 9's ratings blockbuster, World Series Cricket director Austin Robertson - who also featured as a character in the mini-series - said Australians should thank Lillee for creating the one-day game.
In response, the show's producers launched a broadside of their own, claiming they asked Lillee to contribute but the bowling superstar refused to because he wouldn't get any money.
Mr Robertson, who worked closely with the former Nine king and the rebel team, also defended "the Big Fella" and said he was not the bully he was portrayed to be. Nor was the late batting star David Hookes the simpering and indecisive vacillator depicted in the show.
Mr Robertson said Howzat! was great entertainment and brilliantly produced but riddled with inaccuracies.
"The producers made a nonsense of the way they treated the man really responsible for the whole thing - Dennis Lillee," he said.
"Dennis was visible enough but he is not given the acknowledgement for having the idea in the first place, and his contribution in putting the entire thing together. Other people have put their hands up for having the brainchild of WSC but I am here to say that, without Lillee, it would never have happened at the time.
"Though Packer was determined to get the precious television rights, they would never have been delivered at that time without having the best fast bowler in the world in his corner.
"Curiously, the producers of the show, in the curtain-call of the program, in the segment 'Where are the main players today,' DKL was again overlooked.
"I had to ask myself, why did they do that? It was Lillee who delivered the players and, while it was great to be playing on the Packer team, without Lillee it would have never got off the ground."
Southern Star producer John Edwards, who made the show, hit back at Mr Robertson. He said Lillee boycotted the show and "shut down" Mr Robertson after learning no money was on offer.: "He (Robertson) was invited. There's nothing more to say really. He was mad keen on being involved and Dennis got to him and he was shut down. Dennis wanted money.
"We tried to speak to everybody and not everybody wanted to speak. Some people had grievances and grudges.
"(Writer) Chris Lee tried to involve them as much as as possible in the story and they chose not to be involved."
Mr Robertson confirmed he and Lillee had been approached but declined to take part. He declined to comment further or say whether money was an issue.
Lillee could not be reached but he has consistently refused to comment on Howzat!.
Mr Robertson praised Mr Packer and revealed the media tycoon was not as aggressive as the show portrayed: "The portrayal of Kerry as a constant bully and user of foul language is far from the truth. He could bully. I saw him on many occasions rise up like an out-of-control bull elephant and reduce a grown man to tears. I heard him swear like a storm trooper when out of control. But I never saw him chuck a plate of food.
"I thought Kerry was in the main a humble man, often revealing great compassion, a gentle giant who would talk issues out for hours before making a decision, and then following it through.
"The mini-series gave everybody the impression he was a loud, foul- mouthed bully and we saw precious little of his other side."
Channel 9 declined to comment however sources at the network said they felt the show was spot on in capturing Mr Packer.
Mr Robertson also rejected Howzat!'s portrayal of friend David Hookes, who died after an altercation with a bouncer in Melbourne in 2004.
"David was not a weak, indecisive and nervous character who 'spilled the beans' to The Age's Peter McFarline."
And as for his own portrayal Mr Robertson said: "From birth, and throughout the many years I have enjoyed on the earth I have never had a moustache."
Prince Harry; casino tycoon Steve Wynn and fun and games in Las Vegas and beyond...
As the UK's Daily Mail states it's a rare man who walks away from Las Vegas with nothing to regret.
Prince Harry counts the cost of his escapades in Sin City, he may just be coming to regret the day he ever made the acquaintance of casino tycoon Steve Wynn.
Wynn, the self-proclaimed King of Las Vegas, is the billionaire owner of the five-star Encore Wynn resort, the opulent hotel-casino in whose eight-room, £5,100-a-night suite the prince was photographed playing strip billiards.
Unsubstantiated reports this week have suggested that cocaine was snorted in the suite, and that a known prostitute was among the guests. There are even rumours of a video tape capturing the night's events. So how did the third-in-line to the throne come to meet – even befriend – a septuagenarian gambling mogul?
Steve Wynn, a flamboyant showman with a surgically-enhanced, wrinkle-free face, carefully coiffed hair, a volcanic temper and a trophy wife, is famous for befriending celebrities whose patronage would be good for business.
Last November, 70-year-old Wynn was spotted having dinner with the prince in one of his Vegas steakhouses while the Prince was enjoying a weekend break from an advanced helicopter training course in Arizona.
Waiving the bills of celebrities is common practice in Vegas, and it remains unclear who paid the estimated £30,000 bill for Harry's recent stay. According to Wynn's spokesman, the tab was not picked up by either the tycoon or his hotel.
Is the prince welcome to return? I can't see why not,' the spokesman said.
Wynn is unlikely to be perturbed by Harry's naked shenanigans, but if drugs do turn out to have been involved, he may swiftly seek to distance himself from the events. He may be Las Vegas's most revered casino owner, but he still has his gambling licence and his reputation to think about. It is a reputation that Wynn is eager to protect. He has worked hard to erase the stains of the past.
Today, he is widely credited as the man who single-handedly cleaned up' Vegas and made it into a place in which Wall Street could invest and young families could holiday (if parents don't mind their children collecting the prostitutes' calling cards which litter the pavement).
Yet for all his denials, Wynn, who is worth $2.5 billion, has never shaken off accusations that he was linked for many years to the mobsters who once ruled Las Vegas.
He has weathered successive U.S. investigations over everything from drug-dealing to money-laundering, and has never been found to have committed any wrong-doing.
In Britain, the authorities have proved harder to convince. When he tried to open a casino in London to exploit the influx of rich Arabs in the early Eighties, Scotland Yard denied him a licence. But in the desert city of Las Vegas, he remains a swaggering icon. He has a reputation for being sophisticated' but that's by Vegas standards.
This is a man who bought Impressionist masterpieces only to hang them on the walls of his casinos; who reputedly blew his finger off while playing with a gun given to him by a former Mob hitman, and who boasts that his wife Andrea has the greatest butt in the world'.
Money is no object. In 2005, Wynn sank $2.7 billion into building just one hotel the curved glass and steel Wynn Las Vegas. He then did the same again a few years later with the Encore.
So enamoured is he with the idea of himself as Sin City royalty that he arranged his wedding last year to coincide with that of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Hollywood star Clint Eastwood was best man and lingerie model Caprice a bridesmaid. The reception, held in the ballroom of Wynn's Encore resort, boasted a 500-strong guest list which included Sylvester Stallone, Steven Spielberg, Lionel Richie, Sir Philip Green and Celine Dion.
Each guest left with a five-inch high replica of the tiered wedding cake, but it's unlikely Wynn or his rake-thin new wife enjoyed much of the banquet. Both are vegans, and the youth-obsessed Wynn, who exists on a diet of vitamin pills, liquidised walnuts and the occasional indulgent dribble of olive oil, boasts that he still has a 32in waistline.
After years of hard graft and wheeler-dealing, he has earned the right to behave as he wishes. The son of an East Coast bingo parlour operator and hardened gambler, the brash and handsome Wynn Jnr expanded the family business to Las Vegas with a string of clever investments and ambitious hustling.
In the Seventies and Eighties, when Wynn was building his empire, Las Vegas was full of the mobsters who had originally built its gambling industry.
Some say it was impossible to work in the city and not come into contact with mafiosi, even unwittingly. Others have suggested that, even so, Wynn had an unusually large number of brushes with the Mob.
Wynn himself has vigorously denied any involvement with the Mob, and none of the numerous law enforcement investigations for gambling licences have ever concluded that he worked for or with organised crime.
In 1967, he was with some business associates of noted mobsters on a private yacht cruise on a lake in Nevada when a naked young woman somehow fell over the back of the boat and was chopped almost in half by the propeller blades. Her death prompted an investigation, but everyone on board denied having seen the incident.
And he had trouble with officials in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1986 after investigators discovered mobster Tony Castelbuono, a friend of Wynn, was laundering the profits of heroin trafficking at his gambling tables. Wynn almost lost his gambling licence.
Today, such tales of the Mob are just water under the bridge. Wynn has re-invented himself as the business genius who demolished seedy gambling joints along the Vegas Strip and replaced them with slick hotel-casinos such as the Mirage (the city's first 3,000-bed hotel), the Treasure Island and the Bellagio.
Part of his success has been his ability to turn on the charm with important people. But Wynn is notorious, too, for his temper. In 1991, he reached an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum with the former president of Wynn's Golden Nugget casino, who described Wynn as a womanising, brutal boss.
In allegations made in documents lodged at court, it was said that he would get so angry that his eyes bulged and he started screaming at the top of his lungs and banging his head on the table'. There was no admission of liability by Wynn, who denied the allegations.
His mother Zelma claims his tyrannical behaviour is the result of frustration over his failing eyesight. The tycoon suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive genetic disease which effectively gives him tunnel vision by destroying his ability to see peripheral images. In a dark room, he is completely blind.
His vision may be failing, but for years he was infamous for his roving eye, keeping keys to empty rooms at his various hotels for trysts. He was known to favour his female blackjack croupiers.
All that came to a stop when he met the beautiful Mrs Wynn. Usually described as a British socialite, 48-year-old Andrea was, in fact, born in New York but, as her proud husband likes to stress, was raised in England and France. Tres sophistique.
It all sounds rather less chic when you learn that the family moved to France because her father, a wheeler-dealer named Victor Danenza, fled there in 1976 to escape an FBI fraud investigation.
Before becoming the second Mrs Wynn, Andrea had lived in London with her first husband, Texan banker Robert Hissom, a former polo-playing friend of Prince Charles.
She met Wynn in 2008 in St Tropez, where he keeps a yacht, and the couple began a very public romance. Wynn divorced his long-suffering first wife Elaine, after 46 years of marriage, and wed Andrea last year.
Elaine made around $740 million from the settlement one of the biggest payouts in U.S. divorce history. The costly divorce appears not to have troubled Mr Wynn, who is delighted with his new wife.
It's like God made a woman for me,' he once said, before pointing out the part of his wife he most admired the greatest butt in the world'.
It all goes to show that money can buy you neither taste nor manners. Even Wynn's attempts to acquire a collection of old masterpieces have invited accusastions that he was vulgar and greedily acquisitive.
He has, since the late Nineties, spent hundreds of millions of dollars on paintings by Picasso and Degas, Caravaggio and Titian. He has several times scooped the world's great galleries at auction, only to horrify the art world by hanging his purchases in his casinos.
At 70, he shows no sign of slowing down though controversy continues to dog him. He is embroiled in a three-year court battle with Joe Francis, founder of the soft porn video empire Girls Gone Wild.
In documents lodged at court, Francis claims Wynn threatened in an email that he would kill him over a $2 million gambling debt. Wynn is alleged to have written that he would hit Francis in the back of the head with a shovel'.
Wynn denies the allegations and claims no such email exists.
In Asia, where Wynn now earns 70 per cent of his profits from the gambling mecca of Macau, a resort on the South China Sea, he is embroiled in a battle with a former business partner, Kazuo Okada.
This week, Okada sued Wynn for $140 millino for libel after each accused the other of paying bribes within the Asian gambling industry. No amount of black marble and old masters can hide the sleaziness at the heart of Las Vegas.
It is hard to believe Wynn when he claims he could just as easily have gone into family theme parks if Walt Disney hadn't done it first. Indeed, it seems about as likely as Prince Harry settling for free entry to Sleeping Beauty's Castle rather than a weekend with his colourful acquaintances in Sin City.
One ponders if the prince may be planning to visit in any casino - hotels in the near future, and little doubt that Australia's The Star or Crown Melbourne would love to have him. The smart money say's Prince Harry will no be stepping into any casino in Australia or anywhere else in the near future, perhaps more positive PR appearances will be on the cards however.
The Top 10 best MMA fights of the rest of 2012...
There are plenty of exciting fights to look forward to before 2013. Here’s a look at our top 10 (barring injuries):
10. Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le (UFC on Fuel TV 6, Nov. 10 in Macau)
This one isn’t as much about the fight as it is about the significance of the event – the UFC’s first in China. Neither of these guys is currently in their prime, but they always give crowd-pleasing performances. Le, a native of Vietnam, should have a massive Asian following.
9. Eddie Alvarez vs. Patricky Freire (Bellator 76, Oct. 12 in Windsor, Ontario)
Alvarez might have dropped the Bellator title last year to Michael Chandler, but he’s still one of the top 15 lightweights in the world. This also could be his last Bellator fight with his contract expiring – don’t be surprised if he’s in the UFC in 2013. Explosive knockout artist Freire will be a game opponent.
8. Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson, UFC flyweight title (UFC 152, Sept. 22 in Toronto)
Don’t blink. These are two of the fastest guys in MMA and both challenged for the bantamweight title before the UFC created its flyweight division. This bout will determine the company’s first-ever flyweight champion and these are legitimately the top two guys in the world at 125.
7. Shane Carwin vs. Roy Nelson (TUF 16 finale, Dec. 15 in Las Vegas)
There’s very little chance this one leaves the first round. Carwin and Nelson love to slug it out and after coaching against one another on “The Ultimate Fighter” they probably won’t be too friendly. It’ll be nice to see Carwin, a former heavyweight top contender, back in the cage.
6. Daniel Cormier vs. Frank Mir (Strikeforce: Mir vs. Cormier, Oct. 27 in TBA)
This might be a Strikeforce fight, but it has UFC implications. Mir, the former UFC heavyweight champion, takes on Strikeforce champ Cormier in somewhat of a crossover matchup. But Cormier will be in the UFC right after this fight courtesy of Strikeforce's heavyweight division being disbanded and a win here puts him on path for a title shot in 2013.
5. BJ Penn vs. Rory MacDonald (UFC on Fox 5, Dec. 8 in Seattle)
The trash talk has already been fun between the two, but things will really heat up when they enter the Octagon. Think of this as something of a passing of the torch fight. Penn, in the twilight of his career, will put up a strong challenge against the young lion, but the multi-faceted MacDonald is nearing superstardom in the welterweight division.
4. Benson Henderson (c) vs. Nate Diaz, UFC lightweight title (UFC on Fox 5, Dec. 8 in Seattle)
This could easily be a Fight of the Year candidate if it goes how it’s supposed to. Neither of these guys gives an inch – both Henderson and Diaz are perpetually moving forward. A win here, against a superior standup fighter in Diaz, would put Henderson’s name among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
3. Jose Aldo (c) vs. Frankie Edgar, UFC featherweight title (UFC 153, Oct. 13 in Rio)
Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Aldo was supposed to defend his title against Erik Koch, but Koch had to pull out with an injury and his loss is the fans’ gain. Edgar was the UFC lightweight champion for more than a year and his last two losses were by the slimmest of margins. Aldo, meanwhile, is a buzzsaw – one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. This is, indeed, a superfight.
2. Georges St. Pierre (c) vs. Carlos Condit, UFC welterweight unification (UFC 154, Nov. 17 in Montreal)
It seems like it’s been forever since St. Pierre has fought. One of the best MMA fighters of all time has not competed in more than a year and a half due to injuries, including a torn ACL. He returns to face red-hot Carlos Condit, who is coming off a win over Nick Diaz in January. St. Pierre, a dominant champ, has never faced anyone with the combination of speed, athleticism and technique that Condit has.
1. Junior dos Santos (c) vs. Cain Velasquez, UFC heavyweight title (UFC 155, Dec. 29 in Las Vegas)
This time, we’ll get the incredible battle of wills that we were promised last year. Velasquez lost his title to dos Santos last November in just over a minute via stunning knockout. To make matters worse, it was the UFC’s first show on Fox and the company took undeserved criticism for the quick, flash KO.
Who knew that dos Santos-Velasquez wouldn’t be a war? This one will make up for it, closing the year on a huge high note – the two best heavyweights in the world trading in the center of the cage. Only one will be standing at the end. (New York Post)
Entertainment, Gaming, Casino and Hollywood News Report: Marvel Entertainment, WWE, Movies, James Bond...
Sony Pictures May Emulate Marvel’s Strategy and Tie ‘Venom’ to ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and Other Films...
Some people including some studio executives scoffed as Marvel Studios began to build a franchise of films that would lead up to The Avengers. The team movie was ambitious, and the result of so much planning that it was easy to suspect may fail. We know now, of course, that The Avengers did anything but fail — it is one of the most financially successful films ever released - currently around 3rd most successful of all time.
That means other studios are now willing to consider emulating Marvel’s strategy. Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment haven’t laid the groundwork for a team film in the same fashion Marvel did, but they’re attempting it with Justice League anyway.
And Sony has the rights to some Marvel characters, notably the Spider-Man and Ghost Rider families. And it seems like the character spin-off Venom, which Chronicle director Josh Trank may make, could be designed to fit in with the new wave of Spider-Man movies that begins with The Amazing Spider-Man. Question is… to build up to what?
Hollywood.com talked to The Amazing Spider-Man producers Avi Arad and Matthew Tolmach, who said Venom is being developed with connectivity in mind.
What I’m trying to say to you without giving anything away is hopefully all these worlds will live together in peace someday…Look for the worlds to make sense with one another.
Avi Arad explained what they’re trying to do with Venom, in basic terms:
It’s an Eddie Brock story. We want to be as close to the comics as possible. Especially in Eddie Brock’s story. But again, pseudo-sceince is becoming science. All these tidbits about webs, artificial webs, is a huge industry now. Spiderwebs have unique qualities that will be huge for communications, fibers, and so forth. So we have taken the approach that we want to make the huge amazing movie about Eddie.
The Brock character was played in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 by Topher Grace, but this will be a new take, presumably with a new actor. Brock will be “a journalist. He had the wrong story, he got in trouble for it, he got fired,” explains Tolmach.
Making the films play nice together makes sense, but now the question will be: can we expect a Ghost Rider reboot that places that character in the same universe? In general, is it reasonable to expect that any Marvel characters held by Sony will get films that are connected in at least some vague way? Sony can’t quite make The Avengers, but it could build up to something like the old Marvel Team-Up comic series.
Spiderman comes to South Korea...
A new face of Spider-man came to Seoul on Thursday (June 14) to premiere Parker's untold story, the latest saga of the Spider-Man franchise.
One of this summer's most eagerly awaited blockbusters, "The Amazing Spider-Man" delves into the origins of teenager Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, and tells of the superhero that the 17-year-old eventually becomes.
The new spider-man, Andrew Garfield, appeared on a news conference stage with a smile, but he was more than serious when he spoke about the new saga of the Spiderman series.
"There is such a long legacy to honour, and to do justice to, and I think our intention was to start from there, and make sure we were doing justice to these timeless mythical characters that Stanley created," said Garfield at the news conference.
Spider-man's latest instalment reboots the modern movie franchise that began with 2002's "Spider-Man", starring Tobey Maguire as the comic book crime fighter.
Over three films, the franchise amassed around 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in ticket sales, and for the fourth movie, its creators decided to take a fresh look at the series, bring in a new director and hire 28-year-old Garfield to replace Maguire, 36.
Talented actor Garfiled advised wearing a Spiderman suit and mask wasn't very easy, but it was also his dream come true.
"No one wants to wear spandex, but Peter has to for many reasons, so yeah, it was a challenge, but of course wearing the suit itself was a dream of mine since I was three years old, so being able to put it on every day," said Garfield.
Emma Stone, 23, who has been linked romantically with Garfield off-screen, portrays Parker's first love interest, Gwen Stacy, in the flick.
She said Gwen is different from Mary Jane Watson from the previous series.
"She's involved in helping Peter save the day as Spiderman of course, and so there are a lot of differences there, she doesn't sit idly by and she doesn't let him being a superhero stop the relationship from continuing or complain about it, she becomes a partner," said Emma Stone.
The movie director Marc Webb, well known in the country for his romantic comedy movie "500 Days of Summer," said the characters and romance made the blockbuster actions more appealing.
"You'll believe in that action more, you'll experience it in a more profound way if you care about the characters, and I think the only way I know how to create that empathy is through finding relatable characters and finding those little tiny moments between, whether it's between Peter and his aunt or uncle, or between Peter and Gwen, obviously romance interests me in cinema," said the film director Marc Webb.
About a thousand of fans gathered to see the new Spiderman and his girlfriend on a red carpet, and a fan couldn't hide his excitement for seeing the hero in person.
"I'd never imagined to actually meeting him like this, so I'm so honoured to see him in person. I got an autograph signed by Andrew Garfield himself.
I love him!!" said South Korean fan Lee Kyung-hoon.
South Korea's popular girl group '2EN1' was also attending the red carpet event to promote the movie.
"The Amazing Spider-Man" opens on June 28 in Seoul.
No official word yet on when the new movie will hit Australian big screens, but it should be around the same time as Korea.
Comics film gives legend respect...
Many people put Marvel creator Stan Lee in the same ranks as Walt Disney and Jim Henson. This is exactly the reason William Lawrence Hess and Nikki Frakes decided to make a documentary about the comic book legend.
“When I met Stan, I began to realize how big the things he created and stories he told were,” Hess says during a recent phone interview. “I’m into history and with Stan, there’s a rich history in what he’s done. You can tell he’s one of the 20th-century creators that people look up to.”
The duo’s result was the documentary “With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story.” The film will screen at 9 tonight at the KiMo Theatre, 420 W. Central.
Lee will introduce the film and then sign autographs during the Albuquerque Comic Expo, which runs today through Sunday at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The documentary took nearly four years to complete. Hess says production began at Comic Con in San Diego in July 2006.
“We shot about 40 hours of footage right before that,” he explains. “When the project was over, we had 480 hours of footage that we managed to fit into an hour and a half documentary.”
Hess says the editing was tiring, but what softened the blow of cutting so much content out was the ability to make bonus footage.
“Nikki worked really close with the editor in carving it down,” he says. “It was a big process to go through, but it worked out in our favor.”
Frakes says it was important to show the man behind the mask.
“He invited us into his house and we got to see what he’s like with his wife,” she says. “It was important that we captured that and tell the story of how he came to be this icon in the comic industry.”
The duo led a team that searched archives and interviewed people associated with Lee. One of the prized interviews was with “Captain America” co-creator Joe Simon, who died in December 2011.
“Joe was basically Stan’s boss six decades ago,” he says. “We wanted to get inside the inner workings of the comic book industry. There were plenty of heavy hitters that came along in the ’40s. This was a huge interview for us.”
Yet for both filmmakers, comics weren’t the first thing they read. Frakes didn’t read them, but says when she learned more about Lee’s story, she wanted to help tell it.
“A lot of people think that he’s an overnight success,” she says. “He’s overcome a lot in his life and managed to become this cultural icon. He’s worked hard to get to his status.”
Hess, who grew up in New Orleans, was introduced to “X-Men” comics and later the Saturday morning comics that Lee participated in.
“I can still hear him saying ‘Stay Tuned Because We’ll be Knee Deep in Danger’ before the commercial break,” he says. “I appreciate that he’s been able to make an impact like that on me.”
'Black Panther' movie rumour: Marvel Studios...
Entertainment Weekly’s inside sources at Marvel Studios advise the news report is no true, however studio representatives declined to comment on the hot rumour.
A news report from the movie website Latino Review by writer El Mayimbe stated Marvel Studios has committed to making one of its next projects a picture based on Black Panther, the leader of the fictional African nation and the character widely regarded as the first major black superhero.
Marvel Studios and its parent company Disney did not immediately comment on the rumor, which has circulated far and wide, causing a buz among comic book movie fans. But now inside sources at Marvel have told EW that it’s simply not true that Black Panther will be one of their next films.
Black Panther is not just a cool codename, it’s the title bestowed on the Wakandan king. In the comics, T’Challa, a Wakandan prince and warrior, passed the trials necessary to ascend to his nation’s throne, thus earning the mantle of Black Panther. Coincidentally, he also fell in love with Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. the weather-controlling Storm from X-Men, during his journeys, but don’t expect her to show up in any Marvel Studios film about him. She remains a part of X-Men mythology still owned by 20th Century Fox.
Black Panther first appeared in a 1966 issue of Fantastic Four, and the name only coincidentally mirrors that of the militant civil rights political party, created that same year. (He also fought as part of The Avengers, which could factor into any sequel for that blockbuster.)
If the look of the character recalls DC Comics’ Batman, the two characters actually have similarities beyond the costume. T’Challa’s superhuman powers are his acute senses of perception and strength, but he is also a brilliant scientist, and as heir to the throne of Wakanda he is every bit as wealthy as Bruce Wayne.
Wakanda was the site of an ancient meteor crash which scattered the element vibranium throughout the land. That fictional element, of course, is one of the rarest and strongest minerals on earth, and is used in the creation of Captain America’s shield. Black Panther’s prime nemesis is Ulysses Klaw, a physicist who murders T’Challa’s father to gain access to the precious vibranium deposits, which he uses to craft a weapon that can create solid objects out of sound waves.
Being the first mainstream black superhero, there were also political elements to Black Panther’s story. In the mid-1970s, comic book story arcs sent him to the American South, where he clashed with the Ku Klux Klan. Black Panther also ventured into an Apartheid-ruled South Africa depicted in the guise of a Marvel nation called Rudyarda.
The Black Panther script was revealed last January, with documentarian Mark Bailey (The Fence, Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, and Pandemic: Facing AIDS) crafting the story — an unusual choice, but not if Marvel would like to add a dose of social commentary to the action hero’s story.
If Latino Review’s report proves to be true, the next big questions are who would star and who would direct.
In breaking the scoop, Mayimbe proposed Nate Parker, who got high marks from critics for Red Tails (even if the movie itself did not) and garnered lots of praise at Sundance for a powerful turn opposite Richard Gere in the Wall Street thriller Arbitrage.
Parker’s a solid choice, but The Wire‘s Idris Elba would also supply endless intensity for the character. Chiwetel Ejiofor has the kick-ass-professor vibe down, and Anthony Mackie, although a little slim physically, could build some muscle for the role. If we’re talking pure star power and charisma, Jamie Foxx could be a good choice, and will be riding high after Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained debuts this year.
Marvel Entertainment movie fans.. if the rumour turns out to be true it sure will be excelsior!
Pro Wrestling News...
The debut of Steve Austin’s Redneck Island on CMT (in the U.S) this past Saturday scored a 0.42 rating with 665,000 viewers. It was the highest rated show for the day. Austin wrote the following about the show last night:
“It’s a damn crying shame that Canada, Australia, England, and other great countries cannot get CMT Redneck Island. A damn shame. Spreading Redneck Island around the globe is my newest task. Yes…To provide quality entertainment and content across the globe. #CMT #BSR”
- Despite what WWE says in the lawsuit from TNA, most people within WWE believe that "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair will return to the company as soon as he is legally able to and that WWE officials would love to have him back at the 1,000th RAW in July.
Wrestling companies square off in Nashville, USA court...
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lawyers for World Wrestling Entertainment have told a Nashville judge the company has not and will not use confidential information from rival Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
The pledge came during a hearing last week over a lawsuit TNA filed last month against pro wrestling giant - WWE, claiming WWE had obtained secret contract details in an attempt to poach TNA's wrestlers.
Attorneys for WWE told Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle that the company has not contacted any of TNA's contracted personnel. The attorneys also said WWE has returned the only copies of the confidential information to TNA.
Lyle dissolved a May 24 temporary restraining order against WWE that had prohibited it from using the information to solicit TNA wrestlers, but she made no ruling on the merits of the case. Another hearing will be July 12.
TNA, based in Nashville, claimed in the suit that WWE apparently had already tried to hire away veteran wrestler Ric Flair. According to the court record, WWE lawyers said the company "has no intention of doing so."
TNA alleged that one of its former employees, Brian Wittenstein, went to work for WWE and provided his new employer with contract details. WWE said he was fired when he gave them the information.
A TNA suit against Wittenstein is still pending.
Jerry McDevitt, an attorney for Connecticut-based WWE, said Tuesday the company will file clarifying details with the court. He said the latest order "speaks for itself."
Dixie Carter, president of TNA, said in a statement Tuesday that the company "will vigorously protect TNA and its brand from damage at the hands of any and all sources, no matter who is involved." TNA was founded by wrestler Jeff Jarrett.
WWE Legal Letter To TNA Legal Counsel...
WWE Attorney Jerry McDevitt recently sent a letter to TNA legal counsel Erika Blonquist. The letter was filed with the court last week and can be read below:
First, and as I advised you orally on the phone during our recent conference call, WWE has not solicited Ric Flair to leave TNA and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has made no offer to Flair and has no intention of doing so.
Second, as I also advised you, WWE has not solicited any other current TNA talent to repudiate their contracts and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has no interest in current TNA talent.
The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. UK To Air On FX...
TUF: Australia vs. UK broadcasts on FX in Australia this fall
"The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K." will air on FX in Australia in the fall as the latest installment of the reality series from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
UFC officials announced the news yesterday.
Tryouts for the upcoming season of "TUF" are currently underway, featuring fighters from both Australia and England. The coaches for the season have not yet been named, though an official announcement is expected soon.
"We're excited to be part of the FX family in Australia," UFC managing director for international development Marshall Zelaznik stated. "When the first series of 'The Ulimate Fighter' debuted in the United States seven years ago, it brought in millions of new fans who tuned in each and every week to watch their favorite fighters. I have no doubt that 'The Smashes' will do the same in Australia."
"The Smashes" is the title given to this season, referencing a cricket rivalry ("The Ashes") between the two countries.
While the season will air in Australia, no plans have been announced for those hoping to view in the U.S. Fans could watch "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" online earlier this year as it was taping in Brazil, but the season did not broadcast on national television until FUEL TV began airing episodes just recently.
Are you ready? Are you ready? Let's get it on!
KA By Cirque du Soleil And Marvel Entertainment Bring Epic Story From Stage To Page With All-New Comic Book; KA #1 Released to Fans at Comic-Con International in San Diego 2012...
LAS VEGAS, June 13, 2012 - KA by Cirque du Soleil, the spectacular production at MGM Grand Las Vegas, and Marvel Custom Solutions team up to tell the story of this acclaimed live production through an all-new, collectible comic book. KA #1 will debut at the Marvel booth (#2329) during Comic Con International in San Diego, July 12 – 15, 2012.
"To see our live KA performances transform from the theatre to ink on pages in a comic book is an incredible opportunity for our entire team," said Marie-Helene Gagnon, Artistic Director of KA. "By aligning ourselves with the premier brand of comic book creators, we have produced an illustration of KA that depicts the story very vividly and stays true to the plot. Marvel and its team of creators have been great to collaborate with and have embraced the story of KA and the expectations of Cirque du Soleil."
"Marvel's proud to bring the exciting, out of this world action and adventure of KA to life in this all new comic book," said Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief, Marvel Worldwide, Inc. "This is a great comic for fans of all ages, whether they're long-time fans of Marvel, KA or new to both exciting brands of storytelling."
KA fans attending Comic Con International can take home the heroic journey of Imperial Twins separated by war who encounter adventure and peril at every turn on their quest to reunite their kingdom.
"What's more jaw-dropping, the majesty of the Imperial Court...the dynamic dance of their martial arts display...the overwhelming might of the invading archer army...the desperate fight for survival in the storm-tossed seas...or the tantalizing glimpses at the future threats that await the Twins?" said Marvel Editor Bill Rosemann. "Readers can decide for themselves when they feast their eyes on the all-out spectacle that writer Bryan J.L. Glass, artist Wellinton Alves and cover artist Michael Del Mundo have crafted in this world premiere debut issue."
KA #1 will be distributed at Comic Con International in San Diego at the Marvel booth in July. A limited amount of books also will be available at comic book stores in select markets. In addition to the print copy of the comic book, fans will be able to access the KA customized comic book by utilizing Marvel's cutting-edge digital comics reader.
Fans can get an inside look at the making of the comic book by visiting www.kacomicbook.com. Featuring sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes information, including line art, storyboards and more, this site will serve as a hub for details on the collaboration. Fans will be able to receive information on how to get their own copy of the comic book. On Twitter, fans can tweet about the collaboration to @Cirque and @Marvel using the #KAComicBook hashtag.
About KA:
KA by Cirque du Soleil is a heroic journey of love and conflict set within ever-changing theatrical landscapes that conjure an entire empire on stage. Presented exclusively at MGM Grand Las Vegas, KA unfolds on a colossal, 360-degree rotating stage which forms the backdrop for this cinematic journey of aerial adventure and perpendicular acrobatics. For more information visit www.ka.com. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KA and Tweet us: @Cirque #KA.
About Marvel Entertainment:
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.
To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook. SOURCE Cirque du Soleil
Macquarie takes a stake in Echo...
Investment firm Macquarie Group has bought a five per cent stake in casinos operator Echo Entertainment Group.
Echo said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange on Wednesday that Macquarie had become a substantial shareholder in Echo on June 7, having acquired about 35.1 million shares, or about 5.1 per cent of Echo.
Echo announced on Tuesday that it proposed to undertake a capital raising - the amount of which was undisclosed - and its shares are currently in a trading halt.
The company last week lost its chairman John Story after Crown's James Packer launched a public campaign against him.
Crown is Echo's largest shareholder, with a 10 per cent stake.
Echo owns The Star casino in Sydney, the Jupiters casinos on the Gold Coast and in Townsville, and Treasury casino in Brisbane.
Shares in Echo last traded at $4.49 before going into a halt.
Crown Undecided on Support for Echo Capital Raising...
Crown Ltd. (CWN), the casino operator controlled by billionaire James Packer, hasn’t decided whether it will buy new stock in a planned capital raising by Echo Entertainment Group Ltd. (EGP)
Echo, based in Brisbane, will seek to raise between A$400 million ($399 million) and A$500 million in a rights offering being managed by UBS AG and Macquarie Group Ltd., according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The details may be announced as early as tomorrow, the person said, asking not to be identified as the information is private.
Crown, which owns 10 percent of Echo, will wait for details of the share sale, Chief Financial Officer Ken Barton said by telephone from Melbourne today.
Packer agreed to cease a campaign against Echo after Chairman John Story stepped down June 8, Acting Chairman John O’Neill said yesterday. Crown is seeking regulatory approval to increase its holding in the operator of the only casino in Sydney above the current 10 percent limit as Genting Singapore Plc (GENS) built a stake of 4.9 percent.
“We’ll wait to see what they’re proposing,” Barton said.
Trading in Echo shares was halted yesterday, ahead of the capital raising. Spokeswomen for UBS and Macquarie in Sydney declined to comment.
Brad Schmitt, a Sydney-based spokesman for Echo, declined to comment on the fundraising plan in an e-mailed statement. The Australian Financial Review reported that Echo is planning to raise A$400 million earlier today, without saying where it got the information.
Genting’s stake may make it harder for Crown to take control of Echo and increases the chances of a bidding war, according to Gary Pinge, Macquarie Group Ltd.’s regional head of gaming and consumer research. Though a joint bid by the two companies is possible, Crown won’t want to see Genting “entering its backyard,” he said.
Story resigned after Crown, which owns casinos in Melbourne and Perth, called a meeting to vote on his removal and ran advertisements in local newspapers criticizing the company’s “underperformance” under his leadership. Packer has now withdrawn his request for a shareholder meeting.
Echo owns the Star in Sydney as well as three casinos in the state of Queensland.
Hot Body of 2012...
ELLE MACPHERSON
Admit it: 48 never looked this good! The Aussie model, known around the world as "The Body," ignited bikini envy from a whole new generation of beachgoers when she flaunted her fit form in the pages of PEOPLE. "I do get jitters," says Macpherson of donning a two-piece 20-plus years after gracing four Sports Illustrated covers. "I was comfortable [at the shoot]. But I had to get my self-conscious 'maybe I don't look my best' head out of the way and go with, 'Let's celebrate where I'm at.'"
James Bond turns 50...
James Bond turns 50 this year but you'd never know it by looking at him. Despite hundreds of skirmishes with the world's scariest villains, not to mention a diet heavy on shaken-not-stirred martinis, the man in the Aston Martin still cuts a dashing figure.
In October, it will have been five decades since 007 -- in the form of Sean Connery -- first sauntered onto movie screens in "Dr. No." And he's still going strong. The Bond movies are not only the longest continuously running series in cinema history but also the most successful, with more than $5 billion in box-office receipts. Take that, George Lucas.
Daniel Craig, the sixth actor to play the world-saving spy, will step into Bond's shoes once again on Oct. 26 with "Skyfall," the 23rd film in the series. Also this October, MGM will celebrate 007's birthday with a 22-disc Blu-ray set that finally makes all of the movies available in high definition.
The movies, which will be presented in 35 mm prints, include "Goldfinger" (June 17), "GoldenEye" (June 26), "The Spy Who Loved Me" (July 2), "Dr. No" (July 10), "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (July 16), "Live and Let Die" (July 24) and "From Russia With Love" (July 30).
The Bond film franchise began in 1962 with "Dr. No." It was not only a worldwide smash but also turned out to be a big influence on popular culture. Think "The Man From U.N.C.L.E," "Our Man Flint," "Get Smart" and "Mission: Impossible."
So where did the idea come from? Ian Fleming, of course. A former journalist and British Naval intelligence officer, he conceived of the book series in 1952 while vacationing in Jamaica in a holiday home he called Goldeneye.
James Bond made his first appearance in "Casino Royale," which was published in 1953. Thirteen more Bond books by Fleming followed.
Since the release of "Dr. No," we have never gone more than five or six years without a new Bond flick. Connery played him five times 1962-1967 and then again in 1971 and 1983. In between, there was a one-off appearance by George Lazenby. In 1973, Roger Moore took over for seven outings.
Next came Timothy Dalton for two films beginning in 1987. Pierce Brosnan got the job in 1995 for four features. The latest Bond is Craig, who has played him in series re-boot "Casino Royale," "Quantum of Solace" and the upcoming "Skyfall."
Did we mention that Bond also enjoys a good game of poker and baccarat and often the stakes have been life or death. Would you like to play with Bond? That's what we thought.
Sony Pictures May Emulate Marvel’s Strategy and Tie ‘Venom’ to ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and Other Films...
Some people including some studio executives scoffed as Marvel Studios began to build a franchise of films that would lead up to The Avengers. The team movie was ambitious, and the result of so much planning that it was easy to suspect may fail. We know now, of course, that The Avengers did anything but fail — it is one of the most financially successful films ever released - currently around 3rd most successful of all time.
That means other studios are now willing to consider emulating Marvel’s strategy. Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment haven’t laid the groundwork for a team film in the same fashion Marvel did, but they’re attempting it with Justice League anyway.
And Sony has the rights to some Marvel characters, notably the Spider-Man and Ghost Rider families. And it seems like the character spin-off Venom, which Chronicle director Josh Trank may make, could be designed to fit in with the new wave of Spider-Man movies that begins with The Amazing Spider-Man. Question is… to build up to what?
Hollywood.com talked to The Amazing Spider-Man producers Avi Arad and Matthew Tolmach, who said Venom is being developed with connectivity in mind.
What I’m trying to say to you without giving anything away is hopefully all these worlds will live together in peace someday…Look for the worlds to make sense with one another.
Avi Arad explained what they’re trying to do with Venom, in basic terms:
It’s an Eddie Brock story. We want to be as close to the comics as possible. Especially in Eddie Brock’s story. But again, pseudo-sceince is becoming science. All these tidbits about webs, artificial webs, is a huge industry now. Spiderwebs have unique qualities that will be huge for communications, fibers, and so forth. So we have taken the approach that we want to make the huge amazing movie about Eddie.
The Brock character was played in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 by Topher Grace, but this will be a new take, presumably with a new actor. Brock will be “a journalist. He had the wrong story, he got in trouble for it, he got fired,” explains Tolmach.
Making the films play nice together makes sense, but now the question will be: can we expect a Ghost Rider reboot that places that character in the same universe? In general, is it reasonable to expect that any Marvel characters held by Sony will get films that are connected in at least some vague way? Sony can’t quite make The Avengers, but it could build up to something like the old Marvel Team-Up comic series.
Spiderman comes to South Korea...
A new face of Spider-man came to Seoul on Thursday (June 14) to premiere Parker's untold story, the latest saga of the Spider-Man franchise.
One of this summer's most eagerly awaited blockbusters, "The Amazing Spider-Man" delves into the origins of teenager Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, and tells of the superhero that the 17-year-old eventually becomes.
The new spider-man, Andrew Garfield, appeared on a news conference stage with a smile, but he was more than serious when he spoke about the new saga of the Spiderman series.
"There is such a long legacy to honour, and to do justice to, and I think our intention was to start from there, and make sure we were doing justice to these timeless mythical characters that Stanley created," said Garfield at the news conference.
Spider-man's latest instalment reboots the modern movie franchise that began with 2002's "Spider-Man", starring Tobey Maguire as the comic book crime fighter.
Over three films, the franchise amassed around 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in ticket sales, and for the fourth movie, its creators decided to take a fresh look at the series, bring in a new director and hire 28-year-old Garfield to replace Maguire, 36.
Talented actor Garfiled advised wearing a Spiderman suit and mask wasn't very easy, but it was also his dream come true.
"No one wants to wear spandex, but Peter has to for many reasons, so yeah, it was a challenge, but of course wearing the suit itself was a dream of mine since I was three years old, so being able to put it on every day," said Garfield.
Emma Stone, 23, who has been linked romantically with Garfield off-screen, portrays Parker's first love interest, Gwen Stacy, in the flick.
She said Gwen is different from Mary Jane Watson from the previous series.
"She's involved in helping Peter save the day as Spiderman of course, and so there are a lot of differences there, she doesn't sit idly by and she doesn't let him being a superhero stop the relationship from continuing or complain about it, she becomes a partner," said Emma Stone.
The movie director Marc Webb, well known in the country for his romantic comedy movie "500 Days of Summer," said the characters and romance made the blockbuster actions more appealing.
"You'll believe in that action more, you'll experience it in a more profound way if you care about the characters, and I think the only way I know how to create that empathy is through finding relatable characters and finding those little tiny moments between, whether it's between Peter and his aunt or uncle, or between Peter and Gwen, obviously romance interests me in cinema," said the film director Marc Webb.
About a thousand of fans gathered to see the new Spiderman and his girlfriend on a red carpet, and a fan couldn't hide his excitement for seeing the hero in person.
"I'd never imagined to actually meeting him like this, so I'm so honoured to see him in person. I got an autograph signed by Andrew Garfield himself.
I love him!!" said South Korean fan Lee Kyung-hoon.
South Korea's popular girl group '2EN1' was also attending the red carpet event to promote the movie.
"The Amazing Spider-Man" opens on June 28 in Seoul.
No official word yet on when the new movie will hit Australian big screens, but it should be around the same time as Korea.
Comics film gives legend respect...
Many people put Marvel creator Stan Lee in the same ranks as Walt Disney and Jim Henson. This is exactly the reason William Lawrence Hess and Nikki Frakes decided to make a documentary about the comic book legend.
“When I met Stan, I began to realize how big the things he created and stories he told were,” Hess says during a recent phone interview. “I’m into history and with Stan, there’s a rich history in what he’s done. You can tell he’s one of the 20th-century creators that people look up to.”
The duo’s result was the documentary “With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story.” The film will screen at 9 tonight at the KiMo Theatre, 420 W. Central.
Lee will introduce the film and then sign autographs during the Albuquerque Comic Expo, which runs today through Sunday at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The documentary took nearly four years to complete. Hess says production began at Comic Con in San Diego in July 2006.
“We shot about 40 hours of footage right before that,” he explains. “When the project was over, we had 480 hours of footage that we managed to fit into an hour and a half documentary.”
Hess says the editing was tiring, but what softened the blow of cutting so much content out was the ability to make bonus footage.
“Nikki worked really close with the editor in carving it down,” he says. “It was a big process to go through, but it worked out in our favor.”
Frakes says it was important to show the man behind the mask.
“He invited us into his house and we got to see what he’s like with his wife,” she says. “It was important that we captured that and tell the story of how he came to be this icon in the comic industry.”
The duo led a team that searched archives and interviewed people associated with Lee. One of the prized interviews was with “Captain America” co-creator Joe Simon, who died in December 2011.
“Joe was basically Stan’s boss six decades ago,” he says. “We wanted to get inside the inner workings of the comic book industry. There were plenty of heavy hitters that came along in the ’40s. This was a huge interview for us.”
Yet for both filmmakers, comics weren’t the first thing they read. Frakes didn’t read them, but says when she learned more about Lee’s story, she wanted to help tell it.
“A lot of people think that he’s an overnight success,” she says. “He’s overcome a lot in his life and managed to become this cultural icon. He’s worked hard to get to his status.”
Hess, who grew up in New Orleans, was introduced to “X-Men” comics and later the Saturday morning comics that Lee participated in.
“I can still hear him saying ‘Stay Tuned Because We’ll be Knee Deep in Danger’ before the commercial break,” he says. “I appreciate that he’s been able to make an impact like that on me.”
'Black Panther' movie rumour: Marvel Studios...
Entertainment Weekly’s inside sources at Marvel Studios advise the news report is no true, however studio representatives declined to comment on the hot rumour.
A news report from the movie website Latino Review by writer El Mayimbe stated Marvel Studios has committed to making one of its next projects a picture based on Black Panther, the leader of the fictional African nation and the character widely regarded as the first major black superhero.
Marvel Studios and its parent company Disney did not immediately comment on the rumor, which has circulated far and wide, causing a buz among comic book movie fans. But now inside sources at Marvel have told EW that it’s simply not true that Black Panther will be one of their next films.
Black Panther is not just a cool codename, it’s the title bestowed on the Wakandan king. In the comics, T’Challa, a Wakandan prince and warrior, passed the trials necessary to ascend to his nation’s throne, thus earning the mantle of Black Panther. Coincidentally, he also fell in love with Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. the weather-controlling Storm from X-Men, during his journeys, but don’t expect her to show up in any Marvel Studios film about him. She remains a part of X-Men mythology still owned by 20th Century Fox.
Black Panther first appeared in a 1966 issue of Fantastic Four, and the name only coincidentally mirrors that of the militant civil rights political party, created that same year. (He also fought as part of The Avengers, which could factor into any sequel for that blockbuster.)
If the look of the character recalls DC Comics’ Batman, the two characters actually have similarities beyond the costume. T’Challa’s superhuman powers are his acute senses of perception and strength, but he is also a brilliant scientist, and as heir to the throne of Wakanda he is every bit as wealthy as Bruce Wayne.
Wakanda was the site of an ancient meteor crash which scattered the element vibranium throughout the land. That fictional element, of course, is one of the rarest and strongest minerals on earth, and is used in the creation of Captain America’s shield. Black Panther’s prime nemesis is Ulysses Klaw, a physicist who murders T’Challa’s father to gain access to the precious vibranium deposits, which he uses to craft a weapon that can create solid objects out of sound waves.
Being the first mainstream black superhero, there were also political elements to Black Panther’s story. In the mid-1970s, comic book story arcs sent him to the American South, where he clashed with the Ku Klux Klan. Black Panther also ventured into an Apartheid-ruled South Africa depicted in the guise of a Marvel nation called Rudyarda.
The Black Panther script was revealed last January, with documentarian Mark Bailey (The Fence, Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, and Pandemic: Facing AIDS) crafting the story — an unusual choice, but not if Marvel would like to add a dose of social commentary to the action hero’s story.
If Latino Review’s report proves to be true, the next big questions are who would star and who would direct.
In breaking the scoop, Mayimbe proposed Nate Parker, who got high marks from critics for Red Tails (even if the movie itself did not) and garnered lots of praise at Sundance for a powerful turn opposite Richard Gere in the Wall Street thriller Arbitrage.
Parker’s a solid choice, but The Wire‘s Idris Elba would also supply endless intensity for the character. Chiwetel Ejiofor has the kick-ass-professor vibe down, and Anthony Mackie, although a little slim physically, could build some muscle for the role. If we’re talking pure star power and charisma, Jamie Foxx could be a good choice, and will be riding high after Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained debuts this year.
Marvel Entertainment movie fans.. if the rumour turns out to be true it sure will be excelsior!
Pro Wrestling News...
The debut of Steve Austin’s Redneck Island on CMT (in the U.S) this past Saturday scored a 0.42 rating with 665,000 viewers. It was the highest rated show for the day. Austin wrote the following about the show last night:
“It’s a damn crying shame that Canada, Australia, England, and other great countries cannot get CMT Redneck Island. A damn shame. Spreading Redneck Island around the globe is my newest task. Yes…To provide quality entertainment and content across the globe. #CMT #BSR”
- Despite what WWE says in the lawsuit from TNA, most people within WWE believe that "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair will return to the company as soon as he is legally able to and that WWE officials would love to have him back at the 1,000th RAW in July.
Wrestling companies square off in Nashville, USA court...
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lawyers for World Wrestling Entertainment have told a Nashville judge the company has not and will not use confidential information from rival Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
The pledge came during a hearing last week over a lawsuit TNA filed last month against pro wrestling giant - WWE, claiming WWE had obtained secret contract details in an attempt to poach TNA's wrestlers.
Attorneys for WWE told Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle that the company has not contacted any of TNA's contracted personnel. The attorneys also said WWE has returned the only copies of the confidential information to TNA.
Lyle dissolved a May 24 temporary restraining order against WWE that had prohibited it from using the information to solicit TNA wrestlers, but she made no ruling on the merits of the case. Another hearing will be July 12.
TNA, based in Nashville, claimed in the suit that WWE apparently had already tried to hire away veteran wrestler Ric Flair. According to the court record, WWE lawyers said the company "has no intention of doing so."
TNA alleged that one of its former employees, Brian Wittenstein, went to work for WWE and provided his new employer with contract details. WWE said he was fired when he gave them the information.
A TNA suit against Wittenstein is still pending.
Jerry McDevitt, an attorney for Connecticut-based WWE, said Tuesday the company will file clarifying details with the court. He said the latest order "speaks for itself."
Dixie Carter, president of TNA, said in a statement Tuesday that the company "will vigorously protect TNA and its brand from damage at the hands of any and all sources, no matter who is involved." TNA was founded by wrestler Jeff Jarrett.
WWE Legal Letter To TNA Legal Counsel...
WWE Attorney Jerry McDevitt recently sent a letter to TNA legal counsel Erika Blonquist. The letter was filed with the court last week and can be read below:
First, and as I advised you orally on the phone during our recent conference call, WWE has not solicited Ric Flair to leave TNA and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has made no offer to Flair and has no intention of doing so.
Second, as I also advised you, WWE has not solicited any other current TNA talent to repudiate their contracts and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has no interest in current TNA talent.
The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. UK To Air On FX...
TUF: Australia vs. UK broadcasts on FX in Australia this fall
"The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K." will air on FX in Australia in the fall as the latest installment of the reality series from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
UFC officials announced the news yesterday.
Tryouts for the upcoming season of "TUF" are currently underway, featuring fighters from both Australia and England. The coaches for the season have not yet been named, though an official announcement is expected soon.
"We're excited to be part of the FX family in Australia," UFC managing director for international development Marshall Zelaznik stated. "When the first series of 'The Ulimate Fighter' debuted in the United States seven years ago, it brought in millions of new fans who tuned in each and every week to watch their favorite fighters. I have no doubt that 'The Smashes' will do the same in Australia."
"The Smashes" is the title given to this season, referencing a cricket rivalry ("The Ashes") between the two countries.
While the season will air in Australia, no plans have been announced for those hoping to view in the U.S. Fans could watch "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" online earlier this year as it was taping in Brazil, but the season did not broadcast on national television until FUEL TV began airing episodes just recently.
Are you ready? Are you ready? Let's get it on!
KA By Cirque du Soleil And Marvel Entertainment Bring Epic Story From Stage To Page With All-New Comic Book; KA #1 Released to Fans at Comic-Con International in San Diego 2012...
LAS VEGAS, June 13, 2012 - KA by Cirque du Soleil, the spectacular production at MGM Grand Las Vegas, and Marvel Custom Solutions team up to tell the story of this acclaimed live production through an all-new, collectible comic book. KA #1 will debut at the Marvel booth (#2329) during Comic Con International in San Diego, July 12 – 15, 2012.
"To see our live KA performances transform from the theatre to ink on pages in a comic book is an incredible opportunity for our entire team," said Marie-Helene Gagnon, Artistic Director of KA. "By aligning ourselves with the premier brand of comic book creators, we have produced an illustration of KA that depicts the story very vividly and stays true to the plot. Marvel and its team of creators have been great to collaborate with and have embraced the story of KA and the expectations of Cirque du Soleil."
"Marvel's proud to bring the exciting, out of this world action and adventure of KA to life in this all new comic book," said Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief, Marvel Worldwide, Inc. "This is a great comic for fans of all ages, whether they're long-time fans of Marvel, KA or new to both exciting brands of storytelling."
KA fans attending Comic Con International can take home the heroic journey of Imperial Twins separated by war who encounter adventure and peril at every turn on their quest to reunite their kingdom.
"What's more jaw-dropping, the majesty of the Imperial Court...the dynamic dance of their martial arts display...the overwhelming might of the invading archer army...the desperate fight for survival in the storm-tossed seas...or the tantalizing glimpses at the future threats that await the Twins?" said Marvel Editor Bill Rosemann. "Readers can decide for themselves when they feast their eyes on the all-out spectacle that writer Bryan J.L. Glass, artist Wellinton Alves and cover artist Michael Del Mundo have crafted in this world premiere debut issue."
KA #1 will be distributed at Comic Con International in San Diego at the Marvel booth in July. A limited amount of books also will be available at comic book stores in select markets. In addition to the print copy of the comic book, fans will be able to access the KA customized comic book by utilizing Marvel's cutting-edge digital comics reader.
Fans can get an inside look at the making of the comic book by visiting www.kacomicbook.com. Featuring sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes information, including line art, storyboards and more, this site will serve as a hub for details on the collaboration. Fans will be able to receive information on how to get their own copy of the comic book. On Twitter, fans can tweet about the collaboration to @Cirque and @Marvel using the #KAComicBook hashtag.
About KA:
KA by Cirque du Soleil is a heroic journey of love and conflict set within ever-changing theatrical landscapes that conjure an entire empire on stage. Presented exclusively at MGM Grand Las Vegas, KA unfolds on a colossal, 360-degree rotating stage which forms the backdrop for this cinematic journey of aerial adventure and perpendicular acrobatics. For more information visit www.ka.com. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KA and Tweet us: @Cirque #KA.
About Marvel Entertainment:
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.
To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook. SOURCE Cirque du Soleil
Macquarie takes a stake in Echo...
Investment firm Macquarie Group has bought a five per cent stake in casinos operator Echo Entertainment Group.
Echo said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange on Wednesday that Macquarie had become a substantial shareholder in Echo on June 7, having acquired about 35.1 million shares, or about 5.1 per cent of Echo.
Echo announced on Tuesday that it proposed to undertake a capital raising - the amount of which was undisclosed - and its shares are currently in a trading halt.
The company last week lost its chairman John Story after Crown's James Packer launched a public campaign against him.
Crown is Echo's largest shareholder, with a 10 per cent stake.
Echo owns The Star casino in Sydney, the Jupiters casinos on the Gold Coast and in Townsville, and Treasury casino in Brisbane.
Shares in Echo last traded at $4.49 before going into a halt.
Crown Undecided on Support for Echo Capital Raising...
Crown Ltd. (CWN), the casino operator controlled by billionaire James Packer, hasn’t decided whether it will buy new stock in a planned capital raising by Echo Entertainment Group Ltd. (EGP)
Echo, based in Brisbane, will seek to raise between A$400 million ($399 million) and A$500 million in a rights offering being managed by UBS AG and Macquarie Group Ltd., according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The details may be announced as early as tomorrow, the person said, asking not to be identified as the information is private.
Crown, which owns 10 percent of Echo, will wait for details of the share sale, Chief Financial Officer Ken Barton said by telephone from Melbourne today.
Packer agreed to cease a campaign against Echo after Chairman John Story stepped down June 8, Acting Chairman John O’Neill said yesterday. Crown is seeking regulatory approval to increase its holding in the operator of the only casino in Sydney above the current 10 percent limit as Genting Singapore Plc (GENS) built a stake of 4.9 percent.
“We’ll wait to see what they’re proposing,” Barton said.
Trading in Echo shares was halted yesterday, ahead of the capital raising. Spokeswomen for UBS and Macquarie in Sydney declined to comment.
Brad Schmitt, a Sydney-based spokesman for Echo, declined to comment on the fundraising plan in an e-mailed statement. The Australian Financial Review reported that Echo is planning to raise A$400 million earlier today, without saying where it got the information.
Genting’s stake may make it harder for Crown to take control of Echo and increases the chances of a bidding war, according to Gary Pinge, Macquarie Group Ltd.’s regional head of gaming and consumer research. Though a joint bid by the two companies is possible, Crown won’t want to see Genting “entering its backyard,” he said.
Story resigned after Crown, which owns casinos in Melbourne and Perth, called a meeting to vote on his removal and ran advertisements in local newspapers criticizing the company’s “underperformance” under his leadership. Packer has now withdrawn his request for a shareholder meeting.
Echo owns the Star in Sydney as well as three casinos in the state of Queensland.
Hot Body of 2012...
ELLE MACPHERSON
Admit it: 48 never looked this good! The Aussie model, known around the world as "The Body," ignited bikini envy from a whole new generation of beachgoers when she flaunted her fit form in the pages of PEOPLE. "I do get jitters," says Macpherson of donning a two-piece 20-plus years after gracing four Sports Illustrated covers. "I was comfortable [at the shoot]. But I had to get my self-conscious 'maybe I don't look my best' head out of the way and go with, 'Let's celebrate where I'm at.'"
James Bond turns 50...
James Bond turns 50 this year but you'd never know it by looking at him. Despite hundreds of skirmishes with the world's scariest villains, not to mention a diet heavy on shaken-not-stirred martinis, the man in the Aston Martin still cuts a dashing figure.
In October, it will have been five decades since 007 -- in the form of Sean Connery -- first sauntered onto movie screens in "Dr. No." And he's still going strong. The Bond movies are not only the longest continuously running series in cinema history but also the most successful, with more than $5 billion in box-office receipts. Take that, George Lucas.
Daniel Craig, the sixth actor to play the world-saving spy, will step into Bond's shoes once again on Oct. 26 with "Skyfall," the 23rd film in the series. Also this October, MGM will celebrate 007's birthday with a 22-disc Blu-ray set that finally makes all of the movies available in high definition.
The movies, which will be presented in 35 mm prints, include "Goldfinger" (June 17), "GoldenEye" (June 26), "The Spy Who Loved Me" (July 2), "Dr. No" (July 10), "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (July 16), "Live and Let Die" (July 24) and "From Russia With Love" (July 30).
The Bond film franchise began in 1962 with "Dr. No." It was not only a worldwide smash but also turned out to be a big influence on popular culture. Think "The Man From U.N.C.L.E," "Our Man Flint," "Get Smart" and "Mission: Impossible."
So where did the idea come from? Ian Fleming, of course. A former journalist and British Naval intelligence officer, he conceived of the book series in 1952 while vacationing in Jamaica in a holiday home he called Goldeneye.
James Bond made his first appearance in "Casino Royale," which was published in 1953. Thirteen more Bond books by Fleming followed.
Since the release of "Dr. No," we have never gone more than five or six years without a new Bond flick. Connery played him five times 1962-1967 and then again in 1971 and 1983. In between, there was a one-off appearance by George Lazenby. In 1973, Roger Moore took over for seven outings.
Next came Timothy Dalton for two films beginning in 1987. Pierce Brosnan got the job in 1995 for four features. The latest Bond is Craig, who has played him in series re-boot "Casino Royale," "Quantum of Solace" and the upcoming "Skyfall."
Did we mention that Bond also enjoys a good game of poker and baccarat and often the stakes have been life or death. Would you like to play with Bond? That's what we thought.
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