Wong Kar-wai Named Jury President of the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival
Wong Kar Wai is currently working on The Grandmasters, which features Tony Leung and Ziyi Zhang in the leads. Bron in Shanghai, Wong grew up and is associated with Hong Kong. He made his directorial debut in 1988 with As Tears Go By. Said Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick: "“Wong Kar Wai is one of the most celebrated filmmakers of our time. His distinctive signature and the poetry of his works have fascinated all of us. For him to become jury president, is a wish come true."
Ewan McGregor to Be Honored at San Sebastian Film Festival
The 60th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival will bestow a Donostia Award this year on actor Ewan McGregor in a tribute to his career. The Donostia Award will be presented at a ceremony September 27th followed by the European premiere of The Impossible.
Around the 'net…
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Tom Hardy Team for Anti-Poaching Pic
The three will produce a not-yet named animal-trafficking drama for Warner Bros. Hardy formulated the idea based on friends' accounts as special forces who engaged as anti-poaching operatives in South Africa and elsewhere. The idea is to make it in the vein of Steve Soderbergh's Traffic, THR reports.
Ron Howard, Brian Grazer On Board to Film Jay-Z Music Festival
Howard and Grazer will film Jay-Z's Budweiser Made in America music festival taking place September 1 - 2 in Philadelphia. The feature will be released next year. "This will not be a concert film; it’s a reflection of the fabric of what it means to be Made in America – what the festival represents, why Jay is doing it and how he relates to each artist," Howard said in a statement, Deadline reports.
Morgan Freeman and Elizabeth Banks to Voice Lego
Banks and Freeman will voice lead characters in Warner Bros. Lego, an animated 3-D film that is slated to open in February 2014. The plot revolves around an ordinary Lego figure who is mistakenly believed to be the "Master Builder" and is sent to help stop an evil Lego from gluing the universe together, Deadline reports.
Again, Fire Erupts at Tyler Perry's Atlanta Studio
For the second time in several months, a fire broke out at Tyler Perry's Atlanta studio. The blaze happened this morning on the roof of a three-story building that was undergoing repairs. No injuries were reported and it was brought under control within an hour, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.