Tragic, shocking news out of New York just now: Adam Yauch — a.k.a. MCA, one-third of rap legends the Beastie Boys, influential filmmaker and music-video director, and founder of independent-film distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories — has died following his long battle with cancer. He was 47.
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This weekend belongs to The Avengers, which brought out crowds for midnight screenings overnight and sparked a Twitter backlash by Samuel L. Jackson against a NY Times reviewer. Those are among Friday morning's highlights in Biz Break along with a BBC denial it's banning Sacha Baron Cohen from its airwaves, a Clooney cash windfall for Obama and more.
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The Tourism Promotion Board of the Middle Eastern country of Yemen would like to thank Ewan McGregor and the makers of the romantic dramedy Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, I'm sure, for inspiring thousands of Brits to consider their own soul-searching retreats to the nation. But you might want to reconsider actually booking that trip, because guess what? There aren't really salmon in the Yemen. And, more importantly: "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office last month issued a red warning over the Yemen, telling visitors to 'avoid all travel to the whole country.' It warns that attacks against western and British interests could be indiscriminate, including targets such as residential compounds, military and oil facilities, and transport and aviation interests." [Telegraph via Movie City News]
And I mean "amazing" — like the Hindenberg disaster or those nature-documentary Serengeti footraces that you like to watch when you're high and that always end in some poor gazelle's evisceration and you wish you could share the mindblowing experience with all your coworkers the next day but they'll never understand and anyway it's better to be discreet about these kinds of things though that doesn't make it any less amazing. But I digress: Kellan Lutz is going to play Tarzan in a performance-capture 3-D updating of the Edgar Rice Burroughs legend.
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt is looking to bring Little Shop of Horrors to the screen and a distributor nabs U.S. rights to Robert Pattinson's thriller Cosmopolis. Those are among the stories in Thursday afternoon's Biz Break. Also in the mix are highlights from upcoming festivals in Brooklyn and Austin, casting news and soundtrack details for Moonrise Kingdom.
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Roughly two weeks after Gary Ross's departure from and Francis Lawrence's rumored attachment to Catching Fire, Lionsgate has officially announced Lawrence as its man to direct its mega-anticipated Hunger Games sequel.
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Filmmaker Jennifer Lynch knows a thing or two about battling the MPAA — her 1993 debut Boxing Helena earned the ratings board's dreaded NC-17 for its sexualized violence and general depravity — and so it seems just like old times that her latest effort, Chained, faces the same fate for "some explicit violence." But wait: Isn't violence supposed to fly with the ratings board while sex gets the adults-only rating? What gives? Actually, look no further than the film's NSFW trailer for your answer.
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The psychological thriller Mission: Blacklist has attached Robert Pattinson to star as the military interrogator who led the hunt for deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. The film, set to be directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, is going on the block at the Cannes Market later this month; co-producer Ross Dinerstein promises "a gripping, edge of your seat thriller [...] I have been inspired by Robert and Jean-Stéphane’s dedication to tell this story in the most authentic way possible." [Deadline]
"A California man who legally changed his name to 'Obiwan Kenobi' was released from jail yesterday after spending five days in custody following his arrest on a hit-and-run count. Kenobi, 37, has been charged with leaving the scene of a five-car accident last month in Roseville. According to cops, Kenobi’s reckless driving triggered the chain-reaction collision. [...] Formerly known as Benjamin Cale Feit, Kenobi changed his name in 1999 in response to a radio stunt tied to the release of Star Wars: Episode I. A California station offered $1000 to the first listener to legally change their name to that of the fictional Jedi master." Nice work! He's got a ways to go before catching up with Yoda's four DUI's, but still. [The Smoking Gun via Geekologie]
Avengers fans, fear not! You'll find no spoilers for this Friday's big tentpole herein. Just know this: You're going to want to stay through the end credits for the expected post-credits bonus scenes that Marvel Studios are known to slide into their films, because The Avengers reportedly contains not one, but two of 'em. Looks like Robert Downey Jr. wasn't lying about filming the day after the premiere! (Wait, does that mean Joss led us all astray?) Oh, fine. If you can't stand the not knowing, bang it here for details. [@thefilmcynic, SuperheroHype]
Thirty-five students from 20 U.S. colleges are eligible for the 39th Student Academy Awards, AMPAS said Wednesday. Academy members will view the finalists’ films at special screenings and vote to select the winners. Prizes include Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards, along with accompanying cash grants of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000. U.S. winners will join international students winners for a week of industry and social activities June 9 in Los Angeles. The list of finalists follows.
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Wednesday morning's news roundup includes a fire at Tyler Perry's studios in Atlanta, an AMPAS celebration for Gene Kelly's centennial and a rare screening of the first Oscar-winner, Wings. The Hunger Games partners form a new label, Fandor plans a new indie news site and Justin Bieber's manager joins a doc spotlighting America's school dropout crisis.
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It wasn't exactly what anyone would call a best-kept secret, but nevertheless, the rumors of Dave Grohl's directing debut are officially confirmed: The Nirvana drummer/Foo Fighters frontman has been hard at work on Sound City, a documentary chronicling the life, times and exploits of the eponymous San Fernando Valley studio where scores of classic albums by the likes of Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Guns and Roses, Metallica and Nirvana itself have been recorded over the past 40 years. Read on for Grohl's handwritten description of the project, a short video teaser and more details via Grohl's Roswell Films outlet.
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The auction-happy crew at Profiles in History, which has previously unloaded Hollywood treasures ranging from Dorothy's ruby slippers to the Dude's sweater from The Big Lebowski, has got the 10-year-old in you right where they want it: Prepare yourself for the most comprehensive auction of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory memorabilia to date, featuring costumes, props and one of only two known Everlasting Gobstoppers in existence. Also: They will cost you.
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Did you ever think to yourself, what if Keanu Reeves in Speed wasn't on a bus careening through Santa Monica at the behest of a madman but sitting at a piano giving the concert of his life under pain of certain death? No? Well, that's why you, my friend, do not have a movie deal with Elijah Wood in place to star as said pianist. A classical thriller, they'll call it! More on Eugenio Mira's Grand Piano after the jump.
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