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June 25th, 2010
05:19 PM ET
'Stomp the Yard' filmmakers come full circleTo the creator of the American Black Film Festival, it feels like things have come full circle. Jeff Friday, who is also the chief executive officer of Film Life, said he’s awed by the fact that in 1998, Will Packer and Rob Hardy had to flip a coin to determine which one of them would bring their film “Trois” to the film festival currently running in Miami. “We gave them a platform and it makes me proud,” Friday said. “Now they have a $40 million film which opened the festival ['Takers'] and is being distributed by Screen Gems, and 'Stomp the Yard: Homecoming' is our centerpiece film. It’s astounding how far they have come.”
June 25th, 2010
04:29 PM ET
Remote Kontrol: We provide an experience, not just a showWhen Remote Kontrol stopped by the CNN Center in Atlanta to show off their moves – set to a song they composed themselves – the three-man dance crew could barely get back out of the building. What all started with Bryan Gaynor taking a chance and auditioning for “So You Think You Can Dance” back in 2006 has escalated Gaynor and his crew members, Marquese Scott and Julius Chisolm, into total notoriety. Although the three of them spent 30 minutes trying to make their escape as fans stopped them on their way out, Gaynor told CNN that the attention still catches him off guard.
June 25th, 2010
04:25 PM ET
Casting Chronicles: Freida Pinto joins ‘Apes,’ Penn back as ‘Kumar’We’ve already told you that you can expect James Franco, he of the ridiculously long Hollywood resume, to star in a prequel to “Planet of the Apes,” and this week we can bring news that “Slumdog Millionaire” star Freida Pinto is joining him. Pinto will play a primatologist named Caroline in the forthcoming 20th Century Fox film, titled “Rise of the Apes,” and John Lithgow has also signed on to play Franco’s father. Kal Penn, on the other hand, has ditched his White House duties, reportedly so he could get back into his Kumar character for another “Harold and Kumar” film. According to the L.A. Times, this one could be holiday-themed.
June 25th, 2010
04:24 PM ET
‘Grown Ups’ outselling ‘Knight & Day’Should Tom Cruise be worried? There are rumors floating around that if his action film “Knight & Day” doesn’t ensure Paramount that Cruise is a bankable action star, his role in the studio's “Mission Impossible 4” could be in jeopardy. The movie, also starring Cameron Diaz, just opened on Wednesday and so far his box office sales don't meet the definition of blockbuster.
June 25th, 2010
02:45 PM ET
Jane Lynch returns to 'Party Down'Viewers tuning in to tonight's season finale of "Party Down" on Starz will see something quite unusual: Jane Lynch playing an extremely happy character. Through the first several episodes of last season, Lynch played Constance Carmell, a down-on-her-luck actress (much like the rest of the "Party Down" catering crew), who always saw the bright side of things, possibly to the point of self-delusion. Then, as the season was wrapping up, Lynch left to do a pilot for a little show called "Glee" - playing a very different character - and the rest is TV history. Now Lynch is back as Constance, who has hired "Party Down" to cater her wedding to a 9-times-divorced, aging, ailing producer. Despite her former co-workers' concern about this marriage, she believes that the power of their love will triumph over all.
June 25th, 2010
01:20 PM ET
Behind the Scenes on 'Showbiz Tonight': Remembering two iconsIt's a big day today on "Showbiz Tonight," starting with the breaking developments in the Michael Jackson case. The late icon's father Joe Jackson unexpectedly filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court today against Dr. Conrad Murray, the man charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Jackson death case. The lawsuit raised a lot of provocative questions today in the morning meeting. "Showbiz Tonight" producer Sandra Lee didn’t mince words when she said, “I find Joe Jackson’s timing interesting – why file the unlawful death lawsuit on his anniversary?” We’re tackling that and so much more. |
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