The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| Director Abrams to helm new Star Wars, fans say force with him Posted: 26 Jan 2013 01:22 AM PST  Reuters file picture of sci-fi filmmaker J.J. Abrams. The announcement was greeted with celebrations on online networks by the films' army of enthusiasts who have already watched Abrams rescue the aging "Star Trek" series with a high-grossing prequel in 2009. Disney said late on Friday Abrams would work under the leadership of producer Kathleen Kennedy, the former president of Lucasfilm, and the script would be penned by Oscar-winning writer Michael Arndt. "J.J. is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise," Kennedy said in a statement on starwars.com. Fans were equally enthusiastic. "JJ Abrams to the rescue!!! Yes!! #starwarsVII," wrote Jonny Radtke on Twitter. "Great news about JJ Abrams directing Star Wars. Might just rescue the brand...," added Alastair Brookshaw . Rumours that Abrams, one of Hollywood's most successful directors and producers, would take stewardship of the films filled industry publications and online forums over the past week. The 46-year-old made his name with TV shows "Alias" and "Lost" and earned his stripes as a director of effects-laden blockbusters with "Super 8", "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" and another widely-expected Star Trek film "Star Trek Into Darkness", due out later this year. The Star Wars franchise, which was created by George Lucas' Lucasfilms Ltd, has grossed more than US$4.4 billion (RM13.4 billion) at the global box office since the first film was released in 1977, making it the third most successful movie property after the "Harry Potter" and "James Bond" series. Star Wars characters such as Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker and the anti-hero Darth Vader have become a staple part of pop culture, along with the catch phrase "May the force be with you". The Star Wars films were acquired by Disney after they bought Lucasfilm for US$4.05 billion in October 2012. They announced then that three new installments would be made, starting in 2015. Lucas, 68, gave Abrams his blessing on Starwars.com, saying the director was "an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn't be in better hands". Abrams said his new role was "an absolute honor". Disney had previously said Lucas would remain a creative consultant on the series. Lucas himself said in October he had story treatments for Episodes 7, 8 and 9, which he would hand over to Kennedy, who assured him that she would adhere to his ideas. — Reuters |
| Shah Rukh Khan tops Forbes India celebrity list Posted: 25 Jan 2013 06:19 PM PST MUMBAI, Jan 26 — Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan tops the first Forbes India Celebrity 100 with annual estimated earnings last year of US$37. 7 million (RM115 million), the magazine said yesterday.  Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan. — AFP pic In third place was India's cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni with US$25 million. "Both Salman Khan and Dhoni are ahead of SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) in terms of popularity and fame," the magazine said. "But 'King Khan' came out tops courtesy of his earning power, mainly riding on massive income from brand endorsements," the magazine said, referring to Shah Rukh Khan. Actor Akshay Kumar came in fourth place while veteran Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan came fifth. The highest-ranked woman on the list was actor Kareena Kapoor in seventh place. "The list is an attempt to rank the most powerful and the most popular of the players who are at the centre of this sector," Forbes media and entertainment editor Deepak Ajwani said. For the wealth estimates, Forbes said it got independent assessments from multiple sources, including talent agencies, film and TV producers, publishers, sports consultants, advertising agencies and celebrity managers. To track fame, their methods included looking at media and Internet visibility as well as social media followers. Most on the Indian list were aged between 30 to 50. The Forbes special edition, which ranks celebrities across eight categories including actors, musicians, models and sportspeople, was due to hit newsstands today. — AFP/Relaxnews |
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