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    'Thor: Love and Thunder' Director Sparks Speculation of a Dead Character's Return

    Marvel Studios

    Taika Waititi has got fans hopeful that he will bring back Idris Elba’s fan-favorite character Heimdall in the upcoming fourth movie after they’re hanging out together in New Zealand.

    Dec 1, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Taika Waititi may have dropped a hint about a possible resurrection in “Thor: Love and Thunder”. The director’s new photos have sparked a speculation that the upcoming movie would feature a fan-favorite character, who has been presumed dead.
    On Sunday, November 29, the Kiwi filmmaker shared on his Instagram account pictures of him hanging out with New Zealand’s legendary All-Blacks rugby team. What’s interesting was that he was seen being joined by Idris Elba during the fun outing.
    “Me and @idriselba visited the @allblacks last week and I think we can all agree that’s what inspired last night’s win,” Waititi captioned the snaps. “Caught up with the uso @ardiesavea while Drisco tried to steal the Bleddy.”

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    While the post and images have nothing to do with “Love and Thunder”, many can’t help talking about why Elba was in New Zealand. In this current situation of an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, one likely won’t travel hundreds of miles away just to catch a rugby game.
    Thus, it’s possible that the actor, who has played Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, may have flown to the country to join the production of the fourth Thor movie. His character, however, is believed to have died after being killed off by Thanos in the opening sequence of “Avengers: Infinity War”, so it remains to be seen if and how Waititi will bring him back to life in “Love and Thunder”.
    Elba himself didn’t rule out his character’s return, previously suggesting that Heimdall possesses god’s gift of immortality. “Listen, Heimdall is essentially part of the god family. So you know, he essentially could be alive. I’m just saying! I’m just putting it out there,” he claimed, before explaining, “The Heimdall character goes way back into, you know, the Thor mythology. And I’m sure there will be an interesting way to bring that alive. Of course I would [return]. Yes.”
    While Elba’s return has not been confirmed, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Tessa Thompson have been set to reprise their respective roles in “Thor: Love and Thunder”.

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    George Clooney Details Reason Behind Casting of Gregory Peck's Grandson for 'The Midnight Sky'

    WENN/Euan Cherry/FayesVision

    Praising Ethan Peck for giving a beautiful performance in the Netflix movie, the Augustine Lofthouse depicter spills on how they worked out the sharing of their voice to portray the same character.

    Dec 1, 2020
    AceShowbiz – George Clooney recruited Gregory Peck’s grandson to play his “The Midnight Sky” character as a younger man after abandoning plans to de-age himself onscreen.
    The Oscar winner met with Netflix bosses after deciding to direct and star in the new movie and quizzed them about the technology Martin Scorsese used to make Robert De Niro and others look younger in “The Irishman”, but eventually decided it would become too much of a talking point if he took years off himself.
    ” ‘The Irishman’ used it and had not come out yet,” Clooney tells Deadline. “They (Netflix bosses) showed it to me and I thought, ‘That’ll just become a topic then that people will talk about.’ I didn’t know how people would react to it at the time. I just said. ‘I think you’re going to talk about it’. It’s tricky because people know basically what I looked like when I was 35 years old.”

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    So he hired Ethan Peck, explaining, “We both have good eyebrows.”
    “He’s better looking than me and if I’m going to cast somebody why not f**king cast somebody who’s better looking than me…,” George adds. “I said to him, ‘Look, my voice is pretty recognizable, so we’re going to have to work together, you and I, and we’re going to work with… sound. We’re going to work with everybody on blending your voice with mine.’ ”
    “It’s broken down into hundreds of tiny bits and patterns because it can’t be my voice, because my voice was much higher when I was younger. Everybody’s voice is higher when they’re younger. Funnily enough, his voice is deeper than mine… He’s already got this fantastic voice. So I talked to him and said, ‘Look, this is going to be a performance where we’re going to be sharing the voice. I hope you’re OK with that.’ ”
    “He gives such a beautiful performance because he’s playing my character at an unlikeable time. The reason that he needs redemption is because of that. So it’s a really brave thing he did, which is he came onboard and said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it. I’m up for it.’ ”

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    Miles Teller Claims His Wife Was Reduced to Tears Watching 'Top Gun: Maverick'

    WENN/Brian To

    Having been able to catch a screening of the ‘Top Gun’ sequel, the actor playing Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw shares his hope that all the effort the team put into the film pays off at the box office.

    Dec 1, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Miles Teller’s wife is a big fan of the “Whiplash” star’s “Top Gun” sequel, insisting it’s the best film she has ever seen.
    Model Keleigh Sperry, who is a big fan of the 1986 original, jumped at the chance to see her man as Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw in a screening for “Top Gun: Maverick” – and she loved it.
    Her husband tells Men’s Journal Sperry was particularly taken by his character – the son of the original film’s Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw, played by Anthony Edwards.
    “Playing Goose’s kid and getting to continue that storyline that was established in such a powerful way all those years ago, there is a lot of history there,” Miles says. “I think when audiences realise the character I play is that tiny kid they saw in the original, it is going to hit.”

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    “I was able to see it a couple of weeks ago. The movie just blew me away, and my wife said, ‘That might be the best film I have ever seen.’ She was crying multiple times.”
    Teller hopes all the effort he put in to the film pays off at the box office, revealing, “There is no green screen in a ‘Top Gun’ movie. Every shot, every stunt, was the result of the work, the real sweat, that we all put into it. The production was over the course of a full year, which was definitely the longest shoot I have ever been part of.”
    “I had about three months of flight training before starting the movie. That time was important to get comfortable with the crafts but also to build up our G-force tolerance, because all of the aerial elements were shot practically.”
    The film’s release has been pushed back to July 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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    Michel Robin, Longtime French Character Actor, Dies at 90

    This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here.Michel Robin, an award-winning French actor who became a familiar face from his roles in more than a hundred movies and television shows, died on Nov. 18. He was 90.The cause was Covid-19, according to a statement from the Comédie-Française, the prestigious theater company in Paris where he was a longtime member. The company did not specify where he died.“The French didn’t always know his name, but they recognized his face, which illuminated stages and screens,” the office of the French president said.Michel Robin was born on Nov. 13, 1930, in Reims, in eastern France. After studying law in Bordeaux, he decided to try his luck as an actor and took drama lessons in Paris when he was 26.From 1958 to 1964, Mr. Robin was part of a theater company near Lyon led by the playwright Roger Planchon before moving on to the Renaud-Barrault company in Paris. His career in theater spanned over 50 years, and he distinguished himself in classics by authors like Molière, Chekhov and Brecht.Mr. Robin was especially fond of Samuel Beckett, and played Lucky in Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” in 1970 and, 10 years later, Clov in his “Endgame.”“It might seem pretentious, but with Beckett, I feel at home,” Mr. Robin told the newspaper Le Monde in a 2003 interview. “It’s so funny and so awful at the same time.”He joined the Comédie-Française in 1994 and became a staple of its productions for 15 years, often playing the classic supporting role of elderly servants.“Michel always played the old, very early in his career,” Éric Ruf, the general administrator of the Comédie-Française, said in a statement about Mr. Robin’s death. “He recently admitted that he was finally old enough for those roles, and that it annoyed him.”Starting in the late 1960s, Mr. Robin also appeared in movies by a number of directors, including Costa-Gavras, Claude Chabrol, and Alain Resnais. In “Amélie,” the 2001 movie by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, he played the father of Mr. Collignon, an irritable grocer. On television, he appeared in shows including the French version of “Fraggle Rock” in the 1980s and “Boulevard du Palais,” a police drama, in the late 1990s and early 2000s.In 1979, Mr. Robin won a prize at the Locarno Film Festival for his role as an old farmer in the Swiss comedy “Les Petites Fugues” (“Small Escapes”). In 1990, he won a Molière — France’s most prestigious theater award — for best supporting actor, for his role in “La Traversée de l’Hiver” (“Winter Crossing”), a play by Yasmina Reza about a group of six vacationers on a melancholic mountain retreat.He is survived by a daughter, Amélie, and a grandson, Gaspard. More

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    On TikTok, Fans Are Making Their Own ‘Ratatouille’ Musical

    With Broadway and theaters across the country idle because of the coronavirus, some actors, producers and prop designers have found an unlikely outlet for their talents: a musical version of the animated film “Ratatouille” that is playing out in exuberant 60-second increments on TikTok.Starting last month, thousands of TikTok users, including many with Broadway credits, have paid homage to the 2007 Disney Pixar film, about a rat who dreams of becoming a French chef, by creating their own songs, dances, makeup looks, set designs, puppets and Playbill programs.The result is a virtual show unlike any on Broadway. There is no director, no choreographer, no stage crew. It has come together organically on TikTok, where users have only a minute to catch people’s attention.In the film, Remy the rat follows the example of a famous chef who says that “anyone can cook.” It is in that spirt that professionals and amateurs alike have taken up the “Ratatouille” musical challenge, said Brandon Hardy, a puppet designer whose Broadway credits include “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “The Pee-Wee Herman Show.”“He never limited himself on his vision,” Mr. Hardy, 30, said of Remy. He added, “We just fell in love with this, and we don’t want anyone to stop us.”The project began in August, when Emily Jacobsen, 26, a schoolteacher, Disney fanatic and theater lover from Westchester County, N.Y., read about a “Ratatouille” ride that is scheduled to open next year at Walt Disney World in Florida.As she was cleaning her apartment, she started singing a song about Remy. Adopting a high pitch, she recorded what she described as “a love ballad” for the rat — “Remy, the ratatouille / The rat of all my dreams / I praise you, my ratatouille / May the world remember your name” — and posted a video of the tune on TikTok.
    @e_jaccs A love ballad ##remy ##rat ##ratatoille ##disney ##wdw ##disneyworld ##ratlove ##ratlife ##rats ##Alphets ##StanleyCup ##CanYouWorkIt ♬ Ode to Remy – Em Jaccs Daniel Mertzlufft, 27, a New York-based composer, orchestrator and arranger, was tagged in Ms. Jacobsen’s video. Last month, he used a computer program to enhance her original ode to Remy, adding a French horn, trumpets, vocals and strings to create a big Disney-style finale for a “Ratatouille” musical.Mr. Mertzlufft said he had been inspired by the music Alan Menken composed for “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and other classic animated Disney films.
    @danieljmertzlufft Remy: The Musical OG Song @e_jaccs add. Vocals @cjaskier #remy #ratatouille #musicaltheatre #broadway #singer #musical #disney #fyp #disneymusicals ♬ original sound – danieljmertzlufft Since Mr. Mertzlufft posted his video in mid-October, thousands of others have shared their own contributions to what has become something of a virtual “Ratatouille” musical. In the last few days, Disney signaled that it had been paying attention, quoting Ms. Jacobsen’s lyrics on Instagram and Twitter. It even made its own TikTok rap at Epcot, where the “Ratatouille” ride is being built.“We love when our fans engage with our stories,” Disney said in a statement, “and we look forward to seeing these super fans experience the attraction when it opens at Walt Disney World next year.”Kevin Chamberlin, whose Broadway acting credits include “The Addams Family” and “Seussical,” revisited the “Ratatouille” movie before recording his own contribution to the musical. It was the Chef Gusteau character, and his observation that “anyone can cook,” that spoke to him, he said.A theme of the movie, Mr. Chamberlin said, is that even the clumsiest among us can find talent deep inside ourselves. Inspired, Mr. Chamberlain sat down to write while his husband rushed out to get him a chef’s hat.Once in costume, he sat at his piano and sang: “Anyone can cook / All you have to do is look inside yourself.”Only the coronavirus pandemic could have brought out a virtual show like this, Mr. Chamberlin said. “What’s really interesting about all this is that, during this pandemic, art is pushing through because we can’t get on stages and in front of audiences.”Other contributors echoed that sentiment, adding that the “Ratatouille” musical project had given them reason to hope during a dark time.“If it can bring joy to people, and it seems like it has, then that’s the best feeling in the world,” said Tristan McIntyre, 22, a Los Angeles actor who helped choreograph a rat dance for the show.
    @tristanmichaelmcintyre cookin’ up some choreo for #ratatouillemusical ���� @rawalton4 @ratatouillemusical #foryoupage #fyp ♬ original sound – danieljmertzlufft RJ Christian, 21, a vocal performance student at New York University, said he had been inspired by the movie’s acerbic food critic, Anton Ego, for the solo he contributed. He said he wanted embody Mr. Ego with “weird chords, spicy harmony and creepy-crawly kind of music.”
    @rjthecomposer Anton Ego’s chilling solo, when he is served the title dish ##ratatouille ##ratatouillemusical ♬ original sound – RJ Christian For Blake Rouse, 17, of Fort Collins, Colo., the “Ratatouille” project gave him an outlet after the pandemic forced the cancellation of his high school’s production of “Newsies.”He contributed several songs based on scenes from the movie, including a tango between two chefs and a duet between Remy and his brother.“This is no longer a niche TikTok theater joke,” he said. “This is kind of a thing that people care about and are starting to keep up with.”
    @mikeyjosemusic Full version on my insta @mikeyjosemusic ##remi ##ratatouille ##musical ##singer ##disney ##theatrekid ##disneymusicals ##fyp ##foryou ♬ original sound – Mikey Jose Music The contributions go beyond performances. Mr. Hardy, the puppeteer, made some masks and small puppets for the virtual show, even using garbage to create some of the elements.“We’ve created something that’s engaging to people at every level,” he said. “People of every age group are fascinated by this and want to contribute to this. As far as I’ve seen, there really hasn’t been a show or musical in history that’s sort of operated that way.”And Christopher Routh, 30, of Chatham, N.J., used boxes to create elaborate miniature set designs for the show, complete with lighting and a Lego robotics set to move the pieces around.“It’s such an incredible trend on how our community can come together like this and create a musical out of nowhere,” he said. “And it all started with one girl.” More

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    Beyonce Urged to Respond to Subpoena Over 'Black Is King' Shelter Island Lawsuit

    Walt Disney Pictures

    Horse farm owner Mike Gaynor has launched legal action against local town council for allegedly allowing the’ Formation’ singer to shoot the video at a historical site in exchange of ‘substantial fee’.

    Nov 30, 2020
    AceShowbiz – A horse farm owner on Shelter Island, New York has ordered lawmakers to force Beyonce Knowles to respond to a subpoena over a legal spat linked to her “Black Is King” visual album.
    Mike Gaynor launched legal action against local town council officials for allegedly allowing the superstar to shoot a video at Sylvester Manor, the former home of slave trader Nathaniel Sylvester in return for an alleged “substantial fee” – and allegedly without having to obtain the proper permits.
    Gaynor said in court docs, “I’m a very wealthy person, and I’m able to defend myself when I’m treated unfairly in my community. What we find so beautiful about Shelter Island is its historical nature, it’s a very simple place, untouched, but increasingly the fact is that if you’re wealthy on the island you’ll be treated one way, and it’s different for everyone else.

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    “The farm was paid a substantial fee for the Filming and was required to sign non-disclosure agreements assuring its secrecy,” Gaynor’s documents continued to read.
    He claims he served Beyonce the subpoena at her East Hampton, New York mansion, and states: “It has now been over a month since Beyonce was served with the Subpoena, and she has not objected to any of the Subpoena… nor has she provided any justification for her failure to respond.”
    “This Court should compel Beyonce to comply… within 14 days issuing a warrant for a Sheriff to bring her to be deposed – or order her to pay costs, penalties, and damages.”
    Beyonce has yet to respond and bosses at Disney, the company which distributed Black is King on streaming site Disney+, insist they simply bought the finished project from Beyonce and had nothing to do with the filming locations she chose.

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    Isla Fisher and Keith Urban to Voice New Animated Movie

    WENN

    The upcoming animated project dubbed a love letter to Australia will be a star-studded affair with Eric Bana, Jackie Weaver, and Guy Pearce among the voice cast members.

    Nov 30, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Australian stars Isla Fisher, Keith Urban, and Eric Bana are joining forces to add their voices to a new animated project, dubbed a love letter to their homeland.
    “Back to the Outback”, which will also feature Jackie Weaver, Guy Pearce, and Tim Minchin, will follow a group of animals who escape from the Sydney Zoo, seeking a remote home away from humans.
    Fisher will reportedly voice a friendly snake in the film, while Urban will tackle a cane toad, and Minchin will play a koala.
    Bana will voice a zookeeper named Chaz.

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    Isla Fisher has been spotted in Aussie with husband Sacha Baron Cohen. The couple, who got married in 2010, share three children together. They are apparently moving their family Down Under as they enrolled their kids in a school in Sydney, the city where the pair first met.

    Fisher who grew up in Perth made no secret of her desire to move back to her home country to raise her children. “I have this secret fantasy of slowing down, moving to Byron Bay, getting off the grid and sitting on the sand with a Vegemite sandwich,” she said in a 2018 interview.

    Keith Urban has also arrived in Australia with his actress wife Nicole Kidman and their daughters Sunday and Faith. Coincidentally, Nicole has been tapped for new miniseries “Nine Perfect Strangers” which will be filmed in the country as well.

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    'Black Panther' Gets New Opening Credits in Honor of Chadwick Boseman's Birthday

    Walt Disney Pictures

    To celebrate what would have been the T’Challa depicter’s 44th birthday, Marvel Studios unveils a new intro graphic on the Disney+ streaming version of ‘Black Panther’.

    Nov 30, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Marvel Studios has paid tribute to Chadwick Boseman on what would have been his 44th birthday. The studio has unveiled new opening credits for the late actor’s movie “Black Panther” on the Disney+ streaming version.
    In place of the usual opening logo sequence showing characters from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the new intro graphic displays photos and footage of Boseman in “Black Panther” as well as behind-the-scenes moments of the late actor.
    There are also glimpses of screenplay featuring T’Challa’s dialogs, including his famous line “Wakanda Forever” and his message which reads, “In times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers.” The opening credits end with Marvel Studios logo with new purple backdrop instead of red. “Black Panther” rolled out a purple carpet in lieu of a red one for its world premiere in 2018.

    Disney chairman Bob Iger teased the tribute on Twitter, writing, “To all fans of #BlackPanther: watch the film on #DisneyPlus late tonight, for a special tribute to someone that was and will always be near and dear to our hearts.”

    Disney CEO Bob Iger teased new ‘Black Panther’ opening credits.

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    Meanwhile, fellow actors took to social media to pay tribute to Boseman on his birthday, with MCU star Mark Ruffalo posting behind-the-scenes footage of the T’Challa depicter hugging co-star Anthony Mackie. “Thinking of your passion, love, and your light today, @ChadwickBoseman. Happy Birthday. Wishing we could time travel back to this moment,” he wrote in the caption.

    “Black Panther” star Lupita Nyong’o posted along with a picture of her with Boseman, “Deeply loved, sorely missed. #ChadwickBoseman.” Kerry Washington shared a picture of Boseman smiling and added in the caption, “Remembering you today, @chadwickboseman. Happy Birthday King.”

    Boseman, who was born on November 29, 1976, died on August 28 of this year at 43 years old after a secret battle with colon cancer. He was diagnosed with the illness in 2016, but continued filming several movies, including “Black Panther”, “Da 5 Bloods”, “21 Bridges” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”, in between receiving treatment for his cancer.

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