Behind the Scenes of the New Song in ‘Les Misérables’

Whenever a stage musical heads to the big screen, it’s standard practice for a new song or two to be added in order to make the film eligible to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song. The filmmakers can claim whatever artistic justifications that they can, but we all know the real reason. Les Misérables is no different on this count. While all of the original’s many, many songs (It’s basically sung-through, like an opera), have been retained, they’ve also added a new one: “Suddenly.”
In this featurette, from the movie’s official YouTube channel, director Tom Hooper, along with producer Cameron Mackintosh (who also produced the musical) and composer Claude-Michel Schönberg explain the process of creating this new song. They’ve picked a good place to put it, for a new sequence that wasn’t in the original play, but which was in the novel by Victor Hugo. In the play, the story skips forward a decade or so after main character Jean Valjean rescues the child Cosette from indentured servitude. In the movie, “Suddenly” will play to a scene, which, from this featurette, appears to be a montage, that shows how Valjean and Cosette form a bond with one another.
So how good is the song? Does it measure up to the rest of the musical’s soundtrack, and, more importantly, fit in with it? It’s difficult to tell, since we hear only snippets of it in this video. We’ll find out when Les Misérables comes out on Christmas Day. For now, take a look at this featurette, and see what you think. “Suddenly” is all but guaranteed an Oscar nomination, whether it deserves it or not.

Mark Wahlberg And Dwayne Johnson To Star In ‘Pain & Gain’

Paramount Pictures has just released a new poster for the their upcoming, Michael Bay directed, Pain & Gain film.
The film stars a very jacked Dwayne Johnson and a pudgy looking Mark Wahlberg. Based on a true story, Pain & Gain follows a group of bodybuilders in Florida, who engages in a campaign of kidnapping, extortion and murder, which ultimately gets uncovered by a reporter from the Miami New Times.
The film also stars Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris, Rob Corddry, Tony Shalhoub, Bar Paly, Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong and Yolanthe Cabau.
Pain & Gain hits movie screens nationwide April 26, 2013.
From the looks of the poster, Johnson looks the part of a criminal body builder, but Wahlberg definitely need some help. He looks like a workout imposter, who hang out by the water fountain at you local fitness club.
What do you think about this Pain & Gain poster? Did Mark Wahlberg do enough push-ups or should he have hit the gym a little harder?

Zach Helm Chosen to Pen ‘Jumanji’ Remake

According to a recent article from The Hollywood Reporter, Columbia Pictures has called upon Zach Helm to pen an upcoming Jumanji remake. Details about the remake were released this past summer, much to the anticipation of.. well, no one.
Helm is the writer responsible for Stranger Than Fiction and Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, the latter of which he directed. His writing is family-friendly, fantastical and perfectly suited for a film like Jumanji.
Based on the children’s story by Chris Van Allsburg, Jumanji follows a family’s discovery of a magical, jungle-themed board game whose perils come to life whenever it is played. This includes monsoons in the living room, stampedes down Fifth Ave., monkeys stealing your car, and lions jumping out of your closet. Quite disturbing when you think about the possibilities (especially for a children’s book!).
Of course, Jumanji has already been adapted into a film. The 1995 version, directed by Joe Johnston, stars Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst and Bonnie Hunt. While by no means perfect, it still holds a special place in the hearts of those lucky enough to grow up in the 90s. Chris Van Allsburg’s quasi-sequel Zathura was also made into a film by Jon Favreau in 2005.
Zach Helm is reportedly charged to “try and reimagine Jumanji and update it for the present.” This undoubtedly begs the question as to whether or not we really need another version. Besides the obvious rehashed profit, what else can an updated version offer? Has the original already faded into the realm of obscurity?
The Jumanji remake has yet to select a director or begin casting. While I have my doubts about a remake, it’s likely Zach Helm and Co. will be able to produce something quite pleasantly satisfying. I guess I’m just sick of remakes (there’s plenty to go around these days). What do you think?

Gerard Butler’s ‘Playing For Keeps’ Misses The Goal

Millenium’s Playing For Keeps had a horrible opening weekend. The dramedy opened on 2,837 theaters, but hardly anyone was interested in seeing the ’300′ star driving around a soccer van. Playing for Keeps was this weekend’s only new wide release, but it flopped, making only $6 million at the box office.
According to the synopsis, this film is:

A romantic comedy about a charming, down-on-his luck former soccer star (Butler) who returns home to put his life back together. Looking for a way to rebuild his relationship with his son, he gets roped into coaching the boy’s soccer team. But his attempts to finally become an “adult” are met with hilarious challenges from the attractive soccer moms who pursue him at every turn.

Will Smith Tried To Get T.I. A Presidential Pardon

T.I.'s recent prison sentence is now behind him, but the Atlanta rapper is still working overtime on his career after serving back-to-back sentences. In a recent interview with Peter Bailey’s “NiteCap,” Tip revealed that after violating his probation in 2010, Will Smith offered to help him get pardoned by the president.
According to Tip (via HipHopDx) Will Smith offered to reach out to President Obama, asking him for a pardon, during their yearly birthday call. (The "Fresh Prince" star and Tip happen to share the same birthday and call each other every year to catch up).
"I didn't reach out to [Will Smith for a Presidential pardon]; we were just in conversation just speaking," Tip explained. "We got the same birthday, and everyday on our birthday we speak on the phone just to say, 'What's up, how're you doing, what's going on?'"

Lil Wayne produces new Juelz Santana album!

Juelz Santana recently declared during an interview that his Young Money buddy Lil Wayne would be the executive producer of his forthcoming album, « Born to Lose, Built to Win ». In other words, Weezy will be masterminding the project to ensure it becomes a commercial success.

Juelz Santana explained that he’d reached out to Lil Wayne and asked him to executive produce this album himself, adding that he’d even considered joining Cash Money.

What do you think of this collaboration?

Don Jazzy Buys New Crib....

Don Jazzy is far from broke so don't believe what the haters say. The producer who's enjoying a fruitful romance with Samsung and Promasidor, makers of Loya Milk, has finally doled out the cash for the Lekki duplex he rented this year after.



He actually rented and moved into the house after his separation from D'banj.

According to those who know, the mansion is a white building close to the estate fence. And the producer may have paid up to N160m to take ownership.

Wishing him all the best!

D'banj Says He Is Not Single

Nigeria’s G.O.O.D music act, D’banj was all out to shock his fans after he opened up on his relationship status during his interview at the TymeOut With TeeA concert on December,1

D’banj who has been linked to so many ladies, claimed that ladies no longer believe him when he tells them his single.

Here is what he told TeeA:

‘Even when I tell them I’m single’, they don’t believe. So these days, I tell them what they want to hear. I mean look at me, at my state, would you expect that I won’t be seeing anyone?‘

D’banj who is 31, is definitely one of the hottest bachelors in Nigeria, after building a very successful brand in Africa and also Internationally.

 He definitely is someone single ladies would want to take to the altar.

Nasty Pictures Of Rihanna Surfaces....

Rihanna decided to draw more attentions to herself by posing nude, after her new single “Diamonds” and chart topping album “Unapologetic” has been making hits all around.

The picture was snapped by her best friend, Melissa, and Riri had nothing on but  a black lace bra, a fur

Rick Ross Cancels Rest of Tour With Maybach Music Group

A rep for Rick Ross confirmed that the remaining dates of the rapper's tour with his Maybach Music Group have been canceled.

The dates include Sunday in Nashville, Wednesday in Memphis, Thursday in Houston, Saturday in Detroit and Dec. 16 in New York.

The 23-day U.S. tour, which was later extended to go through till Dec. 16, has been canceled due to "apparent lack of organization and communication on the part of the tour promoter," reps for Ross told AllHipHop.com.
Reps for Live Nation and Ross had not commented on the quote at press time.
Ross, who contributed a new song to the Django Unchained soundtrack, continued to apologize to fans. "I want to apologize to all of my fans who I missed performing for due to the cancellations and want to let them know that I will get back to their cities," Ross told the site. "I enjoyed my experience with my little bros Wale and Meek Mill, and I'm ready to get back in the studio to make good music."

The reports of the cancellation of the MMG tour came a day after Ross canceled two shows in North Carolina. Soon after news broke Thursday, reports came in that the rapper had canceled the shows due to threats from the Gangster Disciples street gang.
Local news outlet WCNC and other outlets report that the beef between Ross and Gangster Disciples stems from his mention of the gang's imprisoned leader, Larry Hoover, in his song, "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)."

'Guardians' Squeaks By as No. 1 Overseas

A listless pre-holiday stanza on the foreign theatrical circuit anointed DreamWorks Animation’s Rise of the Guardians the weekend’s top box office title with a relatively pallid gross of $26 million drawn from 58 overseas markets.

The offshore circuit will heat up considerably this coming week with Warner Bros.’ release of New Line/MGM’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, director Peter Jackson’s fantasy epic, which opens day-and-date with its domestic bow.
After four rounds on the foreign circuit, Guardians has accumulated a total offshore gross of $90.5 million. Although there were openings in Iceland, Israel and South Africa, the bulk of the weekend action came from holdover engagements in larger markets.
The Paramount release, a $145 million fantasy title featuring the voices of Alec Baldwin and Hugh Jackman, drew $3 million in its second France round from 665 locations, enough for a No. 1 ranking and an $8.4 million market cume. Guardians is duking it out with Skyfall for the No. 1 U.K. slot, claiming $2.6 million from 495 situations for a market cume of $6.5 million.
Mexico (No. 1 with $2.2 million in its second frame at 575 sites, cume $6.5 million) and Brazil ($2.1 million at 400 spots, cume $6.3 million over two rounds) were also muscular. Guardians takes off in Australia this week.
Breaking the $100-million foreign gross mark was Twentieth Century Fox’s release of Life of Pi, the film

Jenni Rivera Plane Wreckage Discovered With No Survivors.

We feared the worst in this awful situation, and sadly, it's come true. Jenni Rivera and six others were reported missing early this morning when the plane flying them from Monterrey to Toluca suddenly dropped off the radar after 3am, and now, authorities have confirmed that they've discovered the wreckage believed to be carrying the Mexican-American singer, and there are no apparent survivors. According to transportation and communication minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, what was left of the plane was found in Nuevo Leon state, and "everything points toward it being the plane" in which Rivera was traveling. We cannot even begin to express our shock and sadness over such a profound loss. Our heart and prayers go out to all of the friends, family, loved ones, and fans suffering as they attempt to come to terms with this unspeakable tragedy. May Jenni and everyone else lost on that plane R.I.P. You will be missed.

Kristen Stewart WILL Focus In On Ben Affleck In New Comedy Flick!

Guess the rumors were TRUE! We reported last month that Kristen Stewart was in talks to appear as Ben Affleck's love interest - and seXXXy-timez partner - in a soon-to-go-into-production comedy called Focus, and now, the Twilight starlet has confirmed the news HERSELF! She recently revealed: "I can confirm that rumor. It's a comedy. I'm really excited about it. We start shooting in April. [I] would love to find some micro-project before then, because April is kind of a ways away." But that's not all we know now about this mystery project! Apparently, the film focuses on the actress as "an inexperienced con artist who hooks up with the more seasoned Affleck," and will be written and directed by Crazy, Stupid, Love's Glenn Ficarra and John Requa! Inneresting, indeed! Especially because we're not used to seeing our KStew take on comedy! Well. INTENTIONAL comedy, anyway! But she's got a solid team around her, so we're confident that despite some occasional lip-biting, this might actually be VERY good! What do U think?? Will U check out Ben and Kristen in Focus??