Entertaining Posts

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Royal wedding recording to be online within hours

LONDON | Wed Mar 23, 2011 8:15am EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - The official recording of the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29 will be available to download within hours of the service finishing.

Decca Records, part of the Universal Music label which also released the recordings of Prince Charles's wedding in 1981 and Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, will have a recording of the royal nuptials for sale on the net within hours and then release the official album of the marriage ceremony on May 5.

The physical album will include a booklet containing the order of service, readings, vows, hymns and blessings, as well as all the music. The format of release will be digital download, CD, vinyl and cassette to cater for all consumers.

The ceremony will be released digitally by Decca on the world's leading download and streaming platforms immediately following the service in London's Westminster Abbey.

"Thanks to digital technology we will be able to deliver it worldwide almost instantly -- it will be the fastest we have ever released an album of this stature," said David Joseph, chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK.

Musicians already confirmed to perform at the ceremony include The Choir of Westminster Abbey, The Chapel Royal Choir, The London Chamber Orchestra and The Fanfare Team from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force.

The Choirs will be under the direction of James O'Donnell and The London Chamber Orchestra conducted by its Music Director and Principal Conductor Christopher Warren-Green.

Hundreds of millions of people are expected to tune in and watch the wedding next month, and Decca is predicting the album will score well in digital charts around the world.

No pop acts have yet been announced for the ceremony.

Elton John performed a revised version of his hit "Candle in the Wind" at Diana's funeral, and it went on to become one of the best selling singles of all time.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

British rock stars to play Japan benefit concert

LONDON | Tue Mar 22, 2011 8:53am EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - British rock stars including Richard Ashcroft, Paul Weller and Liam Gallagher of Oasis fame will play a charity gig next month to raise funds for the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

The benefit concert will be held at the Brixton O2 Academy in south London on April 3, and the lineup includes Beady Eye, the band which Gallagher formed after Oasis broke up, Primal Scream, The Coral and Graham Coxon of Blur.

"With images beamed worldwide as they occurred, the horrific tragedy that beset Japan in recent days has affected everybody," Beady Eye said in a statement on its website.

"In response, a collection of Britain's finest rock musicians have heeded the rallying call and come together to present a very special one-off event.

"Beady Eye -- who still have fond memories of their concert in Sendai as Oasis in 2002 -- are delighted their idea for a benefit gig has come together so quickly and with such fantastic support."

The concert follows Monday's announcement that Universal Music was putting together a digital-only album featuring tracks from some of its leading artists, including Justin Bieber and U2, to raise money for victims of the Japanese disaster.

More than 9,000 people have been confirmed dead after the March 11 earthquake and resulting tsunami, while more than 13,500 are reported missing.

Tickets to the concert go on sale from Friday morning and can be ordered via www.gigsandtours.com, www.ticketweb.co.uk and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Steve Addison)

Monday, March 21, 2011

Jeff Daniels eyed for new Sorkin television drama

By Lacey Rose

Mon Mar 21, 2011 4:34pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In a high-profile plot twist, Aaron Sorkin's TV pilot is close to nabbing actor Jeff Daniels as its star.

The hotly anticipated drama pilot, tentatively titled "More As the Story Develops," is set behind the scenes of a nightly cable news show.

Similarly, Sorkin's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" was a behind-the-scenes look at a "Saturday Night Live"-type sketch comedy show, and "Sports Night" was a similar take on a "SportsCenter"-like sports news program.

Sorkin spent time with high profile cable newsmen, including Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews, among others, to better understand the world he planned to recreate.

Daniels, 56, is currently negotiating for the lead role, which was originally written for as a character in their 40s.

If the project goes to series, it will mark the actor's first foray into regular series television. Previous TV credits include several telefilms, including 2008's "Sweet Nothing in My Ear" for Hallmark Channel.

Daniels is better known to stage and film audiences for a prolific career that includes "Dumb & Dumber," "The Squid and the Whale" and "State of Play," among others.

For Sorkin, who won an Oscar last month for his screenplay for "The Social Network," the project will be his first in cable. His earlier series, "Sports Night," "The West Wing" and "Studio 60" aired on broadcast networks ABC or NBC.

Scott Rudin, who worked with Sorkin on "Social Network" and will also serve as an executive producer on the HBO project, dabbled in series television only once in the mid-1990s, when ABC adapted "Clueless," which he had produced for the big screen.

U2, Rihanna featured on new album to aid Japan

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Sunday, March 20, 2011

Justin Bieber passes Michael Jackson at box office

By Pamela McClintock

Sun Mar 20, 2011 7:37pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The Biebs hasn't disappointed on the big screen.

Paramount's "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" has now surpassed Michael Jackson This Is It to become the most successful concert-themed movie at the domestic box office.

Through Sunday, Justin Bieber had earned $72.2 million at the domestic box office. Sony's "This Is It" grossed $72.1 million domestically.

However, This Is It still holds the worldwide record, having grossed $189.1 million overseas for a global total of $261.2 million. Usually, concert films don't travel well.

"Never Say Never" has grossed $10.8 million at the international box office, a solid number, considering that the Jonas Brothers' concert film grossed only $4 million internationally, while "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" earned $5 million. "Hannah Montana" grossed $65 million domestically.

Paramount insiders believe Justin Bieber could ultimately earn $20 million internationally. So far, the movie has done best in Latin America, where star's fan base is strongest.

Justin Bieber was produced by Paramount's low-budget division Insurge Pictures. The studio has shied way from calling the film a concert movie, since it delves into Bieber's childhood and rise to pop icon status.

Paramount also took the unprecedented step of updating the movie with new footage early in its theatrical release, so as to encourage repeat business. The move worked.