Almost Famous
Reese Witherspoon finally put the record straight about her run-in with police after her husband, agent Jim Toth, was pulled over by Atlanta officers and tested for driving under the influence. Good Morning America wasted no time Thursday morning, introducting Witherspoon and immediately asking her about the incident, which put the actress's position as America's Sweetheart at risk.
She admitted that she'd 'had one too many glasses of wine,' but despite that, she and Toth had decided to drive. She apologized, stating that their decision had been 'unacceptable' and that they'd 'made a mistake.' Despite this, she kept her responses light, laughing a little when she admitted she'd been out of line and just panicked, even telling the police she was pregnant when she wasn't.
This week is full of casting news! Emilia Clarke, one of the breakout stars of Game of Thrones, who plays Daenerys Targaryen on the HBO hit, has been cast in The Garden of Last Days, a film adapation the novel by Andre Dubus III. The Garden of Last Days tells three interwoven stories, all set in Florida, and centers on the themes of family and sexuality. Dubus is also the author of A House of Sand and Fog, adapted in 2003 starring Jennifer Connelly.
Casting news alert! Disney has announced that Lily James will potray Cinderella in the live-action interpretation of the Disney classic. James is best-known for her role as Lady Rose MacClare, cousin of the Grantham family and resident troublemaker on the British period-drama Downton Abbey. Her first role in a big-budget film was Wrath of the Titans, but Cinderella could make the young actress a household name.
The news of this new adaptation is not at all surprising, with the recent influx of fairytale reimaginings in the last year. Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman, both released in 2012, retold the story of Snow White, but altered the classic story to enable Snow White a more active role in her own survival. Disney recently released Oz The Great and Powerful starring James Franco as Oz telling the story of before Dorthory arrived in the Emerald City. In 2014, Disney plans to release Maleficent a retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the point-of-view of the villain, Maleficent, played by Angelina Jolie. A remake of Beauty and the Beast is rumored to also be in the works.
With the storylines of the injury-plagued NBA playoffs more resembling an episode of General Hospital than the road to a championship, it is difficult to imagine anything else taking the spotlight off this soap opera-esque sports exhibition. However, NBA journeyman Jason Collins did just that with his announcement to Sports Illustrated. In the article Collins wrote for the sports magazine he states, "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay." With this revelation, the veteran Collins, who spent the better part of a solid NBA career with the New Jersey Nets, becomes the first professional athlete in all four major American sports to come out.
Taylor Swift certainly isn't suffering from the financial crisis! The 23 year-old "Red" singer was spotted touring the 16-bedroom beachfront mansion, pictured above, with her parents and brother. With 11,000 square feet of space, Taylor's new home has a swimming pool and a gym in addition to eight bedrooms! Paying $17.5 million dollars cash for the New England home, this is the fifth property she's bought since breaking onto the country music scene with her first big hit "Tim McGraw." Her other three purchases were a penthouse and mansion in Nashville, TN and another home in Beverly Hills, CA.
J.J. Abrams brought Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, and Spock back for a new generation, has signed on to direct the new Star Wars film, and now is in talks to direct a movie adaptation of Stephen King's time-travel novel, 11/22/63. Published in 2011, but orginally conceived in 1971, the novel tells the story of Jake Epping, a high school English teacher, who uses a portal within a diner to travel back in time where he tries to change history on the day of President Kennedy's assassination. We're also thinking that Abrams may have a thing about time-travel, right Lost fans?!
Although Marvel Comic's Iron Man 3 has yet to open in the United States, it is already a financial success internationally, opening to $195.3 million in 42 markets, blasting past The Avengers' overseas opening of $185.1 million!
The last installment of the Iron Man series, starring Robert Downey, Jr., as Tony Stark aka Iron Man, made only $100 million on its international debut. This may indicate that the next Avengers movie will possibly break Iron Man 3's overseas opening. The Avengers was even bigger nationally, which bodes well for Iron Man 3's stateside opening weekend beginning on Friday, May 3rd.
Check out the official Iron Man 3 trailer below.
Darren Criss, of Glee fame, announced via Twitter and a YouTube video that he’ll be embarking on his first solo tour. He plans to visit 16 cities throughout the United States and Canada, beginning with San Francisco on May 29th. He'll perform in New York City on June 27th at the Roseland Ballroom. More information can be found on his official website.
Everyone knows that Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt can dance, but no one suspected Broadway was also in the cards! The two talented actors are at the top of the list to play Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, roles originally portrayed on the silver screen by Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando respectively. No news on who would play which part.
Gordon-Levitt has sung numerous times, and helps run the collaborative production company, hitRECord, but Tatum’s singing abilities are a complete mystery, and both Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterson involve some serious musical chops! Both actors are in high demand however, so 20th Century Fox will have to move quickly if it wants both in the film.
Social media, fondly branded the poor man's therapy session, offers the perfect medium to vent one’s personal frustrations, usually matched with the much needed empathy and support of complete strangers. However, in recent days, it's extended its reach to a not-so-poor man in Kobe Bryant. Following a season ending surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered during the final minutes of a must-win game against the Golden State Warriors, Bryant immediately turned to Facebook to air his frustrations, disappointment, despair, and palpable anger toward the worst injury of his career. While the Lakers continued their playoff chase, eventually securing a seventh seed in the Western conference, Bryant allowed the world an uncharacteristic bird's eye view into his life, his recovery, and the hilarity spawned from the boredom of a brilliant NBA superstar.