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UK Movie Industry Claiming Losses While Profits Soaring

It is widely known that rights owners prefer keeping quiet when talking about online piracy. Those listening attentively could notice many times how movies raked in record breaking profits, but at the same time the entertainment industry kept arguing that it’s facing total collapse and blaming illegal downloading for that.

The movie industry sticks to the old argument to justify excessively strict copyright laws, blaming piracy for “killing” the entertainment industry and calling the government to stop it or face the collapse of the movie industry. The surveys carried out by the industry prove it is losing millions if not billions dollars in profits. However, this figure should be reconsidered from another point of view – different from the premise of each download meaning one lost sale, as it have repeatedly been acknowledged a flawed argument.

Industry executives might wonder why there are no headlines screaming that the industry is doing quite well, and the answer to that was given above – it keeps quiet.

The story is similar in all other countries – for example, the United Kingdom. The information from the UK Film Council is the following: the movie industry grossed $2 billion at box office in 2009, with takings at record-breaking levels of about £1 billion in the country last year, which is up 62% as compared to decade ago. Moreover, the total of territory box office for the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland altogether surpassed £1 billion for the first time last year.

If we look at the investments in UK movies, they seem to be hugely successful, as every £1 invested has generated £5 at the box office. People are interested in visiting cinemas more than before – more that 170 million people visited theaters in the UK last year, which is up 30 million from decade ago and the highest figure since 2002.

As we can see, the British movie industry breaks revenue records by striking £1 billion at the box office, experiencing an increase in 62% over the last decade. And at the same time it dares to complain that it’s dying because of billions in losses (of course, estimated by the flawed logic of each download meaning one lost sale). How that came that we have to be sympathetic for the entertainment industry over money now – the industry, pushing lawmakers to pass excessively restrictive legislation like “three-strikes” regime in the country?

Bond Screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz Passes Away at Age 68

Tom mankiewicz, best recognized for his work as a screenwriter on several of James Bond's 1970s films, passed away on July 31st after losing a struggle with cancer. Mankiewicz, son of All About Eve screenwriter Joseph Mankiewicz, has his name on the screenplays for Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, The Man With the Golden Gun, Ladyhawke, and Dragnet, but that was hardly the extent of his career. In addition to being a regular Bond writer, the L.A. Native was also a television writer and director who worked on such projects as Bob Hope Presents, Movin' With Nancy, Hart to Hart, and Tales From the Crypt.

Mankiewicz was also one of Hollywood's great script fixers, often lending his talents to movies without official receiving an official, on-screen credit. As a "creative consultant," he was responsible for various duties on The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, Superman 1 & 2, Gremlins, War Games, and Batman.

The Bond-enthusiast fansite MI6.co.uk has a rather extensive and loving remembrance of Tom Mankiewicz, a definite read for fans. Our best wishes go out to his friends and family.

Lohan Walks Free From Jail

 
Lindsay Lohan is a free woman again - the troubled actress was released from jail on Monday after serving just 13 days of her three-month sentence.
The Mean Girls star, who was sentenced to 90 days behind bars for violating her probation relating to a 2007 DUI arrest, was freed from the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California in the early hours of Monday morning.
Lohan was released at approximately 1.30am local time (Pst), according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The actress is expected to report to a rehab clinic within 24 hours to begin a court-ordered 90-day treatment program.

Bebo, Ranbir to act together?

 
The race is on in Bollywood between filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala and director Rohit Jugraj to see who can get Kareena Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor in a film together first.
The fact that the two cousins, Bollywood’s hottest properties, cannot romance each other on screen has gone down very well indeed with Imran Khan — the new sensation after the success of I Hate Luv Storys. Exploiting the situation, Imran began an ‘I Love Bebo’ campaign that has worked, and the young actor is already signed on to do a film for Karan Johar opposite Kareena. But there is hope for the cousins, yet.

Sajid Nadidwala, whose Anjaana Anjaani Kareena had to opt out of because it starred Ranbir, is planning a film with the two. “We don’t have to think of a romantic pair all the time. There are so many wonderful films where the lead pair is not romantically involved, like Kamal Haasan and Sridevi in Sadma and Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore in Amar Prem,” said Sajid.
And there’s Rohit Jugraj who is currently writing a script called Cousins which he has designed specially for Kareena and Ranbir. At the moment, all he will reveal is that it’s the story of first cousins who get together to fight for a common cause. Kareena had once said, “I would like to work with Ranbir. He is so talented. I know we can work magic together. But he is my brother. How can I star opposite him? Maybe it was never meant to be.” But, in Bollywood you never say never…

Aish to shoot with Kate Winslet

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan seems to be reaching new heights with each passing day. The scintillating beauty, who has been gathering accolades for her mesmerising act in ‘Raavan’, will now be seen rubbing shoulders with Hollywood stunner Kate Winslet.
Believe it or not, but the two divas will be seen in a commercial for a brand that they both endorse.
Confirming the news, a source said, “Aishwarya will be working with British actress Kate Winslet in a commercial, to be shot in Italy. This is for a brand Ash endorses.”

However, this isn’t the first time Ash will be seen opposite a Hollywood biggie. The actress has been seen with actors like Jean Reno, Steve Martin and Emily Mortimer in the past.
Talking about Ash’s excitement over the ad, a source close to the actress said, “Aishwarya is very excited to meet Kate and moreover shoot with her for the ad. Ash is headed to Italy sometime next week. The ad will be shot over two days.”
As for Aishwarya, the actress has met Kate in the past and was reported to have said that she finds her “very pretty”. Shooting with Kate is something Ash is eagerly waiting for, says a source close to the latter.

Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan in Rome

'Freida Pinto not marrying Dev Patel'

Freida Pinto's spokesperson has rubbished reports about the Slumdog Millionaire actress marrying her co-star Dev Patel.

Earlier, there were reports that the two were spotted enquiring about a wedding cake at a bakery and making arrangements to fly it to India for their forthcoming wedding.

"These rumours are complete rubbish and baseless. There is not even an ounce of truth in it," Divya Tejuja, Freida's spokesperson said.

The two met in 2008 on the sets of Slumdog Millionaire and started dating some time later. But they kept their romance low-profile and didn’t appear in public together until late last year.

Katrina Kaif beats Shah Rukh Khan in mobile search

Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif is the most searched celebrity on the mobile phones and has beaten the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Aishwarya Rai.

The research was conducted by mBit Infotech, a Value Added Service(VAS) provider.

Among the Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities, Katrina is on the number one spot followed by Angelina Jolie, Kareena, Shah Rukh, Salman, Bipasha, Aishwarya, Monica Bellucci and Aamir Khan.

Commenting on the results, Raghavendra Agarwala, CEO of mBit Infotech, said: "It is amazing to see that Katrina Kaif is ruling the charts with a major pie, presumably implying that Katrina’s popularity is mounting for both national and international audiences."

The research is based on the searches performed by over 120,000 users of mBit in the first quarter of 2010 (Jan to April) and it also found out that "sex" is still the most popular searched keyword followed by music where mostly international music icons like Akon, Linkin Park, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Rihanna and Michael Jackson top the list.

Lawyers to Tiger Woods: No Dating Allowed!

At this point, it's looking like a matter of when, not if Tiger Woods gets divorced from wife Elin. But until that happens, his handlers want him under lock and key.

According to reports, the golfer's legal team told him he won't be able to date until the split is completely finalized. The reason? Well, it's kind of obvious, right?

Says a source close to the situation:

"Elin's building a character case [based on serial philandering]. Elin's team is watching Tiger's every move. She wants more money than Michael Jordan's ex got."

Jordan's ex-wife reportedly received $168 million. Elin is said to want $750 million (!) which may be a stretch, but even if she gets a quarter of that ... wow.

Despondent

Tiger's reaction to being barred from dating was likely similar.

She certainly has enough material on Tiger to make a compelling case as it is. If he were caught mauling Joslyn James or that Elin Woods look-alike, though? Wow.

As for custody of the couple's two small children?

"They'll share it, but she wants the ability to take them to Sweden whenever she wants," says the insider. Tiger wants the right to object in court - here or abroad.

Things are already getting ugly, too. His other main hangup? He wants this confidential - now and 'til the end of time. As in no interviews or books by Elin. Ever.

She's balking at that so far. Stay tuned ...

Gary Coleman Taken Off Life Support, Dead at 42

R.I.P. Gary Coleman (1968-2010).

Former child star and actor Gary Coleman of Diff'rent Strokes fame has died. He was 42. He was taken off life support earlier today and passed away.

The diminutive Coleman passed away at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo after suffering a brain hemorrhage and losing consciousness.

A resident of Santaquin, Utah, Coleman had been hospitalized Wednesday and lost consciousness the next day. He was on life support until this afternoon.

Born with failed kidneys, Coleman had undergone two transplants by age 14 and his growth was permanently stunted by the side effects of dialysis.

He was a precocious, chubby-cheeked Coleman was 10 when Diff'rent Strokes debuted on NBC in 1978. The popular show lasted for eight seasons.

The scene-stealing Gary quickly became a pop-culture icon, whose recurring line "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" became a national catchphrase.

At the height of his TV series success, Coleman reportedly earned $64,000 per week and is said to have made some $18 million during his heyday.

His acting career as an adult fell far short of his glory days, however, with only occasional guest appearances and small roles in films and TV movies.

Coleman has had encounters with the law in recent years, including just this February, when he accepted a plea deal on domestic violence charges.

That stemmed from an incident with wife Shannon Price, who took him off life support today. Gary's health problems also escalated in recent years.

Hopefully he is now at peace. Our condolences to Gary Coleman's family, friends and fans in this difficult time. He will be remembered and missed.

Amitabh Bachchan to play Rabindranath Tagore?

If the reports are to be believed then the iconic Big B might portray the life of another icon, the great Rabindranath Tagore, India's first Nobel laureate. The movie is titled ‘The Sound of Silence’ and Mr. Bachchan has been approached for the role of Rabindranath Tagore for the biopic.

The movie talks about the life of Tagore after he won the Nobel Prize and it deals with his life at Shantiniketan.

It will be a perspective of the students like Indira Gandhi, Satyajit Ray etc. who studied at Shantiniketan.

The film will be directed by Ujjvwal Chatterji, who has earlier directed films like ‘Escape From Talibaan’ and ‘Laal Salaam’, produced by Kirshnedu Sen; whereas Javed Akhtar will be penning the script, dialogues and lyrics for the movie.

Mr. Bachchan has been approached to play Tagore in his older age.

The film is likely to go on floors by the end of this year.

Sudhir Mishra ready to bow before Kareena

Kareena Kapoor’s stupendous performance in her films has driven many filmmakers crazy and one among them is director Sudhir Mishra. Mishra ardently wants Kareena Kapoor in his film titled, ‘Dhruv’, a modern version of ‘Devdas’. He wants Kareena Kapoor to play the role of Paro. To get Kareena’s acceptance, Sudhir Mishra is even ready to go down Kareena’s knees.

Mishra initially wants Chitrangada Singh for the role but later he shifted his choice to Bebo because he feels that Kareena is best suited for the role. Confirming the news, Mishra said, “It works only with Kareena, no one else. I’m willing to go down on my knees to get her to do the film. But she can’t say no. It’s a role specially written for her,” says Mishra.

Kareena is not sure about signing the film because it’s a Farhan Akhtarproduction and named after his character in the film. “We call the film ‘Dhruv’, but her character Pooja is as important. ‘Devdas’ is now ‘Dhruv’ and Paro is Pooja. It’s now more like Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ than ‘Devdas’. I can’t imagine anyone but Kareena in the role,” adds Mishra.

Hope, Kareena accepts the role.

Aamir Khan to host KBC 4!

Perfectionist Aamir Khanis rumored to be hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati 4. Talks are going on and Aamir Khan is in the top of the list. Question that arises about hosting KBC 4 is that since it was earlier hosted by Amitabh Bachchanand Shahrukh Khan, comparison is bound to take place. “These things simply don’t matter to Aamir. The only way he would come on television is by doing a show that caters to social cause. At the moment, he’s got two projects in hand – both by BIG Synergy. If KBC doesn’t work out, then Aamir is likely to take up the other reality show currently untitled. The common thing with both is that their principal aim is social cause. It’s precisely this thing that has evinced Aamir’s interest in coming to television,” said a source.

If Aamir gives his nod then there will be a change in the format, it will be something resemblance to ‘Slumdog Millionare’. The show will aim towards doing some social cause. Throwing light on the issue, the source says, “Yes, earlier there was such a format wherein you would invite one contestant from the slums to earn rupees I million in a day. However, that’s been done away with now. New format, new rules will be in place, but one thing constant will be the social factor.”

If Aamir says yes then it would his debut venture in television.

First photos of adult Harry, Ginny Hugo Weasley,Tom Felton& Potter family from Deathly Hallows epilogue

The epilogue for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is currently being filmed this week at King's Cross station in London. While there have been several photos of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson covered and walking to the station, the very first image of Dan and Bonnie Wright aged in their mid-30s has been released, and can be seen below.



UPDATE: The first photos of Albus and James Potter with their mother Ginny (Bonnie Wright), has been released as well, along with a better shot of Dan as older Harry:















UPDATE #2: The first photo of director David Yates with the young actor playing Albus Potter can be seen in our galleries.



Additionally, the first image of Dan with his on-screen daughter, Lily Potter, can be seen below.

The first images of Ron and Hermione's youngest child, Hugo Weasley, as well as shots of Tom Felton and Jade Gordon heading into King's Cross from earlier today have been released, courtesy of Rupert-Grint.us, and can be seen below.


































Deathly Hallows epilogue filming will continue to be shot at King's Cross in London until
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be out November 19, 2010 and July 15, 2011.

Wedding bells for Freida Pinto and Dev Patel

Yes, It's True!! The stars of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Freida Pinto and Dev Patel are going to take their relationship to a next level. The couple is getting ready to tie the knot. Their romance made headlines couple of times. Freida and Dev came closer during the shooting of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. With the success of the film, they became overnight stars. Like their love, their career also jumped high. Their career just took off but they have decided to marry as soon as possible.

According to a source, they will marry in a traditional Indian style. The news of their marriage blow up as they reportedly ordered the wedding cake from the same bakery, Sweet Lady Jane bakery in Los Angeles at which they have dated for the first time.

Before Freida starts off her filmy career, she was officially engaged to her publicist Rohan Antao but later called off as she wanted to concentrate on her career and started dating Dev Patel.

They are yet to declare their wedding officially.

Farah snubs SRK, casts Sallu in OSO sequel

Farah Khan and Shahrukh Khan are no longer good friends. Though they claim to be friends, truth is that they are rivals more than friends. Farah Khan’s inclination towards Shahrukh Khan’s enemy is a proof of this. Now-a-days, Farah Khan bonds with Salman Khan. Their friendship was quite visible at a dance reality show on TV where Farah Khan appeared as a judge and Salman Khan as a special guest. On that show, the camaraderie between the two was seen. On the show, Salman joked about him being the first choice for Farah's directorial ventures, ‘Main Hoon Na’ and ‘"Om Shanti Om" and Farah posed to be serious and she was quick to admit that it was true. Farah then assured Salman to be in both the sequels.

Though it was said in a joke, it did not impress SRK. When media caught King Khan and asked him to comment of Farah-Salman’s latest comment on his films, he preferred to ignore them and did not comment on the issue. Sources present at the venue narrates, “One look at SRK and you could tell he was miffed. He had been in a good mood, answering all our queries, but just when someone touched upon the Farah-Salman chapter, the smile on Shah Rukh’s face faded.”

It seems Bollywood will never get over enmity.

Ash, Bebo Preity together in Bhansali’s next

Hearing the star casts, one would definitely say Woh! Hard to believe but the three reigning ladies of Bollywood, Aishwarya RaiBachchan, Kareena Kapoorand Preity Zintawill be sharing screen space in filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s next flick titled, ‘Heera Mandi’, based on the famous red light area in the walled city of Lahore.

The project was in Bhansali’s mind for a long time but at one point of time, he has decided to dump it but Bhansali again set up his mind to work on the subject. Earlier he had Madhuri Dixit, Rani Mukherjee and Sonam Kapoor in mind but later he has shifted to Ash, Bebo and Preity.

He will start working on the project as soon as he wraps up the shooting of ‘Guzaarish’ starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai.

Read more: Ash, Bebo Preity together in Bhansali’s next | Aishwarya Rai | Kareena Kapoor | Preity Zinta http://www.bollywoodmantra.com/news/ash-bebo-preity-together-in-bhansali-s-next/5856/#ixzz0p0VFo19j

Lara Bags Don 2!

Lara Dutta is the latest star to join Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2. The actress has been cast alongside Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Arjun Rampal — all three who have been retained from its prequel Don.

And though producer Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan are tight-lipped about her role, a source revealed that the actress is touted to play a femme fatale in this slick-flick. However, whether Lara will be seen vying for SRK’s attention alongside Priyanka remains to be seen. A source said, “Lara’s not replacing Eesha (Koppikhar). She’s a completely new addition to the cast with an entirely new part written for her. But yes, the role will require Lara to learn some form of martial arts and she is very kicked about doing an action role.”

For Lara, it may just be a dream come true, as she had not too long ago revealed her wish of doing a hard-core action-oriented role. Incidentally, with Lara and Priyanka on board, the film teams two former Miss Indias (Universe and World, respectively) who had made their debut together in the 2003 Akshay Kumar starrer Andaz.