Anne Hathaway to play Catwoman in new Batman movie

LOS ANGELES: Anne Hathaway has clawed her way into the latest Batman movie, nabbing the role of Selina Kyle and her alter ego, Catwoman. Warner Bros. announced the casting Wednesday for Christopher Nolan’s latest film in the superhero saga, ”The Dark Knight Rises.” Hathaway will appear opposite Christian Bale, who’s returning as Bruce Wayne and Batman. The studio also announced that Tom Hardy, whom Nolan directed in last year’s ”Inception,” will play one of Batman’s enemies, Bane. ”The Dark Knight Rises” is slated for release on July 20, 2012. Hathaway, an Oscar nominee for 2008′s ”Rachel Getting Married,” will co-host the Academy Awards with James Franco on February 27.

Natalie Portman's awkward Golden Globes speech and laugh catch fire online

Besides Ricky Gervais, the other talked-about moment from the Golden Globes was Natalie Portman's best actress in a drama film acceptance speech, in which the pregnant beauty attempted a joke regarding her fiance and his lines from their film "Black Swan." The joke landed just fine but it was her giddy laugh that seemed to ring on a bit too long afterward.
Of course, those are the moments that seem to never die on the Internet. And College Humor has taken that joke and run with it, recreating her laugh into a never-ending moment complete with reaction shots from other Globe attendees. Some are calling it Portman's "Norbit" moment, in reference to the theory that Eddie Murphy lost the Academy Award for his part in "Dreamgirls" based on the awful fat-suit comedy that opened in the middle of his campaign. Portman is opening the romantic comedy "No Strings Attached" in the middle of her campaign but that film -- even coupled with her awkward speech -- doesn't seem like nearly enough to derail a performance that has been lauded by critics and audiences alike.
However, the poised and polished Annette Bening rid herself of all her previous acceptance speech demons, delivering an eloquent, concise and funny speech. With the lead actress Oscar race a contest essentially between these two women, it will be interesting to see how this little video plays through the next month.

Pre-PGA Oscar Predictions: 'Social Network' and Portman Will Win

THR's Oscar predictor gives up on The King's Speech and Annette Bening -- but check this column again after Saturday's PGA Awards, as minds may change.
At the Telluride premiere of Black Swan, I never would have predicted that Natalie Portman's fine frenzy would propel her past Annette Bening, who seemed apt to get an Oscar akin to Susan Sarandon's in Dead Man Walking. Old dame walking tall; new kid dancing to death. Career capstone versus arthouse launchpad. The Academy's old, I guessed the fiftyish actress would prevail. But Bening has been almost AWOL on the campaign trail, perhaps because of her daughter's alleged sex-change. (Someone I know and love is going through this now, so I understand and do not criticize her if this is the case.) And Hollywood loves a Cinderella story, and Black Swan has arrived like Cinderella on a rocket sled crashing into a maybe $100 million mountain. Its cultural impact has been immense (how in hell did it get snubbed for the makeup Oscar?). The drama of its surprise smash enhances people's experience of the cinematic drama itself. Whereas Bening was correct to fear that her character might be perceived as not dramatic enough, so she required the filmmakers to make her bitchier and drunker. Even so, the character and The Kids Are All Right can't match the impact of Black Swan. It's like the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs.
Right after the premiere, I was probably the first human to type the words "The King's Speech" and "Oscar" in the same sentence, and I may be wrong to give up on it now. Remember, each time I sold Amazon stock it sextupled or octupled. But I think a somewhat analogous process to the Portman/Bening contest is going on, and The Social Network seems to me to have pulled a micromillimeter ahead.
My current predictions:
BEST PICTURE
1. The Social Network
2. The King's Speech
3. The Fighter
4. Black Swan
5. Inception
6. True Grit
7. Toy Story 3
8. The Kids Are All Right
9. The Town
10. 127 Hours
BEST DIRECTOR
1. David Fincher
2. Christopher Nolan
3. Tom Hooper
4. Darren Aronofky
5. David O. Russell
BEST ACTOR
1. Colin Firth
2. Jesse Eisenberg
3. James Franco
4. Jeff Bridges
5. Robert Duvall
BEST ACTRESS
1. Natalie Portman
2. Annette Bening
3. Jennifer Lawrence
4. Nicole Kidman
5. Michelle Williams
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. Christian Bale
2. Geoffrey Rush
3. Mark RUffalo
4. Jeremy Renner
5. Andrew Garfied

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Melissa Leo
2. Hailee Steinfeld
3. Amy Adams
4. Helena Bonham Carter
5. Jacki Weaver

Too easy: Predicting the pending Oscar nominations

We already know who will win the Academy Awards. The question is, who will be nominated?


Yes, that’s backwards. But the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards have started the wave for “The Social Network,” director David Fincher and performers Christian Bale, Natalie Portman and Colin Firth to surf to nigh-certain Oscar victory. But, if a nomination — especially among the 10 Best Picture candidates — brings attention to deserving films that previously had small audiences, then the Academy has done its job.
So, with the nomination announcement coming Tuesday, I’m going to place some early bets and share which actors and films most likely are going to join the Oscar race, or be cut out of it:

 Definitely in

“The Social Network” likely will lead all films with the most nominees: Best Picture. Jessie Eisenberg for actor, Andrew Garfield for supporting actor. Globe winners Fincher for director, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for score and Aaron Sorkin for screenplay.
“The King’s Speech” is most probable to give “Network” a run for its money in number of noms. Best Picture, Firth for actor, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham-Carter for supporting roles, Tom Hooper for director.
Also for Best Picture will be “The Fighter,” which is an actor’s showcase. Best Supporting Actress likely will be a hotly contested virtual slapfight between Amy Adams and Melissa Leo. And Bale’s supporting-actor nomination is a death-and-taxes certainty.
Oddly, the Globes ignored “True Grit,” but Oscar will make up for it. Look for a Best Picture nod, Jeff Bridges for lead actor consideration, Hailee Steinfeld for supporting actress (although she’s an obvious lead, Paramount is campaigning for her in this category) and the Coen Bros. for director.
Of course, Portman will be the Queen of the Ball, all glowing and pregnant, holding her golden Oscar. “Black Swan,” which is becoming a hot, word-of-mouth box-office success, is good for Best Picture, too. “Winter’s Bone” will get nods for Best Picture and Best Actress, for Jennifer Lawrence.

Other sure bets: “Inception” and Christopher Nolan for picture and director. Annette Bening (“The Kids are All Right”) and Nicole Kidman (“Rabbit Hole”) for actress. James Franco (“127 Hours”) for actor. And if “Toy Story 3” doesn’t get Best Picture and Best Animated Feature nominations, Big Baby may break the Academy’s legs.

On the cusp

The Best Picture and Best Director categories are overflowing with talent this year, and several qualified candidates will end up on the cutting room floor.
For picture, “127 Hours,” “The Town” and “The Kids are All Right” will vie for the final two spots. “Blue Valentine” has an outside shot for one of them, as well.
There are so many exceptional directorial efforts this year, some of them regrettably will be ignored. All more than worthy, Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”), David O. Russell (“The Fighter”) and Danny Boyle (“127 Hours”) may battle for inclusion. Unfortunately, I only foresee rough sledding ahead for Lisa Cholodenko (“The Kids are All Right”), Debra Granik (“Winter’s Bone”) and Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”).
And some interesting awards-season developments occurred this week, when Noomi Rapace (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) and the recently passed Pete Postlethwaite (“The Town”) earned Best Supporting nods from the British Academy. We’ll see if Oscar follows suit.

Definitely out

”Never Let Me Go” and “The Ghost Writer” have lost the little momentum they might have had, and Greta Gerwig (“Greenberg”) has exited the conversation completely — all unfortunate turns. Those of us who saw Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s “Biutiful” are still fighting the subsequent depressive bummer it incurs. Hokey melodrama “Country Strong” didn’t have the impact of “Crazy Heart.” Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere” doesn’t leave the impression that her masterful “Lost in Translation” did. Clint Eastwood’s “Hereafter” doesn’t have a ghost of a chance. And “Marmaduke” is out. Definitely out.

My suicide pick

In a world where “District 9” got a Best Picture nod, my prayer to the irrational Movie Gods is to show “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” a little Oscar love. It’s best bet is in technical categories, for its editing and groundbreaking visual effects. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if the stodgy, conservative Oscars recognized Edgar Wright for Best Director. A performance of Sex Bob-Omb’s “Garbage Truck” (written by Beck!) would spice up the ceremony considerably. And screenplay consideration would be nice (“Did you really see a future with this girl?” “Like ... with jet-packs?”), but unrealistic, for they are the Academy, and they are here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff.

Natalie Portman eyes box office crown

LOS ANGELES: Natalie Portman goes up against herself at the North American box office this weekend when her romantic romp "No Strings Attached" opens on Friday. Few would have guessed that Portman's awards contender "Black Swan" would still be going strong when "No Strings" -- also starring Ashton Kutcher -- hit theaters. Last weekend, when "Swan" ranked at No. 5 with cumulative sales of $73 million, Portman won a Golden Globe for "Swan." The big question is whether reigning champ "The Green Hornet" can fend off "No Strings." Last weekend, "Hornet" debuted to $33.5 million, and the Sony comic-book adaptation will probably lose about half its audience in its second round. "No Strings" distributor Paramount expects its film to open in the mid-to-high teen millions, in line with other R-rated romantic comedies. It was produced for a modest $25 million, so the studio doesn't need a huge opening weekend. Women are the primary audience for a storyline that explores whether casual sex can actually stay casual. Other new releases include Peter Weir's survivor drama "The Way Back" in 650 theaters; and John Wells' corporate-downsizing drama "The Company Men" in 106 theaters, exactly one year after the film made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Originally, the Weinstein Co. was going to open "Company Men" last year in time for awards consideration, but it pushed back the release. Overall, it's going to be another down weekend at the box office. Once a movie graveyard, January turned in strong performances the past several years, and especially last year with Avatar. January 2011 is a return to less prosperous times.

Redford opens 'shoestring' Sundance film fest

PARK CITY: Robert Redford launched the annual Sundance film festival, vowing to stick to its modest, "shoestring" roots and reject the commercialism of Hollywood. The "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" veteran actor, still sporting a full head of blond hair at 74, said nurturing new ideas had always been the aim of the festival -- and always would be with him at the helm. "Keeping a shoestring idea of the festival has become our core. We may be getting bigger, larger, even more successful, but keeping that is part of us," he said at the start of the 10-day festival in the ski resort of Park City, Utah. "We are doing it the same way we did 25 years ago. Nothing has changed in terms of the programming. We don't program by commerciality, we program for opportunity and for new fresh ideas and more independence in films," he added. The 27th Sundance Film Festival opened aiming to defy the economic slowdown by screening a bigger-than-ever selection of independent movies from the United States and around the world. Founded by Redford as a haven for independent film and an alternative to the Hollywood machine, the festival ironically now attracts huge interest from the commercial industry's scouts, looking for new talent and ideas. This year's festival will show nearly 120 films from 29 countries, including 95 world premieres and 40 films by first-time directors. A record number of films were submitted for Sundance, which has become the biggest movie festival in the United States. As the screenings got underway, Redford traced the history of the festival, and said he wants it to help maintain a sense of community, which he said was disappearing in modern life. "There is something that I always missed in my life, it's the end of the theater community, the end of live television. And I thought it would be nice to re-create a sense of community. "The point simply has been to do whatever we can to create opportunities to new artists. That's been our pledge and it's still our pledge," he said

Britney Spears debuts at No. 1 on singles chart

NEW YORK: Britney Spears has become just the second artist in the 52-year history of Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart to debut multiple songs at No. 1, as "Hold It Against Me" took the top spot in its first week. Spears previously came in at No. 1 with "3" in 2009. The only other act with multiple No. 1 starts is Mariah Carey with "Fantasy" and "One Sweet Day" in 1995 and "Honey" in 1997. "Hold It Against Me" is Spears' fourth No. 1 on the Hot 100. Prior to "3," she reigned with her debut single "...Baby One More Time" (1999) and "Womanizer" (2008). The new track sold 411,000 downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It marks the highest first-week tally for a lead female artist, besting the 325,000 downloads sold by Taylor Swift's "Today Was a Fairytale" in February 2010. Two other tracks stormed the upper reaches of the Hot 100. "What the Hell," the first single from Avril Lavigne's fourth album, "Goodbye Lullaby," due March 8, opened at No. 13. At No. 23, Kanye West and Jay-Z debuted with "H*A*M.," the first single from the superstar pair's upcoming collaborative album, "Watch the Throne." Directly below "Hold It Against Me," three titles dipped one notch each: Bruno Mars' "Grenade" (No. 2), Katy Perry's "Firework" (No. 3) and Rihanna's "What's My Name?" (No. 4). Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" rose two to No. 5; Enrique Iglesias' "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" held at No. 6; and Ke$ha's "We R Who We R" fell three to No. 7. Pink fell three to No. 8 with "Raise Your Glass," the Black Eyed Peas' "The Time (Dirty Bit)" and Mars' "Just the Way You Are" each slipped one place, to Nos. 9 and 10, respectively.

The Green Hornet buzzes to the top of the box office

Sony's dreary action release THE GREEN HORNET easily ruled the roost over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend in the US, which in itself raises several questions – not least what the iconic civil rights leader would have made of the violence that pervades the current crop of films. It doesn't bother me personally because I'll take a cartoonish bout of fisticuffs over an abysmal comedy such as Little Fockers any day, but it just struck me as intersting

And what is it about Seth Rogen? I'm sure he's a wonderful chap, and he is clearly a polished multiplex screenwriter, but does he need to be in front of the camera? His fixed expression of benign puzzlement and unfortunate propensity for grunting don't exactly bode well for the next generation of Hollywood leading men. Hats off to the man, though: he clearly exudes a winning allure with the ladies as evidenced by his female co-stars. To wit, Cameron Diaz in The Green Hornet and Katherine Heigl in Knocked Up, Anna Kendrick and Bryce Dallas Howard in the forthcoming Live With It and Michelle Williams in Take This Waltz.
The Dilemma from Universal launched in second place and managed about half of The Green Hornet's weekend gross. Vince Vaughn stars in this one with Kevin James, a likable character whose career took off after Sony's 2009 hit Paul Blart: Mall Cop and who has reunited with Sony for the summer tentpole comedy release Zookeeper. True Grit finished the weekend in third place and has taken $126.4m after four weekends, which is a complete mystery to me. It's superbly crafted as one would expect from the Coens but $126.4m? Really? The characters and story are mere sketches.
The two most recently released big-hitters at the Golden globes  The King's Speech and Black Swan, are both performing well at the box office. The former is starting to really flex its claws now after the Weinstein Company almost doubled its theatre count to 1,543. So in its eighth weekend Colin Firth et al enticed a further $9.1m out of Anglophile audiences to leave it on a promising $44.6m. Watch that tally swell after the Globe wins and Oscar nominations.
Ditto Black Swan, a much wilder and frankly less likely commercial success that I am delighted to say has become exactly that. It's on course to cross $100m and currently stands at $72.9m in fourth place after adding $8.1m in its seventh weekend. There's nothing like it out there. Yes, it's barmy and plunges lustily into OTT territory towards the end, but who cares. This is grand guignol movie-making and only a brilliant maverick such as Aronofksy could pull it off. Wonderful stuff. Fox Searchlight executives will be smiling from ear to ear. What a pair of movies they've got this year with 127 Hours also in contention.

North American top 10, 14-16 January 2011

1. The Green Hornet, $34m
2. The Dilemma, $17.4m
3. True Grit, $11.2m. Total $126.4m
4. The King's Speech, $9.1m. Total: $44.6m
5. Black Swan, $8.1m. Total: $72.9m
6. Little Fockers, $7.1m. Total: $134.2m
7. Tron: Legacy, $5.7m. Total: $156.9m
8. Yogi Bear, $5.3m. Total: $82.1m
9. The Fighter, $5.1m. Total: $65.8m
10. Season of the Witch, $4.5m. Total: $17.9m

TIPS IN OSCAR RACE

The Golden Globe Awards, which are given out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are one of the major Hollywood shows leading to the film industry's most-prized honors, the Oscars, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Many film industry watchers look at the winners of Golden Globes and other honors for clues as to which films, performers, directors and writers might win Oscars. This year, "Social Network" has swept many early honors and added the Golden Globe to its cache of trophies.

In other Golden Globe movie honors, Paul Giamatti won the prize for best actor in a comedy film for his role as a caustic man in "Barney's Version."

Boxing drama "The Fighter" picked up two Golden Globes for Christian Bale as supporting actor portraying a drug-addicted fighter and for Melissa Leo as supporting actress playing the mother of Christian Bale's character.

"Toy Story 3" was named best animated movie for what director Lee Unkrich called ""an animated movie that beat with a human heart." And Denmark's "In a Better World" was named best foreign language film.

Host, comedian Ricky Gervais, got the show off to a start by poking fun at movies like "The Tourist" and actor Charlie Sheen, who in recent weeks has been reported partying wildly, causing concern at the CBS television network that airs his comedy, "Two and a Half Men."

Gervais also referenced a scandal that has rocked the HFPA this year. A former publicist sued the group claiming its members received favors in exchange for nominations from movie studios.

Before the show, glamorous actresses in colorful dresses and shimmering jewels paraded down the red carpet. Natalie Portman, wore a light pink Viktor and Rolf dress with a red flower across the front, and Nicole Kidman donned a cream-colored, off-the-shoulder dress by Prada.

Michael Douglas, fresh from treatment for throat cancer, and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones turned out for the show.

Douglas presented the trophy for best film drama and received a standing ovation.

"There's just got to be an easier way to get a standing ovation," he said. "Thank you all very much. Needless to say, I'm very, very, very happy to be here tonight."

Unlike the Oscars, Golden Globe voters also honor TV programs and actors. HBO crime series "Boardwalk Empire" was named best TV drama. Its star, Steve Buscemi, won best actor in a TV drama.

Musical "Glee" picked up three honors: best TV comedy, best supporting actor for Chris Colfer who plays a gay high school student and for Jane Lynch, a scheming cheerleading coach.

"Carlos" was named best made-for-TV movie. Al Pacino took the Golden Globe for best actor in a TV movie or mini-series for "You Don't Know Jack," and Claire Danes won best actress in a TV movie or mini-series with "Temple Grandin."

'Social Network' electrifies Golden Globes

BEVERLY HILLS: Facebook film "The Social Network" won four Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, including best drama, making it a front-runner in Hollywood's Oscar race after sweeping several honors from critics and industry groups in recent weeks. "Social Network" also won the best director award for David Fincher, best screenplay for writer Aaron Sorkin and best musical score, written by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The film recounts the story of the founding of social networking site Facebook, an international phenomenon with 500 million users that was started in a college dormitory by founder, billionaire Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook founder did not cooperate with the movie's makers, and the film is a piece of fiction. Nevertheless, producer Scott Rudin and Sorkin pointed out that Zuckerberg's creation has been a phenomenon that has changed the way the world communicates. "I want to thank everyone at Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg for his willingness to use his life and work as a metaphor for communication and the way we relate to each other." Another big Golden Globe winner was "The Kids Are All Right," which featured two lesbian parents whose children search for their sperm donor father. "Kids" also picked up the award for best actress in a film comedy for its star Annette Bening, who portrayed one of the mothers in the film. British actor Colin Firth was named best actor in a film drama for his portrayal of stuttering King George VI in "The King's Speech," while Natalie Portman took home the Golden Globe trophy for best actress in a drama with "Black Swan." Backstage, Firth was asked about his chances for an Oscar in the same role, but all the actor said he could do was get through his big night on Sunday.

Golden Globe audience up, Gervais' hosting panned

LOS ANGELES: Host Ricky Gervais may have turned off the audience members and critics at Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards, but viewers seemed turned on, watching the show in larger numbers than one year ago. The Golden Globes, an annual film and TV awards show in Hollywood, drew just under 17 million total viewers to network NBC, which was up slightly from 2010 when British comedian Gervais, who is known for his acerbic sense of humor, hosted for the first time, according to audience figures released on Monday. Last year's ceremony was up 14 percent from 2009's roughly 15 million viewers, and the upward trend shows the telecast is recovering somewhat from the 2008 Hollywood writers strike which reduced the Globes to a news conference. Still, this year's viewership of 16.99 million show is down from 2007, when some 20 million viewers tuned in to watch Hollywood's A-list stars parade up the red carpet in their finest gowns and tuxedos and, for the lucky few, accept awards for movies, TV shows, performances and music. Gervais' hosting duties on Sunday night brought some often harsh criticism from reviewers. During the show, the comedian took shots at Charlie Sheen's drinking and partying, Robert Downey, Jr.'s years-ago issues with drugs and alcohol, the critically panned movie "The Tourist" that was nominated for best comedy, and even the organizers of the show. His sense of humor on the ceremony's center stage was so caustic that Downey, Jr., remarked on stage that Sunday's ceremony was "unusually mean-spirited." Many critics seemed to agree. Los Angeles Times TV critic Mary McNamara wrote on Monday that "it quickly became clear that his material wasn't just falling flat, it was making many audience members and presenters uncomfortable and even angry." Washington Post reviewer Hank Stuever wrote, "Somehow Gervais has lost some of his ability to be funny about being true."

Golden Globes 2011 - Ricky Gervais Opening Monologue

Sofia Vergara has Golden Globes

French director gives 'Green Hornet' a fresh twist

LOS ANGELES: French director Michel Gondry, best known for directing brainy indie movies, makes his Hollywood blockbuster debut this weekend with "The Green Hornet," an action-comedy that refuses to take its comic book hero too seriously. The movie is the latest take on the adventures of a masked millionaire avenger and his sidekick Kato, a story line that began as a radio show in the 1930s, reached its zenith with a television show in the 1960s, then found a second life in the comic books. The movie stars Seth Rogen, 28, the Canadian actor famous for his man-child roles in comedies like "Superbad" (2007) and "Pineapple Express" (2008). The 108-minute, 90 million dollar production is directed by Gondry, best known for low-budget but well-reviewed movies like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004) and "Be Kind, Rewind" (2008). "My goal was never to do movies for intellectuals," Gondry, 47, said. "In fact, I have this complex that I have not read enough, so when people say I'm an intellectual director, I laugh. I'm not like that at all." Gondry said he has always liked popular movies like "Back To The Future," "Groundhog Day," "Ghostbusters" and "48 Hours," all light-hearted character driven films. But he says you can forget the brooding hero types. "I'm not crazy about the superhero movies when the characters are too serious or presumptuous," he said. Gondry made a mark early in his career with music videos, using innovative techniques to film musicians such as Iceland's Bjork performing songs such as "Human Behavior" and "Army of Me" in the 1990s. Aside from "Eternal Sunshine" -- which star Kate Winslet has said is her favorite movie -- his work includes "The Science of Sleep" (2006), another low-budget flick, starring Mexican Gael Garcia Bernal and French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg. Big budget Hollywood blockbusters however beckoned. "Yes, I wanted to do an action movie, but action with comedy," said Gondry. The French director said he has been working on "The Green Hornet" screenplay for years, even as other directors, including Kevin Smith and George Clooney, were briefly considered for the project. Gondry had not met Rogen when the star was linked to the project, so he went to see "Superbad" and "Pineapple Express," movies with a strong appeal to the under 30 crowd. Rogen wrote the script to the films, and also wrote "The Green Hornet" script. "I saw something very engaging in these movies," he said, concluding that he would make a good match with Rogen. In "The Green Hornet" Rogen portrays Britt Reid, a rich kid from Los Angeles and the son of a media magnate who dies in mysterious circumstances. Rogen's character, along with Kato, one of his father's trusted employees, don masks and fight crime as they unravel the mystery. In the role of Kato, which launched martial arts legend Bruce Lee to superstardom in the 1960s TV show, is Taiwanese pop singer Jay Chou, who is largely unknown in the United States but has a loyal following in Asia. "Yesterday he did a concert with 10,000 girls screaming at him, right here, at the Sports Arena (in Los Angeles)," Gondry said. "Sold out. He's a huge star. "What I liked about him is that he looks boyish and unassuming... He's even older than Seth, but he looks so young that you don't even know. He had to compensate his lack of English, which I thought was endearing." The movie's villain is Austrian actor Christoph Waltz, who won a 2010 Oscar for his role in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds." Cameron Diaz is the love interest. Gondry, who spends his life shuttling between Los Angeles and New York, even played drums in several parts of the movie soundtrack. "I'm not very skilled but I play music, drums, I'm making a disc album with my girlfriend right now," he said. As for movie reviews -- "I wish I could say I don't read reviews but I do," he confessed. "It's not necessarily pleasant. I'm always hoping that they will understand me and forgive me, and sometimes I'm hurt by the reviews, but on these movies it's such a team work that I won't feel so personal if people don't like it," he said.

Kidman, Urban welcome new baby girl

LOS ANGELES: Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and her country star husband, Keith Urban, have added a second daughter to their family, born via a surrogate mother in the United States. The Australian couple today announced the arrival of Faith Margaret Kidman Urban, born on December 28 at a Nashville, Tennessee, hospital. Faith was born at the Centennial Medical Centre under a veil of secrecy, involving the celebrity couple booking out the entire top floor of the hospital and secretly entering the facility via a staff-only service elevator. Kidman and Urban are Faith's biological parents. Initial reports had said the baby girl was born last week. Kidman and Urban released a statement thanking everyone for their support. "Our family is truly blessed, and just so thankful, to have been given the gift of baby Faith Margaret," the couple said. "No words can adequately convey the incredible gratitude that we feel for everyone who was so supportive throughout this process, in particular our gestational carrier." Kidman and Urban, both 43, were married in 2006 and have another daughter together, Sunday Rose, 2. Kidman credited Sunday's unexpected appearance to swimming in the waters of a small Australian outback town during the filming of the film Australia. She and six other women became pregnant after swimming in Kununurra. Kidman and Urban probably deserve this year's best actress and actor Academy Awards for keeping Faith a secret. Kidman has been on the hustings in the US, Australia and Europe undertaking numerous interviews to promote her latest project Rabbit Hole, a harrowing drama she produced and stars in as a mother dealing with the sudden death of a young son. Urban has also sat through plenty of interviews. And the pair made no mention of Faith yesterday when they attended the Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles. Kidman missed out on the Golden Globe best dramatic actress award for Rabbit Hole, with expectant mother Natalie Portman taking the gold statue for her performance in Black Swan. Kidman has two adopted children with former husband Tom Cruise, 18-year-old daughter Isabella and 15-year-old son Connor, who live with Cruise in Los Angeles, but the teenagers are rarely seen in public with Kidman. Kidman has hinted about her desire to have children and said in the latest issue of the US edition of Harper's Bazaar magazine that Isabella and Connor do not regularly visit her in Nashville. "No, they don't," Kidman said. "They're not crazy about Nashville. They're so grown up now. I mean, they're adults."

Golden Globe audience up, Gervais' hosting panned

LOS ANGELES: Host Ricky Gervais may have turned off the audience members and critics at Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards, but viewers seemed turned on, watching the show in larger numbers than one year ago. The Golden Globes, an annual film and TV awards show in Hollywood, drew just under 17 million total viewers to network NBC, which was up slightly from 2010 when British comedian Gervais, who is known for his acerbic sense of humor, hosted for the first time, according to audience figures released on Monday. Last year's ceremony was up 14 percent from 2009's roughly 15 million viewers, and the upward trend shows the telecast is recovering somewhat from the 2008 Hollywood writers strike which reduced the Globes to a news conference. Still, this year's viewership of 16.99 million show is down from 2007, when some 20 million viewers tuned in to watch Hollywood's A-list stars parade up the red carpet in their finest gowns and tuxedos and, for the lucky few, accept awards for movies, TV shows, performances and music. Gervais' hosting duties on Sunday night brought some often harsh criticism from reviewers. During the show, the comedian took shots at Charlie Sheen's drinking and partying, Robert Downey, Jr.'s years-ago issues with drugs and alcohol, the critically panned movie "The Tourist" that was nominated for best comedy, and even the organizers of the show. His sense of humor on the ceremony's center stage was so caustic that Downey, Jr., remarked on stage that Sunday's ceremony was "unusually mean-spirited." Many critics seemed to agree. Los Angeles Times TV critic Mary McNamara wrote on Monday that "it quickly became clear that his material wasn't just falling flat, it was making many audience members and presenters uncomfortable and even angry." Washington Post reviewer Hank Stuever wrote, "Somehow Gervais has lost some of his ability to be funny about being true."

Mirren named as favourite movie monarch: poll

• London, Jan 19 (IANS) Veteran actress Helen Mirren's portrayal of "The Queen" has been voted as the favourite royal role, according to a new online poll.
  
  Mirren topped the poll with 47 percent, while Cate Blanchett's "Elizabeth" came in second with 31 percent of the vote, in a poll conducted by website Fandango.com.
  
  Dame Judi Dench came in third and fourth with her portrayals of Elizabeth I in "Shakespeare in Love" and as Queen Victoria in "Mrs. Brown".
  
  Nigel Hawthorne rounded out the top five with his role as King George III in "The Madness of King George".
  

'Twilight' cast, crew stranded on a Brazilian island

London, Jan 19 (IANS) The cast and crew of the "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn" were stranded on an island in Brazil after a heavy rainstorm hit the area they were shooting in.

The stars, including Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, are shooting the final instalment in the vampire franchise, which will be split into two films.

The shoot has taken the film's cast and crew to various locations - from Vancouver in Canada to New Orleans in Louisiana, and recently they relocated to an island off the coast of Brazil to film key scenes.

But heavy rainstorm left the actors and crewmembers spending the night on the set, reports dailystar.co.uk.

"It was incredible. We got caught in the middle of this huge rainstorm - I'll remember it forever. Eighty people sleeping on the floor of the set. We couldn't leave," said Director Bill Condon.

List of major Golden Globe awards

Los Angeles, Jan 17 (DPA) The following is a list of the Golden Globe winners in the major categories.

Best Picture, Drama: "The Social Network"

Best Picture, Comedy/Musical: "The Kids Are All Right"

Best Actress, Drama: Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"

Best Actor, Drama: Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"

Best Director: David Fincher, "The Social Network"

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, "The Fighter"

Best Actress, Comedy: Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right"

Best Actor, Comedy: "Paul Giamatti", "Barney's Version"

TV Series, Drama: "Boardwalk Empire"

Best Actor, TV Drama: Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"

Best Actress, TV Drama: Katey Sagal, "Sons of Anarchy"

Best Actress, TV Comedy: Laura Linney, "The Big C"

Best Actor, TV Comedy: Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"

Best Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, "The Social Network"

Best Animated Film: "Toy Story 3"

TV Series, Comedy: "Glee"

Best Foreign-Language Film: "In a Better World" - Denmark

Best TV Movie or Miniseries: "Carlos"