Top Entertainment News: ‘Hera Pheri 3’ Confirmed
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'Total Dhamaal' Nears Rs 100 Cr Mark at the Box Office
Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit starrer Total Dhamaal had earned Rs 88.05 crore at the box office as of day 6 following its release, notes trade analyst Taran Adarsh. The film is expected to cross Rs 100 crores soon.
Akshay, Suniel & Paresh to Return in 'Hera Pheri 3'
The third film in the popular Hera Pheri franchise has been confirmed byTotal Dhamaal director Indra Kumar, who has been picked by producer Feroz Nadiadwala to direct the film. Hera Pheri 3 will star Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Suniel Shetty.
Read more on The Quint.
Will Smith Exits 'Suicide Squad' Sequel
Actor Will Smith has exited the sequel of his 2016 DC-Warner Bros hit film Suicide Squad.
Even though his return had not been made official, sources told variety.com that Smith, who played Deadshot in the original, is not expected to return for the upcoming sequel. They say scheduling was the ultimate factor and that the decision was made on amicable terms between both sides with no hard feelings.
Though the studio has never confirmed who would be returning for The Suicide Squad, insiders say the studio has always wanted its biggest stars like Smith and Margot Robbie, who played Harley Quinn in the first installment, to return while figuring out other casting decisions along the way.
The studio is still fully behind the sequel after the original did so well, bringing in $746 million at the box office.
James Gunn, who was brought on last year as the new writer and director, is hoping to start production this fall, which adds a ticking clock element to getting things out before it impacts pre-production.
The release date is currently set for August 6, 2021.
'Aquaman 2' to Release in December 2022
Warner Bros has set a December 16, 2022 release date for Aquaman 2.
Aquaman 2 is the first titled film to land on December 16, 2022. Disney has already scheduled an untitled live-action movie for the same slot, reported variety.com.
The studio took the first step toward Aquaman 2 earlier this month by bringing back David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick to write the script.
Aquaman 2 will be produced by Aquaman director James Wan and Peter Safran.
Aquaman garnered $330 million in North America and $805 million internationally, led by nearly $300 million in China. It is currently the 20th highest worldwide grosser of all time.
'Halt and Catch Fire' Actor Lisa Sheridan Dead
Halt and Catch Fire actress Lisa Sheridan, who also worked on numerous other series like Invasion and CSI is dead. She was 44.
The actress died in her New Orleans apartment on February 25. Sheridan's manager, Mitch Clem, confirmed her death to people.com.
Sheridan's Only God Can co-star Donna D'Errico shared the news on Facebook.
"It's so rare to find kind, gentle souls like hers in this industry, this city... even this world. Truly one of the most genuinely sweet and gentle people I've ever come across in my life," D'Errico wrote.
Sheridan's manager said that they are still waiting on a coroner's report for cause of death, and that the family insists she did not take her own life.
Singer Adnan Sami Hits Back at Trolls, Defends Support For IAF
Bollywood singer Adnan Sami, whose father was Pakistan's ambassador to 14 countries, was granted Indian citizenship by the government in 2016. On Wednesday, 27 February, Sami hit back at trolls from Pakistan, who had criticized him for tweeting his support to the Narendra Modi government’s decision to launch the IAF air-strikes onto reported terrorist base-camps of in Pakistan, despite his origins.
Responding to these trolls, Sami said: “Dear Pakistan trolls...It’s not about your egos being given a reality check today; it’s about eliminating terrorists who you ‘claim’ are also your enemies! Your Ostrich mentality is laughable. By the way, your abuses expose your reality...”
Ellen Page Breaks Her Silence on Jussie Smollett Investigation Developments
Actor Ellen Page, who came out in support of "Empire" star Jussie Smollett after his alleged hate attack, says she had no reason to doubt his story as LGBTQ people are always prone to such violence.
The 32-year-old actor penned a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter, where she said she supported Smollett as she has encountered many such stories from the people she interacted with.
"The conversation around Jussie Smollett has led us all to examine hate violence and its implications and aftermath. I had no reason to doubt Jussie..." she said.
The Chicago Police has charged Smollett for filing a false police report after it was revealed that the investigators believe that he may have paid two Nigerian brothers to stage the January 29 hate incident.
In the attack, the actor had claimed that he was beaten up by the two men, who also shouted racial and homophobic slurs at him.
In her column, Page said it will be a blow to the LGBTQ community if the allegations against Smollett are true.
"If this situation was staged, it could make victims even more reluctant to report these crimes. Very real crimes," she added.
The actor pleaded that one story should not distract the focus of the people from the plight of LGBTQ community.
"While the media and public debate the case and await more information, we must not lose sight of the very real, endemic violence that LGBTQ+ people, people of color and other underrepresented communities face every day.
"I ask you not to question our pain, not to draw into question our trauma, but to maintain, wholeheartedly, that hate violence exists. The merits of one case should not and cannot call that into question. The media coverage does not convey the reality and totality of the cruelty and danger we face. This is the story that must be told," Page said.
Love's What We Wanted You to See: Gaga on Performance With Cooper
Singer Lady Gaga quashed romance rumours with Bradley Cooper which emerged after their cosy performance at the 91st Academy Awards.
Gaga appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Wednesday, where Kimmel was quick to bring up the internet's fixation on the moment at the end of the pair's performance of "Shallow", which won the Academy Award for best original song, reported variety.com.
"You had such a connection with Bradley that, instantly, and I guess this is a compliment, people started saying, 'Oh, they must be in love'," Kimmel said.
The Oscar-winning songwriter, who brought her statuette along for the interview, gave a massive eyeroll, and then said: "First of all, social media, quite frankly, is the toilet of the internet. And what it has done to pop culture is abysmal. And people saw love, and guess what, that's what we wanted you to see."
"This is a love song, 'Shallow'," she continued.
"The movie, 'A Star Is Born', is a love story. We worked so hard, we worked all week on that performance. Bradley, who - and you know, I never relinquish control about a live stage performance and I've done a million of them - but he directed this film and he directed, obviously, the musical moments in the film, and 'Shallow', the moment, in the film. So I knew that he had the vision for how it should go, and so I was like, 'What do you think Bradley?' And he laid it all out."
Elucidating on their chemistry, Gaga said: "From a performance perspective, it was so important to both of us that we were connected the entire time. Look, I've had my arms wrapped around Tony Bennett for three years touring the world. When you're singing love songs, that's what you want people to feel."
Sushmita, KJo, Farhan Pray For Safe Return of Captured IAF Pilot
Bollywoood celebrities on Wednesday 27 February called for peace and wished for the safe return of an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot who is in Pakistan's custody. Here's what they had to say.
‘Dark Phoenix’ Trailer 2: Sophie Turner Breaks Bad in X-Men Film
20th Century Fox has released the second trailer for the next instalment in the X-Men franchise, Dark Phoenix. It is a direct sequel to 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse and revolves around Sophie Turner’s Jean Grey being possessed by an all-powerful evil entity, the titular Dark Phoenix.
The riveting second trailer focuses on Jessica Chastain controlling Sophie Turner’s powers in a bad, bad way. When Jean returns from a rescue mission in space, she is hit by a mysterious cosmic force, which not only makes her infinitely more powerful, but far more unstable. Wrestling with this entity inside her, Jean unleashes her powers in ways she can neither comprehend nor contain. From the looks of it, Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique falls victim to her power. Watch Dark Phoenix trailer here
Pankaj Tripathi On Role In 'Luka Chuppi'
Pankaj Tripathi talks about his character in Luka Chuppi. The actor had earlier collaborated with Dinesh Vijan in Stree, which went on to join the coveted Rs 100 crore club.
“My character is a small town resident called Babulal. He is colourful and funny, has a quirk to him. He is the kind of person who is always looking for trouble but is ultimately a sweet guy. People will like him, no one will feel any kind of hatred towards him, I am sure,” Pankaj says to The Indian Express.
Ed Sheeran Marries Cherry Seaborn: Reports
Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has reportedly tied the knot with his fiancee Cherry Seaborn.
According to EOnline, Sheeran, 28, and Seaborn, 26, got married in a low-key ceremony at their home in December in Suffolk, England.
The wedding was attended by close friends and family members of the "Shape of You" hitmaker.
The couple had announced their engagement in December 2017.
"Got myself a fiancee just before new year. We are very happy and in love, and our cats are chuffed as well," Sheeran had shared on Instagram along side an adorable picture of him and Seaborn.
The couple were childhood friends who attended school together in Suffolk, but only became romantically involved years later.
(With PTI inputs)
Working With Rajkummar Felt Like Homecoming: Amrita on 'Mental Hai Kya'
Actor Amrita Puri says collaborating with Rajkummar Rao for "Mental Hai Kya" after "Kai Po Che" felt like homecoming.
The actor will be seen in the upcoming Kangana Ranaut starrer, penned by "Manmarziyaan" writer Kanika Dhillon.
"I've worked with Raj before in 'Kai Po Che' so I was so excited to be paired up with him again. It just felt like home coming. We had a great rapport earlier and had the same again in 'Mental Hai Kya'. I've always admired Kangana's work as well," Amrita told PTI.
The actor was recently seen in "Four More Shots Please" and next stars in Amazon's "Made In Heaven".
"This is a fun time for me because whatever I shot last year, it's coming out together. 'Made in heaven', 'Four More Shots', 'Mental Hai Kya' are all very different stories. You'll see me in a variety of roles," she says.
Always Had a Wish to Work With Satyajit Ray: Gulzar
Poet, filmmaker, and lyricist Gulzar says that he always wanted to work with the late iconic filmmaker Satyajit Ray. With his association on "Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya", he feels his wish has been fulfilled in some way.
Gulzar is happy that for the upcoming animation film "Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya", he has translated the original "Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne", written by Ray's grandfather.
On his desire of working on children's literature and entertainment, Gulzar told IANS: "I always had the wish to work with Ray saab. After the success of 'Goopi Gyne Bagha Byne' in Bengali, which Ray made based on a book written by his grandfather Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, we were supposed to make it in Hindi.
(With IANS inputs)
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