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Warner Bros. has intensified its campaign for the upcoming 3D action adventure “Green Lantern” by releasing the film's international one-sheet and banner. Take your first look at the said materials here and have a green overload!
“Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) in the title role, under the direction of Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”).
In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Reynolds).
If Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.
Opening across the Philippines on June 16 in 3D, 2D and regular format, “Green Lantern” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
After being dramatically saved by the judges five weeks ago, Casey Abrams was voted off "American Idol" on the elimination episode tonight (Apr. 28). Season 10's Top 5 contestants -- Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Jacob Lusk, Haley Reinhart and James Durbin -- remain and will square off next week.
Casey, the livewire jazz enthusiast who performed "Hi De Ho" on last night's Carole King-themed episode, received a standing ovation from Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler after receiving the sad news. He performed his signature tune "I Put a Spell On You" as his swan song, which was capped off by an embrace with his rumored beau, Haley Reinhart.
Perhaps even more shocking than Casey's departure was the possibility that Scotty would receive the axe -- the frontrunner was not announced to be safe until the final minutes of the show. Instead of announcing a traditional bottom two, host Ryan Seacrest revealed who was safe in random order, after letting Scotty, Casey, Jacob and Lauren dangle for a bit.
Weeks after season 9 winner Lee DeWyze returned to the "Idol" stage, last year's runner-up, Crystal Bowersox, came back to deliver a breezy performance of her latest single, "Ridin' with the Radio."
Later, pop star Bruno Mars was all smiles as he made his "American Idol" debut performance. The singer fronted a brass-heavy version of new single "The Lazy Song," which moved up to No. 6 on this week's Hot 100.
Other highlights of tonight's elimination episode included Steven saying of Haley's voice, "There's not a thing about it that's not God-like"; a jaunty medley of Carole King songs, courtesy of the Top 6; and Scotty trying out his British accent as the gang made its way to the British consulate to toast Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding. Although Casey won't be joining the remaining singers on next week's show, he will be performing with 10 other "Idol" contestants on this year's "American Idol Live" tour, which kicks off July 6.
Source: Billboard.com | by Jason Lipshutz, N.Y. | April 28, 2011 9:50 EDT
The royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is surely a cause for celebration, and as an official gift to the happy couple, Billboard.com has offered a set of 15 songs to help ring in the nuptials. From the Beatles to the Muppets, from Prince to "Two Princes," this playlist will serve as a lovely soundtrack for the regal pair. Check out the tracks below, and tell us which songs other should have made the cut in the comments section below.
We're guessing Will and Kate's wedding will be a tad different than the wedding scene in the music video for Idol's 1982 hit "White Wedding": there will probably be less black leather, and the groom will likely be wearing a shirt.
"Her Majesty" (The Beatles)
The Beatles snuck in "Her Majesty" in the final 30 seconds of "Abbey Road," and while the song is one of the finest uses of the hidden track in rock and a nod to the royal family, it's doubtful that Will would say Kate is "a really nice girl, but she doesn't have a lot to say," as Pal McCartney laments in the song.
"Dancing Queen" (ABBA)
Interestingly enough, ABBA's monster single was debuted the evening before a royal wedding in the group's native Sweden in 1976. It shouldn't be hard to translate this lovely "Queen" to England 35 years later for Kate's big day of becoming a princess.
"American Idol" lost one of its most unique voices during the elimination episode last night (Apr. 28), as Casey Abrams received the least votes and was sent packing. After the judges used their only save of the season on the growl-happy jazz musician five weeks earlier, Abrams bid farewell to season 10's top five -- Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, James Durbin, Jacob Lusk and Haley Reinhart -- with one final rendition of "I Put a Spell On You."
One day later, Casey is staying positive about his elimination and says that he was prepared for last night's outcome -- although, sadly for the rest of America, he did say that he was planning on performing theBeatles' "Eleanor Rigby" and a Blink-182 song in the coming weeks on the show. In a conference call today, the singer talked about his boosted confidence, Steven Tyler's kissing ability, and Haley Reinhart, whom he denied dating.
Did you ever expect to get this far after the judges used their save on you, or did you think you'd be gone in a week or two?
That's what I was really afraid of, and that's why I knew I had to work hard. I was like, "This would be kind of embarrassing if I got cut the next week." I didn't expect to make it to the top, I expected to maybe make it this far. This is like exactly what I expected, so I can't be mad at that.
Did you have a feeling going into Thursday that you would be eliminated?
Yeah. I don't know what it was. I feel like everyone was just so incredible [this week]. I felt like my performance was pretty good, but seeing Jacob kill it, seeing Haley kill it, seeing Scotty and Lauren kill it, and Durbin obviously -- it just made me feel that these guys are incredible. These guys can carry the show, I don't really need to be here, so if I go home tomorrow, I'm prepared.
When you gave a shout-out to Haley at the end of the performance, were you saying goodbye to more than just a song partner?
No no, I was saying goodbye to my very special musical friend. That's all it was… We are not [dating].
What is your vision for a Casey Abrams headlining concert?
"Pure craziness" is probably the title of it. There would be everything; the last two performances, "Harder to Breathe" and "Nature Boy," sum me up. Let's just rock this hard and have some fun, and then let's slow it down and play some smooth jazz, you know? Just straight-up Casey. There would probably be more instruments than you'd expect: some trombones, some dulcimers, some random-sounding instruments.
Who's the better kisser: J. Lo or Steven Tyler?
Steven Tyler. Well, J. Lo just let me kiss her, Steven Tyler actually kissed me back. It's a different story.
What has "Idol" done for your confidence as a performer?
Everything. I used to not like to sing in public, and now I feel like I'm singing a little bit too much. I'll sing in hallways with random people that I don't even know. Maybe that's a bad thing, but I just feel a lot more comfortable onstage, and I feel like I can do anything offstage
Source: Billboard.com | by Jason Lipshutz, N.Y. | April 29, 2011 2:45 EDT
A larger-than-life Jack Sparrow, in his three-dimensional swashbuckling glory? Get this and more when Walt Disney Pictures' “Pirates of the Cariibean: On Stranger Tides” sails to theaters in full, immersive 3D.
"On Stranger Tides" is the first "Pirates" flick shot with digital 3-D cameras. The filmmakers make good use of the 3-D imagery in action sequences, which include a shot where Penelope Cruz's character, Angelica, tries to stab Depp's Capt. Jack through a closed door, her sword leaping off the screen right at the audience.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Rob Marshall were interested from the start in doing the movie in 3D, which can boost revenues since fans pay a few dollars more than they do to see 2D versions.
"But the technology scared us a little, only because, you saw 'Avatar,' that was all done on sound stages. Nobody had ever taken these cameras out into the jungles and did a big adventure picture," Bruckheimer says.
"Rob did an enormous amount of research with the cinematographer, and we finally went to Disney and said, 'Look, we really think we can do this.' And they thought about it for a while, because it increases the costs, but in the end, they agreed with us and said, 'Let's go for it.'"
Meanwhile, Johnny Depp's tour guide on his "Pirates of the Caribbean" voyages is plotting the course for a fifth installment even before the fourth movie voyages into cinemas.
Bruckheimer says he has a screenplay in the works for a fifth "Pirates" tale after May's "On Stranger Tides" comes out. Based on the Disney theme-park ride, the original three "Pirates" blockbusters ended up as a trilogy continuing the same key characters and story line. Bruckheimer says "On Stranger Tides" and future "Pirates" flicks will be stand-alone stories continuing the adventures of Depp's woozy buccaneer Capt. Jack Sparrow.
Bruckheimer and Marshall showed off footage recently at CinemaCon, a Las Vegas convention of theater owners. At test screenings of "On Stranger Tides," "the audience told us what they loved about it is that it was fresh, it was new, it was a whole new story," Bruckheimer said in an interview alongside Marshall. "So that will carry over into the next one, too, to give it something fresh and different. As long as the audience embraces this one, we'll certainly try to make another one. It's really up to Johnny. He loves the character."
Geoffrey Rush reprises his role as Jack's rival, Barbossa, who has switched sides, no longer a pirate but a privateer sailing on the orders of the British monarchy. Penelope Cruz co-stars as the fiery daughter of the pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane).
Marshall popped the question about co-starring in the "Pirates" sequel over dinner with Cruz while he was directing her in the musical "Nine."
"She jumped out of her chair and said, 'Oh, my God. I'd love to. I've always wanted to do an adventure like this.' So it was perfect," Marshall said. "I had mentioned her to Jerry and Johnny, and immediately they said yes, that seems exactly right. Because there are not that many people that really can match him. He's so unique, and he has so many different characteristics. Charisma and sex appeal. He's funny and he's athletic and he's a strong actor. So who can match that?"
(Opening across the Philippines on May 20, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.)
A teenage girl goes out into the world for the first time – and has to battle for her life, in Columbia Pictures' adventure thriller “Hanna.” Directed by Joe Wright (“Atonement,” “Pride & Prejudice”), the film stars Eric Bana (“The Time Traveler's Wife”), Cate Blanchet (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) and Saoirse Ronan (“Atonement”).
In the film, Hanna (Ronan) is 16 years old. She is bright, inquisitive, and a devoted daughter. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a solider; these come from being raised by her widowed father Erik (Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of North Finland.
Erik has taught Hanna to hunt, put her through extreme self-defense workouts, and home-schooled her with only an encyclopedia and a book of fairy tales. Hanna has been living a life unlike any other teenager; her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin.
But out in the world there is unfinished business for Hanna’s family, and it is with a combination of pride and apprehension that Erik realizes his daughter can no longer be held back.
This turning point in Hanna’s adolescence is a sharp one; she is separated from Erik and embarks on the mission that she was always destined for.
Opening soon across the Philippines, “Hanna” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.
Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Clark Gregg (SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye), Mark Ruffalo ( Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk) & writer/Director Joss Whedon
Marvel Super Heroes Assemble To Commence Principal Photography
In Preparation for May 4, 2012 Film Release
BURBANK, Calif. (April 25, 2011) -- Production has commenced today in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated movie “Marvel’s The Avengers,” directed by Joss Whedon (“Serenity”) from a screenplay by Whedon. The film will continue principal photography in Cleveland, Ohio and New York City. Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) returns as the iconic Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”) as Thor, Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) as Captain America, Jeremy Renner (“Thor,” “The Hurt Locker”) as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo (“The Kids Are Alright”) as Hulk, Scarlett Johansson (“Iron Man 2”) as Black Widow, Clark Gregg (“Iron Man,” “Thor”) as Agent Phil Coulson, and Samuel L. Jackson (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) as Nick Fury. Set for release in the US on May 4, 2012, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is the first feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.
Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Iron Man 2,” “Thor,” and “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Marvel’s The Avengers” is the Super Hero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.
Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, “Marvel’s The Avengers” brings together the mightiest Super Hero characters as they all assemble together on screen for the first time. The star studded cast of Super Heroes will be joined by Cobie Smulders (“How I Met Your Mother) as Agent Maria Hill of SHIELD, as well as Tom Hiddleston (“Wallander”) and Stellan Skarsgård (“Angels & Demons,” “Mamma Mia!”) who will both reprise their respective roles as Loki and Professor Erik Selvig from the upcoming Marvel Studios’ feature “Thor.”
“Marvel’s The Avengers” is being produced by Marvel Studios' President, Kevin Feige, and executive produced by Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patty Whitcher, and Jon Favreau. Marvel Studios’ Jeremy Latcham and Victoria Alonso will co-produce.
The creative production team also includes Oscar® nominated director of photography Seamus McGarvey (“Atonement”), production designer James Chinlund (“25th Hour”), Oscar winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne (“Elizabeth: The Golden Age”), Oscar winning visual effects supervisor Janek Sirrs (“Iron Man 2,” “The Matrix”), visual effects producer Susan Pickett (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”), stunt coordinator R.A. Rondell (“Superman Returns”), and four-time Oscar nominated special effects supervisor Dan Sudick (“Iron Man,” “War of the Worlds”). The editors include Oscar nominated Paul Rubell (“Collateral”) and Jeffrey Ford (“Crazy Heart”).
From the fertile imagination of visionary filmmaker Scott Stewart comes a fantasy adventure set in an alternate world in which humans have been battling vampires for ages. Inspired by the Korean manga comic books, Columbia Pictures' “Priest” transports us to a dark post-apocalyptic future where a warrior priest (Paul Bettany) decides to abandon the obscurity of his existence, oblivious to the advice of his superiors who believe the hostilities have ended, embarking on a quest to investigate what he believes is a new attack from their long-time archenemies.
“Paul Bettany was on board first,” says Stewart. “We had such a great time working on “Legion” that there really wasn’t much debate on who should play Priest. Paul enjoys his job and sees it as a blessing, and he understands the process of filmmaking; which is why I think he would also make a great filmmaker, as he is good at telling the story through what he is doing. His character speaks very little, but when he does it is important.”
Bettany was excited to work with Stewart again: “I thought the script was already in very good shape when I first read it, but then the drawings I got sent were just spectacular! A film like `Priest' could go really wrong without the right director, but the amount of love Scott feels for this kind of genre and the ambition to shoot his second movie with his first big budget made him the right man for the job. He poured all of himself and his energy into it. Primarily, as a director, Scott is very visual. He talks absolutely in terms of story -which I like- and he seems to be without ego. So, he has all the spirit and hopes of a young director, but without any of the potential pitfalls. He has worked on movies for a long time as a visual effects guy analyzing shots and knows what everything is going to look like, which is why he has much more experience than you would expect from somebody on his second movie.”
“I loved doing the action too,” recalls Bettany. “It was a lot of fun and very challenging. Also, as I don’t often play the stoic, it’s been nice to be the quiet hero for a change.” Nevertheless, his character is certainly not the average priest. “Our job is not to dispense communion,” chuckles the Bristish actor, “rather to dispense a lot of violence…”
“Paul is very courageous and an incredible professional,” says co-star Karl Urban, who plays the villain Black Hat. “It has been a very physical shoot, with a lot of wirework and stunts. And we have had some tough times! For instance, for a couple of weeks we shot this fight sequence on top of a moving train and on two occasions I injured him pretty badly. He screamed and I thought he was such a good actor, and then I realized that I had really hurt him. I felt terrible… And the second time was when we were rehearsing a fight and I elbowed his lip by mistake.”
“We all had such a great time making this movie,” shares Bettany. “I hope it’s successful so that we get to be together again, and that includes the whole crew because there has been a great camaraderie with everyone in a way that often doesn’t happen. I like the film process to be fun, and on this set I can say there hasn’t been one person that has made it miserable. I would love to be in a sequel!”
Opening across the Philippines on May 11, “Priest” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to get the latest movie news, video clips, games and free downloads. Find us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.
The wildpack is back in “The Hangover Part II” ! And Warner Bros. welcomes the gang back with a rollout of the film's character posters individually featuring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong...and one non-human star!
“The Hangover Part II” is director Todd Phillips’s follow-up to 2009’s smash hit “The Hangover,” which became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all-time and also won the Golden Globe for Best Film – Comedy or Musical.
In “The Hangover Part II,” Phil (Cooper), Stu (Helms), Alan (Galifianakis) and Doug (Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don’t always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined.
Opening across the Philippines in June 2011, “The Hangover Part II” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
Colin Firth's wife, Livia, doesn't believe his Best Actor win at last February's Oscars ceremony will change their life.
The 50-year-old star picked up the coveted Best Actor statue for playing a British monarch with a stammering problem in “The King's Speech,” and despite Firth's triumph, his wife insists they will continue to lead a normal life.
Livia says, "We're not moving to Hollywood, we're going back home and he's still the man I married. He'll still put the bins out and leave his socks on the floor. It's just now he has an Oscar and that is amazing. Our plan is to rest, go home, be happy. And we'll be back next year when Colin will present an award."
For his part, Firth reveals he felt the British public's support when he won the Best Actor Oscar. He shares he forgot about the speech he had planned when he took to the stage to accept the accolade but says the backing of his countrymen helped him through. He relates, "I actually wrote a speech and forgot it. And that was when it came to me, that support at home. I felt it - it was very important to me."
“The King's Speech” won a total of four awards – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay -- and Colin was said to be "buzzing" at the movie's success.
An insider revealed, "Colin was King for the night. He was absolutely buzzing and good for him. Everyone in Hollywood thought he deserved it." However, Firth was so shocked later on in the evening that he accidentally left the gold statue in a toilet. Luckily, an attendant noticed the forgetful winner's mistake and ran to give it back to him and he carried on partying the night away.
A source said: "Everyone was trying to buy him drinks. He may be 50 but he knows how to party and was determined to make the most of the occasion."
Despite his exciting evening, Colin later admitted he was glad the parties had drawn to a close. He told the Daily Mail newspaper, "I think I'm feeling, not joy, but relief that it's over. That seems to be the default position. You could say I'm grateful – and relieved. The whole Oscar adventure has taken months and months of criss-crossing the Atlantic to go to Los Angeles and New York and points in between. I don't think I'll need to go to another party ever again."
Based on the true story of King George VI, “The King's Speech” follows the Royal Monarch's quest to find his voice. In the film, after the death of his father King George V (Michael Gambon) and the scandalous abdication of Prince Edward VII's (Guy Pearce), Prince Albert (Firth) who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England.
With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall), the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle.
Filipinos around the world should be very proud. For such a long time, Filipinos have felt left behind when it comes to penetrating the international scene. Well, not anymore! Aside from solo acts like Charice, we now have front-men in foreign groups like Apl of the Black Eyed Peas, Nicole of the Pussycat Dolls, Arnel Pineda of Journey, and of course Darren Criss of The Warblers and Glee phenomenon.
So, let's be happy for our fellow countrymen and just be thankful for the blessings okay? Instead of criticising who speaks in such a manner, let's just rejoice!
Here's the latest update! Darren and The Warblers, Live on ELLEN!!!
Between Beyoncé's "Girls (Who Run the World)" and Lady Gaga's "Judas," it's a huge week for leaked singles by pop divas.
Beyoncé's "Girls," which hit the web yesterday and is the first peek at her upcoming album, finds the singer venturing outside her comfort zone with sputtering drums and a sample by indie electronic duo Major Lazer.
Gaga's "Judas," meanwhile, also sounds like nothing else on Top 40 radio right now, as the singer spews biblical references over some seriously wild industrial dance synths by producer RedOne. The track leaked last Friday and is vying for a No. 1 debut on the Hot 100 this week.
Of course, Beyoncé and Gaga, who in 2010 teamed up for the hits "Telephone" and "Videophone," have never shied away from taking creative risks -- in fact, it's part of what's propelled them into pop music's upper echelon. But since the early reaction to "Girls (Who Run the World)" and "Judas" seems to have fans divided and, in some cases, disappointed, we're just asking:
Whose single do you like better?
Source: Billboard.com | by Monica Herrera, N.Y. | April 19, 2011 2:20 EDT
He may be the Gleekiest looking character on TV, but these photos might just make jocks rethink their workout routine and take training tips from Professor Schuester.
Matthew James Morrison (born September, 1978) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated role as Will Schuester on the Fox television show Glee (2009–present). He has also received a Satellite Award for this role.
At age 19 he landed a role in a chorus line of the Broadway adaption of Footloose. By sophomore year at college he was a regular performer on Broadway. He states in Details "There were all these beautiful, beautiful dancers. As a straight guy I had some room. There were the shared interests in singing and dancing, and I always find dancing with someone very evocative and sexual. I definitely hooked up with a lot of girls when I was a young guy on Broadway. It was exciting. Very joyous and free."
In 2001 Matthew Morrison was recruited to complete the quartet for the band LMNT. He was replaced instead by Jonas Persch by the time their first album was released. He commented in an interview about his experience in the boy band by remarking, "It was the worst year of my life. You know when you're a performer and you're out there on stage and you're embarrassed that you're doing something wrong. It was pretty bad."
In 2002 Morrison starred on the Original Cast of the musical Hairspray as Link Larkin. He would remain in this role until January 2004.
In 2005 Morrison changed gears, playing the role of Fabrizio Nacarelli in Adam Guettel's The Light in the Piazza. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance. He left the show August 28, 2005.
Morrison joined the cast of the CBSsoap operaAs the World Turns as Adam Munson on October 24, 2006, but left abruptly soon after due to a "scheduling conflict," last airing on the soap on November 27.
Morrison appeared in a benefit performance celebrating Andrew Lippa, and the 25th Anniversary of the performing troupe 'The Kids in the Hall' at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, California in December 2006. The performance benefited The California Conservatory of the Arts, a non-profit arts education organization focusing on pre-professional training for young students, grades six through twelve, in Orange County, California.
In 2008 he played Lieutenant Cable in a Lincoln Center production of the musical South Pacific. He left the production at the end of 2008 and in early 2009 returned to California to shoot the first season of Glee.
Morrison plays Will Schuester in the Fox Broadcasting television series Glee, which had its television preview on May 19, 2009. He resumed his role in the show as the series premiered on September 9, 2009. He plays a high school Spanish teacher who takes on the task of restoring the school's glee club to its former glory. Fox has commissioned a second season of the show to air from fall 2010.
In addition on January 14, 2010, it was announced that Morrison signed a solo record deal with Mercury Records. His first studio album is due to be released in May 2011. It's also been revealed that Elton John will duet with him on the new CD, with a duet of "a medley of 'Mona Lisas and Madhatters' going into 'Rocket Man'". His first single, "Summer Rain", premiered on Ryan Seacrest's website on February 28, 2011. Additionally, a duet of "Over the Rainbow" with Gwyneth Paltrow is planned to appear on the album, which will reportedly be self-titled.
It great when more personalities are seen taking care of themselves. Keeping fit truly is important and what better time to continue the series than now, when everyone likes hitting the beach and enjoy their worked out bodies that truly deserve to be treated well.
So, here's another actor that surprised Glee fans with his six pack, Harry Shum Jr.
Shum was born in Puerto Limón, Costa Rica, on April 28, 1982, to Cantonese parents who moved from Guangzhou to Costa Rica. He was raised there with his two sisters for about 5–6 years before they moved to San Francisco. He states, "I feel I have the best of so many worlds. I speak Chinese and Spanish. Spanish is actually my first language before I learned Chinese and English". In an interview, he revealed that his earliest motivations to dance were actually Ginuwine, Dru Hill and Usher before becoming influenced by iconic dancers like Gene Kelly and Michael Jackson. He started dancing with his high school dance company team and continued his career in San Francisco, California, under several different studios. He incorporates various different styles into his dance, including popping, tutting,waving, locking, breaking and also contemporary.
Shum launched his career as the only male dancer on BET's Comic View in 2002 and has continued his dancing career from there. He was also one of the lead dancers with stars such as Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez and Jessica Simpson. He was a silhouette for the famous iPod commercials. He now plays Mike Chang, a dancer who joins the glee club, on the Fox musical television show Glee. Known as the "Other Asian" on Glee, Harry Shum Jr. has been getting a lot more screen time this season with his budding relationship with Tina, and his performances in "Make 'Em Laugh," "Dream a Little Dream," and "Sing." On November 17, 2010, various news sources began reporting that Harry Shum Jr. was promoted from guest star to series regular in season three, with varying levels of certainty from different sources.
In 2011, Shum completed an action-oriented project with director Ross Ching, producers Don Le and George Wang, starring himself in the lead role as "the Hunter", Stephen "tWitch" Boss (runner-up of Fox's So You Think You Can Dance (season 4), and Katrina Law (Spartacus: Blood and Sand, The Resistance). The project released January 10, 2011, and is set to be part of a trilogy of short films. "3 Minutes" has received nationwide coverage from the official Star Wars site, Wired.com, and Gizmodo, as well as the New York Post, Seventeen Magazine, Audrey Magazine, and Hyphen Magazine. It was also won the coveted slot of Vimeo's Staff Pick of the Day on its debut day, netting well over 60,000 views on the site within the first 24 hours. As of the end of 2010, the short film had been viewed by well over 350,000 people on both Youtube and Vimeo.
Rihanna's "S&M" rises 2-1 on the Billboard Hot 100 to be released tomorrow (Apr. 21) on Billboard.com, granting the singer her 10th No. 1 on the survey and ownership of a pair of historic chart records.
Having first reigned atop the Hot 100 the week of May 13, 2006, with "SOS," Rihanna logs the shortest span between a solo artist's first and 10th No. 1s in the chart's 52-year history, a stretch of four years, 11 months and two weeks. (This week's charts are dated Apr. 30, 2011).
Rihanna bests the five-year, four-month span between current Island Def Jam labelmate Mariah Carey's first ("Vision of Love," Aug. 4, 1990) and 10th ("One Sweet Day," Dec. 2, 1995) toppers to complete the quickest sprint to 10 Hot 100 No. 1s among solo artists. (Carey collected the first 15 of her 18 career No. 1s while signed to Columbia Records).
Among all acts, Rihanna trails only the Beatles (one year, eight months and one week) and the Supremes (two years, eight months and three weeks) for the fastest accumulation of 10 Hot 100 No. 1s.
Rihanna is additionally the youngest artist to notch 10 No. 1s in the Hot 100's archives. At 23 years, two months and one week, Rihanna (born Feb. 20, 1988) eclipses the mark established by Carey, who was 25 years, eight months and one week old when she tallied her 10th Hot 100 leader.
Rihanna is just the ninth artist to total at least 10 Hot 100 No. 1s and the fifth solo female, following Carey (18), Madonna (12), Whitney Houston(11) and Janet Jackson (10). (The Beatles lead all acts with 20 career No. 1s; Michael Jackson has the most (13) among solo males. In addition to the Supremes (12), Stevie Wonder (10) is the other act with at least 10 Hot 100 leaders).
"S&M" ascends to the Hot 100's summit fueled by the first full week of digital sales for the song's "Rih-mix" featuring Britney Spears. All versions of the song, which claims the Hot 100's Digital Gainer award and becomes Rihanna's record-extending 10th No. 1 on Digital Songs, sold a combined 293,000 downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan, a 108% increase over last week. The Spears-assisted version of the track accounted for 66% of the song's overall weekly digital sum.
"S&M" spends a third week at No. 1 on Radio Songs (124 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen BDS).
Now listed as featured artist on "S&M," Spears earns her fifth Hot 100 No. 1 and second this year, following her own "Hold It Against Me" in January. She had previously reigned with her debut single "...Baby One More Time" in 1999 and returned to the summit with "Womanizer" (2008) and "3" (2009).
"S&M" displaces Katy Perry's "E.T.," featuring Kanye West (No. 2), after three weeks atop the Hot 100. Although the song's airplay continues to build, as it spends a second week at No. 2 on Radio Songs (122 million in audience, up 13%), securing the Hot 100's Airplay Gainer nod, its digital sales decline by 12% to 284,000.
The Hot 100's highest debut belongs to Lady Gaga, whose "Judas," the heavily-anticipated second single from "Born This Way" (due May 23), soars in at No. 10.
By comparison, "Born This Way" began with sales of 448,000 on the Digital Songs chart dated Feb. 26. "Born" was similarly posted to iTunes on a Friday (Feb. 11), although it arrived at the retailer in the early morning (ET), whereas "Judas" hit the online store early Friday afternoon. (The SoundScan tracking week ends at the close of business each Sunday night).
On Radio Songs, "Judas" starts at No. 48 with 26 million in audience. ("Born" launched at No. 6 on Radio Songs with 78.5 million in audience, both a record debut rank and first-week audience sum since the chart began incorporating all radio formats in December 1998).
Benefitting from the buzz of being an album's lead single, "Born" became just the 19th song to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Still, the No. 10 start for "Judas" marks Lady Gaga's third-highest entrance; "Bad Romance" -- the lead track from her "The Fame Monster" EP -- debuted at No. 9 in November 2009.
Following its first full week at retail and radio, "Judas" could vault to the upper reaches of next week's Hot 100.
Haley Reinhart and Jacob Lusk also land in the bottom three.
Wednesday night's "Music of the 21st Century" wasn't kind to most of the "American Idol" contestants, but even with a few missteps, host Ryan Seacrest revealed on Thursday's (April 21) results show that more than 52 million votes were cast for the top seven.
After an unrelenting march of early female departures, the remaining two ladies were safe for a second week, though Haley Reinhart did land in the bottom three again, if only for a moment before behind ushered back to safety. That left often-on-the-brink wild card Stefano Langone and Jacob Lusk sweating out their fate by hour's end.
The fourth time, alas, was not a charm for Langone, as his luck finally ran out and Lusk lived to sing another day. Looking like his usual cocky self, Langone smiled and seemed happily resigned to his fate as he watched his highlights package. "It started my career and ... you can't put a price on that," he said in response to Seacrest's question about how the show had changed Stefano's life. He then happily sang Stevie Wonder's "Lately" one more time, giving the audience another taste of his cruise-ship talents as rocker James Durbin openly wept at the sight of his pal grabbing the mic for the last time. In fact, Durbin couldn't control his emotions and ran out to bear-hug and spin Langone around as he finished the song before the car-crash survivor was enveloped in a group hug.
Earlier in the night, the first two to get the results were Lusk and Casey Abrams, with Seacrest still talking about the spontaneous kiss Casey sprang on judge Jennifer Lopez the night before. Even after the return of his scary-face singing on Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe," Abrams was safe, while Lusk was back in the bottom three after failing to convince viewers with his cover of hero Luther Vandross' "Dance With my Father."
When Seacrest asked Lauren Alaina, Durbin and Langone to take the long walk, it was no surprise that Langone was back in the bottom three after his tepid take on Ne-Yo's "Closer," which meant Alaina and Durbin were safe.
And it seemed pretty obvious when Scotty McCreery and Reinhart were the last two to get the news that front-runner McCreery would likely be safe, and he was, meaning once again Reinhart was facing elimination after her good notices for Adele's "Rolling in the Deep." She wasn't down long, though, as Seacrest ushered her to safety just moments later.
Earlier in the night, Lauren, Haley, Stefano and Jacob sang a version of Train's "Hey, Soul Sister" to open the show that managed to make the fluffy pop confection even frothier. That was followed by Casey, Scotty and James singing a "Glee"-ky version of Coldplay's "Viva la Vida," during which a self-assured Durbin stole the show coming off like the seasoned showman next to a pair of flat amateurs with shaky stage presence.
The show also found season-seven winner David Cook coming home to sing his new single, the midtempo rocker "The Last Goodbye," and Katy Perry taking the stage in a glowing white space suit to sing her hit alien love song "E.T." with a surprise cameo from fur-decked collaborator Kanye West.
Next week, the top six take on the catalog of 1970s pop icon Carole King on Wednesday night and Bruno Mars drops in to perform on Thursday's elimination show.
There's a common complaint lobbied by "American Idol" junkies over the years, and it goes something like this: why, oh why, must the contestants often perform songs that were hits when our grandparents were in high school? Or in other words, not exactly what's hot on Top 40 radio today, dog? While things have skewed decidedly younger this season -- has anyone counted how many times the word "swag" has been uttered by the judges and Ryan Seacrest? -- tonight "Idol" went the extra mile, devoting an entire show to proving that it knows what the kids are listening to these days.
And so, "Music from the 21st Century" night brought us a little Ne-Yo,Adele, Sara Evans, and even Muse. How'd the top seven fare as they conquered songs they're actually familiar with (one can only hope)? Let's go to the videotape.
1) The Infant Sounding - Lauren Alaina (Song: Sara Evans, "Born to Fly")
Steven said: "Anybody who doesn't know that they can fail is bound to win, and you're that person. You're so good naturally."
Jennifer said: "You do have such a special voice -- it's not everybody who has so much color in their voice when they sing."
Randy said: "You can sing anything. You think you can't sing those big notes…Dude, you can do it. You must believe."
We say: I've been fretting all season long about Lauren Alaina's lack of confidence, and this subplot was finally addressed tonight when 17-year-old was granted a long overdue, yet expecation-filled closing "pimp" spot on the show. The good news is, all the encouragement (coercion, really) from Jimmy Iovine behind the scenes paid off! Lauren got one step closer to embracing her inner Top 40 diva, and as she shimmied onstage and even worked up the nerve to make eyes at the camera a bit, I realized that she could, potentially, work up the confidence she needs just in time to win this whole shebang. Watch your back, perennial frontrunner Scotty McCreery -- Lauren's hot on your trail.
2) The Cher Impersonator - Jacob Lusk (Song: Luther Vandross, "Dance with My Father")
Steven said: "Luther Lusk. Baby, you are so good. You remind me all the time the reason why I love music."
Jennifer said: "It's hard to perform when a song means that much to you. And that's one of the tricks of being a performer, is, you have to learn the control."
Randy said: "Just to help you -- because critique helps everyone, right?…it didn't make me jump up and down. I need for me, the old Jacob. I feel like somebody's taken a racehorse and put the restraints on."
We say: Drag Queen! Drag Queen! Drag Queen! That's all what his character is screaming! For whatever reason, this out-of-the-closet-Luther-copycat is just holding on to his position. Since I am not interested and find him to be a complete waste of time, I'll this Cher sounding singer alone. Let there be entertainment on the show.
3) The Confused - Haley Reinhart (Song: Adele, "Rolling the Deep")
Steven said: "I thought it was a little slow at [the] start, but you brought it up in the middle and did what you do best."
Jennifer said: "It takes a lot of guts to take on a record that everybody knows so well right now, and you have to sing it just as good, if not better. There were moments when you actually brought Haley to it..and that's where I thought you really shined."
Randy said: "I think that you chose a perfect direction for you. I think Adele is an amazing artist and she's an amazing singer, and I think that you have that amazing thing in you as a singer as well."
We say: I'll give the judges a pass for giving Haley Reinhart a pass this week. Grading her on a curve was understandable this time around, because it's no easy feat to tackle a new hit by an incredible vocalist. While Haley's vocal tics and growls still irk me, and the "heartache" she tried to convey was virtually nonexistent, she seems to finally be narrowing down her artist identity to one that suits all of her strengths. Also, I'm shamelessly rooting for more gender parity in this competition. Can you blame me?
4) The Adam Lambert Copycat - James Durbin (Song: Muse, "Uprising")
Steven said: "You stay outta my closet, now. Mad Max meets Storm Troopers on Melrose. You'd be surprised how expensive it costs to look this cheap."
Jennifer said: "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that that is theatrically gonna be the best performance the night."
Randy said: "Dude, you were unbelievable. I'm gonna go out on a limb with Jennifer and say I think this is gonna be the best performance of the night."
We say: That's quite a limb to go out on, Jennifer and Randy! Especially since James Durbin was the SECOND performance of the night. Anywho, James certainly stepped it up in the image department this week, trading in the denim and handkerchiefs for a streamlined militarist look (and a cane?!). Extremely high and low notes were also (mostly) reached, proving that James' range is pretty much unparalleled this season. Too bad the whole number ultimately felt inauthentic. Hard as he tries to be a badass rock star, James still comes off as a bit of a softie -- which there's nothing wrong with at all, unless you're dressing like "Mad Max meets Storm Troopers on Melrose."
Honestly, his arrogance and over confidence is beginning to show. And c'mon, Adam Lambert has done it all. There is absolutely nothing new with what he is doing. Another waste of spot on Idol.
5) The Original - Casey Abrams (Song: Maroon 5, "Harder to Breathe")
Steven said: "You already are a cult hero. There's people in America that are really angry because you pissed 'em off." [Editor's note: This was followed by many censored expletives, and we couldn't possibly imagine what they were.]
Jennifer said: "See now, Casey's not playing fair. Casey got soft lips. I loved it -- the performance! Was great. Was really, really great."
Randy said: "What I love about Casey is, always it's about surprise, surprise surprise. Dude i gotta tell you something, I enjoyed it. It's almost like you're a jazz, indie kind of rock guy."
There is no denying that Casey is the most intelligent singer on the show EVER!!! For the first time, a real artist who can play the instruments "classically" and truly turn a song around and make it his own. One who understands phrasing and does not charm his way (Stefano???).
6) The Street Vendor - Scotty McCreery (Song: LeAnn Rimes, "Swingin'")
Steven said: "I would love it if you just boot-scooted a little more and sashayed a little and ran around a little more, like you did for your last girlfriend."
Jennifer said: "I think there's something to what Jimmy's saying about pushing past your comfort music. You had a decade of music to choose from…and I just felt like maybe we were expecting more from Scotty."
Randy said: "To me that was so safe -- it was actually kind of boring for me from you, and I mean, I love you."
We say: The judges love Scotty McCreery, as they've told him many times, so for them to start out the night by going negative on him…well, that was shocking to say the least. But truth be told, Scotty deserved it. I was disappointed in his safe song choice last week, and this one was even safer. What's worse, his onstage swagger is starting to veer dangerously close to corny. Hasn't anyone told him to just hold the mic in one hand and quit raising his eyebrows, like some Prohibition-era vaudeville entertainer? Someone get this kid some choreographed moves, stat.
Cheap and crass. He looks like a vendor singing on subways and does not even dress up properly for shows. Please.... Why is Idol giving this guy a pass when everyone else is working so hard to study songs that challenge their artistry? The other work hard on their packaging and to stay. And this cheap fellow performs wearing an ugly old looking t-shirt & jeans? He doesn't even look good enough for an audition!!!!
7) The Idiot - Stefano Langone (Song: Ne-Yo, "Closer")
Steven said: "Stefano, nobody can say you weren't all up in it. I was hoping you'd dance, and you did." [Editor's note: Why, Steven, why??]
Jennifer said: "Speaking for the girls in the audience, I thought it was very, very good. You really had your swag going on."
Randy said: "I thought, look…it's gonna be a little kind of jerky, a little kind of bad karaoke, but you know what? Dude, you turned me around."
We say: Too bad Stefano Langone didn't think of kissing Jennifer Lopez first, because at least that would have distracted from all that was so very wrong with this performance. The dancing was a fail, the suspenders were a bigger fail, and his notes and phrasing were all over the place. Steven once chided Stefano's vocals as being too "Broadway," and it's stuck with me ever since. (Imagine that - a critique by Steven, resonating!) The sad part is that Stefano clearly went the extra mile to entertain with this number and fight for his survival, but as Naima Adedapo can attest, trying too hard will only get you so far.
I wish he would just drop dead. A complete IDIOT and has no artistry whatsoever. He sings all his songs like it's just one song and has never evolved since day 1. But, what can I say, I guess STUPIDITY really does sell sometimes.
Final verdict: Stefano Langone, you are the weakest link. Arrivederci!!!
What do you think, "Idol" fans? Will Stefano get the boot this week? Has Scotty lost his step? Does Lauren have what it takes to win? Share your "Idol" musings in the comments.
Source: Billboard.com | Monica Herrera, N.Y. | Additional notes by Leporello | April 21, 2011 1:04 EDT
