Monday, December 22, 2025
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Joni Mitchell’s Conservator Confirms Our Story: Singer Had a Brain Aneurysm

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Joni Mitchell’s conservator, Leslie Morris, confirms today my story from May 29th: Joni Mitchell suffered a brain aneurysm.

Morris writes on Mitchell’s website: “Joni did in fact suffer an aneurysm. However, details that have emerged in the past few days are mostly speculative. The truth is that Joni is speaking, and she’s speaking well. She is not walking yet, but she will be in the near future as she is undergoing daily therapies. She is resting comfortably in her own home and she’s getting better each day. A full recovery is expected.”

There was a little outbreak of sub-headlines about this after musician David Crosby mentioned it in an interview. The Hollywood Reporter than reported it and called him “Bill Crosby.” So at least there’s a laugh there.

Here’s the link to my original story: http://www.showbiz411.com/2015/05/29/update-joni-mitchell-moved-to-rehab-improving-after-brain-aneurysm

Always send prayers and good wishes to Joni to get well soon. Thanks to Leslie Morris for getting back to me in a timely fashion.

Harry Potter: New Chapter of Extreme Money Making Begins as Live Play Readied for Broadway and London’s West End

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J.K. Rowling cannot stop thinking of ways to make money from “Harry Potter.” Seven best selling books and eight movies that made billions weren’t enough for her. After swearing that was “it” for Harry and co., Rowling has cooked up a gift that will reap royalties around the world forever. And I do mean forever, if there is one.

My colleague Baz Bamigboye broke the story in the UK Daily Mail– and it’s been lifted by everyone since yesterday: Rowling has written a play that will have music (but won’t be a musical) called “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” She insists it’s not a prequel, but it sounds like one: it’s what happened to Harry’s parents and everything leading up to Rowling’s gold mine.

Is it a musical? Not exactly. But John Tiffany, who directs musicals, is going to helm it. Among his hits is “Once,” which won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Stephen Hoggett, the famed choreographer from “Once” and many other hits, is involved. Doesn’t that sound like a musical? Baz insists, “It’s not a musical.”

But Imogen Heap, a brilliant female pop composer, is writing some kind of music for it. She’s very popular in the UK and well known here.

My old friend Colin Callender, and Sonia Friedman, are the producers. But the big big spare no expense money comes from Warner Theatricals, aka Warner Bros. which made the films. And down the line, I am sure, there will be a movie — or two– based on the play.

“Cursed Child” will the trace the story of Harry’s parents as well as what we think of as the older (but back then younger) Hogwarts population. My guess is it includes with the birth of the Golden Child. And we’ll see Lord Voldemort kill the parents, the way all super hero parents (Spider Man, Batman, et al) are usually offed. I can guarantee you that with Tiffany and Hoggett, you will see a Quidditch match in the air that will echo Julie Taymor.

Anyway, as Baz points out, demand for tickets when they go on sale in London will be historic. Tickets go on sale this fall, and performances will start next summer when children are out of school. I can imagine a spring 2017 opening on Broadway in time for Tony Awards.

And then? “Cursed Child” will run all over the world, in every city and country, as a stage show with tickets costing well over $100. Just think of rooms overflowing with silver and gold coins, money, money, money, in perpetuity, like “The Lion King.”

Oscars: Academy Invites 322 New Members Including Redmayne. Cumberbatch, Radcliffe, and Heather Graham

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This is quite a list– 322 new members invited to the join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, including Mellody Hobson (Mrs. George Lucas) and my old pal Mike Binder. All good!

Actors
Elizabeth Banks – “Love & Mercy,” “The Hunger Games”
Choi Min-sik– “Lucy,” “Oldboy”
Benedict Cumberbatch – “The Imitation Game,” “Star Trek Into Darkness”
Martin Freeman – “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Hot Fuzz”
Heather Graham – “The Hangover,” “Boogie Nights”
Tom Hardy – “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Inception”
Kevin Hart – “The Wedding Ringer,” “Ride Along”
Felicity Jones – “The Theory of Everything,” “Like Crazy”
Stephen Lang – “Avatar,” “The Men Who Stare at Goats”
Jodi Long – “A Picture of You,” “Beginners”
John Carroll Lynch – “Shutter Island,” “Zodiac”
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – “Beyond the Lights,” “Belle”
Denis O’Hare – “Milk,” “Michael Clayton”
Michael O’Neill – “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Transformers”
David Oyelowo – “Selma,” “A Most Violent Year”
Dev Patel – “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Slumdog Millionaire”
Rosamund Pike – “Gone Girl,” “Pride & Prejudice”
Chris Pine – “Into the Woods,” “Star Trek”
Daniel Radcliffe – “Kill Your Darlings,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”
Eddie Redmayne – “The Theory of Everything,” “Les Misérables”
Jason Segel – “The Five-Year Engagement,” “The Muppets”
J.K. Simmons – “Whiplash,” “Juno”
Sonny Skyhawk – “Geronimo: An American Legend,” “Young Guns II”
Song Kang-ho – “Snowpiercer,” “The Host”
Emma Stone – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “The Help”

Casting Directors
Lucy Bevan – “Cinderella,” “The Hundred-Foot Journey”
Victoria Burrows – “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “King Kong”
Aisha Coley – “Selma,” “Beyond the Lights”
Patricia DiCerto – “Blue Jasmine,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Mary Hidalgo – “The Lego Movie,” “The Incredibles”
Roger Mussenden – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Get Smart”
Lucie Robitaille – “Incendies,” “The Barbarian Invasions”
Luis San Narciso – “The Skin I Live In,” “The Sea Inside”
April Webster – “Tomorrowland,” “Star Trek”
Tricia Wood – “Woman in Gold,” “The Lincoln Lawyer”

Cinematographers
Christopher Blauvelt – “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,” “The Bling Ring”
Adriano Goldman – “August: Osage County,” “Jane Eyre”
Ben Kasulke – “Laggies,” “Safety Not Guaranteed”
Ryszard Lenczewski – “Ida,” “Margaret”
Jody Lee Lipes – “Ballet 422,” “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
Sharone Meir – “Whiplash,” “Mean Creek”
Rachel Morrison – “Cake,” “Fruitvale Station”
Tristan Oliver – “ParaNorman,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
Hoyte Van Hoytema – “Interstellar,” “Her”
Roman Vasyanov – “Fury,” “End of Watch”
Łukasz Żal – “Ida,” “Joanna”

Costume Designers
Kasia Walicka Maimone – “Foxcatcher,” “Moonrise Kingdom”
Francesca Livia Sartori – “Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy,” “When the Night”
Jany Temime – “Gravity,” “Skyfall”

Designers
Ramsey Avery – “Tomorrowland,” “Star Trek Into Darkness”
Gae Buckley – “The Book of Eli,” “He’s Just Not That into You”
Keith Brian Burns – “The Best Man Holiday,” “2 Fast 2 Furious”
Lester W. Cohen – “Fading Gigolo,” “Cop Land”
Suzie Davies – “Mr. Turner,” “The Children”
John F. Fenner – “The Phantom of the Opera,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley”
Darren Gilford – “Oblivion,” “Tron: Legacy”
Derek R. Hill – “Southpaw,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”
Bryn Imagire – “Cars 2,” “Up”
Dina Lipton – “Baggage Claim,” “Love Hurts”
Tatiana Macdonald – “The Imitation Game,” “The Invisible Woman”
Dominic Masters – “Woman in Gold,” “Casino Royale”
Doug Meerdink – “Jurassic World,” “Ocean’s Thirteen”
Chris Spellman – “Paper Towns,” “This Is the End”
Patrick Tatopoulos – “300: Rise of an Empire,” “Total Recall”
Charlotte Watts – “Mr. Holmes,” “Mr. Turner”

Directors
Michael Binder – “Black or White,” “Reign over Me”
Bong Joon-ho – “Snowpiercer,” “Mother”
Niki Caro – “North Country,” “Whale Rider”
Damien Chazelle* – “Whiplash,” “Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench”
Simon Curtis – “Woman in Gold,” “My Week with Marilyn”
François Girard – “Silk,” “The Red Violin”
F. Gary Gray – “The Italian Job,” “Friday”
James Gunn – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Super”
Im Kwon-taek – “Chi-Hwa-Seon (Painted Fire),” “Chunhyang”
Stan Lathan – “Beat Street,” “Amazing Grace”
Malcolm D. Lee* – “The Best Man Holiday,” “The Best Man”
Justin Lin – “Fast & Furious 6,” “Better Luck Tomorrow”
François Ozon – “Young & Beautiful,” “Swimming Pool”
Paweł Pawlikowski* – “Ida,” “My Summer of Love”
Kelly Reichardt – “Meek’s Cutoff,” “Wendy and Lucy”
Ira Sachs – “Love Is Strange,” “Keep the Lights On”
Lynn Shelton – “Laggies,” “Your Sister’s Sister”
Abderrahmane Sissako* – “Timbuktu,” “Bamako”
Damián Szifron* – “Wild Tales,” “On Probation”
Fernando Trueba – “Chico & Rita,” “Belle Epoque”
Morten Tyldum – “The Imitation Game,” “Headhunters”
Zaza Urushadze – “Tangerines,” “The Guardian”
Wayne Wang – “Anywhere but Here,” “The Joy Luck Club”
Edgar Wright – “The World’s End,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”
Joe Wright – “Anna Karenina,” “Atonement”
Andrey Zvyagintsev* – “Leviathan,” “Elena”

Documentary
Richard Berge – “The Island President,” “The Rape of Europa”
Mathilde Bonnefoy* – “CitizenFour,” “The Invisibles”
Emad Burnat – “5 Broken Cameras”
Guy Davidi – “5 Broken Cameras,” “Interrupted Streams”
Geralyn Dreyfous – “The Square,” “The Invisible War”
Lewis Erskine – “Free Angela: And All Political Prisoners,” “Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple”
Shana Hagan – “Misconception,” “This Film Is Not Yet Rated”
Tony Hardmon – “Detropia,” “Semper Fi: Always Faithful”
Leonard Retel Helmrich – “Position among the Stars,” “Shape of the Moon”
Pirjo Honkasalo – “The 3 Rooms of Melancholia,” “Atman”
Judy Irving – “Pelican Dreams,” “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill”
Robert Kenner – “Merchants of Doubt,” “Food, Inc.”
Marc Levin – “Mr. Untouchable,” “The Last Party”
Jesse Moss – “The Overnighters,” “Full Battle Rattle”
Pratibha Parmar – “Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth,” “A Place of Rage”
Paula DuPre’ Pesmen – “Keep On Keepin’ On,” “The Cove”
Gordon Quinn – “Life Itself,” “Hoop Dreams”
Kim Roberts – “Waiting for ‘Superman’,” “Lost Boys of Sudan”
Richard Rowley – “Dirty Wars,” “The Fourth World War”
João Moreira Salles – “Santiago,” “Entreatos (Intermissions)”
Ondi Timoner – “We Live in Public,” “Dig!”

Executives
Carolyn Blackwood
Robbie Brenner
Lia Buman
Steve Burke
David Fenkel
Mellody Hobson
Brian Keane
Steven Paul O’Dell
Jim Orr
Mark Rachesky
Ted Sarandos
Jeff Shell

Film Editors
Craig Alpert – “Pitch Perfect 2,” “Pineapple Express”
Mick Audsley – “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” “Dirty Pretty Things”
Pablo Barbieri – “Wild Tales,” “La Antena (The Aerial)”
Nadia Ben Rachid – “Timbuktu,” “Bamako”
Kristina Boden – “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,” “Cake”
Mathilde Bonnefoy* – “CitizenFour,” “Run Lola Run”
Julian Clarke – “Chappie,” “District 9”
Douglas Crise – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Babel”
Tom Cross – “Whiplash,” “Any Day Now”
Jinx Godfrey – “The Theory of Everything,” “Man on Wire”
Robert Grahamjones – “Brave,” “Ratatouille”
Masahiro Hirakubo – “Virunga,” “The Duchess”
Jarosław Kamiński – “Ida,” “Aftermath (Pokłosie)”
William Kerr – “Bridesmaids,” “I Love You, Man”
Nico Leunen – “Lost River,” “The Broken Circle Breakdown”
Mike McCusker – “Get On Up,” “3:10 to Yuma”
Tim Mertens – “Big Hero 6,” “Wreck-It Ralph”
Barney Pilling – “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “An Education”
David Rennie – “22 Jump Street,” “Office Space”
Gary D. Roach – “American Sniper,” “Prisoners”
Michael L. Sale – “We’re the Millers,” “Bridesmaids”
Stephen Schaffer – “Cars 2,” “WALL-E”
Job ter Burg – “Borgman,” “Winter in Wartime”
Peter Teschner – “St. Vincent,” “Horrible Bosses”
Tara Timpone – “Friends with Kids,” “Bad Teacher”

Makeup Artists and Hairstylists
Frida S. Aradottir – “August: Osage County,” “A Serious Man”
Victoria Down – “Big Eyes,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
Frances Hannon – “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The King’s Speech”
Todd Kleitsch – “Run All Night,” “Black Swan”
Dennis Liddiard – “Foxcatcher,” “Jobs”
Jerry Popolis – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Noah”
Janine Rath-Thompson – “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Bridesmaids”
Johnny Villanueva – “The Gambler,” “The Fighter”
David White – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “La Vie en Rose”
Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “An Education”

Members-at-Large
Andy Armstrong
Wayne Billheimer
Kevin Brownlow
Simon Crane
Debbie Denise
Jeff Habberstad
Andy Hendrickson
Elissa M. Rashkin Loparco
Guido Quaroni
Nicole Scalise
Steven J. Scott
Leon D. Silverman
Gregg Smrz
Lynda Ellenshaw Thompson
Steve Venezia

Music
Tyler Bates – “John Wick,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”
Alex Gibson – “Interstellar,” “The Dark Knight”
Jonny Greenwood – “Inherent Vice,” “The Master”
Dave Grusin – “Skating to New York,” “The Firm”
Alex Heffes – “Love and Honor,” “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
Lisa Jaime – “Annie,” “Rock of Ages”
Jóhann Jóhannsson – “The Theory of Everything,” “Prisoners”
Laura Karpman – “States of Grace,” “Black Nativity”
Christopher Lennertz – “The Wedding Ringer,” “Horrible Bosses”
Lonnie Lynn – “Selma,” “Freedom Writers”
Chris McGeary – “Jersey Boys,” “RoboCop”
Sergio Mendes – “Rio 2,” “Rio”
Daniel Pinder – “Big Hero 6,” “Captain Phillips”
Trent Reznor – “Gone Girl,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Atticus Ross – “Love & Mercy,” “The Social Network”
John Stephens – “Selma,” “Django Unchained”
Marc Streitenfeld – “Poltergeist,” “Prometheus”
Erica Weis – “Spy,” “The Heat”
Gary Yershon – “Mr. Turner,” “Another Year”

Producers
Caroline Baron – “Capote,” “Monsoon Wedding”
Effie T. Brown – “Dear White People,” “Real Women Have Curves”
Terence Chang – “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale,” “Face/Off”
Wyck Godfrey – “The Fault in Our Stars,” “Twilight”
Jeremy Kleiner – “Selma,” “12 Years a Slave”
Pamela Koffler – “Still Alice,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
Gina Kwon – “Camp X-Ray,” “Me and You and Everyone We Know”
Dan Lin – “The Lego Movie,” “Sherlock Holmes”
Eric Newman – “RoboCop,” “Children of Men”
Bruna Papandrea – “Wild,” “All Good Things”
Lydia Dean Pilcher – “Cutie and the Boxer,” “The Darjeeling Limited”
Rebecca Yeldham – “On the Road,” “The Kite Runner”

Public Relations
Jennifer Allen
Asad Ayaz
Dawn Baillie
Andrew Bernstein
Liz Biber
Mara Buxbaum
Lee Ginsberg
R. Jeff Hill
Michelle Hooper
Chris Libby
Susan Norget
Lewis Oberlander
Gordon Paddison
Elias Plishner
David Pollick
Weiman Seid
LeeAnne Stables
Ryan Stankevich
Bonnie Voland

Short Films and Feature Animation
Alan Barillaro – “Brave,” “WALL-E”
Kristine Belson – “The Croods,” “How to Train Your Dragon”
Darlie Brewster – “Curious George,” “The Prince of Egypt”
Roy Conli – “Big Hero 6,” “Tangled”
Ronnie Del Carmen – “Up,” “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron”
Paul A. Felix – “Big Hero 6,” “Lilo & Stitch”
Michael Fukushima – “Me and My Moulton,” “Dimanche/Sunday”
Don Hall – “Big Hero 6,” “Winnie the Pooh”
Talkhon Hamzavi – “Parvaneh,” “Taub”
Hu Wei – “Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” “Le Propriétaire”
Jin Kim – “Big Hero 6,” “Bolt”
Mat Kirkby – “The Phone Call,” “Hard to Swallow”
David Kneupper – “Alex and Sylvia,” “The Civil War in 4 Minutes”
Michael Lennox – “Boogaloo and Graham,” “The Back of Beyond”
Fabio Lignini – “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” “Puss in Boots”
James Lucas – “The Phone Call”
Patrick Osborne – “Feast,” “Paperman”
Jerome Ranft – “Toy Story 3,” “Ratatouille”
Jim Reardon – “Wreck-It Ralph,” “WALL-E”
Kristina Reed – “Feast,” “Paperman”
Jason Reisig – “Home,” “Shrek Forever After”
Nicolas Schmerkin – “Habana,” “Logorama”
Anthony Stacchi – “The Boxtrolls,” “Open Season”
Isao Takahata – “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” “Grave of the Fireflies”
Michael Thurmeier – “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” “No Time for Nuts”
Marlon West – “Frozen,” “The Princess and the Frog”

Sound
Ray Beckett – “Zero Dark Thirty,” “The Hurt Locker”
Odin Benitez – “Frozen,” “Silver Linings Playbook”
Ron Bochar – “Mortdecai,” “Moneyball”
Jason Canovas – “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” “World War Z”
Thomas Curley – “Whiplash,” “The Spectacular Now”
Michael Dressel – “American Sniper,” “Interstellar”
Mary H. Ellis – “Vacation,” “Prisoners”
Stephanie Flack – “Jupiter Ascending,” “Ender’s Game”
Martín Hernández – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful”
Dean Humphreys – “Taken 3,” “The Pianist”
William Johnston – Vice President of Engineering, Formosa Group
Shawn Jones – “Iron Man 3,” “Drive”
Daniel Laurie – “Inside Out,” “Big Hero 6”
David Lee – “Unbroken,” “The Matrix”
Craig Mann – “Dope,” “Whiplash”
Kyrsten Mate – “Tomorrowland,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”
Shannon J. Mills – “Inside Out,” “Big Hero 6”
Bryan K. Pennington – “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Promised Land”
Juan P. Peralta – “Tomorrowland,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
John Ross – “Danny Collins,” “American Hustle”
Peter Staubli – “San Andreas,” “Skyfall”
Mark Taylor – “Edge of Tomorrow,” “Captain Phillips”
Addison Teague – “Big Hero 6,” “The Amazing Spider-Man”
Jon Title – “San Andreas,” “The Divergent Series: Insurgent”
Thomas Varga – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “The Immigrant”
Ben Wilkins – “Whiplash,” “Star Trek”

Visual Effects
Nicolas Aithadi – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “X-Men: First Class”
Daniel Barrett – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”
Stephane Ceretti – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Cloud Atlas”
Paul Corbould – “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”
Tim Crosbie – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “The Wolverine”
Dan DeLeeuw – “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Iron Man 3”
Sean Faden – “Fast & Furious 6,” “Let Me In”
Joe Farrell – “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Hereafter”
Scott R. Fisher – “Interstellar,” “The Dark Knight Rises”
Chris Harvey – “Chappie,” “Fast & Furious 6”
Alex Jaeger – “Tomorrowland,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Matt Kutcher – “Focus,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”
Andrew Lockley – “Interstellar,” “Inception”
Gray Marshall – “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”
Carl Miller – “Jurassic World,” “Elysium”
David Nakabayashi – “Tomorrowland,” “Avatar”
Rocco Passionino – “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Spider-Man 2”
Lou Pecora – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”
Cary Phillips – “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
Ellen Poon – “Frozen,” “Inception”
Edwin Rivera – “22 Jump Street,” “Moneyball”
Cameron Waldbauer – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Elysium”
Erik Winquist – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “Avatar”

Writers
Armando Bo – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful”
Damien Chazelle* – “Whiplash,” “Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench”
Álex de la Iglesia – “El Crimen Perfecto,” “The Day of the Beast”
Rick Famuyiwa – “Dope,” “The Wood”
Maya Forbes – “Infinitely Polar Bear,” “Monsters vs Aliens”
E. Max Frye – “Foxcatcher,” “Something Wild”
Nicolás Giacobone – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful”
Dan Gilroy – “Nightcrawler,” “The Bourne Legacy”
Jorge Guerricaechevarría – “Cell 211,” “The Day of the Beast”
Rita Hsiao – “Toy Story 2,” “Mulan”
Simon Kinberg – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Sherlock Holmes”
Malcolm D. Lee* – “The Best Man Holiday,” “The Best Man”
Christopher Markus – “Thor: The Dark World,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”
Stephen McFeely – “Thor: The Dark World,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”
Graham Moore – “The Imitation Game”
Paweł Pawlikowski* – “Ida,” “My Summer of Love”
Abderrahmane Sissako* – “Timbuktu,” “Bamako”
Damián Szifron* – “Wild Tales,” “On Probation”
Kessen Tall – “Timbuktu”
Tyger Williams – “The Perfect Guy,” “Menace II Society”
Andrey Zvyagintsev* – “Leviathan,” “Elena”

Associates
Victoria Belfrage
Josh Braun
Wayne Fitterman
Sharon Jackson
Patricia Keighley
Cliff Roberts
Elyse Scherz
James Toth
Bart Walker

Exclusive: Bobby Brown’s Last Ditch Effort to Save Bobbi Kristina: Flew Her to Chicago Experts

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The imminent tragic death of Bobbi Kristina Brown has not arrived without every measure being taken to save her.

I am told that before he agreed to let Bobbi Kristina go to hospice, her father took extraordinary measures. Sources say Bobby Brown arranged for Bobbi Kristina to be brought to Chicago to see specialists for one last examination.

In the last couple of weeks, Bobbi Kristina was Med- Evac’d on a private plane to Chicago’s Northwestern University. Experts in brain trauma examined Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown’s only child to see if there was anything that could be done.

It was only after the verdict came in that Bobbi Kristina could not be saved that Brown brought his daughter home to Atlanta and placed in hospice care.

Meanwhile, Bobbi Kristina’s court appointed conservator has filed suit against Nick Gordon. The intent is to find out what happened to Bobbi Kristina, and how she wound up floating face down in a bathtub.

“Ted 2” Opens $7 Mil Short of Original on Opening Night; Wahlberg Found it “Unbear-able”

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“Ted 2” is not a hit. Last night the sequel to the original Seth MacFarlane movie opened $7 million short of the original at $13.2 mil. The first movie did over $20 mil on its opening night. This spells disaster for the opening weekend.

The thrill is gone. “Ted 2” was universally panned. Its first twenty minutes are funny enough, but the middle of the movie is a muddle. And it’s racist, misogynistic, and deeply dark. Not an easy sell to women.

Mark Wahlberg must have found it “un-bearable” on opening night. He didn’t stay at the Ziegfeld and he never showed at the fancy after party at the Central Park Boathouse. A source said Wahlberg had his own private party. Everyone else showed up, however, including Liam Neeson, but of course he lives basically across the street. He has one cameo in the film.

Sequels to quirky hit comedies are tough deals. It’s really best not to make them. But the lure of the money is too much for the participants to pass up. “Sex and the City” is a case in point. “American Graffiti” even had one. All not to be mentioned again. The second “Legally Blonde.” Or “Miss Congeniality.” You’re basically remaking the first movie, and the novelty is gone. No one remembers “Airplane 2” fondly. We are currently facing down “Magic Mike XXL.” And so on.

Meantime, Disney and Universal are having big summers. Warners has the best action movie in ages with “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Fox has done very well with “Home” and “Kingsman.” There are always little bumps in the road. “Ted 2” shall pass. But if you see it– look for the “Beetlejuice” joke. I loved it. (And PS this is why you don’t remake ”

Paris Jackson’s Touching Twitter Tribute to Her Dad, Michael Jackson

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Paris Jackson keeps impressing and being a mensch even with crazy tabloid stories of her impending “wedding” or “pregnancy.” How she stays sane is a miracle.

Yesterday the 17 year posted two Tweets on the 6th anniversary of the death of her dad, Michael Jackson. The Tweets were read to me by one of her followers. One read: “this is the day I lost you. I know you’re in a better place now but I miss you so much. I just want you to know I love you so much”

the other read: “I still remember that goodbye hug he gave me before he left for rehearsal”

Michael Jackson did something right with his three kids. Everyone made fun of him for putting them in masks, etc. But the kids are all right. Prince is going to college in the fall, Blanket has changed his name to “Biji.” This is Paris’s last year of high school– she’s a musician and an artist and very stylish. She’s going to do fine.

Bad Vibrations: Brian Wilson Cancels UK Tour Citing Success of Movie, But “Love & Mercy” Is a Flop

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Famed Beach Boy Brian Wilson just cancelled his tour of the UK this fall. He cited the success of his movie “Love and Mercy” as the reason.

Someone wrote on his website: “Due to the overwhelming success of Brian Wilson’s movie ‘Love and Mercy’ which has opened in the US to critical acclaim, Brian has had to postpone his current UK tour planned for September 2015 due to commitments in the US. He will be back in the UK and Europe in 2016 with a string of concerts to mark the 50th Anniversary of his seminal album ‘Pet Sounds, which will be his final European tour’.”

Huh? “Love and Mercy” may be on DVD by September. It’s over in theaters after less than a month. Bill Pohlad made a terrific film. But Roadside Attractions destroyed it. So far the box office is around $7.6 million. The film is making less money since it expanded its release by 200 theaters to just less than 800. The daily take is miserable. This should be its last week in general release.

Someone better tell Brian that sticking around the US for “Love and Mercy” related activities is going to be a lonesome enterprise. Unless of course tickets weren’t selling. But that’s hard to believe since Brian Wilson is one of the great rock icons. Seeing him live is always a treat.

Bobbi Kristina’s Final Tweets Showed Huge Trouble in Nick Gordon Relationship

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Just before Bobbi Kristina Brown was found face down and unresponsive in a bathtub she was very active on Twitter. She wasn’t happy with Nick Gordon. She may have provoked her boyfriend with Tweets about actor Jake Gyllenhaal, about whom she was fantasizing:

It’s also not clear what was going on between Bobbi Kristina and Nick. She posted this shortly before her accident. It reads: “Do you know what I absolutely fucking hate? When people choose a person over you and then when they have no oneelse they come running back to you”

Yesterday, Bobbi Kristina’s conservator filed a $10 million lawsuit against Gordon alleging that he beat her and stole money from her. The suit was filed by Greenberg Traurig, the best law firm in Atlanta. These people mean business. If they can get Gordon to a deposition, they may find the truth of what happened to Bobbi Kristina. Knowing Greenberg Traurig, they’ll pull out all the stops.

Ready Steady Go: Spielberg’s Ready Player One Set for March 2016 Start

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Here we go: I’m told that Steven Spielberg’s much anticipated “Ready Player One” has a start date of March 2016.

This is the video game movie based on the best selling book of the same name that Spielberg is doing for Warner Bros. Zak Penn has adapted the novel for screenplay that tells the story of Wade Watts, a movie buff and video game expert.

A casting call has gone out for Wade, described as “male, Caucasian, clean cut with a sense of
humor, 18-19 yrs old, overweight or underweight. A sincere and passionate player in the Oasis. Not the most confident guy outside the Oasis, but Wade gains boldness and nerve as his worlds collide. He uses his skills and the support of his friends to rise above each challenge.”

Caucasian? I’ll bet Spielberg will entertain actors of all races.

Also set to be cast are Helen, who is 18, “a heavyset African American girl, a little butch. She’s a technological wiz with computers and cars.” She sounds like a young Gabby Sidibe. Imagine- we’re now looking for the new Gabby!

Other characters include Artemis, a young woman who is either Caucasian or Asian, Early 20s.
Confident, appealing and tough, energetic snappy personality, her Avatar and real life personae are similar. A very well known player in the Oasis, she leads her own clan of gunters, but joins with Wade and the others to complete the ultimate competition.
Shoto– a thirteen year old Chinese boy described as “hip and knowing” for his age.
And Dato– A twenty year old young Japanese man who does not speak English. He’s one of Wade’s friends in the Oasis who joins with him to complete the competition. All the actors have to be bilingual.
“Ready Player One” sounds like a blockbuster. But we won’t see it until 2017 at the earliest, at which point movies will be played on tiny chips embedded behind our ears.

Happy Birthday Carly Simon– 70 Years Young Today, and Still Not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

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Carly Simon, one of the great singer songwriters of all time, turns 70 years young today. Is this possible? Carly, the smart man’s sex symbol of the actual 70s, is still not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite more than a dozen hits and even more album tracks that have stood the test of time. The most famous of course is “You’re So Vain,” produced by Richard Perry, with vocals by Mick Jagger:

 

There are plenty more hits including You Belong to Me:

and an Oscar for “Let the River Run” from “Working Girl”:

also one of the most popular of all the James Bond theme songs, “Nobody Does it Better”:

Carly’s brutally honest and poetic lyrics established what became known as “confessional” songwriting in pop. Her buttery rich vocals often underscored the pain or yearning of the songs. And no matter how incisive the lyrics, the melodies are always haunting and memorable. When it comes to writing a hook, nobody does it better.

Why isn’t she in the Rock Hall? It’s just another of their transgressions. But I do hope “oldies” and “adult” radio will make a day of it today, and put “Anticipation.” or “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heart it Should Be,” or “Coming Around Again” on their playlists and celebrate Simon’s birthday. What’s she working on now? Finishing her memoirs, which should be out in 2016, and an album of her songs sung by other singers.

Happy Birthday Carly!

PS There was never anyone anywhere in the media named “Carly” before Carly Simon. From Carly Rae Jepsen to all the Carly’s on TV, they were all named for the one and only Ms. Simon, I assure you.

Watch this clip of Carly acting in “Perfect”– and yes, that chub face is Jann Wenner, who runs the Rock Hall: