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Number 1 on iTunes: 19 Year Old YouTube Star Troye Sivan Could Be the Better Bieber

Roger Friedman
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Number 1 on iTunes: 19 Year Old YouTube Star Troye Sivan Could Be the Better Bieber

Troye Sivan. I never heard of him before this past Wednesday. My twin 14 year old nieces told me about him. He’s a huge star on YouTube, where the kids are all going for their music. Today his EP, which won’t be released until August 15th, is number 1 on the iTunes album chart. Are you kidding? I am not.

Sivan could be the next Justin Bieber. Let’s just pray he’s not, in so many ways. He has a hit song called “The Fault in Our Stars.” He wrote, produced and released it in 2013, inspired by John Green’s novel. It’s not on the movie’s soundtrack. That CD produced no breakout single. You wonder why Sivan’s song wasn’t on it. We’ll find out.

He’s a new breed of kid. Last year he released a YouTube video to his millions of fans– he’s HUGE in Australia and South Africa, his two homes– announcing he is gay. The kids don’t care. It’s 2014. If a pop star had said that in 1974, everyone would have fainted. Now, what the heck! I like this generation, but I don’t know what to call them. Generation ZZ?

Anyway, here’s Troye. I’m surprised Scooter Braun hasn’t adopted him yet. But he’s managed in America by Group III, and he’s signed to Universal Music.

Jessica Chastain: Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak Was So Tough She Turned Down Two Big Movies

Roger Friedman
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0
Jessica Chastain: Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak Was So Tough She Turned Down Two Big Movies

Jessica Chastain is such a gifted actress, I thought she could handle anything. But she told me last night that Guillermo Del Toro’s new film, “Crimson Peak,” was incredible draining. It’s so dark, she told me, that Chastain is now on a big break, enjoying summer in New York.

Last night she was palling around with two friends at a swellegant rooftop party thrown by Harvey Weinstein and Dirk Ziff atop the James Hotel in Soho. The occasion was the launch of The World Surf League-ASP, with lots of famous surfers and good looking young people enjoying a crazy beautiful sunset facing the new, sparkling 1 World Trade Center.

Jessica’s friends were actress Jess Weixler and opera singer Danielle Pizzomi– they were all in the same class at Julliard. Plus Jessica’s youngest brother was visiting from California. They were all heading over to Graydon Carter’s still hot Waverly Inn for dinner.

“You remember in Zero Dark Thirty they said I showed no emotion?” Jessica recalled. “In this one, it’s all emotion, It wiped me out. I love Guillermo!”

I think what she liked was wearing a 19th century black velvet dress with a bustle. She showed me a picture on her iPhone. “Don’t tell Guillermo I’m showing you this,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. (Note to del Toro: your secrets are safe.)

Before “Crimson Peak,” Jessica filmed three big projects: Liv Ullmann’s “Miss Julie,” Chris Nolan’s “Interstellar,” and JC Chandor’s “A Most Violent Year.” She was so wiped from all four movies that she turned down a major movie with a  major male lead. I can’t say what it was, but she turned down another one, as well. Now she’s kicking back before a heavy fall schedule of promotion. Somewhere in this mix, I believe, an Oscar is unavoidable.

Meanwhile, the Surf party was also graced by Katie Holmes, glowing in a white dress, but anxious to get home to daughter Suri.  I told her I love it when I see pictures of them taking the subway. She laughed. “Well, it’s so fast!  And I can leave my house at 7:40 and make an eight o’clock curtain on Broadway!”

Katie is a New Yorker now, certified and stamped.

Audra McDonald Sings Yahoo Answers in Lovely Tonight Show Bit

Roger Friedman
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0
Audra McDonald Sings Yahoo Answers in Lovely Tonight Show Bit

This is why Jimmy Fallon’s show is so great. Sophisticated, elegant, funny. Steve Allen is smiling in heaven.

Tom Cruise: Looks Like “Edge of Tomorrow” Won’t Hit $100 Mil—It’s Been Nine Years For Actor to Hit the Number in a Non Sequel

Roger Friedman
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Tom Cruise: Looks Like “Edge of Tomorrow” Won’t Hit $100 Mil—It’s Been Nine Years For Actor to Hit the Number in a Non Sequel

Aside from the “Mission Impossible’ movies, Tom Cruise has not had a $100 million movie since 2005. That’s nine years since Steven Spielberg’s  “War of the Worlds.”

Now, Warner Bros. has tried like crazy to get the very good  “Edge of  Tomorrow” across the finish line. But it doesn’t look like it;s going to happen. “Edge” is right now at $97 million. The Doug Liman directed sci fi thriller is still playing in 600 locations. But it’s also tapped out its audience. Last weekend “Edge” did around $1.2 million. Even if it managed to do another $750,000 this weekend, the goal is still far off.

Ouch! Can we just round it up and give it to Tom?

You can say this: he ‘s a grower if not a show-er. His resume of films has increased with each release starting with “Knight and Day,” then “Jack Reacher,” and “Oblivion.” (I’m not counting the miserable Rock of Ages.) But if it weren’t for “Mission Impossible” Cruise would have already self-destructed.

Warner Bros. can afford to just let “Edge” sit in theaters through Labor Day. But it would be a squeaker, and not cost effective. So close, yet so far….

 

TV Ratings: Halle Berry’s “Extant” May Be Extinct Soon with a 27% Drop

Roger Friedman
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TV Ratings: Halle Berry’s “Extant” May Be Extinct Soon with a 27% Drop

Oscar winner Halle Berry’s foray into TV may be over soon. Her much hyped sci fi CBS series, “Extant,” dropped 27% in the ratings last night from one week ago.

“Extant” scored just a 1.1 in the key demo, even though it did manage to pull in 6.43 million viewers. Still, it didn’t hold much of the lead it was given by annual junk fest, “Big Brother.” On NBC, “America’s Got Talent” swamped the time period.

At this rate, “Extant” will be extinct soon enough. The show has a great provenance, coming from Steven Spielberg and Amblin TV. It has the feel of Spielberg’s Stanley Kubrick film, “AI Artificial Intelligence.” But it’s just not clicking with anyone of any age so far. And CBS is an older skewing network anyway, not the place where hip sci fi is discovered or followed.

Halle, one of my favorite actresses, may be headed back to movies. And soon.

 

Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Says It Raised $25 Mil– But There’s No Public Accounting

Roger Friedman
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0
Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Says It Raised $25 Mil– But There’s No Public Accounting

It sounds like Leonardo Di Caprio and celeb pals had a great time in St. Tropez last night. Reports are that Leo raised $25 million for his personal foundation.

Unfortunately, we will never know the details. Unlike most private foundations, Leo’s does not stand alone. It doesn’t have to share information publicly. The Leonardo Di Caprio Foundation is part of the California Community Fund. Here’s what a spokesperson told me recently: “As a community foundation we are a public charity and our financial information is available online.  The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is a component fund of CCF and does not file a separate 990 like a private foundation.”

Many high end artists donated expensive works to Leo’s auction. That’s how amFAR claims these huge amounts from an event. Billionaires or companies come in and snatch them up for five, ten, fifteen million bucks a pop. This offsets all the celebs attending for free. (No actors or celebs actually buy their own tickets to charity events.) But we’ll never know unless Leo converts his Foundation to its own business.

Theater: “Shakespeare in Love” Wows London, Joins “Skylight” as Possible Spring Tony Fare

Roger Friedman
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0
Theater: “Shakespeare in Love” Wows London, Joins “Skylight” as Possible Spring Tony Fare

The stage version of “Shakespeare in Love” opened in London’s West End last night and got rave reviews from all the papers. It’s not a musical but it is produced by Disney thanks to their long ago association with Miramax and Harvey Weinstein. Harvey piloted “SiL” to a Best Picture Oscar in 1999, beating “Saving Private Ryan” in one of the famous Oscar upsets in history.

Now “SiL” is a sure thing for Broadway. The question is, when? Disney could bring it in this winter or next spring to qualify for the Tony Awards, or wait until Fall 2015 and let it simmer. Either way, “SiL” is a sure bet for New York in the not too distant future.

When I was in London two weeks ago I did manage to catch a performance of David Hare’s revival of his mid 90s play “Skylight.”  Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy star, and Stephen Daldry directed. This will be here in time for the Tonys next spring unless something strange happens. The show is an utter hit, with award winning performances by the two actors.

Nighy already starred in one British stage version, so this is his return.  He is just off the charts captivating as a well off Brit whose wife has died. He visits his former mistress– Mulligan– with the idea of getting her to come back. After “An Education,” Mulligan has waffled a bit in her other movies. But “Skylight” could win her a Tony and accolades everywhere. She’ll be the toast of New York. Daldry and the play are certain to be just as welcome. People will be lining up left and right to buy tickets.

Another great British production coming to the US soon will be the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Wolf Hall” and “Bringing out the Bodies.” These are based on Hilary Mantel’s highly praised books about Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell. I only saw “Bodies” because of the alternating schedule, but it was magnificent. The plays will likely come to the Brooklyn Academy of Music next year. Again, a guaranteed hit.

Fifty Shades of Grey Trailer: “Of Human Bondage” (Watch Video) Featuring New Version of Beyonce Song

Roger Friedman
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1
Fifty Shades of Grey Trailer: “Of Human Bondage” (Watch Video) Featuring New Version of Beyonce Song

Here’s the trailer for “Fifty Shades of Grey,” coming Valentine’s Day 2015. Fans will be tied up that weekend at their local cinemas. Dakota Johnson, daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, and underwear model Jamie Dornan, star. The director married and got knocked up by the 19 year old star of her last big movie. She was 43. Everything is cool! I call this “Of human bondage.” I just hope “Saturday Night Live” devotes all of its Feb 16, 2015 episode to this.

PS That Beyonce song “Crazy in Love” is based on the Chi Lites 1970 track “Are You My Woman?” written by the late great Eugene Record.

“Fifth Beatle” Peter Asher Thrilled for Linda Ronstadt’s Medal of Freedom

Roger Friedman
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3
“Fifth Beatle” Peter Asher Thrilled for Linda Ronstadt’s Medal of Freedom

Peter Asher– the man who discovered James Taylor, started Apple Records with the Beatles, was Paul McCartney’s housemate during Beatlemania– is thrilled for Linda Ronstadt. She’s getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom next week, and she’s flying in from Tucson, Arizona just to meet President Obama. Asher produced Linda’s biggest hit albums in the 70s and managed her during her incredible ride on the charts. He told me last night at the Cutting Room that he was impressed Linda– who doesn’t travel much since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s–was going to DC.

Boston music fans can see Peter perform his wonderful “one man show” (there’s a great band) tonight at Johnny D’s in Somerville, Mass. (That’s “summah-ville” to locals.) Last night Peter wowed the house at the Cutting Room, with audience members like Billy Crystal and Little Steven van Zandt, as well as The Rascals’ great Gene Cornish, plus Billy J. Kramer and Denny Laine — of Moody Blues and Wings fame. Denny even got up and performed the Moody Blues’s seminal pre-orchestral hit “Go Now.” He was sensational.

Peter’s show details his life in music as one half of Peter and Gordon, who had two of three hits that Paul McCartney wrote for them specially. It helped that Paul, who was dating Peter’s actress sister, Jane, was living in the Ashers’ London home. When Paul and the Beatles started Apple Records, they asked Peter to come in and run it. He obliged by discovering James Taylor and signing Badfinger, among others. His show includes rare video footage and photos of all the famous people he’s been involved with.

Mostly what’s nice, always, is hearing the Peter and Gordon material of sweet harmonies. Gordon died a few years ago, but not before the pair reunited at a fundraiser for the Dave Clark Five’s Mike Smith. If you’re old enough to remember “World Without Love” and “Lady Godiva,” don’t miss his show.

PS If you pick up or download Elton John’s 40th anniversary edition of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” take note– Peter produced the new versions of the songs by contemporary artists. That’s why they sound so good!

 

photo courtesy Susan Hathaway

“Spider Man” Surprise as Sinister Six Moves Before “Amazing 3”: Andrew Garfield Gone?

Roger Friedman
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2
“Spider Man” Surprise as Sinister Six Moves Before “Amazing 3”: Andrew Garfield Gone?

That may be it for Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker. Sony made a curious announcement today. “The Sinister Six” is the next “Spider Man” movie, not “The Amazing Adventures of Spider man 3.” The latter film has now been pushed to 2016, with a fourth installment for 2018. This throws the Garfield franchise off by two years.

And it may well spell the end for Garfield. He’s going to do Martin Scorsese’s “Silence” next. An accomplished actor on stage and screen, Garfield may not want to stay in Spidey’s red and blue suit for most of his 30s. The studio may not want him to either since Peter is supposed to be young. (It’s amazing that I’m thinking Garfield wouldn’t be considered young. (I feel like he just started acting!)

On top of that, Garfield’s real life love, Emma Stone, has been killed off from the “Amazing” series. With Stone gone, Garfield may have lost interest.

All of this comes as a surprise. When “Sinister Six” was first announced, even Deadline’s Mike Fleming suggested it would come in between the next two “Amazing” movies.  But with this flip flop, Sony extends their Marvel connection through 2018 as they plot maybe even a second “Sinister Six” movie (2020?) and so on.

Garfield could conceivably play Peter in “Sinister Six” and then bow out. (That movie doesn’t sound like it will have much room for Peter to have a romance.) He’d be approximately the same age as Tobey Maguire was when he did his third and last “Spider Man” movie. Who would play Peter Parker next? Why whoever the next hot young guy in his late 20s is two years from now.

Stay tuned Spidey fans…

PS This most certainly has something to do with another Sony announcement this week. Jeff Blake, a 22 year beloved mainstay in charge of marketing and distribution, is leaving. This is a big change. Sony is a little bit in flux now…

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