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Thursday, October 17, 2013
'Fifty Shades' fallout: Sources cite script showdown
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Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/fifty-shades-fallout-sources-cite-charlie-hunnam-script-showdown-8C11401094
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21 hours ago
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images file
Actor Charlie Hunnam, who currently stars on "Sons of Anarchy."
Universal Pictures and Focus Features haven't yet resorted to posting a woman-seeking-man personal ad on Craigslist. But in the wake of Charlie Hunnam's abrupt departure from "Fifty Shades of Grey" — after what sources say was increasing conflict with the high-profile film's creative team — the studio is left to scramble desperately for another actor to star opposite Dakota Johnson in the role of billionaire S&M fan Christian Grey so the project can meet a looming Nov. 1 start date.
PHOTOS: Stars Misaligned: Charlie Hunnam Quits 'Fifty Shades' and 15 Other Casting Near-Misses
Universal chairman Donna Langley, producers Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti, director Sam Taylor-Johnson and author EL James are said to have drafted a list of four men they want to read for the role. Although the list is being kept under NSA-level secrecy, THR.com revealed Oct. 13 that British TV stars Jamie Dornan, 31, and Christian Cooke, 26, are among the targets. Both actors came close to capturing the part the first time around but lost to Hunnam because the "Sons of Anarchy" star is a bigger name. ("True Blood's" Alexander Skarsgard also is being considered.)
Getty Images file
Actor Jamie Dornan.
Dornan could be emerging as a front-runner. Born in Northern Ireland, he's a former Calvin Klein model, dated Keira Knightley for two years and played Sheriff Graham on the first season of ABC's "Once Upon a Time." According to a source, Dornan was contacted by Langley even before Hunnam officially dropped out Oct. 12. But a Dornan confidant says no overtures had been made at press time to the actor, who stars in British series "The Fall," on which he plays a killer terrorizing Belfast. The fact that Dornan's wife, actress-singer Amelia Warner, is pregnant also could complicate matters.
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The last thing Universal wants is another actor to emerge as its "Fifty Shades" protagonist only to waffle. The studio is reeling over Hunnam's exit less than three weeks before the start of production. Sources say his discomfort with the hoopla around the project had been mounting for at least four weeks before he bailed, which officially was blamed on his "Sons" schedule not allowing him time to prepare (the FX series wraps production Oct. 22). After signing Sept. 2, Hunnam faced a public frenzy on social media sites, where fans of the book congregated to fawn over and complain about his casting. Universal was forced to hire bodyguards for the actor at a recent "Sons" premiere, and two appearances to promote the show were canceled — one at Goulet Motosports in Hawkesbury, Ontario, on Sept. 14, and one at Rocky's Harley-Davidson in London, Ontario, on Oct. 13.
In addition, Hunnam, who also is a writer (he penned the gothic horror screenplay "Vlad" for Brad Pitt's Plan B and Summit Entertainment), is said to have submitted his own very detailed script notes on Kelly Marcel's adaptation of the runaway best-seller. The notes were well received, according to sources, but that only led to Hunnam seeking further script approval, which was denied. "That's Charlie, that's who he is. He's particular," says one source.
STORY: Charlie Hunnam Drops Out of 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Movie
According to another source, Hunnam, who was to be paid about $125,000 for the film, began butting heads with the creative team, including Taylor-Johnson. The conflict reached a fever pitch in early October, though everyone involved thought the issues had been resolved. But the discord spiked again Oct. 11. Hunnam's team at CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners strongly advised him to stay on the project for fear that his exit would embarrass Langley — new to the chairman job — and burn a bridge with one of the major studios. That same day, Universal hired writer Patrick Marber — no stranger to taboo sex themes with his Oscar-nominated screenplay "Notes on a Scandal" — to do a polish and bolster the characters. But by then, Hunnam, whose heart it seems never was in the project, had decided to decamp. The next morning, the studio announced his departure, and James tweeted, "I wish Charlie all the best." Universal and CAA declined comment.
Hunnam isn't the first actor to have doubts about playing the dungeon-loving Christian Grey. James' first choice, Robert Pattinson, never engaged with producers. Garrett Hedlund was heavily courted this summer and even received an informal offer, but the "Tron: Legacy" star passed in July because he couldn't connect with the character. Now he is in Australia to shoot the Angelina Jolie-directed "Unbroken."
EXCLUSIVE: 'Fifty Shades' Movie Hires Writer for Script Work
Fortunately for Universal, its leading lady, Johnson, 24, remains firmly in place, ready to take on the virgin-turned-sexpert Anastasia Steele, a role that has greater dimension than the Grey character. But with the clock ticking, the start of production likely will need to be pushed back at least a week. Still, the studio says it remains committed to making its Aug. 1, 2014, release date.
For her part, the ever-involved James (she has approval rights on cast) is in Los Angeles the week of Oct. 14 as the hunt for a new Christian Grey continues. As the author writes no fewer than 44 times in "Fifty Shades": "Oh my."
Borys Kit contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/fifty-shades-fallout-sources-cite-charlie-hunnam-script-showdown-8C11401094
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Dutch Cable Group Ziggo Rejects Bid by John Malone's Liberty Global
Matthew Staver/Bloomberg via Getty Images
John Malone
COLOGNE, Germany – Dutch cable group Ziggo has rejected a takeover bid from John Malone's Liberty Global, calling it "inadequate."
Ziggo is the largest cable operator in the Netherlands, reaching some 2.8 million homes, and has a market value of around $8.5 billion (€6.3 billion).
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Liberty already controls number two Dutch operator UPC (1.67 million homes) and has built up a 28.5 percent minority stake in Ziggo ahead of its takeover bid.
But in an official statement, Ziggo said Liberty's offer was “considered inadequate and there is no certainty that Ziggo will receive any revised offer.” Financial details of the bid were not disclosed, but at current prices, a takeover would have cost Liberty at least $6 billion (€4.5 billion).
Malone's cable group is looking to consolidate operations across Europe. Early this year, Liberty acquired Britain's Virgin Media in a stock-and-deal worth around $15.8 billion. The group controls Germany's second-largest cable operator, UnityMedia, and tried to buy number one cabler, Kabel Deutschland (KDG), but was recently outbid by U.K. mobile group Vodafone, which paid $10 billion for KDG.
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Forecasting with fractures: why aching joints predict freaky weather
Convinced that your long-healed pelvic fracture aches right before a big thunderstorm? It might not be in your head: once largely dismissed as a myth, the idea that aching joints can forecast changing weather is now gaining traction among some scientists.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, several studies have found links between changes in temperature, barometric pressure or humidity and discomfort among sufferers of conditions like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers still aren't sure exactly why that connection exists, but they do have several theories. Where storms are concerned, experts speculate that a change in barometric pressure before rainfall causes changes to the pressure inside joints. That increased pressure triggers friction between the joint and surrounding nerves or tissue. Want to keep tabs on the likelihood of weather-induced bone pain? There's a website for that: both the Weather Channel and AccuWeather maintain indexes to tabulate the odds that local weather will make you ache.
Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/15/4840856/why-aching-joints-forecast-weather-changes
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Nikon D5300: A Mid-Range DSLR With a New Image Sensor, Wi-Fi, GPS
Nikon's updating its line of cheaper intermediate DSLRs with the D5300. The camera features a redesigned image sensor plus built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, compared to last year's D5200
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Celebrity Style We're Iffy About: Likes or Yikes?
Would you wear these outfits? You be the judge about the stars' (Miley! Olivia!) fashion choices.
Source: http://www.ivillage.com/celebrity-style-were-iffy-about-likes-or-yikes/1-b-67322?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Acelebrity-style-were-iffy-about-likes-or-yikes-67322Related Topics: derek hough pittsburgh steelers yom kippur the league Linda Ronstadt
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Another 'Outdated' Monorail Bites the Dust
First, the pylons of Sydney’s monorail came tumbling down. Now, the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, MN has shuttered its aging monorail for good.
The troubled traincars took their last loop around the zoo campus on September 2, and now the zoo has announced the line won’t run ever again.
“It was an outdated system that had reached the end of its useful life,” spokeswoman Kelly Lessard told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Back in 2011, the train stalled, leaving passengers stranded 18 feet above ground. Firefighters rescued them with ladders when they couldn’t get the monorail running again.
Maintenance on a 34-year-old system was certainly an issue. But the biggest problem with the zoo monorail was that it didn’t have any stops along its route. Instead, it looped around the zoo, and those on board could only catch glimpses of animals as it drove past.
As you might expect, not many people paid the extra $4 to ride the monorail when they could spend that time looking at exhibits on foot. In fact, only 15 percent of zoo visitors boarded the tram, a number that fell every year, according to the Star-Tribune. The monorail had lost more than $100,000 each year since 2009, and ridership would have to increase dramatically to break even.
So, the fate of the Minnesota Zoo Monorail was sealed: Closure. The traincars were put up for auction, but only one sold. The other seventeen are being stored. For now, the tracks still stand, but it’s unlikely they’ll survive any future renovations.
If you missed your chance to ride the monorail, enjoy a video of the monorail’s loop, complete with the boarding process and narration from a naturalist.
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