Movies

J.J. Abrams regrets not signing up to direct 'Star Wars: Episode VIII'.
The 49-year-old filmmaker - whose 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' opened in cinemas last week - has admitted he's gutted he didn't agree to helm the next instalment as well.
Abrams' close friend Greg Grunberg - who plays X-Wing pilot Snap Wexley in Episode VII - told The Washington Post: "He read it and said something he never, ever says.
"He said, 'It's so good, I wish I were making it.' He may have said something one time on 'Lost' with Damon [Lindelof], but I never hear him express regret like that."
Rian Johnson - who is best known for directing the films 'Brick' and 'Looper' - is to take over from Abrams and was given early cuts of 'The Force Awakens' to help ease the transition.
And although he will not be taking charge on set, Abrams is still on board upcoming 'Star Wars' projects as executive producer.
Meanwhile, Daisy Ridley - who plays Rey in the 'The Force Awakens' - has also teased that the script for Episode VIII is excellent.
She said previously: "It's very good; very good."

Steve Guttenberg would be happy to see some of his classic movies remade.
The 57-year-old actor has starred in several major Hollywood hits, including 'Cocoon', 'Short Circuit' and 'Three Men and a Baby', and he insists he'd be delighted to see any of them recreated for a new audience because it proves his films have "lasting power".
He told BANG Showbiz: "I actually applaud movies getting remade because it shows that they have such lasting power and that they worked once and the movie studios want to do them again. I'm an owner of a couple of my films but I still don't have a say in what gets remade ... Whether the movie is 'Police Academy' or 'Three Men and a Baby' or 'Short Circuit' it just shows that they have everlasting commercial appeal. I'm all for it."
Steve accepts that the goal of most movies is to make money and to entertain audiences and he would love to see another actor succeed in the roles he made famous, such as Sergeant Carey Mahoney from the 'Police Academy' comedy series.
He added: "Movies are a business, unless you're going to do societal movies with the aim to change certain characteristics of the planet, films like 'The Piano' or 'Dallas Buyers Club'. But most movies are a commercial venture, you need them to turn a profit and if a movie worked well before then they're going back to make it again.
"I'm all for the movie business making money because that's how I earn my living. That's how I set my table. The business has been extraordinary to me, I've been very successful in it and I only want others to be successful to."

'Avatar 2' is set for a Christmas 2017 release date.
The director has confirmed that his eagerly anticipated follow-up to 2009's 'Avatar' has a tentative release date but right now his main concern is completing them.
He told the Montreal Gazette: "Christmas of '17 is the target...At least, that's what we've announced. But I don't consider that to be as important as the fact that when we get all three films done, we drop them a year apart. I call it a meta-narrative that runs across the three movies. Each film stands alone, but it also tells one much larger story."
James also revealed that pre-production is almost completed and he is getting ready to start shooting.
He explained: "We have design more or less finished, which is an enormous task. It's been about a two-year task. [We've finished] all the creatures and the landscapes, and the new worlds within the world of Pandora that you see. The writing is ongoing, but almost finished. Technical development is done. Stages are done. Infrastructure. So we're really poised to start after the first of the year."

Kurt Russell hasn't seen 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'.
Although the 64-year-old actor is reportedly in negotiations to play the father of Peter Quill, the character played by Chris Pratt who leads the titular group of superheroes in the sequel, he admitted that he has still to see the first movie.
He told the HappySadConfused podcast: "I literally got a phone call two days ago about this. I've never seen 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. I don't know anything about it. I'm one of the four idiots that's never seen it. Many times I've heard 'That's a really fun movie, a really good movie [with] great characters.' I don't know it."
And Kurt revealed that he has told director James Gunn that he needs to watch the original movie before agreeing to take part in the sequel.
He explained: 'I didn't know that the man [James Gunn] had written and directed it. So we talked to each other on the phone and I just had to be honest and say, 'Thank you for considering me, I have to read it, and I have to watch the movie because I can't bring anything for you. I've got nothing to offer here.' So, I'm amazed to get asked about this because everybody knows more about it than I do."

Renée Zellweger says making 'Bridget Jones's Baby' felt like reconnecting with a "old friend".
The 46-year-old actress is reprising the titular role for a third time and for the first time since 2010, but she says it felt completely right to play Bridget again because her character's story is so "relatable".
She told Entertainment Weekly magazine: "This is part of the new challenge, discovering where she is now in her new life.
She's a bit more mature and has moved on, as we all have.
"But as an actress, it feels like stepping back with an old friend. I love this character, I like that she tells stories about what it's like to be a woman and these really relatable situations at certain times in life. It's so right to tell a story about Bridget in this stage of her life."
'Bridget Jones's Baby' director Sharon Maguire also felt the same about returning to the franchise for the first time since making the original 2001 film.
Maguire said: "When the script was first popped on to the doormat I'll admit I was intrigued to see what had happened to these characters 15 years later.
"I realised I'd really missed them. It brought back memories of my own life 15 years ago, too. It was somewhat haunting from that respect thinking back to how our lives have changed. All of one's fantasies for one's life and how they turn out ... that's an ongoing theme for Bridget Jones, whether those fantasies concern babies, marriage or careers. So I was very keen to find out if any of Bridget's fantasies for her life had come true."
The sequel is currently still shooting and is scheduled for a September 2016 release.

Daisy Ridley has compared her role in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' to starring in TV series 'Casualty'.
The 23-year-old actress - who stars alongside Harrison Ford, John Boyega and Carrie Fisher in the sci-fi sequel - says there is little difference in acting for the blockbuster to the BBC medical drama because at the end of the day all you are trying to achieve is creating a believable character.
She said: "Every production, whether it's student or blockbuster, involves a group of people trying to tell a story.
"So in that respect, it's not far away from what else I've done.
"Obviously, 'Casualty' doesn't have Wookies and stuff but I was still trying to do the truthful thing in that, as I was in this."
Daisy has also revealed her mother Louise told her she was nervous about her performance as main character Rey in the record-breaking movie as they watched it together at the premiere.
She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I've been incredibly nervous. The whole thing is very odd. And sitting in the audience with my mum, she was nervous too. Because my mum goes, 'I wasn't sure if you were any good.' I was like, 'Cheers mum, I love your faith.' "

A collection of Sylvester Stallone's memorabilia from his films including 'Rocky' has sold for over $3 million. The 69-year-old actor - who has played boxer Rocky Balboa in seven movies - auctioned off a number of items including his character's black...

Jennifer Lawrence and David O. Russell have worked together so many times they can read each other's minds.
The 25-year-old actress teamed up with the director on recent movie 'Joy', their third film together, and admits that she has got so used to working alongside him now she often finishes his sentences on set.
She said: "There's such a shorthand that I actually had to apologise to this director I'm working with now. I know what sentence is going to come out of David's mouth ... sometimes he's like, 'Jen ...,' and I'm like, 'Oh, yeah, uh huh, totally.'
"So I keep interrupting this director and I feel bad. We have such a shorthand we can read each other's minds."
'Joy' tells the real story of how single mother-of-two Joy Mangano managed to build up a business dynasty after inventing the Miracle Mop, and Lawrence - who plays the titular character - sees some similarities between herself and the entrepreneur.
Speaking to movie website JoBlo, she added: "I understand the vigilance that needs to go into making something happen, making your dreams come true.
"What it feels like when nobody believes in you but yourself and how important that is to continue believing in yourself, and also the ugliness of success
"It's very beautiful and very fun but it's also very ugly, and it can be very sad."

American actor Brooke McCarter has died aged 52.
Brooke's family confirmed on Facebook that the Hollywood star, best known for playing the vampire Paul in 'The Lost Boys', died of a liver condition.
The statement read: "The McCarter family is heartbroken to share the news that Brooke McCarter passed away December 22, 2015 from the genetic liver condition alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AAT).
"He was 52. Brooke was our loving son, brother, father, cousin, nephew and friend.
"Funeral arrangements are still being finalized. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. (sic)"
Brooke started his career working as a model for the Ford agency in New York after winning a national talent search.
However, it is as an actor he is best remembered after appearing alongside the likes of Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patrick in the 1987 movie 'The Lost Boys'.
Prior to that, he appeared in the skateboarding movie 'Thrashin', which also featured Tony Hawk, Josh Brolin and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Brooke took a decade-long hiatus from acting in 1998, returning in the lead role in Herschell Gordon Lewis's 'The Uh-Oh Show'.
More recently, he appeared in 'Wired', which is based on the life of John Belushi.