Movies

A lawsuit against Tom Cruise and Paramount Pictures has been dropped.
The actor and the studio were the subject of legal action from writer Timothy Patrick McLanahan, who claimed he came up with the 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' screenplay idea back in 1998 but the judge presiding over the dispute has dropped the case.
According to documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, the court had issued an order to show cause as to why the case shouldn't be dropped for lack of prosecution, but McLanahan failed to do so in a timely fashion.
The documents read: "IT IS ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that the above-entitled case is dismissed, without prejudice, for lack of prosecution and for failure to comply with the orders of the Court."
The writer - who was seeking $1 billion in damages - had alleged his script for a project called 'Head On' was rejected by William Morris Agency, but they "shopped the script around the world ... including [to] Tom Cruise's Rick Nicita, top agent with Creative Artist Agency."
When the fourth instalment in the iconic 'Mission: Impossible' action franchise about spy Ethan Hunt was released in 2011, McLanahan says the plot similarities were immediately obvious.
He wrote: "I immediately recognised that the scripts for this movie had been illegally written and produced from 'Head On's 1998 copyright."
The $1 billion sought in damages was to cover the sum of 'Ghost Protocol's box office sales ($694,710,000), DVD sales ($144.5 million), movie rentals, subscription sales and budget ($145 million).

Mel Gibson thinks the film industry is becoming more "difficult".
The actor has a stake in production company Icon Productions, but hasn't been investing in as many projects recently because it's not always "cost effective" to make great independent movies.
Speaking at the Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival, he told Variety.com: "I've still got Icon, and if I see something that is really cool and worthwhile doing, and cost effective... Like the other independents, I'm not in there to get burned. But it's becoming more difficult, put it that way, for everybody."
Gibson lamented the major fact studios are putting all their money into blockbusters and shunning independent movies, comparing the process of trying to get an indie film green-lit to being "raped and beaten".
He said: "It's just the way things are. There's been a big shift in the way things used to be. I mean, there aren't as many films being done at the studios, and they tend to gravitate toward the big blockbustery things with pyrotechnics and stuff like that, which is valid. They are entertaining.
"I think stories of more substance are not as sought-after or fostered as much. And of course those things are left largely to the independent filmmakers. For the independent filmmakers, traditionally, it's been more difficult to get distribution, and to get back what you put in. It's just more difficult. And there are a lot of gatekeepers along the way.
"It's like anything. There are a lot more hurdles to overcome. You are going to get robbed and raped and beaten. It's just part of the game. There are a lot of sharks in the water."
Mel picked up the Crystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema at the film festival on Friday (04.07.14).

Mark Wahlberg will reportedly star in a film remake of 'The Six Million Dollar Man'. The 43-year-old actor is said to be in talks with Universal Pictures to take on the lead role in a big-screen adaptation of the 70s sci-fi TV series, The Tracking Bo...

'Star Wars: Episode VII' will shut down production for two weeks as Harrison Ford recovers from a broken leg.
Disney and Lucasfilm have confirmed a two-week hiatus will take place in August in order to work around the 71-year-old actor's on-set injury last month that resulted in him having surgery.
Lucasfilm said in a statement: "In August, the team will take a brief two-week hiatus while adjustments to the current production schedule are made as actor Harrison Ford recovers from a leg injury.
"Harrison is doing well and is looking forward to returning to the set soon. Shooting remains on track to wrap in the fall with the film scheduled for release on December 18, 2015."
Ford was injured when part of the fictional spaceship, the Millennium Falcon, fell on him.
He is expected to be out of action for two months and the long-awaited sci-fi picture's shooting schedule was changed to accommodate his absence.
Meanwhile, director J.J. Abrams has added two new cast members to the film who were selected via an open casting call issued to the public last year.
Crystal Clarke is an American actress studying in Glasgow, Scotland, and Pip Anderson is a British actor with expertise in parkour.
Executive producer Kathleen Kennedy said: "The 'Star Wars' universe has always been about discovering and nurturing young talent, and in casting 'Episode VII' we wanted to remain absolutely faithful to this tradition. We are delighted that so many travelled to see us at the open casting calls and that we have been able to make Crystal and Pip a part of the film."

Martin Freeman doesn't think 'The Hobbit' movies have focused too much on CGI.
The actor - who played Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's new Middle Earth trilogy based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien - admitted he hopes fans don't think the films have steadily sacrificed subtlety for special effects.
Martin - responding to criticism from 'Lord of the Rings' star Viggo Mortensen - joked to the Sunday Telegraph newspaper's Seven magazine: "I've never liked him. No, I do like him.
"All I can say is: I hope that's not the case. I know Peter and the team who make those films, they'd be horrified to think they'd jettisoned all subtlety.
"Yeah, there's a log of CGI, an awful lot of that business going on. But they are still very, very interested in story. They want the human side of it to be absolutely pivotal. Beyond that? Of course it's a question of taste and I respect Viggo's opinion."
Martin recently discussed being recognised in the street, and explained his role as Dr. Watson in 'Sherlock' earned him more attention than Bilbo Baggins.
He added: "On the street, I would say Watson nudges it. Bilbo gets a lot. For years, of course, it was Tim [from 'The Office'] and that was my primary street-shouting thing.
"But probably now, it's an amalgamation of all of them but the front-front is Dr. Watson."

Freida Pinto doesn't want to work with Dev Patel again.
The 29-year-old Indian beauty and the 24-year-old British actor fell in love on the set of their 2008 movie, 'Slumdog Millionaire,' but aren't interested in appearing on screen together ever again because they're worried about how it might affect their relationship.
The actress said: "I think we created all the magic that was needed for one film. We're leaving the rest of the magic for our personal lives."
However, the duo love teaming up together in the kitchen.
Freida told Us Weekly magazine: "I don't want to say we like cooking because we're both not good. We argue through the food prep, but it's fun. I wish I could cook Indian food because I could start a restaurant and have an alternative career. There aren't any good Indian places in LA."
The actress is so committed to her acting career that she recently went to rehab to get into character as a heroin-addicted Iranian artiste in upcoming feature 'Desert Dancer'.
A source told the Hindustan Times newspaper: "She went to about five sessions, where those who've been recouping for long chatted with her about their journey of beginning to consume heroin to enrolling themselves in therapy.''

Andy Serkis gets "pretty sweaty" working in motion capture suits.
The 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' star finds it "liberating" taking on digitally-enhanced roles because he can be "anything", but admits there are some downsides.
He said: "After a few hours in the suit it gets pretty sweaty so no one really wants to be standing next to me.
"Seriously though, it's liberating and I love it as a way of working because it allows you to play literally anything.
"And it does require huge cajones to get up and do it actually because on a digital set you have to do a lot of your work internally and use your imagination."
Andy spent a lot of time studying gorillas and apes for his work in the 'Planet of the Apes' movies and had a scary encounter with one primate.
He recalled to Loaded magazine: "When I was working at London Zoo there were four gorillas.
"The male was called Bobby and he didn't like me very much because I'd formed a relationship with one of the female gorillas. I've actually got this moment on camera where he's eyeballing me in a threatening way.
"He's engaging me and looking straight into my eyes while gathering a pile of stones together... And suddenly he threw handfuls of them right into the lens of my camera."

Mark Wahlberg insists actors are not "tough" for doing their own stunts.
The self-confessed "adrenalin junkie" - who was jailed as a teenager for assault - is happy to shoot his own action scenes, but insists those who do are not as "badass" as they think.
He said: "I [do my own stunts[, I was an adrenalin junkie when I was young but it annoys me when actors talk about how badass they think they are doing their own stunts.
"These are the guys who spend an hour in the make-up chair and another hour looking at themselves in the mirror. You wanna see tough? Go to prison."
Despite being happy to do his own stunts, the actor admits working on 'Transformers: Age of Extinction' was sometimes "scary" because of director Michael Bay's desire to push things to their limit.
He said: "Every day brought something new. You're running along a 19th floor terrace on a ledge. You're on a little wire and, OK, you're not gonna fall to your death, but when you fall you smack up the side of the building and people are throwing stuff at you and you're running and people are screaming and Michael wants you throwing stuff at people.
"It's pretty scary at times."
And while the crew were thrilled at the thought of using a new type of camera on the movie, Mark was less than impressed because it kept attacking him.
He told Loaded magazine: "There was a camera rig on my car. It came from Germany and had never been used before.
"The film crew were like, 'It's so cool and it's never been used before'. I'm like, 'Well no, it's a f***ing problem because if it's never been used, they probably don't know how to use this s**t'.
"And I got this camera like a robot that does all these cool moves but the f**ing thing keeps smashing into me. And Michael Bay was like, 'This shot is awesome!' "

'Begin Again' director John Carey worries fans will think he's "sold out".
The Irish director shot to fame following the surprising success of his modestly-budgeted musical 'Once' - which earned an Oscar nomination and has been turned into a lauded stage musical - and he admits he is wary of fans considering his follow-up movie a typical Hollywood production.
He said: "Looking back, I probably had a nervous breakdown out of shock when 'Once' was so well received. Even the most cynical, hard-assed industry types were genuinely moved by it. I knew that reaction was unrepeatable and therein lay the dilemma.
"I was left biting my fingernails, wondering constantly, 'What should I do next?'
"Oh you know, 'That was so pure and beautiful and this is Keira [Knightley] and America and he's clearly sold out...' "
Carney also revealed that, like 'Once', 'Begin Again' - which stars Knightley, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and 'Avengers' star Mark Ruffalo - follows a more realistic take on the romantic comedy and doesn't necessarily have a happy ending.
He told Radio Times magazine: "Outside of chick lit, couples don't just walk off into the sunset together - not in anything that has ever moved me, anyway. Look at 'Wuthering Heights', or 'Anna Karenina', or 'Brief Encounter' - complex, compromised love is far truer to life. Difficult relationships and unfulfilled love are what interest me as a storyteller."