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IANS News

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Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. The IANS was founded by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News Service. It was later renamed the Indo-Asian News Service. The IANS has its main offices located in Noida.

Articles Written By IANS News

Rooney Mara To Play Audrey Hepburn In Biopic
1614 days ago
Hollywood

Rooney Mara To Play Audrey Hepburn In Biopic

Los Angeles, Jan 7 (IANS) Actress Rooney Mara will be seen playing the iconic star Audrey Hephburn in an upcoming biopic, which is in the works at Apple.## Oscar-nominated "Call Me by Your Name" director Luca Guadagnino will be helming the project, with Mara producing and 'The Giver' co-writer Michael Mitnick penning the script, reports variety.com.## Though plot details are being kept under wraps, Hepburn is an acting legend celebrated for her performances in classics like 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', 'My Fair Lady', 'Wait Until Dark', 'Charade' and 'Sabrina'.## During her four-decade career, Hepburn achieved EGOT status, winning Emmy, Oscar, Tony, and Grammy awards, the last of which she received posthumously.## Mara has won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.## She is known for her works in films such as 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo', 'Lion', 'A Ghost Story' and 'Nightmare Alley' among many others.## Stay tuned...

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2022 Sundance Film Festival Will Be A Virtual Event Because Of Omicron
1615 days ago
Hollywood

2022 Sundance Film Festival Will Be A Virtual Event Because Of Omicron

Los Angeles, Jan 6 (IANS) The Sundance Film Festival, scheduled to take place at Park City, Utah, from January 20 to 30, has scrapped its plans for an in-person gathering for 2022. It will now be presented as an exclusively virtual event because of the Omicron surge.## "Despite the most ambitious protocols, the Omicron variant with its unexpectedly high transmissibility rates is pushing the limits of health safety, travel and other infrastructures across the country," 'Variety' quoted from a statement issued by the organizers.## The statement noted: "The festival's in-person Utah elements will be moving online this year. While we're disappointed to not provide the full hybrid experience and gather in-person as intended, audiences this year will still experience the magic and energy of our festival".## Sundance had held a virtual edition in 2021 and offered select physical screenings in markets across the US.## This year, according to 'Variety', Sundance organizers were hopeful that the festival could proceed in person, given that movie theatres across the United States have not yet closed because of the Omicron variant -- and 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' continues to drive the public to the cineplex in record pandemic numbers.## Stay tuned...

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Omicron Shadow Over Grammys: Show Postponed
1615 days ago
Hollywood

Omicron Shadow Over Grammys: Show Postponed

Los Angeles, Jan 6 (IANS) The Grammy Awards have been postponed due to coronavirus-related concerns, an Academy spokesperson has confirmed to 'Variety'. No new date has been confirmed as of yet.## The 2022 show, scheduled for January 31, had been moving full speed ahead before a full audience at its traditional venue, the Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as the Staples Center) in downtown Los Angeles, but the recent Covid-19 surge has caused the postponement or cancellation of multiple events across the country.## Sources have told 'Variety' that even though the Crypto.com Arena has a basketball or hockey game or a concert booked nearly every night until mid-April, a number of artistes and executives are said to have reservations about appearing in person. This is what has led to the postponement of the music world's most important show.## The Recording Academy and its television partner, CBS, said in a joint statement: "Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks. We look forward to celebrating Music's Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon".## The Grammys generate millions of dollars in revenue, but they drew only a fraction of a normal year's earnings in 2021 when the event was first postponed and then pared down considerably.## The 2022 Grammy nominees list is led by Jon Batiste with 11 nods, followed by Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, and H.E.R. with eight each. Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo follow with seven nominations apiece. The show will be hosted for a second consecutive year by 'Daily Show' host Trevor Noah.## Incidentally, Indian-origin entertainment executive Raj Kapoor is the showrunner for this year's Grammys.## Stay tuned...

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Himesh Patel on working with Adam McKay, Nolan, Danny Boyle: 'It's been a wonderful few years'
1616 days ago
Hollywood

Himesh Patel on working with Adam McKay, Nolan, Danny Boyle: 'It's been a wonderful few years'

New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) Cambridgeshire-born Indian-origin actor Himesh Patel has worked with top filmmakers such as Danny Boyle, Christopher Nolan, Tom Harper and the most recent with Adam McKay in Netflix's 'Don't Look Up'. ## The 31-year-old actor feels proud of the work he has done with these names and his journey in the world of acting. He first starred in the Boyle's 'Yesterday'. He was later seen in 'The Astronaut', 'Tenet' and his most recent release is 'Don't Look Up'. ## Talking to IANS in a chat, Patel spoke about collaborating with names such extraordinary filmmakers. He said: "I am very proud of the fact that I have managed to work with several sorts of filmmakers that I admire and liked to work with. It's been a wonderful few years." ## "Hopefully I continue working with great filmmakers and I would love to work with these filmmakers again," he added. ## Netflix's satirical science fiction black comedy 'Don't Look Up' tells the story of two low-level astronomers, who must go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy earth. ## Patel revealed the reason why the element of comedy was so important for the film. ## "I think when it comes to a message for a movie like this, a comedy is the most powerful way to really put the case across because it can really it wrong foots people. People think they are watching a comedy specially with a name like Adam'sa." ## He added: "But there are moments of really powerful and dramatic sequences and I think they are all the more powerfulaSo, I think it relaxes the audiences and then can really make an impact. No pun intended. ## The film also features a stellar cast of Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill and Timothee Chalamet. ## It is streaming on Netflix. ## Stay tuned.

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Michael Keaton Says Clashes Over 'Batman' Tone Made Him Exit The Role
1616 days ago
Hollywood

Michael Keaton Says Clashes Over 'Batman' Tone Made Him Exit The Role

Los Angeles, Jan 5 (IANS) Actor Michael Keaton returns to his famous Batman/Bruce Wayne role in the upcoming Warner Bros. tentpole 'The Flash', it will mark 29 years since he last played the Caped Crusader on the big screen.## Keaton walked away during the development of 'Batman Forever', which saw Joel Schumacher taking over directing duties from the actor's 'Batman' and 'Batman Returns' director Tim Burton, reports variety.com.## Schumacher and Keaton clashed over the lighter, more campy tone of 'Batman Forever'. Keaton did not want to give up the darker feel of Burton's films, as the actor recently discussed at length on the aIn the Envelope" podcast'.## "It was always Bruce Wayne. It was never Batman," Keaton said of what drew him to the comic book role.## "To me, I know the name of the movie is a Batman, and it's hugely iconic and very cool and (culturally) iconic and because of Tim Burton, artistically iconic. I knew from the get-go it was Bruce Wayne. That was the secret".## He added: "I never talked about it. Batman, Batman, Batman does this, and I kept thinking to myself, 'Y'all are thinking wrong here.' Bruce Wayne. What kind of person does that?' Who becomes that?"## "When the director who directed the third one, I said, 'I just can't do it'," Keaton continued.## "And one of the reasons I couldn't do it was -- and you know, he's a nice enough man, he's passed away, so I wouldn't speak ill of him even if he were alive a" he, at one point, after more than a couple of meetings where I kept trying to rationalize doing it and hopefully talking him into saying, aI think we don't want to go in this direction, I think we should go in this direction.' And he wasn't going to budge".## According to Keaton, he told Schumacher that he could no longer play Batman if the tone was moving away from the dark nature of Burton's movies.## Schumacher allegedly told Keaton: "I don't understand why everything has to be so dark and everything so sad," to which the actor responded, ace Wait a minute, do you know how this guy got to be Batman? Have you read I mean, it's pretty simple".## Keaton's performance in 'The Flash' will hit theaters on November 4.## The actor will continue to reprise the character in 'Batgirl', the HBO Max original movie that's also set to debut in 2022.## Stay tuned...

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Omarion: I'm An Artiste, Not A Covid Variant
1618 days ago
Hollywood

Omarion: I'm An Artiste, Not A Covid Variant

Los Angeles, Jan 3 (IANS) R&B singer Omarion has responded to the Covid jokes that have been circulating online, the B2K member playfully reminded his fans that he's "an artiste, not a variant".## Making use of TikTok, he shared a video of him wishing his followers a Happy New Year, reports aceshowbiz.com. "Hi everybody, this is Omarion. I am an artiste, not a variant," he first quipped, referring to the new Covid variant Omicron.## "So please be aware that if you just so happen to run into me on the street, you don't have to isolate for five days, nor do you have to have a negative test result in order to dance to my music," the 37-year-old continued. "So please, be safe, be healthy, Happy New Year".## Many have since reacted to the comical video. "He is sick and tired of being sick and tired of us," one person wrote alongside a series of crying laughing emojis.## Another individual then suggested: "He better use this pandemic to his advantage all 2022." Someone else, on the other hand, chimed in, "Somebody said the virus has spoken".## Omarion's post came a few days after LaKeith Stanfield (Keith Stanfield) poked fun at him in an Instagram DM. "You ruining Christmas for everybody smh," the 'Get Out' actor told the 'Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood' alum.## 'The Harder They Fall' star then shared a screenshot of the DM on his Instagram feed. In the accompaniment of the post, he wrote, "I'm weak I wonder if he's gunna respond." In addition to LaKeith, Lil Nas X previously name-dropped the 'Ice Box' hitmaker to lighten up the mood as he opened up about his health scare.## Assuring fans he was doing fine, he quipped: "I'm not sure whether I've had the Omarion or Alicia Keys variant of Covid but this hasn't been a fun journey".## Stay tuned...

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Emma Watson wanted to leave 'Harry Potter' franchise
1620 days ago
Hollywood

Emma Watson wanted to leave 'Harry Potter' franchise

Mumbai, Jan 1 (IANS) Actress Emma Watson, who played the part of Hermione Granger in the 'Harry Potter' films, once considered leaving the franchise, reports Entertainment Weekly. ## Emma with her co-stars from the franchise appeared on 'Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts' special, where she opened up about going through a stressful time. ## Emma said, "I did find a diary entry that was kind of like. I could see that at times I was lonely." Later in the special, she mentions, "The fame thing had finally hit home in a big way." ## Director David Yates said that when he came on to direct the remaining Harry Potter films starting with 2007's 'Order of the Phoenix', producer David Heyman and Warner Bros told him, "Emma is not sure she wants to come back to do another Potter." ## Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the film franchise said, "People definitely forget what she took on and how gracefully she did it. Dan (Radcliffe) and Rupert (Grint), had each other. I had my cronies, whereas Emma was not only younger, she was by herself." ## However, nobody had to convince her to stick with the franchise till the end as Emma said, "The fans genuinely wanted me to succeed and all genuinely have each other's backs." ##

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Billy Joel says Taylor Swift is this generation's Beatles
1620 days ago
Hollywood

Billy Joel says Taylor Swift is this generation's Beatles

Los Angeles, Jan 1 (IANS) 'Piano Man' legend Billy Joel has compared Taylor Swift to The Beatles and insisted the 'Shake It Off' hitmaker is this generation's version of the Fab Four. ## Asked for his opinion on current artists, he told USA Today: "Adele is a phenomenal singer, kind of a (Barbara) Streisand throwback. Taylor (Swift) is also a very talented girl and she's productive and keeps coming up with great concepts and songs and she's huge." ## He added: "You have to give her high marks. She knows music and she knows how to write. She's like that generation's Beatles." ## Meanwhile, the 73-year-old musician said while he doesn't listen to much pop music nowadays, his kids keep him up to date and they love hearing contemporary stars referencing the 'Piano Man' legend. ## He added: "My kids listen to pop music - I really don't too much - and I'll be in the car with them when they make me turn (the radio) on and I might hear a reference to me. Della came home from school one day and said, 'Daddy, everybody knows who you are!'." ## Joel shared that despite the younger generation knowing who he is, as a child he never listened to "his parents' music". ## He said: "When I was a kid, my generation didn't take to my parents' music. They liked classical but also Sinatra and probably Perry Como and those kinds of singers. We kind of left them in the past and moved on to the new stuff, the Elvis generation and the Beatles generation and disco and the '80s." ## "We weren't a back-looking generation and there are a lot of younger people now looking backward and they like their parents' music, which is a strange phenomenon." ## "I look out (in the crowd) and see so many young people. I'm grateful for it, especially because they make more noise. It's a great mix." ##

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Akshay Oberoi: 2021 has been a busy year
1620 days ago
Hollywood

Akshay Oberoi: 2021 has been a busy year

Mumbai, Jan 1 (IANS) As the curtains came down on 2021, actor Akshay Oberoi, who is currently taking time off from work to celebrate his birthday with his family in the US, recalled how last year was busy and safe. ## Akshay said: "2021 really has been a busy year and a safer year than 2020. All projects fared well and I feel very blessed to have received so much of love and appreciation for my work. ## He added: "I was away from my family for some time because I was extensively shooting across various locations. I'm happy to spend some quality time with my family this holiday, which is also my birthday. I'm excited to be diving into the new year." ## Akshay was lauded for his performances in the courtroom drama 'Illegal 2', 'Dil Bekaraar' and the sports drama 'Inside Edge 3'. ## He will soon resume shooting for the horror flick titled 'Cold' directed by Vikram Bhatt and written by Mahesh Bhatt. ##

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Daniel Craig given same New Year's honour 'James Bond' received in 007 films
1620 days ago
Hollywood

Daniel Craig given same New Year's honour 'James Bond' received in 007 films

London, Jan 1 (IANS) Hollywood star Daniel Craig has been granted the same honour given to his secret agent character James Bond as the actor is recognised in the New Year's Honours list. ## Daniel Craig has been made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George - the same honour given to his character '007', reports mirror.co.uk. ## The actor, who took his final turn as Bond in 'No Time To Die, the latest installment of the spy thriller, has been recognised for services to film and theatre in the New Year Honours list. ## The accolade is often given to diplomats, and fictional spy James Bond, who Craig played in five of the 25 films, is described as holding it in both the films and the books by Ian Fleming. ## Ahead of the release of 'No Time To Die' in September, Craig was made an honorary commander in the Royal Navy, another rank held by James Bond. ## The following month, he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. The star was also recently named the year's highest-paid actor. ## The 53-year-old's final outing as the secret agent also ended with a bang as 'No Time To Die' achieved incredible success at the box-office - making it the fourth most successful Bond film in history. ## The star first took on the role as the British spy in 2006's 'Casino Royale'. He then lit up the screen in 'Quantum Of Solace', 'Skyfall' and 'Spectre'. ## Following multiple pandemic-enforced delays, 'No Time To Die', which was set to hit screens in 2020, got it's highly anticipated release in September following a star-studded royal premier at London's Royal Albert Hall that same month. ## In attendance were the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the likes of pop star Billie Eilish who sang the new Bond theme song. ##

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Henry Cavill wishes he'd torn his hamstring in a 'cool' way
1620 days ago
Hollywood

Henry Cavill wishes he'd torn his hamstring in a 'cool' way

Los Angeles, Jan 1 (IANS) Hollywood star Henry Cavill was filming Season two of 'The Witcher' in December when he suffered a medical mishap but he's joked it was a 'Red Riding Hood' way of getting hurt because he was doing nothing more strenuous than running through the woods. ## He said: "Obviously we had that injury, which ironically came just from me running through the woods. It was a moment where my foot hit some dead wood and it slipped and over-contracted and just snapped. ## "Thankfully, it didn't completely detach from the bone but it was a fairly serious injury. I wish it could be something cool like, 'I was fighting something monstrous', but instead I was running through the woods. It was a 'Red Riding Hood' injury." ## Cavill has to maintain a high level of fitness all year round for the sake of his character, even though he only films for months at a time, reports femalefirst.co.uk. ## He told SFX magazine: "It always takes a lot of work to stay in shape throughout production. It's not like one can get in shape, then not train for six months and keep on shooting throughout the long work day. ## "Everything will start to fall apart. The maintenance of that is difficult. To make sure that the character is physically representative in a way which would represent a mutant who is capable of killing monsters takes a lot of work and prep." ##

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Tom Holland says his 'body is shutting down' due to constant traveling
1620 days ago
Hollywood

Tom Holland says his 'body is shutting down' due to constant traveling

Los Angeles, Jan 1 (IANS) 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' actor Tom Holland says his "body is shutting down" after spending so much time travelling and "living out of a suitcase". ## Speaking to Empire magazine, Holland said: "I've been very busy. I've been really enjoying it but it's getting to the stage now where my body is shutting down. I'm travelling too much, is the problem - I'm always living out of a suitcase. I'm just looking forward to a nice break." ## The 25-year-old star already has big plans for his time off as he was looking forward to a "lads' golf holiday" with his brother and some friends, reports femalefirst.co.uk. ## He added: "I've told my agents I'm away on holiday. They're not allowed to call me." ## Tom's comments come as he revealed he was going to "take a break" from his acting career to "focus on starting a family". ## He explained: "I've spent the last six years being so focused on my career. I want to take a break and focus on starting a family and figuring out what I want to do outside of this world." ## Holland, who is dating his 'Spider-Man' co-star Zendaya, shared while he "will" wait to start a family, he is excited at the idea of being a parent in the future. ## He added: "I love kids. I can't wait to be a dad — I can wait and I will, but I can't wait! If I'm at a wedding or a party, I'm always at the kids' table hanging out. My dad's been such a great role model for me. ## "I think I've got that from him. So I think I'd be a primary school teacher or something like that (if I wasn't acting)." ## And Tom - who was cast as Peter Parker's alter ego for 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' in 2015 - has suggested it could be time to pass the torch and give someone else a chance to put their own spin on the character. ## He said: "I've loved every minute of it. I've been so grateful to Marvel and Sony for giving us the opportunity and keeping us on and allowing our characters to progress. It's been amazing. And that's why for me, I don't want to say goodbye to Spider-Man — but I feel like we might be ready to say goodbye to Spider-Man." ##

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