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Photos: ?uestlove, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith support FELA! This past weekend the cast and crew of Fela!, the stunning Broadway show about the life of Nigeria's revolutionary singer, Fela Kuti, inventor of Afro-Beat, held a small cocktail party to welcome celebrity producers Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith to the team. Will and Jada watched the show, came on stage at the encore to support the cast, and hung out meeting and greeting everyone afterward. Another big celeb associate producer of the show, namely Mr. ?uestlover, was on hand for the festivities as well. More photos after the jump, and DISCOUNTED OKP tickets to the show are still available! http://www.okayplayer.com/news/Photos-uestlove-Will-Smith-Jada-Pinkett-Smith-support-FELA-.html

'The Karate Kid' redo: testing through the roof Generation Xers may have bemoaned the redo of their 1984 childhood favorite The Karate Kid (I know I did) with none other than silver spooner Jaden Smith taking on the Ralph Macchio role. But, perhaps the results from Sony’s early test screening of the movie from director Harold Zwart (The Pink Panther) will win converts to rejiggering Mr. Miyagi’s karate-lessons-hidden-in-manual labor. (Jackie Chan takes on the Wax on, Wax off mentor role.) The studio tells EW that the film scored just below Sony’s highest research screening ever, 2005’s Hitch, which ironically starred Jaden Smith’s dad Will, the last reigning movie star. With positive scores in the 97th percentile, the movie, which doesn’t open until June 11, might be one of those films that outdoes everyone’s expectations. Not that it’s likely to match Hitch’s gross, but that film did earn close to $370 million worldwide. The movie’s biggest challenge now will be going up with another ’80s classic: The A-Team, starring Bradley Cooper and Liam Neeson, which makes June 11 one fat nostalgia fest. http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/01/15/the-karate-kid-redo-testing-through-the-roof/

Thnx for sharing the vid!!!

Best known as Will Smith's "Uncle Phil" on the hit series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the imposing James Avery is a classically trained actor who has written TV scripts and poetry, and earned an Emmy Award for production while working for PBS. Born and raised in Atlantic City, New Jersey, he served in Vietnam with the U.S. Navy. Avery made his first screen appearance in 1980 with an uncredited part in The Blues Brothers, and in the three decades since then has amassed a long list of film and TV credits that includes Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, C.S.I. and The Closer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aht3UjJyVTA

Dexter actor Michael C. Hall revealed Wednesday he has been battling cancer, but said he’s almost finished with treatment and the disease is in remission. Hall, 38, said in a statement he is lucky to have been diagnosed with the “treatable and curable condition” – Hodgkin’s lymphoma – and thanked his Los Angeles-area medical team for their skill in caring for him. His spokesman, Craig Bankey, said Hall’s cancer is in remission but the actor will continue scheduled treatments. Hall plans to go with his wife – and Dexter costar – Jennifer Carpenter to Sunday’s Golden Globes, where he's nominated for best dramatic actor and the show as best drama. He also plans to attend the Screen Actors Guild Awards the following Saturday, where Hall and the cast are also nominated. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20336663,00.html ----- Damn! I'm a big fan of Michael. Good to see his cancer is in remission. Wish him all the best.

Very, very sad. RIP to all the victims. I'm speechless..

Jackie Chan on 'The Karate Kid': "Totally Different" With "Heavy Drama" Recreating the original Mr. Miyagi isn't as easy as "wax on, wax off." Just ask Jackie Chan, who will take on the iconic character in June's 'The Karate Kid,' a modern-day remake of the 1984 classic that starred Pat Morita as a gruff but kindhearted sensei and Ralph "Danielson" Macchio as his eager pupil. Though Chan's character is named Mr. Han and not Mr. Miyagi, there is no doubt who Chan will be channeling on the screen -- and he promises the performance will show audiences his little-seen dramatic side. "Me, [i am] never happy-go-lucky the whole movie," Chan told Moviefone at Saturday's Los Angeles premiere of 'The Spy Next Door.' "[i am a] master with the white hair, and I walk like this, and even speak slow. Crying, heavy drama," Chan says. "You can see everything. 'Karate Kid' is adult; also for the children, but more older adult. 'Karate Kid' is different," Chan insists. "You can tell 'Karate Kid' action [is] totally different than this action." Since 2008's smash 'Kung Fu Panda' and 'The Forbidden Kingdom,' Chan seems to be aiming to alternate between family films and drama-driven stories. He has been most successful in recent years with broad (but not G-rated) comedies such as 'Rush Hour 3' and 'Shanghai Knights.' His biggest Hollywood bomb was the kids' movie 'Around the World in 80 Days.' "That's what I am planning to do: one children's , one heavy drama," Chan says. "The next one, probably I will do 'Indiana Jones,' happy-go-lucky, lot of action, happy action. I have been planning it for so long." 'The Karate Kid,' which kicks its way into theaters on June 11 and co-stars Will Smith's son Jaden Smith ('The Day the Earth Stood Still'), is a chance for Chan to work not only as acting star, but also action director and stunt coordinator. In 'The Spy Next Door,' however, Chan acts with a safe, kid-friendly action style. "I think I have been doing this kind of light action for so many years, I can tell what kind of movie for what kind of audience," he says. "When I do 'Rush Hour,' I know what kind of action. Children's movie, a different kind of action and different kind of humor. I think I am good in this kind of thing." Lionsgate's 'The Spy Next Door' opens Jan. 15. http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2010/01/11/jackie-chan-karate-kid/

'Avatar' is No. 2 all-time worldwide grosser Surpasses 'Return of the King's' $1.12 billion tally By Carl DiOrio Jan 7, 2010, 12:54 PM ET "Avatar" continues to outperform expectations. Just days ago, execs suggested the Fox-distributed pic was a lock to reach No. 2 on the all-time list of worldwide boxoffice hits by next week. Incredibly, the forecast proved too conservative. On Wednesday, "Avatar" passed the $1.12 billion tally by 2003's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" to become the second-highest worldwide grosser ever. James Cameron's sci-fi epic headed into Thursday with a domestic cume of $374.4 million and a foreign cume of $760.8 million, for wordwide boxoffice totaling $1.14 billion and counting. Cameron's "Titanic" is the all-time top worldwide grosser, ringing up $1.84 billion in 1997-1998. "Avatar" -- which has overachieved most dramatically overseas since unspooling mid-December -- now also is poised to hit the top 10 list of all-time top domestic grossers. On Thursday, the pic will pass No. 10 domestic grosser "Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith," which rung up $380.3 in 2005. But by the end of the coming weekend, "Avatar" should climb significantly higher in the ranks of all-time domestic hits. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ieb1af40f51f12663a33295bb482cf100 ----- I take my hat off to Mr. James Cameron :clap:

HAHA!

I'm with AJ. Nothing compared to this!

Yeah, I'm a freak :laugh:

Downloading now, Kev! ;)

I love the show, that's why I think there's no need for a movie. IMO classics shouldn't be touched. This isn't the same without Mr. T, George Peppard (RIP), Dwight Schultz & Dirk Benedict.

Actor Will Smith and family auction art to help UN feed hungry in Haiti 8 January 2010 – Hollywood actor Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith are raising funds to help the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) tackle hunger in Haiti by auctioning a special artwork signed by music artists who performed at the Nobel Peace Prize concert they co-hosted in Oslo last month. All proceeds will go towards providing nutritious meals to school children in Haiti, where WFP already provides food to more than 500,000 school children. The artwork, which WFP and the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation will sell on eBay starting today, is based on a map of world hunger. It is decorated with personalized silhouettes drawn by Will, his family and the artists who performed at the concert. The actor underlined the link between hunger and peace with the words he wrote on his silhouette on the map: “There can be no true peace in the world while there is hunger.” Other artists who contributed to the artwork include Wyclef Jean, Natasha Bedingfield, Toby Keith, Westlife, Esperanza Spalding, Alexander Rybak, Amadou & Mariam, Donna Summer, Lang Lang and Luis Fonsi. The Hollywood couple co-hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert on 2 December in honour of the 2009 Laureate, United States President Barack Obama. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN Special Envoy for Haiti Bill Clinton traveled to Haiti in 2009 to raise awareness of efforts to help the Caribbean nation’s people and Government bolster their economic security. While there, the Secretary-General noted the need to strengthen the country’s food security. He toured a health clinic, a nutrition centre and a vocational training scheme for women – social services supported by WFP and other UN agencies. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33441&Cr=&Cr1=

Official Poster! http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/448/teaserposters.jpg

Jackie Chan Unsure of 'Karate Kid' Remake Title, Reveals Fate Of 'Wax On, Wax Off,' The Crane Kick Ever since the project was announced, movie fans have been clamoring for information about Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s remake of an Eighties classic. Now, we’ve seen the first trailer and only five months remain until release, but even the film’s new Mr. Miyagi isn’t quite sure what to call it. VIDEO! http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/01/07/jackie-chan-unsure-of-karate-kid-remake-title-reveals-fate-of-wax-on-wax-off-the-crane-kick/ “We just finished the movie, ‘Karate Kid,’” Jackie Chan told me Wednesday at the People’s Choice Awards. “Um, the ‘Kung Fu Kid.’” Say what? Over the course of the film’s shooting, rumors had leaked that since the film is set in China, the title would reference Kung Fu (a Chinese discipline) instead of karate (a Japanese form of martial arts). But the recent first trailer for the movie ended with a title card that read “The Karate Kid.” Which seems odd, since technically Jaden Smith won't be doing any karate in the movie. “I don’t know [what it’s going to be called],” Chan admitted of the film, which is due to hit theaters in June. “Probably ‘Kung Fu Kid’ in China and ‘Karate Kid’ in America. Maybe a different title? I don’t know. But mostly we’ve called it ‘The Kung Fu Kid.’” To some, the difference may seem minor. But to those who treat 1984's “Karate Kid” as a classic –- including star Ralph Macchio himself -– a name like “Kung Fu Kid” might signal a welcomed desire by the film to stand on its own merits. “It’s a totally different story; a totally different story,” Chan insisted, arguing that the movie is not a strict remake. “I was in China, Jaden [smith] was all the way from America. [The family moves] to China, then they see me, then it’s [about] how I teach him martial arts.” Of course, one of the many reasons why the movie is interesting is because it’s produced by Hollywood super-couple Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, and it stars their 11-year-old son Jaden (“The Pursuit of Happyness”) in the Macchio role. But according to Chan, he felt no pressure stepping into the mentor role that earned late actor Pat Morita an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Mr. Miyagi. “No [i felt no pressure], not at all,” Chan insisted. “Really, we put a tribute [to Pat Morita] in the movie; I just do whatever I can.” As for the key hallmarks of the original movie, Chan revealed two to us. “It’s different. We do have ‘wax on/wax off,’ but in a funny way. We’re not teaching him these kind of things,” he insisted. And, when we asked him about the presence of Macchio’s signature crane kick move, Chan said that whatever the movie is called, the final battle scene will not involve it. “No, we don’t have those [scenes]. We show you… I don’t want to give it away. See you in June!”

Had to share this :laugh:

Haha! Wow, didn't know so many people were interested in Willow's haircut :laugh:

Exclusive: Big Willy and Denzel Together. Finally. Sounds like an Uptown Saturday Night To Me / Dustin Rowles It’s a new year, and as we continue to bring you exclusive reports from our inside source, The Hollywood Cog, and others, I think it’s important to reiterate that much of the news we break involves projects very early in development. In most cases, these projects haven’t been announced yet (which is why it’s an “exclusive”). However, you should take in-development projects with a grain of salt — not because these projects aren’t in development (if we report it, it most certainly is), but because we’re jumping the queue, so to speak. Some of these projects being developed might never make it to the big screen; some may not even make it to the announcement stage. We are often given information about whether a project is a priority for a studio or not, in which case there’s a much better chance that it will make it to the screen (and we generally limit our reports to priority projects or projects in regular development that gain significant traction). Non-priority projects may spend years in development hell before going inactive or finally finding some momentum. Moreover, as we wrote at length last month, just because an actor or a director is “attached” to a project does not mean that he or she will ultimately make the movie. Directors and talent can be replaced, dropped, or simply fall off at any point during the course of development. That said, we do aim to cover projects that either look promising or might be of interest to our readers. Moreover, in-development projects offer plenty of excuses for incredulity or, in the rare case, a small amount of hope that the project will eventually be made. Which brings me to the project in question, a remake of the 1974 film, Uptown Saturday Night, which originally starred Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier (it was also directed by Poitier). The fact that it might be remade might not come as too big a surprise — back in 2002, Will Smith’s production company, Overbrook Entertainment, purchased the remake rights to Uptown Saturday Night with the hope of putting together an all-star African-American version of Ocean’s 11. At the time, Smith had said he’s spoken to Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence about the possibility of starring. However, since 2002, the project has basically been inactive. There’s been no public movement on the project. That is, until the middle of December, when Warner Brothers and Overbrook not only put the project back in motion — by putting out a call for a rewrite on an original script from Mark and Robb Cullen (Cop Out) — but by also attaching a name that hadn’t been mentioned in relation to the project yet: Denzel Washington. Indeed, after The Hollywood Cog told me that Denzel and Will Smith were potentially starring in a remake of Uptown Saturday Night, I did a little diligence, and found this from an MTV interview back in June, which which seems to suggest that there’s more to this project that a couple of attached names burning up in development hell: MTV’s Josh Horowitz chatted up Denzel Washington recently, in support of his starring role in this week’s summer action remake “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.” When Josh asked Washington if there was a genre he’d never touched, he responded with the news that he’s working on some sort of comedy — maybe with an action bent — with Will Smith. Of course, even if An Uptown Saturday Night is now a priority for Warner Brothers, it’s still got to be something of a longshot, since both Denzel and Will Smith are already attached to three dozen projects between them and because they haven’t even found anyone to rewrite the script, although the fact that there’s already one script (in addition to the original script) suggests that it could be finished in a matter of weeks or months. Still, the idea of these two Hollywood powerhouses starring in a movie together is more than intriguing, all the more so because it’s a remake of a African-American classic. This is one of those projects that I’d actually like to see happen. For the unfamiliar, Uptown Saturday Night was a movie about two estranged friends, Steve Jackson (Smith) and Wardell Johnson (Washington), who meet up at a nightclub and get robbed of their wallets. The next morning they discover that one of their wallets contained a winning lottery ticket, and together they must recover their stolen property. James Lassiter is producing and, currently, David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers) is attached to direct, although everything (or nothing) could change up and until the project is officially announced. http://www.pajiba.com/trade_news/will-smith-and-denzel-washington-attached-to-uptown-saturday-night-remake.php

So if you die you get the recognition you deserve. Unfair I'd say. Anyways, for me 'Thriller' is the best music video ever, so I'm not surprised by this :clap:

More articles. Janet Hubert says "There will never be a reunion of the 'Fresh Prince.'" The Fresh Prince's Janet Hubert: Perfection is Not A Sitcom Mom In her alternately plaintive and scathing memoir, actress Janet Hubert, known as Vivian Banks on the popular 90's sitcom 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air,' strikes back at former colleagues whom she says denigrated her name and hurt her career. In 'Perfection Is Not A Sitcom Mom,' Hubert addresses her departure from the show in 1993 and the toll it took on her personal and emotional life. She talks exclusively to BV on Books about what motivated her to write the book and what she's up to today: Black Voices: What motivated you to write your memoir? Janet Hubert: I decided to publish my memoir because I saw this YouTube rant that Alfonso Ribeiro [Carlton] had done about me. He said I was crazy and that I was fired and that I was out of my mind. No one ever defends black women, so I had to do it myself. I wrote it for clarity, to clear my clear my name. I got tired of answering questions about why I left. I answer every single question. In the book, I also talk about how words can kill. You don't take someone's life and just step on it, and you don't take my family's name and destroy it. BV: What are the most surprising things readers will learn? JH: My departure was planned for a long time...There will never be a reunion of the 'Fresh Prince.' Will Smith and Alfonso destroyed a 20-year-career with untruths. I got slammed. Will apologized later in an 'Essence Magazine' article, but it still lingers. It's still there... BV: What have you been up to? JH: I live on the East Coast. I love the East Coast because there is energy, something else other than entertainment. On the West Coast, everyone is waiting to be discovered. I've been here now for 11 years. My son Elijah is 16. He'll be in college next year. I've created a children's book series called 'JG & the BC Kids.' It's about a little boy who solves a complicated mathematical equation that opens his imagination and out comes a teacher who takes him and his friends on an adventure. BV: What's next on the horizon? JH: I'm quite content. I'm getting my son off to college. I'm remarried and living peacefully. I've written a pilot for a dramady. I'm doing some pitches and I'm going to start [filming] soon... http://www.bvonbooks.com/2009/12/31/janet-hubert-book-perfection/

I wish you all a very happy new year! Hope all your dreams come true PEACE & LOVE!

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" Music Video, Directed by Spike Lee http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=16252&count=0

Bad Boys 3. No doubt.