Channing Tatum is one busy man

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Channing Tatum has been enjoying a stellar rise to movie stardom over the last few years, and even if White House Down isn't the explosive hit he's hoping for, his career is showing no signs of flaming out any time toon.

While White House, Roland Emmerich's US$150 million exercise in the art of CGI destruction, is only on track to rake in around US$30 million at the domestic box office this weekend, Tatum has at least three other potential moneymakers in some level of production.

The biggest of the three, at least in size and scope, is Jupiter Ascending, the next sci-fi spectacular from Matrix directors Lana and Andy Wachowski.

Tatum stars opposite Mila Kunis in Warner Bros.' summer 2014 release, which follows a destitute woman (Kunis) targeted for assassination by the Queen of the Universe because her very existence threatens to end the Queen's reign over the cosmos. Tatum will expand his action star power as a genetically engineered ex-military hunter who arrives on Earth to track Kunis down.

Although Tatum's showbiz success has been steadily increasing since he made young women swoon as a troubled breakdancing janitor in 2006's Step Up, the 33 year old proved his comedic chops in last year's breakout comedy hit, 21 Jump Street, which he also executive produced.

Following a hilarious cameo in Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's This Is The End, Tatum hopes comedy fans will once again flock to see him go undercover alongside Jonah Hill in 22 Jump Street - another project that should assure Tatum has a strong summer showing next year.

And just as Tatum proved his worth as a funny person, Foxcatcher - a wrestling drama based on a tragic true story - should elevate his thespian status in the eyes of the most serious filmmakers.

Tatum stars in Moneyball director Bennet Miller's next film as Olympic Wrestling Champion Mark Schultz, whose brother, Olympic Champion Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo), is killed by paranoid schizophrenic John duPont (Steve Carell). Columbia Pictures is releasing the Annapurna Pictures production on October 15.

Tatum is also busy building his producing credits, which began with the 2010 documentary Earth Made Of Glass, followed by the 2011 ensemble high school reunion flick, 10 Years. Tatum's company, 33andOut Productions, is developing Peter Pan origin adventure, Neverland, which Gavin O'Connor (Warrior) will direct for Sony Pictures.

Most recently, Tatum has set his ambitions toward making it on the small screen, too. He is attached to executive produce a television pilot written by actor Nick Zano. Still untitled, the project is in very early stages of development at Warner Bros. Television. The half-hour, multi-camera comedy is based on Zano's own experience being raised in a multi-generational house of seven women in New Jersey.

Still want more Tatum? Cross your fingers 20th Century Fox can close a deal with him to appear alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the theatrical adaptation of classic musical, Guys And Dolls.

So with a bevy of projects on the heels of release, entering production, or graduating from development, the Magic Mike star's future appears to be brighter than a strobe light flashing in a Florida strip club.

MJ's son, Prince to testify in pop star's wrongful death suit

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prince Jackson, the eldest son of late pop star Michael Jackson, is expected to testify on Wednesday in the wrongful death suit filed by his family against concert promoter AEG Live, a Jackson family attorney said.

Lawyers for the Jackson family will call Prince Jackson, 16, to the stand four years and one day after the King of Pop died from a drug overdose, attorney Perry Sanders said on Tuesday.



Prince was 12 when Jackson died from an overdose of surgical anesthetic propofol while the singer rehearsed in Los Angeles for a series of comeback concerts in London in 2009.

AEG Live executives, Jackson's personal chef and the choreographer for his aborted This Is It concert series, are among those who have testified at the trial, which began in April.

Witnesses have painted a picture of the singer's final months. They testified Jackson, 50, had grown so weak he had difficulty executing dance moves and remembering song lyrics.

The Thriller singer's mother, Katherine, is suing privately held AEG Live, which was promoting Jackson's This Is It concerts, for negligence in hiring Dr. Conrad Murray as his personal physician.
Murray was caring for the singer as he prepared for the shows. Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011.

Prince will follow expert witness Gordon Matheson, a physician, who testified that Murray had a conflict of interest while caring for Jackson because Murray's heavy debts and monthly salary from AEG Live would bias his care of the singer.

AEG Live has said it did not hire or supervise Murray and argues that Jackson had prescription drug and addiction problems for years before entering into any agreement with the company.

AEG Live also has said they could not have foreseen that Murray posed a danger to Jackson.

Katherine Jackson, 83, along with the singer's three children - Prince, Paris and Blanket - are listed as plaintiffs in the case.

Earlier this month, Jackson's 15-year-old daughter Paris was rushed to the hospital after a suicide attempt, forcing Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff to order a court investigation into the teenager's "health, education and welfare."

Perry Sanders, Katherine Jackson's attorney, said on Tuesday that Beckloff had reviewed the report on the investigation into Paris' welfare, and would not be making any changes in Jackson's children's living situation.

"In light of all current circumstances and the special investigator's report, we agreed with the judge that appropriate decisions are being made regarding care of all three children, and no further action is required," Sanders said in a statement.

Style amidst the smog

When the two Mayas meet: Actress Maya Karin (right) strikes a pose with Melinda Looi’s daughter Maya for a campaign shot, dressed in modern baju kurung.

The hazy climate does not deter Melinda Looi from her hectic work schedule.

WHEN I looked out of the window this morning, it almost felt as if I were holidaying in Cameron Highlands or Genting Highlands. Unfortunately, the truth is far less romantic.

It’s the haze, which usually comes around this time of the year. It’s approaching mid-year and many from the West will be on their summer holidays soon.

Tourists, no doubt, will want to explore the outdoors while children will clamour to run around in the parks. It would be a real shame if their activities were curtailed because of the air pollution.

For now, my children are locked up indoors. Mika is asthmatic and therefore, reacting quite badly to the haze. I, too, am not feeling good and most of my colleagues are coughing badly.

Since the haze has come upon us, we don’t open our windows or doors because it is so visible, and can be smelt too. Fortunately, we have air conditioners at home which are on all day.

But I can’t help thinking of those who can’t afford this, or people who have to work outdoors. How are they meant to cope?

What’s worse is there is nothing we can do about this but to pray for rain to come and wash away the pollutants.

Onto a more positive topic, my 3D show took place last week. And it was amazing, not according to me, but the audience.

Or course, we were pleased as punch, even though there were parts I wished had worked the way I wanted.

Still, I think everything turned out well, especially since the team put the show together in less than three months, and on a part-time basis too.

After the show, we received invitations to participate in other 3D shows and there’s even a possibility of some of our items being installed in an art museum. To me, this would be a dream come true!

But the pace has not slackened. One show down, I have another on the way. I’m talking about my Raya show. This one, however, is something I’ve done every year, so I’m quite confident of it.

By the time you read this, the showcase will be over.

I’d like to thank Ida Nerina for agreeing to help us direct it, and injecting it with a twist.

Ida came up with the idea of filming Malaysian celebrities wearing our outfits on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, and then projecting these clips (in black and white) onto the backdrop while the celebs walk out as if they were emerging from these streets. I thought it was a brilliant idea and went with it.

Fortunately, it wasn’t hazy when we did the shoot, otherwise our effort would have been ruined.

I had approached my celeb friends to brainstorm for ideas for the show at the very last minute. I sent SMS-es to Low Ngai Yuen and Ida, both of whom agreed to meet up.

We did so that very night, and my two crazy friends hatched the entire concept of the show there and then. There is just something about artistic people and tight deadlines producing genius brainwaves!

For the show, Ida and Low brought together Aby Latif as assistant director and producer, Farinie Mat Isa (to assist Abby), and videographers Gloria Kurnik, Felicia Lee and Johan Saly. I would like to thank them for their time and efforts, which was for a good cause as proceeds from this collection will be channelled towards charity. This is something I intend to do every year from now.

We were blessed with two hot and sunny days of shooting. Our celeb models were Aishah Sinclair, Dira Abu Zahar, Datuk Yasmin Yusuff, Ning Baizura, Tania Khan and Melissa Saila, who were very professional and absolutely rocked Chow Kit, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and the Maju Junction area.

I must say the idea of using celebs to model the outfits was good as they looked sensational in the Raya For Her collection under my ‘emel’ by Melinda Looi label.

For our showcase, we also had fabulous performances by my artiste friends – violinist Dennis Lau, singer cum actress Crystal Lee, singer Noryn Aziz, and actress-singer Maya Karin, whom we used as the face for our Raya collection shoot (my own Maya adores her).

The guest designer for our hijab/tudung collection is celebrity Diana Amir. The Diana Amir X emel by Melinda Looi was launched on the same stage and same day as my Raya collection. Diana was so kind to pull together a team of celebs and bloggers to model the hijab collection.

As Raya is upon us, I wish for everyone to be blessed with a great life, and to our Muslim friends, have a great time preparing for the festive occasion.

Award-winning fashion designer Melinda Looi tries to marry consumerism and materialism with environmental consciousness, and believes her greatest creations are her children. Follow her on Facebook or write in to star2@thestar.com.my.

Stage front

Stop and stare: OneRepublic, led by main man Ryan Tedder (front), to bring the party to Sunway Lagoon’s Surf Beach in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, on Oct 31.

Linkin Park, Yuna and OneRepublic are set for concerts in Malaysia.

IF you’ve had enough of hipster-infested music festivals, K-pop music extravaganzas and the lack of full-length concerts heading our way, then you’re in for a treat. Well, make that three. Recently, American rock band Linkin Park announced it will be returning to Malaysia for a concert.

The band is bringing its Living Things World Tour to the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 19.

Formed in 1996, the Californian band rose to fame with the release of its debut album Hybrid Theory (2000). The best-selling album spawned hit singles like Crawling, Papercut, In The End, and One Step Closer. The band’s latest album Living Things, released last year, debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200 charts in the United States.

Fans can look forward to seeing vocalist Chester Bennington, drummer/percussionist Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave “Phoenix” Farrell, deejay Joe Hahn and co-vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Mike Shinoda for a night of rocking mayhem in Bukit Jalil.

This is the band’s second appearance in Malaysia. In 2003, the band played a concert at Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur for over 25,000 fans.

Tickets for Linkin Park’s Living Things World Tour in Malaysia are available through www.ticketcharge.com.my.

After Linkin Park, fans can also look forward to Los Angeles-based Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna returning home for three orchestra-backed shows (Sept 6-8) at Istana Budaya in KL.

Yuna, who kickstarted her major label career (Verve Records) in the US earlier this year, already has her Sixth Street digital EP and new single I  Wanna Go gaining attention in the global pop scene. Any homecoming gigs by this indie darling are bound to be sold-out affairs. More info: www.istanabudaya.gov.my.

OneRepublic’s first proper show in Malaysia is another treat. The American pop-rock band will play Sunway Lagoon’s Surf Beach, Petaling Jaya, Selangor on Oct 31. Formed in 2002, the band consists of vocalist Ryan Tedder, guitarist Zach Filkins, bassist Drew Brown, drummer Eddie Fisher and keyboardist Brent Kutzle.

The band’s debut album Dreaming Out Loud in 2007 featured hit singles Apologize and Stop And Stare. OneRepublic also appeared at the MTV Asia Awards in Genting in 2008.

The upcoming show is set to showcase material from its latest album Native, which has a more dance-orientated groove.

Tickets to OneRepublic’s Native Tour stop in Malaysia are available at www.ticketpro.com.my.

In other concert news, R&B star Alicia Keys is due to play a concert in Kuala Lumpur in November. More details soon. – Angelin Yeoh

Top tips for flashers

Some celebrities have found that not all erotic ensembles look great on the outside.

 

NOT all erotic ensembles look great when worn on the outside; some celebs have learned this the hard way when they were caught roaming on territoire vulgaire. 

A repeat offender seems to be Lady Gaga, who’s been photographed several times prancing down the streets sans pants. Her reasoning: “My grandmother is basically blind, but she can make out the lighter parts, like my skin and hair. She says, ‘I can see you, because you have no pants on.’ So I’ll continue to wear no pants so that my grandma can see me.”
Here are a few pointers on how go inside-out without letting your dignity slide:

Mix and match

Who says lingerie-inspired pieces should only be worn in the evenings? It may be a lot bolder than your average v-neckT-shirt, but you can totally wear them in a low-key setting with the right accessories. A pair of acid-washed jeans and Mary Jane pumps, for instance, will make a lacy camisole totally day-friendly.

Sexy, not slutty

To avoid looking like a streetwalker, you need to learn how to balance your outfit. “If your top is overly sexy, make sure your bottom is covered, and vice-versa,” says Joanne Kam. “The last thing you want to do is look cheap in your outfit.”

Be creative

There are various ways to wear a piece. For example, you can wear a slip as a dress (if it’s sheer, add another slip underneath) or let it peek out from under a skirt. The pretty edging is a nice detail and the right slip will give your skirt some petticoat-like volume.

Playing safe is OK

There’s nothing wrong with being shy. However, stylist Max Mak believes that it doesn’t have to stop you from getting in on the trend. His advice: “Invest in a skin-colour sleeved T-shirt. Wearing a corset on top of it makes you look instantly trendy.” And, you don’t even have to bare your skin!

coor Club. The Sacoor Club card entitles clients – categorised as platinum, gold or silver members – to several benefits including discounts, special promotions and free tailoring.
“The opening of our second store in Malaysia indicates the brand’s success, only within four months since we made our presence felt in the country,” enthused Moez Sacoor, marketing director of Sacoor Brothers. He is the youngest of four brothers who started the business.
“This gives us absolute confidence in the Malaysian market and further encourages us to strive for more stores in the country. We are also catering to the tourists and our loyal customers from overseas who are in Malaysia either for a visit or on business. More stores translate into accessibility, so if you’re not back at home, you can still get your Sacoor Brothers apparel here,” said Moez in a press release.
He added: “Apart from our casual wear, we are quite the experts in suits and we definitely see a growing appreciation of suits in Malaysia. I am confident that through our expertise and positioning of the Sacoor Brothers brand, we will be able to constantly offer our clients fine and timeless wear, accompanied by the excellent assistance of our floor staff.”
The first Sacoor Brothers store was opened in November 1989 in Lisbon. Today, there are over 60 boutiques across the globe in countries like Spain, Britain, Belgium and Kuwait. – William K.C. Kee

Bling it on

By CHARLOTTE HIGGINS


All grown up: Although she starred in eight Harry Potter movies, Emma Watson has moved past the role of Hermione Granger, which made her a household name.

Emma Watson is keen to step away from her past at Hogwarts – but not to jump on to the celebrity rollercoaster.

IF the Harry Potter franchise was one of the most overwhelming cinematic phenomena of recent history, the films’ plucky Hermione, Emma Watson, shows no sign of being swamped by her past.

The actor’s latest foray beyond Hogwarts sees her as part of a young ensemble cast for Sofia Coppola’s latest work, The Bling Ring, which opened the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section back in May.

Speaking before the premiere, Watson said: “Harry Potter feels like such a long time ago; so much has happened in the last three or four years, but obviously it’s still very present, it’s still being played in people’s living rooms. I’m not trying to run away from it ... but it’s that I’ve had such an amazing three or four years having a chance to transform into new roles and work with new creative people.”

Watson, who also took a role in 2011’s My Week With Marilyn and will appear in Darren Aronofsky’s biblical epic Noah, added that she had relished the chance to work in a freer fashion: “I am used to really having to stick to my lines because people know them by heart, so it was lovely just to be able to ad lib or improvise.”

Coppola’s film is based on the true story of a group of suburban Los Angeles teenagers, some from privileged backgrounds, who stole luxury goods from the houses of the rich and famous out of a desire to possess their wardrobes and lifestyles.

Watson researched her role, she said, by watching reality TV shows such as Keeping Up With The Kardashians and The Hills. She said: “It wasn’t so much about the stealing, it was more that they wanted to pretend for two hours that they were Paris Hilton. That they were living that lifestyle for real.”

Among their most prominent targets was Hilton – whose front door key they found under her doormat. Between October 2008 and November 2009, the group stole more than US$3mil (RM9.4mil) worth of items, including “a stash of Rolexes” from British actor Orlando Bloom, according to an account by one of the real “bling ring”, Nick Prugo. The teenagers used Google Maps to identify escape and entry points and social media to know when the celebrities were away from home. They also boasted of their new possessions on Facebook.

The real Hilton makes a brief appearance in a film that piles on the ironies: her home was used as a location, so we see her jewels and designer clothing; the Louis XIV-style armchairs heaped with cushions screenprinted with her face; and her “nightclub room” complete with its own poledancing pole.

Having a film made about their exploits might be regarded as the final victory for the real-life “bling ring” – but according to Coppola, that was far from her intention. “I changed the names of the characters because I didn’t want to make them more famous,” she said, adding that it was “not a documentary” and she was “not too concerned with the reactions” of the people on whom the story is based.

Coppola was born into celebrity as the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola; Watson had it thrust upon her as a child. But Watson distinguished herself from the celebrities touched on in the film. “There are celebrities that create a brand and create a business and a whole job, a whole life, out of other people’s interest in their lives, and then there are celebrities or people who have a craft or a trade,” she said.

“As long as people understand the difference, then it’s okay,” she said.

Coppola added that what had drawn her to the story was that “it could not have happened 10 years ago” and depended on the rise of social media and a celebrity-news cycle.

“There’s so much information, and a lack of privacy: these kids knew so much about the people that they felt they (really) knew them. They knew what they were having for breakfast.” – Guardian News & Media

I had a double mastectomy, says Angelina Jolie

REUTERS - Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie said on Tuesday that she had undergone a preventive double mastectomy after finding out she had a gene mutation that leads to a sharply higher risk of both breast and ovarian cancer.

Jolie (pic), writing in the New York Times, said her mother's death from cancer at 56 and the discovery that she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation led to her decision out of fears she might not be around for her six children.

"We often speak of 'Mommy's mommy', and I find myself trying to explain the illness that took her away from us. They have asked if the same could happen to me," wrote Jolie, 37, in the editorial My Medical Choice.

"I have always told them not to worry, but the truth is I carry a 'faulty' gene," she added.

Her doctor estimated that she had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer.

"Once I knew this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much as I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy," she said.

Three months of surgical procedures were completed at the end of April, throughout which Jolie continued to work. She said her partner, Brad Pitt, was by her side throughout, and thanked him for his love and support.

She said she was revealing her decision to help dispel the shadows that still hang over cancer and to enable other women to get testing and make informed treatment choices, as she had.

"The decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy to have made," she said, adding that her chances of developing breast cancer had dropped from 87 percent to 5 percent.

Spokesmen for Jolie and Pitt, one of Hollywood's biggest power couples, were not immediately available for comment.

Jolie, who won a best support actress Oscar for her work on Girl, Interrupted in 1999, is raising six children with Pitt. The couple got engaged last year.

Jessica Alba To Host Awards Show In Singapore

Singapore here she comes

Yes, Jessica Alba will drop in Singapore to host the first ever Social Star awards, which will be live-streamed on YouTube on 23 May.

The awards show will take place at the Marina Bay Sands and Jess’ co-host will be announced soon. Twelve awards will be presented to the most popular superstars in music, TV, film, sport and other categories.  

The awards show will be a star-studded event. Apart from Jess Alba, attendees and viewers will see performances from Aerosmith, CeeLo Green, PSY, Carly Rae Jepsen, Sky Blu and Blush and some of the biggest stars of YouTube, performers who have gone viral globally.

The Social Star Awards take place in the MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands where guests including musicians, footballers, actors and local celebrities and socialites will gather for spectacular entertainment. 

Jess said about the announcement of her hosting: "I'm thrilled to be co-hosting the first-ever Social Star Awards and look forward to seeing everyone in Singapore to celebrate these social media superstars."

Jessica Alba is well known for her roles in Sin City, Machete, Fantastic Four and more.

New Band To Rival One Direction Is In The Works

Oh dear, One Direction is looking at some serious competition after it was revealed that boy band manufacturer Louis Walsh – who gave the music scene Westlife and Boyzone – is looking to form a band that will rival the success of One Direction. 

Enjoy staying on top for a little while longer

In statement, Louis said he will be holding auditions next weekend in Dublin.  “It's boys over 16 from anywhere, any nationality but they must be prepared to work hard; vocals are key. I'm looking for five pop stars and I have a major record company and a high profile UK partner.” Louis hinted that the new band will also be mentored by Simon Cowell. 

Kanye West Walks Into Sign Post, Blames Paparazzi

Granted pesky paparazzi have been known to cause accidents, especially when it involves high speed car chases. But when you’re walking at 2km per hour, don’t look where you’re going and smack your head into a sign post then that’s just dumb luck. But Kanye West decided the paparazzi were completely to blame for his accident. Based on video footage from TMZ.com, you can decide yourself.

Kanye was out house hunting when a group of photographers descended on him and girlfriend Kim Kardashian after the couple exited a property in Beverly Hills. Kanye was seen avoiding eye contact with the paparazzi. He also did not make eye contact with the sign post. Unfortunately for Kanye the paparazzi moved out of his way but the sign post didn’t. 

The pesky pole

Kanye was visibly shaken and holding his noggin after his run in. Clearly embarrassment kicked in and instead of just shrugging it off, it manifested itself into a verbal attack at the paparazzi. He was then ushered inside a restaurant by a concerned Kimbut soon emerged to explode at photographers again.

'Iron Man 3' beats out 'Gatsby' at the box office

REUTERS - Tony Stark's superpowers lifted blockbuster Iron Man 3back to the top of movie charts in the United States and Canada, beating out a strong debut over the weekend for lavish Jazz Age drama The Great Gatsby.

Coming off a gigantic opening a week earlier, Iron Man 3 commanded US$72.5 million in ticket sales from Friday through Sunday in its second weekend. Gatsby, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as millionaire Jay Gatsby in the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald tale, earned a strong US$51.1 million, according to studio estimates.

Domestic ticket sales for Iron Man 3 dropped 58 percent from a week earlier, when the film hauled in US$174.1 million for the second-biggest movie opening of all time. The film from Walt Disney Co's Marvel Studios stars Robert Downey Jr. as Stark, a billionaire businessman with a superhero alter ego.

International sales for Iron Man 3 reached a massive US$664 million through Sunday after adding US$89 million from the weekend, Disney said. The film's worldwide take now stands at US$949 million.

Gatsby outpaced pre-weekend forecasts for an opening of up to US$45 million. Directed by Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, it is the latest Hollywood rendition of Fitzgerald's classic American novel, The Great Gatsby. A 1974 version starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow fared poorly at the box office.

DiCaprio stars in the title role, a millionaire pining for a lost love, played by Carey Mulligan, during the height of the hedonistic 1920s. Tobey Maguire and Joel Edgerton also star. Rapper Jay-Z produced the soundtrack.

"We never expected to open this picture at this level," said Dan Fellman, president of theatrical distribution for Warner Bros., the Time Warner Inc. unit that distributed the film.

Fellman said the picture, which has been accorded the prestigious opening night slot at this week's Cannes Film Festival, was now well-positioned for a long run into the summer as an alternative to traditional action movies.

The majority of ticket buyers were female by 59 percent to 41 percent, and 31 percent of ticket buyers were under age 25, Warner Bros. said.

"We're going to have a nice, long healthy run," he told Reuters.

DiCaprio's performance was widely praised, but the movie, which cost about US$105 million to produce, received a mixed reception from critics. As of Saturday, 48 percent of reviews recommended the film on the Rotten Tomatoes website.

But in its opening weekend, the film very nearly eclipsed the total US$57.4 million take of Luhrmann's most successful film, Moulin Rouge, which went on to win several Academy Awards.

Elsewhere over the weekend, dark action comedy Pain & Gain starring Mark Wahlberg placed a distant third with US$5 million at U.S. and Canadian theaters.

Comedy Peeples, the other new nationwide release, finished fourth with US$4.9 million. Produced by Tyler Perry, the film stars Craig Robinson and Kerry Washington in the story of a well-off family's reunion that is interrupted when a man arrives to seek their daughter's hand in marriage.

Baseball drama 42 finished in fifth place with US$4.7 million.

Star Trek Into Darkness, which opens in the United States on Wednesday, took in US$31.7 million in seven international territories including Britain, Mexico, Australia and Germany, Paramount Pictures reported.

Famous mums

Stories by GORDON KHO, MUMTAJ BEGUM and KENNETH CHAW
entertainment@thestar.com.my

Victoria Grayson

From fictional characters to real life superheroes, mothers in the entertainment industry inspire us in many ways.

THE image of an “ideal” mother is unmistakable. Clad in a pastel-coloured blouse with hair tied up in a bun, she lovingly packs her child’s lunch box and plants a kiss on his forehead as the school bus honks outside. A soft-spoken, graceful and loving woman, this is the picture of the “perfect” mum many of us have.

However, mums have evolved to meet the needs of our increasingly demanding society. Not only do they have to juggle motherhood and a career, but some have to wear the pants in the family, too, resulting in mothers who are strong, bold and powerful.

In conjunction with Mother’s Day (today!), Star2 looks at various personalities in the entertainment industry to celebrate mothers who are tough as nails – physically, mentally and emotionally.

Dressed for TV success

Glamour mum

REVENGE’S Victoria Grayson (played by Madeleine Stowe) leads the charge as the most glamorous and best-dressed mother on television. The philanthropist (as well as full-time schemer), mother of two and Hamptons socialite looks amazing in all her couture outfits, from Roland Mouret to Vera Wang to Valentino.

Don’t even bother asking her to dress in Herve Leger’s iconic bandage dress which s he so favoured in the first season – she had her assistant burn them because that’s so yesterday!

For someone who throws soirees all the time, Victoria has to be fashion forward. Bad has never looked so good.

Queen of duds

IF YOU are going to rule a kingdom, you better do it with style. And no one does it better than the Evil Queen, Regina (Lana Parrilla, Once Upon A Time).

In a kingdom far, far away, she wears elaborate (read: dramatic) gowns with high collars and festooned with jewels and sequins.

Regina, who has an adopted son in present-day Storybrooke, has amazing accessories too – especially her headgears which range from lace caps to eye-catching fascinators.

Philip Treacy would be so proud.

A la mode

JUST because Rayna James (Connie Britton, Nashville) is a country superstar, doesn’t mean she is constantly in designer labels from head to toe.

The mother of two young children favours high street fashion, picking simple tops and jackets (from Forever 21) to pair with skinn y jeans (no “mom jeans” for this mum!).

She leaves the flashy outfits to rival Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere). When the occasion calls for it, like at red carpet events, Rayna dresses in Versace or Prada for added pizzazz.

Free style

OUR favourite real estate agent Jules Cobb (Courteney Cox, Cougar Town) not only has a hot body but an array of beautiful clothes too.

Living in Florida means Jules is able to show more skin which is why she opts for sleeveless tops and short dresses. But don’t worry, they are all age-a ppropriate for the 40-something single mother of one.

Her style is often relaxed yet stylish. She loves bodyhugging dresses (Dolce & Gabbana is her favourite) for a night out and gingham shirts or knitted sweaters from Marc Jacobs paired with white jeans for a day out with besties, Ellie and Laurie.

Suit up

IF WE were to bestow The Best Dressed crown to someone at the law firm of Lockhart/Gardner, it would be the sassy Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) of The Good Wife. But since she’s not a mother (not to our knowledge at least), we pick runner-up Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies).

The mother of two teenagers favours classic pieces in muted colours like grey and black. Alicia’s work uniform, three-piece suits (sometimes pantsuits), are from no-nonsense labels like Armani, Michael Kors and Fendi. And to make sure she gets to court on time, Alicia wears a Cartier gold watch.

She keeps it classy ... after all she’s The Good Wife.

Sensational sing-le mums

Strong Enough for her sons

FOLK-rock singer Sheryl Crow has had it hard. Just months after ending her relationship with now disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong in 2006, Crow was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought hard, undergoing radiation therapy, and a year following her diagnosis, Crow was cancer free.

But instead of taking things easy, Crow, 45, shifted into high gear and started a family on her own by adopting a baby boy Wyatt (in 2007), and another one in 2010 named Levi.

She brings the kids on tour with her, and tries to keep things “normal” by tucking them into bed and reading them a bedtime story before she has to perform. Now that’s a rock star mum!

Like a Genie In A Bottle

IT’S hard to believe that the once adorable Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer Christina Aguilera is now a mother. The singer gave birth to Max in 2008, when she was still married to Jordan Bratman. After their divorce in 2010, the pair share joint custody of their son. Aguilera, 32, was raised by a single mum herself, and is thankful that Bratman has been a dedicated father to Max.

Being a single mum hasn’t stopped Aguilera from furthering her career either. Since having Max, she has starred in her first feature film (Burlesque), become a mentor and judge on the hit reality singing competition The Voice and released a new album (Lotus).

There’s no slowing down this mother.

She’s a Ray Of Light

MADONNA is perhaps the coolest mum anyone could ask for. With an ever-evolving musical style, bad@$$ fashion sense and a body to die for, the 54-year-old singer had her first child Lourdes Leon in 1996.

A few years later, Madonna married British director Guy Ritchie and they had two children together – Rocco and David Banda, whom they adopted from Malawi. After the couple divorced, Madonna adopted another Malawian child, Mercy James.

The pop queen admitted in the British tabloid, The Sun that she felt like her “head is going to explode” from all her responsibilities as a single working mum. However, her children seem to be doing fine and her career is still going strong (she released MDNA last year). This mum is like a machine!

Jenny From The Block is a mum

SULTRY singer, dancer and actress Jennifer Lopez became a single mum after ending her seven-year marriage to Marc Anthony in 2011.

Lopez’s twins Emme and Maximilian have since become her top priority, inspiring her to write One Step At A Time, a ballad about how she wished her kids wouldn’t grow up so quickly.

The gorgeous 42-year-old Latin American not only stays on top of things at home but at work as well. She was a judge for two seasons onAmerican Idol, hosted and produced the TV show Q’Viva, starred in a movie (What To Expect When You’re Expecting) and embarked on a world tour – she performed in Kuala Lumpur recently looking as hot as ever!

This single mum certainly has her family and professional life under control.

Mum’s love, Day And Night

CANTOPOP singer Sandy Lam once said that the joys and pains of her relationship with Taiwanese songwriter and producer Jonathan Lee inspired her to write some of her best songs. The couple married in 1998, but divorced in 2004.

These days, though, it seems like Lam’s biggest inspiration in life is her 15-year-old daughter Li Xi Er.

Lam made the uncharacteristic decision to play the guitar for the first time on stage during the Beijing leg of her MMXII tour last year. She toldChina Daily that it was her daughter who taught her to play the guitar.

The singer, known for her heartbreak hits such as Scars, said that although they were inspired by painful experiences, thanks to her daughter, she isn’t so sad now when she sings them in her shows.

She shared, “Now I am a mother and I have more fun with my daughter. When I sing those heartbreaking songs now, I feel as if I’m telling someone else’s stories.”

Sharp cookies of the big screen

The clairvoyant

IN Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) is always prepared when it comes to her son’s safety. She has guns stashed in the middle of nowhere, and she goes the distance even when her own life is put at risk because of it.

Trapped in a high-security asylum? No problem. She knows how to break the guard’s teeth or inject them with cleaning liquid to escape.

Sarah has built her physical strength because she knows something about her son’s future that keeps her on this perpetual high alert – John Connor (Edward Furlong) is destined to be the leader of a generation when artificial intelligence takes over the world.

The problem solver

What do you do when your house is broken into while you’re sleeping? It’s a nightmare nobody should experience. Luckily for Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) and her daughter (Kristen Stewart) in Panic Room, their massive four-storey home has a ... panic room, enclosed in steel and complete with CCTV monitors.

Thinking quickly, Meg gets herself and her daughter into the room, away from the maniacal crooks in her house. Only problem is, there is no way to communicate with anyone else on the outside either. Worse, her daughter is sick and needs medication every couple of hours.

Though terrified, Meg knows she must do everything to keep her daughter safe and alive, even if it means she has to make herself the bait.

Geena Davis

The bodyguard

Don’t mess with soccer mums, especially one who once was a trained assassin, like Samantha (Geena Davis) in The Long Kiss Goodnight.

One Christmas eve, Samantha, who is suffering from amnesia, discovers she can kill a deer by breaking its neck with her bare hands – which she does after accidentally hitting it with her car and figures it’s a mercy killing – and chop carrots at incredible speed.

Samantha’s quiet life turns upside down when her past returns to haunt her, just as these skills are returning to her. She also has a daughter to protect now, which is something she takes very seriously as the baddies who kidnap her daughter discover a tad too late.

In her hands, a doll becomes a weapon and a frozen pond becomes a war zone.

Uma Thurman

The absentee

When Kill Bill’s The Bride (Uma Thurman) learns she’s pregnant, she quits from the “killing people for a living” business. But her boss, Bill (David Carradine), does not allow her to venture too far and tracks her down at the church where she’s getting married.

One bloody mess later, The Bride wakes up from a coma and sets her sights on killing Bill for robbing her of a chance to become a mother. (Spoiler alert!) When she discovers that her daughter is still alive, she is more determined than ever to complete her mission.

The regulator

Helen Parr’s super flexibility and power in The Incredibles allow her to clean the house and chase after her kids like no other mums can.

Even though this retired superheroine has strict house rules, she understands that her children are doing their best managing their powers.

She knows that when it’s time to put on a suit and fight the baddies, there might be some trepidation, but she trusts her children to protect other members of the family.

Needless to say, this former Elastigirl is the one who wears the spandex in the Parr household.

Psy Doesn't Know Who Chris Martin Is

You're a singer then?

Coldplay are a big deal in the West, having scored three consecutive No. 1 albums in the United States and five consecutive United Kingdom No. 1s. But, as Chris Martindiscovered, success means nothing when Psy doesn't know who you are.

According to The Sun, Chris Martin and Psy were both at last week's Met Ball in New York City when the Coldplay man approached the Korean superstar for a picture.Unfortunately for Chris, the latter had absolutely no idea who Mr Martin was.

The Sun quotes Chris' missus, Gwyneth Paltrow as telling an Australian radio station: “Chris saw him and said, ‘Hello, I’m from the band Coldplay’, and Psy didn’t seem to know. We said, ‘We’re so sorry to bother you but can we get a picture together for our children?’ He then put it all together and was really happy to meet Chris.”

Vin Diesel Wants Money From Facebook

Pay up, Zuckerberg

Vin Diesel thinks that Mark Zuckerberg should pay him for all the actor's Facebook likes.

Vin, who stars in the upcoming Fast And Furious 6, has over 41 million Facebook likes and claims that he personally updates his fanpage and takes time to communicate with his followers.

The actor told Entertainment Weekly: "Facebook used to ask me to come up to their office to explain what I was doing, and why I had so many fans. What was unique was: I never let anyone do a post, I never let anyone post for me in the last four years. My audience knows me so well on the page that if my producing partner's in the room when I post, they'll know somebody was around me. That's kind of cool, that's how sophisticated they are. Facebook really owes me billions of dollars. But whatever."

The 45-year-old actor continues: "When I had started my page, the only person that had a million fans was Barack Obama. Because it was first-quarter 2009, and he'd just got elected as President, because of social media. So, when I started talking to the fans, I became the No. 1 page in the world. Over Coca-Cola, over huge companies. And it was only because I said, 'Hi, guys, I love you.'"

Lindsay Lohan Could Face Jail Time

Staring jail in the face

Lindsay Lohan will almost certainly face jail time if she leaves the Betty Ford Center early.

Lindsay is currently serving 90 days of court-ordered rehaband it seems, isn't doing too well.

RadarOnline quotes a source as claiming: "The judge overseeing Lindsay's case has made it crystal clear that if she defies the agreement, it's jail time. Judge Dabney signed off on Betty Ford and he expects her to remain there for 90 days. If she doesn't, that will be a violation of her probation and the judge will send her to jail."

The problem, it seems, is that doctors at Betty Ford have taken Lindsay off the drug Adderall which she claims is for her ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). Adderall, they reason, is prone to abuse and used as a sort of weight regulator.

Claims the source: "Lindsay is absolutely freaking out about the prospect of gaining weight now that Adderall has been taken away."

However, unlike other patients at the facility, Lindsay doesn't have the option of checking out at any time. Leaving the centre at any point during her court-sanctioned stay will result in jail time.

Randy Jackson leaving 'American Idol' after 12 years

LOS ANGELES: Veteran "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson said on Thursday he was leaving the Fox TV singing contest to focus on his other business ventures.

Jackson, who has been a judge on the show since its start in 2002, made the announcement amid falling ratings and rampant rumors about the future makeup of the celebrity panel.

"Yo! Yo! Yo! To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on American Idol I have decided it is time to leave after this season," Jackson told entertainment news outlet E! News.

"I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry. It's been a life changing opportunity but I am looking forward to focusing on my company Dream Merchant 21 and other business ventures," the record producer said.

Entertainment website TheWrap.com reported this week that producers were considering a major shake-up of the panel after the end of the season on May 16.

Citing unidentified sources, TheWrap said singers Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and country artist Keith Urban, who were brought in this year in a bid to refresh the show, would all be replaced as judges for the 2014 season.

Fox television declined to comment on the report.

Ratings have slumped this season for "American Idol," which last year lost its eight-year crown as the most-watched show on U.S. television. Fox is a unit of NewsCorp. -Reuters

Life after Gangnam Style

By ANGELIN YEOH
entertainment@thestar.com.my

Trapped by a tune: Psy has performed Gangnam Style all over the world, but his career needs to move forward.

One-hit wonder? Not so fast. Psy defies critics with Gentleman.

BACK in March, South Korean rapper Psy was in Kuala Lumpur to perform at Future Music Festival Asia. He performed the hit single Gangnam Style twice to a crowd of over 25,000 partygoers and then dropped a bombshell.

“I don’t feel like a human being anymore, I’m a horse. It’s an honour to finish off nine months of Gangnam Style in Malaysia. Look out for my new single on April 12,” Psy said.

Released last July, Gangnam Style made Psy a global phenomenon. The music video currently holds the record as the most-viewed clip on YouTube with over one billion views and counting.

His other achievements include a win for Best Video at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Frankfurt, Germany, and Best Song and Video at Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong. Psy even performed the hit single at a new year’s eve celebration in Times Square, New York and shared the stage with American rapper MC Hammer.

However, music critics are not feeling Psy’s new single Gentleman which was released last month. In the video, Psy behaves anything but a gentleman. He plays a useless boyfriend who lets his date fall on the floor and laughs at a girl for falling off the treadmill in the gym. He shows off his rebellious side by kicking safety cones on the road and harassing girls in bikini. He also showcases a new dance move he calls the “arrogant dance”.

David Trifunov of The Global Post felt the single is not breaking any new ground for Psy.

“It feels strikingly similar to his smash hit (Gangnam Style) and it gravitated into a more tactless territory,” said Trifunov.

The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis agreed.

“The single is a fairly standard-issue pop dance single with rave-y synthesisers, four to the floor house beats and lyrics about a girl being so freakin’ sexy,” he said.

Rolling Stone magazine associate editor Simon Vozick-Levinson said it would be impossible for Psy to replicate the success of Gangnam Style with Gentleman. 

“It (Gangnam Style) was a freak occurrence. It was just the right combination of factors and it’s very hard to replicate that,” Vozick-Levinson said.

He added: “One-hit wonders are going to be more common in this day and age. YouTube hits are bigger than Billboard charts. It’s easier than ever to come out of nowhere with one incredibly catchy song and have it blow up out of control.”

Critics might dismissed Gentleman but Psy continues to break records. Just four days after its release, the video clocked 100 million views on YouTube. Currently, the video has more than 260 million views.

In an interview with MTV News, Psy revealed his gruelling schedule for Gentleman’s worldwide release last month.

“I released it on April 12, then the next day I had a huge concert in Korea – so that week was like hell,” he said.

“The same week, on Monday and Tuesday, I did the shooting for the video. Then on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, we were editing and I was rehearsing and memorising all the chereography. So that was the worst week ever in my life.”

Writing the song was also another matter of personal torment to him.

“I honestly changed this song so many times. I was so nervous. My only goal was to avoid being called a one-hit wonder.”

He might have just succeeded in doing that. While many are quick to label Psy a one-hit wonder, statistics show otherwise. Gentleman has managed to find its way to the No.5 spot on US Billboard Hot 100 (Gangnam Style peaked at No.2) and hit the top 10 in Britain.

The song also went to No.1 on the iTunes chart.

The public has spoken and the numbers have proven that Psy is not a one-hit wonder. So, can we stop saying his name in the same breath as Vanilla Ice?

Dark side of humanity

By HELMI YUSOF

Unpredictable: Othello, the good general, turns into a murderous savage who kills his own wife, in Othello, this year’s production staged by Shakespeare In The Park (Singapore).

What do war movies have to do with Shakespeare’s Othello?

Apocalypse Now. Jarhead. The Hurt Locker. Buffalo Soldiers. All these Hollywood war movies also happen to be gripping psychological studies of what war does to humankind.

But what do war movies have to do with Shakespeare’s 17th-century play Othello? Plenty, says director Bruce Guthrie – and not just on a superficial level, with Othello being an army general.

Guthrie is directing an upcoming production of Othello for the annual Shakespeare In The Park in Singapore, presented by the Singapore Repertory Theatre.

He says: “When chatting about the play with my creative team, I found myself citing all these modern war Hollywood movies and the tensions that come with being a soldier in constant combat.

“Othello has been around war most of his life and that does something to a person psychologically. You have this army that turns up to fight an enemy who never shows up. That energy has to go somewhere ... and I feel that creates the perfect set-up for what unfolds.”

What unfolds, for those less familiar with the play, is a sensational tragedy of love, jealousy and bloodlust.

Othello is a Christian Moor and general of the armies of Venice. Iago is his ancient (or captain) who has just been passed over for promotion, and thus bears a grudge against Othello.

When Othello marries Desdemona, a young white daughter of a senator, their mixed-race marriage sets tongues a-wagging. Iago takes the opportunity to exploit the Moor’s insecurities about his age, race, outsider status and marriage – turning the proud general into a murderous savage.

On the final count, though, Othello’s downfall is as much the result of his own perverse zeal to torment himself as it is the machinations of Iago.

Guthrie says a “big problem” he has with it is “trying to justify why this great general murders the woman he adores on nothing more than the word of one man (Iago) and circumstantial evidence.
“But Iago and Othello have fought side-by-side for years in extreme conditions. They share a bond and Othello has learnt to trust those around him.”

Guthrie, who hails from Scotland, directed Twelfth Night at last year’s Shakespeare In The Park.

He says: “For Othello, we have again created what feels like a contemporary setting but it is not actually set in a specific time or region of the world. Our designer Robin Don has come up with an epic design for the park this year – a modern war zone for a timeless story.”

Meanwhile, playing the eponymous character at the centre of the dramatic storm is British stage and TV actor Daniel Francis, best known in Britain for his character on the TV series, Homefront.

Asked how he will attempt to humanise or “defend” Othello, the good general-turned-wife killer, Francis says: “I never attempt to defend any character I play. Othello is human, filled with inner conflicts and contradictions.

“Contradictions in characters draw me in the most because we humans are hardly ever consistent. We often do things that seem random and unpredictable.

“What is necessary for me as an actor is a willingness to explore the darker aspects of my humanity ... without losing my marbles,” he adds with a laugh.

Playing Desdemona, his young wife, is Singapore-born actress Wendy Kweh who is based in London. Kweh is no stranger to Shakespeare. She won awards in Singapore for her role as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2007), and again in 2009 for playing Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. Last year, she played Juliet’s mother in Wild Rice’s Romeo And Juliet.

Kweh says she admires Desdemona most for her “courage and constancy” in loving Othello, despite his false belief that she is unfaithful to him. Even though he ultimately murders her, she forgives him – and, in effect, helps the audience forgive him, too.

Some readers regard Desdemona as something of a weak woman who submits herself to the changing whims of her husband – an opinion that Kweh does not necessarily agree with. She says Desdemona is a perennially intriguing character “because nobody knows what really goes on in other people’s relationships”.

And finally, there’s Iago, said to be the most heinous villain in the Shakespearean canon. Iago is a particularly fascinating misanthrope because Shakespeare never quite makes clear the roots of his discontent.

Iago is played by another seasoned Shakespearean performer, Daniel Jenkins, a Briton based in Singapore for the last 15 years. Jenkins says: “I actually feel sorry for Iago, as strange as that may sound. This is a man who has worked hard all his life, dedicating himself to the army and his career, working his way up through the ranks and quite possibly making many sacrifices along the way.

“So when he is overlooked for the promotion, a position he feels should automatically be his, I think it tips him over the edge and he goes down a path of death and tragedy. It could actually be the tragedy of Iago as much as Othello’s.”

Jenkins also likes the theory that Iago could be impotent: “He is racked with jealousy himself, suspecting his wife of sleeping with both Othello and Cassio (the captain who got the promotion instead of him). One also has to question why Iago and Emilia don’t have children. Is he impotent? Possibly.” – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network

> Othello is currently playing at Singapore’s Fort Canning Park (until May 19) at 7.30pm. No shows on Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission: S$40 (RM96) to S$95 (RM228) from Sistic (sistic.com.sg).

Bertolucci to lead Venice film festival jury

Published: Thursday May 9, 2013 MYT 6:42:00 PM

 

ROME: Oscar-winning Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci will lead this year's Venice film festival jury, organisers said on Thursday, defining the filmmaker as "one of the most influential in cinema history".

Bertolucci, 72, the author of "The Conformist", "Last Tango in Paris" and "The Last Emperor" among many others, will decide on the Golden Lion prize at the festival which begins on August 28.

"Few directors can bring together like Bertolucci a long experience with the fact of living in the present of cinematography," festival director Alberto Barbera said in a statement.

Bertolucci, who previously headed the jury in 1983, accepted the post, saying the festival "manages to probe the most mysterious cinematographic niches of the most mysterious countries in the world".

Bertolucci started out working with Pier Paolo Pasolini on "Accattone" (1961) and his latest film "Me and You" came out in 2012.

"The Last Emperor" in 1987 won nine Oscars and was the first and only Italian film to receive a golden statue for best director.-AFP

Man who voiced Charlie Brown sent to drug facility for stalking

Published: Thursday May 9, 2013 MYT 5:19:00 PM

 

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The former child actor who was the voice of Charlie Brown in the 1960s Peanuts animated television specials was sentenced to a year in jail on Wednesday and immediately ordered to a residential drug treatment center by a California judge who told him: "Don't be a blockhead."

Peter Robbins, 56, who choked up while reading a letter of apology to the court, had pleaded guilty last month to two felony counts of stalking and making criminal threats against his girlfriend, Shawna Kern, and a plastic surgeon who had performed her breast implant surgery.

Although he was sentenced to a year in jail, he was given credit for time served and ordered to spend the next eight months in a drug treatment facility. He will then serve five years of probation.

"I realize this is the first step towards becoming the fun-loving, respectful person I was and hope to be again," Robbins said in his apology. "I love Shawna and wish her my best."

Robbins was 9 years old in 1965 when he became the voice of the world-weary yet optimistic title character of A Charlie Brown Christmas, a holiday classic and the first of many animated TV specials based on the popular Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz.

The actor went on to voice Charlie Brown in It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, You're In Love, Charlie Brown and A Boy Named Charlie Brown, which aired in the 1960s. He was replaced in later versions of the animated specials.

Charlie Brown was often called a blockhead by some of the other characters on the show.

Robbins was arrested in January after a series of telephone and in-person threats to the two women, Kern and Dr Lori Saltz.

Judge Dwayne Moring of San Diego Superior Court agreed that Robbins be immediately sent to residential drug treatment from the county jail, where he has been held in lieu of US$550,000 bail since January.

Robbins' judgment had been affected by alcohol and prescription drug addiction at the time of the crime, according to the probation report.

'Jurassic Park 4' movie put on hold

Published: Thursday May 9, 2013 MYT 4:10:00 PM

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The anticipated June 2014 release of the fourth installment of Jurassic Park, one of the highest-grossing film franchises, has been put on hold, Universal Pictures said on Wednesday.

The decision was made to give "the studio and filmmakers adequate time to bring audiences the best possible version" of Jurassic Park 4, the studio said in a statement.

The film was slated to be released in theatres on June 13, 2014. Universal has yet to announce a new date for the release.

The three Jurassic Park films generated US$1.9 billion in worldwide ticket sales between 1993 and 2001, according to the movie website Box Office Mojo.

Steven Spielberg directed the first two and will be taking on the executive producer role for the fourth film, while newcomer Colin Trevorrow will direct.

No announcement has been made on casting or on whether franchise stars Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough will return.

The first film, released in 1993, captured audiences with its story of a theme park of cloned dinosaurs and generated US$967 million in worldwide ticket sales, according Box Office Mojo, ranking 16th among best-selling films in the United States.

It has generated US$400.9 million in domestic sales to date, including $42.5 million from its limited theatrical re-release in 3D in April.