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Just when you thought it was safe to return to social media following the complete saturation of the Ice Bucket Challenge, a new phenomenon would seem to be set to clog up our Facebook and Twitter feeds for the coming months.

Hugh Grant is one of a handful of celebrities to have already taken part in #wakeupcall

The #wakeupcall challenge, in which those nominated must post a selfie taken just after they’ve woken up, has been undertaken by celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Dan Snow, Derren Brown, Hugh Grant and Tom Hiddleston. Just like the Ice Bucket Challenge, those who do so are able to nominate three other people, so it may only be a matter of time before the craze spreads out of the celebrity world and into civilian territory.

Continue reading: Celebrities Take Part In New Social Media Challenge

There’s a generation out there who have been practically weened on Harry Potter. The books and the films have become a religion for devout fans of the series, but would it have been the same if different actors had been cast in the leading roles? You may be surprised to hear that before the perfect cast was set in stone, there were some strange alternate actors vying for the parts!

Ian McKellen turned down the role of Dumbledore

Sir. Ian McKellen was once thought in the running to play Hogwarts’ headmaster, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. He was, in fact, offered the role after original Dumbledore actor, Richard Harris, passed away just after filming the first Harry Potter film. However, Sir. Ian turned down the role, citing the reason that Richard Harris had once publicly declared what a dreadful actor he thought McKellen was! Eventually, Michael Gambon took on the role and the rest is Harry Potter history.

Continue reading: What Would 'Harry Potter' Have Been Like With This Alternative Cast?

It's the biggest literary news of the past seven days: if you somehow haven't heard who author Helen Fielding has killed off in her Bridget Jones sequel to The Edge of Reason, then look away now. Bridget Jones' Diary, published in 1996 after an anonymous column in The Independent newspaper, catapulted the former journalist to fame and spawned a hugely successful movie franchise starring Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth.

Renee Zellweger Has Become Synonymous With Bridget Jones.

After a long break, Fielding announced that she'd begun writing the third instalment in the Bridget Jones series in mid-2012 and now it looks like Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is finally here. Before the novel has even been published, Bridget Jones fans are going wild upon the news that Fielding had decided to kill off Mark Darcy, Bridget's heartthrob husband played by Colin Firth in the movies, and leave our heroine widowed.

Continue reading: Bridget Jones Third Novel Promises Monumental Character Death

Master of the romantic comedy genre, Richard Curtis, who helped bring us some of Britain's best-loved romance films of the last three decades has said that he thinks upcoming film About Time will be his last.

The thrice BAFTA-winning, Oscar-nominated director has tole Empire magazine, as reported by The Independent, that "[About Time] probably will be the last film I will direct." The 56 year-old filmmaker admitted he himself wasn't sure why he wanted to bow out, saying "I don't know. Just a feeling...just a feeling. It feels like a summing-up to me. We'll see how things turn out."

Richard Curtis Thinks About Time Will Be His Swansong.

Continue reading: Richard Curtis Bows Out Of Filmmaking: What's His Secret Rom-Com Formula?

Everyone likes a bit of high profile conflict, but no one expects the drama to come from someone like Jon Stewart.

The Daily Show host made a bit of a stir recently with his statement about Hugh Grant being “the worst guest on the show” at a fundraiser for the Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey recently.

In an online Q&A, Stewart said of the actor: “He’s my least favorite guest. And we’ve had dictators on the show.” He added that he would never have the actor appear on the show again. Harsh words, but apparently, the on-screen English charm doesn’t translate to real life situations. Can’t say we aren’t a bit disappointed there.

Continue reading: Hugh Grant Responds To Jon Stewart Rant

Whilst in Britain Hugh Grant’s been receiving sympathy for his part in the phone hacking scandal and subsequent inquiry into press practices in the country, across in the US he seems to have lost at least one fan – host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart.

Third Beat Magazine reports that, during a question and answer session with Steven Colbert in New Jersey at a fundraiser for the Montclair Film Festival, Stewart pinpointed Grant as the least favorite guest he’d ever had on the show, quipping “and we’ve had dictators on the show”. Stewart was talking about a time when Grant appeared on his show to talk about his movie Did You Hear About The Morgans? in 2009, and apparently the actor didn’t endear himself to the crew. "He's giving everyone s*** the whole time, and he's a big pain in the a**," Stewart said.

The root of Grant’s disgruntlement apparently came down to a clip provided by the film’s publicist. "What is that clip? It's a terrible clip,” Grant allegedly said, to which Stewart snapped back "Well, then make a better f***ing movie,” Stewart replied. The fundraiser was a reportedly lively event, with Stewart telling his old friend and former co-star Colbert about how tough he found it initially to take on hosting The Daily Show when he joined in 1999, admitting that he struggled to get on with the writers and, at one point, had to be “talked down off a moderately high cliff” regards quitting the show.

Little has caused more contention in the contactmusic office than our recent discussion about the Christmas films list! Obviously, everyone has their own favourite, and to them that will always be the top of the list. One thing that became all too clear to us was that - with the exception of Elf & Bad Santa - there really hasn't been too many full blown Christmas films so we'd like to make a plea to Bill Murray and the other Hollywood greats - PLEASE make a new (top quality) Christmas film to join these festive favourites! 

I can't say we particularly advocate parents encouraging their offspring to watch films above their age certificate, but it appears we all grew up in houses that didn't really mind what we watched - and let's face it, some of the best Christmas films might have a few boobs or rowdy drunken behaviour... As children of the 80's and 90's, we're fully aware that there's original to some of these remakes, but as is always the way, these are the films we grew up with and as such, they are our favourites. 

Enough explanation, in no particular order here are the films we recommend you watch over the holidays!

Continue reading: Top Twenty Classic Holiday Season Christmas Films

Halle Berry stopped by Jay Leno's Tonight Show this week to talk up her new movie Cloud Atlas, an adaptation of David Mitchell's epic novel of the same name. The ambitious film - by the Wachowski's - chronicles a story across five centuries, set in six separate timelines.

One scene in the movie sees Berry's character smoking marijuana with Tom Hanks, which prompted Leno to ask the actress if she was partial to a smoke now and again. Berry claimed she was "not a pot smoker," though Leno asked "Have you smoked pot with Tom Hanks?" with Berry carefully conceding, "I smoked pot with Tom Hanks in this movie." Berry and Hanks play different characters in each setting, though each story manages to connect in innovative and magical ways. 

The film opens nationwide on Friday (October 26, 2012) and has been quietly praised by critics, though it remains to be seen whether or not it will contend for the major film awards. We predict it will get a few obligatory nods (this year's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) but won't win a thing. It stars Hugh Grant as a futuristic cannibal for god's sake.

Continue reading: Cloud Atlas: So Complicated Halle Berry And Tom Hanks Just Had To Smoke Pot

With his upcoming film, Cloud Atlas ready for release later this month, one of the film’s stars, Tom Hanks, has alluded to the deep plotline that runs through the book adaptation and said that the film is as “risky as Inception” was when it was release in 2010.

Hanks was plugging his new film during a chat with Canadian paper The Montreal Gazette, when he brought up the Christopher Nolan film, suggesting that it was the closest thing to compare to his latest movie outing. Cloud Atlas follows the intertwining lives of a massive cast that drifts between centuries both past and present, examining the impact of fate on good and bad behaviour.

In his discussion, he not only had praises to sing for Brit-director Nolan, but also his three “bold” directors for the upcoming project; Tom Tykwer and Lana and Andy Wachowski. And if three directors were a lot to take on board, then the number of characters the actors have to transform themselves into throughout the film will take some effort to get your heads round too, with Hanks alone taking on 6 different roles.

Continue reading: Cloud Atlas Is As Risky As Inception, Says Tom Hanks