In possibly controversial news, the casting for DC Comics’ supervillain team-up movie Suicide Squad has been announced, and the biggest news of all is that Jared Leto has been selected to portray the Joker, and starring roles have also been given to Will Smith and Tom Hardy.

Jared Leto will play the Joker in 2016's 'Suicide Squad'. Can he be as awesome as Heath Ledger?

Late on Tuesday, Warner Bros. confirmed the highly anticipated casting. Smith will play Deadshot, and Hardy will play the group’s leader Rick Flagg. The rest of the Suicide Squad will be Jai Courtney as Boomerang, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and Cara Delevingne as Enchantress.

Continue reading: Casting For 2016's 'Suicide Squad' Announced

Nearly 20 years after the original sci-fi epic, Roland Emmerich has signed on to direct Independence Day 2 for 20th Century Fox. Dean Devlin, producer of the original movie starring Will Smith, is also returning and confirmed the news on his Twitter account this week.

Roland Emmerich is directing Independence Day 2

The movie has a release date of June 26, 2016, meaning Emmerich and Devlin are going to have to get moving - sharpish. The sequel will take place in an alternate reality where humans have enjoyed 20 years of peace since the alien invasion featured in the first movie.

Continue reading: Roland Emmerich Returning To Direct 'Independence Day 2'

Jaden and Willow Smith, the children of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, have a big task in following their parent's footsteps, but the two siblings, who seem very self-assured, are proving to be quite the entertaining duo.

Jaden and Willow covered a range of bizarre topics in a recent interview

Jaden and Willow, who both sing and act, recently took part in a joint interview with New York Times, covering an array of bizarre topics, including only liking their own music, ordinary school and practising meditation.

Continue reading: Jaden And Willow Smith Explain Why School Makes Kids "Depressed," And Only Listen To Their Own Music

If anything's going to cheer you up today, let it be the heartwarming video for Sia's rendition of 'Annie' song 'You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile'. Released ahead of the movie re-boot, it's got us all a little bit choked up.

Sia never fails to make us smile

As part of the soundtrack for the new film, Sia has recorded an exceptionally uplifting update on the original song which first featured in the 1977 Broadway run. In the run-up to the new movie's release, an adorable promotional video premiered on 'Good Morning America' alongside the track, featuring the colourful cast doing their best to get commuters and shoppers to smile while out and about in New York City. With signs reading 'Smile' and other encouraging messages, the young actors hand out drawings of smiley faces to strangers as well as free lemonade in return for smiles, high fives, flowers and, for the dedicated joggers of the city, bananas and water. 

Continue reading: We Defy You To Keep A Straight Face With Sia's Rendition Of 'Annie' Song 'You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile' [Video]

Will Smith and Margot Robbie co-star in Focus, an intense crime tail about a con-artist, who takes a promising young “intern” under his wing ahead of the biggest hit of his career. Plot twist during the, we’ll call it training, Nicky Spurgeon (Smith) falls for Jess Barrett (Robbie) and things reach a whole new level of complicated.

Apparently Will Smith was a second choice for the male lead, but we will most definitely take it.

You might remember Robbie from her star-making turn in The Wolf of Wall Street and this film looks like a kind of Wolf meets Hitch in both plot and execution. The story comes courtesy of writing/directing duo Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (of Crazy, Stupid, Love fame). According to Entertainment Weekly, a number of actors have been linked to the project, including Ben Affleck and Kristen Stewart and Ryan Gosling/Emma Stone. Judging solely from the trailer, the final cast works beautifully. Check out the whole thing below.

Continue reading: New Teaser For "Focus" Shows Will Smith And Margot Robbie As The Coolest Con Artists Ever [Trailer]

In 1996 Independence Day, starring Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum, took over $817 million at the worldwide box office and amassed a legion of die-heard fans. So the question for the past 18 years has been, where’s our sequel!? Well actually, the long awaited follow up could be soon coming our way after Jeff Goldblum revealed it was “brewing.”

Jeff Goldblum has been speaking about a possible Independence Day sequel.

Speaking to Time Magazine the 61 year old said, “I had a meeting and have been talking over the last several months or year with Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, the producer, and they’ve been cooking up and say they have a part for me in what they hope will be a plan to make another one pretty soon.”

Continue reading: Jeff Goldblum Says ‘Independence Day’ Sequel “Is Brewing”.

Matthew McConaughey will not be reprising his role as strip club owner Dallas in the upcoming sequel to Magic Mike, Magic Mike XXL. The 2015 film may have lost one of its biggest stars but it's certainly making up for it by casting actresses such as Amber Heard, Andie MacDowell and Jada Pinkett Smith. 

Matthew Mcconaughey at 4th Annual Critics' Awards in June 2014.

Read More: Joe Manganiello Reveals Magic Mike 2 Will Begin Filming This Autumn.

Continue reading: Amber Heard In, Matthew McConaughey Out Of 'Magic Mike XXL'

It’s official: Bad Boys 3 is happening. Martin Lawrence all but confirmed the movie when he sat down with Conan O’ Brien to promote his new television show, Partners.

Martin Lawrence [L] and Will Smith [R] promoting 'Bad Boys 2' [Getty/Kevin Winter]

When asked by O’Brien about the film’s existence and whether it would actually happen, Lawrence replied: “I believe so. Yes. I just talked to Jerry Bruckheimer yesterday and he said its real, they’re working on the script, they’re getting close and it all looks good,” according to Slash Film. 

Continue reading: Martin Lawrence Confirms 'Bad Boys 3'

In perhaps the most audacious and downright ridiculous move the music business has witnessed in the last few years, singer Robin Thicke has announced his new album will carry the title of Paula, which by some strange coincidence just happens to be the name of his estranged wife- actress Paula Patton.

Thicke and Paula in more happy circumstances.

To say such a public declaration of love is cringe-worthy would be an understatement, it is such a trite attempt at reconciling with his wife that is seems like something straight out of Spinal Tap. You can imagine the album title sitting quite comfortably alongside the likes of Smell The Glove and Shark Sandwich. As if that wasn’t irksome enough, Thicke’s debut single from the album is entitled "Get Her Back” and it sees the ageing crooner positively straining to exude as much heartfelt sincerity as he can before he gives himself a heart attack.

Continue reading: Robin Thicke's New Album Titled 'Paula': Ten More Cringe-Worthy Album Titles

Will Smith is set to star in another sports-based movie.

But this time the 45 year-old actor won't be playing the athlete, he will be portraying an expert dealing with concussions in the NFL, Variety reports.

The untitled flick is based on GQ Magazine's 2009 article 'Game Brain' by Jeanne Marie Laskas.

Continue reading: Will Smith Lands Lead Role In NFL Concussion Drama Based On 'Game Brain' Article

Will Smith is close to signing up for Peter Landesman's untitled drama about the NFL's concussion problem, based on the GQ article Game Brain. Ridley Scott will produce for his Scott Free production company.

Will Smith is ready to sign up for the NFL concussion drama

Scott is said to have become hugely passionate about the issue and was aggressive in landing a star for the picture.

Continue reading: Will Smith To Star In NFL Drama Based On 'Game Brain' Concussion Article

After a picture of 13-year-old Willow Smith, lounging on a bed next to 20-year-old actor Moises Arias hit the web, gossip blogs practically exploded. Speculation is rampant on what the relationship between the two is and whether or not it’s appropriate for the Whip My Hair performer to pose in such a suggestive manner at her age. As far as Willow’s parents – Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith – are concerned, she hasn’t done anything out of line. According to the ever trustworthy anonymous “sources” for TMZ, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith believe their daughter is "very mature" - enough so to make her own decisions, as long as they don't clearly cross the line.

Willow might be very mature for her age... but she's still only 13.

Apparently Willow’s folks view the photo as “harmless fun” and “an expression of art.”

Continue reading: Will And Jada Pinkett-Smith Step Up To Defend Willow's Questionable Instagram Shot With 20-Year-Old Actor

Keanu Reeves as Neo, Tom Hanks as Forest Gump - sometimes in Hollywood an actor plays a role so perfectly you would have thought it was written specially for them. Well more often than not, it wasn’t. Actually some of our favorite movies could have ended up looking very different if another actor hadn’t of passed up a leading role first.

Will Smith could have been Neo in 'The Matrix'.

1. Will Smith: Neo, 'The Matrix'

Continue reading: Pacino As Han Solo?! Actors Who Turned Down Brilliant Roles And Probably Regretted It

OK, so Keith Richards has released a children’s book called ‘Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar’, which was inspired by his own childhood and first experiences with music. There are lots of things that we think of Keith Richards as being, a children’s author is certainly not one. That said, we’re sure that the book will be magical and the sneak peek at illustrations indicate they will be beautiful, but it’s got us thinking about which other celebrities have written children’s books. And wow. You would not believe some of the celebs that have!

Keith Richards Has Penned A Children's Book

Bill Cosby wrote a book for children. Yep, the Bill Cosby, from The Cosby Show fame. The one who is always been accused of being inappropriate in a manner of ways. Cosby’s book is called ‘The Day I Was Rich’ and purports to teach children the value of friendship over money. When Little Bill (nothing Freudian to see here) discovers what he thinks is a huge diamond, which turns out to be a glass paperweight, he and friends are momentarily deflated before returning to the fun they had before they discovered the ‘treasure’. Heartwarming stuff.

Continue reading: Keith Richards, Billy Crystal, The Fonz: The Celebrity Children's Book Author Club

The first trailer for the ‘Annie’ remake has finally been released and sees the classic tale given a throughly modern update. Since the film won’t be out until December that means there’s plenty of time to get up to speed on the remake of this classic tale.

Quvenzhane Wallis star of the new 'Annie' movie

Annie

Continue reading: The 'Annie' Remake: EVERYTHING You Need To Know

The annual Razzie Awards celebrated their 34th year of the most terrible movies during the year on Saturday in Los Angeles. There were quite a few movies that were nominated for awards which featured well-known actors. However, the worst movie of the year went to "Movie 43." Not to be outdone, the sci-fi movie "After Earth" was also a big winner. Both movies earned three Golden Raspberry Award Foundation prizes. 

Will and Jaden Smith win Razzie awards for worst actors in "After Earth."

"Movie 43" also won an award for the worst director, which went to 13 people. It also won for the worst screenplay, awarded to the 19 people that took part in writing the film. The movie beat out "Grown-Ups 2," "The Lone Ranger," "A Madea Christmas" and "After Earth." 

Continue reading: Will And Jaden Smith Win Razzie Award For Worst Acting Combo

Jimmy Fallon has exploded into his new hosting role on The Tonight Show, replacing the former host of two decades, Jay Leno. If Fallon was feeling nervous, he wasn't showing any signs as he leapt headfirst into his new job, performing a skit alongside Will Smith called "The Evolution of Hip Hop Dancing."

Jimmy Fallon Has Thrown Himself Into 'The Tonight Show' With Gusto.

Fallon appeared onstage wearing a decidedly nineties shirt, denim dungarees and swinging silver chain and heavy timberland-style boots. A funky beat began playing and Will Smith strutted out in practically identical garb. The pair high-fived and kicked off with their first move, the cabbage patch, to excited hollering from the crowd.

Continue reading: It's Not Unusual To Still Love 'The Carlton Dance', As Jimmy Fallon And Will Smith Show [Video]

Ladies and gentlemen, meet your new Tonight Show host, Jimmy Fallon. Fallon’s first ever Tonight broadcast, live from New York, finally happened, capping off months of promotion. Now it’s time for a rundown.

Fallon’s opening monologue was full of nostalgic reminiscence, peppered with the occasional self-deprecating joke here and there. "This is the first Tonight Show broadcast from New York in over 40 years. I'm Jimmy Fallon and I'll be your host...for now," he quipped. Fallon even took a moment to introduce himself “for those watching for the first time.” "I'm 39 years old, I live in New York City with my beautiful wife Nancy and my six-month old daughter Winnie. I love her so much. She's the best thing that ever happened to me," he gushed.

Fallon worked it as the new host.

Continue reading: Jimmy Fallon Makes Unforgettable Tonight Show Debut

Winter's Tale, also known as A New York Winter's Tale, has failed to warm the hearts of critics following its Valentine's Day release.

Colin Farrell stars in Winter's Tale as Peter Lake.

The film has a stellar cast including: Colin Farrell (Phone Booth); Russell Crowe (Les Misérables); Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey); Jennifer Connelly (Beautiful Mind); Will Smith (Men in Black); and a large host of other famous names. 

Continue reading: 'Winter's Tale' Receives Icy Critical Reception

As an actor, Will Smith has come a long way since 1996's alien disaster movie Independence Day. So it's not really surprising that the star of the original movie has apparently turned down an offer to star in Roland Emmerich's upcoming sequel...but we kind of wish he hadn't.

Will Smith Won't Be Coming Back As Steven Hiller In 'Independence Day 2.'

Though Deadline reports an indecisive "back and forth," Smith has reportedly told Fox that he will not be accepting a reprisal of the big movie role that helped turn him into a fully-fledged film star. It has been suggested that one of the reasons for the back and forth was that Smith was "too expensive," as Emmerich himself has explained.

Continue reading: Will Smith Won't Star In 'Independence Day 2': A Possible Contender For The Sci-Fi Role Emerges

Will Smith is to become the first guest on the new series of 'The Tonight Show' now hosted by Jimmy Fallon.

Fallon takes over Leno on the re-vamped show

The former 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' host was announced to replace Jay Leno on 'The Tonight Show' last year, with his own show being taken over by 'Saturday Night Live' star Seth Meyers on February 24th 2014. 'I Am Legend' actor Will Smith will be Fallon's first guest on his new show, no doubt discussing his several upcoming movie projects including comedy 'Focus' . 

Continue reading: Will Smith Becomes First Guest On 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'

Margot Robbie's stock continues to rise higher and higher and as she looks set to become the latest in-demand Hollywood leading lady, her next big role has all but been confirmed. According to The Warp, the Wolf of Wall Street star is in the final stage of negotiations to star in David Yates' big screen version of Tarzan.

Robbie definately has the looks to be a leading lady

With filming set to begin this summer, Robbie looks set to join a cast that already includes Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson and Alexander Skarsgard as the loincloth-wearing tree swinger. The big-budget Warner Brothers production has been in the works for some time now, with Robbie's impending appointment to the film hopefully being the final piece of the puzzle needed to get filming of the latest take on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novel series underway.

Continue reading: Margot Robbie In Final Talks To Star In 'Tarzan'

It's awards season, which means it is the time when the stars of Hollywood gather together to congratulate themselves on another successful year of moviemaking. It is also the period when some of Hollywood's more questionable tastes are exposed and then routinely mocked, thanks to the annual Golden Raspberry Awards.

All of the Grown Ups 2 cast are up for an award, but it is Sandler who earns the most recognition

An established 'favourite' with the Razzies committee, Adam Sandler is up for his 19th, 20th and 21st Razzie nomination and might make it three Worst Actor wins in a row, with his role in Grown Ups 2 up against Johnny Depp in The Lone Ranger, Ashton Kutcher in Jobs, Jaden Smith in After Earth and Sylvester Stallone for pretty much all of his movies from 2013; Bullet to the Head, Escape Plan, and Grudge Match.

Continue reading: 'Grown Ups 2' & 'After Earth' Lead The Way In 34th Razzie Award Nominations - Full List Of Nominees

A week after the fact, Will Smith has spoken out about the death of former “Fresh Prince” co-star James Avery. Avery passed away on December 31, following complications from open heart surgery. He was 68. The actor played Uncle Phil on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”.

Avery died at just 68 from heart surgery complications.

Smith just posted a tribute to his co-star on Facebook, writing, "Some of my greatest lessons in Acting, Living and being a respectable human being came through James Avery." Smith posted the message alongside a recent photo of the Fresh Prince cast, featuring himself, Avery, Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton), Karyn Parsons (Hillary) and Tatyana Ali (Ashley). It was taken about two years ago at a charity event, which reunited the cast. According to Smith’s message, the photo marks “the last time [he and Avery] were together.”

Continue reading: Will Smith Speaks Out In Mouring Of James Avery's Death

The stars of the classic sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel Air have spoken of the loss of James Avery, the American actor who played on-screen father ‘Uncle Phil’ and who died in California yesterday (January 2, 2013).

James Avery Will Be Sadly Missed In The TV World

Alfonso Ribeiro and Tatyana Ali, as well as Will Smith’s wife Jada-Pinkett Smith paid tribute to the actor following his death after open heart surgery.

Continue reading: Prince Of Bel Air Stars Mourn Loss Of “Special Man” James Avery

Actor James Avery, the man who starred as the beloved Uncle Phillip Banks on the 90's sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bell Air, has passed away. A classically trained actor with over 170 screen credits to his name, Avery was more than just the man behind Uncle Phil, as the outpouring of grief that has followed the announcement of his death goes some way towards explaining.

Avery leaves behind a lasting legacy

His role as family patriarch and determined attorney (and later judge) on Fresh Prince won him many fans and admirers, but Avery's talents stretched well beyond that one popular character. His distinguished voiced lent him a career as a successful voice artist, supplying the voice of War Machine in the 90's animated series of Iron Man, a variety of voices for the movie The Prince of Egypt and most notably for his role as Shredder in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. His further acting roles saw him appear on both film and television, with noted appearances in That 70's Show, My Wife and Kids, Dr Dolittle 2, Jake and the Fatman and The Brady Bunch Movie. His final role was in the upcoming Zach Braff film Wish I Was Here, which will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival later this year.

Continue reading: Uncle Phil Remembered By Those He Knew Best: Actor James Avery Dead

Dennis Rodman topped one of the least desirable end of year lists going, as GQ placed the North Korea-infatuated former NBA star at the top of their annual 'Least Influential People' list. Rodman took home the dubious honour, which was awarded to Mitt Romney last year, beating politicians, pop stars, actors and actresses to the top spot thanks to his strange connection with North Korea and its dictator Kim Jong Un.

Described as a "Q-list celebrity willing to commit borderline treason just to hang out with a dictator who himself aspires to be a Q-list celebrity," by QG (reprinted by the Associated Press), Rodman won't be letter his minute influence get in the way of continuing his self-imposed peace mission in the dictatorship as he continues to travel back and forth to the Asian nation. Rodman revealed this week that he intends on going back to North Korea for the umpteenth time next month, this time going for an exhibition basketball tour.

Disgraced celebrity chef Paula Deen took the number two spot, with her racial slurs and subsequent court case with a former employee seeing her once glittering cooking empire crumble around her. The racist restauranteur was followed closely by former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, whose sexting exploits returned to the news for a second time whilst he was running for the New York mayorship in July. GQ described the horny Democrat as " the saddest lecher in American politics, and that's saying something, because they're all lechers."

Continue reading: Miley Cyrus & Barack Obama Among GQ's 'Least Influential' List

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage is often under scrutiny from various different sources and once again their union looked under threat when Star Magazine ran a story stating that Will may be hooking up with one of his co-stars. After an intimate photo shoot for their upcoming film Focus, Smith and Aussie actress Margot Robbie were reportedly seen getting heavy handed with each other and the rumour mill began spinning overtime. It turns out though that the co-stars are nothing more than that and the Smith union is under no threat.

Will and Margot were only fooling around and his 16-year marriage is not under threat

Will's wandering eye had reportedly landed the Smith family in a multi-million dollar divorce battle, Star first reported, but since this claim was made there has been an onslaught of press saying quite the contrary. Despite appearing together in a number of raunchy photographs taken during the wrap party for their new film, sources have insisted that the pair were just messing around and there is nothing to their relationship other than friendship. According to Us Weekly, the 42-year-old Fresh Prince and the 23-year-old former Neighbours actress "are not hooking up," and they have had no intention to do so either.

Continue reading: Will Smith's Marriage Is In No Danger, Despite Cheating Rumours

Will Smith's marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith is still intact and the rumours of infidelity are entirely unfounded, according to sources speaking to a US entertainment website. Smith was photographed in poses many believe show he is more than friends with 23-year-old Australian actress Margot Robbie.

Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith are doing "great" despite rumours.

The two were photographed in a photo booth set up for the wrap party of their upcoming film Focus. The photographs show the two joking around, lifting their tops and posing at the camera. The whole situation has been taken out of context and a number of media outlets have used the photographs as evidence of Smith's alleged infidelity. However, sources speaking to Us Weekly, have said Smith and Robbie are "not hooking up." Another source has stated the photographs were taken in "a photo booth on set that the producers got for everyone. It was the last day of filming and everyone was taking pictures. They were just goofing around. Will is just like that. There's nothing more to it."

Continue reading: Will Smith's Marriage Is "Great" Despite Rumours Of Infidelity

Miley Cyrus didn't win any awards at Sunday night's MTV music video awards ceremony in Brooklyn and she was just one of loads of performers helping raise the roof at the annual celebration of musical artistry. However, her performance - of her No.1 hit 'We Can't Stop' and 'Blurred Lines' with Robin Thicke - helped secure Miley as the most talked about live act of the night.

Miley's VMAs Performance Provoked Plenty Of Horror.

It wasn't her music per say; by now we're used to her post-Hannah Montana drawl and themes of entitled hedonism. Rather it was her outfits, dancing and facial expression that provoked a roomful of eye-popping and jaw-dropping. She emerged from the chest of a giant bear and without a moment's pause, began to grind and twerk before entering into a rendition of 'We Can't Stop' whilst the 'bear-people' - as seen in the track's eyebrow-raising video - bobbed about whilst being twerked on by Miley.

Continue reading: Will Smith & His Kids' Faces Of Horror During Miley Cyrus MTV VMAs Performance

We still can't figure out whether Willow Smith's new track 'Summer Fling' is any good or not, but it's better than Whip My Hair anyhow. The 12-year-old daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith has returned to the pop-music arena with as Melodic Chaotic, a collaboration with DJ MVSIC Fabrega.

Following on from their debut 'The Intro,' the stylish pair premiered the new track over the weekend and released a music video to accompany it. Easily the coolest looking 12-year-old on the planet, Willow offers up her very best Cara Delevingne-esque British accent in the video, asking for a guy's number while making it clear the romance will only last a couple of months. 

"Bright sun and the blue waters/ We fight less and love harder/ You tell me that I'm the one, I tell you it's just for fun/ We walk the beach at midnight, and watch the stars and the clear skies/ We both say I love you, but it's alright," sings Willow.

Continue reading: Willow Smith Pulls Out British Accent For 'Summer Fling' [Video]

The first red-band trailer for Spike Lee's remake of Park Chan-wook's classic and disturbing movie Oldboy has rolled out online, featuring all the hammer-centric bloody revenge of the original. Josh Brolin plays a man abducted and held in captivity for 20 years before being mysteriously set free by his captor.

The Poster for the American remake of Oldboy, starring Josh Brolin

Though many fans of the original remain wary of Lee's remake, the movie - written by I Am Legend scribe Mark Protosevich - is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Park's cult film - which makes up part of the director's Vengeance Trilogy - features one particularly unsettling scene, though it's unclear whether Spike Lee has retained it. Bloggers who saw an early screening in April said the remake maintains the shocking key plot twist, according to The Guardian.

Continue reading: Hammer-Wielding Josh Brolin Wants Revenge In Spike Lee's 'Oldboy' [Trailer]

Willow Smith might be the most successful 12-year-old in the world. The singer already has a lucrative deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and a platinum record with 2010’s Whip My Hair. As much as Willow’s career is taking off however, she is still only twelve, so it’s no surprise that her latest single and video Summer Fling, raised a couple of eyebrows. Willow singing “'Don't really care what we do tonight/ Good night kisses if the mood is right laying by the beach with you wishing this will never end' has prompted lots of people to question whether the subject matter is all that appropriate for the singer’s precocious age.

Check out the Summer Fling video below.

Continue reading: Controversy Builds Over Willow Smith's Age Inappropriate "Summer Fling"

The Bet Awards were held on Sunday (30th June 2013) at the Nokia Theater in L.A. This year, artists who achieved awards included Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Miguel, Drake and Charlie Wilson. 

Charlie Wilson, pictured at the BET Awards Press Conference, won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Awards were first held in 2001 with the intention of celebrating minorities in the Arts. The Awards this year were hosted by comedian Chris Tucker. Will Smith, Samuel L.Jackson, Queen Latifah and Jamie Foxx have all hosted the Award ceremony in the past. 

Continue reading: BET Awards 2013: Who Were The Winners?

If an Annie movie, produced by Will Smith and Jay-Z and directed by Jay Z sounds a bit strange, wait till you hear this: Cameron Diaz has been cast as Miss Hannigan. According to Deadline, the actress has been selected to play the orphanage matron, who hates children, but loves boozing in a big screen adaptation of the comic strip turned musical. The actress has been showing a sassier (to put it mildly) side in films like Bad Teacher of late, but it’s still a bit difficult to picture her as the vitriolic Miss Hannigan.

Diaz is taking on a new challenge with her Annie role.

Diaz will reportedly partner up with Quvenzhane Wallis, who became the youngest Oscar nominee for her role in Beasts of the Southern Wild. Quvenzhane will be portraying Annie, while the role of daddy Warbucks has been handed over to none other than Jamie Foxx. The Oscar-nominated actor is currently knee-deep in promotional efforts for his new movie White House Down, but will presumably begin shooting later this year, since the release date for the Annie movie is set for 2014.

Continue reading: "Annie" Movie To Feature Cameron Diaz As Grumpy Orphanage Headmistress

Two Independence Day sequels have been scheduled to be released in July 2015 probably without the star of the first film, Will Smith. In an interview with the director of the upcoming film, Roland Emmerich (who directed Channing Tatum in White House Down), said Will Smith is "too expensive". He also said it was because Smith is "too much of a marquee name".

Director Roland Emmerich at the 10,000BC Premiere, L.A. in 2008

Emmerich directed the first Independence Day, in 1996. However, after 17 years Emmerich is aware he is not only catering for an audience who remember the first film but for those who "are new" to the concept. Hence if Smith were to appear in the upcoming sequel, comparisons will be too easily made. In many respects this could alienate (excuse the terrible pun) the new audience. 

Continue reading: 'Independence Day' Sequel Will Go Ahead Without 'Expensive' Will Smith

Jay-Z has made a unique $5 million deal with Samsung to provide exclusive early access to his album,Magna Carta Holy Grail,and an assortment of extra features. This has caused huge controversy online. Some are disgusted at the blatant merging of music with corporate concerns, whilst others are simply irritated that they will have to wait 72 hours before they have access (although as one fan put on Twitter, it will take no time before the album is illegally uploaded).

Samsung has purchased a million copies of the album which will be given to a million smartphone customers on July 4th. If the free downloads count in the charts, Jay-Z's album will be guaranteed a place at No. 1. It is thought, that if Samsung paid $5 million in exchange for 1 million copies (thus putting the price of each album at $5), these sales will be taken into consideration.

This is the latest of Jay-Z's business deals which include producing films such as Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby and an adaptation of the musical Annie (in partnership with Will Smith). 

Continue reading: Samsung Galaxy Customers Will Have Early Access To Jay-Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail

Sandra Bullock is in talks with producers of the upcoming Hollywood remake of ‘Annie,’ according to The Wrap. Rumours of Bullock’s involvement started circulating in March, although it is believed talks have since reopened with Sony and Overbrook Entertainment.

The musical, first shown on Broadway in 1977, was made into a film in 1982. Should the studio’s plans come into fruition, the actress would be playing Miss Hannigan: the abusive overseer of Annie’s orphanage. As such, Bullock will be competing with Carol Burnett’s performance.

This role would mark a change for the actress who has previously appeared as the heroine in the majority of her films including The Blind Side, The Proposal and All About Steve.

Continue reading: Sandra Bullock In Talks For Jay-z And Will Smith’S ‘Annie’

59 year-old Jackie Chan, who made a name for himself by performing his own stunts throughout his illustrious martial arts career, has left second imprints of his hands and feet outside Hollywood's Chinese Theatre after the first set disappeared.

Hong Kong-born Chan has starred in over a hundred films since his first appearance as a child actor in 1962's Big and Little Wong Tin Bar, crossing into Hollywood in 1995 with cult-film Rumble in the Bronx and receiving a Sidewalk Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002.

Described as a more exclusive honour than Hollywood's WoF by The Daily Mail, a special 'handprint' ceremony was held yesterday (6th June) where Chan made his prints in front of an audience including Jaden Smith - son of Will Smith and Chan's young co-star in the recent remake of The Karate Kid.

Continue reading: Set In Stone: Jackie Chan's Stardom Is Cemented In Hollywood History

How many chances is M. Night Shyamalan going to get to direct a big-budget movie without making it toe-curlingly horrible? The Indian-American filmmaker proved he had the talent to put together an entertaining narrative with The Sixth Sense, though audiences are still waiting for Shyamalan to recreate that magic. They have been waiting for a long time.

There were flashes of quality in his two efforts after the Bruce Willis horror-drama, Signs and Unbreakable, though both suffered from sequences that bordered on the ridiculous. The dip in form continued with The Village (2004) though reached a terrifying low with Lady in the Water (2006) - or so we thought.

The Happening, starring Zooey Deschanel and Mark Wahlberg, prompted the New Republic to assert, "[A]n astonishment, so idiotic in conception and inept in execution that, after seeing it, one almost wonders whether it was real or imagined," though Shyamalan's career eventually reached its nadir with the infamous Last Airbender (2010) about a 12-year-old boy who provides the last hope of restoring harmony to a land consumed by chaos. "$150,000,000 well wasted. The Last Airbender is an insult to those wanting sophisticated, entertaining or even competent cinema," said Michael Leader of Film4. In his scathing review, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian said, "After the first five seconds, it seems as if you have been watching it for around two-and-a-half hours, and that this time has passed in four-and-a-half days." 

Continue reading: What The Hell Has Happened To M. Night Shyamalan?

Is Will Smith losing his edge as Hollywood's most bankable box-office star? We've seen chinks in Tom Cruise's commercial armour in recent years, though Smith appears to be in free-fall - and he doesn't have the Mission Impossible franchise to fall back on.

His latest movie - M. Night Shymalan's After Earth - is a weak, weak effort that left audiences with little patience left for the Indian-American director and doubts over Smith's eye for a decent family flick. It's no secret that the movie star pulled out all the stops to get the sci-fi movie made, enlisting his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith as a producer and casting himself and son Jaden Smith as the lead stars.

The film failed to top the box-office, pulling in $27.5 million after a 12 per cent score on reviews aggregating website Rotten Tomatoes. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the movie could now lose tens of millions should it not score big overseas. Commentators agree that the hapless Shymalan will take the biggest hit from the box-office disaster and it's possible that the major studios will no longer trust the The Last Airbender director with big-budgets, however, After Earth also proves that Will Smith's supposed bulletproof image is not so solid and that the four years between Seven Pounds and Men In Black 3 did little to maintain his position as the world's most bankable star. "One thing you've got to do as an actor is portfolio management," said an industry source, "Will went through a place where he didn't do a lot of movies, and none has been great..He could still be highly successful, but it was automatic before. Now audiences will look more carefully."

Continue reading: Fall Of The Prince: Sony Lose Millions On Will Smith's 'After Earth'

The critics definitely aren’t favoring After Earth this week and for ones, movie-goers seem to agree. M. Night Shyamalan’s crack at sci-fi, starring Will and Jaden Smith is hemorrhaging money at this point, with a measly taking of $10 million on Friday (according to The Chicago Tribune) and looking at an unimpressive $25 million in weekend takings. That’s definitely not enough to justify Sony’s $130 million investment in a project, which, it is becoming increasingly obvious, could turn out to be the year’s biggest flop. Of course, this might not be the final curtain for After Earth, but with earnings at less than half what the studio predicted (After Earth was predicted to debut at somewhere between $30 to $40 million) it isn’t looking good for the lackluster sci-fi adventure.

Meanwhile, the unlikely success of Fast & Furious 6 continues. This weekend the Dwayne Johnson flick isn’t quite putting the pedal to the metal like last week, but it’s still going at a steady $40 million on its second week of release. Then again, Fast & Furious definitely has the formula for a summer blockbuster – namely, cars, quips and scantily-clad people – down pat, while After Earth – a Frankenstein-like mix of sci-fi, drama and comedy – struggles to find its audience.

"Fast & Furious 6," will likely stay at No. 1 in its second weekend with an estimated $50 million over three days. Previous "Fast" movies have dropped sharply in their second weekends, but the strong opening for the sixth installment shows that the series may have hit its peak later on in the game.

Continue reading: Box Office Biggies: After Earth Flounders, While Fast & Furious Dominates

After Earth, the new sci-fi adventure starring father and son team Will and Jaden Smith, has been savaged by critics ahead of its release today (May 31, 2013). Though the premise has the makings of a reasonable sci-fi movie – two guys stranded on earth years after civilization – somewhere along the line something has gone very, very wrong. Perhaps the blame lies with M. Night Shyamalan, a director who is on an uncomfortably bad run with the critics that shows no signs of slowing up.

The movie follows Will Smith as Cypher Raige, a stern general who is tasked with a peacekeeping mission on earth, one thousand years after humanity settled elsewhere. Under the general’s stewardship is a young teenager named Kitai – also his son – who helps with the mission though all too regularly finds himself in trouble with the various beasts that still inhabit earth.

Holding a dismal score of just 12% on Rotten Tomatoes, After Earth has come in for some heavy, heavy criticism. Sure, the critics may be having their usual fun with Shyamalan (The Last Airbender etc) though there really isn't a positive word to be found. Joe Morgensten of the Wall Street Journal asked, “Is "After Earth" the worst movie ever made?” while Betsy Sharkey of the L.A. Times wrote, “There is no small irony that this sci-fi action adventure is about surviving a serious crash. The scorched earth left behind by "After Earth" is sure to leave a scar on everyone involved.”

Watch the 'After Earth' Trailer:

Continue reading: Will Smith's ‘After Earth,’ Dubbed ‘The Worst Movie Ever Made’

Will Smith’s newest endeavor should have geeks far and wide jumping for joy – or maybe just a bit nervous? The former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is taking on science fiction this time with his son Jayden – as Cypher Raige and his son, Kitai Raige, respectively. Cypher, the General of Nova Prime's Ranger Corps is a war hero, one of few men who can "ghost," or shut out fear during combat against alien creatures called Ursas.

Clearly, it’s one ambitious project. Add the name of M. Night Shyamalan gives the film, which hits theatres this weekend, gives the whole thing huge potential for success – and probably equal chances of failure. What makes us hopeful is that this isn’t the first time Smith Sr. and Jr. will be portraying the father-son dynamic on screen. Then again, their remake of Karate Kid didn’t exactly have a stellar reception.

Continue reading: "After Earth" - Will And Jaden Smith's Father Son Movie With A Science Fiction Twist

Will Smith and Jaden Smith at 'After Earth' New York premiere

The New York premiere of Will Smith's new action movie 'After Earth' was almost like a reunion for the actor as several old friends showed up to offer their support.

The event was truly a field day for photographers with celebrities from Wyclef Jean to Bruce Willis making their appearances on the red carpet. Will Smith was the star attraction alongside his son and co-star Jaden Smith, and he also brought along his other two children Willow Smith and Trey Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith. Joining them were 'After Earth' director M. Night Shyamalan (the man behind 'The Sixth Sense' and 'The Village'), Smith's co-star Kristofer Hivju, Oscar-nominated director Spike Lee and rapper 50 Cent. There was even an appearance from Smith's former 'The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' co-star Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Will's rich and very spoilt cousin Carlton Banks. Another notable attendee was genuine NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin, best known for being the second man to walk on the moon in 1969.

Continue reading: Will Smith And Jaden Smith Joined By Buzz Aldrin And 50 Cent At 'After Earth' Premiere [Photos]

Schoolchildren from across London gathered in the City Hall on Friday (May 24) for mayor Boris Johnson's Leadership Clubs programme - which offer extra-curricular activities for 10 to 14-year-olds - only to be treated to an appearance from none other than Hollywood star Will Smith! Will wasn't alone though as he brought his son Jaden along with him to talk with the kids about staying out of trouble, supporting the arts and their new film After Earth.

As is the norm, Bozza decided to make a fool of himself when he revealed to the Smiths that he had written his own rap song, telling them that he had written a rap for the Queen's jubilee. He said: "My first rap, I haven’t really set it to music yet. Perhaps with your help. It was about the Queen’s Jubilee," to which Will jokingly replied: "That [the jubilee] was big in the hip-hop community."

The Mayor of London then took a backseat as Will and Jaden spoke too and entertained the audience, with Jaden busting a few shapes and discussing his main influences to the audience - with rapper Kanye West and William Shakespeare being name checked by the 14-year-old. He also discussed the perks of working with his father, telling the audience, "if you ever need anything on set, you can just walk over and ask him [Will]. He's like a walking dictionary. Any time I'm lost or anything, I can just ask him."

Continue reading: Will Smith And Son Jaden Surprise School Children At London City Hall

Jaden Smith is flying the coop. The young Hollywood star has told father Will Smith that he wants to be emancipated from the family for his 15th birthday. The father-son duo have been in Seoul, South Korea, for the premiere of their new sci-fi movie After Earth and Will says he understands that his son wants his own independence.

"(Jaden) says, 'Dad, I want to be emancipated.' I know if we do this, he can be an emancipated minor, because he really wants to have his own place, like ooh," Will told The Sun. His teenage son has built a solid career in Hollywood despite his young age and has collaborated with Justin Bieber, starred in movies, started his own fashion label and won a Teen Choice Award. "If kids just want to have command of their lives, I understand," he said.

"We generally don't believe in punishment. From the time Jaden was five or six we would sit him down, and all he has to do is be able to explain why what he did was the right thing for his life," Smith added on his parenting techniques. 

Continue reading: Jaden Smith Tells Father Will He Wishes To Be Emancipated For 15th Birthday

We’re very grateful to Jada Pinkett Smith for taking time out to clear up exactly what she meant when she insinuated that she and hubby Will Smith have an open relationship. We just wish she’d said something that actually made sense to other right-minded humans. The explanation that Jada gave was that her marriage to Will is not an “open relationship” but a “grown one.” Any clues? Us neither. Did she mean a grown-up one? Or perhaps she meant that the relationship has literally grown... to include other people. Frankly, we’re baffled.

Jada was so put out by comments about her recent interview with Huffington Post (in which she said that “Will can do whatever he wants”) that she posted a lengthy missive on her Facebook page to explain her stance to those she felt had misunderstood her comments. She started by saying “Let me first say this, there are far more important things to talk about in regards to what is happening in the world than whether I have an open marriage or not. I am addressing this issue because a very important subject has been born from discussions about my statement that may be worthy of addressing. The statement I made in regard to, 'Will can do whatever he wants,' has illuminated the need to discuss the relationship between trust and love and how they co-exist.”

She then concluded her statement by saying “Should we be married to individuals who can not be responsible for themselves and their families within their freedom? Should we be in relationships with individuals who we can not entrust to their own values, integrity, and LOVE...for us??? Here is how I will change my statement...Will and I BOTH can do WHATEVER we want, because we TRUST each other to do so. This does NOT mean we have an open relationship...this means we have a GROWN one.” Talk about muddying the waters, Jada. 

Continue reading: Muddying The Waters? Jada Pinkett Smith Responds To Open Relationship Comments

Jada Pinkett-Smith has gone on record to address one of the most dogged rumours circulating around Tinseltown for the past few years, revealing what really is the deal with her marriage to Will Smith. During a live chat with HuffPost Live, Jada was quizzed on her 16-year marriage with Will and the longstanding rumours that have followed the Smiths over their decade and a half of marriage, with wife of one of the planets most famous actors finally admitting what we had thought all along: the two have an open marriage.

When the question about their marriage was popped, Jada replied, "I think that people get that idea because Will and I are very relaxed with one another," adding, "But I've always told Will 'You can do whatever you want as long as you can look at yourself in the mirror and be okay,' because at the end of the day, Will is his own man."

Jada Pinkett-Smith has confirmed that she and Will share an open relationship

Continue reading: Jada Pinkett-Smith Addresses Rumours Over Her 'Open Marriage' With Will Smith

Downton Abbey's Jessica Brown Findlay appears to be suffering from a bout of topless scene regret. The 23-year-old actress, who plays Lady Sybil in the ITV drama, went topless for a scene in her first movie 'Albatross' in 2011, though now regrets the decision and wishes she'd have said no.

"To be honest, 'Albatross' was naivety and not knowing that I could say no," Findlay told the Radio Times, "I had no idea what was going to happen and thought I was going to be shot from behind." The scene was far more revealing than Findlay had assumed and her character pulled up her top to prove her age when buying cigarettes at a newsagent. "Hollywood is not for me. I love acting, but I also love London," she reflected.

Findlay announced that she is to leave Downton Abbey earlier this year, in search of a new challenge. "Being afraid and going into the unknown excites me and what scared me more was to keep going and then one day discover it was all I could do and wish I had pushed myself more. I'd prefer to fail and fall flat on my face," she said. One thing's for sure; nude scenes probably aren't on her to-do list.

Continue reading: Topless Scene Regret For Downton Abbey's Jessica Brown Findlay

Django Unchained caused controversy even before it came out, with people questioning whether Quentin Tarantino should be making a film about slavery, especially considering it was a comedy drama, and was very, very gory.

Tarantino does what Tarantino does, though. And he does whatever he wants. Having made people laugh about Nazi-occupied France and slavery in the southern belt of America, the legendary director will helm a third historical film, completing a trilogy of sorts. But with with all the gun violence and racial tension surrounding the film – a film that won multiple awards – the casting secrets were never revealed.

Quentin Tarantino talks to The Texas Film Hall of Fame

Continue reading: Django Unchained: The Alternative Cast That Never Was

But for Will Smith’s ego, it could have been the Men In Black star who appeared as Quentin Tarantino’s Django in his Oscar-nominated film Django Unchained!

Smith himself doesn’t put it quite like that of course, though he did reveal that he turned down an approach to play the character eventually taken on by Jamie Foxx, because he didn’t feel that it was the lead role. Instead, Smith felt that Christoph Waltz’ part was the true lead, though it’s something that’s since been proven wrong – at least in the minds of the Oscar voters anyway, who gave Waltz the best supporting actor award last month, while the promotion for the film saw Foxxx pushed as the lead. “Django wasn’t the lead, so it was like, I need to be the lead. The other character was the lead!" Smith revealed to Entertainment Weekly.

Continuing, Smith added “I was like, ‘No, Quentin, please,I need to kill the bad guy!’” However, Tarantino wasn’t having any of it and moved onto Foxx, who it has to be said was pretty brilliant in the role. Smith is a big fan of the film though, commenting “I thought it was brilliant. Just not for me.” Personally, we weren’t up for a repeat of the Wild Wild West, even with Tarantino at the helm, so we think it all worked out for the best.

Continue reading: Will Smith Turned Down Jamie Foxx's Django Unchained Role, But Why?

Will Smith acted as a mentor for Justin Bieber during his stint in London recently. The legendary entertainer doesn’t seem to have performed his mentor tasks well though, as Bieber annoyed nearly everyone he came into contact with.

There was the 2-hour delay to his London 02 show, which meant a lot of kids and their parents had to leave to get the last train home. There was, of course, that paparazzi that Biebz threatened to beat up due after some mean words. Then there was the fan who spend £330 to meet her hero, then having to wait 3 hours for the bratty star, who eventually only showed up for 15 seconds. Oh and he totally missed out on his scheduled ITV interview. Great job, Will; it’s all your fault now. Angie Simpson – mother of support act to Bieber, Cody Simpson – said: "Will has been helping Justin out a lot, mentoring him and offering him guidance. He’s someone who is used to this level of scrutiny and it has helped having him around. Justin is an adult and has a very strong, loyal and professional team around him, but it is hard for anyone to come under such pressure."

Bieber actually performing, which has been rare recently

Continue reading: Will Smith Mentors Justin Bieber While In London

Ahead of what could be the biggest night in Quvenzhané Wallis’ fledgling career, it has been announced that the young starlet will indeed star in Sony Picture’s upcoming version of Annie.

Wallis got the film world all aflutter with her incredibly mature performance in Beasts of The Southern Wild – a feel-good movie centred on climate change, which is nominated for Best Picture at tonight’s Oscars ceremony. The then-5-year-old Wallis has already made Oscars history with her nomination for best actress; she’s the youngest ever. A win is perhaps a stretch too far, with Emmanuelle Riva – incidentally the oldest ever nominee in that category – and Jennifer Lawrence leading the way for their parts in Amour and Silver Linings Playbook respectively. "With the recent Academy Award nomination and critical acclaim, Quvenzhané Wallis is a true star and we believe her portrayal as Annie will make her a true worldwide star," President of production at Columbia Pictures Hannah Minghella said. "She is an extraordinary young talent with an amazing range, not only as an actress but as a singer and dancer, and we can't wait for audiences to further discover her." (via Yahoo).

Quvenzhane Wallis at Arlington Theater Annual Santa Barbara International

Continue reading: Youngest Ever Oscar-Nominee Quvenzhané Wallis Secures Role In Annie

Last night, the Contact Music gang settled in for a night of Sunday night viewing. After many arguments, we finally decided upon National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets. This got us thinking: what is the worst film to dominate the box office charts?

Die Hard – A Good Day To Die Hard is certainly up there. The 5th Die Hard film managed to top the box office this weekend, beating out some admittedly pathetic competition, taking $25m in the process. With a hugely embarrassing 16% score from collected reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, it surely has to be the worst film to prosper in ticket sales.

Continue reading: A Good Day To Die Hard: The Best Worst Film Ever?