Harvey Weinstein Page 5

Matt Damon breaks his silence on the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal, confessing that he was aware of Gwyneth Paltrow's experience after being informed by Ben Affleck some years later, but he insists that beyond that he never realised the true extent of his predatory actions.

Matt Damon at 'Suburbicon' premiere

Just over two weeks since Rose McGowan publicly accused Matt and Ben of being aware of Harvey Weinstein's behaviour and subsequently keeping quiet about it, Matt opens up about precisely what he did know about the disgraced producer. He reveals that it was common knowledge that he was 'intimidating' and 'a bully', but naively thought Gwyneth's situation was adequately dealt with.

Continue reading: Matt Damon Admits He Knew Weinstein Harassed Gwyneth Paltrow

Quentin Tarantino opens up about his shame regarding the Harvey Weinstein scandal, admitting that he knew about some of the behaviour that the producer was indulging in, but didn't speak out when he should have done. He doesn't want to make excuses for himself when he knows he was in a position to investigate some of the rumours he heard.

Quentin Tarantino at Netflix red carpet event

The 'Hateful Eight' director has been close to the disgraced movie mogul over the years, enough to have heard first hand stories about his misconduct. Now that more and more women are coming out with shocking stories of sexual harassment at the hands of Weinstein, Tarantino is having serious regrets about not saying something sooner.

Continue reading: Quentin Tarantino Regrets Weinstein Silence

Rose McGowan has decided to cancel all public appearances for the immediate future following her efforts in bringing about public awareness of sexual abuse in Hollywood in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

The 44 year old actress-turned-director, who was expected to be honoured with the Ad Astra Award at the Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita on Thursday night (October 19th) and also host a screening of her directorial debut Dawn, rescinded the festival’s invitation less than 24 hours before the big night.

In a statement, Tallgrass organisers said McGowan had informed them she had cancelled “all upcoming public appearances due to compounding factors surrounding recent revelations in the Harvey Weinstein harassment case.”

Continue reading: Rose McGowan Cancels All Public Appearances In Wake Of Weinstein Scandal

In the midst of the mounting sexual abuse claims being made against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, actor Channing Tatum has decided to pull out of an upcoming project with The Weinstein Company.

The 37 year old actor took to social media to inform his fans that he was severing ties with Harvey and his brother Bob Weinstein, saying that his upcoming movie Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock – which deals with sexual abuse as its theme – was being pulled from their production company.

“The brave women who had the courage to stand up and speak their truths about Harvey Weinstein are true heroes to us. They are lifting the heavy bricks to build the equitable world we all deserve to live in,” read Tatum’s statement on Wednesday (October 18th) via Instagram, along with director Reid Carolin.

Continue reading: Channing Tatum Pulls Movie Project From Weinstein Company

In the wake of the ongoing Harvey Weinstein scandal that has blown the lid off sexual harassment and abuse in Hollywood over the last fortnight, pop legend Sir Tom Jones has warned that similar behaviour was, and still is, rife in the music industry.

The 77 year old Welsh crooner was discussing the Harvey Weinstein scandal in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live’s Afternoon Edition on Wednesday (October 18th), and said that the lurid practices levelled against the disgraced producer and others in the movie industry had also happened to female and male stars in the pop world.

“Things have always happened in the music industry as well,” Jones explained. “There's been people complaining about publicists and different things they've been expected to do to get a record contract, just like a film contract.”

Continue reading: Sir Tom Jones Warns That Sexual Harassment And Abuse Is Common In Music Industry Too

As the scandal surrounding disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein continues to intensify, with additional women making allegations of a sexual nature every day, the man himself has called his company from rehab to resign. The film producer co-founded the Weinstein Company with his brother 12 years ago but has recently been rocked by allegations of rape, sexual assault and harassment in relation to a number of women.

Harvey Weinstein and his estranged wife, Georgina Chapman

Weinstein has resigned from his company, admitting he has a "real problem".

Continue reading: Harvey Weinstein Resigns From Company From Rehab

As the sexual abuse scandal surrounding Harvey Weinstein continues to dominate news headlines into a third week, Molly Ringwald has come forward with her own accounts of sexual harassment and assault she experienced during her career.

The 49 year old star was one of the most recognisable stars of the 1980s, featuring in hit movies like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club.

In a new essay published in the New Yorker on Tuesday (October 17th) titled ‘All The Other Harvey Weinsteins’, Ringwald said that she had met Weinstein before as a 20 year old but he did not harass her. However, she detailed lurid experiences she suffered at the hands of directors and power-players in the movie business just before she broke big at the age of 16. She described how a 50 year old crew member and a married director separately made inappropriate advances toward her on set.

Continue reading: Molly Ringwald Details Sexual Harassment Encounters In 'All The Other Harvey Weinsteins' Essay

Following a series of allegations against Harvey Weinstein accusing the movie mogul of sexual harassment, assault and rape against multiple women, Weinstein has been formally expelled from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Formerly a lifetime member, that membership has been revoked after an emergency meeting was held in headquarters, with the Academy's board of governors coming to the conclusion that he should be removed. Those governors include such names as Whoopi Goldberg and Steven Spielberg and they are said to have voted in excess of the needed majority (two thirds of members) to expel Weinstein.

The accusations against Harvey Weinstein have come thick and fast in the past 10 days

A statement from the Academy read that they had come to the decision: "To immediately expel him from the Academy. We do not simply separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues but also send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over. What’s at issue here is a deeply troubling problem that has no place in our society. The board continues to work establish ethical standards of conduct that all Academy members will be expected to exemplify."

Continue reading: Harvey Weinstein Expelled From Motion Picture Academy Following Scandal

In a week that has been dominated by the slew of allegations made against Harvey Weinstein, former 'Gossip Girl' star Blake Lively has come forward to detail her own experience of sexual harassment – an encounter with a make-up artist.

The 30 year old star spoke to the Los Angeles Times on Thursday (October 12th) to detail the incident. “He was saying things inappropriately, insisting on putting my lipstick on with his finger,” Lively said, before revealing that the situation got even more sinister.

“I was sleeping one night on location and I woke up and he was filming me,” she continued. “I was clothed, but it was a very voyeuristic, terrifying thing to do.”

Continue reading: Blake Lively Details Sexual Harassment Encounter With Make-Up Artist

As one of Harvey Weinstein’s closest associates in Hollywood over the years, director Quentin Tarantino has broken his silence about the lurid recent allegations that have engulfed the movie mogul over the last week.

According to Variety, a statement posted by Tarantino’s friend Amber Tamblyn, via her Twitter account, on Thursday (October 12th), read: “For the last week I’ve been stunned and heartbroken about the revelations that have come to light about my friend for 25 years Harvey Weinstein. I need a few more days to process my pain, emotions, anger and memory and then I will speak publicly about it.”

34 year old actress Amber Tamblyn added a tweet of her own, saying that she had had dinner with Tarantino the previous night and that she’d agreed to post a statement on his behalf. The two know each other after Tamblyn had a minor role in 2012’s Django Unchained.

Continue reading: Quentin Tarantino Breaks Silence Over Harvey Weinstein Scandal

With many major figures in Hollywood covering their backsides as the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal threatens to engulf the industry and many reputations, Jane Fonda has been one of the very few to admit that she knew and stayed silent.

Speaking with Christiane Amanpour in an in-depth interview that’s going out on CNN on Friday (October 13th), the 79 year old acting legend confessed that she knew about details of Weinstein’s behaviour around a year ago – and is “ashamed” that she didn’t come forward earlier.

“I found out about Harvey about a year ago, and I’m ashamed that I didn’t say anything back then,” Fonda reveals, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Continue reading: Jane Fonda Admits She Knew About Harvey Weinstein A Year Ago

Anne-Marie Duff has criticised ITV for misquoting her during a televised interview on ‘Lorraine’ in which she discussed the allegations being levelled against Harvey Weinstein.

The 47 year old Suffragette star appeared on Thursday’s (October 12th) edition of morning magazine show ‘Lorraine’, where the topic turned to the big news story of the week – the allegations of sexual abuse against movie mogul Weinstein from scores of actresses that span back decades.

While they were doing so, a caption popped up at the bottom of the screen that said Duff was “terrified” of Weinstein – but following the broadcast, she said that she had never made that claim, branding it a “false” and “misleading” statement.

Continue reading: Anne-Marie Duff Criticises ITV For "Terrified" Caption Error

While Harvey Weinstein has never exactly had a reputation for respecting women, new sexual harassment allegations have nonetheless shocked the world and incited anger amongst many. Seth Macfarlane is one of the latest to publicly show his disgust, shedding light on a comment he made about the man during the 2013 Oscars.

Seth MacFarlane at Fox Fall Premiere Party

In a statement, the 'Family Guy' creator revealed that a joke that he made at the expense of Harvey Weinstein during the Best Actress nominations at the 2013 Academy Awards was made with genuine malice. In previous years, he'd been told of an incident by a female friend that left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Continue reading: Joking Not Joking: How Seth MacFarlane Tried To Draw Attention To Harvey Weinstein In 2013

Rose McGowan has had her Twitter account temporarily suspended, a matter of hours after calling out Ben Affleck over his level of knowledge about the disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and his history of sexual misconduct.

44 year old McGowan, a former star of TV series ‘Charmed’, has been one of the most vocal critics of Weinstein and the surrounding Hollywood scandal since the New York Times first broke the story last week. She’s been using Twitter to express solidarity with women who have come forward, and has attacked those she regards as having been complicit in the cover-up of the allegations that span back decades.

Earlier on Wednesday (October 11th), she had tweeted “F*** off” to Affleck and accused him of lying about his level of knowledge about Weinstein’s mis-deeds.

Continue reading: Rose McGowan's Twitter Account Suspended After Ben Affleck Accusations

As Hollywood continues to reel over allegations of sexual harassment against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, it seems there could be more uncomfortable accusations to answer for a number of showbiz big hitters. This time Ben Affleck has been slammed, with actress Rose Mcgowen claiming he was lying when he denied any knowledge of Weinstein’s alleged actions.

Ben Affleck has been accused of lying about knowing nothing about Harvey Weinstein allegations

The Batman actor has described Weinstein’s alleged behaviour as "unacceptable" and claimed he had only read of the news surrounding the American producer this week.

Continue reading: Ben Affleck Accused Of Lying About Harvey Weinstein Knowledge

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has taken the step of suspending Harvey Weinstein’s membership, in the wake of mounting allegations of sexual assault and harassment against the movie mogul going back decades.

High-profile female stars have come forward in recent days alleging instances where Weinstein acted inappropriately toward them, including Angelina Jolie, Ashley Judd and Gwyneth Paltrow, following an explosive expose piece in the New York Times last Thursday (October 5th) late last week. A report in the New Yorker this week also detailed testimony from three other actresses, all alleging historical cases of sexual harassment.

Making the move via a press release on Wednesday (October 11th), BAFTA said that while they have “previously been a beneficiary of Mr Weinstein's support for its charitable work, it considers the reported alleged behaviour completely unacceptable and incompatible with BAFTA's values."

Continue reading: BAFTA Suspends Harvey Weinstein's Membership

While Hollywood female A-Listers are being criticised for not speaking out amid the Harvey Weinstein scandal, there are few Hollywood male A-Listers who have been taken to task for the same thing. Weinstein has been dismissed from the Weinstein Company, a company he co-foundered, and recently Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet and Dame Judi Dench have thrown their support behind the women making allegations of sexual harassment against him.

George Clooney has spoken out about allegations against Harvey Weinstein

Now one of the more vocal male presences in the showbiz industry, George Clooney, has spoken out about the movie producer’s behaviour and described it as "indefensible".

Continue reading: George Clooney Describes Harvey Weinstein's Actions As "Indefensible"

A shocking accusation has emerged against film producer Harvey Weinstein, as Ashley Judd allegedly makes claims that she was sexually harassed by him twenty years ago. A handful of other woman, from temporary employees to former assistants, have also come forward with similar allegations. 

Ashley Judd at Paleyfest Berlin

In an interview with the New York Times, Ashley Judd spoke of an incident at a Beverly Hills hotel where she was invited up to his room and subsequently offered a massage by him as he stood in a bath robe. She also claims that he suggested she watch him shower.

Continue reading: Harvey Weinstein Denies Ashley Judd's Sexual Harassment Claims

As the news of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union sinks in, the British television and film industry is left wondering how it will be impacted. Currently the picture being painted looks pretty bleak, with industry heads and studios voicing their concerns for the future of British filmmaking.

‘Game of Thrones’ is filmed in Northern Ireland, which is now out of the EU.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Michael Ryan, chairman of the Independent Film & Television Alliance said: "The decision to exit the European Union is a major blow to the U.K. film and TV industry. This decision has just blown up our foundation. 

Continue reading: Film And Television Industry Voices Fears For Future After Brexit

ITV is reportedly in talks to acquire the lucrative television arm of the Weinstein Company for a reported $1 billion. The channel appears to be on a buying spree, having purchased television company Talpa Media for $355 million last month - it has also been mulling over an offer for the Grey's Anatomy production company Mark Gordon Co. 

Harvey Weinstein may sell the TV arm of his company to ITV for almost $1 billion

Should a deal with Weinstein go through, ITV would likely pay an upfront payment of $300 or $400 million though earn-out and profit target bonuses could take the deal to around $950 million. 

Continue reading: ITV In Talks To Buy Weinstein TV Arm For $1 Billion

‘Breaking Bad’ star and Tony award winning actor Bryan Cranston is said to have signed on as a producer for Broadway musical Finding Neverland, after saying he “cried with joy” following a preview of the show earlier this month.

Walter White has moved on to Neverland

Page Six reports that the actor has signed up to help produce the show, with a source quoted as saying “Rarely do celebrities invest in projects, so this is a big sign of [Bryan’s] faith in the show.” Cranston had seen a performance of the show early February after which he tweeted, “I saw this new musical in Boston and cried with joy... But anyone thinking of repeating that better Tread Lightly. “

Continue reading: 'Breaking Bad's' Bryan Cranston To Produce 'Finding Neverland' Musical On Broadway

Jennifer Lawrence has taken to social media to assure fans that the rumours of a bust-up between her and director David O. Russell are untrue.

The ‘Hunger Games’ star is currently filming Joy, her third collaboration with Russell and actor Bradley Cooper, and rumours earlier this week suggested that there was a noisy falling-out on set between actress and director on Tuesday. According to some reports, the pair were seen screaming at each other.

Jennifer Lawrence has denied rumours of a fight on set with David O. Russell

Continue reading: Jennifer Lawrence Denies Rumours Of Bust Up With Director David O. Russell

In a late bid to expunge any lasting doubts of American Sniper ahead of the Oscars this month, Harvey Weinstein has gone out on the attack in response to those critical of Clint Eastwood's drama. The film's subject, sniper Chris Kyle, has been called a "hate-filled killer" and the movie has been criticised in some circles for its flag waving.

Bradley Cooper [L] and Sienna Miller [R] in American Sniper

However, speaking to Indiewire, Weinstein said the movie had captured the American public's imagination and deserved credit because it "introduces America to PTSD".

Continue reading: Harvey Weinstein Goes On Attack Over Criticism Of 'American Sniper'

Juan Jose Campanella's animated movie Foosball is being repackaged for a worldwide release under the new title Underdogs. The Weinstein Company has acquired rights in the U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and France and will be released in English on August 27, 2014.

Campanella's 'Underdogs' Will Get An English Release in August 2014

The movie - which will get new Hollywood voiceovers - centres on a reluctant hero whose town is threatened when his long-time rival returns home to avenge an old grudge. When the players from his foosball table are magically brought to life, he recruits them to help him enter into the biggest underdog match ever.

Continue reading: Argentinian Soccer Animation 'Underdogs' Gets English Makeover [Pictures]

Harvey Weinstein got tongues wagging this week with the announcement that his production company are making an anti-gun film, one that will star Meryl Streep and take a direct shot at the National Rifle Association. If his stance on gun ownership and violence wasn't already clear, the Hollywood producer has since admitted that he wants to see a crack down on film violence too and he will be at the forefront of this cut down.

Harvey Weinstein wants to see a change in the movie industry

Weinstein is known for producing some of modern cinema's most graphically violent film in recent years, forging a successful working relationship with Quentin Tarantino, with who he helped make the Kill Bill films, Django Unchained, Inglorious Basterds and Pulp Fiction, in addition to a host of other violent titles such as Gangs of New York, Sin City and the reboots of Piranha, Rambo and Halloween. Now the Hollywood powerhouse wants to hang up his fake blood and replica weapons for good, as he told CNN's Piers Morgan on Friday (17 Jan.) night that he can no longer advocate these types of films in good conscience.

Continue reading: Harvey Weinstein Vows To Back Major Cut Down On Violent Movies

The Hobbit trilogy, which has been a highly profitable venture for New Line Cinema, is also causing some problems for the studio – namely a lawsuit from Harvey and Bob Weinstein. The two brothers own Miramax, the company, which sold New Line (part of Warner) the film rights to Tolkien’s story in 1998.

Bob Weinstein (above) and brother Harvey are demanding at least $75 million in gross revenue

However, since New Line announced plans to make just one film, the Winesteins were only paid for the fist movie. According to them, the studio made the book into three separate film “solely to deprive plaintiffs” of agreed revenue.

Continue reading: Before The Desolation Of Smaug's Release, The Weinstein Brothers Are Suing New Line For Their Cut Of The Profits

The Weinstein brothers have filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. and its New Line Cinema due to claims that they are owed money from 'The Hobbit' film series.

The documents were filed in New York on Tuesday (Dec 10th).

The allegations stem from 1998 when Miramax, owned by the Weinstein's, sold the movie rights of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' to New Line Cinema, a branch of Warner Bros.

Continue reading: Harvey And Bob Weinstein Sues Warner Bros. For $75 Million Dollars Over Owed Money From 'The Hobbit' Films

Mandela: A Long Walk To Freedom, the Weinstein's biopic based on the autobiography of  South African President Nelson Mandela, has received mixed reviews from critics ahead of its release this weekend, though Idris Elba's stunning performance as the President should see him in line for nominations during awards' season.

Idris Elba [L] as Nelson Mandela and Naomie Harris [R] as Winnie Mandela

Justin Chadwick's movie chronicles the early life of Mandela, his coming-of-age, education and the 27 years he spent on Robben Island, as well as his attempt to rebuild the country's once segregated society. 

Continue reading: 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom' Gives Idris Elba A Real Oscars Chance

First Lady Michelle Obama presented a filmmakers workshop at the White House on Friday, 8 November, to promote careers in the entertainment industry to a group of high school students. Obama enlisted the help of Harvey Weinstein, Whoopi Goldberg, Ryan Coogler, Bruce Cohen, Blake Lively and a myriad of other Hollywood stars as part of an a-list forum aimed at encouraging kids to look towards the film and TV industry as a possible career path.

The all-star panel capped off a day of activities for high schools students gathered from Boston, Washington, D.C. and New York meeting in the capital. The First Lady aims to promote careers in the entertainment industry outside of acting and directing, as well as hopefully inspiring a generation of future Oscar winners.

"It just doesn’t take technical knowledge to succeed in the movie business. It is not just about being the best actor, or creating the best special effects,” the First Lady said (via The Warp). “It is about having grit.”

Continue reading: Michelle Obama Fronts Filmmakers Workshop At White House As She Promotes Careers In Hollywood

Kristen Stewart managed to earn half a million dollars in only 15 minutes, and if that wasn't impressive enough, the money she made was donated straight to charity. The Twilight star caught the attention of an unnamed Middle Eastern Prince, who was so taken with the actress that he forked out the huge sum for just 15 minutes of her time.

Just $500K can buy you 15 minutes with Kristen Stewart

According to film producer Harvey Weinstein, Kristen was helping to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Sandy when Weinstein was approached about spending some one-on-one time with Kristen by the mysterious, ultra-rich Middle Eastern monarch. Initially dismissing the requests, Kristen soon caught wind of what was happening and was actually willing to meet with the high-paying Prince, leading Weinstein to broker a deal to arrange the meet-up. Sounds seedy doesn't it?

Continue reading: Kristen Stewart Earns $500,000 For Charity After Spending 15 Minutes Alone With Middle Eastern Prince

Netflix have made yet another bold move – this time with movies – to try and secure monthly payments of £5.99 from content-happy consumers. They’ve put pen to paper with The Weinstein company, securing the rights to stream all of their movies from 2016.

This basically means two things: every film Weinstein releases will end up on Netflix once the movie has a physical release – i.e. DVD – and everything written about Netflix in the next few years will read like paid-for copy. They really are tying up the market.

"The deal that we've just completed with Netflix is probably the biggest deal in the history of the Weinstein Co.," co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein said in a statement. "Together, we are discussing ways to reinvent the pay-TV experience so that the audience can get even more for their money."

Continue reading: The Future Is... Red? Netflix Bag Major Deal With Weinstein

Wong Kar Wai's The Grandmaster? Chances are, you haven't heard of it. As the Academy were preparing to decorate Ben Affleck and his Argo team in January, the acclaimed Chinese filmmaker was about to kick off the Berlin Film Festival with his latest martial arts movie.

Set in China at the time of the Japanese invasion in 1930s, The Grandmaster stars Wai's regular muse Tony Leung Chiu Wai as the kung-fu master and Zhang Ziyi as his rival. The highly stylized and visually spectacular picture is a story of "honor, principle, betrayal and forbidden love."

It spans the tumultuous Republican era that followed the fall of China's last dynasty - a complex period of time rich for filmmakers to tap into. Wai filmed on location, and the snow-swept landscapes of Northeast China, juxtaposed with the subtropical south makes one of the most stunning films of the year.

Continue reading: Why Wong Kar Wai's 'The Grandmaster' Could Storm The Oscars [Trailer]

Artemis Fowl has been called ‘the new Harry Potter’ plenty of times by the critics, and to be fair, the similarities are there. Both franchises hold their roots in novels – Potter’s seven to Fowl’s eight – and both take place in a weird and magical world.

Both, too, follow a teenage male protagonist who is fighting against adversity. Fowl, though, is a little criminal master, while Potter was always a bit of a goody-two-shoes. Either way, it’s ripe for a cinematic re-imagining, and judging by the people behind the project, it’s got every chance of matching the Potter film franchise.

Eoin Colfer's books are about to get even bigger - IMAX bigger

Continue reading: Can 'Artemis Fowl' Replicate Harry Potter's Success?

Idris Elba is the man to beat the 2014 Academy Awards for his portrayal of South African President Nelson Mandela, according to the bookmakers, anyway. Elba's star has risen in recent years thanks to BBC series Luther, rumors of the James Bond role and a role in Guillermo Del Toro's latest blockbuster Pacific Rim.

Idris Elba [L] as Nelson Mandela and Naomie Harris [R] as Winnie Mandela

The first trailer for upcoming biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom - from The Other Boleyn Girl director Justin Chadwick - rolled out online this week and features a startling, if limited, first look at Hackney-born Elba's performance "No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin. People learn to hate. They can be taught to love for love comes more naturally to the human heart," goes the spine-tingling voiceover as Mandela moves across the valley. It appears Elba - wearing Mandela's signature yellow shirt - has got the President's poise down to a tee.

Continue reading: Long Walk To Freedom: Idris Elba As Nelson Mandela Is Favourite For Oscar [Trailer]

A trip to space with Leonardo Dicaprio has been auctioned off for a magnificent 1.2 million euros which will be donated to the charity amfAR Cinema Against AIDS.

The lucky bidder has landed the chance to be seated next to 'The Great Gatsby' star aboard Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic fleet on an unforgettable trip to the stars. The prize, which was advertised as 'a once-in-a-lifetime trip to space with a mystery guest', was sold at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cannes during a dinner/ auction organised by The Weinstein Company's Harvey Weinstein on Thursday night (May 23rd 2013) in benefit of the amfAR foundation. Two other seats on the same flight have been sold for a total of 1.8 million euros. After informing them of his star prize, Weinstein joked to the Hollywood Reporter that some wished he could be jetted off into the galaxy too. 'But only on a one-way ticket', he adds.

On Thursday, amfAR noted that the event brought in a spectacular $25 million; a stark contrast to their $11 million collection last year. But then, with prizes as enviable as a space holiday with the handsome DiCaprio, it's not surprising how much the event goers managed to cough up.

Continue reading: A Seat Beside Leonardo DiCaprio On Space Journey Sells For Millions

Few had even heard of Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station before it won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It was snapped up by Harvey Weinstein, who has a well-documented knack of taking little known movies from the film festival and turning them into Oscars gold. Will he do the same with this gritty drama? The signs look good.

Watch the Fruitvale Station trailer!

Based on a true story, it stars The Wire's Michael B. Jordan as Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old living in the San Francisco Bay area. As the New Year approaches, he become determines to turn around his life and provide for his girlfriend and 4-year-old daughter. After boarding a particularly crowded Bay Area Rapid Transit train, Oscar manages to get involved in a fight with some old adversaries and when the BART police are called, he is detained along with other passengers at Fruitvale Station. Through a cruel twist of fate, he is accidentally fatally shot in the early hours by a police officer who withdrew his gun rather than his intended taser. Oscar winner Octavia Spencer (The Help) plays Grant's mother, while Best Actor Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) is one of the film's producers. This thing has pedigree.

It is due for US release on July 26th 2013, though reaction at this week's Cannes Film Festival - where it is competing in the Un Certain Regard competition - has been unanimously positive. Xan Brooks of The Guardian wrote, "Fruitvale Station made a noise at Sundance, was snapped up by the Weinsteins and played out to roaring approval here in the Un Certain Regard section."

Continue reading: Fruitvale Station Stuns Sundance And Cannes, Next Stop The Oscars? [Trailer]

The first trailer for 'Precious' director Lee Daniels' new movie The Butler starring Forest Whitaker has rolled out online and Harvey Weinstein's ambitions of taking this film all the way to the Oscars couldn't be more apparent. Whitaker stars as Eugene Allen, the man who served eight presidents as the White House's head butler.

The movie is clearly Oscar bait. Firstly, it's a typical Weinstein movie in the same mould as The King's Speech and The Iron Lady and secondly it's set for release on October 18th - just in time to be wafted under the nose of the Academy. Oh, and there's a pretty strong cast with plenty of Oscar winners and several up-and-coming stars. Robin Williams (Dwight Eisenhower), John Cusack (Richard Nixon), James Marsden (JFK), Liev Schreiber (Lydon B. Johnson), Alan Rickman (Reagan), Cuba Gooding Jr (Carter Wilson), David Oyelowo (Loius Gaines) and Oprah Winfrey (Gloria Gaines) are among the supporting cast though this one appears to be set up for Whitaker.

Continue reading: Forest Whitaker's 'The Butler' Clearly Has Oscar Glory In Its Sights [Trailer]

It’s kind of an unwritten rule: when you win an Oscar, you thank all the people who helped you ‘make it’, even though they’re secretly thanking you for getting the film so much extra publicity.

So when Jennifer Lawrence trips up, wishes her fellow nominee Emanualle Riva a happy birthday and generally looks shocked to be anywhere near the golden statuette, but forgets to thank David O Russell and Harvey Weinstein, some post-Oscars love was certainly required. She’ll be hoping her statement to Entertainment Weekly can get her back into Hollywood’s good-books. "In the whirlwind of last night, I was remiss to thank two incredibly important people to this film and in my life," she said in the statement. She then thanked Russell for "the most incredible experience of my life" and "for your genius, for your guidance, for teaching me things about myself and nurturing me to be a better actor." She also thanked Weinstein for supporting the film "from early days" and for his "passion and unyielding support [which] gave this film the opportunity to thrive and touch so many people."

Continue reading: Jennifer Lawrence Is Best Actress – But She Forgot To Thank Her Director And Producer!

Jessica Alba at the Planet Earth premiere

The stars lined up in Los Angeles as the first major animation film of the year celebrated its premiere at the weekend (February 2, 2013). Escape From Planet Earth has been produced by Rainmaker Entertainment - so far mainly famous in the film world for its rather dubious Barbie movies. However, this looks like a different story for Rainmaker, with an impressive cast including Brendan Fraser, Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry and Sarah Jessica Parker assembled to voiceover their tale of alien space combat. 

Continue reading: Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry In Attendance For Escape From Planet Earth Premiere (Pictures)

Kill Your Darlings, a movie starring Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe as a young Allen Ginsberg, has been snapped up by Sony Pictures Classics following its screening at the Sundance Film Festival. The deal is for U.S, Australian, New Zealand, South African, African TV and Eastern European rights.

The film explores how a 1944 murder brought together the young college students who would go on to become the voices of the Beat Generation. As well as Radcliffe, Kill Your Darlings stars Ben Foster, Dane DeHaan, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston and Elizabeth Olsen. “This is an amazing movie, a great American drama, thriller, and perfect evocation of New York in the 1940′s as you have never seen on screen before,” Sony said in a statement. “With an ensemble cast that is truly mind-blowing led by Daniel Radcliffe in a profoundly moving performance as Allen Ginsberg, we are witnessing the birth of a major new American filmmaker.”

There has certainly been a clear buying trend at Sundance 2013, with Radcliffe’s movie the latest to be snapped up in super-quick time. The most high profile acquisition was The Way, Way Back – a comedy starring Steve Carell, Toni Colette and Sam Rockwell that Fox Searchlight thought was strong enough to splash $10 million on. The film has a pretty decent pedigree, with Academy Award winning writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash getting behind the camera for their debut flick. Elsewhere, Jennifer Coolidge’s comedy Austenland found a home at Sony ($4 million), though all eyes were on big-wig Harvey Weinstein, a man known for picking up undiscovered gems at film festivals and turning them into Oscar contenders. This year, he opted for Fruitvale, a drama starring The Wire’s Michael B. Jordan that focuses on police brutality. “I was completely amazed by this incredible film. This earth-shattering story is one that needs to be told, and we are honored to be able to share Oscar’s story with audiences everywhere,” said Weinstein in a statement.

Continue reading: Radcliffe For An Oscar? ‘Kill Your Darlings’ Snapped Up At Sundance

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host the Golden Globes on Sunday (January 13, 2013) and will no doubt bring a touch of Saturday Night Live to one of Hollywood's glitziest evenings. The close friends decided to host the event because - according to Fey - it's "a very kind of sloppy, loud party, and that seemed like our kind of thing." Indeed, it's going to be so sloppy that the hosts have devised their very own drinking game for Sunday drinkers to enjoy.

The Globes is traditionally more raucous than the Oscars. Basically, the organizers want to invite the most famous people available, stick them into a room together and ply them with champagne. Things happen. Mickey Rourke usually gives something his middle finger, Ricky Gervais makes an inappropriate joke as Johnny Depp looks on disapprovingly, despite being in on the joke. Anyway, Fey and Poehler are of the opinion that if they can have a party, then so can we! The pair explained the rules of their drinking game while in conversation with the Hollywood Reporter. So here goes:

-Drink any time an actress cries in a speech

Continue reading: Tina Fey And Amy Poehler's Golden Globes Drinking Game 2013!

The full release of Brad Pitt's Killing Them Softly has quietly crept up, six months after it premiered to strong reviews at the Cannes Film Festival. The crime-drama reunited The Assassination of Jesse James director Andrew Dominik with Pitt and was originally set for a September 21 release.

The first thing to note is that Killing Them Softly - about an enforcer who is hired to restore order after a mob-protected poker game is robbed - is a Weinstein Company movie. Harvey Weinstein is known for his Oscars game of chess, swapping and changing release dates and masterminding promotional campaigns to give his movies the best possible of chance of winning golden statuettes. Though last year's Margaret Thatcher film The Iron Lady was regarded as a dud by critics, Meryl Streep still managed to walk away with the Best Actress gong, despite Viola Davis' stunning performance in The Help. The power of Weinstein.

Anyway, according to Indiewire.com, Killing Them Softly switched to a November 30 release date for maximum Oscars impact. Weinstein decided that he wanted to roll out Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master closer to his festival premieres. Which is odd, because since making the decision, The Master and Silver Linings Playbook have emerged as the company's biggest Oscars hopes. At best, it looks as though James Gandolfini could snag a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Killing. Even Lawless seems to have a better chance of winning an Oscar than Dominik's movie.

Continue reading: Is The Academy Set To Ignore Brad Pitt's Killing Them Softly?