Tom Hanks Page 7

Dwayne Johnson for President? That sounds like a good idea considering what politics is at the moment. The actor joked about running for office while hosting 'Saturday Night Live' for the fifth time last week, and even brought along Tom Hanks as his 'running mate'.

Dwayne Johnson at the 'Baywatch' premiere

It was the 'Baywatch' star's fifth time hosting 'Saturday Night Live' which meant that Alec Baldwin had the pleasure of introducing him into the 5-timers club (they have jackets!). While talking about Alec's infamous portrayal of Donald Trump, Dwayne opened up about his future plans.

Continue reading: Dwayne Johnson And Tom Hanks Run For Office In 'SNL' Skit

Tom Hanks has opened up about his thoughts on social media and the reality of the dangers as explored in his newest film 'The Circle'. It's an adaptation of Dave Eggers dystopian 2013 novel, but it poses some very real ideas about what the future of our society might entail. 

Tom Hanks stars in 'The Circle'

The actor, who plays one of the co-founders of the titular Internet corporation Eamon Bailey, spoke about the themes of the movie on the red carpet at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of 'The Circle' in which he stars alongside Emma Watson.

Continue reading: Tom Hanks Thinks We're All Contributing To A Real Life Dystopia

Tom Hanks has always been known as one of the nicest guys in Hollywood, and his latest gesture toward political journalists – an often maligned profession – has demonstrated that once more.

The actor had an espresso machine delivered to the White House press corporation to provide reporters with caffeinated boosts as they “fight for truth” in reporting on the various goings-on in the Trump White House, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“To the White House Press Corps. Keep up the good fight for truth, justice and the American way. Especially, the truth part,” Hanks’ note read, as can be seen via NBC’s political correspondent Peter Alexander’s Twitter feed.

Continue reading: Tom Hanks Sends Espresso Machine To White House Press Corps

Will Smith is reportedly in talks with Disney to take a prominent role in a live-action re-make of Dumbo to be directed by Tim Burton, with Tom Hanks also in discussions for a part.

Deadline reported on Thursday (January 12th) that the 48 year old megastar is being courted by Disney to play the role of the father of the children who form a bond with Dumbo, a big-eared circus elephant. Variety additionally reported that Tom Hanks is being targeted to play the villain in the live-action remake of the 1941 animated classic.

Disney had a record-breaking 2016, as it was revealed that the studio was behind every movie in the global top five, which included their live-action take on The Jungle Book.

Continue reading: Will Smith And Tom Hanks In Talks For 'Dumbo' Live Action Re-Make

In a world where technology is constantly evolving, the word 'privacy' is mud. Emma Watson goes from witch to whiz in a new dystopian thriller entitled 'The Circle' which explores the implications of a society where nothing is secret - not even your own home.

Emma Watson stars in 'The Circle'

Human beings tend to be hypocritical in the sense that we value privacy and attack those who seek to remove that right from us. On the other hand, we rely on CCTV, tracking devices and digital bugs to search out criminals and terrorists, and most people are all for whistle-blowers and hackers to expose government secrets. 

Continue reading: 'The Circle' Starring Emma Watson And Tom Hanks Explores Technology At Its Most Invasive

This morning we were treated to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nominations. It's one of the biggest award ceremonies on the movie calendar and, well, it's kind of a big deal. Forget the Globes - this is the ceremony that best predicts what's going to happen at the Oscars, with Shakespeare in Love, Chicago, Crash, Return of the King, Slumdog Millionaire, No Country For Old Men, Slumdog Millionaire, The King's Speech and Argo all winning the best ensemble cast award before going on to win best picture at the Academy Awards. 

Forest Whitaker [L] in Lee Daniels' 'The Butler'

Obviously, we're not really interested in who got nominated today - we want to know who got snubbed, right? Well, this article probably isn't going to be too lengthy given that most of the nominations announcement was fairly predictable.

Continue reading: Forget The Screen Actors Guild Nominees, WHO GOT SNUBBED?!

John Lee Hancock’s Saving Mr. Banks is a biographical dramedy, centering on Walt Disney’s life and the creation of Mary Poppins and starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson – in short, it is practically the perfect storm for critical success. Both the story and the performances are praised throughout the internet and critics are already pegging this for an Oscar nod, or several.

Critics are practically in awe of the charming biopic.

A particular favorite is Emma Thompson’s performance as author PL Travers – the original creator of the Mary Poppins character. As Travers, Thompson is sharp, snippy, but still relatable in her passion to protect the essence of Mary Poppins. As The Guardian’s Mark Kermode puts it, Thompson is “sheer perfection in the complex role of "Mrs PL", never allowing the author to descend into crotchety caricature, constantly suggesting a strain of melancholia behind the biting, control-freaky hautiness.”

Continue reading: Review Roundup: Critics Enchanted By The Emotion And Depth Of 'Saving Mr. Banks'

In the wake of last week's Catching Fire fever, new releases this week are a little more low key. Thanksgiving audiences in America will be choosing between Disney's acclaimed new animated film Frozen and Spike Lee's much more adult remake of the 2003 Korean thriller Oldboy. 

Meanwhile in the UK moviegoers will get a taste of Thanksgiving in the wacky animated romp Free Birds, plus a chance to savour the awards-buzz on Saving Mr Banks, about Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) trying to coerce PL Travers (Emma Thompson) into signing over the rights to her book Mary Poppins. Read our Saving Mr. Banks review here.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: More High-Profile Releases, Trailers For Muscle-Man Movies, And A New Life Of Jesus

When news of Saving Mr. Banks was announced, the words on everybody’s lips were: ‘Tom Hanks is playing Walt Disney. Cool’. But, as details of the film emerged, the characters of P.L Travers emerged as the more interesting angle. And so it has proved now the critics have taken a look.

Emma Thompson as P.L Travers in Saving Mr. Banks

Perhaps it’s because Travers’ story isn’t particularly well known; not everyone was aware of the trouble she faced when Disney weighed in on her book, with a view to turning it into – as it became – one of the biggest films of all time. Either way, Thompson as Travers is the focus as Saving Mr. Banks hurtled towards a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Continue reading: Emma Thompson Steals The Plaudits From Under Hanks' Nose In Saving Mr. Banks - Reviews

Well, actually, you do scam Tom Hanks. What you don’t do is get away with it. Jerry Goldman, an insurance broker who overcharged Tom Hanks his wife Rita Wilson, had ended up with a 27 month stretch in jail.

Tom Hanks as Richard Phillips

The broker, according to The Hollywood Reporter, received a 27-month sentence Monday and was also was ordered to pay about $840,000 in restitution. Between 1998 and 2011, reports suggest, Goldman inflated premiums by as much as 600 percent and created fake invoices to hide the scam.

Continue reading: You Don't Scam Tom Hanks - Actor's Insurance Broker Lands In Jail

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa is this weeks number one movie at the box office, ousting the mega-successful Gravity from the top spot after a three week stay. The Johnny Knoxville-starring prank fest more than doubled its estimated cost of $15 million in the first weekend alone, amassing an impressive estimate of $32 million since it was released last week.

Bad Grandpa has topped the US box office at the first attempt

Exceeding expectations by scoring more than $30 mil. at the box office, Bad Grandpa comfortably came in first place, averaging just short of $10,000 at each cinema it opened at across America. The fourth feature length outing from the Jackass team is now the second most successful of the bunch, just about tying with the first movie and coming some way off the estimated $50 mil. made by Jackass 3-D. Box office estimates indicate that the film should end its domestic run with about $75 million.

Continue reading: 'Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa' Finally Topples 'Gravity' From The Top Of The US Box Office

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa is predicted to earn close to $30 million at the box office in it's opening weekend, according to Deadline, making it the most likely candidate to finish at the top of the box office come the end of the week. This means that after three weeks of dominating the US box office, Gravity may finally be replaced as America's favourite movie at cinemas.

Bad Grandpa should be an easy weekend winner

Depending on what side of the $30 mil. mark it lands on, the film can become either the third or fourth most successful R-rated film of the year in terms of opening box office revenue. Should the film exceed expectations even further, it could potentially place even higher. The film already made an estimated $11 - 12 mil. on the opening day of the weekend - Friday, 25 October - and could be well on its way to exceeding the $30 mil. mark should the numbers continue to add up. Not bad for a film that only cost $15 million to make.

Continue reading: 'Jackass Present: Bad Grandpa' Looks Like The Early Favourite To Top Weekend Box Office

As we approach winter, Oscars season is in full swing, with convincing predictions and hypothesis available for each and every film, actor and director in contention for any category you can think of. The frontrunners for those coveted golden statuettes include Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Chiwetel Ejiofor, George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep.

Tom Hanks is Captain Phillips

It’s a fine list of names, for sure. And it’s basically a given that most people would love to swap shoes with any of the aforementioned actors who we consider to be in line for at least nominations - if not a few trips to the stage - when the Oscars are handed out in March 2014.

Continue reading: Forget The Oscars, Which Actor Has The Biggest Overall Box Office Gross?

Tom Hanks is winning plaudits left, right and center for his portrayal of merchant mariner Captain Richard Phillips in Paul Greengrass's critically acclaimed movie. The Hollywood actor's performance as the titular hero who stood up to Somali heroes in April 2009 is likely to see him do battle with Robert Redford for the Oscar for Best Actor in March 2013.

Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips

However, as Greengrass's movie prepares to hit screens in the UK following a strong opening across the Atlantic, crew members of the Maersk Alabama - which suffered the raid 4 years ago - have questioned Phillips' hero status.

Continue reading: A Tom Hanks Tour-de-Force, But Was 'Captain Phillips' Really A Hero?

Space thriller Gravity has dominated the American box office rankings for the second consecutive weekend. The last weekend (from 11th Oct.) saw the Alfonso Cuarón-directed film rake in an estimated $44.3m (£27.7m), according to BBC News, bringing the movie's total takings to $123.4m (£77.2m) ahead of its November opening in the UK.

Gravity Dominates The US Box Office For A Second Weekend.

The movie stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock as two astronauts carrying out routine maintenance on a space shuttle before they are hit by high-speed debris. After being sent careering into space, the pair have no other option but to begin a satellite-hopping mission to look for escape pods whilst fighting against depleting oxygen reserves and the prospect of the devastating debris coming back round.

Continue reading: 'Gravity' Maintains Box Office Stronghold As 'Captain Phillips' Sails Into Second

Ben Stiller's remake of the 1947 classic premiered at the New York Film Festival this week, with Stiller and costars Kristin Wiig and Adam Scott in attendance. The film, about a mild-mannered office worker with a vivid daydreaming life, won the festival's Fellowship Award. It opens in December. You can watch Ben Stillier in action as Walter Mitty in the trailer here. We also have video from this week's premiere at the New York Film Festival, you can see Ben Stiller And Kristen Wiig arriving here or watch a video of 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' cast posing together at New York Film Festival as they are joineed by Stiller's wife Christine Taylor and his co-star Adam Scott. 

Also on the red carpet in New York were Sandra Bullock, George Clooney and Alfonso Cuaron, presenting the US premiere of their space-orbit thriller Gravity, which went on to set US box office records over the weekend. Afterwards, Bullock and Cuaron jetted across the Atlantic for the film's UK premiere at the London Film Festival this week. We have video footage taken at the 'Gravity' NY Premiere featuring stars George Clooney And Sandra Bullock and another video featuring director Alfonso Cuaron arriving at the 'Gravity' NYFF premiere. We also urge you read our report on how studio pressure almost ruined the movie and how Alfonso Cuaron had to fight for the version we are seeing and enjoying today. 

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Mitty Premieres In New York, Gravity Lands In London, Radcliffe Talks Ginsberg, Frankenstein Teases

Captain Phillips has sailed gently into the Oscars race this year, creeping up on Twelve Years a Slave, American Hustle and Gravity with a handful of positive screenings at the festivals and praise for its leading man, Tom Hanks.

Tom Hanks As Captain Phillips 

The movie, by thriller aficionado Paul Greengrass, tells the true story of merchant mariner Captain Richard Phillips, who was taken by hostage by Somali Pirates during the Maersk Alabama hijacking in 2009. It's adapted from Phillips' own book A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea.

Continue reading: Why Tom Hanks Could Win His Second Oscar For 'Captain Phillips'

Tom Hanks’ diabetes announcement surprised Letterman viewers on Monday night, when the actor revealed that he has been living with the condition for some time now. Hanks has Type 2 diabetes and the news sparked instant speculation that the actor’s fluctuating weight was the reason.

The actor's everchanging appearance might have been the cause behind his condition.

One of his best-known roles – as a Robinson Crusoe-like character in Castaway – required him to shed 55 pounds. For another part, he had to pack on 30 pounds in a matter of months. Hanks, an Academy Award winner, has never shied away from making drastic changes to his physical appearance for certain roles, but these dramatic weight fluctuations can often be a contributing factor to diabetes.

Continue reading: Tom Hanks' Diabetes Announcement Shocks Fans Of The Actor

Tom Hank's 'Captain Phillips' Kick Off 51st New York Film Festival world Premiere of 'Captain Phillips' that screened at Lincoln's Center's Alice Tully Hall.

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Tom Hanks starring as Captain Phillips

Britain's Paul Greengrass directed the intense real-life thriller that was based on events that occurred in 2009 when a US cargo ship was hijacked by Somali pirates.

Continue reading: Tom Hanks' 'Captain Phillips' Kicks Off 51st New York Film Festival

The 57th BFI London Film Festival will take place between the 9th and 20th October, it will show "235 feature films and 134 short films from 57 countries around the world", according to the BFI. The two time academy award winner, Tom Hanks will star in both the opening and closing movies.

Ton Hanks portaying Captain Phillips in the upcoming thriller

The festivals opener 'Captain Phillips', is a thriller based on true events that occurred aboard the Maersk Alabama which was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009. The multi-layered film engages with the complexity of globalisation - the main focus being on the relationship between the two captains as Hanks portrays Captain Richard Phillips, who was taken hostage by the pirates who ransomed for his life.

Continue reading: London Film Festival 2013 Announced As Tom Hanks Overshadows Line Up

Six months of anticipation for four hours of award giving: that’s what you signed up for. The Oscars 2014 has its host, and now it has its favorites. Which director will be hurtling through an acceptance speech at breakneck speed, and which actor will be practising their sad-yet-humble loser face?

Sandra Bullock [L] and George Clooney [R] In Gravity

It’s Oscars season.

Continue reading: Predicting The Oscars 2014: Is George Clooney Guaranteed An Academy Award?

The trailer for the new Tom Hanks movie, Captain Phillips, has arrived, and at 2m35s long and packed with hundreds of shots, it’s like watching a short film in and of itself. Take a look for yourself below.

Phillips (Hanks) attempts to negotiate with the pirates

The film tells the true story of Captain Richard Phillips, who, in 2009, captained US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama - the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

Continue reading: "Captain Phillips Can You Hear Me?" Latest Look At Tom Hanks Movie [Trailer]

The long-awaited Walt Disney film, featuring Tom Hanks as the controversial man himself, is getting closer and closer, and we’ve got some stills of Hanks in action as well as his co-stars, Emma Thompson, B.J Novak and Jason Schwartzman.

Tom Hanks as the controversial Walt Disney

Saving Mr. Banks, which is to be showcased at Disney's annual D23 Expo, follows the story of Mary Poppins’ journey from page to screen as Author P.L. Travers travels from London to Hollywood to see her novel change in front of her eyes. She didn’t want Disney to do whey they did with her creation; wasn’t what she had planned.

Continue reading: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - Tom Hanks In Saving Mr. Banks [Trailer + Pictures]

Having starred in The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, Tom Hanks will complete the trilogy of Robert Langdon movies when he stars as the inquisitive Harvard University symbolist in Inferno, set for release on December 18th 2015. The Hollywood Reporter had the date.

He'll always be little Forest to us

Despite a poor critical response for both of the previous Dan Brown-novel movies – The Da Vinci Code managed 25% on Rotten Tomatoes, while Angels & Demons only marginally improved on that with 37% - they have fared well at the box office, grabbing over $1.2b from conspiracy-hungry movie-goers, the type of which probably believe half of what’s happening in the film, or can’t understand it and think Langdon as a modern day Indiana Jones.

Continue reading: Tom Hanks Set To Complete Dan Brown Trilogy With 'Inferno'

We love the Tom Hanks Walt Disney picture, it’s not quite the transformation we expected – we can still see Hanks in it – but it has certainly whetted the appetite for Saving Mr Banks: the upcoming biographical drama about the production of the popular Walt Disney film Mary Poppins.

Hanks sports a 'tache at a portrait unveiling at Sardi's restaurant

Next to Hanks – who appears to be towing the company line, waving to fans – is a rather disgruntled Emma Thompson, who plays P.L. Travers in the film. Her struggle, which stems from Disney’s desire to adapt her novel, is a central plot point from the film. 'Saving Mr Banks' – also starring Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman and Colin Farrell - is due out on January 17.

Continue reading: Tom Hanks Walt Disney Picture - First Still From 'Saving Mr Banks'

The Tony awards are approaching! This year’s award show, to be held this Sunday at Radio City Music Hall, is sure to hold a lot of surprises and a lot of amazing performances. Starting with the venue itself – the Tony’s return this year to their rightful home in RCMH after two years at the Beacon Theatre. This of course means a bigger venue, a bigger stage and plenty more space for those clever producers to work their magic. Speaking of space, the bigger venue also offers the chance for the castmembers of several beloved to team up for a number of collaborations. And if there’s anything music theatre fans love unconditionally (besides a good umbrella number,) it’s collaborations.

"You'll see different shows interacting with each other," along with musical numbers from proven hits, among them Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, The Lion King and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, says co-executive producer Ricky Kirshner for USA Today. "In many other worlds, like the music world or TV, everyone is off doing their own thing. But here, they're all friends."

And to add to the hype, audience favorite Neil Patrick Harris returns to host again this year, for what will be his fourth time at the Tonys. Clearly, the producers couldn’t get enough of the witty, multi-talented performer and frankly, who can. Harris, who is a busy father of two, will also be hosting the Emmys later this year. On the occasion, he recently tweeted: Pulling the bi-fecta."But the Tonys have even more to offer this year, especially in the way of nominees. Several Hollywood screen actors have made a more or less successful transition to the stage in recent years and this year’s award show might be honoring some of them, Like Tom Hanks for Nora Ephron's Lucky Guy this Sunday ("Tony loves movie stars when they're game and credible," wrote USA TODAY's Elysa Gardner) and of course, there’s ScarJo. No, sadly the actress got looked over for her part in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, along with the likes of Bette Midler, Alec Baldwin, Jessica Chastain, Katie Holmes and Alan Cumming. However, in the name of sportsmanship, Johansson will take a break from shooting Captain America: Winter Soldier, to stop by and present an award or two. And with such a star-studded cast and producers who have been working for a year to make this happen, it’s almost certain that this year’s Tony Award ceremony will go all out.

Continue reading: Tony Awards Keep Getting Bigger And Better With Each Year

It is confirmed: pint-sized popstar Justin Bieber and manager Scooter Braun, are set to be blasted towards the real stars, out into space.

Tycoon Richard Branson, founder and chairman of travel, entertainment and lifestyle company, Virgin Group, was first to break the news on Twitter: "Great to hear @justinbieber & @scooterbraun are latest @virgingalactic future astronauts. Congrats, see you up there!" whilst a buzzing Bieber replied: "Let's shoot a music video in SPACE!!"

The 19-year old 'Baby' hitmaker could be fleeing planet Earth to escape from his growing list of shameful actions that have brought the wayward party-boy under media scrutiny, including leaving insensitive messages in the guestbook at Amsterdam's Anne Frank museum, abandoning his pet monkey, 'Mally', in Germany after she was confiscated at customs, arriving onstage two hours late at his concert in London, and threatening to "beat the f**k" out of a photographer. Space might just be the best place for the little reprobate then.

Continue reading: Stars Head For The Stars: Justin Bieber Joins The Virgin Galactic Party

He was held hostage by Somali pirates four years, in what was one of the most highest profile incidents of piracy in centuries, so it's natural that of course Hollywood have gone and made a film on the brush with death that Captain Richard Phillips had in 2009 when his freight vessel was boarded by an armed gang and he was subsequently held hostage.

Watch the trailer for Captain Phillips

Tom Hanks has been entrusted with the role of Phillips, who selflessly attempts to sacrifice himself for his crew by being taken hostage himself. The bulk of the film has been adapted from the book 'A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea' by the real Richard Phillips and Stephan Tatty, who recounted their survival tale.

Continue reading: Real Life Pirates Of The Caribbean In Tom Hanks Starring 'Captain Phillips' [Trailer]

Matilda the Musical and Kinky Boots are up for 12 and 13 Tony Awards respectively for this year's awards ceremony on June 9, 2013. The Roald Dahl adaptation received shouts for cast members Bertie Carvel and Lauren Ward, as well as composer Tim Minchin. In previous years, the Royal Shakespeare Company production may have swept the board, though Broadway's take on the 2005 British movie Kinky Boots leads the nominations race.

Elsewhere, British actor Tom Sturridge got a nomination for best actor for his Broadway debut in Orphans, though he'll have to fend off competition from Tom Hanks should he want to take home the award. The Oscar-winning actor gained rave reviews for his performance in Nora Ephron's drama Lucky Guy, which has left Hanks looking to return to the stage in the coming years. Snubs included Alan Cumming for his performance in the revisionist Macbeth and Douglas Hodge for a revival in Cyrano de Bergerac last autumn. However, the biggest snub came in the category of best actress, with Fiona Shaw excluded for her solo show The Testament of Mary. 

Matilda and Kinky Boots have no British competition in the category of best play, with no new English projects making it to Broadway this season. Next year could be a whole different story, with The Audience and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time mooted for New York transfers.

Continue reading: Matilda Or Kinky Boots? Who Will Win Out At The Tony Awards 2013?

Tom Hanks has been nominated for a Tony Award for his role as late tabloid reporter Mike McAlary in Nora Ephron's Lucky Guy. The play, written by Ephron before she died last June, follows McAlary's life and career as he goes from ambitious reporter to Pulitzer Prize winning columnist. The play took six nominations in the announcement this week, including the big one - Best Play.

"She [Ephron] was nominated for a few other things throughout her career, but I think that because she was at heart perhaps the most quintessential of all New Yorkers," Hanks told the Wall Street Journal after the announcement "...to have this happen in the town that she viewed as her celestial home, that she would have probably been cowed into silence. Which would have been rare for Nora."

Hanks is one of the most decorated actors in the world, having won two Oscars for Best Actor for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump and Emmy Awards for his television series' Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Though the latter awards were for producing credits, Hanks still holds the statuettes and a Tony Award win would see him complete the 'grand slam' of awards. One man to have already achieved the same feat is Al Pacino, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1992 for Scent of a Woman. He went on to win Tonys for Does A Tiger Wear A Necklace? and The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel, later winning an Emmy for his role in the HBO movie You Don't Know Jack. Jeremy Irons, Liza Minnelli, Christopher Plummer, Vanessa Redgrave, Maggie Smith and Geoffrey Rush are others to have won an Oscar, Emmy and Tony award. Whoopi Goldberg has all three awards, PLUS a Grammy award.

Continue reading: Tony Awards: Can Tom Hanks Complete Grand Slam Of Major Awards?

The Tonys don’t really have much to offer in the way of original productions this year, including the big favorite this year, the Cyndi Lauper-scored “Kinky Boots”. The musical has been nominated for a whopping 13 Tonys. It is based on the 2005 British film about a shoe factory, which struggles to find its footing (get it) until it gets in the business of fetish footwear. What really makes this musical come to life though, is Lauper’s score, along with Harvey Feirstein’s writing. The record for nominations remains untouched though, as it was “Billy Elliot” in 2009 and “The Producers” in 2011, who broke it with 15 nominations. The 2012 Daniel Radcliffe starrer “The Book of Mormon” earned 14 nods at last year’s Tonys.

A close second to “Kinky Boots” in terms of nominations is another adaptation and another British import, Matilda: The Musical, which managed to secure twelve nods. “Lucky Guy”, Laura Ephron’s retelling of the story of a courageous New York reporter, comes in third with just six nods. “Lucky Guy” sees Tom Hanks in his first role on Broadway and apparently the stage suits him, because Hanks managed to nab a Best Actor nod as well. Besides Hanks, the leading actor in a play category is populated by Nathan Lane for “The Nance,” Tracy Letts from “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, David Hyde Pierce from “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” and Tom Sturridge from “Orphans.”

If you’re curious to see who wins what, the Tonys will be broadcast on CBS from Radio City Music Hall on June 9th.

Continue reading: These "Kinky Boots" Were Made For Walking Straight To The Tony Awards

After green-lighting the Wachowski's big screen adaptation of David Mitchell's apparently "unfilmable" novel Cloud Atlas, the head honchos at Warner Bros probably half expected it to be competing for the major prizes at the Oscars. A quick glance over the nominations will tell you the Tom Hanks starring movie will play no part in the celebrations at the Kodak Theatre on Sunday (February 24, 2013). Its solitary nod at the Golden Globe Awards was for Best Original Score.

Shot on a budget of $100 million, Cloud Atlas has been no financial disaster - it easily made back the cash at the U.S. box office and a European release, together with DVD and Blu-Ray sales means it'll become a tidy earner, though critically, it fell way below expectations. Overblown at nearly 3 hours long, the Wachowski's film left critics and audiences empty, though it won praise for impressive visuals and cinematography - something that will be of no comfort to writer Mitchell, whose novel is loved for its depth and sprawling narrative. "Finally, what sinks "Cloud Atlas" is not the largeness of its ambitions but the lack of skill it displays in terms of writing, directing and acting," said Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times. Xan Brooks of The Guardian said, "Unfortunately, these bold ambitions come to naught. They confuse the cosmos with the costume department and wind up lost in a world of wigs and bonnets."

Continue reading: Cloud Atlas: The Would-Be Oscar Contender That Went Oh So Wrong

We here at Contactmusic.com really hope there's a massive upset at the Oscars on Sunday (February 24, 2013), for no other reason than it's fun to watch the actor who should have won sink into their chair and try and look happy for the surprise recipient, who is dancing in the aisle somewhere. Sometimes, you can pin-point the exact moment when the realisation of absolute failure kicks in. "I lost. I actually lost. I didn't win. Someone else won. I didn't win. I do not need to stand up."

Ok, so it looks unlikely that the 85th Academy Awards will throw up TOO many huge shocks, though should Daniel Day-Lewis miss out on Best Actor, that would certainly represent one of the biggest surprises in Oscar history. Then again, Tom Hanks was nailed on for Saving Private Ryan, and looked what happened there. We thought we'd take a look back at five unbelievable results at the Academy Awards, proving it's not always a done deal.

James Coburn Beats Ed Harris (Academy Awards, 1999)

Continue reading: Oscars 2013: Five People ROBBED Of An Academy Award

We've all had that moment; looking at photos of our favourite celebs and then jumping out of our seats screaming, 'He's HOW old?!' Well, we've been doing a lot of that here at ContactMusic. Some stars seem to have crept up the age ladder pretty sneakily, the odd wrinkle and grey hair barely registering on our radar, while others don't seem to have aged at all! English football player David Beckham was in his twenties when he rose to global popularity and, looking at his recent H&M underwear advert, it seems that his iconic hairstyles and tattoos are our only way of working out the old from the newer pictures of him. However, he is only 37 and has plenty of time to catch up yet. It's the over-50s that have really had our mouths agape in recent times as we've been scouring the net for the most youthful looking middle to old aged stars. 

(Anthony Kiedis, Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey)

Continue reading: Good Genes Or Good Ops: Which Male Celebrities Don't Show Their Age?

Daniel Day-Lewis will make Oscar history on February 26, 2013, when - as expected - he takes the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Steven Spielberg's critically acclaimed Lincoln. Should Hugh Jackman, Bradley Cooper, Joaquin Phoenix or even Denzel Washington steal away the gong, it would almost certainly represent the biggest Best Actor shock since Robert Benigni somehow usurped Tom Hanks and Nick Nolte to the award in 1999. Though Jack Nicholson was considered the favourite, Day-Lewis could have had another award in 2003, (Gangs Of New York) had Adrien Brody not upset the apple-cart for his role in The Pianist.

As 'Lincoln' prepares to hit screens in the UK, critics have seized the opportunity to laud Day-Lewis' performance - "legend", "genius" and "one of the greats" are words and phrases found in almost every review. Ian Nathan of Empire Magazine said, "As unexpected as it is intelligent, thanks to virtuoso work from Spielberg and Kushner, Lincoln is landmark filmmaking, while Day-Lewis is so authentic he pulls off that stovepipe." Matthew Turner of ViewLondon said, "Impressively directed and superbly written, this is an absorbing and enjoyable political drama with an Oscar-worthy central performance from Daniel Day-Lewis." Shaun Munro of What Culture agreed, writing, "Daniel Day-Lewis gives yet another performance for the ages in Steven Spielberg's admirably literate, thoroughly charming biopic."

Continue reading: Lincoln's Daniel-Day Lewis To Outdo Brando, Penn, Hanks With Oscar Win

Dan Brown's Inferno' - his sixth mystery novel - will see turtleneck wearing protagonist Robert Langdon tackle Dante's epic 14th century poem. Brown's new book was revealed during a social media announcement on Tuesday (January 15, 2013) during which Facebook and Twitter readers profile images were added as tiles in a web graphic, alluding to Dante's allegory of the journey through hell.

Harvard professor Langdon - played by Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons adaptations - will be adventuring through "the heart of Europe" this time around, where he will be "drawn into a harrowing world centred on one of history's most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces." Dante's poem has been studied and scrutinised for hundreds of years - it depicts hell as nine circles of suffering located within the earth. "Although I studied Dante's Inferno as a student, it wasn't until recently, while researching in Florence, that I came to appreciate the enduring influence of Dante's work on the modern world," Brown said. "With this new novel, I am excited to take readers on a journey deep into this mysterious realm . a landscape of codes, symbols, and more than a few secret passageways." The poem offers up plenty of scope for Brown's polarizing style of writing and fans should expect plenty of puzzles, codes and symbols. 

Brown - born in Exeter, New Hampshire - is one of the world's most successful authors, though is often derided by serious literary critics. He is, of course, the man who served up the line, "Physicist Leonardo Vetra smelled burning flesh, and he knew it was his own." 

Continue reading: Dan Brown's 'Inferno' To See Robert Langdon Tackle Dante's Epic Poem

National Geographic aren't dipping their toes into the scripted drama, rather plunging themselves in with 'Killing Lincoln', an adaptation of Fox News host Bill O'Reilly's bestselling book of the same.

Tony Scott was working on adapting the book when he committed suicide on August 19th, 2012. Production had already begun in Richmond, Virginia, and Ridley Scott also exec produces. "This is really the Lincoln story you've never seen before. Booth wanted to make his mark," Scott said in a statement. Actor Billy Campbell, who co-stars with Jesse Johnson, called the documentary, "amazingly detailed, accurate, exciting and immensely tragic."

The trailer - considering there are no real spoilers in this story - doesn't reveal much, other impeccably stylised depiction of the murder, with a Tarantino-esque cut away from the scenes crescendo. "Lincoln is so adored, so universally revered today that it's easy to forget he was a controversial president -- one with many enemies -- in fact he repeatedly dreamt of his own assassination," said Billy Campbell, who plays America's 16th president. "We felt it important to convey this hidden side of Lincoln, this sense of his almost wasting away with premonitions of death, even as he was outwardly so poised and steadfast through the closing of the war."

Continue reading: Excitement Builds For 'Killing Lincoln' As Trailer Is Released

It's been a relatively quiet year for both Tom Hanks and Will Smith, though both teamed up for the Governor's Awards 2012 on Saturday evening (December 1, 2012). Producers of the show had enlisted the Hollywood giants to present DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg with the first Oscar of awards' season.

Katzenberg received an honorary award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science for his humanitarian work. Smith introduced the revered producer, while Hanks gave fitting speech about the CEO's generosity and his fundraising efforts after the 9/11 attacks. "Jeffrey Katzenberg doesn't have to do any of these things. But Jeffrey Katzenberg cannot help but to do all of these things - it is in his DNA. Jeffrey Katzenberg is a brilliant man, a hardworking man, a visionary and one of the most powerful men (in Hollywood)." Joking about his time spent with Katzenberg, Hanks added, "It's not just the invitation to breakfast. It's the lunch that lasts exactly 47 minutes. It's the follow-up phone call. It's the tour of the facility. It's the follow-up phone call. It's the letter to remind you of the phone call and the tour of the facility. And finally, it's the contribution you make."

Elsewhere at the ceremony, Quentin Tarantino gave a speech for stuntman Hal Needham, who revolutionized the stunt business by appearing in 310 feature films. "He is the man," said the Django Unchained director, "Before he became a director, he pushed the boundaries of what could be done.I have ripped off many shots from you. Today, I say thank you very much."

Continue reading: Tom Hanks And Will Smith Team Up At Governor's Awards 2012

Ben Affleck's Argo has clambered atop the Box Office peak this weekend on its third week. A reinterpretation of the 1980 CIA secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran, it grossed $12,085,059 with a cumulative gross of $60.5m.

In its first week, Cloud Atlas - starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry - reached the #2 spot with $9,612,247. Although not winning the weekend upon opening is considered a disappointment, experts predict it'll 'do an Argo' and prove a slow burner, despite the lukewarm response from critics. Animated Halloween treat Hotel Transylvania is still going strong in its fifth week; $9,444,014 this weekend brings its Cumulative Gross to $130.4M and lands it a #3. Another film hoping to capitalize on the annual scare-fest is the found footage horror Paranormal Activity, in the fifth incarnation of the franchise. The reviews were awful, but given the style of movie and time of year, most fans aren't looking for an art-house classic. $8,510,186 grabs it the #4 spot, while Silent Hill makes the top 5 in its first week, with $8,023,036.

The rest of the top 10 reads like a list of films simply there to make up the numbers. The widely panned thriller, Taken 2, starring Liam Neeson flaps around at #6. Here Comes The Boom, Alex Cross, Sinister and Fun Size round everything off respectively. Figures compiled using data from Yahoo Movies. We can't wait for The Master to come out. 

Continue reading: U.S Box Office Roundup: Argo Takes The Weekend In Third Week

One of the big events of the weekend was the LACMA Film + Art Gala which saw some of the great and good of Hollywood in attendance to raise a glass in honour of the director Stanley Kubrick and artist Ed Ruscha. Cameron Diaz, Evan Rachel Wood, Robert Pattinson, Will Ferrell and Salma Hayek were just some of the names there for the event which cost between $5000 and $10000 a ticket. 

Cameron Diaz looking radiant at the LACMA Gala

Continue reading: Pictures: Hollywood Stars Turn Out For The LACMA Gala

Can Paranormal Activity 4 and Argo be shifted from the top of the US Box Office? It's slim pickings this week, in terms of big money releases but if any movie is going to do it, it will be Cloud Atlas, the sprawling adaptation of David Mitchell's novel. We'll also look at the rest of this week's main releases: Chasing Mavericks, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D and Pusher.

Cloud Atlas has been getting some heavy promotion over the last few weeks, so curiosity, at the very least, should get movie fans into the theaters this week. The movie's producers will be hoping that this is the case, because the film is on thin ice with the critics, having scored a shaky 60% on the Rotten Tomatoes site. The general consensus seems to be that although the movie is well made, it could have done with a firmer editorial hand. Claudia Puig summed it up by saying "The cumulative effect is one of spectacle over substance."

You can watch the Cloud Atlas trailer here

Continue reading: Hot Tickets! This Weekend's Movie Releases: Cloud Atlas, Chasing Mavericks, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, Pusher

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

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

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

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

Downton Abbey has been a surprise international success. Period dramas for many years have been limited to reruns of remakes of Jane Austen novels or Sherlock Holmes, and very little else. Nevertheless, it has been a rip-roaring success in the UK and in the USA, where it has garnered some star-studded fans including Tom Hanks and Katy Perry, this however, may all be coming to an end. 

Dan Stevens, who plays Matthew Crawley, the only male heir to the Downton Estate, has revealed that he may not be returning for the fourth series, or indeed ever again. Crawley is pivotal to the plot of the entire concept, and his leaving will raise some serious problems for the writers. The Daily Mail reports that Stevens is choosing to leave to further pursue Broadway in New York, where he will be starring in The Heiress later this year. "New York for me is going to be one big adventure. I will be taking the whole family out and we will be there for six months." He said "I don't know if I will be returning to Downton."

Fans have already had to deal with the loss of three unexpected, youthful deaths in the mere 3 series so far, and for another 30-something to die would be a real stretch of the imagination. Having begun his career on the stage, Steven's move across the Atlantic to pursue his Broadway career, will in many ways be a return home. 

Continue reading: Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens Declines Fourth Series In Favour Of Broadway

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

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

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

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

Double Oscar-winner Tom Hanks messed up big time and stunned millions of viewers (not to mention himself and the Good Morning America crew) on Friday (Oct 19) morning, after accidently swearing whilst on the live broadcasted morning show.

Hanks was chatting with GMA host Elizabeth Vargas about his upcoming movie Cloud Atlas, when Vargas asked the actor whether he could recite a few lines from the movie in character. Although warning Vargas "mostly, it's swear words," he was asked to proceed anyways and, as warned, he uttered the f-word much to the disbelief of himself and most of America.

Hanks immediately covered his mouth in disbelief and once Vargas, who was first to recover, issued an apology, Hanks looked into the camera and told the audience at home: "I slipped into a brand of acting. I have never done that before. I want to apologize to the kids in America that are watching this right now."

Continue reading: Tom Hanks Issues Twitter Apology For Swearing Live On Air

After weeks, if not months, of speculation and rumors regarding the cast, production and writer of the Fifty Shades of Grey film adaptation, we've finally been given one concrete fact. The Fifty Shades screenwriter is to be Kelly Marcel. But is she the right person for the job, given that her only success so far is the US sci-fi drama Terra Nova?

Note 'so far', because it really is only 'so far'. Already Marcel has written the screenplay for 'Saving Mr Banks' for which filming started last month. A biographical drama, 'Saving Mr Banks' follows the controversy that Walt Disney faced while trying to procure the rights to make a film of Mary Poppins, coming up against the original novel's author, P.L Travers. It's set to star Hollywood heavyweight Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and English gem, Emma Thompson as Travers.

Marcel also did an “emergency rewrite” of 'Bronson', that stars her business partner and British actor Tom Hardy. The film went on to win 'Best Film' at the Sydney Film Festival in 2009, as well as being nominated for awards at the Sundance Film Festival, British Independent Film Awards and London Critics Circle Film Awards.

Continue reading: Fifty Shades Of Kelly Marcel: Behind The Scenes Of Fifty Shades Of Grey's Screenwriter

Shawshank Redemption, the 1995 film starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, has been named as the most inspirational movie by a poll of film fans.

The tear-jerking film, which was based on Stephen King's novel, sees two prisoners form a friendship against years of hardship.

Closely following in second place is Schindler's List, the true story of German businessman Oskar Schindler, who saved over 1,000 Jews from almost certain death during the second world war.

Tom Hanks' 1994 Forrest Gump was named as third, with people inspired by the tale of a simple man achieving greatness.

More than 2,000 film fans were surveyed by film and music store HMV.

Personal tales of success in the face of hardship appear to be the most inspiring themes for movie fans, with others in the top ten including Erin Brockovich and Billy Elliot.

Quite what Titanic inspired people to do after watching it may be questionable, but the film still managed to be named as the ninth most inspirational film.

Other classics which made it into the top 50 include Dead Poets' Society, Pretty Woman, Gladiator, To Kill A Mockingbird and Chariots of Fire.

HMV head of DVD Charles Fotheringham said Shawshank Redemption is a "great example" of how films have an "enduring capacity to inspire".

"Truly inspirational films can even change our view of the world and the things around us - helping us to see them from another person's perspective," he added.

''Ultimately, films can inspire us to change our lives in some way - think how many dancers must have started out in their chosen career after watching Billy Elliot.''

Top ten most inspirational films:

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1995)
2. Schindler's List (1994)
3. Forrest Gump (1994)
4. It's a Wonderful Life (1947)
5. Billy Elliot (2000)
6. Braveheart (1995)
7. The Green Mile (2000)
8. Erin Brockovich (2000)
9. Titanic (1998)
10. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983)

Continue reading: Shawshank Redemption 'Most Inspiring Movie'