James Bond: Denis Villeneuve to direct next 007 film
Amazon did not release details on the next actor to play James Bond in the announcement.Villeneuve acknowledged the "massive responsibility" of helming the new film and expressed his excitement at the challenge."I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr No with Sean Connery. I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he's sacred territory," he said."I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come."He added that he and fellow producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are "thrilled to bring him [Bond] back to the screen".Head of Amazon MGM Studios Mike Hopkins hailed Villeneuve as a "cinematic master" and praised his ability to deliver "immersive storytelling" for global audiences."James Bond is in the hands of one of today's greatest filmmakers and we cannot wait to get started on 007's next adventure," he said.Pascal and Heyman added it was always Villeneuve's dream to make a Bond film and "we are lucky to be in the hands of this extraordinary filmmaker".It's still unclear when the next Bond film will be released as the search for the next actor to play the titular spy continues.British actors Aaron Taylor-Johnson and James Norton have been rumoured as frontrunners, while Irish actor Paul Mescal's name has also been thrown into the mix.Villeneuve gained prominence with a series of critical successes including Sicario, Prisoners and Incendies.His 2016 science fiction thriller Arrival earned him his first Oscar nomination for directing.Most recently, blockbusters Dune and Dune: Part Two grossed a combined total of more than $1bn (£730m) worldwide, with both films nominated for Best Picture Oscars in their respective years.Villeneuve is expected to start shooting Dune Messiah, the third movie of the Dune franchise, later this year with a potential release date in 2026.
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
‘I've done enough for them' – James Wade snubs major darts event for trip to Disneyland after ‘disrespectful' row
JAMES WADE chose Disneyland Paris with his family over the Australian Darts Masters. Stars such as Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and reigning champion Gerwyn Price are set for the Darts Oceanic double-header. 3 3 But the likes of Michael van Gerwen and Nathan Aspinall will not play in the 16-man tournament or the second in New Zealand next weekend. Neither will Wade - because the 42-year-old took a trip to Disneyland with his wife and family. He wrote on Facebook: 'Morning all, we have had the best family holiday away at Disneyland Paris. "Thanks for such a great time!! We all loved it and it was very well needed to spend some quality time with the family. Also got to wear my new bag." Wade, who showed off his Donald Duck bag, confirmed he turned down an invitation from the PDC for the first time. He told Dartsnews: "I'd already booked a family holiday. 'As much as I want to go to Australia, I'm going to Disneyland Paris instead. I won't put darts before my family. 'But for the last 20 years, I have put the PDC before James, before my family, and before relatives. I've done enough for them, I think.' Wade's PDC snub comes after he was accused of being 'disrespectful' following his World Matchplay final defeat to Luke Littler. The World No.5 lost 18-13 to the teen sensation Littler - who became the youngest champion in the tournament's history. Luke Littler in fiery reaction to crowd during Australian Darts Masters win over Damon Heta Wade slipped quietly off the oche following their bout as Littler soaked up the spotlight solo. Sky Sports pundits Michael Bridge and Chris Murphy took aim at Wade for his actions in Blackpool. Bridge said: 'I got it clarified that there were no issues with Luke or the crowd or anything like that. 'He was just angry at himself, which is fine, but we would have liked to have heard from him.' Murphy added: 'I thought it was disrespectful for him not to be on the stage at the end. 'Whether he does an interview or not is up to him, but not to be there when Luke is receiving the trophy, that is disrespectful. 'Just stand there for a minute and applaud, and then say, 'I don't want to talk.' There's a serious side with James of course. 'We know about his mental health and his mental illnesses that he suffers with and that he's trying to combat all the time. 'But I think he maybe needs a little bit of guidance and support with that. 'If he's not up to doing a press conference straight after a match, maybe he should be approaching the PDC and asking about facilitating his press conference when he returns for the next round in a better frame of mind.' 3
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida and the battle to be ‘the world's most beautiful woman'
The great Italian film star Sophia Loren is, of course, famous for the work that she has done on screen over the past seven decades. But she is equally well known for the adoration that she inspired in many of her co-stars. Omar Sharif sighed that he fantasised about her naked after they acted together. Clark Gable confessed that he had had 'the wrong thoughts' about the beauteous Loren when they appeared in the otherwise forgotten 1960 drama It Started In Naples. Cary Grant, meanwhile, was cast opposite her in the 1957 epic The Pride and the Passion and was initially horrified at the idea, declaring 'My God! You want me to play with this Sophie somebody, a cheesecake thing? Well, I can't and I won't.' He was soon converted when he met Loren in the flesh, and the two embarked on a love affair: this was considerably more than Peter Sellers managed, when he starred with Loren in the now-problematic 1960 romantic comedy The Millionairess. Sellers decided that he and the Italian actress were destined to be together, and although Loren did not return his affections, he declared to his wife Ann Howe and his children that he was leaving them for his co-star. When his young daughter Sarah asked her father if he still loved his family, he replied: 'Of course I do, darling, just not as much as Sophia Loren.' Beginnings of a feud Loren, a diva beyond compare and perhaps the last woman standing from the Golden Age of Hollywood, now has a new season of films devoted to her at the BFI. But it's easy to forget that Loren hasn't always been universally loved – at least, not by her fellow doyens of Italian cinema. When Cary Grant first met Loren, he was not above poking some fun at her, and the joke that he chose to express himself with may have touched a nerve. In Loren's 2015 memoir Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: My Life, she recalled Grant introducing himself: 'He held out his hand, looking at me with a pinch of mischief: 'Miss Lolloloren, I presume? Or is it Miss Lorenigida? You Italians have such strange last names I can't seem to get them straight.'' It was a clear verbal reference to the other leading star of Italian cinema of the day, in the equally beauteous form of Gina Lollobrigida, who was seven years older than Loren and who had begun her career in Italian and international film just a few years beforehand. Both vied for the title of 'the world's most beautiful woman', a description that each of them received, at one time or another, and zealously guarded for as long as they might. A feud had started between the two that would duly become infamous, although both participants alternately claimed that it was simply a PR-confected fantasy or, more amusingly, that it was the other who was continuing it in order to maintain their presence in the headlines. In one of the relatively few pictures that exist of both actresses together in 1954, the body language makes it clear that they are not relishing sitting next to one another, and Lollobrigida, in particular, has an expression that suggests that she would really rather be elsewhere at that moment. The photograph was taken at the Italian Film Festival in London, in the presence of Elizabeth II; Loren attracted most of the media attention due to her ornate outfit, which included a fittingly regal cape and crown. 'The most beloved Italian export since spaghetti' The two women both enjoyed significant success early in their careers, but there were disparities between their levels of recognition and acclaim. Lollobrigida was signed up by the mogul Howard Hughes (who, was, predictably, smitten by her) to a seven-year exclusive contract, but her ventures into English-language cinema were comparatively limited, compared to her standing in Italy. She appeared in such pictures as John Huston's Beat the Devil, and starred opposite a decrepit Errol Flynn in his attempt to revitalise his swashbuckling career, Crossed Swords. More significant roles in films included the circus drama Trapeze and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. However, she won the greatest amount of acclaim and recognition for Italian-language projects, and received a Bafta nomination for her role in 1953's Bread, Love and Dreams. Further awards followed throughout the decade, and Lollobrigida revelled in her standing as the best-known, most beloved Italian export since spaghetti. Picking a fight with the queen herself This did not sit well with the ambitious Loren, who had been born Sofia Scicolone, and had had an early career as a successful model. When she was 15, she met Carlo Ponti, who was judging a beauty pageant that she appeared in. Although the 37-year-old Ponti was no Adonis, he was sufficiently charismatic and intelligent to realise that the young Scicolone had the potential to go far in the film industry, if he could shape her, Svengali-like. He changed her name to the more pronounceable Sophia Loren, encouraged her to learn English and to shed her strong Neapolitan accent. Still, whatever the truth of her lineage, under Ponti's tutelage she established herself as a comely figure with strong sex appeal. She had made over 25 films by the age of 21, which made her a ubiquitous presence in Italian cinema. Perhaps egged on by Ponti, she now decided to pick a fight with the queen herself, Lollobrigida, and told the European press that she was better endowed – 'bustier' – than the older actress Lollobrigida duly snapped back that she was capable of playing a peasant, but that Loren was not able to convincingly embody an aristocrat. 'We are as different as a fine racehorse and a goat!' she complained to one reporter. The barbs must have stung, because, later in her career, Loren suddenly remembered that her father, an unsuccessful railway engineer, had been descended from nobility, which supposedly gave her the right to call herself 'Viscountess of Pozzuoli, Lady of Caserta'. From personal to professional The feud soon stretched from the personal to the professional, when Loren replaced Lollobrigida in a sequel to her hit 1953 romantic comedy Bread, Love and Dreams (the older actress had asked for more money). In recognition of Loren's charms, it was filmed in colour rather than black and white. Matters worsened when Loren had a more significant international breakthrough than Lollobrigida in 1960 by winning both an Oscar and Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for what may well be her greatest performance in Two Women. The film, a gritty and decidedly unglamorous war drama, directed by Vittorio De Sica, featured Loren as a widow who is struggling to care for her 12-year-old daughter. It climaxes with the two of them being raped by a group of soldiers inside a church, and Loren's bold rejection of the sexuality that she had embodied since she began her career made for stunning viewing. 'I thought it was worth taking the risk at 25 to play an older woman because the story was so beautiful,' she later said. Lollobrigida did not make any public comment on Loren's awards at the time, but it was perhaps no coincidence that she lobbied for the role of Napoleon Bonaparte's sister Pauline in the 1962 biopic Imperial Venus, presumably in the hope of attracting similar attention. She won two major Italian awards, the Nastro d'Argento and the David di Donatello, but Oscars and Cannes gongs were not to be hers. Loren, meanwhile, enjoyed an elevated status as a Hollywood film star, appearing in leading roles in such epics as El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire and the Hitchcockian comedy-thriller Arabesque. Such was her standing that, when she was cast opposite Marlon Brando in the 1967 Charlie Chaplin-directed flop A Countess from Hong Kong, she was able to put the Method star in his place. As she recounted: 'One day … he suddenly reached out and grabbed at me. I twisted around and very calmly hissed in his face, like a cat when you pet its fur backward: 'Don't you dare. Don't you ever do that again.' As I gave him my dirtiest look, I suddenly saw how small and harmless he really was, almost a victim of an aura that had been created around him.' Disparagingly, she called Brando 'a man ill at ease in the world.' 'She hasn't stopped for 50 years' Loren went on to have a rollercoaster career that even encompassed a brief prison sentence in the early 1980s for tax evasion: she was treated, appropriately enough, by royalty by her fellow prisoners and the guards alike, and the incident did not damage her significant popularity. In their later years, Loren and Lollobrigida were pictured in the same place together exactly once: at a 1988 event honouring Michael Jackson in Los Angeles. Yet Lollobrigida continued to brood, and, in 2015, gave an interview to Vanity Fair in which she attempted to suggest that she was truly first amongst equals. 'My God! She and her press agents started this 'rivalry' with me – and she hasn't stopped for 50 years,' Lollobrigida declared. 'It was really boring for me … we are different. We made completely different careers. I wanted to be an artist more than anything else. I wanted a career on a high level.' Belying, perhaps, the idea that Loren was obsessed by publicity, the younger actress declined to comment. So it was not entirely surprising that, two years later, Lollobrigida was still keeping the feud going. She told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that 'I was not looking for any rivalry against anyone: I was the number one' and, in an obvious dig at Loren and Ponti, announced that 'I succeeded only thanks to myself, without any producer supporting me. I did everything alone.' However, when Lollobrigida died in 2023, Loren was able to have the last word, announcing that she was 'deeply shaken and saddened' by the death of her one-time rival, and thereby exhibiting a magnanimity at the conclusion of the feud that was sorely lacking – on both sides – while it continued.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
What to Stream: Vanessa Kirby, Maroon 5, Madden NFL 26, Alicia Silverstone and 'The Chicken Sisters'
Vanessa Kirby starring in a gritty film about the aspirations of home ownership, 'Night Always Comes,' and Maroon 5 releasing their eighth studio album with songs featuring Lil Wayne and Blackpink's LISA are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time, as selected by The Associated Press' entertainment journalists: Alicia Silverstone leading a new TV crime drama called 'Irish Blood.,' the multigenerational, wholesome drama 'The Chicken Sisters' rolls out its second season on Hallmark and EA Sports jumps aboard the artificial intelligence bandwagon with Madden NFL 26. New movies to stream from Aug. 11-17 — Isaiah Saxon's 'The Legend of Ochi' (streaming Friday, Aug. 15 on HBO Max) is a handcrafted fantasy throwback seeking to conjure the kind of magic once found in movies like 'The Never Ending Story.' The A24 film stars Helena Zengel as Yuri, a girl who runs away from the forest home she shared with her father (Willem Dafoe) and brother (Finn Wolfhard). She leaves with a baby Ochi, a creature hunted her father. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote that 'The Legend of Ochi' 'has the feeling of a film you might have stumbled on and loved as a kid.' — Vanessa Kirby may be one of the standout performers of the summer blockbuster 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' but she also stars in a gritty new film about the aspirations of home ownership. In 'Night Always Comes' (Thursday on Netflix), Kirby plays a woman going to extreme lengths to secure a home for her family. The movie, directed by Benjamin Caron and adapted from Willy Vlautin's best-selling novel, takes place over a single night. — AP Film Writer Jake Coyle New music to stream from Aug. 11-17 — Maroon 5 will release their eighth studio album, 'Love is Like,' on Friday, Aug. 15, via Interscope Records. Expect smooth, funky pop music — like the sultry 'All Night.' Singer Adam Levine and Co. continue their trend of unexpected and delightful collaborations as well, with songs featuring Lil Wayne, Sexyy Red and Blackpink's LISA. You read that correctly. — Clifford Antone opened Antone's, one of the most storied music venues in Austin, Texas, with an inaugural performance by the King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier in 1975. In the decades since, Antone's has become the stuff of mythology; a performance space that embraces its history and looks towards its future. On Friday, a new box set from New West Records seeks to celebrate Antone's legacy with 'Antone's: 50 Years of the Blues.' — AP Music Writer Maria Sherman New series to stream from Aug. 11-17 — The multigenerational, wholesome drama 'The Chicken Sisters" rolls out its second season on Hallmark. The series stars Schuyler Fisk, Lea Thompson, Wendie Malick and Genevieve Angelson as family members in a small town divided over their rival fried chicken businesses. It's based on a novel of the same name. The series streams new episodes beginning Monday on Hallmark+. — Alicia Silverstone leads the new crime drama called 'Irish Blood.' She plays Fiona, a woman who has been led to believe her father abandoned her as a child — and has carried around some heavy emotional baggage ever since. When she learns the truth is more complicated — not to mention dangerous — she heads to Ireland to investigate. The premiere of the six-part show drops Monday on Acorn TV. — A new one for the kiddos is the Disney Jr. series 'Iron Man and his Awesome Friends,' coming to Disney+. The first 10 episodes drop Tuesday. The show follows besties and fellow geniuses, Tony Stark, Riri Williams and Amadeus Cho, who team up to solve problems. — Chris Hemsworth continues his quest to live a healthier, more present, and longer life in a second season of 'Limitless," now called 'Limitless: Live Better Now.' The three-part docuseries sees Hemsworth learn more about brain power (with help from his friend and recording artist Ed Sheeran), risk and pain. The three episodes stream on Hulu and Disney+ beginning Friday, Aug. 15. New video games to play from Aug. 11-17 — EA Sports is jumping aboard the artificial intelligence bandwagon with Madden NFL 26, promising 'a new AI-powered machine learning system trained by real play calls and game situations over nearly a decade.' The most intriguing additions are QB DNA and Coach DNA — so, for example, if you're playing the Kansas City Chiefs, you'll see the kind of moves you'd expect from Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. As always, the goal is to get ever closer to real-life football, with more dynamic weather effects, more details from pro stadiums and the return (at last!) of team mascots. The cover model this season is Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who'll be ready to start leaping over defenders Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 and PC. — Lou Kesten
