Benedict Cumberbatch will play an aristocratic playboy, the title character in a five-part Showtime series called Melrose that will begin production this summer. The series is based on Edward St Aubyn's series of books, and each episode will track one of five separate novels. Settings include the South of France in the 1960s, New York in the 1980s and Britain at the turn of the century. Cumberbatch's character struggles to overcome damage inflicted by an abusive father. The series is a co-production with Sky Atlantic. No air date has been given. — Associated Press
Tweeting accountant blamed for Oscar best picture blunder
An accountant for the Academy Awards botched the meticulous procedure for announcing the Oscar for best picture when he handed victory to La La Land before declaring Moonlight the real winner, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) admitted on Monday. Accountant Brian Cullinan, who was reportedly tweeting backstage shortly before, gave presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway the wrong envelope for the movie industry's top award on Sunday, PwC said in a statement. "Cullinan mistakenly handed the backup envelope for Actress in a Leading Role instead of the envelope for Best Picture" to Beatty and Dunaway, PwC said. "Once the error occurred, protocols for correcting it were not followed through quickly enough by Mr Cullinan or his partner." The Wall Street Journal and celebrity website TMZ.com reported that Cullinan had posted a backstage photo of actress Emma Stone on Twitter minutes before the mix-up. It took three hours for PricewaterhouseCoopers, which has been overseeing Academy Awards balloting for 83 years, initially to confirm that Beatty and Dunaway received the wrong category envelope. — Reuters
Amitabh Bachchan tweets first poster of Sarkar 3
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan and veteran actor Jackie Shroff will be seen together in Ram Gopal Varma's upcoming film Sarkar 3. Big B shared the poster of the movie with his followers on social media. The poster has the lead actors Bachchan, Yami Gautam, Shroff, Manoj Bajpayee and Amit Sadh on it. "Mujhe jo sahi lagta hai main karta hoon ... Ye poster 'sahi' hai (I do what I think is right. This poster is right). Sarkar 3. It takes a lot to last three times over," the actor captioned the poster. Presented by Eros International and produced by Allumbra Entertainment, Wave Cinemas and AB Corp, Sarkar 3 is the third film in Varma's Sarkar series. Sarkar, which released in 2005, is set in the world of Indian politics. Its sequel Sarkar Raj hit the screens in 2008. Sarkar 3, will see Bachchan reprise his role as Subhash Nagre. The film will also feature Rohini Hattangadi, Ronit Roy and Bharat Dabholkar. It is slated to hit the screens on April 7. — IANS
U2 is sued for allegedly stealing song for Achtung Baby
A British songwriter and guitarist has sued U2, claiming the band stole one of his works for a song on its blockbuster 1991 album Achtung Baby. In a complaint filed in the United States District Court in Manhattan, Paul Rose sought at least $5 million in damages from U2 lead singer Bono and bandmates The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr, as well as Island Records. Rose, who said he has a dozen of his own albums, said the Irish band lifted "signature elements" of his copyrighted song Nae Slappin for its hit song The Fly. He said this occurred at a time U2, then arguably the world's most popular rock band, was seeking a "stark departure" from its trademark sound. Rose said he gave a demo tape of Nae Slappin to Island in 1989, the same year the label signed U2, and that The Fly incorporated its guitar solo and other elements, including distortion and "industrial-style" percussion. — Reuters
SoundCloud launches budget plan to attract paying subscribers
Music-streaming service SoundCloud launched a budget subscription package on Tuesday, hoping to convert more listeners into paying subscribers and undercut rivals Apple and Spotify. The $4.99 (Dh18) per-month offer will give subscribers access to 120 million music tracks without having to listen to ads. Its $9.99 (Dh37) premium subscription, rebranded as SoundCloud Go+, offers 150 million tracks, with new features to be announced this year. The new service is immediately available in the United States, Britain, Ireland, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Germany. — Reuters
