David Prowse, aka Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, has revealed that he hasn't even see the trailer for the forthcoming Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Prowse revealed in an interview with the UK's The Guardian newspaper that he isn't the "slightest bit interested in any of the new slate of movies", and added: "It depends if I'm playing the part of Darth Vader in it – then I'd be interested." Prowse also confirmed that he hasn't watched the much-hyped latest trailer for the new movie, which has already been viewed more than 50 million times on YouTube, and said: "I know nothing about it whatsoever; not being involved in it. I really haven't got much interest, you know?" – The National Staff
Bond shaken and stirred by plight of migrants
James Bond actor Daniel Craig has urged European governments to "step forward and sort out" the migrant crisis tormenting the continent. "There is a human tragedy going on. It is up to European governments to step forward and get this sorted," the British actor said. The fictional spy flits back and forth across borders in the blink of an eye in the latest Bond film Spectre, despite being grounded by British intelligence and having his passport removed. But in reality, entering Britain illegally has become ever more difficult, with thousands of migrants marooned in the French port of Calais resorting to desperate measures to cross the English Channel. "Some fictional spy is not going to fix this," Craig said as he called on governments to act. "People are not thinking about James Bond as they struggle with their families across the Mediterranean, it is the furthest thing from their minds." – AFP
Netflix picks up novel rights and Selina Gomez to produce
Netflix has ordered a series based on the young adult novel 13 Reasons Why, with Selena Gomez attached as the executive producer. The streaming service said it has picked up the series for 13 episodes. Brian Yorkey is the creator and writer of the story, which centres around a high-school student who committed suicide and left behind cassette tapes for people explaining how they played a role in the decision. There's no word yet on whether former Disney Channel star-turned-pop idol Gomez will appear on the series. – AP
Sanjay dutt set for own biopic
Blockbuster director Rajkumar Hirani, who is currently working on a biopic on actor and close friend Sanjay Dutt, says the film is guaranteed to entertain. “It will be a very emotional film and equally funny like most of my films,” Hirani said at the sidelines of the 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. “I met Sanjay for 25 days straight. Each day would give us an engaging story and it was so difficult to compress all of it into the final script.” Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor will be playing the role of Dutt in the biopic. Hirani will begin working on the biopic next year. – IANS
Skype launches Bollywood emojis
Online chat and messaging service Skype has launched a selection of Bollywood emojis in partnership with Yash Raj Films (YRF) and ErosNow. Skype Mojis feature clips from popular Bollywood movies and TV shows. With the new update, Skype users can reply to messages with emojis featuring Bollywood actors including Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Anushka Sharm. Skype emojis will be available on Skype for Windows desktop, Mac, Android, iOS and Skype for Web. “Sometimes when words aren’t enough, a popular film dialogue fills in. YRF has a rich library of films and content that caters to a wide audience base.” YRJ vice president Anand Gurani told India Express. – The National staff
Walking Dead goes interactive
The organisers of a convention devoted to The Walking Dead have unveiled an immersive attraction meant to make fans feel like they are in the fictional world of the hit television show. The production premiered on Friday at the 2015 Walker Stalker Con at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. The Walking Dead Experience-Chapter 1 drops small groups of audience members into more than 10,000 square feet of sets and special effects designed to emulate the fear and chaos of the AMC television show, organisers say. Visual artist Michael Counts, a pioneer of immersive theatre, created the production. The attraction is "the scariest and most fully transportive production of this type ever made", Counts said in a statement. Following its Atlanta debut, the attraction will embark on a US tour in four weeks. – AP
