Michael Douglas has ended months of speculation over fellow actor Val Kilmer's health by confirming his friend is battling cancer. Douglas reportedly told the audience at an event in London on the weekend that his friend, is "dealing with exactly what I had", referring to oral cancer. He added "things don't look too good" for the 56-year-old, best known for his role in Top Gun and as singer Jim Morrison in The Doors. Douglas, 72, said, "My prayers are with him. That's why you haven't heard too much from Val lately". Kilmer's representatives did not respond immediately to a request for comment. — AFP
Adele talks about her post-partum depression struggle
Adele has opened up in her latest interview about parenting and her struggle with post-partum depression. The 28-year-old singer tells Vanity Fair she felt like she had made "the worst decision" of her life after having her son, Angelo, who's now 4. She says she eventually had to spend some time alone to overcome her post-partum depression. The comments are in the December issue of the magazine, which hits news-stands on Thursday. Adele wraps up a nearly year-long tour of Europe and North America on November 21. -AP
Shah Rukh Khan writes poem for Indian soldiers
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has written and recorded a poem for Indian soldiers to support prime minister Narendra Modi’s #Sandesh2Soldiers initiative. After Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan, Khan came forward to send a message for the Indian soldiers on Diwali by posting a video clip on Twitter. Khan shared a video clip captioned: “Wishing everyone a Happy Diwali. May the festival of lights bring with it brightness and goodness in all our lives. Be safe and enjoy. I sent my #Sandesh2Soldiers. This Diwali let us all remember our soldiers!” He also shared a link to his video post in which he recites the poem: “Our feet on carpet, their boots on ground. Our days are steady, theirs, new challenges unravel. Our nights blissful, theirs, stressful. It’s our life to live because it’s theirs to give. The heroes should not remain unsung because we can’t imagine their plight. We grow stronger and bolder because theirs is the fight. The fight of a soldier”. - IANS
Snow White will be a live-action film
Disney classic fairy tale Snow White is getting a live-action reboot, according to several reports out of Hollywood. Erin Cressida Wilson, who wrote the adaptation of The Girl on the Train, is in negotiations to write the script for the film. According to hollywoodreporter.com, the movie will include new songs by songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who most recently wrote the lyrics for La La Land. Marc Platt, who is also working with Disney on Mary Poppins Returns, will produce the film. Disney's original Snow White animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came out in 1937. — hollywoodreporter.com
Natalie Babbitt, beloved children’s author, dies
Natalie Babbitt, the author of the children's novel Tuck Everlasting, has died from cancer at the age of 84. Babbitt, who was also an illustrator, was diagnosed with lung cancer recently and died at her home on Monday. Babbitt's literary career began in 1966, when she illustrated a children's book written by her husband and was encouraged by its editor to continue writing and illustrating children's books herself. She would go on to write and illustrate dozens of books but was best known for Tuck Everlasting. The 1975 novel is about a girl who stumbles onto a mysterious family that's discovered a magical spring that gives eternal life. With its themes of immortality, ageing and death, the novel was named an American Library Association notable book. It has been adapted into two movies, including a 2002 Disney film, and a Broadway play that had a brief run this year. — AP
DC Comics film The Flash loses its director
The Warner Bros. and DC Comics film The Flash has hit a roadblock. Director Rick Famuyiwa says he and the studio could not "come together creatively" on the project, which he's been involved with since June. Ezra Miller stars as the speedy superhero in the film, which is slated for a March 2018 release. Famuyiwa, known for the indie Dope, appeared at Comic-Con earlier this year on behalf of the film with fellow DC directors Zack Snyder, Patty Jenkins, James Wan and Ben Affleck. His departure is the latest bump on the road for Warner Bros.' expanding DC universe, which has had a somewhat gloomy year with critically derided, but decently successful films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. The Flash is not the only superhero picture with troubles lately. Rival studio Fox recently saw the departure of Deadpool 2 director Tim Miller, also over creative differences. -AP
Justin Bieber settles Miami lawsuit
Pop star Justin Bieber has settled a lawsuit in which a judge threatened the singer with arrest if he didn’t appear for a deposition. Miami attorney Mark DiCowden said in an email that photographer Manuel Munoz’s lawsuit against Bieber had been resolved. Terms of the settlement are confidential. A judge last month ordered Bieber to sit down for a deposition or be arrested and brought to court after DiCowden contended that a celebrity should not get special treatment. Munoz claimed in the lawsuit he was assaulted by one of the singer’s bodyguards two years ago in Miami Beach. He sought unspecified damages. Bieber’s attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Bieber is currently on tour in Europe. — AP
Electrician allegedly caught up in Picasso family feud
A retired electrician who kept 300-odd Pablo Picasso artworks in his garage for almost 40 years said the artist’s widow wanted to keep the works hidden from his son Claude. In a courtroom this week, Pierre Le Guennec, who was convicted last year of possessing stolen goods, said, “Mrs Jacqueline Picasso had problems with Claude Picasso”. A few months after Picasso died in April 1973, “she asked me to store rubbish bags at my home”, the 77-year-old defendant told the court in Aix-en-Provence, saying there were between 15 and 17 bags. Le Guennec said that Jacqueline Picasso eventually retrieved the bags but gave him one of them. The collection, whose value has not been assessed, includes drawings of women and horses, nine very rare cubist collages from the time Picasso was working with fellow French artist Georges Braque and a work from his blue period. The unsigned works, which had not been inventoried, were created between 1900 and 1932. The authorities seized the works and handed them over to Picasso’s son Claude Ruiz-Picasso, who represents the six heirs. -AFP
