Holly to Bolly: Jolie quits movie with Pitt, Simon Cowell wants to sign Cruz Beckham and more

Plus: Junior Indian chef cooks for Ellen, Stanley Dural dies at 68 and Adah Sharma walks at Pune Fashion Week.

Angelina Jolie has pulled out of biopic Africa to avoid working with Brad Pitt. Matt Sayles / Invision / AP

Jolie quits job to avoid Pitt

Actress-director Angelina Jolie has reportedly pulled out of a movie so that she doesn't have to work with estranged husband Brad Pitt. The Hollywood couple, who have worked on two films together, Mr & Mrs Smith and By The Sea, spent several years trying to get Africa into production. The film is a biopic about archaeologist Richard Leakey, who championed the end of elephant poaching. "This movie has been a nightmare to get off the ground from the beginning. Until the last few weeks, Jolie was resolute in her intent to get it made, but now she doesn't want to direct it at all," a source told Heat Street. The couple was reportedly set to begin work on the film next year with Pitt in the lead role. Africa has been in pre-production for several years and has been plagued with several creative differences between Jolie and Skydance Productions, who are producing the movie. The news comes on the back of the announcement at the weekend that the FBI had launched an investigation into allegations that Pitt assaulted his son Maddox on a private plane last week. – IANS

Simon Cowell wants to sign Cruz Beckham

Music mogul Simon Cowell reportedly wants to sign Cruz Beckham, son of star couple David and Victoria Beckham, to his record label. The 11-year-old made a good impression on Cowell when they met previously. "Get him in and we will sign him," Cowell told The Sun news­paper. "I met them when they were younger, and I have to say they are really incredible kids. They could have been really spoilt, but they weren't. They were really funny when they came down to one of the shows. I know the Beckhams get criticised for being in the public eye, but if you are in the public eye, your kids are going to be, too." – IANS

Junior chef cooks for Ellen

Young chef and YouTube ­sensation Nihal Raj, also known as Kicha, put his cookery skills on display on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The six-year-old from Kochi, India, found fame after launching the KichaTube HD channel last year, attracting more than 7,000 subscribers to date. "Well, if you have ever wondered why Ellen hasn't had an adorable six-year-old chef from India, then today is your day. Please welcome Kicha," said DeGeneres when introducing Raj on the show. When asked about his first visit to the United States, Raj said: "It's been fun." The young cook proceeded to show DeGeneres how to make puttu, a traditional breakfast dish. After tasting the food, DeGeneres remarked: "It's very delicious." – IANS

Musician Stanley Dural jr dies at 68

The American accordionist Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr, who brought wider attention to the Creole musical styles of his native Louisiana through his band Buckwheat Zydeco, has died at 68. His family had announced that Dural had lung cancer. Dural was the best-known star of the bluesy, toe-tapping musical genre known as zydeco, winning a Grammy award in 2010 for his album Lay Your Burden Down. Dural gained national fame in the 1980s after signing with Island Records. He performed with Eric Clapton and Lyle Lovett, and played at both of Bill Clinton's inaugurations and at the closing ceremony of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. – Reuters

Adah Sharma walks at Pune Fashion Week

Actress Adah Sharma spoke at Pune Fashion Week in India about of her willingness to push style boundaries. "Fashion is not something you should be scared about. I think you should make mistakes and do crazy stuff. I'm never scared of fashion, whether it is my shoes or my hair. I am happy about it," she said. The star of Telugu and Bollywood films walked the ramp for Sangeeta Sharma in a bridal lehenga during the two-day event. "I don't walk around in lehengas, but I love Indian wear," Sharma said. The actress, who is currently filming action movie Commando 2, says that while she is enjoying the role, it is her most challenging to date. – IANS

Truman Capote ashes are sold

Some people will pay good money for anything involving the late American novelist, screenwriter and actor Truman Capote – including his remains. Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles has announced that Capote's ashes, which are contained in a Japanese wooden box, have sold for US$45,000 (Dh165,282). The amount is considerably higher than the original estimate of $4,000. The ashes are dated August 28, 1984, days after the author of Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood died, at age 59. Capote's ashes had previously been in the possession of Joanne Carson, close friend and ex-wife of Johnny Carson, who died last year. – AP

Actor Bill Nunn dead at 63

Bill Nunn, a veteran character actor whose credits ranged from the Spider-Man movie franchise to Spike Lee films including Do the Right Thing, has died. He was 63 and had been battling cancer. Nunn broke through in movies in the late 1980s, first in Lee's School Daze, then in the Oscar-­nominated Do the Right Thing in which he played Radio Raheem. "Radio Raheem is now resting in power," Lee wrote on Instagram, calling Nunn "my dear friend". Nunn appeared in dozens of films and television programmes throughout his career, including New Jack City and Sirens. – AP