After years of criticism for creating the Star Wars character Jar Jar Binks, George Lucas surprised fans at a Disney convention on Friday by revealing his inspiration – Disney's Goofy. It came as Lucas was welcomed into the Disney Legends club, along with Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp. "Not very many people realise that Goofy was the inspiration for Jar Jar Binks," Lucas said, sparking laughter in the crowd at the convention centre in Anaheim, California, where the D23 Expo is taking place. "I know you'll look at him differently now." Jar Jar Binks – a computer-generated character who first appears in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace – is loathed by most fans, who accused Lucas of pandering to younger viewers with a comic sidekick. "I love Goofy and I love Jar Jar Binks," said Lucas. – AFP
Drake speaks out against Toronto shootings
Hip-hop star Drake on Friday condemned rising violence in Toronto after two people died in a shooting linked to his festival. “I am plagued and pained by the violence that continues to escalate in our city,” said the 28-year-old rapper, who was born in the city. “I stare into the eyes of so many young people and I wish to see them all shine as bright as they possibly can in this lifetime. I pray for better times and better understanding.” He also offered condolences to the families of the two people shot dead on August 4 at the Muzik nightclub at an after-party for his OVO Fest. There were 15 fatal shootings in Toronto this year, more than in all of last year, although the rate remains lower than in similar-sized US cities. – AFP
Clothing brand launches ‘King Khan’ SRK range
Clothing brand Bewakoof.com has teamed up with Yash Raj Films to launch a range of casualwear titled The King Khan Collection, featuring quotes from some of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s most popular films. The collection includes the slogans on a quirky range of T-shirts and boxers, plus mobile phone covers. “Team Bewakoof’s perspective on our content, along with their ability to engage the young audience with their product designs is the reason for our successful relationship so far,” says Manan Mehta, Yash Raj Films’ vice president of marketing and merchandising. “With this new range we intend to take this relationship a notch higher and are confident that our audience will love this range.” The collection is available now from www.bewakoof.com. – IANS
Obama shares Spotify playlists
US President Barack Obama has shared two of his Spotify playlists, revealing that his favourite songs and artists tend to be classics, are sometimes his supporters and are overwhelmingly American. Obama, who is on holiday in Martha's Vineyard, posted a link to the playlists on Twitter, saying he was doing so "by popular request". They included tracks by Beyoncé (Superpower) – who with husband Jay Z campaigned for him in 2012 – and Stevie Wonder, who recently joined Prince at a White House concert. Also on the list was So Much Trouble in the World by Jamaican reggae legends Bob Marley and the Wailers, along with tracks by Florence and the Machine, Justin Timberlake, The Temptations, The Isley Brothers, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, John Coltrane, Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone, Miles Davis and Billie Holiday, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison and Leonard Cohen. He also chose How Can You Mend a Broken Heart by Al Green. Obama impressed the crowd at New York's Apollo Theatre in 2012 when he sang Green's Let's Stay Together. – AFP
Jimmy Fallon signs six-year Tonight deal
Just a few months after Jimmy Fallon marked his first anniversary as host of The Tonight Show, NBC has signed him up for six more years. Calling him "the best there is", NBC entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt said Fallon, who turns 41 next month, will occupy the Tonight host's chair until at least 2021. Speaking to TV critics on Thursday, Greenblatt also announced that Rihanna would join reality-TV singing competition The Voice as key adviser to the panel of judges including Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Pharrell and Gwen Stefani. Greenblatt also had two words on whether Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump would ever return as host of The Celebrity Apprentice: "Absolutely not." – AP
Rugby stars appear in airline safety video
New Zealand's famous All Blacks have teamed up with former rugby rivals in a Men In Black-themed safety video produced for national carrier Air New Zealand. The video, shown on all the company's flights, features coach Steven Hansen, players including captain Richie McCaw, fly-half Dan Carter and full-back Israel Dagg, along with former Wallabies winger David Campese and ex-England captain Martin Johnson. American actor Rip Torn, who appeared with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as the chief of the shadowy Men in Black agency in the franchise's three movies, also appears in that role. The video was produced in collaboration with Sony Pictures which produced the Men In Black movies and features familiar sets, creatures and special effects. –AP
Disney and Pixar reveal secrets of upcoming movies
Disney has revealed the animated films that fans can look forward to from the studio and from Pixar in the next few years. The announcements were made at fan convention D23 Expo in California on Friday. John Lasseter, the chief creative officer of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, hosted the presentation. He announced a Jack and the Beanstalk movie called Gigantic, which director Nathan Greno (Tangled) said would be the definitive version of the fairy tale. Frozen songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who wrote the hit Let It Go, will write the songs. It was also revealed that Shakira will provide an original song for and voice a character in Zootopia, out in March, which is set in a human-like city populated by animals who walk upright, wear clothes and hold human jobs. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson previewed Moana, out in November next year, about a high-spirited, 16-year-old princess living on a South Pacific island 2000 years ago, who, in an act of rebellion, sets sail to a fabled island with the demigod Maui (Johnson). Johnson said it has been his career dream to be in an animated Disney movie. "It is my heritage, it is my culture. I am proudly half-Samoan and half-black," he said. "I'm so deeply connected to this movie." Meanwhile, Coco, from director Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3), is about a 12-year-old boy living with his big family in Mexico who inadvertently sets off a life-altering chain of events. Pixar revealed that Toy Story 4 will be a love story between Woody (Tom Hanks) and Bo Peep (Annie Potts). And in Finding Dory, a sequel to 2003's Finding Nemo, out in June next year, the forgetful Dory (DeGeneres) tries to track down her family. – AP
Impersonators ordered to stay away from Salma Hayek
A judge on Friday ordered two women to stay away from Salma Hayek and her family, after the actress accused them of impersonating her and threatening to kidnap her daughter. Superior Court Judge MD Fried ordered Liana Philippon and Odette Bodagh to stay 100 yards away from Hayek, her husband and her 7-year-old daughter, and to stop impersonating her. “This case arises out of a bizarre pattern of behaviour by two apparently mentally disturbed individuals,” Hayek’s filing states. “Their actions include, among others, concocting ruses to meet Hayek’s family members to obtain Hayek’s contact information, impersonating Hayek to another celebrity, attempting to directly contact Hayek herself, and impersonating Hayek in contacting Hayek’s minor child. In one communication while posing as Hayek, Philippon made a veiled threat regarding kidnapping and ransoming Hayek’s minor child.” A judge set a hearing for September 4 to extend the restraining order. – AP
