A new trailer for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens has appeared online. The 30-second teaser was uploaded without fanfare to a YouTube channel claiming to be the official Korean Star Wars page. Most of the footage, which focuses on new characters including Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) has already been seen in previously released trailers, including the Millennium Falcon being chased by TIE fighters, and a few other brief glimpses of the desert planet Jakku – scenes which were filmed in Abu Dhabi last year. The only new footage in the trailer, at the very start, is a shot of a huge number of imperial troops gathered in ranks in a frozen landscape, showing the impressive scale of their force. A screen grab of the scene was later posted on the official Star Wars Twitter page, with the message: "The First Order assembles. #TheForceAwakens". The Force Awakens will be released on December 17. – The National staff
Aniston married by Jimmy Kimmel
Radio shock jock Howard Stern has revealed details about the secret wedding between Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux, including the fact that late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel officiated. Stern was a guest at the surprise marriage ceremony in LA last Wednesday, which Aniston, who this week was unveiled as the new brand ambassador for Emirates Airline, and Theroux had disguised as a birthday bash for the groom. Stern said on his radio show that he knew beforehand that it was a wedding because the couple asked him to give a speech – but it was extremely secretive and guests were asked to hand over their phones. He said Kimmel did "a beautiful job" officiating, and that Sia performed. Other guests, he said, included Ellen DeGeneres, Whitney Cummings and Orlando Bloom. The marriage is the second for 46-year-old Aniston, who divorced Brad Pitt in 2005, and the first for 44-year-old Theroux. – AP
Colbert prays Trump stays in White House race
With Donald Trump's presidential bid generating comedy gold as well as news headlines, Stephen Colbert is itching to get his share of the laughs when he returns to the air next month as host of CBS' The Late Show, replacing David Letterman. "Every night I light a candle that he stays in the race until September 8," Colbert says. "But I also hope that nobody gets that candle too close to his hair." In the meantime, with no show, "I'm just dry-Trumping," Colbert added and was so impressed with his pun that he stopped to tweet it from the stage as he met TV critics on Monday. Other things he revealed during his session: George Clooney will be a guest on opening night of his show, with Kendrick Lamar (who performed on the final Colbert Report last year) his first musical guest. He pledged to maintain the eclectic mix of guests he hosted on The Colbert Report, including artists, intellectuals, "politicians of all stripes", and even ordinary folk." – AP
Scorsese teams up with DiCaprio
Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City is finally headed to the big screen, with Martin Scorsese directing and Leonardo DiCaprio starring. Paramount Pictures confirmed on Monday that it has optioned the best-seller. The screenplay will be adapted by Billy Ray, who scripted Captain Phillips and The Hunger Games. The film will be the sixth time Scorsese and DiCaprio have worked together, the most recent being The Wolf of Wall Street in 2013. Published in 2003, Larson's non-fiction book is about the architect of Chicago's 1893 World's Fair and a serial killer who used the fair as the setting for his murders. The book has long been a hot property in Hollywood, particularly pursued by DiCaprio. – AP
Supergirl show won’t feature Superman
The producers of Supergirl have revealed a few more details about what fans can expect from the show, based on the comic-book adventures of Superman's younger cousin, Kara Zor-El. They told the Television Critics Association summer meeting that Superman's presence would be felt in Supergirl but he won't be seen. Geoff Johns, DC Comics chief creative officer, said: "You won't see him exactly on-screen. You will see him in the background, but he does play a part in her evolution of becoming a superhero." There won't be any crossovers by characters from producer Greg Berlanti's other DC superhero shows on the CW network, Arrow, The Flash and the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow, at least not for now. "I always approach these things as a fan myself and I always love when there's a bigger universe at work, but at the same time these shows really have to function on their own," says Berlanti. The show, which stars Melissa Benoist and Calista Flockhart, begins in the United States on October 26. – AP
treatment going well, says Hurt
Veteran British actor John Hurt says his cancer treatment is going "terrifically well". The 75-year-old actor revealed in June that he had been diagnosed with early-stage pancreatic cancer and was undergoing treatment. He told the Radio Times magazine: "I can't say I worry about mortality, but it's impossible to get to my age and not have a little contemplation of it. We're all just passing time, and occupy our chair very briefly. But my treatment is going terrifically well, so I'm optimistic." Hurt, who was recently knighted for his distinguished career, was nominated for an Oscar for The Elephant Man. He is at present filming a Tarzan movie with Samuel L Jackson and Margot Robbie. – AP
Affleck ‘doing great’ after split from wife
Ben Affleck did not speak to reporters on Monday at an promotional event for his HBO series Project Greenlight, but Matt Damon said his longtime friend and collaborator was doing “great” after his aplit from wife Jennifer Garner. “He’s got a big smile on his face tonight,” said Damon on the red carpet. Affleck, who wore a ring on his left ring finger, posed for photos and signed autographs at the screening in Los Angeles. He and Garner announced in June that they were divorcing after 10 years of marriage. Damon and Affleck are executive producers on Project Greenlight, which follows the journey of aspiring filmmakers. Season four premières in the United States on September 13. – AP
drake album first to go platinum this year
Drake on Monday become the first artist this year to release an album that has sold more than one million copies in the US. The Canadian rapper's If You're Reading This It's Too Late, which he released digitally without warning in February, had sold 1.007 million copies as of last week, tracking service Nielsen Music said. Only one other album has sold more than a million copies in the US this year, Taylor Swift's 1989, but it came out last year, when it was the only album to pass the platinum milestone. – AFP
fans will love last-ever CSi, makers say
CBS is promising that the last-ever episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation series finale won't disappoint. "This will be a very satisfying ending for all the CSI fans," CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler told a TV critics' meeting. CSI, which debuted in 2000, will end with a two-hour finale on September 27. Original cast members, including William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger, are returning for the send-off. The franchise lives on with the latest spin-off, CSI: Cyber, with Patricia Arquette, and CSI star Ted Danson switching shows. –AP
streisand happy that husband brolin
James Brolin says wife Barbra Streisand is delighted with his role on the new sitcom Life in Pieces. "Oh, boy, great. Go to work," was her reaction, a smiling Brolin told a TV critics' meeting. Life in Pieces tells the story of an extended family through their milestone moments. For family patriarch John, played by 75-year-old Brolin, that includes staging a cheerful mock funeral to mark his 70th birthday. The ensemble cast also includes Dianne Wiest, Zoe Lister-Jones, Colin Hanks and Betsy Brandt. It premières in the US on September 21. – AP
jackass star arrested over seaworld protest
Jackass star Steve-O has been arrested for climbing a crane in Hollywood in a protest against Seaworld. The 41-year-old, real name Stephen Glover, drew dozens of emergency responders on Sunday night to a construction site on Sunset Boulevard, when he clamberedup a crane at least 100 feet high, Los Angeles police Lt Michael Ling said. When he reached the top, he inflated a large killer whale balloon with the words "Seaworld Sucks" on it and lit fireworks. He climbed down and was taken into custody. Glover will be booked for investigation of several charges, including conspiracy to commit trespassing and filming without a permit. He was cited last year for another protest against the theme park. He said his protest was in response to controversy over the 2103 documentary Blackfish, which criticised SeaWorld's treatment of killer whales. – AP
little house on the prairie star running for congress
Former Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert is running for a Michigan congressional seat, saying "fresh voices" are needed to help improve the economy for people who have fallen behind. The 51-year-old Democrat, who moved from California two years ago after marrying actor Timothy Busfield, will run for the 8th District, which stretches across three counties from the northern Detroit suburbs to the state capital of Lansing and has been in Republican hands for 15 years. "I'm running for Congress to make life a little easier for all the families who feel they have fallen through the cracks in today's economy," Gilbert said. "I believe building a new economy is a team effort, and we need to bring fresh voices to the table to get the job done." Gilbert, who has never held public office, was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 2001-05. She starred as Laura Ingalls on more than 200 episodes of Little House between 1974 and 1983. – AP
Story of new edition coming to tv in mini-series
New Edition will be the subject of a BET mini-series. The network and Jesse Collins Entertainment announced on Monday that they are producing an as-yet untitled three-night mini-series chronicling the history of the group, best known for the hits Candy Girl and Cool It Now. New Edition members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant will be co-producers on the project. Founding member Bobby Brown was not mentioned in the statement announcing the project. "Everyone's been waiting for the New Edition saga to be told in all its triumphs and heartbreaks, and we can't wait to bring it to the screen," said BET president of programming, Stephen Hill. The mini-series is scheduled to go into production early next year. New Edition has split and reunited several times since it formed in 1978. The six members most recently reunited for a tour in 2014, but Brown left early after he struggled to keep up with other members during a dance routine. – AP
