The US$150,000 (Dh551,000) pearl-encrusted dress stolen from the hotel room of actress Lupita Nyong'o has been found. The custom-made gown with about 6,000 pearls went missing after she wore it to last Sunday's Academy Awards. "A dress that greatly resembles the dress that was stolen" was recovered, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said on Friday. The elaborate Calvin Klein pearl dress, designed by Francisco Costa, had been reported missing from The London West Hollywood hotel on Wednesday. Kenyan-born Nyong'o won a best supporting actress Oscar last year for her performance in 12 Years a Slave. – AFP
Osbourne quits Fashion Police
Kelly Osbourne has quit Fashion Police, days after complaining about co-host Giuliana Rancic's comments on Zendaya's dreadlocks. E! Entertainment said that she is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Osbourne has yet to comment. On last Monday's post-Oscar edition of Fashion Police, Rancic sparked controversy when she said that actress-singer Zendaya's hair suggested the smell of patchouli oil or marijuana. She came under fire from Zendaya and Osbourne, among others, and apologised the following day on E! News. Osbourne tweeted on Tuesday that she does not condone racism and was reconsidering being part of Fashion Police. E! said the series will return as scheduled on March 30 and no decision had been made on Osbourne's replacement. Fashion Police recently hired Kathy Griffin to replace Joan Rivers, who died last September. – AP
Beck gets apology from Kanye
Kanye West has said sorry to Beck on Twitter. The 37-year-old hip-hop artist publicly apologised to the 44-year-old musician who won four trophies at the Grammys last month. West also says he’s sorry for remarks he made about 29-year-old singer-producer Bruno Mars. It appeared West was attempting to steal the limelight from Beck when he briefly jumped on stage after Beck won Album of the Year at the 57th annual Grammy Awards. He quickly sat back down, but later slammed the recording academy for not honouring Beyonce with the award. West infamously interrupted Taylor Swift when she won the award for Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009, ahead of Beyonce. – AP
Beatle’s childhood home sold
The childhood home of the former Beatle Paul McCartney sold for £150,000 (Dh850,600) at an auction on Thursday in Liverpool. The red-brick terraced house in the south of the coastal city sold for £50,000 more than its guide price to an anonymous bidder in Britain. The sale was held at the rebuilt Cavern Club, the venue where The Beatles often played early in their career. McCartney moved into the house at the age of 4 with his parents, Jim and Mary, in 1947, and the family was well known in the area of Speke due to his mother’s job as a midwife. They lived in the three-bedroom house for six years. Last year, George Harrison’s former home in the same area of the city sold for £156,000. Lennon’s childhood home sold for £480,000 in 2013. – AFP
Bruce Willis movie Wake halted
The latest film starring Bruce Willis has been cancelled shortly after filming began due to financial problems.
A spokesman for Willis said production of Wake was suddenly halted when financing fell through, and the actor was concerned that crew members who had joined him "in good faith" were now jobless.
Publicist Paul Bloch said the company responsible for financing the film didn't deliver the promised funds, so production of the action-thriller was indefinitely suspended. Shooting began earlier this month in Cleveland. Benaroya Pictures did not return calls and emails seeking comment Friday. Wake, about a man who gets caught up in the siege of a remote island while attending his brother's wake, was also to star Ben Kingsley and Ellen Burstyn. Willis, meanwhile, has several other films upcoming, including the comedy Rock the Kasbah, co-starring Bill Murray, due out in November. – AP
Harrison Ford to star in Blade Runner sequel
Harrison Ford is set to reprise his role as Rick Deckard in a sequel to the dystopian, neo-noir Blade Runner, more than 31 years after the film first premiered. Ridley Scott directed the 1982 movie, which was adapted from the Philip K Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Alcon Entertainment announced Ford's role on Thursday and said Scott will serve as an executive producer on the sequel. Production on the film will begin in the summer of 2016. Hampton Fancher, who co-wrote the original, and Michael Green have written a script based on an idea from Fancher and Scott. The story will take place several decades after the events at the conclusion of the 1982 film. A director has not yet been confirmed for the project. – AP
Bruce Lee’s daughter announces biopic
The legendary martial arts star Bruce Lee is getting the official biopic treatment, daughter Shannon Lee announced on Friday. Despite his untimely death in 1973 at age 32, Bruce Lee helped to create and popularise a genre that still endures with roles in films including Fist of Fury, Way of the Dragon, and Enter the Dragon. Bruce Lee Entertainment will produce the project in collaboration with Lawrence Grey (Hope Springs) and Janet Yang (The Joy Luck Club). In the statement, Shannon Lee said the film will explore her father's writings, art and philosophies in addition to his martial arts stardom. Neither a star nor a director has been set for the film. The 1993 biopic Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story was based on widow Linda Lee Cadwell's book. – AP