Fans desperate to know the fate of Game of Thrones hero Jon Snow may have their answer in the new trailer for the show and it's not looking good for the felled warrior. Played by the 29-year-old British actor Kit Harington, Snow was stabbed at the end of season five, sparking months of debate on social media about whether he was really dead. HBO's new trailer for season six opens and closes with what appears to be a lifeless Snow, his body lying in a puddle of his own blood. The 100-second trailer serves up a smorgasbord of violence, gore and more violence as viewers are given glimpses of several future storylines in rapid succession. As the trailer ends, Davos Seaworth says: "I've never been much of a fighter. Apologies for what you're about to see," unsheathing Snow's sword as he stands over his body. Reports that Harington was spotted on the set of season six fuelled speculation of Snow's return. Though he doesn't look like he has much fight left in him, the new footage will do little to end speculation among the Emmy-winning show's fans that Snow will somehow pull through. The #GameofThrones Twitter hashtag began trending worldwide soon after the trailer's release, with speculation rife that all was not as it seemed. -AFP
Janet Jackson cancels European tour, date still set for Dubai
Janet Jackson has cancelled a planned European tour, the latest sudden change in her schedule since she reported an undisclosed illness in December. Jackson removed all dates of her European tour from her website, which was set to begin on March 30 in Birmingham, England. She offered no explanation and her representatives did not comment. Several ticket holders wrote on social media that they had received email notices from promoters that no new dates would be scheduled and that fans would be offered refunds. Jackson’s website still lists her US shows, which are scheduled to resume on May 14 in Las Vegas, as well as a recently announced March 26 performance to close the Dubai World Cup horse race. – AFP
Shar Rukh Khan tweets job offer to fan
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who is gearing up for the release of his new movie Fan, has offered a job to one of his real-life fans who created his own version of the film's trailer. It was shared on Twitter this week by Shivam Jemini. "Giving all my love to my inspiration on my birthday. A 'Fan' trailer by a fan. Hope you see it, Shah Rukh Khan," Jemini wrote. In the description of the video on YouTube, Jemini mentioned that he was inspired to learn visual effects because of Khan's company, Red Chillies VFX. Khan saw the trailer and tweeted: "Come and work with us at the VFX studio, man. Well done." Khan's latest movie revolves around a young boy from Delhi who embarks on a journey to the city of dreams, Mumbai, to wish his favourite actor a happy birthday. Directed by Maneesh Sharma and produced by Aditya Chopra, the movie also features Shriya Pilgaonkar. It's due for release on April 15. – IANS
Elvis & Nixon takes centre stage at Tribeca
Elvis & Nixon, a comedy about the 1970 meeting between the king of rock 'n' roll and the president, will have its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Liza Johnson's film, which stars Michael Shannon as Elvis Presley and Kevin Spacey as Richard Nixon, will be Tribeca's centrepiece. Other notable films screening during the event include Katie Holmes's directorial debut, All We Had; street-art documentary The Banksy Job; and Tom Tykwer's adaptation of Dave Eggers' novel A Hologram for the King, starring Tom Hanks. Opening the festival's spotlight section will be Bill Purple's The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, a drama starring Jason Sudeikis and Jessica Biel. The 15th annual Tribeca Film Festival runs from April 13 to 24. – AP
Hip-hop is heading to the Kennedy Center
Fresh from the success of last year's critically acclaimed performance by Kendrick Lamar with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has announced that veteran rapper and producer Q-Tip will join the institution as its artistic director for hip-hop culture. Hip-hop also will be added to the center's core programming. The announcement was made as the Kennedy Center released details of the more than 2,000 performances that will be staged there during the 2016-2017 season. Q-Tip is a founding member of hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, known for their genre-bending music and socially-conscious lyrics. He's also worked as a solo artist and producer and has become an elder statesman of sorts for the genre. – AP
Disney loses big on The Finest Hours
Disney chief Bob Iger said the company expected to lose $75million on poorly-performing ocean-rescue film The Finest Hours, making it one of the company's costliest flops. The movie, starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck and Eric Bana, has grossed only $40.5million worldwide since its release on January 29. The movie is based on "The Finest Hours: The True Story of the US Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue" by Michael Tougias and Casey Sherman. Iger pointed out that Disney has a big few months ahead, with the release of live-action films Jungle Book and Alice Through the Looking Glass as well as Pixar's Finding Dory and Marvel's Captain America: Civil War. -AFP
Olympic champion Gabby Douglas to star in reality show
Olympic all-around champion Gabby Douglas is inviting the world along for the ride in her quest to make history. Douglas and her family will star in the docu-series Douglas Family Gold, which chronicles the 20-year-old’s bid to become the first woman in nearly 50 years to repeat as the Olympic all-around gold medallist. The series debuts May 25 on the Oxygen Network, which is owned by NBC Universal. The show will centre on Douglas, her mother Natalie Hawkins, sisters Arielle Hawkins and Joyelle Douglas, brother Johnathan Douglas and grandmother Carolyn Ford. Douglas trains in Columbus, Ohio, where she lives with her grandmother. – AP
50 Cent: Stacks of cash in his photos aren’t real
Rapper 50 Cent says the stacks of cash that drew questions from a bankruptcy court judge about his finances are not real. The judge has ordered the rapper to appear in bankruptcy court to explain the Instagram photos, one of which depicts 50 Cent next to piles of cash arranged to spell the word “broke”. The rapper said the bills were props and he is not hiding assets. 50 Cent, born Curtis Jackson III, filed for bankruptcy last year after a New York City jury ordered him to pay $7million to a woman who said he posted an intimate video recording online. -AP
