2013 Oscars date set

Profiles

Oscars Entertainment Hollywood Movies Televison Celebrities

2013 Oscars date set

The annual Academy Awards will be held on February 24 next year, organisers say.

And nominations for those shortlisted for prizes on Hollywood's biggest night will be unveiled on January 15.

"The ceremony will take place at the Hollywood and Highland Centre ... and will be televised live by the ABC (America) Television Network to more than 225 countries," the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said in a statement.

The name of the show's venue - the Kodak Theatre, in the heart of Hollywood - was changed at the last minute this year after the bankrupt photo company negotiated an end to its sponsorship deal.

It is unclear if the name will change by next February or remain the Hollywood and Highland Centre.

French-directed silent movie The Artist was crowned best picture at this year's show.

Theron talks about motherhood...

Actress Charlize Theron has opened up about motherhood, while promoting her new sci-fi thriller 'Prometheus' at California's 'wonder-con' convention.

The 36 year-old says it is everything she wanted, after adopting her son Jackson four months ago.

'Prometheus' is set for release later this year, marking Ridley Scott's return to the sci-fi film-making industry.

Australian actor Guy Pearce also stars in the film. Early buzz is that the film will be a hit.

Stacy Keibler to judge X Factor?...

Stacy Keibler is in talks to join 'The X Factor'.

The former professional wrestler - who is the main squeeze aka girlfriend of actor George Clooney - has reportedly been involved in a series of secret meetings about the possibility of becoming a judge on the upcoming second series of the US version of Simon Cowell's pop star search TV show.

While the blonde beauty and pop superstar Britney Spears are believed to be filling the two panel slots left vacant by axed judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, insiders have suggested Stacy's "lack of experience" in the music industry means she could be more likely to take over from former host Steve Jones.

An leak said: "Stacy Keibler is also in talks to join the show, but her lack of experience in the music business may make her more appropriate as a host. She looks fantastic and has bags of charisma."

Although Britney is believed to have been offered a deal worth $10 million to become a judge, it is alleged she is demanding "a lot more money".

A source added to the New York Post newspaper: "Talks are still ongoing with Britney and she is asking for a lot more money than was originally offered. But producers are confident Britney will realise this is a great opportunity for her to reinvent herself and accept their deal."

Show boss Simon - who is joined on the judging panel by record label chief L.A. Reid - has previously admitted he is keen for the presenter of the series to not come from a hosting background.

He said: "I always wanted a boy and a girl to host the show. And I like hosts who don't kind of have a hosting background, it's a different kind of dynamic."

HBO cancels Luck after horse deaths...

It's Dustin Hoffman's television series Luck, which earned some of its critical acclaim for its portrayal of thoroughbreds racing around the racetracks of southern California.

Off camera however the show has had some very bad luck.

The horseracing drama series Luck has been cancelled after the deaths of three horses, TV network HBO and producers say.

HBO, which is currently filming the drama's second series, has abruptly suspended the use of horses on its set following the sudden death of yet another one of its equine performers.

The series won't return for the second season run that began production last month, it said.

A horse was put down on Tuesday after it reared, fell over backwards, and hit its head.

The incident, which occurred on location at Santa Anita racetrack north of Los Angeles, was the third fatal accident involving horses in Luck's short history.

Animal rights activists are understood to be outraged by the development, and have called for police to launch an investigation into possible breaches of welfare laws.

They blamed the "outrageous" deaths on "sloppy oversights" by the makers of the show, created by the Hollywood director, Michael Mann.

HBO, for its part, can barely afford more negative publicity for the expensive show, which recently debuted in the UK on Sky.

Though heavily marketed, and despite receiving positive reviews, Luck has underperformed commercially, attracting just 625,000 viewers in the US.

In a statement, the network said it was "deeply saddened" by the horse's death.

It promised "full co-operation" with an investigation by the American Humane Association [AHA].

"Recent assertions of lax attitudes or negligence could not be further from the truth," it read.

"We will not be filming horses until AHA completes its inquiry."

This week's fatal accident was witnessed by Gary Beck, a vet.

"The horse was on her way back to the stall when she reared, flipped over backwards, and struck her head on the ground," he said, in a statement.

Since the injury was too serious to respond to treatment, euthanasia the only appropriate move, he added.

The California Horse Racing Board, which has allowed HBO to use Santa Anita during its off-season, said that a full post mortem will now be carried out on the creature.

"Unfortunately, we see several of these injuries in the stable area every year," said its equine medical director, Rick Arthur.

"They are more common than people realise."

Hollywood's local animal welfare lobby is unlikely to be impressed with the statement.

Even before this week's events, they were investigating Luck's treatment of its equine stars, alleging that two other horses who suffered fatal accidents during the filming of the show's first series should never have been allowed on set.

The first season of Luck premiered in Australia on Showcase last Sunday.

Australian TV Ratings - Sunday 18th March 2012

1 My Kitchen Rules 1,710,000 2 Aust FIA Formula One 1,399,000 3 Sunday Night 1,304,000 4 60 Minutes 1,187,000 5 Seven News 1,179,000

Australian Box Office...

This Week TITLE Weeks In Release Last Weekend ($) Total Gross ($)

1. John Carter NEW 3,092,526 3,092,526

2. Project X 2 1,098,478 2,920,967

3. Contraband 3 727,100 4,474,648

4. This Means War 4 673,397 7,263,919

5. The Vow 5 550,206 10,439,780

6. Safe House 5 429,402 8,131,194

7. The Artist 6 406,205 3,375,922

8. The Devil Inside 2 380,884 1,339,572

9. Hugo 9 296,163 9,830,145

10. My Week With Marilyn 4 228,551 2,161,960

11. Headhunters NEW 190,187 222,992

12. A Separation 2 173,093 563,630

13. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 3 145,330 1,187,455

14. The Grey 4 132,988 2,295,195

15. The Descendants 9 120,235 14,930,061

Taylor Swift Unveils Hunger Games Song "Eyes Open"...

Taylor Swift fans who can't wait to see The Hunger Games got a special treat over the weekend.

The country pop princess performed, for the first time ever, "Eyes Open," the tune she contributed to the would-be blockbuster hitting theaters this weekend.

Listen here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7b-3MhTbJU&feature=player_embedded

"I'm really excited about it…but, I mean, you don't think I'd get in trouble if I played it now? Probably not, right?" Swift teased the thousands of screaming concertgoers who packed Auckland, New Zealand's Vector Arena last night.

She then launched into a solo acoustic rendition of "Eyes Open" that began with the refrain: "Everybody's waiting/Everybody's watching/Even when you're sleeping/Keep your eye-eyes open."

The song is one of the best cuts off the Hunger Games soundtrack, which hits stores tomorrow and also includes "Safe & Sound," which Swift wrote and performed with the singer-songwriter duo Civil Wars, along with ditties from Arcade Fire, Maroon 5 and Miranda Lambert among others.

"Do you like it?" Swift asked the crowd, and her fans do nuts.

WWE Sheamus Visit To Sydney On St. Patrick's Day News...

It was great to see WWE make the effort to bring Sheamus to Sydney, Australia this past Saturday. Sheamus was friendly to all of the fans (he got to meet). What wasn't so great was the way many fans missed out on the opp to meet him, and the miscommunication of information about the visit. One DVD - music distribution company published the wrong venue in their media and fan send outs, so some fans and media ended up going to Blacktown Big W instead of Bankstown Big W. Many fans and a number of media were also treated poorly by some security guards. It's a shame that one or two bad apples can spoil the show and put a black mark on the event. Media Man is hopeful that Sheamus goes on to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 28 as he faces champion Daniel Bryan. By the way, check out the revamped WWE website which is very social media focused and looks fantastic.

WWE signs Australian Wrestler...

WWE has signed an Aussie! Sonny Elliot (formally Danny Bolton). Sonny was South Australian based and trained with Lance Storm in Canada. He was recently added to the main FCW roster. We wish Sonny well as his career continues.

That's it fans. Stay tuned to Media Man and Street Corner for more entertainment news and scoops daily.