Real-life Spider-Man busts X-Men comic thief – with help of Jedi knights!

London, May 4 (ANI): A comic book storeowner, who was dressed as Spider-Man, is said to have become a real life hero when he caught an alleged thief trying to steal an X-Men omnibus.

Michael Baulderstone, 45, who wore the costume as part of a fancy dress open day at comic Centre in Adelaide, Australia, confronted the man after he spotted him taking the 100 pounds book.

From security tapes, Baulderstone could be seen addressing the man before stopping him and confiscating the book.

Joining him were a group of Jedi knights, who blocked the door to prevent the thief from escaping, and The Flash.

“We had about 40 people in the shop dressed up as their favourite superheroes to celebrate International Free Comic Day,” the Telegraph quoted him as saying.

“The thief didn’t have much of a choice but to hand the book back after a little bit of a scuffle,” he said.

He added that customers initially thought the incident was a stunt, until Baulterstone told them to call the police.

“It was a bit serious at the time, but now we’re looking back laughing at what greeted police when they arrived,” he added. (ANI)

Vinnie Jones says he has got a huge army of gay fans

London, Apr 29 (ANI): Former footballer Vinnie Jones has admitted that he’s never attracted many female groupies.

But he insists he has got a huge army of gay fans, reports The Daily Star.

Married dad Vinnie admitted: “I’ve got a big gay following. I was very popular in West Hollywood when I was shooting X-Men with all those leather straps.

“We had a producer who used to call me ‘The Brute’ and I’d play up to it by grabbing him.

“I get gay fan mail too. It makes a change to the years when I was a midfielder for Wimbledon. Our groupies had builders’ bums.” Vinnie insisted that when it came to attracting female fans he always thought that he was “too big and too ugly”. (ANI)

‘Kites’ seeks non-desi US watchers

New York, April 24 — With the record-breaking success for 3 Idiots and My Name is Khan in the United States this year making it a lucrative market for Bollywood films, Reliance Big Pictures will release two versions of the Hrithik Roshan-starrer Kites next month in over 200 screens in America, a new high in terms of theatres in the territory. Other than targeting theatres that specialise in Hindi films, the studio is looking at the mainstream market since over 80 per cent of the film is in English.

And to make the film more appealing to an American audience, the 130-minute original has been trimmed to a 90-minute version Kites: The Remix. Behind the remix is Brett Ratner, the director of the Jackie Chan Rush Hour series as well as X-Men: The Last Stand.

Ratner has removed songs and scenes from the original Kites for a “swift” version that “will target a younger, hipper, more action-oriented crowd than the original.”.

‘Overpopulation’ fear makes Rebecca Romijn say no more babies

Washington, September 12 (ANI): Actress Rebecca Romijn has revealed she has no plans of having more children in fear of “overpopulating the world”.

The ‘X-Men’ star, who looks after her eight-month-old twins with husband Jerry O’Connell, said she was happy to have a four-member family.

“I’m pretty sure that this is it. We feel like the world was made for pairs. Four feels like the perfect number,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying to E!.

“Also, we’re not interested in overpopulating this world. So we feel like we don’t want to leave more than we are when we leave this planet,” she added.

The former model also spoke about the heartache about staying away from the kids due to work.

She added: “Mother’s guilt is no joke. I feel like any stretch of time I spend away from them, I’m worried that I’m missing out on just these little miracles.

“Like you watch them stare at their hand for an hour and they go take a three-hour nap and they wake up and they can do something that they didn’t do before – like wave!” (ANI)

Batman Joker voted world’s best-loved villain

Washington, Sep 7 (ANI): ‘The Joker’ in the Batman, who gave sleepless nights to the winged superhero, has been named the world’s best-loved villain in a poll.

The character, which first appeared in a 1940 Batman comic, has been played on the big screen by the likes of Jack Nicholson and late actor Heath Ledger.

A computer games company placed the Joker top of the new poll, reports Contactmusic.

It has beaten Magneto – played by Sir Ian MCKellen in the ‘X-Men’ film franchise – which scored the second position in the poll.

Third place was taken by Spider-Man’s psychotic archrival- the ‘Green Goblin’, brought to life by Willem Dafoe in the 2002 film.

Jabba the Hutt from ‘Star Wars’ came in fourth and Superman’s nemesis ‘Lex Luther’ wrapped up the top five. (ANI)

Mickey Mouse in $4 billion embrace with Spider-Man

London, Sept 1 (ANI): The world of animation entertainment is all set to become much bigger as Walt Disney buys Marvel Entertainment in a 4-billion dollar deal.

After the deal is sealed, Disney will be the owner of 5,000 Marvel characters, including superheroes like Spider-Man and the X-Men.

Shareholders of Marvel will receive 30 dollars per share in cash along with 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share they own.

The board of directors of both the entertainment companies have approved the deal, which will be inked after the support of Marvel’s shareholders and competition authorities.

The BBC quoted Robert Iger, Disney president and chief executive as saying: “We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation.”

“We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

He added: “Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Marvel chief executive Ike Perlmutter.

“This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world.”

Business analysts say the deal is “win-win situation for both companies”. (ANI)

Rebecca Romijn feels under pressure to shed post-baby flab

Washington, Aug 20 (ANI): X-men actress Rebecca Romijn has admitted that she feels pressured to look fit and slim all the time.

The hot star is determined to shed the extra pounds she gained while pregnant with the now seven-month-old twin daughters.

Romijn wants to get in perfect pre-pregnancy shape as the film industry demands it.

Contactmusic quoted her as saying: “The pressure to lose weight definitely comes from the business.”

However, Romijn, 36, says looking after the family – her daughters Dolly and Charlie and actor hubby Jerry O’Connell – are more important to her than any film and she is waiting for the last few pounds to wear off.

The beauty said: “I have a way more important job at home with the babies. It’s not something I ever worried about.

The weight that I gained felt very natural, losing it was very natural. And I still have some way to go. Hopefully I will lose the rest too – but those last 10lbs, man oh man!” (ANI)

Scientists discover pot-bellied dino that had claws like ‘Wolverine’

Washington, July 16 (ANI): Scientists have discovered the most complete skeleton of a type of pot-bellied dinosaur, a therizinosaur, in southern Utah, US, which had claws like that of the fictional ‘X-Men’ character ‘Wolverine’.

According to a report in National Geographic News, dubbed Nothronychus graffami, the 13-foot-tall (4-meter-tall) therizinosaur lived about 92.5 million years ago in what is present-day Utah.

When alive, the animal would have sported a beaked mouth and forelimbs tipped with 9 inch- (22 cm)-long sickle claws.

In life, sheathed in hornlike keratin, the talons would have each been about a foot (30 centimeters) long, or about as long as the dinosaur’s head.

In addition to its imposing claws, which are a therizinosaur trademark, the newfound dinosaur had a less-than-fearsome potbelly, a birdlike beak, stumpy legs, and a short tail.

Its stumpy legs, large gut and other features suggest the lumbering giant scarfed down plants rather than chasing after meaty prey.

Because these facts suggest that the animal was a plant-eater, scientists are puzzled about the use of the killer claws for the dinosaur.

“We really don’t know,” said study team member Lindsay Zanno of the Field Museum in Chicago.

“There are some things we can rule out, such as digging. Other than that, the claws may have been used for defense, to forage for plants, or to attract mates,” she added. (ANI)

Ryan Reynolds to play superhero the Green Lantern?

London, July 13(ANI): Ryan Reynolds has reportedly bagged the role of superhero the Green Lantern.

According to Daily Variety, the actor was in competition with the likes of Justin Timberlake and Bradley Cooper for the role.

The story of the super hero film revolves around a group of characters who can control the physical world with an all-powerful ring, reports the Daily Express.

It will be the first time that an actor will be appearing in films by rival comic giants DC and Marvel.

Reynolds is fast turning a quintessential action-hero following roles in the Blade trilogy and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. (ANI)

Meet the trainer behind Jackman’s body in ‘X-men Origins: Wolverine’

London, July 05 (ANI): The credit for Hugh Jackman’s muscular look in his recent film ‘X-men Origins: Wolverine’ goes to his personal trainer Michael Ryan.

However, it did not come cheap, the expert charged 350 dollars an hour for sharpening the star’s body.

“Wolverine’s producers thanked me and said I was a cheap investment because the film took 80 million dollars in its first weekend, but it wasn’t the film people remember, it was how good Hugh’s body looked,” the Daily Telegraph quoted him as saying.

In fact, the trainer is now on high demand among film stars; he has already worked with Lara Bingle.

And he makes his big customers work hard to attain the desired shape.

Jackman’s bouts included 3am starts, cold showers, 100kg weight squats and 280kg leg presses.

He said: “Obviously I have the secrets that got Hugh to look like he does, which is one aspect.

“But it’s based on demand, and I’m in a position where I have a profile and don’t have a lot of time.”

Michael is also a long time friend of Jackman whom he met while working as a personal trainer at The Physical Factory, on Sydney’s north shore, when he was a university student.

Hugh had promised to hire him when he became a big actor. (ANI)

What made Jacko a legend

New Delhi, June 28 (ANI): Remembering the ebb and flow of late King of Pop Michael Jackson’s career, the critics are busy jotting down facts that made the singer a legend.

And, now, a report shedding light on such facts reveals that Jackson’s Billie Jean made him the first black artist whose video to have his video broadcast on MTV.

Published by the China Daily, the report reveals that another reason behind why Jackson was so famous was the fact that he owned the rights to the South Carolina State Anthem South Carolina on My Mind, recorded by Hank Martin and Buzz Arledge.

Jackson was so popular that his waxwork features in five Madame Tussauds museums across the world. Only Elvis Presley and Madonna have more Tussaud figures-they have six each.

The report reckons that Jackson’s total lifetime earnings from royalties, solo recordings and music videos, revenue from concerts and endorsements were about 500 million dollars.

Jackson was also famous for receiving a Presidential Humanitarian Award from Ronald Reagan in 1984, for his support of charities helping people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.

He was also know for losing a fight against fellow 50 year old Madonna on MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch.

Three of Jackson’s albums-Bad, Dangerous and Thriller-are among the bestsellers of all time. Thriller remains the biggest-selling album since records began.

To date, over 300 million copies of his records have been sold worldwide.

Jackson was also known for wearing his trademark black armband to remind fans of the suffering of children around the world.

His favourite superhero was Morph from the X-Men.

He picked up his iconic moonwalk moves, which he debuted at the Motown 25th Anniversary show in 1983, from streetdancers he had spotted performing outside a hotel.

Little Richard thought that Jackson would be the right choice to play him in a biopic.

Jackson’s most famous pets were Bubbles the chimp and Ben the rat.

He, however, also befriended a ram called Mr Tibbs, a python called Crusher, and Louie the llama.

The fact that a French Jackson aficionado committed suicide in 1984 after his mother refused to allow him to undergo surgery to look like the star shows how popular he was among his fans.

In 1984, a U.S. library accused Jackson of owing it over one million dollars in overdue book fines. Officials said that they would scrap the fines if he returned the books autographed. (ANI)

Hugh Jackman, Miley Cyrus to team up for musical movie

Melbourne, June 27 (ANI): Hugh Jackman and Miley Cyrus may play alongside each other in the new movie-musical Personal Security.

The team up news came after the teenaged singer was seen with the X-Men star having lunch with movie executives at a LA hotspot, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Jackman is expected to play a New York cop protecting Cyrus- a spoiled teen heiress- from possible kidnapping, Variety magazine reports.

Meanwhile, Cyrus has landed herself in picture controversy after photos showing her in a provocative pose, were posted by her latest movie producer on Twitter. (ANI)

Hugh Jackman spotted power lunching with Miley Cyrus

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London, Jun 22 (ANI): X-Men star Hugh Jackman, 40, was spotted having a lunch meeting with Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus, 26, recently.
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Both Jackman and Cyrus were seen dining at Morton’s Steakhouse in Los Angeles. /pp
I was really surprised to see Hugh Jackman having a meal with Miley Cyrus. It wasn’t romantic! They had a few producer-type folks with them. It looked like some sort of business dinner, the Daily Express quoted a diner as saying./pp
I can only guess what it could be – I’m sure it wasn’t just Hugh angling for a guest role on Hannah Montana! the diner added. (ANI)/p

Daniel Craig, Hugh Jackman to hit Broadway together?

London, May 28 (ANI): Daniel Craig is set to make his Broadway debut alongside seasoned theatre star Hugh Jackman, according to reports.

According to the New York Post, the two are teaming up to hit the New York stage for a new drama ‘A Steady Rain’, written by Keith Huff and produced by James Bond’s Barbara Broccoli.

It follows two cops from Chicago, Illinois whose close friendship is pushed to its limits after becoming involved in a domestic dispute in a poor neighbourhood, reports the Daily Express.

Before breaking into Hollywood, the 007 star performed small roles on the London stage, while the X-Men star won a Tony Award in 2004 for his turn in Broadway musical ‘The Boy From Oz’.

A Steady Rain is slated to open this autumn (09). (ANI)

Ben Stiller’s ‘Night at the Museum’ tops weekend box office

Washington, May 25 (ANI): Ben Stiller’s ‘Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian’ has topped the weekend box office after raking in 53.5 million dollars.

According to studio estimates, Christian Bale’s ‘Terminator Salvation’ landed the second spot with 43 million dollars.

The Star Trek movie came third with 22 million dollars while Tom Hanks’ ‘Angels and Demons’ stood fourth with 21.4 million dollars.

‘Dance Flick’ rounded off the top five after raking in 11.1 million dollars, reports E! Online.

Weekend’s top-grossing films are:

1. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, $53.5 million

2. Terminator Salvation, $43 million

3. Star Trek, $22 million

4. Angels and Demons, $21.4 million

5. Dance Flick, $11.1 million

6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, $7.8 million

7. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, $3.7 million

8. Obsessed, $2 million

9. Monsters vs Aliens, $1.3 million

10. 17 Again, $1 million (ANI)

Tom Hanks’ ‘Angels and Demons’ tops weekend box office

Washington, May 18 (ANI): Tom Hanks’ ‘Angels and Demons’ topped the weekend box office after raking in 48 million dollars.

According to studio estimates, the new Star Trek movie came second after pocketing 43 million dollars, reports E! Online.

Hugh Jackman’s ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ landed the third spot with 14.8 million dollars.

‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past’ – starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas – came fourth after earning 6.9 million dollars.

‘Obsessed’ rounded off the top five with 4.6 million dollars.

The weekend’s top-grossing films are:

1. Angels and Demons, $48 million

2. Star Trek, $43 million

3. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, $14.8 million

4. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, $6.9 million

5. Obsessed, $4.6 million

6. 17 Again, $3.4 million

7. Monsters vs Aliens, $3 million

8. The Soloist, $2.4 million

9. Next Day Air, $2.3 million

10. Earth, $1.7 million (ANI)

Star Trek tops weekend box office

Washington, May 11 (ANI): The new Star Trek movie has topped the weekend box office after raking in 72.5 million dollars.

According to studio estimates, Hugh Jackman’s ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ slipped to the second spot with 27 million dollars.

‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past’ – starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas – came third with 10.5 million dollars while ‘Obsessed’ stood fourth with 6.6 million dollars.

Zac Efron’s ’17 Again’ rounded of the top five with 4.4 million dollars, reports E! Online.

The weekend’s top-grossing films are:

1.Star Trek, $72.5 million

2.X-Men Origins: Wolverine, $27 million

3.Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, $10.5 million

4.Obsessed, $6.6 million

5.17 Again, $4.4 million

6.Next Day Air, $4 million

7.The Soloist, $3.6 million

8.Monsters vs. Aliens, $3.4 million

9.Earth, $2.5 million

10.Hannah Montana: The Movie, $2.4 million (ANI)

Liev Schreiber livid over ‘squirrel like’ X-Men figurine

Washington, May 9 (ANI): Hollywood actor Liev Schreiber, who portrays Victor Creed in X-Men, is disappointed that his X-Men toy figure looks like an angry squirrel.

Live’s character eventually adopts the mutant alter-ego of Sabretooth, opposite Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in the flick, but the plastic figure of Sabretooth looks nothing more than an angry bushy squirrel, according to a disappointed Live.

“I have one complaint about it, not that I’m not excited to finally have an action figure after all these years, but I want to know what compelled the designers of this action figure to – I’m assuming they read the plotline for the movie and saw that I play this prehistoric game cat – but what possessed them to make me look like an angry squirrel. You can almost see the nuts (in the mouth)!” Contactmusic quoted Liev as saying.

On the other hand, Schreiber’s eldest son with Naomi Watts doesn’t hold the same opinion as his father, as he loves the toy and has a huge collection.

“He has a bag of toys, that he calls the turtle bag, that he puts his favourite toys in and it took a tense 15 minutes (before he put it in the bag),” Liev added. (ANI)

Jackman to cheer up Mexican swine flu victims with ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ screening

London, May 9 (ANI): Aussie actor Hugh Jackman has promised to cheer up victims affected by swine flu in Mexico by having a special screening of his new movie ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ there.

The movie was set to debut in Mexico City on April 29, but it had to be cancelled after the outbreak of the flu, which has claimed dozens of lives in the capital.

Jackman, 40, has chosen May 26 for the screening of the film.

“My thoughts and prayers have been with all of those that have suffered directly or indirectly from the swine flu in Mexico,” the Daily Express quoted him as writing on his Twitter.com page.

“I will bring Wolverine to Mexico City on May 26 to provide a moment of fun, escapism, and a treat for some of the loyal fans of the comic,” he added. (ANI)

Hugh Jackman thought of himself as ‘Wolverine’ in gym to get new hot-bod

Washington, May 6 (ANI): Hugh Jackman managed to get his ‘Wolverine’ physique by doing some extra reps in the gym, only because he imagined himself to be the real superhero while working out.
The Australian actor, who has played muscle-bound mutant in ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’, has reinforced his reputation as the Sexiest Man in the World with his buff new physique in the film.

However, the actor has insisted that it didn’t come easily, and he had to pretend that he really was the clawed superhero to push himself during workouts.

“OK, this is a little embarrassing but I’m a little more of a wuss in real life, obviously, than my character,” Contactmusic quoted him as telling Starpulse.com.

Jackman added: “There’s a moment when you’re training where you just want to give up. I used to kind of imagine myself, not when I was training with these guys because that’d be a little embarrassing, but when I was on my own with my trainer Michael, I used to kind of imagine I was Wolverine. Somehow, it always got two or three more reps out of me. It was also kind of humiliating with the yelling and it looked a little silly.” (ANI)