Entertainment News, Celebrity News Online

Billy Connolly is making his way to middle earth for a part in Peter Jackson’s two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. 

Connolly will play Dain Ironfoot, a dwarf warrior and the cousin of Thorin Oakenshield.

Peter Jackson tells The Hollywood Reporter:

“We could not think of a more fitting actor to play Dain Ironfoot, the staunchest and toughest of Dwarves, than Billy Connelly, the Big Yin himself. With Billy stepping into this role, the cast of The Hobbit is now complete. We can’t wait to see him on the Battlefield!”

Connolly has most recently been seen in the TV show House M.D., Gulliver’s Travels, The Boondock Saints and Good Sharma

The first part of the new two-part Hobbit retelling is due in theaters on Dec. 14.

Do you think Billy Connolly is the right match for Dain Ironfoot? He definitely looks the role to me and Peter Jackson has been excellent at picking the right actors for J.R.R. Tolkiens characters in the past.

Hobbit’s Unite! Billy Connolly Joins Peter Jackson’s Crew is a post from: The Inquisitr

Celebrity couple Russell Brand and Katy Perry are a couple no more after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Marc Marmaro finalized the couple’s divorce on Wednesday.

The couple officially split in July and Brand officially filed for divorce just six weeks ago.

The exact terms of the divorce settlement have not been revealed however snoops close to the couple say Russell Brand didn’t want half of the millions Perry earned during their time together. Brand and Perry didn’t sign a prenuptial agreement when they wed in October 2010.

Katy Perry and Russell Brand will official become single on July 14, 2012 because California law requires that they wait six months to fully divorce from the time of the judge’s final ruling.

During the judgement Marmaro called for Perry’s maiden name to be restored, before her marriage Perry’s real name was Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson.

Perry and Brand have been through a lot since getting married in 2010. Perry has scored huge hits with  ”I Kissed a Girl” and “California Gurls”  while brand was introduced to a U.S. audience with the movies ”Arthur,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek.”

In the meantime Katy Perry will follow her divorce agreement with a much anticipated performance at this Sunday’s Grammy Awards.

Who’s ready to date Katy Perry next? I would say me but my wife wouldn’t approve.

[Image via Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com]

Katy Perry and Russel Brand Divorce Finalized is a post from: The Inquisitr

After FOX’s “The X-Factor” cleaned house by firing Paula Abdul, Steve Jones, and Nicole Scherzinger, rumors have been flying all over about who’s going to fill in the chairs and if those names will be bigger than the two ladies and host.

Head show runner and producer Simon Cowell is denying the latest reports that Beyonce and Mariah Carey will fill in the seats next season. Initial reports said that Cowell offered Beyonce a hefty $100 to sit alongside him, but Cowell says it’s not true.

“No, I have no idea where this rumor came from,” the feisty Brit told “Extra.” “I read it online that I had offered her $100 million/year. It’s complete nonsense. The budget of the show is $100 million. No one’s gonna pay $100 million/year for someone. It would never ever, ever happen. It’s absolute nonsense and I genuinely haven’t had a conversation with her about it.”

As far as Mariah Carey coming on the show, the singer was supposed to help the judges but her plane got delayed due to the hurricane that hit last summer, but Cowell doesn’t have plans to approach the songstress with a permanent position. No, she’s not on the list because I don’t think Mariah would make that commitment. I really, really don’t. She’s just had kids. You have to work five days a week on this show and you’ve got to do all the traveling as well. Just to put it out there, she will not be on the list. I adore her, I would love her, but you can’t expect someone who’s just had two kids, who’s got a record career, to make the kind of commitment we would need on this show.”

Who do you think Simon will hire in place of the fired judges? Any other big names you can think of? Weigh in here!

Mariah and Beyonce Not Going on X-Factor is a post from: The Inquisitr

Although Tom Cruise has been receiving most of the praised reviews from Adam Shankman’s film  adaption of the  hit musical “Rock of Ages”, it’s reported that the 30 Rock star Alec Baldwin is giving him a run for his money.

Baldwin, 53, plays the owner of The Bourbon, a Sunset Strip club facing closure in the wake of the 1980s. When the trailer hit late last year there were many different looks for the cast, including Tom Cruise’s long hair and shirtless body, Catherine Zeta-Jones jumping back into her sophisticated sexy image once seen in Chicago, but it’s Alec Baldwin who puts up with the most image change.

From suits to long hair and outrageous outfits in the 80s period Adam Shankman is convinced that Baldwin makes it work, sort of. “If that wig didn’t work, then the whole thing was going to be a disaster. The world is so used to seeing him as Jack Donaghy, and I needed to get him as far away from Jack Donaghy as I could.” Shankman said Baldwin took a special on-set liking to Brand. “He and Russell ended up being like Tracy and Hepburn. They were so giddy, and they did everything together.”

What do you think? Can the star studded cast pull off this dynamic musical and make it work for the big screen? Are there too many risks? Will Tom Cruise work the long hair just as good as co-star Russell Brand.

Alec Baldwin May Steal Rock of Ages is a post from: The Inquisitr

According to Gaming Age The Artist Jack Russell dog Uggie is making his rounds in Hollywood! First he was all what we could talk about at the Golden Globes, and now he’s the new spokesperson for Nintendo.

Nintendo of America announced that Uggie will be the face of responsible Responsible Pet Ownership Month (as well as nintendogs + cats). He will be biting into a hefty campaign starting today by supporting interactive fun of nintendogs. Uggie will shine a light on the fun involved in  the games and how you can maintain a healthy relationship with pets.

“Uggie didn’t have to sit up and beg for his role as Nintendo’s spokesdog,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “It’s truly our pleasure to work with a star of Uggie’s magnitude, especially to help animal lovers and portable gaming fans discover the fun of nintendogs + cats.”

Although Uggie’s owner Omar Von Muller announced that he was going to retire after the awards season, the opportunity was too good to be true. As the Nintendo spokesperson the pooch will stand alongside his owner to promote nintendogs + cats and the Pearl Pink Nintendo 3DS system. The features come with wireless capabilities and entertainment experiences enjoyed in 3D with the right glasses, of course.

The last we heard from a beloved Jack Russell was on the hit sitcom Frasier. With this new announcement do you think Uggie will take on more projects in film or commercials? Weigh in!

The Artist Dog Nintendo’s New Spokesperson is a post from: The Inquisitr

Paul McCartney apparently isn’t a fan of having his work aired on music streaming services such as Rhapsody and Spotify. The former Beatles member has pulled both his solo tracks, as well as tracks from Wings, from music streaming service Rhapsody.

This isn’t the first instance of McCartney moving to have his work removed from music streaming services, and it doesn’t appear that it will be the last. Back in 2010, McCartney’s music was taken off of Spotify, and he appears to be on an anti-streaming campaign as of late, with his work being dropped from a variety of other streaming services.

“Rhapsody members have enjoyed streaming Mr. McCartney’s music for more than four years and are sure to be very disappointed to find that it has been restricted,” Rhapsody said in a statement sent to GeekWire. The company noted that the content is still available on its radio offering.

“As the number-one premium subscription music service in the U.S. with more one million paying subscribers, Rhapsody has generated significant revenue for Mr. McCartney, his label and his publisher over the years, and has provided a compelling alternative to piracy. We have a great relationship with the label and Eastman Management, so this development was a shock.”

A variety of artists have recently voiced complaints that they weren’t adequately compensated by the streaming services for their works; Coldplay, Tom Waits, and Adele have all opposed having their work streamed.

Not all record labels agree, however.

“Overall, the labels have been very supportive of streaming and view it as the future of the music industry,” according to the Rhapsody statement. “We will continue to work with labels, artists and management to keep as much content available on premium streaming services like Rhapsody as possible.”

Source: GeekWire

Paul McCartney pulls his music from streaming services is a post from: The Inquisitr

Not a month goes by where we aren’t introduced to a new celebrity’s child who has been turned into an instant diva for the media’s indulgence and this month it’s Connor Cruise, son of actor Tom Cruise.

Apparently Connor is quite the football fan and when a former representative for the young 17-year-old DJ poked fun over the New England game in a tweet he flipped out in a private text message to the rep.

Todd Krim had tweeted to the Pats fan:

“Sorry @TheConnorCruise maybe next year!!!”

While the Twitter message was a standard bit of poking fun Connor sent Krim the following text message:

“That was a gay ass [bleeping] tweet . . . U don’t say [bleep] like that about my team the second they lose. Low.”

Todd quickly took a photo of the text message and sent it out to other publicists to warn them about the diva’s attitude towards reps. Krim says he wanted agents to know what they were “dealing with” if they signed Connor Cruise to representation.

Krim responded to Connor by telling him that it was a joke to which Connor Cruise responded:

“That was [bleeped]” and “Idgaf” (I don’t give a f*ck).”

Krim says the Twitter fight led to a parting of ways however Cruises team says the split actually happened before Super Bowl XLVI.

Do you think Connor Cruise is headed towards being the male equivalent of Paris Hilton? Perhaps the Church of Scientology made him send the mean-hearted text message in repsonse to Krim’s tweet.

Tom Cruise’s Son Connor Is Hollywoods Newest Entitled Diva is a post from: The Inquisitr

A while back sources from camp Taylor Swift revealed that her next album is filled with love songs about ex-beau Jake Gyllenhaal. Well now, it seems as though the singer has a little more heartache to sing about.

According to US Weekly the singer was getting serious with “Les Miserables” star Eddie Redmayne, who has turned heads as Corey Clark in the Weinstein drama “One Week With Marilyn” starring Michelle Williams. Apparently that fleeting romance is now over.

The two met during work and a source has said that the two“hung out in New York City with the movie’s execs, and Taylor developed feelings for him fast.” – “Taylor loved the image of a British boyfriend,” the insider adds.

A source adds that Eddie Redmayne liked Swift as well, but when she wasn’t cast as Eponine in “Les Miserables” the romance quickly came to a hault due to the time constraints on Redmayne filming in London. “Eddie’s not interesting in a long-distance relationship. The elements were against them. It’s a shame,” the source says.

Taylor Swift Dumped is a post from: The Inquisitr

After eight seasons of romances, drug addictions, various lives saved and plenty of clever, mean-hearted banter from Gregory House, Fox TV series House M.D. will draw to a close.

Producers for the show laid rumors of the series’ demise to rest on Wednesday when they announced that the series finale will air in May.

Fox president Kevin Reilly announced that it was the shows producers and actor Hugh Laurie who all decided that it was time to move on during a high creative note.

In his statement Reilly said:

“While it’s with much regret, and a lump in our throats, we respect the decision Hugh, David [Shore] and Katie [Jacobs] have made.  A true original, on the page and amazingly brought to life by Hugh Laurie, there is only one Dr. House.  For eight seasons, the entire HOUSE team has given us – and fans around the world – some of the most compelling characters and affecting stories ever seen on television.  They have been creatively tenacious and collaborative throughout this incredible run, and they are amongst the most superior talents in the business.  For all the above, we wholeheartedly thank them, and the fans who have supported the show.”

After much deliberation, the producers of House M.D. have decided that this season of the show, the 8th, should be the last.  By April this year they will have completed 177 episodes, which is about 175 more than anyone expected back in 2004.

The decision to end the show now, or ever, is a painful one, as it risks putting asunder hundreds of close friendships that have developed over the last eight years — but also because the show itself has been a source of great pride to everyone involved.

Since it began, House has aspired to offer a coherent and satisfying world in which everlasting human questions of ethics and emotion, logic and truth, could be examined, played out, and occasionally answered.  This sounds like fancy talk, but it really isn’t.  House has, in its time, intrigued audiences around the world in vast numbers, and has shown that there is a strong appetite for television drama that relies on more than prettiness or gun play.

But now that time is drawing to a close.  The producers have always imagined House as an enigmatic creature;  he should never be the last one to leave the party.  How much better to disappear before the music stops, while there is still some promise and mystique in the air.

The producers can never sufficiently express their gratitude to the hundreds of dedicated artists and technicians who have given so generously of their energy and talent to make House the show it has been— and perhaps will continue to be for some time, on one cable network or another.

The makers of House would also like to thank Fox Broadcasting and Universal Television for supporting the show with patience, imagination and large quantities of good taste.  The Studio-As-Evil-Adversary is one of the many clichés that House has managed to avoid, and for that the cast and crew are deeply grateful.

Lastly, the audience:  some have come and some have gone, obviously.  This is to be expected in the life of any show.  But over the course of the last eight years, the producers of House have felt immensely honored to be the subject of such close attention by an intelligent, discriminating, humane and thoughtful—not to mention numerous— audience.  Even the show’s detractors have been flattering in their way.

Making the show has felt like a lively and passionate discussion about as many different subjects as could possibly be raised in 177 hours. The devotion and generosity of our viewers has been marvelous to behold.

So, finally, everyone at House will bid farewell to the audience and to each other with more than a few tears, but also with a deep feeling of gratitude for the grand adventure they have been privileged to enjoy for the last eight years.  If the show lives on somewhere, with somebody, as a fond memory, then that is a precious feat, of which we will always be proud.

Everybody Lies.

I have to admit that as a fan of the show I’ll miss watching it go away, however at the same time I can’t fault the producers for not allowing the show to drag on with an endlessly new cast of doctors meant to once again grab our imaginations.

The announcement shouldn’t surprise Hugh Laurie fans, the actor announced that he would retire from TV once the series ended which led to speculation that the current season would be his last.

Will you miss House once it leave the network in May 2012?

Fox Announcement: Season 8 Of ‘House’ Will Be The Last is a post from: The Inquisitr

Country singer Rodney Atkins can sleep at night knowing he won’t be spending time in jail. In fact he might even get a good nights sleep on the same pillow he alleged used to attempt the suffocation of his wife.

Under terms of the deal Atkins will serve 12 months on court supervision and if he doesn’t get into any trouble he’ll be safe sailing.

Atkins was arrested in November after his wife accused him of the attempted suffocation following a night of heavy drinking that ended in an argument.

Throughout the incident Rodney Atkins has maintained his innocence but completed anger management, drug and alcohol evaluations which led to prosecutors agreeing to hold off charges in place of court supervision and 30 hours of community service.

If Atkins stays out of trouble for 12 months all charges against him will be dismissed and his record will be fully expunged.

In a statement Rodney Atkins said of the courts willingness to work with him and his friends, family nd fans choices to stick beside him:

 ”I am so thankful for all those that chose to withhold judgment while keeping my family and I in their prayers. God Bless. Onward and upward.”

The singers wife has not released a statement of her own regarding the night in question and the court’s decision to suspend any form of judgment.

Atkins filed for divorce in the middle of December and has been silent about the incident ever since.

Do you think Rodney Atkins got off too easy?

Rodney Atkins Strikes Deal In Wife Assault Case, Won’t Head To Jail is a post from: The Inquisitr