Canadian teen pop singer Justin Bieber will begin his first headlining tour of North America on June 23 in Hartford, Conn., he said Tuesday, a week before his new album hits stores.
The "My World" arena tour will visit 40 cities before wrapping on September 4 in Allentown, Pa.
The trek is named after Bieber's two albums, the upcoming "My World 2.0" and his November debut "My World," which has sold 998,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Fight for Paula
Recent reports suggest that the former "American Idol" judge is in talks to host a revival of "Star Search" for ABC -- but old pal Simon Cowell has indicated for months that he wants her to be a part of the American version of his hit British series, "The X Factor" on Fox.
In January, he was quoted as saying, "I will work with her again in some capacity, because I miss her."
Meanwhile, Abdul was quoted last month telling radio hosts "Johnjay & Rich in the Morning" that she's "gonna be going back to my roots and doing a TV show that has something to do with my roots."
ABC had no comment about the rumors and Fox still has another year and a half to go before "X Factor" hits the airwaves.
Abdul was coy yesterday, tweeting that, "Once again, until you hear it from me, you can't believe what you read."
Still, an insider says that an ABC remake of the old-school talent competition is in discussion and that if the network decides to go ahead with it, it could begin airing as early as this summer.
Although Abdul does not have a development deal or contract with ABC, this is the third time in less than a year that her name has been associated with an ABC production. After quitting "Idol," rumors circulated that she was up for guest starring roles on "Ugly Betty" and "Dancing With the Stars," although neither came to fruition.
In January, he was quoted as saying, "I will work with her again in some capacity, because I miss her."
Meanwhile, Abdul was quoted last month telling radio hosts "Johnjay & Rich in the Morning" that she's "gonna be going back to my roots and doing a TV show that has something to do with my roots."
ABC had no comment about the rumors and Fox still has another year and a half to go before "X Factor" hits the airwaves.
Abdul was coy yesterday, tweeting that, "Once again, until you hear it from me, you can't believe what you read."
Still, an insider says that an ABC remake of the old-school talent competition is in discussion and that if the network decides to go ahead with it, it could begin airing as early as this summer.
Although Abdul does not have a development deal or contract with ABC, this is the third time in less than a year that her name has been associated with an ABC production. After quitting "Idol," rumors circulated that she was up for guest starring roles on "Ugly Betty" and "Dancing With the Stars," although neither came to fruition.
'Avatar' DVD to hit stores on Earth Day
The biggest movie of all time is finally headed to your living room. Twentieth Century Fox announced that it will release Avatar on DVD and Blu-Ray on April 22 — Earth Day. But if you’re planning on taking a hammer to your piggy bank and racing out to buy one of those pricey 3-D TVs, hold up a sec. The home version of James Cameron’s f/x-a-palooza will only be available in 2-D. Additionally, the $29.98 DVD and $39.99 Blu-Ray will not come packed with extras — or any extras at all — because both Cameron and the studio wanted to deliver the film in all of its ground-breaking digital glory, which, of course, takes up precious disc space. Nevertheless, Fox says that a loaded, multi-disc edition will hit stores in November.
As for Avatar’s Earth Day release date — which falls on a Thursday instead of the usual Tuesday DVD drop date — Cameron and Co. believe that the date makes sense because of the movie’s ecological themes. Without seeing it, we have no idea how a film as epic (in every sense of the word) as Avatar will play on the small screen. But we do know this: the fastest-selling DVD of all time (that would be Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, which managed to move 3 million DVDs on its first day back in December 2008) better get ready to be bumped down a peg.
As for Avatar’s Earth Day release date — which falls on a Thursday instead of the usual Tuesday DVD drop date — Cameron and Co. believe that the date makes sense because of the movie’s ecological themes. Without seeing it, we have no idea how a film as epic (in every sense of the word) as Avatar will play on the small screen. But we do know this: the fastest-selling DVD of all time (that would be Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, which managed to move 3 million DVDs on its first day back in December 2008) better get ready to be bumped down a peg.
Former Edwards aide Andrew Young signs with top agent
Former John Edwards aide Andrew Young, author of the bestselling tell-all "The Politician," said Tuesday that he has signed with Hollywood superagent Ari Emanuel and is looking forward to being portrayed in a movie.
"When they ask who'd play me, I say Danny DeVito," Young, 43, said at a book signing in Durham, N.C.
In 2007, Young claimed he was the father of the baby Edwards fathered with Rielle Hunter, who broke her four-year silence about her affair with the former Democratic vice presidential nominee in the April issue of GQ.
Young's book chronicles his decade of work as Edwards' closest aide, which included months on the run -- with his wife, his three young children and a pregnant Hunter -- to protect Edwards' reputation as he pursued the Democratic presidential nomination in 2007 and 2008.
After denying paternity on national TV, Edwards admitted he fathered the girl two weeks before "The Politician" came out last month.
Young and his wife, Cheri, a pediatric nurse, met with Emanuel a couple of weeks ago in Los Angeles, said Cheri Young. They were told, she said, that there is "significant interest" in making their story into a film.
Andrew Young told his Durham audience that he spent 8 1/2 hours testifying before a federal grand jury about payments made to Hunter and the Youngs. The grand jury, Young said, is investigating whether campaign laws were broken.
"When they ask who'd play me, I say Danny DeVito," Young, 43, said at a book signing in Durham, N.C.
In 2007, Young claimed he was the father of the baby Edwards fathered with Rielle Hunter, who broke her four-year silence about her affair with the former Democratic vice presidential nominee in the April issue of GQ.
Young's book chronicles his decade of work as Edwards' closest aide, which included months on the run -- with his wife, his three young children and a pregnant Hunter -- to protect Edwards' reputation as he pursued the Democratic presidential nomination in 2007 and 2008.
After denying paternity on national TV, Edwards admitted he fathered the girl two weeks before "The Politician" came out last month.
Young and his wife, Cheri, a pediatric nurse, met with Emanuel a couple of weeks ago in Los Angeles, said Cheri Young. They were told, she said, that there is "significant interest" in making their story into a film.
Andrew Young told his Durham audience that he spent 8 1/2 hours testifying before a federal grand jury about payments made to Hunter and the Youngs. The grand jury, Young said, is investigating whether campaign laws were broken.
Sony Places Big Bet on a Fallen 'King'
Months after his death, Michael Jackson set a music-industry record, thanks to a deal between his estate and Sony Corp. valued at as much as $250 million, according to people familiar with the terms.
The deal—touted by both Sony and Mr. Jackson's estate as the most lucrative recording contract ever— guarantees the estate at least $200 million. With 10 albums over seven years, the deal will involve a mix of previously unreleased songs and new packages of familiar ones.
The dollar amount is especially striking against the backdrop of the music industry as a whole, in which U.S. album sales have plunged 52% in a decade. Superstar deals worth tens of millions of dollars per album were rare even at the peak of the CD-sales boom in the late 1990s. Yet it also underscores that the biggest acts are becoming even more essential to record labels, as individual fans purchase fewer albums each year.
Since Mr. Jackson's death on June 25, Sony has sold an estimated 31 million of his albums globally. By the first anniversary of his death, his estate expects to have earned $250 million from sales of music, merchandise and tickets to the posthumous concert film "This Is It."
The advances being paid by Sony are to be offset by sales of albums as well as revenue generated by licensing Mr. Jackson's music for uses like videogames, movies and theatrical performances. But unlike the megadeals struck in recent years by concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment Inc. with pop stars Jay-Z and Madonna, the Jackson deal doesn't give Sony income from other parts of the late singer's business, such as merchandise sales or fees for licensing his name and likeness.
For more news check out here.
The deal—touted by both Sony and Mr. Jackson's estate as the most lucrative recording contract ever— guarantees the estate at least $200 million. With 10 albums over seven years, the deal will involve a mix of previously unreleased songs and new packages of familiar ones.
The dollar amount is especially striking against the backdrop of the music industry as a whole, in which U.S. album sales have plunged 52% in a decade. Superstar deals worth tens of millions of dollars per album were rare even at the peak of the CD-sales boom in the late 1990s. Yet it also underscores that the biggest acts are becoming even more essential to record labels, as individual fans purchase fewer albums each year.
Since Mr. Jackson's death on June 25, Sony has sold an estimated 31 million of his albums globally. By the first anniversary of his death, his estate expects to have earned $250 million from sales of music, merchandise and tickets to the posthumous concert film "This Is It."
The advances being paid by Sony are to be offset by sales of albums as well as revenue generated by licensing Mr. Jackson's music for uses like videogames, movies and theatrical performances. But unlike the megadeals struck in recent years by concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment Inc. with pop stars Jay-Z and Madonna, the Jackson deal doesn't give Sony income from other parts of the late singer's business, such as merchandise sales or fees for licensing his name and likeness.
For more news check out here.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Authentic Rocker Looks in 'The Runaways'
The Runaways isn't set to open in limited release until March 19, but there's already much talk about the gritty, rock look of the film.
The stars of the film, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, play bandmates Joan Jett and Cherie Currie. Their characters are visually transformed through the authentic, vintage costumes and makeup.
Throughout the film, they're clad in rebel rock items such as in t-shirts, jeans, and leather jackets. Fanning's character has choppy, blond shag and in one of the early scenes of the film, has as partially drawn red lightning bolt on her face.
The look is anything but polished. The costume designer, Carol Beadle, says, from the Los Angeles Times: "It wasn't Beyonce and Rihanna. It was self-made."
Pimples weren't hidden and hair was kept disheveled. Beadle was instructed to give the actors "bedhead."
Beadle and her team searched endless costume stores and vintage shops, including American Rag and American Vintage. They discovered tiny leather jackets, studded blazers, and zippered jumpsuits among other items seen in the film.
The stars of the film, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, play bandmates Joan Jett and Cherie Currie. Their characters are visually transformed through the authentic, vintage costumes and makeup.
Throughout the film, they're clad in rebel rock items such as in t-shirts, jeans, and leather jackets. Fanning's character has choppy, blond shag and in one of the early scenes of the film, has as partially drawn red lightning bolt on her face.
The look is anything but polished. The costume designer, Carol Beadle, says, from the Los Angeles Times: "It wasn't Beyonce and Rihanna. It was self-made."
Pimples weren't hidden and hair was kept disheveled. Beadle was instructed to give the actors "bedhead."
Beadle and her team searched endless costume stores and vintage shops, including American Rag and American Vintage. They discovered tiny leather jackets, studded blazers, and zippered jumpsuits among other items seen in the film.
Most Online News Readers Use 5 Sites or Fewer, Study Says
The audience for news online tends not to stick to a single site — that much has been known for years. But a new study says that even with a vast array of digital choices, “promiscuous” news consumption goes only so far.
Only 35 percent of the people who go online for news have a favorite site, and just 21 percent are more or less “monogamous,” relying primarily on a single Internet news source, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center, in a report to be released Monday by Pew’s Project for Excellence in Journalism.But 57 percent of that audience relies on just two to five sites. The findings parallel studies that say that people with hundreds of television channels tend to stick to a relative handful.
In the Pew survey, just 7 percent of people said they would be willing to pay for access to any news site. And even among the people who are most loyal to a single site, only 19 percent said they would pay, rather than seek free news somewhere else.
But many news sites have concluded that getting even 5 to 10 percent of their readers to pay would constitute success, and many — including The New York Times — have made plans to start some kind of pay system.
Analyzing data from Nielsen Online, the report also concludes that although there are thousands of news sites to choose from, a relatively small number, 199, get 80 percent of the United States traffic.
Only 35 percent of the people who go online for news have a favorite site, and just 21 percent are more or less “monogamous,” relying primarily on a single Internet news source, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center, in a report to be released Monday by Pew’s Project for Excellence in Journalism.But 57 percent of that audience relies on just two to five sites. The findings parallel studies that say that people with hundreds of television channels tend to stick to a relative handful.
In the Pew survey, just 7 percent of people said they would be willing to pay for access to any news site. And even among the people who are most loyal to a single site, only 19 percent said they would pay, rather than seek free news somewhere else.
But many news sites have concluded that getting even 5 to 10 percent of their readers to pay would constitute success, and many — including The New York Times — have made plans to start some kind of pay system.
Analyzing data from Nielsen Online, the report also concludes that although there are thousands of news sites to choose from, a relatively small number, 199, get 80 percent of the United States traffic.
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