Month: February 2021

Image: ©2001 Studio Ghibli・NDDTM In 2022, Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away will get its first live-action theatrical adaptation. This is the first Studio Ghibli film to get a stage adaptation. In 2013, Studio Ghibli and Whole Hog Theatre collaborated on a live-action Princess Mononoke, which ran at London’s New Diorama Theatre.  This time, the Tony and Olivier Award-winning director John Caird (Les Misérables, Nicholas Nickleby, Daddy Long Legs) will pen and helm the adaptation. Known as Sen to Chihiro in Japan, Spirited Away was released in 2001 and became a massive hit in Japan. “I feel so excited and privileged to be working on the first-ever stage adaptation of Sen to Chihiro,” Caird said in an official statement. “I have for many years now regarded Miyazaki Hayao as one of the ...

Prince Harry said in an interview that aired early Friday he was "stepping back" from his duties as a British royal rather than "stepping down" -- and he said the "toxic" British media was to blame. The prince addressed the royal turmoil and other topics during an appearance on "The Late Late Show" with host James Corden. Corden and his royal guest chatted as they visited various spots around the Los Angeles area. The interview included a ride on the top deck of a tour bus and Harry rapping out the TV theme song to the 1990s show "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." PRINCE HARRY'S ARMY PAL SPEAKS OUT AFTER ROYAL LOSES MILITARY TITLES: 'HOPEFULLY IT'S WORTH IT FOR HIM' But in Harry’s first interview since his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, stripped Harry and wife Meghan Markle, of their r...

The feds are investigating whether the kidnapping of Lady Gaga’s dogs was politically motivated since she sang at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, according to a report. The FBI is working on the case with Los Angeles police detectives, The Sun reported. “Lady Gaga is high profile of course but she sang at President Biden’s inauguration which takes this case to another level,” a source told the outlet. “The FBI wants to know exactly what motivated this incident.” An FBI spokesperson referred The Sun to the LAPD, which is leading the investigation into the dognapping, in which the singer’s dog walker was shot in the chest. The rep noted that “the bureau provides resources if/where requested to our local partners,” according to The Sun, which said it...

Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino shared new information Thursday (Feb. 25) about the company’s plans for the return of live music. Once the concert promoter gets government approval to operate above a 50% capacity in the majority of territories where it hosts concerts, Rapino estimates the rehiring of employees and rescaling of the company will take three months. “We’ve been talking to our global employees about that kind of timeline when we can [promote] our first show at scale,” Rapino told analysts and investors on a company conference call Thursday for the company’s year-end earnings report. During the three-month period, the company will “start bringing back marketing, production [and] all the kind venue functions” adding that the company can expect to ramp up “between the onsale or th...

Prince Harry spoke to James Corden about his decision to step back from the royal family last year during a surprise appearance on “The Late Late Show” early Friday.  The Duke of Sussex joined the entertainer for a wide-ranging interview, where the two Facetimed with Meghan Markle and Harry even spilled literal tea (while riding on top of a double-decker bus in Los Angeles). Although no carpool karaoke took place, there was some rapping from the prince as he sang “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song. When Corden brought up Prince Harry’s decision to walk away from the royal family, the duke was quick to clarify: “It was never walking away.”  “It was stepping back rather than stepping down,” Harry said. “It was a really difficult environment as I think a lot of people saw. We a...