Quick Takes: London Olympics enlist Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle, the Oscar-winning director of “Slumdog Millionaire,” will oversee the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.
Boyle was introduced Thursday as the artistic director of the ceremony to be held on July 27, 2012. The announcement was made in the shadow of the new 80,000-seat Olympic stadium in east London that will host both the opening and closing of the Games.
Boyle won the best-director Academy Award in 2009 for “Slumdog Millionaire,” a film that won eight Oscars including best picture.
His other films include “Trainspotting,” “28 Days Later” and “Sunshine.”
“It’s a fantastic responsibility,” Boyle said. “When they offered us the job, they said, ‘Do you want to think about it?’ I said, ‘No, I want to do it.’”
Another well known director, Stephen Daldry, will be one of the executive producers of the opening and closing ceremonies. Daldry directed “Billy Elliott,” “The Reader” and “The Hours.”
—Associated Press
More stars on Walk of Fame
Oprah Winfrey, Penelope Cruz, will.i.am and the Muppets are among the latest celebrities to be immortalized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The 2011 honorees were announced Thursday by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
Thirty new stars will be unveiled in pink-and-black terrazzo, with recipients from movies and TV including Gwyneth Paltrow, Donald Sutherland, Reese Witherspoon, Danny DeVito and Tina Fey.
Honorees in the recording category include Melissa Etheridge, Los Tigres Del Norte and Rascal Flatts.
—Associated Press
Jon Stewart to feel the force
Jon Stewart, the nimble-minded host of “The Daily Show,” will interview George Lucas, the great wizard of Skywalker Ranch and the “Star Wars” mastermind, during Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando in August.
The two will sit down for an hour-long, on-stage interview as part of the massive Lucasfilm expo dedicated to all things Jedi.
Other scheduled guests at the Aug. 12-15 event include Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Jeremy Bulloch, Peter Mayhew, Jake Lloyd and Ray Park.
There also will be costume contests, a laser-tag competition, a massive trading floor and something called the Star Wars Celebration Chapel.
—Geoff Boucher
Costner: BP needs device
Actor Kevin Costner says having BP use his company’s device to help clean up the Gulf oil spill is “not a Hollywood ending for me.”
Costner told a Senate committee Thursday he’s been working for more than a decade in hopes of having the cleanup machines on hand for immediate use in spills. He says all major oil companies should keep the machines nearby like fire extinguishers, ready whenever incidents happen.
BP has contracted with Costner and Ocean Therapy Solutions to use 32 of the centrifuge machines designed to separate oil from water.
—Associated Press
‘Lost Year’
for Phoenix
When Joaquin Phoenix appeared on “The Late Show With David Letterman” last year, bearded and barely speaking, his behavior raised quite a few eyebrows. Now a new film, “I’m Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix,” may explain some of the actor’s bizarre antics.
In the film, which was screened last month for buyers, the actor is seen cavorting around the screen, trying to get music industry bigwigs to pay attention to his burgeoning singing career while also engaging in some pretty horrible behavior.
Filmgoers could get a chance to witness that behavior for themselves, as sources say that Magnolia Pictures is in final negotiations to acquire the Casey Affleck-directed documentary from seller WME Entertainment, aiming for a release in the fall.
Magnolia has worked with Phoenix before, releasing his last — and possibly final — film, the romantic drama “Two Lovers.” Release plans are still coming together, but one can imagine a multi-platform release following the theatrical one (video on-demand was an able platform for the company on “Lovers”).
Magnolia declined to comment.
—Steven Zeitchik
and John Horn