Baron Cohen sued over Bruno 'terrorist'

A man branded a 'terrorist' by Sacha Baron Cohen after appearing in his last movie Bruno is suing the UK comic for $110 million (£68 million).

Ayman Abu Aita, a shopkeeper from Bethlehem, was interviewed by Cohen in the guise of his eponymous gay Austrian fashion journalist.

During the segment, in which Bruno tries to be kidnapped in order to become the 'most famous Austrian since Hitler', Mr Abu Aita is labelled as a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, the armed wing of Fatah, in a caption.

Baron Cohen later appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS when he said he had feared for his life during the interview with Mr Abu Aita and that he had contacted intelligence agencies to help set up an interview with a 'terrorist'.

But a lawsuit filed at the District of Columbia federal court says the interview took place at a hotel in the Israeli-controlled West Bank.

Mr Abu Aita, a member of the board of the Holy Land Trust, non-profit organisation working on Palestinian community-building, said his 'good reputation for honesty and a peaceable nature' had been ruined.

His US lawyer Joseph Peter Drennan said: 'This is an important lawsuit because it is about the dignity of a specific person. It is about his reputation, about his standing in the community.'

Baron Cohen, Letterman, producers NBC Universal and Bruno director Larry Charles are all named in the lawsuit.

Moon and In The Loop honoured at BIFAs

Duncan Jon

es' science fiction effort Moon claimed the top prize at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) on Sunday night.

The Liberty Films release, starring Sam Rockwell as an isolated lunar technician, was named best British independent film while Jones took the Douglas Hickox award for best debut director.

While it was nominated in six categories, An Education was honoured in just one, with Carey Mulligan taking the best actress award, while Tom Hardy won the best actor prize for Bronson.

Other winners included political comedy In the Loop, which took the best screenplay prize and gritty drama Fish Tank, which claimed the best director award for Andrea Arnold and saw young star Katie Jarvis named best newcomer.

Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis took the Richard Harris awards for outstanding contribution to British cinema while Sir Michael Caine received a standing ovation as he was honoured with the Variety award.

Johanna von Fischer and Tessa Collinson, BIFA co-directors, commented: 'No single film dominates the awards this year, reminding us of the high quality and variety of talent on offer in the UK.

'And if we can be celebrating so much good work in a year that is said to be difficult, there is a lot to shout about.'

The winners of the 2009 BIFAs were:

Best British Independent Film

Moon

Best Director

Andrea Arnold – Fish Tank

The Douglas Hickox Award [Best Debut Director]

Duncan Jones – Moon


Best Screenplay

In the Loop – Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche

Best Actress

Carey Mulligan – An Education

Best Actor

Tom Hardy – Bronson

Best Supporting Actress

Anne-Marie Duff – Nowhere Boy

Best Supporting Actor

John Henshaw – Looking for Eric

Most Promising Newcomer

Katie Jarvis – Fish Tank

Best Achievement In Production

Bunny and the Bull

Raindance Award

Down Terrace

Best Technical Achievement

Bright Star – Cinematography – Greig Fraser

Best Documentary

Mugabe and the White African

Best British Short

Love You More

Best Foreign Film

Let the Right One In

The Richard Harris Award (For Outstanding Contribution To British Film)

Daniel Day-Lewis

The Variety Award

Sir Michael Caine

The Special Jury Prize

Baz Bamigboye

Bullock football drama climbs to US top spot

American football drama The Blind Side has climbed to the top of the US box office charts after three weeks on release.

The Warner Bros film, starring Sandra Bullock, took $20.4 million (£12.5 million) in its third week to knock The Twilight Saga: New Moon from the summit.

Based on a true story, The Blind Side tells of a homeless teenager who, after being adopted by a caring family, goes on to play professional football in the NFL.

'How outstanding is it to have a movie at number one in its third weekend?' said Warner's Jeff Goldstein of the film's word-of-mouth success.

New Moon fell one place to second with war drama Brothers the highest new entry in third and crime thriller Armored debuting in sixth.

The only other new entry in the US top ten was Everybody's Fine, a remake of an Italian family drama starring Robert De Niro and Drew Barrymore.

The top ten films at the US box office are: (last week's position)

1 The Blind Side (2)
2 The Twilight Saga: New Moon (1)
3 Brothers (-)
4 A Christmas Carol (5)
5 Old Dogs (4)
6 Armored (-)
7 2012 (3)
8 Ninja Assassin (6)
9 Planet 51 (7)
10 Everybody's Fine (-)

Polanski under house arrest at Swiss chalet

Roman Polanski has been placed under house arrest in Switzerland after being granted $4.5 million bail.

The Oscar-winning director was released from jail yesterday for 'security reasons' ahead of being placed in his chalet in Gstaad, south-west Switzerland.

'Polanski has undertaken not to leave his house and property at any time,' a statement from the Swiss authorities said.

Polanski has been held since September when he was arrested as he arrived in Zurich to pick up a lifetime achievement award.

Switzerland is still deciding whether to extradite the 76-year-old so he can be sentenced for pleading to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl.

Polanski has lived in France, which does not have an extradition treaty with the US, since 1978 when he fled before he could be sentenced.

Greengrass walks away from fourth Bourne

British director Paul Greengrass has walked away from the fourth instalment of the Bourne films amid reports of a dispute with studio bosses over the film's screenplay.

Greengrass, who directed The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, declared on Tuesday he would not be involved in the production of a fourth film in the blockbuster series starring Matt Damon.

Reports in Hollywood suggested the director chose to quit the project following a disagreement over the script.

He has rejected the claims though and said in a statement: 'My decision to not return a third time as director is simply about feeling the call for a different challenge.

'There's been no disagreement with Universal Pictures. The opportunity to work with the Bourne family again is a difficult thing to pass up, but we have discussed this together and they have been incredibly understanding and supportive.

'I've been lucky enough to have made four films for Universal, and our relationship continues. Jason Bourne existed before me and will continue, and I hope to remain involved in some capacity as the series moves on.'

The two Bourne films directed by Greengrass made a combined $700 million (£440 million) worldwide.

Among those touted to direct the fourth instalment, due for release in 2011, is Doug Liman – the director of the first film in the series – The Bourne Identity.

New Moon still has bite at UK box office

The second film in the Twilight Saga, New Moon, has held off the challenge of horror phenomenon Paranormal Activity at the UK box office.

The Summit Entertainment film, which last week claimed the third best weekend opening ever in the US, took £4.3 million to retain the number one spot in the UK.

Starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, the supernatural romance has now taken more than $250 million worldwide (£150.8 million) in just two weeks on release.

Paranormal Activity debuted in second at the UK box office, though its total takings of £3.6 million were boosted by around £1 million in takings during preview screenings on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Oren Peli film has become one of the most profitable of all time, after costing less than $15,000 (£9.049) to make and taking over $100 million (£60.3 million).

The new animated version of A Christmas Carol held third position while disaster epic 2012 fell to five in the UK.

Revenge thriller Law Abiding Citizen debuted in fifth, with improvised British comedy Nativity! a new entry in sixth.

The only other new entry in the UK top ten was Bollywood film De Dana Dhan, which debuted in ninth.

The top ten films at the UK box office are:
1 The Twilight Saga: New Moon, £4.3 million
2 Paranormal Activity, £3.6 million
3 A Christmas Carol, £1.9 million
4 2012, £1.8 million
5 Law Abiding Citizen, £1.5 million
6 Nativity!, £794,000
7 Harry Brown, £333,000
8 Up, £327,000
9 De Dana Dhan, £308,000
10 A Serious Man, £244,000

Iraq drama Hurt Locker wins Gotham awards

Acclaimed military thriller The Hurt Locker has been named best feature at the 19th Gotham Independent Film awards in New York.

The Kathryn Bigelow film, concerned with bomb disposals squads in Iraq following the 2003 invasion by western forces, took the top prize at the Manhattan ceremony on Monday night while its cast - Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, David Morse and Evangeline Lilly - claimed the best ensemble award.

Catalina Saavedra beat Renner to the best breakthrough actor prize for Chilean drama The Maid while Robert Siegel - who penned 2008's The Wrestler - won the best breakthrough director award for his debut feature Big Fan.

Robert Kenner's Food Inc, about the changes in the US food industry, was named best documentary and You Won't Miss Me, directed by Ry Russo-Young, won the award for the best film still without a distribution deal.

As well as the six honours bestowed at the Cipriani Wall Street ceremony, special career tributes were presented, with Bigelow, actors Natalie Portman and Stanley Tucci, and producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner honoured.

The Gothams recognise low-budget, independent and art-house pictures and are viewed as an unofficial start to the film industry's awards season.

Apocalypse Now named 'best of last 30 years'

Apocalypse Now has been hailed the best film of the last 30 years by the London Film Critics' Circle.

Francis Ford Coppola's film on the Vietnam war, inspired by Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness, clinched the title in a poll held by the London Critics to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their annual film awards, beating Schindler's List into second place.

The film was voted the best previous winner from a poll that took in the winners of all categories, including British and foreign films, since the ceremony began in 1980.

The top 10 was as follows:

1 Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1980)
2 Schindler's List (Steven Spielberg, 1994)
3 The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2007)
4 Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood, 1992)
5 Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee, 2005)
6 Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore, 1990)
7 LA Confidential (Curtis Hanson, 1997)
8 Fargo (Joel Coen, 1996)
9 Distant Voices, Still Lives (Terence Davies, 1989)
10 The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese, 1983)

Chairman of the Film Critics' Circle Jason Solomons said: 'I'm delighted that such a powerful and brilliant film as Apocalypse Now has won the enduring admiration of the London critics.

'Coppola's towering film is a worthy winner and clearly its anti-war message, monumental performances and dazzling film making technique have stood the test of time, making it as relevant to critics today as it was when it won Best Film at our first awards ceremony, 30 years ago.'

The next annual awards will take place on February 18th 2010 in aid of the NSPCC at London's Landmark Hotel.

The Critics' Circle is the oldest critics' organisation in the world and the London Film Critics' Awards ceremony, supporting the NSPCC for 15 years, is the only one of its kind that benefits a charity.

Slumdog Millionaire most rented film of 2009

Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire is the most rented film of the year, according to rental firm Lovefilm.

The best picture Academy award winner, starring Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, was rented more than any other home release in 2009, the company announced.

Coen Brothers comedy Burn After Reading was the second most popular rental, with Liam Neeson thriller Taken in third.

Lovefilm also announced the most popular TV series rentals of the year, with Sky's adaptation of the Terry Pratchett novel The Colour of Magic pipping BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey to the top spot.

'Staying in has indeed become the new going out throughout 2009, but it has actually suited film fans down to the ground as they've been spoilt by some of the best films of the last few years,' commented Fliss White of Lovefilm.

'Whilst Slumdog Millionaire was the real winner this year across the nation's homes, the success of comedies like the Coen brothers' Burn After Reading shows that, despite the recession, us Brits are more than able to look on the brighter side of life.'

Pixar animation Wall-E and Batman adventure The Dark Knight also reached the Lovefilm rental top ten, with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Changeling and The Reader also popular.

New Moon shines over Thanksgiving weekend

New Moon, the second instalment in the Twilight Saga film franchise, has held the number one spot in the US after a strong Thanksgiving weekend.

The Summit Entertainment film, based on Stephenie Meyer's bestselling series of books, took $42.5 million (£25.8 million) over the holiday weekend in the US to remain at the top of the charts and on course to break the $300 million (£181.7 million) barrier with its domestic release.

The Chris Weitz movie, starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, claimed the third best US opening of all time last week with a $142.8 million (£86.5 million) debut and the supernatural romance has now taken $473.7 million (£286.8 million) worldwide in its first ten days on release.

Warner Bros drama The Blind Side saw an impressive jump in takings, surpassing its opening weekend haul by more than $6 million (£3.6 million) to finish with $40.1 million (£24.3 million) in its second weekend on release.

'It has taken on a life of its own, propelled by word of mouth and great reviews,' Warner Bros president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman said of the Sandra Bullock film.

'This is the only movie that has ever opened the week before Thanksgiving that has gone up to this degree.'

Disney comedy Old Dogs debuted at number four, with Warner action effort Ninja Assassin entering in sixth and Wes Anderson's adaptation of Fantastic Mr Fox climbing into the top ten after its release was expanded following a two-week limited run.

The top ten films at the US box office are: (last week's position)

1 The Twilight Saga: New Moon (1)
2 The Blind Side (2)
3 2012 (3)
4 Old Dogs (-)
5 A Christmas Carol (5)
6 Ninja Assassin (-)
7 Planet 51 (4)
8 Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire (6)
9 Fantastic Mr Fox (outside top 20)
10 The Men Who Stare At Goats (7)

Little cheer for Christmas Carol movie

The latest adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol has topped the North American box office despite lower than expected takings.

Starring Jim Carrey, the animated take on the Christmas classic made $31 million this weekend, knocking off Michael Jackson documentary This Is It from the top spot.

But the haul was at the low-end of expectations for Disney, with the movie making just $8,418 per cinema it opened at.

In contrast, low budget indie flick Precious made $1.8 million despite opening at only 18 cinemas - a rate of $100,000 per cinema.

Precious, based on the novel Push by Sapphire, sees an illiterate, morbidly obese New York teenager pregnant for the second time by her stepfather offered the chance to turn her life around at an alternative school.

North American box office

1 A Christmas Carol
2 This Is It
3 The Men Who Stare at Goats
4 The Fourth Kind
5 Paranormal Activity
6 The Box
7 Couples Retreat
8 Law Abiding Citizen
9 Where the Wild Things Are
10 Astro Boy

Quaid and wife post bail for unpaid bill

Actor Randy Quaid and his wife posted a bail bond after allegedly failing to pay a $10,000 (£6,246) hotel bill.

The Kingpin actor and his wife Evi were arrested in June over allegedly running out on a hotel bill at the exclusive San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, California

The pair are charged with burglary, defrauding an innkeeper and conspiracy, with a court date set for December 15th.

Speaking to People magazine, Santa Barbara senior deputy district attorney Lee Carter said: 'They have posted bond. [If they don't show up to court] a bounty hunter will go and get them.'

The couple had reportedly failed to attend four voluntary court appearances - the last of which was scheduled for Monday - and the district attorney's office had been seeking to extradite the Quaids from their Texas home.

Quaid, the elder brother of fellow actor Dennis, is best known for his comedic roles in the National Lampoon's Vacation and Independence Day, and was also praised for his supporting work in Oscar-winning drama Brokeback Mountain.

Timberlake and Aykroyd off to Jellystone Park

Singer and actor Justin Timberlake and comedy great Dan Aykroyd are to star in an upcoming take on the classic cartoon Yogi Bear, reports claim.

The Warner Brothers project will adapt the Hanna-Barbera series with a mixture of live-action and computer-generated imagery (CGI), with Journey to the Center of the Earth director Eric Brevig behind the camera.

Ghostbusters star Akyroyd is in negotiations to voice the picnic-hungry title character with Timberlake in discussions to voice his sidekick Boo Boo.

Observe and Report actress Anna Faris, who has recently lent her voice to animated hit Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, is also close to joining the cast, and would play a nature documentary filmmaker who stumbles across Yogi and Boo Boo in the fictional Jellystone Park.

Yogi Bear made his debut in Hanna-Barbera's The Huckleberry Hound Show in 1958 and was given his own series in 1961, running for 31 episodes and inspiring a 1964 musical animation entitled Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!

Obsessed with stealing 'pic-a-nic baskets' from campers in Jellystone Park, Yogi and Boo Boo were regularly foiled by Park Ranger Smith, despite Yogi's claims that he was 'smarter than the average bear'.

Filming on the Yogi Bear movie is expected to begin in New Zealand next month, with Donald De Line and Karen Rosenfelt producing, from a Brad Copeland script.

Boyle to spend 127 Hours on mountaineer saga

Oscar winner Danny Boyle is to direct a film telling the remarkable story of a climber who was forced to amputate part of his own arm, reports claim.

Aron Ralston used a dull knife to sever his right forearm after being trapped for nearly five days under a boulder during a 2003 climbing trip in Utah.

After removing the lower half of the limb, the then-27-year-old Ralston was forced to abseil down a 70-foot (21-metre) sheer wall before fortunately encountering a family of three as he attempted to hike back to his own vehicle.

According to Variety, the creative minds behind Academy award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire could reunite to adapt Ralston's incredible story for the screen.

127 Hours would begin production next year, with Boyle directing, screenwriter Simon Beaufoy reportedly in talks to pen a script based on Ralston's ordeal and Christian Colson to produce.

Fox Searchlight and Pathe would distribute the film, with a late 2010 release planned.

Though 127 Hours is in early development and no cast additions have yet been announced, Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling has already been linked with the lead role.

Comedian Zach Galifianakis to fall off a wall

Comedy actor Zach Galiafianakis is in talks to voice one of the most famous nursery rhyme characters - Humpty Dumpty.

The Hangover actor is in negotiations with Dreamworks Animation to provide the voice for the unlucky egg in Puss in Boots, a forthcoming spin-off from the Shrek franchise.

Directed by Chris Miller - who co-directed and co-wrote Shrek the Third - Puss in Boots will see Antonio Bandera reprising his voice role as the feline title character, with Salma Hayek also set to star.

With Tom Wheeler directing, the animated prequel would tell of the events preceding Puss in Boots' meeting with Shrek and friends in the second film in the series.

Should Galifianakis land the part, it would seal his fifth successive role since making a breakthrough in summer comedy hit The Hangover.

The bearded stand-up comedian recently joined the cast of Jay Roach comedy Dinner for Schmucks and will star alongside Robert Downey Jr in road-trip comedy Due Date - directed by The Hangover's Todd Philllips.

He is also set to star in It's Kind of a Funny Story, the new drama from Half Nelson directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, as well as starring in a 2011 sequel to The Hangover.

Pattinson and Kidman team up for Bel Ami

Twilight star Robert Pattinson and Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman are to co-star in Bel Ami, a film adaptation of the Guy de Maupassant novel.

Set in 1890s Paris, Bel Ami charts the ascent of a young writer through high society, as he manipulates a number of the city's 'most glamorous and influential women', Screendaily reports.

British actor Pattinson, one of the most famous young men in the world since his breakthrough in vampire drama Twilight, is expected to take the lead role of aspirant journalist Georges Duroy, with Kidman likely to play one of his mistresses.

Screendaily quotes the producers as saying: 'In a world where politics and media jostle for influence, where sex is power and celebrity an obsession, the film has… a contemporary relevance which should resonate with audiences worldwide.'

Acclaimed theatre directors Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod will make their feature directorial debut from a script by Rachel Bennette, with Uberto Pasolini to produce and former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller executive producing.

Bel Ami will begin shooting in London and Budapest in February 2010, according to Screendaily.

Pattinson can be seen in Twilight sequel New Moon this month while Kidman stars in upcoming musical Nine.

Dame Helen Mirren turns Red for black-ops film

Oscar winner Dame Helen Mirren will star alongside Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman in upcoming thriller Red, it has been announced.

Based on the three-book series by Warren Ellis, Red sees Willis as a former secret agent enjoying his retirement until an assassin is dispatched to kill him, at the behest of a CIA director (Freeman).

Mirren, soon to be seen with Christopher Plummer in The Last Station, is set to play a former colleague of Willis' in the Summit Entertainment espionage drama, according to Variety.

Directed by Robert Schwentke, Red is scripted by brothers Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber, with production set to begin Toronto and Louisiana in January.

Distributors Summit Entertainment and producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian are planning a November 2010 release.

Danny Dyer 'upset' after robbery at Essex home

Actor Danny Dyer has become the latest victim of car thieves operating in an area of Essex known as the 'Golden Triangle'.

The Dead Man Running star had both a Porsche and a Mercedes stolen from his home in Loughton on Monday night as he, his girlfriend and their two children slept.

The Porsche was later found abandoned nearby but the theft marks the latest in a series of car robberies in the wealthy 'Golden Triangle' area of Loughton, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill.

'It's the lowest point of my life,' Dyer told the Sun. 'I've never felt like this before.'

He added: 'My 13-year-old is really upset and scared. She feels unsafe in her own home. I feel I've let [my children] down as a father.'

Dyer cut short interviews for his latest DVD, Danny Dyer's Football Foul-Ups, after the theft, though he later told the Sun he was unsurprised that the stolen Porsche had been found abandoned.

'Luckily I'm lazy and I didn't fill it up, so they probably panicked and just dumped it,' he remarked.

Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin to host Oscars

Actor Alec Baldwin and comedian Steve Martin have been named as the hosts of the upcoming 82nd annual Academy awards.

'I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin,' said Martin, who hosted the 73rd and 75th Oscar ceremonies.

'I don't play the banjo but I'm thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it's the opportunity of a lifetime,' Baldwin, a best supporting actor nominee in 2003 for The Cooler, added.

Ahead of their Oscar hosting duties, the pair can be seen alongside two-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep in upcoming romantic comedy It's Complicated.

Co-hosts are a rarity for the Academy awards, though the post has been shared before, with Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan co-hosting in 1987, and Sammy Davis Jr, Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine and Frank Sinatra MCing in 1975.

'We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars,' said Oscars producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman in a statement.

'Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.'

Antichrist poster complaints rejected

A poster for the controversial film Antichrist was not in breach of advertising standards despite complaints, it has been announced.

Seven complaints were received by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about the poster for the Lars von Trier movie, which depicted a naked man and woman appearing to have sex at the base of a tree.

The advert featured several quotes from reviews of the film - such as 'cinema at its most extreme' and 'nothing can prepare you for the experience of Antichrist' - and also warned that the 18-certificate release featured 'strong sex, bloody violence and self-mutilation'.

Though complainants to the ASA claimed the advert - published in the Times, Guardian and Independent newspapers - was pornographic and said its content was offensive and inappropriate, the authority has ruled the poster was not in breach of the CAP code (the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing).

A statement from the ASA said the advert breached neither clause 2.2, concerned with responsible advertising, or clause 5.1, regarding decency.

'The ad, which had a dark tone, was unlikely to cause sexual excitement and was therefore not pornographic,' the statement added.

'We were of the view that the Times, the Guardian and the Independent were read mostly by adults and, although the possibility of children seeing the ad in those publications could not be ruled out, we considered it unlikely.

'If children did see the ad, we considered it was not particularly explicit and the dream-like context, introduced by the hands protruding from the tree (or roots), had the effect of making the image of the naked couple seem removed from reality.'

All three publications defended their publication of the poster on the grounds of its targeting of an adult audience and surreal imagery, and said they had not received any complaints.