Bosnian officials have reversed course after reviewing a current screenplay for Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut and will now permit the actress to film within their borders, according to the USA Today. “It’s very simple,” Jolie said, while filming in Budapest. “There was a nasty rumor that [the film] was about a relationship that started with a rape and torture — and it’s not.”
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Angelina Jolie responds to Bosnian snub
Jolie’s film booted from Bosnia
A woman who says her 15-year-old daughter appeared without permission on an episode of The Tyra Banks Show about “teen sex addicts” is suing the TV host for $3 million, the Associated Press reports. Beverly McClendon is asking a court to stop the episode from airing again, and for millions in damages since it already “was undoubtedly watched by sexual deviants, perverts and pedophiles.” A representative for Banks declined to comment on this story.
Pop superstar Justin Bieber is reportedly being investigated for assault at a Canadian laser tag facility, according to CBC News. The CBC says that a 12-year old boy claims Bieber hit him while playing at the facility. Bieber’s rep told TMZ that it was not true (as of press time, Bieber’s reps had not returned EW‘s requests for comment).
Barbara Billingsley, best known for her role as June Cleaver on Leave It to Beaver, died today at her home in California. She was 94. Billingsley played the iconic TV mom from 1957 to 1963, provided the voice of Nanny on The Muppet Babies, and had a memorable cameo in Airplane! in 1980. [CNN]
Singer Alicia Keys and her husband, Swizz Beatz, welcomed their first child together, Egypt Daoud Dean, on Oct. 14 in New York City, according to People. The couple were recently married in July.
Image Credit: Mike Flokis/Getty ImagesWarner Bros., New Line Cinema and MGM have finally officially announced that Peter Jackson will direct J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit with production beginning in February 2011. The film is planned to be divided into two installments and will be shot in 3D. Said Jackson, “Exploring Tolkien’s Middle-earth goes way beyond a normal film-making experience. It’s an all-immersive journey into a very special place of imagination, beauty and drama. We’re looking forward to re-entering this wondrous world with Gandalf and Bilbo – and our friends at New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers and MGM”.
James Cameron and Christopher Nolan will attend Spike TV’s fifth annual Scream Awards, EW.com has learned. Cameron (Avatar) is nominated for Best Director, as is Nolan (Inception), who also will participate in the show’s Inception-inspired opening bit. Scream 2010—which airs Oct. 19 and salutes achievement in the sci-fi, fantasy, comics, and horror genres—also features a “Farewell Tribute To Lost” that includes cast members such as Jorge Garcia, Henry Ian Cusick, Ian Somerhalder, Harold Perrineau, Malcolm David Kelley, and Francois Chau.
Neil Patrick Harris announced on Twitter today that he and partner David Burtka are fathers. The twin boy and girl — named Gideon Scott and Harper Grace — were born on Oct. 12. (According to reports, the couple used a surrogate.) Harris’ Tweet went on to say, “All of us are happy, healthy, tired, and a little pukey.”
Leif Garrett, the former 1970s teen heartthrob, has pled no contest to heroin possession in Los Angeles today. He will enter a court-ordered rehab program. Garrett was arrested in February after he was found carrying heroin in an L.A. subway station. [AP]
First-time director Angelina Jolie responded to reports that Bosnian officials would not allow her to film within their borders, due to their dissatisfaction with the movie’s content. According to People, Jolie contacted the Women Victims of War — one of the groups protesting the film — through her involvement with the United Nations and said, “Don’t judge me before you see the film.” The untitled film, a love story set in the war-torn country during the 1990s, is already shooting in Hungary. “Obviously any dramatic interpretation will always fail those who have had a real experience,” Jolie is quoted as saying. “This is not a documentary.” GK Films, which is producing the project, released a statement reading: “We are obliged to reapply for the permit to shoot … with the appropriate government offices in Sarajevo now that the final script is available.”
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Jolie production booted from Bosnia
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Angelina Jolie to make romantic film set during Bosnian War
