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Steve

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'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' sequel will feature new actress
Don't Breathe director Fede Alvarez is to helm The Girl in the Spider's Web.

The sequel to 2012's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will feature an entirely new cast, with a new actress replacing Rooney Mara in the lead role.

The book version of Dragon Tattoo -- and several follow-ups -- were penned by the late Stieg Larsson, while David Lagercrantz wrote Spider's Web, the latest installment, which has never been brought to the big screen before.

The stories follow the adventures of anti-social, heroine/hacker Lisbeth Salander. The role was previously played by Mara in the English-language adaptation of Dragon Tattoo, which was directed by David Fincher.

A global search for an actress to portray Lisbeth in Spider's Web is currently underway.

"I'm hugely excited and grateful for this opportunity," Alvarez said in a statement Monday. "Sony has become family to me and I can't think of a more thrilling project to celebrate our relationship. Lisbeth Salander is the kind of character any director dreams of bringing to life. We've got a great script and now comes the most fun part -- finding our Lisbeth."

The Girl in the Spider's Web will be the first book in the best-selling series initially made as an English-language film. The previous novels were adapted as Swedish-language movies, and Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a re-make of the Swedish film. Noomi Rapace played Lisbeth in the Swedish movies.

"In all of contemporary literature, Lisbeth Salander is completely sui generis -- probably one of the greatest female literary characters of all time in my view," added Sanford Panitch, president of Columbia Pictures. "Modern punk defiance personified, she is unforgettable in every incarnation, truly one of the most compelling characters we've seen in recent years. David Lagercrantz's brilliant work in continuing this remarkable series honors Stieg Larsson's masterpiece. We at Sony are so honored to be part of this series with Yellowbird, and we're so excited to be making an original film of The Girl in the Spider's Web. Fede Alvarez is the perfect choice to direct. Fede is an amazing director with a unique vision of the world. In particular, his talent and skill in creating psychological intensity will bring Lisbeth Salander back into popular movie culture with a roar."

The film is scheduled to go into production this September and will open in theaters on Oct. 5, 2018.


Netflix acquires unfinished Orson Welles film 'The Other Side of the Wind'
Netflix has announced plans to finish and release filmmaker Orson Welles' final film titled The Other Side of the Wind.

The film, which has been in development for 40 years, was left unfinished by Welles upon his death in 1985.

The New York Times reported that after previous attempts to complete the film a production team consisting of Frank Marshall, who was a line producer on the film, Jan Rymsza and Peter Bogdanovich, who acted in it, secured the rights to the 1,083 reels of footage that were stored in a warehouse outside Paris.

Marshall, Rymsza and Bogdanovich turned to crowdfunding site Indiegogo to raise the $2 million needed to complete the project but the team was only able to raise $406,605.

Now Netflix has stepped in to cover the rest of the costs and see the film finally released. "Like so many others who grew up worshipping the craft and vision of Orson Welles, this is a dream come true," said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos in a statement.

"The promise of being able to bring to the world this unfinished work of Welles with his true artistic intention intact, is a point of pride for me and for Netflix."

The Other Side of the Wind acts as a critique of avant-garde filmmaking and follows a director Jake Hannaford portrayed by John Huston who is returning from a semi-exile to complete his final film also titled "The Other Side of the Wind."

Welles has said the film was not semi-autographical when he began production on it in 1970.


LOOSE LIPS:
"We've tried a lot of couples therapy and that hasn't cut through."
--Matt Damon, on his "feud" with host Jimmy Kimmel, on E!



??? Guess Who ???
Which cast member said she wants a 'This is Us' sex scene?


'Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update' specials to start airing this summer
The four-episode, prime-time series Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update is to begin airing on NBC Aug. 10.

The half-hour telecast -- which will feature jokes on topical issues of the day -- will star Colin Jost and Michael Che, the usual hosts of the long-running, sketch-comedy show's "Weekend Update" segment.

Additional SNL cast members are also expected to make appearances on the spinoff.

"SNL is having its best season in a quarter of a century -- how many shows can say that?! -- so we didn't want them to take the summer off," Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment, said in a statement Tuesday. "We're thrilled to have Colin Jost and Michael Che continuing their unique brand of news with fresh 'Weekend Update' shows in prime-time this August."


Alison Brie and Dave Franco quietly marry
Alison Brie and Dave Franco have quietly wed.

The 34-year-old actress' rep confirmed Monday to E! News that Brie and the 31-year-old actor tied the knot.

Brie had gone public with her engagement to Franco in August 2015 by wearing her engagement ring to the premiere of her movie Sleeping with Other People. She and the actor have been together since 2012.

"We don't go out of our way, we just don't flaunt it," Brie told Yahoo! Style in February 2016 of keeping her relationship private.

"I'm not very bridal, instinctually," she added. "Marriage never really interested me, I guess because I was very focused on my work. I wasn't sure if I really saw the point to it."

"I just met that person that I was like, 'Well, I'm really in love with you and would like to grow old with you,'" the star explained. "I actually think it's much more romantic when two people are like, 'Oh, I could go either way on marriage, but I want to marry you.'"

Brie is known for playing Trudy Campbell on Mad Men, and will star with Franco in the new movie The Little Hours. The couple will also appear in Franco's brother James Franco's film The Disaster Artist.


??? Guess Who ???
Which cast member said she wants a 'This is Us' sex scene?

Chrissy Metz wants to appear in a sex scene on This is Us.

The 36-year-old actress voiced her hope that her character, Kate, and Toby (Chris Sullivan) will share a steamy scene in Season 2 of the NBC series.

"When are they going to have sex, guys? On screen," she told People. "I want it on screen -- I guess it'll offend people, still. But fat people do have sex, for the record."

Metz has been a vocal advocate for body-positivity since taking on the role of Kate, a personal assistant struggling with her weight. She recently starred in a pin-up shoot for Harper's Bazaar and discussed her own road to self-confidence.

"When I first heard Harper's Bazaar wanted me to be sexy, I was like, 'Who, me?' I knew y'all were edgy but this is incredible -- it's validation," the star told the magazine. "I can get into this now because I finally have the confidence."

"I'm on this journey to inspire people, and to encourage them," she added of the show. "We are all deserving of true happiness, so it's much more than just acting."

This is Us, which co-stars Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia as Kate's parents, Rebecca and Jack, aired its Season 1 finale Tuesday. Metz was among those to react to the emotional episode on Twitter.

"Just sobbing at our finale event because of these two @TheMandyMoore & @MiloVentimiglia. My goodness that was amazing!" she wrote.