Established 1961 11

Wednesday, August 4, 2021 Lifestyle Features

mazon announced Monday that its the series begins with new adventures With the multi-season adaptation of Abig-budget “The Lord of The Rings” “beginning in a time of relative peace, Tolkien’s literary work already turned into series, based on the fantasy saga thousands of years before the events of a successful movie franchise in the early by J.R.R. Tolkien, will premiere worldwide J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The 2000s, Amazon hopes to score points for in September 2022. The streaming serv- Lord of the Rings’ books,” the statement its streaming platform Amazon Prime ice hopes that the yet-to-be-titled series said. The first season’s episodes will be Video against competitors such as Netflix will rival the success of “Game of released on a weekly basis, according to and Disney Plus. The internet titan found- Thrones.” The first episode will be avail- Amazon, which also posted the first ed by Jeff Bezos bought the storied MGM able on September 2, 2022. Amazon, images from the show on social media studios at the end of May for $8.45 billion. which acquired the television rights to the Monday. The cast includes Cynthia Addai- The purchase of the almost century-old cult classic in 2017 for an estimated $250 Robinson, known for her role in the series Hollywood studio bolstered its streaming million, said in a statement that “filming of “Spartacus,” and Robert Aramayo, who library, adding the James Bond and Season One completed today (Monday) played a young Eddard Stark in “Game of Rocky franchises to the platform. — AFP In this file photo Uruk-Hai warriors from the Lord of The Rings during the parade through the in New Zealand.” Thrones,” which became a behemoth of Wellington streets prior to the worldwide premier of the third and final Rings movie “Return of Situated in Middle Earth and featuring the fantasy genre over the course of its The King”, Wellington, New Zealand. — AFP some of the epic’s most iconic characters, eight seasons.

women are seen in media,” said Reese Witherspoon’s Witherspoon of the entity behind series including “The Morning Show” and “Little Fires Everywhere.” production firm The Blackstone deal “will enable us to tell even more entertaining, impactful and bought by private illuminating stories about women’s lives globally,” she said in a statement. The new media venture is headed up by two equity group former Disney executives, Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs. Its launch comes as multiple Hollywood giants are competing eese Witherspoon’s women- to expand their streaming services, with focused production company R the likes of Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max ne of Hong Kong’s best behind television hits such as “Big and Amazon Prime Video hungry for con- Little Lies” is being purchased by a new Oknown artists confirmed yes- tent. Witherspoon, 45, who won a best private equity-backed venture aiming to terday that he had moved to actress Oscar for 2005’s “Walk the Line,” break into Hollywood’s fast-expanding Taiwan in search of “100 percent has moved increasingly into producing in streaming market. The majority invest- freedom” from the government’s recent years, although she also stars in crackdown on dissent. Kacey Wong’s Apple TV+ hit “The Morning Show,” along- departure is the latest blow to Hong side Jennifer Aniston. Kong’s reputation as a regional The company is working on feature haven for the arts and free speech as films including “Legally Blonde 3” and an government critics face growing adaptation of best-selling novel “Where scrutiny from authorities. Wong, 51, The Crawdads Sing,” which was boosted Pine trees burn on a hillside at the Dixie Fire, in Twain, California. — AFP photos posted a black-and-white video on by its selection as part of Witherspoon’s Facebook in which he sung a rendi- Hello Sunshine Book Club. She will con- tion of Vera Lynn’s wistful ode “We’ll tinue to oversee Hello Sunshine’s day-to- Meet Again”. “Leaving is not easy, day operations along with current CEO staying is also difficult,” he wrote. Sarah Harden, a joint statement said. “We In an interview with the Hong look forward to backing Reese, Sarah, Kong Free Press website, Wong con- and their world-class team as they contin- firmed he had fled Hong Kong for ue to produce and identify dynamic, political reasons, citing the diminish- engaging content for years to come,” said ing space for artistic freedom since In this file photo US actress Reese Witherspoon Mayer and Staggs. Mayer and Staggs are China imposed a national security arrives for the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild reportedly targeting further purchases of law that criminalized much dissent. Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los content creators to build an “independent, onths after Oscar-nominated film- feet (1.5 meters) of “defensible space” The Cornell-educated artist is known Angeles. — AFP creator-friendly home for cutting-edge, Mmaker Lucy Walker began making that must be cleared of vegetation around for his contemporary visual arts high-quality, category-defining brands and a documentary about the largest- homes. focusing on social activism and poli- franchises,” joining a fiercely competitive ment from a not-yet-named media ven- ever wildfire in California, the blaze lost “For a town like Paradise not to be tics. In one 2018 performance art market. In May, Amazon agreed to buy ture backed by US private equity giant its crown to an even bigger inferno. The able to adopt different building standards piece called “The Patriot”, Wong per- MGM studios for $8.45 billion, giving the Blackstone and announced Monday 2017 Thomas Fire is now only the sev- means that they’re just going to be in the formed China’s national anthem on US tech giant a vast content library to fur- reportedly values Witherspoon’s Hello enth worst by area destroyed-and is likely same position again,” said Walker. “We an accordion while inside a red metal ther its ambitions in streaming. — AFP Sunshine at $900 million, according to the to be overtaken soon by the Dixie Fire haven’t managed to convince them even cage. Last year authorities passed Wall Street Journal and CNBC. “I started raging through the state’s northern that these small compromises or small new laws making it illegal to mock this company to change the way all forests, as climate change makes wildfire costs are worthwhile. I think that was China’s national anthem or flag, season longer, hotter and more devastat- really illuminating,” she told AFP. meaning any repeat of such a per- ing. “One of the things that I learned in formance would be fraught with risk. the course of making this film, is these ‘American individualist’ “I want and I demand 100 per cent fires happen all the time-they happen While addressing climate change freedom, with no compromise,” Dizzee Rascal over and over and over again,” said directly, the film also explores other caus- Wong told Hong Kong Free Press. Walker. es of wildfires that should in theory be gets charged “It’s just terrible proof of the thesis of easier to fix. It makes the seemingly par- the film. I didn’t mean to be proven right, adoxical case that large-scale logging-a or to make such a topical film, but that’s solution proposed by former president with assault where we find ourselves.” “Bring Your Donald Trump-actually makes wildfires Own Brigade,” in theaters Friday, takes a worse. The deadly Camp Fire in Paradise wide-ranging look at the causes, conflicts ripped through a nearby timber planta- he ‘Bonkers’ hitmaker - whose real and possible solutions that swirl around tion, able to spread rapidly through thickly Tname is Dylan Mills - was arrested the increasingly deadly wildfires in the planted trees, logging debris, and inva- on June 8 on suspicion of common western United States. It begins with har- sive species such as highly flammable assault following a “domestic argument” rowing footage of two fires in November grasses. Walker also talks with members with a woman at her home in South 2018 that devastated Malibu and of indigenous groups such as the Plains London in which she reportedly sustained Robbie Williams Paradise-two Californian cities at different Miwok, who protected themselves from an injury but did not require hospital treat- ends of the socio-economic scale-in massive wildfires for centuries before ment. The Metropolitan Police told The which a total of 88 people perished. Europeans arrived by lighting small, care- This file photo shows local artist Kacey Sun newspaper: “Dylan Mills, 36, of shaves his Filmmakers were embedded with fire- fully managed “prescribed burns.” Wong playing the accordion inside a red Sevenoaks, Kent, has been charged with fighters during the carnage, and the The practice-designed to remove haz- mobile prison artwork called ‘The Patriot’, assault after an incident at a residential son’s hair off movie focuses on the characters and per- ardous vegetation-is becoming increas- a protest performance art project protest- address in Streatham on 8 June. Officers sonal stories of emergency responders ingly common again in California, ing against the National Anthem Law, at attended and a woman reported minor and the stubborn residents who have although residents often oppose it over his studio in Hong Kong. — AFP injuries. She did not require hospital treat- he ‘Angels’ hitmaker styled his ‘do since returned to live in communities that safety fears and air quality concerns. ment.” The 36-year-old grime artist is due into a Mohican last week in an were reduced to ashes. “When we’re not in this emergency state, “I always appreciated Taiwan’s T Along with tales of heroism, the film it’s hard to want to make compromises culture and art, I think it’s very to appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court attempt to conceal his balding patch- in London on Friday, 3 September 2021. es and it seems the eye-catching new look quickly finds that many of those most and sacrifices,” said Walker, who has mature and deep and the society is The alleged incident comes just a year has rubbed off on his six-year-old son affected by the wildfires-and the climate received two Oscar nominations includ- sophisticated and raw at the same after Dizzee helped to distribute food Charlie, whom he has with his wife Ayda change that scientists say heightens the ing for 2010 documentary “Waste Land.” time, which I like,” he added. Earlier parcels to families amidst the coronavirus Field, as he asked him to give him the risk of blazes-are often the most reluctant “I think that’s not uniquely a American this year Wong distributed hundreds pandemic. The ‘I Luv U’ hitmaker joined same haircut. Taking to her Instagram to change their behavior. Malibu resi- thing, although I think that it is perhaps of candle stubs from previous vigils the team at Kitchen Social in east account, Ayda, 42, uploaded a video of dents vote down a proposal to pay more epitomized by the gun-toting American marking Beijing’s deadly Tiananmen London, where he grew up, to hand out Robbie holding the shears and Charlie in taxes to fund more firefighters, instead individualist.” This year’s fire season sug- Square crackdown after Hong Kong five meals for families of four. He said at front of him engrossed in a video. She turning their ire on the emergency offi- gests that attitude will need to change authorities banned public commem- the time: “I was given an amazing oppor- said: “So, what’s happening daddy?” cials who they say failed to save their fast. By late July, the number of acres orations. The arts have been heavily tunity to visit and help out Kitchen Social Robbie replied: “Charlie wants a Mohawk” homes. And the city of Paradise rejects a burned in California was up more than impacted by the security law, which at Bygrove Primary School in Poplar, who Ayda said: “You mean like daddy? So series of cheap and effective proposals to 250 percent from 2020 — itself the worst was introduced to quash dissent are providing free food, books and school you’re doing a Mohican?” As Robbie took help prevent further tragedies, shunning year in the state’s modern history. — AFP after pro-democracy protests two equipment to kids in the local area where I the clippers to Charlie’s head, Ayda solutions as simple as a law requiring five years ago. grew up. Thank you to all the amazing exclaimed: “Charlie, don’t move your head All films must now be censored for people I met and thanks to Mayor’s Fund right now! Oh my gosh, it’s getting really any content that breaches the law for London for connecting the dots.” aggressive. You sure you want this and multiple books have been pulled Meanwhile, Dizzee previously insisted he Charlie? It’s getting a little too late for that. from shelves. On Monday, Cantopop invented grime. The ‘Dance Wiv Me’ hit- Ah I can’t look!” She captioned the clip: star Anthony Wong Yiu-ming was maker said: “I get people moaning like, “Charlie wants to look just like daddy #like- charged with corruption for singing at ‘Ah, you’re trying to come back to grime, fatherlikeson #barbershop #dadlife AWxx an election rally of a pro-democracy now?’ What are you talking about? “I was @robbiewilliams (sic)” The 47-year-old politician three years ago. Two making grime before anyone else. That’s singer previously revealed his own hair- authors of a children’s book that not something that’s even really out there less look when he let his wife loose with likened democracy supporters to as a fact, but at the same time, you’ve got the clippers last month. Captioning the sheep surrounded by wolves were people like Stormzy bigging me up, say- video at the time, she wrote: “@robbiewil- charged with sedition last month. ing that I’m the one who influenced him. liams Is all or nothing when it comes to his Despite this, Hong Kong’s leader And you can hear it.” — Bang Showbiz hair ... and apparently, it’s nothing now Carrie Lam has insisted that freedom #nohairdontcare #instamood #thebal- of speech remains intact in the city. “I dandthebeautiful #who’snext? AWxx (sic)” would honestly ask you, what sort of In the clip, the couple - who also have kids freedoms have we lost, what sort of Teddy, eight, Coco, two, and 18-month-old vibrancy has Hong Kong been erod- Beau together - posed for a “before” pic- ed?” she said in a radio show late ture before she got to work on his long last month. — AFP locks, using the clippers to shave his head. She even blew a bit of his hair into his face as she admired her handy work. Firefighter hand crews pose for a picture as they put out hot spots near rustic mountain cabin —Bang Showbiz homes on a hillside at the Dixie Fire, in Twain.