Harry Potter spin-off will become film trilogy
J K Rowling’s Harry Potter spin-off, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is to be made into a film trilogy, according to a BBC report. The book, published in 2001, was originally billed as one of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts textbooks. The Warner Bros chief Kevin Tsujihara persuaded Rowling to adapt the book for the big screen. Last week, he told The New York Times there would be a trilogy of films based on the book, which follows a “magizoologist” named Newt Scamander. Last month, Rowling told the actress Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, that she completed the script‘s draft in 12 days. – The National staff
Kareena learning new language for Singham 2
Kareena Kapoor is reportedly taking classes in Marathi for her forthcoming film, Singham 2, in which she plays a Maharashtrian and stars opposite Ajay Devgn. Kapoor has admitted in the past that she doesn’t like to spend much time on research or prep before taking on a new role. Singham 2 is an action drama directed by Rohit Shetty (2013’s Chennai Express) and is due out on August 15 to coincide with India’s Independence Day. – The National staff
5 Seconds of Summer top UK charts
The Australian boy band 5 Seconds of Summer shot to the top of this week’s Britain’s music charts with their debut single, She Looks So Perfect, the first time a group from Australia has been No 1 in the United Kingdom for 14 years, said the Official Charts Company. The band’s success pushed last week’s chart-topper – the dance track I Got U by Duke Dumont and Jax Jones – into second place. In the albums chart, The X Factor winner Sam Bailey took the top spot with her debut album, The Power of Love. George Michael’s album Symphonica fell one place to No 2. — Reuters
New Bolly film inspired by Coppola and Tarantino
The forthcoming Hindi drama Roy, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and the Sri Lankan actress Jacqueline Fernandez, is inspired by the relationship between Quentin Tarantino and Sofia Coppola, The Times of India reported. The director Vikram Singh is said to be a fan of the filmmakers, and wanted his film’s narrative to centre on their love affair. Roy is due out in September. – The National staff
Dynasty star Kate O’Mara dead at 74 The British actress Kate O’Mara, who starred in the hit American soap opera Dynasty in the 1980s, died on Sunday at the age of 74, her agent said. O’Mara died in a nursing home in Sussex, southeastern England, after a short illness, her agent Phil Belfield said. O’Mara was famous for playing Cassandra “Caress” Morell, the scheming sister to Joan Collins’ Alexis Colby in Dynasty. – AP