Holly to Bolly: King Kong catches fire at premiere, Ed Sheeran’s new album tops the charts, and more

Plus Mark Zuckerberg and his wife expecting another baby; Pooja Gor keen to explore different roles; Avatar 2 not happening in 2018, The Bridges of Madison County author dies, and Baahubali 2 trailer to be released this month.

A giant statue of King Kong goes up in flames during the premiere of the Kong: Skull Island in Ho Chi Minh City. AFP / STR

The audience at the Vietnam premiere of Kong: Skull Island, panicked when a 4.8 metre-tall statue of the giant movie monster King Kong caught fire. The replica burst into flames at the Ho Chi Minh City venue following the faux eruption of a simulated volcano. Onlookers captured the scene on their phones while the blaze was put out by firefighters. No injuries were reported. In a statement, a Vietnamese representative for Warner Bros said: "We are very grateful that no one was hurt". The movie, which stars Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston and Samuel L. Jackson, is set in the 1970s at the end of the Vietnam War. — IANS

Ed Sheeran’s new album tops the charts

British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran's new album called Divide became the fastest selling by a solo male artist in British chart history, with hits from the record also dominating the singles chart. Divide sold 672,000 in its first week, making it the third highest seller of all time behind Adele's 25 and Oasis's Be Here Now. The third studio album by Sheeran, 26, has already achieved double platinum status, the Official Charts Company said, and sold more copies than the rest of the top 500 records combined. Lead single Shape Of You, initially released in January, was the top selling single, achieving 141,000 combined chart sales. — Reuters

Mark Zuckerberg expecting second child with wife

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are expecting a second child, a daughter. The couple was not sure they would be able to have another child after a difficult pregnancy with their first daughter, born in 2015, billionaire Zuckerberg, 32, said in a post on Facebook, the world’s largest social network. “I cannot think of a greater gift than having a sister and I’m so happy Max and our new child will have each other,” Zuckerberg, who grew up with three sisters, wrote. The announcement came on the same day that Facebook shares hit an all-time of $138.57 (Dh508.96), riding upbeat expectations for growth as well as recent gains in the broader market. — Reuters

Pooja Gor keen to explore different roles

Actress Pooja Gor, best known as Pratigya in the 2009 soap opera Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya, says that she is not closed to the idea of exploring different genres. "I wouldn't mind doing reality shows," Gor says. "I can do a dance reality show, but as for something like a Bigg Boss, I don't know." The idea of being involved in the Indian equivalent of the British series Big Brother makes the 25-year-old is not something the star is considering. "I don't know whether I could be under constant surveillance and without my entertainment or phone." she added. — IANS

Avatar 2 movie not happening in 2018

The sequel to all-time box office champion Avatar has been delayed again and will not be arriving in movie theatres as expected in 2018, director James Cameron has said. Cameron told the Toronto Star that he was working on all four planned movie sequels simultaneously and had no firm release date for Avatar 2. "Well 2018 is not happening," he notes. "We haven't announced a firm release date. What people have to understand is that this is a cadence of releases. So we're not making Avatar 2. We're making Avatar 2, 3, 4 and 5. It's an epic undertaking." – Reuters

The Bridges of Madison County author dies

Robert James Waller, author of the best-selling romantic novel The Bridges of Madison County, has died at the age of 77. Waller's 1992 novel about a brief, bittersweet love affair between an Iowa housewife and a photographer was turned into a 1995 movie starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood, and a 2014 Broadway musical. The Bridges of Madison County was translated into 40 languages and sold more than 50 million copies. Waller, an Iowa-born musician and photographer as well as a writer, wrote six other novels. He also taught courses in management, mathematics and economics at the University of Northern Iowa for many years. — Reuters

Baahubali 2 trailer to be released this month

The much-awaited theatrical trailer of film director and screenwriter S.S. Rajamouli's Baahubali 2 will be released on March 16. In a Facebook chat, Rajamouli and the film's producer Shobu Yarlagadda confirmed the excerpt would be released between 9am-10am in 16 theatres across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The makers also confirmed that the historical, fictional Indian film will hit the screens worldwide on April 28. Starring the actors Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Tamannaah Bhatia, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishnan and Sathyaraj, the film will be released in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam. — IANS

Kajol makes big screen comeback in VIP2

Bollywood actress Kajol, who plays a pivotal role in her comeback Tamil film VIP 2, has successfully completed shooting her part. Last seen in the 1997 film Minsara Kanavu, Kajol has returned to the big screen after almost two decades. "She approximately shot for two weeks and had a ball working on this project," a source from the film's unit said. In the movie, a sequel to 2014 Tamil blockbuster Vela Illa Pattathari, Kajol plays a sophisticated businesswoman. She will be seen locking horns with Venkatesh Prabhu — known as Dhanush — in the movie which is directed by Soundarya Rajinikanth. The film is expected to be released as early as June. — IANS