Zooey Deschanel expecting her first child

Also, Interview star Randall Park glad to switch gears with TV comedy; Willie Nelson, Usher, Chris Martin to pay tribute to Wonder; Chris Pratt honoured by Harvard theatre group.

Zooey Deschanel, who stars in the TV series New Girl, is expecting a baby with her partner Jacob Pechenik. AP Photo/Fox

New Girl actress Zooey Deschanel is expecting a baby. She and her producer boyfriend, Jacob Pechenik, released a statement to People magazine on Tuesday saying they are "over the moon" and "excited to meet our little one," who is due in the summer. The couple began dating last year. Deschanel split from ex-husband, Ben Gibbard, lead vocalist of the band Death Cab for Cutie, in 2012. Her older sister, Emily Deschanel, is pregnant with her second child with husband David Hornsby. New Girl is in its fourth season, airing on Tuesdays on Fox. – AP

Gowariker’s Mohenjo Daro postponed to late 2016

Ashutosh Gowariker's mega project Mohenjo Daro, intially set to release ahead of Republic Day 2016, will now hit screens in August 2016. The drama, a love story set during the Indus Valley civilisation and starring Hrithik Roshan and Pooja Hegde, was initially scheduled to be released in January 2016. The movie, jointly produced by Disney India's Studio business and Ashutosh Gowariker Production Pvt. Ltd. (AGPPL), is due out in August 2016.

This is Gowariker's fourth period film after Lagaan, Jodhaa-Akbar and Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey. – IANS

Interview star Randall Park glad to switch gears with TV comedy

The Interview actor Randall Park says he's glad the film was finally released and he's ready to move on to his next role as a suburban dad in an ABC sitcom. Park, who played North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the movie at the center of the Sony hacking incident, was asked at a Television Critics Association meeting on Wednesday if he feared any personal fallout. "I was never worried for my safety or getting hacked during that process," he said. What was unsettling, a smiling Park added, was to watch a TV newscast "and they're talking about Kim Jong Un and showing my face". He said he's excited about his role in ABC's Fresh Off the Boat, adapted from the memoir by food personality Eddie Huang. The comedy, about an immigrant Taiwanese family adjusting to life in Florida, debuts on February 10. – AP

Chris Pratt honoured by Harvard theater group

Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt has been named Man of the Year by Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals. Pratt also co-stars on NBC's Parks & Recreation with Amy Poehler, who was named as Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year last week. Jason Hellerstein, president of the student group, says, "We vehemently deny that the members of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals are obsessed with Parks & Recreation." Hasty Pudding Theatricals is the nation's oldest undergraduate drama troupe, dating to the late 18th century. Wednesday's announcement says Pratt became "a bona fide Hollywood heavyweight" in the past year. Pratt will receive his pudding pot on February 6 following a parade through Harvard Square and a roast. Poehler will be honored on January 29. Last year's winners were Helen Mirren and Neil Patrick Harris. – AP

Willie Nelson, Usher, Chris Martin to pay tribute to Wonder

Willie Nelson, Usher and Coldplay’s Chris Martin will pay tribute to Stevie Wonder at a concert next month. The Recording Academy announced Wednesday that Ed Sheeran and Janelle Monae will also perform at “Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life – An All-Star Grammy Salute” on February 10. The concert will take place two days after the 57th annual Grammy Awards. Tickets for the tribute show are currently on sale. The concert will be held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. It will air as a two-hour special on CBS on February 16. Wonder has been awarded 25 Grammy Awards during his career. – AP

Yahoo sets March debut date for sitcom Community

The axed network sitcom Community will make its web debut on Yahoo in March. Yahoo announced on Tuesday that the sitcom will begin its online life with a pair of episodes. Then it will air once weekly. Last June, Yahoo, Sony Pictures Television and series creator Dan Harmon reached a deal for a 13-episode sixth season. Harmon is serving as executive producer. Community is about a group of friends who come together at a community college with an iffy pedigree. The comedy has loyal followers, but too few of them for broadcast network NBC to keep it. Yahoo credited passionate Community fans with keeping the show alive. The comedy starring Joel McHale will debut March 17. – AP