Actor John Rhys-Davies has stressed he will not be returning to his dwarf costume for the upcoming film adaptations of The Hobbit. The 65-year-old starred as Gimli the dwarf in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films and could potentially return to filming in New Zealand for Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of The Hobbit. Though the character of Gimli does not appear in The Hobbit, the dwarf's father Gloin features as part of the band of 13 dwarves who accompany Bilbo Baggins on his journey to the Lonely Mountain.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:01:01

Matt Smith, the young actor who will take over from David Tennant as Doctor Who next year, is "the best", according to the show's chief writer. Speaking at the 2009 Screenwriters' Festival in Cheltenham, Steven Moffat was full of praise for Smith, the youngest ever actor to play the Time Lord. "He's all the things you'd expect, including ancient," he explained, adding Smith was "someone you can't take your eyes off".

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:30:12

Singer Robbie Williams has cancelled his planned appearance at the MTV Europe Music awards (EMAs) due to a "scheduling conflict". The former Take That star, whose recent single Bodies was beaten to the number one spot by X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, will "no longer be performing at next week's MTV Europe Music Awards", his spokesman confirmed. However, Williams' other work commitments, including an appearance on Jonathan Ross' television show, will go ahead.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:15:13

Oscar-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins has joined the cast of Thor, Kenneth Branagh's upcoming adaptation of the Marvel comic book. Hopkins is to play Norse god Odin, father of the title character and king of the mythological realm of Asgard. Due for release in May 2011, Thor tells of a powerful but headstrong Norse warrior (Chris Hemsworth) who is cast down to Earth as punishment having ignited an ancient war.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:30:12

This Is It, the concert documentary about the late Michael Jackson, has earned $20.1 million (£12.1 million) on its first day of worldwide release, it has been announced. The film, which premiered simultaneously in 19 cities this Tuesday, was assembled from more than 100 hours of footage of the singer's rehearsals for his planned comeback shows at London's O2 Arena. The documentary made $7.4m (£4,4m) on its opening day on release in the US and $2m (£1.2m) in the UK.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:23:38

Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones has explained plans for his new group Them Crooked Vultures surfaced at the perfect time. Jones, his former bandmate Jimmy Page and drummer Jason Bonham - son of original Zeppelin drummer John - had initially considered touring as a new outfit after singer Robert Plant said he did not want to commit to a full-scale band reunion. But with the remaining Zeppelin members unable to find a new frontman, the opportunity to record with Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme was a golden opportunity, Jones explained.

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:01:01

Sir Ridley Scott has revealed intriguing new details about the forthcoming fifth instalment in the Alien series of films. It was announced in July that the Blade Runner helmer, who directed the 1979 original, was to return to the science-fiction saga for a new Twentieth Century Fox prequel. Details of the new project, scripted by Jon Spaihts, had been largely sketchy, with Variety reporting the film would focus on a space vessel being diverted off course to investigate a mysterious warning signal from a nearby planet.

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:01:01

Leona Lewis has revealed that she has not been unduly upset by a recent incident which saw her attacked by a stranger at a book signing. The X Factor winner is adopting a positive outlook after speaking out for the first time since being punched in the face by an attendee at a publicity event for her book Dreams. Despite the shocking nature of the attack, Leona told Sky News that the incident could have been much worse, as well as stating that such confrontations were a natural consequence of fame.

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:51:43

Reports claim director Peter Berg has pulled out of the planned new film adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel Dune. Berg's new version of the epic had reportedly been set to feature Twilight star Robert Pattinson in the lead role but with Berg believed to have left the project, it is unclear whether the British actor will remain involved. According to Pajiba.com, which first reported Berg's departure, the Hancock helmer had been attached to direct a new version of Dune as recently as May but backed out of the project earlier this month, leaving Paramount Pictures to search for another director.

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:12:12

Earnings of some $72 million since his death in June have put the late Michael Jackson in third on Forbes magazine's list of dead celebrities' earnings. This week's opening of This Is It, a documentary film about his planned comeback shows at London's O2 Arena, is likely to boost the Thriller star's 2009 earnings of $90 million. Though the self-styled King of Pop did not earn as much as the $350 million claimed by the estate of French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent in the past year, nor the $235 million earned by the songwriting legends Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, his 2009 earnings put him third in Forbes' dead celebrities list.

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:12:12