It's not exactly a surprise, given that Furious 7 has proved to be the most popular and lucrative chapter yet, but Vin Diesel has confirmed that the Fast and Furious franchise will return with an eighth instalment on April 14, 2017, the first without Paul Walker. Furious 7, in which Abu Dhabi played a starring role, has earned more than US$1billion (Dh3.6bn) worldwide. "We're going to make the best movie you've ever seen," Diesel told the CinemaCon movie conference in Las Vegas at the weekend. Diesel recalled announcing the seventh movie with Walker, who died in an off-set road crash during filming of Furious 7, at the same event. "The last time I was on this stage I was with my brother Pablo," he said. "It's hard for me to even watch that clip and then come out here without being emotional." Diesel did not reveal any details about the plot of the new movie, which of the stars will return or where it would be filmed. – AFP
Avengers stars apologise for ‘tasteless joke’
Avengers actors Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans have apologised for calling co-star Scarlett Johansson's character in the blockbuster movie a "slut", saying it was just a tasteless joke. Renner, who reprises his role as Hawkeye in the sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron, which will release on Thursday, made the offending comments in a TV interview alongside Evans, who plays Captain America. An interviewer asked them what they thought about Johansson's character, Black Widow, rejecting their characters' romantic advances. "She's a slut," Renner told the Digital Spy interviewer, as Evans laughed and added a similar insult. Fans on social media did not see the funny side and on Thursday, Renner's publicist issued an apology on his behalf. "I am sorry that this tasteless joke about a fictional character offended anyone. It was not meant to be serious in any way. Just poking fun during an exhausting and tedious press tour," he said. Evans told Entertainment Weekly: "We answered in a very juvenile and offensive way that rightfully angered some fans. I regret it and sincerely apologise." – AFP
Jolie pleads for UN action on Syrian refugees
Angelina Jolie pleaded with world powers on Friday to help the millions of Syrian refugees, sharply criticising the UN Security Council for being paralysed by its division over Syria’s four-year conflict. The actress briefed the council in her role as special envoy for the UN on refugee issues. Syria’s ambassador said simply of her presence, “She’s beautiful.” Jolie spoke as the council prepared to hear the details of a new plan for peace talks set to begin next month in Geneva. Nearly 4 million Syrians have fled the conflict into neighbouring countries, which are dangerously overstretched. “We cannot look at Syria, and the evil that has arisen from the ashes of indecision, and think this is not the lowest point in the world’s inability to protect and defend the innocent,” Jolie said. Jolie added that she had made 11 visits to Syrian refugees in the region since the crisis began in 2011. She also spoke about the rising migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, where more than 1,300 people fleeing Syria and other places have drowned during the past three weeks. “It is sickening to see thousands of refugees drowning on the doorstep of the world’s wealthiest continent,” she said. – AP
Hammond won’t be returning to Top Gear
Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond has confirmed that he will not be returning to the BBC2 motoring show. His announcement follows the departure of executive producer Andy Wilman and presenter James May in the aftermath of presenter Jeremy Clarkson being dropped for punching a producer. In a column for Top Gear magazine, Wilman criticised the BBC for "meddling" in the show and described the decision not to renew Clarkson's contract as a tragedy. Hammond said on Twitter: "To be clear amidst all this talk of us 'quitting' or not: there's nothing for me to 'quit'. Not about to quit my mates anyway." Hammond says he plans to continue working with the BBC. – The National staff
Monty Python stars mark Holy Grail anniversary
The surviving members of Monty Python – John Cleese and Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam (the sixth member, Graham Chapman, died in 1989) – reunited in New York at the weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival, for a 40th-anniversary screening of their Monty Python and the Holy Grail. During a session with reporters Friday afternoon, the Pythons recalled that when the film opened in New York in 1975, they gave away free coconuts (which the characters in the film bang together instead of riding horses) presented to the first 2,000 ticketholders. Idle said: "We'd give them a coconut. Then we'd have to sign them. And it's virtually impossible to sign a coconut." Gilliam added: "John Belushi was in that crowd. Gilda Radner. Wasn't Bill Murray there? They were just starting out. They swept past us in their careers and left us in the dust." – AP
Icelandic film wins Tribeca’s top award
An offbeat Icelandic romantic comedy has won the award for best narrative feature at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Virgin Mountain by the Icelandic filmmaker Dagur Kari also won best screenplay and best actor for Gunnar Jonsson in the festival honours announced Thursday night. The festival jury said the mixture of humour and pathos in the film, about a 43-year-old virgin, "captured our hearts." Bridgend, a drama by the Danish director Jeppe Ronde about the recent teen suicide epidemic in a county in Wales, took the other narrative awards. The film also won best actress for Hannah Murray, as well as best editing and cinematography. Best documentary went to Democrats, Camilla Nielsson's examination of the Zimbabwe government under president Robert Mugabe. – AP
Prime-time tribute for Letterman
David Letterman is getting a prime-time farewell from US TV network CBS. Comic Ray Romano will host a 90-minute tribute to Letterman’s TV career on Monday, May 4, in the US. Letterman will retire on May 20 after 6,028 late-night shows during 33 years on CBS and NBC. CBS said the special will “mine the video vault” of highlights from some of his best interviews and comedy. –AP
Songwriting homour for Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is to be honoured by the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The 29-year-old will receive the inaugural Contemporary Icon Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 18. The award honours a performing songwriter "who has attained an iconic status in pop culture". Gaga has had a hand writing most of her hits, including Poker Face, Applause and Just Dance. Bobby Braddock, Willie Dixon, Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia, Toby Keith, Cyndi Lauper and Linda Perry will be inducted into the hall during the New York ceremony. Van Morrison will receive the Johnny Mercer Award. – AP
Springsteen to lead tribute gig for The Who
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen will honour The Who as the British band marks a half-century at a star-studded charity concert next month. Springsteen will present an award, and fellow 1980s-era rockers Joan Jett and Billy Idol will perform at the May 28 event in New York. The Recording Academy, organisers of the annual Grammy Awards, announced the concert as its latest benefit for MusiCares, its programme to support musicians in need. The Who – led by frontman Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend – are in the middle of their 50th anniversary tour, which stopped off in Abu Dhabi last year, and they say will be their final tour. MusiCares said that the New York concert would honour Townshend and The Who’s longtime manager, Bill Curbishley, for their support of addiction recovery programs. – AFP
Close calls for end to fear of mental illness
Using her own family and Robin Williams as an example, a tearful Glenn Close urged some of the most powerful women in entertainment to help society shed its fear of those fighting mental illness during an emotional speech on Friday at Variety's Power of Women luncheon. Close was among the honorees, who also included Kim Kardashian and Whoopi Goldberg. Close's speech was a tear-jerker for many in the crowd, but she started off with a joke: "As an actress, I've terrified men, and I've certainly terrified children, but I have yet to terrify women. Contrary to the cliché, there's little that frightens us." She went on to talk about how the spectre of mental illness scares her most, and of the need for greater awareness. Her sister has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, her nephew has schizo-affective disorder, and she recalled that her mother, who died two months ago, struggled with depression. As she fought back tears, Close said, "Whoopi, I feel Robin here today. He would be whispering in my ear, 'A couple of jokes would help right now'." Lena Dunham, who also was honoured, talked about her experience as a rape survivor and how it led her to support GEMS, an organisation that helps girls caught in the sex-trafficking trade. Kardashian choked up as she talked about her late father, lawyer Robert Kardashian, who died of cancer. His death, she said, led her to become a supporter of the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles. Actress Rachel Weisz shared success stories from the Opportunity Network, which provides support for people from underprivileged backgrounds so they can get a college degree. Goldberg was cited for her support of Figure Skating in Harlem. – AP
Netflix defends movie after native Americans walk off set
Streaming giant Netflix has defended its new Adam Sandler movie after a group of native American actors walked off the set saying it featured racially offensive stereotypes. The actors, including Navajo natives, quit The Ridiculous Six this week, lamenting use of broken English and character names such as Beaver's Breath and Wears No Bra. Netflix implied that the native Americans were being oversensitive about what were clearly jokes. "The movie has 'Ridiculous' in the title for a reason: because it is ridiculous. It is a broad satire of Western movies and the stereotypes they popularised, featuring a diverse cast that is not only part of – but in on – the joke." Among those who walked out was Navajo Nation tribal member Loren Anthony. "There were about a dozen of us who walked off the set. I was asked a long time ago to do some work on this and I wasn't down for it," he told the Indian Country Today Media Network. "Then they told me it was going to be a comedy, but it would not be racist. So I agreed to it but on Monday things started getting weird on the set." Another native American actor, Allison Young, said: "We talked to the producers about our concerns. They just told us, 'If you guys are so sensitive, you should leave.' I was just standing there and got emotional and teary-eyed. I didn't want to cry but the feeling just came over me. This is supposed to be a comedy that makes you laugh. A film like this should not make someone feel this way. Nothing has changed ... We are still just Hollywood Indians." She told CNN that the cultural adviser on the film set was the first person to walk off, "and we followed his lead," adding that two of the native American characters were played by white actresses. The film, being made by Sandler's Happy Madison Productions, also stars Nick Nolte, Steve Buscemi, Dan Aykroyd, Jon Lovitz and Vanilla Ice. – AFP
Everybody Loves Raymond star dead at 19
Sawyer Sweeten, who played one of Ray Romano's twin sons in the CBS comedy Everybody Loves Raymond, has died. He was 19. He committed suicide, his sister Madylin Sweeten, said. There were no other details. Madylin and Sawyer's twin brother Sullivan played the three children in the sitcom's fictional Barone family. The sitcom aired for nine seasons, ending in 2005. Madylin, four years older than Sawyer, said the family asked for privacy. "We beg of you to reach out to the ones that you love," she said. "Let them have no doubt of what they mean to you." Sawyer Sweeten's other acting credits included a 2002 movie starring Randy Quaid, and one episode of the TV show Even Stevens. IMDB lists no credits since Raymond left the air. – AP