MUMBAI: The weekend is here, and we bring you all the new and fresh happenings from the world of Hollywood.

  Joni Mitchell makes a public appearance on 75th birthday

Veteran singer-composer Joni Micthell, whose public appearances have been rare since she suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015, has made an exception by appearing on her 75th birthday celebration at the Los Angeles Music Center.

The tribute concert which took place on Wednesday included the presence of renowned celebrities like Chaka Khan, Kris Kristofferson, Rufus Wainwright, and Emmylou Harris, among several others, reported by media publications.

During the event, the hitmaker did not perform or speak, but appeared on stage during the closing performance of one of her popular songs "Big Yellow Taxi" and blew out the candles on her birthday cake.

Actor Tom Hanks, who was present at the celebrations, complimented Mitchell and said: "To me, Joni Mitchell was this wide, beautiful quilt that covered my growing up. All of her songs were of a very particular sort of DNA. And because I was a guy, I should have been probably more impervious to what was there."

J.K. Rowling always challenges us in new ways: Katherine Waterston

Actress Katherine Waterston loves entering the fantasy world created by J.K. Rowling through "Fantastic Beasts" franchise and says the "Harry Potter" author manages to come up with new ways to challenge the artistes with every film.

The actress will be returning as auror Tina Goldstein in the second installment "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald", which will open in India on November 16. 

"We never go on the same ground. J.K. Rowling is always pushing these characters and telling in news ways," Waterston said during a roundtable discussion here while promoting the Warner Bros Pictures project. 

"She is always challenging us in new ways. How are we going to differentiate the first film from this one? Well, she has differentiated it and we just have to follow her," she added. 

"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" is the second in the planned five movies spin-off franchise from the "Harry Potter" films. The first part "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" came out in 2016.

With the franchise, Rowling went back in time to introduce a thriving world of magic, magical creatures and wizards in New York. It brought forward new characters like Tina, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), Queenie (Alison Sudol) and Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler). 

"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" takes forward the story, bringing a darker and complex view of the world and sets the foundation of the events leading to the universe of the popular "Harry Potter" world. 

"Rowling knows everything about the world. It is there at her fingertips. It is uncanny. The world is so alive and expansive for her. The fans love it so much. It just feels encompassing and as complex as the world we live in."

How much does she know about the future of her character?

"We don't know much more than you," said the actress, who has also featured in "Steve Jobs", "Alien: Covenant" and "Logan Lucky". 

"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" stirred up a row when director David Yates mentioned that Hogwarts school headmaster Albus Dumbledore's sexuality would "not explicitly" be addressed in the film. It received backlash from the "Harry Potter" fans, saying the makers are trying to "airbrush" his sexuality. 

"But there are thousands who are thrilled about it. And they don't get the headlines as the haters do sometimes. We are happy to see new relationships -- not exclusively heterosexual relationships described in cinema," she said while talking about the controversy.

Asked about the magical moment in her life, she said: "All the people coming up with brilliant ways to save our planet is pretty magical like there is a 20-year-old who made this thing which sucks plastic out of the ocean instead of playing a video game."

 Demi Lovato's ex-keeps her sober

The "Sorry not sorry" hitmaker, who completed her 90-day rehab treatment for drug overdose a few days ago, is still heavily dependent on her former beau Wilmer Valderrama, to remain sober.

A source close to Lovato told media that Lovato and Valderrama communicate regularly.

"She and Valderrama still communicate regularly. Valderrama was a crutch for Demi through her hospitalization and visited her in rehab too. The two talk several times a week and meet up as well... but it's nothing romantic, simply a supportive friendship."

The singer recently left rehab stint, which followed her hospitalization from an overdose in July.

She is now spending three days a week at a sober house, which has counseling staff on hand, as well as people who she can share experiences with. 

Michael Buble to get star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Singer-songwriter Michael Buble will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 16.

His will be 2,650th star to the legendary sidewalk. The ceremony will take place in front of the W Hollywood Hotel, according to media publications.

In his career, Buble has sold more than 60 million records worldwide and has won four Grammys and multiple Juno Awards for his soulful jazz sound. Beginning with his first album "BaBalu," Buble went on to record several popular albums, before reaching immense fame with his 2011 "Christmas" album.

He then came up with his 2013 album "To Be Loved" before the release of his ninth studio album "Nobody But Me" in 2016. Now two years later, Buble is revealing his latest album "love", produced by David Foster and longtime collaborator Jochem van der Saag.

Besides his music career, Buble has been an active philanthropist who helps raise funds and awareness for various causes.

 Ezra Miller comes out with his #MeToo story

 Actor Ezra Miller says he had a #MeToo experience in Hollywood when he was underage.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Miller, 26, shared his story for the first time about being underage and given alcohol by a Hollywood producer and director, reported by media publications.

Miller didn't divulge the names of the men he claims plied him with wine and made suggestive comments. 

"They gave me wine and I was underage," Miller said as he explained his experience with the men.

He then described an awkward exchange with the men. 

The actor recalled: "They were like, 'Hey, want to be in our movie about gay revolution?' And I was like, 'No, you guys are monsters'."

The New Jersey native didn't expand on the story past that but, he did share his feelings about the post #MeToo world.

"It's a great f***** age of being like, 'You know what? That s***'s unacceptable'," the actor said.

The "Perks of Being A Wallflower" star then called the current state of the industry "amazing for a lot of us to watch". 

He added: "We all knew it was unacceptable when we f****** survived it. That's what Hollywood is. I thought we all knew we were sex workers."

The actor also touched on the Time's Up movement briefly when he suggested that powerful men don't know how bad they want to submit to a woman. 

"I advise they do it immediately because they're f*****' up the world," the star said.

He will next be seen in "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald". The Warner Bros Pictures project will open in India on November 16.

There is still prejudice against LGBTQ community: Eddie Redmayne

Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne, whose forthcoming film "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" courted controversy for allegedly "airbrushing" a key character's sexuality, feels the world is changing for better for the LGBTQ community, but there are some prejudices that still prevail universally.

"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" stirred up a row when director David Yates mentioned that Hogwarts school headmaster Albus Dumbledore's sexuality would "not explicitly" be addressed in the film. It received backlash from the "Harry Potter" fans, saying the makers are trying to "airbrush" his sexuality. 

Redmayne has now addressed the whole issue, saying the film is not trying to hide anything. 

"The progress within the LGBTQ community internationally has been at different stages in different countries in different parts of the world," Redmayne said here while addressing the controversy around it. 

"And there is still quite a lot of prejudice against many people within that community all over the world, in this country and in my country (UK). But that is certainly not for J.K. Rowling," added the actor during a roundtable discussion here while promoting the Warner Bros Pictures project, which will open in India on November 16.

Along with exploring a complex storyline and setting the pace for the future, Redmayne's film "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" will also go back in the past to tease Dumbledore's sexuality. 

The actor, who will be back as magizoologist Newt Scamander in the second part of the franchise, says the film will highlight "extraordinary intimacy" between Dumbledore, essayed by Jude Law, and Gellert Grindelwald. 

"Rowling has said that Dumbledore is gay and that was controversy because David said that it will not be explicitly shown. You don't see them kiss in the film. But it is very clear that they have... You see extraordinary intimacy and love in a brief moment." 

"We will see more of their relationship (in the future)," he added. 

Redmayne, who was applauded from all quarters for telling the story of a Danish painter finding his sexual identity despite the strong social stigma in "The Danish Girl", considers movies to be more than a medium to tell stories. 

"Film is a way in which stories and people's lives are communicated. I think it is important in that sense because in that people connect with the stories that they wouldn't necessarily connect otherwise."

At the moment, Redmayne is excited about "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald", which is the second in the planned five movies spin-off franchise from the "Harry Potter" films. The first part "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" came out in 2016.

"The first film was really about finding the character. It was really a specific script (with details) about the way he moved, the way he walked, he wouldn't look people in the eye and some of the things that he said what reminded me of someone with mild Asperger syndrome. 

"So, I did a little research in that world, but I wasn't told about it. Also the term Asperger was not there in the 1920s. The other thing was that I met trackers -- who follow creatures for a living. The way they move and the way they talk, that was kind of interesting."

According to Redmayne, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal as Stephen Hawking in "The Theory Of Everything", the amazing thing that Rowling does is that she creates these fantastical worlds and characters "who are always so grounded in real(ity)".

The film also features Johnny Depp, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller, Claudia Kim, Zoe Kravitz, Callum Turner, William Nadylam and Brontis Jodorowsky. It will release in India in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Source : IANS