January 12, 2013

The Grammys are spot on as they choose to feature young superstar Taylor Swift for its first promo clip with the theme "inspiring the next generation of music virtuosos and legends." The one-minute clip also features rapper Nas and Snoop Dogg, who now goes by the name Snoop Lion after he ventured into reggae music. Indie favorites DJ Gaslamp Killer and British songstress Lianne La Havas also appear in the short clip.

"The world is waiting for someone," funk musician Bootsy Collins says in voice-over. "The next superstar. The next virtuoso. The next legend." The clip opens with a young girl playing a piano then goes on to show aspiring musicians - across a number of genres - working on their craft and pursuing their dreams of becoming the next big star.

Frank Ocean's remix of "Pink Matter" featuring Andre Benjamin a.k.a Andre 3000 with a new verse by Big Boi premiered on Elliot Wilson's East Village Radio show "Keep It Thoro". Big Boi first revealed news about the collaboration on his Tumblr account when he posted a snapshot of the song's lyrics, hinting that he was writing a new verse for the Andre 3000-assisted track from Frank Ocean's "Channel Orange" album.

Ocean had initially wanted both Outkast members for the original version of "Pink Matter" but Big Boi reportedly did not want to reunite with Andre 3000 on someone else's track. "I was busy doing my record," said the rapper/record producer, "and we didn't want to commercially release an Outkast song on someone else's album."

A spin-off to "The Vampire Diaries" is officially in the works with The CW planning to introduce the potential new series through a backdoor pilot. The project currently called "The Originals" revolves around the original family of vampires with Joseph Morgan's Klaus as the main character.

The pilot for the potential new series will air as a "TVD" episode scheduled for April 25. In it, Klaus "returns to the supernatural melting pot that is the French Quarter of New Orleans - a town he helped build centuries ago - and is reunited with his diabolical former protege Marcel." Phoebe Tonkin will reprise her role as werewolf Hayley in the said outing.

Congratulations are in order for Lily Allen and her husband Sam Cooper. The couple is overjoyed to welcome a new addition to their family, more than a year after they welcomed their first child. She gave birth to a baby girl named Marnie Rose on Tuesday, January 8.

The newborn joins big sister Ethel Mary who was born on November 25, 2011. "Quite overwhelmed by all the well wishing going on. THANKYOU everybody x x x," wrote the proud 27-year-old mother of two on Twitter after the news broke out.

Following a long fake feud between Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel, the Oscar-nominated actor will finally submit for an interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" for a Thursday, January 24 outing. "May God help Damon if he dares show his stupid face," Kimmel jokingly says in a statement.

The upcoming appearance will mark the first time the Jason Bourne depicter in "Bourne" trilogy has a sitdown with Kimmel. The host has ended most of his show's episodes apologizing that he's "running out of time" for his last guest of the night, Damon.

Pop superstar Bruno Mars was Jimmy Kimmel's special musical guest on his popular late-night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" which just recently got moved to 11:35 P.M. timeslot. He performed "When I Was Your Man", a track from his latest album "Unorthodox Jukebox".

Wearing a black leather jacket and a Sacramento Kings cap, Mars gave an impeccable live version of the single backed up only by a piano and a keyboard player and with the lights down low. His voice was as flawless as when he sang the same song in the season three finale of "The Voice" last month.

Patrick Dempsey's proposal to acquire ownership of Tully's Coffee has officially been approved by a judge after he and his group prevailed in their bid to acquire the Seattle-based coffee chain in a bankruptcy auction. The judge gave the final say on the matter on February 11.

Rival bidder AgriNurture Inc., which is based in the Philippines, filed an objection at the hearing, saying it had offered $10.6 million, more than what Dempsey's group was willing to give, in a combined bid with Starbucks Corp. Judge Karen Overstreet, however, insisted the January 4 auction was fair.

Walt Disney Pictures' long gestating "Pirates of the Caribbean 5" project is still underway. After a long time the studio didn't come out with any update on the project, it is now reported that the Mouse House has hired a writer to provide the script for the movie.

Per Variety, Disney taps "Catch Me If You Can" screenwriter Jeff Nathanson to work for the fifth installment of the Captain Jack Sparrow saga. Johnny Depp is set to reprise his role as the iconic pirate though he has yet to sign the deal.

Beyonce Knowles offers an intimate look at her life as a mom and an entertainer in HBO documentary "Life Is But a Dream", which is teased in a new trailer. Among the highlights in the promo video is Queen Bey's pregnancy.

"I just had a feeling that something was going on," she says, before giving a peek at her growing baby bump. "They keep putting me in these tight clothes and trying to hide it. It's very difficult. I don't know how I'm going to get through this."

It seems that Demi Moore is ready to go public with her new romance. The estranged wife of Ashton Kutcher was recently spotted going out for a dinner date with a man at South Beverly Grill in Beverly Hills. According to E! News, he's her new beau, restaurateur Harry Morton.

They have allegedly been seeing each other for a few months. "They have been trying to keep it a secret," a source said. "It's not a serious thing...but it may develop into something. They have a lot of fun together and have been meeting in secret places in New York and Los Angeles."

A couple of days after Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor were hand-picked by President Barack Obama to sing at his inauguration ceremony on January 21, more A-listers were added to the line-up of performers. Many of whom are loyal, vocal supporters of the re-elected president, from his candidacy and throughout his previous first term as the country's top leader.

Recent People's Choice Awards 2013 headliner Alicia Keys, new "The Voice" coach Usher, and Candy Queen Katy Perry add luster to the already star-studded inauguration ceremony alongside popular indie rock band Fun. and the cast of "Glee".

Seth MacFarlane didn't make a good first impression when he announced Oscar nominees for the upcoming Academy Awards. The "Family Guy" creator, who will host the 85th annual event on February 24, cracked a joke about Hitler, but it fell flat among the viewers.

The Hitler joke was made in relation to Best Picture nominee "Amour". "I read 'Amour' was co-produced by Austria and Germany," he said to his co-host Emma Stone. "The last time Austria and Germany co-produced something it was Hilter, but this was much better."

HBO has released a cryptic promo for "Game of Thrones" season 3. It features a three-eyed raven which flies over modern-day cityscapes, including Venice and New York, noting, "Their world returns to ours."

A three-eyed raven showed up in Bran Stark's dreams in season 1 and seemed to be trying to lead him to his family's crypt. While Osha wouldn't explain to the paralyzed boy what the dreams and the creature signified, they served as a warning about the death of Ned Stark.

Sony Pictures has finally weighed in on continuous debate about "Zero Dark Thirty" torture scene. The studio's executive Amy Pascal released a statement on Friday, January 11 after an AMPAS member, David Clennon, accused the Osama bin Laden hunt movie of promoting torture. The member also said that he refused to vote for the film in the Oscars race.

Pascal claimed that the "attempt to censure one of the great films of our time should be opposed." The studio exec said in the strongly-worded statement, "We are outraged that any responsible member of the Academy would use their voting status in AMPAS as a platform to advance their own political agenda."

CBS has announced the cast of "Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites". Much like "Survivor: Micronesia" which had the "Fans vs. Favorites" subtitle, the upcoming 26th installment will have 10 returning contestants from previous seasons competing with 10 new players.

Among the Favorites/Bikal tribe is Erik Reichenbach from "Survivor: Micronesia". He was one of the Fans from the season and was voted off after giving up his immunity. A contestant from "Survivor: South Pacific" who had a similar fate, Brandon Hantz, will also join the Favorites tribe.

An intense first trailer for "The Call" has been dropped, showing Halle Berry as she gets into trouble during her duty as a 911 operator. One day, Berry receives a phone call from a girl who says there's an intruder in her house. While Berry can't do much to help the girl, she hears the caller screams as someone enters the room. Last thing she hears is a man saying, "It's already done."

Turns out Berry is dealing with a serial killer who always leaves the same "It's already done" note after killing his victims. On another day, Berry gets a call from another teenage girl (Abigail Breslin) who has been abducted and carried away in the trunk of a car. The kidnapping plays out in real time as Berry works to track down the killer.

A day after they announced that they would be reuniting by coming out with a new album and performing together onstage at the upcoming Super Bowl's halftime show, Destiny's Child unveiled their latest recording "Nuclear". Written by DC3's own Michelle Williams, James Fauntleroy, Lonny Bereal and Pharrell Williams, who also produced the track, it is the girls' first recording since their 2004 album "Destiny Fulfilled".

Beyonce Knowles, Williams and Kelly Rowland display their harmonizing skills once again in the new mid-tempo track. Although it's far from being similar with the DC3 big upbeat hits like "Survivor" or "Independent Women", the new song showcases the girlband's familiar R'n'B sound, with a laidback melody and captivating lyrics.

Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Laine are not getting divorced. The happy news was announced by Vanessa herself, who took to her Instagram on Friday, January 11 to share that she's reconciling with the L.A. Lakers star.

Vanessa posted a message that read, "We are pleased to announced that we have reconciled." She happily confirmed, "Our divorce action will be dismissed. We are looking forward to our future together. Kobe & Vanessa."

After weeks of speculation, Britney Spears has finally made it official that she leaves "The X Factor (US)" after just one year serving as a judge. She said in a statement released Friday, January 11, "I've made the very difficult decision not to return for another season."

Saying that she "had an incredible time doing the show and I love the other judges and I am so proud of my teens but it's time for me to get back in the studio," the 31-year-old pop singer added, "Watching them all do their thing up on that stage every week made me miss performing so much! I can't wait to get back out there and do what I love most."

Universal Pictures breaks good news for fans who have been waiting for the next chapter of Steven Spielberg's dinosaur tale "Jurassic Park". The studio announces that the fourth installment of the popular film franchise is officially underway with a 2014 estimated release date.

"Jurassic Park IV" is set to grace the U.S. theaters on June 13, 2014 in 3D. Further details on the plot are still kept secret, but it is confirmed that the "Lincoln" helmer will serve as the producer alongside Kathleen Kennedy.

Quentin Tarantino is totally sickened of being repeatedly asked about violence in his movies. When promoting his latest creation "Django Unchained" on Channel 4 recently, the "Pulp Fiction" director had a heated interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy as the journalist asked the filmmaker's opinion about violence in film.

The "Inglourious Basterds" director visibly felt uncomfortable when Guru-Murthy asked him why he enjoyed making violent films and related it to people who committed brutal actions in real life. "Don't ask me a question like that. I'm not biting. I refuse your question," the helmer scolded his interviewer. When asked "Why?", he fired back, "Becasue I refuse your question. I'm not your slave and you're not my master. Don't make me dance to your tune. I'm not a monkey."

Britney Spears has split from her fiance of a year, Jason Trawick. Her representative confirms to PEOPLE, "Britney Spears and Jason Trawick have mutually agreed to end their one-year engagement. As two mature adults, they came to the difficult decision to go their separate ways while continuing to remain friends."

The "I Wanna Go" songstress says in a statement, "Jason and I have decided to call off our engagement. I'll always adore him and we will remain great friends." Jason adds, "As this chapter ends for us a new one begins. I love and cherish her and her boys and we will be close forever."

Piers Morgan has joined some critics to weigh in on Kate Middleton's first official portrait. On Twitter, the CNN TV host gave a short comment about the painting of the Duchess of Cambridge, calling it a "Mona Kate."

Kate came to the National Portrait Gallery along with Prince William to see the painting Friday, January 11, two days after she turned 31 years old. She is portrayed wearing a blue top with her long, copper-tinted hair let loose and a faint smile on her face.

Evan Rachel Wood and Jamie Bell are preparing for parenthood. The Queen Sophie-Anne Leclerq of "True Blood" and her British actor husband are thrilled to announce that she's pregnant with their first child together, just a few months after tying the knot.

Back in November, Wood tweeted, "Sorry to disappoint! But no baby on the way here." Following the pregnancy announcement, she recognized the irony of the statement as saying, "Remember when i said, 'No baby on the way here' Well I didn't know there actually was!"

Sharon Osbourne fires back at Lady GaGa after the Monster ringleader publishes an open letter criticizing her daughter Kelly Osbourne. The outlandish star calls the "Fashion Police" star a bully, but the Osbourne matriarch says the singer is no different. She says GaGa is a bully and a hypocrite.

Sharon criticizes the way GaGa handles the matter, saying the "Born This Way" hitmaker could have reached out to Kelly privately to settle the issue. By publishing an open letter, GaGa is claimed to have endorse bullying because her criticism leads to her fans harassing the purple-haired star.

Lindsay Lohan sort of confirms the story run by New York Times about what there's chaos on the set of her movie "The Canyons". While she doesn't deny that she threw tantrum during the production, she wants to make clarifications on some points.

Almost at the same time, an audio revealing LiLo's argument with her co-star, porn actor James Deen, hit the web. It was reportedly recorded on the third day of production when the two stars were rehearsing a scene that included a kiss.