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Adele Adkins of Britain leaves the stage with her Oscar for Best Original Song for "Skyfall" at the 85th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California February 24, 2013. -Reuters

LONDON: Grammy Award-winning singer Adele and Mr Bean actor Rowan Atkinson were among more than 1,000 people recognised by Britain's Queen Elizabeth in her Birthday Honours List on Friday.

Marking the monarch's official 87th birthday, the honours went to 1,180 recipients from all walks of life, from a beekeeper and a whisky maker to diplomats, artists and business leaders.

London-born Adele, 25, was awarded an MBE - member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - for services to music.

One of Britain's best-selling artists, Adele has won a string of international awards for songs such as "Rolling in the Deep", "Someone Like You" and "Skyfall", a James Bond theme.

Comedian Atkinson, known to millions of fans around the world for his bungling creation Mr Bean, was given a CBE, Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

A knighthood went to actor Tony Robinson, who played Atkinson's long-suffering servant Baldrick in "Blackadder", a popular BBC comedy series set in different periods of British history.

"Some might say that Blackadder (Atkinson's bullying character) will finally have to treat Baldrick with a bit more respect," Bob Kerslake, head of Britain's civil service, told a news conference.

Away from the celebrities and public figures, hundreds of people working in schools, hospitals and charities were also recognised.

Those honoured will receive their awards from Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in ceremonies over the coming months, Kerslake added.

Others in the arts to be honoured included sculptor Anish Kapoor, who created the Orbit tower at the London Olympics site. He received a knighthood.

CBEs went to cross-dressing artist Grayson Perry, actress Claire Bloom and Julian Glover, an actor whose many roles include a Bond villain in "For Your Eyes Only".

Nicholas Serota, director of Tate, which runs four art galleries across Britain, becomes a Companion of Honour.

In business, there were knighthoods for Richard Olver, chairman of defence company BAE Systems Plc and Charlie Mayfield, chairman of John Lewis , Britain's biggest department store group. Brendan Barber, former head of the Trades Union Congress also becomes a "Sir".

Diplomats receiving an OBE included John Baugh, who last year became Britain's first ambassador to Somalia in more than 20 years.

Martyn Roper, ambassador to Algeria, was awarded an OBE, in part for his handling of the hostage crisis at the In Amenas gas plant in January. -Reuters

Uncle Kracker is now signed to indie label Sugar Hill Records for his new album, Midnight Special.

Detroit’s Uncle Kracker, whose breezy pop approach has bred hits such as Drift Away and Smile, is in his hometown in support of his November album Midnight Special – his first for the Nashville indie label Sugar Hill Records after a 12-year run with Atlantic.

The 38-year-old father of three is hoping to get a boost from his high-profile summer tour with old pal Kid Rock, which will kick off June 28 in Virginia.

On parting ways with Atlantic

“Things just weren’t going the way both of us wanted it. It was time to do something different. I’d been with Atlantic my whole career, and I’d gone through different sets of people with every album. It was just time for somebody that understood ...

“Where I’m at in my career, it was the best musical fit for me at Sugar Hill. They’ve got a pretty eclectic roster, and nobody there is trying to write your songs for you. It’s very relaxed. They’ve had my back since I got there. I like being able to do what I want to do, whenever I want to do it.”

On being patient awaiting a single to hit

“The good news is that I’ve been through that enough to know that happens. Some days you’re scraping the bottom, sometimes you’re on top. I know what it’s like to be skunked, and I know what it’s like to yank a few out of the water. I’ve been very lucky – and blessed – in that department. It keeps everything fun.”

On progressing as a songwriter since he started

“Writing songs is a craft, and it’s a technique that’s more from the heart, not a studied thing. You can look at something and say, ‘That’s a perfectly written song,’ and then there are others where it’s like, ‘Wow, that’s horrible, how’d they do that?’ but it still hit you where it counts, and you felt it.

“Music’s always been a soundtrack in the background of my life, for everything I’ve done. I can think back and remember a song for a certain time, even as far back as walking into Disneyland when I was a kid, songs that were played here and there.”

On rekindling his partnership with Kid Rock

“We were on different paths for the last seven years. I helped him write a couple of songs on the last record. Lately, we’ve connected more than we had in a long time. We’re gearing up for this next tour with ZZ Top, and I’m sure we’ll be writing.

“In the past, it always worked out that my record would come out and I had to tour, and when I was done his record would come out. The cycles never worked out.

“But (last autumn) his record and my record finally came out pretty close to each other.” — Detroit Free Press/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Marius from Tom Hooper's Les Misérables will be topping the billing for Theory Of Everything, a biopic about the younger years of genius physicist Stephen Hawking, reveals Deadline.com.

Eddie Redmayne,31, will take the place of his compatriot Benedict Cumberbatch (in BBC TV film Hawking) portraying the physicist who wrote A Brief History Of Time: From The Big Bank To Black Holes, now 71 years old and severely handicapped by a debilitating disease he's been grappling with for decades.

Working Title, which made Les Mis, too, will be producing and James Marsh directing the biopic. Marsh, the director of the award-winning documentary Man On Wire (2008) and the drama Shadow Dancer (2012), will be zooming in on Hawking's younger years, particularly his studies at Cambridge in the 1960s, marked by meeting his first wife, Jane Wilde, and the onset of the first symptoms of ALS (aka Lou Gehrig's Disease).

Theory Of Everything will start shooting in the fall.

(Relaxnews)

The first trailer is out for the sequel to the 2006 epic blockbuster 300.

This is a 2'30'' summing up of 300: Rise Of An Empire, which is due out in March 2014. The polished digital aesthetics of the first episode are clearly preserved in this outsize -- even grandiloquent -- spectacle.

The sneak peek Warner Bros. has dropped on YouTube leads us into the decisive naval battle in which the Greek fleet fought off the second Persian invasion.

Evil Persian King Xerxes and vengeful Spartan Queen Gorgo, played by Rodrigo Santoro and Lean Headey, figure prominently in the trailer.

Eva Green and Sullivan Stapleton as Artemisia and Themistokles make their grand entry into the violent historical fantasy world adapted from Frank Miller's latest graphic novel.

Directed by Noam Murro, 300: Rise Of An Empire will be released in North American movie theaters on March 7, 2014.

(Relaxnews)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Ethan Hawke is "purging" himself of the Hollywood lifestyle and heading back to Broadway, according to the Lincoln Center Theater.

Hawke, whose film The Purge is still performing strongly at the box office, will be playing the title role in Shakespeare tragedy, Macbeth. The Lincoln Center Theater production will reunite the actor with director Jack O'Brien.

Hawke returns to the venue where he starred in Henry IV and The Coast Of Utopia - the latter of which he was nominated for a Tony Award - with Macbeth. Alan Cumming is currently performing a one-man version of Macbeth on Broadway, but the show is closing in July.

Hawke is also starring in the romantic drama Before Midnight, the third film in a series with Before Sunrise and Before Sunset.

The production will have sets by Scott Pask, costumes by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Japhy Weideman and original music and sound design by Mark Bennett. The curtain rises on Hawke's Macbeth October 24.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Replacements will be reuniting this year - more than two decades after the American rock band's last concert for three stops on the Riot Fest & Carnival tour.

The band said on late Wednesday that it will perform during the Riot Fest in Toronto August 24-25, in Chicago for the September 13-15 stop and in Denver on September 21-22.

The Replacements, credited with giving punk rock an emotional edge during their 1980s heyday, have not played together since 1991.

Singer/guitarist Paul Westerberg, brothers Tommy and Bob Stinson and drummer Chris Mars formed the band in the late 1970s and were part of a musical renaissance in Minneapolis that included artists such as Prince and rock band Husker Du.

The Replacements released seven albums between 1981 and 1990, most notably 1984's Let It Be and 1985's Tim.

Bob Stinson died in 1995 and Westerberg and Tommy Stinson reunited last year to record a benefit album for the band's former guitarist Slim Dunlap, who had suffered a stroke.

The group's lineup for the summer concerts has not been announced.

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Gearing up for production this fall, Glee and American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphy and Dexter's Lauren Gussis' HBO drama pilot, Open, has cast Wes Bentley.

TheWrap has learned that Bentley will play Evan Foster.

The character is described as "handsome and knows it, arrogant and completely charismatic, a bit of a blowhard who loves espousing his theories on human sexuality."

Bentley played Seneca Crane on The Hunger Games. His other film credits include American Beauty and Lovelace.

Previously, Bentley was in the HBO pilot, Tilda, with Ellen Page and Diane Keaton, which the network didn't pick up.

Written by Murphy and Gussis, the pilot project is executive produced by Glee and American Horror Story's Dante Di Loreto for Ryan Murphy Television and 20th Television's cable arm Fox 21 under Murphy's overall deal with the studio.

The drama pilot is described as a "modern, provocative exploration of human sexuality and relationships."

Murphy is also executive producing TV movie, The Normal Heart, for HBO.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

HEY, Orlando Bloom is back as that elvish dude, Legolas, and he’s brought along friends (Lost’s Evangeline Lilly plays an elf named Tauriel). In this trailer, Tauriel seems quite adept with bow and arrow – shooting it while riding a horse. The 124-second trailer of the middle film to Peter Jackson’s trilogy of The Hobbit is filled with many action sequences. The dwarves get ready to reclaim their home from the dragon, Smaug, and elves help them. The Desolation Of Smaug is set to open in Malaysia on Dec 12.

Feeling New Orleans! American trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling collaborates with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in a special Louis Armstrong weekend.

Need a weekend party? Check out MPO’s Louis Armstrong tribute.

I SEE trees of green ... red roses too, I see ’em bloom ... for me and for you, and I think to myself ... what a wonderful world.

When you hear the lyrics, you’re bound to recognise the singer. He had a unique voice that was raspy and limited in range, but when Louis Armstrong sang, people took notice. Artistes including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan deeply admired his singing and would mould their own vocal style from his example.

Still, playing the trumpet was what he did best. With his daring and innovative style, Armstrong defined the role of the jazz trumpet soloist and revolutionised jazz itself.

This weekend, music fans will get to hear his music when the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) collaborates with American trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling in a special tribute to the legend nicknamed Satchmo. Slated under the Pops series, the two-night concert series at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, starting tomorrow, will be conducted by Grammy award-winning composer Jeff Tyzik.

Stripling, who has played numerous tributes to Armstrong with different orchestras, is also the artistic director of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the leader of his own quartet, and constantly in demand to play with pop orchestras around the world. The happiness that he exudes through his trumpet, his vocals and his words is reminiscent of Armstrong, yet very much his own.

“Louis reminds me to live and create in the field of infinite possibilities. His ability to stand before a microphone with no inhibitions or self-conscienceness makes us all realise that if we dig deep within ourselves, we all have unique creative abilities,” said Stripling in a recent e-mail interview.

“While most of us feel naked on stage and afraid to reveal ourselves, Louis did just the opposite. He had no creative fears and in fact exploited what some would call his faults or weaknesses. That’s why we fell in love with the gravel in his voice and smiled when he spoke in non-standard English.”

Armstrong’s charismatic stage presence impressed the music world. He rose from rags to riches and biographers write that as a young boy, Armstrong would dance for pennies on the streets of New Orleans. He would scoop up the coins on the streets and stick them into his mouth to avoid having bigger children steal them from him. Someone dubbed him “satchel mouth” for his mouth acting as a satchel. The name stuck.

He died in 1971, at the age of 70. Since his death, his stature has only continued to grow. Some of his memorable songs include Hello Dolly!, Mack The Knife, What A Wonderful World, When It’s Sleepy Time Down South and La Via En Rose.

MPO’s tribute will lean heavily on the New Orleans influence of his music, with Tyzik responsible for the majority of the arrangements.

“The people of New Orleans always embraced the multi-cultural aspect of the city. Rather than resist the differences, they embraced them. It’s like the New Orleans food that is a combination of many different influences and in the case of a good Gumbo; it’s all thrown into a pot and stirred together,” said Stripling. “That’s really the feeling you get from the music ... if it’s good, they’ll toss it in there and use it. That’s why when Armstrong was asked about the white musicians in his band, he replied, ‘A note doesn’t care who plays it.’”

The son of a classical singer, the Atlanta, Georgia-born Stripling was always surrounded by music. It may have been the radio broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera, Charlie Parker recordings or the latest Michael Jackson record. In the Stripling family home, great music was defined by what moved them emotionally and challenged them intellectually.

He originally enrolled at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, with intentions of becoming a classical trumpeter but abandoned plans when he was asked to perform with some of the jazz luminaries. Stripling jumped at the opportunity and quit school.

Stripling reasoned, “I have no regrets! Many of the great musicians I performed with have passed away. I have been so privileged to have shared the stage with Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Dave Brubeck, Woody Herman, Buck Clayton, Thad Jones and so many others. Had I stayed in school when I got the call to perform with those jazz greats, I’d have missed the opportunity to sit at the feet of those great masters.”

One of Stripling’s favourite Armstrong numbers is Cornet Chop Suey, from the classic 1920’s Hot Five & Seven recordings.

“It demonstrates that every time the trumpet touched Louis’ lips, new rules were written on the playing of jazz. His rhythmic, melodic and harmonic concept set new standards for creativity and sheer musical exuberance.

“Young musicians now understand they’re going directly to the source when they study his music, while listeners feel an immediate emotional impact upon hearing just a few bars of his trumpet,” concluded Stripling.

MPO’s tribute to Louis Armstrong will take place at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, KLCC, at 8.30pm on June 15 and 3pm on June 16. Tickets are priced at RM60, RM130, RM180 and RM230. Phone bookings: 03-2051 7007.

The funny man: Catch comedian Kuah Jenhan as he reminisces about his late father and shares stories about hilarious parenting in Like This, Like Dad.

Comedian Kuah Jenhan rolls back the years with a tribute to his father.

ONE of the many things comedian Kuah Jenhan remembers about his late father was the love he had for pizza.

“My dad thought of pizza as luxury food, so we’d only have it for special occasions. Growing up, whenever we ordered pizza, he’d pray for the delivery man to be late. Back then, if the pizza was not delivered on time, we’d get another one for free,” recalled Kuah in an interview in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Over time, Kuah added, more and more people could afford the pizza fix. But for his dad, pizza was still something that reminded him of special occasions.

“And that’s how dad remembered my birthday. Whenever he saw me eating pizza, he’d assume it’s my birthday. In one year, I think I got about 25 birthday wishes from him,” he noted.

Kuah’s father passed away three years ago, but his quirks and memories live on.

For this upcoming Father’s Day, Kuah will present stand-up comedy inspired by his late father in Like This, Like Dad. The one-hour show will be staged at the Theatre at PJ Live Arts in Jaya One, Petaling Jaya this weekend.

He said the audience can expect comedy derived from subject matter that is real and personal.

“It’s a sentimental tale told by a comedian. I realised after my father left, that I’m actually a lot like him.”

To everyone’s surprise, Kuah believes he’s a recluse just like his dad. He described his father as a very quiet person, who was not very good at talking to people. His father also rarely attended his shows, and Kuah figured it was because his dad was scared to see him do badly on stage.

“I guess, to him, I was a quiet homebody, who didn’t seem like someone who could go on stage and perform. Even though he’d have probably heard that I did a good show, he would never say anything about it. It’s a typical Asian family thing; if I did something wrong, he would scold (me). And even if I did something right, he would also scold and ask why I didn’t do it sooner!”

Later, Kuah found out that his dad had always talked about his shows, but not personally to him.

“After he passed away, we had to clear out some stuff and found a bunch of my posters in this cupboard. Dad must have kept all of them, though I’m not too sure how he managed to get them (probably, he stole them from somewhere).”

At his late father’s wake, Kuah realised another surprising thing about his father.

“His friends who came to the wake said my father used to go to the morning markets with a poster of my show. There, he asked them ‘why my son so quiet at home but can be so good on stage?’ That is one question he never asked me.”

Kuah revealed he always wanted to do a stand-up comedy show about his father, but he needed time to open up about it.

“Comedians have to honest or else the audience can tell you’re making up your story. I can’t talk about something so personal and close to heart until I’m ready to see it from a different angle. You can’t joke about it until you have accepted what happened and see the funny side to it.”

Despite the deeply personal subject matter, he assured us that Like This, Like Dad will be “a nice one-hour show with a lot of laughs.”

Catch Kuah Jenhan’s Like This, Like Dad at the Theatre in PJ Live Arts in Jaya One, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Showtimes are at 9pm on June 15 (Saturday) and 5pm on June 16 (Sunday). Tickets are priced at RM30 (Economy), RM40 (Business) and RM50 (First Class). Log on to tix.my for more information.

Monsters University – Remember best buds Mike and Sulley, the two Monsters, Inc. employees? Well, this is sort of a prequel that shows how the two fellas became pals. Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan meet when they arrive at Monsters University; and as it turns out they can’t stand each other. Voice talents include John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Nathan Fillion and Sean Hayes.

World War Z – Based on the bestseller by Max Brooks, this movie tells the tale of a United Nations employee who travels to different locations, bearing witness to a world that is crumbling under the spread of a zombie pandemic and desperately searching for a solution. Starring Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos and James Badge Dale.

A trailer has been revealed for The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug.

Scheduled for cinema release next December, Peter Jackson's movie follows Bilbo Baggins's epic and unexpected adventure through Middle-earth to help thirteen dwarves reclaim Erebor, which is occupied by Smaug, a terrible dragon.

The trailer reveals several major parts of the original book by J.R.R. Tolkien, giving a peek at the elf-inhabited Black Forest and the human village of Lake-town.

Various new characters make an appearance in the two-minute trailer, including Thranduil and Bard the Bowman, played by Lee Pace and Luke Evans.

Orlando Bloom is also back as Legolas, although the character does not feature in the book The Hobbit, nor does elf Tauriel (played by Evangeline Lilly), a character created for the movie.

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug will release in December. The third and last chapter, The Hobbit: There And Back Again, featuring The Battle of Five Armies, will be released in late 2014.

(Relaxnews)

British actress, Carey Mulligan turned down the leading role in the movie Rodham, a biopic about Hillary Clinton, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The producers have resumed their search, which shouldn't be too hard, given that Scarlett Johansson, Amanda Seyfried, Emma Stone and Reese Witherspoon had all been mentioned as possibilities.

Directed by James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now), Rodham will tell the story of Hillary Clinton as a promising Democrat called to take part in the jury for Richard Nixon's impeachment in 1974.

The script by Young Il Kim will also depict how the young woman put her own career aside to support her husband, Bill Clinton.

Rodham is expected for 2016 -- the year when Hillary Clinton could be after the job of US President.

(Relaxnews)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Open Road Films will give Jobs, which stars Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs, a wide release on August 16, TheWrap has learned.

Originally scheduled for release on April 19, Jobs will now open against Universal's Kick-Ass 2, Relativity's Paranoia and the Weinstein Company's historical drama The Butler. Also opening in limited release that day are four fellow Sundance entries -- IFC's Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Magnolia's Prince Avalanche, Sony Classics' Austenland and Radius-TWC's documentary Cutie And The Boxer.

Joshua Michael Stern (Swing Vote) directed Jobs, which follows the co-founder of Apple from his early years as a wayward hippie to eventually becoming one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of our time.

Matt Whiteley wrote the film, which co-stars Josh Gad as Steve Wozniak, as well as James Woods, Matthew Modine, Dermot Mulroney, Lukas Haas and Ahna O'Reilly.

Five Star Institute's Mark Hulme financed and produced the movie, which Open Road acquired in a service release deal prior to this year's Sundance Film Festival, where "Jobs" was the closing night film. Both sides decided to wait and create proper buzz before releasing Jobs rather than rush the movie out so soon after Sundance.

By opening after most summer blockbusters (Sony's Elysium is the last major title on August 9) rather than mid-April, Jobs now stands a better chance to succeed and distinguish itself in the marketplace.

Michael Bay will oversee the film adaptation of Ubisoft's military video game series Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, reveals Variety.

The director of Armageddon and Transformers will be teaming up with Warner Bros. on this project.

Bay, already attached as executive producer, might also direct this feature based on the video game, which was first released in 2001.

Conceived by American novelist Tom Clancy, Ghost Recon puts the gamer in charge of a fictional squad of U.S. Army Special Forces. These elite soldiers have an arsenal of cutting-edge weapons with which to defuse armed conflicts and uprisings, while operating in total secrecy -- hence their unofficial moniker "the Ghosts."

Ghost Recon has already been adapted for a 24-minute short entitled Ghost Recon Alpha by Hervé de Crécy and François Alaux (watch here)

Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell due out soon

Ghost Recon is yet another effort by Ubisoft to capitalize cinematically on its most popular video games.

The French-based global company is already working on a movie adaptation of its historical stealth video game Assassin's Creed. Frank Marshall is producing this feature, which is slated for theatrical release in May 2015.

Michael Fassbender will play the hero in this epic saga about the apocalyptic battle between the modern-day scions of medieval Assassins and Knights Templar.

Splinter Cell, like Ghost Recon a brainchild of Tom Clancy's, will likewise be emerging from consoles and PCs onto the silver screen.

Tom Hardy is to play the lead, Sam Fisher, an NSA secret agent working solo as a specialist in infiltration.

Ubisoft isn't the only video game publisher ogling Hollywood. Electronic Arts recently joined forces with DreamWorks to adapt the auto-racing game Need For Speed, and the movie is currently in the making.

Square Enix recently released its reboot of Tomb Raider for production by MGM and GK Films. And not to forget Sony Pictures, which is now working on adapting God Of War and Shadow Of The Colossus for the silver screen.

(Relaxnews)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Oscar winner Sandra Bullock is in early discussions to play Miss Hannigan in Sony and Overbrook Entertainment's remake of Annie, two individuals familiar with the project have told TheWrap.

Hannigan, of course, is the mean woman who runs the orphanage where Annie and her friends live. Carol Burnett played the role in the original 1982 film, and Sony has sought to cast an actress with comedic chops and international appeal.

What's especially interesting about Bullock's potential casting is that she initially passed on the role. Now insiders tell TheWrap that Bullock is back at the negotiating table for a family film that may wind up a holiday hit.

Will Smith and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter are producing Will Gluck's updated musical, which stars Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts Of The Southern Wild) as the titular orphan, who was originally supposed to be played by Smith's daughter Willow. Jamie Foxx will play NYC mayoral hopeful Benjamin Stacks, a variation on the Daddy Warbucks character.

Sony had no comment, while a representative for Bullock, who is traveling with the actress in Europe, did not reply to numerous requests for comment.

The Annie remake is the rare musical designed to appeal to African-American audiences, which also made a sleeper hit out of Bullock's 2009 drama The Blind Side, which grossed $255 million in the U.S. alone.

Gluck is directing from a script by Emma Thompson and Aline Brosh McKenna that the filmmaker recently revised to suit his vision for the movie, which is expected to start production this fall. Annie will hit theaters on Christmas Day 2014. Joining Jay-Z and Smith as producers are the latter's Overbrook Entertainment partners James Lassiter and Jada Pinkett Smith, as well as Marcy Media's Jay Brown and Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith. Sony's Andrea Gianatti and Devon Franklin are overseeing for the studio.

Bullock, who is coming off another supporting turn in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, next stars opposite Melissa McCarthy in the buddy cop comedy The Heat, which 20th Century Fox opens June 28. She's also expected to be in the awards mix this year for Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity, which Warner Bros. will release on October 4.

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Tom Hanks is reteaming with his Cloud Atlas director Tom Tykwer on a feature adaptation of Dave Eggers' novel A Hologram For The King, TheWrap has learned.

Tykwer adapted the book and will direct the indie movie, for which CAA is in the process of securing financing. A Hologram For The King was a finalist for the National Book Award when it was published by McSweeney's last year.

Hanks will play a struggling businessman who heads to Saudi Arabia in a last-ditch attempt to stave off foreclosure and do something memorable with his life.

Hanks and his Playtone partner Gary Goetzman will produce with Stefan Arndt, Uwe Schott and Tykwer of X Filme Creative Pool.

Hanks, who can currently be seen on Broadway in Nora Ephron's play Funny Guy, will soon be seen in Sony's Captain Phillips and Disney's Saving Mr. Banks, in which he plays Walt Disney. He's represented by CAA.

At work: Foong busy with a floral arrangement just before a wedding.

Wedding planning is big bucks as couples are increasingly looking to make their special day different

STEPHEN Foong has been a wedding planner for more than 20 years now.

For the 57-year-old, it all started with his love of making flower arrangement.

“Floral arrangements came naturally to me, so I started off doing it for functions. Since I was also good at planning and coordinating events, friends had faith in me and gave me the opportunity to organise their weddings,” said the cheerful Foong, who fondly remembers his first wedding in 1979 at St Andrews Church in Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur.

According to Foong, the terminology wedding planner started to be used after the movie Wedding Planner, which starred Jennifer Lopez, was released more than 10 years ago.

“Those days, people who organised weddings were known as wedding coordinators. When the movie became a hit, everyone started calling themselves wedding planners,” said Foong, who is an authorised wedding consultant for more than five hotels in Kuala Lumpur.

Tasks of a wedding planner

Foong, who has an eye for detail, said meticulousness was important and the first thing a couple would give him was the wedding date, after which he would ask them for their budget.

This would be followed by sourcing for the venue that would suit the budget and setting a theme for the dream wedding.

A must-have talent: Nora with her very own floral arrangement.

“Once I have the budget, I will ask them to set their priorities on whether they want to spend more on food or decoration. This is done to ensure a balance in terms of expenses,” said the Kuala Lumpur-born Foong.

He said things were simpler when budget was not a concern. “At the end of the day, people generally want the food to be good on their wedding day.”

This will be followed by other trimmings such as engaging a master of ceremonies, photography and videography, invitation cards, cake and decorations, among others.

Lifestyle and trends

According to Foong, people generally love to associate themselves with labels and brands. Therefore, when one hires a wedding planner, the wedding planner has a certain status to live up to.

“At present, many couples opt for invitation cards from Indonesia, as it is very detailed and ‘loud’.

“Crafted by local Indonesian designers, the cards come in unique fonts and different paper thicknesses and sizes,” said Foong, who prefers to recommend well-known designers to design the couple’s wedding costume and suit, shoes and jewellery.

The exposure to the Western lifestyle has also made it possible for couples to opt for English weddings these days.

“Looking at the present scenario, practically everyone wants a garden wedding or have violinists as the intro. Some even want the bride and the father to dance first or two mothers lighting the unity candle before the wedding takes place,” he added.

When it comes to party favours or gifts for guests, everyone wants to be different and exceptional.

“There is a huge market for this, but it is not as big in Malaysia. Couples go all the way to Bangkok and Hong Kong to source for gift items,” said Foong, who occasionally follows the couple in their pursuit to find the right gifts for their guests.

Consultation fees and trimmings

Foong organises a minimum of 45 weddings a year and charges RM5,000 as a consultation fee.

“The remaining fee will be for the trimmings and I will recommend the suppliers to the couple.

“However, it will be entirely up to the couple to decide whether they are comfortable with the suppliers I have chosen,” said Foong, adding that a deposit would be paid as an initial sum and the balance settled later.

When it comes to photography and video, Foong said couples were willing to spend more to ensure that pictures and videos turn out well. Professional fees ranges from RM5,000 to RM15,000.

Having built a reputation for himself in the industry, Foong said he would be given an angpow (RM3,000 to RM6,000) after the event as a sign of gratitude and appreciation for his hardwork.

If one is new to the industry, the wedding planner definitely needs a roof over his or her head.

Apart from that, a startup capital of RM10,000 to RM15,000 for brochures and advertisement is also required to establish a name in the market.

Foong said apart from patience and preseverance, one also needed to be mature and be able to give real advice related to customs and traditions.

“There are a lot of mixed marriages these days. Therefore, having the right knowledge on the customs and traditions of a particular race is an important factor,” he said, adding that the person also has to be responsible, efficient, resourceful and possess a positive attitude when dealing with difficult situations.

Meanwhile, for Nora Azilah Abdul Aziz, who is better known as Nora Aziz, the road to success as a wedding planner has not been an easy one.

The Negri Sembilan-born Nora started her career in the hotel industry after graduating with a Diploma in Tourism and Hotel Management from the then Institut Teknologi Mara (now UiTM) in Shah Alam.

Driven by a passion to be in the marketing field, Nora climbed up the ladder from a sales coordinator to be Legend Hotel’s sales director. She was made in charge of the Japanese market then.

How it started

“When I was a teenager, I loved applying make-up for friends and I was really good at it. So, I became a part-time make-up artist for friends and relatives’ weddings,” said Nora, 47, adding that she still freelanced even while heading the sales and marketing department of the Legend Hotel then.

However, this was not enough for Nora, as she wanted to open a bridal make-up business of her own, which she eventually did in 1997.

“With RM70,000 in hand, I opened Nora Aziz Bridal Boutique in Bukit Bintang Plaza, or better known as BB Plaza.

“After seven months, I decided to further my make-up knowledge in effects and prosthetic make-up at Medix Makeup London in the UK for a year,” said Nora, adding that two years down the road, she spent another RM150,000 to expand her shop space from 900sq ft to 3,400sq ft at the same location.

It was in BB Plaza that Nora gained her reputation as a wedding planner and she is currently the chief executive officer of Nora Bridal Creation (NBC) and executive producer of NBC Walk of Fame Production, a company based in Nilai, Negri Sembilan.

Services and packages

Apart from bridal make-up, Nora realised the huge market for weddings and started offering wedding packages, which include services such as make-up, designing pelamin, hantaran, photography, video, catering, canopies and band.

“At that time, I charged RM1,500 to RM6,000 per package,” said Nora, adding that back in the early 1990s, it was easier to get couples to sign up for a package as they were willing to spend for their big day.

With the current trend and since the opening of her production company, Nora who plans at least 10 weddings a month, said a standard wedding package costs from RM1,500 and can go up to RM10,000 depending on the couple’s budget.

The RM10,000 package includes three costumes, three make-overs, unlimited photography in DVD plus studio photography, a decorated pelamin, hand bouquet, special write-up in Stailista magazine and videography throughout the occasion.

“However, if budget is a concern, then I will try my best to work out something that is feasible in the best interest of the couple,” she said with a smile.

“The road to success is never an easy one without challenges. With the continuous change in the bridal industry, keeping up to date with fashion and trend is important,” stressed Nora.

With the rising number of competitors in the Malay wedding industry, Nora explained that services needed to be upgraded to ensure that the best is offered.

“This means learning new make-up techniques, changing the designs of pelamin, floral arrangement, hantaran, baju pengantin and photography, among others,” she said, adding that everything involves costs where upgrading was concerned.

According to Nora, the challenge also lie in dealing with the suppliers who are the caterers, the photographers and videoman, among others.

“It is important that I get the right suppliers to ensure everything goes as planned,” she said.

On costs, Nora said couples try not to exceed their expenses and cut down where possible by sourcing for the photograher, arranging their own hantaran and some even bring in their own caterers.

“Malay weddings now are unlike those days. Everything is so Westernised from wedding gowns and flower girls to even garden weddings.

“Gone are the days where people have the kompang during weddings. They also rarely host the event in their homes and rather have it community halls and hotels,” said Nora, adding that couples are also accustomed to having special themes for the big day.

How to keep the business going

From the marketing perspective, Nora said it is important to learn the market segment.

“The pricing has to correlate with the demand factor. Therefore, in this industry, you cannot set your prices too high,” she said.

On how she markets herself, Nora said Facebook has played an important role as an advertising tool over the years.

“In addition, I also have my blog, and I do put up banners and distribute flyers periodically,” she added.

In terms of characteristics, Nora said perseverance and patience were the keys to success for a wedding planner and one must not be too greedy when they have established a name in the industry.

It’s a deal: Muhammad (left) exchanging contract documents with Mooney.

WESTSTAR Aviation Services Sdn Bhd, a member of the Weststar Group of Companies, announced its first international operation during a contract signing with Tullow Mauritania Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tullow Oil PLC in London recently.

The deal between Weststar Aviation Services and the London Stock Exchange-listed oil and gas company is worth RM500mil and will see Weststar Aviation Services providing offshore aviation services utilising two AgustaWestland AW 139 helicopters operating out of Mauritania in Africa, marking Weststar Aviation Services’ first engagement overseas.

The operation in Mauritania is expected to start in August 2013. This initial contract will be for a period up to four years including the option for extension.

Weststar will be operating a new facility in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, and recruiting 23 local staff as part of its operational activities.

Tullow Oil is a leading independent oil and gas, exploration and production group and is quoted on the London, Ghana and Irish Stock Exchanges.

The Group has interests in more than 140 production and exploration licences in 25 countries which are managed as three regional business units — West and North Africa, South and East Africa and Europe, South America and Asia. Tullow Oil committed over RM3bil in North and West Africa during 2012 and it currently holds 43 licences in 10 West and North African countries they are operating from. Tullow Oil has a sales revenue of nearly RM6bil from this area of its operations.

Malaysian High Commissioner to the UK, Datuk Seri Zakaria Sulong, was guest of honour during the signing ceremony at Hilton Park Lane, which saw Weststar Group managing director Tan Sri Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim and Weststar Aviation Services CEO Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail, signing the contract with Tullow Oil’s group supply chain manager David Mooney and North African business unit Leader Alan Dowokpor.

“In line with our aggressive global expansion plan, Weststar Aviation Services is excited to have taken this vital first step in increasing our global reputation and presence.

“We are confident of meeting and surpassing operational expectations and will look to further expand our African operations in the near future,” said Muhammad during the event.

Since commencing offshore oil and gas operations in 2008, Weststar Aviation Services has grown into the largest oil and gas aviation operator in South-East Asia.

Operating from its bases in Kerteh, Kota Baru and Kota Kinabalu, Weststar Aviation Services currently services contracts totalling more than RM6bil with one of the largest and most modern offshore helicopter fleets in the world.

By the end of 2013, Weststar Aviation Services expects to have at least 20 helicopters in its offshore operating fleet.

In line with its burgeoning presence in the oil and gas industry, Weststar Aviation Services projects future revenue streams upwards of RM2bil from the provision of helicopter services in other African nations, with the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal and Mozambique earmarked as strong potential markets.

Weststar Aviation Services foresee that there is at least another US$1bil worth of contracts for helicopter services in West Africa in the next 24 months.

With the contract with Tullow Oil, Weststar Aviation Services intends to participate in all these tenders to strengthen its position in West Africa.

The new Good Vibes Festival readies up an eye-catching list of bands.

DESPITE an increasingly crowded playing field, there’s always room for a music festival designed and developed with a homegrown edge.

The upcoming Good Vibes Festival, which makes its debut at the Sepang International Kart Circuit in Selangor on Aug 17, is a definite boost to the festival scene here – proving just like the annual Urbanscapes and Rockaway festivals, that a locally organised event can hold its own against the growing trend of import-orientated music festivals in this region.

The crowd-pulling international cast at Good Vibes Festival is no small change, either. The eye-catching main bands and the regional word-of-mouth support will be important in delivering the 10,000 crowd targeted to give this outdoor festival a running start.

Grammy-award winning alternative rock group Smashing Pumpkins, led by pioneer member Billy Corgan, holds down the headlining slot at the festival, while the Britpop-era throwback is supplied by feisty Northern Irish outfit, Ash.

Indie band Modest Mouse, which has highly rated credentials, alongside Canadian garage rock duo Japandroids complete the main stage line-up in terms of buzzworthy attention.

If anything, Corgan, 46, will be the main attraction for music fans as he brings the Smashing Pumpkins to Malaysia for the first time. As the only original member left, Corgan has kept the band’s music and legacy in the spotlight through the years.

A spate of (album) reissue projects helmed by Corgan has given the masses renewed appetite for all things Smashing Pumpkins. At the music festival, the towering frontman will be blasting the 1990s favourites and more. Backed up by guitarist Jeff Schroeder, drummer Mike Byrne and bassist Nicole Fiorentino, this version of Smashing Pumpkins has received the popular vote among the band’s fans.

Ash, which rode the alternative rock and Britpop wave, has defied the odds and stuck around for the long haul after its chart-hugging years in the mid-1990s. Led by Tim Wheeler, 36, it looks like Ash is just the right pick for a retro blast of pop punk bangers and swoony singalongs. Classics from albums like 1977, Nu-Clear Sounds and Free All Angels, if you shout loud enough, will be unleashed with much glee by this energetic trio.

After a Coachella Festival appearance earlier this year in the United States, Modest Mouse is revving up the new material, as promised by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock. The group, formed in 1993, is a daring yet well-informed choice at Good Vibes Festival considering the band’s bountiful catalogue of indie classics, including Float On and Dashboard.

Japandroids, hailing from Vancouver, Canada, is the feedback and din act to get the younger rock fans excited. With only drummer David Prowse and guitarist Brian King sharing vocal duties between them, Japandroids has been known to spark a mighty rumpus on stage at festivals worldwide. The crowd will be bouncing like pogo sticks here.

Regional highlights include Dudesweet (Thailand), Dipha (Indonesia), and Poptart (Singapore) while local deejay crews Twilight Actiongirl, Deer Society and superstar deejay Goldfish will be on the decks to rock the festival.

In terms of local bands, Good Vibes Festival has thrown up a sizeable list, including MonoloQue, Pitahati, Pesawat, OJ Law, Pastel Lite, Liyana Fizi, Kyoto Protocol, Tenderfist, They Will Kill Us All and Impatient Sisters.

Organised by Future Sound Asia, with support from Malaysia Major Events, the festival also promises a user-friendly layout, facilities and food and drink. It will run across three stages, and feature a food village, art installations by local artist Nini Ramlan, the ancillary fashion/beauty hub called Chic Vibes and more.

Good Vibes Festival at Sepang International Kart Circuit on Aug 17 is an all-ages event. Tickets, ranging from RM128 (early bird, limited), RM158 (pre-sale), RM188 (door) and RM258 (VIP), are available from June 17 at myticket.my or all Rock Corner outlets in the Klang Valley. For more info, go to goodvibesfest.com.