O Canada

I wasn’t able to watch the Juno Awards last night, but I did happen to catch the opening of the ceremony, which featured a clip of host Drake on Skype with Justin Bieber, who’s currently on tour in Europe.  The two musicians talk Degrassi, Tim Hortons, and Sarah McLachlan, and essentially bask in their Canadianness. This morning, when I went looking for the clip on YouTube, I stumbled upon another skit from the awards show, featuring the rapper trying to start up a new record label called Old Money.  Yes, it’s exactly what you think it is.

P.S. Sorry about the poor audio quality of the Bieber clip!

Breaking News: Amy Adams Will Fly With Superman

Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot is really starting to come together.  A week after Kevin Costner was cast as Jonathan Kent, The Hollywood Reporter today announced that Amy Adams has been tapped to play Lois Lane opposite Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel.  As you may know, Adams was recently up for an Academy Award for her supporting role as Mark Wahlberg’s love interest in The Fighter.  The redhead wouldn’t necessarily have been my first choice for the iconic role, but the more I think it over, the better I feel about the decision.  Adams has tackled many different roles in her career, and I believe that she has just what it takes to fill the shoes of the Daily Planet reporter.  Superman: Man of Steel will be released in theaters next December.

The Kid’s Got It

Justin Bieber can officially add “box office star” to his already impressive resume.  The Hollywood Reporter announced today that Justin Bieber: Never Say Never has become the highest grossing concert-themed movie domestically, surpassing Michael Jackson’s This Is It.  The documentary-concert film hybrid directed by Jon M. Chu grossed an estimated $470 thousand over the weekend to reach a total of $72.2 million. 

I’ve see the flick, and sure enough, it made a Belieber out of me.  Sure, I resented having to pay the extra fee on the ticket just so I could have the singer stick out his hand toward me.  And yes, I could have lived without watching hordes of prepubescent girls swoon over the seventeen-year-old.  Nevertheless, I was really impressed by his talent.  I mean, there’s really no other word to describe someone who picks up his first pair of drumsticks at two years old!

Knope Problem

While everyone can agree that Parks and Recreation is having a moment, fans of the delightfully entertaining sitcom have been left wondering whether the suits at NBC would do right by it come renewal time.  Well, that time has finally arrived, and it was well worth the wait!  Earlier today, TVLine announced that Parks and Recreation, The Office, and Community had all been picked up by the Peacock for the 2011-2012 season.  I, for one, couldn’t be happier.  Parks has only gotten better since I started watching it early last season, and has really settled into a nice groove.  The lighthearted comedy manages to incorporate just the right mix of the verbal and the physical, and does a great job showcasing its stars.  In addition, the cast has amazing chemistry.  This season, I’m really digging the Leslie/Ben friendship, the April/Andy romance, and the Ben/Tom bromance.  Speaking of the current season, do you agree that tonight’s new episode was awesomesauce?

High Holidays

Get ready, because Christmas is coming a little early this year!  According to Entertainment Weekly, Warner Bros. has just set a November 4 release date for A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas.  That’s right!  Nearly a decade after going in search of White Castle, the duo is embarking on an all-new adventure, set around the holidays.  The film will reportedly find Harold and Kumar reuniting after several years apart, and searching New York for the perfect Christmas tree after Kumar accidentally burns down the one belonging to Harold’s father-in-law.  As always, joining them for the ride will be a drug-addled Neil Patrick Harris.  College Humor’s Amir Blumenfeld (of Jake and Amir fame) has also confirmed that he will have a role in the stoner flick.  If I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t all that impressed with Escape from Guantanamo Bay, but here’s hoping that a little holiday cheer will be enough to bring the franchise back to fine form.

Rob Lowe Settling Down in Pawnee

Parks and Recreations won’t be back with a new episode until next week, but fans now have one less thing to worry about in the meantime. At last night’s Parks and Recreation PaleyFest panel, producer Mike Schur addressed the question on everyone’s lips by happily announcing that Rob Lowe would be sticking around Pawnee, this despite his sunny state auditor returning to Indianapolis in the most recent episode.  Putting to rest any doubts about Lowe’s future on the critically acclaimed sitcom, Schur assured fans that the actor’s contract extends well beyond this season, and that there was “zero truth” to the rumors that Lowe was being wooed by CBS to replace Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men.  Is anyone else already rooting for a Chris/Ann reunion?

Has Bond Finally Met His Match?

In one of the most exciting bits of casting news I’ve heard in a while, Anthony Hopkins is reportedly in early talks to join Daniel Craig in the yet-untitled James Bond 23.  The best part?  Word is the esteemed actor would be tackling the role of the film’s Big Bad, and following in the footsteps of such iconic Bond villains as Blofeld, Goldfinger, and Dr. No.  The role wouldn’t be too big a stretch for Hopkins, who’s Dr. Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter ranks as the greatest screen villain according to the American Film Institute.  (Bond, meanwhile, came in third on the list of the greatest screen heroes.)  I must warn you, though, nothing has yet been confirmed, and Hopkins already has enough projects lined up to keep him busy for some time.

The idea to cast Sir Anthony as the next Bond villain is inspired to say the least.  After the train wreck that was Quantum of Solace, what the franchise really needs is a formidable opponent for 007, and I believe that an actor of Hopkins’ calibre could truly do the role justice.  As someone who grew up with James Bond, not to mention someone who’s seen The Silence of the Lambs more times than I can count, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for a Hopkins/Craig showdown.

Farewell, Charlie Harper

It looks like Charlie Sheen is going to be spending a lot more time at the “Sober Valley Lodge” from now on.  In a move that couldn’t have come any sooner, Warner Bros. Television announced today that TV’s highest paid actor has been let go from Two and a Half Men.  (I guess he won’t be making $3 million an episode after all…)  In a formal letter to Sheen’s lawyer, Warner Bros. cites the actor’s “condition, statements and escalating destructive behavior” as reasons for halting production on the hit sitcom late last month, and “moral turpitude” as the cause of his dismissal.  Warner Bros. does not intend to pay Sheen for any of the canceled episodes.  Sheen, meanwhile, intends on suing both Warner Bros. and Chuck Lorre, the show’s creator.  Word is still out on whether or not Two and a Half Men will return to CBS in the fall. 

I, for one, say good riddance.  Given his erratic behavior over the last week, the guy is clearly in need of some serious help.  Statistics show I’m not alone.  According to Entertainment Weekly, a recent poll found that only 16% of adults in the United States have a favorable opinion of the star.  Clearly, the public has already grown tired of Sheen’s antics. I guess The Charlie Sheen Show just isn’t as funny as Two and a Half Men.

Get Ready to Scream

It was announced today that the much-anticipated fourth installment in the Scream franchise was granted an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America for “strong bloody violence, language and some teen drinking.”  Though the wait’s killing us, I guess we can all relax knowing that we’re in for a bloody good time come April 15!  I honestly can’t begin to express how excited I am for this movie.  From what I’ve read, test audiences are loving the flick, and many insiders are comparing it favorably to the first film in the iconic slasher series.  The original Scream still stands as one of my favorite films in the genre.  I remember watching it for the first time in the sixth grade with one of my best friends, and later trying to prank call some girls at a sleepover party a la Ghostface.  We weren’t successful.  I’ll leave it at that.

Here’s the teaser trailer for Scream 4 to help tie you over until April.