21 April 2012

Entertainment, Celebrity And Gaming News: Hollywood, AussieWood, Sin City Sydney, Australia

News

News Entertainment News Casino News Wrestling News


Australian movie, entertainment and wrestling fans. It's time for yet another showbiz update. We've got Marvel Entertainment, WWE, gaming, celebrities, and more.

50 Cent, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger Will Star In 'The Tomb' Movie...

50 Cent continues to evolve. The music mogul just signed on for yet another film, Summit's latest action-thriller, "The Tomb.” After working together on Lionsgate's "Fire With Fire," Fif will reunite with Vincent D'Onofrio and Vinnie Jones in this Mikael Hafstrom directed action-thriller. The film also stars Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, with Oscar nominee Amy Ryan as its female lead.

50 Cent To Guest Star On SyFy's 'Dream Machines'...

The film is focused around Stallone who plays an expert on structural security. The plot thickens as Stallone is framed and put in a high-security prison of his own design. The storyline then unfolds as he must put his skills to the test to find out who put him there.

The 70 million dollar movie is being co-financed by both Summit and Emmett/Furla Films, which also produced "Fire With Fire." However, this is not 50’s first time working with Emmett/Furla films, as he was also cast in the company's "Setup" with Bruce Willis, "Freelancers" with Robert De Niro and "The Frozen Ground" with Nicolas Cage.

Last month 50 Cent announced that his fifth studio album will be released this summer. “My album is coming out july 2. I got some heat trust me I'm ready,” Fif tweeted. The announcement comes after the New York MC called out Interscope Records for a lack of support surrounding the release of the LP.


CM Punk At Chicago Comic-Con...

Rosemont, IL, April 06, 2012 - Wizard World Chicago Comic Con, which for nearly two decades has thrilled hundreds of thousands of fans with standout celebrities, top-notch superstar artists, VIP experiences and more, rolls out an expanded, full four-day show, August 9-12 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. More than 50 celebrities, including headliners like William Shatner, Jeri Ryan, Stan Lee, Jon Bernthal and WWE Superstar CM Punk, notable artists Carlos Pacheco, George Pérez, Greg Capullo and dozens of others are already signed up to attend what is shaping up as the biggest Wizard World show ever and the Midwest's No. 1 Pop Culture Convention.

The international pop culture icon Shatner ("Star Trek," "T.J. Hooker") will appear on Friday, Aug. 10, and Saturday, Aug. 11, Ryan ("Star Trek: Voyager," "Boston Public") on Sunday, Aug. 12, Eisner Award Hall of Famer and comic book legend Lee and Bernthal ("The Walking Dead," The Ghost Writer) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and WWE Superstar CM Punk, the current WWE champion, on Saturday.

"Wizard World Chicago Comic Con continues to grow in all areas, from celebrity guests to Artist Alley to evening entertainment to VIP experiences, so much so that we've made it a full four-day show for the first time," said John Macaluso, CEO, Wizard World. "William Shatner, Jeri Ryan and Stan Lee are at the top of a deep celebrity roster that will connect with fans of all ages."

The announcement follows the recent news that one of Hollywood's fastest-risers, Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers), will headline Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on June 2.

The longest-running and highest-attended show annually on the Wizard World calendar, 2012 Wizard World Chicago Comic Con will also feature movie and television stars such as Nina Dobrev ("The Vampire Diaries," CHLOE), Kate Mulgrew ("Star Trek: Voyager," Remo Williams), Bruce Campbell (Army Of Darkness, Evil Dead), Tom Felton (Harry Potter, Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Amy Acker ("Angel," The Cabin In The Woods) and dozens of others.

Eisner Award winner Pérez ("Superman," "JSA"), nominee Pacheco ("X-Men," "Green Lantern") and Capullo ("Batman," "Spawn") are joined in Artist Alley by Rodolfo Migliari ("Green Arrow," "Green Lantern"), "Brom" ("Dungeons & Dragons," "The Plucker), "CAFU" ("Superboy," "Action Comics"), Ken Kelly ("Batman," "Star Wars") and Pat Lee ("Spider-Man," "Iron Man"), among a first-class roster of special guests.

Wizard World Chicago Comic Con, produced by Wizard World, Inc. (WIZD.PK), will bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.

For more on the 2012 Wizard World Chicago Comic Con, visit http://www.wizardworldcomiccon.com/home-ch.html


Dwayne Johnson Named CinemaCon Action Star of the Year...

He'll receive the honor at the upcoming convention of theater owners in Las Vegas.

Dwayne Johnson will be lauded with the Action Star of the Year Award at CinemaCon.

This summer, Johnson stars in Paramount tentpole G.I. Joe: Relaliation. He's currently still in theaters in box office hit Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, from Warner Bros.

Johnson will receive the CinemaCon award during Paramount's opening night presentation.


Captain America sequel scheduled for 2014 release...

It's official: Captain America will continue to fight the good fight for liberty and freedom.

On Thursday, Walt Disney Studios announced that a sequel to last summer's Captain America: The First Avenger is scheduled to be released on April 4, 2014, one month before the release of the sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man, who begins spinning his web July 3 of this year.

Chris Evans -- formerly Johnny Storm/the Human Torch of The Fantastic Four -- finally put Marvel's patriotic super-soldier on the A-list of superheroes in the original, which earned $368 million dollars worldwide.

The actor returns to the role as one of "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" known as The Avengers with Robert Downey, Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/the Hulk), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye), Scarlett Johnansson (Natascha Romanoff/Black Widow), and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury); the film comes out in the U.S on May 4.


'Captain America' sequel heads to theaters in 2014...

LOS ANGELES — Captain America is getting another solo shot on the big-screen.

Walt Disney Studios announced Thursday that a sequel to last year's superhero hit "Captain America: The First Avenger" will arrive in theaters on April 4, 2014.

The first movie starred Chris Evans as the patriotic fighter for justice dressed in red, white and blue. "Captain America" took in $368 million at the worldwide box office.

Evans reprises his role as Captain America in "The Avengers," an ensemble adventure featuring Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and Jeremy Renner as a team of Marvel Comics heroes.

"The Avengers" is due out in the U.S on May 4, and Australia will likely be just days after.


Brock Lesnar Retired From MMA / UFC; Re Signs With WWE Pro Wrestling / Sports Entertainment...

He was billed as “The Next Big Thing” when he first ripped up the pro wrestling business.

Now, more than 10 years later, WWE head honcho Vince McMahon and his top brass are hoping he's still be “The Next Big Thing.”

Lesnar's return to pro wrestling after an eight-year hiatus made global news he meWWE posterboy John Cena with an F-5 (ex FU) at the conclusion of last week's RAW, as seen on Rupert Murdoch's Foxtel in Australia.

The buzz confirmed Lesnar sightings in Miami over Wrestlemania weekend, and wrestling fans had hoped that star would make a surprise appearance at Mania. It's likely Lesnar's contracted was signed before WrestleMania 28, but the powers that be elected to use him the RAW after WM, to help maintain momentum, and give viewers more reason to continue to choose to tune into the WWE brand.

Lesnar, who departed WWE in 2004 primarily due to a massive road schedule, reportedly signed a one-year deal with WWE that will include a lighter workload and less work dates than his last run. He is expected to be featured mainly on pay-per-views and live televised shows leading up to next year's Wrestlemania.

Lesnar, an NCAA heavyweight champion at the University of Minnesota, is expected to initially feud with Cena. There's also talk of a possible match with The Rock at the Wrestlemania 29 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The Rock (Dwayne Johnson), who defeated Cena last Sunday U.S) at Wrestlemania 28 in Miami, already has committed to appear at next year's wrestling 'Grand Dadddy Of The All".

Lesnar defeated The Rock in their last matchup back in 2002. Many wrestling experts feel that a "Brock vs. Rock" rematch would draw big money and huge interest once again for the WWE machine.

Lesnar already is being promoted for WWE's Extreme Rules pay-per-view in Chicago on April 29, and is scheduled to appear on the April 9 Raw in Washington, D.C., and a three-hour Raw on April 23 in Detroit.

Lesnar's last UFC match was Dec. 30 in a loss to former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem. Following the loss, Lesnar announced his retirement from mixed martial arts, mentioning his life-threatening bouts with diverticulitis.

Lesnar, 34, is married to the former Rena Mero, the ex-WWE diva and Playboy centerfold known as Sable. They have two young children.

Citing a number of issues, including burnout and a massive travel schedule, Lesnar left the wrestling business eight years ago after advising WWE owner Vince McMahon that he had come to the realization that he was miserable in his job.

Lesnar's admission, though, came at a particularly critical juncture — just days before a dream Wrestlemania showdown with Bill Goldberg in what had been billed as one of the biggest events in WWE history.

At the time Lesnar told colleagues and company officials that the match would mark his last in the wrestling business.

Eight years later, and on the heels of a relatively short but highly publicized run in the mixed martial arts industry, Lesnar appears ready for a return to pro wrestling ranks.

McMahon and the company are hoping he's in for the long haul — or at least until Wrestlemania 29.

Lesnar Contract Details And More...

WWE wrestling fans, and sports fans worldwide have been abuzz all week after Brock Lesnar returned to WWE Raw this past Monday night. Lesnar, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship athlete joins Hollywood actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the latest mainstream celebrity to be signed to a WWE contract. Both men formerly labored for Vince McMahon's empire before they coursed on to bigger and more prestigious accolades. However, there have been reports that many current WWE roster members are not too pleased with the return of The Rock and Brock Lesnar.

A contract stipulations begin to leak, on of those circumstances reported in Brock Lesnar's agreement was that Brock had to work a told 30-40 wrestling dates for the year. For those intervals, Lesnar would receive five million dollars. The dilemma with this exists that other full time members of the roster perform over 200 dates per year and don't even make a fifth of Lesnar's income. In fact, other than a handfull of elite headliners, most WWE wrestlers make less than $500,000 dollars a year. And that doesn't include travel expenses and hotel accommodations that those wrestlers have to fork out for out of pocket each week. The gap between dates and salary among full time WWE wrestlers and Brock Lesnar is huge.

The Rock has a comparable WWE contract. It has been reported that The Rock will work a modest amount of matches over the next year, which will likely culminate in a bout at Wrestlemania 29 against Brock Lesnar.


Storm smashes 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's Texas ranch...

FOWLERTON, Texas -- Wrestling legend "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was left stunned this week after the barn on his Texas ranch was destroyed by a storm.

The 47-year-old, real name Steven James Williams, saw the roof of his barn torn off at the storm ripped through Broken Skull Ranch in McMullen County.

The wrestler-come-actor said he planned to use the damage to add more storage space.
He told TMZ fixing the damage, "ain't gonna be cheap."


Andy Kaufman's pro wrestling exploits recalled in CNN feature, claims WWE won't allow him in the Hall of Fame...

The pro wrestling exploits of Andy Kaufman were chronicled in a lengthy CNN website feature. The story states that Kaufman remains shut out of the WWE Hall of Fame. "His absence from the Hall of Fame is conspicuous," Syracuse professor Bob Thompson said. "He is one of the really important members of the pantheon of that form." To read the full article, visit CNN.com/2012/04/07/us/kaufman-lawler-wrestling-match/index.html


Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment To Ramp Up New Product Offers; Social Media Attack And More...

Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment has reported plans to develop and launch numerous gaming products. Since the merger in April 2011, Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment has strived to evolve and grow in the competitive online gaming market.

Bwin.Party has reported its desire to continually integrate its platform and products as well as invest in Research and Development. The online gaming giant has announced the development of a rush poker variant and the launch of social gaming products in order to stay pace with the evolving market. Furthermore, co-CEOs Jim Ryan and Norbert Teufelberger have reported that the company is “well placed” to take advantage of the regulatory movement in both Europe and the US.

New Products

Bwin.Party has reported plans to launch several products ranging from mobile applications to new gaming products. The gaming giant plans to launch a social gaming platform in addition to building an independent social gaming site. The first social gaming product is tipped to be poker-based game called Aces Hangout, which was tested in late 2011 and we understand launched on Google+ days ago. The company has announced that the poker-based social gaming offerings will be followed by a casino and sports book application. In addition to these social gaming offerings, the company plans to launch mobile applications for its core products as well as HTML5 versions of its major gaming sites.

CEO Jim Ryan recently told news media that “We expect to gain competitive advantage this year from additional scale and improved flexibility that will flow from the integration and migration of our main products to a single technology platform.”

In addition to the launch of the social gaming platform, Ryan announced that the company has launched the development of a rush poker variant.

Legislation and Finance

Bwin.Party has announced that it is well positioned to take advantage of the regulatory movements in major markets like Spain and the US. In Spain, the gaming company is one of 60 companies that are waiting for the approval of the licensing application that was recently delayed due to controversy surrounding a Spain regulator. In the United States, Bwin.Party secured a joint venture with brick and mortar casino operators MGM and Boyd Gaming in order to position itself for the anticipated regulation of online poker in the US. Furthermore, the company has an application for the Schleswig-Holstein Board that will allow the launch of all products except bingo.

Financially, Bwin.Party announced an increase in flat pro-forma revenues from €814m to €816m and a 9% increase in its casino revenue. EGamingReview also reported that analysts have a positive outlook on the company with a 2% average daily increase over last year’s figures.

Bwin.Party continues to evolve in the competitive gaming market and plans to launch several exciting products in the near future. In addition to the new developments and regulatory preparations, Bwin.Party is expected to finally have real money dotcom players move to the merged platform by the third quarter of 2012 and the dot.it and dot.fr migrations to occur in the fourth quarter of this year. The company expects this migration to further enhance its position in the poker market alongside its major competitors like PokerStars, Virgin Games and PKR.

Media Man will be following up Bwin.Party developments, and as we go to press the have already released at least one new slot to the online casino portfolio PartyCasino, as seen on the Media Man network, so its game on!

That's it fans. Stay tuned to Media Man and Street Corner for more entertainment news and scoops daily.

Websites

Media Man News

Marvel Entertainment

Disney

WWE

Wizard World Chicago Comic Con

Casino News Media

Australian Sports Entertainment

Wrestling News Media

Website Network

Media Man Int

Media Man

Media Man Entertainment

Casino News Media