MUMBAI:A crew member named Mike Bridger working on the sets of Johnny Depp‘s forthcoming film The Lone Ranger died of apparent drowning last Friday.
The 48-year-old diver is thought to have suffered a heart attack while cleaning out a pool that was going to be used in the film, it is reported. He was pronounced dead on arrival according to the coroner‘s spokesman.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues at this time,” Walt Disney studios Spokesman Paul Roeder said in a statement. “Our full support is behind the investigation into the circumstances of this terrible event,” he added.
Police revealed the man had been wearing scuba equipment to carry out maintenance on a deep pool on a ranch near Palmdale, in the desert north of Los Angeles, where the Western is being filmed. Close friends said the victim‘s name is Mike Bridger, a welder and water safety guy who had worked alongside mega producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Depp for years.
Tag: Johnny Depp
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Crew member succumbs to heart attack on the sets of The Lone Ranger
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Latest pirates film expected to gross ?60 mn
MUMBAI: The fifth instalment of Johnny Depp’s Pirates Of The Caribbean is expected to make a turnover of ?60 million.
And to enable his star worth remain the same, the 49-year-old is said to be choosing his roles carefully.
Depp was recently spotted hanging around with his friends for the first time since he broke up with Paradis, his girl friend. -
Johnny Depp to team with Wes Anderson for next project
MUMBAI: Johnny Depp has confirmed that he L will star in Wes Anderson‘s next film that he will write and direct. The film is being produced and financed by Indian Paintbrush.
Though no details regarding the film‘s plot or Depp‘s character have been revealed, but the project is said to be titled The Grand Budapest Hotel. The film will mark the filmmaker‘s first time shooting in Europe.While Depp is the first to sign on for the film, Anderson is said to be courting Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Edward Norton, Jude Law, Jeff Goldblum, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe and Angela Lansbury for the film.
As for Anderson, his Moonrise Kingdom premiered to rave reviews at Cannes earlier this year. With a wide release on 29 June, the film has so far grossed $44.7 million at the worldwide box office. -
Johnny Depp conferred hon. membership of Comanche Nation
MUMBAI: Johnny Depp has been conferred with an honorary membership by the Comanche nation, a native American tribe.
Depp was felicitated by President of Americans for Indian Opportunity, LaDonna Harris. “Johnny is reprising the historic role of Tonto, and it seemed like a natural fit to officially welcome him into our Comanche family,” said Haris.
The actor has in the past spoken about his lineage, associated with the Native American ancestry from his great-grandmother.The 48-year-old actor is currently working in the remake of The Lone Ranger in which he plays the fictional character Tonto based on the Comanche tribe.
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Avengers crosses $ 1 billion mark
MUMBAI: After taking a $200 million opening, Disney and Marvel‘s The Avengers has recorded a $100 million-plus second weekend.
The superhero tale took in $103.1 million to cling onto the No. 1 position and lift its domestic take to $373.1 million in just 10 days. With nearly $630 million more overseas, The Avengers raised its worldwide total to just over $1 billion.
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton‘s latest collaboration, the vampire romp Dark Shadows opened a distant second with $29.7 million domestically.
The top 20 movies at US and Canadian theatres from Friday through Sunday last followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theatre locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release. -
The Avengers amasses $95.4 million in 3rd week
MUMBAI: Continuing its onward victorious march, Disney and Marvel‘s The Avengers garnered a weekend tally of $95.4 million from 54 territories in its third week.
Avengers‘ weekend action was down by 39 per cent from the last weekend‘s gross. In just 12 days, the film has out grossed such Marvel titles as Captain America ($192 million offshore), Iron Man ($266.7 million), Thor ($268.3 million) and Iron Man 2 ($311.5 million).
Besides setting industry opening records in a dozen offshore markets including Brazil and Mexico, the Joss Whedon-directed film rolled up mighty market cumes in the UK ($65.7 million), China ($52.3 million), Mexico ($49.6 million), Korea ($41.3 million), Australia ($40.5 million), Russia ($36 million), France ($33.4 million) and Germany ($24.1 million).
Slightly eating into Avengers‘ gross intake was Warner Bros.‘ Dark Shadows that opened offshore at 5,664 sites in 42 territories for an estimated $36.7 million. It finished No. 2 on the weekend.
The Johnny Depp film drew 93 per cent of what 2005‘s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory grossed in the same markets at “the same point in release,” said Warner Bros. (Factory went on to take in $268 million offshore.)
The biggest market for Shadows was Russia, where the film playing at 977 situations grossed $5.3 million. A No. 1 France opening generated $4.6 million at 474 situations, and in the UK, the film collected $4 million from 515 venues.
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Knightley to play Anna Karenina
MUMBAI: Keira Knightley, know for her films Pride & Prejudice and Atonement is set to star in Joe Wright‘s adaptation of the epic Leo Tolstoy novel Anna Karenina. She 26-year-old will be seen opposite Jude Law and Aaron Johnson in the film.
“Joe Wright will direct the epic romance Anna Karenina, adapted from Leo Tolstoy‘s classic novel by Academy award winner Tom Stoppard. The film made under the banner of Working Title Films, will be filmed in the UK and Russia this month.
Anna Karenina was published in 1873, the novel is considered one of the world‘s great pieces of literature and is the story of love within the Russian aristocracy.
Knightley first came to national attention after starring in 2002 comedy drama Bend It Like Beckham and gained international recognition following her appearance opposite Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean. -
Depp’s Rango to receive Hollywood animation award
MUMBAI: Johnny Depp‘s film Rango is all set to receive the 2011 Hollywood Animation Award.
The film, directed by Gore Verbinski, will be honoured at the at the 15th annual Hollywood Film Festival‘s gala ceremony on 24 October in Beverly Hills.
“It is a great pleasure to recognize Rango as the recipient of our animation award. This piece of cinematic treasure borders on surrealism and Rango will be a classic for generations to come,” said, the Hollywood Film Festival founder and executive director Carlos de Abreu has been quoted to have said.
The 48-year od Depp voiced for the titular lizard character in the film that also has the voices of Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Harry Dean Stanton, Ray Winstone and Timothy Olyphant.
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PVR Pictures to release The Rum Diary in India
MUMBAI: PVR Pictures will distribute in India the upcoming Johnny Depp-starrer The Rum Diary, though the release date has yet not been finalised.
The film is based on the debut novel by Hunter S. Thompson who is credited to be the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to such a degree that they become central figures of their stories.
Paul Kemp, essayed by Depp, is a freelance journalist who finds himself at a critical turning point in his life while writing for a run-down newspaper in the Caribbean. He is challenged on many levels as he tries to carve out a more secure niche for himself, amidst a group of lost souls all bent on self-destruction.
Depp had earlier also played a character based on Hunter S. Thompson after acting in Terry Gilliam‘s 1998 adaptation of Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas.
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Disney’s ‘Cars’ & ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ available on iTunes
MUMBAI: Two of Disney’s big releases, the animated Disney/Pixar film Cars and Walt Disney Pictures’ motion picture Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest will now be available for download at the Apple’s iTunes store from Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment.
Cars, the comedy-adventure about a hotshot rookie race car who along with a cast of car-acters goes on the ride of his life. Starring Owen Wilson (‘Wedding Crashers’) and Paul Newman, the movie takes audiences of all ages on an adventure. The film will be available for download at the iTunes store beginning 7 November, states an official release.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, starring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow is an epic adventure that has become Disney’s most successful movie of all time, adds the release. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest will be available for download at the iTunes store beginning 5 December.