Kristen Stewart joins Anaesthesia cast

Kristen Stewart will film a small role in new indie drama 'Anaesthesia'.
The 'Twilight' actress has joined the cast of Tim Blake Nelson's new ensemble drama, which follows a group of university students whose philosophy professor has a profound effect on their lives.
Deadline reports Stewart will shoot her scenes over the course of a 'few days'.
The actress' latest role joins a busy schedule of movies including politically-charged thriller 'Camp X-Ray', directed by Peter Sattler, and Oliver Assayas' new drama 'Sils Maria'.
In 'Camp X-Ray', Stewart plays a young woman who joins the army in a bid to escape her small-town life, only to find herself sent to work at Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Suffering from abuse from the men in her charge, she forms an unlikely bond with a man who has been incarcerated for eight years.
Stewart will then join an A-list cast including Juliette Binoche and Chloe Grace Moretz in 'Sils Maria'.
French filmmaker Assayas wrote the film about an actress suffering from a midlife crisis specifically for Binoche, who he worked with on 'Summer Hours'. Binoche's character becomes obsessed with a young actress (Moretz) who is playing the part which originally made her famous, while Stewart has been cast as Binoche's assistant.

Hunger Games sequel is ‘less violent’

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' is 'less violent' than the first movie.
Filmmaker Francis Lawrence - who replaces Gary Ross in the director's chair - was eager to make changes to the blockbuster sequel, such as toning down the blood and gore seen on screen.
He said: 'There's a lot less person-on-person killing in this one. The important theme is the idea of allies and having to work with people you don't necessarily trust. Reliance on others versus reliance on self. It's still intense but there's less violence. I'm more interested in somebody's reaction to violence or the consequence of it than the blood itself.'
Leading lady Jennifer Lawrence, who reprises her role as heroine Katniss Everdeen, feels there is a 'good balance' of violent scenes in the two films, however.
She added: 'I don't know if there's more or less action in this movie - it's the same. In the first and second movie there's a good balance of violence.'
The film's director has also brought in a new cinematographer and costume designer to put his own stamp on the sequel.
He explained to Total Film magazine: 'I thought there could be more sophistication to the clothing and my version of naturalistic is very different. I like handheld [cameras] but I'm not into that shaky cam look. I tend to use wider lenses. I think viewers will have much more of a sense of what makes up the Hunger Games arena and what the boundaries are.'

Robert De Niro wants Taxi Driver sequel

Robert De Niro wants to star in a 'Taxi Driver' sequel. 
The Oscar-winning actor, who played war veteran Travis Bickle in the 1976 film, would like to revisit the character and has talked about the possibility with director Martin Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader. 
The 70-year-old star told The Guardian newspaper: 'I said, why don't we write something? And I talked to Marty and Paul did take a shot at something, whether it was an outline or a script, I forget. 
'But somehow we didn't think it was right and it didn't take off. But I'd like to see where Travis is today. There was something about that guy - all that rage and alienation, that's what the city can do to you. I mean Marty and I are from New York, and even we can feel alienated.'
De Niro is currently starring in 'The Family' as Giovanni Manzoni, a mafia supergrass who find himself marooned in small-town France. 
These days, the actor says he doesn't over think roles and would rather do a scene in one take. 
He said: 'I used to worry about doing take after take.Now I don't worry about it so much. You can get it in the first take, more often than not. 
'If there's some aspect of the character that you're really trying to get, then maybe have two.'
'The Family' hits cinemas on November 22.

James Cameron’s battle for Avatar investment

James Cameron had to film 40 seconds of 'Avatar' to convince a studio to invest in it. 
The director's 3-D movie adventure pushed the boundaries of filmmaking and set a new precedent for how realistic movies could be - as well as setting a box office record by grossing $2.8 billion - but Cameron found it wasn't easy to get the funding to make it.
He told France's TF1 TV channel: 'It's always difficult to convince any Hollywood studio to make a technically-challenging film.
'We convinced them by filming 40 seconds of what the film was going to look like. As soon as they saw the 3d test, they understood what we wanted to do. 
'I think 'Avatar' represented the latest thing in terms of new images. In this case, the classic story which cinemagoers can identify with works a bit like a gateway into the visual universe 'Avatar' offers.'
Although his movie opened the floodgates to a new era in cinema, Cameron doesn't think the basic structure behind all good movies will ever change. 
He added: 'Technology will definitely evolve, the context will chance, but it won't ever change the fact that to make a good move, you have to have a good story and interesting characters. That's why people still want to leave their houses and sit in a darkened room with others to experience it. I don't think it'll ever stop

Meryl Streep to play Susan Boyle in biopic?

Meryl Streep has been approached to play Susan Boyle on the big screen.
The 'Iron Lady' actress has reportedly been offered a role as the iconic singer, who shot to fame when she auditioned for UK TV show 'Britain's Got Talent' in 2009, in the upcoming movie adaptation of her life.
Scottish singing sensation Susan told the Metro newspaper: 'I wouldn't like to be in the film myself. I'd like someone to play me. Probably Meryl Streep - I understand she has been approached.'
Meryl's alleged involvement comes as a surprise since the 'I Dreamed A Dream' singer previously revealed her top - and only - pick to play herself was 'Harry Potter' favourite Julie Walters, with Hollywood heartthrob, George Clooney, as her manager.
Susan said last year: 'There's only one person I'd love to play me - and that's Julie Walters. She would do the job and you just know she would do my story justice.'
The 52-year-old star has picked up the acting bug after making a cameo appearance in new movie 'Christmas Candle', a role which allowed the singleton to pucker up for her very first on-screen kiss.
Susan added: 'I play church warden's wife. I found it very challenging. I would love to go on and do comedy. I have an outrageous sense of humour.'

Rita Ora on road to recovery

Rita Ora is on the road to recovery after collapsing in Miami. 
The 'R.I.P' singer, who was on the set of a photo shoot, was rushed to hospital on Monday (18.11.13) after falling ill due to
'heat exhaustion and dehydration'.
After leaving hospital she tweeted fans saying: 'Just lying In bed in Miami on the road to recovery @lilyallen is everything I needed and more it's hard out here! Yes! #golily #badbitch'
'Just to say. I love you guys. I'm getting better. Thank you for all your support. I love you. Sorry to scare you. I got scared too. 
'Ok going back to getting better. I just wanted to give u a update (sic). Love you. I'll be back soon. Keep dancing!!!'
The blonde beauty was carried out of her make-up trailer during the beginning of a shoot for Madonna and daughter Lourdes' Material Girl clothing line at Soho Beach House Hotel in the Florida resort at about 2.30pm. 
The 22-year-old singer was photographed being put onto a stretcher and taken to the Mount Sinsi Medical Centre in Miami Beach. She has since been snapped on her hotel balcony as she stays out of the scorching heat. 
Madonna previously said about the star: 'Rita is a talented beauty but what really drew us to her is the confidence she oozes through her music and her unique sense of style. 
'On stage or off, in photos or on the street - she's a magnet! This is what the Material Girl brand is all about!'

Ariana Grande to release new Christmas songs

Ariana Grande will release a single each week in the lead up to Christmas. 
Fans of 'The Way' singer will be treated to one festive track per week until the December 11 as part of her 'Christmas Kisses' campaign, which includes two original tracks and two popular covers including Wham classic 'Last Christmas' which was released today (20.11.13).
Ariana paired up with famed producers Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds and The Rascals - the team behind her debut album 'Yours Truly' - to put a fresh spin on the 1984 hit, with re-written verses.
The single has quickly become a trending topic on Twitter, and the brunette beauty took to the social networking-site to share her excitement after it entered at number seven in the US iTunes chart.
She wrote: '#LastChristmas is already in the top ten :D so glad ur enjoying it y'all are so good to me, thank you. (sic)'
She added: 'So grateful for your reaction to #lastchristmas can't wait for you to hear what's coming next week....... 1 song down... 3 more to go.'
'Christmas Kisses' comes fresh off the success of her first studio album 'Yours Truly' which peaked at number two in the UK charts and rocketed to the number one spot in the US within 19 minutes of its release.
The 20-year-old singer later became the first female artist to enter the charts at the number one spot with a debut album since January 2010.

'Christmas Kisses' tracklist and release dates:

01. 'Last Christmas', 20.11.13
02. 'Love Is Everything', 27.11.13
03. 'Snow In California', 04.12.13
04. 'Santa Baby', 11.12.13