The daily gossip: Bruce Willis wanted $1 million a day to appear in The Expendables 3, and more
5 top pieces of celebrity gossip — from the Chicken Soup for the Soul movie to Universal's upcoming celebration of Harry Potter
1. Bruce Willis wanted $1 million a day to appear in The Expendables 3
It's been a few days since Sylvester Stallone called Bruce Willis "GREEDY AND LAZY" for exiting The Expendables 3, and we finally know why. A source tells The Hollywood Reporter that Willis balked at his $3 million paycheck for four days of mumbling incoherent dialogue; when he countered by saying he would drop out of film unless he got $4 million, Stallone approached Harrison Ford to take over the role — thereby ensuring that the sequel would maintain the franchise's requisite 27 action stars. [The Hollywood Reporter]
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2. There's a Chicken Soup for the Soul movie on the way
In the never-ending quest to turn everything you vaguely remember into a splashy, mainstream Hollywood film, Alcon Entertainment has announced plans for a movie based on Chicken Soup for the Soul, a loosely linked collection of homilies that is literally the opposite of a coherent cinematic narrative. The Wrap reports that the film will be "inspired by a variety of characters from the Chicken Soup for the Soul series," shattering our hopes that it would turn out to be about a really hungry ghost. [The Wrap]
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3. The Exorcist might get turned into a TV show
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Today, in news that might make you want to projectile vomit: A TV series based on The Exorcist is reportedly in the early stages of development. Deadline reports that both broadcast and cable networks have expressed interest in a small-screen take on the classic horror movie penned by writer Jeremy Slater — because if there's anything we know about The Exorcist, it's that every attempt to continue its story has been a smashing success. [Deadline]
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4. Universal Orlando will offer "a celebration of Harry Potter"
Because seven books, eight movies, and a theme park just aren't enough, Universal Orlando has announced that it will throw "a celebration of Harry Potter" next year, which will be a nice departure from the rest of the time, when no one ever talks about Harry Potter. Slashfilm reports that the event will include a class on dueling with wands hosted by the choreographer from the movies. Anyone who doesn't want to wait that long can achieve the same effect by going to their local park, picking up a stick, and waving it around. [Slashfilm]
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5. The original Star Wars script has been adapted into a comic book, is super crazy
Want to spend time in a different galaxy far, far away? In September, Dark Horse will release a comic book based on George Lucas' first (and radically different) draft of the Star Wars script, which centers on General Luke Skywalker as he teams up with Annikin Starkiller and a green-skinned reptilian alien called Han Solo. The bizarro version of Star Wars may rankle purists who don't like to see their favorite characters tinkered with, but hey — how can you argue with a Star Wars universe that doesn't feature Ewoks or Jar Jar Binks? [The Hollywood Reporter]
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
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