Playboy's Hugh Hefner and "runaway bride" set to wed

Hugh Hefner and his fiancee, Playboy Playmate Crystal Harris, arrive at the opening night gala of the 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival featuring a screening of a restoration of 'An American In Paris' in Hollywood, California April 28, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Fred Prouser

LOS ANGELES | Mon Dec 31, 2012 5:32pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The runaway bride who left Playboy founder Hugh Hefner out in the cold days before their planned wedding in 2011 said on Monday that she is finally ready to tie the knot with the octogenarian publisher on New Year's Eve.

"Today is the day I become Mrs. Hugh Hefner," Crystal Harris, 26, wrote on Twitter on Monday after changing her name to "Crystal Hefner" on the micro-blogging site. "Feeling very happy, lucky, and blessed."

Hefner, 86, and Harris reunited earlier this year after the blonde Playmate jettisoned the adult entertainment mogul in what was called a "change of heart" five days before a lavish June 2011 wedding before 300 guests.

Harris hinted at a low-key ceremony this time around, tweeting a picture of a room at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles flush with an arch of white and pink flowers, and two dozen white chairs aligned for the ceremony.

Hefner himself was silent on Twitter and the exact timing of Monday's wedding ceremony was not known.

Harris, who earned a psychology degree, was Playboy magazine's Miss December 2009 and appeared on the July 2011 cover of the adult magazine with a "runaway bride" sticker covering her bottom half.

The San Diego native born to British parents said she asked for Christmas ornaments at her pre-Christmas bridal shower to help decorate Hefner's famed mansion.

"I was deciding what kind of shower I wanted, and I thought I didn't really want a lingerie shower, since I have more than enough lingerie," Harris told Us Weekly magazine of the shower.

Hefner, founder of the Playboy adult entertainment empire, has been married twice before. He and his second wife Kimberley Conrad, also a former Playmate, divorced in 2010 after a lengthy separation. His first marriage to Mildred Williams ended in divorce in 1959. He has two children from each marriage.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Cynthia Osterman)

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Hollywood tops Chinese film market in 2012, first time in four years

SHANGHAI | Mon Dec 31, 2012 12:02pm EST

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's 2012 box office was dominated by foreign films for the first time in four years as a deal cemented earlier this year saw more Hollywood film screened on the mainland, squeezing out domestic competition.

China's box office receipts are expected to reach 16.8 billion yuan ($2.7 billion) in 2012 and about 8 billion yuan ($1.28 billion), or slightly less than half the receipts, are from domestic films, the official People's Daily reported on Monday, quoting estimates from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

It is the first time in four years that domestic film receipts totaled less than 50 percent of the market and signals that the February trade agreement to allow more Hollywood movies to be screened in China is having a significant impact on the country's movie industry.

Last year, domestic films made up 54 percent of box office receipts, down slightly from 56 percent in 2010, local media reported. China agreed in February to open its market to more American movies, permitting 14 premium format films such as IMAX or 3D to be exempt from the annual 20 foreign film quota.

Last month, Tian Jin, China's vice minister of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, said the U.S. film industry was reaping massive profits due to the February concession while domestic producers were under pressure.

However, the best-selling film this year is a low-budget, domestically-produced comedy called "Lost in Thailand" about two rival businessmen. The movie drew a bigger audience in China than James Cameron's "Avatar", the People's Daily said.

($1 = 6.2335 Chinese yuan)

(Reporting by Melanie Lee; Editing by Matt Driskill)

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Green Day to get back on road in March

The Rock group Green Day, Mike Dirnt, (L), Billie Joe Armstrong, (C), and Tre Cool arrive for the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, September 6, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Danny Moloshok

NEW YORK | Mon Dec 31, 2012 2:40pm EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The members of Green Day said on Monday they will return to the road in March after the punk rock band canceled its fall club tour and postponed later dates as frontman Billie Joe Armstrong underwent treatment for substance abuse.

"We want to thank everyone for hanging in with us for the last few months," the band members said in a statement on their website. "We are very excited to hit the road and see all of you again, though we regret having to cancel more shows."

Armstrong, lead singer and guitarist for the Grammy-winning rock band, sought substance abuse treatment in September following an angry, guitar-smashing on-stage outburst in Las Vegas. The details of his addiction were never specified.

Armstrong, 40, added to the website posting with a note on Instagram, saying:

"Dear friends ... I just want to thank you all for the love and support you've shown for the past few months. Believe me, it hasn't gone unnoticed and I'm eternally grateful to have such an amazing set of friends and family.

"I'm getting better every day," he said. "So now, without further ado, the show must go on. We can't wait to get on the road and live out loud! Our passion has only grown stronger."

The tour will begin in Chicago on March 28, with dates in Pittsburgh, New York, Toronto and other cities up through April 12 in Quebec City.

The band said it would announce additional West Coast dates in early 2013.

Tickets for the postponed shows will be honored at the new dates, Green Day said. Tickets for canceled shows will be refunded at the point of purchase.

In November the band moved up the release date of "iTré!," part of an ambitious trilogy of albums that marks their first collection of new music since 2009, to December 11 from its original date of January 15, in part to make up for the canceled and postponed dates.

The California-based punk rock band, formed in the late 1980s, has sold more than 65 million records worldwide and won five Grammys, including best alternative album for its 1994 major-label debut, "Dookie," and best rock album for "American Idiot" and "21st Century Breakdown."

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bill Trott)

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Kanye West, Kim Kardashian expecting baby: reports

Rap musician Kanye West is seen court side with reality television star Kim Kardashian as the Miami Heat play the New York Knicks in their NBA basketball game in Miami, Florida December 6, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Andrew Innerarity

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Hollywood tops Chinese film market in 2012, first time in four years

SHANGHAI | Sun Dec 30, 2012 11:01pm EST

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's 2012 box office was dominated by foreign films for the first time in four years as a deal cemented earlier this year saw more Hollywood film screened on the mainland, squeezing out domestic competition.

China's box office receipts are expected to reach 16.8 billion yuan ($2.7 billion) in 2012 and about 8 billion yuan ($1.28 billion), or slightly less than half the receipts, are from domestic films, the official People's Daily reported on Monday, quoting estimates from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

It is the first time in four years that domestic film receipts totaled less than 50 percent of the market and signals that the February trade agreement to allow more Hollywood movies to be screened in China is having a significant impact on the country's movie industry.

Last year, domestic films made up 54 percent of box office receipts, down slightly from 56 percent in 2010, local media reported. China agreed in February to open its market to more American movies, permitting 14 premium format films such as IMAX or 3D to be exempt from the annual 20 foreign film quota.

Last month, Tian Jin, China's vice minister of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, said the U.S. film industry was reaping massive profits due to the February concession while domestic producers were under pressure.

However, the best-selling film this year is a low-budget, domestically-produced comedy called "Lost in Thailand" about two rival businessmen. The movie drew a bigger audience in China than James Cameron's "Avatar", the People's Daily said.

($1 = 6.2335 Chinese yuan)

(Reporting by Melanie Lee; Editing by Matt Driskill)

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"The Hobbit" keeps box office crown for third week

By Ronald Grover and Chris Michaud

Sun Dec 30, 2012 3:55pm EST

n">(Reuters) - The dwarfs and elves of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" prevailed at the North American box office again over the weekend, as its $32.9 million in ticket sales topped both the star-packed musical "Les Miserables" and the western "Django Unchained."

Despite surging past "The Hobbit" on Christmas day with an $18.1 million opening, "Les Miz" managed only third place in U.S. and Canadian sales with $28 million as Christmas shoppers returned from the malls to boost Hollywood's box office, according to studio estimates.

"The Hobbit," in its third week of release, has now grossed $222.7 million domestically, Warner Bros said.

Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," a western starring Jamie Fox as a slave turned bounty hunter, took second with an impressive $30.7 million.

Tom Cruise's crime drama "Jack Reacher," which features author Lee Child's former military investigator solving a fatal sniper attack, landed in fifth with $14 million, outpaced by "Parental Guidance," the Billy Crystal-Bette Midler as grandparents comedy which took in $14.8 million to nab fourth.

Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution for Fox, said the "Parental Guidance" performance was "just a tremendous result for our little engine that could."

Backed by a musical score that made it a Broadway icon, "Les Miz" surged past "The Hobbit" on Christmas day, collecting $18.1 million to pass "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" with the biggest midweek opening day by a musical.

But it was not enough to conquer the "Hobbit" juggernaut, which scored its third straight box office weekend win.

Universal's president for domestic distribution Nikki Rocco called the "Les Miz" $28 million take "phenomenal, especially considering we went into the weekend with $40 million," an unexpectedly strong figure for its first few days in release.

"People really love this movie, which is even more rewarding and gratifying," Rocco said.

"Les Miserables," which stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway, benefited from Oscar buzz and its star power, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com's box office division, who said he wouldn't be surprised to see the musical pass $200 million before it's done.

That would put it among the Hollywood's Top 20 best-selling musicals. It would pass the 1972 film "Cabaret," which grossed $191 million in box office sales adjusted for higher ticket prices, and put it close to "Camelot," which sold $204.5 million in 1967, according to the web site the-numbers.com.

The most successful musical is "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," which grossed more than $6.3 billion but has been re-released by Walt Disney nine times since its 1937 premiere, according to the site.

A rush of high-profile films in December is expected to push 2012 to a domestic box office record. The current record is $10.6 billion, set in 2009.

"Jack Reacher" debuted just days after the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting sparked new debate about the impact of movie violence. "Reacher" begins with a sniper killing a handful of seemingly random victims. A red-carpet premiere and a screening to promote the $60-million production were postponed after the December 14 Newtown tragedy.

Adult comedy "This is 40" starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann as a middle-aged couple was sixth with $13.2 million. The Judd Apatow $35 million film totaled $37 million after two weeks. The seventh spot went to Steven Spielberg's historical film "Lincoln," with $7.5 million for a $132 million domestic total.

Comedy "The Guilt Trip," starring Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen as a mother and son on a cross-country drive, pulled in $6.7 million for eighth.

Also this week the latest James Bond hit "Skyfall" topped $1 billion in worldwide sales, despite falling out of the week's top 10 films at the box office.

"The Hobbit" was distributed by Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros studio. Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc released, "Jack Reacher" and "The Guilt Trip." Comcast Corp's Universal Studios released "Les Miserables" and "This is 40." "Django Unchained" was released in the United States by the Weinstein Company.

(Reporting By Ronald Grover; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

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UK "X Factor" winner regains top chart spot

LONDON | Sun Dec 30, 2012 2:03pm EST

LONDON (Reuters) - James Arthur, winner of this year's British version of the "X Factor" TV talent show, saw his debut single climb back to number one in the British pop charts on Sunday.

Arthur's "Impossible" shot straight to the top earlier this month but was overtaken last week by a tribute song to the victims of the 1989 Hillsborough football stadium disaster, "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", a version of the ballad that was a worldwide hit for The Hollies.

That song has now slipped to fifth position, according to the Official Charts Company listings.

"Scream and Shout" by will.i.am, featuring Britney Spears, stayed at two while Psy's monster video hit "Gangnam Style" was up three places to third.

In the album charts, British singer Emeli Sande stayed top with "Our Version Of Events", with Olly Murs' "Right Place, Right Time" unchanged at two.

Rihanna was up three places to third with "Unapologetic".

(Reporting by Stephen Addison; Editing by Alison Williams)

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