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Tag: noah

  • Emma Watson: Is She Dating Prince Harry?

    Emma Watson is best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series of films. Will she now be known as one who is dating royalty–Prince Harry to be exact? There is a rumor floating around that states exactly that, and it’s been confirmed by at least one publication.

    Woman’s Day Australia reports that the two are enjoying “secret dates with each other and are getting to know each other quite well.”

    It seems Prince Harry reportedly reached out to Emma Watson via email, following her split from rugby player Matthew Janney, back in December.

    The magazine continued, saying when Emma Watson first showed up to meet Prince Harry, that she brought along a dozen of her friends, and that everyone enjoyed the prince’s company.

    “He’s smitten–and it’s more than Emma’s looks,” a source told the publication.

    Prince Harry will be an uncle yet again before too long, as brother Prince William and wife Kate Middleton are expecting their second child. Do you suppose Emma Watson will get to meet more of the royal family?

    Emma Watson recently starred in the film Noah, alongside actor Russell Crowe, and also made quite a name for herself in The Perks of Being A Wallflower, along with Parenthood star Mae Whitman.

    It will be interesting to learn what Queen Elizabeth thinks of her grandson dating an actress–if, in fact the relationship gets that far.

    Of course Emma Watson isn’t just an actress. She also went to college and earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Brown University–meaning she’s way more than simply a talented actress and a pretty face.

    What do you make of the notion that Emma Watson and Prince Harry might actually be dating? You must admit, they make a most intriguing pair.

  • Emma Watson Dedicates Award to Dead Hamster

    Emma Watson has always seemed like such a stable young woman. Amidst starring in several films, she managed to earn a degree at Brown University. Best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series of films, she graduated to different roles in films like The Perks of Being A Wallflower and Noah. Perhaps it’s all this consistency and hard work that makes what she did when receiving the British Artist of the Year Awards at the 2014 Britannia Awards just a little bit peculiar.

    This all took place last week when Emma Watson stood at the podium, accepting her Britannia Award. And during that acceptance she dedicated said award to her dead hamster–Millie. She went on in her speech, explaining that during filming a Harry Potter film, she had an on-set hamster–namely Millie. And when Millie passed on into the great hamster hereafter, the crew even built a tiny coffin for her little furry friend.

    “On the first Harry Potter film, my on-set hamster Millie had a heart attack and didn’t quite make it,” Watson said. “The set decorators built a small mahogany hamster-sized coffin and it had a velvet lining [and] a silver plaque on front which had Millie’s named engraved in it.

    “Rest in peace, Millie. This one’s for you,” she said while accepting her award.

    Emma Watson was joined at the 2014 Britannia Awards by Hailee Steinfeld and Eddie Redmayne. Watson wore Balenciaga, accessorized by a Jennifer Fisher necklace, and Jennifer Meyer earrings and rings. She carried a bag by Rauwolf.

    In addition to graduating from Brown and achieving accolades in the acting world, Emma Watson also serves as a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador. She is clearly intelligent, talented, and well-versed in many worldwide newsworthy situations.

    Somewhere along the way Watson developed a passion for hamsters. And last week she honored one of them at a very prestigious awards ceremony.

    Will fans soon see Emma Watson driving a Kia Soul and dancing with the hamsters in the popular ads–or is her allegiance solely to Millie instead?

  • Emma Watson: Actress Now A Brown University Graduate

    Emma Watson graduated this weekend from Brown University. The Harry Potter actress holds a degree in English Literature as of Sunday. Back in April Watson said some people didn’t believe she would get her degree. In fact, they told her it wasn’t even a possibility.

    “People told me it wasn’t possible,” she said, about graduating from the prestigious ivy league school.

    “I kept saying, ‘I don’t care.’ This is what I want. And graduating will, for me, be really symbolic of all of that,” the Noah star added at the time. “I will be there. And I will be throwing a huge party. And getting very drunk.”

    Emma Watson certainly proved those naysayers wrong as she walked the stage in Providence, Rhode Island among other Brown University graduates who also received their college degrees. She probably hasn’t carried out the ‘getting drunk’ part, as it’s still fairly early in the day–but who knows? Maybe the fun started early.

    Emma shared a photo of herself wearing her cap and gown with her Twitter followers.

    In addition to her role as Hermione Granger in all the Harry Potter films, Emma Watson is also known for her roles in The Perks of Being A Wallflower and The Bling Ring. It seems a bit uncertain as to how or when she will use her college degree, but kudos are definitely in store for the effort she no doubt put in to attaining it. In between acting, what had to be at least a fairly active social life, and her frequent work as a model, not much time was left for studying. It’s likely that during her college years Emma Watson got little to no sleep.

    Maybe the actress will take a little bit of time off now that college is over–or at least sleep in for a few days.

    Image via Twitter

  • Baby Names: The Most Popular of 2013

    Move over, Jacob. There’s a new favorite baby name in town. That’s right, after a 14-year reign on the top of the list of baby boy names, Jacob is no longer No. 1. Instead, Noah has taken the title.

    According to the Social Security Administration’s list of most popular American baby names for 2013, Noah pushed Jacob down to No. 3, with Liam sliding into the No. 2 slot. Mason, William, Ethan, Michael, Alexander, Jayden, and Daniel rounded out the top ten.

    This is the first time the biblical name has been at the top of the list in the 21st century. Additionally, this year marks the most popular for Liam.

    “In baby-name terms, that’s huge news,” said Laura Wattenberg, founder of the baby-name website babynamewizard.com, referring to Noah’s rise to fame. “I think it does mark a change in style, even though those are two classical Old Testament names.”

    On the girl’s side of the list, Sophia came in at No. 1 for the fourth year straight. Emma, Olivia, Isabella, Ava, Mia, Emily, Abigail, Madison, and Elizabeth were the ten most popular names for girls in 2013.

    Wattenberg attributes some of the reasoning for the popular names to the sound they make.

    “Noah and Liam are two examples of a style I’ve called ‘raindrop names’ — miniature, multi-syllable names with a perfectly smooth sound, so there are no hard edges, no stop,” she stated.

    She also believes that is one of the reasons why Sophia is so popular, because of its long “o” sound, which is hot right now.

    The two fastest-rising girl names are Daleyza, the name of the daughter of Mexican singer Larry Fernandez, and Sadie. The fastest rising boy names are Jayceon (often pronounced “Jason”) and Jase.

    The fastest falling name of 2013? Justin.

    “It has been the cute teenage boy name, but age is finally getting to it, and Justin Bieber seeming less cute to people these days have made ‘Justin’ the fastest-falling boys’ name this year,” Wattenberg said.

    Good luck next year, Justin!

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Emma Watson Talks About What Comes After Graduation

    Emma Watson has been a very busy young lady; not only is she a sought-after actress, she’s also working on an English Literature degree at Brown and is a style icon who has been the face of Burberry and Lancome. Her extremely busy schedule means one thing when she graduates this spring: a huge party.

    “I will be having a hell of a party. It will just be a relief, I think, because I’ve been really juggling so much and it will just be really nice to be able to focus on just one thing but I think I’ll miss it, too,” she said in a recent interview.

    The former child actress has done a wonderful job of moving on in the acting world from a role that could have had her pigeonholed; as Hermione Granger in the “Harry Potter” series, she became such a huge pop culture figure that some wondered if she would be able to pull off another role as well. Since the last film, she’s portrayed a spoiled, sticky-fingered Hollywood princess in Sofia Coppola’s “The Bling Ring” and starred in the successful film adaptation of “The Perks Of Being A Wallflower”. Up next, she’s tackling a huge film of biblical proportions, but when she first heard that Darren Aronofsky was at the helm, she had a hard time envisioning what it could be.

    “Darren does these very dark, very intense, very gritty, very real films,” she said. “And then Noah is kind of — you see this guy with the long beard and there’s the animals. … You can’t really picture it.”

    The film stars Russell Crowe as Noah and has been a controversial topic among filmgoers since the first trailer debuted, mainly because some take issue with Aronofsky changing the original text.

    “If we had gone with exactly the original story, Noah doesn’t say anything until he steps off the ark,” Watson says. “You would have been watching a silent film. None of the women are really spoken about in the biblical story. There wouldn’t have been any women in it. He had to adapt it for the screen.”

    Watson recently made headlines when she spoke against the media and fashion industry for their portrayal of airbrushed, perfect women.

    “As a younger woman, that pressure got me down, but I’ve made my peace with it. With airbrushing and digital manipulation, fashion can project an unobtainable image that’s dangerously unhealthy. I’m excited about the ageing process. I’m more interested in women who aren’t perfect. They’re more compelling,” she said.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • ‘Noah’ Movie Has Big Opening; Still Mired In Controversy

    The much-talked about biblical epic Noah scored a stellar $44 million opening this weekend despite the huge amount of controversy that has surrounded it prior to its release.

    Paramount’s big budget film grossed more than $95 million worldwide on opening day, courtesy of an early launch in countries like Mexico and South Korea. In Russia, the film grossed $17 million, which is the highest ever opening for a non-sequel. Noah is number four on the list of top openings of all time.

    The film, which was directed by Darren Aronofsky of Black Swan fame, features a darker take on the Old Testament tale. During filming, Noah sparked a lot of buzz among Christian groups in the United States, and even got banned from several Muslim countries. As a result, Paramount Pictures added a disclaimer at the beginning of its film stating that “artistic license was taken” in interpreting the biblical tale of Noah.

    Noah’s surprisingly impressive showing surpassed another strong box office contender, the science fiction action Divergent. The film, which stars Theo James and Shailene Woodley, was the second top grosser this weekend with approximately $27 million in ticket sales.

    Paramount Pictures president of domestic marketing Megan Cooligan stated that the results were “fantastic” and that the film “surprises people and makes them want to talk about it”. Paramount vice chair Rob Moore added that Noah’s “increased attention” in the U.S. and around the world definitely worked to the film’s advantage as it piqued people’s interest – whether positively or negatively.

    The film drew a diverse audience, which included African-Americans, Catholic Latinos, Christians, and fans of the acclaimed The Wrestler director. Cooligan also noted that although there was a nice balance of age ranges in the crowd, more than half of the number of ticket buyers belong to the over-25 age group.

    Is ‘Noah’ Movie Bogus?


    Image via Noah Movie, Twitter

  • Emma Watson Criticizes Fashion Industry

    Actress Emma Watson, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise, recently opened up about being hounded by British paparazzi during her time at Brown University, and also commented on her disdain the impossible standards of beauty projected by Hollywood and the fashion industry.

    Watson, 23, calls the pressure to look perfect surrounding showbiz “dangerously unhealthy,” and complained of her failed attempts to blend into the student body while attending Brown. Though, the actress commented that with age, she’s been better able to roll with trappings of her fame. “As a younger woman, that pressure got me down, but I’ve made my peace with it. With airbrushing and digital manipulation, fashion can project an unobtainable image that’s dangerously unhealthy. I’m excited about the ageing process. I’m more interested in women who aren’t perfect. They’re more compelling.”

    At the New York premiere of her new film Noah, Watson tweeted that she did “NOT wake up like this!”

    Watson began her studies at Brown in 2009, and has sporadically taken time off to complete film work. “After Harry Potter, all that mattered was university,” she said, adding that “It wasn’t always easy to break down barriers, as having men from the British press following me with cameras didn’t help my mission to integrate.” Watson went on to say that the American press allowed her a high degree of privacy, but she was instantly recognized by her fellow students.

    In March 2011, after 18 months at Brown, Watson left for a couple semesters, and became a visiting student at Worcester College, Oxford for the 2011-12 academic year. In March, 2014, Watson told David Letterman during an interview that she would be graduating from Brown in May..

    While describing her initial time at Brown, Watson stated, “On the first day, I walked into the canteen and everyone went completely silent and turned around to look at me. I had to say to myself ‘it’s OK, you can do this.’ You just have to take a deep breath and gather your courage.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Emma Watson: ‘Noah’ Star Talks Film and Spirituality

    Emma Watson is just one of the stars in the new film Noah that premiered this weekend in theaters across the country. During one of her interviews touting the film she talked about the liberties director Darren Aronofsky took in translating the Bible story for telling on the big screen.

    ‘‘Darren does these very dark, very intense, very gritty, very real films,’’ Watson explained. ‘‘And then Noah is kind of — you see this guy with the long beard and there’s the animals. … You can’t really picture it.’’

    Then she read the script.

    ‘‘I think it’s a really original take on a genre, on a story, on an idea,’’ she said.

    Emma Watson’s role is that of Noah’s adopted daughter Ila. Is she a particularly religious woman in real life?

    “I already had the sense that I was someone who was more spiritual than specifically religious. … I’m really interested in those things that are more far-reaching than culture, nationality, race, religion,” she said.

    Darren Aronofsky has come under considerable fire from several Christian groups who have accused him of taking way too many liberties with the biblical text. Watson weighed in on that as well.

    “If we had gone with exactly the original story, Noah doesn’t say anything until he steps off the ark. You would have been watching a silent film. None of the women are really spoken about in the biblical story. There wouldn’t have been any women in it. He had to adapt it for the screen,” she said.

    And that makes perfect sense, too. Anyone who has read the Old Testament account of Noah knows that the entire tale is summed up in very few passages. There is no way to extract a film’s worth of story line from the biblical account.

    In addition to Emma Watson, Noah also stars Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly. The hype about this film alone may draw viewers to the box office. The special effects are said to be second to none as well.

    Noah appears to have what it takes to dictate many people’s weekend plans. Emma Watson seems to have played a role in drawing in at least a fair portion of the film’s soon-to-be fans.

    Image via Twitter

  • “Noah” Reviews Are Out Ahead of March 28th Release

    The reviews are in for hesitant movie goers wanting details about Paramount’s recent cinematic interpretation of Noah in advance of the March 28th opening date. The 138-minute movie is a creation of Darren Aronofsky who brought the world Pi and Black Swan. The movie has an impressive cast lineup including: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth, Mark Margolis, and Kevin Durand. Recently released mixed reviews have proven to be insightful.

    The Hollywood Reporter’s Todd McCarthy recently wrote, “Whereas for a century most Hollywood filmmakers have tread carefully and respectfully when tackling biblical topics in big-budget epics aimed at a mass audience, [Darren] Aronofsky has been daring, digging deep to develop a bold interpretation of a tale which, in the original, offers a lot of room for speculation and invention.”

    Screendaily’s Tim Grierson shared the following:

    “Intrigued by the Noah story since childhood, Aronofsky has clearly poured his soul into this big-budget undertaking, using the clout of his commercial and critical hit Black Swan to make a movie that’s far more introspective and despairing than the usual popcorn epic. And yet, Noah mostly proves frustratingly ponderous, an anomaly in Aronofsky’s career that has been marked by films full of bravura flourishes and imaginative storytelling. To be fair, Aronofsky and co-writer Ari Handel have greatly expanded the Noah narrative, not just focusing on the preamble to the ark’s construction but also the aftereffects of the Great Flood, but they fail to come up with characters or scenarios that are all that captivating.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR2raSZihOM

    According to Variety’s Chief Film Critic Scott Foundas, Noah could be classified as a risky endeavor for present film studios. In a recent review, Foundas wrote:

    “Whatever comes of “Noah” (which opens this weekend in several foreign markets, including Mexico, a week ahead of its March 28 domestic launch), the film certainly ranks alongside “The Great Gatsby” and “Gravity” as one of the riskiest director-driven passion projects to be gambled on by today’s ever more cautious major studios.. If Aronofsky’s $130 million, 137-minute movie ultimately feels compromised at all, it’s less by studio interference than by its director’s own desire to make a metaphysical head movie that is also an accessible action blockbuster. “Noah” does not always sit easily astride those competing impulses, but it is never less than fascinating, and sometimes dazzling, in its ambitions.”

    Foundas went on to add that, “Noah rarely disappoints, commencing with the building of the ark itself. Designed by production designer Mark Friedberg (and built, to the actual dimensions specified by the Bible, on a New York soundstage), it is an awesome thing.”

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons

  • Giuliana Rancic: Russell Crowe’s Awkward Interview

    Giuliana Rancic has interviewed countless celebrities throughout her time as an E! correspondent, and was recently asked if one interview stuck out among all of them as the most awkward. She told Bravo’s Andy Cohen that Russell Crowe really took the cake. What on earth did the Noah star do to qualify in this manner?

    “Russell Crowe was so mean to me,” Giuliana said. “I had been at E! for a year and I thought, ‘I’m going to go easy because he’s pretty tough.’ And so I said, ‘Are you excited to be here? Your big movie premiere.’ And he goes, ‘I’m contractually obligated to be here. What’s your next question?’”

    It didn’t end there either.

    “And I go, ‘OK, um, isn’t it so wonderful to see all the fans?’ And he goes, ‘That’s your second question?’ And then he goes, ‘One, two, you’re through’ and walked away,” she added.

    Wow. Can you even imagine being so rude? “Awkward” really seems to be a very mild description of Giuliana Rancic’s interview with Russell Crowe. He was completely, unacceptably rude to her.

    The Giuliana and Bill star will soon return to E!, as the next season of the show starts back up on April 1st. Fans are no doubt wondering if the couple will consider adding baby number two to their family. Will they move to Chicago permanently? One thing they definitely won’t be wondering is will Russell Crowe make a guest appearance on their show?

    Does Russell Crowe’s behavior during his interview with Giuliana Rancic surprise you? Or is this apropos for the actor?

    It sounds like Russell Crowe owes Giuliana Rancic a giant apology–or at the very least an exclusive interview (a polite one this time) the next time he’s in town.

    Image via Twitter

  • ‘Noah’ Movie: Biblical Film Banned In Several Islamic Countries

    It’s safe to say that the Muslim side of the world is not too keen on seeing the upcoming Hollywood film, “Noah”.

    The biblical epic film, which is directed and co-written by Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky, features New Zealand actor Russell Crowe as the ark-building follower of God. In a statement given by a representative of Paramount Pictures to Reuters, censorship officials from Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have banned the showing of “Noah” in their local theaters, on religious grounds.

    The film previously sparked a religion-fueled debate among conservative Christians in the United States, which compelled Paramount Pictures to modify its marketing material with a disclaimer that says, “artistic license has been taken” in interpreting the story of Noah.

    Juma Al-Leem, who is the director of media content at the UAE’s National Media Center, informed the Associated Press that the reason behind the prohibition is the fact that Islam disapproves of the depiction of the Prophet Mohammad as well as other holy figures in art and films as it promotes the worship of a person rather than God.

    After watching “Noah”, the censors added that some of the scenes in the film contradict Islamic teachings and that these elements might offend their viewers. Cairo’s Al-Azhar, which is the foremost center of Islamic studies, issued a religious edict called a fatwa against the film’s showing. The edict declared that the film is a “clear violation of Islamic law”.

    The big-budget film, which cost $125 million to make, will premiere on March 28 in American cinemas. Apart from Crowe, “Noah” also features other big Hollywood names such as Sir Anthony Hopkins as Methuselah, Jennifer Connelly as Noah’s wife Naameh, and Emma Watson as Ila.

    Noah is one of 25 prophets that the Qu’ran mentions by name. His Arabic name is Nuh, and is believed by Muslims to have been commanded by God to build an ark after seeing the people in his community refusing to worship God alone. There are subtle differences between the Qu’ranic and biblical versions of Noah’s story, although both accounts mention a massive flood and Noah’s ark saving a pair of each animal species.

    Watch ‘Noah’ Trailer


    Image via YouTube

  • Noah, Starring Russell Crowe, Debuts First Trailer [Video]

    Noah, Russell Crowe’s long anticipated film has finally released its first trailer. The film tells the biblical story of Noah, who of course, was the one who was instructed by God to round up all of the animals and brought them on to his ark, before the world flooded.

    Due to the complexity, and elaborate nature of the film, it has already been delayed, and is now set to come out on March 28, 2014. Ironically, what ultimately delayed the film’s filming, and subsequent release was actually Hurricane Sandy.

    The film is set up to be an epic adventure, just like the one that took place in the Old Testament, and with Darren Anofsky as the director, viewers have come to expect great things. Before this film, Arnofsky has done artsy films, and has already received an Oscar nomination for his work on Black Swan. He has also directed The Wrestler, Pi, The Fountain, and Requiem For A Dream.

    This story also introduces audiences to Tubal-Cain, played by Ray Winstone, who is Noah’s arch-nemesis, and reminds Noah where his allegiance should lie, and to respect his King.

    Russell Crowe plays the title role of Noah in the film, but in addition to his role, there is an excellent supporting cast including Emma Watson, Jennifer Connelly, and Anthony Hopkins. Connelly plays his wife, while Watson plays the daughter of Noah.

    Before the trailer debuted today, E Online also released a sneak peek for the film yesterday, in order to get people excited.

    Now, if that didn’t get people excited for the trailer, and its upcoming film, then it is hard to know what would.

    Image via Youtube

  • Megan Fox’s Son Wins At Having A Cool Name

    Megan Fox’s son Noah, who was born in September but wasn’t announced until October, has been given the honor of having the best celebrity baby name of 2012.

    According to a poll of over 2,000 women, Noah ranked first on the list for favorite names. Somewhat surprisingly on the list of least favorites are Reese Witherspoon’s son, Tennessee, and Beyonce and Jay-Z’s daughter, Blue Ivy. I thought that couple could do no wrong.

    Favorite Baby Names:
    1. Noah (Megan Fox)
    2. Luca (Hilary Duff)
    3. Hollie (Amanda Holden)
    4. Faith (Michelle Heaton)
    5. Marnie Mae (Tamzin Outhwaite)
    6. Pearl (Jack Osbourne)
    7. Theodora (Robbie Williams)
    8. Penelope (Kourtney Kardashian)
    9. Aoife (Una Healy)
    10. Marlowe (Sienna Miller)

    Least Favorite Baby Names:
    1. Fox India (Mark Owen)
    2. Eugene (Billie Piper)
    3. Dolly (Chantelle Houghton)
    4. Astala (Peaches Geldof)
    5. Lorenzo (Snooki)
    6. Maxwell (Jessica Simpson)
    7. Blue Ivy (Beyonce and Jay Z)
    8. Camden (Nick Lachey)
    9. Tennesse (Reese Witherspoon)
    10. Leighton (Stacey Solomon)

    But there are tons of odd celebrity baby names that didn’t make the list, like Jason Lee’s kid, Pilot Inspektor, or Nicholas Cage’s son Kal-El (after Superman, of course). Perhaps the idea that no one else will have a name like that is what appeals most to these parents, but I feel for those kids when they get to middle school.

  • The Best Cover Of “I’m Sexy And I Know It” Ever

    You probably didn’t think anyone would take LMFAO’s “I’m Sexy And I Know It” and arrange an acoustic guitar part to it, but someone did. And that someone has an incredible voice.

    Known only as Noah, this kid kills the song with just his guitar and some insane pipes, which bring to mind a young Marcus Mumford. Enjoy the song you never knew you loved, and check out Noah’s stuff on YouTube.