The release of Star Trek Beyond, the third installment in the rebooted science fiction franchise, may only be a few months away, but that doesn’t mean that the Justin Lin-helmed space adventure is done. In fact, the production has gone back for reshoots and, in the process, has added an Academy Award nominee in what sounds like a potentially very interesting role. Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo has reportedly signed up to be part of the five-year mission and could have a big impact. Sure, it’s late in the game, but reshoots are a standard practice for a big Hollywood production. It’s not uncommon for a film to get into the editing and post-production swing and realize there’s something missing, or they could use something else to enhance what they already have. In some cases it’s major, in others it’s minor tweaks and changes. Right now there’s no word on how significant Shohreh Aghdashloo’s role will be, but as Deadline calls her character in Star Trek Beyond a "powerful politician," and is the High Command of the Federation, she could very well wield substantial influence. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in House of Sand and Fog, Shohreh Aghdashloo playing the leader of the Federation of Planets ,the governing body of the Trek world, is a curious proposition. Much of the two previous movies, 2009’s Star Trek and 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness, takes place on Earth. Fans of the franchise have been clamoring to get to more deep space action, and that’s what we heard we were going to get. From what we know of the plot of Star Trek Beyond, it picks up with the crew of the Enterprise in the middle of the iconic five-year mission—you know, "to boldly go where no man has gone before." That was music to many ears, but if the Head of the Federation is in play, that likely means there will be some Earth time after all, or at least more than we thought. It doesn’t mean there will be a lot of time on Earth, unless there are substantial reshoots. Perhaps there will be an opening scene on Earth and Star Trek Beyond jumps forward to the Enterprise further down the road. Or there could simply be a scene where Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) communicates with her or something along those lines. We’ll have to wait and see. Shohreh Aghdashloo is no stranger to science fiction. She showed up in X-Men: The Last Stand and the Mass Effect video games, and lately she’s been hanging out on Syfy’s new series, The Expanse, where she also plays a powerful politician. If you’re into sci-fi, you should definitely give that last one a watch if you haven’t already. With Justin Lin taking over the directing duties from J.J. Abrams, Star Trek Beyond brings back Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), and all of the core characters, as well as adding Idris Elba and Sofia Boutella to the call sheet. Star Trek Beyond hits theaters July 22.

As audiences will find out this weekend, director Dan Trachtenberg’s 10 Cloverfield Lane doesn’t really have all that much to do with its similarly-titled 2008 sister film, Matt Reeves’ Cloverfield. Instead, it’s been noted that the shared titular word is actually more of a Twilight Zone-esque link between projects, with the folks at Bad Robot and Paramount Pictures establishing a new franchise through which filmmakers can tell original stories. But is the idea of the two films eventually linking up something that’s totally off the table? Not according to Trachtenberg. Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of hoping on the phone with Dan Trachtenberg to talk about the ins and outs of 10 Cloverfield Lane, and I took the opportunity to ask the filmmaker about his thoughts on linking his film and 2008’s Cloverfield. He confirmed that they are separate entities for now, but that the there is a possible future where the two desperate narratives eventually collide. Said Trachtenberg, Who knows what’s in store in the future, and what kind of things could be further connected - but certainly [ 10 Cloverfield Lane ] does take place in a different timeline. But there are definitely connections that one could make as well. In case this quote is just a tad bit confusing, what Dan Trachtenberg is talking about here is the potential to inject the Cloverfield franchise with a bit of multiverse theory. This is the idea that there is actually an infinite number of different universes – some incredibly similar to our own and some entirely different – and that because of their simultaneous co-existence, there is the possibility that timeline crossover or travel between timelines could happen. So while the events that we see unfold in both 10 Cloverfield Lane and Cloverfield happen in two distinct worlds, it’s possible that some sci-fi fun could eventually bring the two together. It shouldn’t really come as a huge surprise that 10 Cloverfield Lane exists separately from the original Cloverfield at this time, as it wasn’t until the last few months that the two movies even had a titular connection. When the project was first starting development at Bad Robot, it was going under the name The Cellar - and it wasn’t until promotion of the movie began in January 2016 that the studios decided to give it a Cloverfield title. Of course, most film-goers aren’t going to know this going into the theater, so it will be interesting to see how its perceived in that regard. 10 Cloverfield Lane is in theaters this weekend, and you’ll be doing yourself quite the disservice if you don’t catch it. Go check out the film in the next few days, and stay tuned here on Cinema Blend for more from our interview with Dan Trachtenberg!

It’s an old trope of TV and film to never work with children or animals. Of course, some of the most endearing and adorable characters to ever hit the screen are one of those two things. After all, who doesn’t want to see an adorable puppy saving the day or making it’s way into characters’ hearts? One of the most memorable pooches to hit the silver screen in recent memory is Elle Woods’ chihuahua Bruiser in the Legally Blonde films. Reese Witherspoon’s Elle carried the dog everywhere during her adventures in the law field, with the dog wearing pink outfits and drinking Evian. We’re sad to report that the puppy who played Bruiser Woods in the original Legally Blonde, named Moonie, has just passed away. All pet losses are hard to get through, but this dog delighted millions of fans with his performance a Bruiser. Moonie’s co-star Reese Witherspoon took to instagram today to mourn Moonie and honor his legacy. Check out the sweet message below. How sweet is that? After all, Reese Witherspoon presumably last saw the chihuahua around the time that Legally Blonde was released back in 2001. So it’s been quite a few years since Witherspoon interacted with the puppy actor. But Moonie’s performance and interaction must have meant something to the Academy Award winning actress since she took to instagram to mourn her costar. Legally Blonde is a massively successful comedy starring Reese Witherspoon. The plot revolves around ditzy sorority girl Elle Woods who applies and is accepted to Harvard Law School in order to follow her ex-boyfriend, Warner. Unfortunately, the plan comes crashing down when she discovers that the man of her dreams is already engaged to another law student. From there, Elle decides to take her law career seriously and show all of her haters how smart and strong she can be. Legally Blonde is one of the quintessential comedies from the early 2000’s, and was massively successful. In addition to being a box office success, the film was also critically acclaimed. Both Reese Witherspoon’s performance and film itself were nominated for 2001 Golden Globe Awards. A sequel film was released in 2003 to much more modest success. In addition to Legally Blonde’s success, the comedy is also a popular culture icon that is still relevant. Elle’s lines, including the ones about Bruiser (he’s a gemini vegetarian) are utterly quotable. Check out one of Bruiser’s big scenes below. The film was also adapted into a Broadway musical, which garnered a handful of Tony nominees and included a real life chihuahua to play Bruiser on stage. Moonie aka Bruiser Woods, you’ve lifted up your leg and marked your territory on the world of film forever. Rest easy, pup.

As we sit here on the eve of Zack Snyder’s big superhero team up movie, it’s only fair that we look back at Zack Snyder’s last big superhero team up movie, and everything that is wrong with it. Whatever you thought of Watchmen, the film is not without its issues, and it’s time to enumerate each and every one. Here’s Everything Wrong With…Watchmen. Director Zack Snyder has made several movies based on graphic novels and other comics so it’s no wonder that after awhile they all start to blend together. There’s the excessive use of slow motion sequences that Snyder loves to use, as well as more than one direct reference to 300, another of his previous film. As with most runs through Cinemasins, the majority of the problems that Watchman has are due to the film's various moments that occur simply for plot convenience reasons. Most of them are minor details, but ultimately when one of your characters is built to be all-knowing, and all-powerful, you have to come up with some pretty convoluted stuff, or just conveniently ignore this fact, for the movie to have any drama at all. One of the major issues with Watchmen that this video brings up is that the movie is just too damn long. The theatrical release clocked in at over two hours and 40 minutes while the Director’s Cut, which appears to be the version being sinned here, is over three hours long. On one hand, Zack Snyder can be commended for making such a faithful adaptation of the graphic novel, but maybe that’s not what was needed here. The symbolism is also more than a little heavy handed. They use the Watchmen bloody smiley face image a lot in the movie and it just doesn’t need to happen. One use of the smiley face really got under our narrator's skin. In the end Watchmen earns itself a combined total of 182 sins and a sentence of "League of Extraordinary Vendettas From Hell." A nice shout out to all the other Alan Moore graphic novels that have seen cinematic adaptations. All of which he hates. What do you think of Zack Snyder’s Watchmen? Does Cinemasins give it too hard a time, or is this the right response? Does this movie give us any indication of what we’re on for regarding Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice?

This month, DC’s Caped Crusader and Man of Steel are finally duking it out on the big screen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but they aren’t the only Justice Leaguers getting attention in the movie. In addition to Wonder Woman playing a key role, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg are cameoing. Following the March blockbuster, Wonder Woman will go on her own adventure next June, and after Justice League: Part One, Aquaman and Flash will be the next solo movies up. However, rather than go the prequel route like Wonder Woman, the adventures of Jason Momoa’s King of Atlantis and Ezra Miller’s Scarlet Speedster will be set after their Justice League outing, and will build on that specific story. During their extensive coverage of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League: Part One writer Chris Terrio, The Wall Street Journal reported that The Flash and Aquaman will "continue the characters’ stories" following the first Justice League movie. This means that moviegoers will miss out on the traditional origin story, though it’s possible those moments will be explored in flashbacks or during the opening credits, Watchmen-style. Instead of being traditional origin-story movies, they’ll branch out on their own and deal with separate business after the events of Zack Snyder's 2017 blockbuster. Aside from Superman, who debuted in 2013’s Man of Steel, DC is taking the opposite approach of Marvel by introducing their biggest heroes in ensembles rather than in solo movies first. While the existence of superhumans is only just now starting to become public, most, if not all, of these heroes, have been active for some time. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will bring the Justice League members (minus Green Lantern, who will have to wait longer) into the fold, and Justice League: Part One will have them officially join forces. So while Wonder Woman’s first solo venture will explore what the Amazon warrior was up to during World War I, Aquaman and The Flash are moving their respective heroes forward, though as said before, we could still see glimpses of their past. While plot details on Aquaman and The Flash are still being kept under wraps, their creative teams have already been formed. The Flash, which will feature Ezra Miller as the Barry Allen incarnation, is being directed and written by Seth Grahame-Smith, although 21 Jump Street’s Phil Lord and Chris Miller wrote a treatment for the Fastest Man Alive’s first theatrical movie. As for Aquaman, director James Wan will helm his underwater adventure, while David Leslie Johnson penned the screenplay. Amber Heard is also being eyed to play Aquaman’s wife Mera, and if she’s cast, she’ll debut in Justice League: Part One. Theres no word yet on who will be part of The Flash’s supporting cast. The Flash races to theaters on March 16, 2018, while Aquaman swims to the big screen on July 27 that same year. As far as meeting them, though, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is literally only two weeks away from making that introduction.

The best film franchises feature immense ups and downs – victories and defeats for beloved characters. For Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice to carve out its own niche in the DC Extended Universe, it must similarly strike a tone that helps it stand out. From everything we’ve gleaned from the upcoming superhero melee, it's about to explore some dark, low points for the DC heroes.However, according to Oscar-winning screenwriter Chris Terrio, by the time the credits roll, things still won’t look great for the members of the Justice League. Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, screenwriter Chris Terrio opened up about Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and its place in the burgeoning DCEU. He explained: Batman v Superman is a bit of an Empire Strikes Back or Two Towers or any similar middle film in a trilogy. The middle film tends to be the darkest one. I do think from Man of Steel through Justice League, it is one saga really. Middle installments in a trilogy have historically gone to the darkest of places in evolving storylines. With that in mind, the comparison Terrio makes between Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Empire Strikes Back, and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers also seems interesting because it could indicate that the villains in Batman V Superman may have the upper hand by the end of the film. After all, both Empire and Two Towers end with major defeats for our heroes, and the beloved characters scattered in the wind. <a href="http://us-ads.openx.net/w/1.0/rc?cs=03b9044e95&cb=1457809963214&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cinemablend.com%2Fnew%2FWhy-Batman-V-Superman-May-End-Heroes-117907.html%3Fnspid%3D-1675579251&c.width=598&c.height=90&c.tag_id=23330&c.taglink_id=36486&c.scale=1.2173913&c.url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cinemablend.com%2Fnew%2FWhy-Batman-V-Superman-May-End-Heroes-117907.html%3Fnspid%3D-1675579251&c.params=&c.impression_type=26&c.placement_id=ad0.5814995104919017" ><img src="http://us-ads.openx.net/w/1.0/ai?auid=538140660&cs=03b9044e95&cb=1457809963214&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cinemablend.com%2Fnew%2FWhy-Batman-V-Superman-May-End-Heroes-117907.html%3Fnspid%3D-1675579251&c.width=598&c.height=90&c.tag_id=23330&c.taglink_id=36486&c.scale=1.2173913&c.url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cinemablend.com%2Fnew%2FWhy-Batman-V-Superman-May-End-Heroes-117907.html%3Fnspid%3D-1675579251&c.params=&c.impression_type=26&c.placement_id=ad0.5814995104919017" border="0" alt=""></a> There’s a distinct possibility, in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, that Lex Luthor’s plan to unleash Doomsday on Superman may very well work, and that we could see the iconic Death of Superman storyline play out during the film’s final act. Similar to the way in which Han Solo gets captured during the climax of The Empire Strikes Back and removed from the story (albeit temporarily), Batman V Superman may in fact show a Justice League standing together to face a new threat, but without the presence of the Man of Steel. Going into a lighter Justice League team-up film, the character could ultimately find Superman revived in some form or another to help take down that film's villain and cap off the trilogy. As long as there's no Ewoks, we're good with that. There’s a fair degree of evidence to back this theory up, too. Man of Steel introduced us to the DCEU by setting up Superman, but the next two DC films – Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman – more or less focus on the Batman and Wonder Woman corners of the universe, respectively. By using those films to further inform their characters, it could allow Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince to take on leadership roles in a Superman-less Justice League. <a href="http://us-ads.openx.net/w/1.0/rc?cs=03b9044e95&cb=1457809964324&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cinemablend.com%2Fnew%2FWhy-Batman-V-Superman-May-End-Heroes-117907.html%3Fnspid%3D-704035159&c.width=598&c.height=90&c.tag_id=23330&c.taglink_id=36486&c.scale=1.2173913&c.url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cinemablend.com%2Fnew%2FWhy-Batman-V-Superman-May-End-Heroes-117907.html%3Fnspid%3D-704035159&c.params=&c.impression_type=26&c.placement_id=ad0.5950252998042079" ><img src="http://us-ads.openx.net/w/1.0/ai?auid=538140660&cs=03b9044e95&cb=1457809964324&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cinemablend.com%2Fnew%2FWhy-Batman-V-Superman-May-End-Heroes-117907.html%3Fnspid%3D-704035159&c.width=598&c.height=90&c.tag_id=23330&c.taglink_id=36486&c.scale=1.2173913&c.url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cinemablend.com%2Fnew%2FWhy-Batman-V-Superman-May-End-Heroes-117907.html%3Fnspid%3D-704035159&c.params=&c.impression_type=26&c.placement_id=ad0.5950252998042079" border="0" alt=""></a> Then again, the Justice League could band together by the end of Batman V Superman to take down Luthor, only to see a new, greater threat rise in his place. This could come in the form Batman’s Darkseid Knightmare becoming a reality, or even Lex/OS coming online in the form of Brainiac. Whatever the overarching threat may look like, it will be enough to bring together the gods of the DC universe for a two-part Justice League movie. What do you think of Chris Terrio’s quote? Do you think we’re onto something, or are we just grasping at straws? We will just have to wait and see how this all pans out when Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice finally hits theaters on March 25.

Sir Elton John has sent a very honest message to Australian country star Catherine Britt ‘Fuck You Cancer’. “I wanted to send you this message because I know you are doing this tour and support of breast cancer. I know you are suffering from breast cancer and you are recovering. I am sending my best wishes to you. You are doing an amazing thing. I want to say FUCANCER too”. Catherine Britt was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2015. In 2005 she recorded the country song ‘Where We Both Say Goodbye’ with Sir Elton.

Chris Martin is allegedly stalling signing his divorce papers from Gwyneth Paltrow as he’s not ready to let her go. The two shocked the showbiz world when they announced they were "consciously uncoupling" in March 2014 after 10 years of marriage. Gwyneth filed for a divorce the following year, but the legal proceedings are yet to take place. “Of course, Chris has had time to respond, it’s been nine months,” a source noted to Britain’s Grazia magazine. “You can have a baby in that time. The truth is that Chris stalling on signing documents is very much a calculated move to stop Gwyneth remarrying. He’s just not ready to let her go.” Chris, 39, and Gwyneth, 43, have remained close since parting ways romantically, and share children Apple, 11, and Moses, nine, together. Both appear to have moved on with the love lives too; Chris started dating Jennifer Lawrence not long after his marriage ended, and has also been linked to Alexa Chung and Kylie Minogue. It’s thought he’s currently dating English actress Annabelle Wallis. Gwyneth has had a steady relationship with TV producer Brad Falchuk since splitting with Chris, and reports have suggested the Glee co-creator is ready to pop the question to Oscar-winner Gwyneth when her divorce is finalised. However, this may not be music to Coldplay frontman Chris’ ear, as it was reportedly agreed that neither he nor Gwyneth would remarry until their children were older. “Gwyneth and Chris still share everything, and she’s openly spoken to him about the idea of her marrying – and even having children with – Brad,” the insider commented. “The problem with Chris is he never quite knows what he wants. He doesn’t seriously want to get back with Gwyneth, but he also isn’t ready to see her settles down with anyone else.”

Model Amber Rose has been left disappointed after Wiz Khalifa reportedly ditched plans to look after their son. The busty beauty took to Instagram on Friday (11Mar16) to share her annoyance at her ex-husband, who seemingly changed his mind to spend the weekend (11-13Mar16) with three-year-old Sebastian. She didn't mention Wiz by name, but instead shared a meme with her 10.1 million followers to convey her feelings. The viral image was actually a photo of British singer Tulisa Contostavlos, who is pictured crying, red faced and puffy-eyed. The emotional snap was a screen shot of the N-Dubz star during her stint as a judge on Britain's The X Factor in 2012. Amber appeared to be oblivious to the identity of the woman in her meme, which featured the words: "When she plans her whole weekend around her babyfather (sic) taking the kids, and last minute he says, he's not coming". "Happy Friday!," Amber captioned the post. She did not elaborate on her personal issues, but fans were quick to recognise her struggle, with one asking, "Wiz acting up again?" The model and rapper Wiz parted ways in 2014 after just a year of marriage. They subsequently became embroiled in an online war of words over custody of young Sebastian, with the Black and Yellow hitmaker accusing his estranged wife of keeping their boy away from a birthday party he had planned at his home last year (15). They patched up their differences last spring (15), and Amber, who previously dated Kanye West, went on to praise Wiz as her only real love. "He was the love of my life. He was the only man I've ever loved," she admitted on the podcast Guys We F**ked in January (16). "We obviously loved each other so much, and we still love each other. Even when we talk on the phone now it's always like, 'OK, babe, see you later. I love you.' We just can't be together. We aren't good in a relationship." Amber is currently dating Toronto Raptors basketball player Terrence Ross.

Kanye West led the congratulations for Leonardo DiCaprio after the Oscars on Sunday night (28Feb16). The 41-year-old actor has been nominated for a gong six times, but finally took home one of the awards at this year's ceremony as he was named Best Actor for his role in The Revenant. Kanye has been hitting headlines for his Twitter rants in recent months but swapped his tirades for something more complimentary as he revealed his joy over Leonardo's victory. “Finally!!! Our guy!!! We're so so happy for Leo!!!" he wrote on his Twitter.com page. The rapper wasn't the only star to offer his congratulations via social networks. Stunning blonde model Erin Heatherton, who dated the actor back in 2012, clearly holds no grudges against her former beau. She shared a picture of Leonardo collecting his gong, alongside the caption: "Yay Leo!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ellen DeGeneres, who recently had Leonardo on her television show, wrote: "He did it! He really did it! @LeoDiCaprio, I love you!" Meanwhile, Oprah Winfrey added she was giving the actor a standing ovation for his win while wearing her pyjamas, adding "Bravo Leo!" Upon collecting his award, Leonardo used his acceptance speech to raise awareness for the issue of climate change. "Climate change is real. It is happening right now," he said. "It's the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating." He added that he hopes world leaders would do their part to curb pollution. "We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters or the big corporations, but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people who will be most affected by this. "Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted. Thank you so much," he said. Juliette Lewis, who co-starred with Leonardo in 1993 movie What's Eating Gilbert Grape? also thanked him for bringing up the issue, writing on her Twitter.com page: "So happy to see Leon win and to use it as a platform to talk about #ClimateChange and things that matter! Congrats my friend @LeoDiCaprio."

Dave Grohl decided to perform at the Academy Awards so his daughter wouldn't think he's a "big wimp". The Foo Fighters frontman attended the Oscars for the first time on Sunday night (28Feb16), gracing the red carpet with his wife Jordyn Blum. When quizzed beforehand whether this set would be one of the biggest of his career, Dave admitted he felt pressure in the lead up. "Maybe, perhaps," he replied to ABC. "It's funny because the reason I'm doing this tonight is because when I told my daughter that I was offered to play, she said: 'Well you're gonna do it, aren't you?' And I said, 'Well I'm kind of a little nervous.' And that night I went to sleep and I thought, 'Well now I have to do it because if I don't do it, my daughter's gonna think, like, I'm a big wimp.' So I'm doing this one for my daughter for sure." Dave has three daughters - Violet, nine, Harper, six, and Ophelia, who turns 19 months on Tuesday (01Mar16) - with wife Jordyn. His performance during the ceremony was an emotional one, as he paid tribute to famous names who have passed away over the last 12 months with a rendition of The Beatles' Blackbird. As he played, clips of stars including musician David Bowie and thespian Alan Rickman were shown in the background. Those A-listers who tuned in from home shared their praises for Dave on social media. Captain America actor Chris Evans wrote: "Dave Grohl singing blackbird. Amazing," while KISS rocker Gene Simmons posted: "Dave Grohl's BLACKBIRD (McCartney) was stunning. Subtle, and beautiful." The last award ceremony Dave attended was the Grammys earlier this month (Feb16), where Foo Fighters were up for two accolades; Best Rock Performance for Something from Nothing and Best Music Film for Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways. Despite winning neither, the band already has 11 Grammys to its name, along with several NME Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.

Sam Smith has accused critics of missing the point of his Oscars acceptance speech after facing a backlash online. The 23-year-old won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for his James Bond theme, Writing's on the Wall, on Sunday night (28Feb16), but he quickly came under fire after claiming he may be the first openly gay man to receive a gold statue during his speech. After a night of partying, Sam took to Twitter on Monday (29Feb16) to explain his comments. "So hungover. genuinely feels like a dream," he began, before adding: "Second openly gay man to win an oscar or third or fourth or 100th, It wasn't my point ... My point was to shine some light on the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community who i love so dearly." During his moment on stage, Sam mentioned a recent article written by actor Ian McKellen, who noted that no openly gay man has ever won an Oscar. The veteran was only referring to the main acting categories, a distinction which appeared to have been lost on Sam. "If this is the case, even if it isn't the case, I wanna dedicate this to the LGBT community all around the world," the singer told the Dolby Theatre audience. "I stand here tonight as a proud gay man and I hope we can all stand together as equals one day." However, openly gay screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who won an Oscar for Milk in 2009, was quick to blast Sam on Twitter for getting his facts wrong, and for texting his fiance, British Olympic diver Tom Daley. "Hey @SamSmithWorld, if you have no idea who I am, it may be time to stop texting my fiancé," the 41-year-old wrote. "THE POINT: knowing our LGBTQ history is important. We stand on the shoulders of countless brave men and women who paved the way for us." While Sam didn't acknowledge the texting element of Dustin's post, he did post a response regarding his point about previous openly-gay Oscar winners. "Apologies for the mix up @DLanceBlack I'll be sure to check out your films now x Belated Congrats on the Oscar x," he wrote. Sam also added a black and white photograph to Instagram, showing him sitting outside with his head bowed, as a bottle of beer and his Oscar sit on a table nearby. "I can't put into words how I feel other than... Hungover and Insanely happy x", he wrote.

Dr. Luke's lawyer has blasted Kesha for including herself among victims of sex abuse following Lady Gaga's moving Oscars performance. The Born This Way superstar brought the likes of Oscar nominees Rachel McAdams and Kate Winslet to tears with her powerful rendition of Best Original Song contender Til It Happens to You, which she co-wrote with singer/songwriter Diane Warren for The Hunting Ground documentary, about sex attacks on U.S. college campuses. Gaga was introduced by fellow sex abuse prevention campaigner, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, while she was joined onstage by a slew of sex assault survivors, who raised their fists in solidarity at the end of the emotional set. The performance earned a standing ovation from the star-studded crowd at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on Sunday (28Feb16), and Kesha was among those heaping praise on Gaga via social media. "thank you @ladygaga and VP @JoeBiden for bringing attention to sexual assault at the oscars," she wrote. "it hit very close to my heart for obvious reasons." The 28-year-old singer is currently embroiled in a legal battle against bosses at her record label Sony, requesting to be released from her contract due to allegedly suffering sexual abuse at the hands of producer Dr. Luke, who has fiercely denied her claims. A New York judge recently refused Kesha's motion, and as their court fight is ongoing, Dr. Luke's lawyer did not appreciate the star including herself among the victims Gaga showed solidarity to at the Academy Awards. The producer's attorney, Christine Lepera, tells TMZ.com, "Ms. Sebert (Kesha), who in sworn videotaped testimony from 2011 stated that she had never been sexually abused or drugged by Dr. Luke, is neither a victim nor the appropriate person to be held up as an example for this important issue." Kesha, who is currently on vacation in Turks and Caicos, has yet to respond to Lepera's statement, but she previously claimed she was forced into defending Luke in the 2011 deposition, during which she denied ever sleeping with the producer. Lepera's comments came hours after Gaga had personally sent a message to Kesha, revealing her Oscars performance was partly dedicated to her pal. "@kesharose I'll be thinking of u 2nite (sic)," Gaga wrote on Twitter on Sunday afternoon. "This is not over we'll stand by u until you are free to live a HAPPY life. Everyone deserves that."

Lady Gaga and the sexual assault survivors from her Oscars performance have all had matching tattoos. The singer was joined by 50 fellow sexual abuse survivors, who had phrases like, "Not your fault", "Unbreakable", and "Survivor" scribbled on their forearms for Gaga's stirring performance of Til It Happens To You, the Best Song nominee from college rape documentary The Hunting Ground. Gaga had pitched the idea of identical tattoos prior to the performance, and on Friday (04Mar16), she shared a picture of the finished result on Snapchat. Each of those who opted for the tattoo, an intricate wavy design, decided on a different place for it, with Gaga having it etched on her left shoulder. It certainly doesn't look out of place, as the singer already has several other designs on that part of her body - including a flower, a heart, and a swarm of butterflies. Following her Oscars performance, Gaga admitted she was an emotional mess ahead of the big show because she struggled to accept she was a survivor, too. "The first day of rehearsal with all the survivors I could barely get myself together," she wrote on Instagram. "My body was wrecked with inflammation and pain, crying and shaking the whole walk to the stage. The whole night before I did not sleep. The fear of knowing I would finally face that I belonged in that group. "I told them I was so sorry I couldn't be Lady Gaga for them, that I couldn't even get dressed. I could barely get through the song, couldn't hit any of the high notes." The group of survivors hugged her and showed her nothing but support, because they knew she was feeling their pain. "Without them I never could have felt strong," she added. "They accepted me for me, at my lowest, and that was good enough for them, so somehow through the magic of their courage they made it good enough for me too."

Madonna's daughter Lourdes Leon is reportedly helping the pop icon speak to her estranged son Rocco Ritchie. The Material Girl has not seen her 15-year-old son since he refused to return to the U.S. after visiting his director father Guy Ritchie in the U.K. in December (15). Madonna and Guy are currently locked in a custody battle over their child, and Madonna's daughter Lourdes, from her relationship with Carlos Leon, has stepped in to help her mother, who is reportedly on the verge of a “stress-induced meltdown”. Lourdes is doing what she can to reconnect Madonna and Rocco because she is "very concerned", a source tells Britain's The Sun newspaper. “Madonna has no official access or way of knowing what’s going on in Rocco’s life," the insider adds. “She also can’t get direct contact with Guy. He wants to conduct all their business through lawyers... Madonna is so proud of Lourdes, she believes she is proof of what a brilliant mum she was because she is now at university.” Hearings into their custody battle were held in Manhattan and London last week (ends06Mar16) and the former couple was scolded for bringing the case to court instead of trying to reach a settlement amicably. Another London hearing is scheduled for Thursday (10Mar16). Madonna and Guy were married for eight years, and also adopted 10-year-old David Banda. They agreed that Rocco would be raised in New York in their 2008 divorce settlement. The singer recently broke down when she dedicated her cover of La Vie En Rose to Rocco during her Rebel Heart Tour concert in New Zealand. She told the audience, "There is no love stronger than a mother for her son. And if I talk about him too much... I might cry." "I would like to dedicate this song to him - it's a love song for a man but I know he will need one, one day... I hope he hears this somewhere and he knows how much I miss him." Guy lives in London with his new wife Jacqui Ainsley and their three children.

Lady Gaga insists Kesha is being "publicly shamed for something that happens in the music industry all the time". The Born This Way singer has been an outspoken advocate for her fellow pop star, who recently lost her bid to be released from her Sony Music recording contract with producer Dr. Luke. A judge ruled the singer could not terminate the contract she signed a decade ago, despite the fact she's suing the hitmaker, claiming he sexually and emotionally abused her. Since that ruling on 19 February (16), Kesha has garnered the support of fans and celebrities alike, including Reese Witherspoon, Anne Hathaway, Adele, Taylor Swift and Gaga, who has spoken frequently of her support for the #FreeKesha movement. Her latest comments came in an interview with Los Angeles radio station AMP Radio 97.1, in which she alleged that Kesha's situation is certainly not uncommon in their industry. "Well, I think that people should just know that there’s so much more than what meets the eye in a case like that," she said. "And it’s so kind of deceiving when you read about contracts and you read about what people owe each other in terms of power and records. The truth is, I feel like she’s being very publicly shamed for something that happens in the music industry all the time, to women and men. I just want to stand by her side because I can’t watch another woman that went through what I’ve been through suffer, you know?" Gaga previously revealed she had been raped at the age of 19, and used her experience to inspire her Oscar-nominated song Til It Happens to You from documentary The Hunting Ground. She added the thing she finds most difficult about Kesha's case is the constant accusations that her friend isn't telling the truth. "And have everyone have a go at her as if, you know, she’s lying," she continued. "I mean, I have to say. I talk to her every day. I’m friends with her personally and what I’m watching her go through is not only something I’ve been through, but something that’s really devastating to witness. Somebody that has such a beautiful light within them, so much talent to give. Just to see that light burn out because they feel that no one’s listening to them, I feel that it’s my responsibility to stand up for her when there’s a lot of people that are not listening to her plea for love, for people to have compassion and empathy." Gaga also used the interview to discuss her own career. She hasn't released a solo album since 2013's Artpop, and revealed she is determined to take her time with her upcoming record so that it can be the best it can be. "I’m actually working every day on my record and I will be done with it at some point!" she laughed. "I just feel like this is my time for me to spend with my music. I have, for years, had to do so many other things and keep up with so much to please people around me and this is the first time I really get to spend with my work, you know? I promise you it will be worth the wait."

Madonna turned up to her show in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday night (10Mar16) four hours late and dressed as a clown. The 57-year-old singer has been embroiled in a custody battle with ex-husband Guy Ritchie over their 15-year-old son Rocco for the past few months, and it seems the complicated case could be taking its toll on the superstar. As she arrived for her performance at the Forum in the city, fans were left bemused by her appearance, with Madonna sporting a pink wig, striped tights and frilly top, along with a top hat and clown nose. She explained to the audience that her outfit was to "symbolise heartbreak", adding: "There is something tragic about clowns because they try so hard to make you laugh and smile. “They are obviously covering up something, there is something going on inside. What do you think is going on inside of me?" Other bizarre occurrences during the evening included Madonna riding a trike across the stage, and falling off of it, and downing vodka cocktails. This is the first time Madonna has openly consumed alcohol during a performance, after previously denying claims she had been drunk during a performance in Kentucky. "One thing I’m going to do here tonight that I’ve never done before when singing is drink," she told the crowd. "I’m not supposed to be asking for alcohol right now but, Jesus Christ, get me some drink." Audience members also took to social media to comment on Madonna's state, with one writing: "So far, Madonna is drunk and constantly missing cues." Another added: "Madonna is performing to tell her son to come home. So moving. And drunk." One of the most emotional points of the evening came when Madonna readied herself to sing the track Intervention, which begins with the line: "I got to save my baby". An image of Rocco as a toddler flashed up on the screen behind her and Madonna struggled to control her emotions as she told her fans" "Everybody knows the saga of me and my son Rocco. It’s not a fun story to tell or think about. I probably would have enjoyed myself a bit more on this tour if he hadn’t have disappeared so suddenly. I’m going to dedicate this song to him." The singer has not seen Rocco since he refused to return to his mother in New York following a stay with his London-based father in December (15). Madonna has pursued legal action in both the U.K. and the Big Apple, where earlier this month (Mar16), Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Deborah Kaplan urged the two sides to find an amicable solution for the sake of Rocco. That case was adjourned until 1 June (16), while Justice Alistair MacDonald concurred with Kaplan's advice during a preliminary London hearing last week (03Mar16).

The Galaxy Tab series has a new member, which was rumored for quite some time now, the Galaxy Tab A (2016). Details about the tablet leaked online several weeks ago, so the Galaxy Tab A (2016) is not really a surprise. Since this an affordable product, Samsung did not unveil the tablet at a dedicated event. Instead, the Galaxy Tab A (2016) has been listed on the company’s official website. Although the Galaxy Tab A (2016) does not have a price tag attached to it, several retailers list the tablet for €170 ($190). It’s unclear when exactly the tablet will go on sale, but since it’s now up on Samsung’s website it should hit shelves pretty soon. Potential customers should know that the Galaxy Tab A (2016) will be available in both black and white colors. For the time being, only the Wi-Fi version is listed on Samsung’s website, but there might not be a 3G model available. Exynos 3475 chipset, 4,000 mAh battery As for the specs inside the Galaxy Tab A (2016), the tablet sports a small 7-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports 800 x 1280 pixels resolution. Hardware-wise, the slate includes a 1.3GHz quad-core Exynos 3475 processor, coupled with a Mali-T720 graphics processing unit and 1.5GB of RAM. Also, the tablet packs 8GB of internal memory, which can be expanded up to 200GB via microSD card slot. At the back, the Galaxy Tab A (2016) packs a 5-megapixel photo snapper with autofocus and video recording, but no LED flash. There’s also a secondary 2-megapixel camera in the front for selfies. Samsung’s affordable tablet is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery, which should provide up to 9 hours of video streaming, or up to 100 hours of music playback. According to Samsung, the Galaxy Tab A (2016) ships with Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system right out of the box. We don’t expect the tablet to receive any major software updates like Marshmallow.

Acer has already unveiled a few Windows 10 Mobile handsets in the last couple of months, but none has been released on the market until today. The flagship Liquid Jade Primo was expected to arrive in the first few months of the year, but Acer has yet to make it available for purchase. In the meantime, Microsoft launched the mid-range Lumia 650 with Windows 10 Mobile not long ago. The good news is Windows Phone fans will now have more choices in the low-end range since Acer has finally launched the affordable Liquid M330, which is supposed to compete with Microsoft’s Lumia 550 released last year. Unfortunately, the Liquid M330 is slightly more expensive than Microsoft’s Lumia 550, at least at launch. Hopefully, Acer’s Windows Phone price will drop in the coming weeks otherwise people will definitely choose Microsoft’s smartphone over this one. According to WinFuture.de, Acer Liquid M330 is now available for purchase in France (via Amazon) for €120, but customers also have to pay for shipping. In Germany, smartphone is likely to cost around €130 outright, but the price will vary by country. Unimpressive specs Aside from the fact that it comes with Windows 10 Mobile onboard, Acer Liquid M330 also includes a 4.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports 480 x 854 pixels resolution, as well as a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus, LED flash and video recording. The Liquid M330 comes equipped with a 1GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor, coupled with an Adreno 304 graphics processing unit and 1GB of RAM. There’s only 8GB of storage inside the Liquid M330, but users can expand storage up to 32GB via microSD card slot. In the front, there’s a 5-megapixel camera for selfies and video calls. Acer Liquid M330 is powered by a 2,000 mAh battery, which hasn’t been rated by the manufacturer yet. Connectivity-wise, the smartphone offers LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0 and GPS with AGPS support.

Xiaomi fans might know that the Chinese company had already launched its mid-range Redmi 3 Android smartphone a few months ago. The Redmi 3 is now available for purchase in China and a few other emerging markets in Asia, but the phone lacks at least one important feature: a fingerprint scanner. The original Xiaomi Redmi 3 comes with a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (720p) resolution, as well as a massive 4,100 mAh battery, which is probably the phone’s main selling point. On the inside, the Redmi 3 packs a 64-bit 1.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor, an Adreno 405 graphics processing unit, and 2GB of RAM. Unfortunately for those who were expecting the Redmi 3 to include a fingerprint sensor, Xiaomi did not add this feature in the smartphone released back in January. It comes with a similar metal body and diamond pattern design The good news is modified version of Redmi 3 has been spotted recently at TENAA, the Chinese regulatory commission. This particular smartphone packs a fingerprint scanner on the rear side. The latter features the same diamond pattern on the back side, which is made out of 4,166 stars that become visible when light falls on it at a particular angle. But not all is great about the Redmi 3, as Xiaomi has decided that adding a similar 4,100 mAh battery inside would be bad for business. According to the listing at TENAA, the Redmi 3 drains energy from a much smaller 3,000 mAh battery. The rest of the phone’s features are similar to the standard model, so expect the same all-metal unibody design, 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, and 5-megapixel secondary camera on the front. The new Xiaomi Redmi 3 will come with Android Lollipop operating system onboard and MIUI 7 on top of it. Also, it will include both 4G LTE and hybrid dual-SIM support. There’s no word on when exactly the smartphone will be officially introduced, but we doubt this modified version will benefit from too much advertising from Xiaomi, so expect a quiet launch in the next couple of weeks. It will probably be released as Xiaomi Redmi 3 Prime.

BlackBerry has just released four autoloader versions for their first Android smartphone, the PRIV. Those who own one of the many US versions of the BlackBerry PRIV will be pleased to know that they can download these autoloader versions for free. The following carrier versions BlackBerry PRIV devices can be flashed with these autoloaders: AT&T, T-Mobile USA and Verizon. Aside from these three important operators, BlackBerry also launched a non-US version for the following PRIV models: STV100-1, STV100-3, and STV100-4. These autoloaders are especially useful in case your BlackBerry PRIV suddenly starts to lag or freeze at times. Once you download any of these autoloaders, you can use it to wipe your device clean of any data and start anew by installing the OS. As mentioned earlier, you can choose from four OSes, but some of them are based on older versions of Android, so you will probably have to download additional updates after you flash the autoloader. Be careful which version you download According to CrackBerry, the AT&T autoloader version is based on the February update, and so is the T-Mobile USA variant. However, Verizon’s autoloader is based on the original version of the operating system, so you will probably have to download either a large update file or more than one smaller updates. Last but not least, the non-US carrier autoloader, which is aimed at all BlackBerry PRIV units sold in any country other than the United States, is based on the January update of the OS. BlackBerry is one of the few companies that delivers monthly security updates to its PRIV smartphone. In fact, the Canadian company is always among the first to push these upgrades at the beginning of each month. In other news, BlackBerry fans should expect at least one other Android smartphone to arrive later this year. This one should be slightly cheaper than the PRIV, which means lesser hardware as well.

After teasing its customers last month with news that the Skylake-powered 'Project Sputnik' XPS 13 developer edition laptop will be shipping with Ubuntu, Dell now announces that its entire Precision mobile workstation series comes with Ubuntu preinstalled. Of course, today's announcement comes as huge news for those who have always dreamed of having a gorgeous and powerful Ubuntu-powered Dell laptop on their hands to play with, and Dell's Precision 5510, 3510, 7510, and 7710 mobile workstations now all come in Ubuntu flavors, available for purchase worldwide. "This means our complete Precision mobile workstation portfolio is now available globally with Linux pre-loaded. To get to the Ubuntu option, click on the “Customize & Buy” button on the system you wish to purchase, then select Ubuntu Linux in the operating system section," said Laura P. Thomas, chief blogger for Direct2Dell.com. As for the 5th generation of the Dell XPS 13 developer edition laptop, U.S. residents can now purchase one from the company's online store. However, it only comes in three different i7 configurations, including one with 16GB RAM. The Ubuntu-powered Dell XPS 13 laptop will be available worldwide later this year, along with an Intel Skylake i5 option. Dell's announcement also notes the fact that some minor fixes for its XPS 13 DevOps platform, as well as the Precision series have been made available post launch, so make sure that you read Project Sputnik leader Barton George's recent blog post on how to update your Ubuntu installation. Also, the upcoming Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (Xenial Xerus) operating system will be available as an upgrade option soon.

Now that everyone's happy enjoying the latest Firefox 45.0 web browser, which once again failed to deliver the GTK3 integration on the Linux platform, bleeding-edge users can jump again into the Beta bandwagon, this time for Firefox 46.0. Yes, you're reading it right, Mozilla just pushed the first Beta build of the upcoming Firefox 46.0 web browser, due for release on April 19, 2016, for all supported platforms, including GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows. The release notes for the Firefox 46.0 Beta have also been made public, and guess what? The GTK3 integration for GNU/Linux only is there again, mentioned as an upcoming new feature for the final Firefox 46.0 release. Somehow this gets us excited again, but at the same time, we can't help but remember the fact that the GTK3 integration has been promised to us Linux users since Firefox 42.0, which was released back in November 2015, without GTK3 integration, of course. We want GTK3 support in Firefox for GNU/Linux! The GTK3 support for Mozilla Firefox in GNU/Linux systems is a must these days, and considering the fact that Firefox is the default web browsers of numerous Linux kernel-based operating systems, including the popular Ubuntu, we need it ASAP. For those not in the known, the GTK3 integration will bring richer theme support, something that we have previously demonstrated, HiDPI widget drawing, fewer X11 dependencies, better support for input devices, and much more. We've checked the status of the GTK3 integration for GNU/Linux builds of Mozilla Firefox, and on March 2, 2016, the Firefox Release Manager and Debian/Ubuntu developer Sylvestre Ledru noted the fact that it should land in Firefox 46.0, so fingers crossed! If you can't wait no longer until April 19, you can switch to the Beta channel today by downloading the Mozilla Firefox 46.0 Beta 1 binaries for your GNU/Linux operating system via our website.

The third maintenance release of the stable 2.7 series of the Git open-source distributed revision control system has been announced for all supported platforms. In 2016, Git remains the most popular source code management system, used by over 12 million people on the well-known GitHub web-based Git repository hosting service, where developers from all over the world can find more than 31 million projects, to which they can contribute or even fork into new projects. Git is a revision control system, and it is also the main tool that developers can use to manage their source code history and push Git projects to the popular GitHub hosting service for Git repositories. Git is actively updated, and it is available for all major platforms, including GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows. According to the latest release notes, Git 2.7.3 is a major release, and it adds multiple improvements and fixes since version 2.7.2, which was announced only two weeks ago. Among the changes, we can notice the renaming of traditional tests to use the "work-tree" name instead of the "worktree" one used by the "git worktree" command. "Traditionally, the tests that try commands that work on the contents in the working tree were named with "worktree" in their filenames, but with the recent addition of "git worktree" subcommand, whose tests are also named similarly, it has become harder to tell them apart," the Git devs noted in the changelog for version 2.7.3. Git gets more robust error handling Among other interesting changes implemented in Git 2.7.3, we can mention more robust error handling when writing into the software's internal asynchronous process, thus reducing flakiness in the internal tests, as well as fixes to the "git show 'HEAD:Foo[BAR]Baz'," "git rev-parse --git-common-dir," "v(iew)," "git merge-tree," and "git config section.var value" commands. Below, we've attached the entire changelog for our tech-savvy readers interested in learning all there is to know about the changes implemented by the Git developers in the latest stable Git 2.7.3 release. In the meantime, you can grab the Git 2.7.3 sources from our website for GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows operating systems.

We had several kernel updates this week, including Linux kernel 4.4.5 LTS, Linux kernel 3.10.100 LTS, and Linux kernel 3.12.56 LTS, and the last one is Linux kernel 3.14.64 LTS. The sixty-fourth point release of the long-term supported Linux 3.14 kernel series is a small one, and according to the diff from the previous maintenance build, it mainly updates drivers for things like SCSI, USB, Virtual Host, InfiniBand, iSCSI, EDAC, ATA, IOMMU, and MTD. But Linux kernel 3.14.64 LTS also comes with a few improvements to the x86 and MIPS hardware architectures, as well as several fixes for the JFFS2 and CIFS filesystems. Other than that, it contains multiple sound enhancements and core kernel updates. "I'm announcing the release of the 3.14.64 kernel. All users of the 3.14 kernel series must upgrade," said Greg Kroah-Hartman. "The updated 3.14.y git tree can be browsed at the normal kernel.org git web browser: http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-stable.git;a=summary." Linux 3.14 users need to update as soon as possible In numbers, Linux kernel 3.14.64 LTS changes a total of 55 files, with 878 insertions and 356 deletions, and Greg Kroah-Hartman urges, as usual, all users of Linux kernel-based operating systems running a kernel from the Linux 3.14 LTS (Long Term Support) series to upgrade to the 3.14.64 maintenance release as soon as possible. Operating system vendors and maintainers can now download the Linux kernel 3.14.64 LTS sources from the kernel.org website or via Softpedia, configure, tweak, and compile the new version for their systems, and push the updated kernel packages to the main software repositories of the respective distributions for users to update immediately.