Elizabeth Banks to direct new thriller ‘Cocaine Bear’, based on bizarre true life story

DANNIELLA Westbrook smouldered in a sultry bedroom shoot after revealing her glam facial transformation. The EastEnders icon, 48, slipped into a white robe and struck poses on a plush bed.

Speaking her mind. Britney Spears plans to bare all in her upcoming book, an insider exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly.

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Tony Visconti has shared his views on Spotify, criticising the streaming service as “disgusting” over its low payments to artists.Visconti, best known for his lifelong work with David Bowie, was asked by The Independent about a tweet in January in which he asked followers to help him delete his Spotify account.It came during backlash around podcaster Joe Rogan, whose show on the platform was criticised for sharing misinformation about the coronavirus vaccine, and which led to artists including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell removing their music.Visconti clarified that he did not eventually delete his account. “I thought about it, but I use Spotify as a tool,” he said.

A woman who was living with a violent partner used a domestic abuse code word to get away from him.

Boris Johnson has demanded President Putin "turn his tanks around" as MPs cheered on the Ukrainian ambassador, who watched proceedings from the Commons public gallery.

Manchester City fans are split in opinion on the news that Everton have received an apology from the PGMOL after the Toffees were denied a penalty against City.

The family of a young dad who died after crashing his motorbike he had bought the day before have paid a heartfelt tribute to him. Car salesman Shane Raymond Williams, 24, died in the horror smash in South Yorkshire in February last year. Mr Williams, the father of a two-year-old girl when he died, was said to be trying for a baby with his partner.

Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler, is facing a lawsuit from the real Leviev family which he pretended to be a part of.In court documents obtained by People, Israeli Russian diamond tycoon Lev Leviev and his family have filed a lawsuit against Hayut for allegedly impersonating them and “receiving numerous benefits (including material ones)” for using the family name.The lawsuit, filed in Tel Aviv, claims that Hayut has been “cunningly using false words, claiming to be a member of the Leviev family, and that his family will pay and bear the cost of his benefits”.The court documents allege that Hayut “defrauded, cheated, conned, falsified, and hurt women, men and businesses” all over the globe.“The defendant used the dating application Tinder to locate women who he then emotionally manipulated, cunningly bamboozled of funds, and eventually convinced to transfer large sums of money to him under the guise of being on the run from individuals intending on hurting him,” the lawsuit reads.Guy Ophir, the attorney for the Leviev family, has said this is “only the beginning” of their legal action against Hayut, with more lawsuits in the works.In a statement to Metro.co.uk, a representative for Hayut denied any wrongdoing. “Simon believes the family is just trying to insert themselves in the narrative for publicity after the show’s success.“Simon also legally changed his name in 2015 and looks forward to this getting thrown out in court.”Hayut is estimated to have allegedly stolen $10million (£7.4million) from a number of victims under the alias of Simon Leviev, after gaining their trust with the promise of expensive dates.Since the Netflix series aired, Hayut has been banned from Tinder, Hinge and other dating apps.

Michelle Keegan put on a stunning display as she stepped out in front of the cameras.

Julia Fox opened up about her brief relationship with Kanye West while attending the premiere of The Batman in New York City on March 1. “It was the best thing that could have happened to me,” Julia told Entertainment Tonight. “It was like hitting a reset button. It kind of brought a spark back into my life that I had kind of forgotten about.” She also confirmed that she and Kanye are “still friends” following their split.

CORONATION Street fans left furious as tonight's episode has been cancelled to make way for the football. FA Cup matches will see Emmerdale, EastEnders and Corrie moved around all week. The news have left fans frustrated with many taking to social media to complain about the changes.

TMZ.It has been alleged that he made a bizarre claim that he and the supermodel share a child together.Cindy, 56, is a mother to son Presley, 22, and daughter Kaia, 20 - both of whom now have successful modelling careers in their own right.Their father is businessman Rande, who Cindy married in the Bahamas more than 23 years ago.A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s office confirmed in a statement to the publication: "On February 27th, 2022, Lost Hills Station deputies responded to a trespassing call."After conducting their investigation, they arrested a male adult suspect for the crime of stalking."It is unknown which part of the UK the suspect is from."Express.co.uk has contacted Cindy Crawford's representatives for comment.Meanwhile, Cindy was actually much closer to his home than he had flown, as she had travelled to Paris to take part in Fashion Week.She and daughter Kaia, who is a dead ringer for her mum, joined other model legends including Naomi Campbell and Helena Christensen on the Parisian catwalk this week.They paid tribute to the late fashion designer Virgil Abloh by walking the runway in his name after his death.Cindy, who posed nude for Playboy in the same year that she married husband Rande, will celebrate her 24th anniversary of nuptials in May.She had previously been married to actor Richard Gere but claimed she changed so rapidly at a young age that before long, she was barely recognisable to him.In a Masterclass TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, she explained: "At 22, as a young woman, I was kind of still figuring out who I was and what I wanted to be...

Ashley Cain and his partner Saffiya Vorajee went through the most painful event of their lives in April 2021, when their beloved daughter Azaylia passed away following an arduous battle with leukaemia.They had spent months in and out of hospital, trying to save their daughter from the blood cancer, and even set up a fundraising page to help them get specialist treatment in Singapore. But when doctor's told them they believed she only had a few days left, they refocused their efforts in ensuring her final days were filled with love and joy.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorNetflix, in its second games-related acquisition, plans to buy Next Games, mobile games developer based in Finland, for $72 million.Founded in 2013, Next Games has created games based on popular entertainment franchises, including story-driven puzzle game “Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales” and two based on hit zombie series “The Walking Dead.”Helsinki-based Next Games had about 120 employees at the end of 2021 and reported sales of approximately €27.2 million ($30 million) in 2020 with 95% of revenues generated from in-game purchases.The deal comes less than six months after Netflix’s acquisition of Night School Studio, a game developer best known for its supernatural mystery adventure title “Oxenfree.” Netflix has launched a selection of games, starting with handful of mobile titles, as an extension to its core video-entertainment for no extra charge. “Next Games has a seasoned management team, strong track record with mobile games based on entertainment franchises, and solid operational capabilities,” said Michael Verdu, VP of games for Netflix, in a statement.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorStanley Tucci’s next trip to Italy will face a slight delay.CNN will bump the debuts of a handful of looming original documentary projects due to its ongoing coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The second season of “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” will premiere on CNN later in the spring, as will the new series “Nomad with Carlton McCoy.” Meanwhile, the WarnerMedia network will push back the debut of “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” to Sunday March 13 at 9 p.m., a week later than its previously scheduled March 6 launch.The network has built a new business out of documentaries and docuseries, but it must balance those projects with the demands of the news cycle.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorThe media industry’s measurement wars are expanding beyond counting traditional video audiences.iSpot, the measurement company that figures prominently in plans by NBCUniversal and WarnerMedia to offer alternatives to Nielsen in the sector’s looming “upfront” marketplace, will acquire Tunity, an analytics company that analyzes consumer viewing habits in public locations nationwide, including restaurants, offices, bars and hotels.“We want to account for all viewing across all screens,” says Sean Muller, iSpot’s founder and CEO, in an interview. The Tunity acquisition, he says, could be “powerful, both for our advertising clients who invest heavily in tentpole events and programs that are consumed outside the home and for our media partners.” The companies did not disclose financial terms.Keeping track of so-called “out of home” audiences has become more critical to TV networks, who understand that significant chunks of viewership for news, sports and other live programming is often found outside a consumer’s main habitat.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorLady Gaga may not have been nominated for an Oscar for her work in “House of Gucci,” but that doesn’t mean she won’t be busy the night of the big show.Gaga has signed on to co-host the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards viewing party alongside Billy Porter, Eric McCormack and David Furnish. The annual event returns as an in-person gala in West Hollywood Park on March 27.“Lady Gaga, Billy Porter and Eric McCormack are not only amazingly talented, but have greatly contributed to LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion in entertainment – both on screen and in music,” Furnish, who is chairman of the foundation, said in a statement Wednesday morning.

Twitter is amped up for Elizabeth Banks’ crazy bear-centric thriller — yes, you read that right!

Back in late-2019, it was being reported that Phil Lord and Chris Miller were producing a feature that was described as a “bear-comedy with heart.” At the time, the filmmakers Radio Silence, who previously worked on “Ready or Not,” were attached and it seemed like a fun horror-comedy was in the works. Well, the bear-comedy with heart, now titled “Cocaine Bear,” seems to be moving forward without those filmmakers, but Lord and Miller have turned to Elizabeth Banks to bring the film to the big screen.

Angelique Jackson Elizabeth Banks has set her next directing gig — inspired by an (almost unbelievable) true story involving cocaine smuggling and a 175-pound bear.Banks has signed on to direct “Cocaine Bear,” which is described as a “character-driven thriller inspired by true events that took place in Kentucky in 1985,” produced by “The Lego Movie” filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller.As such, the project also serves as a reunion for Banks, Lord and Miller after the actor voiced Wyldstyle in the animated franchise.