Lady Gaga 'Installs £40,000 Fish Tank In Home For Company After Hip Surgery'
The 'Born This Way' diva hopes the fish will entertain her as she recuperates from her operation




Lady Gaga will no doubt have plenty of hours of fun ahead of her with reports that she has installed a £40,000 Japanese fish tank in her home as a form of entertainment while she recovers from her recent hip surgery.

The 'Poker Face' singer will be resting at home for the next few weeks to recover from the operation she underwent in February after tearing her right hip during her 'Born This Way Ball' tour which she was forced to cancel after being left unable to walk.

While she may be holed up at home, Gaga, 26, has found some friends to keep her company, reportedly splashing out thousands of dollars on 27 koi carp.

“Gaga said she’d had a dream about the fish so she had her team source some koi and set up a massive tank,” a source told The Sun.

“The whole exercise cost over £40,000, which is a lot to most people but small change to her.”

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Lady Gaga and Jay-Z battle over Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch

Jay-Z and Lady Gaga are at war as they try to outbid each other to buy Michael Jackson's Neverland estate.

The rapper, 43, and wife Beyoncé toured the £18.9 million ranch and fairground last year and are said to be interested in turning it into the HQ for their business empire.

However, Gaga, 26, also wants to get her hands on it and plans to open it up to the public with a zoo and amusement park.

'Jay-Z has deeper pockets than Gaga and is willing to outbid her if need be,' reveals our source.

'It's near his good friend Oprah Winfrey's estate and she's encouraging him to go ahead with the renovation plans, so Gaga will probably be left out in the cold.'

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Zedd Preps 'Proper Show' For Solo Tour Following Lady Gaga Cancellation




If all had gone according to plan, Zedd would be two dates into his eight-city run opening for pal Lady Gaga on her Born This Way Ball tour. But plans changed and Mother Monster had to cancel the tour last month to recover from hip surgery.

Now with some extra time on his hands, the "Clarity" producer has been thinking about his own jaunt. Nothing is set in stone, but the EDM star stopped by MTV News recently and opened up about what he might do on his tour, which he hopes to take to big-scale venues.

"There's a really big tour I'm planning right now, and we're working on the details. As soon as it's ready I'm going to announce it," he teased, before breaking down some of the elements he hopes to bring to it.

"Well, first of all, it's gonna be great because everything we do with lights and visuals is live so there's nothing pre-programmed, which means I can switch up my set at any time," he explained. "We literally study every single song; go through colors, shapes, visuals. If there's a new song, we'll most likely get a new visual for it. So it's not gonna be only music. It will be a proper show and as you say, the more tickets we sell, the bigger the venues are, the bigger the stages are, the more we can do. That's kind of the goal. I want to play really, really big venues and put on a proper show."

He does have some other gigs on his docket, even with the Gaga shows canned. In addition to smaller solo gigs, he'll play a show on the Masquerade Motel with Swedish House Mafia this weekend. And he'll be at SXSW next week, where he's up for the Breaking Woodie honor at the 2013 mtvU Woodie Awards. Zedd will also be at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami later this month before heading overseas.

Those are some big shows. And Zedd admits that for him the bigger, the better. "I do sometimes [like small shows] but to be completely honest, I do prefer the bigger shows," he said. "There's a lot of artists that love the small shows and ... I like the big shows. There's a certain point after 10,000 people where it gets hard to tell if it's 10 or 40 thousand. It's kind of the same thing. It's not very personal, but I still love the other side of it. The energy you get from so many people doing the same thing, singing along, you can't really do that with 100 people."

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Lady Gaga's 'experimental' album 'ARTPOP' expected to drop this summer



Lady Gaga has been awfully quiet since her hip injury forced her to cancel the remainder of her wildly successful Born This Way Ball tour, but could her silence simply be the calm before the storm? According to fashion designer Stevie Boi, Gaga’s highly-anticipated new album "ARTPOP" is set to drop this summer. Stevie Boi, who has worked with Gaga several times in the past, tweeted on March 1, “It's an Blessing to work with the Queen >>@LadyGaga ArtPop this summer! Get ready Monsterz.”

Though a single tweet from a fashion designer may not seem like much confirmation, his prediction of a summer release is consistent with prominent Lady Gaga fan site Propagaga’s statement that Lady Gaga’s team was planning to begin promo for the new album in July. Furthermore, many little monsters claim to have been told of a summer release from Gaga herself while spending time with her backstage after shows.

Miles Viljanen from Pasadena met Lady Gaga backstage on Jan. 20 after being picked out of the crowd to join her on stage during the show. When asked about the rumors regarding the timing of "ARTPOP" during a recent interview for Gagaism.org, Miles replied, “From what I remember, I feel like she did say something about the album being released after the tour,” which was scheduled to wrap in late March at the time, making a summer release likely.

Miles also used the interview to relay information directly from Lady Gaga about what to expect from "ARTPOP" itself. “She insisted that it’s very different from Born This Way; somewhat experimental and very new. She makes changes to it constantly, but it will contain dance hits with those signature sledgehammer hooks.

“I asked her, ‘Is ARTPOP going to make me want to go party hard on a Friday night? Because your last few albums sure did the trick.’ Then she turned to me with this coy look and replied, ‘Ya, it’s going to make you want to f------ dance your ass off.’”




Adorable behind-the-scenes video of Gaga & Tony Benett recording Lady is a Tramp.



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Expectant mom Kim Kardashian had a scary night Tuesday, as she was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital with concerns she’d suffered a miscarriage, though thankfully, her baby was fine.

The New York Post was first to report of the scare, as an insider told the paper that Kim felt the first sign of trouble while returning to Los Angeles from France, where she attended Paris Fashion Week with baby daddy-to-be Kanye West.

The 32-year-old socialite “started feeling ill on the plane from Paris, and called friends as soon as she landed,” the insider told the paper. “She was rushed to her doctor Tuesday night in tears. She thought she was having a miscarriage.”

She was sent home at 12:30 a.m Wednesday, the paper reported, and her doctors advised her to eliminate her fast-paced, jet-setting lifestyle as she advances into the final months of her pregnancy.

“Kim’s not respecting her pregnancy,” a source told the paper. “She’s running around, working out seven days a week. She’s working with two different trainers to control her weight, including Tracy Anderson and a pregnancy trainer.”

“She’s scared that her ass is as big as a couch and is going south, but she is having a very rough pregnancy, and doctors have ordered her to slow down.”

Kim had not addressed the incident on her Twitter page as of early Thursday.


Khloe Kardashian posted a special message about her pregnant sister Kim on Thursday. Here’s what Khloe wrote on her blog:

A lot of you have expressed concern in the recent hours about Kim, and I just wanted to let you all know that mommy and baby are doing fine and just taking it easy right now.

Thank you so much to all of our wonderful fans and loved ones for your concern and support. We love you!

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SimCity: A great game, once you get past the server problems

UPDATE (6.02pm): THE servers hosting Aussie gamers trying to play SimCity have crashed causing nationwide outrage.

On its Facebook page, EA Games announced that it was "aggressively undergoing maintenance on the SimCity servers and adding capacity to meet demand".

"Performance will fluctuate during this process," it wrote. "Our fans are important to us, and we thank you for your continued patience."

Gamers are understandably furious at the server issues that have been plaguing the game's global launch. The US experienced similar problems during the American launch on Tuesday. EA promised they were working to ensure it prevented a repeat performance during the global launch today. Sadly that promise was broken.

"Want to fix SimCity EA? Get rid of the stupid DRM and servers! We don't need them to play a single player game,"wrote one Facebook user.

"It's a poor excuse to combat piracy as it makes people pirate and break your game anyway.Get of your frickin' high horse. Stop being such a Scrooge McDuck. It doesn't combat piracy in any way."

Another person wrote: "Release game with "Always online DRM" wonder why consumers freak out when their servers fail. I love EA's logic."

EA Announced its servers had crashed about 40 minutes ago and it has already accumulated more than 100 reply comments, mostly negative.



The company released this statement to news.com.au:

"We are experiencing extremely high server volume and it’s preventing some players from gaining access to the game. Our server team is working around the clock to resolve this issue so that we can get the rest of our fans into the game. We are aggressively undergoing maintenance on our servers to add the necessary capacity to meet the demand. Players may continue to play throughout the weekend but we want to note that performance will fluctuate during this time. We thank our fans for their continued patience."

SIMCITY has limped into existence after a series of server issues crippled the systems, bringing any attempts at gaming to a halt.

The remake of the original game, which was first released in 1989, launched in the US on Tuesday, amid technical problems. The game is rolling out to the rest of the world today and signs aren't good.

"Due to the high demand for SimCity, Origin has experienced delays impacting a small percentage of users. We're working non-stop to resolve," the company tweeted yesterday.

"We're making changes to prevent further issues, and are confident that Origin will be stable for international launches later this week."

Despite this, the global launch of SimCity seems to have been disastrous.

Part of the problem is caused by the fact that you need an internet connection to play. Technology blog Tech Dirt called this decision "ridiculous and seriously inhibited playability".

"For one, no one's internet connection is perfectly reliable. Secondly, SimCity was going further than most games, allowing only server-side saves, meaning that players could easily lose progress if their connections dropped," it wrote.

On top of that, every game is multiplayer, whether you like it or not. Not every user is going to want a social gaming experience. Also every game requires a server slot, meaning that an internet connection isn't the only thing standing between you and the game.

One Reddit user wrote: "I figured from everything I'd read that the always-on part of the game simply required an internet connection, not a slot on a server like I'm about to PvP or something. I'd be more understanding if I could just play my private region by myself like I intended."

SimCity is also a PC-only game that doesn't work on Macs. This is driving people bonkers.



Users are being locked out of playing games they have already purchased, and others are still waiting for it to download.

According to TotalBiscuit's video review the performance is so bad that people who pre-ordered the game are rebuying it because new purchases are unlocking immediately, while pre-purchases are taking a long time to load and organised people are having to wait longer for their purchases to be validated.

Server issues are continuing to plague gamers.

Users are reporting that they can't actually log in to play the game. Others say the game itself is broken.

One user @TheSimSupply tweeted this morning: "Yeah the game is broken, can't do anything, the tutorial doesn't work, I can't make my own city, I can't place roads, or anything."

One user @caflynn wrote that they were only able to play once in 24 hours due to server issues. "@ea Fix. Your. Servers. #failuretolaunch," said the tweet.

Another user @nickstires tweeted that they bought the game more than a week ago but said it wouldn't show in their Origin account.

Luke Reilly, IGN Australia's news editor told News.com.au that it was disappointing that SimCity had been "hobbled" by connection issues.

"It's not surprising for a game that requires an always-online connection to be crippled on launch due to the stress of so many players – we saw it happen with Diablo III – but it's certainly frustrating," he said.

Mr Reilly said EA has explained the reason for the always-online requirement is that portions of the computing behind the region simulation in Sim City is done on the server-side, rather than on users' computers.

"Multiplayer has always been a focus for Maxis with this SimCity but perhaps EA should have looked into some sort of straightforward, single-player mode that didn't require this sort of connectivity," he said.

"Gamers have been worried about the impact this always-online guff would have on the game and, at least at the moment, their concerns were justified. Some people just want to play SimCity by themselves, whenever they want, just like they did back in 1989.

"Of course, it's not as if EA wanted to launch of SimCity to be problematic but as digital distribution skyrockets publishers need to get better at making it work from day one. "

IGN's Dan Stapleton is blogging his experience of playing SimCity, as he plays.

EA has been contacted for comment.

Once you get into the game, the experience is great, according to IGN.

The executive editor of IGN PlayStation, Greg Miller said he was initially worried that SimCity had "grown up too much" due to its focus on things like waste removal and traffic patterns but said his fears were unfounded.

"SimCity is as deep as it is charming, but the game ramps up so smoothly that when I got to worrying about where all of my citizens’ poop was going, I had a handle on the insanity," he wrote.

Unlike previous versions of the game, SimCity starts with roads. You can choose between dirt roads or asphalt, multi-lane highways or single lanes. However, the roads decide what kind of buildings that area can support, so if you want skyscrapers next to a dirt road - that's probably not going to happen. (Though we can't imagine why you would).

The game seems to be based on macroeconomics and the goal is to expand. So if you build a healthcare clinic, then you can buy ambulance garages for the property and then in turn expand the healthcare's reach, he wrote.

"Once your garbage dump starts getting overrun, you can add multiple incinerators to deal with the trash. When your Town Hall is placed, you can plop down departments that give you access to different buildings and perks."

It's a fascinating experiment in real-world town planning that has the potential to make people think about gaming solutions to real world problems.

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SimCity: The Kotaku Review
by Mike Fahey

To many fans of the original city building simulation series, the idea of an online multiplayer game that required even solo players to be connected to the internet at all times seemed like a recipe for disaster. Maxis' latest creation is easily the most compelling SimCity I've played since the 1989 original.

It's also a disaster.

The weekend before the game's March 5 launch, I had a chance to experience SimCity the way everyone is supposed to be experiencing it right now. The handful of press participating barely put a dent on the special servers EA set up for the event. The game played (for the most part) flawlessly, giving early reviewers an exquisite taste of the collaborative multiplayer that defines the release. I saw what the developers no doubt wanted every player to see post-launch — a new SimCity capable of bringing together people from across the planet to strive towards a common goal. It was glorious.

I collected that early experience in an article titled "SimCity Won (and Broke) My Heart in Just Three Days." I had no idea how apropos that headline would become.

That first, teasing taste was followed by a nightmare for everyone involved. There were problems downloading the game. Problems connecting to servers. Problems getting together with friends to play during the brief moments when everything seemed to be working perfectly. While EA and Maxis work aggressively on a solution to these issues, player frustration and outrage continues to build.

I am not filled with outrage; only disappointment, fueled by the knowledge that somewhere beyond these technical issues there's an outstanding game waiting to be played.

The original SimCity is one of the greatest computer games of all time. When now-legendary game designer Will Wright realized that using the map editor he'd created for the game Raid on Bungling Bay was more entertaining than the game itself, he gave that editor to the world, creating an entirely new genre in the process. The creative freedom SimCity allowed was intoxicating. I couldn't tell you how long I played when I first launched the game — the days ran together. I would fall asleep in my computer chair, wake up and continue playing.

Over the years, freedom and I have had a falling out. Giving me a sandbox to play in with little supervision is a surefire way to ensure I wander away from the sandbox, possibly into busy traffic. So much of my time is not my own these days that I need a more directed experience. I require more than my own devices.

This brave new multiplayer SimCity grants me the focus I need to once again lose myself in the minutiae of running a virtual town. The success of my creation is intricately tied to the prosperity of other players'. They depend on me to foster a community of wealthy citizens that will flock to their shops to spend their simoleons. I depend on them to provide sewage treatment and medical services so that the wealthy citizens drawn to my tourist mecca don't die of cholera.

The SimCity series has always been a balancing act, with players struggling to maintain the right ratio of residential to industrial to commercial, all the while ensuring that enough funds are invested in services to make sure the whole thing doesn't go up in flames. It's just now there are multiple performers in every region, taking turns walking the tightrope while the others hold the safety net (or drop it, as the case may be).

The multiplayer aspect also allows for excellent opportunities to show off your city-planning skills. The creative gamer thrives in the new SimCity, thanks in no small part to the addition of curved and free-form road placement and the ability of residential, commercial and industrial zones to conform to these wild lines. These color-coded areas are painted more than placed, fresh buildings sprouting like architectural flowers that blow in the breeze of every little change the player makes. The GlassBox engine is a remarkable machine, transforming a technical process into something organic and beautiful. It's a joy to watch its work unfold, both from the sky above and at street level.

Players more interested in straight lines and statistics will find plenty to love in SimCity as well. The game is filled with color-coded maps that communicate a wealth of complex information in the most efficient way possible. The interface, aside from the odd obtuse bits, is amazingly intuitive without feeling dumbed-down. Micro-management is an option, but not a necessity. It's one of the game's greatest strengths — catering to multiplayer play styles while remaining completely accessible (I'm talking mechanics, not connection) to all.

Of course there are downsides. I wish the individual city plots were larger or expandable, giving my city room to stretch out, perhaps link up with other players' creations. I wish I understood how trade depots work, one of a few obtuse mechanics in an otherwise intuitive game.

And I wish I could play consistently. That would be nice.

Team Kotaku had big plans for the SimCity launch. We set up a private region so we could further explore the symbiotic relationship between cities. I staked out my claim, a circular piece of land I decided to dedicate to tourism and travel. Stephen Totilo grabbed a plot, his city feeding mine with waste and sewage disposal. Between the two of us we managed to unlock two Great Works — the Arcology and the International Airport — massive undertakings built in special spots on the regional map, requiring cities to work together to harvest the resources necessary for their completion.

None of the others made it into the game.

Chris Person was able to claim two plots, but both bugged out before he could lay a single road. He can't access them, and we can't delete them. Jason Schreier hasn't been able to connect. Neither has Kirk Hamilton, who received my invitation to join the region yesterday — two days after I sent it. Our grand plan will never be realized.

I understand the frustration and anger that players are feeling. Over the past three days I've slept maybe seven hours total, waking from shorts naps taken while waiting for server queues, maintenance downtime, server disconnects and the like. Each of those seven hours was spent in my computer chair, fearing I might miss an opportunity if I wandered off to the bedroom. I feel like I did when I played the original SimCity, only now I'm much older and a lot less happy.

SimCity's launch is more than just a disaster — it's a tragedy, because somewhere beyond the rage, pain and technical issues there's an amazing game that I'm dying to play.

We'll revisit that Not Yet once EA gets the servers to a point where not playing is no longer mandatory.



SimCity Won (and Broke) My Heart in Just Three Days
by Mike Fahey

This is the story of how the new SimCity hooked me in three days. This is also the story of a bustling city on the banks of the Chickville river. A place filled with hard-working folk not afraid to get their hands dirty, plucking riches from the depths of the Earth and sharing them with the world. It's called Fahey's Folly, my finest creation.

See that screenshot up there? Isn't it beautiful? Those ambitious brick high-rise buildings reaching into the sky, defiant in the face of the gleaming spires of its neighbors?

That's not Fahey's Folly.

That's the example city provided by EA for the purposes of this weekend's closed press preview. I call it a preview, because despite the content being considered review-ready by EA, this new SimCity is a game so heavily invested in online play that judging it before the rest of the world enters the mix is folly indeed.

After poking about the EA-provided city to get my bearings, I struck out on my own.

Well, that's not technically true. The only time you're really on your own in this latest SimCity is when you create your own Region and set it to private as I did with my Secret Squirrel region. I figured I might have more fun without having to trade and pool resources with other players in the same region. I thought an obligation-free sandbox would be right up my alley.

I was mistaken.



As immediately satisfying as it was to just plop (that's the official term) down Germany's Kölner Dom without having to spend hours developing my tourism industry, ultimately the single-player sandbox I thought I wanted left me feeling empty and unfulfilled. It might be good for folks looking to make movies, but this SimCity is designed to play with other people, and it's a lot less fun without them.

So I hooked up with Kotaku's Stephen Totilo to see if we'd make good neighbors. He did. Me? Not so much.

This sprawling coal-mining town is where I learned the intricacies of city planning. From a small road leading away from the highway I built houses. I placed water towers. I powered them with coal. Soon that single small road became many small roads crisscrossing the land. I painted the roads with zones commercial, residential and industrial, attempting to balance a trio of meters that never seemed satisfied with my choices (except for commercial, which was barely ever in demand).



I discovered (read a preview, Fahey!) that upgrading roads helped maximize building density, and that strategically placing parks attracts more affluent residents.

Totilo's town helped me during those early days, supplying waste management and emergency services as I struggled to balance utilities and facilities with explosive growth. Eventually I returned the favor, letting him tap into my nuclear reactor to power his city. It was a good relationship. We worked well together.

When I destroyed everything I had built in order to start over, the effect on Totilo's town was devastating. Without my nuclear reactor he had no power. Businesses closed. People left town. His city plunged into an economic nosedive he couldn't pull out of. He wound up abandoning the city and moving on to a new region.

That's what he gets for relying on a town called New Roanoke.

But this isn't the story of New Roanoke. It's the story of Fahey's Folly, my greatest SimCity creation. A glorious symmetry of living and working and shopping. A tableau depicting my growing understanding of the game's symbiotic mechanics—that is Fahey's Folly.

From these humble beginnings I grew a tiny empire, built on petroleum and precious metals. Mining and drilling provided the financial seed to raise the simple folk of Fahey's Folly from trailer parks to town homes to deluxe apartments in the sky. Sure it has crime, regularly-scheduled fires and the odd zombie outbreak. It also has an excellent education system, a bustling trade center and the makings of a successful microprocessor plant, ready to catapult the once-primitive city into the digital age.

Building those other cities I was merely flirting with the new SimCity. Fahey's Folly is where we fell in love. We'd spend hours painting roads and watching the powerful GlassBox engine calculate and populate the city's buildings on-the-fly. We'd bulldoze buildings just to watch new ones crop up. We'd pan and zoom through the streets, watching the tiny people going about their business, unaware of their omnipresent god. We'd often pause to flip through the game's various map views, easy-to-interpret x-rays of the city's vital systems.

Fahey's Folly was built in eight hours. My plans for it extended far beyond that. Sadly, those plans have been dashed.

I've been unable to load my greatest creation since yesterday evening. I've restarted the game. I've restarted my computer. I've created new cities in other regions, in hopes of somehow knocking Fahey's Folly loose from the limbo it's in.

I can load any other city I've created, but when I attempt to enter my mecca, I get this:



So I cannot show you Fahey's Folly at its finest, and considering the EA-provided press accounts will expire in a few days, it's likely I never will. I'm not too disappointed, seeing as the town's days were numbered anyway. I just hope the issue doesn't strike when the game goes live, because Fahey's Folly shall surely rise again.

We'll have a full SimCity review for you later this week, once the floodgates have been opened. I leave you with all that's left of Fahey's Folly, jewel of the early-access press review planet.

And for giggles here Stephen Totilo comment on the original post about Mike's ruining of their region

Stephen Totilo: I'm still fuming at Mike for destroying his city and therefore ruining mine. It killed the fun I was having with my city and got me worrying that this game, which more or less requires that you cooperate with neighbor cities could be ruined by griefers who pull the plug on your cities to screw you over.

You can't have a great time just running your own city independently. You'll have to set up some connections with other cities. I was depending on Mike for power, as he noted; I was supplying our region with a university, though once he destroyed his city, I lost a ton of revenue from out-of-town students.

One of the EA PR people on this game told me that other players can take over abandoned cities. And you can manually abandon a city pretty easily. I'm more worried about people who let their city crumble and don't fully abandon it.

It could be a drag, especially because you need other players to pitch in when making great works in your region. I'd just started the great work of making an Arcology in a valley between our two cities (we were playing on a map made for three cities), but without Mike pitching in, I couldn't build it, which pretty much put me at my internal population and economic limit. The ideal, I think, would be to have at least three engaged players, with their respective cities helping each other's out. The game is clearly designed for this, as many of the buildings you construct have regional benefits and enable upgrades across the map.

We'll be able to judge all this better once the game goes live to the public and we can see how well all this networked stuff works.

NOTE: Just to be clear... you CAN run all the cities in one region yourself in a private mode. It's possible, just doesn't seem like the way they intended for you to play. I'm going to give that a shot and see how that goes, too

Source 1, Source 2

ETA to add more SimCity news. This time a review pre release and post release.

Because no one else posted this I figured I may as well. I'm for one am glad I had will power not to buy this because Sims continual EP failure is enough for me as is. Hope they sort this out cause it looks amazing.

In the comic books, Iron Man archenemy the Mandarin is Chinese. And when Ben Kingsley -- who decidedly doesn't fit that racial profile -- was cast in the villainous role for “Iron Man 3,” there was naturally concern over how the character would be portrayed and whether it would be offensive.

So we went straight to the movie masterminds to get the inside information on the Mandarin.

“His nationality is not even clear because he is shrouded in secrecy,”“Iron Man 3” co-writer and director Shane Black told Yahoo! Movies.“He has crafted himself in the manner of the Mandarin, of a warlord. And I think that’s great because you get to do the comic book but you don’t… have to deal with the specifics of Fu Manchu stereotyping.

“We’re not saying he’s Chinese, we’re saying he, in fact, draws a cloak around him of Chinese symbols and dragons because it represents his obsessions with Sun Tzu in various ancient arts of warfare that he studied.”

For some “Iron Man" mavens, the Mandarin’s appearance is a long time coming. Producer Kevin Feige recalled that he was promised to appear in the film’s first installment by then-helmer Jon Favreau – during a Comic Con panel nearly six years ago.

“We thought, ‘What can we tell ‘em? That’s probably safe!’ And then we changed it about 12 weeks before we start filming,” explained Feige. But there was simply too much going on in the script. Favreau and Feige wanted to put more focus on Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.)

“So we took him [The Mandarin] out. And we talked about him again for ‘Iron Man 2,’” Feige continued. Alas, the Mandarin didn’t make into that one either. And Feige credits Black with providing the right set of circumstances to bring him and his handful of 10 mystical rings on board for “IM3.”

The two filmmakers envisioned the Mandarin as an “entity that is right off the bat … recognizable and is frightening and is fearful in a very sort of ripped from the headlines, Osama bin Laden kind of way,” Feige said, adding that Black also found inspiration for Kingsley’s character in Marlon Brando’s Colonel Kurtz in “Apocalypse Now.”

“Was he a guy who has gone off the reservation, who is incorporating all of these different symbols and iconography into his world view?” Feige posed.

“Yeah, he has an intelligence background,” added Black. “He was probably a supervisor of atrocities in his time, whenever it was.

“At some point this field officer went nuts and became a student of warfare and ancient Chinese symbology and drew from from South American insurgency tactics and has created around himself this little world of warfare, the only unifying principle of which seems to be a hatred of the United States. And so he represents every terrorist in a way.”

As for Stark, we know things become pretty dark for him in this upcoming “Iron Man” installment but we can now assure you, they don’t get dire.

“Well I’m not going to kill him,” Black said, adding that Stark’s appearance in upcoming “Avengers” installments didn’t drive the writer-director’s decision to let him live. “I don’t worry about ‘The Avengers.’ That’s their problem then to find one that feels like number four that’s the biggest thing that ever happened.”

"Iron Man 3"enters theaters May 3.

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Michael Bay put his headline-grabbing history with Megan Fox behind him by casting the actress as April O'Neil in his upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie.

But the new mom looks poised for another feud with a behind-the-scenes scribe now that TMNT co-creator has slammed on her casting.

Peter Laird, who created Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Kevin Eastman (who has been involved with the new movie from the start), took to his blog earlier this week (via) and let the world know he's less than thrilled Megan will rock April's yellow trenchcoat.

"My only exposure to Megan Fox as an actress is through her role in two Transformers movies and the wretched (but happily forgettable) Jennifer's Body," he wrote. "It may not be fair to judge her range of acting skills just from those three movies, but I think it is safe to say that there are probably hundreds of better choices for the role of April O'Neil."

"Of course, her name has promotional value, and maybe that's what they want. Who knows? I can't get myself too worked up about it."

SOURCE

Emmys to host 'An Evening with Game of Thrones'


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, better known as the people that hand out the Emmys, will be hosting a Game of Thrones panel on March 19 at 10:30 PM EST. The panel is in Hollywood, CA and is open only to Academy members. But thankfully, they will also be streaming it live on the web for all to watch! The panel will include:

Panelists
DAVID BENIOFF Creator/Executive Producer
D.B. WEISS Creator/Executive Producer
GEORGE R.R. MARTIN Co-Executive Producer
PETER DINKLAGE Tyrion Lannister
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU Jaime Lannister
LENA HEADEY Cersei Lannister
KIT HARINGTON Jon Snow
MICHELLE FAIRLEY Catelyn Stark
SOPHIE TURNER Sansa Stark
MAISIE WILLIAMS Arya Stark

Moderator
ROB MCELLHENNEY Star and Creator of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”

Source.
Richard Madden was originally scheduled to appear, but his name has since been removed from the list of panelists. Anyway, super excited for this! And I'm glad it's most of the main cast members, although it would have been nice to have Isaac there as well. I just want a Stark family picture. :( Oh, and Jack is obvs missing, but he probably has school.

The seven-foot funnyman gives THR a rundown of his post-"30 Rock" projects, including his ideas for a role in AMC's hit drama.



Grizz Chapman no longer has to chase Tracy Jordan around on 30 Rock, but the soft-spoken big man has hardly taken it easy since the NBC comedy wrapped this winter.

Appearing at the premiere of his one-time-boss Tina Fey's new film Admission on Tuesday, Chapman told The Hollywood Reporter gave a rundown of his recent activity -- his web series, a pilot and two films -- as well as his remaining to-do list.

"I'm on a never-ending quest to get back on a TV series, and I want to get on The Walking Dead," Chapman said. He even has some casting suggestions to help producers of the hit apocalyptic AMC drama ease him into the series' fourth season.

"I'm at this point now where, I have three things," he pitched. "I could either be on the Governor's team, I could be on Rick's team, or I could be a seven foot zombie who never dies. They just started back to shooting, so we could do it this season."

Thus far, he hasn't had any contact with the show's creative team, but did recently have a conversation with one of The Walking Dead's stars.

"I saw Steven [Yuen] at SNL when Kevin Hart was hosting, and we talked about it a little bit," Chapman revealed; SNL spoofed The Walking Dead that night. "I'm fighting to get on. I want to be a regular. [The seven foot zombie] keeps coming back."

In the meantime, the actor continues to work on projects that have his name on the call sheet, including the pilot in which he takes front and center.

"It's about two detectives, a son and father duo," Chapman offered, adding that he plays the father -- while one of his former 30 Rock stand-ins portrays his son.

"Why not? He's a talented kid," the actor reasoned. "He's just in a situation where he was a background actor, he was a stand-in, but believe it or not, we can't get it done without him. And a lot of those guys, they're talented, but they're just in those situations. So now it's time for him to spread his wings."

Speaking with THR last fall, Chapman discussed the difficulties that large actors face in a body-conscious business.

"I mean, why can’t a seven foot guy play a doctor?" he asked rhetorically. "Why can’t I be a teacher? Why can’t I be a football coach. Why can’t I be a cab driver? Anything. Anything else than that. I can cry. I can do those things that they think the big guys can’t do. So just give us a chance."

Sometimes, he said, it's not even about talent, but a studio's bottom line.

"I get a lot of the time, ‘We don’t know how to market you or you’re too big.' Or, ‘We have one of you already'" he said, rolling his eyes. "But you don’t have one of me already; you don’t have a seven foot, lovable guy. You don’t have that."

While the pilot has yet to been bought by a network, he will feature in a film, Jono Oliver's drama Home, that is due to hit festivals this fall.

source

(Alright, alright, listen to the song and then enter the post since it is depressing)

We've all done school projects that highlight all the accomplishments that women have done and contributed throughout history and we've all been through our Ginger "Girl Power!" phase when watching Spice World, but this article highlights some struggles women are facing today that are horrendous. Since it is international women's day, there are a lot of women across the globe who don't have the rights you do -- and if we're still fighting issues and sexism everyday, one can only imagine how much more difficult it is for them to overcome those obstacles. In the true spirit of helping a sista out, hopefully this spreads some awareness and inspires some action:



On International Women’s Day, we have a number of groundbreaking accomplishments to celebrate. This year alone, women in the U.S. won the right to serve on the front lines in combat and President Obama inched closer to pushing for equal pay for men and women.

Global health for women has also seen some major boons, too. The number of mothers who die during childbirth has been reduced by almost 50 percent and HIV drug prices have fallen by more than 99 percent since 2000.

But we’re not done fighting yet.


Women across the globe still face horrifying abuse and health risks, including sexual exploitation and genital mutilation, devastating injustices that are in our power to eliminate in this lifetime. Read through disturbingly sad truths women face and find out how you can get involved in improving the lives of women across the world.



Female Genital Mutilation



FACT: In Africa alone, 101 million girls have undergone female genital mutilation, a cultural practice that’s meant to keep girls chaste, but subjects them to intense torture in the process. With no anesthetic, a girl’s genitals are carved out (including her clitoris and labia) and what remains is stitched together, allowing a small enough aperture for urination and menstruation, which can lead to serious health consequences, New York Times' Nicholas Kristof reports.

What you can do: While the practice has been recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights, activists say that through education and raising awareness, we can work to ultimately change the culture to end the practice. Find out more here.


Maternal Health





FACT: Every year, life-threatening complications from pregnancy and childbirth claim the lives of nearly 300,000 women, according to the Gates Foundation. While the number of mothers who died in childbirth has been reduced by nearly 50 percent, it is within our reach to reduce that figure to zero.

What you can do: Low-cost medical interventions with local healthcare providers are critical to protecting and saving the lives of expectant mothers. Learn more about how the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Maternal, Neonatal & Child Health is advocating for mothers and how you can get involved here.

Fistula

(I'll spare you any pictures, but you can imagine how bad it is)

FACT: Fistula –- a hole that develops between a woman’s vagina and bladder or rectum –- is one of the most devastating birth injuries and it affects between 30,000 to 50,000 women a year simply because they can’t afford proper medical care. The condition leads to such severe incontinence that the woman’s body leaks urine and feces, and oftentimes, the smell becomes so unbearable that her husband will force her out of the home to fend for herself.

What you can do: Support the Fistula Foundation, which raises awareness for the condition and funding for repair, prevention, and educational programs worldwide to help eliminate fistula. Get involved here.


Rape





FACT: One in three women on the planet will be raped in her lifetime, that’s a total of 1 billion women subjected to devastating violence.

What you can do: Join 1 Billion Rising, a global movement that came together on Valentine’s Day to demand an end to violence against women, and continues to fight for women’s right to live in a world where their safety is never at stake. Get involved here.

More at the Source (I know, I know, but it's a list and you know how hard ass ONTD is about how many are allowed via the rules).

-----

Use this post to discuss the issues, discuss any problems you've face in your life, and also celebrate anything great that women have done and will contribute. Go on, gworls.

Following days of split speculation, the tension continues for Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth.

"Miley is still upset with Liam," a source told PEOPLE on Friday after the 20-year-old star stepped out sans engagement ring. "She took the ring off to make him mad."

But, says the source, "It doesn't mean that they have split. Miley says they are still together."

Given the recent ups and downs, "Liam did fly home [to Australia on March 1] so they could have a break," the source adds, noting that he has been spending time with his brother Chris, with whom he is very close.

And while he is about 14,500 miles away, Cyrus is hanging in L.A. and was photographed out Thursday night with longtime pal, Paul Khoury.

Problems between the engaged pair became apparent at the end of February, when rumors flew that Hemsworth, 23, was overly friendly with January Jones at a party – and then spotted sharing a ride.

But an insider counters that the two have been longtime friends: "[They] used to go clubbing together in L.A. They have been friends for a while," says insider.

Earlier this week, Miley was "upset and angry about the cheating rumors," according to the source. Still, the problems don't stem solely from infidelity buzz.

"Miley is crazy about Liam, but sometimes doesn't treat him great," the source said at the time. "She likes things her way and tends to play games. Liam is also a strong person and that's why they often butt heads."

source

Taylor is extremely stressed about her bleak financial situation because she is being cut from the series, which had been her primary source of income, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

“Unlike the other housewives on the show, Taylor is broke, and with most of her money coming from the reality show,” a source close to the situation tells RadarOnline.com exclusively.

“Russell left her seriously in debt. Taylor doesn’t know what she is going to do for money. Her daughter Kennedy, attends a swanky private school, and she doesn’t know how she is going to to pay tuition bill next year. Compounding matters, Taylor has to move, because the house she has been living in, which is a rental, is up for sale,” the source says.

Armstrong also revealed on a recent episode that she was being sued for more than a million dollars! Maybe Armstrong could ask her married lawyer boyfriend, John Bluher for financial assistance! For the past several weeks, the reality widow flaunting her smokin’ hot romance with her boyfriend.

RadarOnline reported in January 2012 that Armstrong was having an affair with Bluher, less than six months after Russell committed suicide, but the blonde beauty denied the romance.

Armstrong “is hopeful that she can get an endorsement deal or her own reality show about being a single mom. John has been supportive of Taylor, and she hopes to land on her feet,”.





ROD: My Wife REJECTED Real Housewives!


You won't see Penny Lancaster on the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" next season ... 'cause she officially TURNED DOWN the reality show ... this according to her husband Rod Stewart.

As we previously reported, Penny was one of the front-runners to replace Adrienne Maloof and Camille Grammer ... but yesterday at LAX, Rod told us his wife ultimately pulled the plug on the negotiations.

"She doesn't want to do that sort of thing," Stewart said ... adding, "She's just happy being a mom."

Meanwhile, producers are still on the hunt to round out the cast ... and sources tell us former "Extra" host Dayna Devon is still a favorite to make the cut.






Camille Breaks Silence on Real Housewives Exit!


Camille Grammer is setting the record straight.

The reality star made headlines last week when she exclusively confirmed to E! News that she would not be returning for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' fourth season. Of course, speculation over Grammer's exit soon followed, so she took to her Twitter account to set the record straight.

"Some ridiculous stories on the web lately about #RHOBH. To set the record straight. I have truly enjoyed my time w/ show and the ladies:)," Grammer tweeted. "I wish twitter gave more characters to write with. Its difficult sometimes to truncate sentences when you are trying to write something."

Grammer added that she will continue to support the Bravo hit, writing, "I will continue to watch #RHOBH and support the ladies."

E!, RadarOnline, TMZ

Prepare to see more of Mrs. Beeman on the sophomore season of FX's The Americans.
Susan Misner has been promoted to series regular for season two of the cable network's Soviet-era spy drama The Americans, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Misner has been recurring this season as Stan Beeman's (Noah Emmerich) obedient wife Sandra in the Keri Russell-Matthew Rhys drama, which was picked up in February for a second run of 13 episodes.
The promotion comes at a busy time for the actress, who in addition to The Americans has been recurring on CBS' Person of Interest as Jim Caviezel's girlfriend and recurring on Fox's The Following as Kevin Bacon's sister. She's now in the midst of a multiple-episode role on ABC's Nashville, where she plays a love interest for Deacon (Charles Esten) and as Michael J. Fox's wife on CBS' The Good Wife.
She's repped by One Entertainment.

Source

'Anything that comes out of the mouth of that girl [Azealia Banks] is total bulls--t,' the rapper says of her 'Control It' beef with Banks.




Twenty-four hours after Shystie premiered the video for her and Azealia Banks' latest collaboration, "Control It," exclusively on The Juice on March 3, the London-born rapper found herself in turmoil with Banks and her team.








Shystie and her management received a notice from Banks' management and label, Universal Music Group's Interscope Geffen A&M, insisting they take down the video. "Control It" was ultimately taken down per Universal's request and, according to Shystie's team, go against their original agreement.

Azealia Banks took to Twitter to say that the video was "bogus" and "so unoriginal, so not Azealia," which left Shystie speechless -- until now.

Shystie penned a letter to the The Juice, giving her account of what happened. Read below:

"Hi readers of The Juice,

Thanks for giving me the chance to give my account of this situation.

So, first of all, anything that comes out of the mouth of that girl [Azealia Banks] is total bulls--t. The video was shot last October 2012, with full approval from Banks and her management. The video was personally funded by my manager based on the green light given by her team. It wasn’t until two weeks after the shoot that her manager sent an email asking if we had approval from her label. This was crazy to us, as they had both given us clearance to shoot in the first place. As far as I was concerned, it was all cool and everything was getting dealt with between us, that’s how we handled the "Neptune" video. She [Azelia Banks] liked to give off this impression that she was calling all the shots.

We contacted Universal and worked out a mutual agreement based on it being a swap for services, as I featured on "Neptune" and done her video in N.Y. The video was finally edited by late December 2012, my release plan was set and we were asked to send it to Universal for approval. They said that it was fine, but needed approval from management. This was going on for about a month, which was holding up my campaign. When they finally replied (mid-Feb 2013), a guy that we'd never been introduced to emailed us, saying: 'It’s fine, but they need to work out the date.' We, once again, told them the date of release, and he replied: 'I believe Azealia wants it to come out after her video.' He was talking about a video which she hadn’t even shot yet, and one they had no date for.

The alleged manager was some guy who works with Will.i.am, and his attitude was shit and unprofessional. They had no respect for my schedule, or the fact that it's my video and she's just a feature. To be honest, it shocked me that the management were so flakey and used her name as the reason I had to wait. It just made us think, 'Why the hell are we dealing with you for if Azealia’s calling all the shots?' It’s like we just went full circle. There was no response in terms of, 'Will it be okay if we can drop our video on a different date?' We definitely didn’t get an email explaining that they weren’t happy with the video.

The video dropped on the date we had specified, and then within 24 hours, we had Azealia and her managers sending disrespectful messages and her label sending litigation threats. If they told us, at any point, that they didn't like the video, we would have accommodated the changes – especially as they viewed it months ago.

It was actually upsetting to me, as I've done so much for her and her family outside of music. I've lent her money, sorted out her hair, took her team out clubbing, etc. We were all cool, like family. She told me that I was one of the best female artists out, and I felt she generally wanted to build a working relationship. I think the fame and pressure forces her to do stupid things, starting all these dumb publicity stunts.

At the end of the day, the video and song is owned by us and nobody can stop us from putting it about. If people don't want to support it because they're scared of the major labels, then fine, but I know there are tons of real people who will, as I’m an independent artist working hard. What I’ve learned from this experience is to not do business with fake people. The video for "Control" it is on the loose and cannot be tamed! I've also made a small change to her verse on the EP ['Pink Mist'], which you'll be able to hear soon."

Love,

Shy xx"

src

After a hacker shared emails that revealed former President George W. Bush likes to paint portraits of himself in the shower, Fox 5 in Atlanta has followed up with a very special report from a woman who spent one month teaching him how to paint. “He picked it up so quick, it was amazing, actually,” says Bonnie Flood. The prolific dog painter (“He started out painting dogs, and I think he said he’s painted over 50 dogs,” said Flood) is “going to go down in the history books as a great artist.”

Video of the story at NOT THE ONION

Stars, they're nothing like us. They're way, way richer.

Parade came out with their annual "What People Earn: Salary Report" today, and aside from the Average Joes, they list 19 celebrities and their hefty paychecks. Seven-year-old Honey Boo Boo, for instance, makes $50,000 with her family each episode, and the magazine states that number has recently tripled. Kinda makes you feel good about your 9-to-5, eh?

These should help, too:

NAME	AGE	SALARY	WHAT HAVE THEY DONE THIS YEAR?
Justin Bieber	19	$55,000,000	Released "Believe" and "Believe Acoustic," went on the Believe Tour and de-throned Lady Gaga as most followed celebrity on Twitter.
Taylor Swift	23	$57,000,000	Released "Red."
Adele	24	$32,000,000	Won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for "Skyfall" (James Bond theme song) and a Grammy.
Anne Hathaway	30	$10,000,000	"Les Miserables" for which she won an Oscar and a Golden Globe, and "The Dark Knight Rises."
Channing Tatum	32	$15,000,000	"Magic Mike," "21 Jump Street" and "The Vow."
Blake Shelton	36	$20,000,000	Coach on "The Voice," released his first Christmas album, "Cheers, It's Christmas."
Sofia Vergara	40	$21,000,000	"Modern Family" made her the highest-earning woman in U.S. television; Presenter for Kmart and Pepsi.
Brad Pitt	49	$35,500,000	"Killing Them Softly," Chanel No. 5 ads.
Alec Baldwin	54	$15,000,000	"30 Rock," "To Rome with Love," "Rock of Ages."

Huffington Post

Bigger version at the source.

Source 1 - 2

Has Britney Spears been working on a new album? While her representatives are keeping tight-lipped, reports have been circulating on the Internet. There have been strong rumors that the singer is finally returning to the recording studio working on a what might be a back-to-roots album.

According to a source, rumors of Britney Spears working in recording studio are true, with as many as eight songs having been put to tape. “It’s still in the early stages,” “She’s got security on the doors to ensure no-one hears a whisper,” a source said.

World Tour To Follow New Album?

Britney Spears is rumoured to be planning a worldwide tour at the end of 2014. When contacted, a representative had no information on a new album, or any of the singer’s future plans. This isn’t the first time in recent memory reports have surfaced about Britney Spears recording sessions. Fans will be anxiously awaiting...

Do you think Britney Spears will pick up right where he left off and deliver another excellent album?

Source.

lbr, she is the only capable of always deliver excellent and flaw-free albums. The rest can remain pressed.

OMG! This cast! <3 It can't be cancelled!!! Remember! Happy Endings returns March 29th!!!

Source

We aren't the only ones to use coupons. Some of Hollywood's A-listers regularly look for discount deals and practice money-saving habits.

Coupons.com compiled a list of penny-pinching celebrities, and we've added a few of our own.

From stars who clip coupons to those who bargain buy, here are the celebrities who know how to stretch a dollar.

1. Jay Leno doesn't spend any of the money he earns from "The Tonight Show."



The late-night host revealed in a Parade column that he only spends money from comedy routines.

"When I was a kid, I had two jobs," wrote Leno. "I worked at a Ford dealership and at a McDonald’s. I’d spend the money from one job and save the money from the other. That’s still the way I am now. I live on the money I make as a comedian, and I put all the TV money in the bank. I’ve never spent a dime of TV money—ever."


2. Singer Carrie Underwood clips coupons for weekly shopping.



While taking Everyday with Rachael Ray through a day in her life, Underwood shared that despite forgetting coupons sometimes, she does make a habit to cut them out.

"Doing the weekly shopping, I stock up on stir-fry kits, Amy's meatless burgers, and armloads of onions and garlic. I put onions and garlic in everything. Ack—as usual, I forgot my coupons. (Yes, I do clip them!)," shared Underwood.



3. "Mad Men" star Vincent Kartheiser lives in a one-bedroom Hollywood apartment and takes public transportation.



The "Mad Men" actor told The New York Times in 2010 he prefers to travel mass transit as opposed to a car.

“It’s wonderful,” said Kartheiser. “Instead of driving and being stressed out about traffic, you can work your scene, you can do your exercises or whatever on the bus."


4. Despite being one of the richest supermodels in the world, Tyra Banks relishes in saving.



“I am frugal. I’ve always been this way," Banks told The New York Times. "When I was young, my mom would give me my allowance, and I’d peel off a little each week and have some to spare.”


5. Actress Jennie Garth purchases new clothing to complement her daughters' existing wardrobes.



Garth told Access Hollywood when it's time for a new school year, she'll try to save money by finding ways to reinvent her kids' old attire.

"We usually buy new things that can be mixed and matched with their existing wardrobe," said Garth. "Back-to-school is a great time to clean out their closets, and anything outgrown we donate or [sell]."

6. "Twilight" actress Ashley Greene takes pointers on cash-crunching from her dad.



The actress told Marie Claire that just because she was in the successful "Twilight" franchise it doesn't mean the fame has gone to her head.

"I'm lucky because my dad taught me to be frugal and save," said Greene. "And that's important because I want to know that I don't have to take an acting job for two or three years if I don't want to and that I'll still be able to make my house and car payments and buy food for my dogs.”



all 12 frugal celebrities @ the source

Have any frugal tips, ONTD?

I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!

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Is Lydia going to have any special storylines coming up?
We think the storyline for this season is pretty special actually. You learn more about Lydia then ever.

Will Lydia's immunity be important in season 3?
Not at the moment.

Will there be completely new opening credits for the new season?
They will be a little different yes.

Should we expect new members in Derek's pack?
I think the numbers may be diminishing haha

Is Peter going to find out about Derek's implication on the arson?
He knows. Peter always knows.

During an interview you mentioned that now that you know about Sterek, it would be fun to see how it would affect your writing. Did something like that happened already? Did you came across a scene and stopped to think about it? Did it influence the way you write the scenes with Stiles and Derek?
It did make me wonder about certain scenes for these first few scripts. I would not say it has affected the storytelling, though. There has been a long plan in place for certain characters. The path deviates sometimes but the destination remains the same.

Is Peter Hale going to be part of Derek's pack or he's gonna leave Derek and join the alphas pack? And also a little bit of Sterek this season please?
Peter is part of Derek’s pack. They are a very close family. You will definitely have scenes between Derek and Stiles.

How much do you love Dylan?
I love him like family. And that’s actually quite true. He is one of the finest actors and coolest kids I’ve known.

What the hell is a Stiles?
Have you been taking prescription meds?

Are we going to get more of the ladies this season kicking butt?
Hells yeah

Will we know more about Peter past in the flashback episode?
Yes indeed! And it is a very dark past.

We know that Matt went to the Lahey residence to do something with a Spiderman comic. Can we get a confirmation that he used to be friends with Isaac, then? Or was he trading comics with members of the swim team? Also, where was Isaac during the whole drowning fiasco?
They were friends as kids and drifted apart later on.

Will be there somebody who get the bite in this season? A new werewolf in this way?
Yes. But not in the way you might expect.

How did Peter manage to get clothes after he came back from the dead fully naked? Was the whole thing a kind of traumatic event for Derek?
Peter is an expert seamstress. And every event is traumatic for Derek.

Will we ever learn more about Scott's father?
Yes, expect to learn about him later in the season.

With the whole bromance triangle and Isaac kind of replacing Stiles as Scott's BFF, I was just wondering, will we still get Stiles and Scott bro time?
Yes, very much. He is not replacing Stiles. No one can replace Stiles!

I really like Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa McCall, are we going to see more of them in s03?
Absolutely!

I know that you are constrained by MTV broadcast standards, but who in your mind has the biggest potty mouth in Beacon Hills?
I suspect that Isaac has a bit of a foul mouth when uncensored.

How many new characters will be introduced on season 3?
Enough to broaden the story, but not enough to take away from our main characters.

Does Stiles have all of his werewolf contacts named officially in his phone? Or does he give them nicknames for stealth purposes?
I suspect he may have a code.

Why are you giving Lydia a new love interest so soon after Jackson?
Don’t you want her to be happy???

Is there ever a chance for a Teen Wolf Musical episode?
Unlikely at the moment. Buffy did it far too well.

Do you ever get nervous showing the cast and crew what you've written?
No. I’m their boss. They’re contractually obligated to like it.

Do you like writing for teenwolf more then criminal minds?
Criminal Minds was like a child I gave up for adoption. Teen Wolf is the baby I’m raising. So if I have to play favorites, then absolutely Teen Wolf.

Derek will be transformed into a full alpha wolf shape?
When can afford that level of CGI maybe. How about when we do the Teen Wolf movie?

Are we going to see more of Coach Finstock this season?
Yes, of course. There’s always room for more Coach.

Which celebrity would you love to have as a guest star on teen wolf?
Patrick Stewart.

Is it possible there will be another Teen Wolf panel at NYCC this year?
Always possible!

So Jeff, is there one flashback with Derek doing his tattoo on s3, true or false?
False.

My question is about Sterek, but more about will they ever become friends? Start trusting each other, be acquaintances, keep saving each other from danger?
They become definite allies this season. There are many changes in store for Derek.

Who's the biggest jokester on set?
Actually, my Co-Exec Producer, Christian.

Will we ever see Scott struggle with his supernatural instincts again (or even come close to it), especially with he and Allison broken up?
Yes indeed.

Hey Jeff, when is your birthday? Us wolfies want to make you a birthday video like we did for Dylan and Crystal!
Well, it’s on my IMDB page but it’s June 13th 1975. Oh my God, I’m almost 38. And, interesting fact, my twin and I were born on Friday the 13th.

Could explain anything about how the werewolf gene works in the Teen Wolf universe to settle my curiosity. Can a born wolf have a human parent or a turned parent, or do they both have to be born wolves? Is the werewolf gene dominant or recessive?
We stay away from talk of genetics usually. I like to keep things in the world of the mystical rather than the scientific.

Will you be introducing any other mythical creatures in this season or any other seasons?
Let’s just say we’re very interested in perusing the pages of the Bestiary.

Will we find out the full story of Mrs. Stilinski this season?
You may need to be patient. But you will know eventually.

Could you say something about Boyd's and Isaac's role in the next season?
Both Boyd and Isaac face very difficult challenges. Especially in their allegiance to Derek.

Could you maybe tell us a little more about the flashbacks? Is there a possibility that any of the characters will cross paths in these moments?
They will indeed cross paths. In ways that deeply affect the story.

Is it hard for you to kill off characters, or do you look at it as being the best thing for the story?
It’s difficult, but if the story demands it then we have to. Killing off Victoria was a very hard decision. But the affect it had on Allison and Argent was too good for the drama to not let it happen.

It totally looks like Posey would give the most amazing hugs. True/false?
Posey’s hugs are legendary. He always give me a huge hello at the start of every day.

How is it humanly possible to look at Keahu's dimples and not melt into a pile of goo? Do you need special glasses? Protective lenses?
Keahu’s dimples are blinding. It’s a little like staring into the sun.

Which episode of season 3 was the most fun to write so far?
I just finished the flashback episode actually and I have to say it was pretty fun exploring a different Beacon Hills and writing a very different Derek Hale.

Which of the characters can shake it on the dance floor, and which ones should really just spare everyone the pain and keep it on the sidelines?
Stiles can shake it. Derek can slow dance. Scott might need to find some rhythm. Isaac won’t go near a dance floor. Lydia is classically trained. Allison is good but a little uncomfortable. Stilinski would surprise you with his grace. And Peter could beat them all.

Are there characters in your world that you consider irredeemable?
Gerard.

Does anything special have to go into a werewolf getting a tattoo to override their healing process? How about piercings?
This question is answered in the first episode of season 3.

Can we look forward to learning more about the mythical/evolutionary story of the origin of werewolves? Or will it remain a mystery?
Expect some interesting answers from the flashback episode.

Is it true the Alpha pack has betas?
No.

Is there a title for episode 3x05?
“Frayed”

Does dannys last name really mean something to do with the moon? Has this been a spoiler from the start?
Yes it does.

Would killing Peter have cured Scott? Or did Derek lie to Scott to try and get him to help?
Killing Peter would never have been an option for Scott.

Do you have a general outline of the season before you start writing each episode? How much of the outline changes as you go through the individual episodes?
We know the complete story before we begin writing any of the episodes. This time we even know the very last scene of 312.

Will we be seeing more of Sassy Uncle Peter this season?
Of course! You’ll see him at his sassiest.

Did Derek study at Beacon Hills?
He went to the very same school in fact.

Does Boyd have sisters?
Maybe the question is “Did Boyd have sisters?”


Season 2 DVD Cover released:


Daniel Sharman in the Funny or Die video, "The Sexy Dark Ages":


Stiles will kiss someone in the first half of the season. Two hints: It's a girl and it's not Lydia, who will be attracting the attention of an Alpha.




T-Pose and Daniel announcing the Best Female Performance nominees last night on MTV's Movie Awards Nomination Spectacular: video won't embed so click here or here (if you're outside of the US).


so-ur-ce-s + 1

Mods, the Q&A was on the official Teen Wolf tumblr through individual asks so that is the only link.