High School Musical 3 Breaks Bookings Record, UK Premiere

Screaming fans greeted the stars of High School Musical 3: Senior Year for the film's premiere in London's Leicester Square. Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu were joined by dancers and basketball players on the red carpet. Hudgens said she was "amazed" by the number of fans that turned out to see the cast make their appearance. The film will be released in cinemas across the UK on 22 October. "We came here for the first premiere, so coming back and seeing how many more people came and how much of a bigger deal it is, is amazing," Hudgens told the BBC News website.

The BBC's Colin Paterson said you could "almost smell the hormones" in Leicester Square, as young fans turned out to see 20-year-old heartthrob Efron - who plays basketball player Troy Bolton in the film series. "For noise levels, this ranks up there with the screams for Johnny Depp at the Pirates of the Caribbean premiere," our correspondent said. High School Musical 3 follows the pressures of being in the final year of high school before going off to college. Fans will also get to see the two lead characters kiss for the first time in the film's series.


"I've always admired that about them, it builds up the tension and finally in High School Musical 3 it feels well deserved," said Efron on why it had taken so long for the long-awaited scene to happen. "It's about time - we're seniors, we're adults," he said. Hudgens, who stars as maths whizz and love interest Gabriella Montez, added: "It just shows their respect for each other - it's a really sweet and innocent love that doesn't need everything else." The film also introduces British teen actress Jemma McKenzie-Brown as a new character, Tiara Gold. "I had a fantastic time - they welcomed me into the cast right away," the 13-year-old told the BBC News website.

Co-stars Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu both said they were sad to see the end of their High School Musical journey. "It's hard because we love working together and this project is the last chapter for us, but I'm excited to see what the future holds," Tisdale said. Bleu added: "It was sad to move away from the halls of East High but it's good to be able to graduate and move on to some new projects." But with all the cast dodging questions on whether reports of a fourth instalment are true, director Kenny Ortega said he remained hopeful. "If these kids are still reacting this way after High School Musical 3, I think it would be fun to try to imagine how we would do it for the next generation," he said.

This is the first cinematic release for the series - the first two instalments were made-for-TV movies which were initially screened on the Disney Channel. Cinemas have already taken record advance bookings. The original TV movie took the US by storm in January 2006. It went on to become a worldwide phenomenon and its sequel shattered cable TV records last summer, with 18.6m people in the US tuning in for its premiere. The Disney franchise has spawned a top-selling soundtrack album and a 40-date tour of the US, not to mention countless school productions.

Robbie Williams: New Album Out In 2009

Robbie Williams' 'album strike' is over, according to his manager.

In January, Tim Clark said the singer wouldn't deliver a new record to EMI because he wasn't happy with the company's new owners. But he's now told Newsbeat that Robbie is hard at work on a new album and is hopeful it could be released in 2009. He said: "I would certainly hope that a new album will be coming next year. There are never any guarantees but that's what we would hope."

Earlier this year, Tim Clarke was quoted as saying "we have no idea how EMI will market and promote the album". Many people took that to mean that Robbie Williams was on strike. But Tim Clark says the singer hasn't stepped back from music and is gearing up for a new album.

He said: "He's been writing and we heard some wonderful stuff. "I was with Robbie last week. He was at home and he was writing songs and he played some of them to us." Tim says Robbie is on good form. "He's in very fine spirits, in very fine form and I think what he's doing sounds really wonderful," he said.

As for the subject of the album, there have been claims Robbie Williams was working on an alien-themed record due to an interest in UFOs. But Tim Clark says that's rubbish. He said: "It's been pretty much exaggerated in the press, as if that is anything new."
- Frances Cronin, BBC

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Rick Astley up for Best Act Ever at MTV Awards !

Eighties pop icon Rick Astley is no doubt as surprised as the rest of us to discover he's been nominated for Best Act Ever at the MTV Europe Music Awards. The 42-year-old singer hasn't bothered the UK charts in nearly 20 years, and yet this year's Rick-rolling phenomenon appears to be enough to clinch him a place alongside fellow nominees Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and U2. Astley enjoyed a belated return to the limelight when a viral campaign deliberately misdirecting people to one of his music videos made national headlines.

The show's producer Richard Godfrey told the BBC: "Rick's fans have obviously decided that he deserves recognition as a pop icon and no doubt they are determined to make sure he wins on the night."

Astley has never been nominated for an MTV award before and fans will vote online to choose this year's Best Act Ever. But whether tricking millions of internet users into viewing his 1987 hit Never Gonna Give You Up will equate to actual votes remains to be seen.

The winner will be revealed when the show airs on November 6.

Kylie Win x 2 at Digital Music Awards

Kylie Minogue scooped two gongs at this year's BT Digital Music Awards, which took place at the Roundhouse in London. Minogue was awarded best pop artist and best innovation for the Kylie Konnect site, which allows her fans to create their own profiles on it. Radiohead were crowned artists of the year and Coldplay won best rock/indie artist and best official music website. A panel of experts chose seven award winners while the public voted online for the remaining 13 prizes.

'Cutting-edge' The Sugababes and British Sea Power performed. Last year Radiohead invited fans to decide how much they wanted to pay to download their new album. And Coldplay launched their single Violet Hill on their website as a free download for six hours before it was available anywhere else.

"The music industry is continuing to evolve, with artists and record companies seeking new ways to communicate with fans digitally," said BT's Matthew Dearden. "The BT Digital Music Awards recognises the artists and those in the industry, both established and up and coming, who are delivering the best in cutting-edge digital music entertainment."

Hadouken! scooped best electronic artist and DJ and Wiley was named best urban artist after for his single Wearing my Rolex. Other winners included The Zutons for best video podcast and Vampire Weekend for best breakthrough artist. The show will be broadcast on ITV2 on Saturday and will be presented by Fearne Cotton and Rufus Hound.

George Clooney For ER Return ?

The producers of ER are "optimistic" about persuading George Clooney to appear in the hospital drama's final season, according to reports. "We have a really good storyline for every character from the past," said executive producer David Zabel in an interview with US magazine TV Guide. Former cast members Anthony Edwards and Noah Wyle have agreed to return for the long-running show's last series. Clooney's spokesman, though, reiterated earlier denials of an ER comeback. "He is on record as saying he is not coming back," said Stan Rosenfield. "It is something he has already done."

Set in the emergency room of the fictional Chicago-based County General Hospital, ER was the top-rated drama on US television for several years. The series will end with a two-hour finale in May 2009, preceded by a one-hour retrospective. Edwards - whose character, Dr Mark Greene, died in 2002 - will appear in flashback form in an episode called Heal Thyself. Wyle, meanwhile, is due to appear in four episodes as Dr John Carter. Clooney, who shot to fame as Dr Doug Ross, left the show in 1999 but made a surprise cameo the following year. According to his publicist, however, the 47-year-old actor is now "busy making movies".

Britney Spears dominates MTV Awards

Troubled singer Britney Spears swept the board at the MTV Video Music Awards show in Los Angeles. The 26-year-old, whose performance at last year's show was widely panned, won best video, best pop video and best female video for Piece Of Me.

Full list of winners:
Best video: Britney Spears, Piece of Me
Best pop video: Britney Spears, Piece of Me
Best female video: Britney Spears, Piece of Me
Best male video: Chris Brown, With You
Best rock video: Linkin Park, Shadow of the Day
Best hip-hop video: Lil Wayne, Lollipop
Best dancing: Pussycat Dolls (pictured), When I Grow Up
Best new artist: Tokio Hotel

Spears, who did not sing at the event, thanked "God first and foremost for just blessing me like this". The show was hosted by British comic Russell Brand and featured performances by Kanye West and Christina Aguilera. Rihanna, Kid Rock and the Jonas Brothers also performed at the event, which took place on Sunday evening at the Paramount Studios in Hollywood.

Spears has suffered a year of health problems and legal difficulties which saw her lose custody of her children, while her father James has taken legal control of her affairs. Brand, who has appeared with Spears in advertisements for the show - along with an elephant in the room - praised his co-star in an interview with the BBC's Peter Bowes. "She seems ever so sweet, but some people have been ever so battered by fame," the 33-year-old said.

"She's been kicked in all directions by the media. She's a little bruised, but she's a very sweet, lovely person." Spears' video for Piece of Me beat Chris Brown's Forever, Burnin' Up by the Jonas Brothers, When I Grow Up by the Pussycat Dolls and The Ting Tings' Shut Up And Let Me Go to the coveted prize. She had been nominated 16 times before but never won. Brand said the night marked the "launch of a very new Britney Spears era".

"Consider this the resurrection of Britney Spears," he said. "If there was a female Christ, it's Britney." During his innuendo-laden opening monologue, Brand discussed the upcoming US presidential election.

"Some people, I think they're called racists, say America is not ready for a black president," he said. "But I know America to be a forward-thinking country because otherwise why would you have let that retarded cowboy fella be president for eight years. We were very impressed. we thought it was nice of you to let him have a go, because, in England, he wouldn't be trusted with a pair of scissors."

Kanye West closed the show with a performance, after having fallen out with MTV following last year's ceremony. He had threatened to boycott the awards after losing out in all five categories he was nominated for, while in 2006 he publicly complained about not winning best video at the MTV Europe awards. Last year's big winners were Justin Timberlake with four awards, including top male artist, and R&B star Rihanna, who won video of the year for Umbrella.

Ghostbusters 3 on the way ?

Two writers from the US version of The Office have been recruited to write a third instalment of Ghostbusters, according to trade newspaper Variety. Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky's hiring is seen as a sure sign the long-mooted comedy will finally be made. Ghostbusters and its 1989 sequel saw Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as bumbling scientists who rid New York of paranormal threats. It is hoped the new film will reunite the original cast.

Columbia Pictures has declined to comment on whether a third Ghostbusters was in development, Variety reported. But director John Landis, who worked with Aykroyd on The Blues Brothers and Trading Places, has said the film would definitely be made.

"I'm not involved but I know it's happening," he told the BBC News website at the Venice Film Festival. Eisenberg and Stupnitsky recently collaborated with Ramis on the script for his new film Year One. Last year the original Ghostbusters cast signed up to lend their faces and voices to a computer game based on the hit film series.

The game's storyline was being written by stars Aykroyd (Ray Stanz) and Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler), who also scripted the first two films. But the game's future was thrown into doubt when publisher Activision announced it would not be releasing the finished product. Developers Vivendi insisted the game had not been cancelled, and that it would be published by another company.