Surprise Friendship! Angelina Jolie Pitt Always Celebrates Easter with ... Jack Black?

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Published on Sunday, 31 January 2016 12:44

Written by People

         It's a family affair at the Jolie-Pitt house on Easter morning – plus a few special guests! While Angelina Jolie Pitt and Jack Black have formed a close friendship over the years while working on the Kung Fu Panda films, the two stars admit that when they're not working, most of their time is spent at home."I like Angelina, I love hanging out with her, but as with all my movies, you do the work and then you go home to the familia," Black, 46, tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. But the two do make sure to get together every year on one special occasion: Easter Sunday. "We do get together for Easter," reveals Jolie Pitt, 40."You guys invite us over, which is awesome," adds Black.Jolie Pitt has six children, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne, and Black has two sons of his own, Thomas and Samuel.And while eight kids might make for one crowded house, that's exactly what makes the day so much fun for the families."I'm a big Jew, so I don't really understand Easter traditions, but I do know this: Easter at Brad and Angie's is awesome," Black says. "The kids love it, and so do I."

source: People  

Protesters may target Angelina Jolie's Unbroken on belated Japanese debut

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Published on Sunday, 31 January 2016 12:40

Written by The guardian

          War biopic has drawn ire from rightwing groups who claim it lacks credibility and could undermine relations between the US and Japan.The controversial Angelina Jolie second world war epic Unbroken could be hit by protests from nationalist groups protesting against its depiction of torture in prisoner-of-war camps when it debuts in Japan next month, reports the Daily Telegraph.There are fears the film’s 6 February premier in Tokyo, as well as subsequent screenings across the country, could be targeted by campaigners. It is not clear if director Jolie – whose film was a global box-office success, with $163.2m in receipts despite middling reviews – will be in attendance.Jolie’s film was released in the US and UK in December 2014, but has had difficulty finding a distributor in Japan. Rightwing protesters say its vision of Japanese guards severely mistreating American prisoners of war is deeply misleading, and have petitioned for it to be banned on grounds of racism.Based on Laura Hillenbrand’s 2010 book Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, it tells the life story of American Olympic runner and US Air Force second lieutenant Louis Zamperini, played on screen by Britain’s Jack O’Connell. The prisoner of war, who died in July 2014, claimed he was beaten and mistreated by the Japanese navy between July 1943 and August 1945, after being captured near the Marshall Islands following the downing of the B-24 bomber he had been helping to fly, and a harrowing 47 days at sea.
         The book and film tell how the airman was tormented by prison guard Mutsuhiro Watanabe, nicknamed the Bird, who later featured in General Douglas MacArthur’s list of the 40 most wanted war criminals in Japan. Hillenbrand claims Watanabe once forced a weak and starving Zamperini to hold a heavy piece of wood above his head for 37 minutes before punching him in the stomach, and the book also accuses the Japanese of engaging in cannibalism of POWs and murderous medical experiments.However, Yoichi Shimada, a professor of international relations at Fukui Prefectural University, told the Telegraph that the book and its big-screen transfer should both be regarded as fiction.“The book and the film both unnecessarily stress violent events by the Japanese military,” he said. “Yes, there were a few atrocities during the war, but they were not only committed by the Japanese. All armies committed atrocities.“At a time when Japan and the US should be heightening their security cooperation to combat the threat posed by China, the timing of the release of this film is not at all constructive.” Tatsuya Mori, a Japanese documentary film-maker, said during a recent preview event that Jolie’s drama was particularly vulnerable to nationalist ire. “The film drew much more of a backlash in Japan than it should have just because it was directed by a foreign film-maker,” he said. “The situation casts a light on the essential problems of Japanese society.”

source: The guardian  

Angelina Jolie, Jack Black: 'Kung Fu Panda 3' is a family affair

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Published on Thursday, 28 January 2016 04:54

Written by Today

           Angelina Jolie and Jack Black aren't just A-list stars: They're parents too. So when it came time for the third installment in "Kung Fu Panda" franchise of animated family films, they decided to get their kids involved. How?  "We force them!" Black said during a joint interview with Jolie for TODAY. "It's like, 'Get out there and do your job. Earn some money for this family.'"He was kidding, of course. But if you were a kid whose dad or mom were involved in such a fun franchise, wouldn't you want to be a part of it too? So for "Panda 3," four of Jolie (and Brad Pitt's) children and Black's son Samuel got small parts in the film."What I think was so sweet about it was that they took it very seriously," Jolie said. "They came in and they said, 'I don't know if I can do this!'"  Black said that Samuel had asked directly if he could have a part once the third movie was announced. "I was like, 'We'll see what I can do,'" deadpanned the actor. "'I'll try to get you a line.' And I was able to pull some strings."  Still, both stars have mixed feelings about getting their children into the business. Jolie said she and Pitt actively discourage acting as a first career."We've always said, if they're gonna be actors, I hope they do something and then be actors," she explained.  Black says he encourages his kids to think beyond being on camera. "I try to steer 'em towards, you know, writing and directing the little things on the iPhone," he said.Still, if there are more "Panda" movies to come, the kids might have more to do down the line. Black says he thinks a trilogy is a natural way to end the series, but appeared open for more."I think there's a hunger for panda," he laughed. "People want more panda. And that's a good sign."

"Kung Fu Panda 3" opens in theaters January 28.

source: Today  

Moving to England! Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt 'will live in London for six months as he shoots his World War Z sequel'

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Published on Thursday, 21 January 2016 05:03

Written by Daily mail

            But starting in March the power couple will begin living in London, where the 52-year-old actor will be filming the sequel to his hit 2013 movie World War Z, according to UsWeekly. He both stars in and produces the science fiction extravaganza.Meanwhile, his 40-year-old wife will devote her time to humanitarian causes.The stars have yet to find a residence, however. 'They want to buy, but have yet to find a place that suits their needs,' a source told the publication. That's because the two need to have top security. 'Their wish list includes an underground drive-in entrance,' added an insider.For now, they may just rent, as they did in 2012 when they spent 15 months at the Whornes Place estate in London, which costs a reported $24,000 a month. She was in the country then to shoot Maleficent while he appeared in The Counselor.As they did last time, the actors are bringing all of their six children - Maddox, Pax, Shiloh, Zahara, Vivienne and Knox.The children will most likely attend the Ly Lycee Francais school there. The Oscar winning beauty - who's current film is Kung Fu Panda 3 - has planned to spent a lot of time helping refugees.'She plans to focus on political projects dealing with the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe,' said a source. The last film she worked on was First They Killed My Father: A Daughter Of Cambodia Remembers, which she has directed for Netflix. Filming took place in the fall and winter of 2015 in Cambodia and sons Maddox and Pax worked on the movie as well.The couple will also likely spent time at their estate Chateau Miraval which produces a line of their rose wines.

source: Daily mail