Global Showbiz Briefs: ‘Smaug’ Score Recording Locks Down Town Hall; Martin Scorsese Tops Marrakech Fest Jury; More
Wellington Residents Can’t Access Town Hall During ‘Smaug’ Recording
New Zealand website Stuff reports that the people of Wellington have “essentially lost access” to the Town Hall while the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra records the score for the The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug. Last month, the orchestra cancelled a planned tour so it could work on music for the film. In a public notice this week, the Wellington City Council said “strict security” was in place at the Town Hall until the end of October and that there would be no public access during this time. Anyone with meeting with the mayor’s office will have to be escorted in after checking in at another location, the report said.
Martin Scorsese Set As President of Marrakech Film Fest Jury
Martin Scorsese will be president of the jury for the 13th edition of the Marrakech Film Festival, organizers said today. Scorsese has a long history with Morocco having shot parts of The Last Temptation Of Christ and Kundun in the Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate. In 2005, he was honored by the Marrakech Festival with the Al Kafaa al Fikrya Award, acknowledging intellectual merit. Scorsese has also previously attended the festival to present films and give a masterclass. The festival runs November 29-December 7.
‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ To Bow In UK Three Days After U.S. Premiere
The first episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will air September 27 on the UK’s Channel 4, three days after it premieres on ABC in the U.S. The Avengers spinoff series follows Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) as he assembles a team of top government agents in order to contain a number of superpowered forces. Co-exec producer Jed Whedon has previously warned viewers not to expect the Marvel universe’s costumed heroes to play a major role in the show, and this week, the drama’s executive producer Maurissa Tancharoen confirmed that X-Men characters will not be featuring in the series as a result of rights issues. “We can never [even] use the word ‘mutant,’ ” she admitted.
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