NEW YORK: Tom Hanks and his actress-singer wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for the coronavirus, the actor said in a statement Wednesday.
Hanks said the couple were in Australia and felt tired, with colds, body aches and slight fevers. “To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus and were found to be positive,” Hanks said.
The 63-year-old Oscar-winner said they will be “tested, observed and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires.”
“Not much more to it than a one-day-a-time approach, no?” added Hanks.
Hanks had been in Australia shooting an untitled Elvis Presley biopic directed by Baz Luhrmann. Hanks plays Presley’s manager, Col. Tom Parker. The film, currently slated for release in October 2021, has suspended production, Warner Bros. said.
Australia has confirmed more than 120 cases of infection, with three deaths from COVID-19.
Hanks and Wilson, 63, were married in 1988. In 2013, Hanks disclosed that he has type 2 diabetes. He is easily the most famous person yet to publicly announce a positive test for the virus, which the World Health Organization on Wednesday declared a pandemic.
Hanks also posted his message on social media with an image of a surgical glove in a garbage can. He signed off saying that he would “keep the world posted and updated.” Said Hanks: “Take care of yourselves!”
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
Tom Hanks announces positive test for coronavirus
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Tom Hanks announces positive test for coronavirus
‘Disney movies unite us,’ says Louaye Moulayess as he promotes ‘Moana 2’
DUBAI: From a young age, Lebanese animator Louaye Moulayess has loved Disney movies.
Speaking to Arab News about his latest project, “Moana 2,” which is released in cinemas in the Middle East on Nov. 28, Moulayess said diverse voice is what makes Disney storytelling so compelling.
“We all grew up with different kinds of stories told to us, right? I grew up with specific Lebanese stories. For example, if I turned on the TV in Lebanon as compared to somebody in Lisbon, for example, we’re going to watch different things. Our sensibilities are going to be a bit different. Now we all have something in common, which is Disney movies,” he told Arab News.
At a time when his home country, Lebanon, is defending against Israeli attacks, US-based Moulayess finds comfort in his work and storytelling. “It all comes back to the stories my grandparents and parents told me,” he said, adding that Disney movies have always brought him hope.
“Moana 2,” set in ancient Polynesia, picks up three years after the events of the 2016 original. Moana (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho) receives an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors and forms her own crew to travel the vast seas of Oceania, reuniting with her shapeshifting, magical friend, Maui (Dwayne Johnson).
“I loved the first movie. When I started working on ‘Moana 2,’ I felt like I already knew the characters very well. So, I knew Moana and I knew Maui … I knew how they moved, I knew what their personalities were. But, at the same time, they became somebody else three years after.
“So, the challenge was a bit different compared a new movie, where we would have had to figure out the characters and how they moved and how they behave. The challenge here was, I know this character, but this character has changed. How do we make it new and find the specificity of this new personality?” Moulayess said.
When asked what sparked his interest in animation, Moulayess pointed to Disney again. “I think the moment I made my decision was after watching ‘Lion King.’ Like the first sequence of the ‘Circle of Life,’ after that when everything goes black and you see the title of the movie. It really shocked me in the best way. I was like, ‘Who is this Walt Disney?’ I thought it was one person doing this back when I was a kid, because I saw the name Walt Disney. I was like, ‘It must be one person doing this.’ And I decided I’d do this one day. So, this is what triggered everything. And slowly, I just gravitated towards animation,” he said.
Now based in Burbank, California, Moulayess left Lebanon for the US as a young student.
“In Lebanon, when I graduated high school, I looked around for majors that had animation, but back then, there wasn’t anything available. Now there are a couple schools that offer animation majors.
“Back then, I knew I had to leave to make my studies, so I went to San Francisco and joined a school called Academy of Art University in San Francisco,” Moulayess said.
After four years of university, Moulayess landed himself an internship with Pixar Animation Studios. “I was very, very lucky that I did an internship there, where I worked on ‘Cars 2,’” he said.
From there, he moved on to Blue Sky Studios for “seven wonderful years,” working on the “Ice Age” films, “The Peanuts Movie” and “Ferdinand,” before making his way to Disney in 2019, working on “Frozen 2” before taking on “Raya and the Last Dragon.”
Fans praise co-star as May Calamawy’s role is cut from ‘Gladiator II’
DUBAI: Fans of Egyptian Palestinian “Moon Knight” actress May Calamawy have taken to social media to complain after almost all her scenes were cut from Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” while co-star Pedro Pascal seemed to wade into the online debate this week by sharing behind-the-scenes shots including the actress.
Pascal posted a series of photographs on Instagram taken on the film shoot in Morocco, including several snaps with Calamawy, after she was removed from all promotional material and largely removed from the film.
“Thank you for reminding people May Calamawy was in ‘Gladiator II.’ So sad how she’s been treated in this,” one user commented on his Instagram post.
The 38-year-old star played the dual role of Layla El-Faouly and Scarlet Scarab in Marvel series “Moon Knight” before being cast in the highly anticipated “Gladiator II,” a sequel to the Oscar-winning original released in 2000.
Her casting in the film was first announced in May 2023.
At the time, Deadline reported that Scott had cast Calamawy after a lengthy search, writing: “While many of the leading roles were straight offers, Scott wanted to do a similar search he did for the (Paul) Mescal part for the role that Calamawy ultimately landed.
“Given the importance of the character to the story, Scott wanted a thorough search, and following multiple auditions Calamawy landed the part,” Deadline added.
However, fans noticed that in the final cut, which hit cinemas last weekend, Calamawy is only seen in passing and she has no dialogue.
Scott has yet to comment on Calamawy’s removal from the two hour and 28-minute film, although her storyline may have not made it past the editing stage in order to trim the runtime.
Regardless, fans on social media are unhappy about the cuts.
“May Calamawy you will always be loved!!! They didn’t deserve you anyway,” one social media user wrote on X, while another posted: “You had May Calamawy … and you decided to cut her? This could’ve possibly been her breakout role!”
Calamawy also stars in upcoming crime mystery “The Actor,” alongside André Holland, Gemma Chan, Toby Jones and Tracey Ullman.
Pakistan’s Iram Parveen Bilal bags Best Director award for ‘Wakhri’ at Indian film festival
- Wakhri, meaning one of a kind, is inspired by life of murdered Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch
- Yellowstone International Film Festival is an Indian festival that showcases films from around the world
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani director Iram Parveen Bilal this week bagged the Best Director Feature Film award at the fifth Yellowstone International Film Festival, held in India’s New Delhi, for her film “Wakhri.”
Wakhri, meaning one of a kind in the Punjabi language, was inspired by the life of murdered Pakistani social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch. The film’s plot revolves around the challenges faced by a widowed schoolteacher named Noor, who becomes a social media sensation overnight.
Yellowstone International Film Festival is an Indian film festival that showcases films from around the world, providing a platform for filmmakers. With special categories such as women empowerment films, environmental films and student films, this year’s YIFF was held from Nov. 15-20 in New Delhi.
“Thank you for the honor, [YIFF] jury and organizers,” Bilal wrote on Instagram on Thursday. “[Wakhri] shines brightest with its audiences. Deep gratitude to my entire team, cast and crew alike, for enhancing my vision every step of the way.”
Wakhri had its world premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December 2023 before its release in Pakistan on Jan. 5 this year.
Written by Bilal and Mehrub Moiz Awan, Wakhri has been produced by Abid Aziz Merchant, Apoorva Bakshi and Bilal’s Parveen Shah Productions.
The film stars prominent Pakistani actress Faryal Mehmood in the lead role, Gulshan Mated, Sajjad Gul, Salem Mairaj, Sohail Sameer, Bakhtawar Mazhar, Akbar Islam, Tooba Siddiqui, Behjat Nizami and Bushra Habib.
Bella Hadid guest stars on ‘Holland’s Next Top Model’ alongside her mother
DUBAI: US Dutch Palestinian model Bella Hadid shared a series of images from her experience as a guest judge on “Holland’s Next Top Model,” the reality series where her mother, Yolanda Hadid, serves as one of the judges.
The post features a carousel of photos and videos, including moments with her mother, the show’s judges and contestants, as well as behind-the-scenes shots from various photoshoots.
In the caption, the runway star expressed her excitement about her fragrance brand, Orebella, being featured on the episode, describing it as “a dream.”
She said: “Thank you @hollandsnexttopmodelnl for having me on as a guest judge! To have @orebella be shot, on a show so dear to my heart, in my most beautiful Holland, was a dream.”
Hadid also reflected on her admiration for her mother. “To watch my mama work and be a second mama to a new generation of young creative human beings is such a blessing to me! Things that my mom can teach, she wasn’t taught. It’s part of who she is,” she said. “Her talent, nurturing ability, maternal instincts, confidence in hard work and success, faith in people and love for fashion is what makes her so special, especially on a show like this. I am so proud of you, mama.”
The model described the transformative journey of the contestants on the show. “This was just an incredible experience to watch these young women and men push themselves but also grow to know themselves better than when they arrived,” she added. “I saw so much of myself in every one of them, and I am proud of each one for getting through a competition that I know for sure is mentally and physically exhausting.”
Hadid launched her brand in May with three fragrances: Salted Muse, Blooming Fire and Window2Soul.
In August, she expanded her collection with the launch of a new scent called Nightcap, described as a “warm and spicy” fragrance featuring notes of ginger, cardamom and vanilla.
For the launch, she hosted a party in West Hollywood, where she wore a dusty-pink gown with delicate embroidery and bow detail from Lebanese couturier Zuhair Murad.
Part-Saudi model Amira Al-Zuhair fronts Balmain’s Resort 2025 campaign
DUBAI: French Saudi model Amira Al-Zuhair this week shared pictures from her latest campaign with Balmain, showcasing the brand’s Resort 2025 collection.
In one of the images, Al-Zuhair donned a strapless denim mini dress paired with two matching denim handbags and calf-high black boots.
In the second image, she wore a black sequined two-piece outfit, featuring a crop top and a high-waisted skirt. The design incorporates gold and silver embellishments, with the top featuring the word “L’aime,” meaning “loves” in French. The setting, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, tied the look to the brand’s Parisian roots.
This is not Al-Zuhair’s first collaboration with Balmain. She previously walked for the brand during Paris Fashion Week in September.
She showcased a structured gray blazer over a classic black T-shirt, complemented by vibrant red suede over-the-knee boots that added a bold pop of color. Her ensemble was completed with a neutral-toned shoulder bag and a striking gold pendant necklace.
The model has been spending the week in Dubai and shared a moment on Instagram featuring an advertisement she spotted for Maison Alaia in Dubai Mall. “Casually shopping in Dubai Mall … and look who I found,” she said in the caption.
Al-Zuhair also shared a photo of herself having lunch with a friend at Al Mandaloun, a Lebanese restaurant in Dubai.
