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LONDON (Reuters) -Bridget Jones has joined the likes of Mary Poppins, Harry Potter and other beloved film characters with her own statue in London's Leicester Square. Oscar winner Renee Zellweger, who has played the titular character in all four "Bridget Jones" films, attended Monday's unveiling of the statue which celebrates 25 years since the first movie, "Bridget Jones' Diary", was released. "It’s pretty crazy. It’s kind of strange. It's not something that you… ever expect… it’s quite a surprise," Zellweger told Reuters. Asked what she made of the statue, which depicts Bridget with her hair tied back, dressed in a mini skirt and holding a pen and diary, she said: "I mean, she's adorable… she's really cute. Looks like Bridget to me." Author Helen Fielding created the character of Bridget Jones more than 30 years ago for a newspaper column that detailed Bridget's love life. Her first book "Bridget Jones's' Diary" was published in 1996 and three more followed. "Bridget Jones's' Diary" was turned into a 2001 film with Hugh Grant and Colin Firth starring alongside Zellweger. Movies "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" and "Bridget Jones's Baby" followed in 2004 and 2016 respectively. "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" was released in February. "My daughter's generation now like Bridget, and that means a huge amount to me because it hardly ever happens," Fielding said of the character's enduring popularity. "So I feel very, very lucky, and yeah, I'm proud of Bridget." The Bridget Jones statue is part of the Scenes in the Square trail of sculptures of film characters in Leicester Square, where many movie premieres are held. The trail was launched in 2020 and also includes statues of Laurel and Hardy as well as Batman among others. (Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian, Editing by William Maclean)

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(Corrects spelling of 'Cruise' in paragraph 8) By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -How does a person summarize the 45-year career of Tom Cruise in a four-minute speech? "Mission impossible," said director Alejandro Inarritu on Sunday as Hollywood celebrated the movie star with an honorary Oscar. Inarritu, who directed Cruise in an untitled film set for release next October, introduced the "Top Gun" star and said his talent extended beyond the dangerous stunts he has become famous for. "It is not how far he runs or how high he jumps," Inarritu said. "It's how precisely he decides to move, those tiny calibrations." Honorary Oscar statuettes were handed out to Cruise and three others selected by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. The 63-year-old Cruise, a four-time Oscar nominee who has never won the award, was chosen for work in films from "Risky Business" to two "Top Gun" movies and the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. He also has become a prominent champion for the movie business as it faces competition from streaming and social media. Accepting his award, Cruise talked about how seeing movies in a theater impressed him as a child. "Suddenly the world was so much larger than the one that I knew," he told a crowd of luminaries that included Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ariana Grande. He said he worked every job he could to earn money for movie tickets.   "I will always do everything I can to support this art form and to champion new voices, to protect what makes cinema powerful, hopefully without too many more broken bones," he said to laughter. Cruise broke his ankle while filming a stunt in 2017.  "Making films is not what I do. It's who I am," Cruise added. The gala also honored Dolly Parton with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her charitable efforts, including founding a library that has provided more than 300 million books to children. She accepted her award via video. Other honorees were actor and choreographer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Kevin Buckland)

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By Hanna Rantala LONDON (Reuters) -Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan reunite for an action-packed European Christmas adventure in "The Family Plan 2". A sequel to 2023's "The Family Plan", one of Apple TV's most-watched movies, it sees Wahlberg reprising the role of Dan Morgan, an elite assassin turned dedicated family man. When his daughter Nina (Zoe Colletti), who is studying in London, announces that she is not returning home for the holidays, Dan decides to bring the family to her. Dan's meticulous vacation plans immediately hit a snag when he meets Nina's boyfriend Omar (Reda Elazouar). Things take a turn for the worse when a person from his past (Kit Harington) shows up, sharing secrets from Dan's former life and exposing the family to fresh dangers. "It did feel like there was an opportunity for some unfinished business for the Morgans," Monaghan, who plays Dan's wife Jessica, said. "I thought they were really clever to think of an adventure overseas and I'm so glad we got to re-team." For "Game of Thrones" star Harington the main pull of the project was getting to play a "gnarly baddie" who he said needed to be both likeable and unlikeable. "I looked at the sort of 'Die Hards' and those villainous characters, they're slightly bigger than life," Harington said. Many of the action scenes were shot on real locations, including a carefully choreographed fight aboard a moving London tour bus and a car chase down the cobblestone streets and steps of Montmartre in Paris. Portraying the growing pains of parenthood came easily to mother-of-two Monaghan and Wahlberg, who has four children. "I'm about to go on a little holiday with my family," said Wahlberg. "A couple of them will be bringing friends, girlfriends. I don't think we'll see as much danger, but I'll definitely be working as a detective, finding out new things about my children." "Family Plan 2" premieres on Apple TV+ on November 21. (Reporting by Hanna Rantala;Editing by Alison Williams)

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By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -How does a person summarize the 45-year career of Tom Cruise in a four-minute speech? "Mission impossible," said director Alejandro Inarritu on Sunday as Hollywood celebrated the movie star with an honorary Oscar. Inarritu, who directed Cruise in an untitled film set for release next October, introduced the "Top Gun" star and said his talent extended beyond the dangerous stunts he has become famous for. "It is not how far he runs or how high he jumps," Inarritu said. "It's how precisely he decides to move, those tiny calibrations." Honorary Oscar statuettes were handed out to Cruise and three others selected by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. The 63-year-old Cruise, a four-time Oscar nominee who has never won the award, was chosen for work in films from "Risky Business" to two "Top Gun" movies and the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. He also has become a prominent champion for the movie business as it faces competition from streaming and social media. Accepting his award, Cruise talked about how seeing movies in a theater impressed him as a child. "Suddenly the world was so much larger than the one that I knew," he told a crowd of luminaries that included Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ariana Grande. He said he worked every job he could to earn money for movie tickets.   "I will always do everything I can to support this art form and to champion new voices, to protect what makes cinema powerful, hopefully without too many more broken bones," he said to laughter. Cruise broke his ankle while filming a stunt in 2017.  "Making films is not what I do. It's who I am," Cruse added. The gala also honored Dolly Parton with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her charitable efforts, including founding a library that has provided more than 300 million books to children. She accepted her award via video. Other honorees were actor and choreographer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Kevin Buckland)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -How does a person summarize the 45-year career of Tom Cruise in a four-minute speech? "Mission impossible," said director Alejandro Inarritu on Sunday as Hollywood celebrated the movie star with an honorary Oscar. Inarritu, who directed Cruise in an untitled film set for release next October, introduced the "Top Gun" star and said his talent extended beyond the dangerous stunts he has become famous for. "It is not how far he runs or how high he jumps," Inarritu said. "It's how precisely he decides to move, those tiny calibrations." Honorary Oscar statuettes were handed out to Cruise and three others selected by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. The 63-year-old Cruise, a four-time Oscar nominee who has never won the award, was chosen for work in films from "Risky Business" to two "Top Gun" movies and the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. He also has become a prominent champion for the movie business as it faces competition from streaming and social media. Accepting his award, Cruise talked about how seeing movies in a theater impressed him as a child. "Suddenly the world was so much larger than the one that I knew," he told a crowd of luminaries that included Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ariana Grande. He said he worked every job he could to earn money for movie tickets.   "I will always do everything I can to support this art form and to champion new voices, to protect what makes cinema powerful, hopefully without too many more broken bones," he said to laughter. Cruise broke his ankle while filming a stunt in 2017.  "Making films is not what I do. It's who I am," Cruse added. The gala also honored Dolly Parton with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her charitable efforts, including founding a library that has provided more than 300 million books to children. She accepted her award via video. Other honorees were actor and choreographer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Kevin Buckland)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -How does a person summarize the 45-year career of Tom Cruise in a four-minute speech? "Mission impossible," said director Alejandro Inarritu on Sunday as Hollywood celebrated the movie star with an honorary Oscar. Inarritu, who directed Cruise in an untitled film set for release next October, introduced the "Top Gun" star and said his talent extended beyond the dangerous stunts he has become famous for. "It is not how far he runs or how high he jumps," Inarritu said. "It's how precisely he decides to move, those tiny calibrations." Honorary Oscar statuettes were handed out to Cruise and three others selected by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. The 63-year-old Cruise, a four-time Oscar nominee who has never won the award, was chosen for work in films from "Risky Business" to two "Top Gun" movies and the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. He also has become a prominent champion for the movie business as it faces competition from streaming and social media. Accepting his award, Cruise talked about how seeing movies in a theater impressed him as a child. "Suddenly the world was so much larger than the one that I knew," he told a crowd of luminaries that included Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ariana Grande. He said he worked every job he could to earn money for movie tickets.   "I will always do everything I can to support this art form and to champion new voices, to protect what makes cinema powerful, hopefully without too many more broken bones," he said to laughter. Cruise broke his ankle while filming a stunt in 2017.  "Making films is not what I do. It's who I am," Cruse added. The gala also honored Dolly Parton with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her charitable efforts, including founding a library that has provided more than 300 million books to children. She accepted her award via video. Other honorees were actor and choreographer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Kevin Buckland)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -How does a person summarize the 45-year career of Tom Cruise in a four-minute speech? "Mission impossible," said director Alejandro Inarritu on Sunday as Hollywood celebrated the movie star with an honorary Oscar. Inarritu, who directed Cruise in an untitled film set for release next October, introduced the "Top Gun" star and said his talent extended beyond the dangerous stunts he has become famous for. "It is not how far he runs or how high he jumps," Inarritu said. "It's how precisely he decides to move, those tiny calibrations." Honorary Oscar statuettes were handed out to Cruise and three others selected by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. The 63-year-old Cruise, a four-time Oscar nominee who has never won the award, was chosen for work in films from "Risky Business" to two "Top Gun" movies and the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. He also has become a prominent champion for the movie business as it faces competition from streaming and social media. Accepting his award, Cruise talked about how seeing movies in a theater impressed him as a child. "Suddenly the world was so much larger than the one that I knew," he told a crowd of luminaries that included Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ariana Grande. He said he worked every job he could to earn money for movie tickets.   "I will always do everything I can to support this art form and to champion new voices, to protect what makes cinema powerful, hopefully without too many more broken bones," he said to laughter. Cruise broke his ankle while filming a stunt in 2017.  "Making films is not what I do. It's who I am," Cruse added. The gala also honored Dolly Parton with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her charitable efforts, including founding a library that has provided more than 300 million books to children. She accepted her award via video. Other honorees were actor and choreographer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Kevin Buckland)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -How does a person summarize the 45-year career of Tom Cruise in a four-minute speech? "Mission impossible," said director Alejandro Inarritu on Sunday as Hollywood celebrated the movie star with an honorary Oscar. Inarritu, who directed Cruise in an untitled film set for release next October, introduced the "Top Gun" star and said his talent extended beyond the dangerous stunts he has become famous for. "It is not how far he runs or how high he jumps," Inarritu said. "It's how precisely he decides to move, those tiny calibrations." Honorary Oscar statuettes were handed out to Cruise and three others selected by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. The 63-year-old Cruise, a four-time Oscar nominee who has never won the award, was chosen for work in films from "Risky Business" to two "Top Gun" movies and the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. He also has become a prominent champion for the movie business as it faces competition from streaming and social media. Accepting his award, Cruise talked about how seeing movies in a theater impressed him as a child. "Suddenly the world was so much larger than the one that I knew," he told a crowd of luminaries that included Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ariana Grande. He said he worked every job he could to earn money for movie tickets.   "I will always do everything I can to support this art form and to champion new voices, to protect what makes cinema powerful, hopefully without too many more broken bones," he said to laughter. Cruise broke his ankle while filming a stunt in 2017.  "Making films is not what I do. It's who I am," Cruse added. The gala also honored Dolly Parton with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her charitable efforts, including founding a library that has provided more than 300 million books to children. She accepted her award via video. Other honorees were actor and choreographer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Kevin Buckland)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Crispian Balmer VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo told a group of leading Hollywood actors and filmmakers on Saturday that cinemas were struggling to survive and that more should be done to protect them and preserve the shared experience of watching movies. Screen stars Cate Blanchett, Monica Bellucci, Chris Pine and Viggo Mortensen were among those invited to the private Vatican audience, along with award-winning directors Spike Lee, Gus Van Sant and Sally Potter. Leo, the first U.S. pope, said cinema was a vital "workshop of hope" at a time of global uncertainty and digital overload. "Cinemas are experiencing a troubling decline, with many being removed from cities and neighbourhoods," he added. "More than a few people are saying that the art of cinema and the cinematic experience are in danger. I urge institutions not to give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value of this activity." Box office revenues in many countries remain well below the levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic, with multiplexes in the United States and Canada just suffering their worst summer since 1981, excluding the COVID shutdown. POPE SAYS LOGIC OF ALGORITHMS MUST BE RESISTED Leo said cinema, which marks its 130th anniversary this year, had grown from a play of light and shadow into a form capable of revealing humanity's deepest questions. "Cinema is not just moving pictures; it sets hope in motion," he said, adding that entering a theatre was "like crossing a threshold" where the imagination widens and even pain can find new meaning. A culture shaped by constant digital stimuli risks reducing stories to what algorithms predict will succeed, he said. "The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what works, but art opens up what is possible," he said, urging filmmakers to defend "slowness, silence and difference" when they serve the story. The pope also encouraged artists to confront violence, war, poverty and loneliness with honesty, saying good cinema "does not exploit pain; it recognizes and explores it". Australia's Cate Blanchett said his call carried weight. "His Holiness's words today were a real charge not to shy away from difficult, painful stories," she told reporters. "He really urged us to go back into our day jobs and inspire people." The pope praised not only directors and actors but the vast array of behind-the-scenes workers whose craft makes movies possible, calling filmmaking "a collective endeavour in which no one is self-sufficient". At the end of his speech, the long list of invitees met the pope one-by-one, many offering him gifts, including Spike Lee, who gave him a New York Knicks basketball shirt emblazoned with "Pope Leo 14". "It was a surprise to me that I even got an invitation," Lee told reporters. "I've been to Rome many, many times. But (this was) the first time in the Vatican City and the first time meeting the pope. So it was… a great day, a great day." Ahead of Saturday's meeting, the Vatican shared four of the pope's favourite films: Robert Wise’s family musical "The Sound of Music", Frank Capra's feel-good "It’s a Wonderful Life", Robert Redford's heart-wrenching "Ordinary People" and Roberto Benigni's sentimental World War Two drama "Life Is Beautiful". (Additional reporting by Angelo Amante and Roberto MignucciEditing by Gareth Jones)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Crispian Balmer VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo told a group of leading Hollywood actors and filmmakers at an audience in the Vatican on Saturday that cinemas were struggling to survive and that more should be done to protect them and preserve the shared experience of watching movies. Screen stars Cate Blanchett, Monica Bellucci, Chris Pine and Oscar-winning director Spike Lee were among those at the gathering. Leo, the first U.S. pope, said cinema was a vital "workshop of hope" at a time of global uncertainty and digital overload. "Cinemas are experiencing a troubling decline, with many being removed from cities and neighbourhoods," he said. "More than a few people are saying that the art of cinema and the cinematic experience are in danger. I urge institutions not to give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value of this activity." Box office revenues in many countries remain well below the levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic, with multiplexes in the United States and Canada just suffering their worst summer since 1981, excluding the COVID shutdown. POPE SAYS LOGIC OF ALGORITHMS MUST BE RESISTED Leo said cinema, which marks its 130th anniversary this year, had grown from a play of light and shadow into a form capable of revealing humanity's deepest questions. "Cinema is not just moving pictures; it sets hope in motion," he said, adding that entering a theatre was "like crossing a threshold" where the imagination widens and even pain can find new meaning. A culture shaped by constant digital stimuli risks reducing stories to what algorithms predict will succeed, he said. "The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what works, but art opens up what is possible," he said, urging filmmakers to defend "slowness, silence and difference" when they serve the story. The pope also encouraged artists to confront violence, war, poverty and loneliness with honesty, saying good cinema "does not exploit pain; it recognizes and explores it". He praised not only directors and actors but the vast array of behind-the-scenes workers whose craft makes movies possible, calling filmmaking "a collective endeavour in which no one is self-sufficient". At the end of his speech, the long list of invitees met the pope one-by-one, many offering him gifts, including Spike Lee, who gave him a New York Knicks basketball shirt emblazoned with "Pope Leo 14". Ahead of Saturday's meeting, the Vatican shared four of the pope's favourite films: Robert Wise’s family musical "The Sound of Music", Frank Capra's feel-good "It’s a Wonderful Life", Robert Redford's heart-wrenching "Ordinary People" and Roberto Benigni's sentimental World War Two drama "Life Is Beautiful". (Additional reporting by Angelo AmanteEditing by Gareth Jones)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)