Keith Urban & Nicole Kidman Updates 9/19/2012

Keith has been enjoying the first rounds of auditions of American Idol. Word is that the crew has a great chemistry and it should be very interesting to see what they agree/disagree on.

From the exec producer of The Voice Australia

@JulieWardTV: Word from the set of American Idol is that @KeithUrban is fantastic. But we at #TheVoiceAU knew that. We miss him but wish only the best

This comes just as the skeptics in the basement are creating fake posters who are "Australian" or just now "deciding to join in". Spelling mistakes and all. Of course there's the poster that says she has sources which are really Google links she's not posting and her own imagination. They keep trying and failing but that's what happens when you join a board specifically created by an owner that has a desperate need to throw reality out the window.

CNN has a peice profiling the judges on why they decided to join. You can watch that HERE.

CMT has a list of why Keith is a great choice for AI. We have to agree!
You can read the list HERE.


Keith will be the guest host on this weekend's Country Countdown USA with Lon Helton. For more click HERE.


Keith also has the honor of being picked by The Grand Ole Opry as the spokesperson for their new radio campaign. You can read more and listen to the ads HERE.


Keith's segment on this year's Country's Night to Rock is now up!




Nicole is off to France again for pre-preoduction on Grace of Monaco. She'll be back in the States though for The Emmys this weekend. We can't wait.




Speaking of The Emmys, nominated actors were asked what were their favorite tv shows growing up. Nicole has answered this before, around the time of the Bewitched remake. She also borught up th e two miniseries that really started it all for her. Miniseries tend to get a bad rap but the Kennedy-Miller productions were always of such high quality that Nicole's movies have been available on dvd for ages. Check them out if you haven't already. You can read the small story HERE.

Lee Daniels spoke recently about working with Nicole on The Paperboy. To read more click HERE.

Daniels: I said to Nicole, 'Listen, if you can't do your own makeup on this, you can't do this movie because you don't know this character,'" Daniels says. "This chick is, well, she's trailer trash. When one thinks of Nicole Kidman, one doesn't think of that. I thought she'd go running for the hills, but she came back right at me."

She sure did. Kidman, 45, texted Daniels photos of herself in naughty lingerie in which she also did her own—yup!—makeup. By now, most movie fans have heard about the scene in which Kidman urinates on Efron after his character is stung by a jellyfish.
"Nicole gets down and dirty," Daniels said. "But let me tell you what else she does, she sent the crew members champagne. She's in the trenches. She was at craft services helping out. She was one of the guys."

We haven't heard much on The Railway Man. That's because Colin and the crew snuck off to Australia with very little press coverage compared to Scotland. Nicole did not film any scenes there but we did find an interview with Colin where he talks about the film, Australia, and Nicole. Colin quipped on Nicole being his wife in the film "Some things are easy." and that she was an asset in his goal to play a husband returning as a tortured man.

You can read more and watch the video HERE.

Keith Urban & Nicole Kidman Updates

Well should we get the biggest story out of the way?

No, American Idol has not signed Keith Urban yet as a judge. As much as the skeptics are floundering and falling on their faces most of the media has gone overboard reporting the story with no real source, no "horse's mouth" so to speak.

Fortunately for this blog and the real fans we can tell you definitively that there is NO CONFIRMATION of anything and that comes stright from Nashville and Keith's team. WSIX reported it and no other media outlet seems to be spreading the word because the truth is not a flashy enough story. Where were your "sources" OldHickory?

But we would like to commend inept skeptic maclen. She said she found her internet doppleganger and she couldn't be more right! The author of a peice concerning the Idol judge search got way more flak than they bargained for. A peice that's full of misinformation and total disregard for the truth. It's maclen in a nutshell and exactly why the skeptics are trying to sell it as the final word of public opinion. Words to describe the author/article from the comments include "clown", "insulting", "disgusting", "American Idiot", "know nothing", "misinformed", "inexperienced", "has no clue", and on and on. Way to go maclen!

To read more of the well-informed fans comments click
here


At least the skeptics are consistent with that falling on their face thing. The backtracking and lying over the past week concerning Keith and his diabolical plans (or should we say Nicole's diabolical plans) give us nothing but more of the same from our favorite "fans". What started out as a coup for Brad Paisley has turned into a bottom of the barrel desperation move by someone who can barely get a gig in Reno. Thanks skeptics for the laugh!




We'd also like to let everyone know that Keith is going to be part of a fantastic educational program for children in the Nashville Public School System on September 6
at 10 am. The event will be streamed live at the Country Music Hall of Fame website as well as Keith's fansite.

“We’re thrilled to offer music and arts students from several Metro Nashville Public Schools the chance to get ‘up close and personal’ with one of country music’s great talents, Keith Urban,” said Ali Tonn, the museum’s director of education and public programs. “In this special program, students will hear Keith talk about the craft of songwriting, his influences and creative inspirations, seminal moments in his career and more. They will also have the opportunity to ask him questions. This program is the first of its kind for the museum and will serve as a ‘pilot’ of sorts; we hope to be able to offer more All Access educational programs when our museum expansion is completed in 2014.”

For more info click here


To close, Nicole's The Paperboy will be screening at TIFF (Toronto). The schedule of films has been released and Paperboy will be shown September 14. As long as Nicole does not have conflicts with any of her other projects we should expect her to be there.

Nicole Kidman Keith Urban Updates!

Nicole is on the cover of V Magazine, with a full article and fantastic "If Charlotte Bless Got To Do A Photoshoot" photospread.
Out of all the photos, these two are our favorites









You can read the article at this link.

http://www.vmagazine.com/2012/08/truth-or-bare/

Watch a behind the scenes video of the photo shoot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcCCKODiVlM


Another great interview with Nicole from Hollywood Reporter

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/emmys-2012-nicole-kidman-hemingway-gellhorn-363857


Keith has finally weighed in on the American Idol hoopla, which is exactly what we expected - AI doesn't know anything either! Keith is still moving forward with his original plans of making a new album and returning to The Voice. You can listen to Keith at the link!

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbent/536454437-keith-urban-keeping-coy-on-idol-chances


Keith's been doing an east coast tour of Canada with opener Lindsay Ell. Here's a great photo of them embarking on their adventure.





Greg Carroll, one of Lindsay's musicians posted this after a show...

Finished of the Keith Urban run with a great show last nite in St Johns with Lindsay Ell. Hung out with Keith & his band last evening, Keith hugged me& I pretended it was Nicole Kidman


Keith also took time out to visit a teen in a local hospital who is recovering from a serious accident.

http://peicanada.com/eastern_graphic/publication/hospitalized_mt_stewart_teen_thrilled_visit_superstar_country_singer_keI

@kristyfisty4 @KeithUrban is absolutely amazing for taking the time to see Tyson MacDonald and his family at the hospital in Halifax. #unreal #greatman

Nicole Kidman to be Honored at 2012 NYFF Gala

Congratulations to Nicole - she's being honored at the 50th NYFF on October 3rd. These types of galas are to honor those who have made significant artistic acheivement. The Paperboy will also be screened at the festival.

From Richard Pena, longtime director of NYFF -

“Nicole Kidman is one of film’s finest contemporary actresses. Since her breakthrough performance in TO DIE FOR and her bold and provocative appearances in Lars Von Trier’s DOGVILLE, Stanley Kubrick’s EYES WIDE SHUT, as well as her awarding-winning portrayal of Virginia Woolf in Stephen Daldry’s THE HOURS, Kidman has insisted on finding roles that are complex, bold and demanding. We are excited to honor her with a tribute at the New York Film Festival.”

The evening will include an on stage conversation with Nicole, much like the Santa Barbara tribute. Nicole is among a select group of artists, including the NYFF director, to be honored in this way. Normally the Film Society of Lincoln Center holds the event outside of the festival. Congrats again to Nicole!

• 2012 Catherine Deneuve • 2011 Sidney Poitier • 2010 Michael Douglas • 2009 Tom Hanks • 2008 Meryl Streep • 2007 Diane Keaton • 2006 Jessica Lange • 2005 Dustin Hoffman • 2004 Michael Caine • 2003 Susan Sarandon • 2002 Francis Ford Coppola • 2001 Jane Fonda • 2000 Al Pacino • 1999 Mike Nichols • 1998 Martin Scorsese • 1997 Sean Connery • 1996 Clint Eastwood • 1995 Shirley MacLaine • 1994 Robert Altman • 1993 Jack Lemmon • 1992 Gregory Peck • 1991 Audrey Hepburn • 1990 James Stewart • 1989 Bette Davis • 1988 Yves Montand • 1987 Alec Guinness • 1986 Elizabeth Taylor • 1985 Federico Fellini • 1984 Claudette Colbert • 1983 Laurence Olivier • 1982 Billy Wilder • 1981 Barbara Stanwyck • 1980 John Huston • 1979 Bob Hope • 1978 George Cukor • 1975 Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman • 1974 Alfred Hitchcock • 1973 Fred Astaire • 1972 Charles Chaplin

More August Keith Urban Nicole Kidman Updates!

Keith's episode of Yahoo's "Going Home" series is up. Watch below to see some of Keith's favorite things about Nashville and history with his adopted hometown!

Variety is reporting that Tim Roth has been cast as Prince Rainier in Grace of Monaco as well as Frank Langella as the priest who sets up Rainier with Grace.


Another tidbit from the set of Nicole's The Paperboy. Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly .

THE PAPERBOY

In director Lee Daniels' first film since Precious, Nicole Kidman plays an unhinged sexpot who entices a journalist (Matthew McConaughey) and his brother (Zac Efron) to help free her pen pal (John Cusack) from death row. Daniels initially had jitters about directing Kidman, but realized the A-lister was game for almost anything — including on-camera lovemaking and an already notorious scene in which she urinates on Efron to treat a jellyfish sting. But the actress drew the line at saying the N-word. "I complained about it," says Daniels, "but my producer said, 'She just finished getting bent over a pink washing machine, she's peeing...give the girl a break!'

And fans have been taking photos with our favorite couple. An aspiring Nashville musician took a photo while jamming and talking with Keith.




Another fan snapped a photo of Nicole on her flight home from Paris.

Kidman Urban Updates 08/14/2012

It's been only a short while but we've got some great updates!

Nicole's The Paperboy has been chosen as a special selection for the Toronto International Film Festival this year. The screening will take place during the festival next month.

Meanwhile Nicole has been in Paris, in preparation for Grace of Monaco. Reportedly she has already done a photo shoot which probably ties in with Grace. However, she could be in France ahead of schedule to do pre-production makeup and costume tests. We'll have to see. Grace is scheduled to start filming sometime in September.

Nicole is part of a new campaign, Everyone Matters, which raises awareness for inclusion and tolerance. As an ambassador she's been chosen along with other celebrities like Sir Paul McCartney and Daniel Craig to spread the word. You can find out more at www.everyonematters2012.com




Keith's been busy working on the new album and just did another night at the Grand Ole Opry. He did an acoustic set with hits old and new including "But For The Grace of God", "For You", and "Without You". He'll be back at the Opry Spetember 4th with the Bellamy Brothers but he couldn't have gotten warmer welcome that night with Bill Anderson proclaiming Keith as one of the nicest guys in the business.


Want more Keith and Nicole on your phone? There's a new game available called SongPop in both free and paid versions. You compete against others in identifying songs as quickly as you can in a wide range of musical categories. Keith is included in the modern country category as well as several "top hits" categories. Selections from Moulin Rouge, Birthday Girl, Happy Feet, and Practical Magic have shown up in the Movie Soundtracks and Animated categories! Check your phone's app store for availability.

And last but not least for some new tunes, STS highly recommends Jana Kramer's new self-titled cd. If you'd like Ashton Shepherd with a little less twang you might want to check her out. She's got some great songs including tracks co-written by Jerry Flowers ("I Hope It Rains") and Keith concert openers Gordie Sampson and Katrina Elam ("Over You By Now").