The Hollywood star system is shrinking. As the movie business forges deeper into the comic book canon, it matters less and less whose face is behind the mask. There remain a few exceptions. Robert Downey Jr., Jennifer Lawrence, Will Smith, Melissa McCarthy and Ben Affleck still guarantee a certain level of box office success in the right kind of project. They still have the clout to guarantee that movies — even smaller, more challenging projects that give bottom-line-oriented executives agita — actually make it to screens.

But with true stars becoming an endangered species, there’s a talent grab taking place that’s causing heartache and delays for companies hoping to package films at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

“A lot scripts are all going out to the same list of actors,” said Peter Kujawski, Focus Features managing director. “You need to give them a chance to read the material and engage in the process, and it takes time.”

The problem has been exacerbated by scheduling difficulties. Downey, for example, has appeared in an Avengers movie or a spinoff in four of the last five years, and he has three more stints as Iron Man slated in 2017 and 2018. And now that Affleck’s joined the Justice League as Batman, donning the cape and cowl will become essentially an annual occurrence for the actor. As these comic book universes expand, so do the demands on the time of top-tier actors.

“Those big Marvel type movies all come with big multi-picture commitments and promotional commitments,” said Marc Schaberg, co-president and COO of Sierra/Affinity. “It adds up to a lot of time.”

Kim Tae Woo told why he decided to commence diet.

On April 8th broadcast of MBC 'King of Mask Singers,' SLAM DUNK was found out to be none other than Kim Tae Woo.

As SLAM DUNK took his mask off, all of the panels were largely surprised by how slimmer he got.

Regarding why he decided to get on diet, Kim Tae Woo said, "I found myself struggling while singing after I gained weight. I thought it was time for me to lose some weight, and I think that must be why not as many people could not tell who I was."

Kim Sung Joo asked Kim Tae Woo how much weight he lost, and he replied, "I lost about 25kg."

Meanwhile, the 'BATMAN' was found out to be Lee Hyun Woo.

In the midst of a banner year, Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon is in talks to star opposite Sally Hawkins in Guillermo del Toro‘s Cold War love story that is taking shape at Fox Searchlight, TheWrap has exclusively learned.

Rumored to be titled “The Shape of Water,” the mysterious film is described as an other-worldly story set against the backdrop of Cold War-era America circa 1963.

Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer and Michael Stuhlbarg will co-star in the period picture, which del Toro is producing with Callum Greene, who worked on both “Pacific Rim” and “Crimson Peak.”

Hawkins is believed to be playing a mute woman who works at a lab where an amphibious man is being held captive. She soon falls in love with him and decides to help him escape, though her actions may have unintended consequences.

Shannon is one of Hollywood’s most interesting leading men — the type of actor who you can’t take your eyes off of when he’s onscreen. Following acclaimed turns in last year’s indie dramas “99 Homes” and “Freeheld,” Shannon turned up as a major scene-stealer in Sony’s holiday comedy “The Night Before.”

He can currently be seen in Jeff Nichols‘ “Midnight Special,” Liza Johnson‘s “Elvis & Nixon” and briefly as General Zod in Zack Snyder‘s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

Shannon is poised for a big year, with key roles in Nichols’ interracial marriage drama “Loving” and Tom Ford‘s “Nocturnal Animals.” He also had a pair of films at Sundance — “Frank & Lola” with Imogen Poots and “Complete Unknown” with Rachel Weisz.

Michael Shannon is in talks to star in Guillermo del Toro’s untitled supernatural romance for Fox Searchlight.

The project, which has been rumored to be titled “The Shape of Water,” is set in 1963 with Shannon playing the villain of the story. A mute laboratory worker, to be played by Sally Hawkins, falls in love with an amphibious man who’s being held captive.

Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer and Michael Stuhlbarg will co-star. Del Toro is directing and producing with Callum Greene, who worked with him on both “Pacific Rim” and “Crimson Peak.”

Shannon stars in Jeff Nichols’ “Midnight Special,” Liza Johnson’s “Elvis & Nixon” and as General Zod in Zack Snyder‘s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” He also starred in Nichols’ interracial marriage drama “Loving” and Tom Ford‘s “Nocturnal Animals.”

Universal bought the rights to his drama “Frank & Lola” for $2 million at Sundance.

Shannon is represented by CAA, Wetzel Entertainment and Morris Yorn. The news was first reported by The Wrap.a

Justin Bieber attends his father’s engagement party during the Private VIP Art Show and “Nyotaimori Celebrating Life Love And Art” on April 30 in Toronto. (Photo: George Pimentel/WireImage) 

Justin Bieber on Saturday celebrated his dad’s engagement to his longtime girlfriend at a private Toronto art event that featured Batman, the Batmobile and an actual Bengal tiger. Yes, really. 

The engagement party appears to have been held at a private art show, simultaneous to an event called the “Nyotaimori Celebrating Life Love And Art.” (“Nyotaimori” refers to the Japanese practice of serving sushi off the bodies of naked women.) 

Justin, second from right, attends his father’s engagement party. (Photo: George Pimentel/WireImage) 

Other attendees included costumed superheroes such as Iron Man and Wonder Woman, former boxing heavyweight Lennox Lewis, and Canadian opera singer Meghan Lindsay, who performed. 

Bieber, 22, spent time at the party petting the tiger – a moment he later Instagrammed – and hanging out in the Batmobile and the superheroes, as well as with his dad. As with everything Bieber does, this was not without controversy: PETA is pretty pissed at him for hanging out with a captive tiger. According to PETA, the tiger was brought in from the Bowmanville Zoo by trainer Michael Hackenberger, who is facing animal cruelty charges after PETA released footage of him whipping an animal.

“Exotic animals used for entertainment are usually torn away from their mothers at a young age, beaten into submission by trainers, and forced to live in cramped enclosures,” PETA said in a statement on their website. “Tigers used in this way are denied everything that they need to be happy, and we can only imagine that the tiger Justin posed with has experienced a life of misery.”

Amitabh Bachchan is the undisputed Shahenshah of Bollywood and is universally loved by all, both within the industry and outside too. The actor has been admired across generations and many are awestruck with his aura. Same is the case with actor Emraan Hashmi, who has always been in awe of the megastar. 

Recently, the actor had sent across the copy of his book The Kiss of Life: How a Superhero and My Son Defeated Cancer to Amitabh Bachchan, like he did to the other colleagues in the industry. While many stars have praised Emraan and his son’s story, a small handwritten letter from Big B indeed made Emraan’s day. Amitabh Bachchan, sent across a letter to Ayaan and Emraan, praising the book and them. 

Emraan shared the same on his social media too. When we met Emraan for an interaction ahead of Azhar’s release, we asked him about the letter and the actor couldn’t stop gushing about it. “The content of the letter is too personal but I am surprised that whatever Amitabh sir has mentioned is amazing. He has read the book, written about Ayaan and also kept in mind the key chapters. It has been very thoughtful of him and that letter proves why he is what he is,” reveals Emraan. 

He admits, “Ayaan has seen the letter and he knows who is Amitabh Bachchan but not the way I see him. He has seen him in TV’s and ads but I have grown up watching him. What Batman is for Ayaan, Amitabh Bachchan is to me. So we will frame the letter and put it up in his room.” Now that’s sweet, we say! 

James Bond director Guy Hamilton has died aged 93.

He worked with Sir Sean Connery on Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever, and directed Sir Roger Moore in his other two Bond credits – Live And Let Die and The Man With The Golden Gun.

Guy’s film talents extended beyond Bond and he worked with a host of other big stars including Michael Caine in 1969′s Battle Of Britain, and Harrison Ford in British war film Force 10 From Navarone.

Other notable credits include his work on two Agatha Christie adaptations, the first of which was The Mirror Crack’d in 1980, followed by Evil Under The Sun in 1982.

Born in Paris, it was there that Guy found his love of the film industry as a young boy.

It was only years later, after the Second World War, that he landed his first big break in the industry, working as a director’s assistant for Carol Reed, known for his work on successful films such as The Third Man and Oliver!.

Reports say Guy was also linked to Superhero films Superman and Batman in the late 70s and early 80s. However, he was replaced on Superman and reportedly turned down the chance to work on Batman.

The Garner-Affleck family loves to throw a birthday party!

First it was Samuel's fourth b-day -- where Ben Affleck dressed as Batman for his son -- and now, Jennifer Garner threw quite the bash to celebrate turning 44 on Sunday, even recruiting a marching band for the occasion.

The Alias actress' day started off far more low-key though, attending church with her three children -- Violet, 10, Seraphina, 7, and Sam -- before Affleck took the kids to lunch.

The shindig took place at Garner's home with 30 of her closest friends and family gathering on the patio to toast the birthday girl, a source tells ET. There was a bar decked out with her initials and tons of flowers and balloons.

As for the church outing, the Miracles From Heaven star previously opened up to ET about her own "miracle" that returned her to her faith.

"I grew up going to church every Sunday," she told ET's Cameron Mathison. "Doing this film and being around people where church was normal, more normal than it is in Los Angeles, it kind of just made me think, 'I've got to get on this.' So, I talked to my kids, and they said, "Of course, we're ready to go.'"

The Jungle Book has ruled the box office as it took a whopping 103.3 million dollars (£72m) on its opening weekend.

Disney’s live action adaptation of one of the studio’s cartoon classics achieved a larger-than-expected debut after achieving favourable reviews from critics.

Jon Favreau’s CGI-enabled update of the The Jungle Book landed the second highest April opening ever. Only five PG-rated films have had larger openings.

Ice Cube’s Barbershop: The Next Cut opened with 20.2 million dollars (£14m), while Kevin Costner’s action thriller Criminal failed to make the top five as it limped into theatres with 5.8 million dollars (£4m).

Here are the top five films at the North American box office in US dollars:

1. The Jungle Book, Disney, 103.3 million

2. Barbershop: The Next Cut, Warner Bros. 20.2 million

3. The Boss, Universal, 9.9 million

4. Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice, Warner Bros, 9 million

5. Zootopia, Disney, 8.1 million

Toho’s action comedy “Assassination Classroom: Graduation” won its third straight weekend at the Japanese box office.

For the April 9-10 frame the film, recorded $1.8 million from 167,000 admissions, while raising its cumulative earnings to $26 million. This compares with $25.5 million for the first part, released in March of last year.

At number two was another Toho release, animation “Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016,” which earned $1.01 million.

Warner’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” held onto the third slot, as using the Japanese method of ranking by admissions, but outperformed in cash terms with $1.3 million. Its cumulative is now $12.8 million.

The sloe new entrant to the top ten, at number eight, was the drama “Room,” which was boosted by the best actress Oscar for Brie Larson. Opening on 76 screens with Gaga distributing, the film took $528,000.

Jai Courtney, Cara Delevingne, Joel Kinnaman, Will Smith, Jay Hernandez, Adam Beach, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Karen Fukuhara, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto of ‘Suicide Squad’ (Todd Williamson/Getty Images)

In between Batman v Superman’s dreary vibe and reports (later denied) that Suicide Squad was undergoing reshoots to add more humor, the tone of the upcoming DC Comics antihero assemblage has become a hot topic. Will Squad be that much lighter than BvS? Is it as funny as the first trailers suggest?

“It’s definitely concentrated on a certain amount of levity set into a serious, harsh reality,” star Will Smith, who plays marksman Deadshot, told Yahoo Movies on the Warner Bros. press line at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. “So what [director] David Ayer did that was really good is he didn’t allow us to be in a comic-book movie. You’re playing this character, but this character has real ideas, has real feelings. So he set us firmly into this authentic world, but then allowed for the comedy.

"It shifts, it moves around. It is really violent, and then there’s beautiful scenes. Deadshot has a daughter. It covers a lot of ground.”

Smith stressed that Suicide Squad is not in the same vein as February’s breakout hit Deadpool. “It’s not a full-out comedy. It is a superhero movie in its definition. There’s heavy action to it. We shot real hardcore military war-type action. But it’s also really funny. In one scene, Boomerang [Jai Courtney] sits down and has a beer while we’re fighting.”

Suicide Squad has a new trailer and fans have been lapping it up. Predictions on social media suggest Harley Quinn, a frequent adversary of Batman played by Margot Robbie, will steal the show.

Based on the original DC Comic of the same name, Suicide Squad centres on a group of super-villains who find themselves on an unlikely mission for a shot at redemption.

However, the mission could end up killing them all.

The movie stars Will Smith as Deadshot alongside Oscar-winner Jared Leto as The Joker. The cast is rounded out by Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc, and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller.

Fans on Twitter gave the trailer a massive thumbs-up, but it’s Harley who has the love.

Holy Harley, Batman!

Suicide Squad is released in UK cinemas on August 5.

 “Assassination Classroom: Graduation,” the second part of a two-part action comedy based on a hit comic, debuted atop the Japanese box office for the weekend of March 26-27.

Bowing on 319 screens, with Toho distributing, the film earned $5.64 million on 545,000 admissions. That was more than 50% higher than the first-weekend take of the prior film, “Assassination Classroom,” which was released in March 2015 and finished with $24 million.

“Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016” took second place after three weeks at number one.

Opening in the number three slot was “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Released on 717 screens by Warner, the film recorded $3.27 million on 231,000 admissions in its opening frame. Over the three-day holiday weekend, the film racked up $4.42 million and is expected to finish with $13 million.

Bowing at number four was “Kamen Rider 1: The Movie,” the latest feature in the long-running action series about a baddie-battling biker cyborg, which is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. Bowing on 307 screens with Toei distributing, the film took $1.37 million on 124,000 admissions. That was about 70% of the first-weekend box office for the previous installment, which opened in December last year. The film’s final take is forecast at $8.8 million.

As Mariah Carey's Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour continues to roll through Europe, the singer is scheduled to perform at Brussels' Forest National venue on Sunday.

But in the wake of Tuesday's deadly explosions within the city, it is unclear whether the Belgian government will allow Carey's show to go on.

Though her performance has not yet been canceled, other events around the city are beginning to shut down. Wednesday's scheduled performance by Italian singer-songwriter Edoardo Bennato at Royal Circus was canceled on Tuesday, as was the Belgium soccer team's Tuesday practice session.

Among the other mainstream music acts scheduled to take the stage over the next week are Jess Glynne (scheduled to perform at Botanique on Friday) and The 1975 (scheduled for The Japanese House next Wednesday).

Ben Affleck sat down with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday's Tonight Show, but he wasn't the only superhero in the building! Fallon had a surprise for the Oscar winner -- puppies dressed up like the Justice League.

Sitting opposite each other in leather lounge chairs, the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice star went head-to-head with the talk show host in "Pup Quiz," the Tonight Show's game of random knowledge that ends up with opponents covered in golden retriever puppies.

Only this time, the almost-too-adorable puppies were dressed like the superheroes -- specifically those from the DC universe including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Batgirl and Supergirl.

As always, the game and the trivia don't really matter. All that mattered was who ended up "swimming in puppies," as trivia master and Tonight Show announcer Steve Higgins so eloquently described what someone looks like when they've got six curious canines crawling all over them.

Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice has finally hit UK cinemas. The highly-anticipated action adventure stars Henry Cavill in the role of Clark Kent/Superman, and Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman.

The blockbusting movie also features Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman.

Oscar-winning British actor Jeremy Irons plays Batman’s butler Alfred, while Man Of Steel’s Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane resume the roles they played in 2013.

As Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor, Jesse Eisenberg is sure to catch the eye.

Jersey-born Henry was praised for his portrayal in Man Of Steel, but while everyone waits to see how Ben performs, here are three of the best screen Batmans and Supermans.

The premiere of Batman v Superman was closed to press interviews tonight following the terrorist attacks in Brussels.

Actors Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill ditched their alter egos’ disguises to walk the red carpet at the European premiere of Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice in London’s Leicester Square.

The new film is Ben’s first outing as Gotham’s masked vigilante, whose vendetta against Metropolis’s Man of Steel leads to the ultimate superhero showdown, just as an even greater threat emerges that throws mankind into peril.

Joining forces with Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), the two put their differences aside to stop Lex Luthor and his deadly creation Doomsday before Metropolis is destroyed.

Jesse Eisenberg, who plays Lex, and Gal joined the pair for the premiere.

Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice zooms into cinemas on March 25.

London will be the safest city in the world on Tuesday as both Batman and Superman descend for one night only.

Actors Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill will ditch their alter egos’ disguises to walk the red carpet at the European premiere of Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice in Leicester Square.

The new film will be Ben’s first outing as Gotham’s masked vigilante, whose vendetta against Metropolis’s Man of Steel will lead to the ultimate superhero showdown, just as an even greater threat emerges that throws mankind into peril.

Joining forces with Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), the two must put their differences aside to stop Lex Luthor and his deadly creation Doomsday before Metropolis is destroyed.

Jesse Eisenberg, who plays Luthor, and Gal will join the pair for the premiere.