Tag: Star Wars

  • ‘Star Wars’ actor sues Disney with funding from Elon Musk’s X

    ‘Star Wars’ actor sues Disney with funding from Elon Musk’s X

     A “Star Wars” actor backed by Elon Musk’s X is suing Disney for firing her over inflammatory social media posts about the Holocaust, the pandemic and trans rights.

    Gina Carano, who had a major role in the wildly popular Disney+ series “The Mandalorian” until 2021, filed a lawsuit in California on Tuesday claiming wrongful termination.

    The suit says Carano was expressing personal political views but was hounded by an “extreme progressive” online mob, and alleges that Disney’s actions and comments had damaged her reputation and ability to find work in the future. 

    The lawsuit is being funded by X, a spokesman for the company confirmed to AFP.

    Carano, an outspoken former martial arts fighter-turned-actor, was fired by Disney for what the company at the time dubbed “abhorrent and unacceptable” social media posts “denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities.”

    One particularly controversial post shared by Carano appeared to liken being a conservative in the United States to being Jewish in Nazi Germany.

    Another post appeared to mock a person for wearing multiple masks during the Covid-19 pandemic in California.

    And Carano had earlier drawn the wrath of members of the trans community for adding “boop/bop/beep” as preferred pronouns on her Twitter profile.

    In a statement, Carano said she had “never even used aggressive language” but had shared “thought provoking” posts with “respect & the occasional comedy.”

    Both her statement and the lawsuit allege that Carano was afforded less right to exercise her freedom of speech than some of her male colleagues.

    Carano said she had been contacted by an X lawyer offering to take on her case after she publicly replied to an open offer from Musk to help anyone fired after using X to exercise free speech.

    “As a sign of X Corp’s commitment to free speech, we’re proud to provide financial support for Gina Carano’s lawsuit,” said an official post by X on Tuesday.

    The lawsuit does not specify the amount of damages Carano is seeking, but claims she lost a role on planned “Mandalorian” spin-off “Rangers of the New Republic” that would have been worth “$150,000 to $250,000 per episode.”

  • Disney to shut Lucasfilm studio in Singapore

    Lucasfilm’s visual effects and animation studio in Singapore will close down in the coming months due to economic reasons, parent firm Disney said on Tuesday.

    The Singapore studio was set up in the 2000s by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), which was founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas and is a division of Lucasfilm.

    For years, its home in Singapore was the striking Sandcrawler building, named after the Star Wars transport that inspired its design. Lucasfilm sold the building in 2021.

    “Over the next several months, ILM will be consolidating its global footprint and winding down its Singapore studio due to economic factors affecting the industry,” Disney said in a statement.
    It did not say how many employees will be affected in Singapore.

    Disney said in February it was cutting 7,000 jobs worldwide — part of a reorganisation as its traditional television business erodes and in the face of stiff competition and eroding subscriber numbers for its streaming service, Disney+.

    “Lucasfilm’s decision to wind down its Singapore operations is in response to changes in the industry and business conditions,” Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) said in a joint statement.

    “The global media industry is facing disruption from rapid technological advancements, while studios are coping with challenges relating to talent and profitability.”

    The Singapore studio was involved in high-profile Hollywood productions including “Iron Man”, “The Avengers” and Star Wars films, according to the EDB’s website.

  • Sharmeen Obaid directs Gucci campaign starring Julia Roberts, Alia Bhatt, Serena Williams

    Sharmeen Obaid directs Gucci campaign starring Julia Roberts, Alia Bhatt, Serena Williams

    Just being the boss she is

    Powerhouse Pakistani director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy keeps setting new milestones like becoming the first Pakistani to win two Oscars, then going on to helm a Marvel show about a Pakistani-Canadian girl with incredible powers, and now she is also marking the 10th anniversary of Gucci Chime, an initiative set up by fashion house Gucci, by directing a series of videos featuring celebrities like Idris Elba, Julia Roberts and even other activists on what they chime for.

    Breaking the news on social media, Chinoy wrote:

    “When we got everyone in their chairs and the cameras started rolling the conversations always ended with people saying we have to ensure that the world moves towards gender equality! In the fight for a more gender equal world who do you chime for? @gucci @gucciequilibrium“

    The Gucci CHIME campaign was founded ten years ago in partnership with singer Beyonce and Pinault. Gucci hosted The Sound Of Change: Live in London which featured artists like Beyoncé, Florence Welch, John Legend and Jennifer Lopez. It was broadcast to one billion viewers and raised over $3.9 million to support girls and women worldwide.

    Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on why she chose to become an advisory member for Gucci Chime, the director revealed that she was inspired by the work the organisation had done to promote gender equality around the world:

    “I joined Chime for Change in 2013 because of its mission to promote gender equality and empower women and girls around the world. My career as a social justice filmmaker aligned itself with Chime’s three key pillars of education, health and justice. I have seen firsthand how the money raised through Chime improves the lives of women and strengthens communities.

    In my own home country of Pakistan, Chime helped build a girls school. I have seen the work put into key projects in Africa and South America, but what speaks to me the most is that Chime builds partnerships. It invests in women, not simply with funding, but also with advocacy, enabling them to then further champion other women. [Chime’s] model is unique and so many of the women they have championed now sit on its board. The work they have accomplished over the past decade reminds us of the importance of advocating for those striving to make a difference.”

    Since the post was uploaded yesterday, Pakistani celebrities like Mahira Khan, Mehreen Syed and Azfar Rehman have offered congratulations to Chinoy for the presitigious win.

  • ‘She’s Pakistani, due respect,’ Adnan Siddiqui schools Priyanka for ignoring Sharmeen Obaid’s nationality

    Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has gone from strength to strength, initially by becoming the first Pakistani and woman of color to first win two Oscars, then to helming Marvel projects and now to taking on the mantle of the first female director to take on the iconic franchise ‘Star Wars’.

    Chinoy’s remarkable achievements have made Pakistanis incredibly proud, putting the country on the global map of the entertainment industry.

    The ‘Star Wars’ announcement has prompted a lot of people to congratulate Chinoy, including local and international stars. However, Hollywood actress Priyanka Chopra’s sentimental note about the director irked a lot of people, including actor Adnan Siddiqui.

    Chopra has shared a note for Chinoy on Instagram, calling her the first ‘South Asian’ woman to achieve such monumental heights.

    Adnan Siddiqui then schooled her in a tweet, reminding her that Chinoy was a Pakistani first, then a South Asian

    “With due respect, @priyankachopra . Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is a Pakistani first just to brush up your knowledge. Much like the way you flaunt your Indian nationality whenever you get the opportunity before claiming to be a South Asian.”

    Siddiqui’s savage response earned him praises from Twitter.