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Turkish-British writer Elif Shafak’s Booker Prize-nominated novel “10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World,” which is set in the world of Istanbul sex workers, will be adapted into a feature film by Madrid-based Isb Films and Turkey’s Limon Film.

Shafak, who is Turkey’s most widely read female author, is known for her vast body of work spanning a dozen novels that have been translated into 50 languages. They often delve into themes of human rights, freedom of expression and identity. “10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World” is the first of her novels to be adapted into a feature film.

More than a decade ago, she moved from Turkey to the U.K. after her book “The Bastard of Istanbul” – which touches on the mass killings of Armenians during the final years of the Ottoman Empire – led her to be tried for “insulting Turkishness,” for which she was eventually acquitted.

Ever since 2011, Gabriel Macht has been known for his role in the legal drama, Suits. Although the actor has built a reputation for himself as the iconic yet terrifying Harvey Specter, his success came years before he joined the series. In fact, the 52-year-old had already been a part of quite a few major films and franchises like The Spirit, Beverly Hills, 90210, and Sex and the City.

Gabriel Macht in Suits | Credits: USA Network

Seven years before he donned the sharp suits and power ties that would define his iconic role, Macht starred in a lesser-known film alongside two major stars, Scarlett Johansson and John Travolta. The movie, A Love Song for Bobby Long, was released in 2004 with a modest budget of $1.8 million, but it has since become a hidden gem for fans of all three actors.

Gabriel Macht shares his thoughts on A Love Song for Bobby Long...

John Joseph Travolta, a household name in Hollywood, shot to fame as an American actor in the vibrant 1970s. Born on February 18, 1954, his career in showbiz has been awe-inspiring. Starting on TV, he won many fans with his magnetic role in “Welcome Back, Kotter” from 1975 to 1979.

Related: 10 Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time, Ranked by US Box Office

But it was in movies that Travolta started to shine. In this blog post, we’ll journey through the highlights of his stellar career, looking at how he rose to stardom and his memorable roles.

10 ‘Bolt’ (2008)

IMDb: 6.8/10 222K | Popularity: 3073 | Metascore: 67

Duration: 1h 36m | Genres: Animation, Adventure, Comedy | Director: Chris Williams, Byron Howard

Cast: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman

Debuted in 2008, ‘Bolt’ shines as a touching computer-animated comedy adventure from Walt Disney Animation Studios. The film highlights a standout cast, with John Travolta voicing the lead character Bolt and contributions from Miley Cyrus,...

Scarlett Johansson, whose long-awaited solo Marvel movie Black Widow finally hits theaters and Disney+ next month, is being feted this fall as the 35th recipient of the American Cinematheque Award. After going with a virtual presentation last year for 2020 honoree Spike Lee, the organization’s marquee event returns to normalcy, with its November 18 ceremony taking place at the Beverly Hilton where it was held last in 2019, when Charlize Theron was the recipient.

The event is an annual fundraiser for the nonprofit organization that continues its year-round programming at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica and Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. After a year-plus shutdown due to the pandemic, the Aero just reopened June 10. The Egyptian, now under the purview of Netflix, is undergoing renovations before reopening as a venue both Netflix and American Cinematheque (on the weekends) will be using for their programming.

American Cinematheque board chair Rick Nicita announced Johansson...

Renee Zellweger (“Judy”) is the front-runner to win Best Film Drama Actress at the Golden Globes just like she’s the front-runner at the Oscars. But the Hollywood Foreign Press Association that decided the Globes have always been fond of Scarlett Johansson, who is currently nominated for the fifth time for “Marriage Story.” But Johansson has never won before, while Zellweger already has three trophies under her belt. Might this be the time for Johansson to shine?

Most of the Expert journalists we’ve polled from top media outlets agree with the overall consensus that Zellweger will win, but two of them are taking a chance on Johansson: Eric Deggans (NPR) and Joyce Eng (Gold Derby). Johansson is also backed by three of the Editors who cover awards year-round for Gold Derby: Matt Noble and myself in addition to Eng.

Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions...

We’ve been asking you to vote in our poll over the past week about which “Avengers” superhero will be the next to win an Oscar. With overwhelming results, Robert Downey Jr. is the one you pick with the best chance to take home an Academy Award (not necessarily for “Avengers: Endgame” but for any upcoming role). He has 37% of the vote, taking down Benedict Cumberbatch with 20% and Mark Ruffalo with 19%. We featured 12 of the stars in our poll (full results below).

Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” has been dominating the box office since last weekend and probably will for weeks to come. The Disney-branded comic book production company has continued to assemble some of the most highly-regarded actors and actresses in the entertainment industry.

See‘Avengers: Endgame’ 32 character posters

Of course, the newest hero “Captain Marvel” is played by Brie Larson. She already prevailed at the Oscars for “Room” (2015) on her only career nomination,...

Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” will dominate the box office this weekend and probably for weeks to come. The Disney-branded comic book production company has continued to assemble some of the most highly-regarded actors and actresses in the entertainment industry. Several have already contended at the Academy Awards, but which of the “Avengers” superheroes is the most likely to be the first Oscar winner? Take our poll below which features 12 of the stars.

See‘Avengers: Endgame’ 32 character posters

Of course, the newest hero “Captain Marvel” is played by Brie Larson. She already prevailed at the Oscars for “Room” (2015) on her only career nomination, so she isn’t listed in the poll. Neither are other past champs in the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe of 22 films: Michael Douglas, Anthony Hopkins, William Hurt, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natalie Portman, Robert Redford, Tilda Swinton and Marisa Tomei.

SEEThe new ‘Avengers: Endgame’ trailer tells us absolutely nothing,...

New York (AP) -- Scarlett Johansson is defending John Travolta and calls the image of him kissing her on the Academy Awards red carpet "an unfortunate still-frame from a live-action encounter that was totally sweet and totally welcome." In an exclusive statement to The Associated Press on Thursday, Johansson said: "There is nothing at all strange, creepy or inappropriate about John Travolta." She called her former co-star of the film "A Love Song for Bobby Long" a "class act."  Travolta greeted Johansson at Sunday's Oscars with a kiss and his arm around her waist. The photo has since been turned into an Internet meme. But Johannson said the image doesn't reflect the moment, calling it "yet another way we are misguided, misinformed and sensationalized by the 24-hour news cycle." Read more...

From photobombs to cute candid run-ins, there's no limit to the amount of red carpet shenanigans between celebrities at the Oscars. Sometimes it's all fun and games, like when Jennifer Aniston tried to pick up Emma Stone. Other times, though, it's just plain weird. Like when John Travolta surprised Scarlett Johansson during her red carpet stroll. They did star together in 2004's A Love Song For Bobby Long, but still. Observe the moment when you read on, and then join us in trying to figure out exactly what's happening.

a comedy?Despite bold statements every year about who is campaigning in which Golden Globe category, the news is usually fluid so don't get too attached to anything you hear. Awards strategists are free to change their mind. As it stands now, August: Osage County and Before Midnight are planning Comedy campaigns and Blue Jasmine is aiming for drama. Curious, right? Dark laughs are flexible, don'cha know, and they can find traction in either category. We here at The Film Experience have long mourned the death of the Comedy or Musical category in the way we also mourn the death of the Supporting Oscar categories in that they too rarely serve their original purposes: which was to honor achievements that would otherwise be overlooked in the annual awards-focus on prestige drama and movie stars, respectively. It says a lot about the Comedy Acting categories for example that you can only...

Alright, so let’s dispel any controversy from the outset – do these actresses need to go nude? Absolutely not; there are thousands of talented actresses who’ve gone far in Hollywood without ever having to disrobe, but hey, this is the Internet, we’re all perverted, these women are all hot, and we’d quite like to see them without any clothes on – get it?

Nevertheless, a nude scene never hurt anybody’s career – except perhaps for Elizabeth Berkley in Showgirls – and it’s interesting to note that the overwhelming majority of the Best Actress Oscar winners of the last 25 years have performed a nude scene at some point in their Hollywood tenure.

Perhaps this is more a sign of Hollywood’s cynicism than any direct correlation between the two, but nudity is rarely detrimental to anyone’s career, male or female. Here are 10 actresses who we want to see get nude,...

Lionsgate and its Grindstone Entertainment Group and Emmett/Furla Films have renewed their slate deal for another 10 films and expanded their overall relationship, the companies announced today.

The Grindstone collaboration with Emmett/Furla and Cheetah Vision has generated a string of successful features starring notable A list actors, including: the thriller Set Up, starring Bruce Willis, Ryan Phillippe and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson; the crime drama Freelancers, starring Robert DeNiro and Forrest Whitaker; the high octane Fire With Fire, starring Willis, Josh Duhamel, Rosario Dawson and Vincent D’Onofrio; and the serial killer thriller The Frozen Ground, starring Nicolas Cage and John Cusack. The next film slated for release from Grindstone’s partnership with Emmett/Furla is the crime thriller Empire State, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, The Hunger Games’ Liam Hemsworth and Emma Roberts.

“Grindstone has been an important supplier of content for our filmed entertainment business in recent years,...

Stage and screen superstar Scarlett Johansson is known to most theatre fans for her tremendous work in the recent revival of Arthur Millers A View From The Bridge, directed by Gregory Mosher and co-starring fellow InDepth InterView participant Liev Schreiber, for which she rightly took home the 2010 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress In A Play. Before then, Johansson was perhaps best known for her leading role in Sofia Coppolas moving contemporary drama Lost In Translation, co-starring Bill Murray, as well as for her featured roles in some big-budget Hollywood films with top-tier talent and directors - The Prestige with Christopher Nolan co-starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, The Blach Dahlia with Brian DePalma, The Island with Michael Bay co-starring Ewan MacGregor, The Spirit with Frank Miller as well as a string of quirky and unique independent films such as Ghost World, A Love Song For Bobby Long and her...

It’s been about eight hours or so since nude photos of a young woman that bares a striking resemblance to Scarlett Johansson were leaked online. After seeing the seismic force with which these photos hit the Internet, it’s a wonder that all of the underground tubes through which information flows to the World Wide Web—the Internet is powered by underground tubes, right???—didn’t rupture and burst. Thankfully, Al Gore had the foresight to envision the necessary precautions that needed to be undertaken in case of exactly this sort of incident back when he invented the Information Superhighway™.

We here at TheFABLife have been debating not only the authenticity of these (alleged) ScarJo nudes all day, but also the rationale for them. To that end, here are three burning questions that we demand President Obama answer in a televised address by nightfall (all of which assume that...

HollywoodNews.com: Our selected celebrity to be included in our “Hollywood Movie Photo Gallery of the Day” is Scarlett Johansson.

Scarlett Johansson ◄ Back Next ►Picture 1 of 9

Scarlett Johansson - Spike TV's "Guys Choice" 2011

◄ Back Next ►Picture 1 of 9

Scarlett Johansson - Spike TV's "Guys Choice" 2011

We haven’t seen Scarlett Johansson on the big screen since her appearance in Iron Man 2 in May of 2010. But the stunning star has a movie coming out on December 23, 2011. “We Bought a Zoo” is the story of a family who moves to Southern California to restore a struggling zoo. Until then, enjoy her gallery!

Scarlett Johansson (born November 22, 1984) is an American actress and singer. Johansson made her film debut in the 1994 film North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in 1996’s Manny & Lo. Johansson rose to fame with her roles in 1998’s...

I guess that’s why we’re being subjected to so many remakes & reboots instead of new stuff. Darren Lynn Bousman’s (Saw II, III, IV) version of the 1980 Kaufman’s classic stars everyone’s favorite psycho chick with mom issues from the 90’s Rebecca De Mornay (The Hand That Rocks The Cradle) as, you guessed it, the psycho mother to three fugitives who come back home to the family home to hide out. Problem is, it’s no longer their house and the new occupants are in for a night of pure torture and terror.The film also stars Jaime King (My Bloody Valentine, Fanboys, The Tripper, Sin City), Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood), Briana Evigan (Sorority Row, Step Up 2), Alexa Vega (Repo! The Genetic Opera), Shawn Ashmore (Frozen, Hatchet II, The Ruins), Matt O’Leary (Sorority Row, American Bully, Live Free or Die Hard, Frailty), Lyriq Bent (Saw II,...

Drive begins production in Los Angeles Production began this weekend on the highly anticipated independent feature, Drive, with Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising) in the driver's seat. Filming around Los Angeles, the action-packed thriller stars Academy Award nominees Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson, The Notebook) and Carey Mulligan (An Education, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps). Academy Award nominee Hossein Amini (The Wings of the Dove) adapted the script from the James Sallis' novel of the same name.

Bold Films, Marc Platt Productions and OddLot Entertainment have partnered to produce the film. Affinity International is handling foreign sales, with William Morris Endeavor handling the domestic sale of the film.

Adding to the compelling mix of talent are three-time Emmy Award winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Golden Globe winner Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy), Emmy nominee Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Oscar Isaac (Body of Lies, Robin Hood) and Academy...

Production began this weekend on Nicolas Winding Refn’s upcoming action-thriller Drive. The flick has an amazing cast: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, Oscar Isaac, and Albert Brooks. Here’s the official synopsis:

“Drive” is the story of a Hollywood stunt driver by day (Ryan Gosling), a loner by nature, who moonlights as a top-notch getaway driver-for-hire in the criminal underworld. He finds himself a target for some of La’s most dangerous men after agreeing to aid the husband of his beautiful neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan). When the job goes dangerously awry, the only way he can keep Irene and her son alive is to do what he does best—Drive!

Hit the jump for press release. Drive is scheduled to wrap filming on November 12th. If you’re not familiar with Refn’s work, check out Bronson and the Pusher trilogy. With Refn...

Last night’s episode of Mad Men connected the dots between the globalization of the automobile industry and the sexual awakening of preteen girls. It was awesome — check out Karen Valby’s full recap here. There was, however, one part of the episode that I couldn’t handle. We saw the reappearance of Phoebe, the comely nurse neighbor played by Nora Zehetner. Since Phoebe’s first appearance in the Christmas episode, Zehetner seems to have suddenly developed a bad case of “Y’allitis,” a rare disorder which causes terrible Southern accents to emerge from actors’ mouths. Y’allitis isn’t...

It should not be surprising that a famous Hollywood star is the face of a luxury brand. They seem to have their face on everything these days, from watches to designer clothing and even European cars. But when quintessential champagne house, Möet & Chandon, for the first time in champagne marketing history elects to use a famous actress to be their ambassador, and that celebrity happens to be Scarlett Johansson, it is a beautiful amalgamation befitting the hype.   Since her springboard to worldwide fame with Sofia Coppola's Lost In Translation, Johansson has been delighting audiences with a range of roles encompassing gritty dramas, period features and mainstream romantic comedies (A Love Song For Bobby Long, The Other Boleyn Girl, He's Just Not That Into You), and in recent times has been the muse of Woody Allen (Match Point, Scoop, Vicky Cristina Barcelona).

Fox's hit real time drama show "24" has hired another new cast member for it's upcoming eighth season. His name is Clayne Crawford. He's been in such productions as "A Walk To Remember Me","Swimfan", "A Love Song For Bobby Long",and "The Great Raid". Clayne will now play a bad boy in "24" who is from Dana Walsh's (Katee Sackhoff) past. Sackhoff, who previously starred in "Battlestar Galactica" plays an expert data analyst at CTU with a secret past. She's also involved with Freddie Prinze Jr.'s character Davis Cole.

It has not escaped the notice of geek-Americans that, visually and thematically, Frank Miller’s big-screen adaptation of Will Eisner’s pioneering comic The Spirit is essentially a sequel to Sin City, the wildly influential green-screen epic adaptation of Miller’s comics series he co-directed with Robert Rodriguez.Infinitely more alarming: in terms of humor, The Spirit feels like the follow-up to Batman & Robin no one wanted. Main bad guy Samuel L. Jackson even spends much of the film indulging in egg-themed wordplay that almost inspires nostalgia for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s avalanche of ice puns in the unloved third Batman sequel. A Love Song For Bobby Long’s Gabriel “Who?” Macht plays the title character, a rookie lawman who is killed and later resurrected by a mad scientist/supervillain with a God complex, played with scenery-chewing abandon by Jackson. As The Spirit, the hopelessly bland Macht is literally a stiff in a suit,...

Ever since his breakthrough performance in A Love Song For Bobby Long, I.ve been completely smitten with Gabriel Macht. Therefore, I was totally excited when I heard about his upcoming lead role as Denny Colt, aka the Spirit, opposite Eva Mendes in Frank Miller.s directorial debut, The Spirit. Mendes, whose films include Training Day, Hitch and We Own The Night, plays the role of Sand Seref: Spirit.s ex-girlfriend and seductive jewel thief. Together Macht and Mendes are both captivating and...

Scarlett Johansson will return to the past again in Mary Queen of Scots. The actress will take on the role of Queen Mary of Scotland in the film depicting the antagonistic relationship between Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I of England, who tried to undermine her rule. 2929 Entertainment is producing the project from a screenplay by Jimmy McGovern. The budget is expected to be in the $25 million-$30 million range. Melanie Johansson -- the actress' mother and manager -- will produce the film along with Alexandra Milchan and Donna Gigliotti. Melanie Johansson produced A Love Song for Bobby Long, in which her daughter also starred.

Paramount Pictures has tapped Shainee Gabel to adapt Sharon Krum's novel The Thing About Jane Spring. Gabel, who wrote, directed and produced A Love Song for Bobby Long, will adapt the novel, which was published in July by Viking. Christine Peters (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) is producing the romantic comedy through her Paramount-based CFP Prods.

Woody Allen and John Travolta are taking an unhealthy interest in Scarlett Johansson's love life, according to the actress. The 21-year-old beauty, who stars in Allen's new movie Match Point and appeared in A Love Song for Bobby Long alongside Travolta, is dumbfounded by their obsession, and puts it down to their fatherly feelings towards her. She says, "You know what cracks me up? He (Allen) is fascinated with my love life. And John Travolta's even worse than Woody, he wants to know everything."...

John Travolta's latest movie premiere has been hit with security problems over fears the actor and his co-star Scarlett Johansson could be targets of crazed fans posing as press. Travolta became the subject of a hoax death threat when he attended the Hollywood Film Festival gala in October and his handlers aren't taking any chances as he launches his new film A Love Song For Bobby Long tonight. A spokeswoman says, "We've had to slash back the red carpet because of security fears." As a result, many press crews who had been given permission to cover the premiere have now been told they won't be able to attend.

John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston have found out that the threats issued to them before an October event have been doled out to various stars every year. Burly bodyguards surrounded the Hollywood couple as Travolta was honored at the recent Hollywood Film Festival. At the premiere for his new film A Love Song for Bobby Long, two bomb-sniffing dogs checked guests - who were also required to remove all pens from their pockets at the Hollywood Athletic Club after-party. But weeks later, Travolta learned the threats weren't as serious as he'd initially feared. He says, "That was a threat that, unfortunately, every year happens at the event. I didn't know that at the time. I wish I'd known it - I wouldn't have worried so much. Everything's fine."...

John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston are being heavily guarded by security after receiving threats. Burly bodyguards surrounded the Hollywood couple on Sunday and Monday as Travolta was honored at the Hollywood Film Festival. The actor's publicist Paul Bloch says, "I think the best thing to say is, 'No comment.'" At Sunday night's premiere for Travolta's new film A Love Song For Bobby Long, two bomb-sniffing dogs checked guests - who were also required to remove all pens from their pockets at the Hollywood Athletic Club after-party. The nature of the threat has not been disclosed.

Documentary The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing and Lions Gate's A Love Song for Bobby Long, starring John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson, will serve as opening and closing films, respectively, at the 2004 Hollywood Film Festival, running Oct. 12-17. The festival will present four centerpiece films: Miramax's Finding Neverland, with Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet; Lions Gate's ensemble drama Eulogy; United Artists' Undertow; and Newmarket Films' p.s., with Laura Linney and Topher Grace. A total of 60 films, 16 of them world premieres, will be presented at the fest.

Lions Gate Films has acquired North American theatrical and pay TV distribution rights to A Love Song for Bobby Long, starring John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson, from El Camino Pictures. The Shainee Gabel-directed film, which had its world premiere this month at the Venice International Film Festival, was financed by El Camino along with Columbia TriStar. According to sources, the financing arrangement gave Columbia the option of releasing the film through one of its distribution labels, however, Lions Gate stepped up and offered a domestic deal with a release date before year's end. Because the filmmakers and Travolta were eager to release the film before year's end to capitalize on the momentum sparked by its recent showing in Venice, they opted to go with Lions Gate. Columbia retains rights to release the film on DVD and home video.

United Artists has renewed its first-look deal with Crossroads Films. The New York-based company, whose recent credits include Igby Goes Down and Love Song for Bobby Long, first pacted with the studio in 2001. Tapping into the New York talent pool, Crossroads is working with Jim Taylor, who penned Election and About Schmidt. Taylor is on board to write a feature adaptation of the Emmy-nominated documentary Tupperware! The company also has hired David Gordon Green (All the Real Girls) to adapt Stewart O'Nan's novel Snow Angels, while Eric Eason (Manito) is set to direct The Little Thief, which is based on French helmer Erick Zonca's telefilm Le Petit Voleur.