Two very special guests of honour were present to watch the first of Boeing's 787 Dreamliners roll out of a hangar at the aircraft manufacturer's factory in Everett, Washington, on Monday. As the Star Wars theme music blared out, R2-D2 was there to see the launch of the aircraft, which is painted to look like him, along with his old pal C-3PO and a few stormtroopers, who called a truce with the rebel droids for the occasion. The plane is the first of three belonging to Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways that will be decorated in Star Wars colours to tie in to the release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, which was partly filmed in Abu Dhabi and according to reports, could be released in the UAE on December 15, before it is seen in any other country. The second ANA plane will feature a design based on BB-8, the new football-shaped robot that will be introduced in the new film, and the third will be a combined R2-D2 and BB-8 design. The planes are due to go into service on international routes soon. The schedule will be available on the ANA website. – The National staff
Dan Rather gets emotional at film premiere
Veteran journalist Dan Rather, a guest of next year's Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, was visibly moved at the Saturday premiere of Truth, a drama about the events surrounding the CBS News anchor's downfall. He was at the Toronto International Film Festival for the debut of the film, which is based on a 2005 memoir by 60 Minutes producer Mary Mapes about the network's coverage of former president George W Bush's Air National Guard service during the Vietnam War. Mapes and Rather's careers tumbled as a result of the scandal that followed. Starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford, James Vanderbilt's film is clearly on their side, with Mapes and Rather sacrificed by a corporation motivated by factors beyond truthful reporting. Rather said watching the film was "an eerie experience". When asked if he would have done anything differently, the 83-year-old said journalism is "on its very best days, kind of a crude art. I've certainly made my mistakes, and I have the scars to show for it. There are plenty of things I would do over, which is why I spend a lot of my time trying to practise humility and modesty." He then teared up and added: "Tremendous gratitude." Later, he said: "My wife keeps telling me: 'Robert Redford is too good-looking to play you.'" Truth is due for release in the US on October 16. – AP
Filming wraps on Aishwarya’s new movie
Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has announced that filming has finished on his much-anticipated action movie Jazbaa, which marks the comeback of actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. "It's a wrap! And these are my warriors, my direction team that made it happen ever so smoothly. Love you guys," Gupta tweeted along with a photo of crew members. Rai Bachchan cried on the final day of the shoot. Her favourite make-up artist, Mickey Contractor, posted a picture of the pair with tear-filled eyes on Instagram. On Friday, Gupta's long-time friend Sanjay Dutt visited the set. Dutt, who was sentenced to five years in prison for possession of arms during the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, is out on parole for a month. "Today on the last day of ARB's shoot we had the most special visitor on set who I requested personally to come and wish us. @duttsanjay.", Gupta wrote on Twitter. Jazbaa, which also features Irrfan Khan and Shabana Azmi, is due out on October 8 in the UAE. – IANS
Game of Thrones looks set to rule the Emmys
Game Of Thrones is on course to clean up at next week's Emmy Awards after winning eight technical-achievement awards at the precursor ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday. The Creative Arts Emmys are a class of Emmy Awards presented in recognition of technical and other achievements by behind-the-scenes personnel. The HBO fantasy saga was honoured at Saturday's creative arts Emmys in categories including special visual effects and casting. Game of Thrones leads the nominations for this year's Emmy awards, with 24. – AP
Salman Khan thanks fans for Hero support
Salman Khan has thanked fans after Hero – which he produced and features the debuts of Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty – earned 685 million rupees (Dh38m) on its first day on release. The movie, a remake of veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai's 1983 film of the same name, opened on Friday. "Thanks to the people who have gone to see Hero and welcomed Sooraj and Athiya in the film world and all those who are going to see it. Lots of respect," Khan wrote on Twitter on Saturday. – IANS
