You may have thought you'd heard everything there was to hear about Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, thanks to our rather abundant coverage of the film late last year. But no, in time for the release of the DVD today, here's another nugget of fact. According to a source, the sandstorm that engulfs Tom Cruise and pretty much the whole of Dubai in the film wasn't actually sand, but sawdust, specially shipped in because sand apparently doesn't show up on film cameras. Let this be the last we ever speak about Mission: Impossible. Until another fact emerges.
Rouwaida Attieh coming to Coke Studio
Have you been watching the Arab incarnation of Coke Studio on MBC1? It is broadcast on Wednesday evenings and last week saw the Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram perform in the pilot episode. In the programme's second episode, which is broadcast tomorrow at 10.30pm on MBC1, the Syrian Rouwaida Attieh will be singing her heart out. Attieh catapulted to fame when she became the first runner-up on the first season of Arab Super Star, the pan-Arab import of Pop Idol. Along with the Lebanese contestant Melhem Zein, she was a favourite to win the contest, which was won by the Jordanian contestant Diana Karazon.
Tomorrow night, Attieh meets The Yugoslavian Gypsy Brass Band from the Balkans. They will perform together in a fusion of Oriental tarab and gypsy music.
Visit www.facebook.com/CokeStudioBel3arabi for information on the weekly episodes.
Work doesn't stop for Katrina Kaif
Katrina Kaif has finished the first schedule of Yash Chopra's untitled film opposite Shah Rukh Khan earlier this month. Already, the actress is busy training for performing daredevil stunts in Dhoom 3.
In her third consecutive movie for Yashraj, Kaif will be seen playing Aamir Khan's love interest as a ballet dancer.
Mail Online India reports that Katrina will be working for four hours a day to get into shape.
Tom Petty offers reward for stolen guitars
The rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are offering a US$7,500 (Dh28,000) reward for the return of five guitars stolen from a Los Angeles studio last week, ahead of their US and Europe tour. The band said on their website that the guitars include Petty's 1967 12-string blonde Rickenbacker 360 and his 1965 Gibson SGTV Junior, as well as instruments belonging to the bassist Ron Blair, the rhythm guitar player Scott Thurston and the lead guitarist Mike Campbell.
Pottermore site now open to the public
The Pottermore website, an official site dedicated to the Harry Potter series, is finally up and running and taking registrations from "Muggles" after eight months of limited beta testing. The free site, which offers all seven books of the franchise in e-book version, also offers a variety of content related to the boy wizard, much of it written by the author JK Rowling.
There was no real official website before Pottermore, no apps and, until last month, as was reported in The National last week, no legitimate e-books. The closest the boy wizard came to a digital existence was in the DVDs of his movie franchise.
Taylor Lautner in talks for Grown Ups 2
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Twilight star Taylor Lautner is now in negotiations to make a cameo in Adam Sandler's forthcoming comedy Grown Ups 2.
If that happens, he would join much of the cast from the 2010 original: Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Maya Rudolph and Salma Hayek.
The magazine cites sources who say he'd play a "fun" role, during which he'd go up against Sandler himself.
Lautner will appear in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, the final instalment in the series, which will be released in November.
Sallu leads Boney's son into acting
Salman Khan has again launched a newcomer into the world of acting, reports Mail Online India. This time it is Boney Kapoor's son, Arjun Kapoor, who will be seen making his debut this year with the much talked-about film Ishaqzaade.
Though he was expected to be an actor, Arjun always wanted to be a director. He started with being the assistant director in films such as Kal Ho Na Ho and Wanted.
When Khan noticed him on the set of Wanted, he realised Arjun should be in front of the camera rather than behind it.
Ishaqzaade will be released next month.
Lady Antebellum's Dave Haywood marries
The last single member of Lady Antebellum is officially off the market, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The guitarist Dave Haywood, 29, married Kelli Cashiola, 30, on Saturday at a ceremony on a private farm just outside of Nashville.
Antebellum members Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley were both in attendance, according to a statement released by Haywood's representative.
