"Mad Max" director George Miller was "heartbroken" over Mel Gibson's string of scandals in recent years, and said plans for a new trilogy prompted him to pick a younger actor for revisiting the post-apocalyptic auto action franchise.

The 69-year-old Australian director helped launch Gibson to stardom three decades ago in the trilogy featuring stark desert landscapes, intense car chases and a bleach blonde Tina Turner. Miller had originally hoped to bring Gibson back for a fourth film in the role of Max Rockatansky. But a series of delays led to recasting, with Tom Hardy, 36, stepping into the road warrior's black boots.

Fahim Fazli's screen career was beginning to take off, with roles in blockbusters like "Iron Man," when the Afghan-born actor decided it was time to give back to the country that had taken him in after he fled Russian occupation a quarter century earlier.

Staring at his U.S. passport, he wondered: "Do I earn this?"

Hollywood tough guy and musician Steven Seagal played a weekend concert in the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, appearing on a stage adorned with the flag of pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.

J.K. Rowling published a new Harry Potter short story last month. And Daniel Radcliffe braced himself once again.

The 25-year-old British star faces consistent and persistent questions from fans and the press about whether he'll return to the character that he spent much of his childhood playing. Rowling's story of a 34-year-old Potter posted online was not going to help matters.

According to the website Schmoesknow, the French actress who starred in "Blue Is the Warmest Color" could join the cast of the 24th James Bond movie.

The entertainment news specialist cites "a very trusted source on the project" who declares that Léa Seydoux is the production's top pick for the female lead. While there are no details yet on the role, earlier rumors point to the secret agent Miranda Frost, previously portrayed by Rosamund Pike in "Die Another Day."

The pedestrian crossing on London's Abbey Road immortalised by The Beatles could soon have its own dedicated traffic warden to ensure the safety of the fans who flock there, media reported on Saturday.

The porn industry in Los Angeles has been on the down-and-out ever since a law requiring actors wear condoms sent filmmakers scrambling to find less restrictive work conditions.

Legendary director Woody Allen has added his handprints to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but not the one in California.

It's in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

The adventures of sisters Anna and Elsa of "Frozen" fame will continue, at least on paper.

Random House Children's Books announced Friday that they will launch a new series next year tied to the blockbuster Disney movie. The first two books, "Anna & Elsa #1: All Hail the Queen" and "Anna & Elsa #2: Memory and Magic," are scheduled for January. The planned first printing for each book is 150,000 copies.

The struggling Salzburg Festival is set Saturday for its cultural and commercial highlight of the year with an eagerly awaited new production of Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore", 2014's hot ticket.

Featuring the world-famous Placido Domingo, now more a baritone than tenor at 73, and Russian soprano sensation Anna Netrebko, demand for the premiere outstripped supply five times over.