Lana vs. Frances
Lana del Rey made headlines a few weeks ago when she appeared to glamorize early death, telling a reporter for the Guardian that she wished she were dead and mentioning the near canonization of Amy Winehouse and Kurt Cobain. Now Cobain's daughter, Frances, has responded in a series of tweets: "The death of young musicians isn't something to romanticize … I'll never know my father because he died young and it becomes a desirable feat because ppl like u think it's 'cool'… The ppl u mentioned wasted their life. Don't be 1 of those ppl."
A double dose of 'Saul'
Before it's even aired an episode, AMC has renewed the "Breaking Bad" spinoff "Better Call Saul," starring Bob Odenkirk, for a second season — but delayed the first season premiere until early next year. The network also renewed the historical spy series "Turn." … Will Forte will voice the never-before-seen King Toot on "The Simpsons." … Starz has given a 13-episode order to Steven Soderbergh's escort-service series "The Girlfriend Experience."
Note-perfect casting
Heartthrob of the moment Ansel Elgort will play heartthrob pianist Van Cliburn in a biopic. … Channing Tatum, Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes join the Coens' "Hail, Caesar!"… Relative unknown Jack Reynor (featured in the new "Transformers") will play baseball star Josh Hamilton in a biopic to be directed by Casey Affleck.
Kim Jong-unamused
Color Korea's Kim Jong-un unenthusiastic about seeing the James Franco-Seth Rogen action comedy "The Interview," which features an assassination plot against one Kim Jong-un. "It shows the desperation of the U.S. government and American society," Kim Myong-chol, a self-described "unofficial spokesman for the regime," told the London Daily Telegraph. "If the U.S. administration allows and defends the showing of the film, a merciless countermeasure will be taken," he elaborated, saying the movie's release would be an "act of war." Act of war? Wait till he sees "Blended."
CYNTHIA DICKISON
