1. Even though former Joy Division bassist Peter Hook took it to be “quite the compliment,” Disney has decided to stop selling its Unknown Pleasures-inspired Mickey Mouse t-shirt. According to a company rep, “As soon as we became aware there could be an issue, we pulled it from our shelves and our online store to review the situation further.” [via P4K]
2. Steven Spielberg is in serious talks to direct a new movie about Moses for Warner Bros that will hopefully remind you more of Braveheart than The Ten Commandments. Says an insider: “There have been glossy versions of the Moses story but this would be a real warrior story.” [via Deadline]
3. Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier who stole our hearts in The Artist, is apparently retiring. “He may do a couple of little things here and there because he enjoys them,” explains his owner, “but I don’t want to put him through long hours anymore. He’s getting tired.” [via Vulture]
4. “We have been working on this show for over a year and we wanted to partner with the right people. DJs are the new rock stars, it feels like the right time to make this show.” — Simon Cowelldiscusses his next reality project, which will see him partner with Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith’s production company.
5. Are we the only ones who think that NBC giving Rainn Wilson from The Office his own spin-off about life at Schrute Farms is a really horrible idea? Did this network learn nothing from its misguided decision to air Joey? [via EW]
1. Adult Swim announced yesterday that it has picked up Loiter Squad, a 15-minute live-action show from Odd Future that’s described as a mix of “sketches, man on the street segments, pranks and, naturally, music.” It will premiere next year. [via LAT]
2. Strange but true: Mel Gibson is writing a movie about Judah Maccabee, the second century Jewish hero who led a rebellion against the Seleucid Empire and inspired Hanukkah. [via Vulture]
3. Rolling Stone has posted an exclusive excerpt from the forthcoming book Pearl Jam Twenty, an oral history of the band’s career which hits shelves on September 13.
4. According to Deadline, Dexter star Michael C. Hall is in talks to play the lead role in the Broadway musical adaptation of Big Fish next year. The part was originally written for Hugh Jackman.
5. “I first I heard about this on Monday and it has taken me completely by surprise! Everyone knows that NEW ORDER without PETER HOOK is like QUEEN without FREDDIE MERCURY, U2 without THE EDGE, SOOTY without SWEEP!” – Peter Hookis not so pleased that his former New Order bandmates plan to play two benefit shows this year without him.
Originally gaining attention as part of the late-90s Big Beat phenomenon, LA-based duo the Crystal Method have stood the test of time for over a decade. On May 12, the pair — Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland — releases its fourth full-length, Divided by Night. The album features guests including Peter Hook, Justin Warfield, Emily Haines, and Matisyahu — the latter of whom takes on lead vocals on the record’s first single, “Drown in the Now.” Tackling the video for the track, New York’s UVPHACTORY created a dark, futuristic world, populated by 3D creatures and comic-book overtones, with Matisyahu holding court at the heart of it all. We spoke with co-directors Alexandre Moors and Jessica Brillhart about the clip and how it came to life; after the jump, watch the video, read the interview, and check out photos from behind the scenes of the shoot.
