When Cate Blanchett was last in New York, in between her nightly performances in the acclaimed touring production of "Uncle Vanya," she would slip uptown, to the East Side, to stealthily research her role in Woody Allen's latest, "Blue Jasmine."

In it, Blanchett plays Jasmine, a socialite in breakdown, a modern Blanche DuBois (a role Blanchett played a few years ago on stage, the "detritus" of which she says stays with her), distraught and destroyed by the betrayal of her Bernie Madoff-like financier husband (Alec Baldwin). On Jasmine's stomping ground, the Upper East Side, Blanchett bent her ear to the neighborhood's accents of affluence.

Woody Allen says he is considering a return to standup comedy, four decades after he gave up the nightclub circuit and launched a celebrated filmmaking career.

The idea came when he watched legendary comic Mort Sahl at New York's famous Cafe Carlyle last month, he told trade journal Variety, in an interview to mark the release of his latest movie, "Blue Jasmine."

Controverial German director Frank Castorf refused to show himself at the end of his new staging of Richard Wagner's "Rhinegold" that premiered at the Bayreuth Festival on Friday.

"Rhinegold" is the first of four instalments in Castorf's widely anticipated new production of Wagner's sprawling "Ring" cycle. And it was met with deafening boos and whistles when the curtain went down in the sold-out Festspielhaus theatre built to the composer's own designs.

"The Wolverine," the latest "X Men' spin-off, is hoping to claw back some Hollywood pride after a string of big-budget flops have left major Tinseltown studios licking their wounds.

Starring Hugh Jackman, the film is forecast to make over $70 million this weekend after opening Thursday, in what trade journal Variety said could be one of the best debuts of the summer. North America's normally lucrative summer movie season has seen a series of movies with budgets over $150 million bomb at the box office, at the expense of cheaper but more profitable films.

Britain's Prince Harry on Thursday promised to use his expertise to make sure his new nephew George "has fun".

The fast-living prince said he had met and cuddled brother William's new baby George Alexander Louis, who was born on Monday, although the newborn was "crying his eyes out" at the time.

Lady Gaga will perform at the MTV Video Music Awards next month. It will be one of her first appearances since having hip surgery in February.

The 27-year-old pop star will perform her new single at the Aug. 25 awards show, which will air live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, MTV announced Thursday.

Late American actor Peter Falk, best known for his portrayal of disheveled police detective Columbo in the long-running television series of the same name, was honored with a star on Hollywood's "Walk of Fame" here Thursday.

Falk was awarded the star in 1991 but did not get around to arranging an installation ceremony before his death in June 2011 at the age of 83.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling spent a whole weekend practicing a fake signature for her crime-writing alter-ego Robert Galbraith, she revealed Wednesday.

Sales of "The Cuckoo's Calling", a critically-acclaimed detective novel supposedly by rookie novelist Galbraith, have rocketed since it emerged this month that the author is none other than Rowling.

"Late Night" host Jimmy Fallon can expect some late nights at home as a proud new papa.

A representative says Fallon and his wife, Nancy Juvonen Fallon, welcomed a baby daughter Tuesday morning.

Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate have named their new baby boy George Alexander Louis, Kensington Palace announced on Wednesday.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their son George Alexander Louis. The baby will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge," the palace said in a statement.