Entertainment News Roundup

Hamaki Tops Virgin’s Bestselling Albums

Pop star Mohamed Hamaki’s latest album ‘Nawiha’ topped the bestselling albums for Virgin Mega Stores- Cairo the last three weeks in a row.

About a month ago Hamiki’s album came in third place before jumping up to the top of the list, according to Washwasha newspaper.

Virgin’s Bestselling Albums for last week:

1- Mohamed Hamaki ‘Nawiha’

2- Hossam Habib ‘Gowa El-Alb’

3- Nancy Ajram ‘Betfakar Fi Eah’

4- Sherin ‘Batamenak’

5- Yara ‘Enta Menni’

MBC Limit’s Heba El-Abasiri’s Appearance on ‘Kol Leila’

In a request, MBC satellite channel’s management asked Egyptian presenter Heba El-Abasiri to limit her appearance on television program ‘Kol Leila’, broadcasted on Nile Live channel.

“MBC channel’s request was that Heba appears on one episode only every week instead of two episodes of ‘Kol Leila’,” a source close to the presenter told FilFan.com.

“The request came so that Heba could have more time to concentrate on new television show ‘El-Donya Ghenwa’ which is set to air every Thursday after Eid El-Fitr,” the source continued.

Heba’s contract with MBC is valid for three years. The presenter previously obtained permission from MBC to join the crew of ‘Kol Leila’.

She used to appear on the program’s episodes that air on Sunday and Wednesday night, but now she only presents the Wednesday night episode.

El-Zamahlawiya to Be Celebrated at Grand Hyatt

Aflam Yehia Shanab will celebrate the opening of new cinema project ‘El-Zamahlawiya’ in the presence of the movie’s stars on Sunday 28, September at Good News Theater – Grand Hyatt.

The celebrated movie, distributed by Good News Group, will be out during Eid El-Fitr.

“The production company will release the movie in theaters starting the first day of Eid El-Fitr,” Good News Group media rep Nagwa Abdelhamid told FilFan.com

El-Zamahlawiya features football stars from both El-Ahli and El-Zamalek teams. Among them are famous players Amr Zaki, Essam El-Hadari, Khaled Bibo, Gamal Hamza, Mohamed Shawki and Ahmed Samir Farag.

Actors starring in the movie include Mohamed Fouad, Ezzat Abo Ouf, Salah Abadllah, Intesar, Hala Fakher and Ahmed Azmi.

The film is written by Essam Helmi and directed by Ashraf Fayeq.

Faten Hamama to Make Silver Screen Comeback?

Acclaimed writer Mahfouz Abdelrahman has been trying to convince veteran actress Faten Hamama to make a comeback to the silver screen with his latest movie project, ‘Dawlat Al-Anadoul’.

Abdelrahman hasn’t decided on a director to helm the film yet, nor have the rest of the actors on board the cast been chosen yet; he’s currently awaiting Hamama’s answer on taking the part, according to El-Kawakeb magazine.

Hamama’s last cinema project was ‘Ard El-Ahlam’ in 1993, but the actress recently revealed in an interview with Emirati newspaper El-Bayan that she’s willing to return to the big screen if she finds a suitable script that tackles an important issue

Entertainment News Roundup

“El-Gezirah” to represent Egypt in Oscars

 

The higher Egyptian committee for choosing the movies taking part in the Academy Awards has announced that “El-Gezirah” will be representing Egypt this year in the Best Foreign Film category.

 

The announcement, made in a press conference held in the Opera House, was attended by actor Ezzat Abou-Ouf and critics Rafik El-Sabban and Youssef Sherif Rezkallah, according to Egyptian news Web site Youm 7.

 

Egyptian actor Ahmed El-Sakka played against his stereotypical role in this true story that details the rise and fall of an upper-Egypt drug lord, with Hend Sabri costarring. The script was written by Mohamed Diab and the movie was directed by Sherif Arafa.

 

“El-Gezirah” won a number of local and regional awards, including the Egyptian Oscars’ Best Picture for 2008.

 

 

Ehab Tawfik’s Songs for El-Zamahlawiya

 

Singer Ehab Tawfik has finished recording the soundtrack for Mohamed Fouad’s upcoming cinema project ‘El-Zamahlawiya’.

 

“I finished arranging the music for the El-Zamahlawiya’s soundtrack. Singer Ehab Tawfik sings the song which will be used in the advertising campaign for the movie that will be released on satellite channels soon,” music arranger Touma told FilFan.com.

 

“The song, titled ‘Eedi Fi Eed Akhouya’, is written by Ayman Bahgat Amar and composed by Mohamed Yehia,” Touma added.

 

El-Zamahlawiya will feature football stars from both El-Ahli and El-Zamalek teams. Among them are famous players Amr Zaki, Essam El-Hadari, Khaled Bibo, Gamal Hamza, Mohamed Shawki and Ahmed Samir Farag.

 

Actors starring in the movie include Ezzat Abo Ouf, Salah Abadllah, Intesar, Hala Fakher and Ahmed Azmi.

 

The film, co-produced by Fouad and Rotana Production Company is slated for an Eid El-Fitr release.

 

 

Engi Ali out of “Kol Leila”

 

Osama El-Sheikh, president of the specialized Nile networks, has decided to revamp the “Kol Leila” show in a final attempt to revive the failing Nile Life program.

 

“El-Sheikh decided to replace the editor in chief, Mohamed El-Sayed Saleh with Mohamed El-Shabba. He also decided to replace Engi Ali,” a source in the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU) told FilFan.com exclusively.

 

Mariam Amin and Heba El-Abaseeri will replace Engi Ali given her “involvement in a number of other projects and shows”.

 

“Kol Leila” is an all-encompassing talk show like “Sabah El-Kheir Ya Masr” which airs daily on Channel 1.

 

 

ManarTV mutilated “El-Fanar”, says Bahgat

 

Egyptian director Khaled Bahgat has accused the Hezbollah television network Al-Manar of mutilating his series “El-Fanar”. He claims they constantly fiddled around with the content without his consent.

 

“The network took off the opening and ending credits and just kept the main actress’ name, as well as the writer and director’s, and totally disregarded the names of all the other cast and crew. They can sue the station for this, the network don’t have any right to do this,” Bahgat told Egyptian daily Al-Masry Al-Youm..

 

“The network also deleted entire scenes without asking me. They also deleted or altered the soundtracks and added some of their own Islamic chants and replaced the songs ‘El-Nour Gai Men Port Said’ and ‘Al-Shohada Yensoronak’ with ‘Allah Akbar Fo’ Kaid Al-Motad’,” he added.

 

The network also digitally covered up the actresses’ arms, which confused the viewers, and deleted the entire rape scene with actress Emi, even though “the scene was done tastefully, and was an indicator to the rape of the country.”

 

Bahgat insisted that he wasn’t a tailor but an artist, and revealed he complained to the producers in the Egyptian Media Production City (EMPC) to no avail. Regardless of the incident, he will send them the remaining 15 episodes.

 

“El-Fanar”, which stars Sabrine, Ahmed Rateb, Mahmoud El-Gendi, Tarek Lotfi, Rania Youssef and Emi, details Egyptian contemporary history from 1956-2008.

Local Entertainment News Roundup

Youssef to release Arabic LP

Arab American singer Dania Youssef is currently working on releasing her first Arabic-language album entitled “Kalb Tani.”

“Some of the Arab world’s top music makers will collaborate in the album, including composer Mohamed Saad, lyricist Mohamed Refaie and arrangers Touma, Tamim and Karim Abdel-Wahab,” Mohamed Abou-Deif, the album’s executive producer, told FilFan.com.

Abou-Deif revealed that the singer will be making a video for the first single, “Kalb Tani,” to be released and aired during the Eid Futr vacation. The video will be shot on-location in the United States and will be aired on MTV Arabia.

Dania will head to Cairo to record the remainder of the songs and choose the locations and sets for her undisclosed second video.

The 22-year-old singer splits her time between the U.S. and Dubai and speaks fluent English and Arabic. She has an MA in Music.

Zidan Withdraws from Fouad’s New Movie

Egyptian football star Mohamed Zidan recently withdrew from his role in upcoming cinema project ‘El-Zamahlawiya’, starring singer-actor Mohamed Fouad.

The famous footballer previously agreed to star in the movie alongside Fouad, a personal friend.

Zidan, who has no previous cinema experience, was set to play Fouad’s little brother in the film that will feature football stars from both El-Ahli and El-Zamalek teams.

The film is co-written by Fouad and actor Tamer Abdelmoneim, and the story was penned by Fouad himself who tailored Zidan’s role to match the football star.

“Zidan’s role will be modified to suit another actor. The role is most likely to be played by Tamer Abdelmoneim who co-wrote the scenario and dialogue and had no plans to play a role in the film,” Fouad told FilFan.com.

He also added that he will co-produce the film with Rotana Production Company.

Fouad is betting on the new cinema project, which he said he expects to explode in the box office like his 90’s hit movie ‘Ismailia Rayeh Gaay’.

Muti to Egypt for charity

Italian actress Ornella Muti has announced that she will pay a visit to Egypt to overlook some charities she sponsors around the world.

“Muti is planning her first visit to the new Children’s Cancer Hospital. She believes in the importance of fostering such efforts and encouraging charity even if through a hug,” a Media House services spokesperson told FilFan.com.

Muti will be starring in the new joint Egyptian-Italian action production entitled Cleopatra, which will star a number of Egyptian, Arab and European actors.

Muti, originally born Francesca Romana Rivali, started acting at the age of 15 and was chosen by the magazine Class’ readers as the most beautiful woman alive in 1994.

She was honored at the last Cairo International Film Festival.