Winona Ryder is the star attraction at a top Irish festival this year. She will join stand-up comedian Frank Skinner, actor Clive James, Harry Potter star Miranda Richardson and Fiona Shaw at this year’s Happy Days Enniskillen International Beckett festival. It’s the world’s largest celebration of Samuel Beckett’s work.

Spokesperson for the festival, Conleath Teevan, says Winona will be reading extracts from some of the Nobel Prize winner’s work.

“She’ll be doing several readings,” he said.

“All actors love Beckett and we’re delighted Winona is taking part in the festival. She’ll be in the Words Without Acts section.

“Winona and some of the other celebrities will read extracts of Beckett’s lesser known prose and they’ll chat about them afterwards. Winona is a big, big fan of Beckett’s work,” he said.

The 41-year-old appeared as Winnie in a 2007 film version of Happy Days and is believed to be extremely excited about heading to Enniskillen.

– Source

The website ParArmenian.Net is reporting that Winona, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonhan Carter and Christopher Walken are joining the ‘Page 8’ sequels.

The first installment, Page Eight, aired in 2011 on BBC Two and PBS and starred Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon and Judy Davis. Nighy will reprise his role as British intelligence officer Johnny Worricker for parts two and three, respectively titled Turks & Caicos and Salting The Battlefield. Fiennes also returns for both. Turks & Caicos is adding Christopher Walken, Winona Ryder, Helena Bonham Carter, Ewen Bremner, James Naughton, Dylan Baker and Zach Grenier. Davis, who was nominated for a supporting actress Emmy for Page Eight, will return for Salting The Battlefield as will Bonham Carter and Bremner along with Saskia Reeves, Kate Burdette and Malcolm Sinclair.

Page Eight, which closed the Toronto Film Festival in 2011, saw Worricker uncover a plot to turn control of MI5 directly over to the prime minister after the head of the organization’s death. Part two will pick up after Worricker leaves his MI5 post and heads to Turks & Caicos where the CIA forces him to deal with a group of ambiguous Americans who are on the islands for a high-level conference. At the same time, an old girlfriend is being asked to betray her boss in London in order to establish an illicit connection between the prime minister and dark goings-on in the war on terror. Salting The Battlefield sees Worricker and the girlfriend on the run from MI5 until Worricker returns home to confront the prime minister in a duel of wits.

Both films are produced by Harry Potter‘s David Heyman and David Barron along with Celia Duval. Exec producers are Carnival’s Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant and the BBC’s Christine Langan. A start date has yet to be confirmed.

AMERICAN rock band The Killers are in Blackpool yesterday to shoot a video for their new single.

The Las Vegas chart toppers are in the resort with legendary Batman and Planet of the Apes director Tim Burton and Hollywood star Winona Ryder.

The band have been filming inside Blackpool’s legendary Tower Ballroom.Excited fans took to social networks late last night after the band – fronted by Brandon Flowers – were spotted at Blackpool’s Odeon cinema where they watched the new James Bond film Skyfall.

Flowers took time out to pose for pictures with staff and customers. Samantha Sinclair, manager at the cinema, said: “It was really exciting.

“They were happy to have photos taken with locals. It was their bassist, Mark who took our photo for us.

“They were really nice, not very chatty but I know they had to cancel their gig on Tuesday because Brandon lost his voice.”

– Source and also thanks to Chris B for the heads up!