One Direction announces album after split speculation

NEW YORK, United States - One Direction on Tuesday announced a new album for later this year, putting to rest speculation of an imminent breakup following the departure of Zayn Malik.

The British boy band said that "Made in the A.M." would come out on November 13. The album is the fifth by the pop sensations, with one released every year since 2011, always in November -- in time for the holiday shopping season.

The four remaining members of the band made the announcement in a short video posted on Twitter. Band member Harry Styles promised an "instant treat" of one song, entitled "Infinity," available for download to fans who pre-order the album.

The album marks a new "direction" for the band in one sense -- it will be the first without Malik, a founding member who split in March.

Malik's departure led to surprisingly bitter exchanges on social media among the former bandmates who until then had carefully maintained a squeaky-clean public image.

In another break from the youthful past, member Louis Tomlinson, 23, recently confirmed that he is going to be a father with a Los Angeles stylist.

The personal changes led to speculation that One Direction was finished, especially given the notoriously short shelf-life of boy bands.

Member Niall Horan denied the rumors on Twitter last month, writing: "We are not splitting up, but we will be taking a well-earned break at some point next year."

Amid the tumult, the band has been on tour for most of the year, starting in February in Australia. The tour is scheduled to conclude on October 30 in Sheffield, England.

One Direction released its first track without Malik last month -- "Drag Me Down," which quickly went to the top of singles charts.

One Direction stormed onto the scene in 2010 when the then-teenagers appeared on the British talent show "The X Factor."

The band has since sold more than 65 million albums, according to its label. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

One Direction scotch split rumors

LONDON, United Kingdom - British boyband One Direction insisted Saturday they would not be splitting up despite the departure of band member Zayn Malik.

The chart toppers, who have sold more than 50 million records worldwide and have a huge teenage following, hit back at rumors concerning their future.

Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson played their first Brtish concert as a foursome on Friday night in Cardiff.

Payne responded to rumors of a split before they performed Saturday at London's Wembley Stadium.

"We don't know where that came from because we've got loads of stuff going on," he said.

"We have just started the process for recording the new album, we've got a whole new tour going on, there are some really good songs so I don't think we are going anywhere for a while."

One Direction announced in March that Malik was quitting, but that the band would continue as a foursome.

"I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight," Malik said. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Friendship over? Zayn Malik rips ex-bandmate Tomlinson on Twitter

Chances of Zayn Malik returning to One Direction is even bleaker now as he ripped former bandmate Louis Tomlinson on Twitter.

Tomlinson had been conducting an online back-and-forth with Malik's friend, UK producer Naughty Boy. Malik eventually put in his own two cents, sending a pointed message to Tomlinson:

source: gmanetwork.com

Girls crying over Zayn Malik broke the Internet

One of the most famous boybands in the world is now a member short after Zayn Malik suddenly announced his departure from One Direction.

"I'd like to apologise to the fans if I've let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart. I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight," Malik said in a statement on One Direction's Facebook page.

The group will now continue as a four-piece band, with Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson.

The announcement instantly made Malik's name one of the top trends on Twitter and produced anguished reactions from fans of the hugely popular British-Irish group from all over the world.

Some of them has taken the liberty to express their feelings about Malik's decision, especially over the internet.

Understandably, some fans were angry now that they will never see a five-piece One Direction again:

source: gmanetwork.com

One Direction's new film to top US box office

LOS ANGELES -- Boy mega band One Direction's new film is set to top this holiday weekend's North America box office, in the latest British invasion, an expert said Friday.


"One Direction: This is Us," which has also just opened in Britain and much of Europe, will likely depose Oscar-tipped civil rights epic "Lee Daniels' The Butler" in the number one spot over the three-day Labor Day weekend.


The movie, by Oscar-nominated director Morgan Spurlock, made $2.7 million on opening Thursday evening alone, preliminary figures show.


"The British Invasion seems to be upon us again. And by us, of course, I mean gaggles of tween girls," said Jeff Bock, analyst at box officer tracker Exhibitor Relations.


He did point out that the Labor Day weekend, the last of the summer season, is traditionally one of the slowest periods of the year at the box office.


Spurlock was nominated for an Academy Award in the best documentary category of the Oscars in 2005, for his film "Super Size Me," in which he explored the consequences of eating nothing but McDonald's food for a month.


The One Direction film shows the group in concert at London's O2 Arena, along with fly-on-the-wall footage of life inside one of the world's most famous bands.


The band -- Irish-born Niall Horan, 19, Zayn Malik, 20, Liam Payne, 19, Harry Styles, 19, and Louis Tomlinson, 21 -- have topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, becoming the first British act to top the Billboard chart with their debut album.


"Lee Daniels' The Butler," a celluloid depiction of the US civil rights battle as seen by an African-American who served in the White House, has topped the North America box office for the last two weeks.


Starring Forest Whitaker and US talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, it is already being spoken of as a multiple contender for the Academy Awards, the climax of Hollywood's annual awards season on March 2 next year. -- Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

'One Direction' movie predicted to outgross 'Skyfall' in UK

The "intimate, all access" 3D concert film “One Direction: This Is Us” premiered in UK's Leicester Square August 20, with hordes of fans turning up to catch a glimpse of the British boy band. But what's interesting is that odds-maker Ladbrokes is offering unprecedented odds of 4/1 for the film to overtake James Bond movie “Skyfall,” which took £102m last year, at the top of the all-time UK box office chart.

“One Direction: This is Us,” which is directed by “Super Size Me” filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, will benefit from the huge following for One Direction members Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Niall Horan in the UK and across the globe.

They are the most followed British band on Twitter, with more than 14 million followers, and have more than 19m "likes" on Facebook. Twitter has reported more than 3.6m tweets were posted on the social network site about One Direction and the One Direction world premiere in London August 20.



Styles told reporters: "We made this for the fans. We just want to say a massive thank-you to them." X-Factor creator and “This Is Us” producer Simon Cowell, who signed the band to his label Syco, said: "It has been my dream come true to produce a film. But without their fans, this couldn't have happened. They have the best fans in the world."

The other films in the current UK all-time box office top five are “Avatar,” “Titanic,” “Toy Story 3” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two.” No other concert movie has even made the top 100, so “This Is Us” has a challenge on its hands to live up to bookmakers' expectations. Ladbrokes is also offering odds of 5/1 for the film to win a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut in 2014.

"One way or another this film is going to break records and win awards," said spokesperson Jessica Bridge. "The '1D' phenomenon is showing no signs of slowing down and the odds suggest they could be adding a BAFTA to their tour bus mantelpiece."


 More than just a filmed concert and tour documentary, “One Direction: This Is Us” is a chance to get up close and personal with the world’s biggest band.

Filmed while the guys were taking their world tour to arenas around the globe -- from Mexico to Japan to London’s famed O2 arena -- the movie mixes high-energy performance footage, candid interviews, and behind the scenes footage to offer a one-of-a-kind perspective into the talent, hard work and mischief that goes into being One Direction.

It’s a remarkable story of humble origins, an unprecedented rise to fame and a fan-driven phenomenon that enabled One Direction to conquer the world.

Opening across the Philippines on Friday, August 30, “One Direction: This Is Us” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

source: gmanetwork.com