Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 16, 2014, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A14 ENTERTAINMENT A14 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2014 W ASHINGTON - The coffee can't arrive soon enough for Kevin Hart. The comedian is trying his hardest to be alert during a photo shoot in a Georgetown hotel on a freezing February day, one of many appointments on a busy media tour for his new romantic comedy About Last Night , which opened Friday. However, he can't stifle a mighty yawn that interrupts a short impromptu belting- out of the chorus from - of all things - A Whole New World from the Aladdin soundtrack. Maybe Hart, a 34- year- old master of multitasking, can add " Disney singer" to his list of hyphenates, which include standup comic, producer, writer, social- media guru, media mogul and, most recently, box- office powerhouse. He might stand only 5- foot- 4, but he's starting to loom large in Hollywood, and with a broad audience. " Universal, baby!" Hart exclaims, clearly getting a second wind. " I pride myself on appealing to everyone at the end of the day, not just black people, not just white people, not just Chinese people. That's one thing we as people share is laughter." About Last Night finds him playing Bernie, a quick- witted, motor- mouthed guy who's constantly orbiting - much to his chagrin - the wild woman ( Regina Hall) with whom he had a one- night stand. Audiences can enjoy a Kevin Hart double feature, since his comedy Ride Along is still in theaters and has grossed US$ 106 million since opening in January - the first movie to cross the US$ 100- million mark this year. Add in the facts he had a major role in the 2012 surprise hit Think Like a Man and his 2013 concert film Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain pulled in US$ 32 million ( No. 4 all time in the genre, Box Office Mojo says). That makes Hart a bankable star, says Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. " He has that thing that Eddie Murphy had: You just like the guy," Bock says. " You want to be his best buddy. As far as box office goes, it means you want to buy a ticket for whatever he's in." Hart doesn't take for granted the audience will be automatic, though. During down time in an interview, he takes 30 seconds to send a 140- character missive reminding his 9.8 million Twitter followers to get their tickets to About Last Night , a remake of the 1986 Brat Pack movie. It has taken a lot of work for the Philadelphia native to build his brand. While some might see his success as overnight, he's spent more than 10 years stealing scenes in movies and TV shows, dating back to Judd Apatow's 2001- 02 TV series Undeclared . " I'm sure it looks quick to everyone else, because it always does," Last Night co- star Hall says. " But he's been working at it and he's been diligent, and he gets better and better." Fostering a legacy is important for Hart, but he also doesn't forget the men who influenced his current track: Murphy, Chris Rock, George Carlin and Richard Pryor, among them. " These are comedians who literally had the world in the palms of their hands because they were responsible for a good time," Hart says. He also found their honesty about their foibles and shortcomings helped them to connect with audiences. That's why Hart has no problem being self- deprecating about his height in his comedy routine or in films. " It takes a special person to laugh at themselves. I say what people may think before they say it, and when you address it first, it erases it," Hart says. " It also sets a tone. People can laugh at you laughing at yourself. That opens up the arena for people to then laugh at themselves and at their problems. I'm not a perfect person, I'm flawed, so I put it out there." Building an audience seems to be working out all right for Hart, who has started his own HartBeat Productions company he hopes can become a major player in the studio system. But until he becomes the comedic equivalent to Harvey Weinstein, the acting thing will suffice. " He couldn't be in a better spot," Bock says. " I wouldn't be surprised if Sony pitches him Ghostbusters 3 . He's going to have the opportunity to do a lot of these sequels to big films." Still, " His next few films will be the things that Kevin Hart wants to see," adds Bock. " He's reached the point in his career where he can be choosy." Next up is the sequel Think Like a Man Too ( opening June 20), then he teams with Josh Gad for the comedy The Wedding Ringer ( January). There's smallscreen stuff, too. Hart stars in the BET series Real Husbands of Hollywood and is developing a pilot about his life for ABC. " That's why I haven't slept," Hart says, laughing about his increasingly full plate of projects. " Soon as you stop talking, I'm probably going to pass out." - USA Today SAN FRANCISCO - Netflix's Internet video service is coming to the rescue of Star Wars fans left in limbo by the abrupt cancellation of The Clone Wars , an animated television series that embellishes the lore of the Jedi Order and Sith Lords. The sixth and final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars will be shown exclusively to Netflix subscribers in the U. S. and Canada beginning March 7 as part of a licensing deal announced Thursday. Financial terms weren't disclosed. The Los Gatos, Calif., company had already pledged to spend about US$ 3 billion this year on licensing video as it tries to expand its audience of 48 million subscribers worldwide. A significant chunk of that money is being earmarked for video that can only be seen on Netflix. One of the company's most popular exclusives, the Emmy- award winning political drama House of Cards , returned for its second season on Friday. The resurrection of The Clone Wars will finish the story that was still unresolved when Time Warner Inc.' s Cartoon Network cancelled the series following the fifth season. Cartoon Network dropped the series after Time Warner rival Walt Disney Co. bought the Star Wars franchise as part of its 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm. Besides showing all 13 episodes of the sixth season, Netflix's video- streaming service gained the exclusive rights to the director's cut of previous seasons of The Clone Wars . Netflix Inc. has been cultivating closer ties with Disney while increasing its spending on licensing rights as part of its efforts to attract more subscribers to its $ 8 monthly service, which delivers video to Internetconnected TVs and other devices. Disney previously struck an agreement with Netflix that allows the Internet video service to show the next wave of Star Wars movies shortly after they leave the theatres. That deal begins in 2016. Netflix is emerging as a popular alternative for TV series cancelled by broadcast and cable networks. The company revived the critically acclaimed comedy Arrested Development last year and plans to bring back the mystery The Killing . - The Associated Press By Michael Liedtke Star Wars: The Clone Wars to continue on Netflix By Brian Truitt Little big man Hollywood hits have made Kevin Hart A MAN OF STATURE NETFLIX / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS This image shows Yoda in a scene from the sixth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The animated TV series will be shown exclusively to Netflix subscribers in Canada and the U. S., beginning March 7. CHRIS PIZZELLO / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES A_ 14_ Feb- 16- 14_ FP_ 01. indd A14 2/ 15/ 14 4: 38: 24 PM ;