Names and faces

A family spokesman in Rome said Sunday that the plan was to repatriate the body of James Gandolfini as soon as today. The Italian news agency ANSA later reported that Gandolfini’s body left Rome at 6 p.m. local time. The agency did not cite any sources but published a photo showing airport workers loading a coffin that it identified as belonging to Gandolfini. Michael Kobold, the spokesman, did not specify at which U.S. airport the body would arrive in his remarks earlier. Kobold thanked Italian and U.S. authorities, including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Kerry’s predecessor Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President Bill Clinton for helping with arrangements. Gandolfini, 51, died Wednesday in Rome. Kobold has said an autopsy revealed the cause was a heart attack. Authorities have not released the report. The Sopranos star had been en route to Sicily for an appearance at the Taormina Film Festival, which paid tribute to him Saturday.

Nearly 20 years after Dumb and Dumber was released, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are reuniting for Dumb and Dumber To. Daniels said Carrey approached directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly two years ago about doing a sequel. “Jim has been against all sequels, and you know, understandably so. … But he turned 50 and that will mellow you out, and suddenly he’s going, ‘Let’s have some fun. … Come on,’ and we’re going, ‘Great,’ and so the Farrellys said, ‘This isn’t a money grab. Let’s really write a great second movie that takes the original and then blows it up even further, and so I think they did that,” Daniels said in an interview in New York on Wednesday. Universal Pictures, which acquired the domestic distribution rights after Warner Bros. dropped out, confirmed the sequel. Daniels said he’s read the script and calls it “painfully funny.” The original premise wasn’t that deep: It followed two well-meaning but moronic friends, Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Daniels), as they traveled cross country to find the owner of a briefcase filled with money. Daniels, 58, is known for his critically acclaimed roles in The Squid and the Whale and The Purple Rose of Cairo.