'Furious' Cohen puts his XXX on 20th TV, Fox deal
From "XXX" on the big screen to "FOX" on the small screen -- director Rob Cohen has inked a rich overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television and has received a put pilot commitment from Fox Broadcasting Co. The pact with 20th TV, valued in the mid-six-figure range, calls for Cohen to develop, executive produce, direct and possibly co-write a drama series project for 20th TV and Neal Moritz and Marty Adelstein's studio-based Original Television targeted for fall 2003. After bidding by several networks, Fox snagged the hot director with a "multiple for one" put pilot deal, which guarantees a put pilot commitment to one of multiple drama projects he is developing for the network through his deal with 20th TV.
Kilmer on road to 'Wonderland' for Lions Gate
Val Kilmer is in negotiations to star as the late porn legend John Holmes in Lions Gate Films' true-crime tale "Wonderland" for director James Cox. Christina Applegate, Kate Bosworth, Lisa Kudrow and Josh Lucas are in talks to round out the cast of the film, which begins shooting next month. Holmes was perhaps the most famous porn star of his time; he made more than 2,000 hard-core movies and slept with more than 10,000 women. (His life was one of the inspirations for Paul Thomas Anderson's 1997 film "Boogie Nights".) A drug addict, he died from AIDS-related complications in 1988 at the age of 43. Lions Gate's project will not be a biopic, but a true-crime tale focusing on a specific time in Holmes' life, namely his implication in what is known as the Laurel Canyon Murders in 1981, a quadruple homicide on Wonderland Avenue that also involved his teenage lover (Bosworth). Kudrow would play Holmes' wife, Sharon, with Lucas and Applegate as Holmes' friends Ron and Susan Lawnius. Todd Sanovitz, D. Loriston Scott, James Cox and Captain Mauzner wrote the script, which is being produced by Holly Wiersma. Lions Gate, Mike Paseornek, Marc Butan, Tom Ortenberg and Peter Block are executive producing.
CD price-fixing suit settled
The distribution companies of the five major label groups and three national retail chains have agreed to pay $143 million in cash and free CDs to 42 states to settle price-fixing allegations. The companies, which include Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, BMG, EMI, Sony and select retailers, will pay $67.4 million in cash and provide 6 million CDs valued at $75.7 million, which will be divided among the states. Additionally, as part of numerous class-action suits filed by consumers, record buyers in all 50 states will share in the settlement. "This is a landmark settlement to address years of illegal price fixing," New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said. "Our agreement will provide consumers with substantial refunds and result in the distribution of a wide variety of recordings for use in our schools and communities." In separate statements issued by WMG, UMG, EMI and BMG, each company said the settlement does not imply any wrongdoing on the part of the labels, and all maintain that their minimum advertised price, or MAP, practices were fully legal. Sony declined comment.
'Sweet' tidings for Disney in strong weekend at b.o.
Leading the weekend to a sensational finish at theaters in North America, Buena Vista's "Sweet Home Alabama" brought home blue skies filled with boxoffice receipts. The Reese Witherspoon starrer opened in the top spot with $35.6 million -- the highest-grossing September debut in history. The 139 films tracked by The Hollywood Reporter took in $102.1 million, up a considerable 34% from the comparable weekend last year. It marks the third consecutive frame in which this year's total boxoffice was up by a double-digit margin from 2001 -- a refreshing change from the previous eight-week slump at the boxoffice. To take home the laurels for the biggest September opening ever, the Andy Tennant-helmed "Sweet Home" bested New Line's "Rush Hour", which debuted in 1998 with $33 million. It also was a personal best for Witherspoon, topping MGM's "Legally Blonde", which debuted with $20.4 million during the summer of 2000.
New Zealand 'Castle' houses Caan
James Caan will head the cast of "Castle of Lies", an $8.3 million period drama, the highest-budgeted independent New Zealand film ever made. With shooting slated to begin at the end of the month, "Castle of Lies" is described as an "erotic and devastating" love story based on the life of William Larnach, a politician who built New Zealand's first castle before fatally shooting himself in Parliament in 1898 after financial ruin and a devastating affair between an ex wife and his son. Caan will play Larnach, while Rosamund Pike ("Love in a Cold Climate"), who next will be seen in the James Bond installment "Die Another Day", will play his ex-wife Connie. Luke Mably ("28 Days Later", "Uprising") will play her secret lover.
Dis puts hands on 'His and Hers'
Adding an interracial comedy to its development slate, the Walt Disney Co. has picked up the project "His and Hers" from Edmonds Entertainment. Described as a family comedy in the vein of the Edmonds-produced "Soul Food", "His and Hers" revolves around an interracial couple who fall in love and get married. But the two formerly single parents discover that trying to bring their families together is not as easy as it may have seemed. "His and Hers" is being written by Shonda Rhimes, whose credits include "Crossroads" and the upcoming "Princess Diaries" sequel for Disney. "His and Hers" will be produced by Tracey Edmonds and Bridget Davis, with Kenneth Edmonds executive producing. This marks the first time Edmonds Entertainment, which also produced "Light It Up", has worked with Disney. Edmonds Entertainment is repped by CAA, while Rhimes is repped by BWCS and attorney Brooke Wharton.
Hyde Park, MGM renew deal
Ashok Amritraj's Hyde Park Entertainment has reupped its production deal with MGM, sources said. It's unclear how many years the new pact extends. Armitraj and MGM executives did not return calls for comment at press time Monday night. Hyde Park renewed its output deal for continental Europe with Epsilon in July. The company weathered major changes during the summer when partner David Hoberman exited the company to form his own production company, Mandeville Films, which has a first-look deal at the Walt Disney Co. Hyde Park produced the Brad Silberling-directed "Moonlight Mile", starring Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon and Jake Gyllenhaal, which opened in limited release this past weekend. The company's other recent productions include "Bandits", "Antitrust", "What's the Worst That Could Happen" and "Original Sin". The company recently wrapped production on the Adam Shankman-helmed "Bringing Down the Houze", starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah.
'Signs' nears $100 mil in fourth o'seas weekend
A number of high-profile films that shunned the crowded kid-oriented summer market, instead making their big overseas pushes in the early fall, took command over the weekend in most of the territories in which they set down, despite a generally soft boxoffice. For the fourth consecutive weekend, M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs", without a single new opening, emerged as the leading scorer in the international market, tallying $13.9 million from 3,421 screens in 28 countries. The Buena Vista International release is expected to top the $100 million mark by the end of this week after reaching $94.6 million this past Sunday night. The supernatural thriller held the No. 1 position for a second weekend in Japan, where it has taken in $13.4 million in nine days. It was No. 1 for a third weekend in the United Kingdom ($17.2 million in 17 days), the front-runner for a second weekend in Spain ($7 million in 10 days) and the leader in Mexico for a third frame ($9 million in 17 days).
Hannah, Renfro, Forsythe on 'Job'
Daryl Hannah is teaming with Brad Renfro and William Forsythe to star in the indie film "The Job" for director Kenny Golde and Platform Entertainment. Shooting is scheduled to start Nov. 6 in Los Angeles. Golde also penned the script, which follows a female hit woman (Hannah) who desperately wants to get out of her job. She's faced with killing a pregnant woman and the woman's husband, only to become haunted by her own past when she also becomes pregnant. Renfro will play the role of Troy, the reluctant drug-dealer husband, while Forsythe will star as Vernon, the head of the hit-man operation.
9 months later, Pfeiffer returns to old reps ICM
Michelle Pfeiffer has signed with ICM. The move brings the actress back to the agency that had repped her for about 20 years. She left ICM in January to sign with CAA, where she stayed for nine months until the current change. Pfeiffer is prepping for the release of her latest film, the Warner Bros. Pictures drama "White Oleander", which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last month. The film, slated to bow in theaters Oct. 11, also stars Robin Wright Penn, Renee Zellweger and Alison Lohman. Pfeiffer has starred in more than 30 films, most recently in "I Am Sam" for New Line Cinema opposite Sean Penn. Her other credits include "What Lies Beneath", "Scarface", "The Witches of Eastwick", "Dangerous Liaisons", "The Fabulous Baker Boys", "Batman Returns", "The Age of Innocence", "Dangerous Minds" and "One Fine Day". She continues to be repped by attorney Barry Hirsch.
Sept. misses all-time mark despite 'Wedding' present
Talk about an extended honeymoon. September's boxoffice tally set no new records -- revenue amounted to the second-highest total for the month, while actual admissions were the fourth-highest for the period -- but results would have been even weaker were it not for IFC's "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", an independent film that's been in release for nearly six months. The boxoffice dowry of the extremely long-legged "Greek Wedding" grew by $59.4 million in U.S.-Canadian grosses during September as its cume climbed to a stellar $127.2 million by Sept. 26, the end of the four-week September play period. The national boxoffice for September amounted to $453.2 million, up a solid 12% from last year's $403.6 million but still shy of the all-time September record, though by less than 1%. September 1999 holds the title with $456.5 million in ticket sales, thanks largely to the stellar returns generated by Buena Vista's "The Sixth Sense". This September's estimated admissions fell well short of any record as ticket units for the month totaled 78.4 million.
Indonesian pair tapping 'Well' for Platinum Dunes
Platinum Dunes, Michael Bay's genre banner at Radar Pictures, has struck a deal with Indonesian filmmakers Jose Poernomo and Rizal Mantovani to direct the thriller "The Well", with Mark L. Smith set to pen the screenplay. The project centers on a group of recent college graduates who go hunting for an ancient mystical treasure while backpacking through the dark rivers of Indonesia, only to uncover dangerous supernatural phenomena.
NBC's Sun. 'Dreams' come true
The nostalgic "American Dreams" may help lift NBC's longtime Sunday blues, while the season openers of "The Practice" and the spy drama "Alias" looked potent for ABC as the new season's first week drew to a close. Improving Sunday results was a top goal for peacock brass this year, and the 8 p.m. premiere of "Dreams" offered encouraging signs. The drama, which traces the impact of the upheavals of the 1960s on one family, averaged a 4.5 rating/12 share in the key 18-49 demo, with 13.3 million total viewers, according to preliminary figures from Nielsen Media Research. The demo numbers improved by 22% what the game show "Weakest Link" did in the slot a year ago. Perhaps most notably, "Dreams" built its demo audience by 25% from the first to second half-hour, an indicator of healthy viewer interest.
'Star' Turns for Will Smith and J.Lo?
Will Smith and Jennifer Lopez are being lined up to take lead roles in a remake of classic film A Star Is Born. Director Joel Schumacher is currently courting studio backing for the project, and has the two major names lined up awaiting the greenlight. He told music TV channel MTV, "Who knows if the movie will go, but it seems to be a desire of the studio to do it. And now let's see if all of the ducks are in order." Smith has been interested in the project for a number of years and has recently spoken of J.Lo's eagerness to jump aboard. He said, "Jennifer loves the concept. What I like about Jennifer is that you could go Latin. The music and the environment could be the Latin world, which would be different from all of the other versions." And veteran filmmaker Schumacher - the man behind The Lost Boys and Batman And Robin, among many others - is a big fan of Smith. He says, "I know Will better than I know Jennifer. I did a public service announcement for education with Jennifer and she was breathtakingly beautiful and charming. Will I know better and we've talked about working together. And he's just a consummate gentleman and just a lovely human being." A Star Is Born has been made four times, most famously in 1954 with James Mason and Judy Garland.
Supermodel Moss Gives Birth
Supermodel Kate Moss has given birth to a baby girl. The sexy star and partner, magazine publisher Jefferson Hack, have named the 6.5 pound girl Lola. Moss was rushed to hospital on Sunday while dining with new parent pals Sadie Frost and Jude Law. The chic couple are said to be "deliriously happy" at the new edition to their family. A friend of the family says, "It's simply a very joyous scene and mom and dad can't wait to get out of hospital so they can start playing happy families."
Courtney Love Settles with Universal
Grunge rock star Courtney Love has settled her legal dispute with record label Universal just days before it was due to reach court. Under the deal, bosses at Universal Music Group said they would waive rights to future recordings from Love, who heads rock band Hole and is the widow of Nirvana legend Kurt Cobain. In return Love and the other members of the Cobain estate have granted Universal permission to release new Nirvana records from the group's old hits. Ownership of some unreleased Hole records will revert to Love, and Universal Music will waive a re-recording restriction for some previously released Hole songs, among other details.
Streisand's Comeback Is Shrouded in Secrecy
Barbra Streisand emerged from semi-retirement in Hollywood last night for a rare concert to boost America's opposition party the Democrats - but insisted her performance wasn't filmed. As a result, only those 3,500 guests who paid at least $500 for tickets to see the diva onstage at the Kodak Theatre, witnessed her nine-song set. And coverage of the event, sent to TV networks today, didn't feature Streisand's performance. The singer, a staunch Democrat, said an official goodbye to live performing two years ago with "farewell" concerts in New York and Los Angeles. The gala, which also featured Barry Manilow, raised $6 million for the Democratic cause.
Steven Seagal in $60 Million Lawsuit
A judge has refused to throw out a $60 million lawsuit against Steven Seagal that claims he backed out of movie projects on the advice of his Buddhist spiritual adviser. Judge Joseph Maltese ruled on Thursday that the case filed by Seagal's previous business partner, producer Julius Nasso, can proceed to trial. Nasso has accused Seagal of reneging on a contract to perform in four motion pictures, with had a combined budget of more than $125 million.
Ford Hopes for Old Indy Jokes
Hollywood legend Harrison Ford is ready to play an older Indiana Jones in a new action film - as long as there's jokes about ageing in it. One consolation for the 60-year old hero is that Sir Sean Connery will be reprising his role as Indy's dad at the grand old age of 72. Ford jokes, "I can still whip Sean Connery with one hand tied behind my back. We want to preserve the spirit of the original but I hope we have some good jokes in there about getting older. It was always as much fun for the audience to see me get beat up as it was to see me beat somebody up. That's kind of unique."
Let's Do the Time Warp Again
Cult movie musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show is set for a makeover with a new celebrity cast and new tunes. Impressario Lou Adler, who produced the legendary 1975 movie hit, starring Susan Sarandon and Tim Curry, is putting the finishing touches to a new cast list, and he hopes to have a new TV movie version of Rocky Horror ready for Halloween 2003. Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert moviemaker Stephan Elliott is on board to direct the remake, while Moulin Rouge composer Marius De Vries has been signed up to add original music. Adler admits the project has taken a long time to come together because he has been unable to find a replacement for Curry, who played outrageously camp Frank N Furter in the original. The producer says, "I just never found the right person but now I have. We're going to wait until March and then probably do it for next Halloween." No casting details have been released, although speculation in Hollywood suggests Marilyn Manson is a frontrunner for the Frank N Furter role.
Nicholson Takes to the Stage
Jack Nicholson is heading for a rare stage performance when he stars as novelist Ernest Hemingway for one night only. The Oscar-winner has signed up to join the star-studded cast of The World Of Nick Adams for a charity performance of the play at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. Nicholson's castmates will include Paul Newman, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon and Warren Beatty. All proceeds raised from the exclusive one-night stand will go towards Newman's Hole In The Wall kids charity.
Stars Buy Liz's Jewels
Elton John, actress Jennifer Tilly and Sabrina, The Teenage Witch star Caroline Rhea are among the celebrities who snapped up Elizabeth Taylor's baubles at an auction last week. The movie veteran was auctioning off some of her famous jewelry collection in New York to raise cash for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. While most buyers kept their identities secret, Elton, who hosted the auction/dinner at Christie's, paid $19,000 for a sapphire ring, Tilly paid $22,000 for a ruby and gold Bulgari pendant and Rhea paid $15,000 for a Van Cleef diamond ring. Rhea actually outbid Liz for the ring, which was specially made for the sale, but promised to give it to her if she appeared on her new chat show. The event raised $250,000 for AIDS charities.
Hopkins Claims Liking Lecter Is OK
Moviegoers worried about their admiration for Dr Hannibal Lecter can rest easy - Sir Anthony Hopkins says it's OK to like the serial killer. As Red Dragon - the prequel to The Silence Of The Lambs - hits cinema screens, the Welsh acting legend has spoken out about the strange fascination with his character. Hopkins says, "We admire him in a secret way. He represents the unspeakable part of ourselves, the fantasy, desires and dark areas of our lives that are slightly unacceptable to us, but actually healthy, if only we acknowledge them. Perhaps, we'd like to be as daredevil as him. But admiring him doesn't mean we're deeply disturbed, sick people. It means that we're human." Hopkins, who is reprising his role as the Chianti loving cannibal for the third time, believes that the escapism afforded by cinema is often coupled with universal truths about the nature of man. He says, "We're all flawed, deeply damaged, imperfect beings. We're corruptible, shabby, grubby, great magnificent and all the rest of it. That's why we like watching Hitchcock's Psycho, Jaws and going on rollercoasters. We like to be thrilled, entertained, frightened. We like to see Dirty Harry say, 'Make my day' and see the bad guy get his just desserts."
'Home' Is Sweet for Disney
Although it earned some $2 million less over the weekend than Disney had estimated, the studio's Sweet Home Alabama, starring Reese Witherspoon, nevertheless took in an astonishing $35.6 million, a record for a September opener. Another comedy, Jackie Chan's The Tuxedo from DreamWorks, opened in second place with $15 million. MGM's Barbershop, which had held the top spot during the previous two weeks, dropped to third place with $10 million, while IFC's My Big Fat Greek Wedding, in its 24th week, dropped only 3 percent to $9.4 million to take the fourth spot. With Fox Searchlight's The Banger Sisters placing fifth, the box office was in the unusual position of sporting comedies in each of the five top spots. In an interview with today's (Tuesday) Los Angeles Daily News, Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian observed, "Most films in the top five are there for a short time, then they leave. What is happening here is that among the top five, there are two movies [Barbershop and Wedding] that just won't leave, and they are really bolstering the comedy dominance."
Studios Deny Planting Stories On Websites
Following complaints from movie-related websites that studios have planted phony rave reviews on message boards, Universal Studios Vice Chairman Marc Schmuger has countered that while his studio may have recruited fans to post the reviews, they were not employees but unpaid volunteers. "It's aggressive marketing, but it is not deceptive marketing," he told today's (Tuesday) Los Angeles Times. "This is a technique used everywhere in corporate America -- it's no different from the girls who go into bars to tout cell phones and vodka. However inept these postings were, they were unpaid volunteers expressing their unscripted enthusiasm. They were not posing as fans; they were fans." A spokeswoman for Paramount, which also has been accused of planting phony fans on the sites, maintained that the studio never has done so. "We don't do anything without full disclosure," she said. Nevertheless, the Times observed that "it is widely believed" that studios plant positive reviews of their films on Harry Knowles' Ain't It Cool News website -- and even negative reviews of competitors' movies.
Finnish Director Boycotts N.Y. Film Festival
Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki said Monday that he will boycott the New York Film Festival after learning that the U.S. has refused to grant a visa to Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami to allow him to attend the festival. Both directors have films that are scheduled to be shown at the festival. In a statement reported by today's (Tuesday) New York Times, Kaurismaki remarked: "If international cultural exchange is prevented, what is left? The exchange of arms?"
Traveling 6,000 Miles For Dinner
Director George Hickenlooper says he was just ten days away from starting production of The Man from Elysian Fields when he finally heard from Mick Jagger, whom he had hoped to cast in a leading role. As reported in today's (Tuesday) Newsday, Hickenlooper recalled, "Mick finally called me and said, 'Let's have dinner on Saturday in Venice to talk about it.'" Hickenlooper related that, since he was then in Los Angeles, he had assumed that Jagger was talking about Venice, California, the L.A. beach suburb. "But it turned out, he meant Venice, Italy. ... I've been to Europe many times before, but never just for dinner." In the end, however, the dinner paid off. Jagger accepted the role. (He stars with Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, James Coburn, Olivia Williams and Anjelica Huston.) The film, a favorite at Sundance, opens in limited release on Friday.
Chevy Chased
Today's (Tuesday) "Page Six" column in the New York Times includes quotes from Chevy Chase's roast at the Friars Club in New York Saturday night, including the remembrance by former SNL colleague Laraine Newman of the time that Chase announced he was leaving the show "to pursue a dream he had since he was a little boy: to make s****y movies and the worst talk show in history. We knew he could do it."
A Longer 'Friend'-ship
In a new scheduling ploy, NBC is planning to add an additional one or two minutes to its hit series Friends during the season, the Washington Post reported today (Tuesday). The newspaper observed that last week's Friends ran two minutes over its scheduled half-hour length. Asked whether the additional minutes were tacked on so that NBC could sell additional spots in the show, an NBC spokesperson told the Post, "Friends did run long creatively and it will run long creatively this season." Asked how the network already knew that the show would run long, the NBC spokesperson replied, "Maybe they need extra time to do the story." Commented the Post: "And how nice for NBC if this excess flow of creative juices on the part of the Friends producers will keep down the ratings on CBS's Thursday reality series Survivor for, say, an extra two minutes all season?"
'60 Minutes' Under Siege?
Even as he begins to disengage himself from 60 Minutes, Mike Wallace is expressing concern about the future of the venerated news program. Appearing on a panel at the University of Michigan, Wallace said that he hears more talk about the profitability and costs of the program than he does about the editorial content. As reported by the Ann Arbor News, Wallace also remarked that as the audience for 60 Minutes has grown older and as the show itself has dropped in ratings, he hears more and more talk around him about how to reach younger viewers. For example, he said, that demographic group is not interested in foreign stories -- the very ones that are the most expensive to produce. The simple solution by budget-minded execs: cut them out.
Lowe Was Not Dissed, Says NBC
The fact that Rob Lowe was not included in recent NBC promos for the new season of The West Wing had nothing to do with the pay dispute Lowe has been having with the network and the show's producers, Warner Brothers Television, said TV Guide on its website today (Tuesday). "Unfortunately, due to a scheduling conflict, Rob was unable to attend NBC's big promo shoot that occurs once at the beginning of each [season]," an NBC spokeswoman told the publication. Lowe reportedly has been filming a TV movie, The Christmas Shoes, in Nova Scotia.
The "Filet Mignon" That ABC Tossed Out
Underscoring ABC's recent missteps, Boston Globe writer Christopher Muther, noting that a local theater is screening last year's Mulholland Drive, which won a best director Oscar nomination for David Lynch, recalls in today's editions that it was originally filmed as a pilot for an ABC series. Muther writes: "ABC says 'No way, ' then hires Ben Affleck to create a Lynch knockoff called Push, Nevada. Hello, anyone home, ABC? Why settle for Filet-O-Fish when you could have had filet mignon?"
Some Information courtesy of The Internet Movie Database. Used with permission.
IMDB News Sources include: The Hollywood Reporter, WENN and Studio Briefing.
