News for 2/17/2004


Taye Diggs Climbs Up Mel Gibson's Hill

Source: Variety


Taye Diggs is jumping into television, reports Variety, signing on for the leading role in UPN's Mel Gibson-produced drama pilot Kevin Hill. Diggs previously did a six-episode stint on Ally McBeal back in 2000.

Diggs will play lady-loving attorney Kevin Hill, a thirtysomething legal eagle who suddenly finds himself charged with raising his cousin's daughter. Jorge Reyes (Resurrection Blvd.) is writing and executive producing the show for Gibson's Icon Productions and Touchstone Television. Gibson and production partner Bruce Davey are both on board as executive producers.

In related TV news, ABC has greenlit comedies starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and a comedian who goes by the name Earthquake, while Aisha Tyler (Friends) has landed a sitcom pilot at CBS.

The Earthquake project will star the comedian as an unlucky father of four who, with his wife, struggles to make ends meet. In Hewitt's show she'll star as a sports reporter and single mom. And Tyler will play Melanie, a sophisticated single New Yorker who makes the move from a small, edgy fashion house to a large corporation.

Also, Kirsten Storms (Days of Our Lives) is joining the CBS's Mel Gibson-produced drama Clubhouse and Chyler Leigh (Girls Club) has been added to the cast of Fox comedy pilot Lucky Us.

Last but not least, Sherman Hemsley of The Jeffersons fame is lending his voice to the title character in Fox's updated version of Mister Ed.



Weekend Boxoffice


'50 First Dates' Tops Box Office

David Germain
AP Movie Writer


LOS ANGELES -- Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore's romance "50 First Dates" proved an irresistible draw for the Valentine's weekend date crowd, taking in $41 million to debut as the top movie, according to studio estimates Sunday.

If the estimates hold, it would be the second-biggest February opening ever, behind the $58 million debut of "Hannibal" in 2001 and just ahead of last year's "Daredevil" at $40.3 million.

The previous weekend's top film, "Barbershop 2: Back in Business," slipped to second place with $15.6 million, bringing its 10-day total to $44.1 million.

The overall box office was down, with the top 12 movies grossing $107.8 million, off 13 percent from the same weekend last year.

"50 First Dates" was a reunion for Sandler and Barrymore, who starred in "The Wedding Singer," which opened over Valentine's weekend in 1998.

Sandler's main audience is males in their teens and 20s, who turned out in force, but women made up 57 percent of the crowds on the strength of Barrymore and the movie's romantic theme, distributor Sony reported.

And the Valentine's weekend sealed the deal with audiences.

"Talk about great timing. For a lot of couples, this was their Valentine entertainment," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Sandler plays a womanizer smitten by Barrymore, an accident victim who forgets the previous day's memories each morning, forcing Sandler to dream up new ways for the two to meet and fall in love.

Playing in 3,591 theaters, "50 First Dates" averaged a strong $11,417 a cinema.

With many people off work Monday for President's Day, "50 First Dates" should come out of the long weekend about halfway to the $100 million level. The movie is positioned to become the first released in 2004 to top that mark.

Though many critics trashed "50 First Dates," the movie earned its share of positive press, with some reviewers taken in by the story's sweetness and Sandler and Barrymore's chemistry.

Almost half of the audience was 25 or older, a more mature crowd than normally turns out to see Sandler.

"I think people were excited to see Adam and Drew paired up again," said Rory Bruer, Sony head of distribution. "And I think one thing I would say about Adam, he's just such a likable guy. He's just so accessible to all audiences. People can relate to him."

In narrow release, the murder thriller "Highwaymen," starring Jim Caviezel, debuted weakly with $203,000 in 111 theaters for an average of $1,829.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Tuesday.

1. "50 First Dates," $41 million.
2. "Barbershop 2: Back in Business," $15.6 million.
3. "Miracle," $14 million.
4. "The Butterfly Effect," $5.7 million.
5. "You Got Served," $5.1 million.
6. "Along Came Polly," $5.08 million.
7. "Catch That Kid," $4.35 million.
8. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," $4.15 million.
9. "Cold Mountain," $3.7 million.
10. "Mystic River," $3.55 million.



News for 2/15/2004


Hawke & Fishburne Aboard Assault Remake

Source: The Hollywood Reporter


Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne will star in an updated U.S. version of John Carpenter's cult classic Assault on Precinct 13, to be distributed domestically by Focus Features.

The new film, written by James DeMonaco, is set in the present day in a police precinct building that is about to be shut down. During a snowy New Year's Eve, a mobster (Fishburne) is temporarily incarcerated at Precinct 13, the soon-to-close police station. As the sun sets and a long night begins, a motley crew of policemen and prisoners reluctantly captained by a cop (Hawke) must band together to fight off a rogue gang that wants to free the mobster.

The English-language feature, to be directed by Jean-François Richet, is scheduled to begin production on April 5 in Toronto.



Tina Turner on Preparing to Play The Goddess

Source: OutLookIndia.com


OutLookIndia.com reports that Tina Turner is currently in India researching for her role as Shakti in the latest Merchant Ivory film The Goddess, to be directed by Ismail Merchant. The fantasy/musical film will be shot later this year in India. This will be the first thing Tina has done since her 2000 album "24/7" and her farewell tour.



News for 2/3/2004


Weekend Boxoffice


'You Got Served' Dances to Box Office Win

By DAVID GERMAIN
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - Recently split teen R&B band B2K put the moves on the box office as its dance flick "You Got Served" debuted at No. 1 with $16 million.

The other new wide releases debuted weakly over Super Bowl weekend, typically a slow time at theaters as movie-goers stay home Sunday for the big game.

"The Perfect Score," featuring Scarlett Johansson and Erika Christensen as part of a group of teens swiping the SAT exam, was No. 5 with $5 million, averaging an anemic $2,264 in 2,208 theaters.

Owen Wilson's comic crime caper "The Big Bounce" bombed with $3.3 million, finishing at No. 12 and averaging just $1,439 in 2,304 cinemas.

All three movies received harsh reviews, yet "You Got Served" managed to pull in the teen crowd on the strength of B2K's popularity. Playing in 1,933 theaters, "You Got Served" averaged a healthy $8,277.

The movie exceeded the box-office expectations of Sony, whose Screen Gems banner released "You Got Served."

"It's one of those movies that flies beneath the radar, then suddenly, it's at No. 1," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box- office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "It just shows when you go after that teen audience, it's an audience that definitely has power."

The movie stars Omari "Omarion" Grandberry - who left for a solo career a month ago - and B2K members Jarell "J-Boog" Houston, DeMario "Raz-B" Thornton and Dreux "Lil' Fizz" Frederic as part of a Los Angeles street-dance crew.

Many of last week's key Academy Awards nominees got a boost at the box office as audiences began catching up with contenders before the Feb. 29 Oscar ceremony.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," the leader with 11 nominations and the front-runner for best picture, held up strongly with $5.3 million, raising its domestic total to $345.3 million.

That makes it the top-grossing installment of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, lifting it past the $341.7 million domestic haul of 2002's "The Two Towers." "Return of the King" also has passed "Finding Nemo" ($339.7 million) to become the highest- grossing movie released in 2003.

Best-picture nominee "Mystic River," which went back into wide release the previous weekend, added a few dozen more theaters and took in $4.4 million, pushing its total to $64.9 million.

Jeff Goldstein, general sales manager for "Mystic River" distributor Warner Bros., said the movie has padded its take by $9.5 million since it widened to more theaters in anticipation of the Oscars. The studio figures the awards run could boost the film's take by as much as $20 million, he said.

"It's been out there for 17 weeks with all the critical acclaim, but now with the Oscars, people feel they've missed something, so rather than waiting for it on home video, they're going out to see it now," Goldstein said.

Two other best-picture nominees, "Lost in Translation" and "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," expanded back into wider release.

"Lost in Translation," which comes out on video Tuesday, took in $2.2 million, raising its gross to $37.5 million. "Master and Commander" added $2.3 million to push its total to $87.8 million.

The fifth best-picture contender, "Seabiscuit," already is out on video.

"Monster," which scored a best-actress nomination for Charlize Theron, went into its widest release yet, doubling its theater count to 668 and collecting $3.1 million to lift its total to $10.6 million.

1. "You Got Served," $16 million.
2. "Along Came Polly," $10.1 million.
3. "The Butterfly Effect," $9.95 million.
4. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," $5.3 million.
5. "The Perfect Score," $5 million.
6. "Big Fish," $4.6 million.
7. "Cold Mountain," $4.53 million.
8. "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!", $4.5 million
9. "Mystic River," $4.4 million.
10. "Cheaper by the Dozen," $4.1 million.



News for 1/31/2004


Mos Def, Deschanel Hitch Ride to 'Galaxy'

By Ian Mohr and Chris Gardner


NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hip-hop artist/actor Mos Def, Zooey Deschanel and Martin Freeman ("The Office") are thumbing a ride with "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," a big-screen adaptation of the cult hit novel by Douglas Adams.

Mos Def will play Ford Prefect, an alien disguising himself as an out-of-work actor who sets out on an intergalactic journey with his best friend, mild-mannered earthling Arthur Dent (Freeman). The duo hitch a ride through space with the two-headed president of the galaxy, the beautiful and brilliant scientist Trillion (Deschanel) and a depressed robot while on a quest to discover the meaning of life.

The Disney/Spyglass project begins shooting in April in London under director Garth Jennings. Adams, who died in 2001, adapted his novel for the screen. After his death, Karey Kirkpatrick came aboard for a rewrite. The cult hit "Hitchhiker's Guide" began as a radio series and launched a book series, television series and video game.

After starting his career as a hip-hop artist, Mos Def is on a roll in Hollywood. He appears in the Kevin Bacon drama "The Woodsman," which was a Sundance Film Festival hit and was acquired last week by Newmarket Films. Mos Def also has appeared in "The Italian Job," "Brown Sugar" and "Monster's Ball" and recently wrapped HBO Films' upcoming "Something the Lord Made," with Alan Rickman. He is set to release a new album on Geffen Records this year.

Deschanel also made the rounds at Sundance with Lions Gate Films' "Eulogy," and hosted the closing-night awards ceremony. Her credits include "Elf," "The Good Girl," "All the Real Girls," "Manic" and "Almost Famous."

Freeman's credits include "Love Actually," "The Debt," "Hardware" and "Ali G Indahouse."



Henry Simmons Asks Are We There Yet?

Source: The Hollywood Reporter


Revolution Studios has cast Henry Simmons in Are We There Yet? for director Brian Levant.

Ice Cube stars as a successful bachelor whose life is turned upside down when he agrees to take the children of the single mother he is wooing (Nia Long) from Portland, Ore., to Vancouver on the day before Thanksgiving.

Simmons (NYPD Blue) plays Karl, a rival suitor of Long's character. He recently wrapped Taxi, appearing opposite Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon.



Blair Underwood Books Flight with NBC Pilot

By Nellie Andreeva and Scott Collins


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Blair Underwood, whose recent TV credits include CBS' "City of Angels" and HBO's "Sex and the City," will star in the NBC drama pilot "HUB," which is set at a major U.S. airport.

He will play Roger DeSouza, the airport's second-in-command. Originally developed during the 2002-03 development season, "HUB" is expected to start production in early March.

Meanwhile, in a flurry of pilot activity Thursday, ABC picked up two comedy pilots: "Plan B," starring Caroline Rhea as a stressed thirtysomething single woman who juggles romance, career, an intrusive mother and weight problems; and "We Are Family," about a man and his estranged father who reconnect when they both become new dads.

CBS ordered three cast-contingent drama pilots: "Wanted," "Sudbury" and "Dr. Vegas."

"Wanted" is a thriller set in the fugitive section of the LAPD. "Sudbury," with Sandra Bullock on board as a producer, revolves around a family of witches. "Dr. Vegas" centers on a Las Vegas casino in-house physician.

The WB Network ordered a comedy pilot, "Commando Nanny," based on "Survivor" maestro Mark Burnett's experience as a young ex-British commando working as a live-in nanny for a Beverly Hills family. Burnett will executive produce.



News for 1/26/2004


Weekend Boxoffice


'The Butterfly Effect' Debuts in Top Spot

By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - Ashton Kutcher punked the critics as his time-travel thriller "The Butterfly Effect" stole the top spot at the weekend box office. The film hauled in $17.1 million while the Ben Stiller romantic comedy "Along Came Polly" slipped from first to second place with $16.6 million, according to studio estimates released Sunday.

"The Butterfly Effect" stars Amy Smart and Kutcher as a college student haunted by repressed childhood memories who travels back in time to inhabit the body of his younger self and undo traumatic events.

Critics derided the film, but moviegoers seemed intrigued by the premise and hungry to see the 25-year-old Kutcher, star of "That '70's Show" and MTV's prank reality show "Punk'd," in more serious fare.

"There was a great curiosity to see how he'd handle a mature role," said David Tuckerman, head of distribution for New Line, which released "The Butterfly Effect." "This is the first time he's had a chance to show his dramatic acting abilities."

The film attracted nearly as many men as women, despite Kutcher's popularity among young female viewers, he added.

With the Golden Globes on Sunday and the Oscar announcements this week, viewers were expected to follow a seasonal pattern of flocking to light hearted films in the January run-up to awards season, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co.

But intense media coverage of Kutcher's high-profile romance with Demi Moore and other exposure helped buck the trend and draw audiences, Dergarabedian said.

"I don't think anyone expected his film to do quite this much business," he said.

Also debuting this weekend was "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!" which came in third with $7.5 million. The romantic comedy follows Kate Bosworth as a naive West Virginia girl who wins a date with a movie hunk. It also features Josh Duhamel and Topher Grace, another "That '70s Show" cast member.

The film's gross may have been hindered by "Along Came Polly," which likely fleeced weekend viewers looking for romantic comedies.

"That audience got split up so it wasn't able to do as well," Dergarabedian said.

The Tim Burton storytelling fantasy "Big Fish" took in $7.3 million to finish at No. 4. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," fell one place to fifth with $6.85 million to bring its total domestic gross to nearly $337 million.

Meanwhile, the Charlize Theron serial-killer drama "Monster" played in only 330 theaters but averaged $6,066 per screen. The film has created Academy Award buzz for Theron and earned her a Golden Globe nomination for best actress.

The overall box office was up, as the top 12 film garnered about $83.5 million compared to nearly $80 million over the same weekend last year. "Darkness Falls," "Kangaroo Jack," and "Chicago" held the top spots a year ago.

1. "The Butterfly Effect," $17.1 million
2. "Along Came Polly," $16.6 million
3. "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!" $7.5 million
4. "Big Fish," $7.3 million
5. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," $6.85 million
6. "Cheaper by the Dozen," $6.6 million
7. "Cold Mountain," $5.03 million
8. "Torque," $4.43 million
9. "Something's Gotta Give," $4.1 million
10. "Mystic River," $3.13 million



News for 1/22/2004


Actress Erika Alexander Loves Writing TV

Associated Press


TORONTO - Actress Erika Alexander, who starred in the Fox sitcom "Living Single" alongside Queen Latifah, said she enjoys spending time writing for television with her husband.

Alexander, who currently plays a tough-as-nails probation officer in the Showtime series "Street Time," told AP radio that she and Tony Puryear have worked together on a number of projects.

"We sold a science-fiction series and other television series and we collaborate on feature films sometimes," she said.

Alexander called being able to write a "nice extension" of her career considering how time consuming her day job is.

Alexander, who was in "The Cosby Show" for two seasons, had roles in the films "Full Frontal," "30 Years to Life," "Love Liza" and "The Last Best Year."

She also starred in the Off-Broadway play "The Story" and played the role of Bianca in "Taming of the Shrew" in the New York Shakespeare Festival's 1999 summer season.



Black Filmmakers Featured at Sundance

By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer


PARK CITY, Utah (AP) - Black filmmakers are gaining influence in big-money Hollywood. It only follows that they would make inroads in low-budget independent cinema, too.

Past years at the Sundance Film Festival typically had a handful of movies by and about blacks, but the current indie-film showcase has a dozen or more.

The schedule was so strong Sundance organizers held a panel discussion _ "The New `New Black Film'" _ featuring black filmmakers Mario Van Peebles, Kasi Lemmons and Ernest Dickerson.

Big-name talent such as Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Will Smith, Wesley Snipes and Martin Lawrence have helped break down color barriers in Hollywood. Yet many black stars and directors tend to get stuck in action and comedy tales, while weightier black stories remain a tough sell.

"It's opening up," said Spike Lee, who recently signed on as executive producer of Sundance entry "CSA: The Confederate States of America," a faux documentary examining the racist nation that might have resulted had the South won the Civil War. "We can get jobs, but what kind of jobs? We're relegated to the ghetto of these broad, broad, broad comedies.

"I think what you're seeing at Sundance is something that's realistic for any independent filmmaker. If you want to tell stories Hollywood won't tell, you have to do it yourself, whether you're a woman or African-American or a Latino filmmaker. I think that's why you're seeing more of them now."

Four of the 16 films competing in Sundance's documentary category have blacks as their central figures or touch heavily on black subjects:

_ "A Place of Our Own," examining the resort enclave of Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, where educated, well-to-do blacks found a haven from racism decades ago.

_ "The Fight," a look back at black boxer Joe Louis' triumph over white challenger Max Schmeling to retain the heavyweight title in their 1938 rematch.

_ "Deadline," which chronicles the commutation of death sentences for 167 inmates _ most of them black _ by Illinois Gov. George Ryan as a last act before leaving office.

_ "Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed," a portrait of the black congresswoman's bold and brassy campaign for the White House in 1972.

Shola Lynch, director of "Chisholm," said most films about blacks perpetuate stereotypes, while a rich range of stories remain untold.

"Not all black folks grew up in the projects," said Lynch. "Hollywood picks up on one little piece of it and calls it the black experience. I don't walk around just as a black person, or just as a woman, or just as a former athlete or a filmmaker. We are multidimensional, and the films we can make need to reflect that."

This year's eclectic Sundance slate is a promising move in that direction. Other festival highlights include:

"Citizen King," a documentary tracing the last five years of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life from his "I Have a Dream" speech to his assassination; "Redemption," director Vondie Curtis Hall's dramatization of the jailhouse transformation of "Tookie" Williams (Jamie Foxx), a real-life gang leader who became a patron for inner-city youth; rapper DMX as a criminal reflecting on his life in Dickerson's "Never Die Alone"; "Let the Church Say Amen," a documentary about a black church's efforts to spread faith and joy on the mean streets.

Also, "Edge of America," by American Indian filmmaker Chris Eyre, about a black teacher coaching a girls basketball team on an Indian reservation; "Brother to Brother," about a black gay artist and his mentor, a writer who was at the center of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s; and "Baadasssss!" directed and co-written by Van Peebles, who stars as his father, Melvin, in his uproarious quest to make the seminal 1970s black-power flick "Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song." Sundance also is screening "Sweet Sweetback" with the new film.

"There's still this wealth of subject matter from the black experience that's simply not being addressed," said "CSA" writer-director Kevin Willmott. "And that's really where we as independent filmmakers come in. We've got to a find a way to tell those stories, get them out there and be seen by a large audience."

A sharp-witted satire, "CSA" applies a blend of whimsy and reality _ the moon landing with the Confederate flag on the lunar surface, D.W. Griffith making his greatest film about the capture of "Dishonest Abe" Lincoln, who fled to Canada in blackface via Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad after the Union fell.

By hypothesizing about what might have happened, the film becomes a disturbing reflection of racial strife that lingers today.

Hollywood will not touch such issues meaningfully, leaving it to black indie filmmakers to fill in the gaps, Willmott said.

"Without that true mix of a wealth of images, people just start to think that we're real funny. And we are funny, but we're also very serious, too," Willmott said. "In terms of drama from the black experience, that's the bar that hasn't been crossed, stories involving aspects of the black experience that are not as fun and not as convenient. If we can break into that arena, then we'll really be getting somewhere."



Weekend Boxoffice


'Polly' Dethrones 'Lord of the Rings'

By GARY GENTILE
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - The romantic comedy "Along Came Polly," starring Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller, defeated "The Lord of the Rings" to become box office champ over the four-day holiday weekend.

The top 20 movies at North American theaters Friday through Monday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. and Nielsen EDI Inc.:

1. "Along Came Polly," Universal, $32,450,825, 2,984 locations, $10,875 average, $32,450,825, one week.

2. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," New Line, $12,447,761, 3,003 locations, $4,145 average, $329,040,393, five weeks.

3. "Big Fish," Sony, $12,336,971, 2,514 locations, $4,907 average, $39,888,222, six weeks.

4. "Cheaper by the Dozen," Fox, $11,873,331, 3,025 locations, $3,925 average, $115,075,464, four weeks.

5. "Torque," Warner Bros., $11,442,203, 2,463 locations, $4,646 average, $11,442,203, one week.

6. "Cold Mountain," Miramax, $7,945,318, 2,802 locations, $2,836 average, $65,965,857, four weeks.

7. "Something's Gotta Give," Sony, $6,721,767, 2,502 locations, $2,687 average, $101,683,127, six weeks.

8. "My Baby's Daddy," Miramax, $4,433,788, 1,448 locations, $3,062 average, $13,174,496, two weeks.

9. "Calendar Girls," Disney, $3,864,120, 967 locations, $3,996 average, $18,002,429, five weeks.

10. "The Last Samurai," Warner Bros., $3,707,472, 1,403 locations, $2,643 average, $102,583,643, seven weeks.

11. "Disney's Teacher's Pet," Disney, $3,602,245, 2,027 locations, $1,777 average, $3,602,245, one week.

12. "Chasing Liberty," Warner Bros., $3,453,487, 2,400 locations, $1,439 average, $10,677,289, two weeks.

13. "Peter Pan," Universal, $3,149,590, 1,649 locations, $1,910 average, $43,968,270, four weeks.

14. "Paycheck," Paramount, $2,967,416, 1,984 locations, $1,496 average, $50,894,692, four weeks.

15. "Mona Lisa Smile," Sony, $2,553,361, 1,836 locations, $1,391 average, $60,913,606, five weeks.

16. "Monster," New Market, $1,805,095, 221 locations, $8,168 average, $3,562,736, four weeks.

17. "The Cooler," Lions Gate, $1,330,763, 396 locations, $3,361 average, $3,751,701, eight weeks.

18. "21 Grams," Focus Features, $1,278,497, 411 locations, $3,111 average, $10,934,562, nine weeks.

19. "House of Sand and Fog," DreamWorks, $1,227,002, 598 locations, $2,052 average, $9,261,494, five weeks.

20. "In America," Fox Searchlight, $1,027,209, 286 locations, $3,592 average, $8,001,848, eight weeks.



'Boston Public' Ending School Year Early


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Fox has opted not to pick up additional episodes of David E. Kelley's high school drama "Boston Public," which is now in its fourth season.

The show returned in the fall with a 13-episode pickup and was later given an order for another two episodes. A full season is usually 22 episodes.

Production will stop after the completion of episode 15, now filming. "Boston Public" will have taped 81 episodes, which is short of the 100 usually required for a show to enter syndication. The network insists no final decision has been made on the show's future beyond this season.

Midseason entry "Wonderfalls" is slated to take over "Boston Public's" 9 p.m. Friday slot on March 12.



Trio Walk Beat for NBC, Fox Pilots

By Nellie Andreeva


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "ER" regular Sharif Atkins has been tapped to co-star in NBC's drama pilot "Pearl City," which follows a diverse team of detectives in metropolitan Honolulu.

Atkins is set to leave "ER" later this season after three years. He joined the hit NBC series in 2001 as a recurring character, a medical student working his way through school on the U.S. Army's ticket. He was upped to a regular last season.

Meanwhile, Dondre Whitfield has been cast in Fox's drama pilot "Ricochet," and D.J. Cotrona, the young star of Jerry Bruckheimer's short-lived drama "Skin," in the network's "Hollywood Division," also a drama pilot.

"Ricochet" is described as a cop drama in the vein of "Memento." Whitfield will play a second-generation police officer, a street-savvy, fast-talking charmer.

Whitfield, whose series credits include NBC's "Hidden Hills" and "Girlfriends," will next be seen in the features "Mr. 3000," opposite Bernie Mac and Angela Bassett, and "Beauty Shop," opposite Vivica A. Fox.

"Hollywood Division" is a cop drama about detectives working undercover at a Hollywood high school. Cotrona will play a police cadet sent undercover as a high school student to investigate a drug trafficking ring.

He drew the attention of the network's casting executives with his role in the critically praised "Skin," playing the son of a porn industry mogul (Ron Silver) who falls in love with the daughter of his father's archenemy.



News for 1/18/2004


Derek Luke Has 'Friday' on His Mind

By Borys Kit


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Derek Luke is ready to tackle his next role.

The actor, who last appeared in the critically acclaimed "Pieces of April," is in final negotiations to join the squad in the football drama "Friday Night Lights."

Luke would play the senior running back and captain of the football team in a gridiron-obsessed West Texas town who wrestles with his pride when he sustains an injury.

Billy Bob Thornton and Lucas Black already have been cast as the coach and the quarterback, respectively. Peter Berg will direct the Universal Pictures project.

Also in final negotiations is Lee Thompson Young, former star of Disney Channel's "The Famous Jett Jackson." Young would play the second-string running back.

Luke gained attention when he starred opposite Denzel Washington in "Antwone Fisher," playing the title character. He will next be seen in David Mamet's "Spartan."



News for 1/12/2004


'Bad Boys II,' 'Temptations' Top NAACP Film List


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The NAACP civil rights group on Wednesday offered ethnic audiences its annual list of top movies and other entertainment for 2003 with "Bad Boys II" and "The Fighting Temptations" among nominees for best film.

Joining those two movies on the list of top picks were "Deliver Us From Eva," and two hits from the independent film arena, "Bend It Like Beckham" and "Whale Rider."

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People issued its first Image Award in 1962, and since then has picked favorite movies, television, music and literature and performances in those areas to spotlight the achievements of black Americans and other people of color.

"To me, it is like an Emmy, but it comes from my peers and my community," said Kellita Smith, who was nominated for best actress in a TV comedy series for her starring role in "The Bernie Mac Show."

The Emmys are the U.S. TV industry's top awards given out in September by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Since the start of the year in Hollywood is mostly devoted to movies and movie performances leading up to the Oscars-- the U.S. film industry's highest honors -- movies generally take the spotlight in January and February.

The 35 NAACP Image Awards nominees for best film actor were Cuba Gooding, Jr. in "Radio," Denzel Washington in "Out of Time," Laurence Fishburne for "The Matrix Revolutions," Samuel L. Jackson in "S.W.A.T." and Will Smith in "Bad Boys II."

Best film actress nominees were Beyonce Knowles in "The Fighting Temptations," Gabrielle Union in "Deliver Us from Eva," Halle Berry for "Gothika," Keisha Castle-Hughes in "Whale Rider" and Queen Latifah for "Bringing Down the House."

"The Bernie Mac Show" topped the list of favorite TV comedy series nominees and scored nominations for both Smith and show star Bernie Mac for best TV comedy actor. Joining "Bernie Mac" were "Girlfriends," "Half & Half," "My Wife and Kids" and "Whoopi." Best TV drama nominees were "24," "Boston Public," "CSI: Miami," "Soul Food," and "The Wire."

In music, nominees for best album were "Chocolate Factory" by R. Kelly, "Dance With My Father" by Luther Vandross, "The Diary of Alicia Keys" from Alicia Keys, "Love & Life" by Mary J. Blige and "Speakerboxxx - The Love Below" from OutKast.

The awards will be presented on March 8 in Los Angeles and broadcast on the Fox television network on March 10.

Click here to see the entire list of nominees.



Cedric, Milian Stay 'Cool' for Next 'Shorty'

By Chris Gardner


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Cedric the Entertainer and Christina Milian are cool enough for MGM.

The duo will star in the studio's comedy "Be Cool," a sequel to "Get Shorty," the 1995 caper that starred John Travolta and was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.

Shooting starts the first week of February, with F. Gary Gray ("The Italian Job") at the helm. Travolta returns for the sequel, as does Danny DeVito and James Gandolfini. Also on board are Uma Thurman, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Joe Pesci and Vince Vaughn.

"Be Cool" revolves around Chili Palmer (Travolta), a loan shark-turned-feature film producer who gives up the movie business when he discovers a singer, Linda Moon (Milian), whom he wants to make famous. Cedric will star as Sin Russell, a record producer and manager for a popular rap group.

Cedric has worked with MGM on "Barbershop" and the upcoming "Barbershop: Back in Business," and his production company has a deal at the studio.

Milian, coming off the recent release "Love Don't Cost a Thing," wrapped a lead role in the comedy "Cheer Up" opposite Tommy Lee Jones and is prepping for the release of her sophomore album.



Joe Morton in Stealth Mode for Columbia

Source: The Hollywood Reporter


Joe Morton is set to play a commander of an attack carrier in Columbia Pictures' Stealth for director Rob Cohen. He joins Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel and Jamie Fox in the action film.

Foxx, Biel and Lucas will play elite pilots drafted to stop an artificial-intelligence one that has been programmed to kill and has run amuck. The summer 2005 film is being readied for a February production start in Australia by Cohen and producers Laura Ziskin, Neal Moritz and Mike Medavoy.

Morton has appeared in such blockbusters as Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Speed. He can currently be seen in theaters in Paycheck and he just wrapped Back in the Day with Ving Rhames and Ja Rule.



Weekend Boxoffice


'Big Fish' Duels 'Rings' for No. 1 Spot

By DAVID GERMAIN
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - The top spot at the weekend box office was too close to call, with Tim Burton's "Big Fish" holding a narrow lead over "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Studio estimates Sunday showed "Big Fish" took in $14.5 million to squeak past "Return of the King," which grossed $14.1 million. But with just $400,000 separating the top films, rankings could change when final numbers are released Monday.

Final figures often end up slightly lower than estimates made on Sunday, when studios are making projections on how big an audience their films will draw on the last day of the weekend.

"This is very rare to have a photo finish for the No. 1 spot," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. He predicted that the movies would stay in the same order on Monday.

Other studios were tracking Sony's "Big Fish" and New Line's "Return of the King" at slightly lower weekend grosses. Some had "Big Fish" in first place and some had "Return of the King" as No. 1.

Rory Bruer, Sony head of distribution, said the studio's $14.5 million figure for "Big Fish" was a reasonable estimate.

This was the first weekend in wide release for "Big Fish," which stars Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor in the fanciful adventures of a man who tells larger-than-life tales. The film opened in late December in a handful of theaters for Academy Awards consideration.

Expanding to 2,406 theaters, "Big Fish" averaged $6,027 a cinema, compared to $3,999 in 3,532 theaters for "Return of the King."

The weekend's only new wide releases were two poorly reviewed movies, the Eddie Griffin comedy "My Baby's Daddy," which ranked No. 6 with $7.8 million, and Mandy Moore's romance "Chasing Liberty," which was No. 7 with $6 million.

January is traditionally a dead zone for new releases, with audiences shrinking after the holiday boom and studios dumping mediocre flicks into theaters.

The overall box office was up compared to last year, though, with the top 12 movies taking in $92.5 million, up 5 percent from the same weekend in 2003.

Distributor Sony rolled out "Big Fish" slowly to build audience word of mouth for a complex film that was not an easy sell for Hollywood's marketing machine.

"It was a tough picture to represent marketing-wise in terms of letting people know what the story was," Bruer said. "It felt like going slower with the picture would give audiences a chance to kind of discover the story for themselves."

"The Return of the King" is about to pass the total $314.8 million domestic gross of the fantasy trilogy's first installment, "The Fellowship of the Ring." The final film also is expected to top the $341.7 million haul of the middle chapter, "The Two Towers."

The serial-killer drama "Monster," which has earned Academy Award buzz for star Charlize Theron, did well expanding into wider release. The film, based on the life of executed murderer Aileen Wuornos, took in $865,160 in 82 theaters for a strong $10,551 average.

1. "Big Fish," $14.5 million.
2. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," $14.1 million.
3. "Cheaper by the Dozen," $12 million.
4. "Something's Gotta Give," $8.2 million.
5. "Cold Mountain," $7.9 million.
6. "My Baby's Daddy," $7.8 million.
7. "Chasing Liberty," $6 million.
8. "Paycheck," $5.2 million.
9. "The Last Samurai," $4.53 million.
10. "Mona Lisa Smile," $4.5 million.



News for 1/7/2004


Film and TV Director Brian Gibson Dead


LONDON (AP) - Brian Gibson, English-born director of acclaimed films including "The Josephine Baker Story" and "What's Love Got To Do with It?" about the life of singer Tina Turner, has died at age 59, his representatives said

Gibson, who had been suffering from Ewings Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, died Sunday in London, according to the Artists Independent Network.

A graduate of Cambridge University, he started directing scientific documentaries for the British Broadcasting Corp. in the 1960s and went on to direct some of the corporation's most praised films.

In 1976, he directed Dennis Potter's "Where Adam Stood," based on an autobiography by the Christian fundamentalist Edmund Gosse.

The pair later collaborated on Potter's "Blue Remembered Hills," a simple tale set in wartime England in which adults play children. It won the British Film and Television Arts awards for best film and best director and helped launch the career of one of its stars, Helen Mirren.

Gibson's first feature film was "Breaking Glass," a raw portrait of a punk rock singer, which brought him to Hollywood's notice.

He made a number of films in Hollywood, including many for HBO.

They included "The Juror" (1996), starring Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin, and "What's Love Got to Do with It?" (1993), which won Academy Award nominations for its stars Laurence Fishbourne and Angela Bassett.

"The Josephine Baker Story," produced in 1991, garnered the best director Emmy as well as a Golden Globe for actor Lou Gosset.

Other pieces for HBO included "Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story" (1989), about the famous Nazi hunter, that was nominated for several Golden Globe and Emmy awards; and the miniseries "Drug Wars: The Camarena Story," about the life and death of U.S. drug agent Enrique Camarena.

He is survived by his wife Paula Guarderas Gibson, two daughters and his mother Victoria and sister June. The funeral was planned in London next week, and memorial services later in London and Los Angeles.



Ashanti Gets 'Carter' for First Film

By Chris Gardner


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Grammy-nominated songstress Ashanti is headed to the big screen for the first time, scoring a supporting role in "Coach Carter," a fact-based basketball drama starring Samuel L. Jackson.

The Paramount Pictures project revolves around Richmond (Calif.) High School coach Ken Carter, who made national news in 1999 when he benched his entire undefeated basketball team for poor academic performance. He forfeited two league games and made the gym off-limits until students raised their grades, a move that drew praise and criticism from parents and school officials.

Ashanti will play Kyra, the newly pregnant girlfriend of one of the basketball players to be played by Rob Brown of "Finding Forrester" fame.

Robert Ri'chard, a series regular on "One on One," also has joined the cast, landing a meaty role as Marcus Carter, the son of Jackson's character and one of the team's top players.

Shooting is scheduled to start this month with Thomas Carter ("Save the Last Dance") at the helm.

Ashanti's second album, "Chapter II," debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. pop albums charts in July, and the singer will vie for three Grammy Awards next month.



Frenchie Davis Is One of the Dreamgirls

By Kenneth Jones


Frenchie Davis, the big-voiced diva who was bounced from TV's "American Idol" in 2003, said playing spurned Motown singer Effie Melody White in Dreamgirls is a natural for her. "The story is attractive to me," Davis said by telephone from Seattle, where she spoke to the media in December before jumping into rehearsals toward the production, which starts Jan. 9, 2004, in San Jose. Engagements in Sacramento and Seattle follow.

"I really get upset for her," Davis told Playbill On-Line. "Effie was treated very unfairly and I can definitely relate to the character. It's a tough business when you're not thin enough or marketable enough to the white audience. I think I, and Effie, both understand that. One could argue that what the Dreams did to Effie is what American Idol did to me."

Effie was bumped from the Supremes-like group (the Dreams) in the fictional Motown musical fable and forced to pick up the pieces of a thwarted career. Davis, 24, was famously cut from the popular television amateur contest, "American Idol," in February 2003 for her association with an adult website.

As Effie reinvents herself in the show, so did Frenchie Davis: Singing offers poured in, and a stint in Broadway's Rent was one of several opportunities she grabbed at. It was thought that Davis (whose cropped blonde hair was instantly recognizable) was a strong contender for the "Idol" win before she was axed, and Davis — expressing an Effie-like opinion — agrees.

"Anyone with a brain knows who the winner would have been had I stayed," she said, adding that she isn't bitter about it. "Everything happens for a reason. I'm not upset at all. I don't know if I want 'American Idol' to define who I am as an artist and my career. There's so much more to me than that. I think being kicked off blessed me with the opportunity to show that."

The full cast of Dreamgirls — co-produced by American Musical Theatre of San Jose (Jan. 9-25, 2004), California Musical Theatre in Sacramento (Jan. 28-Feb. 8, 2004) and 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle (Feb. 10-29, 2004) — includes Regi Davis (Marty), Andre Garner (C.C. White), Rosena M. Hill (Michelle Morris), David Jennings (Curtis Taylor Jr.), Ramona Keller (Lorrell Robinson), Christopher L. Morgan (Wayne), Angela Robinson (Deena Jones), Harrison White (James Thunder Early), with Don Alden, Carmichael Blankenship, Maureen Brown, Iris Burruss, Taryn Darr, Douglas Eskew, Wilkie Ferguson III, Lavon D. Fisher, Stacey Harris, Monique L. Midgette, Christopher L. Morgan, Clifton Oliver, Kevin Steele, Kelsey Scott, Sandy Shimoda, Robert Tatad, Erwin Urbi, Titus Westy Willis, Ted Zervoulakos.

The 1981-82 Broadway hit, Dreamgirls, was created by director-choreographer Michael Bennett and composer Henry Krieger and lyricist by Tom Eyen.

For the new staging of Dreamgirls, Brenda Braxton is the choreographer, Mark S. Hoebee is the director.

Although she earned her Actors' Equity card with Rent ealier this year, singing "Seasons of Love" and playing multiple roles, Davis performed in musicals at Howard University (she's on leave at the moment, and has yet to complete 30 credits before earning a BFA in musical theatre) and played in German productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Jesus Christ Superstar.

"I had been acting and singing before everything with 'American Idol' happened," Davis said. "With a major in musical theatre, I had been interested long before 'American Idol.' I was pretty disciplined before [Rent]. When I did the shows in Germany we had to do them in German. We had three weeks to do the whole show in German, in addition to all the blocking. That was when I learned discipline — over there."

Effie's big aria of Dreamgirls, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," was the first song Davis auditioned with for "American Idol."

After being booted from "Idol," Davis said, "I was getting offers, and I still am getting offers, but let me just make it clear: I auditioned like everyone else for Dreamgirls and for Rent. No one handed me anything."

She continues, "Dreamgirls has always been a show that I loved. I grew up listening to all kinds of musical theatre music, and Dreamgirls has always been one of my favorites. I think it's a great show. All I ever wanted was to be able to do what I love and make a comfortable living."

Davis, who is signed with Warner Bros. for an album, said that she used to have a five-year plan for where she'd be, but learned plans can't always be counted on.

"I can tell you, things are a lot different than I would have expected them to be when I made my five-year plan five years ago," she said. "I've just learned to stay in prayer and go with the flow."

Will Frenchie Davis be back on Broadway? Although the West Coast Dreamgirls is not related to the announced plan for a Broadway revival of the show, Davis hopes Broadway is in her future in some fashion.

"The producers of Rent and I have talked about the possibility of me coming back," Davis said. "There are some other projects happening in the Broadway community that I might be a part of — we'll see."