News for 3/23/2004


Washington & Fuqua Reteaming for Tru Blu

Source: Variety


Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua are in talks to reunite on a biopic of Harlem heroin kingpin Frank Lucas. Under the working title Tru Blu, the film is being produced by Brian Grazer and Imagine Entertainment for Universal Pictures.

Lucas grew up in rural, segregated North Carolina. In the early 1970s, he became the biggest heroin dealer in Harlem with a smuggling scheme that imported the stuff out of Southeast Asia in the caskets of Vietnam soldiers.

The script, written by Steven Zaillian, centers on narcotics lawman Richie Roberts' struggle to bring down Lucas, whose flamboyant style earned him the street name "Superfly." Lucas goes on to help Roberts hunt down dirty cops and overseas connections.

Imagine and Universal hope to go into production on Tru Blu late this summer. Washington and Fuqua last collaborated on 2001's Training Day, for which Washington received an Oscar.



Hounsou, Silverstone Lather Up for 'Beauty Shop'

By Chris Gardner


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Oscar-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou and Alicia Silverstone are checking into "Beauty Shop" alongside Queen Latifah.

Shooting starts next month on MGM's "Barbershop" spin-off, which is being directed by "Honey" helmer Bille Woodruff.

"Beauty Shop" revolves around the activities of a hair salon run by Queen Latifah's character, Gina. Hounsou's character, Joe, will play her love interest, sources said. Silverstone will play the only white staffer in the salon.

Hounsou is better known for more serious material, including roles in "Gladiator" and "Amistad." With "Beauty Shop," he segues to leading-man status following his Oscar-nominated turn as an AIDS sufferer in filmmaker Jim Sheridan's "In America."

Silverstone, star of NBC's "Miss Match," next appears in Warner Bros. Pictures' "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," which opens March 26.



Weekend Boxoffice


'Dead' Bumps 'Passion' From No. 1 Spot

By DAVID GERMAIN
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - Audiences feasted on zombies as the fright flick "Dawn of the Dead" ruled the box office, debuting with $27.3 million and bumping "The Passion of the Christ" from the top spot.

Mel Gibson's "The Passion" took in $19.2 million, slipping to second place after three straight weekends on top, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"The Passion" raised its domestic total to $295.3 million since opening Feb. 25. The movie passed "The Sixth Sense," which earned $293.5 million, to take over 18th place on the all-time domestic chart.

Opening in third place with $11.4 million was the serial-killer thriller "Taking Lives," starring Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke in a tale of an FBI profiler tracking a murderer who assumes victims' identities.

In narrower release, Jim Carrey's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" premiered at No. 6 with $8.6 million. Carrey plays a man reliving recollections of a soured romance after he hires a company to erase his memories of his lover, played by Kate Winslet.

The overall box office rose for the fourth straight weekend, with the top 12 movies grossing $109.7 million, up 33 percent from the same weekend a year ago.

Much of that lift is due to "The Passion," which pulled Hollywood out of an early-year slump.

"We anticipated it would open well and contribute to the total box office, but certainly not at this magnitude," said Rob Schwartz, head of distribution for Newmarket Films, which released "The Passion."

Hollywood revenues for the year are at about $1.8 billion, 3 to 4 percent ahead of last year's, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"Dawn of the Dead" stars Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames in a remake of George Romero's 1979 horror tale about survivors holed up in a shopping mall from a plague of flesh-eating zombies.

Opening in 2,745 theaters, "Dawn of the Dead" averaged a healthy $9,945 a cinema. "Taking Lives" averaged $4,218 in 2,705 theaters, while "Eternal Sunshine" did $6,334 in 1,353 cinemas.

Remakes have a spotty box-office history, though horror updates such as last year's hit "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" tend to hold less risk because scary movies have a built-in audience.

"They are dicey," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, which released "Dawn of the Dead." "But I think the horror genre, that's a genre that's an audience pleaser. Clearly, everyone's going because they want to see the zombies."

Scary movies tend to drop steeply in subsequent weekends after hardcore horror fans have seen them. But "Dawn of the Dead" cost just $26 million to make, so surpassing its production budget with the opening weekend gross puts it on track to turn a solid profit.

1. "Dawn of the Dead," $27.3 million.
2. "The Passion of the Christ," $19.2 million.
3. "Taking Lives," $11.4 million.
4. "Starsky & Hutch," $10.7 million.
5. "Secret Window," $9.6 million.
6. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," $8.6 million.
7. "Hidalgo," $8.5 million.
8. "Agent Cody Banks: Destination London," $6 million.
9. "50 First Dates," $4.3 million.
10. "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," $1.5 million.



News for 3/16/2004


Ray Charles Sings to Universal

Studio picks up the worldwide distribution rights to biopic starring Jamie Foxx.

By Lisa Johnson


Crusader Entertainment's Ray Charles biopic, starring Jamie Foxx, has been acquired by Universal Pictures, which will have worldwide distribution rights. The film is set to open October 29th.

The film, tentatively titled Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles Story, follows Charles' career from his young days touring the Southern musical circuit, his rise as a star to his clashes with music executives.

Taylor Hackford (An Officer and a Gentleman, The Devil's Advocate) directed from a script by James L. White and Robert Eisele. Hackford, Stuart Benjamin, Crusader's Howard Baldwin and Karen Baldwin produced.

Crusader put up the $40 million-plus it cost to make the film that also stars Regina King, Kerry Washington, Aunjanue Ellis, Larenz Tate, Curtis Armstrong and Richard Schiff.



News for 3/15/2004


Weekend Boxoffice

'Passion' Earns More Than $250 Million

By DAVID GERMAIN
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - "The Passion of the Christ" was the top film for a third straight weekend, taking in $31.7 million and pushing its total beyond a quarter of a billion dollars.

Mel Gibson's dramatization of Christ's final hours climbed to $264 million in the United States and Canada after 19 days in theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday.

With solid receipts expected through Easter on April 11, "The Passion" is on track to gross between $350 million and $400 million, said Rob Schwartz, head of distribution for Newmarket Films, which handled the release.

That would put it on par with "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," which took in another $2.05 million over the weekend to push its total to $371.2 million.

Johnny Depp's psychological horror tale "Secret Window," based on a Stephen King story about an author accused of plagiarism by a stalker, debuted in second place with $19 million.

The weekend's other two big releases had so-so openings. Frankie Muniz's spy caper "Agent Cody Banks: Destination London" was No. 5 with $8 million, barely half the $14.1 million opening weekend of "Agent Cody Banks" last year.

Premiering in narrower release, David Mamet's military thriller "Spartan," starring Val Kilmer, finished in 10th place with $2 million.

"The Passion" lifted Hollywood to its third-straight uptick in revenues after a long slump in January and February. The top 12 movies grossed $104.1 million, up 15 percent from the same weekend last year.

Before "The Passion" opened, Hollywood revenue was running 7 percent behind last year's. Revenues now are 3 to 4 percent ahead of 2003's, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"'The Passion' has single-handedly made what was turning out to be a pretty lousy year into a really good year so far," Dergarabedian said.

Playing in 3,221 theaters, "The Passion" averaged $9,830 a cinema, a huge number for a movie in its third weekend. "Secret Window" averaged $6,296 in 3,018 theaters, "Agent Cody Banks" did $2,691 in 2,973 cinemas and "Spartan" averaged $2,440 in 832 locations.

Starring Jim Caviezel as Christ, "The Passion" continues to draw well among church groups that helped make it a religious blockbuster, but the film is packing in much broader audiences, said Newmarket's Schwartz.

"It's a large cross-section of America," Schwartz said. "It's not just church groups going at this point. It's way beyond that."

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore's romantic comedy "50 First Dates" had a $5.3 million weekend and pushed its total to $106.6 million, following "The Passion" as the second movie released in 2004 to cross the $100 million mark.

1. "The Passion of the Christ," $31.7 million.
2. "Secret Window," $19 million.
3. "Starsky & Hutch," $16 million.
4. "Hidalgo," $11.7 million.
5. "Agent Cody Banks: Destination London," $8 million.
6. "50 First Dates," $5.3 million.
7. "Twisted," $3.1 million.
8. "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," $2.4 million.
9. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," $2.05 million.
10. "Spartan," $2 million.



News for 3/10/2004


Emmy winner Paul Winfield dies

By Mike Clark
USA TODAY


Paul Winfield played Martin Luther King Jr., Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and Brooklyn Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella in TV movies. But the movie role that defined him for many earned him an Oscar nomination opposite Cicely Tyson and a dog to remember in 1972's Sounder.

Winfield died of a heart attack Sunday night. He was 62.

Tyson called him a "highly underrated actor. I have not worked with a more generous and a more giving talent in the business."

Doing his apprenticeship in '60s TV, he dipped in and out of the era's household names: Perry Mason, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., even Death Valley Days. But before his Sounder sharecropper role made him the third African-American to get a best-actor Oscar nomination, he played Diahann Carroll's boyfriend in her sitcom Julia.

At first, movie work came slowly after Sidney Poitier helped cast Winfield in 1969's The Lost Man, an attempt by the day's No. 1 black superstar to modernize the 1947 British crime classic Odd Man Out.

But with Sounder, the gates opened, and Winfield worked regularly in movies and TV until 2001. He was in the 1982 movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. In 1995, he earned an Emmy for his role as a federal judge on Picket Fences, following nominations for King and Roots: The Next Generation.

Though Winfield said the heat and mosquitoes were brutal during Sounder, the experience didn't sour him on dogs. He bred them for decades until diabetes forced him to stop. He shared his Hollywood home with seven pugs named for Shakespeare characters.



News for 3/8/2004


Sullivan Throws a Dinner Party at Columbia

Source: Variety


Barbershop 2: Back in Business helmer Kevin Sullivan will direct the Columbia Pictures comedy The Dinner Party, starring Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher

The film is a remake of 1967's Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?. Kutcher plays a man marrying a black woman whose father (Mac) is having difficulty coming to terms with the marriage.

Sullivan is also attached to direct the Will Smith/Ryan Phillippe-produced drama White Boy Shuffle for Intermedia Films.



Singleton to Unleash Black Superhero 'Cage'

By Borys Kit


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - John Singleton is in negotiations to develop and direct "Luke Cage," a superhero drama based on Marvel Comics' first black crimefighter.

"Cage" is about a former gang member who is framed for a crime he didn't commit. In prison, he volunteers for a medical experiment that goes awry, giving him superstrength and bulletproof skin. Using his newfound powers, Luke Cage escapes and becomes a hero for hire.

The comic book, initially titled "Luke Cage, Hero for Hire," debuted in the 1970s and ran until the mid-1980s. Cage, who picked up the moniker Power Man, eventually teamed with a character called Iron Fist, a martial artist. Separately, Marvel is developing "Iron Fist" at Lions Gate Entertainment.

"Cage" is set up at Columbia Pictures, which released such Singleton films as his Oscar-nominated 1991 debut "Boyz N the Hood," 1993's "Poetic Justice," 1995's "Higher Learning," and 2001's "Baby Boy." A lifelong comics fan, his other films include "Rosewood," the "Shaft" remake and 2003's "2 Fast 2 Furious."

Columbia and Marvel are collaborators on the "Spider-Man" franchise, with "Spider-Man 2" due out July 2.



Vandross Wins Four NAACP Image Awards


By BRUCE HARING
Associated Press Writer


LOS ANGELES (AP) - Soul crooner Luther Vandross won four NAACP Image Awards in a ceremony Saturday that blended politics with a wide range of honors for works by and about people of color.

Vandross is recovering from a stroke and was not at Universal Amphitheatre to pick up his prizes for best male artist and his music video, song and album titled "Dance With My Father." The sentimental favorite won four Grammys last month.

The Gospel music comedy "The Fighting Temptations" won for best movie. Cuba Gooding Jr. was honored as best actor for "Radio," and Queen Latifah was named best actress for "Bringing Down the House."

Hip-hop group OutKast won for outstanding duo or group, and rotund young R&B star Ruben Studdard won best new artist after crooning from his seat in a performance early in the night.

Studdard thanked his grandmother for "being part of the struggle in the '60s," one of several references to politics and the civil rights movement.

Ray Charles was inducted into the NAACP Hall of Fame after a tribute performance by B.B. King, Stevie Wonder and Bonnie Raitt.

"They do so much to help so many," Charles said of the NAACP. "I want you to know this is truly an honor and I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

NAACP President Kweisi Mfume noted the importance of the upcoming presidential election, saying his organization wants to register and turn out another 2 million people in the November election. "If you don't vote," Mfume said, "you really don't count."

The awards by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People are determined by show business professionals and NAACP officials nationwide. The ceremony will be broadcast Thursday on Fox.

Toni Morrison won best fiction literary work for her novel "Love."

Special awards went to the Dave Matthews Band and T.D. Jakes, a nationally known evangelist and pastor of Dallas-based The Potter's House, one of the nation's fastest-growing churches with 59 ministries.

Comedian Bernie Mac, who won outstanding actor in a comedy series and outstanding comedy series for Fox's "The Bernie Mac Show," thanked those who supported him when he was making the rounds of comedy clubs.

"For 43 weeks a year, for 18 years, you came to see me. So when I came to television I was ready, and I thank you so much," he told the audience.



Weekend Boxoffice


'The Passion' Soars Beyond $200 Million

By DAVID GERMAIN
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" took in $51.4 million in its second weekend to remain the top movie, racing past the $200 million mark in just 12 days.

Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson's action comedy "Starsky & Hutch" debuted in second place with $29.05 million, while Viggo Mortensen's horse-racing adventure "Hidalgo" opened at No. 3 with $19.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"The Passion," Gibson's bloody re-enactment of Christ's crucifixion, has grossed $212 million so far in the United States and Canada. The movie is expected to top $300 million, said Bob Berney, president of Newmarket Films. The independent distributor was hired by Gibson to release "The Passion" after Hollywood studios passed on it.

The film, which stars Jim Caviezel as Christ, held up strongly, with receipts down just 39 percent from its huge opening weekend of $83.8 million. Movies debuting to such high numbers often drop 50 percent or more in their second weekends.

"The Passion" propelled Hollywood to a second straight weekend of rising revenues after a prolonged slump. The top 12 movies grossed $131.5 million, up 39 percent from the same weekend last year.

Before "The Passion" opened, box-office revenues had been running 7 percent behind last year's. Two big weekends for "The Passion" have pulled the industry virtually even with last year's receipts, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

The Academy Awards gave a solid bounce to best-picture winner "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," which climbed back into the top 10 with $3.2 million, raising its total to $368.3 million.

"The Passion" rode a storm of debate over its grisly violence and accusations of anti-Semitism to become the first religious blockbuster since the 1950s epics "The Ten Commandments" and "Ben-Hur."

Its success indicates Christian crowds rarely targeted by filmmakers will flock to theaters when a movie suits them.

"I think it does show there's an ignored market, but the way I look at it, it's film by film. To make this work, you have to have a brilliant film. The audience is very discerning," Berney said.

In the next week, "The Passion" will climb past the $228 million total take for "Signs," the top-grossing movie Gibson has been connected with. Even adjusting Gibson's "Lethal Weapon" grosses for inflation, "The Passion" will be his biggest hit.

"Here's one of the most popular movie stars in the world. Who would have thought he would out-gross all his big summer blockbusters with a movie about the crucifixion?" said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations.

After studios declined to handle "The Passion," Gibson orchestrated a marketing scheme that rallied Christian leaders and church groups, which spread the word and snapped up blocks of tickets.

Fueling the frenzy was criticism from some Jewish and Christian leaders, who said "The Passion" could revive the notion that Jews collectively were responsible for Christ's death.

"Starsky & Hutch," an update of the 1970s TV show, stars Stiller and Wilson as buddy cops hunting a cocaine dealer. "Hidalgo" stars Mortensen as an Old West cowboy who becomes the first Westerner invited to compete in a horse race across the Arabian desert.

"Starsky & Hutch" distributor Warner Bros. and "Hidalgo" studio Disney were happy to finish a distant second and third to "The Passion."

"I've never seen anything quite like `The Passion,'" said Disney head of distribution Chuck Viane. "To have two other movies come in and open as strongly as they did in the face of a steamroller, you can't complain."

1. "The Passion of the Christ," $51.4 million.
2. "Starsky & Hutch," $29.05 million.
3. "Hidalgo," $19.6 million.
4. "50 First Dates," $7.7 million.
5. "Twisted," $5 million.
6. "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," $4 million.
7. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," $3.2 million.
8. "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights," $2.85 million.
9. "Miracle," $2.6 million.
10. "Monster," $2.25 million.



News for 3/1/2004


Beyonce's 17-Year-Old Sister Weds


NEW YORK (AP) - Beyonce's little sister is now a married woman. Solange Knowles, 17, wed Daniel Smith in a ceremony in the Bahamas over the weekend, according to her record company, Columbia Records. Beyonce, her parents, Mathew and Tina Knowles, and Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland were in attendance.

"I am excited about this new phase in my life," Solange said Monday in a statement. "I am very happy and feel truly blessed to have the unconditional love and support of my parents and my entire family."

Solange released her debut CD, "Solo Star," last year. She'll make her feature film debut in "Johnson Family Vacation," due out later this year, her record label said.

Smith, a college football player, and Solange are natives of Houston.



'Lord' of the Oscar

'Rings' Sweeps the Field With 11 Wins; Best Acting Prizes Go to Theron, Penn

By William Booth
Washington Post Staff Writer


HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 29 -- The biggest surprise of the Academy Awards was how few surprises there were. The international blockbuster and last installment of the Hobbit trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," swept the Oscars Sunday night -- winning 11 statues, including Best Director and Best Picture.

The Peter Jackson film, which has made $1 billion at the worldwide box office, won every award it was nominated for, tying with "Titanic" (1997) and "Ben-Hur" (1959) for the most Oscars ever. "You're giving us just an incredible night," Jackson said during one of his many trips to the podium.

The only chances other films had were in the acting categories, where "Lord of the Rings" wasn't nominated. As predicted by many critics, Charlize Theron won Best Actress for her portrayal of a serial killer and truck stop prostitute in "Monster."

Looking glorious, blond and bedecked in jewels, Theron thanked her makeup artist who transformed her into a toothy, skin-damaged wreck. She also praised her native South Africa and her mom "for making my dreams come true."

Sean Penn had been favored to win Best Actor for his turn as a former Boston tough whose daughter was murdered in Clint Eastwood's dark drama "Mystic River." Win he did.

Penn has skipped previous Oscar ceremonies, and backstage he admitted that the whole night makes him uncomfortable -- the attention, the "fashion show outside" and the odd feeling of "too many people you know a little bit in one room."

From the podium he spoke graciously of the other nominees in his category. "If there is one thing actors know -- besides that there were no WMDs -- there is no such thing as 'best' in acting," said Penn, his voice shaky with emotion. "It was proven by the great actors I was nominated with."

Penn's reference to the missing weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was one of the few spontaneous moments in a long evening that saw actors and artists generally steer clear of controversy.

In his remarks from the stage, for example, Best Supporting Actor Tim Robbins made no reference to politics, as he sometimes has, but excitedly read from a list of people he wanted to thank.

Robbins concluded by noting that in "Mystic River" he played a man who was abused as a child, and added: "It isn't a sign of weakness to seek help, but one of the things that can help break the cycle of violence."

Renee Zellweger, yet another short-odds favorite, took the Best Supporting Actress award for her portrayal of a tough farm girl in the Civil War epic "Cold Mountain."

Zellweger gave a breathless recitation of family, friends and colleagues. In the press room later, she still seemed slightly stunned. Fingering her vintage Cartier diamond necklace, she agreed that she had to make herself appear less glamorous in her role as Ruby in "Cold Mountain," and said she hoped that there would be more multifaceted roles for actresses.

Remember last year, when Adrien Brody unexpectedly won Best Actor -- and then compounded the shock by rushing to the podium and planting a big smooch on the presenter, Halle Berry?

Well, nothing like that happened this time. Throughout the 76th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre, the final installment of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy swept the technical and artistic awards, winning Oscars for Original Score, Art Direction, Film Editing, Costume Design, Sound Mixing, Makeup and Visual Effects.

"Lord" also took top honors for Best Original Song: "Into the West," performed by Annie Lennox.

Jackson and his live-in partner, Fran Walsh, won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for their handling of J.R.R. Tolkien's books about Hobbits and Middle-Earth.

Jackson thanked his young children for their patience, remarking that their parents had been working on the trilogy for the children's entire lives.

In groups of two, three and four, the men behind the Hobbits, including more than a few New Zealanders (the movies were made there), came to the stage and congratulated New Line Cinema for its investment, as well as director Jackson and Tolkien.

"It's now official," host Billy Crystal told viewers about two hours into the ceremony. "There's nobody left in New Zealand to thank."

Sofia Coppola won for Best Original Screenplay for "Lost in Translation," the story of a washed-up actor (played by Bill Murray) facing a midlife crisis in a Tokyo hotel.

"Every writer needs a muse, and mine was Bill Murray," Coppola said. Her win is slightly controversial, however, as her screenplay reportedly was only 80 pages and many of the film's best scenes were improvised by Murray during the 28-day shoot.

"Finding Nemo" won Best Animated Film for, as director Andrew Stanton called it, "my little fish story." The Pixar Studios film is one of the most financially successful animated pictures ever made.

"It renews my faith in the audience," Stanton said backstage. He feared "Nemo" would not attract a big crowd because "it was more sincere, more heartfelt" than traditional cartoon fare.

The Canadian film "The Barbarian Invasions," which was performed in French, won the Best Foreign Language award.

Russell Boyd took home the Cinematography Oscar for "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World."

After two years during which the Academy Awards carried on under the sober shadow of Sept. 11 and the war in Iraq, Hollywood on Sunday night turned on the glam-power again -- necklines plunged all the way to Chile and there was a Fort Knox worth of diamonds and bling-bling on the red carpet.

Out: angst, dread, protest. In: pink, orange, red.

Crystal performed as master of ceremonies for the eighth time, and began the show with his signature spoof of the nominated films. In a film montage, he appeared as characters from the year's films, playing Gollum, an elf, a jockey and a Civil War soldier -- and, spliced into a clip from "Something's Gotta Give," showing up naked with Diane Keaton (also naked) and Jack Nicholson.

Then Crystal sang a medley of parody songs, sat on Clint Eastwood's lap and suggested that if "Seabiscuit" failed to win Best Picture, the horse might be made into glue.

Security remained tight around the ceremonies for the third year in a row. Police blocked traffic for blocks around the Kodak Theatre at the corner of Hollywood and Highland. Even the stars went through the metal detectors and got a sniff from the LAPD bomb squad dogs.

ABC's broadcast of the ceremony employed a five-second tape delay so its censors could edit out the objectionable, a move taken after Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson's breast during the halftime show at the Super Bowl on Feb. 1. ABC honchos promised the delay would not be used to censor political speech, but only dirty words or the accidental parting of a starlet's gown on national TV.

When Crystal introduced presenter Robin Williams, he joked, "This is the reason for the delay." Williams twisted his own nipple, and then hugged Crystal and said: "Look at us -- a San Francisco wedding cake."

There were little for the censors to worry about. Crystal took a few political swipes, at one point reminiscing how he first hosted the Oscars 13 years ago. "Everything was so different," he said. "Bush was president, the economy was tanking and we'd just finished a war with Iraq."

"The Fog of War," directed by Errol Morris, won Best Documentary. In the film, former defense secretary Robert McNamara, from the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, discusses the Vietnam War and the mistakes that were made.

Morris, who has had a long history in documentary film, rushed to the podium and said, "I would like to thank the academy for finally recognizing my films. Thought it would never happen! Thank you."

Then he got more serious: "Forty years ago, this country went down a rabbit hole, and millions died. And I fear we're going down a rabbit hole once again, and if people can stop and reflect on the ideas and issues in this movie, then maybe I've done some damn good here."

Crystal came back to the stage and cracked, "I can't wait for his tax audit." Then he paused and said, "Scary times."

Backstage, Morris said that his interviews with McNamara took place before Sept. 11, 2001. "History caught up with what Robert McNamara was talking about," he said. "We live in a very dangerous time, and its important for people to think and talk about these things."

Blake Edwards, the veteran director of "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Days of Wine and Roses" and the "Pink Panther" franchise, was given a lifetime achievement award. Edwards thanked "the little guys" in his life, such as the worker he recalled whose job it was to shovel up elephant dung, which he did while singing, "There's no business like show business."

Edwards also tipped his hat to his enemies. "Yes, I couldn't have done it without the foes. I'm steamed, and I'm going to prove you wrong."



List of Oscar Winners
List of Oscar Nominees



Weekend Boxoffice

'Passion' Hauls in $117.5M in Five Days

By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer


LOS ANGELES (AP) - Mel Gibson's gamble on "The Passion of the Christ" paid off enormously, riding a storm of religious debate to a $117.5 million haul in its first five days, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"The Passion," which debuted on Ash Wednesday, rocketed to the No. 1 box-office slot for the weekend with $76.2 million from Friday to Sunday. It was the seventh-best three-day opening ever, behind "Spider-Man" at $114.8 million and such Hollywood franchises as "The Matrix Reloaded" and the first two "Harry Potter" movies.

"The Passion" put up the second-best five-day figures for a movie opening on Wednesday, behind last year's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" at $124.1 million and ahead of "Star Wars: Episode I _ The Phantom Menace" at $105.6 million.

The first movie released in 2004 to cross the $100 million mark, "The Passion" easily passed the weekend's No. 2 flick, "50 First Dates" at $88.7 million, as the year's top-grossing film.

Once considered a niche film that would appeal mainly to conservative Christians, the bloody chronicle of Christ's crucifixion swelled to blockbuster proportions as Gibson rallied church groups to support it and accusations of anti-Semitism brought mainstream attention.

"It's an event movie," said Bruce Davey, Gibson's partner in his film company Icon Productions. "It all began with the grass-roots campaign we started, but the controversy has obviously helped in creating awareness."

Some Jewish and Christian leaders have said they fear "The Passion" will revive the notion that Jews collectively were responsible for Christ's death.

Gibson has denied such accusations, and key cast members _ including Jim Caviezel, who plays Christ, and Maia Morgenstern, a Jewish actress who plays Mary _ said Gibson approached the film with great respect for Judaic traditions.

Gibson put up the movie's $25 million budget and will reap most of the returns. Hollywood studios passed on the movie, so Gibson put it in theaters through independent distributor Newmarket Films, which will get a cut of Gibson's profits.

"The Passion" provided a box-office jolt for theaters, whose ticket sales were running 7 percent behind last year's. After four straight weekends of declining revenue, the top 12 movies took in $132.1 million, up 53 percent from the same weekend a year ago.

"The Passion" took in more money than the rest of the top 12 combined, with other new movies making barely a ripple.

The Ashley Judd crime thriller "Twisted" debuted at No. 3 with $9.1 million from Friday to Sunday. "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights," a prequel to the 1980s hit, opened in fifth place with $5.9 million. The horror spoof "Broken Lizard's Club Dread" premiered at No. 10 with $3 million.

Playing in 3,043 theaters, "The Passion" averaged a whopping $25,041, compared to $3,367 in 2,703 cinemas for "Twisted."

The success of "The Passion" is more remarkable considering it was shot in two dead languages, Aramaic and Latin, and plays with English subtitles. The movie's violence, including a savage depiction of Christ's scourging and crucifixion, also did not deter movie-goers, who lifted "The Passion" to the second-best R-rated opening ever behind "The Matrix Reloaded" at $91.8 million for its first weekend.

"'The Passion' is the most unlikely blockbuster I've ever seen. I don't have enough adjectives in my repertoire to describe it," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "Even nonbelievers probably felt the need to see this film because it's undeniably about one of the most important events in history, and everybody is talking about it."

1. "The Passion of the Christ," $76.2 million.
2. "50 First Dates," $12.6 million.
3. "Twisted," $9.1 million.
4. "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," $6.1 million.
5. "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights," $5.9 million.
6. "Miracle," $4.4 million.
7. "Eurotrip," $4.1 million.
8. "Welcome to Mooseport," $3.35 million.
9. "Barbershop 2: Back in Business," $3.1 million.
10. "Broken Lizard's Club Dread," $3 million.



News for 2/24/2004


Carl Anderson, Superstar's Judas on Stage and Screen, Dead at 58

By Kenneth Jones
Playbill


Carl Anderson, the actor and singer who was Golden Globe Award-nominated for playing Judas in the film, "Jesus Christ Superstar," and appeared in Broadway's Play On!, died Feb. 23 after a battle with leukemia. In addition to film, theatre, TV and concert work, he sang on a pre-Broadway album of Frank Wildhorn's The Civil War.

Mr. Anderson was 58. He was born in Lynchburg, VA, in 1945, to a steel worker father and a seamstress mother, according to his official website. Mr. Anderson got his first taste of performing when he sang in Baptist church. He also sang in high school.

While serving for two years in the Air Force, he was involved in the World Wide Air Force Talent Contest, allowing him to sing at military bases around the country, strengthening his talent.

He was noticed by a talent agent while singing with a band in Washington, DC. Part of his band's act was performing songs from the concept album of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar."

According the official Carl Anderson website, "The concert touring company of Jesus Christ Superstar was auditioning and, on the last day of auditions, 27 June 1971, Carl — who had been delivered to New York City not knowing why he was there — auditioned for and landed the role of Judas. Two days later, he was in rehearsal."

He would later say in interviews that he stepped into the Broadway role of Judas when Ben Vereen suffered throat problems. They alternated the part for a time, and Mr. Anderson then headed west to perform in the Los Angeles company of the rock opera.

But he was soon plucked from rehearsals for a screen test for film director Norman Jewison. Weeks later, he left the L.A. show to begin shooting the film of the rock opera in Israel.

Playbill On-Line could not independently confirm dates of Mr. Anderson's Broadway appearance in Jesus Christ Superstar. The Internet Broadway Database information for the production is incomplete.

Mr. Anderson was Golden Globe-nominated for New Star of the Year and Actor in a Leading Role-Musical or Comedy.

In 1992, Mr. Anderson again played Judas in a North American touring revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the movie. He would play it on tour again as late as 2002 03.

The most recent national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, with rocker Sebastian Bach in the title role and Carl Anderson as Judas, dawned Nov. 1-17, 2002, at the LaMirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in California before traveling the country.

The new staging borrowed elements from the 2000 Broadway revival, but was altered and made militaristic than on Broadway.

Mr. Anderson is heard as solo artist on a number of albums in the Epic, Polydor and GRP labels, as well as on the hot-selling "Jesus Christ Superstar" soundtrack, which was reissued on CD in recent years.

Singing jazz, pop and adult contemporary music over the years, Mr. Anderson had a notable hit recording, "Friends and Lovers," a duet with 1980s soap opera actress and singer Gloria Loring.



Weekend Boxoffice

'First Dates' Scores Again at Box Office

By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer


LOS ANGELES (AP) - Movie-goers have not forgotten "50 First Dates." The Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore romance about a man wooing a memory- challenged woman took in $21 million to remain the top movie for a second weekend, easily fending off a rush of new flicks, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Lindsay Lohan's girl-power comedy "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" led the weak batch of newcomers, grossing $9.2 million for the No. 2 spot.

Kurt Russell's hockey holdover "Miracle," the second-place movie the previous two weekends, slipped to No. 3 with $8 million.

Three other new wide releases debuted poorly. Gene Hackman and Ray Romano's political farce "Welcome to Mooseport," about an ex- president running for small-town mayor against a plumber, was No. 4 with $7 million.

The teen-raunch comedy "Eurotrip," about a high school graduate's quest to find his dream girl in Germany, opened in fifth place with $6.6 million.

Meg Ryan's "Against the Ropes," in which she plays female boxing manager Jackie Kallen, premiered a distant No. 8 with $3 million.

All of the new movies received generally harsh reviews.

The overall box office tumbled, with the top 12 movies grossing $75.1 million, down 21 percent from the same weekend a year ago, when "Daredevil" and "Old School" led the pack.

February typically is a quiet month for movies, but the slump this week was bigger than usual.

"The level of audience disinterest is pretty stunning. They're just kind of checked out right now," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "You had four brand-new attractions, and they really could not make a dent. If not for '50 First Dates,' this would be an abysmal weekend."

Playing in 3,612 theaters, "50 First Dates" averaged $5,814 a cinema, a strong number for a movie in its second weekend and by far the best average among the top 10 films. The movie pushed its 10-day gross to $72.3 million.

The box office should get a boost next weekend with the Ash Wednesday debut of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," opening in about 3,000 theaters, a huge release for a religious-themed movie. Gibson orchestrated a grass-roots marketing campaign to promote the film, with Christian leaders spreading the word and church groups buying out theaters.

The movie, starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus, bloodily re-enacts Christ's final hours. It has drawn a storm of criticism from some Jewish and Christian leaders who say it could revive the notion that Jews collectively were responsible for the death of Christ.

1. "50 First Dates," $21 million.
2. "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," $9.2 million.
3. "Miracle," $8 million.
4. "Welcome to Mooseport," $7 million.
5. "Eurotrip," $6.6 million.
6. "Barbershop 2: Back in Business," $6.3 million.
7. "Mystic River," $3.1 million.
8. "Against the Ropes," $3 million.
9. "The Butterfly Effect," $2.9 million.
10. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," $2.8 million.



Casting Complete for Raisin in the Sun

By Robert Simonson
Playbill


David Aaron Baker, Teagle F. Bougere, Frank Harts, Alexander Mitchell and Bill Nunn have been added to the cast of the Broadway production of the classic Lorraine Hansberry drama, A Raisin in the Sun, which will play the Royale Theatre starting March 30.They join previously announced stars Sean Combs, Audra McDonald, Phylicia Rashad and Sanaa Lathan. As reported, it will open on April 26.

Baker will play Lindner, Bougere is Asagai, Harts portrays George, Alexander Mitchell plays Travis and Bill Nunn takes on the role of Bobo.

The show will feature set design by Thomas Lynch, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Brian MacDevitt and sound design by T. Richard Fitzgerald. Additionally, Dwight Andrews will be composing original music for the production.

Recording artist, fashion mogul and actor Sean "P. Diddy" Combs will make his Broadway debut as Walter, the role originated on Broadway by Sidney Poitier, who later reprised his work on film. Combs has appeared in the films "Made," "Monster's Ball" and "Death of a Dynasty."

Three-time Tony-winner McDonald (Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime) will play Ruth Younger. McDonald played the supporting role of Hotspur's wife in last fall's acclaimed Lincoln Center production of Henry IV. That was her non-singing Broadway debut. (Though Master Class was a play, the central aspect of McDonald's performance was the delivery of an operatic aria.) Her other theatre credits include Marie Christine.

Like McDonald, Rashad, who plays Lena "Mama" Younger, is having a busy season. She recently acted Off-Broadway's in the Public Theater's praised newspaper drama by Tracey Scott Wilson's, The Story. That show closed Dec. 21, 2003. The former "The Cosby Show" matriarch has been a more and more common sight on New York stages. In summer 2001, she starred in Charles Randolph Wright's Blue, a sleeper hit for the Roundabout Theatre Company. Two years earlier, she played Harlem Renaissance luminary Zora Neale Hurston in Thulani Davis' Everybody's Ruby, at the Public Theater.

A Raisin in the Sun concerns Walter Lee, who chafes at his straightened circumstances and longs for a business deal which would lift him out of his limited world. He has his eye of his late father's insurance, but Walter's mother wants to use her that money to move the family out of the city.

Raisin in the Sun premiered in 1959. It was the first Broadway play written by, directed by and starring African-Americans. Lloyd Richards directed. In the cast were Poitier, Claudia McNeil as the mother, Diana Sands, Ruby Dee, Louis Gossett, Ivan Dixon, Glynn Turman, John Fielder, Lonne Elder III, Ed Hall and Douglas Turner. It ran 530 performances. A film 1961 version followed, as did a later 1991 TV movie. It was also the basis for the musical, Raisin.



News for 2/19/2004


Freeman & Neeson Join Chris Nolan's Batman

Source: Variety


Morgan Freeman and Liam Neeson are confirmed to have joined the cast of Warner Bros.' new Batman film, reports Variety.

Freeman will play Lucius Fox, a respected businessman and the CEO of billionaire Bruce Wayne's mega-conglom, based in Gotham City. Liam Neeson plays the villain, Ra's Al Ghul, a wealthy international terrorist.

Christian Bale stars as the Caped Crusader in the Christopher Nolan-helmed project which will start shooting March 16 in London. Also cast are Michael Caine (as butler Alfred), Cillian Murphy and Katie Holmes.



Halle Berry Joins Wright, Schreiber, Perez in Wolfe-Directed Lackawanna Blues for HBO

By Ernio Hernandez
Playbill


Halle Berry, Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schreiber and Rosie Perez will star in the HBO screen adaptation of Lackawanna Blues with the playwright-actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Outgoing Public Theatre director George C. Wolfe will direct the work which is based on the Obie Award-winning play which ran at the Public in 2001.

Santiago-Hudson and Berry also serve as executive producers for the film with Vincent Cirrincione and Shelby Stone.

Lackawanna Blues played Off-Broadway at The Public Theatre starring Tony Award winner Santiago-Hudson (Seven Guitars). Set in 1956 in Lackawanna, New York, the play centered on Miss Rachel's boarding house, a gathering spot for pseudo-philosophers, petty hustlers, lost souls and abandoned lovers.

The play, originally a one-man piece, saw the actor-playwright portraying over twenty characters with original music composed and performed by guitarist Bill Sims. He also toured with the work.

The film will reunite Wolfe with Public alum Wright (Topdog/Underdog, King Lear), Screiber (Othello, Hamlet) and Perez (References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot).