News for 6/28/2004


Long in the Works, Charles Biopic Nears Release

By Carla Hay


NEW YORK (Billboard) - When Ray Charles passed away June 10, he left more than his music as testament to his talent and influence.

The Universal Pictures movie "Ray" (formerly titled "Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles Story") is a tribute to Charles' life and legacy. Jamie Foxx portrays Charles in the film, which opens Oct. 29 in U.S. theaters.

Curt Sobel, music supervisor and music editor for "Ray," gave Billboard an exclusive insider's story about the film.

"Ray Charles OK'ed the script, and he was 100% supportive of what we were doing in telling his life story," Sobel said.

Although Foxx did much of his own singing, Charles' vocals are a huge part of the movie. Sobel worked with the singer to rerecord many of his classic songs.

"If there were that were unavailable, or if they didn't match the script, we had Ray come in and do the songs," says Sobel. "Jamie only sang on the set, not in the studio. We felt that many of the older songs needed to have Ray's vocals."

Rhino/Atlantic/Warner Strategic Marketing will release the soundtrack Aug. 24.

Taylor Hackford directed "Ray," which covers Charles' life from 1935 to 1979. James L. White and Hackford wrote the screenplay.

"The way the script was written, they told Ray's life through the songs," Sobel says. "You'll hear a song like 'Hit the Road Jack' in a scene when Ray has a fight with his wife Margie."

Sobel elaborates on his musical responsibilities for the film. "I was more like a musical director than anything else. Taylor decided that nothing on the film would happen musically unless it went through me first.

"So that meant everything from choosing the pianos to coordinating the dance routines with the Raelettes to working with Jamie Foxx on the musical numbers."

Making the film was a labor of love, Sobel adds. The picture was an independent production until Universal signed on in March for distribution, long after filming wrapped last year. Prior to that, the movie had been in development for 16 years.

"We had budgetary constraints," Sobel says. "Everyone took a paycheck cut for this picture."

Sobel says his favorite memories of working on the film include his initial meetings with Charles.

"I was there the first time Jamie met Ray. Jamie was tongue-tied at first, but Ray was so warm and giving of himself. They ended up sitting at pianos side by side and playing music and telling stories.

"I happened to bring a digital video camera with me to record those meetings. We made a 'making of' documentary, which will probably end up on the 'Ray' DVD. I deeply regret Ray's passing; it's an incredible loss to the world."

As a music editor, Sobel's credits include "X-Men," "I Am Sam," "La Bamba" and "Risky Business." He previously worked with Hackford on the films "Proof of Life," "Dolores Claiborne," "Bound by Honor," "Chuck Berry: Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' roll," "White Nights," "Against All Odds" and "An Officer and a Gentleman."

Sobel says, "Everything Taylor and I worked on before was like practice for 'Ray.' This movie is definitely a highlight of my film career. I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked on this movie."



Weekend Boxoffice

'Fahrenheit 9/11' Sets Documentary Record

By DAVID GERMAIN
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" took in a whopping $21.8 million in its first three days, becoming the first documentary ever to debut as Hollywood's top weekend film.

If Sunday's estimates hold when final numbers are released Monday, "Fahrenheit 9/11" would set a record in a single weekend as the top-grossing documentary ever outside of concert films and movies made for huge-screen IMAX theaters.

Adding the film's haul at two New York City theaters where it opened Wednesday, two days earlier than the rest of the country, boosted "Fahrenheit 9/11" to $21.96 million.

"Bowling for Columbine," Moore's 2002 Academy Award-winning documentary, previously held the documentary record with $21.6 million.

"Fahrenheit 9/11," Moore's assault on President Bush's actions after the 2001 terrorist attacks, won the top honor at last month's Cannes Film Festival and has attracted attention from both sides in the presidential campaign.

The movie has been embraced by left-wing groups, which mobilized members to see it during the opening weekend. Conservative groups sought to discourage theaters from showing it and asked the Federal Election Commission to examine its ads for potential violations of campaign-finance law regulating when commercials may feature a presidential candidate.

"I want to thank all the right-wing organizations out there who tried to stop the film, either from their harassment campaign that didn't work on the theater owners, or going to the FEC to get our ads removed from television, to all the things that have been said on television," Moore said. "It's only encouraged more people to go and see it."

The Wayans brothers' comedy "White Chicks," about two black FBI agents who go undercover as white debutantes, opened in second place with $19.6 million for the weekend. That pushed the total for "White Chicks" to $27.1 million since opening Wednesday.

The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," slipped to third place, taking in $18.5 million and pushing its 10-day total to $67.2 million. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks' "The Terminal" fell from second to fourth place with $13.9 million, raising its 10-day gross to $41.8 million.

Premiering in fifth place with $13 million was the tearjerker romance "The Notebook," featuring Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner and Gena Rowlands.

Despite good reviews, the family film "Two Brothers," about tiger siblings separated in youth and reunited as opponents in the ring as grown cats, opened weakly at No. 9 with $6.2 million.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" opened in 868 theaters, a wide release for a documentary but narrow compared to big Hollywood flicks. The film averaged $25,115 a theater, compared to $7,190 in 2,726 cinemas for "White Chicks."

Distributors Lions Gate and IFC Films plan to put "Fahrenheit 9/11" into a couple of hundred more theaters this Wednesday, when competition heats up with the release of "Spider-Man 2," summer's most-anticipated movie.

Lions Gate and IFC came on board after Disney refused to let subsidiary Miramax release "Fahrenheit 9/11" because of its political content. Miramax bosses Harvey and Bob Weinstein bought back the film and went looking for independent distributors.

1. "Fahrenheit 9/11," $21.8 million.
2. "White Chicks," $19.6 million.
3. "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," $18.5 million.
4. "The Terminal," $13.9 million.
5. "The Notebook," $13 million.
6. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," $11.4 million.
7. "Shrek 2," $10.5 million.
8. "Garfield: The Movie," $7 million.
9. "Two Brothers," $6.2 million.
10. "The Stepford Wives," $5.2 million.



News for 6/21/2004


David Chappelle in Talks for Super Freak

Source: The Hollywood Reporter


The Hollywood Reporter says that Lorenzo Di Bonaventura is in negotiations to acquire the film rights to Rick James' autobiography, Memoirs of a Super Freak, with David Chappelle in early talks to topline the feature film adaptation of the funk rocker's memoirs for Paramount Pictures.

James, best known for his hit "Super Freak," has been working on a book for some time. In addition to his own pop and R&B hits, James wrote and produced many songs for artists such as the Temptations, Teena Marie and Eddie Murphy.

Chappelle has impersonated James on his Comedy Central series, Chappelle's Show.



Eddie Murphy in New Romeo and Juliet Comedy

Source: Variety


Eddie Murphy will star in an as-yet-untitled comedy at DreamWorks described as "Romeo and Juliet" told from the point of view of the lovers' parents, reports Variety.

The film was written by Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield, who worked with Murphy back in the 1970s on Saturday Night Life. They made their name on a string of Murphy films - both "Nutty Professor" films, Boomerang and Coming to America.

Next up for Murphy is Daddy Day Camp, the sequel to Revolution's Daddy Day Care.



Forest Whitaker Aboard American Gun

Source: The Hollywood Reporter


Forest Whitaker will star in American Gun, an ensemble drama described as a series of interwoven story lines focusing on how the proliferation of guns in America affects and shapes lives, says The Hollywood Reporter.

Donald Sutherland, Linda Cardellini ("Scooby-Doo" series) and Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon (Barbershop 2) are in talks to join Whitaker, who will also serve as an executive producer.

"Gun's" cast of characters includes a Virginia gun shop owner and his college student granddaughter who is pressured to work at the family business; the single mother of a suburban high school assassin; a school principal at a violent inner-city high school; and an exemplary student concealing a handgun at school.

Newcomer Aric Avelino will make his feature directing debut on the tentatively titled IFC Films project, which he also wrote. Shooting is slated to begin filming July 15.



Freeman & Allen Howard Team for WWII Project

Source: The Hollywood Reporter


Morgan Freeman and screenwriter Gregory Allen Howard are teaming for an untitled World War II project for DreamWorks about the 761st Tank Battalion, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The 761st Tank Battalion was the first black armored unit to enter combat during World War II. The unit, also known as the Black Panthers, arrived in November 1944 to help Gen. George Patton in France and spent the rest of the war on the front. They were also instrumental in the Battle of the Bulge.

The unit received a Presidential Unit Citation in 1978, 33 years after the end of the war.



Bow Wow & Chi McBride Take a Roll Bounce

Source: Fox Searchlight Pictures


On June 28, principal photography will begin in Chicago on the Fox Searchlight/Fox 2000 co-production of Roll Bounce. The late '70s-inspired coming-of-age comedy will feature an all-star cast led by Bow Wow, Chi McBride, Khleo Thomas, Mike Epps, Meagan Good and Nick Cannon. The film is directed by Malcolm D. Lee (Undercover Brother) from an original screenplay penned by Norman Vance, Jr. (Beauty Shop). It is produced by Robert Teitel and George Tillman, Jr., who previously partnered as producers of the blockbuster hits Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business, and as producer and director respectively for Soul Food and Men of Honor.

In the late '70s, when roller skating was a way of life, X (Bow Wow) and his pals ruled supreme. But when the doors of their local skating rink close, it marks the end of an era and the beginning of another that sees the boys venture into foreign territory -- uptown's Sweetwater Roller Rink, complete with its over-the-top skaters and beautiful girls. Through his preparation for the showdown of the season -- the Roller Jam skate off with the Sweetwater crew -- X manages to find himself and also help his dad (Chi McBride) get back on track.

Roll Bounce is co-produced by Jeremiah Samuels (Love Jones) and executive produced by Dana Reid and Adam Robinson. The film marks the first director of photography credit for James Muro, who has served as camera operator on more than 50 films including X2: X-Men United and The Fast and the Furious. The production designer is William A. Elliott (Scary Movie 3, Undercover Brother). On the studio side, production will be overseen by Fox 2000's Maria Faillace for Elizabeth Gabler.



Weekend Boxoffice

'Dodgeball' Bombards 'Terminal' in Debut

By DAVID GERMAIN
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn buried Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg under a barrage of red rubber balls. Stiller and Vaughn's "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" debuted as the weekend's top movie with $30 million, whipping Hanks and Spielberg's "The Terminal," which opened at No. 2 with $18.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"With a Spielberg and Hanks movie, we never thought we would be this far ahead. That's rarefied air," said Bruce Snyder, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox, which released "Dodgeball."

The weekend's other new wide release, Jackie Chan and Steve Coogan's "Around the World in 80 Days," came in at No. 9 with just $6.8 million for the weekend and $9.6 million since opening Wednesday.

"Dodgeball" stars Vaughn as a gym owner whose squad of geeks and losers tries to save their destitute health club in a dodgeball showdown against rival bully Stiller's team.

The movie's lowbrow humor - including a coach forcing his players to duck metal wrenches to hone their dodging skills - proved a stronger draw than the classy comedy "The Terminal," about an Eastern European stuck for months in customs limbo at Kennedy airport.

"It's really hard to beat a movie like `Dodgeball.' Everybody I talked with wanted to see it, even though they thought it looked really dumb," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"The Terminal" had the weakest opening among Spielberg's recent wide releases - "Catch Me If You Can," "Minority Report," "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" and "Saving Private Ryan." Those films all opened in the $30 million to $35 million range.

"Dodgeball" drew a young male audience, while "The Terminal" played mostly to older crowds less likely to rush out on opening weekend. DreamWorks, which distributed "The Terminal," hopes the film has staying power.

"Smart, high-concept movies can be a difficult sell, but they often have a long theatrical life," DreamWorks head of distribution Jim Tharp said.

Based on Jules Verne's adventure and featuring a cameo by Arnold Schwarzenegger, "Around the World in 80 Days" was produced by Walden Media, a family-entertainment outfit that is part of Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz's empire.

Disney acquired the movie, which became the latest in a string of duds from the studio this year, including "The Alamo," "Home on the Range" and "Raising Helen." The studio hopes to rebound with "King Arthur," "The Village" and "Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" in July and August.

"Little streaks like this happen to everybody, but it's never about the short term," said Chuck Viane, Disney head of distribution.

After a monthlong surge, Hollywood's business dipped, with the top 12 movies taking in $126.9 million, down 10 percent from the same weekend last year.

Some of the previous weekend's new flicks tumbled. Vin Diesel's "The Chronicles of Riddick" fell from second place to seventh, taking in $8.3 million, down a steep 66 percent. Nicole Kidman's "The Stepford Wives" came in at No. 6 with $9.2 million, a 57 percent drop.

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," the No. 1 film the previous two weeks, was No. 3 with $17.4 million. Its 17-day total of $190.3 million lagged about $10 million behind revenues for the franchise's last installment, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," after 17 days.

"Shrek 2" was fourth with $13.6 million, pushing its total to $378.3 million and passing "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" to become No. 6 on the all-time domestic chart.

1. "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," $30 million.
2. "The Terminal," $18.7 million.
3. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," $17.4 million.
4. "Shrek 2," $13.6 million.
5. "Garfield: The Movie," $11 million.
6. "The Stepford Wives," $9.2 million.
7. "The Chronicles of Riddick," $8.3 million.
8. "The Day After Tomorrow," $7.55 million.
9. "Around the World in 80 Days," $6.8 million.
10. "Troy," $1.7 million.



News for 6/16/2004


Weekend Boxoffice

Harry Potter Tops Box Office With $34.9M


LOS ANGELES (AP) - "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" continues to charm audiences, taking in $34.9 million to remain the No. 1 movie for a second straight weekend.

Three new flicks, "The Chronicles of Riddick," "Garfield: The Movie" and "The Stepford Wives," all opened in the top five with healthy $20 million-plus debuts.

The top 20 movies at North American theaters Friday through Sunday, 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. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," Warner Bros., $34,910,393, 3,855 locations, $9,056 average, $157,975,042, two weeks.

2. "The Chronicles of Riddick," Universal, $24,289,165, 2,757 locations, $8,810 average, $24,289,165, one week.

3. "Shrek 2," DreamWorks, $23,316,920, 3,843 locations, $6,067 average, $353,333,317, four weeks.

4. "Garfield: The Movie," Fox, $21,727,611, 3,094 locations, $7,022 average, $21,727,611, one week.

5. "The Stepford Wives," Paramount, $21,406,781, 3,057 locations, $7,003 average, $21,406,781, one week.

6. "The Day After Tomorrow," Fox, $14,538,226, 3,210 locations, $4,529 average, $153,144,814, three weeks.

7. "Raising Helen," Disney, $3,705,336, 2,103 locations, $1,762 average, $31,284,112, three weeks.

8. "Troy," Warner Bros., $3,417,016, 2,003 locations, $1,706 average, $125,604,418, five weeks.

9. "Saved!," United Artists, $2,535,013, 589 locations, $4,304 average, $3,717,375, three weeks.

10. "Mean Girls," Paramount, $1,486,032, 944 locations, $1,574 average, $81,303,696, seven weeks.

11. "Van Helsing," Universal, $1,194,255, 1,034 locations, $1,155 average, $116,989,795, six weeks.

12. "Soul Plane," MGM, $933,068, 783 locations, $1,192 average, $13,009,074, three weeks.

13. "Super Size Me," Roadside, $820,686, 230 locations, $3,568 average, $7,533,912, six weeks.

14. "Man On Fire," Fox, $452,980, 402 locations, $1,127 average, $76,293,464, eight weeks.

15. "Kill Bill _ Vol. 2," Miramax, $221,512, 201 locations, $1,102 average, $65,075,745, nine weeks.

16. "NASCAR: The Imax Experience," Warner Bros., $213,014, 45 locations, $4,734 average, $13,043,892, 14 weeks.

17. "A Day Without a Mexican," Televisa Cine, $199,403, 73 locations, $2,732 average, $2,832,595, four weeks.

18. "Coffee and Cigarettes," MGM, $156,703, 46 locations, $3,407 average, $1,362,068, five weeks.

19. "The Ladykillers," Disney, $146,368, 231 locations, $634 average, $39,349,265, 12 weeks.

20. "Control Room," Magnolia, $141,070, 41 locations, $3,441 average, $290,174, four weeks.



News for 6/7/2004


Black Actresses Star at Tonys; 'Avenue Q' Surprise Winner

By Larry Fine


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Phylicia Rashad became the first African-American woman honored for a leading role in a play as black actresses dominated on Sunday at the 58th annual Tony Awards for excellence in Broadway theater.

"Avenue Q," an irreverent puppet and people extravaganza, pulled off one of the biggest Tony upsets in recent years by claiming best musical over top-nominated "Wicked" and Stephen Sondheim's edgy "Assassins" led all shows with five awards.

Rashad took the prize for her portrayal of matriarch Lena Younger in the revival of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun," and cast mate Audra McDonald won for featured actress.

"This is an honor for any actress to win and I feel as privileged as any actress for winning it," said Rashad, perhaps best known as Bill Cosby's TV wife in the comedian's long-running sitcom, "The Cosby Show."

Anika Noni Rose was the third black woman to take a trophy as she was recognized as best featured actress in a musical for her role in Tony Kushner's "Caroline, or Change."

"It's been a season where African-American women really have been given a chance to have a voice, probably more than ever before," said McDonald, who collected her fourth Tony Award for her role in the revival of the 1960 drama about a struggling black family in segregated Chicago.

Best actress in a musical went to Idina Menzel for her towering performance as the green witch in "Wicked."

"Wicked," one of Broadway's biggest hits, garnered 10 nominations but won only three awards.

Best actor in a musical went to Australian film star Hugh Jackman for "The Boy From Oz." Jackman also hosted the awards show broadcast from Radio City Music Hall.

Besides best musical, "Avenue Q," a grown-up show about a neighborhood of diverse New Yorkers, won for best book and score.

Producers of "Avenue Q" conducted a controversial campaign for the Tonys, using newspaper ads, radio spots and mailings to the 735 Tony voters to drum up support.

"It certainly doesn't suck to be us tonight," said producer Robyn Goodman, whose cast performed the "Avenue Q" song "It Sucks to Be Me," for the awards program.

Pulitzer Prize-winning play "I Am My Own Wife," by Doug Wright, a one-man show about real-life German transvestite Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, who survived the Nazi and Communist regimes, was named best drama. Its star Jefferson Mays, who plays more than 40 parts, won as best actor.

"Assassins," about nine assassins and would-be assassins of U.S. presidents, was named best musical revival, with its director, Joe Mantello, and actor, Michael Cerveris, who plays John Wilkes Booth, the killer of Abraham Lincoln, also taking honors.

"It just shows you don't have to kill someone to get this, said Cerveris, clutching his first Tony. "You, you just have to pretend to."

Best featured actor in a play went to Brian F. O'Byrne for his role as a serial child killer in "Frozen," while the Lincoln Center production of Henry IV won awards for best director (Jack O'Brien) and best revival of a play.



Weekend Boxoffice

'Harry Potter' Takes Nearly $93 Million

By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer


LOS ANGELES (AP) - The boy wizard has worked his biggest box-office spell. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" charmed audiences to the tune of $92.65 million in its debut weekend, the best results yet for the franchise, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It was the third-best three-day opening weekend ever, behind "Spider-Man" at $114.8 million in 2002 and "Shrek 2" at $108 million last month.

"I guess audiences are still crazy about Harry," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., the studio behind the franchise based on J.K Rowling's fantasy series.

"Harry Potter" bumped off "Shrek 2," which had been the No. 1 flick the previous two weekends. "Shrek 2" came in second with $37 million, lifting its three-week total to $313.6 million and putting it in striking distance of "Finding Nemo," the top grossing animated movie ever at $339.7 million.

The global disaster thriller "The Day After Tomorrow," which debuted a strong No. 2 over Memorial Day weekend, fell to third place with $28.15 million to push its 10-day total to $128.8 million.

"Harry Potter," "Shrek 2" and "Day After Tomorrow" have turned around what had been an anemic early summer season for Hollywood. Before "Shrek 2" opened, early summer revenues were down 25 percent from last year's. Summer revenues now are running 6 to 7 percent ahead, while the box office so far this year is up about 5 percent over 2003's pace.

Still to come is summer's most anticipated movie, "Spider-Man 2" on June 30, with a rush of potential hits to follow, including "The Bourne Supremacy," "The Manchurian Candidate" and "Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement."

"What a difference a few weeks have made," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "This could actually be the perfect summer trajectory. Instead of a big start, stalling in the middle and a weak finish, like we usually have, we could have a weak start, a big middle and a strong finish."

The top 12 movies this weekend took in $180.9 million, up 15.6 percent from the same weekend last year.

No other big movies opened against "Harry Potter" as other studios stayed out of the way of a franchise whose first two installments totaled nearly $600 million domestically.

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" launched the series in November 2001 with a $90.3 million debut on its way to a $317.6 million total. A year later, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" opened with $88.4 million, finishing at $262 million.

"Prisoner of Azkaban" was the franchise's first summer release and was the best-reviewed of the three movies. The movie reunites Daniel Radcliffe as Harry with Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as his allies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as they unravel the mystery of an escaped sorcerer (Gary Oldman) linked to the deaths of Harry's parents.

Alfonso Cuaron, best known for the racy "Y Tu Mama Tambien," took over as director from Chris Columbus, who made the first two "Harry Potter" flicks. Cuaron delivered a tale with a suitably darker tone as Harry and his pals mature and learn more about the sinister forces working against them.

Part four, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," now is filming in London, with Mike Newell ("Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Mona Lisa Smile") directing. The movie is scheduled for release in November 2005.

1. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," $92.65 million.
2. "Shrek 2," $37 million.
3. "The Day After Tomorrow," $28.15 million.
4. "Raising Helen," $6.7 million.
5. "Troy," $5.7 million.
6. "Mean Girls," $2.9 million.
7. "Soul Plane," $2.85 million.
8. "Van Helsing," $2.35 million.
9. "Man on Fire," $1 million.
10. "Super Size Me," $835,000.



News for 6/1/2004


HBO Shines Light on Surgery Innovator

By BEN NUCKOLS
Associated Press Writer


BALTIMORE (AP) - Not so long ago, the idea of performing heart surgery was medical blasphemy. After the Hippocratic oath, surgeons followed another dictum: "Don't touch the heart."

Dr. Alfred Blalock, a brash, egotistical Georgia native who in 1943 was named head of surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, changed that. But he wasn't alone.

"Something the Lord Made," a polished and compelling movie, also credits Blalock's lab assistant: Vivien Thomas, a quiet, introspective man with a fertile mind and incomparably skilled hands.

Why wasn't Thomas recognized at the time? Because he was black. Even now, his accomplishments haven't gotten wide attention.

"I did an informal survey at Hopkins," said the film's director, Joseph Sargent, "and I was shocked to find out how few workers at the hospital ever heard of Vivien Thomas, and how few doctors had heard of him."

"Something the Lord Made" _ the title comes from Blalock's description of a shunt Thomas stitches into a dog's heart _ sets out to change that. It opens in 1930, when Thomas (Mos Def) gets a job working for Blalock (Alan Rickman) at Vanderbilt University.

Thomas, a talented carpenter, is dismayed at first at taking a glorified janitorial position. But Blalock quickly recognizes Thomas' steady hands and sharp mind, and puts him to work performing experimental surgeries on dogs.

Jumping ahead 13 years, Blalock is hired at Hopkins, and Thomas goes with him. There, Dr. Helen Taussig (Mary Stuart Masterson) confronts Blalock with the dilemma of "blue babies" _ infants born with a heart defect that keeps their bodies from getting enough oxygen, turning them blue. At the time, the condition was fatal.

Blalock recognizes his chance to make history, and once Thomas replicates the condition in a dog, they find a way to perform a heart bypass to save the animal. That leads to the first heart surgery performed on a human. It is a success _ but only after Blalock, defying his colleagues, brings Thomas to the operating table with him.

It's the highlight of a working relationship that lasts for decades, despite disputes initiated by Thomas over his pay and Blalock's abrasive demeanor.

Thomas earns Blalock's respect in the lab, but the surgeon doesn't exactly treat his assistant as a colleague _ and he doesn't mention Thomas' contributions when the international medical community showers him with accolades.

"I think there was an inadvertent emotional need that Blalock had to go into some kind of unconscious denial," Sargent said. "I would imagine he was so protective of this adulation and acclaim that he suddenly found coming his way, that it was convenient emotionally to not give Vivien Thomas the credit he deserved."

Sargent adds: "I became conscious somewhere in the middle of shooting that we were actually doing a love story. There's anger, there's hate, there's disenchantment, and there's a certain amount of denial, which is what makes the whole thing very complex and challenging."

The movie boasts strong performances from a somewhat unlikely cast. Rickman is known for velvety-voiced British villains, and rapper Mos Def, who has received strong reviews for his work on stage, is best known to movie audiences for a comic supporting role in "The Italian Job."

"I had not heard of Mos Def, and I didn't know why he had that name. Then I discovered it was because his favorite phrase was 'most definitely,'" Sargent said. "It was such a pleasant surprise to find out the extent of his acting talent, as someone with no advance notice as to whether he could even act or not."

Executive producer Robert Cort was struck by how easily Mos Def slipped into Thomas' shoes.

"Vivien Thomas was defined by his dignity and his intelligence, and I think Mos is (too)," Cort said. "He's not an out-there guy in the sense of a big, overwhelming personality or carrying himself with a big entourage. He's thoughtful and extraordinarily intelligent."

In keeping with Thomas' reserved demeanor, the movie dramatizes his conflicts with Blalock subtly _ without a lot of confrontation or histrionics.

"They were both Southern gentlemen," Mos Def said. "I don't think Dr. Thomas was concerned with worldly recognition as much as just general respect from his colleague, Dr. Blalock. I think that hurt him more than not being on some sort of world stage."

"Something the Lord Made" premiered Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT on HBO and was to be replayed Monday at 8 p.m. on HBO2.

On the Net:

HBO

Something The Lord Has Made



'Constellation' identification

By CHRIS WELCH
Times Entertainment Writer


With production at halfway point, film folks fill Huntsville.

Motorists traveling Derrick Street near the old Glenwood Cemetery in west Huntsville found themselves in Hollywood last week. Well, a Hollywood set, anyway.

The people from "Constellation," a movie that started filming here May 8 and will probably wrap around June 21, were all over the place. The base camp, with trailers used for holding costumes, storing equipment and feeding the crew, was parked at the old All-Phase Electric Building Supply off Clinton Avenue. But around the Derrick Street neighborhood were cameras, trucks, equipment, even Zoe, the basset of prop master Chris Kas.

The crew of 50 or so on the set started stirring as a scene with Billy Dee Williams, who plays lead character Helms Boxer, was about to start. The film chronicles the lives and loves of a black family in the Deep South as they come to terms with a tumultuous past marked by an interracial affair. Williams must confront his demons amid changing racial times and his own family.

Before Williams could confront those demons on this day, he had to deal with something else - his fans. As Williams walked toward the start of the scene, a fan in a car spotted the actor, stopped and asked for his autograph, which Williams obliged on the top of her car. He walked a few more steps, and his photo was taken with an employee from the Huntsville Housing Authority who stopped by.

Finally, the crew halted the traffic. Showtime.

"OK, send him through," said Frank Pinnock, the first assistant director who was clad in a floppy hat with braids peering out the back. Cameras were mounted atop a hill near the cemetery. "Here we go, Billy. Cameras ready, Jordan."

"Action!" belted Jordan Walker-Pearlman, the movie's director.

Williams walked down the street, staring down the tracks and at the old houses in the neighborhood in deep thought, for maybe a minute or so.

"OK, cut. Check the gate. We're moving on," Pinnock said as Walker-Pearlman looked over the footage shot. With that, the crew started packing up the equipment, and Walker-Pearlman was driven back to base camp.

And so it went. Another day. Another scene. Another moment as Hollywood and the stars hang out in Huntsville.

The movie hit day 15 of filming Friday, about halfway through a production that also features Lesley Ann Warren, Alec Newman, Melissa De Sousa, Zoe Saldana, Adam Nelson, Ever Carradine, Shin Koyamada and Gabrielle Union. Recent additions include Rae Dawn Chong, Clarence Williams III and David Clennon.

Things couldn't be better, according to producer Shannon Murphy. The movie is on schedule and staying within the $3.3 million budget, she said.

"It's going tremendously," Murphy said. "We've got about three weeks left. The locals have been fabulous, and we're still holding at about 580 extras. Logistically, things are great. Everybody has been cooperating. Obviously, we're an intrusion on the neighborhood."

Walker-Pearlman was also upbeat about the film's progress.

"It's going tremendously, but every day has got to be better than the day before," he said. "We're on schedule and have added some new scenes. Of course, there are bumps in the road, but I always look at them as challenges.

"The biggest adjustment to me is being on location rather than in L.A. or New York. Logistically, there are things you have to adjust to. I tell you this - if the film was made anywhere else but Huntsville, it wouldn't be as good."

As many Huntsvillians have noticed, the film people have been everywhere - Humphrey's and Pauli's Chophouse, the Huntsville Museum of Art, the Madison County Executive Airport in Meridianville, Big Spring International Park, the Holiday Inn-Madison, the Terry Hutchens Building and even driving down the street with cameras attached to their cars. Murphy said helicopters were brought in recently to shoot aerial scenes of notable landmarks in Huntsville such as the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Filmmakers also plan to shoot scenes at the Huntsville International Airport, Alabama A&M University and the Ledges, among other places, although producers decline to be more specific.

Filmmakers have used many existing locations but did extensive remodeling at the Holiday Inn-Madison off Alabama 20. Filmmakers transformed the hotel into a close facsimile of the five-star International House in New Orleans, redoing the lobby and signs and even recarpeting. "When people see the movie, they're going to wonder where this hotel is in Huntsville," Murphy said.

Murphy said the film will create another big set - a Med-iterranean-style restaurant on the roof of the Terry Hutchens Building (above Kaffeeklatsch) on Jefferson Street. She said the only thing that could throw off the film's schedule is the weather. "It's not the heat that bothers me," Murphy said. "I'm more worried about thunderstorms and tornadoes."

As she said that, rain was starting to fall and the skies turned black, threatening a rooftop scene that night.

"It's not going to rain," Walker-Pearlman said. "God is going to stop the rain at 5, and we'll film at 6. I told Him I'd give Him a credit in the movie or at least thanks in it if He did that," he said, smiling.



Damon Wayans Goes Behind the Smile

Source: Variety


Damon Wayans (TV's My Wife and Kids) will make his feature directorial debut this summer with Behind the Smile, a dark independent drama set in the world of standup comedy, based on his original screenplay, reports Variety.

Marlon Wayans (The Ladykillers, White Chicks) will star as a young comic who leaves Cleveland for Hollywood to pursue his dream of stardom and becomes entangled in the city's seductive lifestyle.

James Belushi and Shakara Ledard (Prey for Rock & Roll) have supporting roles. The film is expected to feature a number of comedian cameos and principal photography starts in July.



Brady is Running Scared with Paul Walker

Source: Variety


Talkshow host and comedian Wayne Brady has scored his first feature starring role playing a shady character named Raggedy Man opposite Paul Walker in Running Scared, an action thriller being directed by Wayne Kramer.

Walker plays the father whose 10-year-old son comes into possession of a gun used in the shooting of a police officer. It puts the whole family in danger.

Brady takes the role after ending his run on The Wayne Brady Show. He had a guest stint on Chappelle's Show on Comedy Central, portraying himself as a drug-dealing pimp and thrill-killer.

Brady heads to Broadway in August to play Billy Flynn in "Chicago."



'Babylon 5' actor dies

Richard Biggs played Dr. Stephen Franklin on sci-fi series


(CNN) -- Richard Biggs, who played Dr. Stephen Franklin on "Babylon 5" and also had a long run on the soap opera "Days of Our Lives," died Saturday. He was 44, according to the actor's Web site.

A posting on a "Babylon 5" message board by J. Michael Straczynski, the sci-fi show's creator, said the cause of death has not been determined but that "paramedics who showed up suggested it was either an aneurysm or a massive stroke."

Biggs, a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Theatre, gained his first major exposure as Dr. Marcus Hunter on "Days of Our Lives." He was on the NBC show for five years.

He also appeared on Lifetime's "Any Day Now" and "Strong Medicine." Most recently, he played Clayton Boudreaux on the CBS soap opera "Guiding Light."

"Babylon 5" fans and staff were shocked by his passing.

"Richard was a consummate professional, but more than that he was an honorable, stand-up guy," Straczynski wrote in his posting. "He was, quite simply, a terrific guy, and everyone here is just devastated at the news."

Biggs is survived by his wife, Lori Gerber, and two sons.



Ejiofor Finds 'Serenity' with Whedon

By Borys Kit


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - English actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who starred in the 2002 body-parts drama "Dirty Pretty Things," is set to appear in "Serenity," writer/director Joss Whedon's feature film version of his canceled television series "Firefly."

The Universal Pictures project revolves around an ensemble of characters who are galactic outcasts 500 years in the future. It centers on a captain and the crew on his transport-for-hire spaceship, Serenity. When they pick up two passengers, they find themselves caught between a military force and cannibalistic savages.

Ejiofor is the first actor to sign on to the "Firefly" feature who did not appear in the TV series, which had a brief run on Fox in fall 2002. He will play a character known as the Operative, an assassin and tracker who speaks with eloquent sophistication. His other credits include "Amistad" and "Love Actually."



Weekend Boxoffice


'Shrek 2' Propels Box Office to Record

By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer


LOS ANGELES (AP) - "Shrek 2" retained the top spot at the box office with $92.2 million over the long holiday weekend, fending off the global-catastrophe tale "The Day After Tomorrow," which debuted with $86 million, according to studio estimates Monday.

The two movies led Hollywood to a record Memorial Day weekend haul. The top 12 movies alone took in $233.5 million, easily topping the previous best of $202 million for all movies over Memorial Day weekend last year.

If the numbers for "Shrek 2" hold up when final figures are released Tuesday, the movie would have the best Memorial Day weekend gross ever, beating the $90.2 million take for "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" in 1997.

In its second weekend, "Shrek 2" pushed its total to $257 million since opening May 19. The sequel should pass the $267.7 million domestic total for the first "Shrek" by Wednesday or Thursday, said Jim Tharp, head of distribution for DreamWorks, which released both animated hits.

"Shrek 2" will pass $300 million, but Tharp would not predict if it had a shot at beating the $340 million total for "Finding Nemo," the box-office champ among animated movies.

"We think we'll be well over $300 million. We just don't know how far over yet," Tharp said. "Shrek 2" faces stiff competition for the family crowd this coming weekend from the debut of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," Tharp said.

20th Century Fox, the studio behind "The Day After Tomorrow," was happy to come in second to "Shrek 2," said head of distribution Bruce Snyder.

"It's amazing how the marketplace expanded to embrace `Day After Tomorrow' with `Shrek' already taking up so much business," Snyder said.

"The Day After Tomorrow" features Dennis Quaid as a scientist trying to prevent the end of the world when global warming unleashes climatological disaster. The movie's dazzling visual effects including tidal waves flooding Manhattan and a deep freeze in Britain.

"This puts to bed any notion that audiences can't handle doomsday scenarios or end-of-the-world-type films post-Sept. 11," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "People love to see things they could not deal with in real life. They love to see the world annihilated. It's a vicarious thrill."

"Shrek 2" and "The Day After Tomorrow" accounted for 76 percent of revenues among the top 12 movies, choking off business for two other new flicks.

Kate Hudson's comedy "Raising Helen," about a career woman who becomes reluctant ward to her dead sister's three children, debuted at No. 4 with $14 million, coming in behind "Troy," which took third with $15 million.

"Soul Plane," about a funky airline, opened in fifth-place with $7 million.

In limited release, Jena Malone and Mandy Moore's satiric "Saved!", about a teenager at a Christian school ostracized when she becomes pregnant, opened strongly with $440,000 at 20 theaters.

Mario Van Peebles' "Baadasssss!", in which he stars as his father, Melvin, on his quest to make the seminal black-power flick "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song," had a modest debut of $57,929 in 13 theaters.

1. "Shrek 2," $92.2 million.
2. "The Day After Tomorrow," $86 million.
3. "Troy," $15 million.
4. "Raising Helen," $14 million.
5. "Soul Plane," $7 million.
6. "Mean Girls," $6.3 million.
7. "Van Helsing," $6.2 million.
8. "Man on Fire," $2.4 million.
9. "13 Going on 30," $1.4 million.
10. "Super Size Me," $1.35 million.