News for 4/8/2006


'Top Model' Runner-Up Puts Her Best Foot Forward

Yaya could strut on the catwalk, but can she dance?

By Hanh Nguyen
Zap2It.com


On "America's Next Top Model," Yaya DaCosta was the brainy, Afro-centric runner-up on the show's third season. Now she's starring opposite Antonio Banderas in her feature debut "Take the Lead," and reveals that acting was in the plans all along; modeling was a detour.

"When I was 11, I had taken classes and did some educational films. As far as my family was concerned, I've always been acting," says the Brown University grad. "So I did that show kind of like taking a break from 30-page papers in school on midterm week. I was like, 'Oh, that would be cute,' but I didn't really know what I was getting into. After that was over, it was over."

She's grateful for her experience, but was glad to learn from the "Take the Lead" filmmakers that she landed her role solely on her own merit, not the show. In the movie, she plays troubled high school student LaRhette, who raises her siblings while her mom works late and whose brother was killed by a fellow student. The bright spot in her life is afterschool detention, where ballroom dance instructor Pierre Dulaine introduces the students to the finer points of teamwork and terpsichore.

Although DaCosta's upbringing isn't like her character's, she had no problem identifying with LaRhette's circumstances.

"My parents are educators, I had both parents at home ... so it was more secondhand information," she says. "I'm from New York City, from Harlem, and my 'hood isn't one of the nicest in the city. My friends when I was younger had more in common with LaRhette than I did on that level, but it was right there. All I had to do was go to my block."

She had a bigger challenge with the ballroom dancing scenes, specifically following her partner's lead.

"All the dance styles that I'd done before were very individualistic. I make all the decisions about what I'm going to do next with my body," she explains. "This was completely different because it's a conversation between you and your partner. You have to trust them and relinquish, as a woman, all of your decision making."

DaCosta, who studied international relations in college, can speak four languages and is currently teaching herself Swahili. She'd like to model her career after "V for Vendetta" star Natalie Portman, another multilingual actress with political interests.

"I have a bunch of dream roles, but at some point I'd love to have an accent or speak another language in a film," she says. "Or maybe action movies. Aside from dance, I play capoiera, which is a Brazilian martial art ... And then I'd love to write some scripts. Look out for some really political stuff from me."

Right now, though, she's just enjoying the personalized, ghetto-fabulous earrings LaRhette wore in the film.

"I got to keep the backup ones. So I have my souvenir," she says. "They're cute. I wore them once ... out in New York and people were like, 'That's not your name.' I was like, 'Wait and see.'"

"Take the Lead" opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, April 7.



Showtime Reactivates 'Sleeper Cell'

Second season will begin filming this summer


LOS ANGELES -- Showtime has decided to awaken another "Sleeper Cell" later this year.

The pay-cable network has ordered a second batch of episodes for the show, which earned a Golden Globe nomination this year for best miniseries. Michael Ealy and Oded Fehr will once again star, and series creators Cyrus Voris and Ethan Reiff will also return.

"'Sleeper Cell' became an instant signature show for us and has all the hallmarks of great premium cable," Showtime Entertainment president Robert Greenblatt says. "It's relevant, fearless and unlike anything else on television."

Praised by critics for its unsettling realism, "Sleeper Cell" told the story of an FBI agent (Ealy) and practicing Muslim who went undercover to infiltrate a Los Angeles-based terrorist cell led by Fehr's character. Showtime aired the 10-hour arc as a miniseries over two weeks in December.

The finale left just enough questions open for the show to return. Production on the second "Sleeper Cell," which will run eight hours, is scheduled to begin in the summer; Showtime hasn't set a premiere date or said how it plans to air the series.



UPN Sets 'Game' Date, CW Abducts 'Aliens'

Both shows looking for homes on new network


LOS ANGELES -- The CW has given a late green light to a comedy pilot it hopes could be a companion to "Everybody Hates Chris" next season.

UPN, meanwhile, has scheduled the episode of "Girlfriends" that could serve as a launchpad for a spinoff called "The Game" on the new network come fall.

The new pilot is called "Aliens in America" and comes from sitcom veterans Moses Port and David Guarascio ("Mad About You," "Happy Family"), the showbiz trade papers report. It will be a single-camera show (like "Chris") focusing on a gawky high-school kid in Wisconsin whose mom thinks her son's ticket to cool rests in welcoming an exchange student.

Things don't exactly work out that way, though -- the exchange student turns out to be a devout Muslim from Pakistan who dresses in traditional garments. Hijinks will doubtlessly ensue.

"Aliens" is the second pilot for Port and Guarascio this year. They're also executive producing, along with Port's brother Joe and Joe Wiseman, a CBS comedy about a young couple and the woman's clingy family.

As for "The Game," its pilot will air as an episode of "Girlfriends" on Monday, April 17. The show will follow Joan's (Tracee Ellis Ross) cousin Melanie (Tia Mowry, "Sister, Sister") and her pro football player boyfriend (Aldis Hodge) to San Diego, where Melanie meets the girlfriends and wives of other players.

Wendy Raquel Robinson ("The Steve Harvey Show"), Coby Bell ("Third Watch") and Jennifer Baxter will also star in the spinoff, which is contending for a spot on The CW.



Jackson Checks Into '1408'

Forget 'Snakes on a Plane' -- It's time for 'Freak Stuff in a Hotel Room'


Samuel L. Jackson will join John Cusack in "1408," a supernatural thriller set up at Dimension Films.

The Stephen King adaptation will be directed by Mikael Hafstrom ("Derailed") working from a script by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.

The film focuses on a professional paranormal debunker (Cusack) who runs into something he can't debunk at the Dolphin Hotel. According to Variety, Jackson will play the hotel manager.

The original King short story has been featured both in the audio book "Blood and Smoke" and in the 2002 collection "Everything's Eventual."

Shooting on "1408" will begin sometime this summer.

Where, pray tell, will "1408" fit in Jackson's busy schedule? Who knows. Last seen in "Freedomland," Jackson has already completed work on the thematic double-bill of "Snakes on a Plane" and "Black Snake Moan." His upcoming slate includes the currently-shooting "Home of the Brave," voiceover work on "Farce of the Penguins" and a co-starring gig opposite Josh Hartnett in "Resurrecting the Champ."



News for 3/30/2006


FOX Locks Down 'Prison Break' for Next Year

Show will return in '06-'07


LOS ANGELES -- The convicts of "Prison Break" are having their time extended -- and in the world of television, that's a good thing.

FOX has picked up the buzzworthy series for next year, meaning fans will probably get to see the event of the title actually happen. The decision isn't a big surprise, as "Prison Break" earned solid ratings in the fall and has improved on that performance since its return earlier this month.

The bump in ratings has come after a long hiatus in which viewers were left hanging as to the outcome of Michael Scofield's (Wentworth Miller) initial attempt to break out his death-row inmate brother (Dominic Purcell). Because of FOX's heavy midseason slate, led by "American Idol" and "24," the network had to leave "Prison Break" on the shelf for nearly four months.

Both episodes since its return have drawn more than 10 million viewers, an improvement on the show's season average of 9.38 million. "Prison Break" is also averaging a fairly healthy 4.4 rating among adults 18-49 since its return, a big improvement over FOX's season average for Mondays at 8.

Creator Paul Scheuring and several cast members have implied that the escape will, in fact, happen by the end of this season, with season two focusing on the convicts' efforts to remain free and, for Michael and Lincoln, to expose the conspiracy that framed him for killing the vice president's (Patricia Wettig) brother.

The pickup also puts the network's drama roster in fairly good shape for next season. "House," "24" and "Bones" have already earned spots on the 2006-07 schedule; a decision has yet to be made on a fourth year for "The O.C."



Jackson Shifts From 'Snakes' to 'Penguins'

Samuel L. Jackson will narrate Bob Saget's nature documentary parody


Come to think of it, while "Snakes on a Plane" sounds great, "Penguins on a Plane" might be a super sequel.

Samuel L. Jackson, currently riding the wave of the juggernaut that will be "Snakes on a Plane," will lend his pipes to "Farce of the Penguins," Bob Saget's "March of the Penguins" parody set up at ThinkFilm.

Saget wrote and directed the semi-documentary, which relies on reassembled footage to tell the story of one lone penguin searching for love in the midst of a 70-mile reproductive trek. According to Variety, Saget will voice the main penguin, while the assembled vocal talent includes Lewis Black, Mo'Nique and Tracy Morgan, along with cameos from the likes of Whoopi Goldberg, Harvey Fierstein, Alyson Hannigan, Jamie Kennedy and Saget's fellow "Full House" refugees John Stamos and Dave Coulier.

Jackson will provide narration in the Morgan Freeman vein, though it's expected that "Farce" will delve a bit more into the R-rated vein.

In addition to the August release of "Snakes on a Plane," Jackson also has the drama "Black Snake Moan" set for a 2006 release.



Universal's 'Gangster' Returns

The previously shelved Denzel Washington/Russell Crowe vehicle will begin shooting in July


If you think it's hard out there for a pimp, you should ask Universal Pictures about the difficulties for a "Gangster."

The studio has asked Oscar winning screenwriter Steve Zaillian to return to the frequently reimagined crime drama "American Gangster." Zaillian has been entrusted with giving the project a final polish before its theoretical late-July production launch.

Zaillian ("Schindler's List") wrote the original draft of "Gangster," which was supposed to shoot last year with Antoine Fuqua at the helm and Denzel Washington and Benicio Del Toro at the helm. With budget estimates reaching the $100 million point, Universal pulled the plug last fall.

According to Variety, Universal initially tried to reduce the budget on the period project by bringing in Terry George to rewrite, but ultimately decided to return to Zaillian's initial concept.

In its revised version, Washington remains on board as a Harlem drug kingpin who transports his wares in body bags returning from Vietnam. Russell Crowe will step into the role of the kingpin's main adversary, a detective. Crowe's "Gladiator" director Ridley Scott will be at the helm.

The trade paper reports that the budget on the new film will be in line with the first "Gangster" attempt. Shooting will take place in New York and Thailand.



Weekend Boxoffice

'Inside Man' Takes Top Box Office Spot


Denzel Washington and Spike Lee looted the box office with their bank-heist thriller "Inside Man," which debuted as the top weekend movie with $29 million.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian 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. are:

1. "Inside Man," Universal, $28,954,945, 2,818 locations, $10,275 average, $28,954,945, one week.

2. "V For Vendetta," Warner Bros., $12,338,402, 3,365 locations, $3,667 average, $46,205,949, two weeks.

3. "Stay Alive," Disney, $10,726,406, 2,009 locations, $5,339 average, $10,726,406, one week.

4. "Failure to Launch," Paramount, $10,462,474, 3,202 locations, $3,267 average, $63,537,895, three weeks.

5. "The Shaggy Dog," Disney, $9,035,928, 3,421 locations, $2,641 average, $47,823,278, three weeks.

6. "She's the Man," DreamWorks, $7,296,562, 2,631 locations, $2,773 average, $20,344,197, two weeks.

7. "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector," Lionsgate, $6,922,767, 1,710 locations, $4,048 average, $6,922,767, one week.

8. "The Hills Have Eyes," Fox Searchlight, $4,386,566, 2,461 locations, $1,782 average, $35,717,166, three weeks.

9. "Eight Below," Disney, $2,718,343, 2,101 locations, $1,294 average, $77,137,940, six weeks.

10. "16 Blocks," Warner Bros., $2,160,379, 2,066 locations, $1,046 average, $34,004,226, four weeks.

11. "The Pink Panther," Sony, $1,458,975, 1,352 locations, $1,079 average, $80,752,569, seven weeks.

12. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," Lionsgate, $1,340,851, 1,030 locations, $1,302 average, $62,044,404, five weeks.

13. "Aquamarine," Fox, $1,048,536, 1,054 locations, $995 average, $17,345,896, four weeks.

14. "Curious George," Universal, $1,024,835, 1,161 locations, $883 average, $56,889,815, seven weeks.

15. "Thank You for Smoking," Fox Searchlight, $1,003,911, 54 locations, $18,591 average, $1,382,024, two weeks.

16. "Date Movie," Fox, $623,148, 739 locations, $843 average, $47,498,798, six weeks.

17. "Deep Sea 3-D," Warner Bros., $617,467, 46 locations, $13,423 average, $3,605,821, four weeks.

18. "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," Disney, $501,655, 418 locations, $1,200 average, $290,611,900, 16 weeks.

19. "Firewall," Warner Bros., $454,471, 578 locations, $786 average, $47,775,490, seven weeks.

20. "Final Destination 3," New Line, $366,180, 422 locations, $868 average, $53,511,256, seven weeks.



News for 3/23/3006


'Thief' Redo Steals Smith's Heart

Will Smith hopes his 'It Takes a Thief' redo works out better than 'Wild Wild West'


Because the caper series "It Takes a Thief" hasn't yet been made into a feature film, Universal is moving forward on the project, with Will Smith surfacing as a potential leading man.

The original series aired on ABC from 1968-1970 and starred Robert Wagner as Alexander Mundy, a skilled cat burglar forced by an American espionage agency to perform all variety of undercover robberies for the government.

According to Variety, Smith is now attached to the project, which some time as a potential vehicle for Michael Douglas nearly a decade ago. "Four Brothers" writers David Elliot and Paul Lovett will adapt the series for producers Kevin Misher, John Davis and Joe Singer. In addition, Smith with produce along with James Lassiter through their Overbrook Entertainment shingle.

This will be Smith's first attempt to start a TV-to-film franchise since the 1999 summer dud "Wild Wild West." The "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" star was most recently seen in "Hitch," though he has "The Pursuit of Happyness" in the can and "Tonight, He Comes" ready to go into production this summer.



"Madea" maven stays in Lionsgate fold with "Girl"

By Tatiana Siegel


Tyler Perry is staying in the Lionsgate family.

The actor-writer-director, whose comedy "Madea's Family Reunion" recently spent two weeks atop the North American box office, has signed on to make "Daddy's Little Girl" for the independent studio.

Lionsgate released "Reunion," which has earned more than $56 million to date, as well as Perry's previous box office topper, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."

The new project is described as a reverse Cinderella tale about a young, beautiful, successful female attorney who falls in love with a janitor and single father of three daughters. Despite strong objections from the attorney's father, love triumphs in the end.

The film has been fast-tracked for a June start and like "Reunion" and "Diary" is set for a February release.

Perry, whose credits also include the hit stage shows "Madea Goes to Jail" and "Meet the Browns," next month will publish his first book, "Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Life and Love" (Riverdale/Penguin). He also recently signed a deal to distribute his TV series "House of Payne" in first-run syndication.



Don Cheadle could play Miles Davis in biopic


Jazz legend Miles Davis, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday, may be resurrected in a biographical movie with Don Cheadle playing the lead, Davis' family said.

His nephew, Vince Wilburn, told reporters after Davis was inducted into the Hall of Fame that Sony Pictures was working on a movie as well as planning several CDs to celebrate what would have been Davis' 80th birthday later this year.

"People are submitting scripts to Sony Pictures," Wilburn said. "A few names have come up (to play Davis) but Don Cheadle's name keeps coming up," he said.

Wilburn said the movie could touch on Davis' private life as well as his career as a groundbreaking jazz musician who later branched out into music that crossed over into rock and funk.

Wilburn said a possible director for the film was Antoine Fuqua, best known for "Training Day," the movie for which Denzel Washington won a best-acting Oscar in 2002.

Davis' son, Gregory, recalled touring with his father, who died of a stroke in 1991, and said he would have been proud of the honor bestowed on him at Monday's gala ceremony in New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel.

"We're very proud because this man's ancestors came out of slavery and he's an international icon all over the world and America should be proud of him," he said.

Asked about Davis' reputation as a tough and difficult man, his daughter, Cheryl, conceded that image was accurate at times but said there was another side to him. "He wasn't an angry black man ... he was very humorous. ... He lived life to the fullest and he absorbed cultures from all over the world."



News for 3/7/2006


'Crash' Walks Away With the Top Prize at the Oscars

By DAVID M. HALBFINGER and DAVID CARR


LOS ANGELES, March 5 — In a stunning twist, the motion picture academy turned its back on "Brokeback Mountain" and its unflinching gay love story Sunday night, awarding the Oscar for best picture to "Crash," a moody kaleidoscope of racial confrontation in Los Angeles in which every character is at once sympathetic and repulsive.

"Brokeback Mountain," which had taken nearly every major best-picture prize in the run-up to the Oscars, won the awards for its director, Ang Lee, and for best score and adapted screenplay. "I wish I could quit you," Mr. Lee joked in accepting his award, echoing the film's best-known line.

But it was Paul Haggis's "Crash," which opened to decidedly mixed reviews but was a sleeper hit last summer, that proved a hometown favorite among the Angelenos who make up the vast majority of academy voters. They no doubt approved of its depiction of blacks, whites, Latinos and Iranians venting at one another, and perhaps, too, of its racial humor in service of a more serious point about intolerance and preconceptions.

"Crash" also won the Oscars for best original screenplay, for its writers, Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, and for the film's editor, Hughes Winborne.

The upset victory for "Crash" came on a night when the academy honored some of Hollywood's favorite performers, as Philip Seymour Hoffman was named best actor for inhabiting the role of Truman Capote and Reese Witherspoon won best actress for her steely, charming turn as June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line."

The 78th Academy Awards, like the year in film, seemed preoccupied with political and moral subjects. George Clooney won the best supporting actor award for his performance in "Syriana" as a C.I.A. agent caught between terrorists and his corrupt bosses.

And Rachel Weisz was named best supporting actress for her performance in "The Constant Gardener" as a muckracking activist in Kenya whose victimization by an evil pharmaceutical company rouses her emotionally deadened diplomat husband into action.

Mr. Clooney, who acknowledged that politically "we are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood," said that once in a while that was "probably a good thing." And he returned the academy's compliment.

"We were the ones who talked about AIDS when it was just being whispered; we talked about civil rights when it wasn't popular," he said. "I'm proud to be part of Hollywood, proud to be part of the community and proud to be out of touch."

Moments later, Mr. Clooney mused that Hollywood was, about two years late, getting around to wrestling with the social and political issues confronting the nation. "It won't last very long, but we've done this on and off," he said. "We did it in the 30's, we did it in the 50's, we certainly did it in the 60's and 70's and we'll probably continue to do that, which is reflect society, not truly lead it."

Mr. Hoffman, accepting his Oscar, congratulated his mother. "We are at the party, Ma," he said. A radiant Ms. Witherspoon thanked her parents, too. "It didn't matter if I was making a bed or making a movie, they never hesitated to tell me how proud they were of me," she said.

A departure to the serious themes was the winner for best documentary feature: "March of the Penguins." The surprise hit bested a field that included documentaries on the scandal at Enron and on a hard-fought mayoral election in Newark.

With the comic Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" as its host, this Oscars telecast was bound to scald a little, and Mr. Stewart had what were no doubt welcome barbs for Republicans, perhaps less welcome ones for Democrats, and plenty at the movie industry's expense.

He said that the singer Bjork could not attend: "She was trying on her Oscar dress, and Dick Cheney shot her." He suggested that casting their academy ballots may well have been "the first time many of you have ever voted for a winner."

And, in introducing Terrence Howard, who played a pimp who aspired to be a rapper in "Hustle & Flow," Mr. Stewart defined a pimp as "an agent with a better hat." In fact, it was the rap song of Mr. Howard's character, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," by the heretofore unknown Memphis group Three 6 Mafia, that won the Oscar for best original song, immediately after the group gave a raucous performance of it.

Mr. Stewart's narrow and young viewership on the cable network Comedy Central made him relatively unknown to the worldwide Oscars television audience, but his court jester's combination of sarcasm and flattery seemed to work with the Hollywood royalty in the room.

He said Mr. Clooney's "Good Night, and Good Luck" was not just a movie but "how Mr. Clooney ends all his dates." He assured Steven Spielberg that after "Schindler's List" and "Munich," "I think I speak for all Jews when I say, I can't wait to see what happens to us next."

On a night in which the expectations were high for "Brokeback Mountain," Mr. Stewart saved his best prerecorded material for what he called "the elephant in the room." With faux indignation, he said that "Brokeback" had "tarnished" the image of the staunchly heterosexual American western.

What followed was a montage that illustrated the kind of homoeroticism that has pervaded Westerns, and for that matter a half-century's worth of buddy movies and all kinds of mainstream literature at least as far back as Huck and Jim: Cowboys, sheriffs, and ranch hands stripping down to their union suits, admiring and handling one another's guns, winking, sweating, bunking down for the night, and asking, "Mind if I look at your Winchester?"

The award for best foreign language film went to "Tsotsi," from South Africa, Gavin Hood's story of crime and redemption set against a Johannesburg shantytown.

The director Robert Altman, whose films include "Nashville" and "The Player," the latter a classic take on the movie business, was given an honorary award for lifetime achievement. He revealed that he had received a heart from a 30-year-old woman 10 years ago — and kept it a secret until now for fear of the stigma that comes with it. "I think I've got about 40 years left in it," he said, "and I plan on using it."

While 2005's movie calendar was short on polarizing events — no one tackled the Passion or excoriated the Bush administration the way Mel Gibson and Michael Moore had the year before — it was teeming with modest movies making small statements about Important Subjects.

The nominees for best picture, all but one of them from studio specialty divisions, alone bore evidence of Hollywood's sudden case of seriousness: "Capote" and "Good Night, and Good Luck" cast a critical eye on the roles and responsibilities of journalists, "Crash" explored racial animosity and challenged preconceptions, "Munich" took on Middle East violence, and "Brokeback Mountain" illustrated the point-blank impact of intolerance. The lone big-studio picture, "Munich," was made for some $75 million, more than twice the combined budgets of all four other nominees.

The messages here were seldom radical, the causes rarely unpopular: Niki Caro's "North Country" tackled the evils of sexual harassment, and the point of "Munich" seemed to be little more than the schoolyard lesson that violence solves nothing.

By and large, it was a wretched year for Hollywood's major studios, with a steady stream of action movies and comedies performing belly flops into empty pools.

"King Kong," Peter Jackson's three-hour remake of the epic classic, won the awards for best achievement in visual effects, beating out "War of the Worlds" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," and for sound editing. "Kong" also won the awards for sound mixing and sound editing.

The Oscar for best animated feature went to "Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit," over "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride" and "Howl's Moving Castle."

"Memoirs of a Geisha," Rob Marshall's wartime Japanese romance, won three craft Oscars: best cinematography, for Dion Beebe; best art direction, for John Myhre and Gretchen Rau; and best costume design for Colleen Atwood. "Narnia" won the award for best makeup.

In a fairly tame race, about the only thing interrupting the tedium of "for your consideration" ads and breaking the monotony of acclaim for "Brokeback" — with the exception of the critic Roger Ebert's ardent agitating on behalf of "Crash" — was an acrimonious lawsuit between two "Crash" producers, Bob Yari and Cathy Schulman.

Mr. Yari, who put together the $7 million budget for "Crash," was barred by academy rules from joining Ms. Schulman and two other credited producers onstage — and in fact watched from home. Perhaps brimming over with generosity, Ms. Schulman, in the end, did mention Mr. Yari's name.

The red carpet offered the usual weave of glamour, fashion and Hollywood striving. Stars who usually move in their own little orbits stood shoulder to shoulder, some hugging, some checking the others with sidelong glances. It can get pretty thick at times, and did. When Mr. Clooney, a nominee in the director, supporting actor and screenwriting categories, reached over to shake the hand of Heath Ledger, a best actor nominee, he did so across Michelle Williams, who had her own nomination as best supporting actress.

Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock embraced as Keanu Reeves, who accompanied Ms. Bullock, looked on.

It has been a long season of precursor awards — the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild, the Independent Spirit awards — and not everyone will miss the ritual. Paul Giamatti, up for best supporting actor, surveyed the phalanx of reporters confronting him and said, "I'm thinking about putting up a hedge in my house and having a bunch of guys come over to my house and stand behind it just so I don't get lucky." Some, like Mr. Hoffman, skipped the chain gang of press, while others embraced the opportunity.

Juicy J, Jordan Houston, a member of the Three 6 Mafia and one of the co-authors of "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," stepped up to the Oscars with not one, but two diamond encrusted watches, topped off by a set of diamond "grills," two rows of jewels that he wore over his teeth.

Ludracris, the rapper-turned-actor who has a role in "Crash" and introduced the performance of Three 6 Mafia, said that Hollywood should get used to it.

"I'm proud to be part of history, the first time hip-hop is performed at the Oscars," he said on the red carpet. Asked whether he was worried how the audience might respond, he said: "I think they will go out an buy the record. It's about time for this kind of music to start showing up."



News for 3/5/2006


Weekend Boxoffice

'Madea' Earns $13M, Stays Atop Box Office

By Alicia Chang
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES -- "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," a comic drama from the creator of "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," held off a rush of new releases to maintain the top spot at the weekend box office.

The Lionsgate Films movie raked in $13 million in its second weekend, bringing its gross to $48 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It edged out the cop thriller "16 Blocks," which debuted at No. 2 with $11.7 million. The Warner Bros. film stars Bruce Willis as an NYPD detective trying to shuffle a star witness from a precinct lockup to a grand jury session 16 blocks away.

Overall, it was a lackluster weekend performance for Hollywood, where attention was focused on the Academy Awards on Sunday. The top 12 movies took in $83.8 million, down 23 percent from the same weekend last year.

"Not every weekend can be a blockbuster. This weekend definitely was not," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Other new wide releases this weekend had mediocre showings. Screen Gems' sci-fi flick "Ultraviolet," starring Milla Jovovich as exacting revenge on the government after being infected with a blood disease, debuted at No. 4 with $9 million.

The 20th Century Fox teen mermaid tale "Aquamarine" opened at No. 5 with $7.5 million. Focus Features' star-studded comedy "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" came in at No. 7 with $6.5 million.

"Madea's Family Reunion," which was shot for just $6 million, is a comic drama about a slew of domestic hijinks that occur as a family prepares for a reunion. Perry wrote and directed the film and starred in three roles including the overweight, pistol-packing matriarch Madea, whom he also played in last year's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."

Foreign-language Oscar nominee "Joyeux Noel" opened strongly in limited release, grossing $50,133 in six theaters, for a healthy $8,356 average.

By comparison, "16 Blocks" averaged $4,307 in 2,706 theaters; "Ultraviolet" did $3,518 in 2,558 theaters; "Aquamarine" averaged $2,986 in 2,512 theaters and "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" did $5,430 in 1,200 theaters.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," $13 million.
2. "16 Blocks," $11.7 million.
3. "Eight Below," $10.3 million.
4. "Ultraviolet," $9 million.
5. "Aquamarine," $7.5 million.
6. "The Pink Panther," $7 million.
7. "Dave Chappelle's Block Party," $6.5 million.
8. "Date Movie," $5.1 million.
9. "Curious George," $4.4 million.
10. "Firewall," $3.6 million.



Tyler Perry Looks to Conquer TV

'Madea' creator bringing sitcom to syndication


LOS ANGELES -- Tyler Perry, the writer-director-star of the current No. 1 movie in America, is looking to expand his brand into television. And as he's done with "Madea's Family Reunion" and "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," he's not following the conventional route.

Perry has teamed up with media company Debmar-Mercury -- which syndicates "South Park" and "Farscape," among other shows -- to distribute a first-run sitcom called "House of Pane." The show will get a test run in a handful of markets later this year, with national distribution set for 2007.

"We are thrilled to be partnered with Tyler Perry on this groundbreaking project," says Mort Marcus, co-president of Debmar-Mercury. "Perry has proven he can reach an untapped audience, and we can't wait to bring his brand of comedy to television."

For Perry, the deal allows him to retain creative control of the project, much as he did by making "Diary" and "Madea's Family Reunion" outside the studio system (Lionsgate has distributed both films). "Partnering with [Debmar-Mercury] will enable me to fully realize my creative vision and bring it to a wide audience," he says.

"House of Payne," about a multi-generational family sharing the same roof, will be the first original sitcom sold in syndication in more than a decade. As such, it could be a tough sell. On the upside for Perry, in addition to the success of his movies, is the fact that some former UPN and WB affiliates not joining new network The CW will be looking to fill their schedules.



News for 3/1/2006


"Crash," Howard, Keys Land Image Awards

By Josh Grossberg


It's a week before Crash has a chance to crash the Oscars, but in the meantime, the racially charged film can content itself with a couple of key prizes at the 37th Annual NAACP Image Awards

Coming in with a leading six nominations, Crash was named Best Picture, beating out a field that included Hitch, Coach Carter , Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and Howard's own Hustle & Flow. Terrence Howard, whose Hustle & Flow turn lost out to Coach Carter's Samuel L. Jackson in the Best Actor race, made up for it, winning Supporting Actor honors for Crash.

Howard doubled his pleasure, winning Best Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries for HBO's Lackawanna Blues.

The Image Awards pay tribute to positive portrayals of people of color in film, TV, music and literature, and are voted on by a committee of 300 industry professionals and NAACP leaders. The awards were handed out Saturday night in Pasadena.

Alicia Keys dominated the music side, winning prizes for Best Female Musical Artist, Best Song and Best Video for "Unbreakable."

Proving himself a double-threat, Jamie Foxx was named Best Male Musical Artist for his chart-topping, platinum-selling Unpredictable a year after winning two acting Image Awards to go along with his Oscar last year.

"It's good to be surrounded by black folks," Foxx said, clutching his trophy. "Black folks are music."

Meanwhile, fresh off a trio of Grammy Awards earlier this month, Mariah Carey earned Best Album props for The Emancipation of Mimi.

The Bernie Mac Show took home three awards--Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for Bernie Mac, Outstanding Supporting Actress for Camille Winbush and Outstanding Director for TV for Millicent Shelton.

"America, I heard your prayers, and you wanted me here," said Mac, one of the Original Kings of Comedy. "The Mac Man cometh and I'm bringing hell with me."

Chris Rock, meanwhile, scored in the Best Television Series category for his semi-autobiographical sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris.

"I want to thank all the white kids who beat [me]," the comic cracked. "I'm rich!"

Carlos Santana, who received the NAACP Hall of Fame Award, performed, as did New Orleans' Neville Brothers, who took home the Chairman Award.

The ceremony paid tribute to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, as well as two civil rights icons, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King, both of whom died recently.

"I think [Coretta] is setting up there with her husband smiling as we continue to chase the dream," said Young and the Restless star Shemar Moore, who along with costar Victoria Rowell won Best and Actor and Actress in a Daytime Drama.

The NAACP Image Awards, hosted by thesp Cuba Gooding Jr., airs next Friday on Fox. The complete list of winners can be found online at naacpimageawards.net.

List of winners can be found here. (Adobe Reader is required)



News for 2/27/2006


Weekend Boxoffice

Tyler Perry's 'Reunion' Tops Box Office

By David Germain
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES -- Tyler Perry fans reunited at theaters for another tale of mad black women. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," a comic drama in which writer-director Perry also stars in three roles, debuted as the weekend's No. 1 movie with $30.25 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It was a second gold mine for Lionsgate Films, which also released Perry's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," the movie that opened as No. 1 with $21.9 million on the same weekend last year.

Lionsgate hopes to have a third Perry movie out over the same weekend next year, said Steve Rothenberg, the company's president of distribution.

"It's a time when we can really dominate the box office," Rothenberg said. "If we were out at Christmas, we'd be competing with the big holiday and Oscar films, but late February with Black History Month and less competition is a great time period for us."

This weekend's other new wide releases flopped. The Weinstein Co. animated tale "Doogal," a fairy-tale adventure with a voice cast that includes Whoopi Goldberg, Kylie Minogue and Jimmy Fallon, debuted at No. 8 with $3.6 million.

New Line's crime thriller "Running Scared," starring Paul Walker as a mobster scrambling to recover a gun used in the slaying of a cop, opened at No. 9 with $3.1 million.

Walker also stars in last weekend's No. 1 movie, Disney's dog tale "Eight Below," which slipped to second place with $15.7 million. "Eight Below" grossed $45.1 million in 10 days.

Though "Madea's Family Reunion" opened more strongly than "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," the overall weekend box office declined. The top 12 movies took in $99.8 million, down 4.4 percent from the same weekend last year.

Based on Perry's stage play, "Madea's Family Reunion" depicts a variety of domestic crises as a clan prepares for a reunion. Among the characters Perry plays is the heavyset, pistol-packing Grandma Madea, whom he also played in "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."

The film was shot for just $6 million.

Perry's stories about empowerment of women set among Madea's family have a built-in following among black audiences familiar with his plays and video versions of the tales. Black women 35 and older made up 52 percent of the movie's audience, according to Lionsgate.

"The themes Tyler Perry presents resonate very strongly with the black community," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "It reminds me of 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding.' It has elements of comedy and drama and community that just definitely works."

The South African film "Tsotsi," a nominee for best foreign-language film at the Academy Awards, opened strongly in limited release with $78,000 at six theaters, for a healthy $13,000 average.

By comparison, "Madea's Family Reunion" averaged $13,788 in 2,194 theaters, "Doogal" did $1,557 in 2,318 cinemas, and "Running Scared" averaged $1,909 in 1,611 theaters.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," $30.25 million.
2. "Eight Below," $15.7 million.
3. "The Pink Panther," $11.3 million.
4. "Date Movie," $9.2 million.
5. "Curious George," $7 million.
6. "Firewall," $6.3 million.
7. "Final Destination 3," $5.35 million.
8. "Doogal," $3.6 million.
9. "Running Scared," $3.1 million.
10. "Freedomland," $2.9 million.



Mariah Carey to Star in Tennessee

Source: Variety


Mariah Carey will star in Tennessee, an independent drama to be directed by Aaron Woodley (Rhinoceros Eyes) from a script by Russell Schaumberg, reports Variety. The film will be produced by Lee Daniels (Monster's Ball) and shoots in New Mexico and Tennessee this spring.

Carey plays a waitress who sets off with two brothers to find their estranged father. Their goal: Get dad involved in saving their younger brother, who has leukemia.

While Carey's movie resume is overshadowed by the disappointing 2001 film Glitter, Daniels got the idea to cast her after watching her Grammy-winning album "The Emancipation of Mimi" become the biggest selling disc of 2005 and viewing her work in 2002's WiseGirls.



'Dreamgirl' Hudson Is ShoWest's Star of Tomorrow

Convention prize anticipates big things for former 'American Idol' contestant Jennifer Hudson


Jennifer Hudson has never had a starring role in a feature film or had a regular acting job in a television show, but the ShoWest convention is ready to dub her the Female Star of Tomorrow.

Hudson's shockingly fast transformation from "American Idol" reject to aspiring leading lady has come courtesy of her part in Bill Condon's big screen take on "Dreamgirls," a project already building awards buzz nine months before its release.

In order to win the role of Effie in "Dreamgirls," Hudson had to beat out a slew of young actors and singers including her former "Idol" rival Fantasia Barrino. The film, based loosely around the rise of the Supremes, also stars Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy.

"In her motion picture debut, Hudson is sure to delight audiences with her portrayal of Effie in the upcoming big-screen version of the Tony Award-winning musical 'Dreamgirls,'" Mitch Neuhauser, co-managing director of the event, tells The Hollywood Reporter. "With her combination of acting and singing talent, Jennifer has the star qualities that promise her a bright future in Hollywood."

Given the absence of tangible footage or evidence, it's unclear what Neuhauser is basing his prediction on, but Hudson was great in some of those "American Idol" Ford Focus commercials, so that's something.

The ShoWest convention runs from March 13-16 in Las Vegas, with the awards presentation set for the closing night.



In 'Madea' Underwood's Good at Being Bad

Best known as a dashing lead, Blair Underwood takes on a dark role in Tyler Perry's latest

By Daniel Fienberg
Zap2It.com


LOS ANGELES --It isn't easy being suave for a living, but Blair Underwood has made a career out of using his powers for both good and evil.

"When I was doing 'L.A. Law' it was really important to me to play very uplifting, positive characters," Underwood recalls. "When that was over, I made a conscious effort to look for roles that were darker and showed a different edge. I went directly from the last day of 'L.A. Law' into rehearsals for a movie called 'Just Cause' where I played a serial killing pedophile."

Underwood plays a different kind of villain in Tyler Perry's "Madea's Family Reunion," the follow-up to Perry's surprise blockbuster "Diary of a Mad Black Woman." Underwood is Carlos, an upwardly mobile sophisticate in public, but an abusive fiance behind closed doors.

"You have to really straddle the fence," says Underwood of tackling the complicated character. "Definitely, you don't want to be a caricature. I hope to never play a caricature and that's the challenge -- what are the subtleties and nuances in the character himself and how do you bring those out and make him more realistic? But then also, you can't make him too sympathetic, because at the end of the day, you have to be able to dismiss that kind of character because they're wrong in every way, shape and form."

While mainstream media outlets were taken aback by the success of "Diary," Underwood had been aware of Perry's growing theatrical following. He also knew that while Perry's signature character of Madea -- she's the tough-talking woman who looks like a linebacker in a dress -- seemed like a caricature to some viewers, she's much more than that.

"The Madea character in my life is a combination between paternal grandmother and my mother, that person who loves you, who's not afraid to rattle your cage a little bit if it needs to be, which is not actually politically correct nowadays -- not only in a loving, physical sense, but in an intellectual sense, saying what needs to be said and telling you the way it is -- minus the pistols in the purse," he admits.

Of course, the only thing more difficult than playing a complicated and compelling villain may be playing that kind of character opposite your director in drag.

"You've just got to know that going in -- children, animals and Tyler Perry, you're gonna get upstaged," Underwood says with a chuckle. "Truthfully, he's a very giving collaborator, whatever hat he wears."

Underwood, also currently on the big screen in "Something New," just hopes that viewers of all demographics will be able to see the movie and recognize their own Madeas and their own families.

"One person said -- who happened to be Caucasian -- at one of the test screenings said, 'This movie is for anybody with a pulse,' and it's true. It's the same basic themes for anyone who's human -- of forgiveness, of redemption, of empowerment, of joy, all those are human emotions."

"Madea's Family Reunion" opens Friday, Feb. 24.



Chris Rock Thinks He Loves His Wife

Source: The Hollywood Reporter


Chris Rock is set to star in I Think I Love My Wife, a remake of the French film Chloe in the Afternoon, for Fox Searchlight Pictures. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Charles Stone (Drumline) is in final talks to direct.

Rock wrote the script with longtime collaborator Louis C.K., adapting Eric Rohmer's 1972 film, whose French title is L'amour l'apres-midi. "Chloe" depicted the life of a happily married office worker who daydreams about other women until he encounters the mistress of an old friend who tries to seduce him.

"Wife" is set in present-day New York rather than Rohmer's Paris in the swinging '70s.

Searchlight is hoping to put the picture into production in the spring in New York.



Ving Rhames Making 3/5 of a Man

Source: Variety


Ving Rhames will produce, through his company Freedom Reign Productions, 3/5 of a Man, a low-budget film adaptation of Michael Henry Brown's Off Broadway play.

Variety reports that the story revolves around Nat Turner and the 1831 slave rebellion in Virginia.

Rhames put the financing together with a silent partner. Akosua Busia, who co-wrote Beloved and co-starred in The Color Purple, makes her feature directing debut; Brown wrote the script.

Anthony Mackie (Freedomland) will star as Turner, Rhames as his best friend, Hark (a role he played in the original stage production). John Amos, Beverly Todd, Zeljko Ivanek, Peter Dinklage, Tiny Lister, Michael Taliferro and Dana Delany are also set.

The title comes from language in the Constitution that counted each enslaved black man as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of determining Southern representation in Congress. Turner led the most successful slave rebellion ever but was ultimately lynched along with many other slaves.

Rhames will follow with King of the Avenue, a contemporary horror/drama written and directed by Ryan Combs. He'll star in it with hip-hop star Young Buck.

"He plays a drug dealer who sells his soul to the devil, (played by) me, to become the top drug dealer on the block," Rhames said.



Martin Lawrence Aboard Wild Hogs

Source: The Hollywood Reporter


Martin Lawrence (Big Momma's House 2) is joining John Travolta and Tim Allen in the Touchstone Pictures comedy Wild Hogs, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The film, to be directed by Walt Becker and produced by Tollin/Robbins, revolves around a group of frustrated middle-aged suburban biker wannabes who hit the open road in search of adventure only to encounter a real Hells Angels group.

Brad Copeland wrote the script. Filming is scheduled to start in April in New Mexico.



Haysbert, Fiennes & Kruger in Bafana

Source: Variety


Italy's Istituto Luce has boarded the Billie August-directed Goodbye Bafana, a South Africa-set drama rooted in the real-life rapport that Nelson Mandela developed during his incarceration with his white prison guard.

Variety reports shooting starts in South Africa in March on the $25 million film that Dennis Haysbert (24) and Joseph Fiennes will topline, with Diane Kruger also attached.

"Bafana" is being executive produced by David Wicht's Cape Town-based Film Afrika, and mounted as a South African-European co-production. Gaul's Ilann Girard's Arsam is the co-producer and the film is being sold by Celluloid Dreams.



News for 2/23/2006


Rhames Dives into 'Aquaman'


The last time Ving Rhames was a regular on network television, it was in a 1989 ABC drama called "Men." You'd be forgiven if you don't recall it -- it lasted only a month.

Rhames is considerably more well-known now, thanks to "Pulp Fiction" and the "Mission: Impossible" movies, among numerous other credits. He's also giving network TV another go, signing on to the "Aquaman" pilot at new network The CW.

The pilot, which has moved to The CW after originally being developed for The WB, will have Rhames playing a character named McCaffery, the showbiz trade papers report. He's a lighthouse keeper and a mentor to A.C. Curry (Will Toale), a twentysomething starting to discover his legacy.

Former Miss Universe Denise Quinones ("Freddie") has also joined the cast, playing a Navy pilot and potential love interest for the main character. Quinones has also guested on "Smallville," whose creators, Al Gough and Miles Millar, are also behind the Aquaman project (the title may change).

Rhames starred in USA's "Kojak" revival last year and also had a recurring role on "ER" in its first few seasons. His movie credits also include "Out of Sight," "Dawn of the Dead" and "Con Air"; he'll reprise his role as Luther Stickell in "Mission: Impossible III" later this year.



News for 2/20/2006


Weekend Boxoffice

'Eight Below' Mushes to No. 1 Debut

By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer


"Eight Below," a tale of survival among abandoned sled dogs, was the leader of the box-office pack with a $25 million opening over the four-day holiday weekend.

The romance spoof "Date Movie," from 20th Century Fox, debuted in second place with $22.3 million, according to studio estimates Monday.

"If you will, we won the dog race," said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney, which released "Eight Below."

The new movies bumped off Sony's "The Pink Panther," the previous weekend's No. 1 film, which slipped to third place with $21 million, raising its 11-day total to $46.7 million.

The weekend's other new wide release, Sony's urban drama "Freedomland" starring Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore, opened a weak No. 7 with $7 million.

In limited release, the Russian fantasy thriller "Night Watch," a huge hit in its native country, opened strongly with $110,171 in three theaters, averaging a whopping $36,724 a cinema. By comparison, "Eight Below" played in 3,066 theaters and averaged $8,164, while "Date Movie" averaged $7,709 in 2,896 cinemas.

Distributor Fox Searchlight plans to expand "Night Watch" to about 150 theaters by March 3.

Overall, Hollywood had a healthy weekend, with the top 12 movies taking in $135.9 million, down only a fraction from a strong President's Day weekend last year.

Like the previous weekend, when "The Pink Panther" drew a strong family crowd while New Line's fright flick "Final Destination 3" grabbed horror fans, the two top movies scored well with different target audiences.

Parents and their children accounted for about two-thirds of movie-goers catching "Eight Below," while four-fifths of the audience for "Date Movie" was under 25.

"By programming two films that aren't chasing the same audience, you can really build a pretty good weekend for two movies at the same time," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"Eight Below" stars Paul Walker as a guide in Antarctica forced by a killer storm to leave his sled-dog team behind in the frozen wasteland, where the animals must band together to survive the winter.

"Date Movie" features Alyson Hannigan and Adam Campbell in a "Scary Movie"-type parody of such romantic comedies as "Hitch," "Meet the Fockers" and "The Wedding Planner."

While "Eight Below" drew solid reviews, "Date Movie" was not screened for critics beforehand, a sign the studio knows a film will get bad reviews.

"Young teens and early twenty-somethings, and that is who this is geared for, critics aren't necessarily quite in tune with that crowd," said Chris Aronson, general sales manager for "Date Movie" distributor 20th Century Fox.

Focus Features' "Brokeback Mountain," the favorite to win the best-picture Academy Award, continued to benefit from its Oscar buzz, taking in $3.8 million to lift its total to $72 million.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Monday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Tuesday.

1. "Eight Below," $25 million.
2. "Date Movie," $22.3 million.
3. "The Pink Panther," $21 million.
4. "Curious George," $15.3 million.
5. "Final Destination 3," $12.5 million.
6. "Firewall," $10.3 million.
7. "Freedomland," $7 million.
8. "Big Momma's House 2," $5.85 million.
9. "When a Stranger Calls," $5.8 million.
10. "Nanny McPhee," $5.1 million.