News for 8/14/2003


Weekend Boxoffice


"S.W.A.T." Swats All Comers

By Bridget Byrne


S.W.A.T. copped the top spot.

The update of the '70s TV police drama clobbered the competition, earning an estimated $37 million between Friday and Sunday, according to preliminary studio estimates.

Another redo finished in second place: Freaky Friday, the remake of the '70s mom-daughter switcheroo comedy, snagged a solid $22.3 million over the weekend and has earned an estimated $33.2 million since opening Wednesday.

These rehash debuts took a deep slice out of last week's number one, American Wedding--the R-rated American Pie sequel tumbled 56 percent, falling to third with an estimated $15.1 million.

Sony's PG-13 S.W.A.T., starring Samuel L. Jackson, LL Cool J, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Farrell and disposable sidekicks in pursuit of heavily accented baddie Olivier Martinez, debuted at 3,202 sites. The action flick, helmed by veteran tube director Clark Johnson and featuring an update of the show's original theme song, attracted 29 percent of the weekend audience, averaging a nifty $11,555 per screen.

Disney's PG-rated Freaky Friday, starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis in the mixed-up roles first played in 1977 by Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris, opened in 2,954 sites. It attracted 17.5 percent of moviegoers, averaging a perky $7,549.

In limited release, Artisan's Step into Liquid, the surfer documentary by Dana Brown, whose dad Bruce made the classic in the genre, The Endless Summer, swept into just five sites, averaging a wave-making $27,000 for $135,000.

Fox Searchlight's Le Divorce, James Ivory's adaptation of a witty novel about modern love and starring Kate Hudson and Naomi Watts, opened in 34 sites, where it averaged $15,683 for $533,223.

Among the top 10, the movies continuing to sustain audience interest included Johnny Depp's swashbuckling Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which only dropped 30 percent in its fifth week, down only a slot to fourth place with an estimated $13.1 million. Its treasure chest is now filled with $232.8 million.

The horse drama Seabiscuit was also only down a slot to fifth place, losing just 33 percent of its previous week's audience. The equine speedster chalked up $11.9 million in winnings over the weekend to see its three-weeks tally swell to $69.5 million.

The top-grossing 'toon of all time, the fish comedy Finding Nemo, was down two spots to ninth place, but that was only a 35 percent fall-off from the previous week. For the Friday-Sunday period, Nemo netted another $2.5 million, pushing its overall 11-week catch to $324.8 million.

Meantime, governor wannabe Arnold's Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, dropped 46 percent, but somehow managed to remain in 10th place again in its sixth week, earning $1.6 million, to bring its overall total to a below-expectations $145.9 million.

But that's nothing compared to Gigli: In just its second week of release, Ben and Jen's disaster didn't even register on the chart.

Overall, the top 12 films grossed an estimated $127.3 million, down 3.2 percent from last week and 3.6 percent from this time last year.

1. S.W.A.T., $37 million
2. Freaky Friday, $22.3 million
3. American Wedding, $15.1 million
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, $13.1 million
5. Seabiscuit, $11.9 million
6. Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, $10.1 million
7. Bad Boys II, $6 million
8. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, $5.2 million
9. Finding Nemo, $2.5 million
10. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, $1.6 million



News for 8/10/2003


Celebs party in Aaliyah's honor


By James Endrst
Special for USA TODAY


BEL AIR, Calif. — The guest list was totally cool, and the tented tennis court was hot, hot, hot. Held high in the Los Angeles hills at the home of music legend Quincy Jones, Sunday's bash was a benefit for The Aaliyah Memorial Fund, established two years ago after the 22-year-old R&B star was killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas. About 250 celebrities, including Gwen Stefani, David Schwimmer, Brandy, Macy Gray and Jones' ex-wife, Peggy Lipton, waved away the heat with the help of party-favor fans and mingled and grooved at the dance, sponsored by Dior.

"(Aaliyah) was like my seventh daughter," said Jones, who has six daughters and a son.

"She had so much grace. That's why I just thought her so special — that such a young person always approached her creativity with humility and her success with such grace."

Aaliyah, who was best friends with Jones' daughter Kidada Nash, lived with Jones and his family for a time. As Jones later told assembled guests, Aaliyah was a major prankster — once she called Jones on the phone and pretended to be Christina Aguilera.

Aaliyah became an overnight success in 1994 with her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But a Number. Her third and final album, the self-titled Aaliyah, was released just a month before her death.

The Aaliyah Memorial Fund, which was created by the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a 60-year-old charitable organization, lends its support to research and other programs focusing on breast cancer and Alzheimer's.

Saturday Night Live regular Maya Rudolph, also a longtime friend of Kidada's, said she had come to the dance not only to remember Aaliyah but also because "I lost my mom (singer Minnie Ripperton) to breast cancer when I was 7, and I know that was one of the things Aaliyah was working for — how to raise money and awareness."

The Aaliyah Memorial Fund has distributed about $130,000 to a variety of organizations. No total was available on the money raised Sunday.

Aaliyah's brother, Rashad Haughton, said the dance was "a beautiful event."

"This is a reunion of all her friends and all the people that she touched," he said. "That's what all this is for — for her memory to live on eternally."



Gregory Hines, 57, Dies

By Adam Bernstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 10, 2003


Gregory Hines, 57, who won international acclaim as an exuberant and charming tap dancer, choreographer and actor, died Aug. 9 in Los Angeles. He had cancer.

Mr. Hines, who had performed on stage since childhood, was largely credited with reviving interest in tap dance for a generation weaned on rock and roll. His improvisational footwork dazzled, his smile was boyishly radiant and his stage persona as a sleepy-eyed sharpie added to his comic allure on film, television and, most notably, Broadway.

He worked closely with some of the greatest figures in dance, including Mikhail Baryshnikov. (Mr. Hines called him "Mike" Baryshnikov.) And he was a mentor in the 1980s to the teenage tap-dancing sensation Savion Glover; they starred together in the film "Tap" (1989).

Mr. Hines came from a family of showpeople. His paternal grandmother, Ora Hines, was a showgirl at Harlem's Cotton Club. His mother wanted her two sons, Gregory and Maurice, to emulate the success of the young dancing dynamos called the Nicholas Brothers.

The Hineses performed with their father in a tap-dancing act called "Hines, Hines and Dad" and, after a period of decline and withdrawal, Gregory Hines revived his career in the Broadway show "Eubie!" (1978).

"Eubie!," a celebration of Eubie Blake's popular songbook, brought Mr. Hines his first of five Tony Award nominations. He won the 1992 Tony for best actor as jazz icon "Jelly Roll" Morton in "Jelly's Last Jam," for which he also was nominated for his tap choreography.

He also had a leading role in the 1981 hit "Sophisticated Ladies," a revue that featured the music of Duke Ellington and ran two years on Broadway.

His starring film roles, including a too-driven dancer in Francis Ford Coppolla's "The Cotton Club" (1984), did not quite capture the spry spirit he channeled into his Broadway parts.

More typically he was cast in buddy movies, such as "Deal of the Century" (1983) with Chevy Chase, "White Nights" (1985) with Baryshnikov and "Running Scared" (1986) with Billy Crystal, and was the first choice to play opposite Nick Nolte in "48 Hours." Because of a Broadway scheduling conflict for Mr. Hines, Eddie Murphy instead got the part of a temporarily paroled street-smart hustler and became a movie powerhouse.

On camera, Mr. Hines sometimes seemed better-suited to smaller, character parts, such as the wisecracking Roman slave Josephus in Mel Brooks' "History of the World: Part I" (1981). He also had a memorable cameo in "Waiting to Exhale" (1995), lusting after his curvy neighbor.

He had his own short-lived CBS sitcom, "The Gregory Hines Show" (1997), playing a single father, and was a favorite guest-star on television series, including "Will & Grace."

He received several Emmy Award nominations, most recently in 2001 for his lead role as tap dancer Bill Robinson in the mini-series "Bojangles," and won a 1999 Daytime Emmy Award as the voice of "Big Bill" in the Bill Cosby animated TV series "Little Bill."

Gregory Oliver Hines was a New York native and through his family became well-connected with such dancing stars as "Honi" Coles, "Sandman" Sims and Teddy Hale at the Apollo Theater.

He told The Washington Post that his own style, more improvisational than his brother's, was very much derived from Hale. He said Hale made each performance different -- and dazzling.

"I could see this guy didn't have a routine, he just made it up as he went along," Mr. Hines said. "I was amazed. ... I thought to myself, 'This is what I want to do. I want to be Teddy Hale.' "

Gregory and Maurice danced at the Apollo and reached Broadway in 1954 with small parts in the Sigmund Romberg-Leo Robin musical "The Girl in Pink Tights" starring the French ballerina Jeanmaire. Gregory played a shoe-shine boy, his brother was a newspaper hawker.

Broadway tap choreographer Henry LeTang became the boys' coach, and they became a sensation around the globe, with Gregory doing the comedy to his brother's straight-man routine. To spend time with his sons, their father learned to play drums and became part of the act. All three made appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." They also played such venues as the London Palladium.

In the late-1960s, the brothers had a falling out over the direction of the act. They also saw tap dancing had largely lost its popular appeal.

"Tap had died, and we were doing lounge routines," Mr. Hines told the New York Daily News. "So I didn't dance for seven years. Didn't even own a pair of dance shoes."

Mr. Hines found himself drawn to the California counterculture and searched for some sort of spiritual awakening while working as a busboy, karate teacher and songwriter. One day in 1978 he decided to return East to reconcile with his brother.

They both landed parts in "Eubie!," which was being choreographed by their old mentor LeTang. The show ran for 439 performances.

He was next on Broadway as Scrooge in "Comin' Uptown," a musical-comedy version of "A Christmas Carol" set in Harlem. The show ended after 45 performances, with critics noting Mr. Hines's likeable persona did not necessarily suit Dickens' famously skinflint character. Still, the role earned him a Tony Award nomination for outstanding actor in a musical.

In the 1980s, as his film career began, he returned to New York to choreograph revues such as "Blues in the Night."

His most fruitful work of that era was "Sophisticated Ladies," which got off to a bad start when out of town critics panned its length and dull dialogue. Mr. Hines complained to the director and was fired; the cast rallied to Mr. Hines and the director was dismissed. The play was revamped as a more-intimate revue set in the Cotton Club heyday of the early Ellington band.

As his career continued in Hollywood, he told The Post, "I like to think of myself as an artist entertainer. But deep down inside, I think of myself as a tap-dancer."

"I mean, like whenever I go abroad, and they say, 'occupation,' I put down, 'tap-dancer.' I'm so proud of it, you know?"

His marriages to dance instructor Patricia Panella Hines and theatrical producer Pamela Koslow Hines ended in divorce.

Besides his father and brother, survivors include a daughter from the first marriage; a son from the second marriage; and a stepdaughter.

At his death, he was engaged to bodybuilder Negrita Jayde.



Study: Blacks, Latinos Landing More Acting Work

By Jesse Hiestand


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The number of roles for black and Latino actors increased last year, propelling the share of minority actors to record levels, according to an annual diversity report released Thursday.

Women over 40 also made gains, but Asian-Pacific Islanders and Native Americans stagnated or lost ground, said the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) study.

Together, the four racial minority groups accounted for 24.2% of all theatrical and television roles last year, a 2.1 percentage-point gain over 2001.

"We look forward to the day when all of the employment statistics truly reflect the American scene in realistic and positive ways," SAG president Melissa Gilbert said.

While only adding 39 roles, a gain of 1.1 percentage points, blacks accounted for 15.5% of all roles, exceeding the black population of the United States, which stands at a little less than 13%.

"It's encouraging to see an increase in the number and overall percentage of on-camera opportunities in film and television, but we still have a long way to go," said Kweisi Mfume, president and chief executive of the Natl. Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People. "The opportunity deficit that exists behind the camera still cries out for attention. In an absence of persons in key positions who can make real decisions or greenlight projects, progress is virtually nonexistent."

Latino actors got cast in 379 additional roles last year, bringing their share up to 6%, a 1.2 percentage-point increase that was largely attributed to advances in episodic television. Latinos account for 13.6% of the U.S. population.

"Are we satisfied with these gains? No," said Alex Nogales, president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition. "It's better than it has been, so I guess we should be a little bit grateful. But if you consider how far they have to go to be equitable with us, I still have to be strong about the fact that for us, it's been generations of actors we've lost because we haven't been able to find employment."

Native Americans' share dropped to 0.2% from 0.37%.

Asian-Pacific Islanders made no gains last year and still account for 2.5% of total roles.

"It's worse than what the numbers show because not only do we feel that the networks have not made significant, if any, progress on roles for Asian Americans, but we also believe that the quality of roles, which the SAG report doesn't cover, is also very bad," said Karen Narasaki, who chairs the Asian American Media Coalition. "At best, they are guest roles with the exception of a handful of shows."

Narasaki said her group, the NAACP and Latino and Native American groups are continuing to work with the networks to improve diversity on TV.

Said CBS in a statement: "There is still much progress to be made on diversity, and we are committed to doing so. But we are proud of our efforts so far, including our partnership with SAG on the Diversity Talent Showcases singled out in their report."

SAG also said it has enhanced its partnership with the ABC Entertainment Television Group through the ABC Casting Project, which gives people of diverse backgrounds an opportunity to showcase their talents to creative and casting executives of ABC Entertainment and Touchstone Television.

"We're so happy that we're part of a process that seeds the entertainment industry with some really great talent," said Carmen Smith, vp talent development at ABC Entertainment Television Group.

Added Fox Broadcasting Co.: "Fox is proud of our efforts to promote diversity both in our executive and creative ranks, and we will continue to strive for improvement in the future."

The report, based on all television and theatrical productions (excluding commercials and animation) reported to the guild via casting data reports, also breaks down the numbers by gender and age.

Women 40 and over got 29% of all female roles, a 2 percentage-point increase over last year. At the same time, women received 38% of all roles, while they represent more than half of the U.S. population. The latter statistic has not changed much in recent years, and men were said to work 68% more days than women.

About 72% of roles go to those under the age of 40, and older women were found to face greater challenges than older men in finding roles.



News for 8/4/2003


Weekend Boxoffice


'American Wedding' Tops Box Office

By Anthony Breznican
AP Entertainment Writer


LOS ANGELES –– If the weekend's top movie – "American Wedding" – glowed like a happy newlywed, then you could say the critically reviled "Gigli" stumbled like an ugly bridesmaid.

The third film in the raunchy "American Pie" sex comedies, "American Wedding" collected $34.3 million to debut at No. 1, according to studio estimates Sunday. The film did well despite mixed reviews and the loss of some cast members from the previous two films – Shannon Elizabeth, Mena Suvari, Chris Klein and Tara Reid.

"American Wedding" stars Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan as oddball sweethearts Jim and Michelle, whose marriage festivities are ruined by the antics of loudmouth Stifler, played by Seann William Scott.

The movie opened with about $11 million less than 2001's "American Pie 2" but about $15 million more than the 1999 original.

"That's a pretty good showing when sequels have been underwhelming this summer," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co.

The Ben Affleck-Jennifer Lopez movie "Gigli" debuted dismally following weeks of toxic buzz and near-unanimous critical revulsion. The comedy about a gangster who falls in love with a lesbian rival during a kidnapping earned $3.8 million.

"This is not a shock," said Tom Sherak, a partner in Revolution Studios, which produced "Gigli" for Sony Pictures Entertainment.

He said constant gossip and tabloid and TV coverage of Affleck and Lopez's real-life romance may have created a backlash against the picture. "I've seen a lot worse movies," Sherak said.

"Hey, is it the best movie ever made? Ehh, I don't think so. ... Other movies have gotten ravaged by critics and have opened up at least OK. It was more than that," he said.

Although Affleck and Lopez already have completed another movie together – writer-director Kevin Smith's "Jersey Girl" – the foul reception of "Gigli" may end the couple's working relationship.

"They'll continue to be big stars, and chances are they will not work together again – and they shouldn't, by the way," Sherak said. "You move on. Look, the picture cost $54 million. So everyone is going to get hurt a bit."

Ticket sales for the year's highest-grossing movie, "Finding Nemo," fell by only 13 percent in its 10th week. It earned $3.8 million, for a total of $320 million, and tied for seventh place with "Gigli."

Meanwhile, the horseracing drama "Seabiscuit" expanded its run by 434 theaters, coming in fourth with $17.5 million, for a total of $49 million. It lost only 16 percent of its audience in its second weekend. Most movies lose about 40 percent.

The top 12 movies earned $133 million, down 6 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Signs" was the top movie with $60.1 million. Weekend revenues this summer generally have trailed those of last year.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

1. "American Wedding," $34.3
2. "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over," $20.1 million
3. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," $19.1 million.
4. "Seabiscuit," $17.5 million.
5. "Bad Boys II," $12.7 million.
6. "Lara Croft: Tomb raider – The Cradle of Life," $11.3 million.
7. (tie) "Finding Nemo," $3.8 million.
7. (tie) "Gigli," $3.8 million.
9. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," $3.2 million.
10. "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," $2.9 million.



News for 7/29/2003


K.D. Aubert Jumps Aboard MGM's Soul Plane

From The Hollywood Reporter


K.D. Aubert (Hollywood Homicide) has landed the female lead in the Jessy Terrero-directed urban comedy Soul Plane, which MGM is distributing.

The film is about Dakwon (Kevin Hart), a young man who parlays a $600 million lawsuit into his own urban airline. During the maiden flight, the Hunkee family, headed by Tom Arnold, is mistakenly rerouted from another airline and put on the airline's maiden flight only to find they are the only white people on board.

Aubert will portray Giselle, Dakwon's former flame and passenger on the airline's maiden flight. Also joining the cast is Loni Love as a security guard alongside Mo'Nique.



Serena Williams Gets Part on Showtime


By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Serena Williams will play a reformed gang member on parole in an Oct. 1 episode of the Showtime series "Street Time."

"As a fan of `Street Time,' I told myself that if given the opportunity, I'd love to be on the show," Williams said Wednesday. "I am taking this role very seriously, because I want to excel and because I have respect for the series."

The world's top-ranked women's tennis player had the role created for her, said Richard Stratton, the cable show's co-executive producer.

"Anyone that has seen Serena perform on the tennis court understands her commitment to being the best," he said. "We are confident that she will bring that same type of energy and devotion to `Street Time.'"

Williams has appeared in TV commercials with her sister, Venus, and played a kindergarten teacher last year in an episode of the ABC sitcom "My Wife and Kids."

"Street Time," starring Rob Morrow, begins its second season Aug. 6.



Weekend Boxoffice

"Spy Kids 3-D" Pops into First

By Bridget Byrne


There was a whole new dimension to the box-office race this weekend.

Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over popped off the screen and into first place, tallying $33.4 million to easily outplay the two other new entries, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider--The Cradle of Life and Seabiscuit.

While the Spy Kids sequel was clearly the top earner, the race for runner-up was a four-way photo finish, with less than $2 million dollars separating second through fifth place.

When the smoke cleared Monday with the release of final studio tallies, the surprisingly buoyant high-seas romp Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl laid claim to second place for a second straight week, plundering $23.1 million. Last week's champ, Bad Boys II, dropped sharply but is currently in third with $22.1 million, edging out the Tomb Raider sequel ($21.8 million in fourth) and Seabiscuit ($20.9 million in fifth).

While the equine-friendly flick didn't contend for the overall lead, it did triumph in the per-screen derby, averaging $10,496 from just 1,989 locations. As for the other newbies, both of which opened in way more theaters, Spy Kids averaged $9,993 at 3,344 sites, while Tomb Raider dug up just $6,761 per screen average at 3,222.

While Seabiscuit and company jockeyed for position, Spy Kids 3-D toasted its victory. The film, which puts the now adolescent Cortez kids, their family, friends and foes into an eye-popping three-dimensional virtual-reality videogame (and requires filmgoers to don special 3-D specs), attracted nearly 23 percent of the weekend audience.

The PG Dimension release, which filmmaker Robert Rodriguez says in the last in the franchise, scored better than both its predecessors: The original Spy Kids opened with $26.5 million on its way to a domestic haul of $112.6 million; the 2002 sequel Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams debuted with $18.7 million debut and grossed $85.5 million.

Speaking of videogame movies, Angelina Jolie's second Lara Croft installment could have used a do-over. The Paramount film, about the curvaceous butt-kicking archeologist, fizzled in a crowded market, opening with half of the 2001 original Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which debuted in 2001 with $47.7 million and racked up $131.1 million.

Universal's PG-13 Seabiscuit, based on Laura Hillenbrand's bestselling true story of an unlikely horse champion and his equally unlikely handlers, drew 14 percent of the total box office. Gary Ross' Oscar-eyeing version of the Depression-era four-legged phenom stars humans Jeff Bridges, William H. Macy, Tobey Maguire, Chris Cooper and real-life jockey Gary Stevens. Universal, naturally, claims this horse has legs and is confident the film will keep drawing an older audience as word of mouth builds. "The picture is in for the long distance," studio distribution chief Nikki Rocco told the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, Bad Boys II suffered the fate that has befallen many of this summer's brief headline grabbers. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's buddy cop sequel dropped a very bad 53 percent from its first place opening last week, averaging $6,887 per screen at 3,202 sites to bring its total to $88.5 million.

In contrast, Johnny Depp's pirate lark, based on Disney's theme park ride, only fell 32 percent in its third week, pillaging $6,773 per screen at 3,416 sites. It has grossed $176.8 million so far.

A bunch of movies opened in limited release. Attracting the most headlines was Masked and Anonymous, starring Bob Dylan and several real thespians, including Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges, in a rambling fable about troubled times. The Sony Pictures Classic release, which opened Thursday, averaged $7,696 per screen at just four sites for $30,783.

But another music-minded flick actually did better. Camp, the story of a souped-up summer band camp, averaged a whopping $18,098 at three sites for a total of $54,294 for distributor IFC Films.

The long-delayed Miramax release Buffalo Soldiers, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Scott Glenn and Ed Harris in a story of angst and corruption in the Army, finally debuted in six locations, where it averaged $5,163 per screen for $30,977.

Fox Searchlight's import Lucia, Lucia, starring Cecilia Roth as a woman embroiled in a midlife romantic crisis, averaged only $1,444 at 49 sites for $70,773. Lions Gate's import Mondays in the Sun, about a Spanish shipbuilder (Javier Bardem) suffering a midlife work crisis, averaged a considerably better $3,200 at just seven sites for $22,401.

Finally, Hotel, Mike Figgis' improvisational film about cannibals in a Euro hotel with a cast that includes Salma Hayek, Lucy Liu, John Malkovich and David Schwimmer, averaged $6,420 at two theaters for $12,840.

Overall, the top 12 movies for this 31st weekend of the box-office year grossed $147 million, about 7 percent more than last weekend, and up 11 percent over this time last year.

Here's a recap of the top 10, as compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, $33.4 million
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, $23.1 million
3. Bad Boys II, $22.1 million
4. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider--The Cradle of Life, $21.8 million
5. Seabiscuit, $20.9 million
6. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, $5.07 million
7. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, $5.06 million
8. Finding Nemo, $4.4 million
9. Johnny English, $4.3 million
10. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, $2.7 million



News for 7/23/2003


Don Cheadle Makes 'Crash' Landing

By Zorianna Kit


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Actor Don Cheadle, nominated just last week for an Emmy Award, will star in the big-screen ensemble drama "Crash," which is set to begin production in the fall with director Paul Haggis at the helm.

The project reunites Cheadle with Bull's Eye Entertainment and financial backer Status Film Co., both of which were involved in his upcoming directorial debut, "Tishomingo Blues."

That film is in pre-production with Cheadle also starring alongside Matthew McConaughey, with Section Eight Films producing.

"Crash," written by Haggis and Bobby Moresco, is described as being in the style of "Pulp Fiction" and "Traffic." It follows a multiethnic cast through the streets of Los Angeles as they careen in and out of one another's lives.

Cheadle and Haggis will share in production credits for the film.

"'Crash' is one of the most stylistic screenplays I have ever read, and we are fortunate enough to have secured Don Cheadle, one of the strongest actors of his generation, as our lead," Bull's Eye principal and producer Cathy Schulman said. "Paul Haggis has a great vision for the story, and we can't wait to begin shooting."

Cheadle nabbed an Emmy nomination last week for his guest appearance on "ER" as a medical student suffering from multiple sclerosis. He is in production on the indie feature "The Assassination of Richard Nixon."

Haggis is best known for his work on television's "thirtysomething," "Due South" and "Family Law."



News for 7/22/2003


Martin Lawrence Coaching DreamWorks' 'Rage'


By Zorianna Kit

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - After teaming with Will Smith in the current No. 1 film at the box office, "Bad Boys II," Martin Lawrence is shifting gears for his next project by closing a deal to star in the family comedy "Rage Control" for DreamWorks Pictures.

The project, which is out to directors, aims to go into production in January.

Written by Ed Decter and John Strauss, "Rage" will star Lawrence as a legendary college basketball coach who, after a public meltdown, is forced to coach a losing junior varsity team.

Decter and Strauss, who worked with "Rage" producer Robert Simonds on "Head Over Heels," most recently penned "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" and "The Santa Clause 2."

The Robert Simonds Co. currently is in postproduction on 20th Century Fox's "Cheaper by the Dozen," starring Steve Martin.



Raven Flexes Tween Power as Disney 'Girl'


By Josh Spector

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Since it no longer counts Hilary Duff in its talent lineup, the Walt Disney Co. is determined to create a new "tween" star and is anointing Raven, the 17-year-old actress who got her start as a 3-year-old on "The Cosby Show," as its newest big-screen debutante.

Raven, star of the highly rated Disney Channel series "That's So Raven," will try to build on her TV success for Disney by starring in the feature comedy "Disney's All-American Girl."

Produced by Debra Martin Chase ("The Princess Diaries"), "All-American Girl" is based on the best-selling novel from "The Princess Diaries" author Meg Cabot. Raven will star as a young girl who inadvertently saves the life of the president of the United States and becomes a national hero.

Jennie Biggs adapted the novel, and Allison Burnett is working on a rewrite. Raven's father, Chris Pearman, is executive producing.

By casting Raven in the high-profile "All-American Girl," Disney is positioning her as its potential new queen of the tween audience, filling the void created when Duff, another Disney Channel series-turned-movie star, split with the company earlier this summer.

Duff made a name for herself playing "Lizzie McGuire" on both TV and in a Disney feature, "The Lizzie McGuire Movie," which opened April 26 and went on to gross $41 million.

However, when the studio tried to sign Duff to a new overall deal that would have included both television and film commitments, negotiations broke down, and the studio and star parted ways.

Raven, who previously was known as Raven-Symone, got an early start in front of the camera when she joined the cast of NBC's hit comedy "The Cosby Show" in 1989. She has gone on to become one of the most popular faces on the Disney Channel, with her series ranking second only to "Lizzie McGuire" with kids aged 6 to 11.

Raven also lends her voice to the channel's animated hit series "Kim Possible" and is starring in the upcoming musical TV movie "Cheetah Girls," also being produced by Chase.

While "All-American Girl" marks Raven's feature starring debut, she has previously appeared on the big screen in "Doctor Dolittle" and "The Little Rascals."

She also recently signed a record deal with Walt Disney Records and will sing three songs on an upcoming "That's So Raven" soundtrack in addition to releasing her own solo album next year. Additionally, Raven will likely contribute a song to the "All-American Girl" soundtrack.



Weekend Boxoffice


'Bad Boys II' Takes Custody of Box Office


By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer


LOS ANGELES - Bad boys old and new ruled the box office.

The buddy-cop flick "Bad Boys II" debuted at No. 1 with $46.7 million, trailed by last weekend's top film, the buccaneer adventure "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," with $33.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The weekend's other new wide releases had so-so debuts. Rowan Atkinson's spy comedy "Johnny English," already a $100-million hit overseas, opened in fourth place with $9.3 million. Mandy Moore's teen melodrama "How to Deal" premiered at No. 8 with $5.8 million.

In limited release, director Stephen Frears' "Dirty Pretty Things" opened strongly with $101,000 in five theaters. Starring Audrey Tautou in a dark thriller about a human-organ black market centered at a London hotel, the film expands to more theaters Aug. 1.

The overall box office surged, with the top 12 movies taking in $137.6 million, up 33 percent from the same weekend last year, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. Weekend revenues generally have trailed last year's, with the summer box office about 2 percent behind 2002's.

The weekend was a one-two punch for blockbuster baron Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced both "Bad Boys II" and "Pirates of the Caribbean."

"To take the No. 1 and 2 positions, which I don't think any producer has ever done in history, it's spectacular," said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney, which released "Pirates of the Caribbean."

"Bad Boys II" reunited Bruckheimer, director Michael Bay and stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, the team behind 1995's action comedy "Bad Boys." By the end of its first week, "Bad Boys II" should pass the $65.8 million total gross of the original movie, said Jeff Blake, vice chairman at Sony Pictures, which released both flicks.

The sequel pits Smith and Lawrence's trash-talking police partners against an Ecstasy-smuggling ring. The movie overcame harsh reviews from critics, with many calling the action mean-spirited and the violence too far over the top.

"It's anything but a mean-spirited picture," Blake said. "Clearly, the public is having a lot of fun with it. It is over-the-top action, but it's got so many laughs."

"Pirates of the Caribbean" pushed its 12-day total to $132.2 million and is on the way to becoming the year's fifth movie to top $200 million.

The year's top-grossing movie, the animated fish tale "Finding Nemo," had a $7.3 million weekend to cross the $300 million mark.

1. "Bad Boys II," $46.7 million.
2. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," $33.3 million.
3. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," $10.1 million.
4. "Johnny English," $9.3 million.
5. "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," $9.2 million.
6. "Finding Nemo," $7.3 million.
7. "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde," $6.1 million.
8. "How to Deal," $5.8 million.
9. "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," $3.7 million.
10. "28 Days Later," $2.55 million.



News for 7/17/2003


Rags-To-Riches Tale Good Biz for Will Smith

By Chris Gardner


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Columbia Pictures has acquired the "Chris Gardner Project," based on the rags-to-riches story of a Chicago businessman.

The project is being developed as a starring vehicle for Will Smith, whose Sony-based banner Overbrook Entertainment will produce with Escape Artists.

Gardner's story, which aired as a segment on ABC's "20/20" in January, has gained national attention and was hotly pursued by several Hollywood producers and studios, sources said. It is a real-life tale of survival over life's toughest challenges. After a chain of circumstances left Gardner jobless and homeless at age 30, he found himself and his baby son living in a bathroom at a San Francisco train station.

Despite the negative situation, Gardner continued to fight toward his goal of becoming a broker, eventually landing a job as a trainee and rising through the ranks at such companies as Dean Witter and Bear Stearns to his current standing -- partner and owner of the Chicago-based minority brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co. and self-made millionaire. Now dividing his time between the Windy City and Manhattan, Gardner said by phone Tuesday that he's taking the movie deal in stride.

"I'm really focused on my day-to-day business right now," said Gardner, who is also working on several book projects. "All of this other stuff will happen as it does." However, he does have a few more questions to ask about the development of his life story after having had dinner with "Catch Me If You Can's" real-life focus Frank Abagnale on Tuesday night in New York.

"There's not a whole lot of guys that you can pick up the phone and talk to who have been in this type of situation," Gardner said. "We really hit it off, and I've got nothing but more questions to ask."

The project will be written by Steve Conrad -- who also wrote Escape Artists' "The Weatherman." Escape Artists also produced real-life tale "Antwone Fisher" for Fox Searchlight.

Smith stars in Columbia's "Bad Boys II," which opens this weekend.



Harper, Lyonne Coming to 'America'

By Chris Gardner


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hill Harper and Natasha Lyonne are set for lead roles in the indie coming-of-age drama "America Brown." Paul Black is directing from his own script.

Currently shooting in New York, the project centers on a young West Texas quarterback (Ryan Kwanten) and his relationship with a priest in New York (Harper). Lyonne and Elodie Bouchez play the women who develop important relationships with the two men.

Harper recently filmed a recurring role on Showtime's "Soul Food" and a guest spot on HBO's "The Sopranos." He will soon star in the CBS drama "The Handler" opposite Joe Pantoliano.

Lyonne stars in "Die, Mommie, Die" and "Party Monster," both currently screening at Outfest. She next stars in "Max and Grace."

Kwanten most recently starred on the small screen in "The Junction Boys." Bouchez nabbed the best actress trophy at Cannes in 1998 for her work in "La vie revee des anges."



Franklin Ready to Raise Gavel on 'Emperor'

By Zorianna Kit


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Carl Franklin is in discussions to direct the legal thriller "Emperor of Ocean Park," based on Stephen Carter's novel of the same name.

The Warner Bros. project would be Franklin's fourth feature film based on a novel after previous efforts with "High Crimes," "One True Thing" and "Devil in a Blue Dress," the latter of which he also adapted for the big screen.

Stephen Schiff ("True Crime") adapted "Emperor," which is about a black law professor who gets caught up in a deadly game while investigating the mysterious death of his father, a legendary conservative judge.

Franklin recently wrapped shooting the MGM thriller "Out of Time," a project that reunited him with "Devil in a Blue Dress" star Denzel Washington.



Smith Hopes Berry & Lopez Will Join Upcoming Projects

Source: USA Today


While talking to the USA Today about Bad Boys II, Will Smith dropped some hints as to who he'd like to see as his co-stars for his upcoming films.

Smith says he's "just waiting for Halle (Berry) to agree" to do The Last First Kiss. He also dismissed published reports that Jennifer Lopez was signed for the film.

Instead, he says, he and Lopez are considering several other projects, including a remake of A Star is Born.



A Slow Burn for Mekhi Phifer & Taye Diggs

Source: Variety


Mekhi Phifer and Taye Diggs will star in GreeneStreet Films' Slow Burn, joining previously announced leads Ray Liotta and LL Cool J in the sexy thriller, which started shooting July 5 in Montreal for screenwriter-turned-director Wayne Beach.

The female lead is Jolene Blalock, star of TV's Enterprise, in her first film role. Also joining the cast is Chiwetel Ejiofor, along with Guy Torry and Bruce McGill, both of whom appear in Fox's upcoming John Grisham adaptation Runaway Jury.

"Burn" centers on an ambitious district attorney who's drawn into a 24-hour showdown with a powerful gang leader while he's being manipulated by his beautiful assistant DA and an enigmatic stranger.



Mya Will Dance with Gere and Lopez

Source: Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith


High-flying diva Mya will join Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez for a small role in their currently lensing Shall We Dance? in Canada for about 10 days, at the beginning next month.

Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Bobby Cannavale, Lisa Ann Walter, Broadway veteran Deborah Yates, Nick Cannon and Richard Jenkins star in the Miramax remake of the 1996 Japanese feature of the same name.

The film follows a businessman (Gere) who takes ballroom dancing lessons to impress a beautiful young dance teacher (Lopez). Peter Chelsom is directing the script by Audrey Wells.



Jamie Foxx Joins Tom Cruise in Collateral

Source: Variety


Director Michael Mann has set Jamie Foxx to star with Tom Cruise in Collateral, the Stuart Beattie-scripted DreamWorks drama that will shoot in October.

Foxx will play Max, a failed comedy writer whose mundane existence as an L.A. cab driver takes a dramatic turn when he picks up a contract killer and is forcibly pressed into service as his chauffeur on a series of hits.

Since Cruise agreed to play the villain role before doing Mission: Impossible 3, Mann has searched carefully for the right companion because the film's core is the relationship between the two men.

The film will shoot around the Los Angeles area.