BITS AND PIECES 03/06 Part 2
PUSSSYKATT
--Hollywood actor Billy Bob Thornton is set to bring the work of classic
novelist Ernest Hemingway to life in a new movie. The Monster's Ball star has
teamed up with the writer's granddaughter, Manhattan star Mariel Hemingway, to
secure foreign financing for an independent production of A Moveable Feast,
Hemingway's memoir-based novel of 1920 expatriates in Paris. Mariel, who hopes
to start shooting the film later this year, will make it her directorial debut,
while Thornton, she says, has only confirmed he will be producing at this
stage. The film will join two of Hemingway's best-known novels now in
development at Hollywood's movie studios: For Whom The Bell Tolls and To Have
And Have Not at Warner Brothers and Focus Features respectively.
--Rock matriarch Sharon Osbourne is winning her battle with cancer. After an
extensive bout of chemotherapy, to treat her colon cancer, that ended last
month, the wife of bat-munching rocker Ozzy Osbourne was last night waiting for
final hospital tests that could give her the all clear. Sharon told talk show
host Larry King, "I'm hopeful of getting the all clear. I feel great. I have
been feeling helpless because it is the first time in my life that I have not
felt well. I now know what it is like to suffer great pain and I know what
millions of people around the world have been going through. I'm one of them."
Sharing a spot on last night's show with Sharon, former Black Sabbath star Ozzy
paid tribute to his wife. He said, "The pain and the suffering she has been
through in the past nine months has been amazing. She is amazing. I call her
the unstoppable Sharon."
--Top actor Ethan Hawke has already turned his hand to writing novels - now
he's scheduled to perform a series of American plays in Ireland. Dead Poets
Society star Hawke will be the main attraction at the Americana festival taking
place at the Abbey in Dublin - the National Theatre of Ireland. He will be
appearing in a reading of Sam Shepard's The Late Henry Moss. Hawke - who's
married to blonde bombshell Uma Thurman - won critical acclaim for his novel
Ash Wednesday, as well as for his film work.
Las Vegas Review-Journal/NORM CLARKE
--Sonny King, former sidekick of Frank, Dean and Sammy, will be honored April
28 by the Nevada state Legislature for his "lifetime contribution as an
entertainer in the state of Nevada and throughout the world." A state
resolution will be presented by Sen. Majority Leader Bill Raggio of Reno. King,
still performing as he nears his 77th on April 1, was Jimmy Durante's partner
for 28 years. He roomed with Dean Martin for more than six years in New York
City before moving to Las Vegas. "We stayed at the Bryant Hotel on 54th
Street," King recalled. "They put out a plaque that said, `Dean Martin and
Sonny King lived here and never paid the rent.' That's not quite true; we would
sing at all their functions in lieu of the rent." A Las Vegas resident since
1955, King ran with the Rat Pack and performed as a singer-comedian at most of
the major properties during the Strip's golden era. He started at the Sahara,
moved to the Sands, worked at the Thunderbird with Dinah Washington and Sarah
Vaughan, received top billing at The Top of the Dunes, spent many years at the
Desert Inn with Durante and finished at the Frontier and the Stardust. Raggio
and King go back many decades. "I introduced Bill and his late wife to Frank
(Sinatra) and they became immediate great friends," said King, a fixture at the
Bootlegger, owned by Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt. "When Frank Jr., was kidnapped,
Bill was the district attorney and stayed at Frank's side the whole time and
was very prominent on that case. And Frank never forgot it."
--Word on the Strip has Charo sending out feelers for a new venue after
"Sevilla's" slow start in the two months since opening at the Aladdin. ...
--James Caan is being pursued to play the lead in that NBC pilot about a Las
Vegas casino surveillance expert. Nikki Cox, star of the short-lived sitcom
"Nikki," has been cast along with Josh Duhamel, who played heart throb Leo Du
Pres on "All My Children." ...
--Michael Minden is fast becoming the jeweler of the reality wedding shows.
Three years ago he fashioned the ring that Darva Conger got on "Who Wants to
Marry a Multi-Millionaire." Now Minden is supplying the engagement and wedding
rings for Fox's new show "Married by America." Look for him on "Extra."
--Ed McMahon, at The Orleans, working on pre-production for a TV pilot called
"Best Bets Extravaganza." He turns 80 today. ...
--At ShoWest Tuesday night before the Disney/Pixar screening of "Finding Nemo"
(one of their big summer releases, from the studio that brought you "Toy
Story"), Robert Goulet, performing "You've Got a Friend in Me" with "the
fabulous Disney dancers!"...
--Jessica Biel, who played a preacher's daughter on WB's "7th Heaven" show, has
plans to celebrate her 21st birthday at Light (Bellagio) this weekend. ...
E! ONLINE...by Josh Grossberg
--ABC is set to pocket a record $78.3 million in ad spending for its March 23
Academy Awards telecast. The network reportedly will rake in an average of
$1.35 million for a 30-second spot, up from $1.29 million last year.
--Norah Jones, Ben Harper and Mark Knopfler set to topline the 24th annual
Montreal Jazz Festival, which runs from June 26 to July 6. Jones will perform
on July 2.
--Kentucky congressman Hal Rogers adding his voice to a list of Southern
politicians protesting CBS' plans for a reality series based on The Beverly
Hillbillies, arguing that putting a poor, rural family into a Beverly Hills
mansion is an attempt to "earn cheap laughs and big bucks at the expense of
rural Americans."
--Ben Affleck, James Cameron, Sean Astin, special effects guru Stan Winston,
and the late cinematographer Conrad Hall among the artists featured in a
72-second public service announcement produced by 20th Century Fox on educating
the public about digital piracy. The ad will run in theater chains nationwide.
--Apple Computers and the major record labels joining forces to start an online
music subscription service within several weeks to allow Netizens to buy and
download digital music for their Macintosh or iPod.
--Hollywood developing a movie based on the hit Broadway musical, Urinetown, a
darkly comic spoof of theater conventions following oppressed masses who rise
up against the capitalist ruling class in a post-apocalyptic world where people
must pay to urinate.
--NBC launching The Legend of Butch and Sundance, a new series for the tube
which will follow the characters immortalized in 1969's Paul Newman-Robert
Redford classic western, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
--Comic legend Jerry Lewis telling the Kansas City Star he'd like to be
remembered for his 1963 classic, The Nutty Professor, which he contends is the
crowning achievement in his 40-plus years in show business.
By Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith
--Josh Brolin has wrapped work on "Mister Sterling." Perhaps forever. Says the
actor who stars as an idealistic U.S. senator in the critically acclaimed frosh
NBC drama, "The last episode airs March 14, and I have absolutely no idea if it
will be renewed because reality TV has become such a thing." He say of the
latter, "Yes, it's truly one of the curses of our civilization, and it won't
last, I don't think. But it's infiltrating everything at this point." It's
reached the point, he says, "where networks want to see huge ratings for
scripted series. It's even harder for new dramas, and if they're not gigantic
hits at the beginning, there's not a great chance for them to come back." He is
holding out hope for his show because, "It has gotten such a good response and
has done better than anything else in its time slot." He adds, "To not bring it
back would be a shame because people should at least be able to dream that
someone like Mister Sterling does exist." If the series is renewed, it will
start second-season production in July. Until then? "I might do a play back
East or a movie," he says. And how would that work into the schedule of his
love, actress Diane Lane? "We're both very family oriented, and we just always
manage to find a way to be together. I've heard that you can't have a career
and a relationship, too - and I don't believe it. Two people can alternate work
assignments, or you can work once a year and still have a strong career." Right
now, he says, Diane is "dealing with all that Oscar stuff" as she prepares for
the March 23 Academy Awards. Josh, of course, will be with her on that night
when she could take home best-actress honors. As for other nights, "We always
work things out. If I go to my ranch for a few days, we'll meet halfway. I'm
driving there today, and before I'm even out of the house we're already making
plans to make sure we'll be together."
--"Dragnet" co-star Ethan Embry found himself in the middle of some real action
the other day, when, as he relates, "There was a big commotion down the street
from me - then I saw a guy run right by my kitchen window. Then I saw a cop car
rolling by, and I ran out and said, 'Hey, if you guys are looking for someone,
I think he just ran by.' And one of them said, 'Hop in, Dragnet.' " And off
they went to catch the suspect. As it happened, he eluded them. "So we sat in
the car and talked about the show and L.A. for a while." The up-and-comer
candidly admits that prior to the series his experience with police mostly
consisted of "running away from them. I was an L.A. punk, you know?" In fact,
his inspiration for his audition wasn't the original "Dragnet," which he's
never seen. It was "the '70s retro cop thing" seen in the Beastie Boys' video
"Sabotage." Embry says he's "had a few mohawks. I have a few holes in my ears,
in my nose ..."
--Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Wilmer Valderrama and Colin Hanks had a
scary plane trip home from a Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, according
to a report in the upcoming issue of Us. The private jet reportedly experienced
"crazy" turbulence, resulting in a loss of cabin pressure. "The oxygen masks
came down, but a lot of them weren't working. It was scary as hell," the
magazine quotes a source. Things reportedly got so rough, the plane had to make
an emergency landing in El Paso, Texas, where the shaken troupe was transferred
to another private jet for the final leg of their trip back home.
--Celine Dion won't have the luxury of any margin of error on her March 26 CBS
special - it's being beamed live. "I love live shows," says producer Pierre
Cossette, the man best known for bringing us the Grammy Awards each year and
who has worked with the Canadian songstress on her last two specials. "We
produce them in real time anyway; that is, we don't stop tape between takes and
setups as they used to do. If it's 47 minutes of show, we do 47 minutes of show
- straight through - and capture all the excitement." Cossette and Dion are
meeting this week about the content of the show, while he's juggling in
appearances on behalf of his new, highly amusing "Another Day in Showbiz"
autobiography. Cossette also has two Broadway shows in the works: "The Woody
Guthrie Story," an ensemble musical featuring the wealth of great songs by
Guthrie, and "The Mario Lanza Story."
ASSOCIATED PRESS....
--Andy Richter could soon be moving to the CBS universe. The comedic actor has
signed on to star opposite Monica Potter ("Patch Adams") in "Lunchbox
Chronicles," a sitcom about a widow raising two young kids. Richter will play
her adorable best friend. Richter is in second position on the project, since
Fox has not yet decided the fate of its critically acclaimed laffer "Andy
Richter Controls the Universe." While prospects for the show don't look good --
Fox pulled it for the February sweeps and it didn't return this week to its
9:30 p.m. Sunday slot as planned -- there's always a chance the network could
have a change of heart and order more episodes. In addition to "Lunchbox,"
Richter has signed on for a small voiceover role in the CBS pilot "Harry's
Girl." He'll contribute the voice of a dog who narrates the show. Richter first
gained national attention 10 years ago this September as sidekick to Conan
O'Brien on NBC's "Late Night." While some critics were initially harsh in their
assessment of Richter, he soon was seen as an integral part of the broadcast
thanks to a slew of remote segments and regular features like "In the Year
2000." He has parts in several features scheduled for release later this year.
--INDIANA, Pa. - Comedian-impressionist Rich Little will receive the 2003
Harvey Award from the James M. Stewart Museum Foundation on March 27. The award
is given annually to someone associated with Stewart whom the foundation judges
to have continued the actor's tradition in the performing arts. Little, 64, has
often impersonated Stewart. Past winners include June Allyson, Janet Leigh,
Shirley Jones and Ernest Borgnine. Stewart, who died in 1997 at 89, starred in
the 1950 film "Harvey," in which his character, Elwood P. Dowd, befriends an
invisible rabbit named Harvey. The award depicts a lamppost like the one in the
film, where Dowd meets Harvey. The museum is based in Stewart's Pennsylvania
hometown, Indiana, about 45 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
--In his first film since 1999's "Three Kings," David O. Russell is moving
quickly to mount a comedy on existentialism. He's got Mark Wahlberg, Gwyneth
Paltrow, Jude Law, Jason Schwartzman, Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin and Catherine
Deneuve lining up to join him. Russell hopes to shoot in June in Los Angeles.
"It's an ensemble comedy centering around a married couple," Russell said.
"They are detectives who solve existential crises for people. It was an idea of
mine that I wrote with Jeff Baena." The picture's working title is "I Love
Huckabee's," employing the symbol of a heart for the word love. Russell would
not explain the significance of Huckabee's, but evidently the concept is a
strong one, because he is flirting with that cast on a film whose budget is
less than $20 million. "We will be trying to work out favored-nations deals,"
Russell said. The film's tone is closer to his 1996 Miramax film "Flirting With
Disaster," than it is to his WB film "Three Kings." Russell has aligned Miramax
and Warner Bros. in a co-production scenario that is still coming together. The
plan is for WB to take the creative lead and foreign territories, while Miramax
handles domestic distribution.
--Dimension Films has signed a multipicture acting deal with Anthony Anderson,
who first gained attention as one of Jim Carrey's three sons in "Me, Myself &
Irene." The Miramax arm preemptively purchased a pitch with the actor attached
to star and enlisted him in its upcoming spoof sequel "Scary Movie 3," which
starts shooting later this month. The comedy pitch is based on a story by
Anderson and his business partner Adam Glass, who will pen the screenplay.
Anderson's other feature credits include "Barbershop," "Kangaroo Jack," "Exit
Wounds" and current hit "Cradle 2 the Grave." He also stars with Eddie Griffin
and Michael Imperioli in Miramax's fall release "My Baby's Mama." "Scary Movie
3" stars Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards, Jeremy Piven, Simon Rex and Regina
Hall; David Zucker directs. Through their A Squared Prods. unit, Anderson and
Glass have worked on a number of projects, including a sitcom created with
Marco Pennette for the WB. Anderson will star in the show, which is based on
his own life. Its pilot has been picked up for a March start.
--Producer David E. Kelley is preparing to launch a broadside against reality
TV -- and he's recruited some of television's top executives to help him do it.
The scribe is putting the finishing touches on an episode of his ABC drama "The
Practice" that's tentatively titled "Les Is More," according to numerous
industry insiders who've seen a draft script. In the episode, a deranged woman
takes CBS Television president Leslie Moonves hostage and tries to sell CBS a
reality show about the kidnapping -- and a possible execution of the network
president. While ex-thesp Moonves has made several cameo appearances on various
CBS shows over the years, his part on "The Practice" is described as a meaty
part that will feature him throughout the episode. 20th Century Fox TV
president Sandy Grushow and, if he's asked to take part, NBC programming chief
Jeff Zucker, will likely be seen in a brief fake news report in which the two
offer comments on the situation. Zucker hasn't been formally approached about
making the cameo, but a part has been written for him, insiders said. (20th
Century Fox TV produces the series.) The script is expected to take shots at
all the networks. Insiders said the plot will likely have Fox executives
offering a plan to save Moonves' life but in a way that would allow the network
to score big ratings. NBC likely also will take some hits. Curiously, no ABC
executives have been asked to take part in the episode. Network officials are
aware of the episode and have approved it. Kelley was furious with ABC earlier
this year when the network decided to move "The Practice" to Mondays at 9 p.m.,
where the series immediately ran into the reality juggernaut that was "Joe
Millionaire." The Emmy-winning legal drama has taken a major ratings hit since
shifting into its new slot, though its numbers edged up a bit this week. A 20th
Century Fox rep said the studio had no comment on future "Practice" plotlines.
www.zap2it.com....
--The second season of HBO's intricate cop series "The Wire" is shifting
locations. As with its first season, the show will shoot in Baltimore, but it
will focus on the city's waterfront. The new plot arc will focus on "the steady
decline of the working class in American cities," HBO says. The first season
dealt with a police investigation -- with its bureaucratic frustrations, tedium
and occasional breakthroughs -- of drug dealers at a public-housing complex.
Equal time in the show was given to the dealers and their organization. In the
new season, scheduled to premiere in June, the cops will investigate union
activity on the docks. Series regulars Dominic West, Sonja Sohn, Wendell
Pierce, Wood Harris, Larry Gilliard Jr., Lance Reddick and Frankie Faison will
return. The change in locale also means the addition of several new regulars,
including Chris Bauer ("Third Watch"), Amy Ryan ("You Can Count on Me" ), James
Ransone and Pablo Schreiber.
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