Daily Variety articles from June 2003

Daily Variety archives from June 2003

Pixar's catch o' the day: B.O. is wholly mackerel as 'Nemo' gulps $70 mil.("Finding Nemo" weekend opening box office takings)
June 2, 2003... Family toon "Finding Nemo" was the big fish in this weekend's box office pond, with a splashy $70.6 million in estimated grosses giving co-production partners Disney and Pixar their best opening ever. Boffo bow -- biggest in history for...

Nothing's hotter than 'Potter'.(Book Expo America and forthcoming "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix")
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- Publishers at the annual trade show Book Expo America unveiled truckloads of deluxe advance editions of books that publishing insiders hope will rescue the biz from its recent sales doldrums. But the title that carries the...

Scribe takes 'Blade' reins.(David Goyer to direct Blade III)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- Third time's the charm. David Goyer, who wrote all three installments of New Line Cinema's "Blade" franchise, will get his chance to direct with "Blade III." Goyer and star Wesley Snipes haven't met to sign off on dates,...

Fuse ignites MTV fight.(MTV2 marketing plans)
June 2, 2003... MTV is fighting back. The web's had to endure swipes from musicvid channel Fuse, which says MTV has lost its commitment to musicvideos. One tactic saw Fuse take out a giant billboard outside of the MTV studio in Times Square featuring...

De-reg foes will make last stand in Congress.(media deregulation)
June 2, 2003... WASHINGTON -- With today's FCC vote to loosen a host of media ownership rules all but a fait accompli, consolidation critics are looking to Congress as their last great hope. The Senate Commerce Committee is skedded to grill all five FCC...

Lew's Legacy: all-pervasive power; a new book reminds us that Wasserman was the pioneer of media consolidation. (The Back Lot).("When Hollywood Had a King")(Book Review)
June 2, 2003... FOR THOSE WHO ARE becoming alarmed at the consolidation of power in the entertainment industry, I have some suggested reading: There's a new book that harkens back to that edgy era when one power broker controlled the agency business as well as...

Peacock proceeds on pow pic.(National Broadcasting Company Inc. plans Jessica Lynch prisoner of war telepic)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- Plans are moving forward at NBC to air a telepic next season based on the return of U.S. prisoner of war Jessica Lynch, despite a growing debate over the specifics of her rescue. An NBC spokesman said, however, that the network...

WGA takes its last shot at caps.(Writers Guild of America West questions media ownership rules)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- In a last-minute shot prior to today's expected easing of media ownership rules, the Writers Guild of America West has questioned the veracity of how congloms count independent producers. "We submit that the network filing is...

H'wood, pubs forging risky relationships.(Brief Article)(Panel Discussion)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- The link between Hollywood and publishing has never been stronger, agreed participants in Friday's "Books to Blockbusters" panel at Book Expo America. But that link has also never been more fraught with complication and risk. ...

Master Harold ... and the Boys. (Broadway).(Theater Review)
June 2, 2003... (Royale Theater; 1,078 seats; $75 top) A Roundabout Theater Co. presentation of a play in one act by Athol Fugard. Directed by Lonny Price. Set, John Lee Beatty; costumes, Jane Greenwood; lighting, Peter Kaczorowski; sound, Brian Ronan;...

Wrong Turn. (Film Review).(Wrong Turn)(Movie Review)
June 2, 2003... A 20th Century Fox release of a Summit Entertainment and Constantin Film presentation of a Constantin Film/Summit Entertainment/McOne/Stan Winston production in association with Newmarket Capital Group. Produced by Erik Feig, Robert Kulzer,...

NBC's late leaders widen ratings gap.(late night shows)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- NBC'S powerful latenight combo of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" opened bigger advantages over rivals during the May sweep, each posting its largest margin of victory in four years. ...

Seacrest to host 'Idol' summer spinoff series.(Ryan Seacrest, "American Juniors")(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest isn't straying far from Fox this summer: He's been tapped to host the spinoff talent contest "American Juniors." Seacrest will essentially handle the same duties he performs on "Idol,"...

Searchlight's 'Infatuated'.(Fox Searchlight Pictures contract with Elizabeth Allen for "Driving While Infatuated")(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- Fox Searchlight has hit the road with helmer Elizabeth Allen, picking up "Driving While Infatuated," a project she co-wrote with scribe Kyle Long. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. "Driving" concerns the adventures of...

New 'Assault' plan: focus teams to remake Carpenter's cult fave.(Focus Features teams with Liaisons Films and Why Not Prods for "Assault on Precinct 13" remake )
June 2, 2003... Focus Features will team with Stephane Sperry's Liaisons Films and Why Not Prods. on an updated U.S. version of John Carpenter's cult classic "Assault on Precinct 13," to be distributed domestically by the Universal specialty unit and handled...

Par, Nick draw scribe into 'Spider'.(Paramount and Nickelodeon contract David Berenbaum for "Arthur Spiderwick's Guide to the Fantastic World Around You")(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- Paramount and Nickelodeon have tapped David Berenbaum ("Elf," "Haunted Mansion") to pen family-adventure "Arthur Spiderwick's Guide to the Fantastic World Around You." Studio optioned the six-book mystery series late last year...

New Line cops con man's tall tale.(New Line Cinema acquires "The Michael Pelligrino Story" )(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- New Line Cinema has acquired "The Michael Pelligrino Story," a pitch based on the life of a failed crook from Chicago who fooled top Hollywood book agents and publisher Simon & Schuster into believing that he was the illegitimate...

Magic time for Brillstein-Grey.(David Blame contract)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Hoping to work some magic with a long-term Las Vegas show and TV specials, Brillstein-Grey has signed to manage illusionist David Blame. The Vegas venue would be the latest step for the magician, who has toplined four TV specials on ABC....

AOL TW can't click: ratings still stagnant after $750 mil infusion. (Business).(AOL Time Warner Inc. security ratings)
June 2, 2003... Despite $750 million of "found booty" from Microsoft last week, AOL Time Warner can't seem to get no love from the ratings agencies. Credit arbiter Standard & Poor's on Friday said that it is keeping the conglom's BBB+ corporate credit...

Ruling expected on DVD hack attack. (Business).(DVD Copy Control Association v. Andrew Bunner)
June 2, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO--The California Supreme Court is expected to rule within 90 days in a case that could determine the extent of the studios' legal arsenal in their battle against DVD hacking programs such as DeCSS. Attorneys for the DVD Copy...

Pax racks up N.M. sale. (Business).(Telefutura acquires Paxson Communications Corp. TV station)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Getting a jumpstart on post-deregulatory broadcast station trading, upstart Spanish-lingo net TeleFutura has closed on its $20 million purchase of Paxson Communications' TV station in Albuquerque, N.M. TeleFutura is a wholly owned subsid of...

Watchdog rips distribs' coding. (Business).(Union Federale des Consommateurs-Que Choisir files encryption complaint)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... PARIS--An independent Gallic consumer watchdog has filed a complaint against EMI Music France, Warner Music France, Universal Pictures Video and stores Auchan and the FNAC for producing and distributing encrypted CDs and DVDs. Nonprofit...

Charter stock stirs as Allen floats loan. (Business).(Paul Allen considers Charter Communications loan)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Shares of cash-strapped cabler Charter Communications got a boost Friday as reports surfaced that the company's directors were seeking approval from bank creditors for a $300 million loan from billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. ...

Showbiz Stocks.(Friday, May 30, 2003)
June 2, 2003... SHOWBIZ STOCKS Friday, May 30, 2003 Find stock prices and news about any company at Variety.com/stocks VTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg % Chg AMC AEN -- 10.41 ...

Births.
June 2, 2003... Courtney and David Hollander, a girl, Harper Ann Hollander, May 13, Santa Monica. Mother's an actress; father's creator and exec producer of CBS series "The Guardian." Jennifer Peckham and Scott Arundale, a girl, Madeleine Caldwell...

Stern supports merger.(Howard Stern, Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists merger)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- The King of All Media has blessed the proposed SAG-AFTRA consolidation and affiliation. Howard Stern has become the latest high-profile performer to back the deal, which members will vote on starting next week. Stem read a...

Apple stems iTunes' Webcasting feature. (Cyber Biz).(also; Blizzard Entertainment "Frozen Throne" orders and Nintendo Gameboy add-on)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- A function that allowed users of the latest version of Apple Computer's iTunes software to play songs for others online has been disabled in a just-released update after it was being used to do illegal Webcasting. Company said...

Mun2's 'Roof' tilts to West.(Mun2 Television launches bilingual "Off the Roof" )(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... MIAMI -- Mun2 Television, the bilingual cable channel now part of NBC Cable Networks, has launched "Off the Roof;" a nightly newsmag on West Coast culture. "As a national cable network, our goal is to make sure that our audience is...

Taormina picks pix: eight-day Italo fest spotlights world cinema. (World News).(Taormina BNL Film Festival)
June 2, 2003... LONDON -- Director Felice Laudadio has announced the program for the 49th Taormina BNL Film Festival, which opens June 14. The Sicilian event, held in the foothills of Mount Etna, is noncompetitive and aims to promote the development of world...

CBC staggers sked to rock rivals. (World News).(Canadian Broadcasting Corp. five season plans)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... TORONTO -- The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. will kick off a so-called five-season broadcasting year in a strategy that execs are counting on to give it an edge over the competition. At Thursday's press conference in Toronto, pubcaster brass...

Helmer turning attention to 'People'. (World News).(Fabien Onteniente)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... PARIS -- Gallic helmer Fabien Onteniente is finally prepping a sequel to comedy "Jet Set," which grossed $10.6 million in France, to be called "People." Pic will bring back original's thesps Jose Garcia, Ornella Muti, Lambert Wilson and...

Gov't cuts set-top fees. (World News).(India cuts import duties on set-top boxes)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... NEW DELHI -- In a bid to make the Conditional Access System more consumer friendly, the government has announced a drastic cut in import duty on set-top boxes. The dead-. line for the implementation of the CAS system, which gives viewers the...

EU lighting up its anti-smoking push. (World News).(European Union critical of Hollywood's relationship with tobacco)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... BRUSSELS -- The EU took aim at Hollywood Saturday with its "tobacco-free fashion and film" theme for World No Tobacco Day in Brussels. David Byrne, head of health and consumer protection issues in the 15-nation bloc, is determined to make...

Lion cooks up Mad Science deal.(MGM Studios in television development deal with Mad Science Group)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- Montreal-based Mad Science Group has cooked up some chemistry with MGM Studios in a wide-ranging deal to develop a family-friendly TV show and expand the science-based entertainment org's merchandising and licensing reach. MGM...

MTV Movie Awards taps 'Towers' for tubs.('The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' )(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" was the top winner at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards, nabbing four tubs of the coveted gold popcorn with awards for action sequence, onscreen team, virtual performance (Gollum) and movie. ...

Altnet unveils rewards plan for file-share users.
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- Altnet, which uses the controversial Kazaa file-sharing network to legally distribute music and other copyrighted material, will launch an incentive program designed to encourage much wider use of its system rather than illegal...

'Bound' for glory: Norway's Naess to helm cancer dramedy.(Davis Entertainment hires Petter Naess to direct 'Earthbound')(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- Petter Naess is "Earthbound." The Norwegian helmer has attached to helm the cancer dramedy at 20th Century Fox for producer John A. Davis' Davis Entertainment banner. Naess is best known for his film "Elling," which was...

Hilfiger film arm 'Proud' of WWII pic.(Tommy Hilfiger's THEntertainment to produce 'Proud')(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Adding a new strand to his association with black culture, fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger has created film division THEntertainment to produce "Proud," the true story of a WWII warship manned by African-American sailors. Produced by the...

Jason Bateman has joined the cast of the Warner Bros/Dimension feature "Starsky & Hutch." (Players).(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Jason Bateman has joined the cast of the Warner Bros/Dimension feature "Starsky & Hutch." The comedy, starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, is lensing in L.A. under the direction of Todd Phillips. Bateman, who last appeared in "The Sweetest...

Jonathan Tucker ("The Deep End") has been added to the cast of the Warner Bros./Section Eight thriller "Criminal." (Players).(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Jonathan Tucker ("The Deep End") has been added to the cast of the Warner Bros./Section Eight thriller "Criminal." Thesp joins John C. Reilly, Diego Luna and Maggie Gyllenhaal in the pic, based on material by Fabian Bielinsky. Gregory Jacobs,...

Moppet Hallie Kate Eisenberg has joined the cast of TNT's upcoming remake of Neil Simon's "The Goodbye Girl." (Players).(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Moppet Hallie Kate Eisenberg has joined the cast of TNT's upcoming remake of Neil Simon's "The Goodbye Girl." Pic, starring Patricia Heaton and Jeff Daniels, is the tale of a woebegone divorcee who shares her apartment with an aspiring actor....

New scene at the Guthrie as Minnesota OKs funding.(Guthrie Theater's new complex receives fundingorkc)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... The Guthrie's new joint is a go. On Thursday, the Minnesota Legislature approved $25 million in general obligation capital bonds for the construction of the Guthrie Theater's new $125 million complex. The facility will be built on the...

Feds roll up reg carpet: ownership caps loosened by 3-2 vote.(FCC deregulates media ownership)
June 3, 2003... WASHINGTON -- The FCC dramatically relaxed decades-old rules governing media ownership on Monday, making it easier for the big four nets and powerful con-gloms to expand their entertainment and information empires. Amid a chorus of protest...

Mann takes killer Cruise.(Michael Mann to direct 'Collateral' starring Tom Cruise)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... Michael Mann will next direct the DreamWorks drama "Collateral," and he has Tom Cruise in his crosshairs to play the lead role of a contract killer. Written by Stuart Beattie, with a rewrite by Frank Darabont, the script takes place on a...

Cablevision's spinning DBS.
June 3, 2003... Cablevision caught Wall Street by surprise for the second time in two weeks Monday, announcing plans to spin off its controversial new DBS service and its ailing Clearview Cinema chain into a newly floated company. Investors, who've grown...

CBS nixes olympics bid.(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- With too many unknowns regarding the 2010 and 2012 Olympics -- including a location -- CBS announced Monday that it wouldn't make a bid for the Games. That leaves ABC, NBC and Fox in the running to carry the Winter 2010 and...

Many more 'Days' ahead.(NBC, Sony Pictures Television sign contract for 'Days of Our Lives')
June 3, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- NBC and Sony Pictures Television have inked a five-year deal worth nearly $500 million to keep hit sudser "Days of Our Lives" on the Peacock through May 2009. In addition, former "Days" head scribe Jim Reilly -- who left to...

'Shop' stops B'way talk.('Little Shop of Horrors' cancels Broadway run)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... The Broadway-bound revival of "Little Shop of Horrors" has decided to close its doors out of town. The tuner by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman finishes its tryout June 15 at the Actor's Playhouse in Coral Gables, Fla. It had been announced...

Army archerd. (Just for Variety).
June 3, 2003... GOOD MORNING: "It's down to dotting the 'I's," and crossing the 'T's' said Universal's Stacey Snider about bringing the musicalized B'way production of Mel Brooks' "The Producers" to the screen -- where it all started. "We're planning on it,"...

Media stox giddy over FCC dereg decision.(FCC media ownership rules boost media industry stocks)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... Media stocks popped Monday on news from the FCC but ended the day off their highs as TV and radio broadcasters pined for more sweeping changes. With faint praise, Viacom and GE's NBC called the commission 's new ownership regime "a first...

'Nemo' hit could hurt duo's dealings.(Pixar, Disney negotiations affected by success of 'Finding Nemo')
June 3, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- The boffo bow of Disney/Pixar toon "Finding Nemo" could hinder talks to extend the pic partners' current film agreement. "Nemo" rung up $70.2 million between Friday and Sunday, and the bigger-than-expected success could prompt...

Wellspring floats Cannes faves to U.S.('Father and Son', 'Crimson Gold')
June 3, 2003... Adding two prize-winning titles to the list of films acquired out of the Cannes Film Festival for the U.S., Wellspring has picked up Russian helmer Alexander Sokurov's "Father and Son" and Iranian Jafar Panahi's "Crimson Gold." ...

Sci Fi scares up more 'Tactics'.(Sci Fi Channel orders more episodes of 'Scare Tactics')(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... Capitalizing on the early success of series "Scare Tactics," Sci Fi has ordered up nine new episodes. Shannen Doherty-hosted skein launched in April. A sci-fi version of "Candid Camera," it puts unwitting guests in staged paranormal...

PBS heads 'Maya' way with scholastic.(Scholastic Entertainment's 'The Misadventures of Maya and Miguel, wins grant, spot on PBS)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... Scholastic Entertainment's new series "The Misadventures of Maya and Miguel" has won a $14 million grant and a place on the PBS fall slate. Animated "Misadventures" follows the titular 10-year-old Latino twins, with comedy revolving around...

B'way B.O. snoozes: but 'Night' looks perky among upbeat quartet.(Broadway theater box office report)(Industry Overview)
June 3, 2003... Broadway took its usual nap between Memorial Day and the Tonys fete. Actually, it was a slightly deeper B.O. sleep than usual, as receipts fell $1,724,838, or 11.40%, from the previous week. Twenty-nine shows produced $13,408,261, with paid...

Johnson ready for closeup with DeMille telepic at TNT.(Don Johnson hired for 'Word of Honor')(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- Don Johnson has come aboard to topline and co-exec produce the TNT made-for "Word of Honor," one of eight original telepics slated for the upcoming season. Project is based on the bestselling Nelson DeMille novel about a...

Two go legit at WMA arm.(William Morris Agency appoints Peter Franklin, Jack Tantleff to head theater division)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... In a big shift for the Gotham tenpercentery world, Peter Franklin and Jack Tantleff will head up the theater department at the William Morris Agency. Together the two agents rep such major legit talent as Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens,...

New biz mix at BMG: tune titan retools licensing ops, taps exec. (Business).(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... Music major BMG has tapped inhouse legal eagle Deirdre McDonald to the newly created post of senior VP, industry and government relations. She will rep the company's interest in legislation, regulation and policy issues. Based in New York...

Japan's Toho sees rise in annual pretax profits. (Business).(Tohokushinsha Film Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... TOKYO -- Amid a tough environment for its satcasters and TV commercial production, Tohokushinsha Film Corp. announced a pretax profit of [yen]5.52 billion ($47.2 million) for the financial year ended March 31, 30% up on the previous year. ...

Lagardere may contest M6 in bid for Paris Premiere. (Business).(cable and satellite channel)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... PARIS -- Gallic media group Lagardere may muscle in as French web M6 and parent Suez try to negotiate the sale of cable and satellite channel Paris Premiere. Troubled diversified conglom Suez, which owns 37.6% of M6, wants to sell its...

MTV enrolls vet at College. (Business).(hires Stephen K. Friedman to run College Television Network)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... MTV Networks has tapped company vet Stephen K. Friedman to be general manager of the recently acquired College Television Network. Friedman will based in New York and report to MTV, MTV2 and MTV Films prexy Van Toffler. Friedman is charged...

EM.TV loss widens despite revenue rise. (Business).(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... COLOGNE -- Costs far outweighed revenues for German license trader EM.TV, which has posted a first-quarter net loss of [euro]30 million ($35 million) despite a 61% increase in sales to $80 million. The kidvidder blamed the shortfall on the...

Showbiz Stocks.(Illustration)
June 3, 2003... SHOWBIZ STOCKS Monday, June 2, 2003 Find stock prices and news about any company at Variety.com/stocks YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg %Chg AMC AEN --...

Film Box Office Wrap: for the Weekend of May 30-June 1.(Illustration)
June 3, 2003... FOR THE WEEKEND OF MAY 30-JUNE 1 Ranking Reported This Last Weekend Week Week Title (Distributor) Boxoffice...

Keen Eddie. (Television Review).(Television Program Review)
June 3, 2003... (Series; Fox; Tues., June 3; 9 p.m.) Filmed in London by Frequency Films, Simon West Prods., the Littlefield Co. and Paramount. Executive producers, J.H. Wyman, Simon West, Warren Littlefield; producers, Jib Polhemus, Michelle Fox;...

Vet helmer to lead 'Bumble'.(Alan Myerson will direct 'The Tinsley Bumble Show')(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... NEW YORK -- Veteran TV director Alan Myerson has signed on to direct WE original series "The Tinsley Bumble Show." Series, now in pre-production, follows a New York society girl who falls on hard times after her father is arrested for a...

Purple Butterfly. (Cannes Review).(Movie Review)
June 3, 2003... (Zi Hudie) (China-France) A Shanghai Film Studio, Lou Yi Ltd., Wild Bunch presentation of a Shanghai Film Studio/Dream Factory production, in association with Shanghai SFS Digital Media Co. (International sales: Wild Bunch, Paris.)...

TV Acad gets real: ATAS redraws its rules to handle huge surge in reality's popularity. (Road to the Emmys: Reality TV).(Academy of Television Arts & Sciences)
June 3, 2003... Emmy just doesn't know what to make of reality TV. Still dominated by members from the world of scripted comedies and dramas, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences hasn't been anxious to reward the world of nonscripted fare. But that's...

Nonfiction depiction's elite: genre pioneers hard at work on the next real big things. (Road to the Emmys: Reality TV).
June 3, 2003... As the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences mulls four redrawn reality categories this year, it will undoubtedly consider the work of the following producers, each of whom has had an important role in pioneering the genre. MARK BURNETT...

Where the real TV money is: top unscripteds draw big ad cash, offer nifty revenue streams. (Road to the Emmys: Reality TV).
June 3, 2003... Just like Kelly Clarkson before him, Ruben Studdard is ready to reap the rewards as "American Idol's" newest star. But it's the producers, packaging agents and network officials behind the Fox hit -- and other primetime reality series -- that...

Reality's dirty little secret: producers choose booze to loosen it up. (Road to the Emmys: Reality TV).(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... Sometimes being real just isn't enough for reality TV -- and that's when a little booze can go a long way. While thesps like "Will & Grace" star Megan Mullally get paid big bucks to portray lovable lushes on hit scripted skeins,...

Doing the 'Hustle': Col's Asian unit preps Chow's comic actioner.(Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia to begin shooting 'Kung Fu Hustle')(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... (Wendy Kan in Hong Kong contributed to this report.) SHANGHAI -- Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia will start production June 27 on "Kung Fu Hustle' the latest action comedy adventure from "Shaolin Soccer" star Stephen Chow. Hong...

Clinton tells all in U.K.(Hillary Clinton gives interview)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... LONDON -- Hillary Clinton will give her first U.K. TV interview about her life to veteran news anchor Trevor McDonald on the "Tonight" special, skedded to air June 13 on commercial web ITV. No subject is out of bounds. She will discuss her...

Gaga goes to 'Devil' for 2nd vidgame pic.(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... TOKYO -- Less than six months alter securing an option for the movie rights to Capeom's popular video game "Onimusha," Gaga Communications announced Monday that it has inked to turn another Capeom game, "Devil May Cry," into a blockbuster. ...

Onex enters Germany via Ufa buy.(investment group buys movie theaters)(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... SYDNEY -- Canadian investment group Onex Corp., which owns U.S. exhib Loews Cineplex, has entered the exhib market in Germany by buying 50% of 181 screens formerly owned by the bankrupt Ufa Theater. Onex has formed a co-venture in Germany...

Obituaries.(Rachel Kempson, matriarch of the Redgrave family dies at 93)
June 3, 2003... Rachel Kempson (Lady Redgrave) Rachel Kempson, aka Lady Redgrave, matriarch of the Redgrave acting family and an actress of stature herself, died May 24 at in Millbrook, N.Y., after suffering a stroke. She was just a few days shy of...

Broadway Top 10: May 26- June 1, 2003.(Illustration)
June 3, 2003... BROADWAY TOP 10: May 26- June 1, 2003 Show Week's Net Receipts (Theater)(Prod. Category) Potential Net Prev Week's (Seats) Receipts Net Receipts The Lion King...

Clear Channel's rap refrain.(radio giant unfairly criticized, claims VP Randall Mays)
June 3, 2003... Clear Channel Communications has got a bad rap in the media and in Washington based on disinformation about the radio giant's business practices and market dominance, exec VP and financial chief Randall Mays complained at a financial confab...

High court rejects Fox's argument in video case.
June 3, 2003... WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court ruled Monday that 20th Century Fox could not use trademark law to bar a third party from distributing videos incorporating documentary footage from WWII that had fallen into the public domain. The 8-0 ruling...

Top 10 Films in Manhattan.(weekend of May 30, 2003)(Illustration)
June 3, 2003... TOP 10 FILMS IN MANHATTAN FOR THE WEEKEND OF MAY 30 JUNE 1 % change vs. last Week Rank Wknd. B.O. Film (distributor) ...

Gotcha Entertainment has partnered with Back 40 Entertainment to handle the domestic sales of kiddie prank series "Gagsters". (Short Takes).(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... Gotcha Entertainment has partnered with Back 40 Entertainment to handle the domestic sales of kiddie prank series "Gagsters." Show, seen overseas in France and Asia, is being shopped around stateside. It was recently parodied on NBC's "Saturday...

Stephanie Savage, a partner in McG's Wonderland Prods., has written "Charlie's Angels Animated Adventures," a six-part series of animated shorts produced for the Internet. (Short Takes).(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... Stephanie Savage, a partner in McG's Wonderland Prods., has written "Charlie's Angels Animated Adventures," a six-part series of animated shorts produced for the Internet. Created by Film-Roman and Media Revolution, serial serves as a prequel...

Sheryl Crow and Billy Joel are first-time headliners for the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation. (Short Takes).(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... Sheryl Crow and Billy Joel are first-time headliners for the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation's fundraiser, the Grand Slam for Children, that benefits at-risk youth in Las Vegas. Concert is skedded for Oct. 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena....

ABC has agreed to broadcast six regular-season Saturday-afternoon WNBA games plus the WNBA All-Star Game on July 12. (Short Takes).(Brief Article)
June 3, 2003... ABC has agreed to broadcast six regular-season Saturday-afternoon WNBA games plus the WNBA All-Star Game on July 12. ABC sister network ESPN2 will cablecast 10 games. Oxygen will air another 13 games, and, for the first time, Telemundo will...