The news that Universal pushed MacGruber back from April 23 to May 21 had Movieline's Dept. of Conspiracy Theories abuzz with speculation. Was this the result of ongoing legal wrangling with the creator of MacGyver? Would it impact the film's bow this month at South by Southwest? No and no, it appears: This is just another repercussion of The Losers' release-date scrambling by Warner Bros. -- nothing to see here, folks. Or rather, there is something to see, you'll just have to wait a month. You know what they mean. [LAT]
· Nicole Kidman is attached to star in the title role of The Wedding Doctor, playing a woman who analyzes couples' compatibility and "interpersonal dynamics" only to determine she's a better mate than the bride-to-be of one of her male clients. It's basically Hitch for the more dedicated romcom crowd, and you know what? I'll take it. Anything that portends another vintage Manohla Dargis tirade is truly just fine by me. [Vulture]
Russell Brand's Arthur finds a director, an Escort makes its way at DreamWorks, and more Hollywood Ink after the jump.
more »
As we mentioned earlier, the cast of The Brady Bunch won't reunite thanks to a spat between Maureen McCormick (Marcia) and Eve Plumb (Jan). Movieline responds to this by saying: that never stopped this cast of compulsive reuniters before! Bring us Geri Reischl, or "Fake Jan"! Let's watch her in action as she promotes The Brady Bunch Variety Hour with the rest of the cast in 1977. She's who I want to see on Today clutching Ann B. Davis for emotional support. [YouTube]
more »
Here now, courtesy of The Live Feed and presented without comment (except maybe that teensy bit we slipped into the headline) is the text of Jay Leno's opening monologue, delivered tonight at the top of his triumphant return to The Tonight Show. Enjoy.
"IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME. I'M JAY LENO YOUR HOST...AT LEAST FOR A WHILE.
I'VE GOT TO ADMIT THAT I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS. NOT BECAUSE IT'S MY FIRST NIGHT BACK. BECAUSE I KNOW THAT DAVE AND OPRAH ARE WATCHING.
ACTUALLY, WE WERE OFF FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. KIND OF LIKE THE RUSSIANS AT THE OLYMPICS. WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM?
more »
Total Film has published a portfolio of 30 never-before-seen photos taken on the sets of the original Star Wars films. And when we say mind-blowing, we're not forcin' around: Watch your childhoods get raped (in the good way) as your cherished intergalactic heroes indulge in extremely earthly vices! Tremble in fear as you witness ungodly genetic mutations fusing droids with Darths! Scream in terror as a beloved co-pilot is reduced to a bathmat and some fetching accessories.
You've already seen Ciggie-3PO, above. Can you handle the rest? It's all right this way...
more »
The closing Winter Olympic ceremony in Vancouver earned 45% better ratings than Torino's 2006 closer, while Sunday's Canada-U.S. gold-medal game was the highest-watched hockey match-up since the 1980 U.S.-Finland championship. I hope this means we can expect another Kurt Russell biopic. Perhaps he can turn to Patricia Clarkson at a rough moment and wish his team had the same sparkle as Johnny Weir's wings. [THR]
Here's a new term for you: supergraphics. Those are the ads that wrap around buildings and skyscrapers, often spanning dozens of stories and covering hundreds of windows in vinyl. With the Academy Awards coming up this weekend, supergraphics near the Kodak Theatre are suddenly of paramount importance (since they might appear in news coverage of the area), and thus, we have this How to Train Your Dragon supergraphic that just went up at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland, which houses the Kodak. One problem, though: These things are now totally illegal.
more »
· Billy Baldwin will be playing Serena's dad on Gossip Girl, but he's not exactly over the moon about it. "I'm [supposed to be] with the girl," he told Michael Ausiello, "not the father of the girl."
· You almost got a Brady Bunch reunion this week, but as often happens, incestuous lesbian rumors scuttled the whole thing.
· Julianne Moore will be taping a brief walk-on appearance on As the World Turns, the soap where she got her start.
· Uh-oh: That Hiroshima book that James Cameron optioned? It's been pulled from publication, on account of fakery.
· Erratic actor Randy Quaid would like an apology for being arrested. I'm sure one is forthcoming.
For those of you who've been eagerly awaiting the Kidz Bop karaoke experience that is Glee's much-hyped summer tour, I've got a bit of bad news (and isn't that's more fun when Jane Lynch is delivering it?). The tour will only be hitting up four cities -- Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York -- and though the show's most youthful cast members will all be performing, there will be no Mr. Schu on the bill to do his patented white man's rap. This is the point when you stop believin'. [Ryan Seacrest]
A rep from the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson has finally responded to allegations that its February 23 show, an audience-less chat with Stephen Fry, was a cost-cutting measure taken since the show normally pays for audience members. The rep confirmed that the show sometimes pays $20/seat to a studio-recruitment service "like many other television shows taped in front of an audience daily" but "any inference that we would tape a show without an audience to save $200 at most is laughable." [InsideTV]
· To whomever is out there making the phone calls and sending the e-mails that have created a bottleneck of new Angelina Jolie projects: Enough. We get it. The actress is available and in demand, as evidenced by her reported interest in starring in an adaptation of Serena: A Novel for director Darren Aronofsky. The story is set in early-20th century North Carolina, where Jolie's title character joins her husband in starting a timber empire before going incrementally, megalomaniacally insane. Tack this on to reports of Jolie doing Gravity with Alfonso Cuarón after the currently shooting The Tourist, then developing the long-gestating Kay Scarpetta franchise and heaven knows what else is coming... I just hope her agent didn't have to work all weekend. [THR]
Fox wins a big bidding war, another Alice foe caves to Disney, and more Hollywood Ink after the jump.
more »
Despite the arrival of two new challengers of varying accomplishment (one pretty good!; the other, miserable, sub-mental dreck), it was Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island that walked (swam? hallucinated?) away with the weekend. And then there was Avatar -- whose gross now boasts more donuts than a Krispy Kreme franchise -- which managed to pass the storied (my fingers tremble) $700 million mark at some point yesterday. Yes. That.
Read on for a closer look at the numbers!
more »
Shutter Island clung tenaciously to the top spot at the box office yesterday as two new challengers battled for second. Both Cop Out and The Crazies hovered a little below $6 million for the day, and even if that ends up near the low end of expectations for the former, it will still be director Kevin Smith's best opening ever. Meanwhile, what is Tooth Fairy still doing in the top ten, week after week? Enjoy this while it lasts, guys: Alice in Wonderland is about to do a number on you.
The full figures:
more »
And so another week ends at Movieline, where your tireless staff actually does feel like, maybe a bit tired? Maybe a bit ready to leave you with the highlights of our recent coverage before slipping into a vegetative Olympic coma? Hope you enjoy your break as well -- we'll see you back here Monday!
more »
