Dougray Scott To Play Bond?
British actor Dougray Scott has reportedly beaten off competition from actors, Eric Bana, Ioan Gruffud and Clive Owen to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.
The To Kill A King hunk, 38, clinched the role after discussions with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and will be the seventh actor to appear as the sexy British agent.
He will make his first appearance in the 23rd Bond movie after Eon Productions decided they wanted to return to a more brooding Bond in the mould of fellow Scot Sean Connery, reports British newspaper the Sunday Mirror.
A movie insider says, "Producers have been eager to take Bond back to the broody and sexy figure that Sean was so brilliant at. Obviously it's not possible for Sean to return at his age, so they have been looking for a younger actor with similar characteristics. Since then Barbara and Dougray have been in talks - and she believes he will be the perfect new 007 for the 21st Century."
Brosnan announced two months ago that he would not be starring as Bond again, saying, "That's it. I've said all I've got to say on the world of James Bond."
Director says he never intended to make nine-episode series.
Don't expect any more "Star Wars" flicks after "Revenge of the Sith" — George Lucas says he's done.
"This was never planned as a nine-episode work," Lucas said. "The media [pounced when] I made an offhand comment, 'It might be fun to come back when everyone's 80 and do another one of these.' But I never had any intention of doing that."
Lucas said he only decided to do the back-story trilogy — which "Sith," due next May, will cap — because he realized he had already written it in order to tell the story in the first "Star Wars" films. "The original 'Star Wars' was only three films, and that was what it was meant to be," he said. "After a lot of pondering and thought, I went back to do the back story, but that pretty much tells the story. Episode six is the end. There isn't any more to it."
"Sith" may mark the end on an emotional level, too. "All the good guys die," he said, laughing. "And you know, it's pretty dark. It's pretty intense. I'm not sure this one is going to end up a PG like the others were."
That apparently doesn't have so much to do with actual violence — like previous "Star Wars" films, this one will have lots of battles and space action — as with what happens to Padme and the children borne from her union with Anakin Skywalker following their escape and separation. "It's a happy story," Lucas joked.
Despite the special-effects advances made since "Star Wars" premiered in 1977, Lucas doesn't feel threatened by films such as the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, nor does he feel the need to up the ante. Because of its legacy and consistent quality, his company Industrial Light and Magic really has no special-effects competition — not even Peter Jackson's WETA Digital.
"My company, we sort of pioneered special effects," Lucas said. "We're responsible for the rebirth of special effects in the film business. It disappeared back in the late '50s and early '60s, so we put together a group of kids, started it all over again, and eventually moved into digital. We've been pushing digital techniques and that sort of thing ever since, and we helped populate the special-effects industry as it is today. A lot of supervisors at all the other special-effects companies are from my lab. We even helped set up WETA in New Zealand, and have supported them with advice and that sort of thing."
Having accomplished so much on a blockbuster scale, Lucas said that after "Revenge of the Sith" and his upcoming fourth "Indiana Jones" installment (which he hopes to start shooting within a year), he'd like to return to indie-style movies like his 1971 debut, "THX 1138," which returns to theaters Friday (September 10) with a new director's cut.
"I think I've earned the right to fail," he said.
IMAGINE
Capitol Records releasing two John Lennon discs on Nov. 2: the new 17-track Acoustic, which includes seven never-before-released versions of his classic tunes; and a revamped version of the 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll, which will include four bonus tracks.
'Chicago,' 'Cabaret' Lyricist Ebb Dies
NEW YORK - Fred Ebb, who wrote the lyrics for such hit Broadway musicals as "Chicago" and "Cabaret" as well as the big-city anthem "New York, New York," has died of a heart attack.
Ebb died Saturday at his home, said David McKeown, an assistant to composer John Kander, Ebb's longtime collaborator. The lyricist was believed to be 76, although Ebb always was "sweetly vague" about his age, said director Scott Ellis, who worked with him on several shows.
With Kander, Ebb wrote the scores for 11 Broadway musicals, many of them for such leading ladies as Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera, Liza Minnelli and Lauren Bacall. Minnelli was a particular favorite of the songwriting team, and over the years, the duo created special material for the performer's solo appearances on Broadway and on television specials.
Among the other musicals Kander and Ebb wrote during their four decades of collaboration were "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (1993), "The Rink" (1984), "Woman of the Year" (1981) and "Zorba" (1968).
"New York, New York" was written for the 1977 Martin Scorsese film of the same name, which starred Minnelli and Robert De Niro. The song became a standard, particularly after it was recorded by Frank Sinatra.
Together, the songwriting team won Tony Awards for their scores of "Cabaret," "Woman of the Year" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman." In addition, the 2002 film version of "Chicago," directed by Rob Marshall, won the Academy Award for best picture.
Born in New York, Ebb went to school at both New York University and Columbia, where he received a master's degree in English literature. The lyricist got his start in the theater writing for revues, one of which, "From A to Z," had a short run on Broadway in 1960.
Ebb was brought together with Kander in the 1960s by music publisher Tommy Valando and one of their first collaborations, the song "My Coloring Book," was recorded by Barbra Streisand.
The team was hired by producer Harold Prince and veteran director George Abbott to write the score for "Flora, the Red Menace," starring a 19-year-old Minnelli. The show, which opened on Broadway in 1965, was not a success, but Kander and Ebb were signed to do Prince's next musical, a show based on Christopher Isherwood's "Berlin Stories" and the play "I Am a Camera."
Called "Cabaret," it opened in November 1966 and ran for 1,165 performances, immediately establishing Kander and Ebb as musical-theater songwriters to watch. The production, set in pre-World War II Germany, featured a huge mirror which reflected back into the audience and featured a sexually provocative master of ceremonies, played by Joel Grey, who taunted and teased the audience in song.
"Cabaret" has been revived twice on Broadway — in 1987 with Grey repeating his role as the lascivious master of ceremonies and again in 1998 by the Roundabout Theatre Company in an environmentally staged production which ran until early this year.
The revival of "Chicago," which opened on Broadway in 1996, also has outlasted the original. The first production, starring Verdon and Rivera and directed by Bob Fosse, opened on Broadway in 1975 and, despite a two-year run, was overshadowed by another hit show of that year, "A Chorus Line."
But "Chicago," a sardonic, cynical take on murder and mayhem in the 1920s, came into its own with the 1996 revival, which featured Ann Reinking and Bebe Neuwirth. It is still running at the Ambassador Theatre, having recently passed performance number 3,250.
The team's last Broadway collaboration, an original musical called "Steel Pier" had a short run in 1997. They also did a musical version of "The Visit," starring Chita Rivera, at Chicago's Goodman Theatre in 2001, but a New York engagement never materialized.
At the time of Ebb's death, the team was working on several projects including revising "Over and Over," a musical version of Thornton Wilder's classic "The Skin of Our Teeth," and a murder-mystery musical called "Curtains."
Funeral services will be Tuesday.
There were no immediate survivors.
'Resident Evil' Sequel Tops Box Office
LOS ANGELES - The undead came alive once more over the weekend as "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" debuted at No. 1 at the box office, bringing in $23.7 million.
The sequel to 2002's "Resident Evil," based on a video game series about shooting apart shuffling, bio-poisoned zombie attackers, follows hits like last year's remake of "Dawn of the Dead" and the zombie art-house thriller "28 Days Later," which reinvigorated the genre.
Overall, however, it was a slow week for new releases as most kids headed back to school and the big-budget blockbusters of summer evaporated in favor of B-movie-style thrillers and monster movies.
The suspense drama "Cellular," with Kim Basinger as a kidnapping victim who makes a random phone call to a cell phone and pleads with a stranger to find her, opened at No. 2 with $10.6 million.
"'Cellular' did OK, but every other movie was just treading water behind 'Resident Evil,'" said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co.
"Resident Evil: Apocalypse" stars Milla Jovovich as Alice, a bath-towel wearing, butt-kicking security chief who tries to help a group of survivors escape a zombified metropolis before the city of ghouls is annihilated by a nuclear strike.
With its miniskirted heroines and gooey guts-a-plenty, "Apocalypse" appealed mainly to guys under the age of 25.
"Certainly this is an adaptation from a game, so it has its own audience," said Rory Bruer, distribution chief for Sony, which released the film. "The zombies aspect of it is just fun."
Bruer also credited the marketing campaign, which featured early teaser trailers that had little to do with the action-horror theme. One trailer appeared to be an ad for a genetically engineered moisturizing lotion that promises to regenerate dead skin cells — the product that causes the mayhem in the films.
"These movies come out of nowhere and do big business and everybody is caught off guard, but we really shouldn't be," said Dergarabedian. "These horror thrillers always make a killing at the box office. ... They're not trying to woo the critics with this move. It's about commerce."
The rest of the top 10 were holdovers from previous weeks. "Napoleon Dynamite," a weird little independent comedy about a weird little guy and his friends, was notable for hanging in at No. 9 after 14 weeks in theaters. Most movies drop out after about three weeks.
The top 12 movies grossed $64.7 million, about 11 percent lower than the same weekend last year, when "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" led the box office.
Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Resident Evil: Apocalypse," $23.7 million.
2. "Cellular," $10.6 million.
3. "Without a Paddle," $4.6 million.
4. "Hero," $4.4 million.
5. "Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," $2.93 million.
6. "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid," $2.90 million.
7. "Vanity Fair," $2.74 million.
8. "Collateral," $2.70 million.
9. "Napoleon Dynamite," $2.65 million.
10. "Paparazzi," $2.60 million.
John Fogerty Familiar with 'Deja Vu'
NASHVILLE (Billboard) - John Fogerty's new album, appropriately titled "Deja Vu All Over Again," projects an air of familiarity, typified by Fogerty's distinctive voice, guitar and melodic instincts.
But the subject matter, particularly the title cut, which serves as the first single, is firmly placed in the here and now.
Set for a Sept. 21 release on Geffen, "Deja Vu" is the first album in seven years for Fogerty, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer known by many as the driving force behind late-1960s rock stalwarts Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Sporting a melody reminiscent of classic Creedence fare, the "Deja Vu" single's lyrics draw parallels between the war in Iraq and Vietnam. The subject is close to Fogerty's heart.
"Most guys my age made a promise to ourselves as the Vietnam War was winding down that (our country) would never do this again -- at least I did," Fogerty tells Billboard. "I thought the book was closed on that. But about a year ago when everything was heating up to go to Iraq, I thought, 'Uh-oh, this is probably folly."'
"Deja Vu" aside, war and politics are not prevailing themes on the album. "I really wasn't intending to make a controversial or political record," Fogerty says. "I'm a very happy man. I'm not angry."
Indeed, while the record rocks on such cuts as the punkish "She's Got Baggage" and hard rock anthem "In the Garden," the quieter, more lighthearted moments, like the gentle romance of "I Will Walk With You" or the humble domesticity of "Honey Do" and the jaunty "Rhubarb Pie," are some of its most compelling passages.
"I'm a rock'n'roll musician, and at the time I was growing up, the first order of business for rock'n'roll was to have fun," Fogerty says.
Fogerty says he hopes to have a "ball" when he hits the road, backed by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, on a series of anti-Bush Vote for Change dates, which begin Oct. 1.
"I don't know exactly what songs I'm going to do or how many, but this will be the first time Bruce and I have appeared onstage together, outside of privately in a small club or at a benefit."
Following that tour, Fogerty will embark on solo dates.
Despite the long break since his last studio album, 1997's "Blue Moon Swamp" (Reprise), Fogerty maintains he is "always working on music." But life -- including a new baby daughter and a couple of cross-country moves -- got in the way of making a new recording.
And though the new album's 10 songs clock in at just over 34 minutes, Fogerty believes it is a fully realized work.
"I feel like (the record) does have what it needs," he says. "It might not if you're holding a stopwatch. (Hit 1984 album) "Centerfield" was just five seconds short of being 35 minutes. These were just the songs I had ready, and it felt done."
Fogerty doesn't think an artist necessarily has 20 great songs in him for one recording project. "As a songwriter and producer of my own record, I tell myself it's impossible to have 20 good songs," he says. "A record is a presentation, not a reality show."
FEATURE: All Eyes On' Angels' at Emmy Time
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - With a chart-topping 21 Primetime Emmy nominations, HBO's six-hour, $64 million miniseries "Angels in America" is poised to become an Emmy juggernaut for the ages.
Prevailing wisdom has it challenging the miniseries record of nine Emmy wins for the 1977 ABC miniseries "Roots" and possibly even eclipsing the telefilm mark of 11 statuettes set in 1976 by ABC's "Eleanor and Franklin"; that would make "Angels" the most-decorated single-year project in Emmy history.
Of course, it hasn't won anything yet. Winners will be announced in Los Angeles on Sept. 19. But the much-acclaimed project, based on the two-part Pulitzer Prize-winning Tony Kushner play that executive producer Cary Brokaw shepherded over 14 years, appears to be the closest thing to a sure thing that the Emmys have ever offered.
"I didn't dare hope this high," Brokaw admits. "It may sound disingenuous, but I never thought about this number of nominations. I thought we'd get a decent amount, but this is frankly far beyond any expectations I had."
Brokaw says that he's particularly pleased that all eight of the project's principal actors were nominated, putting "Angels" in position to win all four of the miniseries/movie acting categories. To date, no project has ever managed to pull that trick at the Emmys.
"It's just really gratifying to have 'Angels' be so critically embraced -- and then to have it be so honored by our peers in the industry in this way is a great reward after a very long journey," Brokaw says.
While a full-scale coronation for "Angels" on Emmy night is being characterized as more or less a foregone conclusion, Brokaw is careful not to convince himself that it's already in the bag. "You never want to presume anything," he notes. "The fact that all of us involved in the project will be there enjoying the evening together promises to make it special whether anybody wins or not."
Oh, really?
"Well," Brokaw adds, chuckling, "maybe not if nobody wins."
However, that's not expected to be an issue. Certainly, "Angels" is the overwhelming favorite in the outstanding miniseries category, which is not to shortchange a quality field that also includes PBS' "American Family -- Journey of Dreams" and "Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness," A&E's "Horatio Hornblower: Loyalty and Duty" and "Traffic: The Miniseries" from USA Network.
The other contenders seem to have realistic expectations about their chances, while retaining a glimmer of hope.
Observes "Prime Suspect 6" executive producer Rebecca Eaton: "It's too bad we got caught up in the 'Angels in America' flood tide, but that's the way it goes. We could have held our show off until fall, but that wouldn't have been fair to the audience. And remember, there is the story of 'David and Goliath' -- which we've been retelling each other on a daily basis.
"It is still certainly an honor to be in such celebrated company," Eaton concludes. "I do have to say that this really is the best 'Prime Suspect' we've ever done. Helen Mirren is just phenomenal in it. The story line is also so strong and so of the moment."
Ron Hutchinson, executive producer of "Traffic," sees the Emmy nomination as a welcome honor for a project that could well have been doomed to unfavorable comparisons to the extraordinary 1989 British miniseries "Traffik" and the four-time Oscar-winning 2000 feature "Traffic."
"Everybody loved the movie, and the original TV series had the best screenplay ever written for television," Hutchinson says. "So, there was a belief that we were going to fall on our faces -- we were like a garage band kind of show as opposed to a rock concert -- but people responded favorably. The Emmy nomination is a great validation."
Adds Jeff Wachtel, executive vp series and longform at USA: "We were careful to make quality choices at every level of this project; I have to believe that made the difference. Everything was world-class."
This is the third consecutive incarnation of "Horatio Hornblower" to be nominated in the miniseries category for A&E ("Hornblower: The Even Chance" took home the top prize in 1999). Executive producer Delia Fine cites the historical epic's surprising timeliness as a factor in its being cited.
"Besides being very ambitious, 'Hornblower' is all about a subject that's very much on our radar now," Fine believes, "and that is the need for loyalty and courage and the ability to make tough decisions and show moral bravery. Those themes never go out of style. They appeal to us and touch us in these troubled times."
"American Family" has taken a decidedly winding road since premiering in 2002. What had previously been a regular weekly series returned for a second season as a 13-part miniseries after having been off the air for better than a year. The resulting effort, subtitled "Journey of Dreams," dealt with how the war in Iraq impacted the Gonzales family.
"To me, this nomination is indicative of the fact that the TV Academy really is focusing on the quality of shows, regardless of where they happen to air," "American Family" creator/executive producer Gregory Nava says. "We had an extraordinary year of very powerful drama, I feel. Recognition in the miniseries category is a wonderful way to honor everybody's work."
Meanwhile, the top telefilm category this year is a rare instance of Showtime earning as many nominations (two) as did the traditionally-dominant HBO. The Showtime entries in the category are for the controversial "The Reagans" and the faithful remake of "The Lion in Winter," while HBO's nominated telepics are "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself" and "Something the Lord Made." A&E's "Ike: Countdown to D-Day" rounds out the category.
The seven nominations for "Reagans" -- which morphed from a CBS miniseries to a Showtime biopic after the eye network dropped the film amidst pressure last year -- was nothing short of a revelation to the project's executive producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.
"Vindication? Oh, my God, absolutely," Meron confirms. "When you're attacked mercilessly for illogical and unpatriotic reasons, to be honored by Emmy voters in this way is just phenomenal."
Adds Zadan: "After being so completely and consistently ripped to shreds, we feel like the controversy finally died down, and we were able to be judged on our own creative merits; that's all we've ever asked -- to have people step outside the hoopla and look at this as simply a piece of filmmaking. Ironically, it seems that Ronald Reagan's death might have generated renewed interest during voting. It's nice to be honored rather than attacked."
"Lion" is a remake of the Oscar-winning 1968 feature -- this one starring Glenn Close (also nominated) and Patrick Stewart. Executive producer Robert Halmi Sr. is particularly proud that not a single line of dialogue was altered from the previous edition.
"To my knowledge, it's the only remake in the history of movies or TV that used exactly the same words as the original," Halmi says. "But you know, it's a remake of a pretty good movie, which is a timeless classic. The words continue to talk to us today. I'm very proud that it was nominated, but I'm not surprised."
Larry Gelbart, who is nominated for both writing and executive producing "Pancho Villa," describes the film as "a beautifully crafted picture that deserves this sort of honor. It's always nice to stand out among the endless array of choices. I credit that to having some really fine people behind the scenes."
"Something the Lord Made" was the result of an eight-year effort by executive producer Robert W. Cort to bring the story to the screen; it had originally been developed as a feature at Paramount.
"This sort of period drama is kind of an endangered species in the feature world," Cort says, "so thank heavens for HBO for standing out as a serious repository for dramatic work. Here is a movie without a lot of the usual trappings. It's a story of social issues, of individual personality issues, of friendship, of betrayal, of heroism and personal sacrifice. It takes a serious look at the human dynamic and real people that's so absent in movies today."
Finally, there's the biopic "Ike," whose writer/executive producer Lionel Chetwynd is pleased that such a sober, historical overview of Dwight D. Eisenhower's leadership skills would be singled out for Emmy honors (six noms in all).
"Here's a film that tries to understand leadership under difficult circumstances but in a cool fashion and without political fervor," Chetwynd says. "It's something that TV doesn't normally do -- it isn't ripped from the headlines; it isn't heated rhetoric. It's a movie that steps back and considers what was going on without prejudice. I have to believe it's that awareness that won our film the nominations."
Actor Bids Fond Farewell to C-3PO
LONDON (Reuters) - Bidding goodbye to the gold robot after almost 30 years, Anthony Daniels shed a nostalgic tear for the mechanical manservant who changed his life.
"Oh yes, it was with moisture. This was very much a fond farewell," Daniels said of his last scene as C-3PO, the android who became an icon in the "Star Wars" movies.
His last scene in the sixth and final film was hardly the heady stuff of magic for Daniels. Digital effects saw to that.
"I finished filming on the last film last week. For the final shot I walked along a blue corridor with a blue background behind me talking to someone who wasn't there." he said.
"Revenge of the Sith" is due out next May and completes a trilogy of pre-quels, which tell the back story of the original movie about a battle between good and evil in a distant galaxy.
Daniels makes no secret about his favorite of the six.
"The first film spoke to everyone on the planet. It still works as a funny, bright movie. It still has legs," he said of the films by U.S. director George Lucas.
When Lucas returned to the pre-quels, Daniels was not so sure.
"George's devotion to digital effects over-balanced the films. Too many digital funky characters become a little bit wearing. The storytelling always gets subsumed."
STRANGE IMMORTALITY
For the 58-year-old Daniels, playing a fastidious robot who sounds like a prissy English butler transformed his career.
"He (C-3PO) gave me that lead into a strange kind of immortality. People are very fond of him. His image has haunted me around the planet," he said.
There was also an undeniable sense of achievement from the self-deprecating British actor as he reflected on the squirming discomfort of clunking around the Tunisian desert in searing heat to make film history.
"He has been a best friend for me. He is going to live forever in the ether," he told Reuters in an interview.
Critics may have admired his on-screen chemistry with fellow robot R2-D2 but Daniels said: "I was talking to myself all the time. It was a very lonely experience. I was locked inside a box and had a friend who didn't speak to me."
The English stage actor was initially reluctant to audition for the part and even risked "losing his voice" to Hollywood star Richard Dreyfuss as Lucas contemplated dubbing him over.
"Now I have the honor of being the only person to have appeared in all of the movies and I have become the principal spokesman for them," he said.
For there is plenty of life left in the "Star Wars" phenomenon with the worldwide DVD launch of the first three movies on Sept. 21.
Just listening to Daniels' schedule is exhausting.
There is the Paris "Star Wars" convention, the "Star Wars" exhibition in Osaka, being inducted into the Robot Hall of Fame in Pittsburgh, joining forces with storm troopers in London to launch the DVD.
Then comes all the razzmatazz of the final pre-quel.
But nothing will erase his treasured memory of the first time he saw a sketch of the android he was to play.
"When I saw the painting by the design artist, the eyes of the character looked deep into my soul. He was a very forlorn figure with an abandoned air. He really did look into my soul. We made this tremendous contact."