'OFFICE' STAR GOING HOMER
Ricky Gervais, the mastermind behind the BBC's cult hit "The Office," will write an episode of "The Simpsons."
"I had lunch with [series creator] Matt Groening and we chatted over some bits and pieces," Gervais told The Post yesterday.
"I'd already been in talks with [executive producer] Al Jean about doing a voice for the show, and he said it might be a good idea for me to have a go," he said.
Gervais, who called "The Simpsons" "the greatest TV show of all time," also called the assignment "intimidating."
"It's like improving the Mona Lisa, you know, 'Give her a bigger smile,' " he said, adding that he's got some ideas for the episode.
"It's not so much a plot as a theme," said Gervais, who's also gearing up for his first post-"Office" series, "Extras."
"I got some sample bits and pieces that might happen; what I'm doing is banging it down as I go along and sending it to Al [Jean]," Gervais said.
Gervais said the show's writers will help whip his ideas into shape.
"Me banging down a couple of ideas is one thing, but it's not an episode of 'The Simpsons' until it's had the full treatment from the show's writers," he said.
"But whatever happens — if they look at it and say, 'Sorry, it's rubbish,' or if it gets on the air — they asked," he said.
"It's a pleasure for me to do things like this. The awards, money and fame are secondary — I still get to do exactly what I want and I get offers from people like Al Jean."
Gervais said he has "no idea" when his "Simpsons" episode will air on Fox.
"There are so many 'ifs' along the way," he said. "I could just burst into tears and have a breakdown and say I can't do it."
THANKS '04 THE SONGS
The year in music may have begun with that now infamous "wardrobe malfunc tion," but 2004 also brought countless more moments we'd rather remember — from concerts planned (Devo) and impromptu (U2) to welcome comebacks (Morrissey, Prince) and the long-awaited re-emergence of the master himself, Dylan.
* Devo and Suicide: When pop-punk band Devo reunited at Central Park SummerStage in its full glory of flowerpot hats/energy domes and yellow jumpsuits, the rains miraculously held out until after the evening's last note.
Ripping up guitars, the musicians of Devo ably displayed their relevance and their influence in today's rock world.
Flashback night continued with original synth-pop duo Suicide at the Knitting Factory.
* U2: All Manhattan was abuzz as the Irish rockers lit up Seventh Avenue on a flatbed truck, performing songs from their new album all the way to DUMBO, where they gave fans a free show — beneath the Brooklyn Bridge.
* Morrissey at the Apollo: The middle-aged Brit pop diva poured out his latest tunes as well as the old crowd-pleasers.
And the so-called mope rocker was happy! Thus were we.
* "The Grey Album": Deejay/producer Danger Mouse mixed Jay-Z's "Black Album" with The Beatles' "White Album" to create an Internet phenomenon and let the world know just exactly what a "mash up" is.
* Dig! and Brian Jonestown Massacre:
Rock-umentary "Dig!" followed the rivalry between Brian Jonestown Massacre's fierce frontman, Anton Newcombe, and the Dandy Warhols' Courtney Taylor-Taylor.
With newly generated interest in the band, BJM performed several hypnotic New York shows to re-emphasize its brilliant psych-garage '60s rock and de-emphasize the violent, unstable images of the film.
* Guided by Voices at Irving Plaza:
The last GBV New York show ever was a mosh pit full of warm-hearted, 30-something indie rockers and the jovial, smashed Robert Pollard bashing Brian Wilson and singing his heart out.
* Prince comeback: Through his online fan club, his purple magistrate offered tix to a late-night show after his Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction as well as an intimate concert to celebrate the release of "Musicology."
Live, the funk-pop master delivered, wowing crowds at six sold-out New York area shows.
* Jay-Z's "99 Problems":
Mark Romanek (who shot Johnny Cash's poignant "Hurt" video) did the "99 Problems" video in gritty black and white for a reality tour of Brooklyn, Jigga's hometown.
City living catches up with Jay-Z at the end, when he gets shot — a chilling nod to his alleged retirement.
* Scotland, "the new Sweden": The success of Franz Ferdinand refocused the spotlight on bands from Glasgow. Such Scottish bands as Dogs Die in Hot Cars, the Delgados and Snow Patrol, have been breaking out. It's not all about Belle & Sebastian anymore.
* Bob Dylan: After years of the silent treatment, Dylan won't shut up — and we don't want him to.
The legendary songwriter, who dismisses the label the "voice of a generation," penned "Chronicles," the first installment of his autobiography, and appeared on "60 Minutes."
Despite Ed Bradley's lame questions, Dylan managed to come up with zany and fascinating answers.
Bill Murray Sports Tiny Trunks for Film
LOS ANGELES - Bill Murray's choice of swimwear in his new movie leaves little to the imagination. But the star of "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou" says he wasn't embarrassed to be seen in a tiny bathing suit.
"Being in a Speedo with other men in Speedos is, you know, is like you're on a swimming team," he told reporters recently, according to AP Radio. "It's the other men that are not in Speedos that are the problem because they're kind of going like, `Can you get a load of the guy in the Speedo?'"
Wes Anderson's gleeful takeoff on undersea adventure movies stars Murray as the Jacques-Yves Cousteau-like explorer of the film's title.
The 54-year-old actor said he didn't see his character as being physically vain.
"I like to say I made the acting choice to have a little bit of a belly. I could've gotten really in shape, but I didn't think that Steve Zissou would be a guy who'd be like completely buff," he said. "I actually had to get a little bit out of shape."
Several Anderson regulars are back for the film, including Owen Wilson and Anjelica Huston.
SPRINGTIME FOR UMA?
Variety reporting that Uma Thurman is in talks to replace Nicole Kidman as bombshell Swedish secretary Ulla in Mel Brooks' movie version of his hit Broadway musical, The Producers.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO ON NEW YEAR'S?
Bill Murray: It used to be to find a girl, drink and hopefully get lucky. Those truly were the good old days. Wait a minute - maybe I'll try it again this New Year's Eve!
Minnie Driver: Any warm beach in the Caribbean will do, with a good book and a group of friends to catch up on old times.
Samuel L. Jackson: Go to church - there's no better place to be. I give thanks for all that I have been blessed with, which is a lot, over the year.
Ashanti: Perform onstage. When you love to sing, there's nothing more exciting than entertaining a crowd on New Year's Eve. The audiences are always great and up for a good time, and for me it's the ultimate party.
Kevin Bacon: I like to go somewhere exotic, but Kyra, my wife, usually convinces me to just hang out in New York. This year I won. We're all going to Costa Rica. Yes!
Owen Wilson: I love to get drunk by an ocean with my family. It's the best and only way for me to celebrate the coming year.
Emmy Rossum: Wherever I am working in the world, it's great to come home to New York, the best city in the world, and be with those I love the most.
Kate Bosworth: At home, being romantic with the one I love.
'Fockers' Gets Early Start at Christmas Box Office
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - With the arrival of Christmas weekend, it's Hollywood's last chance to open a box office bonanza or two before the calendar year ends.
Universal Pictures' family comedy "Meet the Fockers," which opened Wednesday, already has staked its claim in hopes of attracting big audiences -- many of them presumably fleeing family gatherings.
On Christmas Day, 20th Century Fox will make a bid for younger audiences -- as well as nostalgia freaks -- when it bows its live-action comedy "Fat Albert."
Dimension Films, counterprograming against the seasonal merriment, is betting on the horror thriller "Darkness," while Warner Bros. Pictures unleashed the musical adaptation "Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera" in limited release Wednesday.
This is the first time since 2000 that holiday moviegoers haven't been abuzz about a "Lord of the Rings" movie. Back then, the big film was Jim Carrey's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," which ended up with $260 million.
This year, the best year-end performer has been Disney/Pixar's "The Incredibles," which opened Nov. 5 and has collected $238.5 million so far.
As moviegoers approach the year's final, 10-day moviegoing rush, there's still plenty of potential cash for the contenders to divvy among themselves. Yet, this year's particular calendar configuration is apt to make for an unpredictable frame: Many theaters close early Christmas Eve, and in many locations, audiences probably won't rebound until sometime late Saturday, with Sunday likely to play strongly.
"Meet the Fockers" is in position to better the opening of its predecessor "Meet the Parents," which bowed to $28.6 million in October 2000.
Directed by Jay Roach, who also shot the prequel, the PG-13 film adds Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand to the cast, which is headed by Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller. As Streisand makes her first film appearance in eight years, even hard-edged critics appear to be extending her a warm welcome back, and that could help to pull in older as well as younger moviegoers.
Last year, Fox demonstrated a knack for luring in the family audience with its Christmas Day opening of "Cheaper by the Dozen," starring Steve Martin, which bowed to $27.5 million. This year, it's offering the PG-rated "Fat Albert," director Joel Zwick's ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") adaptation of the vintage animated series "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids."
"Fat Albert" lacks "Cheaper's" star appeal -- even though Cosby does make an appearance as himself -- and the fact that it doesn't open until Saturday will limit its grosses, at least on its first weekend.
"Albert" also will be squaring off for some of the family audience against reigning champ "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events." Paramount's Jim Carrey vehicle, based on Daniel Handler's books, bowed to $30 million last weekend and easily maintained its No. 1 status Monday and Tuesday.
Dimension Films will make a bid for disaffected teens on Christmas Day with "Darkness," an R-rated terror tale filmed in Spain by Juame Balaguero ("The Nameless") and starring Anna Paquin and Lena Olin.
Meanwhile, Warners. is pumping up the volume on the sumptuous, PG-13-rated "Phantom," directed by Joel Schumacher.
Although it opened in just 622 theaters Wednesday, that should be enough to accommodate the first rush of the "Phantom" faithful; the true test of the movie's appeal won't take place until it expands during the new year.
This weekend, Miramax Films will open up the throttle on "The Aviator," Martin Scorsese's biopic of Howard Hughes starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Having opened Friday in just 40 theaters, the movie is expanding into 1,796 locations. Additionally, Disney will expand Wes Anderson's "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou" into 1,105 theaters after two weekends playing in just New York and Los Angeles.
Among exclusive openers, two films with Oscar aspirations are arriving in Los Angeles and New York. United Artists opened Terry George's drama "Hotel Rwanda," starring Golden Globe nominee Don Cheadle, on Wednesday, and Newmarket Films will bow Nicole Kassell's "The Woodsman," starring Kevin Bacon as a pedophile, on Christmas Eve.
Hollywood '04 Box Office Take Poised to Hit Record
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood's studios are expected to rake in a possibly record $9.4 billion at domestic box offices this year, but the lack of a Christmas season smash like last year's final "Lord of the Rings" film will crimp overall ticket sales.
The estimated box office figure for the United States and Canada should beat 2003's $9.27 billion by about 1.4 percent, and may squeak by 2002's record $9.3 billion, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc., a box office tracking service.
But admissions, or the number of tickets actually sold, are seen falling to roughly 1.5 billion from 1.53 billion last year and 1.6 billion in 2002.
The higher box office take is being fueled by a rise in average ticket prices, which Exhibitor Relations President Paul Dergarabedian said may wind up between $6.10 and $6.25 per ticket in 2004, up from $6.03 in 2003 and $5.80 in 2002.
"Many of the films that did well (with audiences) are not necessarily the films that made a lot of money," said Dergarabedian, noting art-house fare like "Napoleon Dynamite" and the current critical hit "Sideways."
He added that two big hits, "The Passion of the Christ" and "Fahrenheit 9/11," were released outside the major studios, where the $100 million-plus blockbusters normally come from.
The holidays, in which 20 percent of total annual ticket sales are made, has many crowd pleasers but lacks a mega-movie like 2003's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," which went on to win an Oscar for best picture.
SONY NO. 1
Sony Pictures Entertainment, a unit of Japanese electronics maker Sony Corp., is on the way to ending the year at No. 1 in domestic market share with more than $1.3 billion at box offices. Next is Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. with $1.25 billion, according to studio estimates.
It is the second time in three years Sony has been No. 1 and the third straight year of a $1 billion-plus box office. It is Warner's fourth straight year of $1 billion-plus in sales.
Sony had a combination of big-budget hits like "Spider-Man 2" and low-budget stars such as horror flick "The Grudge," which cost Sony $10 million and racked up $11O million.
"We had a really diverse slate this year, and...certainly we pulled off one of the surprises with 'Grudge,"' said Jeff Blake, Sony Pictures Entertainment vice chairman.
Funding movies at the high and low ends of the cost range -- avoiding the middle -- marks a trend of recent years that studio executives expect will continue in 2005.
"Spider-Man 2" was the No. 2 U.S. film of 2004 with $373 million in domestic ticket sales, behind $436 million for DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek 2."
Rounding out the top five were "Passion" with $370 million, Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" with $249 million and Disney/Pixar's "The Incredibles" at $236 million and climbing.
After a tough start with "The Alamo," Disney will likely end at No. 3 in market share with $1.1 billion, crossing the $1 billion threshold for the ninth time in 11 years.
The year also was marked by production budgets for major films in the $150 million to $200 million range, and studio executives expect high costs to continue into 2005.
Other events to look for in 2005 will be a new studio chief at Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures, a new film distribution partner for one-time Disney ally Pixar Animation Studios Inc., and the way in which a Sony-led investor group plans to run Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. .
Hollywood's other major studios include Universal Pictures, owned by General Electric Co. and France's Vivendi Universal, as well as Twentieth Century Fox, controlled by News Corp. Inc. . A major independent is Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.