'Family Guy' Bounces Back Big for FOX
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) "Family Guy" fans put their eyeballs where their DVD money had previously been and turned out in droves to watch the show's return.
The animated series, returning to FOX more than three years after the network last aired an original episode, gathered some of the best ratings in its history Sunday (May 1). About 11.85 million people watched the fourth-season premiere, according to fast national ratings from Nielsen, and a huge number of them fell in the young-adult demographics FOX loves. (Final ratings will be out Tuesday.)
Sunday was a pretty good night in general for the broadcast networks. ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" each drew their second-biggest audiences of the season, and the CBS movie "Riding the Bus with My Sister" also performed well.
It was "Family Guy," though, that provided the most eye-catching numbers of the night. The show scored a strong 5.7 rating among adults 18-49 -- second to "Housewives" and more than double FOX's season average (2.5) for the half-hour. It even beat the ABC hit among two of the demographics that helped resurrect "Family Guy," teenagers and men 18-34.
All this for a show that averaged fewer than 5 million viewers per week in its most recent season on FOX, 2001-02. Strong ratings for repeats on Cartoon Network and DVD sales helped convince FOX to put the series back into production.
The network's other animated offerings posted decent numbers as well. "The Simpsons" celebrated its 350th episode (although some counts have the show at 351) with two episodes that averaged just over 11.1 million viewers, and "American Dad" held onto about 80 percent of the "Family Guy" audience. Like its lead-in, "Dad" also improved substantially on the network's season average for the time period.
For all the good news at FOX, though, ABC still dominated the first Sunday of sweeps. Nearly 25.9 million people watched "Desperate Housewives," the second-largest audience of the season for the show. Its 11.4 rating among adults 18-49 was also its second-best performance. "Grey's Anatomy" (18.5 million viewers, 8.5 18-49 rating) had its second-largest audience and best-yet rating in the 18-49 demographic.
At CBS, "Riding the Bus with My Sister" brought in 15 million viewers, an improvement of close to 4 million over the network's season average for its Sunday movie.
Linkin Park protests Warner Music's scheduled IPO
Sex, drugs and IPOs? Initial public offerings are hardly on the short list of things rock 'n' roll bands concern themselves with. That changed Monday after the popular band Linkin Park all but threatened to stop making music for its label, Warner Music, in protest of the company's IPO next week.
Upset that just $7 million of the IPO's $600 million in estimated proceeds will go to the company and its artists, Linkin Park demanded in a statement to be released from its contract to deliver seven albums to Warner. The band, popular for albums that meld rock, rap and electronica, declined comment.
Linkin Park's move is potentially significant because it is an embarrassing public airing of unhappiness by a Warner artist, says Melanie Hase, analyst at IPO tracker Renaissance Capital. Linkin Park said that it accounts for 10% of Warner's revenue and that it was scheduled to release its newest album next year. Nielsen SoundScan data, though, show the band accounted for less than 3% of shipments so far this year and since 2000.
Revenue questions aside, Hase says the band's displeasure is understandable. A vast majority of the IPO proceeds are being used to pay back debt incurred when management, including music industry vet Edgar Bronfman Jr., bought the unit from Time Warner in March 2004. By the time of the IPO, company insiders and executives will have received more than $800 million in bonuses and dividends, while the company will still have $2.2 billion in debt, Hase says.
Still, unless other artists join in, it's questionable whether Linkin Park will have enough clout to make Warner rethink its strategy or for investors to reconsider the IPO, says Brian Garrity, business editor at Billboard magazine. "The track record of bands going up against labels like this isn't very favorable," he says.
Garrity says Linkin Park is renegotiating its contract with Warner, and he figures the band is using the IPO as a bargaining chip. "This is a nice piece of leverage for them to try to get a better deal with Warner," he says.
Warner says Linkin Park has been paid fairly. "They have always been compensated generously for their outstanding worldwide success," spokesman Will Tanous said in an e-mailed comment.
If anything sours investors, though, it will be the IPO's questionable terms, not Linkin Park, says Francis Gaskins, president of IPOdesktop.com. Gaskins says Warner is just the latest in a flurry of IPOs in which investors, having bought a company by using heavy debt, look to cash in and pay down the debt. Investors have been lukewarm on such deals. "This is a serious bailout, and that's why people don't like it," he says.
Fourth Harry Potter hits screens Nov. 18
NEW YORK (AP) — Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth installment of the film series based on the J.K. Rowling novels, will be released simultaneously to both conventional theaters and in the big-screen IMAX format on Nov. 18.
"We previously committed to releasing two of Warner Bros. Pictures' biggest ... films of 2005 in IMAX's format —Batman Begins and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory— and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a great addition to that list," Dan Fellman, president of Domestic Distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures, said in a statement Monday.
The latest Harry Potter film was directed by Mike Newell. Daniel Radcliffe returns as Harry, with Rupert Grint starring as Ron Weasley and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger.
Former 'Idol' Contestants Ready to 'Feud'
LOS ANGELES - Ten former "American Idol" contestants are involved in a very different kind of competition.
The singers, including last season's runner-up, Diana DeGarmo, are appearing on "Family Feud," the syndicated game show. They were divided by gender for the taped shows, which will be broadcast this week.
Besides DeGarmo, the female team includes Julia DeMato, Amy Adams, Vanessa Olivarez and Kimberley Locke. Ricky Smith, A.J. Gil, Jon Peter Lewis, George Huff and Matt Rogers are on the men's side.
"It was so much fun. It felt like we were right back on the 'American Idol' again, living and breathing each moment together," said DeGarmo, a high school senior from Snellville, Ga.
DeGarmo, who finished second on "American Idol" last year to Fantasia Barrino, has kept up with the Fox program this season.
"At first it was kind of hard to watch it because it seems like it was just yesterday ... it's kind of odd not to see myself with it," said DeGarmo, who turns 18 next month.
School has not kept her from nurturing her music career with performances and a trip to the Grammy Awards. On a February visit to Germany with President Bush, DeGarmo sang for U.S. troops.
'FAMILY' PLOTS
It is going to be another mob hit! The goodfellas cast of the Emmy-award winning show "The Sopranos" were back in action at the Silvercup Studios in Queens on the first day of shooting their sixth and likely final season for HBO.
Not even the actors know what will happen to them in the 10 episodes to be shot. Creator David Chase isn't spilling the beans either. The plot is as secret as the code of omerta, the mob's oath of silence. The shows aren't expected to air until next year, and there's even talk that the family's saga may end with a feature film.
James Gandolfini who plays New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano looked like a million bucks as he strutted onto the set with script in hand and was greeted, well, like a don.
Gandolfini grinned and said it was "fabulous" being back after the series 16-month hiatus.
There was plenty of palling around with wiseguy co-stars Tony Sirico, who plays Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri, Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti and Steve Van Zandt as Silvio Dante, slapping one another on the back and feinting punches.
The corpulent Joe Gannascoli, who plays Vito Spatafore, boasted that while the series was off the air, he lost 40 pounds.
While waiting for their cues, Gandolfini and an unidentified actor pored over a copy of Mad magazine, which featured a send up of the show titled "Sopranos on the Set."
"There's going to be a lot of blood shed this year and hopefully it isn't mine," quipped Sirico as he jabbed his finger toward his pals.
Broadway star Edie Falco who plays Carmela, the beleagured wife of Tony Soprano, was the first to arrive, and quickly ducked out of sight. A wardrobe crewmember was seen carrying a black party dress in tow, possibly for a restaurant scene.
By the last episode, which aired in June, Tony had gotten back together with Carmela and had barely missed being nabbed by the feds.
PARIS SPEAKS!
Does Paris Hilton not know everyone is making fun of her? Or does she just not care?
Maybe a little of both, especially after "House of Wax" producer Joel Silver printed up "See Paris Die" T-shirts.
"At first, I wasn't too keen on the idea, but, um, whatever," the 24-year-old heiress tells The New York Post.
"I can laugh at myself."
If that's the case, Paris will have plenty to chuckle over in "Wax."
There's even a scene shot in greenish night-vision, just like the most memorable scenes in her notorious sex tape, "One Night in Paris."
Director Jaume Serra insists that Paris was in on the joke - "she's a cool girl," he says - but the reality is a little more complicated.
Q - Did you know the night vision scene was alluding to the sex tape?
A- I didn't see the movie until two days ago. I didn't even know they were doing that, but, whatever. I didn't mind.
Do you think people are mean to you?
Yeah. But, whatever. I don't mind.
Why is everyone so mean?
I don't know. I'm easy to do it to, I guess. But whatever. I'm a businesswoman. I'm not doing anything bad.
Last night at the "House of Wax" screening people applauded when you got killed.
I did, too.
You did? Why?
Because it's such a cool scene. They're applauding because they love it.
You don't think people resent you?
Well, maybe someone's trying to be cool, and like, "Ooh, look. I'm cool. I'm clapping." But, whatever.
Some people think of you as an heiress who had everything handed to her.
If people knew how hard I work, they wouldn't say that. I work my butt off.
What's your normal workday like?
I get up at, like, 6 a.m., and I'm on conference calls or on my way to a photo shoot or shooting a film or in the studio or at a meeting. It's always something. It's never free.
Your next career move is releasing an album, right? When do you write your songs?
I carry around a recorder. It's in the car. If I'm upset of happy or I'm thinking something, I'll say it into the recorder, and then I'll go work with my producers and my writers and come up with songs.
You say you want to retire from all this. Or at least cut back and have kids.
Yeah. In two years. Two or three.
And you say you don't go out anymore.
Not really. My boyfriend likes to stay at home. He hates going out.
So, you're dating a guy who's also named Paris. Paris Letsis.
Mm-hmm.
How do you tell each other apart?
He calls me "Gorgeous" or "Princess." I call him "Babaluna."
What are you going to name your first child?
Paris.
Dixie Chicks Recording With Rick Rubin
The Dixie Chicks are in Los Angeles recording a new album with producer Rick Rubin. No release date has been pegged for the Open Wide/Columbia set, which will be the follow-up to 2002's "Home." As previously reported, Rubin recently produced the next Columbia album from veteran vocalist Neil Diamond, due this summer.
“Home” debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 5.8 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The Chicks have been off the road since a run on last fall's Vote for Change tour. Earlier this month, group member Emily Robison gave birth two twins named Julianna and Henry.
'Shrek 3' gossip alert
Good news for those who just don't get enough of them on TV, in tabloids and in celebrity magazines: Justin Timberlake is joining Cameron Diaz for Shrek 3.
Timberlake will play a young King Arthur, or "Artie," a rebellious high school student with no interest in being king, Shrek 3 producer Aron Warner says. It's up to Shrek, voiced by Mike Myers, to teach Artie how to act like royalty, Warner says. The film is due May 18, 2007.
Despite their high-profile relationship, Diaz, who is the voice of Shrek's wife, Fiona, had no say in Timberlake landing the job, Warner insists. "Our desire was to get somebody who is visible and had their own persona to bring to the table," he says. "Justin fit that bill perfectly." (In Shrek 2, a poster of "Sir Justin" hangs in Fiona's girlhood bedroom.)
Don't bother asking Warner for the skinny on the couple. Warner, who has produced all three Shrek films, says he "disappears into my work. I'll finish one of these movies and discover three years have slipped by. I'm the last person to ask about gossip."
He can dish a little on Shrek and bride Fiona. Warner says "there is a baby involved" in the third installment. "In teaching Artie to be king, Shrek has to overcome his deep-seated fear of being a father."
But whose baby is it?
"That's all I'm going to say," Warner says. "We've got to leave something for a surprise."
Kevin Smith Reviews 'Revenge of the Sith'
Director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy) has written one of the first reviews of George Lucas's Star Wars: Episode 3 -- Revenge of the Sith. Posted on his website, www.viewaskew.com, the review contains numerous spoilers -- and numerous adjectives that are not likely to be included in any ads for the movie. Smith calls it "quite simply, f***ing awesome." He remarks that it "is so satisfyingly tragic, you'll think you're watching Othello or Hamlet." He says that Lucas was correct in setting a dark tone for the film and suggests that there are several scenes that will disturb children. However, he notes, "This is the birth of Darth Vader we're talking about. The only comic moments in the flick are given to R2D2, and while good, they're all pretty few and far between; the order of the day is dark, dark, dark."
'Hitchhikers Guide' Takes $21.7M in Debut
LOS ANGELES - "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" thumbed its way to the top of the box office, debuting at $21.7 million to beat out the explosive "XXX" brand.
Ice Cube's action tale "XXX: State of the Union" opened a weak third with $13.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
"XXX" came in behind the previous weekend's top movie, "The Interpreter," starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, which slipped to No. 2 with $14.2 million, lifting its 10-day total to $43.6 million.
Hollywood's pre-summer slump continued, with overall revenues down for the 10th-straight weekend. The top 12 movies grossed $84.8 million, off 10 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Mean Girls" and "Man on Fire" led the box office.
Adapted from the first of the late Douglas Adams' comically philosophical books about the nature of our big, old goofy universe, "Hitchhiker's Guide" follows the adventures of an ordinary Brit who catches a ride with aliens moments before Earth is destroyed to make way for an interstellar bypass.
Adams' books have been cult favorites for decades, but the movie's mix of cheeky humor, oddball ideas and singular visuals clearly hooked a mainstream audience. Reviews were mixed, some critics calling the movie a fitful gag reel that sapped the essence of Adams' witty prose and others finding it a refreshing dose of whimsy and irreverence.
"Obviously, the thought process of the public was, 'That looks interesting. I want to see it. It's fresh and looks different,'" said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney, which released "Hitchhiker's Guide."
Critics soundly trashed the new "XXX" flick, but they also disliked Vin Diesel's original, which did more than three times the business over opening weekend than the followup.
What went wrong?
"I wish I could say," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for "XXX" studio Sony. "Certainly, we're disappointed, because it's a film we all believed in. We have Ice Cube, who is a big star, and I think he's one of those rare actors who really can do just about anything. So I really don't know."
Ice Cube, previously known for the R-rated "Friday" movies and the saucy "Barbershop" comedies, broadened into the family market with this year's hit "Are We There Yet?" But the absence of Diesel may have undermined the movie's appeal, while fans may not have bought into rapper Ice Cube as an action hero.
"Ice Cube doesn't seem like a sweethearted dad, either, but 'Are We There Yet?' did incredibly well," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "Maybe people just associated Vin Diesel more with that role than anybody thought."
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. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," $21.7 million.
2. "The Interpreter," $14.2 million.
3. "XXX: State of the Union," $13.7 million.
4. "The Amityville Horror," $8.1 million.
5. "Sahara," $6 million.
6. "A Lot Like Love," $5.2 million.
7. "Kung Fu Hustle," $3.8 million.
8. "Fever Pitch," $3.75 million.
9. "Robots," $2.65 million.
10. "Guess Who," $2.2 million.