$6M first edition Shakespeare to be sold
A rare book of Shakespeare’s plays, deemed by Sotheby’s “the most important book in English literature,” will be put up for auction in London.
It is the first complete folio of the playwright’s work, printed in 1623, seven years after his death. It is one of a print run of 750, only a third of which have survived, most incomplete.
The book being auctioned is in remarkable condition and is expected to fetch more than £3 million ($6.1 million) at Sotheby’s in London on July 13.
“Shakespeare has had a more profound and widespread impact on the artistic imagination, on language, literature and all the performing arts, than any other writer who has ever lived," said Peter Selley, Sotheby’s English literature expert.
"Relatively complete copies of the Folio in contemporary or near contemporary bindings very rarely come to the market. This sale will be a truly exceptional event."
The folio was assembled by John Heminges and Henry Condell, actors who performed with William Shakespeare in the King’s Men, the company he wrote for. It contains 36 plays and it was the first time that 18 of them – including Macbeth, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew and As You Like It – had been printed.
At the time, the folio sold for 20 shillings, the equivalent of about $200 today.
The book has annotations and markings from its readers. Some parts are highlighted and other times, texts are corrected.
The book is being sold by Dr. Williams’s Theological Library in London, which bought it from the library of another preacher in the early 18th century. The library is selling the book to secure its finances.
The book will be displayed at Sotheby's offices in London, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Beijing and Hong Kong in April and May, ahead of the auction.
'Amazing Race' Gets Fresh Start
"The Amazing Race," which has been struggling a little in the last hour of primetime, is switching nights, bumping two underperforming comedies in the process.
Starting next week, "The Amazing Race" will air at 8 p.m. ET Wednesdays, a switch from its previous spot at 10 p.m. Tuesdays. The ninth edition of the Emmy-winning series has been averaging fewer than 10 million viewers since its Feb. 28 premiere, its lowest figures since the third "Race" in summer 2003.
The switch puts it into a fairly wide-open timeslot where no show has been dominant in recent weeks. NBC has had success there with "Deal or No Deal" the past couple of weeks, and FOX's "Bones" has performed solidly as well, but neither one dominates the hour on the level that "American Idol" or "CSI" does.
It also puts the family-friendly show in a timeslot where more kids are likely to be watching with their parents.
The move of "The Amazing Race" bumps the comedies "Out of Practice" and "Courting Alex" off the schedule; CBS offers only a vague "at a later date" as to when they might be back. Both shows have dropped precipitously since moving from their cozy Monday-night homes earlier in the season.
"Out of Practice," which drew 12.2 million viewers per week in the fall, when it was sandwiched between "Two and a Half Men" and "CSI: Miami," has averaged only 6.6 million since its Wednesday debut last week. "Courting Alex," which occupied the same Monday slot in January and February, has brought in 6.3 million viewers a week in its new home -- half what it was averaging previously.
Hatcher and Seacrest Caught Kissing
Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher and American Idol host Ryan Seacrest have been photographed kissing after a cozy lunch in Malibu, California. The pair engaged in very public displays of affection as they took a stroll on the beach following lunch at a local restaurant last Saturday. Seated at a beach-view table, the couple ordered lobster, two orders of oysters, crab cakes, bottled water and wine. Hatcher was also seen giving Seacrest a neck massage and frequently laughing out loud at his jokes. After their lunch, they were photographed with their arms around each other, holding hands and kissing numerous times on the beach. The couple were initially introduced by a mutual friend and went on a group date at Los Angeles restaurant L'Orangerie on March 10. A source tells American publication Us Weekly, "It's not super-serious. They're not on the road to marriage or anything." Hatcher was most recently linked to George Clooney and Seacrest split from his girlfriend of two years, actress Shana Wall in July. The source adds, "They're taking it slow."
"Ice Age" sequel set to heat up box office
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The early spring thaw that drove the chill off the box office last weekend could escalate into genuine global warming this go-round as the animated sequel "Ice Age: The Meltdown" launches in North America and a number of foreign territories.
Although three other wide releases, including "Basic Instinct 2," will bid for moviegoers' attention, "Meltdown" is guaranteed to dominate the North American box office, possibly hitting the $50 million mark.
20th Century Fox's PG sequel continues the adventures of the prehistoric pack consisting of Ray Romano's woolly mammoth, John Leguizamo's sloth and Denis Leary's saber-toothed tiger along with such new additions as a mammoth love interest voiced by Queen Latifah. The original "Ice Age" opened in mid-March 2002 with $46.3 million, and ended up with $176.4 million.
Universal Pictures' reigning champ "Inside Man" -- which made off with $29 million when it opened last weekend -- should check in at No. 2.
Warner Bros. Pictures is making a pitch for the hip-hop crowd with "ATL," a coming-of-age drama about four high school students in Atlanta. With a cast headed by Tip Harris (also known as rapper T.I.) and Lauren London, along with older actors like Mykelti Williamson, it should receive a receptive hearing from its core urban audience, which could add up to something approaching $10 million.
Sony Pictures' release of the R-rated "Basic Instinct 2" revisits the murderous Catherine Tramell ( Sharon Stone) as she resurfaces in London, where she gets caught up in another sexually charged investigation being conducted by Scotland Yard and a psychiatrist played by David Morrissey.
The first "Instinct" opened to $15.1 million in 1992, but despite ticket-price inflation, its successor could be hard-pressed to climb into the double-digit millions. And it also will have to fend off such other adult-oriented R-rated fare as "Inside Man" and Warner Bros. Pictures' "V for Vendetta," which is entering its third weekend, to do so.
Universal's "Slither," an R-rated horror movie about alien plague, zombies and all manner of creepy creatures, isn't afraid to stoop for laughs. But while the turnout among horror aficionados always is unpredictable, "Slither" could find this weekend a tough slog.