Canadian retailers divided over O.J. Simpson book
The controversial release of O.J. Simpson's quasi-confessional book about the killing of his ex-wife and her friend has divided book retailers in Canada, some of whom plan not to stock it.
If I Did It, in which Simpson speculates on how, hypothetically, he could have killed Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, has been at the centre of controversy since its release was announced earlier this week.
While Canadian retail giant Chapters Indigo has indicated it plans to stock the book, other smaller chains say they plan to avoid it. The book is scheduled for release Nov. 30.
Nicholas Hoare, who runs retail chain Nicholas Hoare Books, told CBC Radio the book has no place in his stores.
"I don't think our customers want to be turned off. I think they want to be turned on," he said. "If you really want the details of O.J. Simpson, you just have to stand in the check-out line of a supermarket and you can see the whole thing plastered in front of the National Enquirer.
"This is not our bag at all," he said.
Toronto-based retailer Book City is also not planning to stock the book, according to the Toronto Star.
A spokeswoman for McNally Robinson, which owns retail chains in Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Calgary, told CBC Arts Online the owners are still discussing the decision whether to stock the book.
Simpson was acquitted in 1995 of murdering Brown Simpson and Goldman in a widely viewed and controversial case. He was later found liable in a wrongful-death suit filed by the Goldman family but has failed to pay the $33.5 million judgment.
HarperCollins Canada had reportedly been offering the book to retailers without revealing the author, subject or title. This practice tipped Hoare off as to what kind of content to expect, he said.
"That puts the hackles up immediately in the sense that one takes to the hills instinctively," he said. The last time a publisher tried this technique it was for a tell-all book about Diana, Princess of Wales, from her former boyfriend, he said.
Hoare said while his bookstores won't be stocking If I Did It, it would be available if customers asked to have it ordered. He also admitted the book will likely "sell like a rocket."
Earlier this week, Fox News announced the former football player would be appearing on the network to do a two-part interview in conjunction with the release of the book, to be published by HarperCollins imprint ReganBooks.
'It was personal'
Under a storm of criticism, ReganBooks publisher Judith Regan said in a release issued Friday she chose to go ahead with the book because she was a victim of domestic violence and thought proceeds of the sale would go to Simpson's kids.
"I didn't know what to expect when I got the call that the killer wanted to confess," Regan said in an eight-page statement titled "Why I Did It."
"But I knew one thing. I wanted the confession for my own selfish reasons and for the symbolism of that act. For me, it was personal."
She said she was in an abusive relationship in her 20s and saw Simpson's confessional as a way to get closure. "I made the decision to publish this book, and to sit face to face with the killer, because I wanted him, and the men who broke my heart and your hearts, to tell the truth, to confess their sins, to do penance and to amend their lives," she said.
Though Simpson does not actually admit to the killings, Regan said she considers the book a confession.
ReganBooks has published other controversial books like former baseball player Jose Canseco's steroid-confessional Juiced and Jenna Jameson's How To Make Love Like A Porn Star.
Penguins set to beat Bond at U.S. box office
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Animated penguins will fight a new James Bond at the weekend box office, with "Happy Feet" likely to take the crown, potentially reaching the $50 million mark.
"Babe" filmmaker George Miller's PG-rated animated odyssey has been marketed to the hilt by Warner Bros., with children all over the country ready to beg their parents for admittance into the world of emperor penguins.
But Sony Pictures' "Casino Royale," a co-production with MGM, will put up a decent fight. Armed with strong reviews and a debonair new Bond in British actor Daniel Craig, the PG-13 film should open strongly in the $40 million range.
Universal Pictures' "Let's Go to Prison," starring Will Arnett and Dax Shepard, is unlikely to debut with much muscle. The R-rated jailhouse comedy is not expected to cross the $5 million mark.
"Happy Feet," featuring the voices of Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and Elijah Wood, will open in 3,804 theaters. With strong comedic timing from Williams -- who takes on two roles in the film set in the Antarctic wilderness -- and choreographed musical numbers, the movie is looking to draw a larger audience than just children and their parents; some think it will be the date movie of the weekend.
"Happy Feet" is likely to bow to about $40 million, but with strong tracking across all demographics, it could reach $50 million.
The new Bond film -- from director Martin Campbell, who ushered Pierce Brosnan into his first 007 role in 1995's "GoldenEye" -- marks Craig's debut as the suave agent. Considering there hasn't been a big, glossy action movie in a long time, "Casino" is looking to land in the sweet spot for Sony. The film has received positive early reviews -- much stronger than the most recent Bond films. "Die Another Day" opened in 2002 to $47 million and featured Halle Berry in the Bond girl role. This time, relative unknown Eva Green plays 007's love interest, Vesper Lynd.
A slew of films open in limited release. Warner Independent Pictures launches Christopher Guest's latest improv-heavy comedy "For Your Consideration." The PG-13 film stars such Guest regulars as Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara. This time, Guest's target is Hollywood and the absurd race for Oscar glory. The film will open in 23 theaters.
After Dark Films presents "Horror Fest: 8 Films to Die For" in 488 theaters. Complete with celebrity appearances, signings and giveaways, the festival is expected to be a boon for horror fans.
Fox Searchlight will unveil Richard Linklater's "Fast Food Nation," a fictionalized account of the book by Eric Schlosser. The R-rated drama starring Greg Kinnear and Bruce Willis examines the toxic relationships among the meatpacking industry, fast-food franchises and obesity in the U.S. It opens in 321 theaters.
MGM opens the Weinstein Co.'s "Bobby" on two screens in Los Angeles and New York. The R-rated political drama from director Emilio Estevez features a cast including Anthony Hopkins, Lindsay Lohan, William H. Macy, Demi Moore and Sharon Stone.
"Stu" is next target for Brosnan
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Pierce Brosnan can't get enough of playing a spy.
The former James Bond is going back to the spy world, signing on to star in "Spy vs. Stu," a comedy for New Line Cinema. Brosnan also will produce the movie.
The comedy centers on Stu, a commitment-phobe who plans to propose to his girlfriend during an island vacation. Unbeknownst to him, a handsome, debonair spy (Brosnan) is on the other end of the island, having just finished saving the world. When the bored spy takes a serious liking to Stu's girl, Stu is forced to compete with the ultrasuave superspy in order to win the heart of his true love.
No director is on board yet. The project is based on an original screenplay by Keith Mitchell and Allie Dvorin.
Brosnan portrayed Bond in four high-grossing films, beginning with 1995's "GoldenEye." He did a send up the classic suave spy character with last year's "The Matador," in which he played an assassin having a slow nervous breakdown.