Celeb News Aggregate
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A School of Rock sequel is officially in the works, says Variety. Jack Black is attached to reprise his role as rock star wannabe/substitute teacher Dewey Finn, while Richard Linklater will return to direct.
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Jon Cryer, William H. Macy, Leslie Mann and James Spader will star in Robert Rodriguez's upcoming family comedy adventure Shorts. The film, written by Rodriguez, is set to shoot in Austin, Texas, report today’s trades.
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Winona Ryder's publicists have hit back at reports the actress is set to wed boyfriend Blake Sennett, insisting a picture caption went too far.
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Actress Winona Ryder has shocked Hollywood by announcing her engagement to rocker Blake Sennett.
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Troubled movie star Brad Renfro has died, according to reports. The 25-year-old actor was found dead at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning. The cause of death has not been determined, however, Renfro has had a history of drug abuse.
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Former Friends star Jennifer Aniston is to be celebrated for her same-sex kisses.
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Ryder Praised, Ozzy on Six-Month Road to Recovery, Lions Gate Buys Artisan
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Peter and Bobby Farrelly, the filmmaking duo behind the comedies Dumb & Dumber, There's Something About Mary and Osmosis Jones, have been tapped to helm The Three Stooges for Warner Bros. Also: Mike Cerrone Sex and the City Jennifer Love Hewitt Jennifer Aniston Clothes Off Our Back Bob Hope Jules Lusman Cirque du Soleil Fat Man Mike Reiss Adam Sandler Happy Madison
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Actresses Kate Hudson, Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry and Nicole Kidman were all recognized for their fashion flair in People magazine's best dressed of 2003 special issue, which hits newsstands Thursday. Also: Winona Ryder Cynthia Nixon Da Brat Arnold Schwarzenegger Maria Shriver Tommy Chong John Rutter Cameron Diaz Kelly Osbourne Jewel Queen Latifah The Cookout
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Sony Pictures has paid a whopping $1.75 million for Click, a spec script by Bruce Almighty scribes Steve Koren and Mark O'Keefe, as a possible starring vehicle for Adam Sandler. Also: Charlton Heston Julia Child Dave Thomas Ice Cube Paul McCartney Nip/Tuck James Hewitt Princess Diana Serena Williams Robert Downey Jr. Winona Ryder Woody Allen Amanda Peet Madonna She Rocks Amie Steir Ethan Hawke The Hottest State
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James Van Der Beek Gets Hitched, Spike Lee Settles With Viacom, Princess Di a Comic Book Superhero Eminem Melissa Gilbert Spike Lee Winona Ryder Sean Connery Milos Forman Robert Altman
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Twentieth Century Fox is delaying the home video release of the upcoming musical From Kelly to Justin starring American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini after theater owners complained about its release date. Also: Paul McCartney Heather Mills Steve-O Winona Ryder Kenneth Branagh Monica Bellucci Bob Hope Suge Knight Tha Row Records 2003 Scientific and Technical Awards Sk8er Boi Avril Lavigne
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Madonna Jennifer Lopez top Razzie Award noms Winona Ryder Britney Spears Angelina Jolie Eddie Murphy Adam Sandler Steven Seagal Roberto Benigni Swept Away Crossroads Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones The Adventures of Pluto Nash Michael Jackson George Lucas Ryan Phillippe Reese Witherspoon George Clooney Renee Zellweger Nicole Kidman Nicolas Cage George Clooney Jackie Chan Dustin Hoffman Eminem
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Bobby Brown is hospitalized while serving eight-day jail sentence. Winona Ryder Ray Romano Debra Winger Hank Azaria Monica Potter Rip Torn Mel Gibson Jim Caviezel Madonna Friends Matt LeBlanc
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A Santa Monica, Calif., physician whose name appeared in a Los Angeles County probation report released in the course of Winona Ryder's sentencing on shoplifting charges denied Monday that he knowingly allows patients to abuse drugs. Also: Britney Spears Tom Sizemore Pete Townshend The Ring When Harry Met Lloyd: Dumb & Dumberer Cheri Oteri Cindy Chupack 2002 Billboard Music Awards Nelly Ashanti
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News Roundup, Nov. 27: Backstreet Boys Sue Record Label
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News Roundup for Nov. 11 - Liza Minnelli and husband David Gest angry VH1 cancelled show. Winona Ryder Showtime Merlin Santana Salma Hayek Frida Guy Ritchie Madonna Swept Away
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Winona Ryder was found guilty Wednesday of stealing more than $5,500 worth of merchandise at Saks Fifth Avenue last year. The actress remains free on bail until her sentencing hearing Dec. 6., and while it is unlikely she will face any jail time, many are wondering what effects the ordeal will have on her film career.
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Peter Guber, the former head of Sony Pictures, was among a panel of jurors with show business connections chosen Friday in Winona Ryder's shoplifting trial. Also Richard Harris Aretha Franklin Pixar Animation Studios Knick Knack Finding Nemo George P. Pelecanos Right as Rain Hell to Pay Curtis Hanson Good Morning, Miami Christopher Titus Bow Wow
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News roundup Oct. 24 - Italian director Lina Wertmuller upset over the poor reviews for Swept Away. Winona Ryder Elizabeth Hurley Michael Jordan Jenny Jones Tom Jones
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News roundup for Oct. 16 - A former employee for Lucasfilms was arrested for stealing an advanced copy of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. Kid Rock Pamela Anderson Winona Ryder Ivana Trump The Cat in the Hat Mike Myers Dustin Hoffman Ray Romano
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Prosecutors in the Winona Ryder shoplifting case filed a motion Monday to admit evidence of alleged previous misdeeds by the actress.
Winona RyderChristopher Reeve Katrin Cartlidge Whitney Houston Method Man Redman Ghetto, Inc. Ben Affleck Matt Damon Push, Nevada Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Alec Baldwin The Adbemtures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
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Rob Lowe, once the biggest star of the NBC drama The West Wing, announced in July he was leaving the show following a contract dispute, but that doesn't mean he's leaving for good.
Rob Lowe Tupac Shakur Notorious BIG Paul McCartney heather Mills Winona Ryder Robert Evans The Kid Stays in the Picture The Fat Lady Sings Adam Sandler National Lampoon
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Kim Cattrall seems to have found something interesting to do on her time off from the hit HBO series Sex and the City. Cattrall and Martha Plimpton will play lesbians in the New York premiere of David Mamet's Boston Marriage at the Public Theater this November.
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The box office predictions for the weekend beginning Aug. 23:Matthew Perry, Elizabeth Hurley, Serving Sara, Al Pacino, Andrew Niccol, Simone, Wesley Snipes, Ving Rhames, Undisputed, Ribin Williams, One Hour Photo, Blue Crush, Eddie Murphy, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaaron Eckhart, Possession, Vin Diesel, XXX, Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, Mel Gibson, M. Night Shyamalan, Signs, Dana Carvey, Master of Disguise, Stuart Little 2, Tom Hanks, Road to Perdition, Jennifer Aniston, The Good Girl, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Tom Hanks, Road to Perdition
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Box Office Analysis: July 28 Austin Powers in Goldmember The Road to Perdition Stuart Little 2 Men in Black II K-19: The Widowmaker The Country Bears Mr. Deeds Reign of Fire Minority Report My Big Fat Greek Wedding The Kid Stays In the Picture
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Box Office Analysis: July 21.
Stuart Little 2 Road to Perdition Men in Black II K-19: The Widowmaker Eight Legged Freaks Mr. Deeds Lilo & Stitch The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course Tadpole My Big Fat Greek Wedding Never Again
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Winona Ryder's attorney attempts to replace the DA's office as prosecutors in the case is denied.
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Martin Grove's box office analysis for the week of July 14, 2002. Men in Black II wins a second week running, followed by potential Oscar candidate "Road to Perdition."
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News Roundup for July 11: Winona Ryder may join Urinetown cast. Other celebrities include Pamela Anderson Woody Allen Shaquille O'Neal
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Martin Grove's box office analysis for the week of July 7, 2002.
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The box office predictions for the weekend beginning June 28. Mr. Deeds, Adam Sandler, Winona Ryder, Hey Arnold! The Movie. Minority Report, Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Lilo & Stitch, Juwanna Mann, Miguel A. Nunez Jr., Scooby-Doo, Matt Damon, The Bourne Identity, Nicolas Cage, John Woo, Windtalkers, Anthony Hopkins, Chris Rock, Bad Company, Sandra Bullock, Ashley Judd, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Ben Affleck, The Sum of All Fears, Eddie Griffin, Undercover Brother, Spider-Man, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron, My Big Fat Greek Wedding
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Martin Grove's box office analysis for the week of June 30, 2002.
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A notice filed three weeks ago by prosecutors indicates plans to show that Winona Ryder's alleged theft is part of a patter of behavior.
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Noah Davis takes a stab at some Oscar picks, despite the fact that he hasn't seen many of the movies. (He did see Lord of the Rings 20 times, though.)
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Winona Ryders lawyer does not think the new 10 second video clip will help her shoplifting case
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Jennifer Lopez returned to the top of the charts Wednesday with the debut of her third album J to Tha L-O! The Remixes
Jennifer Lopez Gwyneth Paltrow Meg Ryan In the Cut Cuba Gooding Jr Fighting Temptation Snow Dogs 2 Adam Sandler Winona Ryder Mr. Deeds Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator 3: The Rise of the Machines NYPD Blue Futurama Matt Groening Miss America Katie Harman Erick McCormack Janet Holden Johnny Depp Vanessa Paradis Al Roker Deborah Roberts
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Winona Ryder pleaded innocent to charges of shoplifting and drug possession.
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Winona Ryder was charged Friday with one count each of grand theft, commercial burglary, vandalism and possession of a controlled substance, stemming from her Dec. 12 shoplifting arrest at a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly Hills
Winona Ryder Mariah Carey The Razzies Julia Roberts 74th Academy Awards Jamie Foxx Charlie's Angels 2 Robert De Niro Brandy NBC ABC CBS Fox Nielsen nationals Super Bowl adsThe West WingBilly Joel Paul McCartney Grammy performances Hugh Hefner
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winona ryder charged with four felony counts related to shoplifting arrest Girl Interrupted Edward Scissorhands
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Mariah Carey's lawyer said recording companies have already shown interest in the pop diva since speculation of her breakup with EMI surfaced several weeks ago
Mariah Carey Al Pacino Sylvester Stallone Winona Ryder Frank Oz Donny and Marie Osmond Caroline Rhea The Rosie O'Donnell Show Dawn Tarnofsky-Ostroff UPN Mision Korian Tamie Grant Hill The Spice Girls Alan Jackson
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Winona Ryder who starred as a troubled teen in Girl Interrupted made a brief court appearance Thursday in connection with the allegations against her for shoplifting and drug possession
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Winona Ryder is caught shoplifting at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills
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Winona Ryder claims she was doing movie research when she was caught for shoplifting. Her lawyer gives a statement to her innocence.
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Unless the Grinch scares people away from their local cinemas, a new record could be set at the box office Christmas weekend as a half-dozen newly released dramas boasting Academy Award-winning casts will compete with several children's films and other holdovers from previous weeks.
In each of the past three years, a new box-office record was set on Christmas weekend, and with the release of films such as Warner Bros.' "Any Given Sunday" starring Al Pacino, Dennis Quaid and Cameron Diaz, Paramount's "The Talented Mr. Ripley" starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett and Jude Law, and Universal's "Man on the Moon" with Jim Carrey, industry experts believe movie grosses for Friday through Sunday could surpass $150 million - breaking the Christmas weekend record of $147.5 million set last year, when films such as "Patch Adams," You've Got Mail" and "Stepmom" were hot ite
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HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 13, 2000 -- "Meet the Parents" and "Remember the Titans" took the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively, last week. And guess what, the smart bets are that they’ll remain in those positions again this week.
"’Meet the Parents’ and 'Remember the Titans' are going to be the top two films again," Brandon Gray of boxofficemojo.com told Hollywood.com. "’Meet’ had a stunning opening. Even if it takes a hit, it is still going to make a sizable amount. The film has the momentum right now, and it’s clearly the top movie."
As for "Remember the Titans," Gray predicts that it’ll stick to the runner-up slot again this week for the simple fact that it is a crowd-pleasing film, meaning that it makes people feel all warm and fuzzy.
But if you’ve already seen the above two films, there are other choices out there.
Here’s a glimpse at the films opening this w
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 9, 2000 -- The year's first space disaster flick, "Supernova," will blast into the stratosphere this week.
Along with the sci-fi thriller, this week's openers include the family drama "My Dog Skip," Ice Cube's "Next Friday" and the baseball documentary "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg."
Here's a look at the new films hitting theaters - and the films already around going into new release patterns:
WEDNESDAY:
"The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" (Cowboy Booking) -- Portrait of the legendary Bronx-born Jewish baseball player who came close to breaking Babe Ruth's home-run record. Tall, handsome, and uncommonly good-natured, Greenberg was a secular Jew from Bronx who became "the baseball Moses," an icon for everyone from Walter Matthau to Alan Dershowitz. (Limited release)
"My Dog Skip" (Warners) -- Based on the autobi
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A bounty of buzz-heavy, star-studded new releases will kick off the countdown to Christmas this year, promising something different and special each day of the week.
The holiday movie bonanza commences Tuesday with the limited release of Sony's "Girl, Interrupted." Adapted from Susanna Kaysen's critically acclaimed memoir, the film stars Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie as two iconoclastic young women confined to a mental institution.
Lifting the box office spirit Wednesday are three wildly anticipated films of different ilk. Taking care of the laugh department is director Milos Forman's "Man on the Moon," where funnyman Jim Carrey plays funnyman Andy Kaufman.
For those lamenting the absence of televised sports programming on Christmas, there's Oliver Stone's adrenaline-racing, testosterone-pumping "Any Given Sunday," a homage to the gritty underside of football st
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Mel Gibson looking to star in film about the ill-fated USS Indianapolis; Winona Ryder will star in a British romantic comedy; Steven Soderbergh will be directing a sequel to "sex, lies and videotape"; "Fast and Furious" Paul Walker may do a "SWAT" movie; there will be a 10th "Star Trek" movie directed by Stuart Baird ("Executive Decision"); Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu are starring in a movie together; Reese Witherspoon takes on the world of tennis in her next film; "Dolemite" to be remade with LL Cool J.
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Universal's "Meet the Parents" continued to meet box office success, becoming the year's third film to place first for three consecutive weeks.
The PG-13-rated comedy was still laughing all the way to the bank in its third weekend with an estimated $16.32 million (-23%) at 2,619 theaters (+4 theaters; $6,230 per theater). Its cume is approximately $81.0 million, heading for a domestic theatrical gross of $130 million or more.
"Parents'" international release is through DreamWorks Pictures, which co-financed the film and will share equally in its success.
"Parents" had the highest per-theater average for any film playing in wide release last weekend.
"Being number one for the third week in a row is extraordinary," Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco said Sunday morning. "It's only been twice this year that that's happened. The last time was with 'E
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HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 12, 2000 -- Come this Friday the 13th, "Lost Souls" promises to bring audiences a frightening glimpse of hell on Earth and Winona Ryder in a shaggy brown do. But if the pitch sounds vaguely familiar -- in a 1999 pre-millennial sort of way -- well, it is.
For if memory serves right, the spook flick -- which stars the "Girl, Interrupted" waif as an exorcist-type hip to Satan's evil ways of taking over the world -- was originally due out in October 1999, then February 2000 and now fall 2000.
And it was after a whole year of shuffling and juggling before "Lost Souls" had an official release date: Oct. 13, 2000.
So what's up?
"It means the movie is troubled," Brandon Gray, box office analyst at boxofficemojo.com, told Hollywood.com. "They don't think it's a good movie or a marketable movie. Essentially, they moved it from its schedule to decide
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 8, 2000 -- How about this for a test of inner peace? A wailing newborn screaming in the middle of the night -- every night.
That's right. Looks like the road to nirvana for the Buddhist-minded Richard Gere will, for a little while at least, be one characterized primarily by dirty diapers, the above-mentioned nightly cacophony and a decided lack of quiescence.
Gere and actress Carey Lowell, the actor's on-again, off-again partner since 1995, welcomed the birth of their first child -- a baby boy -- Sunday night in New York.
The kid, given name Homer James Jigme Gere, weighed in at a healthy 8 pounds, 12 ounces. No word from either of the proud parents on the exact etymological inspiration for the kid's three-part name.
Gere is, of course, best known for the type of rough-trade hunkiness he embodies in such flicks as "American Gig
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Based on Susanna Kaysen's account of being trapped in a mental institution in the late '60s, director James Mangold's "Girl, Interrupted" is a semi-involving tale of identity and belonging featuring a solid performance from Winona Ryder and a spirited, star-making turn from Angelina Jolie.
Ryder stars as Susanna herself, an unhappy, upper-middle-class high school graduate uncertain about her place in American society circa 1967-68. While being moody, depressed and promiscuous might seem normal in the 1990s, in the late '60s, it's enough for Susanna's parents to seriously wonder about their daughter.
After chasing a bottle of alcohol with a bottle of aspirin, the girl's psychiatrist immediately diagnoses her as a borderline personality and subsequently commits her to Claymoore Hospital. That's where the opening line of the movie comes in: "Maybe I was really crazy, maybe i
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The Hollywood studios are already hyping their crop of blockbusters for summer 2002, and it started long before Entertainment Weekly put Spider-Man stars Tobey Maguire and Kristen Dunst on its June 29 cover.
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HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 15, 2000 -- Who knew a visit to future in-laws could be so funny ... and profitable. “Meet the Parents,” the comedy starring Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro, held off “Remember the Titans” and four new movies to stay atop the box office heap, taking in an estimated $21.35 million in its second week, according to estimates by Exhibitor Relations. The two-week total for “Parents” is $59 million.
“Titans” held on to the No. 2 spot with $13.58 million, taking its three-week total to $64.7 million. The high school football film starring Denzel Washington received the highest rating, an A+, by a CineScore poll for any film released this year.
Rounding out the Top Five were three debuts: the Winona Ryder starrer “Lost Souls” bowed in with $8.4 million, the “Saturday Night Live” skit turned feature film “The Ladies Man” starring Tim Meadows took in $5.7 million, a
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Moviegoers and "Parents" should meet again in first place given the gloomy expectations for this weekend's new releases.
While most top level studio marketing and distribution executives were in Orlando this week for ShowEast, the annual convention of exhibitors and distributors, the handful of Hollywood handicappers left minding the store see the holdovers "Meet the Parents" and "Remember the Titans" as the films most likely to perform well.
Universal's PG-13-rated comedy "Meet the Parents," which opened to a sizzling $28.6 million last week, is a safe bet to hold on to the top spot. If it falls 25%, it will still do about $21.5 million. Even a 30% drop would give it a $20 million second weekend.
"It's kind of crystal-ballish, but based on what's out there, 'Meet the Parents' could very well be number one again," one insider volunteered while on the
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HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 10, 2000 -- Hollywood heartthrob Richard Gere, still every inch the "American Gigolo" at age 51, said today that if he could be any woman for a day, he would be the U.S. secretary of state. That's Madeleine Albright, for those of you who don't read newspapers or follow politics.
Gere, known for his roles in "Pretty Woman," "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "American Gigolo," professed his admiration for Albright to Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Good Morning America."
"The first image that came was the secretary of state," Gere responded when asked on the morning talk show program which woman he would choose to be.
"I think she's (Albright) in the middle of doing really important things right now and maybe the difficulties she faces being a woman doing those things in essentially an old boy's club (make me want to be her)," Gere added.
Sawyer said
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HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 6, 2000 -- A week before the much-delayed "Lost Souls" is finally set to open, Winona Ryder received cemented proof that her star power is solid.
The 28-year-old actress received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today, making her the 2,165th recipient of the honor (and 62 years younger than last week's recipient, Gloria Stuart).
Surrounded by a crowd of camera-happy fans and an equally obsessive press, Ryder was moved and emotional as she was showered with praise by "Bram Stoker's Dracula" co-star Anthony Hopkins; Johnny Grant, chairman of the Walk of Fame committee; and Tom Rothman, chairman of Fox Films.
"This is by far the most surreal thing that's happened to me in my life," Ryder, sporting longer, lighter hair and a cleavage-baring beige dress, said in her acceptance speech. "This is really difficult because this is so huge for me. It's
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HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 13, 2000 -- What’s the perk of directing a critically acclaimed, Oscar-winning movie? Answer: It guarantees you at least a couple more directing gigs thereafter.
Kimberly Peirce, who cowrote and helmed "Boys Don’t Cry," has inked a two-year production contract with New Line Cinema, trade papers said today.
The first film produced under the deal is said to be an untitled murder mystery based on a true story. It is to be directed by Peirce and cowritten with her "Boys Don’t Cry" writing partner Andy Bienen.
Actress Hilary Swank won this year's Best Actress Oscar for "Boys Don't Cry."
GOING ‘BLONDE’: Daily Variety reports that Matthew Davis of "Urban Legend: Final Cut" fame might star opposite Reese Witherspoon in the comedy "Legally Blonde." The film is about a stereotypical blonde (Witherspoon) and her social-climbing ambitions. Hmmm ... i
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Winona Ryder, Matt Damon SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 25, 2000 -- Looks like spring fever has hit Hollywood -- or newsrooms. One thing's for sure -- lots of buzz about celebrity couplings/uncouplings going on. From today's New York Daily News comes reputed word that Matt Damon, 29, and Winona Ryder, 28, have split after two years of significant-other status. These two have been rumored to be on the outs before -- just last week a supermarket tab said that Ryder had been taken in by the abs of Mark Wahlberg. But the Daily News has a twist -- it says Damon is the one who's been roving, being taken in by "All the Pretty Horses" co-star Penelope Cruz, 25.
A rep for Ryder couldn't be reached for comment; a rep for Damon told the paper that the actor and Cruz were "just friends."
"All the Pretty Horses" is a Western due out this summer. It's directed by Billy Bob Thornton
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 29, 2000 -- This week in the battle of the boybands, it was no contest: 'N Sync trounced Backstreet. According to just-released final stats, 'N Sync last week moved 2.4 million copies of its sophomore release, "No Strings Attached."
The mark shatters the previous weeklong standard (of 1.13 million CDs and such sold) established by the Backstreet Boys in 1999.
Says the president of 'N Sync's Jive Records label: "It's pretty staggering."
BAD NEWS FOR MATT DAMON FANS: The guy is not single. Publicists today for both the actor and Winona Ryder denied a report in the French magazine Voici that said the couple had split after two years of dating. The two are still a twosome, the reps said. So much for relying on your Hollywood news from French magazines.
"AMERICAN" BRIDE: Mena Suvari, the object of Kevin Spacey's illicit affection in
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 14, 2000 -- 'Tis Valentine's Day, for loved ones to unite and lovelorn to show spite. In observance of this occasion, we find Tinseltown's love/no-love meter has been cranked up a notch.
Former bad-boy Christian Slater got married over the weekend to former television producer Ryan Haddon at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. The ceremony Saturday night was attended by 150 guests, according to his publicist, and officiated by author Neale Donald Walsch. The vows were taken from Walsch's book ``Conversations with God, Book 3.''
Slater, 30, was once as notorious for his bad behavior as he was for his wicked eyebrows. After squiring actresses (and co-stars) Winona Ryder, Samantha Mathis and Patricia Arquette as well as Christina Applegate and supermodel Christy Turlington, he was sued for palimony by longtime girlfriend Nina Huang after thei
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 27, 2000 -- Hollywood expects to be thrown for a loss on the box office gridiron this Super Bowl weekend.
Neither of the weekend's two new wide releases is tracking well, according to distribution insiders.
"'Eye Of the Beholder' is 3% first choice, 'Isn't She Great' is 2% first choice," one studio executive said, referring to mid-week tracking data. "I really liked the trailer for ('Great'), but I guess it doesn't matter. It has zero unaided awareness. Nobody cares."
"Great," opening via Universal at about 750 theaters, is an R-rated drama about the life of best-selling author Jacqueline Susann. Directed by Andrew Bergman, it stars Bette Midler and Nathan Lane.
"Beholder," opening via Destination Films at 1,672 theaters, is an R-rated thriller written and directed by Stephan Elliott and stars Ewan McGregor and Ashley Judd. Its
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 25, 2000 -- Arnold Schwarzenegger has settled his $50 million lawsuit against the Globe tabloid over a 1998 story concerning his health, his publicist said Tuesday.
After the 52-year-old Schwarzenegger’s 1997 surgery to repair a heart valve, doctors had said there was no reason the star could not continue his active lifestyle. The Globe printed an article saying he was in ill health and in danger of a heart attack. The Terminator himself then sued the tabloid, alleging that the article defamed him by saying his heart was a "ticking time bomb in his chest" and that he was "living in fear that … his heart will suddenly quit."
The Globe will donate an undisclosed amount of money to Schwarzenegger’s charity, the Inner City Games Foundation, admit the story was wrong and publish a retraction, correction and apology, according to Catherine Ol
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 23, 2000 -- Hollywood was suffering from the box office blahs over the weekend, just as Hollywood insiders anticipated. For the first time since Oct. 22, no films cracked double-digits.
Miramax's PG-13-rated teen-appeal romantic comedy "Down To You" managed to top the chart with only an estimated $8.30 million at 1,971 theaters ($4,211 per theater).
Written and directed by Kris Isacsson, it stars Freddie Prinze Jr. and Julia Stiles.
"I think it's great," Miramax Senior Vice President, Marketing, David Kaminow said Sunday morning. "Freddie Prinze Jr. cannot deny the fact that he has a following. He really can do a great job of opening a picture.
"I think our (marketing) materials were good, and it just looked like a fun movie for its core audience of young girls. There hasn't been anything for them for a while.
"The PG-13
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 16, 2000 -- New Line Cinema's "Next Friday" scored throughout the first three days of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Reuters reported that the raunchy comedy starring Ice Cube earned the top spot at the box office in its debut weekend with an estimated $14.5 million.
"Stuart Little," the mousecapade which has been a big winner for Sony Pictures, fell to No. 2 in its fifth week with an estimated $9.7 million. That was enough to push the family flick past the $100 million mark, with a total box office of approximately $106.8 million.
Denzel Washington's "The Hurricane" placed third in Reuters three-day estimates. The Oscar contender, starring Washington as real-life boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, enjoyed its first weekend in national release with an estimated $9.1 million. The Universal film had been playing as a limited engagement since C
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 13, 2000 -- "Girl, Interrupted" was Winona Ryder's baby.
Last seen (briefly) on screen in 1998's Woody Allen comedy "Celebrity," the two-time Oscar nominee spent six years developing the project after she fell in love with Susanna Kaysen's memoir about her two years at a mental institution in the 1960s. Ryder set herself up to play Kaysen, brought in director James Mangold ("Copland) and suggested starlet Angelina Jolie for the co-starring role of Lisa, Susanna's sociopath friend.
From start to finish, "Girl, Interrupted," opening wide Friday after a Dec. 21 limited-release debut, was Ryder's project -- her baby.
But as awards season heats up, it's Jolie, not Ryder, who's getting the buzz. Already, the 24-year-old Jolie has picked up a Golden Globe nomination and been named Best Supporting Actress by the Broadcast Film Critics Associat
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Dec. 26 — At the holiday weekend box office, Oliver Stone's homage to football scored, while Jim Carrey's homage to Andy Kaufman fumbled.
Director Stone's "Any Given Sunday," released by Warner Bros. and starring Al Pacino, and Cameron Diaz, was No. 1, grossing $14.2 million Friday through Sunday, studio estimates say. The film opened Wednesday in 2,505 theaters and averaged $5,669 per screen over the weekend, and has pulled in an estimated $21.3 million in its first five days.
But perhaps the biggest story of the weekend was all the money "Man on the Moon" didn't pull in. The Andy Kaufman biopic, starring Jim Carrey as the late "Taxi" comedian, is not expected to earn more than about $9 million for the Friday-Sunday weekend and $13.8 million for the week. (Like the Stone film, "Man on the Moon" opened Wednesday.)
"I think we pretty much exp
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 10, 2000 -- Rocker Melissa Etheridge has finally revealed the identity of the man who fathered her two children -- and it's not Brad Pitt.
Etheridge has long talked about her crush on good friend Pitt, whom she once said was good-looking enough to make any woman switch teams. (Etheridge outed herself in 1992.) Anyway, the Pitt connection fueled rumors that the actor's DNA was involved when Etheridge's partner, Julie Cypher (ex-wife of Lou Diamond Phillips) became pregnant.
But alas, Pitt has not passed along his good-looking genes to Etheridge-Cypher. Surprisingly, Etheridge reveals to this month's Rolling Stone that the biological father is sorta the anti-Brad Pitt -- David Crosby, the balding, pudgy folkie best known for his hard-livin' days with 1960s stalwarts Crosby, Stills & Nash.
"He's musical, which means a lot to me," Etheridge
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 30, 2000 -- The Super Bowl sacked Hollywood over the weekend with a gross of only about $6.2 million being enough to grab first place.
There was a close race for top honors among Destination Films' opening of its thriller "Eye Of the Beholder," Universal's Oscar contender "The Hurricane" and New Line's urban-appeal comedy sequel "Next Friday." As always, Monday's actual numbers could reverse today's estimated results.
Although Destination's "Eye" appeared to have the weekend's best score with about $6.2 million, it was not an impressive one.
"There was no No. 1 film in 1999 lower than $9 million," one studio distribution president said Sunday morning, looking back at the record books. "That was 'The Best Man' (the weekend of) Oct. 22-24, 1999, with $9.03 million. In 1998, the lowest-grossing No. 1 film was 'He Got Game' (the weekend of)