Top Story: Double Duty for Geena Davis
Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis, 47, is pregnant with twins, The Associated Press reports. A statement from her publicist said Davis is feeling healthy and is looking forward to the birth, which will be in the spring. She has one daughter with husband Dr. Reza Jarrahy. The actress, who says she has spent the past year and a half “concentrating on being a mom,” is set to shoot a guest appearance on Will & Grace soon. She won an Academy Award for her role as a dog trainer in The Accidental Tourist and was nominated for Thelma & Louise.
Paris Hilton’s The Simple Life Enjoys Hugely Successful Debut
Fox is getting a boost after a disappointing fourth place in fall sweeps thanks to its new reality series The Simple Life, starring hotel heiress Paris Hilton and her friend Nicole Richie, daughter of singer Lionel Richie. The show’s Tuesday night debut proved to be a great success, drawing an average of 13 million viewers and easily beating out NBC’s debut of The Tracy Morgan Show, Reuters reports. No doubt some of the show’s success could be attributed to the recent buzz around Hilton, who is also currently starring in an underground sex tape that has surfaced on the Internet. The second episode of The Simple Life will air at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday on Fox.
R. Kelly’s Lawyers Want Porn Charges Dismissed
Attorneys representing recording artist R. Kelly have filed a motion in Chicago’s Cook Country Court to dismiss the kiddie porn case against him, AP reports. Among the issues raised by Kelly’s defense on Monday was the fact that the prosecution failed to specify the exact date for the alleged incident of child pornography. Because the prosecution only stated that the incident occurred sometime between Nov. 1997 and Feb. 2002, Kelly’s attorneys have argued that the alleged victim may have been the age of consent at the time, and added that without a specific date for the alleged incident, it would be impossible for Kelly to establish an alibi defense. Kelly’s defense team could argue the motion as early as Feb. 6, at the singer’s next scheduled court appearance. The R&B star was arrested in June of 2002 on child pornography charges when a videotape of him having consensual sex with young girl surfaced.
Glen Campbell Formally Charged
Longtime country music star Glen Campbell was formally charged on Tuesday with drunken driving and assault, AP reports. The singer was arrested in Phoenix, Ariz., on Nov. 24 on charges of DUI and leaving the scene of an accident after slamming into another car, leaving the scene and showing a blood alcohol level of .20 percent after officers stopped him at his Phoenix home. If convicted, the country star could face up to 30 days in prison under Arizona’s harsh drunk driving laws. Campbell, 67, had been contemplating the end to his touring career even before his arrest, Reuters reports, having stated that he would rather play an early morning round of golf near his Phoenix home than deal with the rigors of traveling to various performance venues. Campbell‘s talk of retirement comes while his career is enjoying a bit of resurgence with the release of a four-disc box set entitled, Glen Campbell: Legacy 1961-2002, which includes notable hits like “Wichita Lineman” and “Rhinestone Cowboy.”
Bachelorette Sued
Newsmagazine Entertainment Tonight has reported that ABC’s bachelorette, Trista Rehn, is being sued by her former manager for a share of the $1 million the network has put up for permission to air her wedding to Ryan Sutter, AP reports. Kevin Allyn, Rehn‘s former manager, insists that he is entitled to 20 percent of the fee he negotiated with the television network. Preparations for the wedding have been aired as specials on ABC in recent weeks. Tonight the network will show a special on the couple’s bachelor parties. The ceremony is set to air next Wednesday, Dec. 10.
John Walsh’s Talk Show Canceled
Reuters reports that after a little over a year on the air, The John Walsh Show has been canceled by NBC. The famed star of America’s Most Wanted began hosting the talk show in Sept. 2002 and it since became syndicated around the country, but suffered from a disappointing 15 percent drop in ratings over the year. Though production will end next week, it will air through the end of February sweeps. A statement from NBC read, “The efforts by John and his staff have resulted in impactful shows that have addressed real issues that viewers face on a daily basis…However, with his primetime program, charitable causes and extensive work with law enforcement, serious time constraints have made it very challenging for John to continue to host the The John Walsh Show.”
Spike Lee Continues To Oppose Rap Music
Director Spike Lee is continuing to speak out against rap music at colleges and universities around the country. AP reports Lee told an audience of over 400 students at Brown University Monday night that rap portrays African-Americans in a negative light. “I’ve always felt you can feel the progress of African Americans by listening to their music,” the 46-year-old filmmaker said. “Some of this ‘gangsta rap’ stuff, it’s not doing anybody any good. This stuff is really dangerous.” The director went on to say that many African-American adults seem to equate being an educated, well-spoken individual with being white, and insisted that as he was growing up, such things were seen as positive for all people. Lee urged the students not to support anything that portrays African-Americans in a negative way. “We buy all this stuff, not even thinking about what’s behind it …We can’t just sit back and think it doesn’t affect us. We have to be more choosy about the types of stuff we support,” he told them.
Revolutions” Cleaning Up in Imax Theaters
Though its conventional box office numbers may not be meeting expectations after four weeks of general release, The Matrix Revolutions is enjoying very good success in giant-screen IMAX theaters around the world, according to Variety.com. On average, Revolutions is bringing in $12,500 per screening in IMAX theaters worldwide, as apposed to $1,900 per showing on conventional screens. Proceeds from the giant format showings are a mere fraction of the film’s total revenue, however. Revolutions has brought in some $253.4 million at conventional box offices worldwide, and $8.5 million at IMAX theaters. IMAX co-CEO Rich Gelfond explained the giant-screen success, saying, “It shows that people have an appetite for seeing conventional films in the IMAX format…I think you’re seeing a phenomenon where IMAX adds more legs to a film.”
Amy Pascal Is Most Powerful Woman in Hollywood
According to Reuters, the Women in Entertainment Power 100 issue of The Hollywood Reporter has named
