HOLLYWOOD - Charlize Theron injured on Berlin film set
Charlize Theron hurt her neck while performing stunts on a trampoline late last week on the Berlin set of the sci-fi action film Aeon Flux, forcing production to shut down indefinitely, Reuters reports. Aeon Flux is based on Peter Chung's 1995 futuristic MTV animated series, which was initially a spin-off from the shorts produced for the music cabler's animation anthology series Liquid Television. It is considered a physically demanding project for Theron, who stars as a rebel assassin sent to kill a government leader. Theron was reportedly taken to a hospital for examination and flew back to Los Angeles Tuesday, where she is expected to meet with her personal doctors. Theron's Los Angeles-based publicist said the 29-year-old actress is resting and hopes to be back to work soon. The delay, however, could also impinge on Theron's next project, Class Action, set to begin filming early next year. "We are waiting three weeks to evaluate her condition and at that time, we will decide," a Warners spokesperson told Reuters in reference to Class Action. Theron's could also miss Toronto International Film Festival in September, where she was due to attend the world premiere of Head in the Clouds, in which she stars opposite boyfriend Stuart Townsend and Penelope Cruz.
Passion DVD could set records
More than 2.4 million copies of The Passion of the Christ DVD were sold in its first 12 hours of release, Fox reported Monday. Passion may generate a new category of records for a live-action movie--especially one rated R that features English subtitles for Latin and Aramaic dialogue. Variety predicts the DVD will most likely generate more consumer spending than the $370 million the feature film grossed during its U.S. theatrical run earlier this year. Fox is believed to have initially shipped about 15 million copies, which could gross about $300 million at $20 each. Consumers who want to own the DVD, however, may want to wait for the Passion special edition, which likely will have more bonus features. No release date has been set yet for the special edition DVD.
Kevin Smith launches online film competition
Kevin Smith, the filmmaker behind the hit films Clerks, <>I>Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Dogma, is launching an online short film competition, Variety reports. Users will be able to submit their short films at MoviesAskew.com. Smith, who regularly relates with fans on his ViewAskew Web site and runs the moviepoopshoot.com news site, will be judged by a panel headed up by the filmmaker himself. A total of 12 films will be highlighted on the site for one month each and will then compete in next year's inaugural MoviesAskew Film Festival. Five finalists will then be selected by celebrity judges and the winner, picked by the audience, will be rewarded with an apprentice position on Smith's next project, which looks to be the Clerks sequel, The Passion of the Clerks.
Scotty gets a star
Actor James Doohan, best known for playing Scotty, the intrepid engineer who kept the starship Enterprise warping across galaxies in the original Star Trek series, grinned and waved to fans Tuesday as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, AP reports. It was expected to be the last public appearance of the 84-year-old performer, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and also suffers from Parkinson's disease, diabetes and lung fibrosis.
Fraser becomes a father for the second time
The Mummy actor Brendan Fraser and his wife, Afton, welcomed their second child, a boy, Holden Fletcher Fraser, Aug. 16, AP reports. Fraser, 35, and his wife had their first child, Griffin Arthur Fraser, in September 2002. The couple married in 1998.
Bobby Knight's life as a sitcom?
Indeed, it's true. CBS and Paramount Television are in talks with the fiery Texas Tech basketball coach to develop a half-hour comedy revolving around his tumultuous life, AP reports. "Right now it's still in an embryonic stage," Lindy DeKoven, who would serve as the show's executive producer, told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. "We don't have a writer yet, so we can't get into too much detail. But, it would be a half-hour comedy based on Bobby's character." Knight, 63, would serve as a consultant and said he might make guest appearances, AP reports.
Kit Bowen contributed to this report.