Top Story
The fifth installment of CBS’ popular reality show Survivor is staying in the tropics. This time, the show will take place on Tarutao Island off the west coast of Thailand. Despite ratings that have begun to wane, the eye network remains committed to the show, and the latest edition will premiere this fall. The 16 contestants will try to “outwit, outplay and outlast” each other this summer, with the winner receiving a $1 million prize.
Celebs
Technical difficulties may have delayed Madonna‘s London stage debut in Up for Grabs, but that didn’t stop the pop diva from giving fans a sneak peek at her new role. Madonna posed for promotional shots for the production, The Associated Press reports.
At his very own Overlooked Film Festival, film critic Roger Ebert apparently overlooked indications that the floor he was walking on had been just recently waxed, and Ebert slipped and fell, suffering two small fractures in his left shoulder. Ever the trooper–criticizing the shows must go on!–Ebert finished the festival sporting a sling.
In the Biz
Halle Berry will extend her relationship with MGM. According to Variety, the Oscar-winning actress, a Bond girl for MGM, has signed on to star in and produce two other movies, Brown-Eyed Girl and an updated remake of ’70s blaxploitation flick Foxy Brown.
Art imitates life once more. Jerry Springer, host of the eponymous trashy Jerry Springer talk show, has inked a deal to star in a film as the producer of a trashy courtroom reality-TV series, the AP reports. No word on whether Springer tough-guy Steve will make an appearance.
The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, has not only picked his first film to co-direct, but he’s also picked the director he wants to co-direct it with. Jacko has optioned the book They Cage the Animals at Night by Jennings Michael Burch and will co-direct it with Bryan Michael Stoller (Undercover Angel). In related news, Hollywood.com staffer Noah Davis has changed his name to Noah Michael Davis in hopes of being hired to write the screenplay.
Tube News
ABC has announced that this Sept. 11, it will spend the day commemorating last Sept. 11’s tragedy, with the entire day’s TV slate devoted to coverage of those awful events, the AP reports.
HBO’s acclaimed prison drama Oz has begun production on its sixth and final season, it was announced today by Chris Albrect, president of HBO’s original programming. The network’s first hour-long dramatic series, Oz will return to HBO with eight new episodes in early 2003 and will have presented a syndication-eligible 56 episodes when it completes its run.
Music News
From the Things That Make You Go Hmm Department, the police report covering Creed frontman Scott Stapp’s car accident reads, “No injuries noted,” the AP reports. Yet Creed’s spokesman cited Stapp’s “injuries” as the reason for the band’s recent cancellation of its Weathered tour. We reiterate: hmm.
