Top Story: Justin Timberlake, Seann William Scott Host MTV Awards
Singer Justin Timberlake and Bulletproof Monk star Seann William Scott will co-host the 12th annual MTV Movie Awards. “You could not ask for a more dynamic duo than Justin and Seann to help celebrate the year in movies,” MTV president Van Toffler told Reuters Tuesday. “The MTV Movie Awards has always been about twisted, unexpected moments and this year’s show will no doubt provide our audience with a night of celebrity sloppiness and fun.” The superhero actioner Spider-Man and the fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers lead this year’s nominations with five nods apiece. The ceremony is set for May 31 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and is scheduled to air on MTV at 9 p.m. EDT June 5.
“Matrix”Coming to Bigger Screens
IMAX announced Wednesday it will release The Matrix sequels on its large screen format to coincide with the films’ standard theatrical releases. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the IMAX version of The Matrix: Reloaded will open two to three weeks after the film’s May 15 theatrical release, while the large-screen The Matrix: Revolutions will premiere on the same day as the film’s Nov. 5 35mm release. This marks the first time a Hollywood event film will be released concurrently in both formats.
NBC Cans “Just Shoot Me”
NBC informed the producers of the workplace comedy Just Shoot Me Wednesday it was immediately pulling the sitcom from the schedule and shelving 13 unaired episodes until sometime in the summer. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show will be temporarily replaced with specials, including The Most Outrageous Game Show Moments 4. Just Shoot Me‘s executive producer Steve Levitan said the network’s move was representative of a larger trend in the industry, with network executives growing increasingly enamored with reality shows and impatient with scripted fare.
Tom Brokaw Interviews President Bush
NBC anchorman Tom Brokaw has landed the first one-on-one interview with President Bush since the start of the war with Iraq. The Associated Press reports Brokaw will travel with Bush on Air Force One Thursday to two events in the Midwest and talk to the president about the war, the rebuilding effort, the economy and a potential re-election campaign. The interview will be broadcast as a one-hour special Friday, with parts of the interview also being seen that night on NBC Nightly News.
Sarandon, Robbins To Appear on Costas Show
Bull Durham stars Susan Sarandon and long-time partner Tim Robbins, who were recently snubbed by baseball’s Hall of Fame because of their political beliefs, will talk about baseball, movies and politics when On the Record With Bob Costas begins its third season on HBO May 2. The roundtable session will include actor Robert Wuhl and writer-director Ron Shelton.
Film Fest Honors Hoffman’s Career
Dustin Hoffman, who won a best actor Oscar for Kramer vs. Kramer in l979 and Rain Man in l988, was honored Wednesday night at the San Francisco International Film Festival with the festival’s Peter Owens award for “brilliance, independence and integrity,” Reuters reports. Hoffman, 65, also earned Oscar nominations for Wag the Dog, Tootsie, Lenny, Midnight Cowboy and The Graduate. The festival also honored the work of director Robert Altman.
Alan Thicke Injured by Errant Hockey Puck
Canadian-born actor Alan Thicke, who played the dad on the hit comedy Growing Pains, lost five teeth and required 30 stitches after getting hit with a hockey puck, Reuters reports. Spokesman Jerry Digney said Thicke was playing hockey with Alias star Michael Vartan when he took an errant puck to the face. Thicke, who was not wearing proper headgear at the time, will need extensive dental work and possibly cosmetic surgery to repair the damage.
“The Star” Redesigns to Compete With Celeb Mags
Celeb gossip tabloid The Star will move its headquarters from Boca Raton, Fla., to New York City where it will relaunch with a new design and writing style to take on competitors People, US Weekly and In Touch. David Pecker, American Media Inc. chairman and president, told the AP Wednesday, “Our competitors are in New York and we want to be in their sandbox.” The redesigned Star, which has a weekly circulation of about 1.4 million, should be ready for launch in June.
Role Call: “Cody Banks 2” Gets New Helmer, Jovovich in “Resident Evil” Sequel
Director Kevin Allen will take over the directorial reins of MGM’s Agent Cody Banks 2. Allen will replace the sequel’s original helmer Harald Zwart, who stepped down during the weekend because of budgetary concerns. The film begins shooting next month in London … Milla Jovovich will reprise her role in the sequel to Screen Gems’ Resident Evil for first time director Alexander Witt. Paul W. S. Anderson, who wrote and directed the first Resident Evil, penned the sequel’s script and will also serve as produce. Production is scheduled to begin in August in Toronto.
