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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, Variety reports. Boston Marriage, a Victorian comedy about two aristocratic lesbians, recently ran at the Donmar Warehouse in London. Sharon Stone had been mentioned to star in a Broadway production of the Mamet play two seasons ago, but it never materialized. Other HBO stars hitting the stage during their series hiatus include The Sopranos‘ Edie Falco, who is starring in Frankie and Johnny, and Six Feet Under‘s Michael C. Hall, appearing in Chicago.
Celebs
Jason Priestley was released from Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis late Saturday morning, The Associated Press reports. The 32-year-old former Beverly Hills, 90210 star spent 12 days in the hospital, recovering from injuries he sustained when his car crashed at Kentucky Speedway on Aug. 11. Doctors say he is expected to make a full recovery.
Still no trial date has been set for Winona Ryder, who was accused of shoplifting from a Saks Fifth Avenue store more than eight months ago. According to Reuters, her lawyers met with the prosecutors and a judge Friday, fueling speculation that a plea bargain was in the works. But after the hastily arranged closed-door meeting, Superior Court Judge Elden Fox instead set Ryder‘s next pretrial hearing for Sept. 5, where he is expected to set a date for her trial.
Movies
There was more trouble on the Romanian set of Nicole Kidman‘s new film, Cold Mountain. According to Ananova.com, the Romanian daily Evenimentul Zilei reports that Paul Cojocaru, 17, was impaled by a metal spike after falling from a height of two meters while he was cleaning a tent. An investigation is being made into how the accident occurred. The teenager was taken to Floreasca Emergency Hospital, where surgeons removed the spike. Three weeks ago, a young boy trying to get a spot as an extra in the film suffered multiple fractures to the head and shoulder after being crushed in a crowd of people.
Lee Zlotoff, the creator Paramount Television’s series MacGyver, closed a seven-figure deal Friday with New Line Cinema to write, direct and produce a feature version of late 1980s series, according to The Hollywood Reporter. There is no deal yet for Richard Dean Anderson, who starred as the secret agent in the series, to reprise his role. There is no script yet, although a plot has been completed for the big-screen version.
Tube
A judge ruled last week that Phil Donahue lost the “first dibs” right to buy rerun rights of his former show when his contract with the show’s owner expired in 1996, the AP reports. Donahue sued Multimedia Inc., Universal Television Enterprises Inc. and Gannett Co., Inc. in 1997 saying he didn’t get the chance to be first to buy the rights to the show when Gannett bought Multimedia in 1995 or when Universal Television bought the rerun rights from Gannett one year later. Donahue might appeal the ruling.
Music
R&B singer Ashanti accepted her entertainer of the year honors at Saturday’s Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, despite complaints from music fans that she didn’t deserve it. More than 28,000 signatures were collected on an Internet petition posted at PetitionOnline.com, railing against the decision to bestow Ashanti with the entertainer of the year honor. Her critics complain that she isn’t talented enough to deserve the award. Previous winners include Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey, TLC and Jill Scott. The awards show was hosted by Arsenio Hall, Scott and Soul Train host Shemar Moore. Winners were determined by an unspecified group of radio programmers, recording artists and music retail employees.
