Hollywood Highlights

Thursday, April 23, 2009

“Tonight Show” taping canceled; Jay Leno goes to the hospital

There will be a rerun in “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” television slot tonight, because the taping this afternoon had to be canceled. The host, Jay Leno, reportedly became ill and drove himself to  Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. KNX 1070 newsradio is reporting Leno may be suffering from a bout of food poisoning. The veteran entertainer is said to be resting in a hospital […]
Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Angelina Jolie to star in new movie thriller based on best selling novel series

Best selling author Patricia Cornwell’s popular book sleuth/medical examiner, Dr. Kay Scarpetta ,is headed to the big screen. Angelina Jolie is on board to play the fictional crime solver in a suspense thriller based on the 16-book series, which began with “Postmortem”(1990).  The latest, “Scarpetta,” came out last December.  Cornwell once worked as a newspaper reporter and a computer analyst […]
Monday, April 20, 2009

Preparations underway for SAG membership vote on tentative deal

After months of on again /off again talks and tons of haggling and sniping, the members of the Screen Actors Guild will soon get the opportunity to vote on a contract deal. Yesterday, the Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors approved a tentative agreement with the Big Studio producers by a narrow 53 to 47 vote. SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture […]
Sunday, April 19, 2009

New comedy/fantasy “17 Again” tops Box Office

Teen heartthrob Zac Efron scored big at the Box Office this weekend with his new comedy/fantasy, “17 Again.” The film is about a thirtysomething guy who gets a second shot at his life when he magically becomes 17 again. Young movie fans, especially teenage girls, stormed the theaters propelling the film into the number 1 spot with an estimated $24 million. “17 Again” also stars Matthew […]
Friday, April 17, 2009

A tentative agreement in the Screen Actors Guild labor dispute

Hollywood is buzzing over the tentative agreement announced today by the Screen Actors Guild and the big studios. After almost 10-months of fighting over contract issues and tons of behind the scenes drama at SAG, there’s now a two-year deal, however, some hurdles still remain to be cleared before it’s a done deal. Both the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture […]
Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Julia Roberts’ new film project “Eat, Pray, Love” is a go

Actress Julia Roberts is set to star in the movie version of the best selling memoir, “Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search For Everything Across Italy, India And Indonesia.” Published in 2007, the best selling book by Elizabeth Gilbert has appeared in at least 30 languages; and there are now more than seven million copies in print, according to The Washington Post. Also, […]
Monday, April 13, 2009

Phil Spector found guilty of second degree murder

The second time around turned out to be a real downer for legendary music producer Phil Spector. Today, the Los Angeles jury in Spector’s retrial found him guilty of second degree murder for the shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra mansion in 2003. The first trial in 2007 ended in a mistrial because the jury was unable to reach a verdict. That jury deadlocked 10-2 […]
Monday, April 13, 2009

Director of classic “Night of the Living Dead” film gets book deal

The director of the original horror flick “Night of the Living Dead” (1968), George A. Romero, is still very much into zombies and the mysterious undead. Romero’s new film “… Of the Dead” is scheduled for release this year. Also, he has signed a two-book deal with Grand Central Publishing, according to Publishers Weekly. Romero’s debut novel will focus on the origin of the zombies and is due […]
Sunday, April 12, 2009

Hannah Montana rules the Easter weekend Box Office

“Hannah Montana: The Movie” is the surprise hit at the Box Office this weekend. Not only did the Disney flick rake in an amazing $34 million to become the number one movie in the nation; also it had one of the biggest Easter weekend film openings ever. “Hannah Montana: The Movie” is a take-off on the popular TV show in […]