`Dark Knight' sets record for reaching $300M

AP, 2008-07-28 20:06:17

From left to right: Productor Charles Roven, British actor Christian Bale, Director Christopher Nolan, US actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, and US actor Aaron Eckhart pose during a photocall for 'The Dark Knight' film in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, July 23, 2008. Batman star Christian Bale has swept into Barcelona to attend a glittering Spanish premiere of 'The Dark Knight.' Bale came in a 15-car motorcade and appeared calm in the wake of allegations he assaulted his mother and one of his three sisters at a top London hotel. He did not speak to reporters and made no comment about the incident. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) LOS ANGELES - "The Dark Knight" continues to obliterate box office records, crossing the $300 million mark in just 10 days. The epic Batman saga grossed $75.6 million in its second weekend in theaters, pushing its domestic total to $314,245,000, Warner Bros. head of distribution Dan Fellman said Sunday. That surpasses the record set in 2006 by "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which took 16 days to make $300 million. The latest Batman installment already had broken records for best opening weekend at $158.4 million and best single-day with $66.4 million. It's also busted records in its showings on IMAX screens, making $16.3 million in its first 10 days. Fellman expects that "Dark Knight" could reach $400 million in about 18 days, which would beat the record "Shrek 2" set in 2004 when it made that much money in 43 days. "What can you say? We've been getting a lot of repeat business coming in," Fellman said. "Our audience is expanding, like you would expect with terrific word-of-mouth and strong reviews. Our audience is getting a little bit older, that's the good news. We're finding the younger demographic, male and female, coming back." He called it "a big surprise," adding: "To do $300 (million) plus in 10 days, we just couldn't have predicted it." "The Dark Knight" could pass "Titanic" as the highest-grossing film in U.S. history, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. James Cameron's 1997 extravaganza made $600,788,188 domestically, a record no other movie has come close to touching. "The `Titanic' record has sat in a lock box for 10 years. It's a tall order but if any film has a chance to surpass that number, it's got to be `Dark Knight,'" Dergarabedian said. Director Christopher Nolan's follow-up to his 2005 origin story "Batman Begins," which again stars Christian Bale as the tormented comic-book crime fighter, initially benefited from the mystique of the late Heath Ledger giving his masterful, last performance as the Joker, Dergarabedian said. "Now, it's all about word-of-mouth," he said. "The first weekend, there was this huge, pent-up demand and eagerness by audiences to see this movie. Now, it's like a freight train — it seems to be unstoppable." Part of the film's visual allure comes from the fact that 30 minutes of it were shot with IMAX cameras, including an elaborate bank-heist scene at the start. "Chris (Nolan) has clearly hit upon something," said Greg Foster, chairman and president of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "There are many important filmmakers who we've spoken with in the last couple of weeks about shooting with IMAX cameras." Coming in second place was "Step Brothers," which had a strong opening of its own with $30 million. The comedy reunites Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, co-stars of "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," as 40-year-olds who've never left home and are forced to share a bedroom when their parents get married. Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony, said this was at the high end of the studio's expectations. "We'd hoped to be in the mid-to-high $20 (millions), so to hit $30 (million) is a great start," Bruer said. "Having the chemistry of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly together again, reuniting with (director) Adam McKay who did `Talladega Nights,' it's great. They both immerse themselves and the humor comes from their connection." Sony also has the Will Smith superhero flick "Hancock," which made $8.2 million this past weekend to cross the $200 million mark. The weekend's other big release was "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," which made an estimated $10.2 million. Ten years after the first "X-Files" movie and six years since the pioneering sci-fi show went off the air, this latest installment finds Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) re-teaming to solve a missing-persons case. "The hardcore `X-Files' fans, they're happy. And frankly, that's who the movie was made for," said Chris Aronson, distribution executive for 20th Century Fox. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday. 1. "The Dark Knight," $75.63 million. 2. "Step Brothers," $30 million. 3. "Mamma Mia!" $17.9 million. 4. "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," $10.2 million. 5. "Journey to the Center of the Earth," $9.4 million. 6. "Hancock," $8.2 million. 7. "WALL-E," $6.3 million. 8. "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," $4.9 million. 9. "Space Chimps," $4.4 million. 10. "Wanted," $2.7 million.

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'Terminator Salvation' clip unveiled at Comic-Con

AP, 2008-07-28 15:40:55

Costumed characters arrive at the 39th annual Comic Con Convention in San Diego July 24, 2008. More than 125,000 people are expected to attend the four-day event and indulge in a veritable feast of the latest in comic-related books, movie toys, games and memorabilia. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES) SAN DIEGO - "Terminator Salvation" won't hit theaters until next summer, but thousands of fans got an early look at a portion of the film Saturday. Director McG presented never-before-seen footage during a Comic-Con panel and offered a few hints about what to expect from the highly anticipated fourth installment in the "Terminator" franchise. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger could be back. "The T-800 model indeed is part of the mythology of Terminator," McG said coyly, referring to the machine model California's governor played in the first three films. James Cameron, who directed the first two "Terminator" films, and special-effects master Stan Winston, who died in June, also each had a hand in the film, McG said, adding that Winston made a cameo appearance. "He wrestles one of the hydrobots," the director said. The movie, now shooting in New Mexico, could end up with an R rating rather than the rumored PG-13, McG revealed. "We put the picture first at all times," he said. "If it's an R-rated picture, it's an R-rated picture and that's that." He acknowledged that the studio is responsible for some of the online rumors. "We release, like everyone else does, misinformation campaigns," McG said. "One of the joys of going to the movies is not knowing what's going to happen." The brief clip shown Saturday was filled with explosions, tanks, gas masks, guns and crushed skulls. Set in 2018, the film is dark and apocalyptic, "exploring what the world is like after a nuclear holocaust," the director said. "We wanted everything to feel like giant Soviet tanks crushing all comers." "Terminator Salvation," a Warner Bros. release, is set to hit theaters in May. ___ Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc. ___ On the Net: http://rss.warnerbros.com/terminatorsalvation/ http://www.comic-con.org

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Rebecca Romijn & Jerry O'Connell: Havin' Twins!

E! Online, 2008-07-28 11:10:11

Rebecca Romijn & Jerry O'Connell: Havin' Twins!(E! Online) Los Angeles (E! Online) - Break out the baby toys for Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell. Romijn is pregnant with twins, sources confirm. Romijn, 35, and O'Connell, 34, got hitched last July after meeting at a party three years ago. "They haven't told that many people," a source tells me. "Rebecca wanted to wait until she was done shooting Ugly Betty." Romijn has been in New York City filming the hit ABC sitcom. As my scoopin' cohort Kristin Dos Santos reported in April, Romijn's role as glamourati transsexual Alexis went from regular to recurring after executive producer Marco Pennette was fired. The twins, due this winter, will be the first babies for the parents-to-be. The news was first reported by Us magazine.

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Stiller triumphs with 'Tropic Thunder'

Reuters, 2008-07-28 10:58:32

(L-R) Actors Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. pose at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles June 1, 2008. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters) LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Oh, what a lovely war movie Ben Stiller and his platoon have concocted in "Tropic Thunder." Stiller -- who stars, directs, co-writes, co-produces and probably acts as animal wrangler as well -- imagines a lost patrol of self-absorbed yet terminally insecure actors working on a war movie to end all war movies in Southeast Asia only to wind up in a real-life combat with narco-terrorists. "Tropic Thunder," which opens August 13 via DreamWorks/Paramount, sends up all things Hollywood, from pampered actors and outrageous media tycoons to war movies in general. OK, these are easy targets. But Stiller and co-writers Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen hit 'em with a fair degree of accuracy and consistency. After a summer devoted to superheroes -- indeed, Stiller's co-stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black played such roles in "Iron Man" and "Kung Fu Panda" -- how gratifying it is to experience a movie taking the mickey out of super-impossible heroics. It's by no means a perfect comedy -- nor would you want it to be. Gags and stunts are all over the place, yet the film does de-Stiller-erize the essence of contemporary movie comedy even as it has fun with outrageously crude jokes. A savvy opening has three movie trailers and a concession ad cleverly establishing our leading actors: Stiller's Tugg Speedman is a fading action star whose last, desperate bid for Oscar glory caught him playing Simple Jack, a retarded farmhand who can talk to animals. Black's coked-up Jeff Portnoy stars in a series of gross-out films built around fart jokes. Downey's five-time Oscar winner Kirk Lazarus -- think early Robert De Niro, Laurence Olivier and Gwyneth Paltrow but don't think about it too long -- is so into the "method" and physical disguise that he has surgically darkened his skin to play a black actor. Actor-comedian Brandon T. Jackson plays rap star Alpa Chino -- say it to yourself slowly -- who promotes a "Booty Sweat" energy drink and "Bust-A-Nut" candy bar. In the name of authenticity, the film's British director (Steve Coogan) helicopters this gang along with acting newcomer Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel), a possibly shellshocked technical adviser (Nick Nolte) and an enthusiastic explosives expert (Danny McBride) deep into the jungle. The director proceeds to step on an old land mine, which leaves the troupe without direction -- but no one here has ever paid much attention to a director anyway. This setup provides a broad comic canvas for stunts; explosions; battles between actors firing blanks and a drug gang that doesn't; wars back home between the film's financier and Tugg's agent (Matthew McConaughey); and a drug lord played by 12-year-old newcomer Brandon Soo Hoo. The film almost gets hijacked by Downey, an Australian actor and now a black man who no longer recognizes his own identity. It's a great comic performance and reaches its satiric zenith when, as the two stroll blithely unaware through a dangerous jungle, Kirk critiques Tugg's performance as Simple Jack. Kirk points out that actors who have won Oscars playing the mentally challenged "never go full retard," a hysterically funny and uncannily accurate piece of film criticism. (Kudos to the writers as well.) But Stiller manages his movie nicely so that all actors get their share of the comic spotlight. Seldom does an ensemble comedy not contain a single weak character or performance as does this one. Oh, by the way, Tom Cruise has a role, too. He is in such a good disguise, though, that few are going to recognize him until the final credits. Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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Beauty industry gets face time in Hollywood

Reuters, 2008-07-28 10:40:16

Actresses (L-R) Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall arrive for the German premiere of ''Sex And The City: The Movie'' at a cinema in Berlin May 15, 2008. (Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters) LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Greta Garbo's beauty was legendary. It earned her the adoration of audiences and captivated even Adolf Hitler, who allegedly implored her to go to Germany to become the mother of his Aryan race. But the Swedish actress owed her luminous onscreen presence to more than her flawless skin and bone structure: Her secret weapon was Max Factor Silver Stone #2 makeup, which made her literally shimmer on film. In much the same way that Garbo preferred to stay out of the spotlight, however, the working relationship between Hollywood and the beauty industry is subtler than one might expect. "Many times (MAC Cosmetics) is there, and we may get a credit at the end of the film, or we may be in the literature, but we're there very discreetly," says John Demsey, group president of Estee Lauder Companies, parent company of MAC. "We're not there in a very sponsorship sort of way, because the relationship is very real and functional." Indeed, one isn't likely to hear about it, but makeup artists relied heavily on MAC products for some of this summer's studio fare, including "Sex and the City," "The Love Guru" and "Get Smart." ANGRY INCH LIPSTICK But such collaborations do sometimes make headlines, with products developed for specific projects making it all the way to the retail market. "Sometimes these things actually become promotional activities or tie-ins of the brand itself," Demsey says. "When (2001's 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch') was done, we hosted the opening party in New York City and actually created an Angry Inch lipstick for Hedwig." Similarly, celebrity eyebrow guru Anastasia Soare, creator of Anastasia Beverly Hills, invented her famed brow kit for her entertainment clients who were shooting on location. "I had clients, and they would go on the set for a movie, let's say, in Canada for three months, and they would be panicking, like, 'Who is going to do my eyebrows?"' Soare recalls. "So I (would cut) a stencil just with the shape of their eyebrows and then (add instructions for) the makeup artist on how to do it. Then I thought, Maybe some women are out there at home, maybe in Oklahoma, and I am not there -- maybe I should make a kit and sell it and they could do this at home." High-definition technology has also resulted in the development of specialized cosmetics, like MAC's Airbrush line, which features micronized particles. "Micronized milling is the finest, smoothest process possible, making foundation and powder appear to look like they are one with the skin," MAC makeup artistry director Gregory Arlt explains. "With HD, you need the skin to appear flawless and makeup-free, even when makeup is applied. Micronized foundations and powders achieve that perfectly." MAC's not alone in the HD market. Competitors include Cargo's Blu-ray Collection, which is used on the set of FX's "Dirt" and Showtime's "Weeds." But there are instances in which the beauty and entertainment industries' impact on each other -- and the viewing public -- are far more visible. Fashion models once ruled as spokespeople for beauty companies, but actresses -- such as Cate Blanchett (for SK-11), Courteney Cox (for Kinerase) and Kate Hudson (for David Babaii for WildAid, of which she is also a co-founder) -- have largely taken their place. "If you have beautiful skin as a celebrity, you can really affect what people buy as far as skin care," says Dr. Garth Fisher, the original plastic surgeon featured on ABC's "Extreme Makeover." PLASTIC SURGERY IQ The same is true of Fisher's field. Since "Makeover," the subject of plastic surgery has been a consistent draw, spawning such shows as FX's "Nip/Tuck" and E!'s "Dr. 90210." And who can forget Fox's 2004-05 series "The Swan," with its big reveal? "I thought we really raised the plastic surgery IQ of America," says Fisher, a nose, face and breast specialist. "I thought we did it in a very professional way, a very sensitive way," he says, noting that after the show, the number of plastic surgery and cosmetic dental procedures in the U.S. increased significantly. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of cosmetic procedures, including everything from tummy tucks to Botox injections and laser hair removal, jumped from roughly 7 million in 2002 to about 11.5 million in 2005. Interestingly, the numbers have changed very little since 2005, with 11.7 million procedures being performed in 2007. The temptation to lift and tighten can be overwhelming for Hollywood's famous faces, especially with the advances the beauty industry has seen over the last couple of decades, from injectables to laser resurfacing. The goal is "moderation with everything," Soare says. But moderation is difficult to achieve in the harsh light of constant media attention. "(Celebrities) can't even go on a vacation and be in a bikini without getting photographed," notes celebrity hairstylist Sally Hershberger, who served as lead judge on Season 1 of Bravo's "Shear Genius." "I think that would be very hard." "The media is everywhere, from magazines to blogs," says Lea Journo, creative director of the Beverly Wilshire's Lea Journo the Salon, who helps her famous clients achieve the look they need by consulting thoroughly about their projects. "Let's not forget that celebrities belong to a dream," Journo says, "and we are here to shape it." Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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'Gilmore Girl' Alexis Bledel finds her 'Good Guy'

Reuters, 2008-07-28 07:40:59

File photo shows actress Alexis Bledel arriving at the CW network party during the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California July 17, 2006. (Fred Prouser/Reuters) NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Former "Gilmore Girl" Alexis Bledel has found a good guy in "Friday Night Lights" star Scott Porter. The pair star in the romantic comedy "The Good Guy," which is in production in New York. Porter plays Tommy, a rising Wall Street star in a budding romance with a new girlfriend, Beth (Bledel). He begins mentoring a seemingly hapless new salesman (Bryan Greenberg) who befriends Beth, starting a chain of events that might ultimately lead to his downfall. Andrew McCarthy plays Tommy's vicious boss, Aaron Yoo his crass co-worker, and Anna Chlumsky Beth's unlucky-in-love friend. The project marks the writing and directing debut of Julio DePietro, who based the story partly on his experience as a partner at a hedge fund. Porter most recently appeared in "Speed Racer," while Bledel returns to theaters next month in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2." Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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Carmen Electra & Kim Kardashian dazzle comics fans

AP, 2008-07-27 06:30:45

In this Feb. 1, 2008 file photo, Carmen Electra arrives at the Snow Queen Vodka's Leather & Laces Super Bowl Party in Scottsdale, Ariz. Electra and fellow 'Disaster Movie' co-star Kim Kardashian delighted fans at Comic-Con Saturday. (AP Photo/ Matt Sayles, file) SAN DIEGO - The line snaked through the Comic-Con floor. Hundreds of camera-toting fans jockeyed for position, barely able to contain their excitement. They weren't trying to see the latest world-saving superhero or never-before-seen footage. They were waiting to see Carmen Electra and Kim Kardashian. The two beauties made their Comic-Con debut Saturday, signing autographs to promote their new film, "Disaster Movie." Both wore formfitting, cleavage-bearing dresses as they posed for fans' photos. For 18-year-old John Kilgore, attending the signing was the day's top priority. "It's Carmen Electra," he explained. "What's not to like about a woman like that?" David Benker, 46, was embarrassed to reveal exactly how excited he was to meet the two women. "Aw, come on," he said. "My son is here and he'll tell his mom." Most fans sheepishly shuffled by collecting their posters, but a few were brave enough to talk to the pinup pair. "You look even more beautiful in person," said one blushing fan. "Wow." Another whipped out his cell phone to show Electra her own photo. "You're on my screen saver right now," he said. Despite the frenzy of excitement, the fans were well behaved, Electra said: "They were all really sweet." A Lionsgate release, "Disaster Movie" — which features a wrestling scene between Kardashian and Electra — hits theaters Aug. 29. ___ On the Net: http://www.disastermovie.net/ http://www.comic-con.org

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'Terminator Salvation' clip unveiled at Comic-Con

AP, 2008-07-27 05:01:45

In this July 17, 2007 file photo, director McG is seen at the NBC Press Tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. McG presented never-before-seen footage of 'Terminator Salvation' during a Comic-Con panel Saturday. The fourth installment of the 'Terminator' franchise is slated for release next summer. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, file) SAN DIEGO (AP) — "Terminator Salvation" won't hit theaters until next summer, but thousands of fans got an early look at a portion of the film Saturday. Director McG presented never-before-seen footage during a Comic-Con panel and offered a few hints about what to expect from the highly anticipated fourth installment in the "Terminator" franchise. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger could be back. "The T-800 model indeed is part of the mythology of Terminator," McG said coyly, referring to the machine model California's governor played in the first three films. James Cameron, who directed the first two "Terminator" films, and special-effects master Stan Winston, who died in June, also each had a hand in the film, McG said, adding that Winston made a cameo appearance. "He wrestles one of the hydrobots," the director said. The movie, now shooting in New Mexico, could end up with an R rating rather than the rumored PG-13, McG revealed. "We put the picture first at all times," he said. "If it's an R-rated picture, it's an R-rated picture and that's that." He acknowledged that the studio is responsible for some of the online rumors. "We release, like everyone else does, misinformation campaigns," McG said. "One of the joys of going to the movies is not knowing what's going to happen." The brief clip shown Saturday was filled with explosions, tanks, gas masks, guns and crushed skulls. Set in 2018, the film is dark and apocalyptic, "exploring what the world is like after a nuclear holocaust," the director said. "We wanted everything to feel like giant Soviet tanks crushing all comers." "Terminator Salvation," a Warner Bros. release, is set to hit theaters in May. ___ Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc. ___ On the Net: http://rss.warnerbros.com/terminatorsalvation/ http://www.comic-con.org

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Top 5 lists in Entertainment

AP, 2008-07-24 18:14:26

TELEVISION 1. "Major League Baseball All-Star Game," Fox. 2. "America's Got Talent," NBC. 3. "All-Star Pre-game Show," Fox. 4. "Criminal Minds," CBS. 5. "So You Think Can Dance" (Wednesday), Fox. (From Nielsen Media Research) FILM 1. "The Dark Knight." 2. "Mamma Mia!" 3. "Hancock." 4. "Journey to the Center of the Earth." 5. "Hellboy II: The Golden Army." (From Media By Numbers LLC) HOT FIVE 1. "I Kissed a Girl," Katy Perry. Capitol. 2. "Take a Bow," Rihanna. SRP/Def Jam/IDJMG. 3. "Forever," Chris Brown. Jive/Zomba. 4. "Lollipop," Lil Wayne feat. Static Major. Cash Money/Universal Motown. 5. "Viva La Vida," Coldplay. Capitol. (From Billboard magazine) ALBUMS 1. "Untitled," Nas. Def Jam/Columbia/IDJMG. 2. "Tha Carter III," Lil Wayne. Cash Money/Universal Motown/UMRG. (Platinum) 3. "Mamma Mia!," Soundtrack. Decca. 4. "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends," Coldplay. Capitol. 5. "Camp Rock." Soundtrack. Walt Disney. (From Billboard magazine) CONCERT TOURS 1. Kenny Chesney. 2. The Police. 3. Dave Matthews Band. 4. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. 5. Van Halen. (From Pollstar) VIDEO SALES 1. "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Special Edition)," Buena Vista Home Entertainment. 2. "Yoga Conditioning for Athletes," Gaiam Video. 3. "Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird," Warner Home Video. (Gold) 4. "Notting Hill," Universal Studios Home Video. 5. "Ancient Mysteries: Ancient Altered States," A&E Home Video. (From Billboard magazine) VIDEO RENTALS 1. "Vantage Point," Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2. "Drillbit Taylor," Paramount Home Entertainment. 3. "10,000 BC," Warner Home Video. 4. "The Ruins," Paramount Home Entertainment. 5. "Fool's Gold," Warner Home Video. (From Billboard magazine) DVD SALES 1. "Batman: Gotham Knight," Warner Home Video. 2. "Batman Begins," Warner Home Video. 3. "Vantage Point," Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 4. "The Ruins," Paramount Home Entertainment. 5. "Superhero Movie," Genius Products. (From Billboard magazine)

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Bale attends 'Dark Knight' premiere in Spain

AP, 2008-07-24 14:22:50

British actor Christian Bale, right, and his wife Sibi Bale poses during a photocall for 'The Dark Knight' film in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, July 23, 2008. Batman star Christian Bale has swept into Barcelona to attend a glittering Spanish premiere of 'The Dark Knight.' Bale came in a 15-car motorcade and appeared calm in the wake of allegations he assaulted his mother and one of his three sisters at a top London hotel. He did not speak to reporters and made no comment about the incident. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Christian Bale swept into Barcelona on Wednesday night to attend a glittering Spanish premiere of "The Dark Knight," appearing calm as he greeted fans a day after reports surfaced that his mother and sister had accused him of assault. A 15-car motorcade delivered Bale and his co-stars to the red carpet, where the 34-year-old actor greeted hundreds of fans outside the city's Coliseum Theater. Bale spent half an hour signing autographs, looking relaxed in a tailored dark blue suit and asking each autograph seeker's name. About 25 camera crews waited outside the theater. Bale did not speak to reporters and made no comment about the allegations that he assaulted his mother and one of his three sisters at a London hotel on Sunday. The actor's wife, Sibi, smiling broadly, and actress Maggie Gyllenhaal stood by Bale as he attended to fans. Then the Welsh-born actor, who plays millionaire recluse Bruce Wayne and his bat winged alter-ego, entered the theater to watch the film. "We expected some excitement but have truly been taken aback by all the media attention," Warner Bros. representative Gernot Dudda said. Bale said through his lawyers the assault allegations were false Tuesday, hours after he was arrested, questioned by London police and released on bail. He spent four hours talking with authorities but was not charged. British media reported that Bale's mother and sister told police he assaulted them at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Sunday night, a day before attending the European premiere of "The Dark Knight." The Sun newspaper said the complaint was filed by sister Sharon Bale and mother Jenny Bale. Wednesday night outside the Coliseum's elegant baroque facade, built in 1923 and inspired by the Opera in Paris, bat lights flickered as fans dressed as The Joker waited to go in. Fellow actor Aaron Eckhart and director Christopher Nolan also spent time greeting fans and signing autographs. Bale first made a splash as the child star of Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" in 1987. His screen credits also include "American Psycho," "The Machinist" and "Batman Begins." The film set a box-office record with $158.4 during its opening weekend in the U.S. last week. ___ Associated Press correspondent Paul Haven in Madrid contributed to this story. ___ Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc.

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Just A Minute With: Gillian Anderson on 'X-Files'

Reuters, 2008-07-24 14:15:04

Cast member Gillian Anderson attends the movie premiere of 'The X-Files: I Want to Believe' at the Grauman's Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California July 23, 2008. The movie opens in the U.S. on July 25. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters) LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Gillian Anderson, best known for her nine-year stint playing FBI Agent Dana Scully on "The X-Files," will reprise her Emmy-winning role this summer in a movie sequel based on the wildly popular science fiction television series. The re-awakening of the "X-Files" franchise, which enjoys a cult-like following, marks somewhat of an about-face for Anderson, 39, who said she has been spending the six years since the show's end "trying to do everything but Scully." To that end, Anderson moved from Hollywood to London, where she has appeared in two stage productions and is preparing for a third. She has also enjoyed an award-winning turn in a 2005 television adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Bleak House," and appeared in the 2006 Oscar-winning film "The Last King of Scotland" with Forest Whitaker. In a recent interview with Reuters, Anderson discussed coming back to the role of Agent Scully, her fears of failing on stage, and what it's like to be part of a series that became a cultural phenomenon. Q: What was it like to come back to Dana Scully again? A: I thought that it was going to be a breeze, and it was more challenging than I had expected. It had been such a long time and the characters had matured, and also I had been spending so much time away trying to do everything but Scully. Q: Why try to do 'everything but Scully?' A: Nine years is a long time when you are doing something every single day and I didn't get into this business to play Scully. My goal was to do as wide a range of things as possible. So it was just following through with what my original intention was, but it was delayed for a decade. Q: But can you ever really put Scully behind you? A: I don't know, we'll see. I've tried pretty hard over the last few years and done a slew of different things. It's always something that's going to be the first on the list in terms of things that people refer to, and that's just the truth. Q: How has Scully evolved since the show ended? A: There seems to be more of a weight, a gravitas to her. She's always been pretty serious. But she seems more grounded, more mature and yet softer at the same time. Q: After becoming such a huge U.S. TV star, what made you move to London? A: It was home to me until I was 11 years old. I chose to do a play there and fell back in love with the city and started creating a life there that feels comfortable. Q: Do you have a preference between theater and film? A: Not a preference. Theater is something that I love very much, but also dread. It's something else entirely to be standing in front of people in a live audience and showing up night after night and recreating something where anything can go wrong at any time. I'm sure that somewhere that's a fear that lives inside. Am I going to suck? And it's not just a one-time suck, but a nightly suck. Q: Any plans to direct? A: I did an episode of the series years and years ago and just really enjoyed it and felt comfortable in that place and that environment. It's just a matter of timing and logistics. My first feature is called "The Speed of Light," based on a novel by Elizabeth Rosner. It's in the works. Q: How does it feel to be part of a series that continues to be such a huge cultural phenomenon? A: I'm not a television watcher and I've never gotten into appointment television watching, so the lowest part of that scenario is not something I'm familiar with. The idea that you would look it up online or that you become so invested in characters kind of boggles my mind. I appreciate that it's important for other people, and whatever gets people off is fine by me. It's more of something that I can observe. "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" opens July 25. (Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

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Ruling reveals ID of online Oscar ticket seller

AP, 2008-07-24 13:47:54

LOS ANGELES - A judge's ruling has brought the organization that hosts the Academy Awards a step closer to discovering how tickets to this year's show got online. An attorney for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences said Wednesday that the organization has learned the identity of a person who posted an ad on Craigslist, claiming to have two tickets available for this year's show. The disclosure to the Academy comes a day after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William Fahey ordered Craigslist, an online site where people can post free ads to sell everything from couches to concert tickets, had to disclose the identity of the person who posted the ad in February offering the tickets for $2,500 each. The poster was identified only as "Daniel." No one showed up on Craigslist's behalf at Tuesday's hearing. The Academy sued several people and companies in March, accusing them of selling or brokering Oscar tickets. In court documents, it states that invitees to the Academy Awards show are explicitly told they cannot sell or give their tickets away. David Quinto, an attorney working for the Academy, said the organization is trying to maintain the security of the Oscars, which each year honors Hollywood's top performers and moviemakers. "If you don't know who's inside the theater, it's very difficult to provide security," Quinto said. Attorneys for the Academy told Fahey that cases against several of the original parties named in the lawsuit have been dismissed. Attorneys said they plan to seek default judgments from two of the remaining defendants. Quinto said Wednesday the Academy plans to add the Craigslist poster to the lawsuit in the hopes of learning who bought the tickets. According to court documents, the Academy considers anyone who used someone else's Oscar's ticket to be a trespasser at the ceremony.

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Wright takes on 'Cowboys' starring Wahlberg

Reuters, 2008-07-24 08:51:18

Evan Wright (L) speaks as actor Lee Tergesen, looks on during HBO's panel presentation at the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills, California July 10, 2008. (Fred Prouser/Reuters) LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Gonzo journalist-screenwriter Evan Wright has moved from American cowboys on the Iraqi frontier to the cocaine cowboys of 1970s Miami. Wright, who wrote the nonfiction book on which the HBO miniseries "Generation Kill" is based, has closed a deal to write the feature "Cocaine Cowboys" for Paramount. The deal grew out of his work on a book that Crown will publish in 2009. Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg ("Hancock") have been attached to star in and direct, respectively, the story of Jon Roberts, an injured Vietnam vet by age 20 who ended up involved in gangland takeovers of New York City nightclubs in the early '70s (his uncle was the consigliere to Carlo Gambino). By the end of the decade, Roberts landed in Miami, dealt billions of dollars worth of coke for the Medellin drug cartel and ultimately spent 10 years in prison. Billy Corben's documentary "Cocaine Cowboys," released by Magnolia in 2006, covered a slice of Roberts' history. "It's really an exciting story about the secret history of America," Wright said. "It's also a story that outwardly seems familiar, but the more you get into it, it's never really been told this way. It's about a guy who was a cocaine smuggler in a mafia -- we kind of know those stories -- but he also worked closely with the government to smuggle arms for the Contras." Wright was a Rolling Stone reporter embedded with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion Marines for two months during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He went on to co-write the HBO miniseries airing this month, and he's adapting his March 2007 Vanity Fair article, "Pat Dollard's War on Hollywood," for Fox. Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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Dissident actors could sway outcome of SAG talks

AP, 2008-07-24 07:01:54

The lobby of the Screen Actors Guild National Headquarters in Los Angeles is shown in this July 9, 2008 file photo. As Hollywood's labor stalemate dragged into its third week on July 15, 2008, the major studios said they have agreed to meet again with the Screen Actors Guild on July 16, 2008 but would not budge from their "final" contract offer. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/Files (UNITED STATES) LOS ANGELES - More than 30 actors dissatisfied with stalled contract talks said Wednesday they have joined to campaign for seats on the Screen Actors Guild's board of directors, a move that could eventually break the stalemate with Hollywood studios. The 31 actors running under the name Unite for Strength are challenging the leadership of guild president Alan Rosenberg and the faction that supports him, Membership First. "We can no longer afford leaders who sow division," Unite for Strength leader Ned Vaughn said in a statement that singled out the gap that opened between SAG and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists during the talks. In response, SAG said only that it planned to release the official list of candidates on Aug. 5 after the nominating period has closed and candidate eligibility has been confirmed. Ballots will go out to members on Aug. 19 and are due back to the union by Sept. 18, with results expected to be announced that evening. About a third of the board's 71 seats are at stake. It's unlikely there will be any movement in the negotiations until after the election, said entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel, a former associate counsel for the Writers Guild of America. If the current leaders remain in control, it could be seen as an endorsement of their position on the contract. But a ballot result favoring Unite for Strength could prove to be a game-changer. "If the challenge slate gains control, it will probably move to fire the executive director, change the composition of the negotiating committee, and the studios will probably sit down with them pretty promptly and negotiate a deal," Handel said. The studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, made what they have called their final offer on June 30, when the three-year SAG contract expired. The producers have said the proposal is worth $250 million in additional compensation over three years, compared to the previous contract. SAG has disputed the figure and said the deal falls short in pay and union jurisdiction on made-for-Internet productions. The offer mirrors those previously accepted by writers, directors and by AFTRA, the smaller actors union. SAG's had urged AFTRA members to reject the deal. The writers guild deal was reached after a 100-day strike that ended in February and cost the local economy an estimated $2 billion. SAG members have kept working after their contract expired. The alliance has said it's not interested in further negotiations. No new talks are scheduled. "Private Practice" stars Kate Walsh and Amy Brenneman are part of the slate of challengers. Unite for Strength said its goals are to win a majority of the national board seats designated for Hollywood branch members and to end control of the board by Membership First, which the new faction said has long maintained a hostile stance toward AFTRA. A total of 11 board members and 22 alternates will be elected by Hollywood division members. The New York division is voting for five board members and nine alternates, with seven seats for SAG branches in other cities to be filled. Rosenberg became president nearly three years ago with the goal of taking a harder line in contract talks with studios.

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Celebrity Birthdays

AP, 2008-07-24 08:00:40

Celebrity birthdays for the week of July 27-Aug. 2: July 27: TV producer Norman Lear is 86. Singer Harvey Fuqua of The Moonglows is 79. Actor Jerry Van Dyke ("Coach") is 77. Actor John Pleshette ("Knots Landing") is 66. Singer Bobbie Gentry is 64. Actress-director Betty Thomas ("Hill Street Blues") is 60. Singer Maureen McGovern is 59. Actress Roxanne Hart ("Chicago Hope") is 56. Country guitarist Duncan Cameron of Sawyer Brown is 52. Country singer Stacy Dean Campbell is 41. Singer Juliana Hatfield is 41. Actor Julian McMahon ("Profiler") is 40. Comedian Maya Rudolph ("Saturday Night Live") is 36. Singer Pete Yorn is 34. July 28: Actor Darryl Hickman is 77. Keyboardist Rick Wright of Pink Floyd is 65. Cartoonist Jim Davis ("Garfield") is 63. Actress Linda Kelsey ("Lou Grant") is 62. Singer Jonathan Edwards is 62. Actress Sally Struthers is 60. Actress Georgia Engel ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Coach") is 60. Drummer Simon Kirke of Bad Company is 59. Guitarist Steve Morse of Deep Purple is 54. Actor Michael Hayden ("Murder One") is 45. Actress Elizabeth Berkley ("Showgirls," "Saved By The Bell") is 36. Singer Afroman is 34. Drummer Todd Anderson of Heartland is 33. Singer Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach is 32. July 29: Actor Robert Horton ("Wagon Train") is 84. Actor David Warner ("Titanic") is 67. Keyboardist Neal Doughty of REO Speedwagon is 62. Singer-bassist Geddy Lee of Rush is 55. Documentary maker Ken Burns is 55. Singer Patti Scialfa with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is 55. Actress Alexandra Paul ("Baywatch") is 45. Country singer Martina McBride is 42. Drummer Chris Gorman (Belly) is 41. Actor Wil Wheaton is 36. Singer Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men is 35. Actor Stephen Dorff is 35. Actor Josh Radnor ("How I Met Your Mother") is 34. Musician Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley is 31. Actress Allison Mack ("Smallville") is 26. July 30: Actor Richard Johnson is 81. Actor Edd "Kookie" Byrnes is 75. Blues guitarist Buddy Guy is 72. Movie director Peter Bogdanovich is 69. Singer Paul Anka is 67. Jazz saxophonist David Sanborn is 63. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is 61. Actor Jean Reno ("The Da Vinci Code," "Godzilla") is 60. Blues singer Otis Taylor is 60. Actor Ken Olin is 54. Actress Delta Burke is 52. Singer-songwriter Kate Bush is 50. Country singer Neal McCoy is 50. Actor Laurence Fishburne is 47. Actress Lisa Kudrow ("Friends") is 45. Country guitarist Dwayne O'Brien of Little Texas is 44. Actress Vivica A. Fox is 44. Actor Terry Crews ("Everybody Hates Chris") is 40. Director Christopher Nolan ("Memento," "The Dark Knight") is 38. Actor Tom Green is 37. Drummer Brad Hargreaves of Third Eye Blind is 37. Actress Christine Taylor ("The Brady Bunch Movie") is 37. Comedian Dean Edwards ("Saturday Night Live") is 35. Actress Hilary Swank is 34. Actress Jaime Pressly ("My Name Is Earl," "Not Another Teen Movie") is 31. Actress Yvonne Strahovski ("Chuck") is 26. July 31: Actor Don Murray is 79. Actor Geoffrey Lewis is 73. Actress Susan Flannery ("Bold and the Beautiful") is 65. Singer Lobo is 65. Singer Gary Lewis of Gary Lewis and the Playboys is 63. Singer Bob Welch is 62. Actor Michael Biehn is 52. Singer-guitarist Daniel Ash (Love and Rockets, Bauhaus) is 51. Drummer Bill Berry (R.E.M.) is 50. Actor Wesley Snipes is 46. Country singer Chad Brock is 45. Musician Fatboy Slim is 45. Guitarist Jim Corr of The Corrs is 44. "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling is 43. Actor Dean Cain ("Lois and Clark") is 42. Actor B.J. Novak ("The Office") is 29. Aug. 1: Actor-director Geoffrey Holder is 78. Cartoonist Tom Wilson ("Ziggy") is 77. Singer Ramblin' Jack Elliott is 77. Actor-comedian Dom DeLuise is 75. Blues musician Robert Cray is 55. Singer Michael Penn is 50. Singer Joe Elliott of Def Leppard is 49. Rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy is 48. Guitarist Suzi Gardner of L7 is 48. Rapper Coolio is 45. Singer Adam Duritz of Counting Crows is 44. Country singer George Ducas is 42. Country guitarist Charlie Kelley of Buffalo Club is 40. Actress Tempestt Bledsoe ("The Cosby Show") is 35. Singer Ashley Parker Angel (O-Town) is 27. Aug. 2: Actor Peter O'Toole is 76. Country singer Hank Cochran is 73. Keyboardist Garth Hudson of The Band is 71. Director Wes Craven is 69. Singer Kathy Lennon of The Lennon Sisters is 65. Actor Max Wright ("Alf," "Norm") is 65. Actress Joanna Cassidy is 63. Actress Kathryn Harrold is 58. Singer Andrew Gold is 57. Actor Butch Patrick ("The Munsters") is 55. Singer Mojo Nixon is 51. Actress Victoria Jackson is 49. Actress Cynthia Stevenson ("Men In Trees," "Hope and Gloria") is 46. Actress Mary-Louise Parker is 44. Director-actor Kevin Smith ("Clerks," "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back") is 38. Actor Edward Furlong is 31. Actress Hallie Eisenberg is 16.

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Comics, film and figurine fans flock to Comic-Con

AP, 2008-07-24 01:47:04

In this July 28, 2007 file photo, Sam Mcclellan, dressed as Captain America, asks a question at a panel discussion for the Marvel Studios film 'The Incredible Hulk' at the Comic-Con convention in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, file) SAN DIEGO - The most passionate Spider-Men, Storm Troopers, Harry Potters and other pop-culture fanatics are headed south for their annual pilgrimage. Comic-Con, the country's biggest comic-book convention, begins Thursday at the San Diego Convention Center. More than 100,000 people a day — many in the costumes of their favorite characters — will fill the sprawling seaside space during the four-day convention. They'll try out the latest video games, seek out collectible books and toys, restock their T-shirt and costume collections and get a preview of anticipated films and TV shows. The annual convention, now in its 38th year, draws the most avid fans around — the kind who will blog about what's cool and generate online attention that money can't buy. (Just ask the people who cashed in on "Iron Man," which started as a metallic buzz at last year's convention that built all year before eclipsing the $300 million mark at the domestic box office this summer.) As superheroes go, so goes Comic-Con. And oh, what superheroes have become: Five of the top 20 summer movies are based on comic book characters, including "The Dark Knight," the record-shattering Batman juggernaut that took $158.4 million in its first weekend (beating the previous record set by 2006 Comic-Con darling "Spider-Man 3"). "This summer there's been an embarrassment of riches," said Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. "Comic-Con is dipping your toe in that water to see how rabid your fan base is." Among the big-screen previews contending for early buzz this year are "Watchmen," an adaptation of the graphic novel by "300" director Zack Snyder, and "Terminator Salvation," the long-awaited new installment in the franchise. The much-anticipated "Star Trek," on the other hand, has promised no previews or panel discussions, but is still bound to generate ample fanboy chatter. "Comic-Con attracts a really vocal and discriminating entertainment fan, so it's a great venue to showcase exciting products," said Sarah Greenberg, co-president of theatrical marketing for Lionsgate. "With blogging and the Internet ... people are communicating directly from peer to peer about matters of taste and really quickly you can get a beat on what they're talking about." "It's an amazing place to find all those word-of-mouth generators in one location," said Rob Friedman, co-chairman and chief executive of Summit Films, which is making its first trek to Comic-Con. The studio is presenting three movies, including its banner Christmas title, "Twilight," a teen-vampire love tale. "This is completely unique to any audience that you'd be seeing at the normal film-festival circuit," he said. "They're much more fan-oriented. They're much more enthusiastic and not as critical. They come with an eye to enjoy and observe."

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Smith, Depp, DiCaprio Shake Their Moneymakers

E! Online, 2008-07-23 12:44:21

Smith, Depp, DiCaprio Shake Their Moneymakers(E! Online) Los Angeles (E! Online) - Here's some news Will Smith can take to the bank, along with those eight-figure paychecks: The Hancock star is the top-paid actor in Hollywood, according to the latest figures from the number crunchers over at Forbes.com. Based on salaries earned between June 1, 2007, through June 1, 2008, Smith bested all competitors, male or female, raking in an estimated $80 million for his big-screen efforts. His nearest moneymaking rival is Johnny Depp, whose pirate's booty totaled $72 million. Not bad for a year's work. Smith also got props for something more than his pay stubs—namely, his box-office pull. In the wake of his latest Independence Day-dominating role, the blockbuster star has become the first actor to have eight straight movies earn more than $100 million at the box office. Hancock picked up where I Am Legend and The Pursuit of Happyness left off. Smith's megabucks earning power helped lead his male acting brethren to outearn their female counterparts nearly 2-to-1 over the past year. While the leading men took in an estimated $487 million over the past 12 months, the leading ladies earned half that, banking $244.5 million. Tied for third place on the top-earning tier are funnymen Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy, who each raked in $55 million over the past year despite their recent respective box-office tank jobs, The Love Guru and Meet Dave. Coming in the fourth spot is Leonardo DiCaprio, with $45 million, followed by Bruce Willis, whose resurrected John McClane helped him earn $41 million. Ben Stiller is next with $40 million, despite having one of his worst performing films to date with last year's The Heartbreak Kid. Nipping at his heels is the $38 million-making Nicolas Cage, thanks to the success of National Treasure: Book of Secrets. A pair of funnymen round out Forbes' list, with Will Ferrell banking $31 million and fellow Saturday Night Live alum Adam Sandler taking in a smooth $30 million. On the women's side, Cameron Diaz is the best compensated, taking home $50 million. Keira Knightley is next with $32 million, followed by Jennifer Aniston with $27 million.

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Film explores tensions after 2005 London bombings

Reuters, 2008-07-23 16:19:29

The bomb destroyed number 30 double-decker bus is seen in Tavistock Square in central London July 8, 2005. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez LONDON (Reuters) - A film inspired by the 2005 London suicide bombings that killed 52 people explores the mistrust they stoked between communities and how Islamist radicals threatened to drown out the voice of moderate Muslims. "Shoot on Sight," starring Greta Scacchi, is set in the capital just after the July 7 bombings and follows the story of a Muslim police officer thrust into the limelight when a Muslim man is mistaken for a bomber and shot dead. Tariq Ali, played by Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah, finds himself caught between police officers who are prejudiced against him because of his race and religion and a Muslim community that shuns him for betraying them. "They don't trust him in the department because he is a Muslim and they don't trust him at the mosque because he is a police officer," director Jagmohan Mundhra told Reuters ahead of the film's release in Britain on August 22. "I have always admired British society for being the most tolerant. It's not just lip service, they have actually done it. "Then the actions of a few suddenly start causing this chasm. It becomes us versus them, and I think all these years of blending, suddenly, in one night, comes to naught." Mundhra, an Indian Hindu, was in London at the time of the attacks on the underground train system and a bus, and noticed how people's attitude to him changed because he was assumed by many to be a Muslim from South Asia. Later the same month, a Brazilian man mistakenly believed to be a suicide bomber was shot dead by police. Mundhra used the incident as a trigger for his thriller, but made the victim a Muslim man instead. He denied that "Shoot on Sight," the first feature film to deal with the July 2005 events, was insensitive to victims. "I feel that you can't be an ostrich in the sand, you cannot ignore what is happening in society." REAL EVENTS, CHARACTERS As well as following Ali, a moderate Muslim, "Shoot on Sight" portrays a radical London cleric who encourages followers to turn to violence to address injustices he says have been carried out against Muslims around the world. Played by Om Puri, imam Junaid is a charismatic teacher whose ideas appeal on one level and yet border on incendiary. "Any progressive, liberal Muslim would agree with a lot of the arguments which he makes," Mundhra said. "But what he's suggesting to do about it is absolutely unacceptable in a civilized society." Mundhra said he read speeches made by radical Muslim clerics Abu Hamza al-Masri and Omar Bakri Mohammed during his research. Bakri has been banned from Britain and Hamza has been jailed. The director said radical Muslims had succeeded in drowning out the voice of mainstream Muslims since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and the 2005 bombings in London. "The noise caused by the actions of a few radical extremist Muslims has silenced the voice of the majority," he argued. "However, I also feel that the Muslim majority, which I believe my film is representing, should also speak up." Italian-born Scacchi, star of films like "White Mischief" and "Presumed Innocent," plays Ali's English wife, and strains in society at large are reflected in the mixed-race marriage. The actress said she took on the role in order to confront her own prejudices in the aftermath of the London attacks. "My experience, I have to confess, was my own prejudice, my own fear," she told Reuters. She said she would "notice if there was anyone getting on the same bus or tube (subway train) as me, or particularly an airplane, where your mind can't help leaping to those sort of possibilities." But, she added, it had been far harder for Britain's large Muslim minority, which had "suffered enormously."

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Mulder, Scully believe in `X-Files' audience

AP, 2008-07-23 15:54:12

Writer Frank Spotnitz, left, actor David Duchovny, second from left, actress Gillian Anderson and director,co-writer and X-Files creator Chris Carter, right, pose for a portrait in Beverly Hills, California on Saturday, July 19, 2008. With aging stars, a six-year lapse since the show ended and a 10-year gap since the last movie, 'The X-Files: I Want to Believe' is trying to reconnect with an audience saturated on edgy newer sci-fi and fantasy. (AP Photo/Mark Mainz) LOS ANGELES - Some Mulder and Scully fans were dubious when the title for the new movie based on their favorite TV show was announced: "The X-Files: I Want to Believe." How, the skeptics wondered, could the two former FBI agents be anything but true believers after years of encountering aliens, monsters, ghosts and everything else that might go bump in the night? But so-called X-Philes want to believe in this franchise that started way out on the fringes and eventually brought the creepy and paranormal into the mainstream. The feeling among its creators is mutual. "We want to believe in the audience," said David Duchovny, who reprises his role as Fox Mulder, the guy with boogeymen on the brain, co-starring with Gillian Anderson as his soul mate and doubting Thomas, science-minded Dana Scully. Devoted as fans might be, it's a leap of faith for "The X-Files" to return after such a long absence in an era when so many franchises compete for audiences' attention and sequels tend to come every two or three years. It's been a decade since the first "X-Files" movie and six years since the series went off the air after nine seasons. The keepers of "The X-Files" figure the long wait has only fired up fans even more for a new adventure. In an interview with The Associated Press alongside Duchovny, Anderson and producer Frank Spotnitz, series creator Chris Carter described the reception he got at a fan gathering in Chile, where he had no idea the show had such a following. "It was wild and warm and enthusiastic. They had an expo where they re-created Mulder's desk," said Carter, who also directed the new movie and co-wrote it with Spotnitz. "It was just amazing to be sitting there eating sunflower seeds (Mulder's favorite snack) at Mulder's desk in Chile." Anderson recalled a similar reaction when they appeared earlier this year at New York Comic Con, a fan convention. "The response that we got from the audience was almost, it was crazy. That was kind of the beginning of my realizing, people do still care," Anderson said. "I also think it's gotten passed down through the generations to kids of people who first watched it on TV." "The X-Files" debuted in 1993 and quickly won a loyal cult audience. Strong word of mouth gradually drew more and more fans to the weird show with its ongoing story arc about alien visitations to Earth and clever stand-alone stories that one week might deal with life-sucking bugs unleashed from old-growth timber, and another week might touch on monstrous humans resulting from generations of inbreeding. At the heart was Mulder, a brilliant FBI agent convinced his sister was abducted by aliens. Nicknamed "Spooky" by derisive colleagues, Mulder handled the X-Files, cases involving unexplained phenomena the bureau would prefer to sweep under the rug. Scully, a medical doctor, was assigned as Mulder's partner, mainly to debunk his work, but she eventually became his comrade in arms, the two complementing each other's talents and maintaining a deep but chaste romantic longing. Spotnitz said when he joined the show in the second season, "none of my friends knew what it was at that point. But by the end of season two, people were writing fan fiction. I remember distinctly somebody saying to me, `Oh, you've got them. Once they're actually making it their own, you've actually captured their imagination.' And it's true. They're still writing fan fiction 15 years later." The 1998 big-screen film was immersed in the show's dense alien mythology. "I Want to Believe" is patterned after the stand-alone episodes, requiring little prior knowledge of Mulder and Scully. Drummed out of the FBI as the series wound down, Mulder has been living in exile, collecting news clips of strange happenings and hurling pencils at the ceiling out of boredom. Scully, now a practicing doctor at a hospital, is approached by FBI agents (Amanda Peet and Xzibit) as an intermediary to bring Mulder in to consult on a case in which a defrocked-priest-turned-psychic (Billy Connolly) claims to have visions about a missing bureau agent. And they're off and running on a trail that leads them to a stash of severed arms buried in the snow, more missing persons and some ghoulish medical experiments worthy of Frankenstein. "Chris had a Border collie when we started and I had a half-Border collie, and I always thought of Mulder like a Border collie. He needed a job, so when you see him at first, he's like a Border collie who's a lapdog," Duchovny said. "It's not right. And the movie's a little bit about him getting his job back. That's where his heart is." His heart also clearly remains with Scully. They spar just like old times, but they share the most explicit moments of affection in their 15 years together, though still restrained by Hollywood romantic standards. Many fans always wanted to see Mulder and Scully in an all-out love affair, but Anderson said it was wise for Carter and Spotnitz to steer the show clear of that. "They ended up playing the parents of the fans who thought they knew what they wanted, but if they had gotten what they wanted, I think they would have been sorely disappointed," Anderson said. "It would have had a negative effect on the series. But what was given to them was so electric and so long-lasting that it helped to carry through all the way to the end." Cast and crew are game for more "X-Files" movies if fans still believe strongly enough to convince distributor 20th Century Fox that the audience is there. Now that Mulder has his foot back in the door at the FBI, the alien mythology that obsessed him on the job could be resurrected for a future film, Carter said. "There's a looming date in 2012 which is part of the literature, if you will, on a Mayan calendar. It's supposed to be when the aliens do something," Carter said. "We've mentioned that date a number of times in the series, so it's something that we certainly would be looking at. I'm not sure exactly how yet, but if there is a next movie, we would consider doing it then."

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Dewan and Goss fight for 'Magdalena'

Reuters, 2008-07-23 11:36:50

Actress Jenna Dewan poses as she arrives as a guest at the premiere of the film "Stop-Loss" in Hollywood, California March 17, 2008. REUTERS/Fred Prouser LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Hellboy II" villain Luke Goss and Jenna Dewan are attached to star in "Magdalena," an adaptation of a comic book featuring a hot, holy warrior. Dewan is set to play Patience, a woman who discovers that she's a part of the lineage of female warriors descended from Mary Magdalene who fight supernatural evil. Goss will play Kristof, an agent sent by the secret organization that has been the guardian of the lineage. Dewan's credits include "The Grudge 2" and "Step Up." Goss, a former member of U.K. pop duo Bros, is in theaters with Guillermo del Toro's "Hellboy II: The Golden Army." "Magdalena" is set up at indie firms Valhalla Motion Pictures, Platinum Studios and Top Cow Prods. Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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