• The Remake of Hollywood, Scans for Foreign Films
• Winnie The Pooh, Judge Granted To Unseal The Court File
• Zoe Saldana Snares "Drumline"
• Six Million Dollar Man, Steve Austin Is Back
• Miramax's December Stress In The Editing Suite.
• Singleton takes on Sinbad N The Hood
• Our Movie Pick Of The Week: 'Vanilla Sky'
• Turner International (India) In JV With Zee Telefilms
• Destiny's Child have denied rumours they are to split.
• Previous
  • Monday Dec 10
  • Tuesday Dec 11
  • Wednesday Dec 12
  • Thursday Dec 13

Winnie The Pooh, Judge Granted To Unseal The Court File

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge granted a media request Thursday to unseal the court file in a suit accusing the Walt Disney Co. of withholding merchandising royalties on one of its biggest brands, Winnie the Pooh.

Judge Ernest Hiroshige stayed the order until Jan. 11 to allow Disney and rights holders Stephen Slesinger Inc. to identify documents that should remain confidential in the 10-year lawsuit that could ultimately be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The parties then have until Feb. 10 to justify the withholding of any documents, though Slesinger attorney Bonnie Eskenazi said her clients have no objection to opening the entire file, which was the goal of Thursday's petition by the Los Angeles Times.

"We don't think anything in there is a trade secret," said Eskenazi, whose clients earlier tried and failed to back out of an agreement with Disney to keep parts of the file secret. For now, even the complaint is off limits to the public.

Disney's lead attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, said the voluminous filings could contain information that would aid Disney's competitors.

"We're only interested in keeping confidential those matters that contain our confidential business and proprietary information," Petrocelli said.

The closed file and drawn-out proceedings have kept the case from garnering more attention. The stakes are nonetheless enormous.

The suit was filed by heirs to Slesinger, who bought the merchandising rights from Pooh author A.A. Milne in 1929. Slesinger's widow sold the rights to Walt Disney in 1961 for a share of profits.

The Tampa, Fla.-based plaintiffs accuse Disney of withholding at least $35 million by failing to report more than $3 billion in Pooh merchandise such as videocassettes and computer software.

While the plaintiffs say they might be owed far more than that, Disney believes its royalty payments have been fair, and the legitimacy of its accounting has been verified by a court-sanctioned review of its books.

Last year, Hiroshige sanctioned Disney for deliberately destroying 40 boxes of documents that could bear on the case, including a file marked "Winnie the Pooh -- Legal Problems." Disney has appealed that ruling, and the case could go to trial next year.

Zoe Saldana Snares "Drumline"

Zoe Saldana, who co-stars in the upcoming Britney Spears movie vehicle, has joined the cast of the Fox 2000 comedy "Drumline."

Saldana plays the love interest of a street drummer from Harlem (played by Nick Cannon) who attends a Southern university on a music scholarship. At first he has difficulty adjusting to his new environment but later leads the school's marching band to victory in a contest among colleges.

Orlando Jones co-stars. Director Charles Stone III ("Paid in Full") will begin shooting later this month in Atlanta.

Saldana began her career last year with Nicholas Hytner's "Center Stage." She appeared in Miramax Films' "Get Over It" and was a co-lead opposite Spears in "Crossroads," which is scheduled for a February release via Paramount.

Six Million Dollar Man, Steve Austin Is Back

Steve Austin is back. Not the wrestler, but the fictional hero of the 1970s TV series "The Six Million Dollar Man."

The 1972 Martin Caidin novel on which the series was based, "Cyborg," is being developed as a feature by Dimension Films and Universal Pictures.

Universal first began developing the feature in 1995, with writer/director Kevin Smith ("Dogma") turning in a script. While it's possible Smith could be involved with the newest take on the project, there are no writers' deals in place.

In the original TV series starring Lee Majors, Steve Austin was a NASA test pilot badly injured in an accident. The government saved his life by replacing his legs, arm and eye with atomic-powered bionic devices. The half-man, half-cyborg was then sent on dangerous missions for the Office of Scientific Information, battling various international crooks and mad scientists.

The Universal-Dimension pact also includes rights to the three other novels in Caidin's "Cyborg" series: "Operation Nuke," "High Crystal" and "Cyborg IV."

"'Six Million Dollar Man' is a franchisable film that we have been wanting to make for a long time now," Dimension co-chairman Bob Weinstein told Daily Variety. "We're elated to have worked out a partnership with Universal."

Miramax's December Stress In The Editing Suite.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful ... but that's nothing compared with December stress in the editing suite.

Miramax is one company experiencing the release-date rush with its Oscar hopeful "The Shipping News." Thanks to their famously fastidious directors, "Ali" and "The Majestic" are two other white-knuckle titles.

"Shipping" helmer Lasse Hallstrom, accompanied by studio co-chairman Harvey Weinstein, took the unusual step of trimming nearly five minutes of the picture after it had premiered in L.A. and had been screened for many critics. One revealing sight at last Sunday's L.A. premiere was the presence of Miramax's head of post-production.

Just as the film was heading into the home stretch, Hallstrom was hospitalized with heart palpitations. Promotion schedules can certainly be tough on the ticker, and Hallstom already has had to cancel appearances at a three-day tribute to his work at L.A.'s American Cinematheque. (Who, then, will explain the nuances of "Abba: The Movie?")

"Shipping News," Hallstrom's third Miramax outing in as many years, was shot in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. When filming stretched into July, the filmmakers faced a post-production crunch.

"I just put my final finishing touches on the film," Hallstrom said Thursday in a statement. "My fine-tuning wasn't completed during the accelerated post-production process and was delayed by my recent illness. The film will be ready before Monday's New York premiere."  Both "Shipping News" and "Ali" open Dec. 25, while "The Majestic" opens Dec. 21.

One lingering issue is review prints, which were shipped out last week, meaning many critics will review the not-quite-final cut. It is unclear whether Hallstrom or Miramax will entreat critics to sample the leaner version -- though alternate prints are always a nifty extra once a pic hits DVD.

Singleton takes on Sinbad N The Hood

"Sinbad" is ready to set sail again at Columbia Pictures, with director John Singleton at the helm.

The special effects epic about the good-hearted pirate is targeted for either 2003 or 2004, and will mix the spectacle of period actioners like "The Mummy" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Sinbad has been a movie staple over the years, appearing in such films as 1974's "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad" and 1958's "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad."

The film marks a departure for Singleton, best known for politically charged films like "Boy 'N the Hood" and "Higher Learning." Turns out that Singleton, whose last pictures were "Shaft" and "Baby Boy," is a big fan of the popcorn event film and has long wanted to make one.

"We look at 'Sinbad' as an eighth century 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' on steroids, and John is charged up to do a big visual effects movie," said screenwriter Tedi Sarafian. "After watching John's enthusiasm for the film and his strong sense of the character of Sinbad, I feel that he's a lot like where the Wachowski brothers were when they were known for the movie 'Bound' and made 'The Matrix."'

Our Movie Pick Of The Week: 'Vanilla Sky'

"Vanilla Sky" is nearly identical to the 1997 Spanish film it's based on, except it's set in Manhattan instead of Madrid and has a much better soundtrack.

In fact, the music is so perfectly chosen and plays such a huge role - as it does in all of Cameron Crowe's movies - that it's as if the former rock music writer burned a CD of his favorite tunes, then found a movie to remake to go along with it.

The presence of songs by Paul McCartney and Peter Gabriel, Jeff Buckley and Todd Rundgren, R.E.M. and Radiohead is one of the few personal stamps that writer-director Crowe placed on his adaptation of Alejandro Amenabar's thriller "Open Your Eyes." It's disappointing that Crowe didn't do more to make the movie his own, because his own movies - namely "Jerry Maguire" and "Almost Famous" - are almost flawless.

"Vanilla Sky" is just as maddening as the original, forcing us - along with the main character - to wonder what's a dream and what's reality, who's alive and who's dead.

All that confusion would be fine if there were a payoff. But the ending is such an unoriginal, sci-fi cop-out, it's the most frustrating part of all.

Crowe excels, though, at drawing touchingly human portrayals from his actors, and "Vanilla Sky" is no exception. Tom Cruise gives one of his best performances, and Penelope Cruz does her best English-language work in the same role she played in Amenabar's original.

Cruise is back in familiar territory here as David Aames, a rich, swaggering playboy who runs the magazine publishing empire he inherited from his father. All sparkle and no soul, he clearly needs to be taken down a notch or 12.

Women flock to him but he refuses to be faithful to any of them - certainly not Julie (Cameron Diaz), a friend and frequent bed buddy. All of that changes at his birthday party, where he meets Sofia (Cruz), who's there as the date of his best friend, Brian (Jason Lee).

When Julie crashes the party and stalks him, David keeps her at bay by chatting and flirting with Sofia, and is instantly hooked. He goes back to Sofia's apartment and spends a magical - though chaste - night with her.

As he's leaving the next morning, he finds Julie waiting for him outside, offering to drive him home and hop into bed with him. But in a jealous rage, she tells him she loves him, scolds him for using her for casual sex and plunges the car off a bridge in Central Park.

This is where things get tricky. David may have survived but suffered irreparable facial damage. Julie may or may not have died in the crash. And Sofia may not exist at all - she may just be an imagined version of his ideal woman.

David tries to sort it all out in flashbacks with a psychiatrist (Kurt Russell) while sitting in the mental ward of a prison, where he's being held on suspicion of murder. He wears an eerie mask to hide the scars that ruined his perfect face and that enormous, blinding smile.

Despite his movie-star status, Cruise doesn't take the easy way out: He allows himself to look hideously misshapen after the car crash. But the transformation in his character is even more powerful. David swings from depression to animalistic rage and back again, and his torment is the centerpiece of the movie.

Performances from the supporting players are equally strong, notably from Lee as David's insecure, lovelorn best friend - he laments, "You're rich and women love you. I'm from Ohio and I'm drunk" - and from Diaz, who shows a depth and a pain we've not seen before.

There's also some beautifully striking visual imagery, notably the opening sequence in which David runs frantically through an abandoned Times Square, and a scene in a dance club in which he wears his mask on the back of his head, making it appear that he has two faces.

And David's apartment, which appears to take up an entire floor of the Dakota building, is a marvel of interior design - pop culture iconography and stunning art work sit alongside breathtaking Central Park views.

"Vanilla Sky," a Paramount Pictures release, is rated R for sexuality and strong language. Running time: 136 minutes.

Turner International (India) In JV With Zee Telefilms

Zee Telefilms , India’s largest media firm, and AOL Time Warner offshoot Turner International (India) Private Ltd, have agreed the establishment of a joint venture outfit that will distribute Zee’s channels abroad and AOL’s in India.

The deal sees Zee hold 74% of the new Delhi-based company, Zee Turner Private Ltd. And although Zee boss Subhash Chandra formally denied that he had sold any part of Zee Telefilms to AOL Time Warner, many local observers believe that the joint venture is likely to be followed by further reaching co-operation.

The venture foresees a number of initiatives in cross-promotions,

programming and distribution arrangements for the two groups’ channels. They have also not ruled out distribution of third party channels in India and South Asia.

The board will comprise three directors nominated by Zee and one by Turner. DP Naganand, director of Zee Telefilms and group head, access business for Zee, will be chairman. The joint venture will be managed by a team of Turner and Zee executives. Anshuman Misra will be the managing director in the joint venture (and will continue to head up Turner), with Sunil Khanna as the CEO, Paresh Karia as the chief financial officer and Siddharth Jain as the senior vice president, distribution.

The announcement of the deal follows weeks of speculation about who Zee would pick as a partner, having months ago signalled that it was looking for a partner that would help it grow into international markets.

Destiny's Child have denied rumours they are to split.

They insist their plans to take a break and concentrate on solo projects does not mean the end of the group. The trio are due to go their separate ways temporarily after their current tour.

NME reports Destiny's Child issued a statement which reads: "We are very much a group, very much together, and plan to be for many years.

"We just want to take a little time to work on some things that reflect our individual personalities and we're going to help and support each other with everything we do.

"We've worked really hard to get to where we are and have been blessed with success and the incredible support of our fans.

"We're like sisters, we really love and understand each other and have such a great time that we can't even think about breaking up Destiny's Child."