Michael Jackson directing debut 'They Cage the Animals at Night'

King of Pop Michael Jackson is venturing into directing for the first time, teaming with writer-director Bryan Michael Stoller on a big-screen adaptation of Jennings Michael Burch's book "They Cage the Animals at Night" for Icon Prods.

Icon optioned the book out of its discretionary fund for Stoller to adapt and co-direct with Jackson. The book is the true story of the author's account of being left at an orphanage and bouncing around from one foster home to another.

"Cage" came about after Jackson saw the Canada-born Stoller's 1999 family film "Undercover Angel," starring Dean Winters and Yasmine Bleeth, and contacted the writer-director.

"Michael said he wanted to direct, that he liked my style and that we would complement each other as co-directors," Stoller said in an interview. "He was the one who brought this book to me. It deals with orphans, and Michael always felt that he grew up as an orphan because, in a way, he missed out on his childhood. The boy in the book had a tough time, and Michael related a lot to that. Michael and I have similar sensibilities. We're both big kids, and we feel that when it comes to their emotions, we'd be able to draw that out for the big screen."

Claiming that Jackson has "an amazing vision" as a director, Stoller said he was "fortunate that he wants me to be his directing partner." He expects the script for "Cage" to be completed in about a month's time.

"Everyone knows that Michael bought an Oscar statue for $1.6 million," Stoller said of Jackson's 1999 purchase of producer David O. Selznick's best picture Oscar for the classic film "Gone With the Wind." "I joke with Michael that this time, we're going to earn an Academy Award -- he won't have to buy it. The material (in the book) is touchy. I'm not saying we will get an Academy Award, but the material is the kind that if done the right way, it should get attention in that direction."

Stoller credits his agent Caren Bohrman in helping to set up the project at Icon. "I told her that Michael and I were looking to set this up at a studio, so I brought Caren to meet Michael up at Neverland," he said. "She has a good relationship with Eveleen Bandy at Icon, who read the book and thought it was great. This project is really a labor of love for us."

Said Jackson in a statement: "I feel we have a wonderful team, and this is perfect marriage with Icon, and I'm looking forward to all of us working together."

The project continues Jackson's interest in the feature film world. In February, Jackson's Neverland Entertainment invested $15 million-$20 million in Mark Damon's production and distribution company MDP Worldwide, making Jackson and his new producing partner Raju Patel major shareholders in the company. The deal with Icon is said to be separate from the MDP Worldwide deal.

Stoller, who also will executive produce "Cage," was additionally repped by his attorney Michael Morales. Jackson was repped by Ziffren, Brittenham, Branca Fischer, Gilbert-Lurie & Stiffelman Llp. Icon was not available for comment.

'Brown-Eyed Girl' Halle 'Foxy Brown' Berry

Oscar winner Halle Berry has signed to star in and produce two more pictures for MGM -- a remake of the 1974 "Foxy Brown," and character study "Brown-Eyed Girl" -- extending her stay in the studio fold beyond her role as the next Bond girl in this winter's "Die Another Day

"The intent is for her to star in both of them," said MGM vice-chairman and chief operating officer Chris McGurk, who described the deal as further evidence the studio has put sale rumors and a bumpy first quarter behind it.

The original "Foxy Brown" was a classic early 1970s blaxploitation movie featuring Pam Grier as a woman bent on avenging the murder of her boyfriend at the hands of gangsters. Berry and manager Vincent Cirrincione will executive produce.

MGM production president Alex Gartner said the intent is to turn the remake into a franchise vehicle.

"We're going to take some license in updating the character," Gartner said. "We're going to take all the positive aspects of Foxy as a powerful, empowered woman, and we're going to create a larger-than-life vehicle for Halle."

"Brown-Eyed Girl," which has been around for several years, follows the ups and downs in love and life of a contemporary woman, and is designed to be a smaller film. In this case, Berry and Cirrincione will be the hands-on producers.

Cirrincione said Berry had been interested in both projects for a long time, then discovered in recent months after joining the Bond cast that both projects were owned by MGM and available.

"'Foxy Brown' was one of those things she'd always talked about doing," Cirrincione said. "And a few years ago, she saw ('Brown-Eyed Girl'), liked it, but it didn't work out. It was just total coincidence that they all ended up at MGM. Some things are meant to be."

After Berry's Oscar win, and the good working relationship both sides developed during the Bond production, the new deal came together quickly.

Berry begins work on the next "X-Men" film after Bond wraps, and the intention is for one of these two pictures to be her next project, Gartner said.

Gore Verbinski Set To Direct 'Pirates of the Caribbean'

Director Gore Verbinski is in final negotiations to helm "Pirates of the Caribbean" for Jerry Bruckheimer and the Walt Disney Co.

The project, based on the legendary Disney theme park ride, marks the first pairing between the helmer and studio; Verbinski has worked with DreamWorks on the features "Mouse Hunt," "The Mexican" and the upcoming horror feature "The Ring."

"Pirates" also will be the first collaboration between Verbinski and Bruckheimer. The "Pirates" story focuses on a daring attempt to rescue someone from dangerous pirates who are trying to reverse an ancient curse. The most recent draft of the script was penned by "Shrek" scribes Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott, following earlier drafts from Jay Wolpert and Stuart Beattie.

"Pirates" is being overseen at the studio by production president Nina Jacobson and vp Brigham Taylor.

Verbinski is repped by Endeavor. Bruckheimer next produces Disney's "Bad Company," starring Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock.

Two High-Profile Feature Remake Deals, Are Themselves Being Remade

 Two high-profile feature remake deals -- for the antihero franchise "Billy Jack" and veteran cop series "Hawaii Five-O" -- are themselves being remade.

Producer Intermedia Films has acquired rights to remake "Billy Jack" -- a surprising development given that, just weeks ago, a deal seemed as good as closed for the film to be made at DreamWorks with Keanu Reeves attached to play the title role.

DreamWorks' near-deal with rights holder Tom Laughlin -- who wrote, directed, produced and starred in the original film about a loner who takes on the establishment -- was worth a $400,000 advance against a $1.5 million payout if the film was produced. It also factored in the participation of Reeves, his managers at 3 Arts and Danny DeVito's Jersey Films. Since that contract will have to be settled, the studio might still end up Intermedia's domestic partner. But Jersey, Reeves and 3 Arts are no longer involved.

DreamWorks also has changed from being exclusive negotiator to one of several bidders in the remake of "Hawaii Five-O" after being unwilling to meet a deal point sought by producer and rights controller George Litto that would have given him and his heirs in-perpetuity say-so over "Five-O" in the same way that the family of producer Cubby Broccoli controls the James Bond franchise.

DreamWorks was ready to pay millions for rights and a script by Roger Towne, but wouldn't agree to the terms set by Litto, who represented series creator Leonard Freeman and then his estate when he died in 1973.

DreamWorks is still in the bidding, but Creative Artists Agency, which just remade the "Billy Jack" deal, has begun re-shopping the "Hawaii Five-O" package to other studios in hopes of meeting Litto's terms, sources said.

The "Billy Jack" deal and Intermedia's emergence as the locomotive behind the project is a case where a deal that seemed doable at the bargaining table suddenly snags when business affairs becomes involved.

One complexity was the high volume of producers and not enough points and fees available to make them all happy. In fact, Laughlin, attributed the changed elements to "the lawyers and the nitty grittying that goes into making a deal."

Laughlin turned "Billy Jack" into one of the most profitable independent films of all time. With a large and fervent fan base still in tow, he would hardly be a pushover in a remake deal. While he acknowledged he's gained a reputation as a tough dealmaker, Laughlin denied that was why this remake deal got remade.

"We got a deal done and contracts signed in four days with Intermedia," Laughlin said. "And we might very well end up back at DreamWorks and we might go back to Keanu. But we've found our foreign partner; this feels like the right mix, and by next week we'll be going full bore to interview screenwriters."

Intermedia production president Basil Iwanyk wouldn't comment on the deal his company is supplanting, or who might portray the quiet loner with fast hands and feet who took on the establishment in "Billy Jack" and sequels "Billy Jack Goes to Washington" and "The Trial of Billy Jack." Instead, Iwanyk is concentrating on distilling what made the original film such an unlikely hit and its lead character something of a cultural icon.

"Right now we want to brand this as an Intermedia movie, and we are most comfortable getting a script and a director before going to studios," Iwanyk said.

"The reason we feel 'Billy Jack' will travel well is that he's such a classic archetype for a movie hero. You have this disenfranchised group with nobody to speak for them, and suddenly they have a voice and a protector when this mysterious guy rides into town. It's a classic formula that goes back to 'Seven Samurai.' Our challenge is to find a modern-day equivalent of a nemesis for Billy Jack to defuse and conquer, one that made audiences root so hard for him."

Original Pictures: Bobbie's Girl on June 9, at 8:00 PM

Showtime Original Pictures For All Ages presents Bobbie's Girl premiering on Sunday, June 9, 2002 at 8:00 PM (ET/PT). Starring Bernadette Peters, Rachel Ward, Jonathan Silverman and Thomas Sangster, the film is about a young boy who comes to live with his lesbian aunt and her eccentric partner after losing his parents in a car accident.

Distributed by Paramount Network Television, the film is one of the last two projects produced by the legendary Howard W. Koch, Sr. before his passing. Spencer Proffer and John Davis also serve as executive producers. Ronald Shore and Stacey K. Pantazis serve as producers. Bobbie's Girl is directed by Jeremy Kagan ("Chicago Hope," "The Chosen," Showtime's "Color Of Justice" and "Roswell") and written by Samuel Bernstein ("Silent Lies"). Bobbie's Girl is a Babyhead Productions/ Morling Manor Media/Jericho Entertainment Production.

Bobbie (Rachel Ward) and Bailey (Bernadette Peters) are, to say the least, an atypical couple living on the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland in the seaside village of Bray.

Together they run a pub named "The Two Sisters" with Bailey's eccentric brother David (Jonathan Silverman). Their life takes a traumatic turn with the sudden arrival of Alan (Thomas Sangster), Bobbie's ten-year-old nephew. Alan, whose parents are tragically killed, casts the three adults in the unlikely and unexpected roles of adoptive parents. Unfortunately, matters are complicated by Bobbie's diagnosis of breast cancer.

Tony® Award-winning actress Bernadette Peters has an illustrious career on the stage, in television, concerts and in the recording industry. She recently appeared in the hit series "Ally McBeal," and is soon to star in the television movie "Prince Charming" with Martin Short and Christina Applegate. She earned a Tony® in 1999 for her performance in the smash Broadway revival "Annie Get Your Gun."

Rachel Ward came to international attention with the television miniseries "The Thorn Birds." Her feature film credits include "Sharkey's Machine," "After Dark, My Sweet," "Against All Odds" and "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid."

Jonathan Silverman came to prominence in Neil Simon's feature film adaptation of "Brighton Beach Memoirs." His stage performances include "Biloxi Blues" and "Broadway Bound." His other feature film credits are "Caddyshack II," "Stealing Home," "Class Action," and his memorable role opposite Andrew McCarthy in "Weekend At Bernie's."

Prior to Bobbie's Girl, Thomas Sangster starred in the BBC feature film "The Adventures of Station Jim." He can also be seen in the PAX film "The Miracle of the Cards."

Jeremy Kagan is a director, writer and producer of feature films and television. His theatrical credits include "The Big Fix," "The Chosen" and "The Sting II." His television credits are "Katherine" and "Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8," both of which he wrote and directed.

This year, Showtime Original Pictures For All Ages earned 17 Daytime Emmy® nominations. This was the fourth consecutive year SHOWTIME received more nominations than any other cable network.

Music: The Amazing Success Of LUTHER VANDROSS Continues...

In June, it will be a year since Luther Vandross released his 15th album which landed at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart in its first week and was declared his best in years by the press.

The album simply titled Luther Vandross was his first album for J Records. Today, the album is Platinum and the sales keeping growing as new single "I'd Rather" goes full stream ahead. It has already hit #1 on the Billboard R&B Adult chart and has stayed there for 3 weeks. It also is taking Top 40 Adult radio by storm becoming a top ten song on the biggest stations in America.

In other news, Luther Vandross will star in an episode of TV show "Touched By An Angel" this Saturday, May 4th. The story line of the show is based on the lyrical content of "Can Heaven Wait," a scorching ballad from Luther's new album. "'Touched By An Angel" airs on CBS at 9pm.

Luther Vandross' year was highlighted by the fact that he won FAVORITE R&B MALE at this year's AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS. Things kicked off when "Take You Out," a fresh, contemporary, uptempo jam produced by Warryn Campbell made its debut on the charts within a record-breaking five days of its release. It was #1 for seven weeks and became the most played record ever for R&B Adult Radio in Billboard Monitor/BDS history. Additionally, Luther sold out a major national tour including four nights at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Video: DVD software shipments jump 74% in first quarter

The leading DVD lobbying organization reported Tuesday that DVD software shipments to retailers were up 74% and hardware shipments were up 29% during the first three months of the year, compared with the same frame last year.

More than 120 million DVD movies and music videos were shipped to retailers during the first quarter, with an estimated 100 new DVD titles being released each week, according to figures compiled by Ernst & Young on behalf of the DVD Entertainment Group, which is made up of every major Hollywood studio and most major makers of DVD players worldwide.

During the first three months of the year, Buena Vista Home Entertainment had three of the top 10 best-selling DVDs, followed by Universal Studios Home Video and DreamWorks Home Entertainment, each with two of the top 10. Warner Home Video, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment each had one of the top 10 best-selling titles, according to VNU's VideoScan independent VHS and DVD tracking service.

But when it came to overall DVD software sell-through market share, WHV led the list with 19.58%, while USHV (which also distributes DreamWorks' product) took the No. 2 position with 16.91% of the market. BVHE took the No. 3 slot at 13.57% of the market, followed by MGM with 10.8%, CTHE with 9.7%, Fox with 9.68% and Paramount Home Entertainment with 6.33%, according to VideoScan data, which does not include Wal-Mart, Toys "R" Us or online sales like Amazon.com.

The remaining 16.43% of the DVD sell-through market consists of a vast array of smaller studios and suppliers, according to VideoScan.

These DVD market share figures are a result of most major studios' strategy of releasing library product on DVD at breakneck speed and often at retail prices as low as $10 a unit, according to most industry analysts.

"We continue to see families and younger audiences embrace DVD as their home entertainment medium of choice," said Bob Chapek, newly elected president of the DEG and president of Buena Vista Home Entertainment. "The popularity of video game systems compatible with DVD has also allowed for DVD playback capability inside of kids rooms leading to even more software growth potential."

Chapek was referring to such video game consoles as Sony's PlayStation 2 and Microsoft's Xbox, which also can be used to view DVDs.

The DEG also reported that 3.6 million DVD players shipped to retail during the first quarter, a 29% gain over the same period last year.

Total units shipped since the format's launch have exceeded 35 million, the DEG reported Tuesday, adding that 20 million additional DVD players are expected to be shipped to retailers this year, according to figures compiled by the DEG based on retail and manufacturer data.

DVD players sold through to domestic consumers have reached nearly 35 million units, and the current installed base is about 27.4 million homes (adjusting for homes owning two or more DVD players), based on figures compiled by the DEG based on retail and manufacturer data.

"DVD is the dominant home entertainment platform and is growing in popularity as its depth of product expands with cars, portables and recordable players," said Emiel Petrone, chairman of DEG and executive vp at Philips Entertainment Group, Worldwide. "The trends for home-theater-in-a-box systems and TV/DVD combination systems are further proof that DVD has made its mark as the centerpiece of home entertainment."

There are now more than 125 DVD player models marketed under 50 different consumer electronics brands.

Industry: Castle Rock Cuts Staff as WB Tightens

Castle Rock Entertainment, which bombed at the box office with such recent pictures as "The Majestic" and "Hearts in Atlantis," has laid off 16 of its 46 employees.

Martin Shafer, Castle Rock chairman and CEO, delivered the news on Monday and Tuesday. Most of the fired employees will leave the company within the next few weeks, he said.

Shafer said the move came after corporate parent Warner Bros. gave the autonomous production company a reduced budget, reflecting the shingle's status as a wholly owned subsidiary.

Castle Rock will no longer maintain its own public relations or physical production departments. These responsibilities have been absorbed by Warners, as have back-office duties such as financing and accounting.

Founded in 1987, Castle Rock was launched by director Rob Reiner, Shafer, television executive Glenn Padnick and film executive Alan Horn, who left the company in 2000 to become Warners' president and chief operating officer.

Castle Rock got off to a roaring start with "When Harry Met Sally" in 1989, followed by "Seinfeld," the sitcom that proved to be the equivalent of winning the Super Lotto.

The outfit most recently found success in 2000 with the Sandra Bullock starrer "Miss Congeniality" and Christopher Guest's mockumentary "Best in Show." However, that has not been enough to undo the coffer damage done by more recent pictures. The company recently released the Bullock picture "Murder by Numbers" and the Val Kilmer vehicle "The Salton Sea," both of which are doing only modest business. It also will unspool the long-delayed "Pluto Nash" this August.

However, the company's best odds for a hit in 2002 lie with "Two Weeks' Notice," a comedy that Bullock and Hugh Grant are shooting in New York for director Marc Lawrence, the writer of "Miss Congeniality." This year, Castle Rock also will produce "Dreamcatcher" and the Guest-helmed "A Mighty Wind."

However, one film that's not on the docket is Reiner's next picture. The Castle Rock co-founder, who has not directed since his 1999 flop "The Story of Us," will direct drama "Alex and Emma" for Franchise Pictures. Warners has greenlight authority over Castle Rock and would not approve the picture's budget.

However, the independently financed, Warners-based Franchise -- a shingle known for making pictures "at a price" -- determines which pictures it will make and releases them through the studio in exchange for a distribution fee.

Charts: The Top Fives in TV, Movies, Music

TELEVISION

1. "ER," NBC.
   
2. "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS.
   
3. "Friends," NBC.
   
4. "Law & Order," NBC.
   
5. "The Bachelor" finale, ABC.
   (From Nielsen Media Research)

FILMS

1. "The Scorpion King," Universal.
   
2. "Changing Lanes," Paramount.
   
3. "Life or Something Like It," Fox.
   
4. "Jason X," New Line.
   
5. "Murder by Numbers," Warner Bros.
   (From Exhibitor Relations Co.)

SINGLES AND TRACKS

1. "Foolish," Ashanti. Murder Inc.
   
2. "What's Luv?" Fat Joe Featuring Ashanti. Terror Squad/Atlantic.
   
3. "U Don't Have To Call," Usher. Arista.
   
4. "I Need A Girl (Part One)," P. Diddy (feat. Usher & Loon). Bad Boy.
   
5. "Ain't It Funny," Jennifer Lopez (feat. Ja Rule). Epic.
   (From Billboard magazine)

ALBUMS

1. "Ashanti," Ashanti. Murder Inc.
   
2. "C'mon, C'mon," Sheryl Crow. A&M.
   
3. "A New Day Has Come," Celine Dion. Epic.
   
4. "Now 9," Various Artists. Universal/EMI/Zomba/Sony/UMRG. (Platinum —certified sales of 1 million units)
   
5. Soundtrack: "The Scorpion King." Universal.
   (From Billboard magazine)