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Heath Ledger Dead at 28
23 January 2008 (WENN)
Movie star Heath Ledger has been found dead in his Manhattan, New York apartment. The actor was declared dead by medics at his Broome Street, SoHo home at 3:30pm on Tuesday, according to the New York Police Department. A police spokesperson reveals Ledger was discovered by his housekeeper, after he failed to answer the door to a masseuse he had booked to give him a massage. While prescription drugs were found at scene, there were no illegal drugs discovered. The Australian Brokeback Mountain star, 28, was just about to start promoting the Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight, in which he plays movie villain The Joker. Born in Perth in 1979, Ledger made a name for himself in a series of brooding roles on the big screen; he was nominated for a 2006 Oscar for his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in the gay-themed drama Brokeback Mountain. Fiercely private, Ledger has openly spoken about his public shyness, but he hit the headlines for romances with Heather Graham, Naomi Watts and his Brokeback Mountain co-star Michelle Williams, the mother of his two-year-old daughter Matilda Rose.

A star field hockey player and athlete, Ledger turned his attentions to drama in his teens and, when a friend headed to Sydney, Australia to chase an acting dream, the star-to-be went along for the ride. He landed a break as a gay cyclist in 1996's Sweat - a TV drama about a group of Olympic hopefuls - and then he portrayed the best friend of a rapist in low-budget 1997 movie Blackrock. Hedger left Australia to find acting work in America in 1999 and landed the lead in Aussie director Gregor Jordan's crime thriller Two Hands. That film helped him land the lead hunk role in teen movie hit Ten Things I Hate About You. He went on to play Mel Gibson's son in The Patriot and Billy Bob Thornton's troubled offspring in Monster's Ball. Both roles earned Ledger high praise from critics. But then came a string of critical flops - A Knight's Tale, Ned Kelly, The Four Feathers, The Order, Lords Of Dogtown, and The Brothers Grimm. But then followed Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain in 2005, which Ledger has often described as a major turning point in his professional and personal life. As awkward cowboy Ennis Del Mar, Ledger regained his position as one of Hollywood's top stars. The role led to a Best Actor Oscar nod and the coveted role of The Joker in the upcoming The Dark Knight, for which he's already receiving great acclaim. Ledger has also won acclaim for his role as Robbie Clark in quirky Bob Dylan-inspired movie I'm Not There. The tragic star was last seen publicly on the London set of director Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus on Saturday.

'Casanova' Was Light Relief for Ledger After 'Brokeback Mountain'
31 January 2006 (WENN)
Hollywood actor Heath Ledger found filming Brokeback Mountain so emotionally draining, he agreed to star in comic period drama Casanova to aid his recovery. The A Knight's Tale heart-throb struggled to maintain the intensity his gay love scenes with co-star Jake Gyllenhaal demanded, because he felt lonely and isolated in the Canadian wilderness, where Ang Lee shot much of the Oscar-nominated movie. He tells Empire magazine, "Casanova was so enjoyable because we didn't have to take ourselves seriously. I'd just come off Brokeback Mountain and that was just torturous at times, a really tough, lonely shoot. So to go from Calgary to Venice to shoot this was like a paid holiday."

Titles Announced for First Movies Released in Hi-Def Format
4 January 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on Tuesday announced the first 20 titles that it will release in high definition for its Blu-ray Disc system. They will be released as soon as the first Blu-ray players hit the market in the spring. Among the titles are The Fifth Element, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Desperado, For a Few Dollars More, The Guns of Navarone, Hitch, House of Flying Daggers, A Knight's Tale, Kung Fu Hustle, The Last Waltz, Legends of the Fall, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Robocop, Sense and Sensibility, Stealth, Species, SWAT and XXX. The company also said that, in the future, it plans to release high-definition versions of all movies being put out on conventional DVD. Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment said today that it, too, plans to release 20 films in the Blu-ray format this spring. The films, it said, will include Fantastic Four, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Behind Enemy Lines, Kiss of the Drago and Ice Age. In a statement company president Mike Dunn said, "The release of our films on Blu-ray will provide consumers with in-home entertainment beyond anything they have imagined."

Moviegoers Can Claim $5.00 Following "Fake Critic" Settlement
5 August 2005 (StudioBriefing)
As a result of a settlement in the class-action suit against Sony Pictures, moviegoers who saw any of the Sony movies that were touted by a non-existent critic in Sony's ads may apply for a $5.00 share of the settlement money. The movies include A Knight's Tale, Vertical Limit, The Animal, Hollow Man and The Patriot. Moviegoers may also apply for a like sum for up to one adult and two children who saw any of the movies with them. The applications may be obtained online at www.gilardi.com/rezec. There's a small catch, however. If more than 100,000 applications are received, all of the settlement money will be donated to charity.

Sony Reaches Settlement Over Fake Critic
4 August 2005 (WENN)
Hollywood film studio Sony-TriStar has reached a $1.5 million settlement over accusations it advertised movies using quotes from a fabricated film critic. In 2001 billboards and TV commercials featured sound bites praising the studio's movies from reviewer David Manning of The Ridgefield Press - but the journalist was invented by marketing staff at Sony-TriStar. Quotes attributed to Manning were used to promote Hollow Man, A Knight's Tale, The Patriot, The Animal and Vertical Limit - but film fans can now demand a refund for cinema tickets purchased for these movies. Sony-TriStar refused to admit liability but offered the settlement last year in a bid to avoid a lengthy and costly court case - the agreement was finalized yesterday by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl. Manning supposedly called Heath Ledger "this year's hottest new star" for his lead role in A Knight's Tale, and described Hollow Man as "one hell of a scary ride". The Ridgefield Press, a local paper in Connecticut, says it has never employed someone called David Manning, and Sony-TriStar suspended two employees following an internal enquiry.

Sony Settles "David Manning" Suit
3 September 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Sony Pictures has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle a class action suit charging that the company conned them into seeing movies by planting fake reviews in their advertisements, Reuters reported today (Friday), citing an unnamed source. The suit was originally filed in June 2001 after Newsweek magazine exposed the fact that a review cited in one of the ads for Sony's movie A Knight's Tale (released in May of 2001) was actually written by a Sony publicist who concocted the name David Manning.

Ledger Bulks Up for Role
23 March 2004 (WENN)
Hollywood heart-throb Heath Ledger is finding his latest role as a gay cowboy to be his most challenging - because he's been ordered to work out for the part. The Australian star has appeared in a number of physically demanding roles - but has been told to work on his physique for the first time in his career for the upcoming Brokeback Mountain. The 24-year-old says, "Oddly enough, it's the one job that I've been asked to build on and kind of work out. You'd think you would kind of build up and work out to play a superhero or something, but it ends up being for a gay cowboy story." A Knights Tale star Ledger was encouraged to take the role opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in the Ang Lee movie by girlfriend Naomi Watts.

"David Manning" Law Suit To Go Forward
29 January 2004 (StudioBriefing)
An appeals court has knocked down Sony Films' efforts to block a class-action suit over the company's advertisements for A Knight's Tale, which contained comments praising the film from a bogus reviewer. (The reviewer, "David Manning," who described the film's leading man, Heath Ledger, as "this year's hottest new star," was exposed as the invention of a Sony marketing executive, assigned to put a positive spin on poorly reviewed films.) Sony had sought to block the suit on grounds of protected speech, but Judge Robert Mallano wrote in his majority decision that if Sony's position were upheld, "all sorts of mischief" might ensue. "For example," he said, "a film could be advertised as having garnered 'Three Golden Globe Nominations' when it had received none."

Odd Start for Bettany and Kidman
6 June 2003 (WENN)
Dogville stars Nicole Kidman and Paul Bettany got a taste of maverick Danish director Lars Von Trier's eccentric ways within minutes of meeting the movie maker for the first time. First, he picked Bettany up from the airport and insisted on grabbing a pile of pornographic magazines from a gas station on the way to the hotel - and then he tried to pass them off as the A Knight's Tale star's collection. Bettany recalls, "He comes into my room with this huge stack of porn and he starts talking and he just puts it down. And then he says, 'Nicole's coming in to meet you.' "She came in and I said, 'Hi, how are you, ' and then he said, 'I have to go, look at Paul's enormous stack of porn.' "I've just met her and I turned into this babbling 13-year-old boy, going, 'It's not my porn, it's not my porn.'" Von Trier's eccentricities didn't end there - five minutes later Bettany heard the director creeping around outside. He adds, "I look out and he's hanging off the fire escape listening to our conversation. He's as mad as a chicken with lips."

Ledger and Watts Back On
12 February 2003 (WENN)
Hunky Australian screen star Heath Ledger is back in the arms of older partner Naomi Watts. It was reported last week that the pair had split due to Ledger's concern that he didn't want to settle down at the tender age of 23. However, 34-year-old Watts was spotted in a number of intimate clinches with the youthful A Knight's Tale star at a Hollywood restaurant on Sunday. A source at Nobu Next Door says, "At the end of the meal they just started mashing together. In the middle of the room! It was very heated and Heath finally paid the bill so they could continue out on the street."

Watts Too Old for Ledger
7 February 2003 (WENN)
Heath Ledger split with his movie star girlfriend Naomi Watts earlier this week - because she was too old for him. The A Knight's Tale hunk - who, at 23 is 11 years younger than the fellow Antipodean-bred Watts - got scared off the relationship by the impending prospect of making their union permanent. He explains, "I still have so much to do, it'd be unfair to commit to marriage. And my parents divorced when I was 10, so I can't say I have the greatest faith in marriage." Ledger and Watts will appear onscreen together later this year in Aussie drama Ned Kelly, co-starring Orlando Bloom and Geoffrey Rush.

Heath and Naomi Split?
5 February 2003 (WENN)
The romance between Antipodean stars Heath Ledger and Naomi Watts has fizzled out - according to website Peoplenews.com. The good-looking twosome ignited their passion on the set of their film Ned Kelly last year but sources suggest that they are no longer together. A Knight's Tale star Ledger, 23, had been keen to commit to 34-year old Mulholland Drive star Watts and even suggested that they move in together. However, it is reported that up-and-coming star Watts has been dating other eligible young men in the last month.

Jennifer Connelly Delays Wedding
20 December 2002 (WENN)
A Beautiful Mind actress Jennifer Connelly has delayed plans to marry her British beau Paul Bettany. The Oscar-winning beauty, who has a five-year-old son, Kai, from a previous relationship, and A Knight's Tale star Bettany were due to tie the knot this month - but now pals say that the two will not wed until "some time next year." But sources insist the screen stars have not broken up - they're still living together in Connelly's Hollywood Hills home. A pal tells American tabloid the Star, "It's just that she wants to give her little boy more time to adjust. Jennifer felt like they were rushing things."

Jennifer Connelly Branded a Serial Cheat
8 November 2002 (WENN)
British actor Paul Bettany is being warned that his sexy fiancee Jennifer Connelly has a history as a serial cheat. The 31-year-old screen stars, who appeared alongside Russell Crowe in the critically-acclaimed movie A Beautiful Mind, announced their plans to wed earlier this year. But friends warn that Bettany could have a tough time keeping his Oscar- winning belle in check, because she's been known to have quite the wandering eye. A source tells American tabloid the Star, "Jennifer is extremely flirtatious, and she was often cheating on one of her boyfriends with somebody else. If one boyfriend stops being in awe of her, she'll move on to the next one. She cheated on one boyfriend several times." The source adds that brunette Connelly had been dating Josh Charles, the star of TV series Sports Night, for nearly two years when she met Bettany in 2000. The source also claims that Connelly two-timed Charles with A Knight's Tale star Bettany. Connelly was also linked to the bitter bust-up of Hollywood couple Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, with reports surfacing that Don was openly flirting with the then-19-year-old star. But pals insist that although Connelly may have something of a checkered past with men, she's sure about her present man. A friend says, "The good thing for Paul is that she really wants to settle down for good."

Ledger and Watts Fight with Diddy's Guards
18 October 2002 (WENN)
Heath Ledger and his fellow Hollywood star girlfriend Naomi Watts argued with Sean 'P Diddy' Combs's bouncers - because they were warned for dancing too close to the rapper at a night club. The Knight's Tale star quarreled with Diddy's bodyguards at the after party for the Vogue/VH1Fashion Awards in New York's Lotus club on Tuesday - before being rescued by supermodel Naomi Campbell. A source says, "Puffy's security guards just didn't recognize Heath. They stopped heath and had words, but were waved off by Naomi."

Orlando The Matchmaker
28 August 2002 (WENN)
Hollywood couple Heath Ledger and Naomi Watts have one person to thank for their new romance - Lord Of The Rings dreamboat Orlando Bloom. Sexy Brit Orlando, who plays Legolas in the J.R.R. Tolkien film trilogy, decided to play Cupid while the trio were filming The Kelly Gang in Australia. Not satisfied with bringing the pair together, the 25-year-old actor then acted as a decoy so they could get to know each other away from the watchful eye of the media. A friend says, "Orlando loved being part of it. He'd arrive at nightclubs with Heath knowing that once inside the VIP room, he'd be dumped for Naomi. He thought it was a hoot." Orlando is pleased to hear that the A Knight's Tale star, 23, has asked the Mulholland Drive beauty, 33, to move into his Hollywood home.

Paltrow Back in Wilson's Arms?
11 July 2002 (WENN)
The mystery surrounding Hollywood beauty Gwyneth Paltrow's love life has been thrown into more confusion - she's been spotted canoodling with her supposed ex Luke Wilson. The Shakespeare in Love actress, 29, has most recently been linked to British actor James Purefoy, who starred alongside Heath Ledger in the movie A Knight's Tale. But, according to Us Weekly, the statuesque blonde was spotted out and about with her Royal Tenenbaums co-star and on-off lover Wilson, 30, in New York on July 1, looking like more than just friends. Sources say the pair were "holding hands and kissing" before having dinner together at the swanky restaurant Babbo.

Love in the Air for Ledger and Dunst?
1 July 2002 (WENN)
A Knight's Tale hunk Heath Ledger and Spider-Man beauty Kirsten Dunst have been spotted splashing out on perfume in a Beverly Hills department store. The pair walked into Saks Fifth Avenue hand in hand before perusing the expensive scents on display. Dunst bought eight $40 bottles of fragrance Printemps Paris, leading Ledger to reportedly exclaim, "It smells like the city of Paree in the springtime. Let's go there!"

Kidman's Friendship With A Knight's Tale's Bettany
6 May 2002 (WENN)
Nicole Kidman has been on a string of dates with British actor Paul Bettany - but insists there's no romance between them. The Australian beauty and A Knight's Tale star Bettany have been enjoying dinner at a number of restaurants while they film thriller Dogville in Sweden. Kidman's spokeswoman Catherine Olim says, "It is true that Nicole and Paul are friends and have been going places together. "But they are not dating and there is no romance between them."

A Knight's Challenge
31 August 2001 (WENN)
A Knights Tale star Paul Bettany has the perfect answer to critics who express disdain for the blockbuster movie - he wants to challenge them to a fight. The medieval movie has been criticized for its historical inaccuracies - but British actor Bettany reckons he could take all the historians on in a punch-up. He jokes, "I imagine there will be a few het-up academics, but mostly they'll be over 50, so I reckon I could take 'em in a fist fight." But the 30-year-old star admits to knowing nothing about the work of Geoffrey Chaucer - whose novels inspired the film, and did little research for his part in the film. He confesses, "I got hold of a picture of Chaucer and it turns out he's an enormously fat, bald, bearded dwarf, so the Method approach wasn't really sitting well. I threw out any pretension of doing any research whatsoever and made it up."

Heath Hits The Decks
31 August 2001 (WENN)
Movie hunk Heath Ledger proved he's more than just a pretty face when he took to the decks as a DJ. The Knight's Tale star showed off his second skill at a party at London's exclusive Met Bar, to the delight of fellow dancers. One reveller says, "It was absolutely fantastic. The club went wild. You could tell Heath was in his element."

Heath Ledger Cool Over Star Status
17 August 2001 (WENN)
Hollywood newcomer Heath Ledger was far from daunted about his starring role in A Knight's Tale. The hunky Australian's only gripe was about the film's posters. He says, "I know there's $50 million invested in it, but it's not my money! Basically, I show up and act and my job never changes between 'action' and 'cut'. Also, I had an incredible cast of people around me, so I never felt that the movie was riding just on my shoulders. I certainly felt that my face shouldn't have been on the poster so big. I guess it's a way of taking the pressure off the studio by saying, 'Well, if the movie doesn't do so well, it's the kid's fault. It was his face on the poster!" In terms of pressure, he was most daunted by having to sing. He says, "I really dug it, but it was a risk. The first time I saw it in the script, I thought, 'Oh God, what have I got myself into?!' But I just blasted it out and went for it! We're making a movie - it's just a fairy tale, not historical fact."

Welcome Back, Travolta
12 June 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Movie writers are calling John Travolta "the comeback king" after his latest feature, Swordfish, debuted at the top of the box office with $18.1 million, according to Exhibitor Relations. It marked the third-best showing for a Travolta movie (behind Face/Off and The General's Daughter and came after two back-to-back flops, Battlefield Earth and Lucky Numbers. The DreamWorks computer-animated feature Shrek held on to second place with $16.5 million, while Disney's Pearl Harbor sank to third with $14.7 million. Analysts waiting to see whether Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge would pick up business as the result of word-of-mouth got their answer: It didn't. The frenetic musical wound up in sixth place with $7.6 million, mostly from tickets purchased by teenaged girls. Sales of the top 12 films totaled $94.8 million, up 2.8 percent from the same weekend a year ago.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Swordfish, Warner Bros., $18,145,632, (New); 2. Shrek, DreamWorks, $16,520,052, ($176,069,428); 3. Pearl Harbor, Disney, $14,721,419, ($143,987,500); 4. Evolution, DreamWorks, $13,408,351, (New); 5. The Animal, Sony, $9,607,627, ($35,651,090); 6. Moulin Rouge, 20th Century Fox, $7,649,148, ($27,569,224); 7. What's the Worst that Could Happen?, MGM, $5,476,007, ($22,397,310); 8. The Mummy Returns, Universal, $4,700,130, ($188,749,560); 9. A Knight's Tale, Sony, $1,702,336, ($52,660,994); 10. Bridget Jones's Diary, Miramax, $1,145,298, ($67,350,448).

Chopped Fish Is Warner's Delicacy
11 June 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Hacked up relentlessly by critics on Friday, the John Travolta starrer Swordfish nevertheless emerged this weekend looking like an appetizing plate of gefilte fish set out for a Passover dinner. With an estimated take of $18.4 million, the movie seemed to surprise even executives at Warner Bros., the studio that released it, and appeared to rescue the star's career, which, after two consecutive flops, had appeared to be heading for limbo (for a second time). "It's good to be back in the John Travolta business," Warner's distribution chief Dan Fellman told the Associated Press on Sunday. "The tracking had us down the totem pole, but people really like this movie." It was Travolta's third-best opener -- behind Face/Off and The General's Daughter. Giving Swordfish a tough fight was DreamWorks' computer-animated Shrek, which retained the No. 2 spot with $17.1 million, to bring its four-week gross to $176.6 million, making it, as Newsweek observed in its current issue, "the summer movie to beat, animated or otherwise." Dropping to third place was Disney's Pearl Harbor, which brought in $14.9 million -- half what it earned last week, which was half what it earned the week before. The result, said entertainment analyst Art Rockwell, in an interview with the Bloomberg News, shows that Pearl Harbor "doesn't have legs" and won't have much repeat business. DreamWorks' elation over the continued success of Shrek was tempered with disappointment over Evolution, which had ticket sales of only $13.2 million. "It's got no real future after an opening like that," said Rockwell.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Swordfish, $18.4 million; 2. Shrek, $17.1 million; 3. Pearl Harbor, $14.9 million; 4. Evolution, $13.2 million; 5. The Animal, $9.8 million; 6. Moulin Rouge, $7.6 million; 7. What's the Worst That Could Happen?, $5.4 million; 8. The Mummy Returns, $4.2 million; 9. A Knight's Tale, $1.7 million; 10. Bridget Jones's Diary, $1.2 million.

When Half-way Down Is Still High
5 June 2001 (StudioBriefing)
In its second week, the box office for Disney's Pearl Harbor plunged 50 percent, but its $29.6-million total looked like the figure for a smash weekend opener, and its 10-day gross of $118.9 million came within striking distance of its production cost of $140 million. Even more remarkable was the third-week take of $28.2 million for DreamWorks' animated Shrek, representing a 34-percent drop from the previous three-day weekend (part of the four-day Memorial Day holiday). The film has already earned $148.4 million, the most any animated production has made without displaying the Disney banner. In third place was the debut of Columbia/Revolution Studios' The Animal with Rob Schneider, which earned $19.6 million. It was followed by the debut of 20th Century Fox's musical, Moulin Rouge, which was very vert with $13.7 million.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Pearl Harbor, Disney, $29,558,276, ($118,853,439); 2. Shrek, DreamWorks, $28,172,869, ($14,8361,421); 3. The Animal, Sony, $19,610,520, (New); 4. Moulin Rouge, 20th Century Fox, $13,718,306, ($14,394,913); 5. What's the Worst that Could Happen?, MGM, $13,049,114, (New); 6. The Mummy Returns, Universal, $7,753,680, ($181,181,185); 7. A Knight's Tale, Sony, $3,417,394, ($49,423,047); 8. Bridget Jones's Diary, Miramax, $2,014,889, ($65,358,871); 9. Angel Eyes, Warner Bros., $,1888,660, ($21,715,354); 10. Memento, New Market, $1,090,562, ($16,051,557).

Pearl(y) Gate Is $30 Million
4 June 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Disney's Pearl Harbor has narrowly held off a counter-offensive from a combination of rivals to remain at the top spot of the box office with an estimated three-day take of $30 million, bringing its ten-day total to $119.3 million. Close behind was DreamWorks' Shrek, which took in $28.4 million. After three weekends, the animated smash has now rolled up $148.6 million. In third place was Columbia/Revolution Studio's The Animal, starring former Saturday Night Live star Rob Schneider, which grossed $19.8 million. Ironically, Shrek and The Animal were each produced by former Disney studio chiefs, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Joe Roth respectively. Meanwhile, Fox counted up somewhat better-than-expected results for its widened release of Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge, starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. The film's $14.2-million in ticket sales put it in fourth place. Another newcomer, MGM's What's the Worst that Could Happen?, got no answer to that question as he grossed a respectable $13.25 million for fifth place. Sales for the top 12 films totaled an estimated $122.7 million, up a whopping 27 percent over the same weekend a year ago, according to Exhibitor Relations. "You're looking at numbers that rival a holiday weekend," Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian told the Associated Press.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Pearl Harbor, $30 million; 2. Shrek, $28.4 million; 3. The Animal, $19.8 million; 4. Moulin Rouge, $14.2 million; 5. What's the Worst That Could Happen?, $13.3 million; 6. The Mummy Returns, $7.5 million; 7. A Knight's Tale, $3.4 million; 8. Bridget Jones's Diary, $2.1 million; 9. Angel Eyes, $1.8 million; 10. Memento, $1.1 million

Sony's Cheerleading Critic Is A Fake
4 June 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Sony Columbia has admitted that "David Manning" -- a critic who praised its latest release The Animal as "another winner!", does not exist. The deception was uncovered by Newsweek magazine in its current issue. Even Joe Roth, whose Revolution Studios produced The Animal for Columbia, objected to the fakery, telling Newsweek: "It's hard to believe. It's terrible. Sony has to apologize and pull the ads." Another Manning quote, appearing in ads for A Knight's Tale, praises star Heath Ledger as "this year's hottest new star!" Sony told Newsweek that it will remove the Manning quotes, which it attributed to the "incredibly bad judgment" of an unnamed employee, and will investigate. In reporting on the development, today's (Monday) New York Post commented, "Sony Pictures has developed a new way to promote its movies: lie."

Could Pearl Harbor Have Earned $100 Million?
30 May 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Leading the box office was Pearl Harbor with $75.2 million. Although some analysts had forecast last week that the film would become the first to top the $100-million mark in its debut, Disney officials pointed out that given its three-hour running time, such a feat would have been impossible. The studio claimed that the film played to sell-out crowds everywhere. "What greater compliment to a filmmaker [than] to know his show is sold out show after show after show," Disney distribution chief Chuck Viane told Bloomberg News. But, as New York Daily News critic Jack Mathews pointed out today: "Multiplexes are not limited to how many theaters they can use. You can be sure that if lines are around the block, screens will be added to accommodate them." Mathews estimated that, while Disney claimed the movie was "officially" showing on 3,214 screens, the actual number was more like 6,000 (a figure that might explain the poor showing of all but the top films). Solomon Smith Barney entertainment analyst released a report Tuesday predicting that Pearl Harbor will eventually gross between $200 million and $250 million domestically.

The top ten films over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Pearl Harbor, Disney, $75.2 million, ($75.2 million); 2. Shrek, DreamWorks, $55.2 million, ($111.8 million); 3. The Mummy Returns, Universal, $19 million, ($170.7 million); 4. A Knight's Tale, Sony, $9.1 million, ($44.3 million); 5. Angel Eyes, Warner Bros., $6.2 million, ($18.5 million); 6. Bridget Jones's Diary, Miramax, $4.2 million, ($62.4 million); 7. Along Came a Spider, Paramount, $2.1 million, ($70.6 million); 8. Memento, Newmarket, $2 million, ($14.5 million); 9. Spy Kids, Miramax, $1.3 million, ($105.2 million); 10. Blow, New Line, $1.24 million, ($51.6 million)..

Box Office Appears To Set New Record
29 May 2001 (StudioBriefing)
If estimates hold, the total box office last weekend was the biggest in history. The top twelve films earned about $176.5 million, according to Exhibitor Relations, significantly higher than the $171.3-million previous record, set over the Memorial Day holiday last year. Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian told today's New York Times that the new record "bodes well for the summer. ... There are still a lot of big movies to come."

The top ten films for the four-day Memorial Day weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Pearl Harbor, $75.1 million; 2. Shrek, $54.2 million; 3. The Mummy Returns, $19.1 million; 4. A Knight's Tale, $9.3 million; 5. Angel Eyes, $6.3 million; 6. Bridget Jones's Diary, $4 million; 7. Along Came a Spider, $2.2 million; 8. Memento, $1.9 million; 9. Blow, $1.3 million; 10. Driven, $1.2 million.

The Shrek Wreck
22 May 2001 (StudioBriefing)
DreamWorks' animated Shrek performed even better at the box office on Sunday than originally estimated, earning $42.3 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to final figures released on Monday. It pushed The Mummy Returns, which had held the top spot during the previous two weeks, to No. 2. Nevertheless, the sequel earned an outstanding $20.4 million to bring its three-week total to $146.5 million. The only other new film opening wide, the Jennifer Lopez starrer Angel Eyes, opened with an OK $9.2 million, for fourth place. But the real jaw dropper was the sell-out performance of the musical Moulin Rouge, which averaged $83,770 on each of two screens in New York and Los Angeles. Despite the strong performances by Shrek and Mummy, the top 12 films grossed 6.2 percent below the figure for the same weekend last year when Dinosaur and Gladiator topped the box office.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Shrek, DreamWorks, $42347760, ($42,387,348 including figures from limited release in NY and LA from Wednesday); 2. The Mummy Returns, Universal, $20,435,840, ($146,540,900); 3. A Knight's Tale, Sony, $10,406,836, ($31,873,171); 4. Angel Eyes, Warner Bros., $9,225,575, (New); 5. Bridget Jones's Diary, Miramax, $3,730,451, ($56,534,427); 6. Along Came a Spider, Paramount, $2,352,157, ($67,651,167); 7. Driven, Warner Bros., $1,827,516, ($29,026,703); 8. Blow, New Line, $1,401,608, ($49,565,919); 9. Spy Kids, Miramax/Dimension, $1,286,388, ($103,544,406); 10. Memento, New Market, $1,280,291, ($11,990,528).

Shrek Decks Rivals
21 May 2001 (StudioBriefing)
DreamWorks' Shrek, propelled by strong reviews and word-of-mouth -- as well as saturated distribution on 3,587 screens -- overwhelmed the box office over the weekend as it took in an estimated $42.1 million. It was the best opening ever for an animated feature except for Toy Story 2, which earned $57.4 million in its debut over the Thanksgiving holiday in 1999. Most analysts had predicted that the film would earn about $35 million. "I don't think anyone thought it would do this well," entertainment analyst Art Rockwell told Bloomberg News. The only other film opening wide, the Jennifer Lopez starrer Angel Eyes, took in an estimated $9.5 million, for fourth place. The biggest surprise was the astonishing $185,095 in ticket sales produced at only two theaters, one in New York, the other in Los Angeles, for Moulin Rouge. Trade-paper writers were checking record books to see whether the $82,543-per-screen average had ever been achieved by any other film. A spokesman for 20th Century Fox said that audiences repeatedly broke into spontaneous applause during the screenings.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Shrek, $42.1 million; 2. The Mummy Returns, $20.5 million; 3. A Knight's Tale, $10.7 million; 4. Angel Eyes, $9.5 million; 5. Bridget Jones's Diary, $3.8 million; 6. Along Came a Spider, $2.5 million; 7. Driven, $1.9 million; 8. Blow, $1.4 million; 9. Spy Kids, $1.3 million; 10. Memento, $1.29 million.

Laura Fraser Keeps Mum About New Movie
16 May 2001 (WENN)
Scottish babe Laura Fraser will never criticise her new movie A Knight's Tale - because she doesn't want to lose any acting jobs. The sexy star has learnt to keep her mouth shut, to ensure she won't say something damning. She says, "The good thing is, I really like A Knight's Tale. I can't imagine doing all this press if I hated it. Yet I'm sure if I did one interview where I said something bad about the film they'd be like, 'Right, get Laura and get her the f**k back to Glasgow!' I think I've become scared to say what I think, mainly because you lose jobs if you say it. So I've kind of ended up playing the game a bit more. Which is quite sad. But it's just the way it is."

Paul Bettany's Socks Appeal
16 May 2001 (WENN)
British actor Paul Bettany was asked to wear a sock to cover his manhood in his new film. However, he refused to wear a sock to during a nude scene because he thought the woolly garment drew attention to his manhood. The hunky actor was forced to take off his clothes in A Knight's Tale - but found the experience embarrassing. He says, "It was the first day. There were 7,000 crew members or something like that. We were in a field, you can't make that a closed set, and you are, frankly, naked. I hear rumors that some people wear socks over their stuff. But that's just silly, that's just drawing attention to yourself. It's like, I'm wearing a sock on my penis! I couldn't really do that." He continues, "And the worst thing? People come up to you and say, 'Paul, we're seeing your testicles and we can't be seeing your testicles.' Then, of course, this enormous man comes to you with a piece of gaffer's tape. And you go, 'Call me Old Mr Picky, but I'm doing it myself!'"

Mummy Resists Unraveling
15 May 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Although ticket sales for The Mummy Returns were cut in half during its second weekend, the movie's popularity nevertheless continued to surprise analysts. The Universal sequel earned $33.7 million, more than twice the amount taken in by Sony's A Knight's Tale ($15.5 million), which opened in second place. Sales for the top 12 films totaled $71.1 million, almost identical to those for the same weekend last year, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. The Mummy Returns, Universal, $33,741,755, ($118,035,540); 2. A Knight's Tale, Sony, $16,511,391, (New); 3. Bridget Jones's Diary, Miramax, $4,458,144, ($50,984,229); 4. Along Came a Spider, Paramount, $3,073,656, ($64,192,254); 5. Driven, Warner Bros., $3,047,384, ($26,131,638); 6. Spy Kids, Miramax/Dimension, $2,664,462, ($10,1688,272); 7. Crocodile Dundee in L.A., Paramount, $2,157,568, ($20,705,597); 8. Blow, New Line, $1,858,462, ($47,146,148); 9. Memento, New Market, $1,216,643, ($10,192,320); 10. The Tailor of Panama, Sony, $817,311, ($10,518,714).

Many More Happy Returns
14 May 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Box office returns for Universal's The Mummy Returns were almost as sensational for the movie's second weekend as they were for the first. The film earned an estimated $32.3 million, bringing its 10-day total to $116.5 million. Entertainment analyst Art Rockwell predicted in an interview with Bloomberg News that the film should sell $200 million in tickets before the end of the year. Sony's A Knight's Tale debuted in second place with an OK $17 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. The Mummy Returns, $32.2 million.; 2. A Knight's Tale, $17 million.; 3. Bridget Jones's Diary, $4.5 million.; 4. Driven, $3 million.; 5. Along Came a Spider, $3 million.; 6. Spy Kids, $2.5 million.; 7. Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, $2.1 million.; 8. Blow, $1.9 million.; 9. Memento, $1.2 million; 10. The Tailor of Panama, $800,000.

Movie Reviews: A Knight's Tale
11 May 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Judging by the reaction of critics, A Knight's Tale doesn't stand a chance of unseating The Mummy Returns from the top of the box-office list this weekend -- although most are giving it points for trying. Jami Bernard in the New York Post calls it "charmingly spirited," while Rick Groen in the Toronto Globe and Mail calls it "a bouncy pop song of a movie." For Lou Lumenick in the New York Post, the film amounts to "a solidly entertaining popcorn movie." And Roger Ebert remarks that it has "an innocence and charm that grow on you." But Bob Longino in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution calls the movie a "tale that didn't need to be told ... so Three-Stooges silly that even the horses look embarrassed." Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times maintains that there simply isn't enough shtick in the film and criticizes the "weak performances" by the two leads, Heath Ledger and Shannyn Sossamon. Glenn Whipp, the Los Angeles Daily News critic, finds a couple of scenes funny -- but that's about all. Otherwise, he says, it's a "frustratingly flawed, overlong epic."

Rufus And Heath Raised Hell In Prague
8 May 2001 (WENN)
Actors Heath Ledger and Rufus Sewell had to be given false early morning starts on the set of new movie A Knight's Tale to stop them from getting too drunk. The hell-raising pair spent two months before filming started becoming the best of friends in Prague, Czech Republic, and learning to ride and joust. But they also discovered the local taverns and beers. Sewell says, "In Prague, it's 15 cents for about a gallon of beer and it's a beautiful old city so luckily we had two months where we weren't working , we were just exploring the city, but as soon as we started filming, we had to start behaving. And we got that on day one - they made sure all our horse riding was first thing in the morning, because they knew that that would keep a curb on our behavior. So we trained and trained and then come the day of the shoot they wouldn't let us near the horse. They just put the stuntman on. I just don't think they wanted us raising too much hell. We became great friends."

Heath Ledger Wows Director With His Didgeridoo
29 March 2001 (WENN)
Aussie hunk Heath Ledger won his upcoming role in A Knight's Tale by playing a didgeridoo in a crowded restaurant. Director Brian Helgeland admits when he first Heath, they didn't bond until Ledger started making strange sounds. They ran into each other in a restaurant at Los Angeles International Airport, LAX, and Helgeland recalls, "We were in a silly restaurant with lava lamps called Encounters. He was quiet at first and so was I, and we ran out of things to talk about in about 10 minutes. I asked him what he had with him in the case he was carrying. It was a didgeridoo - the Aboriginal woodwind instrument that has a 'waaa-wing' sound. And he got it out and played it there in the restaurant. I thought, 'This is the guy!'"

Not-So-Super Sunday?
25 January 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Without the appeal of charismatic football superstars, Sunday's Super Bowl contest between the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Giants could produce the lowest ratings for the game in ten years, Bloomberg News observed Wednesday, citing industry analysts. Nevertheless, CBS and its owned stations are likely to earn $200 million from advertisements running during the game, including $2.5 million spots for MGM's Hannibal, Sony Film's A Knight's Tale, Universal's The Mummy Returns, and Warner Bros.' Valentine.

Ed Burns Romances Christy Turlington
10 October 2000 (WENN)
Edward Burns has bounced back from his split with Heather Graham into the arms of supermodel Christy Turlington. According to New York Daily News columnist Mitchell Fink, Burns is now seeing Turlington, who Fink claims secretly broke off her five year relationship with actor Jason Patric last summer. And Graham isn't wasting any time in finding a new man either - in fact, she's found two. The svelte blonde star is reportedly being romanced by Heath Ledger and Rufus Sewell, who are both starring in Knight's Tale, A (2001), currently filming in Prague, where Graham is shooting From Hell (2001) with Johnny Depp.

Heather Graham And Rufus Sewell A Couple?
21 September 2000 (WENN)
Heather Graham has apparently struck up a relationship with Brit actor Rufus Sewell despite being linked to Aussie hunk Heath Ledger. The pair were seen stroking each others hands and arms at The Ivy restaurant in London on Monday night while Elton John and Janet Street-Porter, the editor of The Independent on Sunday looked on. An onlooker says, "It was fascinating to watch them. They arrived separately but got stuck in as soon as they were seated. "They didn't take any notice of anyone else despite the fact that someone was sitting between them." Both stars have been making films in the Czech Republic with Rufus working on Knight's Tale, A (2001) while Heather has been working on a Jack The Ripper film, From Hell (2001) with Johnny Depp.