LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Veteran Hollywood executive Richard D. Zanuck, the prolific producer behind the blockbuster shark thriller 'Jaws,' the best-picture Oscar-winner 'Driving Miss Daisy' and a string of Tim Burton fantasies, died on Friday of a heart attack at age 77.
Zanuck, son of famed 20th Century Fox chieftain Darryl F. Zanuck, who was named by his father at age 28 as Fox's head of production, making him Hollywood's then youngest-ever studio boss, died at his home in Beverly Hills, a spokesman said.
No further details were immediately available about the circumstances of his death.
Zanuck, who spent the bulk of his career as an independent producer, earned numerous awards during more than 50 years in filmmaking.
Among his accolades were the Academy Award he shared with his wife and collaborator, Lili Fini Zanuck, for their work on 'Driving Miss Daisy,' and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his work with longtime associate David Brown.
Steven Spielberg, with whom Zanuck collaborated on 'Jaws,' called the producer 'a cornerstone of our industry, both in name and in deed.'
'In 1974, Dick Zanuck and I sat in a boat off Martha's Vineyard and watched the mechanical shark sink to the bottom of the sea,' Spielberg recalled in a statement. 'Dick turned to me and smiled. 'Gee, I sure hope that's not a sign.''
That moment of wry humor proved to be far from prophetic, as 'Jaws,' the tale of a great white shark that terrorizes a small New England beach town, became one of the biggest hits of its era and helped launch Spielberg's career as a director.
Born in Los Angeles, Zanuck, whose mother was actress Virginia Fox, joined his father as a story and production assistant on two 20th Century Fox films, 'Island in the Sun' and 'The Sun Also Rises.'
He debuted as a full-fledged producer at age 24 on 1959 feature film 'Compulsion,' which starred Orson Welles. Four years later, he was placed in charge of production at his father's studio.
During his eight-year tenure there, the studio cranked out a series of critical and commercial successes, 'The Sound of Music,' 'Patton' and 'The French Connection,' all of which won best film Oscars. Other Fox hits from that period include the original 'Planet of the Apes' series, the Paul Newman and Robert Redford western 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' and the Korean War satire 'M*A*S*H.'
HOLLYWOOD HITS AND MISSES
But a handful of big-screen musical flops 'greenlighted' for production by Zanuck, among them 'Doctor Dolittle,' 'Hello Dolly' and 'Star,' cost the studio dearly and ultimately led to his ouster in 1970 by his father.
From there, Zanuck and Brown moved briefly to Warner Bros., where they oversaw the making of the religious thriller 'The Exorcist' and Mel Brooks' parody western, 'Blazing Saddles' before starting their own production company.
It was the Zanuck/Brown label that made Spielberg's 1974 film directorial debut, 'The Sugarland Express,' and his 1975 blockbuster 'Jaws,' which earned Oscars for film editing, score and sound.
Other Zanuck/Brown successes included 'The Sting,' a Depression-era tale of grifters that reunited Newman and Redford and won seven Academy Awards, including best picture; courtroom drama 'The Verdict,' which earned five Oscar nominations, and 'Cocoon,' which won Oscars for best supporting Oscar (Don Ameche) and visual effects.
Zanuck earned his greatest personal filmmaking accolade for the first movie produced under his own Zanuck Company label, the 1989 film 'Driving Miss Daisy,' about the relationship of a stubborn old Jewish woman (Jessica Tandy) and her black chauffeur (Morgan Freeman) in the American South.
The film earned four Oscars, including best actress for Tandy and best picture for Zanuck and his wife.
The latter stretch of Zanuck's career was marked by a close collaboration with director Tim Burton, starting with a 2001 remake of 'Planet of the Apes,' released by 20th Century Fox.
Others included the 2005 hit 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' the critically acclaimed 2007 musical 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' and the 2010 success 'Alice in Wonderland,' all starring Johnny Depp.
The last film of Zanuck's career ended up being his sixth collaboration with Burton, the critical and commercial bomb 'Dark Shadows,' also starring Depp and based on the 1960s television series about lovelorn vampire.
In addition to his wife, Zanuck is survived by his sons Harrison and Dean, and nine grandchildren.
(Editing by Peter Cooney)
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Friday, July 13, 2012
"Green Mile" actor Michael Clarke Duncan hospitalized
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - 'The Green Mile' actor Michael Clarke Duncan has been hospitalized in Los Angeles, a spokeswoman for his reality TV star girlfriend said on Friday.
Priscilla Clarke, a representative for 'The Apprentice' star Omarosa Stallworth, did not provide any further details on why Duncan was taken to the hospital.
Celebrity website TMZ reported that Stallworth discovered early Friday that Duncan had suffered a heart attack and was in cardiac arrest. She revived him with cardiopulmonary resuscitation before he was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital, TMZ reported.
Duncan, 54, starred in the 1999 prison drama 'The Green Mile' and had roles in the 2003 comic book movie 'Daredevil' and 2005 release 'Sin City.'
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
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Priscilla Clarke, a representative for 'The Apprentice' star Omarosa Stallworth, did not provide any further details on why Duncan was taken to the hospital.
Celebrity website TMZ reported that Stallworth discovered early Friday that Duncan had suffered a heart attack and was in cardiac arrest. She revived him with cardiopulmonary resuscitation before he was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital, TMZ reported.
Duncan, 54, starred in the 1999 prison drama 'The Green Mile' and had roles in the 2003 comic book movie 'Daredevil' and 2005 release 'Sin City.'
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
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DC officer investigated over alleged remark about first lady: report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Authorities were investigating a Washington police officer on Thursday over a possibly threatening remark he allegedly made about first lady Michelle Obama, reports said.
The unidentified officer assigned to a motorcade detail was speaking with colleagues on Wednesday about potential threats against the Obamas and allegedly made a comment about shooting Mrs. Obama, The Washington Post reported, citing police sources.
The comment was apparently overheard by another officer, who told a superior. Metropolitan police notified the Secret Service, which oversees security for the president and his family.
Without confirming details, police said in a statement that the department had received 'an allegation that inappropriate comments were made.'
It was unclear if the remark constituted an actual threat against the first family.
NBC's Washington affiliate quoted Police Chief Cathy Lanier as saying there was conflicting information about what actually was said and that the department's internal affairs unit was investigating.
A Secret Service spokesman said the agency was aware of the incident and was taking 'appropriate follow-up steps.' The agency would not provide more details.
The White House had no immediate comment.
(Reporting By John Crawley; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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The unidentified officer assigned to a motorcade detail was speaking with colleagues on Wednesday about potential threats against the Obamas and allegedly made a comment about shooting Mrs. Obama, The Washington Post reported, citing police sources.
The comment was apparently overheard by another officer, who told a superior. Metropolitan police notified the Secret Service, which oversees security for the president and his family.
Without confirming details, police said in a statement that the department had received 'an allegation that inappropriate comments were made.'
It was unclear if the remark constituted an actual threat against the first family.
NBC's Washington affiliate quoted Police Chief Cathy Lanier as saying there was conflicting information about what actually was said and that the department's internal affairs unit was investigating.
A Secret Service spokesman said the agency was aware of the incident and was taking 'appropriate follow-up steps.' The agency would not provide more details.
The White House had no immediate comment.
(Reporting By John Crawley; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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Sigourney Weaver turns political animal for new TV show
NEW YORK (Reuters) - In new TV series 'Political Animals,' Secretary of State Elaine Barrish Hammond, who has just lost a presidential bid, laments that the country just doesn't adore her as much as her womanizing husband and former President.
If that sounds like current Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, actress Sigourney Weaver, who portrays Elaine, disagrees.
The similarities between the real-life politician and the TV one are clear in the frothy series premiering July 15 on the USA Network, yet Weaver swears she did not have Clinton in mind. She points to other women she has met, mostly those in non-profit work, upon which she based the character.
'I admire Mrs. Clinton immensely, (but) I don't know anything about her except the little bit we are allowed to know. I never think of her when I am playing this part,' Weaver told Reuters in a recent interview.
The 62-year-old actress said 'Political Animals,' a soapy dramatization of sex, greed and politics in the White House, is based on many families who have lived there - not just the Clintons. She noted that while Elaine's ex-husband, Bud Hammond, 'had been a successful president, not unlike Bill Clinton,' her character 'was first lady, then became a governor, then ran for president, failed, then became secretary of state.'
'Some of the details are similar to the Clintons, but in fact, if you talk to the creator, he has been a real political junkie for most of his life, and he is fascinated by all these families who have been in the White House,' she said.
Creator Greg Berlanti gives the show's pilot a light tone, setting it apart from more serious, recent political TV dramas such as 'Game Change' about Sarah Palin.
SOAPY WHITE HOUSE
In the pilot episode, Elaine divorces her husband, tries to help her gay son with finances while he battles drug addiction and chastises a Russian foreign minister for patting her bottom during a press conference.
Elaine offers a steely image in public, but lets her guard down in private, showing disappointment she wasn't popular enough to secure the presidential nomination.
'The country loves you Bud. They will always love you, but it's me they have mixed feelings about, ' she tells her husband at the start of the first episode. Two years later, however, she has earned a measure of popularity as a hardworking Secretary of State - much like Hillary Clinton.
Weaver, who has a history of playing strong women, most notably as Ripley in the four 'Alien' space films, said that to prepare for the role she read former Secretary of State Albright's 2009 memoir, 'Read My Pins,' about global politics.
She also leaned heavily on her views of women she met in the non-profit sector more than any real-life political figures.
The miniseries reaches audiences following other political shows centered on female characters during the current U.S. presidential election year, including HBO comedy series 'Veep,' featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfuss as a U.S. vice president and HBO movie 'Game Change,' which starred Julianne Moore as conservative firebrand Sarah Palin.
'It's more enticing to watch fake politics on television than real politics because real politics is difficult to watch. Everything is even more dysfunctional than my own family,' Weaver said with a smile.
Elaine is the type of fearless female that real-life Washington needs more of, said Weaver, who believes women are more likely to cross the political aisle and 'get down to work.'
'Women naturally roll up their sleeves,' she said. 'They support each other on both sides of the aisle. It's a much more collaborative, team-building kind of inclusiveness about their work, and I feel like we need that kind of energy in the Washington politics-as-usual.'
A Democrat with a businessman father she described as 'a Nelson Rockefeller Republican,' the actress is worried about the current trend of partisanship and what she sees as the common person being left behind in today's economic policies.
'What politicians have to be talking about is the needs of real people. To me, as long as the Republicans are the champions of big business, that can't happen. Because the common man is being left out of all of this. And this trickle-down idea is fallacy,' she said.
(Reporting By Christine Kearney Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Eric Walsh)
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If that sounds like current Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, actress Sigourney Weaver, who portrays Elaine, disagrees.
The similarities between the real-life politician and the TV one are clear in the frothy series premiering July 15 on the USA Network, yet Weaver swears she did not have Clinton in mind. She points to other women she has met, mostly those in non-profit work, upon which she based the character.
'I admire Mrs. Clinton immensely, (but) I don't know anything about her except the little bit we are allowed to know. I never think of her when I am playing this part,' Weaver told Reuters in a recent interview.
The 62-year-old actress said 'Political Animals,' a soapy dramatization of sex, greed and politics in the White House, is based on many families who have lived there - not just the Clintons. She noted that while Elaine's ex-husband, Bud Hammond, 'had been a successful president, not unlike Bill Clinton,' her character 'was first lady, then became a governor, then ran for president, failed, then became secretary of state.'
'Some of the details are similar to the Clintons, but in fact, if you talk to the creator, he has been a real political junkie for most of his life, and he is fascinated by all these families who have been in the White House,' she said.
Creator Greg Berlanti gives the show's pilot a light tone, setting it apart from more serious, recent political TV dramas such as 'Game Change' about Sarah Palin.
SOAPY WHITE HOUSE
In the pilot episode, Elaine divorces her husband, tries to help her gay son with finances while he battles drug addiction and chastises a Russian foreign minister for patting her bottom during a press conference.
Elaine offers a steely image in public, but lets her guard down in private, showing disappointment she wasn't popular enough to secure the presidential nomination.
'The country loves you Bud. They will always love you, but it's me they have mixed feelings about, ' she tells her husband at the start of the first episode. Two years later, however, she has earned a measure of popularity as a hardworking Secretary of State - much like Hillary Clinton.
Weaver, who has a history of playing strong women, most notably as Ripley in the four 'Alien' space films, said that to prepare for the role she read former Secretary of State Albright's 2009 memoir, 'Read My Pins,' about global politics.
She also leaned heavily on her views of women she met in the non-profit sector more than any real-life political figures.
The miniseries reaches audiences following other political shows centered on female characters during the current U.S. presidential election year, including HBO comedy series 'Veep,' featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfuss as a U.S. vice president and HBO movie 'Game Change,' which starred Julianne Moore as conservative firebrand Sarah Palin.
'It's more enticing to watch fake politics on television than real politics because real politics is difficult to watch. Everything is even more dysfunctional than my own family,' Weaver said with a smile.
Elaine is the type of fearless female that real-life Washington needs more of, said Weaver, who believes women are more likely to cross the political aisle and 'get down to work.'
'Women naturally roll up their sleeves,' she said. 'They support each other on both sides of the aisle. It's a much more collaborative, team-building kind of inclusiveness about their work, and I feel like we need that kind of energy in the Washington politics-as-usual.'
A Democrat with a businessman father she described as 'a Nelson Rockefeller Republican,' the actress is worried about the current trend of partisanship and what she sees as the common person being left behind in today's economic policies.
'What politicians have to be talking about is the needs of real people. To me, as long as the Republicans are the champions of big business, that can't happen. Because the common man is being left out of all of this. And this trickle-down idea is fallacy,' she said.
(Reporting By Christine Kearney Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Eric Walsh)
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Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Tom Cruise attorney threatens National Enquirer with lawsuit
The Hollywood Reporter on its website posted a letter from Cruise's Los Angeles attorney, Bert Fields, in which he blasts American Media Inc, parent of the Enquirer, for what he calls 'false and vicious lies' he says will cause 'hundreds of millions of dollars' in damages to Cruise.
'As you were notified in advance, your current issue of National Enquirer makes numerous false and defamatory assertions about our client Tom Cruise,' the three-page letter begins.
The letter draws attention to disparaging descriptions of Cruise in the Enquirer's issue that hit newsstands on Wednesday, with Fields writing, 'These are all lies - vicious, hurtful, damaging lies.'
Fields did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment late on Wednesday and a representative for American Media could not be reached.
Cruise and Holmes have been the subject of hundreds of headlines worldwide since she filed for divorce from the 'Mission: Impossible' movie star two weeks ago, seeking sole custody of their 6-year-old daughter, Suri.
Earlier this week, the couple agreed to a divorce and custody arrangement, but details were undisclosed. Both have remained publicly silent about the issue, except for one joint statement in which they said they were working together to settle their differences in the best interest of Suri.
Speculation about a reason for the split has centered on Cruise's membership in the Church of Scientology, but that has never been confirmed by either the couple or their representatives.
(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Broadway's Nina Arianda tapped for Janis Joplin film
The independently-produced film, titled 'Joplin,' looks at the last six months in the life of the raspy-voiced singer who died in 1970 of a drug overdose following chart success with classic rock hits such as 'Down on Me' and 'Piece of My Heart.'
Producer Peter Newman told show business news website Deadline that 'Joplin' would have a production budget under $20 million and it would be in production early next year.
Arianda won raves in 'Venus in Fur,' a sex comedy in which she portrays a struggling actress named Vanda who staggers into an audition late then proceeds to put on the performance of her life. The role won her Broadway's Tony for best actress, and she recently appeared in Woody Allen movie, 'Midnight in Paris.'
Durkin is best known for making 2011 independent film 'Martha Marcy May Marlene,' which led to the director's award at last year's Sundance Film Festival.
Joplin, who died at age 27, had a short career but lived a full life and was iconic for the Woodstock generation.
She gained rock stardom as the lead singer of the psychedelic-acid rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company, then cemented her fame with backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band.
Newman said Arianda will sing all the songs in the film.
(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Bernard Orr)
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Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes wrap up speedy divorce
'Mission: Impossible' star Cruise, 50, married Holmes, 33, who first gained fame on television drama 'Dawson's Creek,' in a glamorous wedding in an Italian castle in November 2006. Suri was born about six months earlier.
The couple and their young daughter became a favorite of celebrity magazines and seemed happy until late last month when Holmes filed for a divorce in New York. Her move surprised fans and even Cruise, who was in Iceland shooting a movie.
Since then, the media have speculated that the pair differed on raising 6-year-old Suri as a Scientologist, although neither they nor their attorneys would comment on the matter.
'The case has been settled and the agreement has been signed. We are thrilled for Katie and her family and are excited to watch as she embarks on the next chapter of her life,' Holmes attorney Jonathan Wolfe of New Jersey-based firm Skoloff & Wolfe said in a statement.
Cruise lawyer Bert Fields also released a statement saying, 'Tom is really pleased we got there, and so am I.'
But there was no direct comment from either of the stars. Instead, they issued a joint statement ahead of the announcement.
'We are committed to working together as parents to accomplishing what is in our daughter Suri's best interests,' the pair said in the statement. 'We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other's commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other's roles as parents.'
As reports surfaced on Monday with purported details of the custody agreement, lawyer Wolfe released a new statement saying the deal was being kept under wraps.
'There are numerous inaccuracies in the reports regarding the purported contents of the agreement reached between the parties. The agreement is confidential and its terms will not be disclosed,' Wolfe said.
SPEEDY SETTLEMENT
Paul Talbert, a family law attorney with New York-based firm Chemtob Moss Forman & Talbert, called the speed of negotiations and settlement - Holmes initially filed for divorce on June 28 - fast for such a high-profile couple with abundant assets.
'Cases with so many moving parts do not routinely resolve themselves in a matter of 10 days. We obviously have one or two extremely motivated people,' Talbert said.
He said it was difficult to speculate accurately about settlement details, and added that media coverage about Cruise and Scientology likely played a role in the speedy finish.
'Nobody wins in a messy public battle, and you certainly have two concerned parents here that recognized Suri definitely loses if this is a public divorce,' Talbert said.
Cruise, who rose to stardom in 1983's 'Risky Business' and became a major box office draw with 1986's 'Top Gun', continues to thrill audiences. His most recent 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' sold nearly $700 million worth of tickets worldwide following its release in December 2011.
But he generated a storm of criticism in the mid-2000s during media interviews in which he attacked the use of prescription drugs to treat psychiatric conditions. His opposition to psychiatry was rooted in Scientology, considered a religion by backers and a cult by detractors.
On talk show host Oprah Winfrey's program in 2005, he jumped on her couch declaring his love for Holmes, only to be pilloried in the press for his out-of-character display of affection.
Holmes has appeared in several movies and TV shows including mini-series 'The Kennedys,' but her career has seemed to take a back seat to Cruise and to raising Suri.
Since she filed for divorce, however, an interview she gave six months previously to Elle magazine for its upcoming August edition seemed to indicate she wanted to refocus on work.
'He has been Tom Cruise for 30 years,' she told the magazine. 'I know who I am and where I am and where I want to go, so I want to focus on that.'
Holmes' marriage to Cruise was her first. Cruise had been married twice previously to actresses Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman, with whom he adopted two children. Both those marriages ended in divorce.
(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte in Los Angeles; editing by David Gregorio and Mohammad Zargham)
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