Michael Mccullers To Write The Script 'Curious George'

Imagine Entertainment has tapped "Undercover Brother" co-scribe Michael McCullers to write the script for the all-CGI adaptation of children's classic "Curious George."

In addition to "Undercover," which he wrote with John Ridley, McCullers wrote "Austin Powers in Goldmember" with Mike Myers. "Monsters, Inc." co-director David Silverman is attached to direct the pic.

Based on the character created by Margret Rey and husband H.A. Rey, "George" will mark Universal's first foray by into all-CGI moviemaking. "Curious George" was originally developed as a star-driven, live-action film in the vein of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

One of the world's bestselling children's book characters, George is an irrepressible but oddly silent primate who left the African jungle to live with the enigmatic man in the yellow hat. The series has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 14 languages.

Faye Dunaway, Jennifer Tilly and Damien Chapa In 'El Padrino'

Faye Dunaway will co-star with Jennifer Tilly and Damien Chapa in low-budget feature "El Padrino" ("The Young Father"), which Chapa will direct. Shooting begins this week in Los Angeles.

"El Padrino" tells the story of a young Mexican-American man who is thrust into the world of drug dealing, masters it, then later questions his own role in a culture where corruption exists at the governmental level as well.

Chapa and Dunaway co-starred in "The Calling," which Chapa also directed. Chapa's other directing credits include Warner Bros.' "Under Siege" and Universal's "Streetfighter."

Dunaway most recently co-starred in James Gray's "The Yards," released by Miramax Films

MGM May Give 'The House Of 1000 Corpses'  Live Again

"The House of 1000 Corpses" may live again, with MGM in talks to pick up the horror picture that writer-director Rob Zombie was forced to buy back after horrified Universal executives refused to release it.

Zombie let slip news of the negotiations, which MGM confirmed, while interviewing Ben Affleck for MTV's "Movie House" show.

"MGM is going to put it out," Zombie said during the taping. "Apparently, they have no morals over there. They're happy for some blood."

The picture originally was slated for release last summer, but Universal backed out of the project after studio president Stacey Snider viewed a rough cut. She called it a "significant accomplishment" for Zombie, but said then that it had a "visceral tone and intensity that we did not imagine from the printed page." Zombie then bought back the picture and has been shopping it since.

Zombie, who previously directed music videos for his own songs and those of other heavy metal heroes, wrote and directed the $7 million picture. He also recently finished recording music for the film's soundtrack.

In the picture, two young couples are stranded when their car breaks down near a town full of bizarre characters, including a freak-show family led by murderous matriarch Karen Black. William Haig, Bill Moseley and Chris Hardwick also star. Previously unrated, the film has been edited to get an R rating, removing some of the blood and murder, as part of the deal with MGM.

Zombie, who was a production assistant on "Pee Wee's Playhouse" and a magazine art director before hitting it big in music, litters his film with over-the-top imagery and the kind of mayhem common in '70s-era gorefests. Viewers of early test screenings writing on fan Web sites said the picture was visually excellent but relied on many shopworn plot devices out of horror films past, possibly as homages. They credited Zombie with much potential as a stylish horror director.

MGM execs said the picture is tentatively scheduled for a Halloween release. That timing may overlap with the studio's horror franchise-in-the-making, "Jeepers Creepers 2." The original "Creepers" made about $40 million for MGM's United Artists banner on a $10 million production.

Zombie has in the past created animation for the "Beavis and Butt-head" movie, and he was slated to direct the third installment of "The Crow" before Miramax backed out. His band, White Zombie, first hit big in 1992, then he disbanded it after the success of his first solo album in 1998. Zombie has his own label and even an action figure designed by "Spawn" creator Todd McFarlane, who also has been creating collectible action figures based on the monster in "Jeepers Creepers."

'Don't Get It Twisted' For Artisan

Artisan Entertainment has acquired the urban comedy spec script "Don't Get It Twisted," from scribes D.J. Pooh and Marcus Morton.

D.J. Pooh is attached to direct and produce the picture through his production shingle Lithium Entertainment, with Donna Chavous and Rick Freeman set to co-produce.

Pic tells the story of twin brothers, separated at birth and raised at opposite ends of the socioeconomic ladder. When they meet for the first time as adults, they decide to trade places.

"D.J. Pooh is a guy that has a great sense of character and comic situations," said. "This project has the right attitude to appeal to the core and is a big enough idea to cross over."

Pooh, who scripted "Friday" for New Line when Saperstein was a top-level executive there, most recently wrote, directed and produced Lions Gate Films' "The Wash," starring Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.

Attorney Susan Adamson repped Pooh in the deal. Erin Austin, Artisan senior vp business and legal affairs, repped her company in the deal.

Morton was the sole producer of the Pooh-directed "3 Strikes" through his Absolute Entertainment banner. He is producing the upcoming remakes of "Foxy Brown" at MGM and "Nine to Five" at Fox Searchlight. He was repped by CAA and attorney Irwin Rappaport.

Pitch Black Sequel, "Riddick," with Vin Diesel

Universal Pictures has closed a deal with "Pitch Black" writer-director David Twohy to helm the film's sequel, "Riddick," with Vin Diesel back on board to reprise the title role. The project will begin shooting by the end of the year.

The project continues the adventures of Riddick, a brooding convict who in the first feature was being transported as part of a space mission that was shipwrecked on a mysterious planet. The sequel is expected to flesh out the dark and corrupted universe that was only partially glimpsed in the first installment.

Twohy is rewriting the material, whose previous writers included David Hayter and Akiva Goldsman.

Radar Pictures' Tom Engleman and Scott Kroopf are producing. Radar's Ted Field is executive producing with Diesel's producing partner George Zakk. Twohy, repped by ICM, next directs Dimension Films' "Below."

'Wonder Twins' In The Footsteps of 'Scooby-Doo'?

Warner Bros. Pictures has teamed with Gaylord Films to option the rights to the Hanna-Barbera characters the Wonder Twins, with plans to make a live-action family feature.

The news comes just days before Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series "Scooby-Doo" emerges as a big-screen film from the studio.

The "Wonder Twins" were originally featured as part of a group of characters on the 1977 Saturday morning cartoon series "The All-New SuperFriends Hour," which saw Superman teaming up with popular DC Comics superheroes for adventures. Within that group were two youth trainee aliens from the planet Exxor, known as the Wonder Twins. The male Zan had the power to change into any water-based form, while the female Jayna could become any animal. To use their powers, the twins had to touch hands and shout, "Wonder Twin powers, activate!"

The Wonder Twins also had the power to telepathically communicate with each other and carried with them a type of a pager known as Teen Trouble Alerts, which allowed teens all over the world to contact them if there was a problem. The siblings had a sidekick as well, a mischievous blue monkey named Gleek.

The studio will now create a family-oriented feature much like "Scooby-Doo" and "Spy Kids" that will center on the twins. A writer is expected to come aboard shortly to write the material, which will be produced by Gaylord's Hunt Lowry and Casey La Scala. Warners executive Greg Silverman is overseeing the project.

Television; Top Cast For 'Masterspy: The Robert Hanssen Story'

Wayne Knight, Ron Silver and Peter Boyle have come on board to star in CBS' miniseries "Masterspy: The Robert Hanssen Story," about veteran FBI agent and convicted spy Robert Hanssen.

Knight, best known for his stint as Jerry Seinfeld's nemesis Newman on NBC's "Seinfeld," is in final negotiations to play FBI analyst Walter Ballau, a composite character based on three FBI analysts who were close with Hanssen (William Hurt) during different stages of his career. One of them identified Hanssen's voice on an audio tape handed over by Russia's KGB, which became a crucial piece of evidence in the case against the spy.

Silver is set to play Mike Shepherd, the head of counterintelligence for the FBI, who is a composite of two bosses Hanssen had at the agency.

Boyle, co-star of CBS' hit comedy "Everybody Loves Raymond," is set play Hanssen's father.

"These are three fine actors, and I'm very fortunate that I have such good actors working with me," executive producer and director Lawrence Schiller said. Mary-Louise Parker was previously cast as Hanssen's wife, Bonnie.

"Masterspy" is being produced by Schiller's Oakdale Prods. in association with Fox TV Pictures. Schiller is executive producing with Norman Mailer. The mini, which is set to air next season, is scheduled to begin production July 11 in Moscow.

Knight is keeping busy with two projects this summer. Following "Masterspy," he is poised to segue to the indie feature "Puppy Love." He is in final negotiations to star opposite Mary Walsh in the movie from Devine Entertainment. In the family comedy written by Walsh, Knight and Walsh will play husband and wife. Knight recently co-starred with Walsh in the Showtime telefilm "Bleacher Bums."

He also co-starred in the feature "Rat Race" and "Jurassic Park" and was a regular on NBC's comedy "3rd Rock From the Sun." Knight is repped by Writers & Artists.

"Masterspy" reunites Silver and Schiller, who worked together on another CBS telefilm, the 2000 adaptation of Schiller's book about the O.J. Simpson murder case, "American Tragedy," in which Silver played Robert Shapiro.

Silver most recently portrayed Bobby Riggs in ABC's telefilm "When Billie Beat Bobby," and he played Angelo Dundee in Michael Mann's film "Ali." He is repped by ICM and Industry Entertainment.

In addition to his Emmy-nominated role in "Raymond" as Frank Barone, Boyle recently got strong reviews for his performance in the feature "Monster's Ball." He is repped by Innovative Artists.

Television; Showtime To Present Original Film 'Power And Beauty'

Showtime will present the premiere of the Original Picture "Power And Beauty". One of the most controversial chapters of John F. Kennedy's rise to power is seen through the eyes of one of his mistresses in the riveting true story of Judith Campbell Exner. "Power And Beauty"is an intimate account of Judith's role as the woman between mob boss Sam Giancana and President John F. Kennedy. "Power And Beauty"stars Natasha Henstridge (Species, The Whole Nine Yards) as Exner, Kevin Anderson (Sleeping With the Enemy, the Showtime Original Picture Ruby's Bucket Of Blood) as Kennedy and Peter Friedman (Someone Like You, The Seventh Sign) as Giancana.

JFK came to trust Exner as much as Exner came to love him. What began with a tryst on the eve of the New Hampshire primary developed into a dizzying affair which would eventually connect Exner to the peculiar alliance between the Kennedy clan and the Mob, specifically with Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana (Friedman). Although she struggled to maintain her anonymity, years of FBI surveillance ultimately resulted in Exner's subpoena by a Senate Church Committee in 1975, compelling her to testify about the nature of her relationships with JFK and Giancana.

Andy Adelson and Tracey Alexander (the SHOWTIME Originals Hiroshima and Thanks Of A Grateful Nation) serve as executive producers for "Power And Beauty", based on the story by William Bast & Paul Huson and the screenplay by William Bast & Paul Huson and Dave Erickson. The film is directed by Susan Seidelman (the SHOWTIME Original Picture A Cooler Climate, Desperately Seeking Susan, the Academy Award® nominated The Dutch Master). "Power And Beauty"is an Adelson Entertainment/Tracey Alexander production.

Natasha Henstridge has starred in almost 20 films since her debut as the alien "Sil" in the sci-fi thriller, "Species." Most recently, she was seen in the romantic comedies, "Bounce" and "The Whole Nine Yards." Henstridge's next project is the series "She Spies," in which she plays the lead. This new show premieres on NBC this July. She can also be seen in the upcoming films "Kevin of the North" with Leslie Nielsen, "Steal" with Stephen Dorff and "It Had to Be You" starring opposite Michael Vartan and Michael Rispoli.

Kevin Anderson's first brush with celebrity came while playing a college professor who falls for Julia Roberts in the 1991 suspense thriller "Sleeping With The Enemy." Anderson's other film credits include "Hoffa" (this time as Robert F. Kennedy), "Rising Sun," "The Night We Never Met," "Firelight," "Risky Business," "A Thousand Acres," "Liebestraum," "Miles from Home" and "In Country." For television, Anderson was recently seen in the Showtime Original Picture Ruby's Bucket Of Blood opposite Angela Bassett. Anderson received a Golden Globe(TM) nomination for his portrayal of "Father Ray" in the television series "Nothing Sacred." For his performance in the 1999 New York Broadway production of "Death of a Salesman," Anderson received a Tony Award® nomination and won the Drama Desk Award.

Peter Friedman recently starred in "Someone Like You" opposite Ashley Judd. He is best known to audiences for his leading roles in the films "The Seventh Sign" as a priest opposite Demi Moore, and "Single White Female" alongside Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bridget Fonda. Friedman can also be seen in "I Shot Andy Warhol," "Safe," "Blink" and "I'm Not Rappaport." Friedman recently originated the lead in Israel Horovitz's new play, "My Old Lady" at the Doolittle Theatre in Los Angeles. The play moves to New York's Promenade theatre this fall. On television, he was a regular in the series "Brooklyn Bridge" and co-starred in the hit mini-series "Perfect Murder, Perfect Town" and "Rules of the Game."

Adult; Private Premieres Major Production 'The Private Gladiator'

Private Media Group Inc.   a worldwide leader in premium quality adult entertainment products, services and content, is pleased to announce the premiere of its biggest production of the year, "The Private Gladiator" trilogy.

"The Private Gladiator" utilizes techniques and production values from mainstream cinema to create a new standard in adult filmmaking. Filmed in Hungary and Italy, the Hollywood-style production features 3D digital effects, wild animals, over two hundred extras, and detailed costumes and studio sets, including a full-sized replica of a Roman arena.

In order to recreate the atmosphere of the original "Gladiator", Italian director Antonio Adamo -- known for his acclaimed Private-Penthouse and Virtualia series -- used production advisors from the Italian film industry, professional costume and set designers, and dozens of technicians, make-up artists, as well as props from the original "Gladiator" production.

Private is releasing a special Collector's Limited Edition of "The Private Gladiator", a two-DVD set which contains the film plus a separate disc of extras, including the director's cut, the making of the film, interviews, as well as a booklet with production notes and photos. In May, Private celebrated the premiere of the production with a special "Gladiator"-themed party during its annual three-day event at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Private Gladiator is available now in all quality specialty stores as well as on Private's on-line shop, shop. private.com .

Charles Prast, President and CEO of Private Media Group commented: "With the Private Gladiator, we are taking one more step towards bridging the gap between adult and mainstream filmmaking. Offering exotic locations, special effects and Hollywood-style sets, Private always strives to offer the highest-quality adult films available."

"Our reputation as a high quality producer attracts not only the best directors in our industry but ensures that the best new talents seek out Private movies as a way to enhance their professional standing. The result is better quality, distribution opportunities and access to a larger market of consumers. These factors drive Private's growth and profitability as well as the value of our expanding library across all new media," said Mr. Prast.

Industry; Global spending on filmed entertainment will be $79bn in 2006, predicts PricewaterhouseCoopers

Global spending on filmed entertainment will expand at a promising 5.7 percent compound annual growth rate over the next five years, increasing from $59bn in 2001 to $79bn in 2006, predicts PricewaterhouseCoopers as part of its latest five-year outlook report on the worldwide media and entertainment sector.

Fueling that growth will be strong box office receipts, the expansion of local productions and the continued boost that DVDs will offer the home video market, says the report. But the one black cloud looming over the filmed entertainment segment, adds PricewaterhouseCoopers, is piracy, which will adversely affect spending “unless an industry-wide solution is reached.”

Looking at the world’s entertainment and media industries as a whole, the report suggests that weak economic conditions will continue to dampen spending over the next two years, but faster growth will resume in 2004 spurred on by the digital distribution of content.

In fact, PricewaterhouseCoopers anticipates spending will reach $1.4 trillion in 2006, for a 5.2 percent compound annual growth rate over the next five years. Digital distribution, piracy and a rebounding global advertising market will be three main factors impacting the industry's growth during that period.

Even now, there are signs of remarkable resilience, claims the report entitled Global Entertainment & Media Outlook: 2002-2006. Despite the combined "triple whammy" of spillover from dot-com failures, a global economic/advertising market downturn, and the impacts of the terrorist attacks last September, global entertainment and media industry spending grew in 2001 -- rising by 1.5 percent and exceeding the $1 trillion mark.

The near catastrophic year the global advertising market had in 2001looks set to bottom out. A gradual rebound is forecast with the ad market beginning to re-solidify in 2002, gaining strength in 2003, and turning out strong single digit growth during 2004-2006. Global advertising spending is predicted to increase at a 4.8 percent growth rate reaching a total of $405bn in 2006, compared to $321bn last year.

Digital distribution of content, aided by rising broadband penetration, will be the greatest driver of new entertainment and media spending in 2005-2006. For example, broadband connections in the US, driven by music and video-on-demand content that require high-speed connectivity, will surge from 9.4m households in 2001 to 35.3m in 2006 -- nearly equaling the narrowband sector at 38.2m households.

The entertainment and media sector’s “promising future is coming -- it's just taking a longer and more circuitous path than initially expected," said Kevin Carton, global leader of PricewaterhouseCoopers' entertainment & media practice. "To see where the 'digital evolution' is headed, take a look at the surge in spending for digital cable and broadband Internet access.  Consumers who've demanded a more diverse entertainment experience are leading the charge by subscribing to these upgraded distribution platforms, and new and more diverse content offerings will follow."

Breaking the report into regions, PricewaterhouseCoopers identifies the US as the last market last year, with total spending on entertainment and media reaching $438bn. The US projected to expand at a 5.5 percent growth rate through 2006, with Internet advertising and access spending enjoying significant double-digit growth, due mainly to broadband and subscriber upgrades to higher-priced access packages. Increased channel capacity will in turn also spur the US television distribution market, which is expected to soar to $100bn in 2006

Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) is the second largest region with 2001 spending of $339bn. Once again, the Internet will be the fastest growing segment in this region over the next five years, followed by sports, which will be bolstered by the 2006 World Cup in Germany and its associated television rights. The region will continue to experience moderate growth for the duration of the forecast period, with spending reaching $426bn by 2006.

Robert Boyle, European leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers' entertainment & media practice, said that Europe, Middle East and Africa “will continue to grow at a pace reflecting consumer demand for new entertainment and information options. We project strong growth in Internet and TV networks and distribution, fueled by consumer desire for digital technology and multi-platform access to premium content such as sports, movies, news and business information."

Asia/Pacific's industry will be fueled by telecommunications deregulation, low Internet penetration levels that leave room for substantial growth (a 17.3 percent growth rate is expected), as well as government initiatives to promote Internet usage. In addition, the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea will bolster the Sports market.

"Despite the sluggish Japanese economy and lost revenues due to piracy, the Asia/Pacific market has a promising future, with strong consumer markets for Internet and multi-channel television and DVD offerings," commented PricewaterhouseCoopers' Asia/Pacific entertainment & media practice leader, Marcel Fenez.

Growth in the Latin American market will continue through 2006. Low Internet and television distribution penetration rates have left significant room for expansion and will be the main reasons these sectors will be the fastest growing over the forecast period, with compound annual increases of 24.3 percent and 9.0 percent, respectively.

Canada, the smallest region with $24 billion in entertainment and media spending in 2001, is expected to be the fastest growing, at 5.7 percent growth rate. Primary drivers there have been an advertising market that has held up relatively well despite the global economic downturn; a healthy home video and film production business; and the establishment of new digital channels.

Music; Jackson Joins Coalition Against Music Labels

Michael Jackson, considered to be among the best-compensated artists in the recording business, has become the latest star to call for justice in the way music labels treat their artists.

Jackson said on Wednesday he has aligned himself with the Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr., who earlier in the day announced they were forming a coalition to investigate whether artists are being financially exploited by record labels.

"Record companies have to start treating their artists with respect, honor and financial justice," said Jackson in a statement. "Therefore, I am proud to join this coalition which represents all artists."

Sharpton, better known for his civil rights activism, said too many artists end up bankrupt after years of making millions for record labels.

"It is our intention to break up the kinds of indentured servant-type of arrangement that many in the record industry now have with record companies," he said. "We hope that this initiative would make it possible where one day the artist on the CD is as big as the companies that put out the CD."

The pair said they had been contacted by several artists who have complained about record label practices, including policies that force stars to pay for promotional costs such as videos.

"How would it be if Derek Jeter had to pay for his bats, and balls and glove to go out and pay for the Yankees?" Cochran asked. "It's unfair."

Cochran and Sharpton said they would be willing to work with the Recording Artists Coalition, which is demanding new relationships with record labels, including fairer contracts and more oversight of accounting practices. Don Henley, Sheryl Crow, the Dixie Chicks, Billy Joel and Clint Black are among the artists who are part of that coalition.

Jackson is considered to have one of the most lucrative contracts in the record business. Jackson's involvement in the Sharpton-Cochran coalition comes as he battles with his longtime record label, Sony Music. His latest album, Invincible, has sold about 2 million records but has dropped off the charts since its October release and is considered a commercial disappointment.

A gossip column in Wednesday's editions of the Daily News quoted an unnamed executive who said Jackson was using Sharpton and Cochran to try and get out of his contract with Sony and owed the company $200 million for promotion and studio time.

In his statement, Jackson said: "For Sony to make a false claim that I owe them $200 million is outrageous and offensive."

In response, Sony said: "We have never issued any statement verbally or in writing claiming that Michael Jackson owes us $200 million. As a result, we are baffled by the comments issued today by his press representatives."

At their news conference, Sharpton and Cochran denied the coalition was started to help any particular artist, although Sharpton acknowledged talking to both Jackson and Sony Music chairman Tommy Mottola.

"Clearly Mr. Jackson has lawyers to deal with his contract," Sharpton said. Cochran helped negotiate a settlement between Jackson and a 13-year-old boy who accused the singer of child molestation charges in 1993. Charges were never filed, and Jackson maintained his innocence.

Eliane Chappuis

Eliane has just completed filming in Rome for Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" a Miramax Film. She is currently working on a Vincent Gallo project and has also just completed filming "The Violent Kind", directed by Scott Morgan.

Eliane was born at the Queen of Angels Hospital in Hollywood, to swiss-french-vietnamese parents. Just six months old ,her parents decided to raise her in Bern, Switzerland, with her siblings, where she spent her childhood. Growing up in the international capitol, she became fluent in five languages, a talent that has influenced all aspects of her life.

She attended a Waldorf school with a curriculum that strongly emphasized the arts. There she performed in lead roles for school productions. Passionate about personal expression through artistic creation, she divided her time between acting, fine art, and poetry, which she recited for her fellow students. Eliane debuted at the National Theatre in Bern at the age of twelve in such Musicals as "Oliver Twist," "Wizard of Oz" and Operas like " Lulu" and "I Cavallieri Rusticana." Playing characters as diverse as orphans, ballerinas, and opera singers planted a desire in her to seek challenging, unusual roles that use as many of her talents as possible.

As a teen growing up in Switzerland, Eliane would help her Mother with her Refugee Relief work for The Swiss Red Cross. Her mother is still actively involved with Refugee work. Watching her mother help others throughout her childhood developed in Eliane both compassion and passion for life that is reflected in her performances, poetry, songs, and spiritual studies.

At the age of seventeen, Eliane...after a near-death experience almost gave up her hopes of ever performing again. Her strong spirit and family helped her through a successful recovery, after which she became the youngest actress to be accepted by the National Academy of Acting in Zurich. There, she honed on her theatrical craft to a keen edge and began appearing in Swiss movies.

During her time at the Academy, the modeling world discovered her. She quickly became known as an interesting face as a model and worked for such international designers as Christian Lacroix in Paris and Vivienne Westwood in London.

Her well-trained voice and knowledge of music from Vietnam's old Imperial City led to an invitation to perform for Vietnam's last Emperor on two occasions. She has also performed for longtime friend and world renowned Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, who was nominated by Martin Luther King Jr. for a Nobel Peace Prize. Besides singing, Eliane plays violin and had the honor of performing under the conduct of Sir Yehudi Menuhin during his visit to Switzerland.

Upon Eliane's first return back to the United States at age eighteen she was invited to attend Robert Redford¹s Sundance Workshop. There she studied American film while assisting on projects such as Tony Bui's "Three Seasons." This fueled Eliane's desire to be in film. Following the Workshop, she was then cast in a number of independent films like "Soundman" which traveled to many international Film Festivals, including a lead in a German TV-series for Pro 7.

While she pursues her love for acting and singing on three continents, Eliane still loves to just spend time in nature with her family & friends sin Switzerland or be involved with a new help work in Nepal, India...currently being documented...