SCARY MOVIE DEUX
MGM's remake of The Amityville Horror topped the weekend box office with $23.3 million, knocking last week's No. 1 flick, Sahara, into second place with $13.1 million. Rounding out the Top Five were Fever Pitch (No. 3 with $8.8 million), Sin City (No. 4 with $6.7 million) and Guess Who (No. 5 with 4.9 million). With overall receipts down for an eighth straight weekend, the movie biz is officially in the throes of a major slump. Things have gotten so bad that the major studios may soon be forced to make movies that don't suck real bad. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. |
RIDING CARS
Chad Michael Murray has expressed interest in Stealing Cars. No, not the felony — the Warner Bros. movie! Per The Hollywood Reporter, the One Tree Hill hottie is in final talks to star as a rebellious teenager who gets sent to a corrupt juvenile-detention facility in Atlanta. While there, he unites his fellow inmates and faces off against the abusive administrators. Insiders are calling it "Shawshank Redemption without the Oscar clout." |
THE PROGNOSIS OF MIMI
Mariah Carey is on track to land her first No. 1 album since 1997. First-day sales of Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi suggest that the CD could surpass 350,000 units in its first week, easily placing it at No. 1 on Billboard's album chart. Her last No. 1, Butterfly, bowed with 235,000 copies in 1997. |
HELLO AGAIN
Turn on your heartlight, folks: Neil Diamond's overseas tour is coming to America this summer. According to Billboard, the Jazz Singer's 34-city U.S. leg kicks off July 25 in Omaha and will end when Babs finally brings him some freakin' flowers. |
BUSTED
Rapper DMX was arrested over the weekend following a three-car crash involving a police cruiser on a major New York City expressway. Two police officers and the driver of the other vehicle were treated for minor injuries. DMX was charged with driving with a suspended license and released. |
IT'S OH-VER
Citing irreconcilable differences, Grey's Anatomy scene-stealer Sandra Oh has formally filed for divorce from her husband, Sideways writer-director Alexander Payne. The couple announced their separation last month. Oh is seeking spousal support and the return of her Romanee-Conti Richebourg. |
JACKO TRIAL UPDATE
Under cross-examination Friday, the mother of Michael Jackson's accuser described Neverland as a den of "booze, pornography and sex with boys" during a heated exchange with lead defense attorney Tom Mesereau. The judge ordered the outburst (and future NAMBLA slogan) stricken from the record. |
TUBE WATCHERS WANTED
Jimmy Kimmel is embarking on a nationwide couch-potato hunt. The late-night funnyman is looking to pay someone roughly $500 a week to watch TV all day and gather clips for his opening monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Candidates must have at least five years experience in being brain dead and be proficient in absolutely nothing. Got to ABC.com for an application. |
ET PHONES TRL
TRL cohost Vanessa Minnillo has been named a New York correspondent for Entertainment Tonight. But don't worry, she's not leaving MTV; she'll juggle both jobs. Talk about a workhorse. |
SHORT CUTS
Focus Features has given the thumbs-up to a remake of the 1986 C. Thomas Howell-Rutger Hauer thriller The Hitcher... Ryan Seacrest will receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Wednesday. The ceremony is slated to take place at 11:30 am/PT and will be followed immediately by an all-new House! |
