Reigning box office champion 300 will face competition from six new films at the weekend box office, but it's likely the grisly epic will manage to log a third session at the top. The challengers include one horror film, The Hills Have Eyes 2; two kid flicks, TMNT and The Last Mimzy; and three adult dramas, Shooter, Reign Over Me and Pride. The R-rated Hills sequel has the best shot of taking first place from 300, which earned $33 million last weekend after losing a respectable 54 percent of its opening haul. Industry insiders expect the horror to open in the mid-teen millions, on par with the $15.7 million bow of its predecessor in March 2006. Released by Fox Atomic, the nascent youth-oriented division of art-house studio Fox Searchlight, the new film revolves around a group of National Guard trainees who are attacked by mutants during a training mission in the New Mexico desert. It was directed by Martin Weisz, the German commercial and music video veteran behind 2002's 60 Seconds. Warner Bros. is relaunching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise with the PG-rated TMNT, looking to lure a young male audience. Industry insiders place the film's debut in the low-teen millions. The CGI feature from writer-director Kevin Munroe (Freaky Flyers) takes off as a follow-up to the first two movies in the series that bowed in 1990 and 1991, respectively. TMNT features the voices of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Patrick Stewart, Ziyi Zhang, Laurence Fishburne and Chris Evans. Shooter, a conspiracy thriller starring Mark Wahlberg, is likely to bow in the low-teen million range, competing for the same demos as TMNT. The Paramount film was pushed back a week to put more space between it and 300. Wahlberg plays an exiled marksman who is lured back into action after learning of a plot to kill the president. Michael Pena, Danny Glover and Kate Mara co-star for director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day). New Line executives are releasing their boss' first directorial effort in 17 years with the family-friendly Mimzy. The PG film, directed by New Line co-chairman and co-CEO Robert Shaye, revolves around two children (Chris O'Neil and Rhiannon Leigh Wryn) who develop special talents after they discover a mysterious box of toys. Joely Richardson, Timothy Hutton and Rainn Wilson also star. Industry insiders have the film pegged for an $8 million-$10 million opening. Reign, from writer-director Mike Binder (Upside of Anger), stars Adam Sandler as a man who lost his wife and daughters in the World Trade Center attacks. He runs into his old college buddy (Don Cheadle), and the two rekindle a friendship that helps Sandler's character deal with his grief. The R-rated film is expected to gross $8 million-$10 million. Lionsgate's Pride, from director Sunu Gonera, stars Terrence Howard in the fact-based story of a Philadelphia swimming coach. It's expected to open in the $6 million-$8 million range.

Titanic stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are set to reunite on the big screen, 10 years after the blockbuster disaster movie. Winslet and DiCaprio famously played doomed lovers in the James Cameron epic and will now play a troubled married couple in an adaptation of Richard Yates' novel Revolutionary Road. The English actress' husband, Sam Mendes, will direct the movie, when filming begins on the east coast this summer.

Hollywood star Tom Cruise has confirmed he is to star in a film about an attempted assassination plot on former Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. The War of the Worlds star was offered the part by director Bryan Singer, who was keen to cast Cruise in the as-yet-untitled movie's lead role. Cruise acquired the rights to the film with United Artists studios, which he owns a stake in, last week. Production is expected to start later this year.

Movie actor Woody Harrelson's father, a convicted murderer, has died of a heart attack in prison. He was 69. Charles Harrelson, who was serving two life sentences in Colorado's high-security Supermax prison for the 1979 murder of a federal judge, was found dead in his cell last Thursday. Fremont County Coroner Dorothy Twellman has concluded Harrelson probably died in his sleep. She says, "It appears to be very sudden." Harrelson was convicted of murdering District Judge John Wood outside his San Antonio, Texas, home in May 1979. He denied the killing, but prosecutors said a drug dealer paid him $250,000 to assassinate Wood so he would not preside over a trial. Harrelson had earlier been found guilty of, and served time for, a 1968 killing.

Sean Connery wants to come out of acting retirement to play James Bond's father in the next 007 film. The 76-year-old has been "resting" since making 2003 film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen but reveals he would jump at the chance to return to the superspy franchise--if producers can afford him. Connery says, "I am resting from acting. So you could say I'm retired. It would have to be something really considerable to bring me back. It would have to be an offer that you can't refuse. "If there was a good part in a Bond film, I'd certainly look at it. "I would never return as James Bond. If the part was well written, I could come back as Bond's father but it would cost them. It would definitely cost them." The actor reveals he quit at Bond because of the overuse of gadgets--and his disappointing salary as the secret agent. He adds, "I was getting disenchanted. Apart from the payment, which was puerile, they were bringing in a lit of science fiction stuff, like the poisonous shoe in From Russia with Love. "They had all these gizmos, which today are commonplace, that I didn't mind, but when you get into the nuclear stuff..."

Get ready for the summer of sequels. Starting with Sony's Spider-Man 3, set to open May 4, and ending with New Line's Rush Hour 3, slated for August 10, the schedule is stacked with high-profile releases that are expected to fill theaters and get cash registers cranking. "Lines beget lines," says Chuck Viane, Disney's domestic distribution president. "You get people in there seeing the trailers for the fall movies and one thing triggers another. That's the really great thing about our business. When we're on a roll, there's a snowball effect." If the summer of 2007 lives up to expectations, it could turn out to be the biggest in box office history, shattering the record held by the summer of 2004, when 557.4 million admissions generated roughly $3.5 billion in revenue during the 15 week period between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Among the other films that are expected to get the record mojo going: Paramount-DreamWorks' Shrek the Third, set for May 18; Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, which opens the next week; Warner Bros.' Ocean's Thirteen and Sony's Surf's Up, both set to open June 8; Fox's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, slated for June 15; and Universal's Evan Almighty, set for June 22. The hit parade continues with Disney-Pixar's Ratatouille on June 29, Paramount's Transformers on July 4, Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and New Line's Hairspray on July 20 and Fox's The Simpsons Movie on July 27. Each studio has a couple of potential summer blockbusters, but could there be too much of a good thing? In the past, there has been more "breathing room" between films, a studio executive posits, wondering if the titles will step on each other's shelf life. "It will be interesting to see if this is a summer where we open big for a week then go away quickly." But while the studios might fret the fate of individual films, the sheer number of big films opening seems to make it a no-lose situation for theater owners. "This is a cyclical business and very dependent on product," says Mike Campbell, CEO of Regal Entertainment Group. "We had a good year in 2006, and I think what we've got upcoming in 2007 looks very, very strong. So I expect to see further recovery." According to trade group the Motion Picture Assn. of America, U.S. box office revenue rose 5.5% to $9.49 billion in 2006, reversing two years of declines that had some observers wondering if the cinema experience was being displaced by home theaters, TiVo, video games and the like. In retrospect, pundits are writing off the 2005 slump to a paucity of product. Based on the strong 2007 lineup, Bank of America analyst Michael Savner recently bumped up his growth estimate for this year by two-tenths of a percentage point to 5.0%. Conscientious effort on the part of theater owners to upgrade the moviegoing experience is also helping. Theaters have been upgrading to more comfortable seating and lobby environments as well as in technical areas like sound, digital projection and 3-D. "There's a lot of good intentions to enhance the moviegoing experience," says DreamWorks Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg. "I've met with many people on that side of the business and found them ambitious about innovating."

Hollywood star Cate Blanchett is in negotiations to star in the fourth Indiana Jones movie. The project will see Harrison Ford reprising his role as the intrepid adventurer, with Steven Spielberg again in the director's chair. It is unclear what part Blanchett has been offered, although sources surrounding the project say she is in line for a starring role. The storyline for the new film, which is penned by Spider-Man writer David Koepp, is being kept under wraps. It is not known if Sean Connery will be returning as Ford's movie father in the third sequel. The fourth Indiana Jones installment resurrects the lucrative franchise after nearly 20 years. The film is set to begin filming in June in Los Angeles and will be released in May 2008.

Actress Jessica Biel is reportedly dating her former Blade: Trinity costar Ryan Reynolds. The pair starred in the 2004 film and have recently rekindled their friendship, according to media reports. Reynolds, 32, ended his engagement to fellow Canadian Alanis Morissette on Feb. 2. An eyewitness claims the couple "looked really close" while eating at Cuban restaurant Babalu in Santa Monica, California, on Feb. 19, saying, "They knew people were watching them, so they didn't hold hands or kiss, but when they left the restaurant, they hid behind the bush. Were they kissing? Maybe."
Five days later they were spotted again at West Hollywood's Astro Burger diner laughing and enjoying lunch before Biel flew to Paris for the spring fashion shows and Reynolds began work on his new movie.

Hotel Rwanda star Don Cheadle will make his feature film directing debut with a biopic of jazz great Miles Davis. The Oscar-nominated star will also serve as a producer on the project. Darryl Porter, of Miles Davis Properties, will also be involved as a producer and the filmmakers have secured music and life rights to the jazz star's legacy. Davis, who died in 1991, is considered one of the most influential jazz musicians from World War II on. His recordings include "Sketches of Spain," "Kind of Blue" and "Bitches Brew." Producer Kay Liberman adds, "Miles pushed the envelope and was never satisfied and kept evolving."

The new-age movie Peaceful Warrior may have died at the box office last year, but its producers hope it still has some fight left in it. The film, which starred Nick Nolte in an adaptation of a best-selling inspirational novel, is being re-released in theaters on March 30, distributor Universal Pictures said on Tuesday. And admission will be free. (Popcorn not included.) In what is believed to be an industry first, the film's producers, Mark Amin and Cami Winikoff, have bought $15 million worth of tickets, and will give them away to customers of Best Buy Co. Inc., which is stepping up its involvement in the entertainment business. The electronics retailer is sponsoring the North American leg of the upcoming reunion world tour by rock trio the Police.
Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal, hopes that the 2.5 million to 3 million people who see the movie for free will tell their friends about it, and that those friends will pay to see it--and that both camps will eventually snap up the DVD. The film originally was released last summer by independent studio Lionsgate. Despite strong scores in test screenings, the movie proved hard to market and was given a limited run in art-house theaters. Budgeted at about $14 million, it sold $1.2 million worth of tickets, Universal said. Critics mostly savaged the movie. Lionsgate declined comment. Universal became involved late last year during an informal chat between the studio's marketing president, Adam Fogelson, and producers Amin and Winikoff. According to Fogelson, Lionsgate was considering reissuing the movie, and the producers wanted his input on the best way to market it. Fogelson pitched them an idea he had long mused about--a word-of-mouth campaign based on letting people "sample" the film for free. "Most films will still be best served by some version of a traditional marketing campaign," Fogelson said in an interview. "Some films will not ever reduce well into 30-second TV spots, 15-second TV spots, trailers and posters. What is special or exciting or fun or meaningful about them will not be reduced. "We've got to come up with a different way of doing it. This is a way to have those kinds of films have a real meaningful shot at landing in the marketplace and succeeding." Fogelson said there was no financial risk to Universal, whose main expense is the manpower involved in marketing and distributing the film. It will share in any profits from the theatrical and ancillary releases. Peaceful Warrior is based on Dan Millman's book Way of the Peaceful Warrior. It was directed by Victor Salva, best known for the Jeepers Creepers slasher movies. Nolte plays a grizzled gas-station owner who dispenses nuggets of advice to a cocky young gymnast, played by Scott Mechlowicz.

Scarlett Johansson has re-teamed with director Woody Allen for their third film together following Match Point and Scoop. The Lost in Translation star will appear in Allen's upcoming and as-yet-untitled project set to shoot in Spain this summer. Johansson joins fellow cast members Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz. The star joins an elite group of actresses, including Mia Farrow and Diane Keaton, to become Allen's latest muse. Details regarding the script have not been revealed, but the film is scheduled to begin shooting in July in Barcelona and Asturias. This is Allen's first film set in Spain, but his fourth in a row outside the U.S. The last three, Scoop, Match Point and the upcoming Cassandra's Dream, were all shot in London.

Oscar-winning Dreamgirls star Jennifer Hudson has landed another meaty prize--the chance to dine for free at Burger King, for life. The fast-food chain's bosses have given the singer/actress an all-you-can-eat pass after she revealed she used to flip burgers and take orders at a Burger King in her native Chicago when she was a teenager. In a statement, a spokesman for the fast-food chain says, "Burger King Corporation is proud of Jennifer's success... To show our support for Jennifer, and make sure she never has to sing for her supper again, Burger King Corporation is giving her a pre-paid BK Crown Card that will be automatically reloaded for life."

Johnny Depp has reportedly quit acting until his daughter Lily-Rose recovers from an undisclosed illness. Depp is currently working on a movie version of stage musical Sweeney Todd in England, but has halted filming until the four-year-old recovers. Lily-Rose was admitted to an English hospital at the end of February, with Depp and partner Vanessa Paradis at the child's bedside ever since. Staff members at Pinewood Studios have reportedly been told they will lose their jobs over the weekend if Depp does not return to the movie set. A source tells British newspaper the Daily Mirror, "He does not want to come back until Lily-Rose gets the all-clear. The plan is to reemploy everybody when she gets better."

Sixteen Springfields across America are competing to host the world premiere of The Simpsons Movie. Officials in the towns and cities have been invited to shoot a short film about their links to the cult cartoon show, which is set in a fictional Springfield. The Simpsons creator Matt Groening will judge the contest and the premiere will be held in the town or city with the best film. The Simpsons Movie will open in July.

Comedian Richard Jeni has been found dead at his West Hollywood apartment. Authorities suspect he committed suicide. The Brooklyn-born comedian staged a series of popular TV specials and, according to his own Web site, he has appeared on The Tonight Show more than any other stand-up comic. Jeni, who also appeared opposite Jim Carrey in The Mask, was scheduled to perform in Chicago on Saturday, but cancelled the show last month. The comedian won a CableACE Award for one of his HBO TV specials, and went on to star in his own short-lived sitcom, Platypus Man. In 2004, Jeni was named No. 57 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time.

Controversial movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is the most popular DVD in the home nation of Sacha Baron Cohen's fictional reporter Borat. According to Internet retailer Amazon.com, the DVD of the movie has topped Kazakhstan's DVD charts. Rakhi Parekh, head of media at Amazon, says, "It seems residents of Kazakhstan are now desperate to see what the fuss is about. "They are even willing to pay the 505 Kazakhstani Tenge ($4) charge to have the DVD delivered from the UK."

Bloody new movie 300 looks set to become the year's biggest film so far after early Friday showings sold out across America. Tickets to see the warrior film--about a legendary battle between the Spartans and Persians--at IMAX's 57 super-sized screen locations sold out throughout the film's opening day, and many multiplexes also saw a rush for early tickets.
Meanwhile, the film snagged a new March weekend record for IMAX ticket sales as many film fans who missed out on the chance to see the movie on the big screen yesterday booked weekend tickets. Box office experts predict 300 could storm to the top of the film charts on Sunday with a $50 million first-weekend take. The film, which is an adaptation of a graphic novel by Sin City creator Frank Miller, stars Phantom of the Opera star Gerard Butler as the leader of a band of heroic ancient soldiers.

Mel Gibson is planning a lengthy trip to Panama for back-to-back movie projects. According to sources, the Apocalypto moviemaker is planning a remake of 1950s thriller Panic in the Streets and a new epic about Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez De Balboa, who was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean in the early part of the 16th Century. Actor Ruben Blades has revealed news of the Panic in the Streets project, while Panama's resident movie hero, filmmaker Jose Severino, has opened up to local media outlets about the Balboa biopic plans.

The ancient epic 300 marches into theaters Friday, having created so much advance buzz that it has the battlefield to itself. Director Zack Snyder's hyperstylized, ultraviolent film is set in 480 B.C., when Sparta's King Leonidas led 300 warriors against the Persian army in the Battle of Thermopylae. Industry prognosticators believe the Warner Bros. release could open in the $50 million range, but caution that the film's upside might be limited somewhat by its R rating.
Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, 300 has received adoring praise on the Web, and studio marketers have exploited online media to the fullest, launching an aggressive MySpace presence along with an official site chock full of video journals, a production blog and concept art. 300, starring Gerard Butler as Leonidas and Lena Headey as his wife, will likely garner the title of second- or third-highest opening ever for March. Ice Age: The Meltdown holds the record with $68 million, set last year, while the original Ice Age has the No. 2 slot with $46 million in 2002.
Audiences appear to be coming back to the movies, as demonstrated by last weekend's surprisingly $39.6 million debut of incumbent champ Wild Hogs. Disney's PG-13 road-trip comedy will gross about $19 million in its second weekend. Everything else opening Friday is in limited release. Fox Searchlight opens Mira Nair's The Namesake in six theaters. The PG-13 adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's best-selling novel stars Kal Penn as an American-born son of Indian immigrants who struggles to fit in among his fellow New Yorkers. Twentieth Century Fox's new Christian-themed arm FoxFaith Movies opens The Ultimate Gift in 816 theaters. Starring James Garner, Drew Fuller and Abigail Breslin, the film centers on a man (Fuller) who must take on a series of tasks set up by his recently deceased grandfather that puts him on the road to self-discovery. Magnolia Pictures unveils two limited releases. Director Bong Joon-ho's R-rated South Korean box office smash The Host, about the creation of a mutant beast living in Seoul's Han river, will bow in 74 theaters. Rogue Pictures already has scored the remake rights.
The distributor also bows James D. Scurlock's documentary Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders. Centering on America's dependence on personal credit, it opens in six theaters. IFC Films opens Believe in Me, a feel-good sports drama about a small-town basketball coach who is forced to coach the girls' team, in 54 theaters.

Movie star Mark Wahlberg has been praying for his Shooter costar Lane Garrison after learning the embattled actor was responsible for a December car crash that left a teenager dead. Prison Break star Garrison was charged with vehicular manslaughter, and turned himself into the authorities in Los Angeles yesterday. He was driving three teenagers home from a Hollywood party when he lost control of his Land Rover. One 17-year-old passenger was killed and two 15-year-old girls were left with injuries. And while many were quick to blame the 26-year-old actor and criticize his judgment, Wahlberg admits he just wanted to offer his costar spiritual help. The Oscar nominee says, "I certainly pray for him every single day of my life... I'll speak to Lane and wish him the best. "It was a horrible accident. It's a tragedy for everybody involved and we're just praying for everybody." Garrison was freed on $100,000 bail and his arraignment was postponed until April 11. He faces six years and eight months in prison if convicted.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is in final talks to replace Katie Holmes in the Batman Begins sequel. The new mom became an instant favorite to take on the Rachel Dawes character in The Dark Knight after Holmes quit the role shortly after becoming Mrs. Tom Cruise. Director Christopher Nolan tells The Hollywood Reporter, "I'm extremely excited to work with an actress of Maggie's caliber, and she's a great addition to the cast." Cameras will role on the film, which stars Christian Bale as the comic book hero, this spring. The film will be released in 2008.

Actor Shia LaBeouf is set to star in Steven Spielberg's upcoming Indiana Jones sequel--as the archaeologist's son. Harrison Ford is reprising his role in the movie, which is set to begin filming in June. The 20-year-old has starred in Holes and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and will also appear in Transformers this summer. The storyline for the new film, which is being penned by Spider-Man writer David Koepp, is being kept under wraps. It is not known if Sean Connery will be returning as Ford's movie father in the third sequel. The fourth Indiana Jones installment resurrects the lucrative franchise after nearly 20 years. The film is set to be released in May 2008.

The Sixth Sense director M. Night Shyamalan has signed on to make thriller The Happening in his hometown of Philadelphia. The project will be the first movie he has made since his public falling out with film studio Disney over box-office flop Lady in the Water. Hollywood studio 20th Century Fox has given the new film the green light. The Happening centers around a family "running from a natural crisis that presents a large-scale threat to mankind." The movie, which Shyamalan also wrote, will be his first R-rated film. He explains, "(We're) trying to get the kind of intensity that is present in Silence of the Lambs and the kind that Guillermo Del Toro got in Pan's Labyrinth.
"The impact of the beautiful things in that movie wouldn't have landed as strongly if the film had not been R-rated." The movie begins shooting in Philadelphia in August and is set for a June 2008 release.

Fictional Kazakh TV reporter Borat has made an unexpected cameo appearance as a victim of censorship in a heavyweight annual human rights report issued by the State Department. The 2006 report, released in Washington on Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, criticized the real Kazakhstan, a vast oil-producing Central Asian state, for increased restrictions on freedom of speech and other abuses. The State Department, which says Kazakhstan has no independent judiciary, also listed the murder last year of Kazakh opposition politician Altynbek Sarsenbaiuly, his bodyguard and driver as "unlawful deprivation of life." The report cited Borat's loss of his Kazakh webpage www.borat.kz in late 2005 alongside court cases and limits on free speech faced by the few domestic media critical of Kazakhstan's long-serving President Nursultan Nazarbayev. "The government deemed as offensive the content of a satirical site controlled by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and revoked the .kz domain," the report said.
Baron Cohen, who subsequently moved the site to www.borat.tv, has been something of a thorn in the side of Kazakhstan's government, which initially reacted angrily to his portrayal of the country as home to misogynists and racists. Shortly before the Web site closure, a Kazakh Foreign Ministry official threatened "legal measures" against him. Cohen, who is Jewish, responded in character as Borat saying: "I ... fully support my government's position to sue this Jew." There was no lawsuit and officials adopted a more measured stance on Borat, whose movie grossed $248 million last year, with Nazarbayev later saying that he got the joke during a news conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. In its remarks on Sarsenbaiuly's death, the State Department criticized a Kazakh court for failing "to follow up and investigate signs that other parties and high-level government officials may have been involved in instigating the killings." The report also listed military hazing, torture by police, unhealthy prison conditions, arbitrary arrests, restrictions on freedom of assembly, domestic violence against women, people trafficking and "severe limits on citizens' rights to change their government" as areas of concern.

Tobey Maguire has confirmed the upcoming Spider-Man 3 will be the last time he plays the superhero on the big screen. Costar Kirsten Dunst has also said she feels the third film will be the last in the popular franchise. Maguire says, "To me it seems like this is a natural point for the team to break up because we have a lot of story conclusions that were going along for the main characters for the first two movies and we kind of tie almost everything up for the third movie.
"It feels like a trilogy to me and it feels like the end." But moviemaker Sam Raimi isn't so sure that it's all over for the web-slinging movie hero. In a recent interview, the director stated he's seriously considering a fourth film. He explains, "I love Spider-Man and I love working with Kirsten, Tobey, James (Franco)... I just have to make sure that when I'm done with Spider-Man 3, I'm really still fascinated with the character. At this moment I'm fascinated with him." But Raimi insists he couldn't imagine making a fourth installment if Maguire didn't sign on for it. He adds, "I couldn't imagine it."

Actress Lindsay Lohan has hit out at the tabloid press for romantically linking her to every man she is seen out with. The Mean Girls star--who officially checked out of the Wonderland Center in the Hollywood Hills last month after completing a 30-day stay to fight her alcohol demons--has been linked to several Hollywood actors including Bruce Willis, Colin Farrell and Elijah Wood, but revealed she was never romanced by any of them. She says, "I've never dated anyone I've worked with. Some of those guys are old enough to be my father! My mother once said to me, Lindsay, if you'd gone out with everyone they said, you'd be dead by now!' It's ridiculous. "I see a lot of men when I go out and, yes, I have conversations. But right away people assume I'm dating them. If I leave a club or a restaurant at the same time as a guy, it's immediately thought we're an item, that I'm either dating him or sleeping with him. It's not true and I'm not that kind of person. I like to really get to know a guy before anything else develops."

Oscar nominee Terrence Howard jumped at the chance to narrate a new TV documentary about modern black culture because it gave him the chance to air his own views. The actor, who played a pimp-turned-rapper in hit movie Hustle and Flow, admits he's appalled with his peers in the rap and hip-hop world and feels it's time someone like him stood up for well-meaning African-Americans. He says, "I've been appalled for a number of years at what we have produced as a people, black people. Our music used to resonate in the soul and the heart and now our music has become something more common to a war theme. "The beating of drums leads to anarchy. We've lost the message in our music and I wanted to speak about that." And Howard's biggest issue is with those who use the 'N' word: "That word 'n**ger' that we've adapted and call ourselves by is evil. No good can come from an evil thing."

Filmmaker Larry Clark has launched a scathing attack on critics who slammed his controversial 1995 movie Kids--claiming they are ruled by double standards. Clark remains livid that Kids--about a group of New York City teenagers' irresponsible attitude towards sex and drugs--was deemed exploitative when the media constantly capitalize on the sexually overt behavior of young celebrities. He says, "Do I exploit teen sexuality more than the tabloid newspapers who have pictures of famous young women getting out of a car with no pants on? No f**king way. F**k the critics." Clark's 2002 film Ken Park was banned in many countries, including his native America, after the director refused to cut graphic scenes that showed what appeared to be teenagers having actual sex on camera. And he blames the U.S. censorship board for being prejudiced towards budget filmmakers in favor of big Hollywood names. Clark says, "I've been working my whole life to get an R rating. It's all to do with the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), those c**k-sucking motherf**kers. Let me tell you about the f**kin' MPAA. They are a censorship board run by the studios to protect their films. So they s**t all over the smaller independent films like mine. "This means we're allowed to watch Sharon Stone f**king the s**t out of Michael Douglas before she stabs him (in Basic Instinct), but I can't show what I wanna show. It's the most corrupt system in the world."

Dreamgirls star Jennifer Hudson is using her Oscar win in a bid to help her land another dream role--in a new movie about sports hero Jackie Robinson. The former American Idol contestant is using her post-Oscars interviews to let Robert Redford know she wants a part in his new film about the Brooklyn Dodgers star. She says, "I'd like to be a part of that. It tells of greatness and our history; that means something to me." Robinson became the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era in 1947 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He also became a human rights activist. Redford's new untitled biopic will focus on Robinson's struggles with race. Redford, who will produce the film, is slated to play the Dodgers' General Manager Branch Rickey.

While Martin Scorsese is feted by Hollywood for his Oscar-winning film The Departed, relatives of people killed or tortured by the real-life Boston Irish mobster on which the movie is based are not applauding. Some say they feel exploited by the film that won best picture and best director in last month's Oscars, or that it stirred up painful memories or glossed over crucial facts.
Others simply refuse to see Hollywood's version of the life of fugitive gangster James "Whitey" Bulger "The movie gives this hero worship to this creature," said Christopher McIntyre, 47, whose brother was murdered by Bulger's gang in 1984. He said he has not seen the film because it would be "very painful." "For eight hours, they strapped him in a chair and cut pieces off him. He begged for a bullet in the brain," McIntyre said, adding that he personally still feels threatened by remnants of Bulger's gang and plans to leave Massachusetts. Indicted for 19 murders, Whitey Bulger has eluded police since December 23. 1994, when the convicted bank robber and government informer with ties to corrupt federal agents vanished and sparked a manhunt with unconfirmed sightings spanning nearly every continent. He is listed alongside Osama bin Laden as one of America's most-wanted fugitives. McIntyre's family filed a federal lawsuit in 2001 that alleges FBI agents at the top levels of the Boston office knew of Bulger's crimes but protected him from prosecution because they were informants against the local Italian Mafia. The FBI has declined to comment on the case, saying its investigation into Bulger is ongoing. Tim Connors, 32, whose father was gunned down by Bulger's gang in 1975, said he did not like the way Hollywood portrayed Bulger and his notorious Winter Hill gang which generated more than 60 convictions in about 30 cases. "It glorified things way too much," he said. "Everybody is just trying to cash in on that story." 'NO GOOD GUYS' Howie Carr, author of the The Brothers Bulger, said that although the movie was set in the insular Irish-American South Boston enclave where Bulger lived, it missed a few salient points in the Bulger story. He said in real life there were few if any redeeming characters such as the policeman played by Leonardo DiCaprio who infiltrates the gang and forms a close relationship with the larger-than-life mobster played by Jack Nicholson. "There were no good guys in this saga," said Carr. Carr's book explores how much state and city politicians knew about Bulger's gang, and whether they tolerated its years of bookmaking, drug peddling, extortion and murder while Bulger's brother, William Bulger, was a dominating force in state politics as Senate president.
David Wheeler, whose father was shot and killed by a hitman on Bulger's orders in 1981, criticized the film for glossing over the government's involvement in Bulger's gang. "In my opinion it's a revisionist history that protects the guilty," he said. "I cannot see this movie. It would just be too painful.” In a 21-minute documentary on Bulger included in the DVD version of the film, which was released by Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. Pictures, Scorsese puts some distance between the character of Frank Costello played by Nicholson and the real-life Boston gangster. "In no way do we say that Francis Costello is patterned after Whitey Bulger. But let me put it this way: We felt comfortable in the character and in the situation because we know it to be true," he said.

Actress Carmen Electra is furious she hasn't been asked to star in the forthcoming Baywatch movie. The 34-year-old actress found fame starring as lifeguard Lani McKenzie on the drama series between 1997 and 1998, but--despite appearing in 2003's reunion, Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding--Electra hasn't been invited to join the new feature-length film. She says, "I'm out. I've only heard about it through the press and nobody has contacted me to be in the film. I really enjoyed the reunion show we did, though--it was fun to meet all the team again."

Forest Whitaker and Jennifer Hudson picked up acting prizes at the NAACP Image Awards on Friday, just six days after their Oscar wins. Whitaker was named Best Actor for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland, while Hudson garnered Best Supporting Actress for her role as Effie White in Dreamgirls at the star-studded ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Accepting his award, Whitaker said, "Doing this role gave me so many blessings. One was being able to go back to Africa and touch my roots." Hudson gushed, "There is nothing like being recognized and honored by your own." Keke Palmer picked up the coveted Best Actress award for Akeelah and the Bee, while Djimon Hounsou was named Best Supporting Actor for Blood Diamond, after losing out in the same category last weekend at the Academy Awards. Will Smith's movie The Pursuit of Happyness won the Best Motion Picture honor, and Spike Lee was named Best Director for Inside Man. In the TV categories, Grey's Anatomy star Isaiah Washington received Best Actor for a Drama Series and his costar Chandra Wilson accepted Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Other winners in TV included Vanessa Williams for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy for Ugly Betty--which was named Best Television Comedy Series--Tyler James Williams for Actor in a Comedy Series in Everybody Hates Chris, and Tracee Ellis Ross for Actress in a Comedy Series in Girlfriends. In music, Prince and Mary J. Blige picked up Male Artist and Female Artist, respectively, The Roots in the Group category, and Gladys Knight for Jazz Artist. Comedian Bill Cosby was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame and U2 frontman Bono received the Chairman's Award for his tireless campaigner against world poverty and debt. The Image awards are given out annually by America's National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Filmmaker Steven Spielberg is reeling after an FBI investigation discovered his Norman Rockwell painting had been stolen from a gallery over three decades ago. The director bought "Russian Schoolroom" from a dealer in 1989 and was alerted to its background when one of his employees saw the painting on an FBI Web site that listed stolen artworks. After the FBI was alerted, an investigation concluded last week and its authenticity was confirmed Friday. The painting was stolen from the Clayton Art Gallery in Clayton, Missouri, in the late 1970s. Spielberg's spokesman, Marvin Levy, says, "(Spielberg is) certainly one of the collectors of Rockwell. We have a few in our office on the Universal lot." The New York City-born artist died in November 1978 of emphysema.

The movie chairman who blasted Tom Cruise over his unprofessional behavior last summer now wants to mend his friendship with the Mission: Impossible star. Sumner Redstone, who is chairman of Paramount Pictures parent company Viacom, made headlines in August when he criticized Cruise's behavior after revealing the studio had ended its 14-year partnership with Cruise's production company. He tells People magazine, "I haven't talked with him recently. But who knows, I look forward to seeing him again. He's a great, great actor, one of the best. "He was a great friend. And I look forward to being his friend again." The 83-year-old mogul criticized Cruise for his behavior, which included jumping on talk-show host Oprah Winfrey's couch proclaiming his love for then-fiancée Katie Holmes. Redstone told the Wall Street Journal at the time, "We don't think that someone who effectuates creative suicide and costs the company revenue should be on the lot. His conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount." Redstone claims he was "surprised" by the way his comments were interpreted, adding, "I didn't know anything was going to be so explosive. "What happened was, I just gave an interview to the Wall Street Journal. In the course of it, they asked me what was going on. I said, you know, he would no longer be in the lot. "They treated that like I was firing him. I didn't fire him! I had nothing to do with it. But they treated it explosively. And I didn't like it."

British actor Daniel Radcliffe's representative has confirmed he has signed on to star in the final two films in the Harry Potter series. The 17-year-old, who has won rave reviews for his performance in the provocative play Equus, will start filming again in September. The then-unknown actor shot to fame in 2001 when he appeared as the boy wizard in the first Harry Potter film. The hit franchise, which continues with the fifth installment, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, later this year, has grossed $3.5 billion globally at the box office. Author J.K. Rowling recently announced the seventh and final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be published on July 21.

John Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston, is reportedly set to join her husband in the movie remake of ‘80s soap opera Dallas. Travolta is said to have asked Preston to take on the part of Sue Ellen, long-suffering wife of his character J.R. Ewing, since Jennifer Lopez ditched the role last year.
A Hollywood source tells British newspaper Daily Express, "John has made it clear that he thinks Kelly would be perfect for the role of Sue Ellen and it's now thought that she will end up with the part. "It would certainly make interesting viewing as their real-life marriage obviously couldn't be any more different from that of J.R. and his wife." Dallas the movie is scheduled to start filming later this year and will also star Owen Wilson as Bobby Ewing.

The road-trip comedy Wild Hogs will blaze a trail at the weekend box office in North America, leaving fellow rookies Zodiac and Black Snake Moan in the dust, industry trackers say. Hogs stars John Travolta, Tim Allen, William H. Macy and Martin Lawrence as middle-aged suburbanites who take their motorcycles on a road trip in an effort to reclaim their youth.
Drawing interest primarily from the over-25 crowd, Hogs should open in the $20 million range for the three-day period, but never underestimate Disney's marketing efforts; the film could get into the mid-$20 millions. Zodiac is expected to open in the low- to midteen millions, while Black Snake Moan is unlikely to top $10 million. The edgy Paramount releases are earning strong reviews, and because there isn't much cutting-edge product in the marketplace, they could surprise. Zodiac, starring Robert Downey Jr., Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo, revolves around men who become obsessed with the Bay Area's Zodiac Killer. Based on a book by Robert Graysmith, it marks director David Fincher's follow-up to 2002's Panic Room, which bowed to an astounding $30 million. Zodiac is more likely to match Seven, which debuted to $13.9 million in 1995. One thing for sure is that Jim Carrey's critically maligned psychological thriller The Number 23 will take a big hit after opening at No. 2 last weekend with $14.6 million behind Ghost Rider with $20.1 million. Black Snake Moan also is likely to take a bite out of 23. The pulpy, B-style movie centers on a Southern preacher (Samuel L. Jackson) who chains a woman of ill repute (Christina Ricci) to a radiator in the hopes of redeeming her soul. The film is from Hustle and Flow writer-director Craig Brewer. In limited release, New Line bows Full of It in 15 theaters. The teen comedy stars Ryan Pinkston as an outcast who wakes up one morning to discover that all of his lies have come true. It is unlikely to do much business. MGM opens Two Weeks in 12 theaters. It revolves around a dysfunctional family that reunites for a mother's final days, only to be stuck together for two weeks as she hangs on longer than expected.

HOLLYWOOD - Veteran actor Robert Blake has appealed a $30 million wrongful death verdict, alleging jurors acted inappropriately during the civil trial. The former Baretta star was acquitted in 2005 of killing wife Bonnie Lee Bakley, but a civil jury a few months later decided he intentionally caused her death and awarded her family the multimillion-dollar compensation.
However, Blake's attorney M. Gerald Schwartzbach presented a 55-page appeal in California 2nd District Court of Appeal yesterday claiming jurors discussed O.J. Simpson, ignored the lack of evidence that Blake killed his wife and decided to "send a message that celebrities and rich people cannot get away with murder." Schwartzbach also maintains a juror who had a hearing impairment and said he missed most of the testimony was prodded into voting for the verdict by other panelists, who warned he would force a mistrial if he didn't agree with them. Although Blake has filed for bankruptcy and is unlikely to pay the award, Schwartzbach is pressing for the verdict to be reversed to preserve the actor's reputation. Plaintiffs' lawyer Eric Dubin said Blake's appeal was clearly an attempt to delay paying the judgment. Bakley was shot to death as she sat in Blake's car outside a restaurant where the two had just dined in May 2001. Blake told police he had left her alone briefly while he retrieved a gun he had accidentally left behind in the restaurant.