Showbiz Sandbox 56: What You Talkin’ Bout Guillermo?!
June 1, 2010
The past week’s entertainment news was filled with surprises. First Gary Coleman, star of the hit 80’s sitcom unexpectedly died at the age of 42 from a brain hemorrhage. Then, after more than two years of work, the ongoing turmoil at MGM causes director Guillermo del Toro call it quits on the film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit”. A question lingers over whether Peter Jackson will step in to helm the film himself?
Meanwhile, the Hollywood Reporter, one of the industry’s big trade papers, left many mouths agape when they hired former Us Weekly editor Janice Min to transform the film into a broader weekly publication.
Maybe not such a surprise was the tepid box office results over the North American Memorial Day Weekend. Customarily the start of the summer blockbuster season, this year audiences stayed away from theaters, probably because they don’t find any of the new releases, including “Sex and The City 2” and “Prince of Persia” all that interesting. Another expected, though sad, turn of events was the passing of actor Dennis Hopper, who had been battling prostate cancer since last October.
Over in the music world, Germany’s Lena Meyer-Landrut won the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest with her catchy pop song “Satellite”. Hip-hop pop star M.I.A was also making news, though not necessarily in a good way. After the New York Times Magazine published a less than flattering profile of her she posted the writer’s phone number on Twitter claiming it was her own.
We go through a ton of entertainment headlines during Big Deal or Big Whoop this week including a casting update for the “X-Men” prequel, Megan Fox’s replacement on “Transformers 3”, Ellen DeGeneres’ new record label and the cancellation of “Ghost Whisperer”.
‘Different Strokes’ Star Gary Coleman Dies
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obit_gary_coleman
Actor/Director Dennis Hopper Dies At 74
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-hopper-20100530….
Guillermo Del Toro Leaves The Hobbit
http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/05/guillermo-del-toro-leaves-the-hobbit.html
Sir Peter Jackson Says He May Step In
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/national/3760135/Sir-Peter-Jackson….
The Karate Kid Update Breaks Down Some Chinese Walls
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-karatekid-20100530,0….
Germany Wins Eurovision Song Contest
http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/05/30/725243.aspx
Priests Become Hit Making Trinity In Brazil
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100529/music_nm/us_brazil
M.I.A.’s Agitprop Pop
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/magazine/30mia-t.html
Lynn Hirschberg’s Response To M.I.A. Tweet in which Hirschberg’s personal number was given out as if it were M.I.A.’s
http://www.observer.com/2010/media/lynn-hirschbergs-response-mia….
Disney Dumps SoapNet To Make Way For Kids Network
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64Q00T20100527
James McAvoy is Playing Professor X in “X-Men: First Class”
http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/05/james-mcavoy-playing-professor….
New Role for EllenDegeneres: Record Company Mogul
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/arts/television/27arts….
‘Nightline’ Hits Ratings Record With Jesse James Interview
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/26/nightline-hits-ratings….
Gorillaz To Replace U2 As Glastonbury Headliners
http://www.metro.co.uk/music/827949-gorillaz-to-replace-u2-as-glastonbury….
Model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley To Replace Megan Fox In ‘Transformers 3’
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1640047/20100526/story.jhtml
Michael Bay To Produce ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Relaunch
http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/platinum-dunes-steers-turtles-relaunch/
Luc Besson Invites Public To Co-Produce Next Film
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i79….
ABC Sends ‘Ghost Whisperer’ Into The Light
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/05/abc-sends-ghost….
Disney Exec’s Assistant Arrested For Insider Trading
http://www.cnbc.com/id/37356885
Hollywood Money Guru Ken Starr Arrested For Ponzi Scheme, Bilking Clients
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ifeb….
A Dramatic Makeover For The Hollywood Reporter
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/27/entertainment/la-et-janice-min….
Hollywood Reporter Hires Kim Masters
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/06/….
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