HIGH TIDE
My Big Fat Greek Wedding once again had to settle for bridesmaid status at the box office. In its 21st week of release, the sleeper smash maintained its No. 2 ranking with $10.6 million, behind teen thriller Swimfan, which opened at No. 1 with $12.4 million. Don't feel too sorry for the folks behind the indie success story: Although it has yet to reach first place, the romantic comedy is just $4 million shy of hitting the $100 million mark. Not bad for a movie that cost just $5 million to make. The Robert De Niro-Frances McDormand drama City by the Sea, meanwhile, debuted in third place with $9.1 million. Rounding out the top five: Signs (No. 4 with $8 million) and XXX (No. 5 with $5.5 million). |
WE'VE COME A LONG WAY
Thursday's episode of UPN's WWE Smackdown will feature a gay wedding between tag-team he-men Billy and Chuck. According to Variety, Smackdown writers — who have gradually set the stage for the nuptials over the past few months by scripting long hugs between Billy and Chuck after a victory — will have the duo exchange vows right before they go at it against a pair of rivals. A show rep, however, reminds us that Billy and Chuck's alter egos — Monty Sopp and Chuck Palumbo — are strictly hetero in real life. Phew! |
LEWIS HOSPITALIZED
Comic legend Jerry Lewis had to drop out of a London charity performance Sunday night for health reasons. The 76-year-old is suffering from pulmonary fibrosis. In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Lewis said the pain had become so unbearable that he contemplated suicide. "In April it got so bad that it forced me to get a gun and seriously think about putting it in my mouth," he said. At his annual telethon last week, Lewis appeared bloated — a side effect of his steroid treatments. |
LIGHTFOOT HOSPITALIZED
Folk singer Gordon Lightfoot, best known for his hit "If You Could Read My Mind," was hospitalized Saturday in Ontario with an undisclosed ailment. The 63-year-old — who was scheduled to perform later that night — had been complaining of stomach pains. |
IT'S AN EXPENSIVE WORLD AFTER ALL
Mickey Mouse's fee just went up. The price for an adult single-day ticket to any of Disney's four Florida theme parks was raised $2 on Sunday to $50 — and that's before taxes. Disney last hiked its prices in January 2001. |
SMELLS LIKE A RAW DEAL
An Oregon couple are auctioning off late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's childhood home on eBay. Ed and Jennifer McKee — who bought the Oregon City crib last month for $42,500 — have set an opening bid of $200,000. The auction ends Sept. 15. |
GOING THEIR SEPARATE WAYS
Citing irreconcilable differences, the wife of Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton has filed for divorce after 13 years of marriage. According to court papers, Anne Marie Martin Crichton has lived apart from her hubby since August 2001. |
EMMY FEVER HEATS UP
NBC is rolling out the red carpet for this year's Emmy ceremony. The Peacock network is leading into the Sept. 22 ceremony with a pre-Emmy show hosted by Today's Katie Couric and Matt Lauer (7-8 pm/ET). After the kudocast (and following your local news), Access Hollywood talking heads Pat O'Brien and Nancy O'Dell will anchor Backstage Access. |
SHORT CUTS
The Cartoon Network has snapped up rerun rights to Fox's Futurama... Fashion-challenged hip-hopper Lil' Kim will star in the the upcoming urban Western Guns and Roses... Austin Powers sidekick Verne Troyer had his appendix removed last week... Madonna's Maverick Films is developing a TV movie for VH1 titled How to be the Perfect Latino Popstar. |
WE CAN DREAM, CAN'T WE?
A Fox spokesman is downplaying rumors that American Idol co-host Brian Dunkleman won't be back for the show's upcoming second season. "You can't believe any rumors about AI2 yet," says the rep, "because no decisions have been made about anything." |
FEST BEST
Julianne Moore was named best actress for her role as a '50s housewife in Far From Heaven Sunday at the Venice International Film Festival. Winning best film honors was the controversial convent drama The Magdalene Sisters. |
FAR OUT
In a shocking move, Sci Fi Channel has pulled the plug on its critically acclaimed drama Farscape. The show's forth season — the second of which launches in January — will be its last. "There are no bigger fans of Farscape than we here at Sci Fi Channel," the network said in a press release. "It was one of Sci Fi's first original series and quickly became a critical and fan favorite. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to reach a broader audience, Farscape has been unable to grow beyond its core fan-base. That, coupled with the extreme and growing cost of production, has led to the difficult decision to end the series at the conclusion of season four." Naturally, the show's loyal fans are already spearheading "Save Farscape" campaigns. |
