Archive: February 2009 (111-120 of 218)

Feb 13 2009 08:20 PM ET

Madonna nude photo sells for record price

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Categories: Music

The Associated Press reports that an explicit photo of Madonna was sold on Feb. 12 in NYC for $37,500 — a record for a picture of the singer. The black-and-white image — featuring full-frontal nudity — was taken in 1979, when a 20-year old Madonna responded to a newspaper ad for nude models. The photo, along with five others from the same session, appeared in Playboy in 1985.

Feb 13 2009 05:58 PM ET

Dan Brown's first novel since 'The Da Vinci Code' may be finished

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Categories: Books

Dan Brown has completed his long-awaited (and long-delayed) followup to the 2003 mega-best-seller The Da Vinci Code, according to a Reuters report on an interview that Da Vinci Code film director Ron Howard gave to Entertainment Tonight on Thursday. Suzanne Herz, a spokeswoman for Brown’s publisher, Doubleday, released a statement saying only that Brown "is making great progress" and that the publisher could not yet announce a title or publication date. Brown’s new book is the third featuring Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, who is played by Tom Hanks both in Howard’s 2006 film of The Da Vinci Code and in this May’s adaptation of Angels & Demons. The Da Vinci Code sold an estimated 70 million copies worldwide, so the prospect of Brown’s book heading to stores this year should give a boost to battered booksellers still reeling from one of the worst holiday sales seasons on record.

Feb 13 2009 12:22 PM ET

'Grey's Anatomy' creator: Heigl and Knight NOT leaving

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Categories: Television

People.com reports that Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes has officially stated that stars Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight are not leaving the ABC series. "That was a very interesting rumor," Rhimes reportedly said Thursday night at theNAACP Image Awards. "And it’s not true."Rhimes was addressing a widely reported comment co-star James Pickens Jr. made to US Weekly in which he said that both actors are indeed leaving the show. "That was absolutely taken out of context," Rhimes told People.com. "Things happen,and…I think rumors become fact very easily. And you know I don’tlike to tell you what’s going to happen on the show -– but that is a rumor." Pickens also spoke to People.com at the Image Awards, saying, "When the question was posed to me, I was more trying to congratulateKatie and T.R. on whatever they were going to do. But yeah, I don’thave any special info about it either way."

Feb 13 2009 11:34 AM ET

Demetri Martin's Comedy Central debut most-watched since 'Chappelle's Show'

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Categories: Television

The first verdict is in on comedian Demetri Martin: The comedian’s series, Important Things with Demetri Martin, debuted on Comedy Central Wednesday night and scored 2.4 million viewers for its efforts making it the most-watched series debut since Chappelle’s Show in 2003, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s James Hibberd.

Feb 13 2009 10:46 AM ET

'Men in Black' writer to tackle 'The Hardy Men'

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Categories: Movies

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Men in Black writer Ed Solomon will take on screenplay duties for The Hardy Men, a comic update on The Hardy Boys mysteries that has Ben Stiller and Tom Cruise attached to star as the grown-up brothers. Solomon is the latest in a series of writers who’ve worked on the project, including Mr & Mrs. Smith screenwriter Simon Kinberg.

Feb 13 2009 10:21 AM ET

Keri Russell to star opposite Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser

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Categories: Movies

Keri Russell has signed on to play Aileen Crowley a real-life mother of ailing children in an untitled drama for the new CBS Films, Variety reports. Brendan Fraser will play Crowley’s husband, and Harrison Ford will play the scientist who helps them search for the cure to the rare disease that has stricken their kids. The project is based on a Wall Street Journal article and nonfiction book called The Cure by Geeta Anand and will start filming in April.

Feb 13 2009 03:48 AM ET

NAACP Image Awards: 'The Secret Life of Bees' takes top prize

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Categories: Movies, Music, Television

The Secret Life of Bees won the prize for the best film of 2008 at the 40th annual NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday. Other big victors included Seven Pounds costars Will Smith and Rosario Dawson for best actor and best actress, Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) for best supporting actress, Columbus Short (Cadillac Records) for best supporting actor, and Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Secret Life of Bees) for best director. Oscar favorite Slumdog Millionaire won best independent film, while The Class won best foreign film.

Television series receiving honors included Grey’s Anatomy, E.R., CSI: New York, Private Practice, Girlfriends, and Tyler Perry’s House of Payne. In music, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce, and Jennifer Hudson were all winners.

Feb 13 2009 01:38 AM ET

Peter Gabriel won't sing at the Oscars

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Categories: Movies, Television

Peter Gabriel has opted out of performing at this year’s Academy Awards, according to Variety. Gabriel was booked to sing "Down to Earth," the nominated original song from WALL-E that he cowrote with composer Thomas Newman. But Oscar show producers Bill Condon and Laurence Mark are said to be cramming the song nominees into a medley format this year, which would have forced Gabriel to perform only one minute of his nearly six-minute tune. In response, Gabriel has simply declined to perform, although he still plans to attend the event.

Feb 13 2009 01:36 AM ET

'Anna Nicole Smith: The Opera'?

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Categories: Stage

Britain’s Royal Opera House is said to be working on a production based on the life of the late model and socialite Anna Nicole Smith, The Guardian reports. Richard Thomas, cowriter of Jerry Springer: The Opera, is penning the libretto now; the show should hit the stage in 2011.

Feb 12 2009 11:00 PM ET

Anne Hathaway to star in Central Park 'Twelfth Night'

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Categories: Stage

Anne Hathaway will star in the Public Theater’s production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in New York City’s Central Park this summer, the Associated Press reports. The Oscar-nominated actress (Rachel Getting Married) will play cross-dressing lovebird Viola in the comedy of mistaken identities, which is set to run from June 9 to July 12. Daniel Sullivan was named as director.

The Public Theater also announced plans to stage Euripides’ Greek tragedy The Bacchae in Central Park from Aug. 11 to Sep. 6.

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