Valenti Dies; Gere's Kiss Causes Controversy
Howard, Hanks Back Together?
May 2007 News
Former MPAA head dies: Jack Valenti (left) died April 26 at the age of 85. Valenti headed the Motion Picture Association of America for 38 years, and is best known for instituting the movie ratings system. He had been hospitalized in March after suffering a stroke.
Gere's kiss leads to arrest warrant: A kiss isn't just a kiss to hard-line Hindu groups protesting Richard Gere's impromptu buss and embrace of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. The two were at an AIDS event April 16 when Gere, as he said later, tried to parody a move from Shall We Dance. A judge in Jaipur issued warrants for Gere's and Shetty's arrests, charging that they had violated obscenity laws. Effigies of Gere were burned in several Indian cities the next day. Gere apologized, and expressed confidence that the obscenity charges would be thrown out.
Goodman slapped with Pope Joan suit: Also landing in legal trouble was John Goodman, who is being sued for $3 million by a German film company. Constantin Film alleges that Goodman agreed verbally to star in Pope Joan, with shooting to start in May; according to the suit, the actor's representatives notified the company in March that he was dropping out of the project. Constantin wants $3 million in damages, for having to push back production; Goodman's publicist says there were talks about the film, but insists Goodman never signed the dotted line, literally or figuratively.
Spider-Man the musical?: The webslinger may someday come to a stage near you. Marvel Studios is coordinating an attempt to translate the Spider-Man franchise into theater. Julie Taymor is on board to direct; U2's Bono and the Edge will do music and lyrics. Maybe Tobey Maguire, who said recently he isn't sure he would sign on for a fourth installment, would relish the challenge of a singing, dancing Spidey.
Da Vinci Redux: Ron Howard and Tom Hanks were in talks for the film adaptation of Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, sources told the Hollywood Reporter. If this happens (and this critic hopes it won't), the duo would reprise their roles as director and actor from 2006's The Da Vinci Code.
In memoriam: Director Bob Clark and his son were killed by a drunk driver April 4. Clark (A Christmas Story) was 67, his son 22. And actress Kitty Carlisle Hart (A Night at the Opera) died April 18 at age 96.
