I have just learned that Jennifer Lopez is having second thoughts about accepting a starring role in the upcoming motion picture version of the TV series Dallas — so much so that she just changed talent agencies. The rumor spread around Hollywood Friday that J-Lo was leaving ICM and hiring the William Morris Agency. Now I’ve found out why: the actress and her managers at The Firm believe that her appearing in the remake of the oldie-but-goodie primetime soap is a “bad move’ for her acting career. It’ll be interesting to see if J-Lo tries to un-entangle herself from the project, which is still in pre-production. Latest reports had Lopez accepting the juicy role of Sue-Ellen and John Travolta playing her husband JR. Lopez will be repped by WMA in all areas, including her music career. J-Lo has a recent history of changing talent agencies (and managers) as often as she changes outfits. (This was her third time at ICM; she’s been at Endeavor and CAA, too.) She’s the second major Hollywood actress in a week to leave an agency: as I reported the other day, Exclusive: Angelina Jolie Fires CAA!
EXCLUSIVE: J-Lo Has 2nd Thoughts about “Dallas” — And Swaps Talent Agencies
EXCLUSIVE: Moonves Manhandles “Reba”
So CBS thinks Reba McEntire is good enough to host the Academy of Country Music Awards live on May 23rd. (It’s her 8th time.) But CBS’ Les Moonves doesn’t think the 51-year-old actress-singer’s show Reba is good enough for his new CW netlet — even though it’s the highest-rated sitcom on the WB. (Background, see my … Read More »
Suspended LAT Columnist to Probe Sports
No one has been following the really sad Michael Hiltzik/Los Angeles Times saga more closely, and more accurately, than Kevin Roderick at LAobserved.com. In a nutshell, the paper determined that Hiltzik violated its ethics rules, and stripped him of both his blog and his Golden State column. … Read More »
NYT on Ron Meyer/Pellicano Friendship
So tomorrow The New York Times‘ Pellicano probers focus on Universal Studios prez/COO Ron Meyer in their latest article. Not any wrongdoing by him, mind you, just his friendship and visits in prison with Anthony … Read More »
Will MI3 Withstand Tom Cruise Cooling? Or Da Vinci Code Faint From Vatican Heat?
Two major Hollywood movies that help kick-off the summer silliness are shaping up as referenda more than recreation. That’s because the opening box office numbers for Mission Impossible 3 will gauge Tom Cruise’s viability given all that bad press he’s getting (most of it his doing). Meanwhile, today, the Vatican … Read More »
Growing Fallout From VF/Pellicano Article
There’s growing fallout from Vanity Fair‘s upcoming June issue article, and it’s not good for the mag. Given what I reported yesterday about Pellicano’s ex-wife … Read More »
EXCLUSIVE: Angelina Jolie Fires CAA!
I have just learned that Angelina Jolie has fired her talent agency CAA after 13 months there. This is a huge loss, the biggest in quite some time for that agency which has a history of keeping its marquee clients in the fold. Oscar-winner Jolie right now is inarguably the top actress … Read More »
EXCLUSIVE: Kat Pellicano vs Vanity Fair
Kat Pellicano, Anthony’s ex-wife who spent nearly 20 years together with the imprisoned P.I. and is the mother of his four children, has given me this exclusive statement to release today about the upcoming Vanity Fair June issue article … Read More »
Hanks Writes Well (who knew?); His Movie Da Vinci Code Tracks Huge
I know what you’re thinking: that Tom Hanks probably had his publicist or a Nobel Prize winner pen today’s literate ode in The New York Times to his makeup artist of 19 years Dan Striepeke … Read More »
EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Attorney’s Office Informs VF Writer of Pellicano Threat
Vanity Fair informed me this morning, in response to my questions on another matter, that last week the magazine’s contributing editor John Connolly “heard from the U.S. Attorney’s office who told him that they were obligated to inform him that Anthony Pellicano had threatened his safety.” Connolly has written several articles … Read More »
UPDATED: “Studio Prez” Unnamed by VF/Pellicano Is Ron Meyer
I’ve just learned the name of the “studio president” not identified by Vanity Fair who contributed money to an effort to raise $$$ for Pellicano’s kids when Pellicano was arrested in November 2002 — even … Read More »
Finke/LA Weekly: Moonves Kidnaps CW
My latest column is headlined Screwing The TV Viewers: The CW network is the bastard child of The WB and UPN. To tease you, here’s some of my scoop: How Les Moonves kidnapped The CW, won a … Read More »
Finke/LA Weekly: CW Screws Underserved TV Audiences
My latest column is headlined Screwing The TV Viewers: The CW network is the bastard child of The WB and UPN. Here’s what I say about CW programming: … Read More »
Finke/LA Weekly: Orgasmic Over Les?
My latest column is headlined Screwing The TV Viewers: The CW network is the bastard child of The WB and UPN. Here’s what I say about TV execs:
“Everyone loves Les. Fortune just sucked … Read More »
Pellicano Prosecutor Nixes Press Profiles & Probes NYT Leaks
So everyone and their mother wants to do a profile on the Pellicano prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Saunders. But I’m told he won’t even cooperate with the legal paper Daily Journal, and they profile judges, for chrissakes. I’ve also learned he doesn’t even have an official bio ready. … Read More »
Sneak Peek at New VF Pellicano Article: Juicy Stories About Grey, Ovitz, Fields
I woke up at 6:30 AM to find an advance copy of the latest Vanity Fair Pellicano article in my email. It’s juicy! So I began posting about it right away to give you a sneak peek. By special correspondent Bryan Burrough and contributing … Read More »
VF: Pellicano’s Wiretap War Room: “We Could Do Anything We Wanted To You”
In a series of interviews with Vanity Fair, Tarita Virtue, Pellicano’s former executive vice president, describes in detail what has been called “the secret heart of Pellicano’s business,” a small, locked office that held his elaborate wiretapping set-up that he referred to as the “War Room.” Virtue says that … Read More »
VF: IRS Debt Almost Shut Down Pellicano
Pellicano feared he might lose his business after he received $2 million from Michael Jackson (as well as a Mercedes) for spearheading his defense against that molestation charge in the early 90s. After Pellicano reported only $1 million of the payment to the I.R.S. as a loan, he received … Read More »
VF: “310″ Easiest Wiretap for Pellicano
Vanity Fair reports that Pellicano’s operation had one drawback: the Macs could receive wiretap recordings only from their own 310 area code. To tap phones in the 323, 213, 626, and 818 area codes, Pellicano had to rent an apartment in each area code where he could stash a … Read More »