This first 2 items come courtesy of WENN via The Internet Movie Database website:
Reservoir Dogs actor Chris Penn died accidentally from an enlarged heart and the effects of a combination of various medications, according to autopsy and toxicology tests. The Los Angeles coroner's office released a statement late Monday, confirming the reasons behind the shock death of Sean Penn's younger brother in his Santa Monica, California, apartment on January 24. The tests labeled the primary causes of death as "nonspecific cardiomyopathy" (an oversized heart) with the "effects of multiple medication intake." Chief coroner investigator Craig Harvey says, "There is absolutely no indication that this is anything but an accident. We know he had several prescriptions, including promethazine with codeine, which featured predominantly in his death. We don't know how much he ingested or when. There are a lot of 'what ifs' to be factored in." Chris, 40, starred in hit films Rush Hour, Starsky & Hutch, True Romance and The Funeral, for which he won the Volpi Cup at the 1996 Venice Film Festival.
To read what I had to say on the career and tragic death of Chris Penn at the time it happened, click here. So very sad.
Ben Affleck's forthcoming film on the death of TV Superman actor George Reeves has been renamed, following legal threats by the producer of the Superman movies. Affleck plays late actor Reeves in the Truth, Justice And The American Way, which has now been changed to Hollywoodland. Distributors Focus Features were forced to give up the original title after Warner Bros - who produces the Superman film franchise, including the upcoming Superman Returns - threatened to sue, as "Truth, Justice And The American Way" is Superman's slogan. Reeves, who played the Man Of Steel in the 1951 feature film Superman And The Mole-Men and the 1950s TV series Adventures Of Superman, died of a gunshot wound in June 1959. While the cause of his death was ruled suicide, friends and family suspected he may have been murdered. Hollywoodland, directed by Allen Coulter, also stars Adrien Brody, Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins, and hits US cinemas screens this year.
What's in a name anyway right? As someone who used to watch reruns of the classic series every weekday morning, before heading off to school, from ages 10-12, I am intrigued to see how Affleck does with the role here. The mystery that surrounds George Reeves death has always been one that offers more questions than answers. The film has a great supporting cast.
The next couple of items come courtesy Variety:
It seems that the casting problems that have plagued Casino Royale, the latest James Bond film, may be coming to an end. An article by Nicole LaPorte and Michael Fleming has the following details:
Though Sony [pictures] claims no casting will be announced, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson could use the occasion {of a press conference} to unveil its long-awaited supporting cast. But the studio, along with some of the talent's reps, claim nothing's been decided.
Even so, the producers are apparently deciding on a short list topped by Eva Green ("The Dreamers") and Olivia Wilde who had a steamy arc on "The OC" last season. The producers had earlier approached the likes of Charlize Theron, Thandie Newton and Kimberly Davies.
Even if the cast is not announced today, the villain role is expected to go to Danish thesp Mads Mikkelsen.
I was kinda hoping that Davies would be the next Bond Babe....As for Mikkelsen the only thing, I have seen him in is 2004's King Arthur. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens, but at least it sounds like they are gettin' close...
Speaking of getting close..It seems that many of the folks that worked on the 1998 thriller Wild Things may be working together on another steamy pic called Backstabbers. Chris Gardner writes:
[ Mandalay Pictures] has made a deal with "Wild Things" helmer John McNaughton to direct "Backstabbers," penned by Stephen Peters, who wrote the 1998 sexy thriller starring Denise Denise Richards, Neve Campbell, Matt Dillon and Kevin Bacon.
Richards and Campbell are in talks to reteam in "Backstabbers." Mandalay and producers are currently rounding out the rest of the {details}.
Story is described as a sexy caper about a rich New York man who masterminds his wife's kidnapping unaware that his mistress and bodyguard are going to double-cross him.
Wild Things is a great guilty pleasure. And although not a sequel, if the deal goes through Backstabbers should be pretty cool...
...I hate to end on a sad note, but as I was writing about the last news item, I heard that character actor Andreas Katsulas passed away on Monday of this week at age of 59, after battling lung cancer. You may not instantly recognize the name, but his work was unmistakable. I first saw him in a few episodes of TV's "Star Trek: The Next Generation" , like The Enemy, The Defector, Future Imperfect, and the series finale All Good Things as Commander Tomalak.
He would go on to join another TV space saga with a regular stint Babylon 5 as G'kar. He also appeared on other episodic television shows such as "NYPD Blue" and"Millennium" .
His films include Hot Shots! Part Deux, the highly underrated thriller Someone to Watch Over Me and The Fugitive, where he made quite an impact as the infamous "one armed man"
Gone but far from forgetten...Be sure to visit The Official Andreas Katsulas Website for more info.
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