PR-Inside.com Entertainment News

STEVEN SPIELBERG’s DreamWorks Studios is to restart production on a host of new movies after landing a $825 million ($550 million) cash injection to fund future ventures.
The studio’s future looked bleak after it ended its partnership with Hollywood giant Paramount in 2008, which left it owing the company around $30 million (£20 million) for the rights to a number of upcoming projects.
Spielberg, who is a partner in DreamWorks Studios, was forced to use $13 million (£8.7 million) of his own money so the studio could keep the catalogue of movies it had in the works.
But after a string of lucrative backers, including Indian conglomerate Reliance and a new distribution deal with Disney, DreamWorks is back in business.
In a statement, the company’s partners explain, "With this financing, DreamWorks will eventually make five to six films per year. DreamWorks anticipates starting its first film for the new studio later this year. They have been actively acquiring properties and developing projects for release in 2010." "The Walt Disney Company, Disney will handle marketing and distribution of the studio’s films around the world, except for India where Reliance subsidiary Reliance BIG Entertainment will retain distribution rights." DreamWorks biggest hits include Shrek 2, Dreamgirls, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

THE GOLDEN COMPASS author PHILIP PULLMAN has vowed to stop undertaking school visits in Britain - because of the U.K. government’s "sinister" new laws to ensure adults entering classroom are not paedophiles.
The writer, whose His Dark Materials debut was transformed into a blockbuster starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, regularly visits schools across the U.K. to encourage young people to take up creative writing.
But due to new laws set down by Britain’s government, anybody who wishes to make school visits must pay $96 (£64) to sign up to a vetting list to ensure they are not on the child abusers register.
And Pullman, along with legendary illustrator Quentin Blake, has threatened to boycott all schools over the new system - insisting it makes youngsters view every adult as a potential threat.
He tells BBC Radio 4, "Why should I have to pay £64 to a government agency to give me a little certificate to say that I am not a paedophile? "It’s actually rather dispiriting and sinister. It’s the assumption that anyone who comes into contact with children for any reason whatsoever is up to no good and likely to be a rapist or a murderer and has to be checked out in advance to show that they’re not.
"It will encourage children to believe that no adult will ever approach them other than to prey on them or do them harm."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

JAWS star RICHARD DREYFUSS has dismissed a lawsuit against his father and son after he accused the pair of failing to pay back a loan.
The actor initially filed suit in Los Angeles last year (08), claiming the family members owed him a whopping $870,000 (£580,000).
He then amended the lawsuit in December 2008 claiming that there is further financial wrongdoing in relation to the case, and demanded the pair pay back $4 million (£2.6 million) in total.
But, according to Los Angeles court records, Dreyfuss asked for a case dismissal in June (09).
It is not known if there was a financial settlement between the warring sides, but documents state Dreyfuss is at liberty to refile the case if he so wishes.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Bosses at soda giant Pepsi are baffled as to how previously unseen footage of MICHAEL JACKSON’s hair setting on fire during a 1984 commercial has been leaked into the public arena.
The shocking video of the Thriller hitmaker’s Pepsi ad was leaked onto the internet earlier this week (begs12Jul09) and has caused a stir around the world.
In the video, the singer can be seen appearing on-stage as pyrotechnics explode, with the sparks from the fireworks setting Jackson’s hair alight.
The late superstar continues to sing and dance for seconds, unaware his head is engulfed in flames, before stagehands leap on him and extinguish the blaze.
The incident left Jackson with second and third-degree burns on his scalp and body. He required a series of operations, and was left in severe pain.
And Pepsi executives can’t believe the footage has now been leaked following the star’s untimely demise - insisting they don’t understand why anybody would want to watch such grisly footage.
Pepsi spokeswoman Nicole Bradley says in a statement, "We don’t know how the footage became available. Twenty-five years later, we’d question why anyone would want to share such frightening images. It was a terrifying event that we’ll never forget. We were grateful for Michael’s recovery and for the chance to continue working with him on a number of successful projects.
"As for Michael as an artist, his music helped us define a generation and, like everyone else, we’re deeply saddened by his passing." But Bradley admits the company is helpless to try and retract the footage - claiming it is not known who the video belongs to.
She explains, "We don’t know what that footage is. It’s 25 years ago. We don’t know who owns it, so we have no recourse as far as I know. I can only tell you what I know. We didn’t put it up and we don’t know where it came from." It has been claimed painkillers prescribed to Jackson after the accident kick-started his addiction to strong medication, and the damage to his scalp explains rumours he was completely bald at the time of his death last month (Jun09) from a cardiac arrest.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

The results of MICHAEL JACKSON’s autopsy have been delayed, after the Los Angeles County coroner’s office admitted compiling the complete report is taking longer than expected.
The L.A. coroner’s office initially expected the results of the King of Pop’s autopsy to be ready to release at the end of this week (ends19Jul09) .
But assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter has explained it could take up to another two weeks for the report to be completed, insisting it is taking much longer than the office first thought.
The results of the autopsy, especially the toxicology report, will play an integral part in the police investigation into Jackson’s death, as it will determine which drugs were in the singer’s system at the time of his death on 25 June (09).
Once it is known which drugs were in his body, police can then decide whether or not criminal charges will be brought against the people involved in prescribing the medication.
It has been heavily speculated that an addiction to strong prescription drugs was the reason behind the Thriller star’s fatal cardiac arrest.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Pop beauty SHAKIRA is putting pressure on her fiance ANTONIO DE LA RUA to start a family, revealing she "really wants to reproduce".
The couple has been dating for nine years, and the Colombian star insists she’s ready for babies.
Shakira says, "I am so ready. I really would like to have a big belly, to walk around with my big belly.� However, the singer insists pregnancy will have to wait a little while - until she has a clear schedule, adding, �I can�t bring a little wolf right now to the world in the middle of so many projects. Maybe next year after the tour, who knows?�

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Colombian pop star SHAKIRA has an alter-ego she transforms into when she takes to the stage.
Taking inspiration from Beyonce’s performing identity Sasha Fierce, Shakira insists She-Wolf helps her capture the passion and energy she needs to wow her fans.
The singer reveals, "It’s like a more animalistic side of you, a more primitive side â�¦ an animal person in a way. So when you understand these things you forgive yourself every time you screw up, you say, ‘It wasn’t me, that was the She-Wolf â�¦ that was the animal in me, that wasn’t me, I have nothing to do with that."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Movie icon SOPHIA LOREN was recognised as one of Italy’s most famous daughters on Thursday (16Jul09) - when part of a street in Venice was named in her honour.
The Sixties sex symbol already has a road named after her - thousands of miles away in Toronto, Canada - but the 74 year old Oscar winner has officially been immortalised in her native country.
Loren, the star of movies such as Two Women and Marriage Italian-Style, was chosen as the 2009 honouree for the area in the Adriatic resort of Jesolo known as the Seafront of the Stars.
And she is overjoyed at the honour: "I’ve already left my handprint in Los Angeles, but it wasn’t Italy and there weren’t Italians around me.
"This is very emotional for me and very important. I hope that when people cross this street they will send me a kiss: it’s a street as beautiful as a cinema set."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

DEBBIE ROWE has filed a defamation lawsuit against the woman she allegedly emailed stating she was only fighting for custody of her two children with MICHAEL JACKSON to avoid ruining her reputation.
Rowe’s alleged confidante Rebecca White claimed to have received an email from Jackson’s ex earlier this month (Jul09), indicating she had no intention of fighting for custody of the eldest two kids, but felt she had to because of the level of public interest.
In one email Rowe was purported to have wrote, "My lawyer is telling me I have to take some responsibility about the welfare of the children. Do I want the kids? Hell no. Does it look good for me to ask for them? Absolutely." White has told several media outlets that Rowe only launched a battle to gain custody of her two biological children with Jackson - Prince Michael, 12, and Paris, 11 - to save face and get her hands on some of Jackson’s cash.
White told the New York Post, "The motivation is money. I really have to be honest… If the children aren’t the ones she wants, what else will she gain from it?" Rowe immediately hit out at the allegations, and threatened White with legal action, with a statement from her legal team saying, "Our firm has sent Ms. White a letter disputing the truth of her statements and demanding that she make retraction in order to avoid legal action." However, White failed to retract her comments, and pushed her allegations further by appearing on U.S. news show Extra on Wednesday (16Jul09) to talk about the alleged emails once again.
And Rowe’s lawyers have kept to their word - filing suit in Los Angeles on Thursday (17Jul09), suing White for defamation, according to TMZ.com.
In the lawsuit, Rowe insists the emails are fake.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

GERARD BUTLER has hit out at the media for portraying him as a Hollywood playboy, following new reports he’s romancing his latest co-star JENNIFER ANISTON.
Speculation that The Bounty co-stars were a real-life item reached fever pitch after they were spotted arm-in-arm on a romantic stroll on a Los Angeles beach.
But the rumours have infuriated the hunky Scot - branding the press’ coverage of their ‘romance’ ridiculous.
He says, "That is just annoying. People say I’m always dating so and so, and sometimes it’s three people in one day. I’m trying to make movies, work hard and do my best. Then this kind of thing happens and people start to associate me more with that. It gets ridiculous." Butler does admit he is having the time of his life shooting the movie, adding, "I’m in New York right now filming and I’m in heaven. I can’t always say that about movies, but to be filming this romantic comedy with Jennifer and a story that made my side split when I read it - I’m lucky. I’m happy as a pig in s**t, as they say."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Emmy Awards bosses tricked double-nominee CHANDRA WILSON into believing she’d been left off this year’s (09) shortlist.
The Grey’s Anatomy star’s name was omitted from a rundown of nominees she was shown before taking to the stage to announce the 2009 candidates on Thursday (16Jul09).
So she was stunned when she discovered she’d picked up two nods for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama for Grey’s Anatomy and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for Accidental Friendship.
A shocked Wilson tells People.com, "We did the rehearsal ahead of time and went down the teleprompter three times. My name wasnâ��t there, so I was like, ‘Cool.’ "I’d been completely duped."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

ERIC MCCORMACK was devastated when TV drama TRUST ME was axed - and only agreed to a role in new comedy show BLIND JUSTICE so he could keep working.
After making his name as one half of long-running sitcom duo Will & Grace, McCormack was thrilled to land a role as a scheming advertising executive in the TNT network show.
The series was axed in April (09) after just one season because of poor ratings - and the actor quickly picked up a role in medical comedy Blind Justice.
But he admits he was reluctant to return to comedy so soon after Will & Grace.
McCormack says, "I wasn’t really thinking of heading back into sitcoms. I wanted Trust Me to work."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

DENISE RICHARDS regularly checks into hotels for secret no-strings-attached sex sessions with male friends.
The actress has been single since her split from ex-husband Charlie Sheen, preferring to get her kicks from rendezvous with "friends with benefits".
She tells U.S. tabloid Globe, "You don’t want to bring them home to your house, but I have certain needs. Friends with benefits are awesome. I used to be like, ‘Oh no, you have to be in a relationship.’ But after going through a divorce, I’m like, ‘Life is short, I wanna have a good time.’"

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)