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A stuntman working on an INDIANA JONES attraction at a Florida theme park has been killed in a freak accident while rehearsing a scene for the spectacular show.
According to a spokeswoman for Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida, the performer was hurt doing a tumbling roll during a practice run for the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular - which reenacts scenes from George Lucas’ blockbuster franchise.
The stuntman, whose name has not been released, was taken to a local hospital where he passed away on Monday (17Aug09).
Park officials have cancelled the scheduled performance on Tuesday (18Aug09) out of respect for the cast member.
Hollywood actor Harrison Ford has most famously played the adventurer over the decades, introducing the character to moviegoers in Lucas’ 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark.

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Basketball legend SHAQUILLE O’NEAL is facing a court battle over his new SHAQ VS. sports show - an author has accused entertainment bosses of stealing his idea.
The iconic athlete is gearing up to launch his latest project on American TV, in which he will take on his rival sporting peers at their own game.
He has set up a swimming battle against Olympic athlete Michael Phelps, a boxing bout against former world champion Oscar De La Hoya and a tennis game with Serena Williams.
But the show is in jeopardy following allegations from author Todd Gallagher, who claims bosses at his talent agency, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, agreed to turn his book, Andy Roddick Beat Me with a Frying Pan, into a TV show last year (08).
Gallagher alleges he was then cut out of the project which went ahead with another William Morris client - O’Neal.
The writer’s legal team have written to executives at William Morris claiming they "intentionally cut him out… creatively and financially" and are requesting a meeting for a possible settlement discussion, according to TMZ.com.
The website reports that Gallagher’s lawyers have threatened to file a lawsuit if the meeting doesn’t happen before O’Neal’s show is aired on 18 August (09).

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Bollywood legend SHAHRUKH KHAN has hit back at reports his run-in with U.S. immigration officials was a publicity stunt for his latest movie MY NAME IS KHAN.
The Indian superstar was reportedly detained after he jetted into Newark Airport, New Jersey on Saturday (15Aug09).
Khan was allegedly frisked and kept waiting for hours in the airport while authorities checked his visas and reasons for visiting America.
After his release, Khan, who was in the U.S. as part of celebrations for India’s Independence Day, hit out at the airport interrogation - insisting he was singled out because of his last name.
He told reporters, "(Khan) is a Muslim name and I think the name is common on their checklist." But the actor has been forced to refute online gossips’ claims he only made the incident public knowledge because he has a new film to promote - which bizarrely deals with racial profiling in the U.S. following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
He told a press conference in Mumbai, India, "It’s not a publicity stunt. It’s not about my upcoming movie. I know that the media has made it an issue." Khan insisted he had "no problem with what happened," and tried to calm down the media storm surrounding the incident by joking, "Next time when Angelina Jolie is here, give me the chance to frisk her."

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Official MICHAEL JACKSON merchandise is set to line store shelves after the King Of Pop’s mother withdrew her initial objections to the deal.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff approved the contract with souvenir company Bravado International in a court hearing on Monday (17Aug09) after speaking to attorneys for Katherine Jackson, estate executors John Branca and John McClain as well as a lawyer representing the singer’s three young children.
The official had previously delayed the ruling after Katherine’s legal team raised concerns about plans to immortalise Jackson in a range of products branded with his name and image.
But the objections were withdrawn, paving the way for the sale of tribute products, which will include everything from Jackson trading cards to clothing.
However, Beckloff is postponing a ruling on a global museum show of Jackson memorabilia over Katherine’s fears about splitting proceeds with AEG Live, the concert promoters behind the singer’s ill-fated comeback concerts.
Branca and McClain want to display the items in three as yet unnamed cities around the world.
A decision on the exhibition will be made on Friday (21Aug09).

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MICHAEL JACKSON’s mother is considering filing a wrongful death lawsuit to avenge her son - and the singer’s personal physician is a likely defendant, according to her lawyer.
Police investigating Jackson’s 25 June (09) death are considering charging Dr Conrad Murray with manslaughter amid reports the personal physician injected the superstar with a deadly shot of powerful anaesthetic Propofol.
Now Katherine, 79, is looking to sue Murray over his alleged involvement in the singer’s demise.
Attorney Burt Levitch says, "The possibility of a wrongful death action has been floated. In that regard, no decision has been finalised… Dr Murray’s name has been floated because he is under investigation." Levitch declined to confirm whether concert promoters AEG Live, who were overseeing Jackson’s This Is It shows, might be targeted, but added: "It’s fairly obvious from press accounts that AEG had a very active role in Michael’s life for the last six months. They paid for his home and for Dr Conrad Murray." Miranda Sevcik, publicist for Murray’s attorney Edward Chernoff, maintains Levitch’s comments do not necessarily mean a court case "is imminent".
Sevcik adds, "Whether or not the Jackson family decides to proceed with a civil suit is up to them."

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JENNIFER GARNER never thought she would grow up to become a Hollywood actress - her childhood dream was to work in a library.
The 37 year old was an avid reader during her early years in her native West Virginia and Garner always assumed she would take her love of literature on into her profession.
But after discovering drama while she was at university, she dropped her bookish dreams to try her luck as an actress.
She tells Oprah Winfrey’s O magazine, "As a kid in West Virginia, I had a very rich imaginary world. And my dream was to grow up to be a librarian, because I had a librarian named Mrs. McCann who I thought was the most magical woman on the planet. She used to publish little versions of my stories, typing them on manila folders and illustrating them with pictures of me and my teddy bear!"

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Rapper DRAKE is preparing to undergo knee surgery after injuring himself on stage last month (Jul09).
The rising star tore an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee in June (09) while playing basketball, but he defied doctors’ orders by hitting the stage as part of Lil Wayne’s Young Money Presents America’s Most Wanted Music Festival tour last month (Jul09).
His performance in New Jersey on 31 July (09) ended in disaster when Drake’s knee gave way, causing him to collapse onstage.
He was reported to have undergone surgery earlier this month (02Aug09) to repair damage to a second torn ligament - but he has now told fans he’ll go under the knife in September (09) for the procedure.
He wrote on his Twitter.com blog, "In the studio… working on (upcoming album) Thank Me Later… magic. Surgery September 8th… Then we’re back in business." Speaking about his stage injury, Drake recently told MTV News, "The stride that I had, I planted with my right and I had a brace on. I would say it was borderline more painful than the initial tear. It was bad. It buckled, popped. I was down. I remember slapping the ground. I couldn’t believe it. I saw the lights coming down. (And I was thinking) ‘Did I just fall?’ I was in so much pain then that I didn’t care at the time."

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ASHLEE SIMPSON-WENTZ has waged war on blogger PEREZ HILTON after he published a story alleging she started a drunken fight with her husband PETE WENTZ.
The gossip-monger reported on Sunday (16Aug09) that the pop star was involved in a public argument with the Fall Out Boy bassist at the one-year anniversary of his Chicago, Illinois bar, Angels & Kings.
Hilton cited multiple witnesses who informed him that Simpson-Wentz had been "completely wasted" when she approached her husband at the DJ booth, forcing him to leave his party.
In the entry, Hilton also asked, "Are they on the brink of divorce?" But the 24 year old refused to allow the reports to go unaddressed, taking to her Twitter.com page to blast Hilton.
The singer first proved her affection for her husband by writing a personal message to him: "I had so much fun with ur (your) parents last night. Thanx (sic) for dedicating the DJ set to me. Love you more magic. I miss u (sic) already." She then directed notes at Hilton, ranting: "When all you do is make up untrue stories - look in the mirror. Do you even feel human? Karma is a b**ch. Your story is WAY off." Hilton then fired back his own defence, insisting, "I don’t wanna (sic) name names and get people fired but several of the people I spoke with work at Angels & Kings. I’m not wrong." But the singer had the last word in the matter, replying, "WRONG. My husband is an amazing DJ and was dedicating songs to me. We were just havin (sic) fun. Our love is amazing. Get ur (your) own life."

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Former GUNS N’ ROSES rocker SLASH will have to wait a bit longer to find out whether his longrunning lawsuit against a Hollywood realtor will be heard by a jury - a judge has asked for more time to make a decision.
The Velvet Revolver guitarist - real name Saul Hudson - and his wife Perla filed suit against real estate agent Gregory Holcomb, of Sotheby’s International Realty, in 2007 alleging he misrepresented the Los Angeles property they bought in 2006.
The couple claims he gave them the impression it was bigger and more guest-friendly than it turned out to be.
The pair subsequently sold the house and is now battling it out in court to recover more than $500,000 (£312,500) they lost in the deal.
The couple’s lawyers attended a hearing in L.A. on Monday (18Aug09) expecting to hear whether they would be granted a jury trial in the matter, but Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana delayed the case and asked for more time to make a ruling.
The case is expected to go back to court next month (Sep09).
The Hudsons are seeking more than $1 million (£714,000) in damages.

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LIL WAYNE fans were left stunned on Monday (17Aug09) after his show in Canada was cancelled hours before it was due to take place.
Lil Wayne was scheduled to take the stage in Vancouver with hip-hop stars Young Jeezy and Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em as part of the Lil Wayne’s Young Money Presents: America’s Most Wanted Music Festival tour.
But concert promoters announced on Monday afternoon that the show had been called off.
A news release read, "The Lil Wayne show has been cancelled due to circumstances beyond Live Nation’s control." The statement went on to confirm ticket-holders would be refunded for their purchase.
A message posted on a Live Nation Twitter.com page indicated that Lil Wayne’s show on Tuesday (18Aug09) in Edmonton, Canada had also been cancelled "due to unforeseen circumstances out of our control".

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Hollywood funnyman JACK BLACK thrilled clubbers in London on Saturday (15Aug09) by taking the stage at a karaoke night and belting out his favourite tunes.
The King Kong star - who also fronts rock band Tenacious D - made an appearance at hip venue Jalouse in the British capital with his castmates and crew from upcoming movie Gulliver’s Travels as they celebrated the end of production.
Black was quick to hijack the club’s karaoke machine, taking the stage with a rendition of War Pigs by Black Sabbath.
He then pulled his wife, Tanya Haden, up to sing Michael Jackson’s Beat It.
A source tells British newspaper the Evening Standard, "The crowd loved it - they went absolutely crazy and he put on a real show, as you’d expect from Jack. Most people could have watched him all night, but he didn’t hog the mic and graciously stepped aside for everyone else to have a go."

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Former child star VIRGINIA DAVIS, known as WALT DISNEY’s first movie star, has died. She was 90 years old.
The actress passed away of natural causes on Saturday (15Aug09) at her home in Corona, California.
Davis was just four years old when she was hired by struggling filmmaker Disney in 1923 to star in Alice’s Wonderland, becoming the first actress to take the title role in his pioneering Alice silent movies.
She went on to star in 13 Alice comedies before her contract was dropped and she was replaced by other girls.
Davis also appeared in films like 1932’s Three On A Match before finding work as an interior decorator and magazine editor later in life.

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STEVEN SPIELBERG is set to resume his moviemaking career after one of India’s wealthiest men agreed to finance his film company.
The director’s DreamWorks studios has secured $875 million ($583 million) in financial backing after inking a deal with billionaire Anil Ambani, chairman of India’s Reliance BIG Entertainment. The money has also come from an agreement with Walt Disney Co. and bank loans.
The Jurassic Park filmmaker and his partner Stacey Snider began a search for investors last year (08) after Spielberg cut ties with Paramount Pictures in a bid to rebuild DreamWorks as an independent studio.
The deal, which was finalised on Monday (17Aug09), will give Reliance the right to distribute and market six DreamWorks films in India every year, while Disney will do so in other countries.
In a joint statement, Spielberg and Snider said, "This will allow us to move ahead quickly into production with our first group of films." Ambani has spent 2009 putting funds into a number of Hollywood production firms, including those owned by actors Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Nicolas Cage and Jim Carrey.

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The producers of TERMINATOR SALVATION have launched legal action against an investment company for allegedly double-crossing them during talks to secure financing for the sci-fi film.
Moviemakers Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek filed suit against investment firm Pacifor LLC in Los Angeles on Monday (17Aug09), accusing a former employee of the hedge fund experts of posing as an independent financial consultant to ensure the producers used Pacifor to help them purchase the rights to the Terminator franchise in 2007.
Anderson and Kubicek, who run production company Halcyon Co., allege Kurt Benjamin pretended not to be a Pacifor employee when he arranged the deal between the moviemakers and the financiers.
It is alleged in the suit that Benjamin, along with Pacifor boss Andy Mitchell, used confidential information they had about Halcyon to manipulate the company into compensating them for arranging the deal.
Anderson and Kubicek’s other company, Dominion Group, is also suing Pacifor in a second lawsuit which claims the financial experts wrongfully filed a lien against Dominion’s assets - meaning they couldn’t negotiate further financial backing for Halcyon.
The pair is seeking almost $60 million (£40 million) in damages.
Anderson and Kubicek settled a $160 million (£107 million) lawsuit with fellow producer Moritz Borman in April (09), who accused the duo of fraud and breach of contract after he helped acquire the rights for the futuristic franchise through Pacifor.

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FRANK SINATRA’s daughter TINA has reportedly clashed with MARTIN SCORSESE over the director’s portrayal of her famous father in his upcoming biopic.
The Raging Bull director is currently working on a movie adaption of the My Way crooner’s colourful life, with Tina Sinatra signing on to the project as an executive producer.
But Tina is said to be unhappy with the way the script highlights the darker side of Sinatra’s career - concentrating on his alleged associations with reputed Mafia ganglords during his 1960s hey-day.
And Tina is urging Scorsese - who made his name through a string of gangster movies - not to focus on her father’s shadowy past, according to the New York Post.
A source tells the publication, "Marty wants it to be hard-hitting and showcase the violent, sexually charged, hard-drinking Frank, but Tina wants to show the softer side of her dad and let the focus be on the music.
"The Sixties were a very swinging time for Frank - he was having sex with a variety of bimbos and cementing his Rat Pack status. It’s a really key time to his mythology. Tina really wants to make sure that a sanitised Frank comes through, and that it’s not overly negative." Tina Sinatra recently made it clear that the film - which is expected to star Leonardo DiCaprio as Sinatra - should refute the reports of her father’s criminal dealing, telling reporters, "I don’t want him to be driving the getaway car. That would not be fair." The as-yet-untitled project is slated for release in 2011.

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AMY WINEHOUSE is set to head back to Miami, Florida - two years after marrying her ex-husband BLAKE FIELDER-CIVIL there.
The Rehab hitmaker will reportedly visit the city where the couple wed in 2007 to work with Florida-based producer Salaam Remi on her forthcoming third album.
But her family and friends are said to be concerned the trip could help rekindle her relationship with her former beau, who she divorced last month (Jul09).
A source tells Britain’s The Sun newspaper, "Amy is looking forward to getting out to Miami again to finish the album with Salaam, as he was so good on Back To Black. It’s a place that means a lot to her and could really provide some inspiration for new material.
"All her friends are worried though. She has mentioned she might meet Blake when he leaves rehab in Sheffield (England). Even more worrying is the fact that she has been feeling broody. That would be the ultimate disaster - the spawn of Fielder-Civil. Her dad Mitch is going ballistic about rumblings of a reunion." Winehouse has been allowed to return to the U.S. after she was cleared of assault last month (Jul09), paving the way for her to obtain a work visa.

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TORI SPELLING is desperate to end her ongoing feud with her estranged mum CANDY SPELLING, accusing the media of exaggerating their bitter battle.
The mother and daughter have waged a public war of words ever since TV mogul Aaron Spelling died in 2006, with Candy blaming her daughter for her husband’s death.
The elder Spelling alleged that the estrangement from Tori in the latter years of his life "killed my husband. He just didn’t want to live after that." The fight was re-ignited last month (Jul09) when Candy emailed a bizarre rant about the TV star to celebrity website TMZ.com, taking a swipe at Tori’s dramatisation of their troubled relationship in the star’s reality TV show Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.
But despite the recent outburst from her mother, Tori admits she still cares what her mum thinks and can foresee them patching up their relationship soon.
She tells OK! magazine, "There’s nothing that really happened that made us fight. It’s just time, distance and media that have come between my mom and me. I just think that as long as we both keep it private from here on out, reconciliation is imminent… I also want to make my mom proud of me. I’m still a momma’s girl at the heart of the situation."

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Rocker and outdoorsman TED NUGENT has lost his job as a contributor to the Waco Tribune-Herald newspaper.
Nugent had been a frequent contributor to the Texas publication since 2007.
In an e-mail to Evan Smith, the President and Editor in Chief of the Texas Monthly, Nugent said the newspaper was recently taken over and the new owners were unimpressed with his copy.
They refused to run what would have been his final piece about freedom of speech.

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