Confirmed: Will Smith Almost Completely to Blame for Writers StrikeIt turns out that in the clash between the Writers Guild and the major studios, the villains may actually be Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and every other enormous star capable of commanding revenue-draining participation deals.
Germany Says ‘Nein’ to Tom CruiseGermany Rejects Valkyrie, Cruise: The German government announces that United Artists’ Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise and directed by Bryan Singer, is not welcome to shoot at German military sites, citing Cruise’s Scientology beliefs. UA reps say shooting will go ahead with German locations to be determined. Film, true-story retelling of plot to kill Hitler, is a cornerstone of United Artists’ plans, and is first example of studio player Cruise’s Scientology interfering with business as usual. [Variety]
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Michael Moore to Tom Delay: It’s On!“[I] will be happy to debate DeLay in whatever prison he ultimately relocates to and allow ABC to cover that debate.” —Michael Moore’s response to Tom DeLay, who called him “chicken” for canceling their debate [Variety]
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Tom Cruise’s New Movie Flops on ‘Entertainment Tonight’Led by Nikki Finke over at Deadline Hollywood, the movie industry is buzzing over Tom Cruise’s first film for the newly relaunched United Artists, Lions for Lambs, a political thriller coming out in November. Starring Cruise, Meryl Streep, and Robert Redford, and directed by Redford, the movie — about the Stateside debate caused by the wounding of two Army Rangers behind enemy lines in Afghanistan — certainly has pedigree and brains to spare. So why did Cruise and UA’s publicity machine debut the film’s teaser on Entertainment Tonight, where the full ET synthesizer-and-voice-over treatment makes it seem totally stupid?