| Robert Altman, the creative force behind such films as M*A*S*H, The Player, and Gosford Park, died Monday at a Los Angeles hospital, his production company said. He was 81. The cause of death was not immediately released. Altman was nominated for five Academy Awards in the Best Director category and received a Lifetime Achievement Oscar earlier this year.
Wesley Snipes is claiming he is being unfairly targeted by federal prosecutors on tax fraud charges, calling himself a "scapegoat." The actor is said to be in Namibia filming a movie; a U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman denying reports that he had worked out a deal with authorities.
Peter Jackson has announced that he will not be directing The Hobbit, a prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, due to an ongoing financial dispute with New Line Cinema. Jackson explained the decision in a posting to fansite TheOneRing.net: "This outcome is not what we anticipated or wanted, but neither do we see any positive value in bitterness or rancor. We now have no choice but
to let the idea of a film of The Hobbit go and move forward with other projects."
Borat's film's producers and 20th Century Fox have filed an opposition to a request for a preliminary injunction sought by two University of South Carolina frat boys, who were concerned over their loutish portrayal in the film and want it shut down. Fox and the producers are contesting the boys' claims that they were drunk when they signed the
content forms and state in a declaration that all participants were "very enthusiastic" about their role.
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes arrived in the Maldives for their honeymoon, a government official confirmed to the Associated Press Tuesday, saying their exact location was "very, very secret." A local journalist said he heard the couple was staying on a yacht, while a tourism official said there was a rush for bookings at an underwater restaurant after a rumor surfaced the couple would be dining
there.
Angelina Jolie made an unannounced visit to Cambodia Wednesday, where she is funding a nature conservation project. The actress reportedly chatted very briefly with officials before taking off in a two-helicopter convoy bound for parts unknown. No word on whether Brad and the family made the trip as well.
Steven Spielberg was honored for his contributions to the small screen at Monday's International Emmy Awards, where he received the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Founders Award.
In a rare move, France's culture minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres has banned minors under the age of 18 from seeing Saw III after he previewed the latest flick in the horror franchise. The film opens this week in France.
Fox Atomic has called off its planned remake of Revenge of the Nerds, Daily Variety reports. The film was already delayed after Emory University in Atlanta elected not to participate.
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