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Pregnant Jovovich Puts Wedding on Hold
28 May 2007 (WENN)
Milla Jovovich has stalled her wedding to director Paul W.S. Anderson because she doesn't want to be a pregnant bride. The couple was planning to wed later this year , but now the nuptials have been put on hold. The actress/model says, "I don't want to do a white-trash wedding with a big belly." The Fifth Element star and her Resident Evil director are expecting their first child this autumn.

Besson and Weinstein Battle Over 'Arthur' Movie
25 May 2007 (WENN)
Producer Harvey Weinstein has hit back at Luc Besson, branding him a "has-been", after the French director accused him of ruining his fantasy movie Arthur And The Invisibles. The Fifth Element filmmaker said he was disappointed with the U.S. performance of the movie - which he wrote and directed - in an interview with SuicideGirls.com. Besson said, "I've worked in the movie business for 30 years now. (The Weinstein Company) was the worst I have worked with in my entire life, in any country. Why the critics didn't like Arthur was because they changed so much of the film and tried to pretend the film was American. The critics aren't stupid. They watched the film, they vaguely smell American but they can feel the film is forced for an American audience." Weinstein brought in Madonna, Snoop Dogg and Robert De Niro to provide the voiceovers for the U.S. version, replacing the original French actors who appeared in the Gallic version. In response, Weinstein tells the New York Daily News, "He's out of his mind. He's a has-been."

Jovovich To Be a Mother
24 April 2007 (WENN)
Actress Milla Jovovich is set to become a mom, according to breaking internet reports. The Fifth Element star, 31, is pregnant with director Paul W.S. Anderson's baby, according to gossip columnist Marc Malkin. The couple is expecting their first child this autumn. Jovovich and Anderson met on the set of Resident Evil in 2002. They were engaged in March 2003.

Titles Announced for First Movies Released in Hi-Def Format
4 January 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on Tuesday announced the first 20 titles that it will release in high definition for its Blu-ray Disc system. They will be released as soon as the first Blu-ray players hit the market in the spring. Among the titles are The Fifth Element, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Desperado, For a Few Dollars More, The Guns of Navarone, Hitch, House of Flying Daggers, A Knight's Tale, Kung Fu Hustle, The Last Waltz, Legends of the Fall, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Robocop, Sense and Sensibility, Stealth, Species, SWAT and XXX. The company also said that, in the future, it plans to release high-definition versions of all movies being put out on conventional DVD. Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment said today that it, too, plans to release 20 films in the Blu-ray format this spring. The films, it said, will include Fantastic Four, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Behind Enemy Lines, Kiss of the Drago and Ice Age. In a statement company president Mike Dunn said, "The release of our films on Blu-ray will provide consumers with in-home entertainment beyond anything they have imagined."

Jovovich Dating Lennon?
9 November 2004 (WENN)
Late Beatle John Lennon's son Sean Lennon is reportedly dating actress Milla Jovovich. Last week, the pair were spotted together at Sean 'P Diddy' Combs' birthday party in New York where supermodel Naomi Campbell reportedly caught them in a passionate embrace. According to American newspaper New York Daily News, a stunned Campbell asked, "Is this what's going on now? I love this!" Lennon, who has his own record deal with Capitol Records, has previously been romantically linked to Bijou Phillips and Elizabeth Jagger, while Jovovich was once married to Fifth Element director Luc Besson.

Oldman's Terror at "Lost" Kids
14 October 2003 (WENN)
Hollywood star Gary Oldman was sick with terror when his two sons apparently 'vanished' after a trip to a busy London tourist spot yesterday. The Fifth Element star raised the alarm when a nanny, hired to look after Gulliver, five, and Charlie, four, while he films his role in the new Harry Potter movie, failed to keep a meeting with him at the London Eye attraction. Oldman alerted police, who rushed to the scene and searched the area, scouring surrounding buildings while a police helicopter hovered above. The terrified actor also raced to join the hunt, but luckily he soon found out there had been a simple mix-up - the nanny had actually taken his boys home instead of meeting him. The relieved star shook hands with police and said, "Everything's OK. Everything's fine." A police spokesman says, "Our initial reports suggested the boys had gone missing. Naturally the father became very concerned. It seems this was just a mix-up and we're glad the boys are safe." Oldman's ex-wife Donya Fiorentino is said to be fuming that her estranged lover left the boys with a nanny - a pal says, "She was sick with fright - it's every mother's nightmare."

Nickelodeon Bars Most R- And Pg-13-Rated Films
29 September 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Viacom's Nickelodeon channel has always enforced a policy of refusing commercials for R-rated motion pictures and has accepted ads for PG-13 fare on "a case-by-case basis, " Dan Martinsen, a spokesman for the channel, told today's (Friday) New York Daily News. The policy came to light earlier this week when it was revealed during a Senate Commerce Committee probe of the movie studios' marketing practices that Nickelodeon had resisted pressure from Sony's Columbia Pictures to run spots for the PG-13-rated Fifth Element, The (1997). Sony President Mel Harris described the effort as "a judgment lapse."

Gary Oldman Sells What He Can't Have
19 July 2000 (WENN)
Reformed alcoholic Gary Oldman will be starring in a surprising new role - advertising Absolut vodka. The Fifth Element, The (1997) star - whose posters will be shot by top photographer Annie Liebovitz - raised the profile of Alcoholics Anonymous when he publicly praised the organization for saving him from his heavy drinking. A spokesperson for Gary defended his actions saying, "When Gary was drinking, Absolut was his drink of choice. He endorses the product when faithfully and responsibly used."

Luc Besson Wants To Help Young Film Directors
11 May 2000 (WENN)
French film director Luc Besson wants to thank those who have supported him - by lending his help to young film directors. The Fifth Element, The (1997) director, who is presiding over the jury at the 53rd CANNES FILM FESTIVAL, has confirmed he wants to produce more films. He explains "I have access to all the necessary tools to produce films, so I'd like to help the young film directors. It's a way to thank those who believed in me... Happily people like Pierre Jolivet and JEAN-JACQUES BEINEIX helped me. I would simply like to do the same, I think it's everyone's duty in this business. We should all give a hand to those who are just beginning."

Kristin Scott Thomas Member Of The Next Cannes Festival's Jury
19 April 2000 (WENN)
Pregnant British actress Kristin Scott Thomas will be a member of the CANNES FILM FESTIVAL's jury, next month. Fifth Element, The (1997) director, Luc Besson, is to Preside over the Cannes Festival's jury. Among the nine members of the jury, will be British actor Jeremy Irons and French actress and film director Nicole Garcia. Twenty three films will be in competition including the latest LARS VON TRIER film Dancing in the Dark (2000), with BJÖRK and Catherine Deneuve. The ALL SAINTS will also be taking part of the Festival to present their first film Honest (2000).

Besson To Head Cannes Jury
17 December 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita, Fifth Element, The (1997), Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, The (1999)) has been selected to head the Cannes Film Festival jury next year, Gilles Jacob, the outgoing festival chief said on Thursday. In a statement, Jacob said that Besson "will lead the festival decidedly into the future." Jacob is expected to retire as the active head of the festival following this year's competition scheduled to be held May 10-21.

CORRECTION:In Thursday's edition, we erroneously stated that the North Carolina School of the Arts is located in Raleigh, NC. It is located in Winston-Salem.

Zorro To Get Super Bowl Push
24 September 1997 (StudioBriefing)
TriStar has agreed to pay Fox-TV $1.3 million for a 30-second spot on Super Bowl XXXII to plug its Mark of Zorro (1998), starring Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas, Daily Variety columnist Army Archerd reported today (Wednesday). The figure is somewhat above the average $1.2 million paid by advertisers for Super Bowl XXXI. (Several studios bought Super Bowl ads for summer releases this year, including Devil's Own, The (1997), Fifth Element, The (1997), and Men in Black (1997).) Moreover, Archerd reported, TriStar is so high on the Amblin-produced film that it is considering postponing the opening from spring to summer, a delay that would cost $3 million in interest charges, according to the columnist.

Sony At Acme
2 September 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Luckiest of all was Sony, which passed the $1-billion mark at the domestic box office over the Labor Day weekend, hitting that target faster than any studio in history, it said Monday. In a statement, Jeff Blake, Sony's distribution chief, referred to the company's "terrific turnaround, " which included solid results from Men in Black (1997) ($235 million), Air Force One (1997) ($154 million) and My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) ($119 million), Anaconda (1997) ($65.5 million) and Fifth Element, The (1997) ($63.2 million). Sony's films accounted for 26.5 percent of the total box-office gross. The company also experienced a fair share of flops, including Buddy (1997) ($10 million), Pest, The (1997) ($3.6 million), Masterminds (1997) ($1.8 million), Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo, The (1997) ($345, 000), Bliss (1997) ($261, 000), and Truth or Consequences, N.M. (1997), ($109, 000).

Massive Crackdown On Bootleg Movies In Hong Kong
15 July 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Officials in Hong Kong set into motion "Operation Thunderbolt" Monday, dispatching 300 officers to 94 arcades and shops where they confiscated more than 220, 000 bootleg laser discs and CDs worth more than $7 million, the South China Morning Post reported today (Tuesday). The raids, executed under new anti-piracy laws which require merchants to prove their goods are genuine, turned up copies of Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) and Fifth Element, The (1997), according to officials. Most were manufactured on Mainland China, they said.

How They Lined Up
23 June 1997 (StudioBriefing)
The other summer blockbusters dominated the preliminary top-ten results released Sunday by Exhibitor Relations, which tracks box-office performance. They were: 3. Con Air (1997), with $10.2 million; 4. Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997), $8 million (pushing its domestic total past the $200 million mark to $204.9 million); 5. Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), $7.2 million (a 55-percent drop). Each of the remaining films on the list registered barely a blip. They were: 6. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), $1.4 million; 7. Gone Fishin' (1997), $1.2 million; 8. (Tie) Addicted to Love (1997), Fifth Element, The (1997), $900, 000; 10. Buddy (1997), $820, 000.

Box Office Sinks Under Weight Of 3 Blockbusters
16 June 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Despite the fact that Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), Con Air (1997) and Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) took in an estimated $43.4 million between them, the overall box office was down 22 percent compared with the similar weekend last year. Part of that downturn was attributed to the Friday-night telecast of the NBA championship finals. Addicted to Love (1997), which placed fourth, took in only $2.3 million, followed by Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) with $2.1 million. Other finishers in the top ten: 6. Buddy (1997), $2.0 million; 7. Gone Fishin' (1997), $1.9 million; 8. Fifth Element, The (1997), $1.4 million; 9. Trial and Error (1997), $1.3 million; 10. Breakdown (1997), $1.1 million.

Lost Loses
9 June 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Accelerating the plunge from its record-breaking opening weekend when it earned $92 million, Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) garnered $18.5 million, about half what it took in last weekend. Discussing the huge fall-off, John Krier, head of Exhibitor Relations, which tracks box office results, told today's (Monday) Los Angeles Times that the Steven Spielberg film "showed to so many people in the first week, there were not that many to see it the next week. ... What you're seeing now is probably a lot of repeat business." Nevertheless, most analysts predicted that the film will wind up among the top-ten earners of all time. It has already taken in $171 million. Other top finishers:3. Addicted to Love (1997), $3.8 million; 4. Buddy (1997), $3.7 million; 5. Gone Fishin' (1997), $3.1 million; 6. Trial and Error (1997), $2.7 million; 7. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), $2.4 million; 8. Fifth Element, The (1997), $2.2 million; 9. Breakdown (1997), $1.9 million; 10. Liar Liar (1997), $1.2 million. The poor showing of the family film Buddy (1997), which drew mostly favorable reviews, seemed to bode badly for the genre. Columbia distribution chief Jeff Blake observed in a Los Angeles Times interview that there have been a number of complaints from critics and the public about the lack of family films this summer. "Here's one, and nobody came, " he said.

Willis' Paychecks Just Keep Growing
5 June 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Bruce Willis will receive a record $25 million to appear in his next Die Hard movie, Newsday columnist Liz Smith reported today (Thursday), citing Hollywood insiders. Smith said that studio execs had been waiting to see how his Fifth Element, The (1997) performed at the box office before agreeing to the salary demand.

Boxoffisus Giganticus
2 June 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) added another $32.6 million to its gross over the weekend, bringing its total to $140 million, according to studio estimates. The figure represented a 55-percent drop from the similar 3-day period last weekend. Other top finishers: 2. Addicted to Love (1997), $6.4 million; 3. Gone Fishin' (1997), $5.5 million; 4. Trial and Error (1997), $5 million; 5. Fifth Element, The (1997), $4 million; 6. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), $3.4 million; 7. Breakdown (1997), $3.2 million.; 8. Father's Day, $1.7 million; 9. Liar Liar (1997), $1.5 million; 10. 'Til There Was You (1997), $1.3 million.

The Also-Rans
27 May 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Addicted to Love (1997), the only other film to open wide over the holiday weekend, did surprisingly well, earning an estimated $12.1 million. Meanwhile Fifth Element, The (1997), which had held the top spot during the previous two weeks, fell to third place with $8.2 million. Other top finishers: 4. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), $5.8 million; 5. Breakdown (1997), $5.7 million; 6. Fathers' Day (1997), $5 million; 7. Liar Liar (1997), $3.1 million; 8. Night Falls on Manhattan (1997), $2.25 million; 9. Volcano (1997), $2 million; 10. Anaconda (1997), $1.725.

Other Movies Do Well, Too
26 May 1997 (StudioBriefing)
The overflow from Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) screenings appeared to be spilling into other theaters. Addicted to Love (1997), a new comedy starring Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick wound up with an estimated $9.4 million for the first three days of the four-day holiday, while Columbia's Fifth Element, The (1997), in its third week, took in $6 million. Paramount's Breakdown was in fourth place with $4.2 million, followed by Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) and Fathers' Day (1997), each with about $2.9 million. Liar Liar (1997) was seventh with $2.9 million; Night Falls on Manhattan (1997), eighth with $1.62 million; Volcano, ninth with $1.5 million; and Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion and Sprung, 10th with about $1.2 million each.