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BOOK NOTES First Princess Diana, now Madonna. No, nothing tragic has befallen the music superstar, well not really anyway. Celebrity biographer Andrew Morton, best known for his scandalous tell-alls about the late Diana, Monica Lewinsky, and Britian's It couple David and Victoria ''Posh Spice'' Beckham, has announced he is writing an unauthorized biography of Madonna, which will be released this November.
''As one of the most enigmatic and fascinating women of our time, Madonna is the undisputed female icon of the modern age,'' Morton's publisher Michael O'Mara told Reuters. O'Mara said Morton has spoken to ''those in her inner circle, who have never been interviewed before, about her ambitions, lifestyle, and relationships.'' Or maybe he just rented ''Truth or Dare.''
REEL DEAL Lions Gate is taking a lot of risks this week. First, the company bought the distribution rights to the controversial Dimension Films drama ''O''; today they've green lit ''American Psycho'' II. The sequel to Mary Harron's low budget original will star Mila Kunis (''That '70s Show'') and begin shooting in Toronto in May. The director on board is Morgan J. Freeman (the indie comedy ''Desert Blue''). Unlike ''Psycho,'' which featured Christian Bale as a Manhattan yuppie killer, the $10 million budgeted sequel follows a murderous young coed (Kunis) obsessed with becoming a particular professor's assistant. ''If we make good movies, we could have a franchise here,'' Michael Paseornek, Lions Gate president, told Variety. ''It's up to us not to blow it.'' If you haven't already, that is.
CHART ATTACK The compilation album ''Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 6,'' featuring tracks from Shaggy, Jennifer Lopez, U2, and others, debuts at No. 1, selling more than 525,000 copies last week. Tupac Shakur's collection ''Until the End of Time,'' drops one spot to No. 2, with 243,000 copies sold. New papa R&B singer Ginuwine's third album ''Life'' enters the charts at No. 3 with 152,000 copies sold. Shaggy's ''Hotshot'' moved 147,000 copies to stay in the top five at No. 4. ''Live in New York City,'' the concert album from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band debuts at No. 5 after selling 114,000 units. Rounding out the Billboard Top 10 are the Dave Matthews Band's ''Everyday'' at No. 6; the late rapper Big Pun's posthumous album ''Endangered Species'' lands at No. 7;. Limp Bizkit's ''Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water'' at No. 8; Dido's ''No Angel'' at No. 9; and 112's ''Part III'' at No. 10.
KA-CHING The Walt Disney Company has signed superstar golfer Tiger Woods to be the company's new spokesman, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. Although no dollar value was disclosed, it must be on par with Woods' reported $100 million Nike deal. Woods, who remained mum, earned $54 million last year from endorsements, according to Burns Sports Celebrity Service, a celebrity spokesperson consultancy, surpassing the $45 million Michael Jordan reportedly made in his best year. Woods' contracts include little mom and pop shops like General Motors, Rolex, American Express, and General Mills. Woods will now appear in national advertisements promoting the Disney theme parks and merchandise, as well as working with the Disney owned sports cable network, ESPN.
REAL TV NBC is finally jumping onto the reality bandwagon. The Peacock announced Wednesday that it is committing to a new reality series called ''Lost!'' Developed by Conan O'Brien's production company Conaco, the show will follow three pairs of strangers who are flown from New York City to undisclosed locations with only a bundle of essentials and a short supply of cash. The first pair to return home to New York wins the game. NBC is the only major network who has yet to embrace the money making reality genre, and has had a lot of 'splaining to do to its investors, Reuters reports. ''Lost!,'' like ''Temptation Island,'' will be a six episode series.
COURT LOSS Syndicated daytime series ''Judge Mills Lane'' will not return for a fourth season this fall. It's time for the Nevada District Court judge, a former professional boxing referee, to hang up his robe and gavel. The show's ratings had plummeted 27 percent from last year. Original episodes will continue to air throughout May sweeps, however. ''Although we love Mills, and it's a great show, at this point the ratings trends are becoming ominous,'' Paramount Domestic TV copresident Joel Berman explained.
CASTING The ''ER'' kids are ready to throw off their scrubs during hiatus: Actress Maura Tierney, who plays Nurse Abby on the series, will play Al Pacino's gal pal in the upcoming psychological thriller, ''Insomnia.'' Martin Donovan also joins the Warner Bros. cast as Pacino's police partner. Nicky Katt (''Boston Public''), Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank are already attached to the remake of the 1997 Norwegian film, which starts shooting next week in Vancouver.... Noah Wyle, a.k.a. Dr. Carter, will costar in another Warner Bros. project -- ''White Oleander,'' playing Renée Zellweger's husband. The adaptation of Janet Fitch's bestselling novel stars Michelle Pfeiffer and newcomer Alison Lohman. The drama, directed by Peter Kosminsky, starts production April 23.... Gael Garcia Bernal, star of the Oscar nominated Spanish film ''Amores Perros,'' is in negotiations and David Boreanaz (''Angel'') is ready to appear in the film ''I'm With Lucy'' for Gaumont Films. The romantic comedy stars Monica Potter (''Along Came a Spider''), Anthony LaPaglia (''The House of Mirth''), and Henry Thomas (''All the Pretty Horses''). The low budget film begins shooting in New York next Monday.
WHO ARE YOU? After such acting tour de forces as ''Lisztomania'' and ''Vampirella,'' Roger Daltrey is ready for a prime time role. The Who frontman will guest star on the new TNT cable series ''Witchblade'' as a Catholic priest, the network announced Wednesday. ''Witchblade,'' a one hour series premiering in June, follows Yancy Butler (''Brooklyn South'') as a New York detective, who encounters evil supernatural forces during her crime fighting assignments.
