News + Notes

EW Presents...

Movie News

Hollywood Insider: February 8, 2008

''Crash'' the TV show, Kylie Minogue, and ''The Wolf Man'' made news the week of February 8, 2008

More

Television
+ Starz Network hopes to shed its somnolent image as a home for old flicks by turning the Oscar-winning movie Crash into a dramatic series. The movie's writer/director, Paul Haggis, and star Don Cheadle will work behind the scenes on the project from Lionsgate TV, the company responsible for Weeds and Mad Men. Though it won't feature actors from the big-screen version, Crash could redefine Starz in the same way that Men did AMC. ''When you have a signature show for a cable network, they nurture it,'' says Lionsgate's Kevin Beggs. ''On broadcast TV, it's two or three episodes and out.''
+ So maybe she can't dance, but we certainly know she can talk: Marie Osmond, who finished third last season on Dancing With the Stars, announced Tuesday that she'll return to daytime in fall 2009 with her own syndicated talk show. This is Marie's second attempt at emulating Oprah: She and brother Donny Osmond previously hosted an afternoon talk show in 1998, but it was canceled after only two seasons. Given all that she's experienced in the last few years alone — the death of her parents, a painful divorce, and an embarrassing on- air fainting spell — Osmond admits she has much more to share with fans this time around. ''I've been through pretty much everything,'' says the 48-year-old mother of eight. ''I don't have a million nannies. I take care of my kids. I'm just about the most authentic person you can be.'' Osmond is also considering doing a prime-time special (or two) with Donny, who's busy exploring his own options in TV. And no, they don't involve sporting a pair of Danskins. — Lynette Rice

Music
+ Not all EMI's major acts are walking out, despite recent layoffs and restructuring: Kylie Minogue tells Insider she has no plans to seek out a deal like Madonna's Live Nation pact. ''I don't like to commit,'' she says. ''I go slowly.'' Also staying put (for now) are Coldplay, who were reportedly angered by the shift in EMI-UK's upper management. A label rep says only that Coldplay are ''still in the studio,'' but we hear that their Brian Eno-produced fourth album (said to be titled Prospekt) could be out by May.
+ The Wreckers are done strummin'. ''It was a lot of fun,'' says Michelle Branch, who launched the country duo with friend Jessica Harp in 2005. ''But Jessica never got to do a solo record. For now, it's gone for good.'' Branch isn't entirely through with Music Row: She's working with Dwight Yoakam on a song for her next album, which she hopes to have out by June. — Shirley Halperin, with additional reporting by Whitney Pastorek

Movies
+ Two months after scrambling to fill Brad Pitt's role in State of Play, Universal is seeking a director for upcoming horror film The Wolf Man — starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, and Emily Blunt — after Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) dropped out over budgetary concerns. Sources tell HI that Universal approached Martin Campbell (Casino Royale), who declined due to time constraints, but the studio claims it never officially offered him the job. Filming is scheduled for London this March. — Nicole Sperling