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By Josh Wolk
Josh Wolk
Josh Wolk
Josh Wolk is a senior writer at EW and the author of ''Cabin Pressure: One Man's Desparate Attempt to Recapture His Youth as a Camp Counselor''

REEL DEALS Tom Hanks is bringing his favorite kid's book, Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are," to the big screen. Hanks will produce (no, he won't play the little boy), and Gore Verbinski ("Mouse Hunt") will direct.... Michael Stipe's production company, Single Cell Pictures, has bought the movie rights to an L.A. Times article about a priest who embezzled more than $1 million from his congregation to support his gambling habit. Stipe's last production was the glam-rock film "Velvet Goldmine."

NARROW ESCAPE Director Barry Sonnenfeld ("Men in Black") almost faded to black when a Gulfstream II jet in which he was the only passenger crash-landed at a Van Nuys airport. Sonnenfeld and the three-man crew luckily emerged unscathed after the plane ran out of runway on its descent and smashed into four smaller planes and a pickup truck. "The weird thing is, I hate to fly," said Sonnenfeld, who was arriving in Los Angeles to work on postproduction for his next movie, "Wild Wild West," "and the quote that I give people is that every time I get off a plane, I view it as a failed suicide attempt."

DRUG TURNAROUNDS Kate Moss is coming clean after cleaning up in a rehab center last November for her out-of-control use of alcohol and marijuana. The 25-year-old supermodel told British magazine the Face that she hadn't walked down a runway sober in the last 10 years, and that at her apex she would start drinking champagne at 10 in the morning. Now, she says, "I'm sober. I'm single. I have great friends. I like my job. I'm not stupid".... Recidivist Scott Weiland pled guilty to a New York judge yesterday for possession of heroin, admitting he bought the drugs when he was nabbed last July at a Manhattan housing project. The judge released the singer, but said he will be sentenced to jail for 30 days if he doesn't follow the rules of his probation: staying out of trouble for a year; finishing a rehab program in L.A.; and meeting with a counselor four times a week.... Eric Clapton is auctioning off 100 of his 150 guitars to raise money for his Crossroads rehab center in Antigua, which he founded in 1997. Bidding for the axes will be held on June 24 in Christie's in New York.

TV SCHEDULING After February sweeps, ABC will air additional reruns of "The Drew Carey Show" and "Spin City" in Thursday's 9-10 p.m. block. Although a network exec said this is not a precursor to moving the shows permanently to these slots, he did allow that it might be a test of whether sitcoms could finally compete against NBC's previously unbeatable Must See lineup.... Out of its two new cartoons, Fox has decided to give "Family Guy" the coveted post-"Simpsons" time slot, and Matt Groening's own "Futurama" the Tuesdays-at-8:30 p.m. slot, where it will be sandwiched between 'toons "King of the Hill" and "The PJs." The network reportedly thinks "Family Guy," which got a sneak preview after the Super Bowl, is the strongest new show it has. "Futurama" will, however, get the Sunday slot for its first two weeks (starting March 28) before moving out to make way for "Family Guy."

CRITIC SWITCH Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales will fill in for Gene Siskel next week while the acerbic host continues to recuperate from May brain surgery. Shales -- who also does film criticism for NPR -- will be the first in a series of revolving hosts to be paired with Roger Ebert during Siskel's break.

CAREER REHAB It hasn't taken long for Marv Albert to emerge from under his shadow of shame: Just 17 months after he pled guilty to assault and battery, he has been signed to announce NBA games for TNT and TBS. He is tentatively scheduled to make his debut on the April 2 Lakers-Suns game. He will continue his current jobs as host of MSG's "Sportsdesk" and radio commentator for New York Knicks' home games.

GOING, GOING, GONE An auction of O.J. Simpson's belongings Tuesday night raised $430,000 -- $230,000 of which came from the sale of his 1968 Heisman trophy. The money will go to the Goldman family as part of their slow road to collecting the $33.5 million they won from Simpson in their 1997 civil suit.


Posted Feb 17, 1999 | Order Article Reprints