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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''

CASTING Al Pacino and director Michael Caton-Jones ("The Jackal") may team up in "City by the Sea," a drama about a cop who is torn by memories of his father (who was sentenced to death for killing an infant) when his own son is arrested for murder.... Lifetime has landed Tom Hanks, Bette Midler, Rosie O'Donnell, and others for cameos in its mockumentary, "Jackie's Back." The telefilm maps the comeback of a Diana Ross-like diva.

REEL DEAL John Leguizamo has signed a first-look deal with Miramax and will set up an office in the studio's New York office to develop his own projects. The versatile actor's big-screen career has never quite taken off with movies like "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar," but buzz has been building on him after the success of his last one-man show, "Freak".... The popular children's book heroine Eloise may finally make the leap into movies: The rights to her 1950s picture books are being auctioned off. Eloise's creator, Kay Thompson, died last July, and until then had forbidden any screen versions after she was disappointed with a 1958 TV version. Her estate is handling the sale and releasing many of the book's sequels that she had demanded be taken out of print years ago.

CUTTING TIES Most creative differences occur during a shoot, but director Walter Hill ("48 Hrs.") has left his sci-fi thriller "Supernova," starring James Spader and Angela Bassett, after filming was finished. Apparently United Artists wanted to test an early cut of the film with audiences, but Hill wanted to shoot some additional scenes before any screenings. This difference of opinion blew up, and Hill left the project. However, his name will likely remain on the picture when it is released next fall.

ABBREVIATED TALK Monica Lewinsky's chat with Barbara Walters may be less revealing than ABC would hope. Kenneth Starr is reportedly considering limiting Lewinsky to talking only about what she discussed in her Senate testimony. The interview has no set air date, but taping is expected to happen soon, and ABC is reportedly considering scheduling a 90-minute "20/20" for it.

TOUR CANCELED Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland have canceled their two-thirds-of-The-Police reunion tour because of bone spurs in guitarist Summers' hand. They had planned to play Police hits with latin vocalists singing Sting's parts in Spanish (we're not kidding). A reunion of the full trio seems unlikely: When asked about the duo's tour, Sting had said, "Who? Sorry? Oh, yeah."

IN THE MONEY By pulling in $21.9 million so far, Best Picture Oscar nominee "Life Is Beautiful" has become the top-grossing foreign film in North America, beating out 1996's "Il Postino," which had pulled in $21.8 million. But there's no hard feelings among studios; Miramax released both films.

AILING Boxcar Willie, 67, has announced that he will not be able to perform at his Branson theater this season (which starts in March), because of his continuing chemotherapy treatment for leukemia. Willie (whose real name is Lecil Martin) was first diagnosed with the disease in 1996.


Posted Feb 18, 1999 | Order Article Reprints