In the wake of Heath Ledger's shocking death, the AP reports that an autopsy being conducted today is so far "inconclusive." Sources from the medical examiner's office say that more tests are needed, and it will be about 10 days before more details are known.
No illegal drugs were found in the actor's apartment, and a rolled-up $20 bill found near his body has tested negative for any trace of narcotics. Ledger, though, was in possession of six prescription medications, including pills to treat insomnia and anxiety, and an antihistamine, the AP reports. Three of the drugs were prescribed in Europe.
Ledger's passing has been described by his family as "accidental," police reported no obvious indications of suicide, and he was heard alive as late as 12:30 pm (three hours before he was found). Since his death, glowing remembrances of the 28-year-old actor have come to the fore. "He was really polite and nice," Paul Sevigny, the owner of a West Village club Ledger frequented, tells the New York Times, adding that amid a city of hard-partying troublemakers, Ledger "certainly wasn't one of them."
Within hours of the unsettling news, friends, onetime cast mates and other peers made statements fondly remembering Ledger. "I would give back all my awards to have him back," John Travolta told PageSix.com at a Tuesday event. "This whole evening has been really hard for me."
Director Ang Lee also spoke out about the loss, telling the AP, "Working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life. He brought to the role of [Brokeback Mountain's] Ennis more than any of us could have imagined. His death is heartbreaking."
While Ledger's ex-fiancée, Michelle Williams, is en route to New York City from Sweden (where she was lensing a movie), Naomi Watts, who dated Ledger for 16 months (until April 2004), has canceled all her appearances at the Sundance Film Festival.
Until more details about the cause of Ledger's death emerge, friends and family can only speculate on what went wrong. Ledger's uncle, Neil Bell, tells the Times, "He was in good spirits and having a wonderful time on this Terry Gilliam movie," The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which Heath was filming for a 2009 release.
Ledger's rep hopes to quell any hypothesizing, saying, "This is an extremely difficult time for his loved ones and we are asking the media to please respect the family's privacy and avoid speculation until the facts are known." (via TVGuide)
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Heath Ledger Autopsy "Inconclusive"; Actor Possessed Six Prescription Drugs
Friday, January 18, 2008
Directors, Hollywood studios reach deal
Hollywood directors reached a tentative contract deal Thursday with studios, a development that could turn up the pressure on striking writers to settle their 2-month-old walkout that has crippled the entertainment industry.
"Two words describe this agreement — groundbreaking and substantial," said Gil Cates, chair of the Directors Guild of America's negotiations committee. "There are no rollbacks of any kind."
Among other things, the three-year agreement establishes key provisions involving compensation for programs offered on the Internet.
That issue has been a key sticking point between striking writers and the studios, which broke off talks on Dec. 7.
The writers walkout has halted work on dozens of TV shows, disrupted movie production, turned the glitzy Golden Globes show into a news conference and threatened the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony.
The deal between directors and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios, was lauded by top executives from eight major companies, including Fox, Paramount Pictures Corp., The Walt Disney Co., CBS Corp., Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros., MGM and NBC Universal.
In a joint statement, the executives said they hoped the agreement would signal the end of an "extremely difficult period for our industry."
They called on the writers guild to join in the kind of informal talks with industry leaders that preceded the directors' negotiations, and said the deal with directors established a precedent for the industry's creative talent to "participate financially in every emerging area of new media."
The Writers Guild of America said it would evaluate the terms of the directors' proposed contract. The guild also reiterated that it has been calling on the studios to resume negotiations.
"We've been making independent deals, so we're in a negotiating mood," said Writers Guild of America, West, President Patric Verrone, referring to interim agreements the guild has reached with companies such as United Artists and The Weinstein Co.
Verrone declined to comment on specifics of the deal by directors or compare it to what the writers are seeking until he saw a copy of the proposed contract, which he expected to receive from the directors guild.
Writers previously said directors do not represent their interests.
Friday, January 4, 2008
'Survivor Micronesia' cast revealed!
Fans
1. MICHAEL BORTONE
2. TRACY HUGHES-WOLF
3. JOEL ANDERSON
4. KATHLEEN SLECKMAN
5. ERIK REICHENBACH
6. MARY SARTAIN
7. CHET WELCH
8. NATALIE BOLTON
9. JASON SISKA
10. ALEXIS JONES
Favorites
11. CIRIE FIELDS
12. JONATHAN PENNER
13. AMANDA KIMMEL
14. JAMES CLEMEN
15. OZZY LUSTH
16. YAU-MAN CHAN
17. ELIZA ORLINS
18. JONNY FAIRPLAY
19. PARVATI SHALLOW
20. AMI CUSACK
When producers initially began mapping out season 16 — yes, 16! — of Survivor, they considered making it their second All-Stars edition. But then they considered something else. ''None of us felt like a full-on All-Stars was the right choice, because we did it once and since then so many other shows have done it,'' says host Jeff Probst. ''It felt like we needed a twist.'' And when has this seminal reality show not embraced a twist? Enter the Fans vs. Favorites concept of Survivor: Micronesia (debuting Feb. 7 on CBS at 8 p.m.), featuring one tribe of former Survivor standouts, and another tribe of newbies who idolize the players they are about to compete against.
So who was lucky enough to make the cut? The Favorites tribe features contestants going all the way back to season 7, including two from the recently completed Survivor: China — gravedigger James Clement and the person who engineered his ouster, Amanda Kimmel. Survivor: Fiji sends its most popular player, 55-year-old Yau-Man Chan, while the Cook Islands season is responsible for three contestants: flirt-tastic Parvati Shallow, triple-crossing Jonathan Penner, and challenge dominator Ozzy Lusth. Rounding out the tribe is Survivor: Panama 's Cirie Fields, Vanuatu's Eliza Orlins and Ami Cusack, and Survivor's biggest villain ever: Pearl Islands ' Jon Dalton (a.k.a. Jonny Fairplay), who once famously faked his own grandmother's death to further himself in the game. ''You can't do the season and not invite your most notorious person,'' says Probst. ''And Fairplay delivered, I will say that.'' Does that mean he delivers a victory? Don't bet on it, laughs Probst. ''This guy is no threat to win this game — zero.''
No people from the highly regarded Palau or lowly regarded Guatemala seasons made the trip. That is in large part because two popular contestants — Stephenie LaGrossa and Bobby Jon Drinkard — already appeared in both those seasons, and Palau's winner, Tom Westman, declined to participate. (No other past winners were chosen.) Survivor: Micronesia was shot on many of the same beaches as the Palau season, and will also feature the return of Exile Island, which was absent from Survivor: China.
The Fans taking on the Survivor two-timers include a large-and-in-charge firefighter (Joel Anderson), a beauty pageant coach (Chet Welch), a golf course vendor (Kathleen Sleckman), and a man who scoops ice cream for a living in Hell…Michigan, that is (Erik Reichenbach). In contrast to recent seasons, where contestants were heavily recruited and largely unfamiliar with the program, the new players of Micronesia are all followers of the show. How they fare against their heroes remains to be seen.
via: EW
FOX Re-Works Midseason Schedule
Fox has tweaked its strike-affected midseason schedule, giving two troubled series, "New Amsterdam" and "The Return of Jezebel James," coveted previews behind ratings juggernaut "American Idol," which returns January 15.
Fox was the first network to rejigger its midseason lineup on November 7, the third day of the Hollywood writers strike, and has made the most dramatic strike-related scheduling move, keeping the incomplete season of "24" on the shelf until next season. Now that the work stoppage is shaping up to be a long one, Fox executives have taken another look at their lineup.
"As we have new information on our needs, we thought it was time to adjust the schedule," said scheduling chief Preston Beckman. "We want to make sure we give all new shows every opportunity to find an audience because we may need them."
The March 10 launch for the supernatural detective drama "New Amsterdam" will follow two previews after "Idol" Tuesday, March 4 and Thursday, March 6. The Parker Posey comedy "Jezebel James" will get sampling after "Idol" on Wednesday, March 12, two days ahead of its premiere. ("Idol" will expand to three nights a week for three weeks, beginning February 21.)
The strike has boosted both shows' chances, since fresh episodes of any shows are in strong demand. In October, Fox shut down production on "New Amsterdam" with seven episodes in the can, and cut the order on "Jezebel James" to 7 from 13.
"New Amsterdam" stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as a New York City homicide detective who happens to be immortal, while "Jezebel James" stars Posey as a successful book editor who learns that she is unable to conceive.
