'Frost/Nixon' kicking off London Film Festival

Ron Howard expected to be on hand for Oct. 15 screening

LONDON -- A journalist and a U.S. president will provide the opening-night drama at this year's BFI London Film Festival as "Frost/Nixon" kickstarts the event.


Organizers will roll out the red carpet for Ron Howard's big-screen adaptation of Peter Morgan's stage play Oct. 15.


Michael Sheen and Frank Langella reprise their West End and Broadway roles as journalist David Frost and President Richard Nixon in the film that LFF artistic director Sandra Hebron described as a "fascinating study of a unique moment in cultural and political life."


Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, Rebecca Hall, Toby Jones and Matthew Macfadyen round out the cast in the movie, which centers on the 1977 televised David Frost and Richard Nixon interviews.


Those interviews attracted the largest audience for a news program in the history of American television, with more than 45 million viewers.


Howard and producer Brian Grazer, together with Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, are expected to be on hand to herald the movie's world premiere in London.


Universal Pictures will release the film in the U.K. in January.


The LFF is set for Oct. 15-30.

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Shakir Stewart joins Def Jam as exec vp

Succeeds former president Jay-Z





Def Jam Recordings has tapped Shakir Stewart as executive vp. Promoted from his post as senior vp A&R at Island Def Jam Music Group, Stewart succeeds former Def Jam president Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.
In his new role, Stewart will retain his A&R responsibilities and report to IDJ chairman/CEO Antonio "L.A." Reid and to Steve Bartels, president and COO of the company on operational matters.
Promoted to IDJ's senior vp A&R in 2006, Stewart had previously served as VP/A&R at Def Jam since 2004. His signings during that period include hip-hop stars Rick Ross and Young Jeezy. Before that, Stewart held posts including senior vp creative and GM of Hitco Music Publishing, member of the executive A&R team at Arista Records and A&R consultant with LaFace Records.
Jay-Z spent three years as Def Jam's president before stepping down in late 2007. He recently inked a 360-degree deal with Live Nation.

The Matrix - Weinsteins To Bring The Alchemist To Silver Screen

Paulo Coelho's bestselling novel The Alchemist is to be adapted for the screen by the Weinstein Company, it has been announced.

Laurence Fishburne, star of The Matrix, is to direct, produce and act in the project, while an Oscar-winning screenwriter is in negotiations with the Weinsteins to adapt Coelho's novel - which has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide - for the cinema.

Fishburne said the film was a "special project" and said the book's path to the screen would be "handled with the proper care it deserves".

He added: "I am looking forward to directing it, acting in it, and collaborating with Harvey Weinstein to produce a beautiful film that will do justice to Paulo's enormously successful novel."

The 1988 book tells of Santiago, a Spanish shepherd boy who travels through Africa in search of a magical treasure and has a fateful encounter with the titular alchemist.

Locations in Europe and the Middle East, such as Jordan and Abu Dhabi, are currently being scouted for the project while a casting search will begin in Spain and Latin America shortly for the boy most suited to taking the role of Santiago.

Harvey Weinstein, co-president of the Weinstein Company, said he would personally co-produce the project as bringing Coelho's "spiritual and moving" work to the screen was a long-term ambition.

And Coelho said he was "very happy" that his book would be filmed in the manner he intended.

"I hope the spirit and simplicity of my work will be preserved. I am excited my friend Laurence Fishburne and Harvey Weinstein will be working together," he added.


19/05/2008 10:58:27

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Winehouse visits clinic after video expos�

Troubled star Amy Winehouse visited a drugs clinic yesterday after she was caught on video apparently smoking crack cocaine, it was reported today.
The star is said to have visited a clinic in north-west London with her father for a two-hour appointment.
The visit comes as the Metropolitan Police confirmed it would investigate a video obtained by The Sun that appeared to show her inhaling fumes from a crack pipe, taking other drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine and admitting to downing six Valium.
The disturbing images were said to have been filmed during a party at Winehouse's east London home in the early hours of last Friday, hours before she attended a court hearing for husband Blake Fielder-Civil.
He is awaiting trial on charges of assault and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
The 24-year-old's father Mitch told The Sun: "Your video of Amy taking drugs may well be the best thing that has ever happened to her.
"For all the hurt and pain, it may finally be the thing to focus her mind and convince her to get the help she needs to quit for good."
Winehouse's spokesman told reporters the appointment at the clinic was a regular weekly session which formed part of her continuing treatment for drug addiction.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Officers will be viewing the footage when we receive it from the media.
"We will then assess the footage to ascertain whether any action needs to be taken. As always we thank the media for their co-operation."
In The Sun's video the singer appears to be having a 19-minute drugs binge in which she snorts powdered ecstasy and cocaine before heading to her bedroom, where she inhales crack cocaine in front of her wedding photo.
Looking dishevelled and wearing a grubby black vest, she is left barely able to talk.
When friends ask her to go out with them, she is heard to reply: "I'd be useless to you because I've had about six Valium."