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Box Office A Laugh-In
28 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Audiences were apparently in a mood to laugh as three comedies, two of them new, opened with solid results during what is usually a droopy weekend ending the spring season. The Tina Fey-Amy Poehler comedy Baby Mama from Universal topped the box office with an estimated $18.3 million, followed by Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantánamo Bay, which opened at No. 2 with $14.6 million. Last week's top film, Universal's Forgetting Sarah Marshall grossed about $11 million, a touch below The Forbidden Kingdom, which opened with $11.2 million. (Those two films might reverse positions when final results are reported later today.) Another new film, 20th Century Fox's Deception, starring Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams performed even worse than most analysts had expected. It pulled in only $2.2 million, but nevertheless wound up on the top-ten list -- albeit in tenth place. That so many comedies could do so well surprised many analysts. "This pokes a huge hole in that old myth that you can't open two comedies back to back or one comedy against another," Nikki Rocco, the distribution chief for Universal, which had Baby Mama competing against Sarah Marshall, told the Los Angeles Times. "The market did expand," she said, adding separately in an interview with Variety: "We had 40 percent of the market share this weekend, which is nice for any studio." Overall, the box ended on an up note, producing better results than a year earlier for the second week in a row.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers: 1. Baby Mama, $18.3 million; 2. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantánamo Bay, $14.6 million; 3. The Forbidden Kingdom, $11.2 million; 4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, $11 million; 5. Nim's Island, $4.5 million; 6. Prom Night, $4.4 million; 7. 21, $4 million; 8. 88 Minutes, $3.6 million; 9. Horton Hears a Who!, $2.4 million; 10. Deception, $2.2 million.

Movie Reviews: 'Deception'
25 April 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Deception, starring Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor, Michelle Williams and Charlotte Rampling may be described by its promoters as a sex thriller, but critics are describing it as just the opposite. "Head-shaking banality," Desson Thomson calls it in the Washington Post. "Overwrought and ultimately silly," writes Ruthe Stein in the San Francisco Chronicle.And Stephen Cole in the Toronto Globe and Mail dismisses it as "a lamentably slack and dishonest genre exercise."

McGregor Speaks Out About Cancer Scare
23 April 2008 (WENN)
Moulin Rouge actor Ewan McGregor has spoken out for the first time about his battle with skin cancer - insisting he has now been given the all-clear following the shock diagnosis. The star was diagnosed with the deadly disease following a regular check-up and subsequently underwent surgery to remove a number of malignant moles from his face. The 37-year-old has not disclosed when he suffered the disease, but internet bloggers claim he had the surgery in February 2007. But McGregor has now recovered fully from the illness and is convinced it was "not that big of a deal." He says, "I just went to have them checked, you have to be careful if you're pale skinned and you spend time in the sun, with moles. So I went to see a specialist who thought they were better to be removed, and indeed, he was correct."

Craig Wants To Take To The Stage
15 April 2008 (WENN)
Daniel Craig is planning to return to his theatrical roots with a stint on the stage, as soon as he can take a break from playing James Bond. The Casino Royale star made his stage debut with a production of Shakespeare's Troilus And Cressida at the age of 16, before studying alongside fellow leading men Ewan McGregor and Joseph Fiennes at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama. But, after years of struggling with an acting troupe, Craig moved on to film with his big-screen debut in 1992's The Power Of One before becoming the latest 007. Now the 40-year-old is considering returning to tread the boards on London's West End - but only if he can find the right material. Craig tells AOL movies, "My ideal would be to choose some new writing. I have nothing against the classics, but new writing to me seems like it gives you a chance to try new stuff out, stuff no one's ever seen before. I think that makes for a much more exciting theatre experience."

McGregor Launches Second Motorcycle Odyssey
28 May 2007 (WENN)
British actor Ewan McGregor has embarked on monumental motorcycle journey from London to Cape Town, South Africa, in a bid to raise money for charity. The Star Wars star has already arrived in Italy with friend Charley Boorman - on the first leg of their trip, dubbed Long Way Down. The pair completed a similar adventure in 2004 from Scotland to New York via Europe and Asia, which was made into the BBC documentary Long Way Round. McGregor and Boorman will pass through 20 countries including many areas plagued with poverty, violence and civil strife. They hope to raise funds for UNICEF the Children's Hospice Association Scotland and the charity Riders For Health - which supports motorcycle-riding health workers in Africa. McGregor, 36, says, "Long Way Round changed us all - it boned us together and made our dreams come true - and it's not often something like that happens. So to be given another opportunity to do something like this is amazing." Long Way Down is also being made into a TV series.

Wife To Join McGregor on Bike Trek
15 January 2007 (WENN)
Hollywood star Ewan McGregor will be joined by his wife on his upcoming second televised motorbike trip documentary. The Scottish actor and pal Charley Boorman filmed their biking exploits from London to New York, via Mongolia, Siberia and Alaska, for 2004 series Long Way Round - and now they're planning a second journey from the top of Scotland to the tip of Cape Town, South Africa next year. And McGregor's wife Eve has been learning how to ride a motorbike so she can join her husband for three weeks. McGregor says, "Being away from my wife and kids is hard but it's part of the work of being an actor anyway. My wife is very supportive. She'll be coming out for part of the next trip. I have been married for 11 years and she has rarely even been on the back of a bike but she's training to ride and will do the middle three weeks with us."

'Borat' Star Becomes Britain's Highest-Paid Actor
21 November 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Sacha Baron Cohen has instantly become the highest-paid actor in the U.K. after landing a deal at Universal that reportedly will pay him at least $30 million, the London Daily Mail reported. The figure is based on Cohen's salary for the upcoming Bruno, based on his gay fashion writer character, plus 15 percent of the box-office gross. The deal propels him well above No. 2 on the list of high-paid British actors, a position held by both Ewan McGregor and Keira Knightley, who reportedly earn about $20 million per year.

Swayze To Light Up the West End
2 June 2006 (WENN)
Hollywood star Patrick Swayze is spending the summer in London after signing to star in the theatre production of Guys And Dolls. The Dirty Dancing actor, 53, will play gambler Nathan Detroit at the British capital's Piccadilly Theatre from July 10. Down With Love actor Ewan McGregor and former Ally McBeal actress Jane Krakowski, who recently won a Tony award, starred in the production as gambler Sky Masterson and nightclub dancer Miss Adelaide respectively last summer.

McGregor and Farrell Sign On for Allen Film
19 May 2006 (WENN)
Miami Vice star Colin Farrell and Moulin Rouge heartthrob Ewan McGregor are set to star in director Woody Allen's new film set in London. The as-yet-untitled film is the third movie the New Yorker has shot in London, following the critically acclaimed Match Point and the upcoming Scoop. Plans for the new film were quickly put into place after Allen's Paris project, which was set to star Michelle Williams and David Krumholtz, fell through. According to Moviehole.net, the film will begin shooting this summer.

'Wedding Crashers' and 'Virgin' Land Five MTV Nominations
25 April 2006 (WENN)
Zany comedies Wedding Crashers and The 40-Year-Old Virgin have topped this year's MTV Movie Awards nominations with five gongs apiece. The two films will compete with King Kong, Sin City and Batman Begins for the Best Movie Prize, while Virgin's Steve Carell will fight for the Best Performance honor with Jake Gyllenhaal, Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Rachel McAdams and Terrence Howard. Batman Begins' Christian Bale, Jessica Alba (Sin City), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire), Kate Beckinsale (Underworld: Evolution) and Ewan McGregor (Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith) will fight it out for the Best Hero prize while the Best Villains race is between Harry Potter bad guy Ralph Fiennes, Darth Vader Hayden Christensen and Batman foe Cillian Murphy, among others. In other categories, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo star Rob Schneider will compete with Beyonce Knowles (The Pink Panther), Alba, and Jessica Simpson (Dukes Of Hazzard) for the Sexiest Performance honor. And parents-to-be Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are favorites to claim the Best Fight for their rumble in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The 2006 MTV Movie Awards will air on June 8.

Zellweger Attends Potter Statue Unveiling
25 April 2006 (WENN)
Oscar-winner Renee Zellweger took time from filming new movie Miss Potter to attend the unveiling of a statue honoring children's author Beatrix Potter in England's Lake District. The Cold Mountain star, who is currently shooting her role as Potter alongside Ewan McGregor in the picturesque region, hoped the 15-foot bronze monument would become "a distinctive local landmark." The work of art depicts a group of children releasing Jemima Puddle-Duck back into the wild, and is a feature at the Lake District's World Of Beatrix Potter. Zellweger said over the weekend, "It brings the whole Miss Potter story to life to be in the places where Beatrix lived. Arriving in the Lake District is like the culmination of the journey we've been on these past few weeks."

Ewan McGregor Adopts
13 April 2006 (WENN)
Actor Ewan McGregor and his family have adopted a four-year-old girl from Mongolia. The Scottish star and his wife, Eve Mavrakis, have two biological daughters, Esther, four and Clara, one. According to a representative for the actor, "I can confirm Ewan McGregor and his wife Eve Mavrakis have adopted a girl, but cannot comment further." The couple, who met on the set of the British TV crime series Kavanagh QC, married in 1995. In 2004, McGregor and best friend Charley Boorman spent three months on a globe-spanning 20,000 mile motorcycle trip for TV series Long Way Round. Mongolia was one of the stops featured during their journey.

Johansson Hints at Rift with Bay
8 December 2005 (WENN)
Hollywood beauty Scarlett Johansson has hinted she has a bad relationship with her The Island director Michael Bay, declaring the movie-maker has "lots of enemies." Johansson and her Island co-star Ewan McGregor's acting skills were blamed by producers after the action thriller failed to reach box office expectations. In a recent New York Times interview, Johansson talks about her love of on-set gifts and her pet Chihuahua. She says, "On the set of The Island. Ewan McGregor gave me coats and collars and lots of dog toys." After mentioning Bay has huge pet dogs, Johansson adds, "He needs them. He has a lot of enemies." When asked if Bay gave her any presents on the set, Johansson laughed politely, but did not elaborate.

Craig Was First Choice Bond
17 October 2005 (WENN)
Daniel Craig was the producers' first choice to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, dispelling reports that the prestigious role had been turned down by other actors during the protracted selection process. Producer Michael G. Wilson told Friday's press conference in London that he spent two years searching for the new British superspy, and a host of contenders including Clive Owen, Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor were not offered the part in Casino Royale. Wilson said, "(Daniel Craig) was the only one we offered the film to. There's been some speculation that we offered it to other people but that's not accurate." The 37-year-old, who will be the first blond Bond, is expected to portray a stripped down Bond in what is expected to be a darker exploration of the world of espionage. Craig added, "I want to take Bond somewhere he's never been before."

Craig Is Bond, Says His Mother
14 October 2005 (WENN)
The mother of Daniel Craig unveiled her son as the new James Bond, hours before movie bosses officially reveal the identity of the latest actor to play the spy. Proud Carol Blond is overjoyed her boy has beaten a vast list of screen idols, including Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor, to win the coveted 007 role. She says, "We're thrilled to bits. This has come at a very good time in his career. He has worked hard all his life and this will be his most famous part. It will be life-changing, but I think he is old enough and experienced enough to handle it." Bond film-makers will officially confirm which actor will take over from Pierce Brosnan, at 52 considered too old to play the secret agent, at a press conference later Friday, ending more than a year of speculation. Filming on the new movie, an adaptation of Sir Ian Fleming novel Casino Royale, begins in January - directed by Martin Campbell.

Stars Offer Budget Acting Class
30 September 2005 (WENN)
Ewan McGregor, Patrick Stewart and Imelda Staunton are offering drama classes to aspiring actors for the bargain price of $68 a session. The generous actors are taking part in Britain's innovative Film Lab project at London's prestigious Actor's Centre in a bid to help wannabe stars emulate their Hollywood success. And the centre is bracing itself for the rush. The Actors Centre artistic director Matthew Lloyd says, "In the States, a lot of actors take classes on a regular basis, but the unique feature of Film Lab is that people will not be selected by only those who can pay. The course will run for 12 months and we will be able to use the performers when they're available. We'll fit in with their diaries."

Craig Delivers Bond Clue
14 September 2005 (WENN)
British actor Daniel Craig has reentered the race to become the next James Bond - after being spotted enquiring about a rare copy of the novel the next 007 movie will be based on. Intrigue about the identity of Pierce Brosnan's successor has kept Bond fans gripped for months - and handed movie makers valuable publicity. Craig is among a short-list of favorites to star in the forthcoming remake for Ian Fleming's first 007 novel Casino Royale, including Clive Owen, Ewan McGregor, Julian McMahon and Hugh Jackman. But a London bookstore owner is convinced he's unearthed the best-kept secret in Hollywood, after Craig asked after a first edition of the novel. Peter Ellis says, "I told him that he should expect to pay about £20,000. He didn't seem particularly surprised at the price, but then he didn't ask me to get him a copy either."

Movie Reviews: 'Valiant'
19 August 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Valiant is a bird, critics are pointing out, and, they seem to indicate, it's certainly no prince. In fact, they're taking turns at firing potshots at Disney's latest animated feature. (The film was produced by a British company; Disney is distributing it.) It's digitally animated, not hand-drawn and voiced by such top-name British talent as Ewan McGregor, Ricky Gervais, Jim Broadbent, Tim Curry, John Cleese, Hugh Laurie and John Hurt. Roger Moore in the Orlando Sentinel concludes that it's "watchable. But try explaining all of this not-particularly funny adult history, humor and clutter to a child." Likewise, Kyle Smith in the New York Post warns that the movie "will fly over the heads of actual youngsters." And Carina Chocano in the Los Angeles Times suggests that the film may be trying too hard to fly high. She writes: "Valiant wants to be the Saving Private Ryan of animated war movies. Instead (and the characters are just as hard to tell apart) it's their The Great Raid."

Carlyle Wants 'Trainspotting' Sequel
19 August 2005 (WENN)
Robert Carlyle is desperate for Ewan McGregor and director Danny Boyle to settle their feud, because he would love to star in Trainspotting sequel Porno. Anxious Trainspotting fans have been eagerly anticipating the film version of author Irvine Welsh's hit sequel for years - but ever since McGregor and director Boyle clashed over Leonardo DiCaprio's casting in The Beach, the sequel has been shelved. But Carlyle remains convinced filming would be fun if the two could settle their egotistical differences. He says, "I have to say I've never been approached by anyone about it. I would hope to do it again because we had a great time the last time; some friendships I made on that film have continued to this day, and that's quite rare. The opportunity to work with Danny again would be fantastic."

Johansson Hits Back at 'Island' Producers
17 August 2005 (WENN)
Scarlett Johansson is furious producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald have blamed her and Ewan McGregor for the box-office failure of their big-budget film The Island. The screen beauty was staggered by their recent attack, which included a comment on their website claiming "even lesser television actresses would have more connection to that audience" than Johansson did in The Island. Johannson rages, "This is a clear-cut example of the producers passing the buck and not taking responsibility for their part in making calculated mistakes throughout the film's marketing. (I am) proud of (my) performance and the film."

No Man Is an 'Island'
15 August 2005 (StudioBriefing)
DreamWorks film execs Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald have learned that no man is an island -- and neither is any website. Writing on their website last week, the husband-and-wife team blamed the stars of The Island, Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson for the film's quick collapse. "Those are superstars of the future, those two actors, they're not superstars of the present," said Parkes. Of Johanson, the two said, "Even lesser television actresses, quite honestly, would have more connection to [the moviegoing] audience." The remarks did not go unnoticed by Johanson. A spokesman for the actress told the New York Post: "This is a clear-cut example of the producers' passing the buck and not taking responsibility for their part in making calculated mistakes throughout the film's marketing." The Post, citing unnamed insiders, said that the producers were only on the set three times during the movie shoot and were "basically uncontactable" just before it was about to open.

'Island' Producers Blame Actors For Flop
12 August 2005 (WENN)
The Island's producers have blamed the movie's stars Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor for the critical-mauling its received. Producer Walter Parkes and his wife Laurie have used their website to stage a vicious attack on Johansson and McGregor, claiming their half-hearted efforts have resulted in a poor reception for the high-budget sci-fi epic. And Johansson's talents take the biggest beatings, with the husband and wife team claiming a television actress could have done a more professional job. They write, "Listen those are superstars of the future, not superstars of the present. Even lesser television actresses, quite honestly would have more connection to that audience."

'The Island' Accused of Being a Copy
11 August 2005 (WENN)
Movie giants DreamWorks and Warner Bros are being sued by the producers of a 1979 film, who claim the Ewan McGregor movie The Island is based on. A lawsuit was filed on Monday, alleging a number of similarities between The Island and Parts: The Clonus Horror - and a number of prominent movie reviewers agree. Both films are about a secret colony of clones bred to provide spare parts for humans. The suit also alleges the producers of Parts: The Clonus Horror showed the film to DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg - who was then at Paramount - in a bid to secure a distribution deal. The producers, Myrl A. Schreibman and Robert S. Fiveson, are seeking damages and part of the proceeds from Warner Bros and DreamWorks and have also asked the court to order the studio to withdraw the film and block further release. Fiveson, who first saw a trailer for The Island on the internet, says, "I though, 'That looks like a trailer to my movie,' right down to where key moments and shots were the same." A statement from DreamWorks insists, "The Island was independently created and does not infringe anyone's copyright."

McGregor Attacks Critical Journalist at Premiere
10 August 2005 (WENN)
Scottish actor Ewan McGregor has defended his aggressive outburst against a cheeky journalist at Sunday's London premiere of his latest movie The Island - insisting the reporter ruined his night by criticizing his American accent in the film. The movie hunk was furious when a blonde journalist asked him about his critically-mauled performance as an American in the movie, and replied he had "no plans to abandon the accent". McGregor then shocked fans at the Leicester Square event, by storming back towards the journalist later on and shouting, "Thank you for bringing that up - you've ruined my evening" before storming off. The red-faced journalist was then ordered to leave the premiere and was banned from all future screenings, reports British newspaper the Daily Mirror. But McGregor's spokeswoman insists, "There had been an unfounded criticism made to Ewan by an agency reporter, to which Ewan politely replied that he was sorry she'd asked that question as it had taken the shine off his night. To our knowledge no one was asked to leave and it has been resolved amicably."

Johansson Shocks Bay with Naked Request
3 August 2005 (WENN)
Director Michael Bay was horrified when actress Scarlett Johansson insisted on going topless for a love scene in new movie The Island - because the romance is rated PG-13. The 20-year-old beauty called Bay to her trailer and angrily refused to wear an unflattering black bra for her love scene with co-star Ewan McGregor. But Bay had difficulty persuading Johansson not to do the scene naked. He tells movie magazine Empire, "You know the situation - the famous director gets called to the actor's trailer before she does the love scene. I'm like, here we go. I'm ready to do Ewan and Scarlett's love scene. I'm like, 'Oh my God, she's not going to come out.' She says, 'I'm not f**king wearing this cheap-ass black bra, okay? I'm going naked.' I'm like, 'Scarlett, you can't go naked. It's a PG-13.' Classic story, She's feisty, I must say."

Johansson Slams McGregor's Teenage Kiss
1 August 2005 (WENN)
Movie siren Scarlett Johansson was less than impressed with Ewan McGregor's kissing prowess while filming The Island, insisting he was no better than an adolescent. Johansson shared a screen smooch with the Scottish hunk, and although many women would swoon at the thought of locking lips with the clean-cut star, Johansson was left cold. She snipes, "He kissed me like a 16-year-old schoolboy."

Movie Reviews: 'The Island'
22 July 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Director Michael Bay has always taken some satisfaction in the fact that while his action flicks are often derided by critics, they perform like gangbusters at the box office. His latest movie, The Island, may be no exception. The film, which stars Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, is being subjected to a virtual tsunami of negative reviews (but it also receives a few favorable ones, too). Claudia Puig in USA Today describes it as "this loud, sometimes frenetic cinematic assault." Similarly, John Anderson in Newsday calls it "this loud, slick, pointless movie." Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal writes that it "comes on like an overproduced coma, and leaves you comatose by the end." And Ann Hornaday offers this advice in the Washington Post: "If you find yourself at The Island I have only three words of advice: Vote yourself off." Nevertheless, Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times bestows three stars on the film, even while writing that watching it was like watching a double feature. "The first half ... is a spare, creepy science fiction parable, and then it shifts into a high-tech action picture. Both halves work. Whether they work together is a good question. The more you like one, the less you may like the other. I liked them both, up to a point, but the movie seemed a little too much like surf & turf." And Jack Mathews in the New York Daily News seems to suggest it's simply a movie to eat popcorn by. He writes: "This is a summer movie that knows what it is -- and that that is all it is -- and acts accordingly. It's got a hot premise, some cool sets, attractive stars and action that lets up only when it thinks you're about to surrender."

London Shows Shelved in Aftermath of Terrorist Attacks
8 July 2005 (WENN)
Stars including Ewan McGregor, Val Kilmer, David Schwimmer, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Prodigy and Sum 41 have all called off performances in London last night, following a series of terrorist attacks in the British capital this morning. Three bombs on London underground trains and a blast aboard a bus are confirmed to have so far claimed at least 33 lives and injured over 350 others. As a result, almost all of London's stage plays have been shelved, including the McGregor-starring Guys And Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre; Schwimmer's Some Girl(s) at the Gielgud Theatre; and Kilmer's The Postman Always Rings Twice at the Playhouse Theatre. Sum 41 have cancelled a performance at the Astoria and Nate James has shelved a gig at the Shepherd's Bush Empire. The Prodigy's concert at Brixton Academy has also been called off. Rockers Queens Of The Stone Age were scheduled to play two gigs in the capital tonight - one at Somerset House and one at Koko. Both have been postponed and an announcement about rescheduling the Somerset House gig is due to be made next week. It is currently unconfirmed whether Queen and REM will play huge open air concerts in Hyde Park tomorrow and Saturday respectively. A statement on Queen's website reads: "At present, the Queen camp are being advised as to what they should do."

McGregor: "I Was a Miserable Drunk"
5 July 2005 (WENN)
Scottish screen star Ewan McGregor battled alcoholism during his rise to fame, and he quickly plunged into a drink-fuelled depression. But the Star Wars hunk still can't understand why none of the directors he worked with pulled him up on his spiraling problem, and as a result he looks back at his early career with deep embarrassment. He tells Playboy magazine, "I was just ashamed of myself, really. None of my directors ever said, 'You know, I'd rather you didn't drink at work.' None of them. And they must have known. I was reeking of (alcohol). Originally I was a happy drunk. But later I was miserable because it's a depressant."

15-Year-Old Selected for Teen Spy Role
30 June 2005 (StudioBriefing)
A handsome 15-year-old actor has admitted to being slightly overwhelmed when he learned that he had landed the lead in the upcoming Stormbreaker, based on the Anthony Horowitz books about a teenager who becomes an agent for Britain's M16 spy agency after his uncle and guardian is mysteriously killed. The film will co-star Ewan McGregor (as the uncle), Mickey Rourke, Alicia Silverstone and Damian Lewis. In an interview with the British Press Association wire service, Alex Pettyfer remarked, "One minute I'm playing a PlayStation game with Ewan McGregor in it and the next minute I'm standing next to him." PA said that Pettyfer's role will be the most physically demanding ever undertaken by a child actor. He apparently was a perfect match for the character created by Horowitz, who first saw him on a British TV drama. He said that immediately after it was over, "I e-mailed the film's producers and said, 'You have to see this boy.'"

Ewan Plans Another Bike Trek
1 June 2005 (WENN)
Star Wars star Ewan McGregor is planning another mad motorcycle trip in 2006 from London to Cape Town, South Africa. The bike-mad Scot and fellow actor Charley Boorman teamed up to trek through Europe, Mongolia and Russia to Canada and North America last year, while filming documentary series Long Way Round. And now McGregor is keen to head off on another big adventure. He says, "It's the logical next step. Long Way Down, we'd call it, and we'd get to see all of Africa." And that's not the only bike trip the ambitious actor is planning - he'd like to zoom around Britain on his favorite vintage motorcycle, the BSA Lightning, and he hopes to return to the remote roads of Mongolia for a solo camping trip. He adds, "There's something terribly comforting about visiting remote places and being so far away from home. There's something so beautiful about being alone, having no responsibility, but there's also nothing like coming back to work and to a family I love."

'Star Wars' Slammed for Continuity Errors
25 May 2005 (WENN)
The final Star Wars movie Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith has been slated by outraged fans, because it's riddled with continuity errors. Viewers have inundated website Moviemistakes.Com complaining director George Lucas's blockbuster contains 14 glaring mistakes. One film fan says of the latest film, "When he is telling Anakin how proud he is of him, Obi-wan's eye color shifts from Ewan McGregor's natural blue-green eyes to a dark brown." Another fumes, "When Samuel L. Jackson says, 'I don't think the boy can handle it, I don't trust him,' his lips don't match his dialogue." But the mistakes in the current release are nothing compared to the original 1977 film Episode IV - A New Hope which contained 214 mistakes, and its sequel The Empire Strikes Back, which contained 144 errors.

McGregor: "'Star Wars' Fans Scare Me"
11 May 2005 (WENN)
Scottish screen hunk Ewan McGregor is frightened by Star Wars fans and their devoted fervor for the sci-fi saga. The 34-year-old actor, who plays the young Obi-Wan Kenobi, found working on the three prequel Star Wars movies uninspiring as they focused more on special effects than performance - but he is even less enthusiastic about the films' die hard enthusiasts. He says, "There's this huge following, which is weird. They have big meets and conventions, and I find it all a bit frightening. Once this guy met me at a stage door when I was doing a play in London. The guy yelled, 'Obi-Wan. Do you have any advice for a trainee Jedi?' I just said, 'No, don't be so ridiculous.' It's just so weird, it really is."

McGregor Fears Backlash for 'The Island'
3 May 2005 (WENN)
Scottish hunk Ewan McGregor fears he'll be blasted for appearing in upcoming Hollywood movie The Island. The 34-year-old star is convinced his decision to star in the Michael Bay thriller alongside screen siren Scarlett Johansson will ultimately rocket his career to even greater heights. And while he accepts many British film critics will attack his decision to star in a big-budget American blockbuster, he insists he needs to commit to the occasional box office smash to maintain his momentum in the tough h industry. He says, "What I like about my career so far is that it has got really broad variety. The older I get the wider my scope should be. It's funny, in Britain I'll get slagged off for doing The Island, I know I will. People will say, 'What's he doing f**king off to America doing that sh**e?' And on the other hand unless you've done a big American action movie you're not really given any credit."

'Star Wars' Theme To Be Released As a Single
20 April 2005 (WENN)
Die-hard Star Wars fans will have something extra to purchase when the final installment is released next month - the theme tune is set to be released as a single. The song - composed and conducted by five-time Oscar winner John Williams and played by the London Symphony Orchestra - could force its way into the top 10 in music charts around the world, a rare achievement for a choral and orchestral piece. Sony BMG will release "Battle Of The Heroes" on May 23. The song depicts the fateful struggle between Jedi knight Anakin Skywalker and his mentor Obi-wan Kenobi. Star Wars: Episode III Revenge Of The Sith is the final installment in the six-part series and stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen. It hits cinemas worldwide on May 19.

McGregor Ban 'Star Wars' Fans from Stage Door
15 April 2005 (WENN)
Actor Ewan McGregor has a warning for fans hoping to meet him at the stage door of his new London play - don't bring any Star Wars memorabilia. The Scots heart-throb is starring in the West End production of 1950s musical Guys And Dolls from June, which opens only 12 days after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith hits cinemas worldwide. And while McGregor is prepared for the Star Wars frenzy over the next few weeks, he is banning the sci-fi film from the back door of the Piccadilly Theatre. McGregor explains, "I made a decision a while back, I'm not going to be available to sign Star Wars stuff at the stage door. I'll be available to sign people's programs and things. But if I start that it will be a nightmare. What will happen, people come to Guys and Dolls and want their program signed, but get monstered by the professional autograph hunters. I don't like to play that game so I won't be signing any Star Wars stuff."

McGregor Takes Pay Cut for Musical
14 April 2005 (WENN)
Hollywood star Ewan McGregor is taking a massive pay cut to star in a new production of Guys And Dolls on the London stage. The Scottish actor has signed a six month contract to play gangster playboy Sky Masterson in the classic 1950s musical which will open at the West End's Piccadilly Theatre on June 1. The 34-year-old says, "I do find it daunting going back to live theatre after movies. I can't wait but I'll really have to work hard to master the stage fright." McGregor's talent for singing first came to international attention following his starring role in Moulin Rouge, and his current co-stars are impressed by his instinctive ability to master complex choreography during rehearsals. Artistic director Michael Grandage says, "The big shock, or rather surprise, is that we truthfully didn't know what Ewan's dancing skills were. Sky Masterson can easily be played without too much dancing about. But we discovered he's a completely natural dancer so we're really going to be using it. And he has a glorious voice." McGregor last appeared on stage in the London Comedy Theatre's production of Little Malcolm And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs in 1999. Grandage's Guys And Dolls production, which also stars Ally McBeal beauty Jane Krakowski in her West End debut, will see Damon Runyon's musical return to the London stage after a 23 year hiatus.

Final 'Star Wars' Episode Is Reportedly Rated PG-13
11 April 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith, starring Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman, has become the first film in the franchise to be given a PG-13 rating by the Motion Picture Association of America's Classification and Ratings Administration, several websites reported Saturday, citing sources with the MPAA. According to the reports, the film received a PG-13 rather than the usual PG for the other Star Wars episodes because of "sci-fi violence and some intense images." The film is set for release on Thursday, May 19.

Johansson Injured on Film Set
29 March 2005 (WENN)
Scarlett Johansson is suffering with crippling shin-splints on the set of her latest movie The Island, because her legs can't cope with the grueling physical work demanded of her. The sexy actress had previously limited her screen work to dramatic roles, but her fitness has been put fully to the test in mega-budget sci-fi thriller The Island, which also stars Ewan McGregor. And following several scenes which require her to sprint for survival, Johansson finished work with more than just aching muscles. She tells Britain's Empire magazine, "It's certainly been more demanding than Girl With A Pearl Earring. Early on, I was coming home with shin-splints: 'Okay, I've got to start working out!'"

McGregor Too Young for 'Trainspotting II'
8 March 2005 (WENN)
Fans of cult movie Trainspotting will have to wait another decade for director Danny Boyle's follow-up - because the original cast aren't old enough yet. Despite Moulin Rouge star Ewan McGregor's reported reluctance to reprise his role in a sequel to the 1995 junkie movie that launched his career - Boyle is convinced he can assemble the original cast, which also includes Jonny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle. But Boyle wants his leads to be "middle-aged casualties of the pleasure culture" and they are still too young - the movie-maker tells the New York Post. So he will wait until McGregor, Miller, Carlyle and castmate Ewan Bremner are suitably scarred by "the ravages of time". He complains, "Actors like to put out the PR that they're living a wild life in night clubs, but really they're tucked up in bed early with their moisturizer on," Boyle said.

McGregor Slams 'Star Wars II'
23 February 2005 (WENN)
Star Wars star Ewan McGregor has attacked the penultimate movie in the sci-fi series, insisting Episode II: Attack Of The Clones was "unsatisfactory". It's not the first time the Scottish actor has criticized the George Lucas- directed franchise - he dubbed Episode I: The Phantom Menace "disappointing" following its release in 1999. But McGregor - who plays Obi Wan Kenobe - is far happier with the final movie, Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, which premieres in May. McGregor says, "The fighting in Episode II was unsatisfactory, I think. I don't think the fight was nearly as good as it should have been and I certainly didn't have as big a crack of the whip as in the first one. I made up for it in number three. We fight our a**ses off in that film."

Owen Becomes Bond Favorite
28 January 2005 (WENN)
Actor Clive Owen has become favorite to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond following his Oscar nomination on Tuesday. British bookmakers William Hill have stopped taking bets on who will be the next 007, because customers have staked so much money on Owen following the announcement he's up for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his role in Closer. The odds on Owen getting to grips with the suave superspy have been slashed from 4/1 to 5/2, with Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor second favorites with odds of 4/1. A spokesperson for William Hill says, "Owen's nomination sparked a betting frenzy from James Bond fans. They feel his heightened global recognition will have done his chances of being the next Bond a world of good."

Jackman Favorite for Bond Role
19 January 2005 (WENN)
Australian actor Hugh Jackman has emerged as favorite to become the next James Bond, with bookmakers tipping him to take over from departing 007 Pierce Brosnan. Leading British bookmakers Ladbrokes and William Hill are offering odds of 2/1 on the Swordfish star slipping into the superspy's famous tuxedo for his next big screen outing - ahead of Closer star Clive Owen and third favorite Ewan McGregor. A Ladbrokes spokesperson says, "Hugh Jackman certainly appears to be the punters choice but we've seen more twists than the average Bond movie. At one point or another, Colin Farrell, Colin Salmon, Dougray Scott, Eric Bana and Ewan McGregor have been subject to serious support for the role." A decision on who will replace Brosnan has been delayed while a power struggle wages between Bond movie makers the Broccoli family and MGM over who should be offered the role. The spokesperson adds, "Who takes on the role could well depend on who comes out top in the power struggle behind the scenes. If the Broccoli family win we could well see an unknown actor, while if the money men have their way we could see a top star in the role. Last year, a source told us that the producers had a list of ten actors that they were looking at."

'Star Wars' Actors Reunited
6 January 2005 (WENN)
Actors Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor have teamed up with other stars of all six Star Wars movies for a new Vanity Fair photo spread. The American magazine grouped together 22 major performers in the legendary franchise, inviting cast members from the original 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope to this year's final installment Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith. Mastermind George Lucas, who directed four of the intergalactic movies, joined Ford, Fisher, Portman and McGregor as well as original Luke Skywalker star Mark Hamill, Samuel L. Jackson, Liam Neeson and Hayden Christensen. Robots R2-D2 and C3PO also joined their human co-stars for the reunion shoot. Lucas admits the final part of the opening trilogy marks the end of an era in his career - and he now plans to stop making successful films. He says, "I'm going to make movies nobody wants to see. I've earned the right to fail."

Johansson's Mother Orders Her To Take Time Off
31 December 2004 (WENN)
Movie beauty Scarlett Johansson's mother has ordered her to take time off - because she fears her daughter's excessive work schedule is making her ill. The 20-year-old actress, who is currently filming thriller The Island with Ewan McGregor, is so pre-occupied with her career she finds it impossible to relax. Johansson says, "I'm such a workaholic but I can't help myself. My mother keeps saying, 'Take a vacation, get some rest, go to sleep, what's wrong with you? You'll wear yourself out.' If I go on a vacation all I think about is work."

Gruffudd Leads Bond Race
24 November 2004 (WENN)
Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd is leading the way to play the next James Bond - ahead of Ewan McGregor and Hugh Jackman. The King Arthur star is said to possess "all the credentials" to take over from Pierce Brosnan as the next 007 in the secret spy films. A source says, "Ioan is the only actor being considered as the next Bond at the moment. He has all the credentials to play Bond and, unlike most of the other candidates mentioned, he's relatively unknown. The producers know Ioan is going to be a big star with or without Bond. It's just a matter of whether he wants to take on such a huge role and the early indications are that he does."

Connery Wants McGregor As Bond
18 November 2004 (WENN)
Ewan McGregor should be the next James Bond, according to former 007 star Sir Sean Connery. Star Wars actor McGregor was recently reported to be in negotiations to take over from Pierce Brosnan as the super spy - and Connery thinks he'd be a great choice if he's brave enough to take on the role. Connery tells Pagesix.Com , "He's very good. He should do it if he wants to do it. But it's a bit of a poison chalice. It is slightly more difficult than people realize because it has to look very comfortable and very easy and very cool." According to media reports, McGregor is battling it out with Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman and Jude Law for the coveted role.

Farrell Doesn't Want James Bond Role
9 November 2004 (WENN)
Colin Farrell has answered Pierce Brosnan's call for him to become the new James Bond - by declaring he doesn't want the role. Last week, Brosnan announced he would like fellow Irishman Farrell to follow in his footsteps and portray the suave spy. But Farrell tells Reuters, "The idea of me playing James Bond got into the press, but it is not true. I would not like to do it...they should find someone the audience has no history with. Anyway, Her Majesty's Secret Service wouldn't have me on the payroll." Finding a successor to Brosnan as agent 007 has been the subject of intense speculation for months, with Hugh Jackman, Jude Law and Ewan McGregor just a few in a long list of possible replacements. Brosnan fulfilled his four-film contract with Die Another Day in 2002. The next film is not slated to be released until 2006.

'Star Wars' Trailer Debuts
5 November 2004 (StudioBriefing)
The first trailer for Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith is due to screen tonight (Friday) in thousands of theaters. It is also being made available for free downloading by subscribers to America Online. The preview, lasting one minute, 40 seconds, provides the first look of a red-eyed Anakin Skywalker as he surrenders to the Dark Side. There are also glimpses of a space battle that opens the movie and numerous light-saber clashes, including one between Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).

McGregor Almost Quit Bike Trek
21 October 2004 (WENN)
Ewan McGregor and pal Charley Boorman almost parked up their motorbikes halfway through their round-the-world trek and called the adventure off - because they were missing their families. The actors admit their wives urged them on when the pair called home from remote Mongolia, insisting their global bike ride was too much. The three-month trek had already fallen well behind schedule, and Boorman and McGregor both knew they'd struggle to make up time. Boorman says, "We were desperate to get to our wives." McGregor adds, "They told us to stick it out and if it takes a bit longer, it doesn't matter." The pair eventually rode into New York in July after completing more than 20,000 miles in 113 days.

McGregor Desperate for Movie Roles
12 October 2004 (WENN)
Film hunk Ewan McGregor is primed for a big screen return after escaping the pressures of Hollywood on a three-month charity motorbike ride around the world. The Star Wars star, who will be appointed an ambassador for Unicef UK after getting involved with the charity on his travels, insists the trip has left him "rejuvenated" and eager to resume his career. He says, "I worked very hard last year, I was tired and wanted a change of scenery. I'm ready to go back to work." McGregor traveled through 12 countries with his friend and fellow actor Charley Boorman over the summer to raise funds for the Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) and visited three Unicef projects in Mongolia, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

McGregor's Beard Trauma
4 August 2004 (WENN)
Ewan McGregor's wife has ordered him to shave off the shaggy beard he grew during his round the world motorbike trek - because it's scaring their kids. McGregor returned from the 20,000 mile trip with pal Charley Boorman and the unsightly facial growth last week - and Eve isn't impressed. A pal says, "Eve hates it. She says it makes him look like a Hell's Angel and that it would frighten their daughters Esther and Clara." According to reports, the actor plans to shave the beard off to raise money for the United Nations Children's Fund.

Brosnan Bids Bond a Fond Farewell
28 July 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Four months after complaining that producers of the next James Bond film were at "an impasse" over how to proceed with the production, Pierce Brosnan has himself bowed out of the film. In an interview posted on Entertainment Weekly's website, Brosnan said, "Bond is another lifetime behind me." He added: "I've said all I've got to say on the world of James Bond. ... We went out on a high, and I look back affectionately at that time and doing those four movies. But I've said all I gotta say on it." Reporting on Brosnan's remarks, the Associated Press speculated Tuesday: "The 51-year-old's statement might be a negotiating ploy." However, last weekend Scotland's Sunday Mail reported that the producers intended to "pension off" Brosnan and replace him with a younger actor. Ewan McGregor, Jude Law and Clive Owen were reportedly being considered. In March, Brosnan told the London Daily Mirror, "You know going in that your time will come to boy out, walk off and say goodbye. If that time is now, then it's been a glorious ride." He criticized the producers for sacrificing character-driven plots for gimmicky spectacle, saying, "It's frustrating, really, because they feel they have to top themselves in a genre which is just spectacle and huge bang for your buck."

McGregor Falls Into River While Trekking Globe
27 July 2004 (WENN)
Ewan McGregor recently encountered a frightening situation as he neared the end of his marathon motorcycle trek - he got stuck in a muddy river. The Moulin Rouge star, who embarked on the 20,000 mile global journey with friend Charlie Boorman on April 14, was biking through Mongolia when the scary incident happened. McGregor writes on website Ridernews.Net, "It was so rainy and muddy that we couldn't get anywhere, we just kept getting stuck and falling off. The worst bit of the whole trip so far though, was when I fell off in a river. It was what I was dreading the most. I had nightmares of baling out and filling the engine with water and stranding us in the middle of nowhere. The moment finally happened when I crossed a river and hit a massive boulder hidden under water. Luckily, as the bike began to fall I hit the kill switch, stopping the engine before it sucked in water. When we dragged it out of the river, it was fine." The epic motorbike journey is being filmed for a seven-part documentary series, Long Way Round, and ends in New York later this week.

McGregor Wins Damages Claim
7 July 2004 (WENN)
Scottish movie heart-throb Ewan McGregor is "delighted" after winning damages in a settlement over photos of him and his children. The Moulin Rouge star was furious when British newspapers published snaps of him holidaying with daughters Esther Rose and Clara Mathilde in Mauritius in 2002. Tabloid newspapers the Daily Record and The Sun, photographer Jason Fraser and his company Fraser Woodward Ltd have all contributed to the undisclosed sum. One of McGregor's solicitors, Nigel Tait, says, "With the benefit of European court decisions, people in the public eye are going to appreciate they can take steps to protect their privacy even in public places. It's very distressing for some of our clients to be followed by a pack of photographers - we all have the right to relax and you can't do that when you are surrounded by paparazzi."

Bloom Is Britain's Sexiest Actor
21 June 2004 (WENN)
Troy hunk Orlando Bloom has beaten popular heart-throbs Jude Law, Hugh Grant and Ewan McGregor in the battle for first place in Sky Movies' Britain's sexiest actor survey. The 27-year-old is one place ahead of his Troy co-star Sean Bean followed by Grant, McGregor and Law while portly Cold Mountain star Ray Winstone shocked fans by being voted into fifth place. A Sky Movies spokesman said: "It's usually the likes of Jude Law and Ewan McGregor who are voted Britain's sexiest actors. But it seems that Orlando Bloom's star is rising. He's been in some big films like Troy recently and appeals to all generations." Bloom hit the big time when he was cast in Lord Of The Rings as Legolas while still at drama school.

McGregor Stressed Back To Smoking
27 May 2004 (WENN)
Moulin Rouge star Ewan McGregor has taken up smoking again - after his bike trek across the world turned dangerous. The Scottish hunk is attempting to cycle 20,000 miles alongside biking partner Charlie Boorman, but has already encountered gun- toting military men and poisonous insects. And although McGregor quit smoking in January, in a bid to be fit enough for the endurance challenge, his nerves are now so shredded he has reverted to the bad habit. McGregor blames delays on the trip - caused by Boorman needing urgent medical treatment after accidentally splashing petrol on his face and then being attacked by poisonous insects - for the relapse. Another stressful incident, where he was also detained by Ukranian armed guards who finally released him after a local businessman recognized him and persuaded the militia-men to free him, also sent him back on the nicotine. But McGregor is trying to remain upbeat, saying, "Kazakhstan and Russia have been the most interesting countries on our route. We have been treated to koumiss, fermented horses' milk and meat."

'Episode III' Now Has a Name, Says Magazine
20 May 2004 (StudioBriefing)
The final Star Wars movie (Episode III) will be titled Birth of the Empire, Britain's Empire magazine reported on its website today (Thursday). The publication quoted an unnamed source as saying that the highlight of the movie is a battle between Ewan McGregor, playing Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Hayden Christensen, playing Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader while maneuvering small platforms on lava as if they were surfing. Lucasfilm has not commented on the report.

McGregor Escapes Mosquito Death Bite
19 May 2004 (WENN)
Hollywood star Ewan McGregor has to be given emergency medical treatment in Turkestan on Monday, after suffering a severe insect bite during his round the world trip. Organizers told the 33-year-old Star Wars star he should postpone his motorbike trek - after an insect bite caused his head to swell up - so medics in Kazakhstan could give him a thorough examination. But McGregor continued with his pal Charley Boorman to his next stop in Turkestan, where he let doctors check him over. It was feared the actor had fallen victim to one of eastern Europe's dangerous blood-sucking parasites, after Boorman insisted the pair sleep in tents instead of checking into hotels - but medics concluded the bite was harmless. The pair are set to complete their three-month tour around Europe, Mongolia, Siberia and North America.

McGregor Detained by Gun-Toting Militiamen
10 May 2004 (WENN)
Hollywood actor Ewan McGregor has come up against gun-toting militiamen on his 20,000 mile motorcycle world tour. The Moulin Rouge star, 33, and actor Charley Boorman - son of film director John Boorman - were detained by armed border guards demanding documentation whilst trekking across the Ukraine. It was only when local businessmen Igor Vaytsekhovskiy recognized McGregor that the guards freed them. Russian film-maker Stanislav Komarov - part of a team filming the trip - explains that McGregor and Boorman set off on their own for the Ukrainian border. He says, "Four hours later, our satellite phone rang. It was Ewan and he sounded very alarmed. He pleaded with us to get there as quickly as possible. We raced to the border but they had gone." McGregor and Boorman were at Vaytsekhovskiy's home where they entertained their savior with "some songs" which the actor strummed on the guitar.

McGregor Ready for Round the World Trip
14 April 2004 (WENN)
Hollywood superstar Ewan McGregor has announced plans to travel around the world with his actor pal Charley Boorman on a motorbike. The Big Fish actor plans to cross harsh environments - including Siberia, Kazakhstan and Alaska - on their off-road bikes during the pair's three-month challenge. McGregor says, "The idea came a couple a years ago when we were planning a much shorter route down to Europe somewhere. It just grew and grew and grew. We thought maybe we would go to China and then it grew into this round-the- world trip." But, 33-year-old McGregor denies the testing journey is a premature mid-life crisis. He says, "I don't know that it's an easy thing to explain. If you ask anyone that goes on adventures it's very difficult for them to explain why. Maybe the better question is, 'Why not?'" Boorman, son of Point Blank director John Boorman, adds, "It's certainly not a mid-life crisis, we just love motorbikes and we love riding them so any excuse to get on a bike and do something like this seemed very much appropriate." The epic journey begins in London later this week and will be filmed for a documentary.

Law and McGregor Outdo Their Fans
31 March 2004 (WENN)
Cheeky superstars Jude Law and Ewan McGregor managed to outwit some Los Angeles fans last week - by signing each others' names for their autographs. The two British actors were enjoying a quite lunch outside the trendy Bird restaurant in West Hollywood when they were inundated by fans demanding their autographs. The true gentlemen obliged, yet managed to get away with signing the other's signature on the scraps of paper and napkins thrust under their noses. The amazing thing is that not one fan noticed the boys' cunning ruse, reports website Pagesix.

Ewan McGregor Film To Be Released With NC-17 Rating
19 March 2004 (StudioBriefing)
It now appears that Sony Pictures Classics' Young Adam, directed by David MacKenzie and starring Ewan McGregor, will become the second film released this year to be tagged with an NC-17 rating. The MPAA ratings appeals board on Thursday turned down an appeal of the rating by the film company and British producer Jeremy Thomas. (Thomas also produced Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers, the only other film to be released by a major film company this year with an NC-17 rating.) The ratings board had particularly cited a sex scene in which the couple involved are fully clothed. The film is due to open on April 16.

McGregor To Go Nude in US
12 February 2004 (WENN)
American film fans will get to see Ewan McGregor in all his glory - a full frontal scene from his new movie Young Adam has been put back in the US version of the film. The Star Wars star was furious after discovering Sony Pictures pulled the shot from it's forthcoming American release - It hit cinemas in Britain, in full, last September. But Sony sources insist they have changed their minds: "They're not cutting the scene. They're going to release it no matter what."

Spoilers From Padme?
7 January 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Natalie Portman, who stars as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequels, has disclosed that the upcoming Episode III will include "a pretty amazing fight scene" between Ewan McGregor, who plays Obi Wan Kenobi in the prequels, and Hayden Christensen, who portrays Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in them. In an interview with MTV.com, Portman also disclosed that the two actors perform the scene without the aid of stuntmen and that "it's pretty sick." She did not elaborate. The film is set to open on May 25, 2005, the 28th anniversary of the original's premiere.

Portman Reveals 'Awesome' 'Star Wars' Scene
7 January 2004 (WENN)
Natalie Portman is hoping fans will be satisfied with the final Star Wars film - because it contains some "awesome" action. Portman, who plays Queen Padme Amidala in the sci-fi prequel trilogy, admits she's not sure whether the last installment will be "worth it". Creator George Lucas has come under fire from disappointed fans who argue the new offerings do not match up to his classic original trilogy - but Portman insists the cast and crew have done their very best. She says, "I saw a pretty amazing fight scene between Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen. It's pretty sick. "They were thinking of having stuntmen do it, but they were better than the stuntmen. It's pretty awesome. "Is it gonna be worth it? We just shot it and we worked really hard. I think all of us were trying to make it as good as possible. "It was our last chance to sort of, you know, do something with it. So, I'm hoping. But they work on it for two years after we finish shooting, putting on the special effects and all that stuff."

Movie Reviews: 'Big Fish'
10 December 2003 (StudioBriefing)
The fish story that is Big Fish, director Tim Burton's new film about a terminally ill father (Albert Finney, played as a younger man by Ewan McGregor) who tells whoppers and the adult son (Billy Crudup) who resents him, is attracting mixed reviews as it opens in limited release today (Wednesday). A. O. Scott writes in the New York Times: "The film insists on viewing its hero [Finney] as an affectionate, irrepressible raconteur. From where I sat, he looked more like an incorrigible narcissist and also, perhaps, a compulsive liar, whose love for others is little more than overflowing self-infatuation." John Anderson in Newsday writes that Big Fish "flounders." On the other hand, Megan Lehmann in the New York Post calls it "dazzling" and concludes: "There are quirks aplenty in Big Fish, but spirited performances from a talented cast, led by a standout Finney as the slippery-fish raconteur, help domesticate the wall-to-wall weirdness." And Manohla Dargis comments in the Los Angeles Times: "Big Fish often swim in small ponds, but in Tim Burton's wistful new film about a son, a father and the lies that come between them there are no small ponds -- just big, bright movie sets shimmering and bubbling with the director's imagination."

McGregor Angered Over Censorship of Nude Scene
28 November 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Although the MPAA has in the past granted R ratings to several films showing brief scenes of non-sexual male frontal nudity, Sony Classics has elected to remove a scene from the U.S. release of its forthcoming Young Adam in which star Ewan McGregor is seen nude. The decision has angered McGregor, who previously appeared naked in Trainspotting and The Velvet Goldmine, and who told Premiere magazine, "If you want to see my penis [in Young Adam], you'll have to fly to Britain." McGregor suggested that the censorship underscores the hypocrisy of the U.S. film ratings system. "It does amuse me, the horrific violence that comes out of American cinema. But someone's c**k is too much. If I'd blown away 5,000 people with a semiautomatic machine gun, that would be fine. But I showed my penis."

Ewan McGregor Wins Injunction Over Snatched Paparazzi Photos
13 November 2003 (WENN)
Scottish actor Ewan McGregor has won a British High Court privacy action over paparazzi photographs taken of his children. The Moulin Rouge star was granted an injunction against Eliot Press Sarl photo agency for taking unsolicited snaps of his two daughters Clara and Esther while on holiday in Mauritius last December . The photographs, which have previously appeared in the British newspapers, are now banned from further publication. Mr Justice Eady Tuesday ordered damages for breach of confidence and compensation under the Data Protection Act, which will be assessed at a later hearing. McGregor's solicitor Mark Thomson says, "The courts are moving more to protecting the privacy of individuals and children and using the law of confidence to do it. I think there will be more of these cases involving paparazzi photographers." McGregor has made no secret of his hatred for the media's pursuit of celebrities, and this May slammed British gossip magazine Heat as a "dirty, filthy piece of s***". He also said in a radio interview with London station LBC, "(The paparazzi) don't have the right to intrude on people's lives, I really don't think they do. Especially with my children, I've always felt that as a parent, it's my right to protect my children and everyone would agree with that. If a guy comes up and asks me, 'Can I take a picture of your daughter?,' that's one thing. But if he's hiding behind a bus and he takes a picture of me and my daughter, he's legally allowed to publish that photo in the press and I have no rights to stop him, and I think that's wrong."

McGregor Snubbed by Wife for Film Role
15 October 2003 (WENN)
Ewan McGregor may be lusted after by film fans, but his wife preferred to cast another actor in the lead role for her first film. French designer-turned-screenwriter Eve Mavrakis told her disappointed Down With Love star husband she wanted Pirates Of The Caribbean hunk Johnny Depp for her movie For Love Of Art. Ewan moans, "After it was finished, she said, 'Do you know who I'd really like to play the lead role? Johnny Depp' So I said, 'Thank you very much - that's nice.'" However, Moulin Rouge star McGregor believes the thriller won't ever make it to mainstream cinemas if it ever gets made. He adds, "It's a dark story about snuff art, in which people are actually killed for the sake of art. The lead role of the detective is a drinking, womanizing, despicable character and it's hard to get films made about characters who are not likeable."

Heath and Naomi Split
1 October 2003 (WENN)
Australian acting couple Heath Ledger and Naomi Watts have split, blaming their hectic work schedules. Sources close to the couple claim their romance fizzled out over a month ago. The pair had been struggling to find quality time together ever since they first hooked up last year, and have found they're often working on different continents. Mulholland Drive star Watts, 34, is currently shooting with Ewan McGregor in New York, while Ledger, 24, has been making The Brothers Grimm in the Czech Republic for the past month. The couple met and fell in love on the set of Ned Kelly, which is released next year. Nevetheless, news of the split will come as a shock to many - in a magazine interview published in Britain last week Watts dismissed the couple's 10 year age gap, and even spoke of her desire to start a family with the young star. She said, "I'm dying to have a child and we'd like to have kids at some point. But right now we're both busy with our careers."

Ewan's "Dirty" Sex Scenes Are More Realistic
18 September 2003 (WENN)
Scottish actor Ewan McGregor has defended the "hardcore" sex scenes in his new movie Young Adam, because they depict the act in a realistic way. The screen star, who has undressed for the cameras in films like The Pillow Book and Trainspotting, deems the grittiness of the movie more accessible than Hollywood-style love scenes. He says, "The scenes in Young Adam are quite hardcore and I think that's a good thing, that gone are the kind of Eighties glistening body scenes in Hollywood where everybody comes together. That's not my experience in the real world. What we were trying to do was to make them realistic so they're often messy or quick, or clumsy and dirty and disgusting."

Ewan McGregor's 'Star Wars' Depression Led to Boozing
22 August 2003 (WENN)
Movie star Ewan McGregor has admitted to binging on alcohol in order to cope with the depression brought on by his role in the Star Wars prequels. The Scottish actor saw his career skyrocket when he played the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the hit franchise, but soon felt the pressure of being an international movie star. This fueled the Moulin Rouge actor's hatred of the George Lucas- helmed movies - and he began drinking heavily to get through the intense publicity. Ewan admits, "I used to get drunk before meeting journalists. I thought it would get me through. But then it just leads to you saying things that you wished you'd never said - stupid things." But the father-of-two has now curbed his boozing ways, and is happy to be recognized as Obi-Wan by young fans. He says, "After Attack Of The Clones, I stopped drinking for interviews. Now, I'm very happy to do them, I really am. And I like being Obi-Wan Kenobi. I like it when kids speak to me about it because I remember being that way about the first three Star Wars films myself."

McCallum Reveals "Spoilers" for 'Star Wars: Episode 3'
19 August 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Presumably unconcerned that releasing tidbits of information about the plot of the upcoming Star Wars: Episode 3 will discourage fans from seeing it, producer Rick McCallum has revealed a number of what the online community calls "spoilers" during a chat with subscribers to the Star Wars: Hyperspace website. Among them: that the film will feature an underwater duel between Ewan McGregor and droids; a scene in which Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader; the meaning of the Darth Vader name (David Prowse, who played Vader in the original trilogy, will not return); there'll probably be a downbeat ending. Meanwhile, the British website itv.com is revealing that Christopher Lee, who plays Count Dooku, dies ten minutes into the opening of the new film. Britain's Guardian newspaper, which published details of the McCallum and ITV stories in today's (Tuesday) editions, commented afterwards, "Watch this space to have the experience of watching the film even more comprehensively ruined over the coming 12 months."

McGregor Leads The Way at Film Festival
11 July 2003 (WENN)
Ewan McGregor's upcoming film Young Adam has been picked to launch a major movie event in his native Scotland next month. The steamy movie - about a young man working on a barge, who discovers a corpse in the canal - will lead the way at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which runs from August 13 to 24. The graphic tale, directed by David Mackenzie, contains scenes that have been compared to those involving Marlon Brando in controversial 1972 classic Last Tango In Paris. British gangland thriller I'll Sleep When I'm Dead will also be screened at the festival, as will Cannes Film Festival favorite Mystic River, directed by Clint Eastwood.

Star Wars III: Attack of the Mullets
10 July 2003 (WENN)
Star Wars movie-maker George Lucas is insisting all the characters in the new sci-fi sequel sport shaggy seventies-style haircuts - so they look like the stars of the original films. Star Wars: Episode III actors Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, currently shooting the final installment on set in New South Wales, Australia, are showing off unfashionable "mullet" hairdos - because they were trendy when the first Star Wars film was made in 1977. An onset source explains, "The idea is that it will lead seamlessly on to the original Star Wars movie, starring Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, which was filmed in the Seventies and had certain hallmarks of that era. It's a bid for continuity. They are trying to capture the shaggy look that was popular then."

'Star Wars' Shooting Starts
1 July 2003 (WENN)
Filming for the last ever Star Wars movie started on Monday - just one week after producer George Lucas put the finishing touches to the script. Shooting will take place in Sydney, Australia as well as Italy and Switzerland - and Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Ewan McGregor has already lined himself up a luxury apartment in Sydney for the duration of the Antipodean shoots. The final installment in the series will see Peter Mayhew reprise his role as hairy Chewbacca - a part he has not played since Return Of The Jedi in 1983.

Ewan's Realistic Sex Scenes
27 May 2003 (WENN)
Cheeky Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor loved filming new movie Young Adam - because the sex scenes were so realistic. The Moulin Rouge! star admits he even asked wife Eva Mavrakis for permission before shooting the scenes with co-star Emily Mortimer, such was the raunchiness involved. He says, "Sex is used in the film to show my character's decline. It's a bit like the music in Moulin Rouge, which is used to tell and further the story. Yes, we pushed the sex as far as we could go to make it realistic. This is not sex where your body glistens with baby oil. We wanted our sex scenes to be like they are in real life - you know, where it's not perfect. The type of sex we all have."

'Phantom Menace' Is "Worst Sequel Ever"
27 May 2003 (WENN)
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace has been voted the worst movie sequel of all time in a poll by American TV network E!. The highly anticipated 1999 prequel beat off fierce competition from the likes of Batman & Robin, Speed 2: Cruise Control and Jaws: The Revenge, to be crowned king of disappointing follow-ups. The Phantom Menace - made over 15 years after George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy - starred Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor alongside a cast of computer-generated creatures. Jeff Reid of E! says, "Liam Neeson gave the old Jedi a try, but Ewan McGregor looked like he was still in Trainspotting. And the convoluted storyline didn't help. If there's one sure thing about Hollywood and sequels, it's that no matter how bad a movie is, it can always be re-made worse. In Tinseltown, imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery - it's an established path to commercial success. But all-too-often, part deux is really part doo-doo."

Movie Reviews: 'Down With Love'
16 May 2003 (StudioBriefing)
The only wide release that will challenge The Matrix Reloaded this weekend will be the satirical nostalgia comedy Down With Love, starring Ewan McGregor and Renée Zellweger. Nearly all of the reviews observe that the film is intended to recreate the fluffery of the old Doris Day/Rock Hudson type of comedies of the early '60s, even to the point of filming them on some of the stages of those movies and rendering them in old-fashioned Technicolor. Megan Lehmann in the New York Post calls that plan "a great idea ... that unfortunately fails to fully live up to its promise." Michael Wilmington in the Chicago Tribune also says that "initially it seems a promising idea" but goes on to write that it is undermined by the two stars. "The actors often seem to be winking at us, their performances as artificial and empty as the Pillow Talk-style sets." Philip Wuntch in the Dallas Morning News also likes the recreated '60s atmosphere created for the film, but he then goes on to write that whatever affection it has for the films of that era "is tainted with condescension, and the movie becomes a charade of winks and nudges." Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times gives the film tentative praise. "Down With Love is no better or worse than the movies that inspired it, but that is a compliment, I think," he writes. Gary Thompson, the critic for the Philadelphia Daily News, writes even more tentatively that he's "prepared to give a positive review to Down With Love, even though I fear that doing so will put me on some sort of Rick Santorum watch list." (A reference to the Pennsylvania senator who recently equated homosexual relations with polygamy, incest, and bigamy.) "It really is pretty funny," he writes and concludes that MacGregor and Zellweger "have exactly captured the movie's tongue-in-cheekiness."

Ewan McGregor: 'Star Wars' Is "Tedious"
14 May 2003 (WENN)
Star Wars star Ewan McGregor finds filming the sc-fi trilogy "tedious." Despite the films propelling him to Hollywood A-list status, the Scottish actor admits he's dreading reprising his role as Obi Wan Kenobi when shooting for the third movie begins in Sydney, Australia, in four weeks time. McGregor explains, "They're hard films to make - as an actor you're called upon to act without another character there in a blue space, it's difficult. I find them very tedious to make, there's no two ways about that, they're not good fun to make." But the 32-year-old concedes there are some benefits to appearing in the hit movies. He adds, "They're good fun to be in, I like that! I like that kids come up and ask you questions about them."

Renee Falls for Ewan McGregor
13 May 2003 (WENN)
Hollywood actress Renee Zellweger has found her ideal man - married co- star Ewan McGregor. The Chicago star and Scottish actor Ewan are currently starring in new movie Down With Love together. And the unlucky-in-love actress - whose previous squeezes include George Clooney and Jim Carrey - confesses she's somewhat fallen for the hunky star's charms. Renee coos, "For years I've been going, 'Where's Ewan McGregor? What's he doing? Is he making this? Is there a girl? What kind of girl?' We've been friends for a long time, but I've been his fan even longer. Now I really can't wait to find something else to do with him." Sadly for the Texan thespian, Ewan is happily married to wife of eight years Eve Makrakis.

Ewan's 'Trainspotting' Dilemma
9 May 2003 (WENN)
Ewan McGregor is reluctant to appear in a sequel to Trainspotting - because he was less-than impressed with the follow-up novel. The Scottish actor shot onto the Hollywood A-list after starring in the groundbreaking 1996 black comedy - before going on to achieve huge superstardom. Since the release, there have been talks of a comeback for McGregor and co-stars Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Caryle and Ewan Bremner - based on author Irving Welsh's sequel novel Porno. Director Danny Boyle and scriptwriter John Hedges are busily writing a script. But McGregor has reservations about a sequel - because he doesn't want to tarnish the memory of the first flick. The Moulin Rouge! star says, "I've read the book, and I really enjoyed finding out what happened to our characters. "However, I wasn't sure. It didn't move me as much and I felt, ultimately, that it was a very similar story." But he refuses to rule out a reunion with Boyle - with whom he fell out after being dropped from the cast of The Beach in favor of Leonardo DiCaprio. The actor adds, "To go back to the character, I'd have to read the script. I would hate to leave people remembering a poor sequel as opposed to remembering a f***ing cracking movie that we made. "So, it would be a very important decision for me to make."

McGregor Launches Tribeca Film Festival
8 May 2003 (WENN)
Star Wars hunk Ewan McGregor and pop supremo Bono have launched this year's Tribeca Film Festival in New York. The duo were joined by festival creator Robert De Niro in downtown Manhattan for the event Tuesday. During the next nine days the festival will screen over 200 feature films, shorts, documentaries and host a free concert starring Norah Jones and Robbie Williams. Bono expressed his admiration for the city - which is still feeling the effects of September 11 - which he fell in love with after watching movies set there. He says, "It was the cultural power of New York city that turned an Irishman like me living a long way away in Dublin into a fan."

McGregor "Not Keen" on 'Trainspotting' Sequel
25 April 2003 (WENN)
Actor Ewan McGregor is now "not keen" on reprising the drug addict role of Renton in a Trainspotting sequel. The Scottish hunk expressed an interest last year in reprising his break- through role in a big screen adaptation of author Irvine Welsh's follow-up novel Porno - although he stressed a good script would be essential if he were to agree to the film. Now, McGregor - who is now a major Hollywood player - has concluded that he is reluctant to commit to the project, which would also see Trainspotting stars Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller and Ewen Bremner return. The Star Wars actor says, "If it wasn't as good, people would remember a poor sequel instead of a great original. I wouldn't touch it just in case it didn't work out."

Renee Makes a Fashion Statement
17 April 2003 (WENN)
The producers of Renee Zellweger's new movie Down With Love are capitalizing in on the film's 1960s chic look - with a new retro fashion line. Zellweger, who stars in the romantic comedy based on the classic Doris Day and Rock Hudson movies, helped launch the new range of 60s fashions at the Down With Love Boutique at Bloomingdale'S in New York. Some proceeds from the sale of the clothes and accessories will go to Zellweger's pet charity, the Breast Cancer Research Program. Meanwhile, Zellweger and co-star Ewan McGregor have shot a video, which will run over the credits of the film released on May 16.

Kidman Still Cares for Cruise
4 April 2003 (WENN)
Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman has stayed close to ex-husband Tom Cruise - even phoning him after her recent Academy Award win so they could share her victory. In an interview with American magazine People, Kidman explains, "Your heart has to stay loving." She continues, "It was so important for me to talk to Connor (her son) and yes, to Tom. We have very different lives now, but as I've said to Tom, I will be there for him for the rest of his life, always there." The pair - who met on 1990 movie Days Of Thunder - divorced in 2001 after ten years of marriage. Kidman also took the opportunity to once more refute claims of an affair with her Cold Mountain co-star Jude Law. She says, "He's wonderful man and a good friend of mine, but there was no affair. We spent seven months shooting and it's an intense love story so we were waiting for that. They did it with Ewan McGregor too, on Moulin Rouge." And although flame-haired Kidman refers to herself as "very single", she still hasn't ruled out the possibility of more romance in her life. She says, "I want someone who says, 'I will stand by you and be there for you and your life is just as important to me as mine.' I like to be in love. Nothing casual. I'm not interested in casual. I'm waiting for someone to come rock my world."

Renee Releases Single
12 March 2003 (WENN)
Renee Zellweger is to follow in the footsteps of Nicole Kidman - and release a single. The Chicago star, along with her co-star Ewan McGregor, will release a song from their new film Down With Love. The song will be the theme to the film. Renee recorded her vocals at Abbey Road studio - made famous by the Beatles - during a recent visit to London. She says, "It's just a feel-good film that people will love."

Brad and Nicole Movie Worries Jealous Jen
27 February 2003 (WENN)
Friends beauty Jennifer Aniston is said to be fuming at the prospect of her husband Brad Pitt making a movie with sexy Nicole Kidman. The Hours star has recently signed up to star in film Mr. And Mrs. Smith alongside the Ocean's Eleven hunk - amid rumors that Jennifer and Brad's three-year marriage is under great strain. According to British newspaper The Sun, worried Jen has told friends, "This is the last thing I need, my husband spending lots of time alone filming with her." BAFTA award-winning Kidman was recently linked with her Cold Mountain co-star Jude Law, after it was revealed that his marriage to Sadie Frost was hitting the rocks. They both denied an affair - but this does not seem to be stemming Jennifer's concerns, as she reportedly asked her husband not to take the part. A source tells The Sun, "She's worrying herself sick and given recent events you can't blame her. Nicole is irresistible to her leading men. Jude seemed to become besotted and so did Ewan McGregor when they filmed Moulin Rouge together. Jennifer is very wary about Nicole. A lot of women in Hollywood are. Nicole is quite simply a man's woman. Men simply adore her."

Hurley Rejects McGregor's Appeal to Rejoin Equity
20 November 2002 (WENN)
Serving Sara beauty Elizabeth Hurley is causing controversy by letting her actors' union membership lapse despite an appeal from Star Wars hunk Ewan McGregor. The model and actress hasn't paid her Equity membership of $2,625 since 1995 despite raking in millions as a film star, model and owning her own production company, Simian Films. The sexy star has had problems with the union in the past. In 2000 she was labeled a 'scab' and ambushed by protesters at the premier of her movie Bedazzled after breaking a Screen Actors Guild strike over pay to film an Estee Lauder commercial - an experience she described as a 'violation.' McGregor wrote an emotional letter to lapsed members calling on them to 'stand together' and says, "Actors set up this union seventy five years ago... and we need it as much now as we did then."

Ewan Ready to Do 'Trainspotting 2'
4 November 2002 (WENN)
Scottish superstar Ewan McGregor has signaled he is willing to reprise his role in Trainspotting - if the script is good. The Moulin Rouge star, who fell out director Danny Boyle after their film collaboration ended after Leonardo DiCaprio was cast in The Beach, has read Irvine Welsh's sequel novel Porno, and is very interested in returning to the character, Mark Renton, that shot him to fame in 1996. The move comes just a few weeks after McGregor and Boyle ended their feud and spent time together discussing the project, when the filmmaker gave McGregor a copy of the book to read to try and prompt his interest. McGregor says, "After reading Porno, I thought, 'Do I really want to do Renton again?' I was skeptical that we could pull it off a second time, so I said no. But it was so nice to find out what they were all up to - Sick Boy, wee Spud and Begbie - I thought it was a real treat to read it." However, despite his enthusiasm for the book, McGregor is anxious to see the script treatment of the book before he signs on. Attending the British Independent Film Awards this week he gave more hints that he is ready to return. He says, "I'd have to read the script, but I am no longer negative." The rest of the cast including Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, Ewen Bremner are all reportedly keen to get on board again.

'Trainspotting' Sequel in Motion
25 October 2002 (WENN)
Star Wars hunk Ewan McGregor has patched up his differences with director Danny Boyle - as Boyle seeks to reunite the stars of cult movie Trainspotting for a sequel. Author Irvine Welsh published Porno this year, a novel set 10 years after the original drama which features many of the same characters. Boyle, who directed the first flick, is a big fan of the book and wants to produce a script. In fact, he's already started meeting the stars of the 1996 movie, including McGregor, with whom he fell out a couple of years ago when he failed to cast him as the lead in The Beach, preferring instead Leonardo DiCaprio. He says, "I saw Ewan for the first time in five years a few days ago. I hadn't seen him in such a long time. It was great fun. There is an opportunity to do Porno, but it would be difficult because he's got such a varied career - would he go back and play a character he's already played? But he's halfway through the book and was laughing because (his character) Renton doesn't appear until halfway through. He's going to finish the novel first and take it from there. I finished it and think it's amazing." However, Boyle believes original stars McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller and Ewen Bremner will team up for the film if he can produce a great script. He reasons, "Everyone says it's about getting the actors back again, but I think more importantly, it's about whether we can do justice to the characters. They have become mythical figures since Trainspotting came out."

Bratt Crowned Sexiest Man
23 October 2002 (WENN)
Julia Roberts' former beau Benjamin Bratt has been named the Sexiest Man in Hollywood in a new TV poll. The actor beat Ben Affleck, Brad Pitt, Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor to claim the title in cable channel E!'s annual survey. Last year's victor, George Clooney, dropped to 10th.

Law to Launch Legal Action
15 October 2002 (WENN)
Hollywood star Jude Law is planning to sue the London nightclub where his daughter Iris ate half a tablet of ecstasy. The actor - currently filming new movie Cold Mountain with Nicole Kidman in Romania - was not present at the Soho House children's birthday party, when two-year-old Iris picked the dangerous dance drug off the floor. Law's wife, actress Sadie Frost, rushed the child to hospital where she was given a brain scan and had her stomach pumped. Iris was given the all clear by medics - but friends say Law is furious with the club and is "putting matters into the hands of his lawyers." A friend says, "Jude is furious with the club for risking his daughter's life. He has also sworn to boycott Soho House and will urge all his high-profile show business associates to follow suit." Another pal told British tabloid the Mail, "He can't understand why Sadie took Iris to Soho House. But she explained she thought nothing of it because it was merely a birthday party for the six-year-old son of Danny Goffey, the drummer with (British rock group) Supergrass. If Sadie hadn't been closely watching Iris, who was eating sugar pellets off the floor, she wouldn't have noticed her making a face as if she had eaten something bitter. She rushed to her daughter when she saw Iris spit out part of a grey tablet. Sadie immediately began to empty her mouth. It was such a tiny pill, it was a blessing she saw it happen. Sadie hasn't slept since. She is numb with shock and feels very guilty for having put her daughter in such a dangerous situation. Sadie is a very responsible and devoted mother. I am sure the club will now stop hosting children's parties, but if Jude has his way, it will pay a far greater price." The private members club may yet lose its public entertainment license, as it is up for renewal at the end of the month. Police and licensing officials have vowed to take a close look at the management of the venue that counts Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim Roth, Stella McCartney and Ewan McGregor among patrons.

Ewan Pressed To Sing on Record
27 August 2002 (WENN)
Scottish movie hunk Ewan McGregor is under pressure again to cut an album of songs after impressing cast and crew on the set of his movie Down With Love with his singing voice. The actor, who has impressed with his singing abilities in Moulin Rouge, A Life Less Ordinary and Velvet Goldmine, among other projects, has now made a fan of Down With Love co-star Sarah Paulson. She says, "He's a great singer. Everyone should lobby him to record something of his own. He should cut an album. I'd buy one for me and one for all my friends. When I told him, he just laughed and said, 'What am I, J.Lo?'"

Primetime for Hitler?
16 July 2002 (StudioBriefing)
CBS has defended its decision to air a four-part miniseries about the early years of Adolph Hitler. Speaking to TV writers at the annual media press tour in Pasadena Monday, CBS President Les Moonves said, "We know how his story ends, and we're going to show how the story begins. ... This is a very timely subject about how bad guys get into power and how it affects the rest of the world." Today's (Tuesday) Washington Post said that the TV writers appeared "hostile" towards the show. Although the role of Hitler has not been cast, numerous reports have appeared that CBS is in discussions with Ewan McGregor to play the role, leading many writers to draw comparisons between the fictional Star Wars movies (in which McGregor appears), which tell the story of how a likable young man becomes an evil tyrant, and the real-life Hitler tale.

McGregor To Quit Smoking for Lucas
3 July 2002 (WENN)
Scottish hunk Ewan McGregor is doing a favor for his pal and director George Lucas - he's quitting smoking. The Trainspotting star plans to end his nicotine addiction before he begins filming Star Wars: Episode III next year. Ewan says, "George says it's a terrible and unhealthy habit. He's right and I've said I'll kick it before we work together again."

MTV Movie Awards -- And That Kiss!
3 June 2002 (StudioBriefing)
The quirky MTV Movie Awards shared little in common with this year's Oscar awards, as Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring took the top best-movie award, while Nicole Kidman won for best actress (Moulin Rouge) and Will Smith, for best actor (Ali). Jason Biggs and Seann William Scott received the award for Best Kiss (American Pie 2), prompting Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor to express jealousy later in the evening. As she received her award, Kidman said to McGregor, "I'm really bummed we didn't win best kiss. We should have rehearsed more." However, when Scott was asked later how many times it took for him and Biggs to get the scene right, he replied, "Way too many."

Kelly Osbourne Gets Her Live Debut At MTV Movie Awards
31 May 2002 (WENN)
Rock heiress and MTV star Kelly Osbourne will sing live for the first time at this weekend's MTV Movie Awards. The daughter of former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne has become a cult figure among fans since the MTV documentary about the wacky family first aired earlier this year. The pink-haired 17-year-old recently announced she is releasing a cover version of Madonna's hit record "Papa Don't Preach." And she will get her first chance to sing the track live before a star-studded crowd and a TV audience of millions at Saturday night's movie bash at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Kelly will be joined at the ceremony by hosts Jack Black and Sarah Michelle Gellar and presenters including Ben Affleck, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Winona Ryder.

Kristin Davis Reveals Fantasy Men
19 April 2002 (WENN)
Sex And The City star Kristin Davis is desperate to get some hunky Hollywood stars to appear in the hit comedy. The actress admits she'd love to share the screen with Benjamin Bratt, Ewan McGregor and Sean Pen