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Butler Withdraws From 'Escape From New York' Remake
5 November 2007 (WENN)
Scottish actor Gerard Butler has pulled out of upcoming remake Escape From New York due to "creative differences." Butler's casting in the update caused controversy earlier this year when Kurt Russell, the star of director John Carpenter's original 1981 movie, demanded an American, not a Scot, take on the role of Snake Plissken. Speaking earlier this year, Russell said, "When I was told, my initial reaction was, 'Oh man.' I do think that character was quintessentially one thing - and that's American."

Wiseman Set To Direct 'Escape From New York' Remake
16 August 2007 (WENN)
Filmmaker Len Wiseman is in negotiations to direct the remake of cult classic Escape From New York. Actor Gerard Butler has already signed up to star in the update of director John Carpenter's futuristic action film as anti-hero Snake Plissken, a part made famous by Kurt Russell in the 1981 original and its 1996 sequel Escape From LA. Wiseman most recently directed this year's Live Free Or Die Hard.

Dunst, Hudson & Wilson Line Up To Shoot Short Films
17 July 2007 (WENN)
Actresses Kirsten Dunst, Kate Hudson and Rita Wilson are following in the footsteps of Jennifer Aniston by directing short films, based on true stories submitted to American magazine Glamour. The stars will all make their directorial debuts - as Aniston did last year. The actresses have each been given an estimated $500,000 to shoot their movies for the publication's third annual Reel Moments. They have just three days to shoot their films. The January issue of Glamour asked its readers to send in stories about an event in their lives which left them feeling strong, wise or happy. Dunst, Hudson and Wilson then selected a submission to film. Hudson has cast her mother's longtime partner Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning in her film, while Wilson has signed up Jeanne Tripplehorn and Aisha Tyler to star in hers. A panel will select a winner at the October 9 Los Angeles premiere of the three shorts. Actresses who have taken part in previous years include Aniston, whose 2006 film Room 10 won the Best Short Award at the CineVegas Festival, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Russell: "Cinemagoers Will Regret 'Grindhouse' Flop"
24 May 2007 (WENN)
Kurt Russell has warned U.S. cinemagoers they will regret not savoring the recent Grindhouse movie because there will never be a cinema experience like it again. The double bill helmed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez aimed to replicate the grindhouse experience of the 1970s by showing fake trailers between the two movies - but the films will be released separately for its European theatrical release after a poor showing at the U.S. box office earlier this year. And Russell, who starred in Tarantino's installment Death Proof, is saddened by the audience's response. Speaking at Cannes Film Festival, he says, "There will be no movies made in the next five years like Planet Terror and Death Proof. These two movies are going to go off with a life of their own, but my prediction is that 20 years from now, you'll want the Grindhouse experience. You won't want them separately. For the full effect, the other experience is something bizarre that I've never experienced before and I like the short version."

Kurt Russell Criticizes 'Grindhouse' Breakup
22 May 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Kurt Russell, who starred in the Death Proof segment of the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez horror "double feature" Grindhouse, has expressed disappointment over the decision to release Death Proof as a separate feature for European audiences. Appearing today (Tuesday) at a news conference at the Cannes Film Festival, where Death Proof is screening in competition for the Palme d'Or, Russell, acknowledging that he hasn't seen the reedited longer version, said, "I'm disappointed for any audience that they won't get the Grindhouse experience. ... These [two] movies are going to go out there by themselves and they'll live their own life, but my prediction is that 20 years from now, you'll want the Grindhouse experience. ... [It's] something bizarre that you've never experienced before." But, appearing at the same news conference, director Quentin Tarantino defended the new version, saying that the film has changed "180 degrees so far as the emotion" is concerned and that he is particularly pleased with the way Russell's character has evolved in the editing. Standing at the rear of the news conference, producer Harvey Weinstein also joined in the discussion, saying that what Tarantino and Rodriguez originally had to remove from their films so that they could be combined "reduced the essence of the films." It would have been like "cutting [Tarantino's] Kill Bill and [Rodriguez's] Sin City to 70-minute versions," he said. He predicted that European audiences "and hopefully American audiences" will get a lot more enjoyment out of the films when they're seen separately. (Grindhouse was a surprise flop when it was released domestically in April. The $60-million film earned only $24 million in ticket sales.)

'Grindhouse' To Be Split in Two?
11 April 2007 (WENN)
Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is planning to re-release Grindhouse as two separate films - after the double-bill flopped at the box office. The film, a double-feature directed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez made just $11.6 million in its opening weekend in the US. Producer Weinstein is disappointed - and thinks Tarantino's Death Proof, starring Kurt Russell, and Rodriguez' Planet Terror, with Rose McGowan, will perform better on their own. He tells PageSix.com, "I don't think people understood what we were doing. The audience didn't get the idea that it is two movies for the price of one. I don't understand the math, but I want to accommodate the audience."

Russell Not First Choice for 'Grindhouse'
9 April 2007 (WENN)
Movie star Kurt Russell was at the end of a long list of actors considered for the lead role in Quentin Tarantino's new Grindhouse movie Death Proof - after Mickey Rourke and Ving Rhames turned the villainous role down. The actor admits he's well aware he wasn't Tarantino's first choice to play Stuntman Mike but he's just glad he got the call. He says, "I know Mickey was a possibility and he was really close to doing it and I think Ving Rhames was close to doing it too. I think there were a number of actors who were probably close to doing it at different times. That kinda thing doesn't really bother me and I'm sure there's a lot of movies I've come close to doing, and, for whatever reason, I didn't and somebody else did it. I'm just glad I got the opportunity to work with Quentin."

Rourke Refuses To Talk About Tarantino Movie Departure
7 November 2006 (WENN)
Mickey Rourke has refused to comment on why he left director Quentin Tarantino's latest film Grindhouse, insisting he'll stay silent until Tarantino speaks out first. Rourke was set to play the part of Stuntman Mike on the Kill Bill director's latest collaboration with director Robert Rodriguez, and was later replaced by Kurt Russell. The 9 1/2 Weeks star had previously worked with the directors on the hit movie Sin City and hints there might have been a falling out with Tarantino. He tells Radar Online, "You know what? He hasn't made any comments about it. And until he makes a comment about it, I'm not going to say anything. It just didn't work out. And I hope that's what he has to say. I'm just going to wait." The actor was supposedly Tarantino's first choice to play the movie's villain and he hints in the interview that he was actually the one who passed on the role and he wasn't fired from the film. Rourke also turned down a role in the film that made Tarantino's career, Pulp Fiction, back in the early 1990s.

Russell Replaces Rourke As 'Grind House' Killer
25 July 2006 (WENN)
Kurt Russell has replaced Mickey Rourke as the sick killer in Quentin Tarantino's new horror film Grind House, according to internet reports. Rourke reportedly pulled out of the project earlier this month and Tarantino immediately went to Russell and asked him to play Stuntman Mike, a man terrorizing young girls in his portion of the new film, which will also feature a separate storyline shot by pal Robert Rodriguez. Internet website Moviehole.net reports the Poseidon star signed on for the role on Friday. Tarantino's section of Grind House, subtitled "Death Proof," will also feature Marilyn Manson's ex-girlfriend Rose McGowan and Kill Bill stuntwoman Zoe Bell in her first starring role. Horror movie master John Carpenter is in negotiations to record the film's score.

Oliver Hudson Weds
12 June 2006 (WENN)
Goldie Hawn's actor son Oliver Hudson married his long-term love, actress Erinn Bartlett in Mexico on Friday. Oliver, 29, tied the knot with Bartlett, 33, in a Buddhist ceremony in front of Hawn, her partner Kurt Russell, his younger sister Kate Hudson and her husband Chris Robinson. Kate's two-year-old son Ryder served as a ringbearer, according to American magazine People. The couple have been dating for six years and became engaged in February 2004. Last month, Almost Famous star Hudson hosted a bachelorette party for Bartlett in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Hawn To Direct Russell
31 May 2006 (WENN)
Hollywood star Goldie Hawn has cast her long-term partner Kurt Russell to star in her directional debut Ashes To Ashes. The Overboard co-stars will both appear in the comedy, about a New York widow who brings her late husband's ashes to rest in India. Speaking at the London premiere of his latest film Poseidon on Sunday, Russell says, "Goldie's written a picture called Ashes To Ashes, which she has asked me to star in. She's going to direct the movie and I'm going to play the lead role. He's a mystery character." Russell insists his stepdaughter Kate Hudson will not be in the movie, but she is planning a movie with her family in the future. He explains, "Kate is not going to be involved, but she will definitely be in the next project we're doing."

Dennis Weaver: 1924-2006
27 February 2006 (IMDb News Flash)
Dennis Weaver, the laconic actor who became a TV star first as the sidekick Chester in Gunsmoke and then as the leading man of 70s series McCloud, died of complications from cancer on Friday at his home in Colorado; he was 81. A struggling actor in the early 50s who appeared onstage in A Streetcar Named Desire and Come Back, Little Sheba, Weaver got his big break in the nascent medium of television by auditioning in 1955 for the small part of Chester in the new CBS series Gunsmoke. Giving his character a unique, humorous accent and a limp (neither of which were specified in the original script), Weaver easily won the part, and fame as well as an Emmy award (in 1959) followed during his nine-year run on the show. After leaving Gunsmoke, a number of TV series appearances followed, including the boy-and-his-bear show Gentle Ben (1967-69) and the cult classic Duel (1971), directed by a then little-known filmmaker named Steven Spielberg. The thriller, about a man terrorized by the unseen driver of a large truck, put the fledgling Spielberg on the map and showcased Weaver in one of his best performances (the movie was theatrically released in 1983). Weaver's most notable role in the 70s, however, was as rural country Sheriff Sam McCloud in the detective series McCloud, which ran from 1970-77. Playing a New Mexico detective clashing with the New York police department, Weaver solved crimes weekly with his laid-back style, and received two Emmy nominations during the show's run. After McCloud, Weaver worked continuously on television, with notable roles in the 70s miniseries Centennial and Pearl, the acclaimed TV movie Amber Waves (opposite Kurt Russell and a young Mare Winningham), and Lonesome Dove: The Series, where he played Buffalo Bill Cody; Weaver's most recent appearance was in ABC Family series Wildfire. President of the Screen Actors Guild from 1973-75, Weaver was also a committed environmentalist, and spoke on behalf of the cause to both the United Nations and Congress; he and his wife, Gerry, also built their home in Colorado out of recycled materials. In addition to his wife, Weaver is survived by two sons, actor Robby Weaver and actor-producer Rick Weaver. --Prepared by IMDb staff

Disney To Launch Pizza Promotion
2 November 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment is planning to promote its Nov. 29 release of Disney's Sky High with ads on pizza delivery boxes at independent pizzerias nationwide, the company said. The film, which stars Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston as a retired superhero couple raising a son with no special superhero powers, was selected for the pizza promotion after Disney marketing personnel came across a Department of Agriculture study indicating that 42 percent of families with children ages 6-11 consume pizza every three days.

Movie Reviews: 'Sky High'
29 July 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Critics also suggest that Sky High may be another typical mid-summer movie that no one's going to excited about. Mike Clark in USA Today describes it as "this harmless family comedy with welcomely loopy asides." Comments Stephen Holden in the New York Times: "This zippy Disney adventure-comedy, crammed with special effects, asks that age-old rhetorical question, 'Is there life after high school?,' and answers it with a cheerful 'Not really.'" Certainly, it's not a movie that critics can take seriously. Jami Bernard in the New York Daily News remarks that it "hasn't a single original idea in its bird brain. But it clowns around just enough while sitting in the dunce chair that after a while it's mildly amusing." And Bob Strauss in the Los Angeles Daily News concludes: "This is essentially an innocuous Disney gimmick movie, not entirely juvenile but still completely dependent on formula. Kurt Russell, at least, is funny in it."

Hawn: "I Will Never Marry Russell"
16 May 2005 (WENN)
Hollywood veteran Goldie Hawn has laughed off old reports she plans to wed long-term lover Kurt Russell, insisting their relationship is so strong because they are not married. The blonde actress, 59, started dating 54-year-old Russell after meeting on the set of Swing Shift in 1982, following two broken marriages to Gus Trikonis and Bill Hudson. In her autobiography A Lotus Grows In The Mud, Hawn explains, "Swing Shift was a bitter experience, but without it I might never have met Kurt. He is the love of my life and we're now one of Hollywood's longest-established couples. We are often asked why we have never married. I laugh it off and say, 'Been there, done that.' It didn't work for either of us." Russell was previously married to Season Hubley, mother of his son Boston.

Goldie Sparks Controversy with Cheating Comments
5 May 2005 (WENN)
Goldie Hawn stirred up a controversy on American TV this morning when she argued with sex expert Sue Johanson about unfaithful men. The actress told the hosts of TV magazine show The View that she understood why men cheated - because it was "biologically correct in the species." Hawn explained, "I think that a lot of people cheat, they don't tell that they're cheating. I think that there's a great promise to believe you can be with one person only for the rest of your life." Goldie revealed she never asks about her partner of 22 years, Kurt Russell's infidelities. She added, "It's just the way I try and keep myself feeling happy because otherwise we're going to be feeling miserable all the time because women's relationships with other men, and the way they get turned on, is quite different. It's much more personal, it's more sensitive. Frankly, how would you like it, as women, to have testosterone running through your body every day; walking out and having to deal with this every day when they don't have control." And, after the outraged hosts of the all-woman show lashed out at their guest for her comments, sex expert Johanson was called in to comment on the free-spirited star's notion that men can't help but cheat.

Russell and Hawn Prove They're Still a Couple
16 December 2004 (WENN)
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have laughed off reports of a split by baring all on holiday in Mexico. The couple were reportedly on the verge of breaking up in October after a series of rows, but now the same publication that broke that story, America's Globe, has printed pictures of what seems to be the couple back together again. The pair were spotted sunbathing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where they seemed to be happy to bare all for the paparazzi. In public view, Russell went completely naked, while Hawn bared her breasts as the couple laughed and joked - looking nothing like they are on the verge of a split. After the split report surfaced, Hawn's ex-husband Bill Hudson confirmed there had been a rift that exploded when Russell reportedly fell for a co-star on a film set in Canada. Hawn reportedly took off to India, where she spent time with Pakistani cricket superstar Imran Khan, fuelling rumors of an east-meets-west-romance. An eyewitness, who spotted the longtime couple kissing and cuddling on their patio, says, "They looked like a couple of honeymooners." The couple have reportedly bought a new home in Pacific Palisades, California, after spending the past two years supporting their son Wyatt's ice hockey career in Canada.

Goldie & Kurt Split?
12 November 2004 (WENN)
Hollywood power couple Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell have reportedly split after a 21-year romance. Friends have revealed the couple's relationship has "lost its zip" in recent years and Hawn has moved on to realize her dream of traveling the world. In recent years, the 59-year-old Buddhist actress has been spending more and more time in India, where she often meets up with Pakistani cricket legend Imran Khan - a friendship that has reportedly upset Russell. According to sources on the set of Russell's new movie Sky High, the actor isn't taking the split well. One tells America's Globe tabloid that the movie star has been surly on the set, arguing with cast mates Kelly Preston and Lynda Carter. The source tells the tabloid, "Kurt seemed totally out of control and, instead of letting up when he saw Kelly's reaction, he just kept going until she finally burst into tears."

Details of 'Star Wars' DVD Release Disclosed
9 September 2004 (StudioBriefing)
The Sept. 21 DVD release of the original Star Wars trilogy will be accompanied by a fourth disc that includes a two-and-a-half-hour documentary, Empire of Dreams, by Kevin Burns, featuring interviews with 40 people involved in the original productions, including director George Lucas and all of the cast members, Video Store magazine reported on its website Wednesday. It also includes footage of some of the actors who auditioned for the leads, including Kurt Russell, William Katt and Cindy Williams. Some of the actors who appeared in the prequels have reportedly been inserted into some of the scenes in the original films, and Lucas has also introduced "subtle changes" into additional scenes. Each film was cleaned digitally by restoration expert John Lowry, who told the magazine: "These were the dirtiest, grimiest films I've ever had the pleasure of working on." He remarked that his team sometimes had to remove hundreds of dust particles from each frame of the negative. The set features a number of extras, including a game that can be played on Microsoft's Xbox.

New Barbershop's Business Is Up
9 February 2004 (StudioBriefing)
MGM's Barbershop 2: Back in Business got the biggest cut of the box-office over the weekend, taking in estimated $25.1 million, about what analysts had expected. The figure compared with $20.6 million for the original Barbershop's opening two years ago. Disney's Miracle, starring Kurt Russell as the coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, also performed well, pulling in about $19.4 million in second place. 20th Century Fox's Catch That Kid performed well below expectations opening in sixth place with just $6 million. Sony's You Got Served, which debuted in first place last weekend, dropped to third with an estimated $7.7 million, less than half what it took in at its opening. The top 12 films grossed $92.7 million, down 9 percent from the comparable weekend a year ago. In limited release, the opening of the NC-17-rated The Dreamers from Bernardo Bertolucci, earned an estimated $150,078 at five theaters in New York and Los Angeles -- or an average of $30,016 per theater, the best per-theater average of any film released so far this year. A spokesman for Fox Searchlight, which is distributing the film, said that the company had had no difficulty buying advertising to promote it, despite the policy of several newspapers to refuse ads for NC-17-rated movies.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Barbershop 2: Back in Business, $25.1 million; 2. Miracle, $19.4 million; 3. You Got Served, $7.7 million; 4. Along Came Polly, $7 million; 5. The Butterfly Effect, $6.7 million; 6. Catch That Kid, $6 million; 7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, $4.4 million; 8. Monster, $3.51 million; 9. Mystic River, $3.5 million; 10. Cold Mountain, $3.2 million.

Movie Reviews: 'Miracle'
6 February 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Miracle, in which Kurt Russell plays hockey coach Herb Brooks, who assembled the victorious American hockey team at the 1980 Winter Olympics, is receiving cheers from most critics. The script, they agree, is mostly by-the-numbers for a sports film. Russell's performance, they suggest, is something else. Michael Sragow in the Baltimore Sun writes that it is "so robust and true, so acute in its depiction of a complex, brilliant character and so immense in its understated sympathy that it brings new meaning to the overused word 'inspirational.'" Carrie Rickey in the Philadelphia Inquirer says it's the role of Russell's career. "Russell's stunning performance, his most memorable star turn since he played Elvis in the 1979 telefilm, is one of poetry in motivation and understatement in overdrive," she writes. Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Daily News observes: "Russell is turning into a true exception, a performer who is improving in a major way as he gets older and seems to relax more into his own skin." And Glenn Whipp in the Los Angeles Daily News concludes that "Russell is the small miracle in Miracle."

Hudson Baby Name Upsets Her Father
12 January 2004 (WENN)
Movie star Kate Hudson's decision to name her new-born baby Ryder Russell Robinson has left the Almost Famous star's estranged father heartbroken. Bill Hudson is angry that the tot's middle name is Russell - a tribute to actor Kurt Russell, who raised Kate with her mother and his longtime partner Goldie Hawn. Bill, who was not invited to Kate's wedding to rocker Chris Robinson, hopes he can repair his relationship with the 24-year-old and be granted access to his grandson. He says, "I would love to have a relationship with my grandchild. I'm hurt by a lot of what has transpired in the last year because we were getting it on track behind the scenes, not in the public eye."

Affleck : I Won't Marry J.Lo Until Media Backs Off
23 December 2003 (WENN)
Movie star Ben Affleck has vowed not to marry his superstar fiancee Jennifer Lopez until media interest in the couple's wedding wanes. The Jersey Girl co-stars were due to tie the knot in September but called off the wedding at the last minute blaming excessive media attention. And now laid-back Affleck has decided to wait as long as it takes for people to forget about the couple before making the Out Of Sight beauty his wife. He says, "Who says there's a rule we gotta get married right away? That's my plan - to go along and be unmarried until it stops being an issue. Look at Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. We're really not in any rush."

Kate Hudson Pregnant
20 June 2003 (WENN)
Almost Famous beauty Kate Hudson and her husband Chris Robinson have announced they're expecting their first child. The Oscar-nominated actress, 24, and her 36-year-old rocker beau, who have been married since December 2000, will welcome their offspring into the world early next year - and the child could be the first of many, as Hudson has long expressed a desire to have a big brood. She says, "I've always wanted babies - ever since I was little. I think I'll end up having a big family." Additionally, Kate has no worries about motherhood getting in the way of her fledging career. She adds, "My mom kind of just strapped us on her back and took us everywhere, and I think that's what we would do." Hudson's new arrival will be the first grandchild for her actress mother Goldie Hawn and stepfather Kurt Russell.

Movie Reviews: 'Dark Blue'
21 February 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Kurt Russell is receiving some loud applause from critics for his performance as a racist cop in Dark Blue. John Anderson in Newsday remarks that "Russell is still an underrated dramatic resource," and adds: "Dark Blue proves the same thing about Russell that can be said about a handful of American leading men ...: When he's good, he's very, very good. But when he's bad, he's better." Stephen Hunter in the Washington Post: "Russell is brilliant in the role." Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times calls it: "the best performance of Kurt Russell's career. ... A lifetime of work and experience seem to have come together to make this role one to remember." But Eric Harrison concludes in the Houston Chronicle: "Veteran supporting players who appear in only a scene or two often go over the top to make sure they make an impact. Russell acts the whole movie like that. He goes particularly overboard in several overlong monologues the script gives him."

Goldie & Kurt Banned from Son's Hockey Games
20 September 2002 (WENN)
Hollywood couple Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell have been banned from their teenage son Wyatt's first ice hockey games, even though they moved to Vancouver, Canada, to give his sporting dreams a sporting chance. Wyatt is a celebrated young hockey star, who has Canadian scouts excited for the future, and so Kurt and Goldie chose to relocate to British Columbia, so he could concentrate more on his ice dreams But the 16-year-old has now he has banned them from his games. However, Hawn admits she understands, saying, "He doesn't want me to come to the first games. Who wants that? It's hard having parents who are larger than life. I'm always like, 'Honey, I'm sorry and daddy's sorry. It's a drag, I know.'" Hawn insists that although she and Kurt have temporarily moved to Vancouver to support their son, they have no plans to move there permanently. She adds, "We're still Americans, we live in America."

Charlize Theron To Marry?
6 September 2002 (WENN)
Sweet November actress Charlize Theron has changed her mind about marriage - she's planning to walk down the aisle with her Irish actor boyfriend Stuart Townsend. The couple have been together since they met on the set of new thriller Trapped but Theron was adamant that she didn't need to institutionalize the relationship to verify it - only to reassess her stance in view of her great love of her boyfriend. Charlize, 27, says, "I've been in something beautiful for two years. When I first met Stuart, I was like, 'No, I'm never going to get married. I'm going to be like Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. Who needs a piece of paper?' But Stuart made me see that there's something really beautiful about a ritual, about an occasion where you say it loud in front of people closest to you, 'I want to be with you for the rest of my life.'"

Hanks Picks Up Coveted Honor
14 June 2002 (WENN)
Two-time Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks has made history by becoming the youngest recipient of the American Film Institute's lifetime achievement award. The 45-year-old Cast Away star attracted a glittering array of celebrities flocking to honor him at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on Wednesday night, including Sharon Stone, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, Helen Hunt, Ron Howard, Haley Joel Osment and Hanks' wife, Rita Wilson. A Beautiful Mind director Howard says, "I hate to be one the thousands saying that he's such a nice guy, but he is. He used to win roles, now he doesn't have to do that anymore. I'm just one of those guys who chase him with scripts." Actress Stone adds, "He has dignity, humanity and he's cute!" And Spielberg says of the honor, which is usually bestowed on performers decades older than Hanks, "We ran out of really old guys and girls to honor, so we had to choose Tom." Quipped a bemused Hanks, "I still think I'm gonna get ID'ed when I buy beer."

Kurt Russell Rescues Little Boy
19 April 2002 (WENN)
Kurt Russell has been branded a hero - after reuniting a little boy with his mother. Kurt, 51, spotted the lad bawling his eyes out at Los Angeles Beverly Center mall and asked what was wrong. When the boy replied, "I can't find my mommy!" Kurt walked the boy by hand to security, where his concerned mom was anxiously waiting. But Kurt wasn't finished there - he then made the family's day - by treating them to a huge slap-up lunch.

Goldie Hawn Deals With Loneliness
18 March 2002 (WENN)
Youthful actress Goldie Hawn is realizing the negative side of getting older - her grown-up children have left her lonely. Goldie, 56, has three children - Oliver Hudson, 25, Kate Hudson, 21, and 15-year-old Wyatt. And with two grown-up children living on their own and her third constantly busy with his fledging ice hockey career, Hawn is distraught at the amount of time she now spends alone. The screen beauty, who has been living with longterm love Kurt Russell for several years, says, "The other day at home, I was outside by the pool. We have a large house and no one was home, just me and the dogs. I laid out there and I started to feel very sorry for myself because I really was hearing the children and the memories, everyone that hung out the house, the parties. And there I was all by myself - even Kurt was gone. I thought, 'This is the saddest picture.' I mean, it's just me in this big house. But then I thought that I have so many blessings. Emptiness is very real, no matter how great we may have it, it's a very real thing."

Goldie Hawn Spotted Flirting With Wealthy Heir
22 February 2002 (WENN)
Goldie Hawn has been sensationally spotted smooching multi-millionaire ice-cream heir Richard Baskin. The actress and the heir to the Baskin Robbins ice-cream empire emerged from a trendy Los Angeles restaurant hugging and kissing after enjoying lunch together - with Goldie's long-time partner Kurt Russell nowhere in sight. An eyewitness reveals, "They came out of the place grinning from ear to ear. Richard leaned close to her, whispered something in her ear and then they giggled like little kids with a secret." Goldie's publicist Heidi Schaeffer insists the pair are old friends , while Baskin himself explains, "There is only a great friendship. Goldie and I and Kurt have been friends for 20 years." Goldie and Kurt's is one of the longest lasting relationships in Hollywood. The couple have lived together since 1982 and have a 15-year-old son, Wyatt Russell, but pals say the cracks are showing. A friend explains, "He likes to go hunting, but she likes to go to restaurants and hang out with friends. The spark between them has gone."

Goldie Hawn's Tax Dodge
21 January 2002 (WENN)
Movie star Goldie Hawn has saved herself a fortune on tax thanks to a loophole in farming laws. The comic actress and lover Kurt Russell got the tax on their huge ranches slashed to virtually nothing after they started growing hay in a tiny corner. It meant the two adjacent estates - covering nearly 75 acres - were reclassified as agricultural land, incurring just a minimal charge. It will save Goldie, 56, and Kurt, 50, tens of thousands of dollars a year. They have even been given a $36,000 refund. But planning chiefs in Aspen, Colorado, are furious. Commissioner Mick Ireland says, "There's something backward about someone in a mobile home paying $1,000 in tax. And then someone with 40-50 acres clearly being used as a luxury residence pays less than $1,800."

Goldie Hawn Crusades Against Gossips
11 December 2001 (WENN)
Actress Goldie Hawn is leading a mission to stop America from gossiping, with a campaign called Words Can Heal. The bubbly blonde star returned to her native New York Monday to tell Americans still shaken by the September 11th atrocities that they should return not just to normal, but to a "better normal" which recognizes how hurtful gossip and unkind words can be. Outspoken Hawn, who has a family with actor Kurt Russell, explains her objections to gossiping, saying, "I have sat around dinner tables of others where they have done nothing but talk about people the whole dinner. I didn't want to be there. Not because it was terrible what they say, but I was bored." She adds, "There's many ways to look at this. One is that you're just a gerbil running in a cage with that little roundy roundy toy and going nowhere ... talking about people. Or you can have fun. You can actually talk about real stuff." Hawn expounded her views in a speech to America's National Press Club.

Kate Hudson's Dad In Desperate Call
10 December 2001 (WENN)
Beautiful Kate Hudson's father has pleaded for a reunion with his estranged daughter. Bill Hudson, who was married to the Kate's mother Goldie Hawn for four years until 1980, is desperate to rekindle ties with his celebrity daughter. Kate has been far from complimentary about her dad, accusing him of abandoning her and telling interviewers that Goldie's husband Kurt Russell is her "real" father. Bill says, "I want to tell her, 'Kate, I love you. Let's tell the world the truth, or keep our personal life private.' Let's hold on to each other. You're my daughter. I want you in my life." The musician adds, "When Kate claimed that Kurt Russell was like her real dad, I was crushed. I called her and asked her why she said those things about me, but Kate told me her quotes were taken out of context. I gave her the benefit of the doubt, but warned her the next time she says things that are wrong I am going to come out and tell the real story. Incredibly, she gave another interview and said the same thing."

Kurt & Goldie Join O'Reilly/Clooney Battle
9 November 2001 (WENN)
Movie star couple Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have slammed the bosses of the September 11th Fund charity in for mishandling cash handouts and keeping vital information from the public. The couple appeared on a celebrity telethon, organized by George Clooney, aimed at raising cash for the fund and victims of the terrorist attacks on America. But both are now determined not to give their time so freely in future - after learning that more than 20 per cent of the $260 million raised will be swallowed up by administration costs. And Russell is fuming after discovering less than $40 million of the total raised has been handed out - well over a month after the telethon, during which stars like Russell, Hawn, Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts read morale-boosting passages and answered phones to speak to people donating cash. Russell says, "It was easy to do and it was fun. We just wanted to do something. I think the people that we talked to on the phone thought that all the money was going to charity. My guess would be that if 90 per cent was going to the people and 10 per cent to administration no one would complain; if it was 80/20 some would complain, but around 70/30 is a bit much. In the future I won't be doing these until I know all the money is going to the people."

Kurt Russell's Love For Goldie Hawn
2 April 2001 (WENN)
Kurt Russell believes Kate Hudson's wedding brought him closer with long-term girlfriend Goldie Hawn. The wedding between Goldie's daughter and rocker Chris Robinson made the actor realise that it's about time he popped the question. Kurt says, "For the first time ever, it made me want to tie the knot with Goldie. I really thought about being married. Kate's wedding had more meaning that I thought it would." Kurt reckons he and Goldie have the formula for everlasting love. He says, "We have a romantic notion of people being together for a long time. It's fairy tales and living happily ever after. I think we grow with that."

Sharon Stone Gives Up $3 Million
6 March 2001 (WENN)
Sharon Stone is taking a $3 million paycut - to ensure that Basic Instinct 2 gets made. The 42-year-old actress was catapaulted to stardom by her knickerless performance as novelist Catherine Tramell in the original 1992 film. Russell Crowe, Kurt Russell, Pierce Brosnan and troubled star Robert Downey, Jr. have all reportedly turned down the chance to appear opposite Stone. Now, Stone has taken the huge paycut to make sure the film stays within budget. The latest name in the frame to play opposite her is Benjamin Bratt, Julia Roberts's boyfriend.

Russell Hoping For Kate's Glory At Oscars
1 March 2001 (WENN)
Actor Kurt Russell is hoping Kate Hudson will mirror her mother Goldie Hawn's Oscar achievement - by winning an Academy Award at the age of 21. Kurt, Hawn's longtime boyfriend, has noted the coincidence that Hudson, who is nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in Almost Famous, is the same age as her mum was when she picked up an award for her role in Cactus Flower - and believes this could be a good omen. He says of this month's ceremony in Los Angeles, "It would be a fun night for us if Kate were to win. We would have a blast." And Russell, who Hudson regards as her surrogate father, thinks the upcoming actress deserves the award for her moving portrayal of Penny Lane in the Cameron Crowe movie. He says, "I mean, there's one scene in that movie where, as an actor, I can tell you the degree of difficulty is as tough as it gets - to cry and laugh and go through eight emotions at one time."

Hannibal Chews Up, Spits Out Rivals
27 February 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Two new releases thrown into the competition against the third week of Hannibal turned out to be so much mincemeat for the box-office champion, which added $15.8 million to its gross over the weekend. The poorly reviewed Kurt Russell-Kevin Costner thriller 3,000 Miles to Graceland took in a disappointing $7.2 million to finish third, while the animated/live action Monkeybone, starring Brendan Fraser, tanked with just $2.7 million, putting it outside the top ten. The film reportedly cost 20th Century Fox $70 million to produce. Total box-office sales for the top 12 films came to $74.7 million, off less than 1 percent from the same weekend a year ago.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Hannibal, MGM, $15, 767, 006, ($128, 512, 863); 2. Down to Earth, Paramount, $11, 211, 225, ($33, 971, 683); 3. 3,000 Miles to Graceland, Warner Bros., $7, 160, 521, (New); 4. Recess: School's Out, Disney, $6, 931, 509, ($22, 702, 837), ; 5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Sony Classics, $6, 592, 223, ($81, 940, 326); 6. Traffic, USA, $5, 136, 889, ($86, 229, 142); 7. Sweet November, Warner Bros., $5, 125, 388, ($17, 787, 278); 8. Chocolat, Miramax, $4, 761, 167, ($40, 062, 665); 9. The Wedding Planner, Sony, $3, 952, 643, ($52, 178, 614); 10. Cast Away, 20th Century Fox, $3, 105, 171, ($220, 921, 892).

Movie Reviews: 3000 Miles To Graceland
23 February 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Stephen Hunter in the Washington Post calls 3000 Miles to Graceland "two hours to disgraceland." He goes on: "What you get is the V trifecta: vile, vicious and violent. Oh, and incoherent and stupid. A mess. A mean-spirited completely worthless film that can never give back the two hours it seizes from you. Other than that, I liked it a lot." Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times liked it just as much: "Here's a movie without an ounce of human kindness, a sour and mean-spirited enterprise so desperate to please, it tries to be a yukky comedy and a hard-boiled action picture at the same time." Elvis Mitchell in the New York Times calls the film a "bloated spectacle" while Liam Lacey in the Toronto Globe & Mail remarks that it "is remarkably bad, burdened with a tone of self-congratulatory stupidity and the rancid smell of middle-aged star vanity." (The film stars Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell.) "If there were a truth-in-titling law," comments Carrie Rickey in the Philadelphia Inquirer, "the movie would be called 3000 Bullets to Brain Death."

Courtney Cox Turned Off By Sex Scenes
22 February 2001 (WENN)
Courteney Cox finds filming sex scenes a huge turn-off. The 36-year-old star has just completed a cinematic romp with Kurt Russell in the new movie 3,000 Miles To Graceland, which co-stars her husband David Arquette. She says, "Those love scenes are so difficult. The hardest part is kissing because you want to look right when you're doing it and our scenes are anything goes." Courteney also worries about showing too much flesh and the reaction from her husband. She adds. "As long as you looked all right doing it and the lighting was good and [you] don't show too much, that was fine. The least turn on is doing a love scene in a movie."

Kurt Demands A Body Double For Raunchy Sex Scenes
30 January 2001 (WENN)
Kurt Russell is demanding a body double for his steamy sex scenes in the sequel to Basic Instinct (1992). In the plot he plays another cop assigned to break pulp novelist Catherine Trammell, played by screen Sharon Stone. But Russell, who is married to actress Goldie Hawn, doesn't want to go to the same sexual lengths in the movie which contributed to Michael Douglas' marriage problems in 1992. He told a close pal, "I don't mind getting my clothes off if the context is right but I know when to draw the line. There are scenes I''ll just opt out of." MGM says the $60 million movie is still months away from going into production. A senior source says, "We don't have a problem if Kurt wants to use a body double. These days, through technology, it hardly makes a difference."

Vanilla Scoops Kurt Russell
21 November 2000 (WENN)
Kurt Russell is set to join stars Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz in director Cameron Crowe's new thriller Vanilla Sky (2001). Russell, who has been tabbed as the next Batman, is in final negotiations to play the second male lead behind Cruise. The film, about a wealthy ladies' man who falls in love with his best friend's girlfriend, together with his appearance with Kevin Costner in 3, 000 Miles to Graceland, will mark a return to the screen for Russell after an absence of two years.

The Actors' Cuts?
15 November 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Warner Bros. allowed Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell to screen their own cuts of 3000 Miles to Graceland to test audiences, the online entertainment magazine Inside reported today (Wednesday). (The magazine commented that the tests marked "a new level in studio abdication.") It quoted one unnamed source involved with the project as saying, "Both [actors] went into the editing room and made their own cuts. ... It sounds a hell of a lot nastier than it actually was." Costner's version was reportedly more action-oriented; Russell's, more "character-oriented." Inside reported that Costner's version "won in a unanimous decision." It also noted that director Demian Lichtenstein, who is making his debut in Graceland, "was only too pleased" to allow his two stars to have a go at editing the film.

Clooney Sacked As Batman - Producers Go Older
6 November 2000 (WENN)
George Clooney has been axed as Batman and has been replaced as the in the hit film series by Kurt Russell - because producers feel his face is more "adaptable". A Warner Brothers executive explains, "George is a brilliant actor, but is unsuited to the new-style superhero we need. He's too good looking. The two new films are going to be a lot more grittier and more adult. We had to find someone whose features we could mask and mould over four decades. Kurt is ideal - he's 49 but looks considerably younger."

Kate Hudson Wants Inspiration
31 October 2000 (WENN)
Hollywood's newest darling Kate Hudson doesn't want to be famous - she wants to be inspired. The star of Almost Famous (2000) and Dr. T and the Women (2000) insists the only reason anyone should want to be a film star is to gain the freedom to work with people who fuel their creativity - an idea she learnt from superstar mother Goldie Hawn and stepfather Kurt Russell. She says, "I was raised to understand that you can't become inundated with you, you, you - all that stuff doesn't mean anything." And despite Kate's looming star status in a male-dominated industry, she's determined not to become power-crazy. She says, "I want to retain my feminine power, to be strong without being threatening. Actually, I think power can be a very ugly word. I think strength is much better."

Kate Male
13 October 2000 (WENN)
Kate Hudson's dad has called for his young actress daughter to stop blasting him in the press. Bill Hudson, former husband of Kate's mother Goldie Hawn and current husband of "Laverne & Shirley" (1976) star Cindy Williams, says he's had enough of opening magazines only to be greeted by hurtful comments from his own offspring. He says, "It's infuriating. I'm so upset. I'm not going to take this on the chin from my daughter anymore." Bill, who found fame in 1970s pop duo The Hudson Brothers, is particularly upset over the Almost Famous (2000) star's insistence on pitting him against Goldie's longtime lover, Kurt Russell. Speaking in Vanity Fair magazine, Kate, 20, said, "He doesn't know me from a hole in the wall. But I don't care. I have a dad [Russell]. The bottom line is, you call your kids on their birthday. I'm glad I had a dad who was there on my birthday." But Hudson hits back, "I've been silent for 20 years, but I'm not going be vilified anymore. I have to stop the bleeding. Kate and Goldie are doing this for the press. Kate is very talented and sweet and I love her dearly. She's had a life of privilege from both parents. And the only thing that she has to really talk about is emotional devastation, that she's exaggerating."

Goldie Hawn Feared She Was Gay
20 September 2000 (WENN)
Hollywood actress Goldie Hawn has spent decades living with a secret fear - that she is a lesbian. The veteran actress was scared that she had gay tendencies that would lead to her having to give up her longtime love - Kurt Russell. Hawn says, "I remember thinking to myself, 'Oh no, maybe I am a lesbian'... Why did I think that? Because I used to look at a pretty girl and I thought she was so great." But Hawn has now concluded that admiring a woman doesn't make her gay. She adds, "I am a girl's girl, and if I ever turned a woman off then I would worry, but I love men too." And Hawn, who has raised her three children Oliver, Kate and Wyatt with Russell, insists she hasn't married the actor only because she doesn't see the need. Hawn adds, "I call Kurt my husband and he calls me his wife. But I don't think I feel the need to make it official. I don't like fusion. I think it is dangerous - you lose your personal power."

Kate Hudson's Emotional Reunion With Dad
19 September 2000 (WENN)
Actress Kate Hudson had an emotional reunion with her father Bill Hudson (I) - and resolved a lot of personal issues. Hudson's mother Goldie Hawn and her father Bill split when she was a young child, and although she's grown up considering step- dad Kurt Russell her father, the actress admits not having her biological father in her life has been tough. But in the last month, the Almost Famous (2000) actress took the brave step of phoning her father - and was delighted with the results. She says, "He said some things I've needed to hear for a really long time. We had a really amazing conversation. I guess I needed to do that." Bill adds, "It's all water under the bridge now. You can't make up for lost time. Right now everything is great. I think it's going wonderfully now. There's so much about the past that doesn't matter to me. Whatever Kate feels she needs to say, I love her."

Growing Up In Hollywood - Kate Hudson Style
1 September 2000 (WENN)
Movie star Goldie Hawn's daughter Kate Hudson missed out on a typical Hollywood upbringing - because her parents were so normal. The actress who calls stepfather Kurt Russell her real dad, admits her life has been far from the privileged one many of her peers have enjoyed. She says, "I lived in Colorado for seven years, so I was never inundated in Hollywood. My parents didn't throw big raging parties - they weren't that kind of people. My dad's the kind of dad who wakes up, takes his kids to school, throws on the tube and watches CNN all day. And my mom knits and reads and is just a mom."

Goldie Gets High On Circles
21 July 2000 (WENN)
Goldie Hawn has taken to the skies of southern England - in a bid to spot crop circles. The 54-year-old Private Benjamin (1980) star checked into three-star Ivy House Hotel in Marlborough, England this week. Goldie, wife of Hollywood hunk Kurt Russell, was with a party of eight fellow- Americans excited about taking in sights like the mysterious stone circle at Avebury. A source says, "Goldie and her friends chartered a plane to see the circles from the air. She is fascinated with the phenomenon." However, near-by residents believe the circles are either the creation of a mischevious prankster - or a member of the local tourist board.

Goldie Hawn Will Never Marry
10 May 2000 (WENN)
Hollywood beauty Goldie Hawn and lover Kurt Russell will never marry - and it's all thanks to Sally Field's advice. Hawn has been great pals with Forrest Gump (1994) actress Field for years, and Field's advice to her that marriage blows the love out of a relationship has helped her decide never to marry Kurt Russell. A pal says, "Goldie told me, 'Sally's right!' Sally told her the only way to keep a man is to never marry him. Goldie believes her." Field walked down the aisle with high school sweetheart Steve Craig in 1968 and the pair divorced in 1975. Goldie is determined not to make the same mistake. The pal adds, "Kurt's great with the kids and Goldie says he's an excellent partner and lover. They don't need any rules in their relationship that marriage would impose... Goldie has seen Sally ranting and raving about her two marriages and she's decided to avoid the same pitfalls."

Kurt And Meg Have Fun Together After Filming
13 April 2000 (WENN)
Meg Ryan and Kurt Russell have become firm friends during the filming for Proof of Life (2000) - so much so they have taken to dancing on the tables together in posh London resturants. The pair are currently filming the drama and have spent time in the British capital in the last few weeks. And when the cameras stop the pair know how to relax - although their dancing antics surprised diners and waiting staff at top resturant MOMO. Owner MOMO MAZOUZ says, "They were here dancing in the middle of the room all night. They were crazy and danced right up until closing time. "At three in the morning they were still there dancing and having a wonderful time. But they looked like they were having such fun everyone just left them alone."

Movie Reviews: Soldier
23 October 1998 (StudioBriefing)
Critics seem to agree that Soldier (1998) with Kurt Russell is a movie with no script (indeed Russell speaks only 69 words in the entire film). Mike Clark in USA Today writes, "Soldier looks like a hundred million bucks. Too bad a little more money wasn't spent on the script." Thelma Adams in the New York Post calls the movie "a hyper-butch fantasy ... recycled Star Trek from the director of Mortal Kombat." "Passable entertainment for the blood-and-guts crowd, " is the way Glenn Whipp describes it in the Los Angeles Daily News. Similarly, John Haslett Cuff in the Toronto Globe & Mail concludes, "Soldier will appeal only to small boys and those who love non-stop action movies that require strong eardrums and limited intelligence."

You Can't Keep Batman Down!
1 July 1998 (StudioBriefing)
Director Joel Schumacher is in talks with Warner Bros. about directing a fifth Batman movie, the Los Angeles Times reported today (Wednesday). The newspaper said that Schumacher, who directed the last two Batman sequels, is close to committing. The director, who reportedly took the idea for the movie to Warner Bros. execs, confirmed that he had talked to Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, Warner's production chief, about doing another Batman film, but, he said, "I would only do it on a much-smaller scale, with less villains and truer in nature to the comic book." The Times said that Kurt Russell is being considered for the role of the next Caped Crusader.

Russell's Salary For Warners Movie Rankles
22 December 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Some Warner Bros. executives are reportedly "livid" over the nearly $20 million that studio chiefs Bob Daly and Terry Semel agreed to pay Kurt Russell to star in the studio's forthcoming Soldier (1998), the New York Post reported today (Monday), citing unnamed "critics" of the current studio regime. According to the Post, Russell's salary is being cited as yet another example of "unnecessary and excessive spending" that has undermined the studio's financial stability. Spokespersons for Russell and Warner Bros. declined comment.