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This pains me because I really enjoy Randy, Mariah and Keith (and to some extent Nicki Minaj) but “American Idol” is really showing signs of age. Last night’s ratings were 5 % lower than last Wednesday’s, making it the lowest rated Wednesday show since 2002.
With a 4.1 in the key demo, Idol is losing its viewers week by week. Last week, the Thursday show was a 3.7, which means that tonight could be dismal. Something has to be done fast. I do think “Idol” needs performances by current or legacy stars, and some mentors to boost the show.
Granted, “Idol” still won the night and has a huge following. But “Modern Family” was close behind with a 3.9. I hope tonight Mariah just stands up, belts out a song, and tosses Nicki Minaj over her shoulder. Action!
Two time Oscar winner and multiple nominee Jane Fonda is joining Sunday’s Oscar show. I am told that Jane will present a big award with her “China Syndrome” co-star Michael Douglas, who was announced a few days ago. More presenters will be announced shortly. The show should be great at this point considering the star power and musical numbers. Keep refreshing…
Also added: Jennifer Garner (who’s also Mrs. Ben Affleck), the great Kerry Washington, and, hmmmm, Kristen Stewart (that’s a nod to young viewers, I guess)…
add this group to the all aforementioned previously announced names…
Superstar direct0r (and actor/musician) Clint Eastwood tells me his next project will indeed be the remake of “A Star is Born”–without Beyonce as the female lead. Beyonce dropped out of the project last October, citing her tour schedule among other things. Whatever the reason, “Star” is going on, and very shortly.
Clint dined last night in West Hollywood with his veteran Warner Bros. marketing man, legendary Joe Hyams and his beautiful wife. (Hyams, if you don’t know, guided all the great Warners hits and was Clint’s most trusted associate through four decades of filmmaking–at least.)
The setting was out of the way insider movieland hot spot Il Piccolino, one of the few places where big stars can still go without being trailed by paparazzi. It was a great pleasure to run into Clint, who is one of Hollywood’s last giants. He’s also one of the greatest filmmakers. Oscar winning “Unforgiven” is a timeless classic. “Gran Torino” is a masterpiece. And let’s not forget “Million Dollar Baby” or “Mystic River.”
Eastwood, in a great mood, told me a couple of things. First: where is he watching the Oscars this Sunday? “At home, like a sensible person,” he said.
Second, followers of his famous Obama “chair speech” might be surprised that the diners on the other side of Eastwood’s table were former California governor GRay Davis and his wife. The Democrat–who was ousted in a recall vote and replace by Arnold Schwarzenegger–had a long and very friendly chat with Clint when his meal was over, for about ten minutes. The lesson–which I learned more than a dozen years ago– is never try to put Clint Eastwood in one political corner. He’s a man for all seasons.
As for “Star,” Eastwood says he’s ready and “has a few ideas” of who his leads are going to be. Of course everyone has ideas about who should play the parts of an over the hill alcoholic rock star and his rising pop star wife. But I think Russell Crowe and Katy Perry would be ideal. Send me your ideas at roger@showbiz411.com
PS That reality show featuring some of the female members of Eastwood’s family is over. He told me he let it happen because his daughters “really wanted to do it” and he agreed as long as they left him out of it. But it’s history now, which is a relief, I think, to this classy, private star.
The Oscar cast on Sunday night is turning into a blockbuster. For the movie musicals tribute, Neil Meron and Craig Zadan have added Jennifer Hudson, Catherine Zeta Jones, plus the Les Miz cast: Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman. Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Aaron Tveit and Russell Crowe. That’s in addition to musical numbers from Barbra Streisand, Adele, and Shirley Bassey. And there will be more–someone has to sing the three other Best Song nominees besides “Skyfall” (Adele) and “Suddenly” (Jackman). Of course when Hathaway sings “I Dreamed a Dream,” Bassey sings “Goldfinger,” Streisang sings “The Way We Were”– the show is going to be full of standing ovations. What about the awards? What awards? More to come…
A new casting call went out today for “Mania Days,” which starts shooting April 1st. Paul Dalio, son of Hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio, directs. Spike Lee is producing. Financing is likely in place.
From March 21, 2012: Remember Ray Dalio? The man who runs the $80 billion Bridgewater Hedge Fund was recently profiled in Forbes. And I told you that Dalio is also a fan of Jennifer Lopez–he funds her charity–and a heavy contributor to director David Lynch’s Transcendental Meditation charity. (And you thought his mantra was just ‘money, money money’.)
Now Dalio’s son, Paul, a TV producer at the David Lynch Foundation, is now getting ready to make his debut as a feature director with a film called “Mania Days.” And the producer of the film is, of all people, Spike Lee. ‘Producer’ is not executive producer–Spike isn’t coming up with the money. But according to a production sheet that went out on Friday, Spike is going to be overseeing Dalio’s film on a hands-on basis, which he rarely does for films other than his own. Dalio, like Lee, is a graduate of the NYU Film School.
Dalio wrote and will direct the film about a manic depressive rapper who gets involved with a manic depressive poet in a passionate affair that results in a pregnancy. There’s no word on who’s financing “Mania Days,” but all things considered, it shouldn’t be hard to find the money. His mom is loaded, too–she’s a direct descendant of the Vanderbilt-Whitney families, making Paul a cousin, by the way, of Anderson Cooper, son of Gloria Vanderbilt.
Paul Dalio’s previous credits include a short film called “The Order” about “Sam, a major driver behind economic policy, devises a plan to get the country out of a depression by harnessing the power behind people’s desires for conflict.” He also co-wrote a feature called “Faith, Love and Whiskey,” that was shot in Bulgaria and shown in January at the alternative Slamdance Film Festival. In February, Dalio married the director-star of the film, Kristina Nikolova.
Oscar voting has closed, so I can say this: Robert DeNiro can do anything. And so now, the nominee for “Silver Linings Playbook” is taking on his bravest project yet. He’s going to direct the Broadway musical of “A Bronx Tale,” the movie he directed in 1993. Chazz Palminteri, who wrote the original movie and acted in and the Broadway play (which he also wrote), is writing the book for the musical now. David Bryan of Bon Jovi, who won the Tony for “Memphis,” is writing the songs. (Expect a lot of doo wop– they should call Richard Perry.) Sergio Trujillo — of Jersey Boys and Addams Family fame– is working on the choreography.
I know all this because the one and only Tommy Mottola is producing the musical, and he told me all about it yesterday. (Mottola is in partnership with Broadway’s The Dodgers.) Tommy and I were talking about his own musical memoir, the autobiography called “Hitmaker” in book stores now. Mottola called me from Miami where he’s working on two more books–including one about the Latin culture and “the whole demographic.” Mottola is also working on a musical version of Curtis Mayfield’s “Superfly,” directed by Bill T. Jones– aimed for Broadway next winter. Curtis Mayfield is hot hot hot–first “Sparkle,” now “Superfly.”
Well, Tommy is a man for all seasons. And he’s reinventing himself as a Broadway tycoon, a new David Merrick. And let me tell you, he’s going to do it, too!
I don’t know why he bothered because he didn’t have to, but Clive Davis has responded to Kelly Clarkson’s nutty appraisal of her time as a recording artist under his administration. I think Davis should have just left this alone. After all, Clarkson did this once before and got nowhere. She owes her career to Clive, Pete Ganbarg, and everyone at RCA, Arista and what used to be BMG. Davis’s book, “The Soundtrack of My Life,” has shot up to number 45 on amazon.com and is a bona fide bestseller after less than a day. Not bad.
Clive takes the high road. He says:
“As anyone who has read “The Soundtrack of My Life” knows, I think Kelly Clarkson is a tremendous vocal talent and performer. In the book, I provide an in-depth look at our years together during which we shared major multi-platinum success, as well as a few creative differences. I am truly very sorry that she has decided to take issue with what I know to be an accurate depiction of our time together.
“Before the book was published, I had every fact checked with five independent individuals who were present on a daily basis throughout it all. The chapter as it is written was thoroughly verified by each and every one of them. I stand by the chapter as written in my book. At the same time I wish, and will always wish, Kelly’s talent and her career to soar to ever new heights.”
I thought Kelly Clarkson had matured and grown up. Obviously, I am wrong. The “American Idol” star nearly tanked her career over a hideous album called “My December” a few years ago. She fought with Clive about putting it out. He did, and it was a dud. Her career could have been stopped cold. But Clarkson was talked down off her ledge and made to come to her senses. Davis and his team–notably Pete Ganbarg, who’s a genius A&R guy– got her a new single, “My Life Would Suck Without You.” It put Kelly back on top. This year, going with the Davis-Ganbarg formula at RCA, Clarkson had “Stronger” and “Mister Know it All.” And a hit greatest hits album. “My December” was her Waterloo.
Clive recalls some of this in “The Soundtrack of My Life.” He also remembers–has told me several times over the years–that Clarkson didn’t want to record what would become her biggest hit, “Since U Been Gone.” Artists are like that. Having a great voice doesn’t make you a genius.
Now Kelly has piped up on her website, going after Clive. Tsk, tsk. She still doesn’t get it. This is what she says:
“So I just heard Clive Davis is releasing a memoir and spreading false information about me and my music. I refuse to be bullied and I just have to clear up his memory lapses and misinformation for myself and for my fans. It feels like a violation. Growing up is awesome because you learn you don’t have to cower to anyone – even Clive Davis.”
She adds: “I cried after I played him a song I had written about my life called “Because Of You.” I cried because he hated it and told me verbatim that I was a “sh*tty writer who should be grateful for the gifts that he bestows upon me.” He continued on about how the song didn’t rhyme and how I should just shut up and sing. This was devastating coming from a man who I, as a young girl, considered a musical hero and was so honored to work with.
But I continued to fight for the song and the label relented. And it became a worldwide hit. He didn’t include that in the book.”
Kelly, I rather doubt it. In 25 years of writing about Clive Davis and his artists, there have been disagreements and certainly disappointments. But no one–and I could tell you stories– has ever accused Davis of acting in such an unprofessional way.
As for “My December” going platinum–these platinum and gold distinctions are based on albums shipped based on previous sales. “My December” shipped platinum based on the huge success that preceded it. I don’t know what the returns were, but I’d wager that they were big. No one even remembers that album except for Clarkson, her family, RCA, Jeff Kwatinetz, and me.
PS “Stronger” has sold 1,023,000 copies since its release last year according to Soundscan. “My December” has sold 836,000 since its release in 2007.
“Downton Abbey” ended Season 3 with a bang. Not only did Matthew Crawley bite the dust, but 8.2 million viewers watched him do it on PBS. That’s 50% higher rating than the end of Season 2. “DA” has become a phenomenon, that’s for sure. Today I’ve read a lot of nonsense about the show jumping the shark, and one wrongheaded idea that this should have been the end of the series. Ridiculous. “DA” has at least two seasons left in it. There’s plenty of material for Julian Fellowes. And there’s no reason why the rest of the cast won’t stick around now til the end. PBS certainly won’t let them stop–Sunday night their audience was four times its normal size. And I’m sure Mitt and Ann Romney were among the viewers.
Last year, Jimmy Kimmel’s after Oscar special introduced the hilarious parody trailer for the greatest movie never made, “Movie: The Movie.” This year he’ll have a sequel–no doubt with Matt Damon–and a bevy of stars including Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, who’ve each signed on for the show, as well as Robin Roberts of “GMA.” Can’t wait. Here’s the original, in case you are not one of the 20 million YouTube viewers:
