News Sentinel staff
Friday, April 18, 2008

Regal Entertainment Group Chairman and CEO Mike Campbell received the Pioneer of the Year award Wednesday night in Santa Monica, Calif., from the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation.

Campbell, who entered the movie theater business in 1982 in Claiborne County, formed Regal Cinemas Inc. in 1989 and has grown the Knoxville-based company to become the world’s largest theater chain.

Campbell was recognized for contributions to the film industry and was presented with the Pioneer of the Year award by actor Tom Cruise during a ceremony at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. The event raised $1.2 million for the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation and the proceeds will go to the Pioneers Assistance Fund to help motion picture industry veterans in need.

“I was certainly grateful and humbled by the award, but neither Regal nor I do what we do for the recognition. We do it because it is the right thing to do,” Campbell said Thursday.

Past Pioneer of the Year honorees have included Cecil B. DeMille, Jack Warner, Darryl F. Zanuck, Jack Valenti, Sumner Redstone and Sherry Lansing.

Campbell’s family and many Regal executives attended the presentation, which included entertainment by actor/comedian Kevin Pollack and music by John Fogerty.

“The entertainment was terrific. The highlight of the evening was Tom Cruise’s presentation of the Pioneer of the Year award to Mike Campbell,” said Regal spokesman Dick Westerling.

In his introduction of Campbell, Cruise pointed to characteristics the two have in common, including a passion for movies, meager backgrounds growing up and vows to help others less fortunate.

“Through hard work and determination, he turned a small business with one theater into the largest movie theater chain in the world,” Cruise said of Campbell. “He also revolutionized fundraising by being the first theater chain to promote to customers that Regal would donate a portion of the chain’s concession sales to charity. Not only did it improve concession sales, but it enabled Regal to raise over $14 million in the last 10 years on behalf of the Will Rogers Motion Picture Foundation.” (Source: Knox News)

Pictures…

By Gregg Kilday
Fri Apr 18, 12:40 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Looking to develop its own homegrown franchises, Tom Cruise’s United Artists banner is embarking on a space odyssey with Ronald D. Moore, the man behind Sci Fi Channel’s “Battlestar Galactica.”

The studio has signed Moore to create and write an original sci-fi trilogy for the big screen.

Moore is an executive producer of “Battlestar Galactica,” whose April 4 season premiere attracted more than 2 million viewers — 40% more than the Season 3 finale.

His writing credits include the features “Star Trek: Generations” and “Star Trek: First Contact” as well as episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Roswell” and “Carnivale.” He also received a story credit on Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible II.”

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter (Source: Yahoo! News)

Here at Tomcruisefan all want to wish Suri a Happy 2nd Birthday!

I’ve also added more pictures of her with her daddy at the park:

Updated:

Updated:

Another TROPIC THUNDER review:

First and foremost, I have to say this: There is a major star (uncredited and unadvertised by the studio) whose performance as a psychotic studio exec is a near-legendary performance in this actor’s long and famous career. He steals the show, easily. This isn’t just a cameo. He’s basically the villain. At the end of the movie, when the credits came up, an individual screenshot for each actor, this actor’s name and pic got the biggest ovation by far, and it was a really nice moment.

… This movie will play huge when it opens in August, that’s for sure, and it’s also the most foul-mouthed comedy I’ve seen in a long time, if not ever. Lots and lots and lots of F-bombs. I don’t know how people will review this movie without mentioning who the above-mentioned actor is, but they shouldn’t, because I heard genuine surprise followed by glee when people realized who it was under that beard and bald cap. He appears pretty early on so its not a massive surprise, but it’s a nice treat, for sure.
(Source: JoBlo)

Mon Apr 14, 4:38 AM ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Documentary Channel has signed a deal with Imax Corp. for the exclusive U.S. rights to 21 library titles, including the Tom Cruise-narrated “Space Station.”

The films, which represent some of Imax’s most successful with a combined gross box office of more than $600 million, will be televised for the first time in the U.S. as a result of the deal. Other titles include the Tom Hanks-narrated “Magnificent Desolation” as well as “T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous.”

The 2-year-old Nashville-based network plans to air them throughout the year. Imax has made the movies available in specially remastered high-definition and traditional broadcast formats.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

(Source: Yahoo! News)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and United Artists announced today they are moving the release date of Bryan Singer’s World War II thriller Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, from October 3, 2008 to President’s Day Weekend February 13, 2009.

Currently also scheduled for the new date are Confessions of a Shopaholic and Friday the 13th.

“MGM is proud and excited to be presenting ‘Valkyrie,’ and because of that we want to give it the best launch possible,” said Clark Woods, President of Domestic Distribution of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, which is distributing the movie domestically. “When an opening became available for President’s Day Weekend, we seized the opportunity. Having seen a lot of the film and how great it is going to play once it’s finished, moving into a big holiday weekend is the right move.”

We assume Woods is talking about The Wolfman, which was just moved from February 13, 2009 to April 3, 2009.

“‘Valkyrie’ is shaping up to be a phenomenal movie,” said Dennis Rice, President of Worldwide Marketing and Publicity for United Artists, which made the movie. “We’re delighted that MGM has agreed to hold the release until the very strong holiday weekend.”

Bringing a fresh and surprise-filled take to a world people only thought they knew, Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men, Superman Returns) re-teams with his Academy Award®-winning “Usual Suspects” screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie on Valkyrie, a suspense thriller based on the true story of the daring and ingenious plot to assassinate the most monstrous villain the world has ever known. Tom Cruise heads an internationally acclaimed ensemble that includes Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Eddie Izzard, Christian Berkel, Thomas Kretschmann, Terrance Stamp and acclaimed stage actress Carice Van Houten.

Source: MGM, United Artists, ComingSoon.net

Commenting that in Hollywood, “doing business with your enemies is inevitable,” the Wall Street Journal reported today (Friday) that Viacom chief Sumner Redstone and Tom Cruise got together Thursday for a friendly luncheon at the Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Hotel, one of LA’s most public places for a rapprochement. Redstone, who booted Cruise off the Paramount lot two years ago and criticized Cruise’s behavior during his interviews to promote Mission: Impossible III, told the Journal following the meeting that the two had “agreed the past is the past and we wo uld put it behind us and renew our relationship.” A spokesman for Cruise declined to comment.
(ContactMusic)

OK! Magazine has a nice article about Shiloh and Suri in this week’s issue. I can’t resist posting this picture of the frontpage of OK! Magazine…

SHILOH & SURI: They’re Big Girls Now!
Two years ago, the world awaited as the two most famous couples on the planet, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, prepared to each celebrate the births of their little girls. And now, as Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and Suri Cruise begin their second years, OK! takes a look at the luxe lives being led by two of Hollywood’s most adorable tots — and just how their parents are planning on expanding their families.

We got a nice little interview with Tom this weekend at the NASCAR event:

MEDIA BLITZ: TALKING NASCAR WITH TOM CRUISE. TOM CRUISE!
by Sam Alipour
You had me at … “Gentleman, start your engines.”

(Ed.’s note: The Mag sent contributor Sam Alipour to the Auto Club Speedway to write a story on Ryan Newman’s pit crew, and NOT to interview Tom Cruise. Let’s just say things worked out differently.)

Sam Alipour (like a cheerleader at a homecoming rally): Tom, Sam Alipour, ESPN The Magazine.

Tom Cruise: (Big smile) What’s up, man?

Alipour: Huge fan.

Cruise: (Bigger smile) Thanks man

Alipour: It’s funny, some of the guys on Ryan Newman’s team randomly told me this morning that they love Days of Thunder.

Cruise: (Average smile) That’s great. That’s great. (Signs an autograph for a young fan.)

Alipour: Do you get that a lot?

Cruise: (No smile) What do you mean, do I? I mean, I’m glad people like it. It was a very special film for me.

Alipour: Did it make you a NASCAR fan?

Cruise: You kidding? Absolutely. No, that’s how I came up with that idea. I was racing—I love racing. I was racing with (Paul) Newman. I wanted to make a movie about NASCAR because I grew up watching it.

Alipour: Any plans to do another sports movie?

Cruise: Yeah, if I can find something. I’d like to. That’s cool that they said that about Days of Thunder because I love that special, special film.

Alipour: Yeah, the Alltell guys are looking for you.

Cruise: (Laughs) That’s great.

Alipour: They’re tough guys, you know?

Cruise: (Laughs) I know man, I know. I worked with them (Big smile.)

Alipour: I bet they’d love to meet you.

Cruise: I wish I could, but I’m here with my son. (Smile)

Alipour: I hear ya. Just playing matchmaker. (I laugh.)

Cruise: (He laughs) I know. I know the drill man. (Big smile)

Alipour: You’re hanging out with Jimmie Johnson’s team—how do you know Jimmie?

Cruise: Yeah, I met Jimmie, but I’ve known Rick Hendrick forever. I met Jeff Gordon before. And I had a chance to meet Dale Earnhardt when we were doing Days of Thunder. I spent an afternoon with him. Real nice.

Alipour: Good dude?

Cruise: Yeah, great dude. Rick Hendrick I’ve known forever. He was very helpful during Days of Thunder. It’s amazing where NASCAR has gone since that film.

Alipour: You were on NASCAR before it was mainstream. Do you think that you helped contribute to its growth?

Cruise: There’s things that they did in the film visually, when you look at the cars, to make it cinematic. NASCAR was on a lot of that stuff already, but all of the technology we developed for the race scenes … (Shakes head.) I’m really glad that it’s getting as big as it is, because I love the sport. (Big smile. Extends hand.) Real pleasure.

Alipour: The pleasure was all mine. I will go to my grave saying this: You were robbed three times of the Oscar.

Cruise: (The biggest smile of all. Shakes my hand with more vigor.) Thanks, man. That really means a lot. What was your name again?

Alipour: Sam Alipour. ESPN The Magazine.

Cruise: Thanks man. A pleasure.

(He lets go of my hand, then turns away to sign more autographs, still smiling. I stand there for several minutes, like a creep, watching him.) (Source: ESPN Magazine)

THE BIRD CAGE: On Friday evening, designer Erin Fetherston,
accompanied by Satine’s Jeannie Lee and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’
stylist Jeanne Yang, hosted a screening of the short film “A Dreamy
Wander,” directed by Ellen von Unwerth, inside the aviary-like Villa
nightclub in West Hollywood. In the eight-minute movie, actress Zooey
Deschanel, clad in Fetherston’s fall collection, portrays a runaway
orphan in an enchanted forest who nibbles on some magic mushroom with
hallucinatory results. Deschanel, who was shooting a feature in New
York, didn’t attend the soiree, but fellow actresses Rosario Dawson,
Leelee Sobieski and Angie Harmon came out to toast the 26-year-old New
York-based designer. “She is a lovely human being,” gushed Dawson,
wearing a short shimmering white Fetherston number, adding that she
and Fetherston had initially met at a charity event. Fetherston
confessed she caught the filmmaking bug after her first collaboration
with von Unwerth on the short “Wendybird,” starring Kirsten Dunst, in
2005. “I intend to make more,” she said. (Source: Women’s Wear Daily)