"For Colored Girls", Perry win big at Image Awards (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Director and writer Tyler Perry was the big winner at the NAACP's Image Awards on Friday, winning top awards for his movie "For Colored Girls" and best TV comedy series trophy for "Tyler Perry's House of Payne."

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the oldest U.S. civil rights organization and has given out Image awards for 42 years to honor people of color in film, television, music and literature.

Perry, 41, one of the most prolific African-Americans in the U.S. entertainment industry, was the man behind wins for comedy actor David Mann in the TV show "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns," and Kimberly Elise for her supporting role in "For Colored Girls."

"For Colored Girls" brought a best movie and best director statue for Perry, who is also a producer, actor and playwright. The movie, based on the play by Ntozake Shange "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf" is based on poems about the lives of women.

"I wanted to take this iconic work and introduce it to people who had never heard of it. ... There is nothing like having nine strong black women holding you up," Perry said, referring to a cast that included Whoopi Goldberg and Janet Jackson.

Oscar-winner Halle Berry added another trophy to her collection, this time for her best actress performance as a woman with a multiple personalities in "Frankie & Alice."

"If it were not for the NAACP, a little girl like me would not have had wind beneath her wings in a small town in Ohio," she said. "I have never been more proud to be a black woman."

Denzel Washington won the best actor Image Award for the action movie "The Book of Eli."

Willow Smith, the 10 year-old daughter of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, won the best new music artist award, beating out popular rivals Bruno Mars and rapper Nicki Minaj.

Smith's first single, "Whip My Hair," reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in late 2010.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell received the NAACP President's Award for special achievement in public service, earning a standing ovation.

Powell, the first African-American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, paid tribute to the work of the NAACP in advancing civil rights since its foundation in 1909, but said there was more to be done.

"We still have youngsters who are in desperate straits, who need education, who need health care. ... (They) have to be given a sense of expectation," he said.

"Even though we have come so far, we will need the NAACP for another 100 years, or until the work is done."

The TV category saw honors for medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," while Vanessa Williams won the best actress Image Award for "Desperate Housewives" and "Modern Family" star Sofia Vergara took home the best supporting comedy actress award.

(Editing by Todd Eastham)

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Demi Lovato thanks fans during "darkest time" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Disney Channel teen star Demi Lovato on Monday issued her first message to fans since leaving rehab in January, thanking them for their support in what she called "the darkest time of my life."

The 18 year-old singer and actress abruptly pulled out of a concert tour in November to enter rehab for emotional and physical issues. Her spokeswoman at the time said the "Sonny with a Chance" star had fought eating disorders and had struggled with cutting in the past.

"Your support is what got me through this," Lovato said in a video message posted on Cambio.com, thanking her fans for their mail and Twitter messages.

Lovato described the last few months as a "very, very difficult" journey in which she had been dealing with issues that confront all girls and young women.

"I can't tell you how much light you guys brought into my life, and probably the darkest time of my life," she said, but did not go into detail.

Lovato said she was "excited to get back to work" and start meeting her young fans again, but it was not clear when she might return to television.

Disney Channel has revamped "Sonny with a Chance" in her absence to focus on other members of the cast, and will start airing new episodes under the "So Random" title this spring.

"Demi's management will inform us when she is ready to return to work," a Disney Channel spokeswoman said on Monday.

Lovato got her break as the star of the 2008 Disney Channel movie "Camp Rock" and has since released two hit albums. She dated teen heart-throb Joe Jonas in 2010 and was on tour with the Jonas Brothers before pulling out and going into rehab for three months.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Vince Vaughn to star in "Insane Laws" for Universal (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Universal Pictures is in negotiations to pick up "The Insane Laws," a relationship comedy that will act as a starring vehicle for Vince Vaughn, who is based at the studio with his Wild West Picture Show production company.

Jeremy Garelick wrote the script and will direct the project, which would reteam Vaughn with the man who co-wrote his 2006 hit, "The Break-Up."

Based a bit on Garelick's own life, "Insane Laws" focuses on two best friends and how their lives are impacted when their grown children fall in love, with one man's daughter becoming pregnant by his best friend's son.

Originally, Columbia Pictures picked up the script in a hefty seven-figure deal in 2009, with Garelick on board to make his directorial debut.

Vaughn is coming off his latest relationship pic, "The Dilemma."

Garelick broke into the business as an assistant to Joel Shumacher before going to make a name for himself in the writing world.

(Editing by Zorianna Kit)

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Actor Tate Donovan now one of the "Good People" (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Back Stage) – Tate Donovan looks back on his early days in show business with a degree of horror.

"I was full of myself, competitive, selfish, judgmental, and not generous," he says. "When I was a lot younger I was very arrogant. I remember saying to myself in college that if I didn't have an Academy Award by the time I was 30 I would quit. I was so pompous. You think you're so special. Maybe you have to be that way when you start out."

Maybe. Now 47 and considerably more easygoing, he has appeared on film ("Good Night and Good Luck," "Nancy Drew"), TV ("The O.C.," "Damages") and Broadway ("Amy's View," "Picnic"), and never had to take a day job. He can't help wondering what role luck has played in all this.

It's a topic he has been thinking a lot about lately, especially now that he's starring in David Lindsay-Abaire's new off-Broadway play, "Good People," running through May 8 at Manhattan Theater Club.

It addresses many themes that resonate for the actor. Not the least of these is the question of how much choice does anyone have in life -- or is it largely dumb luck?

"You need lucky breaks," Donovan said before a preview performance. "I don't know why I get work and someone else doesn't. My understudy, Tony Carlin, is a great actor, yet every night I get to go out there and he doesn't. Why is that?"

Directed by Dan Sullivan, "Good People" centers on an encounter between unemployed single mom Marge (Frances McDormand), who never left the working-class South Boston neighborhood she was born into, and her ex-boyfriend Mike (Donovan), who is from the same community but has moved on.

He's now a doctor, married to an English professor, and living in a wealthy town just outside of Boston. This is not a love story; it's about class and how the past may be a foreign and intrusive world.

Donovan sees a similarity between Marge, who charges back into his life for a job, and some of his old friends who think he can launch them into acting careers. "It can be awkward when they say things like 'Hey, I want to get into showbiz. How do I do that?' Everyone thinks it's so easy because they may have been the funny kid in high school. That feeling of people hitting you up and you're not really being able to do anything for them -- I relate to that. It's great to catch up with old friends, and then you want to go back to your life, especially if you no longer have anything in common with these people."

Donovan also connects with the class issues. Though he grew up in the middle-class suburb of Tenafly, N.J., his father, a doctor, came from a working-class Irish Catholic neighborhood in Brooklyn not unlike South Boston.

One of the more interesting challenges Donovan faced focused on the "Southie" accent. Everyone in the cast has effectively incorporated it into the performance. Initially, Donovan did not want to use it because he felt Mike would have largely freed himself from it.

"But, I found once I started using the accent, it fueled the character. It changes your body and you become more urban, more relaxed, more affectionate, and more tactile. Dan said something interesting: 'Women like it. And this guy puts people at ease.' It's my way of saying I'm from the hood. It's chic and an affectation because underneath it all I'm kind of repulsed by the whole thing."

Lindsay-Abaire's language presented another challenge. Donovan is familiar with it: He previously played the grieving father in a Los Angeles production of the playwright's "Rabbit Hole." It's so realistic that Donovan felt free to paraphrase, and that's a mistake, he soon realized.

"There's a difference between saying the line as written, 'Tell Denise to give you directions,' and 'I'll have Denise give you directions,' which I've been saying. The line as written is a command. It is aggressive and reflects who the character is. His writing is so specific and attached to thoughts and character. Every syllable reveals something."

He credits Sullivan -- "who is quiet and wise, an invisible guiding hand" --- with helping him do his best work in "Good People."

As a director himself, with episodes of "Damages," "Glee," "Weeds," "Nip/Tuck," and "Gossip Girl" under his belt, Donovan says actors are often better than they think they are.

"We don't realize what we're giving," he insists. "We try to be fascinating and control it instead of just letting go and trusting it."

As for the future, Donovan hopes he is as fulfilled as he is right now. Mindful of his youthful arrogance, he advises young actors to lighten up. "Study, try to be as good as you can, enjoy what you're doing, and be kind to people. It's much more important than you may think."

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Charlie Sheen reaches two million Twitter followers (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Winning, indeed.

On Monday, Charlie Sheen reached two million followers on Twitter -- less than one week after launching his account.

"Another record shattered," the actor, 45, Tweeted Monday. "We gobbled the soft target that was 2.0 mil, like a bag of a troll-house zombie chow."

Later, he added, "hey Guinness, might wanna start writing them in pencil, #checkit; you've been warned."

Last week, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Sheen will soon be Tweeting endorsements.

Lady Gaga currently has the most followers -- more than 8.6 million -- followed by Justin Bieber, Britney Spears and President Barack Obama.

Sheen is catching up, though.

Not only is he thriving on Twitter, he is heating up other parts of the web: On Saturday, he hosted a live webcast and attracted more than 100,000 viewers. He showed off a new tattoo on his left wrist that reads "winning."

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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"Rango" tops another sluggish weekend for movies (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Animated family movie "Rango" topped North American box offices with $38 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates on Sunday, which was at the low-end of expectations as moviegoing remained sluggish at the start of 2011.

"Rango," which features Johnny Depp as the voice of a colorful chameleon trying to bring law and order to a town in the old Wild West, had been estimated to bring in anywhere from $38 million to $42 million by distributor Paramount Pictures.

The movie added another $16 million from international territories, putting it's worldwide debut ticket sales at a total $54 million.

Elsewhere, Matt Damon thriller "The Adjustment Bureau," which like "Rango" was in its debut weekend in theaters, took in $21 million to land in the No. 2 spot in North America. It also opened in several overseas markets where it added another $10.5 million to its weekend haul.

Another newcomer "Beastly," which is a modern, retelling of the classic tale "Beauty and the Beast," took hold of No. 3 with $10.1 million.

Overall, total U.S. and Canadian ticket sales were off a whopping 31 percent from the same weekend one year ago, according to tracker Hollywood.com Box Office.

Back then, the 3D version of Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" was proving to be a smash hit and, similarly, "Shutter Island" and "Avatar" were still generating solid ticket sales.

But the start of 2011 has failed to generate a massive hit, and year-to-date ticket sales are down just over 20 percent while the number of people attending theaters is down about 22 percent, Hollywood.com Box Office reported.

In other highlights from the past weekend, royals drama "The King's Speech" followed its victories at the Oscars, where it was named best film, by moving up one notch from the No. 8 spot to No. 7 with just over $6.5 million in ticket sales.

Comedy "Hall Pass" and animated movie "Gnomeo & Juliet," which had traded the No. 1 and No. 2 spots last weekend, fell out of the top 3 positions. "Hall Pass" dropped to No. 4 with $9 million, while "Gnomeo" landed at No. 5 with $6.9 million.

"Rango" was distributed by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc. "Adjustment Bureau" was released by Universal Pictures, which is controlled by Comcast Corp, and "Beastly" was released by the CBS Films division of CBS Corp.

"The King's Speech" was released by privately held The Weinstein Co. "Hall Pass" by Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros unit and "Gnomeo" by the film studio division of The Walt Disney Co.

(Reporting by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Jackie Frank)

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Charlie Sheen's Web show draws more than 100,000 viewers (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Charlie Sheen's Ustream Internet show drew more than 100,000 viewers during its debut airing on Saturday night.

Viewer count for "Sheen's Korner" fluctuated throughout the broadcast but there were 113,251 hits at one point. By contrast, Sheen has about two million Twitter followers.

Wearing a hat and a black t-shirt with a green dollar sign on its front, the ubiquitous former sitcom star and his three cohorts/co-hosts introduced segments such as "Wish They Were Me" and "Weighing in With Rick" (featuring Rick Calamaro, Sheen's assistant) in a format closely akin to a local access cable show.

Early on during the one hour broadcast, Sheen revealed a new tattoo on his inner left wrist that said "winning," one of his latest catchphrases.

During another segment Sheen listed off the people he'd like to be for ten minutes: Colin Farrell, San Francisco Giants pitcher Brian "Fear the Beard" Wilson, and Sean Penn.

Sheen stated during the broadcast that, depending on reaction, the show may return on a daily basis.

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British prince pilloried over pedophile friend (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) – The royal family is supposed to burnish Britain's image, but Prince Andrew has generated quite a different buzz by consorting with a convicted U.S. pedophile and having contacts with the Libyan leader's son.

"Prince of Sleaze" ran a headline in Monday's Daily Mirror over a story about the 50-year-old Duke of York, who is fourth in line to the throne and is Britain's roving trade ambassador.

"Andrew: I won't quit over my pervert pal," the Sun added.

The stories were a long way from the gushing coverage the British media have reserved for Andrew's nephew Prince William and fiancee Kate Middleton ahead of their wedding next month.

Andrew has long had a strained relationship with newspapers, who have printed photographs of him enjoying himself on yachts or sunbathing surrounded by topless women, and nicknamed him "Airmiles Andy" for his use of publicly funded travel.

Andrew is now in hot water over his friendship with New York financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was jailed in 2008 for child sex offences.

His alleged links to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam and the son of Tunisia's ousted president, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, also have come under media scrutiny.

The revelations have led to calls for Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth, to lose his voluntary position as a special representative for a government body promoting British businesses abroad, a role he has held since 2001.

Lawmaker Chris Bryant, a member of the opposition Labor Party, said the government should get rid of Andrew immediately.

"They should be absolutely clear: 'We are going to dispense with his services'," he told BBC radio.

"DONE NOTHING WRONG"

Association with Saif al-Islam at a time when Libya was being courted by western countries has already put others under pressure. Thursday the director of the London School of Economics quit for having advised the LSE to accept 1.5 million pounds ($2.4 million) in 2009 from Saif's foundation.

A royal source said the prince had met Saif al-Islam twice, and they were not friends, and that Andrew accepted he had been unwise to have associated with Epstein since his conviction.

"There's no accusation he's done anything wrong and there's been no suggestion of any impropriety on his part because there has been none at all," the source told Reuters. "You won't be seeing him and Mr Epstein in a photograph again."

Sarah Ferguson, who divorced the prince in 1996, said he was a "first-rate man" who worked tirelessly for Britain.

"The duke is a man who does not know how to tell an untruth or behave dishonorably," she told the London Evening Standard.

She admitted that she had accepted 15,000 pounds from Epstein to help pay off her debts, a move she described as a huge mistake.

Business leaders such as Peter Levene, chairman of the Lloyd's of London insurance market, also issued statements backing Andrew. A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said he had full confidence in the prince.

"We think he does an important job, he makes an important contribution, and we are not reviewing that role," he said.

But government sources have told the media any further revelations would make the prince's position untenable.

(Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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Che's "Motorcycle Diaries" companion dies in Cuba (Reuters)

HAVANA (Reuters) – Alberto Granado, who accompanied fellow Argentine Ernesto "Che" Guevara on a trip immortalized in the film "The Motorcycle Diaries, died in Cuba on Saturday at the age of 88, Cuba's state-run media reported.

The report said his ashes would be spread in Argentina, Cuba and Venezuela.

The famous trip across South America, begun in late 1951 on Granado's old British motorcycle, supposedly awakened in Guevara a sympathy for the poor and desire for social justice that turned him into a leftist revolutionary.

He was one of the leaders of Cuba's revolution that put Fidel Castro in power in 1959 and was in the Cuban government for several years until leaving to fight, less successfully, in other uprisings.

He died in Bolivia in 1967 while trying to start a rebel force there.

"The Motorcycle Diaries" was based on Guevara's diary of the trip and on Granado's book "Traveling with Che Guevara: The Making of a Revolutionary." The 2004 film was directed by Brazilian Walter Salles.

At the invitation of his friend, Granado, who was a biochemist, came to Cuba in 1961 and stayed.

(Reporting by Esteban Israel; Editing by Jeff Franks and Eric Walsh)

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Paula Abdul, Mariah Carey on Cowell's "X Factor" list (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Singers Mariah Carey and George Michael, former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and ex-"American Idol" judge Paula Abdul are all in the running to join Simon Cowell on his upcoming talent show "The X Factor," Cowell said on Thursday.

But none of them are locked in as judges for the upcoming TV show, and Cowell told celebrity TV show Access Hollywood he was in no hurry to make a decision.

Singer Jessica Simpson was also reported this week to be keen for a spot on the panel of the singing contest. But sources close to the show told People magazine that a final decision may take weeks.

Cowell told Access Hollywood he had spoken to Carey, who is pregnant with twins.

But he added; "We've spoken to lots of people. I've spoken to Paula...we've taken it down to a smaller group of people and she (Abdul) is in that panel. But you know, it's more than me who makes the decision."

Despite their often tempestuous relationship on "American Idol", Cowell has made no secret of his admiration and off-set friendship with the volatile Abdul.

Cowell said last month that he would be one of the "X Factor" judges.

The U.S. version of the "The X Factor" is due to debut on Fox in the fall of 2011, offering an unprecedented $5 million prize for the winner, along with a record contract.

But unlike "Idol", the "X Factor" judges will mentor the contestants closely, helping them with song choice, production, coaching and even style during the TV contest.

"It's good to kind of delay the process...You genuinely have got to trust they they're going to be able to do the job you're paying them to do," Cowell said of the new panel.

Cowell said that singers Katy Perry and Elton John -- whose names were floated in the media earlier this year --are not on the short list.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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TV show reveals Mike Tyson, pigeon racer (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Long before Mike Tyson became a world champion heavyweight boxer, he threw his first punch over a pigeon.

In fact, Tyson says, pigeons were his first love as a bullied kid on the tough streets of Brooklyn, and later on, birds gave him a sense of peace and tranquility before and after some of his most bruising professional fights.

Now, the man nicknamed "Iron Mike" for his ferocious boxing style is sharing that passion and showing a gentler side of himself in "Taking on Tyson", a six-part documentary starting on the Animal Planet cable TV channel on Sunday, March 6.

"The first thing I ever loved in my life was a pigeon. I don't know why...I feel ridiculous trying to explain it," Tyson, 44, says in the documentary.

"Pigeons are part of my life. It's a constant with my sanity in a weird way; this is just what I do. If I am lucky enough to die an old man. I'm going to have birds."

"Taking on Tyson" is part reflection on a life that has scaled the heights of boxing and the lows of prison, and part glimpse into the sub-culture of competitive pigeon racing.

"I love pigeons and I thought (the TV series) would broaden the horizons of people who are not knowledgeable about pigeons," Tyson told Reuters.

Tyson, who declared bankruptcy in 2003 and retired from professional boxing in 2006, has 2,500 birds in various locations. He had never raced them before, but set his sights on becoming a world champion in pigeon racing with all the determination he once brought to boxing.

"You gotta train every day, you gotta prepare. Just like a fight, you gotta prepare or you're not going to do well at all," he said of the regime for his pigeons.

"But you can have all the training in the world and it all comes down to the tenacity of the birds, their perseverance, and the will to win."

"Tyson's Corner"

The TV series focuses on the 300 racing pigeons in his "Tyson's Corner" pigeon coop, next to the gym where he once trained for his most famous bouts in the ring.

For non-pigeon enthusiasts, the documentary also takes Tyson back to the places where he grew up, without a father and with a mother who died when he was 16 years-old.

He recalls that his first fight, at age 11, was with an older boy who pulled the head off one of his pigeons. By 13, he had been arrested multiple times for fighting and for petty crimes, and he was sent to juvenile detention.

The TV portrait paints a picture of Tyson that is far removed from the boxer who notoriously bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear in a 1997 heavyweight bout, or the man who served three years in prison for rape in the early 1990s.

Tyson says he is trying to "outprogram" himself from the crazy, out-of-control person he once was, and is humbler now. He has been writing poetry, and will share one piece "with a deep personal meaning" in the April edition of Oprah Winfrey's "O" magazine.

But what will his boxing fans make of Mike Tyson, pigeon fancier?

"I don't know what people are going to think,' he said. "The guys that fly pigeons are not the daintiest people in the world. They are pretty aggressive."

Elsewhere, Tyson recently filmed another cameo as himself in the upcoming "Hangover" movie sequel, and is due to play an alien in the 2012 release "Men in Black III".

There could be more to come. "I'm going to give acting a try and see what happens. I'd like to try acting on stage -- comedy, drama, anything. I could do 'Othello'," he said, referring to Shakespeare's tragedy about a jealous lover.

"I know Othello pretty well."

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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UK's Royal Mint produces royal wedding coin (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain's Royal Mint has produced an official coin to commemorate next month's wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton.

The 5 pound ($8.14) coin -- which will cost collectors 9.99 pounds to purchase and features an image of the couple in profile -- has been approved by William, Queen Elizabeth and the government.

The Royal Mint said the coin, designed by Mark Richards, a Fellow at the Royal Society of British Sculptors, was due to become legal tender on March 16.

"Public interest in this great event is already huge, and building every day, so we are anticipating massive demand for these official commemorative coins," the Royal Mint said on its website.

Last December, the Royal Mint produced its first ever royal engagement coin to mark the couple's marriage announcement, but it was met with criticism and derision from royal watchers who said the depiction of Middleton bore little resemblance to her.

(Reporting by Michael Holden, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Idol judge Jennifer Lopez leaps into singles chart (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Billboard) – New "American Idol" judge Jennifer Lopez blasted back onto the Billboard Hot 100 on Thursday with her highest debut in more than eight years as "On the Floor" grabbed the No. 9 position.

It marks Lopez's first top 10 as a lead artist since the four-week No. 1 "All I Have," featuring LL Cool J, in 2003. That song also marked her previous highest debut, having arrived at No. 25 at the end of 2002.

Her Island Def Jam label synched its digital release with the premiere of its video on Thursday's "Idol" episode. The song, with Pitbull as a featured vocalist, precedes the April 19 release of Lopez's seventh album, "Love?"

"On the Floor" also marks Lopez's 10th Hot 100 top 10, a sum that includes four No. 1s. She last reached the top 10 as a featured artist on LL Cool J's "Control Myself" in 2006.

Divas dominated the Hot 100 headlines, as Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" spent a third week at No. 1, dating to its debut on top two weeks ago. With cumulative digital sales of 1.2 million downloads, it's the fifth-best-selling song this year.

At three weeks atop the Hot 100, "Born" ties Gaga's 2009 debut single "Just Dance" for the longest of her three chart reigns. ("Poker Face" ruled the chart for a week in 2009.)

Cee Lo Green's "F*** You (Forget You)" was No. 2 for a second week, Bruno Mars' "Grenade" held at No. 3, Pink's "F**kin' Perfect" rebounded two to No. 4, and Rihanna's "S&M" jumped two to No. 5.

Katy Perry's "Firework" slipped one to No. 6, but the pop singer also soared 20 to No. 8 with "E.T.," featuring Kanye West. In between, Enrique Iglesias' "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" jumped two to No. 7. Dr. Dre's "I Need a Doctor," featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey, fell six to No. 10.

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Obama, O'Reilly raise $750,000 in unlikely pairing (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – President Barack Obama and conservative TV host Bill O'Reilly might seem like an odd couple to some, but they recently put aside any political differences and teamed up to raise nearly $750,000 for U.S. military families.

And that sum is still growing.

The conservative commentator of Fox News channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," likened his charitable pact with the liberal-leaning president to the spirit of cooperation between Republicans and Democrats that recently has arisen in Washington, D.C.

"What I'm always looking to do is get outside of myself and help people who need help, and the president got that right away," O'Reilly told Reuters.

The story goes like this.

Heading into his pre-Super Bowl interview with Obama -- the second time O'Reilly had grilled the president -- the commentator thought his notes might have some future value.

After the end of their televised talk, which at times put the two at odds, O'Reilly asked Obama if he would sign his research notes as long as O'Reilly used the document and signature to raise money for a charitable cause.

The president agreed and suggested O'Reilly give the money to Fisher House, a non-profit group that builds and maintains "comfort homes" on the grounds of U.S. military medical centers where families stay while their loved ones are being treated.

"He is a regular guy," O'Reilly said of the president. "He gets it right away. He was like, 'Fisher House,' and boom, I was right there" with him.

Since then, people have been able to donate $500 to the charitable organization and in return, get a copy of the notes with Obama's signature and O'Reilly's hand-signed autograph on the same document.

"I thought we might raise $500,000 and right now, we're at just below $750,000," O'Reilly said.

Dave Coker, the president of the Fisher House Foundation, said by next week, the effort should cross the $750,000 mark. O'Reilly hopes to get to $1 million.

"It is been an unexpected blessing, but we're in the blessing business," Coker said. "We don't advertise and believe that if we focus on providing the service, good things will happen, and this is a perfect example of that."

Because of O'Reilly's conservative political views, most people might think of him as being an antagonist to Obama on almost everything, but the commentator said that's not true.

In O'Reilly's view, he has been fair in his assessments -- good or bad -- of the president and his policies. O'Reilly said the proof is Obama granting him the Super Bowl interview in February.

"I want to have a respectful relationship with the President of the United States, no matter who it is," he said.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Courtney Love to pay $430,000 in Twitter case (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Rocker Courtney Love has settled the lawsuit brought against her by a fashion designer who claims she was defamed in a series of Twitter messages.

The settlement with Dawn Simorangkir (a.k.a. the "Boudoir Queen"), which sources say was being finalized Thursday and will be announced next week, will cost Love about $430,000. The first payment of cash is due Thursday, followed by a series of payments to Simorangkir stretched out until 2014.

The settlement ends a case that was watched as closely for the unique legal issues in play as the often-erratic behavior of the defendant. Simorangkir, who became embroiled in a dispute with Love over a $4000 payment for clothing, accused the Hole frontwoman of ruining her business with a series of allegedly defamatory tweets posted during a 20 minute rant in 2009. The trial, which was originally scheduled for late January but was postponed when the parties began talking settlement, would have been the first high-profile courtroom showdown over what constitutes defamation on Twitter.

Love argued that her rantings were merely an expression of opinion and that Simorangkir could not prove how they damaged her. The fashion designer, on the other hand, pointed to Love's influence as an entertainer and the power of social media to disseminate damaging comments, including that Simorangkir was an "asswipe nasty lying hosebag thief."

"The amount of the settlement says it all," Simorangkir attorney Bryan Freedman told The Hollywood Reporter. "Her reprehensible defamatory comments were completely false and $430,000 is quite a significant way to say I am sorry. One would hope that, given this disaster, restraint of pen, tongue and tweet would guide Ms. Love's future conduct."

Love attorney James Janowitz said he was pleased with the deal. "Because of the extended payout it's a modest settlement," Janowitz added, noting that Simorangkir had asked for "vastly more" in discussions. "They got out with an amount that left them bragging rights but nothing else."

Will Love continue to express herself on Twitter? "I don't think she's using it anymore," Janowitz said. "But I could be wrong."

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Johnny Depp cartoon set to animate box office (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Will an animated chameleon be the one to chase away the box-office blues?

"Rango," an Old West cartoon voiced by Johnny Depp, is expected to score the best debut of the year when it rolls out Friday.

Most believe that "Rango" -- reteaming Depp with "Pirates of the Caribbean" director Gore Verbinski -- will gross north of $40 million for the weekend. More sophisticated than most cartoons, the film should draw adults as well as families.

"Rango," which cost $135 million to produce, will open simultaneously in a slew of foreign markets, including the U.K. With a voice cast that also includes Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Timothy Olyphant and Bill Nighy, "Rango" is the first animated film made by George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic.

Universal's sci-fi romantic thriller "The Adjustment Bureau," starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, is likewise tracking well. Box-office observers think it has a good chance of crossing $20 million, although Universal is playing it safe in the current soft environment and predicting an opening in the high- to mid-teens.

Universal acquired "Adjustment Bureau" from producer Media Rights Capital for $65 million and expects the film to be fueled by the same older moviegoers who have turned a number of recent adult-themed films, including "True Grit" and "The King's Speech," into box-office hits. Overseas, "Adjustment Bureau" opens at the weekend in 21 countries.

Speaking of "King's Speech," the drama should enjoy a sales bump after winning four Oscars, including best picture, last weekend.

The two other films opening this weekend -- CBS Films' "Beastly" and Relativity Media's raunchy R-rated comedy "Take Me Home Tonight" -- are expected to post much softer openings.

"Beastly," a retelling of the classic fairy tale "The Beauty and the Beast," was originally intended to open in July, but its release was pushed back twice (in part to piggyback on co-star Alex Pettyfer's "I Am Number Four," which opened two weeks ago).

CBS Films has targeted girls ages 11-17. Its exposure on the picture, which cost $17 million to produce, was minimized by selling off foreign rights.

"Take Me Home Tonight," previously titled "Kids in America," stars Topher Grace and Anna Faris. Relativity inherited the project when it acquired Rogue Pictures from Universal and paid $10 million for distribution rights.

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Sheen's legal case against studios not so crazy (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Charlie Sheen might consider himself a "winner," but it's far from clear whether the "Two and a Half Men" star would prevail in what seems like an inevitable legal showdown over who is to blame for the implosion of America's most-watched sitcom.

After the CBS network and producer Warner Bros. Television (WBTV) canceled the show's eighth season last week, the 45-year-old actor launched a nonstop media blitz demanding that the cast and crew be paid for the remaining eight episodes (WBTV will pay the crew for four) and possibly for the ninth season.

Sheen's lawyer Marty Singer argued in a terse February 28 letter to the network and studio that his client is "ready, willing and able" to resume work and that he's been locked out "in retaliation for" criticisms of "Men" co-creator Chuck Lorre.

While showbiz legal experts say that referring to Lorre as a "clown" and a "retarded zombie" on television doesn't help Sheen's cause, many believe he has a decent case, especially if reports are true that his deal with WBTV includes no morals clause. The controversy, say the lawyers consulted by The Hollywood Reporter, will hinge on which side breached the heavily negotiated contract that pays Sheen more than $1.2 million an episode.

Sheen's lawyers believe that Warner Bros. and CBS violated their obligations by allowing Lorre to dictate that the show be shut down in the wake of Sheen's outrageous statements and partying with porn stars. Sheen maintains he's clean and sober and there's nothing in his private life that would trigger a "default" under his contract. The legal arguments mirror a path that has proved successful for other entertainers who have been terminated for offensive comments.

Martin Gold, a litigator at SNR Denton in New York, says the situation reminds him of when CBS fired shock jock Don Imus after he made derogatory statements about the Rutgers women's basketball team. CBS tried to avoid paying Imus on his contract, but it couldn't get around the argument that the conglomerate got exactly what it had bargained for, signing extension after extension even though it knew Imus' reputation.

Similarly, if the deal between WBTV and Sheen is "pay or play" -- as Singer's letter says it is -- then Sheen will argue that bragging that he's survived "banging seven-gram rocks" can't be held against him. Indeed, Warners knew for years about Sheen's behavior -- including stints in rehab and an arrest on charges of attacking then-wife Brooke Mueller -- but only acted after Sheen insulted Lorre, perhaps the studio's top producer.

Gold says, "This was going on for a long time, so it can hardly be called a surprise."

However, experts say CBS and Warner Bros. could have equally strong arguments that Sheen, not the network or studio, violated the contract. And if Sheen is found to have materially breached his deal, he could forfeit his rich deal and even be forced to reimburse CBS/WBTV for lost revenue, which could reach as much as $250 million if the show shuts down permanently.

Such a case would likely be premised on the notion that Sheen, despite his willingness to show up on set, has become such a high risk and has damaged so many relationships that continuing the show would not be possible. It's no coincidence that the statement released by CBS and WBTV on February 24 blamed the shutdown on "the totality of Charlie Sheen's statements, conduct and condition."

Ellyn Garofalo, a partner at Los Angeles' Liner Grode Stein firm, believes the studio and network would focus on Sheen's public statements about Lorre and take depositions from those who work on the Men set to "show Sheen had become impossible to work with," she says.

CBS/WBTV also could argue that Sheen is damaging the show and network with his media rampage, possibly violating a "disparagement" clause in his contract, and that his presence would cost TV's top comedy advertisers and viewers (though "Men" ratings have remained steady during the fiasco).

But Hollywood litigation expert Aaron Moss at Greenberg Glusker thinks an argument based on Sheen's outrageous behavior alone would be hurt by the absence of a morals clause. Instead, Moss believes that CBS/WBTV could target the actor's physical condition.

"The best argument that Warners would have would be to not focus on conduct and statements per se but only as evidence of his condition, tied to his inability to do his job," Moss says.

Which means that a judge would likely scrutinize Sheen's contract to determine whether he was actually fulfilling his job responsibilities. If, for instance, he was employed not just to deliver lines but also to promote the show, then CBS/WBTV could argue that Sheen had already shirked these duties by placing the show in a negative light. And, of course, Sheen's employers now have a week's worth of public tirades to use as evidence that perhaps he wasn't showing up to the set in top condition. Moss points to one statement made by Sheen on 'The Dan Patrick Show' that could come back to haunt the actor.

"(I've) never been drunk, never been high on the set once," Sheen told the syndicated sports show host on February 15. "But I would show up not having slept much. Doing a network run-through and asking the director, Jamie, to move my mark a little bit so I could be next to a piece of furniture or a table so I wouldn't fall over."

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Beyonce, Carey distance themselves from Gaddafi (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) – Singers Beyonce and Mariah Carey have sought to distance themselves from the tainted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, for whose entourage they both performed at glitzy New Year's eve parties.

They joined Canadian artist Nelly Furtado, who used her Twitter account on Monday to declare she would give away the $1 million she received to perform a 45-minute set in Italy for Gaddafi's family in 2007.

Pop stars' association with Gaddafi and his sons has caused considerable embarrassment this week as the Libyan ruler orders a brutal crackdown on an uprising against his rule.

The music press has highlighted how artists including Beyonce and Carey have earned large paydays for sometimes brief appearances at lavish parties hosted by Gaddafi family members, including his son Muatassim. The stars have faced calls from fans and the public to give back the money they made.

Beyonce said she donated the cash she earned at a private party on the Caribbean island of St. Barts on New Year's Eve, 2009 to earthquake relief efforts in Haiti after learning the promoter had links to Gaddafi.

"Once it became known that the third party promoter was linked to the Qaddafi (Gaddafi) family, the decision was made to put that payment to a good cause," she said in a statement posted on her website.

On Thursday, Carey confirmed she had performed at a similar function "thrown by the sons of vicious, crazy dictator" Gaddafi and expressed her embarrassment, although she stopped short of promising to give the cash earned to charity.

A statement on her website said: "At the time, Libya was not in the news...Now it's become an issue in hindsight, which is sort of ridiculous."

She added that she would donate the proceeds from a new song "Save the Day" for unspecified "human rights issues" and stressed her previous charity work.

"I was naive and unaware of who I was booked to perform for," she said.

"I feel horrible and embarrassed to have participated in this mess. Going forward, this is a lesson for all artists to learn from. We need to be more aware and take more responsibility regardless of who books our shows.

"Ultimately we as artists are to be held accountable."

The International Criminal Court prosecutor said on Thursday that Gaddafi, his sons and members of their inner circle could be held responsible for crimes by their security forces.

The United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on Gaddafi and his family on Saturday, and referred Libya's crackdown on demonstrators to the court.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White)

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Elizabeth Hurley to appear in "Wonder Woman" pilot (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – British actress/model Elizabeth Hurley says she has joined David E. Kelley's "Wonder Woman."

"Thrilled to be doing the NBC pilot Wonder Woman," she Tweeted. "I'll be playing the evil villain. Can't wait."

NBC declined to confirm the casting, but a source said there is a deal contingent on Hurley obtaining a work visa. The role will be as a guest star in the pilot.

Former "Friday Night Lights" star Adrianne Palicki has been cast as the new Wonder Woman.

The project is a retelling of the DC Comics title in which Wonder Woman (Palicki), a.k.a. Diana Prince, tries to balance her life as a vigilante crime fighter, a successful corporate executive and a modern woman.

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Charlie Sheen gives TV Interview to ABC (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Charlie Sheen has given his first television interview since production on his top-rated sitcom "Two and a Half Men" was halted by its makers earlier this week for the remainder of the current season.

Sheen will appear with ABC News' Andrea Canning, in a special one-hour edition of "20/20" on Tuesday, March 1 at 10 p.m. est/7 p.m. pst.

Sheen, 45, will discuss his recent controversial rants about "Two and a Half Men" co-creator Chuck Lorre that led broadcaster CBS and the show's maker Warner Bros. Television to stop production.

Portions of the interview also will air on Good Morning America on Monday and Tuesday, and throughout ABC News platforms.

In several interviews, Sheen has called Lorre a "turd" and a "clown."

He was criticized by the Anti-Defamation League for referring to Lorre by his birth name Chaim Levine.

"So you're telling me, anytime someone calls me Carlos Estevez, I can claim they are anti-Latino?" Sheen asked ABC's Canning, referring to his own birth name.

He previously told Canning that he is 100 percent clean and plans to show up for work next week despite CBS's scrapping this season's production.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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