Harry Potter 5 Movie Set For Big Premier in Tokyo

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Harry Potter and the Order of PhoenixThe much awaited fifth installment of the boy wizzard’s saga, Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix will premiere in Japan on June 28, way ahead of its July 13 international playdate and its London showing on July 3.

A Warner Bros. spokeswoman in Tokyo said British actor Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry, would come to Tokyo for the event. No word yet if other castmates will join him.

There is “no special reason” why the film is making its premiere in Japan, the spokeswoman said.

But clearly, the Tokyo premiere last month of another highly anticipated sequel, “Spider-Man 3,” was seen as a shrewd push into the faster-growing international market that could help boost box-office revenues.

The seventh and final book in the “Harry Potter” series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” will go on sale on July 21, but it is not clear when the film version will be made.

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American Idol Showdown: Vote for Blake or Jordin

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American Idol 6 finalsAfter 18 weeks of eliminations — and that brief Sanjaya Malakar stint– the last two standing contestants of American Idol show off for the ultimate prize. Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks now battle for fans’ votes and that precious chance to fame.

The winner of the popular U.S. television contest will be announced at the end of a two-hour finale on Wednesday, but not beforethe finalists are given one more chance to strut their stuff on Tuesday night.

Not even the show’s judge and music producer Simon Cowell would dare predict the winner. “I can’t call it at this stage because I think they’ve both got different strengths,” Cowell said. “One is a better entertainer (Lewis) and one is a better singer (Sparks).”

Sparks, who hails from Glendale, Arizona, is the daughter of former NFL football player Phillipp Sparks. The 17-year-old won the judges’ and audiences’ praise for delivering worthy performances.

But Cowell said Sparks is “a great singer, but added that she hasn’t done one performance yet which I can remember as a ‘wow.”‘

Lewis, who Cowell said was a “brilliant entertainer … not a fantastic singer,” had a somewhat rockier road to the finale. A full-time musician from Bothell, Washington, he puts his own original twist on classic songs by using a vocal percussion technique known as beat-boxing.

American Idol, now in its sixth season on the Fox network, has grown from a cheesy summer talent competition into a cultural phenomenon and the United States’ most-watched TV show.

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Paris Hilton Jail Time Cut Into Half

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Paris Hilton goes to jailThis just in: Paris Hilton’s 45-day jail sentence was cut into half as prison officials cite “good behavior” on the part of the heiress. Don’t they give that reward while the person is already in jail?!

Authorities said that the hotel heiress will spend about 23 days in a “special needs housing unit” at the Century Regional Detention Center in suburban Lynwood, Los Angeles County sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

The said unit contains 12 two-person cells reserved for police officers, public officials, celebrities and other high-profile inmates.

Her sentence was shortened after jail officials gave her credit for good behavior, officials also considered several factors in calculating the credit, including that she appeared for her latest court date.

Didn’t she arrive 10 minutes late in court? Oh, what fame and money can do…

Paris was ordered to report for jail by June 5.

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Paris Hilton Mom Tells Fans To ‘Learn From This’

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Paris and Kathy HiltonParis Hilton’s mom, Kathy, has changed mood and tells young fans who look up to her daughter to learn from the misfortunes. Particularly the 45-day jail term given to Paris for unabashedly violating probation, driving drunk, and disrespecting the law.

“We can only hope that something positive will come from all of this. Hopefully, young people who look up to people like Paris will learn from this,” Hilton said in a statement read Wednesday on ABC’s “The View” by co-host Barbara Walters.

Although Walters commended Kathy for making strong statements, her co-View-er Elizabeth Hasselbeck disagreed. “You want to discipline your children before the criminal system does,” she said.

The California judge gave Paris until June 5 to report for jail. It was reported that the heiress has filed an appeal to overturn the sentence.

Kathy Hilton attracted attention both in and outside a Los Angeles courtroom earlier this month, laughing during a city prosecutor’s argument and telling reporters that her daughter’s sentence was “pathetic and disgusting!”, and mocking the judge by shouting: “May Ihave your autograph?”

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Foreign Actors Invading American TV!

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Hugh Laurie in HouseThere’s a new wave of foreign invasion going on in America, and it’s targetting where we’re most vulnerable — television!

The Fall TV season lineup has tons of new shows from major networks with foreign actors playing American. Probably taking a cue from British Hugh Laurie (House) or Australian Anthony LaPaglia (Without A Trace), studios are banking on relatively unknown accented thespians to put sizzle to many dying program lineups.

Almost all new drama series with a single lead that will premiere next season — a total of eight shows –have a foreign actor playing the role of an American. Even two iconic Hollywood characters, Jamie Sommers of “The Bionic Woman” and Sarah Connor of the “Terminator” franchise, will be played by British actresses Michelle Ryan and Lena Headey, respectively.

NBC picked up five one-hour series for next season, the ensemble comedy drama “Lipstick Jungle,” the action comedy “Chuck” and a trio of single-lead dramas, “Bionic Woman,” “Journeyman” and “Life,” all three of which are toplined by British actors: Ryan, “Rome” star Kevin McKidd and “Band of Brothers” star Damian Lewis.

The private investigator/vampire at the center of CBS’ new drama series “Moonlight” is played by Australian actor Alex O’Loughlin, while the lead in the CBS musical/murder mystery “Viva Laughlin” is played by Briton Lloyd Owen. Colombian actress Paola Turbay and British actress Polly Walker play leads in the Latin family ensemble “Cane,” and one of the main characters in the partner-swapping drama “Swingtown” is played by Brit Jack Davenport.

And at Fox, in addition to Headey starring as the title character in “The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau will play the lead in the new drama series “New Amsterdam,” with British actress Zuleikha Robinson co-starring.

So maybe American actors do the same. Learn new accents and take their trade offshore?

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