NTSC User's News Page

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s Cemetery Junction will not get a theatrical release in the US, reports The Playlist.

The coming-of-age comedy-drama, about three friends trying to escape Reading in the ’70s, is to avoid cinemas and debut on DVD and Blu-ray on August 17 Stateside through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

The DVD home release will include a filmmaker’s commentary with Gervais and Merchant, a cast recording with stars Christian Cooke, Tom Hughes and Jack Doolan, deleted scenes and two featurettes. The Blu-ray disc features additional behind-the-scenes extras.

Cemetery Junction opened in the UK in April and grossed £1.4 million at the box office. A UK DVD and Blu-ray release is slated for August 30.

The movie is based on a 2007 novel by ex-60 Minutes producer John Marks. It finds New York TV producer Evangeline Harker heading to Transylvania to interview an Eastern European arms dealer, who turns out to be a present-day incarnation of Dracula.

Hilary Swank is reportedly attached to the Harker role.

Friday The 13th screenwriter Mark Wheaton has penned the adaptation.

Carpenter, whose credits include Halloween, The Thing and Escape From New York, recently completed filming on ghost tale The Ward. It is his first movie since 2001’s Ghosts Of Mars.

Sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf will return for two new series, it has been confirmed.

While standing in for Janice Long on BBC Radio 2, Craig Charles revealed that he will return as lead character David Lister.

He said: “I can now announce we are going to be doing two more series of it starting in January next year… I got the call today. They said ‘Craig, can you do it?’, I said ‘I’ll sort it out’. So I will be able to do it in January.”

Meanwhile, Chris Barrie, who plays Arnold Rimmer, told the Coventry Telegraph: “There are plans afoot to have a tenth series.

“I find it very hard to call it a tenth series, because that obviously means we’re calling the Easter special from last year the ninth series. But yes, certainly, I would say some more new Red Dwarf product. There are plans afoot to get that into gear.”

He added: “I think of ‘Back To Earth’ as a sort of 21-year celebration, really, as a proper three-part special. But yes, it would be nice to do, and hopefully we will, another six half hours.

“I don’t really know anything more than I’m saying, believe me. I do know plans are afoot, but that’s all I can say. In terms of the direction of the show, I don’t really want to see it change that much. I just want more strong storylines, probably in a half-hour format.”

The BBC has announced that Torchwood is to return for a fourth series.

The sci-fi drama, which is a spinoff to Doctor Who, will air a ten-part run following an international partnership between the corporation and US premium network Starz Entertainment.

Russell T Davies will continue to write the series. It has also been revealed that plots are to go beyond Cardiff to locations worldwide.

“We have a long history of working with many US networks but it is incredibly exciting to be working with Starz for the first time, as well as to be reunited with the best of British in Russell, Jane [Tranter] and Julie [Gardner],” said Ben Stephenson, controller of BBC drama commissioning. “Torchwood will burst back onto the screen with a shocking and moving story with global stakes and locations that will make it feel bigger and bolder than ever.”

Jane Tranter of BBC Worldwide commented: “Torchwood has attracted remarkable attention and loyalty in both the UK and US, and in this new partnership with Starz, the next chapter will not only reward our current fans, but also introduce new viewers to the most impressive instalment yet.”

Meanwhile, Starz president Chris Albrecht added: “We’re committed to programming exceptional television that is entertaining, imaginative and provides a premium TV experience, and by any measure the new concept for Torchwood fits that mandate.”

Torchwood stars John Barrowman as Captain Jack and Eve Myles as Gwen.

Shrek Forever After has remained at the top of the US box office for a third consecutive week, with $25.3 milllion.

Debuting this week are Jonah Hill’s comedy Get Him To The Greek in second place with $17.4 million and Killers, starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl, at number three with $16.1 million.

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time lands at number four with $13.9 million, followed by Sex And The City 2, which falls to fifth place with $12.6 million.

Also debuting is the family comedy Marmaduke at number six and the sci-fi horror Splice in eighth place.

Finally, Letters To Juliet claims the tenth spot with $3 million over the weekend.

The US box office top ten in full:

1. (1) Shrek Forever After – $25,300,000
2. (-) Get Him To The Greek – $17,423,000
3. (-) Killers – $16,100,000
4. (3) Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time – $13,900,000
5. (2) Sex And The City 2 – $12,650,000
6. (-) Marmaduke – $11,300,000
7. (4) Iron Man 2 – $7,783,000
8. (-) Splice – $7,450,000
9. (5) Robin Hood – $5,133,000
10. (6) Letters To Juliet – $3,000,000

Actress Rue McClanahan has died at the age of 76.

The star, who played Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, passed away at 1am this morning after suffering a major stroke, TMZ reports.

Manager Barbara Lawrence confirmed that the actress died at a New York hospital. Her son, sister and nephew were with her at the time.

McClanahan had suffered a minor stroke earlier this year.

Following McClanahan’s passing, the death of Bea Arthur last year and Estelle Getty in 2008, Betty White is now the sole surviving star of the hit NBC sitcom which ran from 1985 to 1992.

BBC Worldwide has hired former Viacom executive Herb Scannell to run its commercial operation in America.

Scannell was previously president of the Viacom-owned Nickelodeon Networks, as well as being vice-chairman of MTV Networks.

Effective immediately, he has become president of BBC Worldwide America and will sit on the executive board of the BBC’s commercial arm.

Scannell fills the void left by Garth Ancier, who quit BBC Worldwide America in March after three years in charge of the business.

In his new role, Scannell will take responsibility for the BBC America channel, which reaches around 67 million homes in the US, along with BBC America HD and Worldwide’s US production operation.

His remit will also cover the BBC’s online operation in America and all US sales of BBC programming, formats, DVDs and merchandising.

In a statement, Scannell described the BBC as a “world renowned brand with a great portfolio of businesses in the US that have tremendous prospects”.

Shrek Forever After has remained at the top of the US box office for a second week.

The animated feature has beaten Sex And The City 2 during the Memorial Day weekend with $43 million, while Sarah Jessica Parker’s highly-anticipated sequel pulled in $32 million.

The $200 million-budgeted Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, debuts at number three with a mere $30 million.

Iron Man 2 slips to fourth place with $16 million, followed by Robin Hood at number five with $10.3 million and Letters To Juliet in sixth place with $5.9 million.

Finally, How To Train Your Dragon decends to number ten with $1 million.

The US box office top ten in full:

1. (1) Shrek Forever After – $43,345,000
2. (-) Sex And The City 2 – $32,125,000
3. (-) Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time – $30,170,000
4. (2) Iron Man 2 – $16,035,000
5. (3) Robin Hood – $10,305,000
6. (4) Letters To Juliet – $5,900,000
7. (5) Just Wright – $2,200,000
8. (7) Date Night – $1,750,000
9. (6) MacGruber – $1,477,000
10. (9) How To Train Your Dragon – $1,025,000

Actor Dennis Hopper has died at the age of 74 after a long battle with prostate cancer.

BBC News reports that Hopper passed away on Saturday morning surrounded by friends and family at his home in Venice, California.

The award-winning star, who was diagnosed with the illness last year, was last seen in public in March after being honoured on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

In a career spanning 55 years, the Kansas-born actor was best known for co-writing, directing and starring in cult movie Easy Rider in 1969, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Original Screenplay’.

His first film appearances on the big screen saw him appear alongside the legendary James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause in 1955 and Giant a year later.

After a quiet period, Hopper won attention for the acclaimed Apocalypse Now in 1979, and garnered another Oscar nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ in 1986 basketball film Hoosiers. His last role was in drama Crash on the Starz network.

Actor Gary Coleman has died at the age of 42, it has been confirmed.

The star – best known for his role in the ’80s comedy Diff’rent Strokes – was hospitalised in Utah on Wednesday after suffering an intracranial hemorrhage caused by a fall.

Coleman slipped into a coma on Thursday and was taken off life support Friday morning. His wife Shannon Price and her father, as well as close friends and family, were at his bedside when he died.

Coleman’s growth was hampered from a young age by a kidney disease that meant he never grew beyond 4’8″ and required daily dialysis.

As the main star of Strokes, which ran from 1978 to 1986, Coleman played precocious child Arnold, becoming famous for his catchphrase “whatchu talkin’ ’bout Willis?”

Co-star Dana Plato committed suicide by drugs overdose in 1999. Her son Tyler Lambert fatally shot himself in the head earlier this month.