Directors Guild ratifies breakthrough contract

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood directors gave their final stamp of approval on Wednesday to a contract deal that helped pave the way for a settlement of the damaging 101-day strike by screenwriters against film and TV studios. The three-year pact between the studios and the Directors Guild of America (DGA) was endorsed by an overwhelming majority of union members in the ratification vote, conducted by mail.

Ending not yet written for screenplay nominees

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Ten screenplays will compete for two awards at the Oscars on Sunday, and they couldn't be more different. "That's what is so amazing about this year," says Ronald Harwood, nominated for adapting "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." "It's so diverse. And there isn't one front-runner, unlike the year (1984) when I was nominated for 'The Dresser,' when 'Terms of Endearment' got everything."

Pop reigns supreme at Brit music awards

LONDON (Reuters) - Pop reigned supreme at the Brit Awards on Wednesday as comeback kings Take That, Australian star Kylie Minogue and Beirut-born Mika scooped a clutch of top prizes during the British music industry's biggest night of the year. And it was the perfect chance for two stars to put their worst nightmares behind them -- Amy Winehouse shrugged off her drug woes to perform live and former Beatle Paul McCartney won a lifetime achievement award after a week in divorce court.

Movie fans give Oscar to "Juno": E-Poll/Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lighten up, Oscar voters. If movie fans picked the best film this Sunday, comedy "Juno" would eclipse grim front-runners "No Country For Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood," according to an E-Poll/Reuters survey. "Juno" star Ellen Page, who plays a pregnant teen in the movie, would triumph over Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" for best actress, and Johnny Depp for "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" would edge out George Clooney in legal thriller "Michael Clayton" among best actor nominees.

Judge denies attempt to move Britney Spears case

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal judge has denied an attempt to move the conservatorship case over the affairs of troubled pop star Britney Spears to U.S. jurisdiction from a California court, documents showed on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez ruled the claims "may not arise under federal law" and indicated that not all necessary supporting documents were submitted, according to court papers.

All Hollywood studios now lined up behind Blu-Ray

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - All six major Hollywood studios are now in the Blu-ray DVD camp, a day after Toshiba pulled the plug on HD DVD and Blu-ray became effectively the only next-generation game in town. Paramount Home Entertainment quietly came onboard via a statement issued Wednesday to The Hollywood Reporter: "We are pleased that the industry is moving to a single high-definition format, as we believe it is in the best interest of the consumer," the statement read. "As we look to (begin) releasing our titles on Blu-ray, we will monitor consumer adoption and determine our release plans accordingly."

Foo Fighters savor Madison Square Garden debut

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Dave Grohl has been leading the Foo Fighters for 13 years and was part of another rather consequential band before that, but he acted like a thrilled newcomer at the group's debut Garden performance Tuesday. "Goddamn, we're playing Madison Square f---ing Garden!" he exclaimed at the beginning of the evening.

Greek tale of "300" brings Saturn smile

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - With 10 nominations, the ancient Greek adventure tale "300" led the list of nominees announced Wednesday for the Academy of Science Fiction and Horror Films' 34th annual Saturn Awards. "300" was nominated in the best action/adventure/thriller category along with "3:10 to Yuma," "The Bourne Ultimatum," "Live Free or Die Hard," "No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood" and "Zodiac."

Hong Kong's Edison Chen quits after sex scandal

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong singer and actor Edison Chen said on Thursday he would step away from the Hong Kong entertainment industry to "heal himself," in his first public appearance since a sex scandal broke. Hong Kong police said some 1,300 private shots of Chen in bed with at least half a dozen female celebrities had been copied by the staff of a computer repair shop from a faulty laptop believed to belong to Chen, sparking off a media frenzy.