FUSH AND CHUPS: Tom Cruise’s new found Kiwi love affair is no threat to Penelope Cruz – unless it’s around the waistline. The Last Samurai star’s latest obsession is our national dish, fish and chips, and he indulged his passion once again at this Taranaki takeaway outlet.
DAVID WHITE/Sunday Star-Times
Stuff: Entertainment
Thanks Bettyblue for it!

Carnahan to direct Mission: Impossible 3
“Narc” director Joe Carnahan is in final negotiations to helm Paramount Pictures and Cruise/Wagner Prods.’ third installment of their “Mission: Impossible” franchise.

Dean Georgaris is in negotiations to script “M:I-3.” The franchise’s original screenwriter, Robert Towne remains on board. Paramount is eyeing a summer 2004 release date for the film.

“M:I-3” reunites Carnahan with the studio and the production company as it was Cruise/Wagner that urged Paramount to pick up for distribution Carnahan’s film “Narc.” Paula Wagner and Tom Cruise also had executive producing credits on the project.

In April, David Fincher had been finalizing a deal to direct “M:I-3” but has since departed the project. “M:I-3” was just one of several features Fincher had been attached to around town. Now Carnahan will continue the “Mission” franchise.

Cruise will reprise his role of Ethan Hunt, who works for a special undercover unit. Cruise produces the franchise with Wagner. “M:I-3” will be the third collaboration among Carnahan, Cruise/Wagner and Paramount. Last month, the trio teamed with DreamWorks on “Killing Pablo”.

Tom Cruise’s witch
According to Daily Variety trade magazine, Cruise is preparing to star in a Danny DeVito-directed remake of the 1942 comedy I Married a Witch.
The movie is about a witch who puts a centuries-long curse on a family’s male descendants, only to fall in love with one of them and retreat to a life of mortal domesticity.

Ironically, Cruise originally developed I Married A Witch five years ago as a movie in which he was to star with his then-wife Kidman.

Cruise on Vanity Fair cover
Vanity Fair has apparently assembled a group of five big name male movie stars for the cover of its Hollywood issue, on sale March 7.
The magazine shot Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford and Jack Nicholson for its cover. A fifth actor, possibly Tom Hanks, will join the group.
Watch monday’s Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood for more details.

Click Here to listen to the amazing 18- minute phone call from Tom to The Edge radio. You can also check out some great Tom MP3’s.

Thanks to bettyblue

Daily News
The 95 children at Urenui School made Tom Cruise’s day last week, when they sent three giant cards thanking him for his help in raising money for a much-needed playground shelter.
Cruise immediately expressed his delight by writing back to the school, said principal Joel Webby.

“He thanked the school for allowing him the opportunity to help us and he signed the card warmly with his cheque enclosed. It’s (the card and cheque) buried safely at the bottom of the safe,” said Mr Webby.

Last week Cruise called a trio of radio DJs to pledge $7000 for the school, if the radio station matched the donation. Many of the children had invited the superstar along to the school in their messages on the cards, said Mr Webby.

“He’s already done enough, but obviously we’d love to see him. It was a scramble last week with all the television and radio here.” Now the scramble had waned, it was hoped Mr Cruise would make an impromptu appearance.

Turning Japanese
THE WARNER BROS. LOT GETS A STUNNING MAKEOVER FOR TOM CRUISE’S ”LAST SAMURAI”

For years, a chunk of real estate in the heart of the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank has served as a (cheap) double for New York City in various movies and TV shows. But last fall, this versatile performer tackled one of its most challenging roles yet: Tokyo, 1876. In ”The Last Samurai,” Tom Cruise plays a U.S. cavalry officer who is assigned to help Japan modernize its army, but finds himself drawn to the ways of the ancient samurai. ”Like all the best historical drama,” says director Edward Zwick (”Glory”), ”it’s about a society in transition, and it was very appealing to put a Western character in that context.”

While many of ”Samurai”’s scenes were shot in Japan, ”very little of that period is left there.” Hence, Warner Bros.’ ”New York” streets — 62,200 square feet worth — were transformed with astonishing precision into 19th-century Tokyo, a process that took three months and a team of 150 laborers. Meticulous re-creations of the period architecture — accessorized with antique lanterns and faux-vintage tile — were grafted onto the street’s urban facade. A 40-foot-high replica of the city’s famed gates towered over the set. Not far away, a quaint, Shinto-inspired house was built on a part of the lot that was once the site of ”The Waltons”’ pond.

Alas, like the time itself, the sets are no more; the street is once again a stand-in Gotham, and Zwick and Cruise are in New Zealand shooting cast-of-hundreds samurai battle sequences. The Akira Kurosawa within Zwick is champing at the bit: ”Being a big fan of ‘Ran’ and ‘Kagemusha,’ you can imagine the 12-year-old glee with which I approach this.” (Dec. 5)

This is from Empire Online

Miffed Maori: Not the first name you’d expect to see on a film’s payroll, but Mount Taranaki in New Zealand might well be receiving ‘wages’ for its appearance in Tom Cruise’s latest film, The Last Samurai. Local Maori down under have demanded gifts as recognition of their mountain’s role in the film – in which it will be transformed into Mount Fuji – because of their ‘special relationship’ with the peak, commenting that some gesture, “not necessarily cash,” should be made. Well, you can’t blame them for trying.

And, one more article about Tom helping a local school in NZ:

Tom Cruise aids New Zealand schoolGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Tom Cruise has come to the aid of a small rural school in New Zealand.

Local radio station the “Edge” in New Plymouth offered to pay $2,745 to anyone who could persuade Cruise, who’s been filming in the area, to call in live on the air, local media reported Wednesday.

The 40-year-actor called Tuesday after a night of shooting for “The Last Samurai,” saying he wanted “to do a little negotiating” over the amount. “(I called) to see if I can get you up to $3,600,” said Cruise, adding that he’d match that amount.

He wants the funds to go to local Urenui junior school. “They’ve been trying to raise money for a shelter to go outside,” he said.

Cruise said he had heard about the school by keeping his “ear to the ground” in the community where he’s been on location for four months.

“The Last Samurai,” directed by Edward Zwick, is set in 18th-century Japan. A Japanese village set has been built in the countryside near New Plymouth, a regional city 200 miles from the capital, Wellington

Thanks to Chantal

Some news! Thanks Chantal

‘Minority Report’ Advertising Campaign Backfires
(Zap2it.com) – Advertising watchdogs are criticizing 20th Century Fox for making unsolicited phone calls to British cinema-goers to promote the video/DVD release of the Tom Cruise movie “Minority Report.”

Eighteen people complained to the advertising standards authority after receiving a message on their mobile phones to promote the release for the Steven Spielberg-directed blockbuster.

According to media reports, a short clip from the film is used featuring a man drawing breath as people answer the phone. The voice, belonging to Cruise, says: “Where’s my Minority Report?” before screaming: “Do I even have one?” Moments later a woman’s voice replies: “No.” Only at the end of the message does it state: “Don’t miss out on your ‘Minority Report.’ Buy it now on DVD and video.”

Those who complained say that the advertisement is “offensive,” and could cause distress because it’s not clear it’s a promotion. Some owners also object to having to pay to call their answer phone to retrieve the bogus message. It is believed this is the first time anyone has attempted a voicemail campaign and it has backfired badly.

Fox Home Entertainment explains the message is sent only to people who registered their contact details on the company’s website and asked for information about film and DVD releases.

The ASA is upholding the complaints, saying consumers “would not necessarily immediately recognize the voice as being Tom Cruise’s,” believing the message could be seen as “menacing” and might “cause serious or widespread offence.”

‘Menacing’ Tom Cruise ad

LONDON, England (Reuters) — A British watchdog rapped film maker Twentieth Century Fox on Wednesday for a sending out a “menacing” mobile phone advertisement featuring the voice of actor Tom Cruise.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) criticized the company’s home entertainment arm after receiving 18 complaints from people who received the advert for the video and DVD release of the film “Minority Report” on their mobile phones.

The message used a short clip from the film beginning with a man’s voice drawing breath before Cruise asks: “Where’s my Minority Report?” He then breathes heavily before screaming: “Do I even have one?” Moments later a woman’s voice replies: “No.” Only at the end of the clip does the message reveal itself by stating: “Don’t miss out on your Minority Report. Buy it now on DVD and video.”

Complainants said they found the advertisement “offensive” and felt it could have caused distress by not making it clear it was a promotion. Others objected to having to pay to retrieve the advertisement from their voicemail.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment said the message had been sent only to people who registered their contact details on the company’s Web site and asked for information about film and DVD releases. The message was sent on a Monday morning which, the company said, would “minimize the risk of people having to retrieve the message because most people had their mobile phones switched on at that time.”

But the ASA said consumers “would not necessarily immediately recognize the voice as being Tom Cruise’s,” thought the message could be seen as “menacing” and might “cause serious or widespread offense.”

Cruise and Cruz May Team on Screen Again

HOLLYWOOD (Zap2it.com) – Hot couple Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz are in talks to star in an unusual project by Franco-U.S. production company Novem, titled “Paris Je T’Aime.” The film features 20 five-minute shorts about “falling in love in Paris” by several different directors.

If their schedules permit, Cruise and Cruz will star in a segment by Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (“Amores Perros”) where they play a famous couple hounded by Mexican tourists as they walk around the French city.

“We have been overwhelmed by the ballooning interest in our picture and the international talent which has put itself forward to become involved,” Novem head Emmanuel Benbihy tells Screen International. Benbihy explains that all directors are paid exactly the same, and that their crew choices are limited to first assistant and cast.

“Paris Je T’Aime” already features shorts by Brazil’s Walter Salles, China’s Jiang Wen, Japan’s Nobohiro Suwa, UK’s Tim Roth, Spain’s Fernando Trueba, Germany’s Tom Tykwer, Belgium’s Agnes Varda and Britain’s Sally Potter.

New Zealand Herald reports that Actor Tom Cruise revealed his Christmases past and Kiwi present on an Auckland radio show so a tiny Taranaki school can build a sunshelter.

The Edge had put up a $5000 bounty for anyone who could convince the Oscar-winning actor to call the station and go live to air. Cruise heard the offer and short-circuited the plan yesterday morning by calling in himself. But he told the shocked radio jocks the conversation would continue only if they upped the ante to $7000.

The actor added he would match the amount, neatly arriving at the cost of a project under way in the remote four-classroom Urenui Primary School.

During the conversation he confirmed that his partner, Penelope Cruz, was still in Taranaki with him, but he denied having shifted to Auckland, as he was shooting night scenes on the set of The Last Samurai.He said the film crew had been working 12 to 14 hours a day since arriving and any free time was spent hiking or taking helicopter rides around Taranaki.

He reckoned one of his best Christmases was as a child, when family members had no money for gifts.
“So we pulled names out of a hat and we had to do nice things for them … So we wrote them a poem.”

Asked about his best and worst times in New Zealand, Cruise praised the scenery, adding he had not had a worst time.

Urenui Primary School principal Joel Webby said the 101 pupils would be working hard on thank you cards to win a visit from their benefactor so they could thank him personally.

The nominees for the 75th Annual Academy Awards © were announced this morning in L.A. Minority Report only recieved one nomination fo “Best Sound Editing”. The Oscars will be held on March. 23

Cruz flies in to visit Cruise
From correspondents in New Zealand
08feb03

SPANISH film star Penelope Cruz flew to New Zealand yesterday for time out with Tom Cruise, local media reported.

The 28-year-old Cruz, who began dating Cruise after he divorced Australian actress Nicole Kidman in 2001, arrived on Cruise’s private jet at the airport in the city of New Plymouth, 320km northeast of the capital, Wellington.

After customs checks inside the plane, the star of Vanilla Sky, wearing tight dark blue jeans, black boots, a black singlet and sunglasses, strolled to Cruise’s waiting helicopter shielded by personal security staff.

Cruz flew to Cruise’s rented Oakura mansion a few kilometres away to join his children, Isabella and Conor, and his mother, who is also currently visiting the 40-year-old as he works on the set of the movie The Last Samurai.

Cruise is spending four months filming what he describes as his biggest movie role, that of a retired US army captain hired by the mid-18th Century Meiji Emperor of Japan to modernise the Japanese army.

Some 80 per cent of the outdoor shooting for the $US100 million ($A169.43 million) movie is to be done at 10 locations round the Taranaki region of New Zealand’s North Island.

Up to 500 Japanese extras are being flown in for major battle scenes in The Last Samurai.

Thanks Chantal!