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SHOWBIZ TONIGHT

SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for March 23, 2005, CNNHN

Aired March 23, 2005 - 19:00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: Breaking news about singer Whitney Houston.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And a huge "American Idol" hang-up. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: And I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: "Idol" uh-oh! A big boo-boo that could change the outcome of "American Idol." We`ll tell you what happened and how Fox is hoping to fix it.

HAMMER: Girl power.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JORDANA BREWSTER, "DEBS": Why is it I can hold the whole world hostage, I`m scared of going on one stupid blind date?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: The DEBS are out to save the world. They have to catch a fast and furious Jordana Brewster first. Jordana joins us live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: Plus, Inspector Gadget. "Alias`s" Michael Vartan inspects one of the most talked about gadgets, and he lets us spy on him.

HAMMER: "Unleashed" unleashed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you finish with the master, kill the dog.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: A new movie starring Morgan Freeman and Jet Lee. And we`ve got an exclusive in the "SHOWBIZ Showcase."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four, three, two, one...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: And show time for the Apollo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HANKS, "APOLLO 13": Houston, we have a problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: We`re with Tom Hanks and Ron Howard for a space anniversary that rocked the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HANKS, "Apollo 13": Hi. This is Tom Hanks. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, and you`re at the top of the show.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. We`re live with you from the Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.

HAMMER: Well, we begin tonight with breaking news. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has learned that singer Whitney Houston is back in rehab. Just a short time ago, Houston`s publicist told us that she has, quote, "reentered a facility for rehabilitation."

BRYANT: No other information was available as to what she has reentered rehab for or where the facility is. The Grammy-Award-winning Houston previously went to rehab in March 2004. In a 2002 interview with ABC`s Diane Sawyer, she admitted she had used alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and pills, quote, "at times."

HAMMER: Well, it`s a big do-over for "American Idol" tonight, as the "Idol" vote turns into an "Idol" embarrassment.

BRYANT: A phone foul-up on "American Idol" means remaining contestants have another shot at stardom. And today, the show was scrambling to fix the mix-up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is live with the latest. David, what happened?

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Karyn and A.J., I certainly wouldn`t want to be the person responsible for this little mix-up at the show, but on last night`s "American Idol," they put up the wrong phone number underneath three of the contestants names. So if you were one of the millions of people who phoned in to vote, you might want to get back on the phone lines tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Prepare to take control because this is "American Idol."

HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): It`s Wednesday. That usually means someone`s going home on "American Idol," but not tonight. The show says it messed up. It put the wrong phone numbers on the screen for 3 of the 11 remaining contestants last night. People who called to vote for Anwar Robinson, Mikalah Gordon and Jessica Sierra inadvertently registered support for Anthony Fedorov, Carrie Underwood and Scott Savol.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lines are now open!

HAFFENREFFER: The network says it discovered the discrepancy after last night`s show aired, so now "American Idol" is throwing out those results and doing its first ever re-vote. The mistake isn`t likely to hurt ratings.

STEPHEN BATTAGLIO, "TV GUIDE": It`s almost like looking at an alternate take of the show that was from the night before, which was actually a pretty good one. It`ll dominate the time slot.

HAFFENREFFER: Instead of the usual half hour, tonight`s show will go a full hour.

BATTAGLIO: The producer was very concerned about fairness. If something like this happened every week, I think that people would start to question the process. But you know, an incident every season, I think people understand that this is -- that this is something that`s happening at the moment.

HAFFENREFFER: Contestants won`t have to re-sing their songs. Fox will show their Tuesday performances again, add a new live element to fill the hour. The new results will be revealed tomorrow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And you know, tomorrow night`s "American Idol" is going to be a very interesting, competitive match-up because it`s going to go head to head with NBC`s "The Apprentice." Overall, "American Idol" has been doing very good numbers-wise. They`re talking about 30 million viewers per week. In fact, last week, it was the most watched television show on television. Karyn, back to you.

BRYANT: All right. Stay warm and dry there, David Haffenreffer.

Now, the "American Idol" blunder raises at least two big questions. Is the voting system fair? And is the right Idol getting picked? Joining us from Chicago with an "Idol" insider`s perspective is third season "American Idol" finalist Jennifer Hudson. Hey, there, Jennifer. First question. Is the system fair?

JENNIFER HUDSON, THIRD SEASON "IDOL" FINALIST: Hey. Is the system fair? Wow. You asked me, of all people!

HAFFENREFFER: I know. That`s why you are here.

HUDSON: Well, I`m just -- I really don`t know what`s going on, what happened last year, this season. But I`m glad to see that they`re working towards it being fair this year.

BRYANT: Do you think...

HUDSON: If...

BRYANT: Oh, go ahead.

HUDSON: Whatever happened -- whatever was -- whatever happened last season, at least they`re working towards correcting it the way they should have corrected it this year and last year, you know?

BRYANT: OK. Now, do you think that this whole phone-call voting system is the best way to produce the best winner?

HUDSON: Well, that`s the way they`ve been doing it since the beginning of the seasons -- well, since the beginning of "Idol." I think they can do, you know, different things to help make it better. But I don`t know if it`s the best. I see it needs some work, if nothing else.

BRYANT: So tell us what it`s like when you`re sitting there on eliminations night and you`re sitting with the other contestants, and when the votes come in. I mean, what is that like for you, as a contestant?

HUDSON: It`s a nightmare sitting there. Even this year. I sit -- and when Tuesdays hit -- like yesterday, I woke up in the morning, like, Oh, my God. I know exactly where they are. They are already at the studio, and I`m just now hopping out of the bed. And on Wednesday, you`re just -- you`re shaking. You can feel it. Like, you can feel what they went through because we went through it, and it`s nothing easy at all. But one good thing with yesterday and today is they get another shot and an extra day.

BRYANT: That`s right. It`s the same...

(CROSSTALK)

BRYANT: Same performances, though. So it`s just another chance for people to vote. Well, who do you like this season?

HUDSON: Who do I like? Well, my favorites -- Vonzell (ph), Scott, Nikko. Those three are my favorites right there.

BRYANT: All right. Well, thank you very much for joining us tonight, Jennifer Hudson. And of course, she was from "American Idol" last season - - A.J.

HAMMER: All right, Karyn. Well, we`re now getting some more details as to what an "American Idol" drop-out may be up to or not up to. That`s in "SHOWBIZ Shorts," our look at more stories that are making news tonight.

Mario and Diddy? Well, today, through his publicist, hip hop star Sean P. Diddy Combs once again denied new reports that he`s signed "American Idol" drop-out Mario Vazquez to a recording contract. Diddy`s people told us that there`s, quote, "no truth to rumors to P. Diddy and Mario." Also today, MTV announced a wide-ranging production deal with Diddy. He currently produces "Making the Band" for MTV.

Oprah`s going to the projects is a no-go. Reports were all over the place today that talk show host Oprah Winfrey was going to live in a Chicago housing project for a month. Well, Oprah`s people told us today, No way. The story is completely false.

More "SHOWBIZ Shorts" coming up throughout the show.

BRYANT: A night to remember, the stars remember "Apollo 13." It`s been 35 years since the harrowing "Apollo 13" space mission and a decade since Tom Hanks starred in the "Apollo 13" movie. Well, Hanks was there as Hollywood hosted a special night to remember it all. And so was Brooke Anderson, who joins us live from Hollywood tonight. Brooke, it was a starry night, wasn`t it?

BROOK ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Indeed, it was, Karyn. Tom Hanks and his "Apollo 13" crew are reaching for the stars yet again. The film, which was screened on the IMAX giant screen last night, is being re- released in a special edition DVD in honor of the anniversary.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): "Apollo 13" has liftoff again. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT hit a smoked-out (ph) carpet, along with Kathleen Quinlan, producer Brian Grazer and, of course, two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks. And Hanks told me the flight paths of history and film-making came together.

(on camera): (UNINTELLIGIBLE) years go. Talk to me about looking back on this movie. What impact do you feel the film has made?

TOM HANKS, "APOLLO 13": Well, I think it took this -- an aspect of American history, as well as, I think, American inspiration, the inspiration of the "Apollo 13" space program, which had largely been relegated to kind of, like, trivia. We know Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, and then that was it. I think that was -- that was quite an achievement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "APOLLO 13")

Houston, we have a problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: What do you think about some of the catchphrases in the film -- "Houston, we have a problem," "Failure is not an option" -- becoming a part of our mainstream culture today?

HANKS: Well, they are good lines, man! They are good lines. "Houston, we have a problem," is now, like, the classic understatement of all time. You can -- you can -- it can -- any time bad news is immediately in front of you, well, you have a thing to say. Oh, man, Houston, oh, we have a problem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "APOLLO 13")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Failure is not an option.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANKS: "Failure is not an option" -- that means there`s no messing around.

ANDERSON (voice-over): There`s no messing around with this two-disk DVD, either. Hanks told me it`s pretty special.

HANKS: There`s a lot of the actual NASA aspect of it, the real history of the actual mission. So this is one-stop shopping for those who want to know everything there is to know about "Apollo 13," the movie and the mission.

ANDERSON: Hanks and Grazer were later joined via satellite by director Ron Howard and real-life "Apollo 13" captain Jim Lovell. They were in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where Apollo 13 took off 35 years ago, to check out an East Coast IMAX screening of the film.

JIM LOVELL, APOLLO 13 ASTRONAUT: I have to really compliment Ron because he really kept people, including myself when I went to see it, on the edge of my seat to find out if I was really going to make it or not.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: We all know the mission ended safely, thankfully. Hanks told me what he`s most proud of is that they really stayed true to the actual events. They didn`t embellish too much for the sake of cinema. And Karyn, that anniversary edition DVD will hit stores on Tuesday.

BRYANT: All right, thanks very much, Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.

Well, ads, ads everywhere! Products are popping up in your favorite shows. But is it dishonest advertising? That`s our "SHOWBIZ Showdown."

HAMMER: Then we`re really going to shake things up. It`s the new Elvis musical. The late King`s wife, Priscilla Presley, is going to join us live.

BRYANT: Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which supermodel started a cosmetic line geared toward women from all ethnic backgrounds? Was it A, Iman, B, Maggie Rizer, C, Naomi Campbell or D., Stephanie Seymour? We`ll be right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which supermodel started a cosmetics line geared toward women with all ethnic backgrounds? Was it Iman, Maggie Rizer, Naomi Campbell or Stephanie Seymour? The answer is A, Iman. Iman`s namesake cosmetic line began in June of 1994. And of course, the lovely lady is married to music star David Bowie.

HAMMER: I hope you are ready because it is 14 minutes past the hour and time now for the "SHOWBIZ Showdown." Is it a TV show or a commercial or both? Well, more than ever, companies are placing their products on the shows and in your face. Home Depot made its way into a recent "Survivor" episode as both tribes built latrines and showers with tools from the store. And on "American Idol," you`ll regularly see Randy, Paula and Simon doing their thing as they`re sitting behind those big, humongous cups that have Coca-Cola written all over them.

Which all leads us to tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showdown" hot topic. Product placement: Is it dishonest advertising? Joining us live here with us in New York City, Rick Eiserman. He is the CEO for Brandbuzz, an advertising firm that regularly places clients` products on TV shows. And he says product placement is not dishonest advertising. And live in Oregon, Gary Ruskin. He`s the executive director of the anti-commercialism group Commercial Alert. And he says, yes, product placement is dishonest advertising.

So Gary, I want to start with you. Sitting at home on the couch, I`m watching my favorite sitcom, and there`s a scene going on in the kitchen with two people and there`s a can of a brand-name soda on the counter, off in the background. What`s wrong with that?

GARY RUSKIN, EXEC. DIR., COMMERCIAL ALERT: Well, basically, the advertising industry is going through a very tough time right now. Ads are very unpopular. People don`t want to watch them. And so the advertising industry wants to cram ads into the show without disclosing that the ads are ads. And that`s plainly deceptive. It`s part of ad creep, the effort to stick ads into every nook and cranny of our lives and culture. And there`s good evidence to believe that product placement is implicated in the epidemic of marketing-related diseases that our children are suffering, like obesity, type II diabetes, problems with pathological gambling and alcoholism. Those are big problems.

HAMMER: OK. Well, Rick, you obviously make a lot of money putting those products in place and think it`s a good idea.

RICK EISERMAN, CEO, BRANDBUZZ: Oh, I think there`s a lot of different ways you can handle product placement, certainly, in a subtle way, in the background of a scene, or in a much more overt way, like we`re seeing on "Survivor" and "The Apprentice." And I think, you know, as an industry we are certainly, to Gary`s point, suffering with getting our message -- brand message out to the consumer. And the fact of the matter is, these advertisers are paying for these programs. And if their messages aren`t being seen, as an industry and marketing, we need to figure out a way to get those messages to be seen or we won`t have the programming for consumers to watch.

So I think a lot of the -- a lot of what we`re seeing in "The Apprentice" especially, and some of these programs, we`ve seen a lot of progress just in the course of the last year, and I think it`s getting better and smarter. In a lot of ways, it`s very overt to the consumer. And frankly, consumers today are more marketing-savvy and more aware of it than they`ve ever been. So we don`t really see it as a deceptive practice.

HAMMER: What do you think about that, Gary? It is out there. It is in their face, and consumers are more savvy. Do you agree with that?

RUSKIN: Well, it`s very subtle, in fact. And in fact, so many marketers, when they talk to themselves and in trade journals, they admit that one of the reasons why product placement is so successful is that, basically, it zips underneath your consciousness and it implants the message into your brain when you`re not really paying close attention. That`s one of the reasons why, for example, across Europe, product placement on TV is either banned or severely restricted. And that`s why in the United States, at a minimum, we ought to have disclosure of product placement on television.

HAMMER: What about that idea of disclosure, and the fact that they`re subliminally placed there and people, you know, aren`t really knowing that they`re being advertised to?

EISERMAN: Well, I think overall, product placement is changing. Our advertisers -- you know, at Brandbuzz, we have a lot of different advertisers that are looking, exploring in this space. And again, it`s a testing ground. They`re trying to figure out what is the best way to do this. And more often than not, it`s not a subtle product placement in the background, it`s a much -- written into the content of the programming. Again, this past year on "The Apprentice," some of the ways the brands have interacted in that show, it`s been inherent to the story line, and it`s worked beautifully.

HAMMER: OK. We`ll just -- we`ll have to continue to watch it evolve. I`m sorry, guys, we are out of time. Gary Ruskin and Rick Eiserman. We do appreciate you both joining us tonight, giving us your perspective on it.

And now, of course, we would like to know what you think. It`s our "SHOWBIZ Showdown" question of the day. Product placement: Is it dishonest advertising? Go to cnn.com/showbiztonight to vote. You got an e-mail to send us to tell us more, showbiztonight@cnn.com is the address. More of what you have you to say later in the show.

BRYANT: They`re looking good and saving the world. "DEBS" star Jordana Brewster talks about her sexy on-screen performance live.

HAMMER: And he`s down with PFP (ph). "Alias`s" Michael Vartan takes the hot new game for a spin, and we are along for the ride.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: You remember those days at the drive-in, when you watched those 3D movies with all those funky, colorful glasses? Well, 3D movies are making a comeback. That`s coming up in the "Show`s Biz."

BRYANT: Well, fans know her from the street-racing blockbuster, "The Fast and the Furious." She`s back in action, and this time, she`s adding a little comedy. Joining us now is one of the stars of the new secret agent caper comedy "DEBS." It`s Jordana Brewster.

Welcome, Jordana. Now, in this movie, you are playing a lesbian bad girl. And we want to show a clip to set your character up, OK?

JORDANA BREWSTER, "DEBS": All right.

BRYANT: Let`s take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lucy Diamond. She`s the last surviving member of the Reynolds crime syndicate. Her family did battle with the (UNINTELLIGIBLE), a vicious blood feud that lasted a decade. After her father`s death, she inherited the keys to his kingdom -- illegal arms running, smuggling, gambling, especially diamond theft. She is protected by a loyal band of mercenaries led by this man, Scud (ph). It is believed Lucy Diamond was behind the plot to sink Australia in `99. Three attempts have been made to apprehend...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Sounds like Lucy Diamond`s pretty -- pretty bad.

BREWSTER: Yes, it was. The super-villain.

BRYANT: What`s the best part of playing the bad girl? Because this is kind of a spoofy, campy movie, right?

BREWSTER: It is. I was so used to playing the girl, the coy girls who`s always kind of tucking her hair and, like, batting her eyes. And it was really fun to just be, like, this super-uber-confident -- you know, just this character with, like, all these tricks up her sleeve. It was a lot -- it was lot more -- it`s, like, liberating, almost.

BRYANT: Yes, I would think so. Now, something that`s got to be liberating/scary is -- you know, a lot has been made about the fact that you`re playing a lesbian...

BREWSTER: Right.

BRYANT: ... in this. And you have an on-screen kiss.

BREWSTER: We do.

BRYANT: So when you`re flipping through the script, did you know that was coming? And what happened when you saw it?

BREWSTER: Yes, I -- well, I really loved the script. And I was, like -- this is kind of, like, you know, "Charlie`s Angels" meets "Bring It On," and it was really fun and campy. And then the kiss part came, and I was so -- it was so unexpected, but it kind of made it cutting-edge, in a way. So it kind of appealed to me.

BRYANT: Now, are you surprised, though, at the reaction? Because you`ve lived all around the world. Are you surprised at all when you get this reaction in America, like, Oh, my God? Everybody has to ask you about this?

BREWSTER: Well, I mean, we were shooting right when the Britney- Madonna thing came on, so we were all, like, Oh, stole our thunder! But no, I mean, I guess it`s the most -- you know, it`s kind of controversial, so -- but it`s so tame and sweet and innocent, when you actually see the movie, so...

BRYANT: Yes.

BREWSTER: Yes.

BRYANT: Well, now, another thing in this movie is that -- we have a clip where you`re being set up on a blind date. Have you ever been set up on a blind date?

BREWSTER: No, and I never, ever -- I hate dating, like, period, so -- no, never.

BRYANT: Really?

BREWSTER: I`m not there yet, yes.

BRYANT: Well, I mean, I don`t know. It`s risky.

(CROSSTALK)

BREWSTER: Unless -- actually, but now on the Internet, you can kind of look anybody up. So as long as I can Google them, like, see a picture or something...

BRYANT: Right.

BREWSTER: ... then it`s not such a blind date.

BRYANT: Right.

BREWSTER: But no, I haven`t. I`m kind of like Lucy in that.

BRYANT: Right. Well, the Googling thing is pretty funny, too. I mean, you can do that for anybody. But you know, also, you have famously dated people. How do you respond to, you know, paparazzi following you around on a date?

BREWSTER: It`s -- I`ve never really had paparazzi follow me on a date. I think it`s just hard once it`s over and then people are still asking. I mean, it`s just, like, well, I -- you know, you don`t really want to talk about it. And then, like, I think they had something in "The Daily News" today, and I was, like, he`s going to read that and think I`m a dork. Like, what -- so that`s the only -- that`s the only weird aspect.

BRYANT: They don`t let you move on.

BREWSTER: No, they really don`t. And you also have to see the person in the press after, which is kind of annoying.

BRYANT: Right.

BREWSTER: But yes.

BRYANT: OK. So film-wise, though, is there any -- any actors you`re dying to work -- I mean, you know, I`m sure you`re going to have a lot more projects coming down the pike. Who would you like to work with?

BREWSTER: I would love to work with Sandra Bullock. She`s kind of my idol right now. I love the fact that she`s a producer, as well as an actress. And she`s just -- she`s on top of her game. So I would love to work with her.

BRYANT: All right. Well, "DEBS" is going to be in theaters soon. Jordana Brewster, thanks for joining us.

BREWSTER: Thank you!

BRYANT: The movie opens this Friday at a theater near you.

HAMMER: Our cameraman, Chris (ph), very upset that she`s not into dating.

Well, the King is back in the building. It`s a brand-new Elvis show, and we`re live on Broadway with Priscilla Presley. And Jet Lee and Morgan Freeman star in an action-packed movie. We`ve got your exclusive look.

BRYANT: Hip hopper Mary J. Blige really feels for her fellow music star Chaka Khan. She turns 52-years-old today, and Mary gives her the birthday shout-out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY J. BLIGE: Happy birthday, Chaka. I love you so much. I`m your -- I won`t say I`m your No. 1 fan because you...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

HAMMER: Broadway is getting all shook up. A new show featuring the songs of Elvis. We`re live on the red carpet with Priscilla Presley.

BRYANT: Plus the star of "Alias" falls in love with a game. Michael Vartan`s new addiction coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JASON PRIESTLY, ACTOR: Hi, I`m Jason Priestly. If it happened today it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. Here are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."

Sorry, wrong numbers. Last night "American Idol" put up wrong numbers for two call-in lines, which messed up the voting. Tonight`s show will recap last night`s performances, and only votes from tonight will count.

BRYANT: Whitney Houston back in rehab. Just a short time ago the singer`s publicist confirmed to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Houston has entered a rehab facility for the second time in just over a year. Last March Houston checked into drug rehab but checked out five days later.

We have been asking you to vote on tonight`s "Showbiz Showdown" question of the day. "Product placement: is it dishonest advertising?" Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight and send us your e-mails at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com.

HAMMER: Tonight in "The Shows Biz," are you ready for 3-D? As SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reported earlier, George Lucas will be re-releasing the first three "Star Wars" movies in 3-D. And that`s just the beginning of what`s to come.

Joining us now to talk about this exciting time in the movie biz is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT contributor Julia Boorstin, who covers the entertainment industry for "Fortune" magazine.

So Julia, before we get going, let`s take a quick look at some of the films that are coming out in 3-D. Robert Rodriguez` "The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl." There`s the IMAX moon documentary, "Tom Hanks Presents Magnificent Desolation," James Cameron`s "Battle Angel," and of course, George Lucas` "Star Wars."

This is really just a natural fit for George Lucas and his love of technology, isn`t it?

JULIA BOORSTIN, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Absolutely. If you think "Star Wars" looks great now, you can just imagine how phenomenal it will be in 3- D. And George Lucas says that from now on he`s going to start converting the original Star Wars movies into 3-D. And it will only cost $5 million to do so.

So starting 2007 we`ll see the original "Star Wars" but in 3-D, which will be amazing.

HAMMER: George Lucas, one huge movie maker, of course. James Cameron another, wildly successful with "Titanic." And he`s getting into the game. How committed to 3-D is James Cameron?

BOORSTIN: James Cameron has said that from here on out he will make every single one of his movies in 3-D. It means that they`ll also be available in 2-D, but he`s convinced that 3-D is the wave of the future. He says we`re about to enter a new renaissance of 3-D. And he`s sure that he wants all of his movies to be able to be seen in 3-D. I mean, imagine - - imagine "Titanic" in 3-D. I think that we`re going to be seeing some amazing things from him.

HAMMER: Unbelievable. IMAX, of course, is another big 3-D avenue. Is it going to be a big part of the future of 3-D, as well?

BOORSTIN: Well, IMAX is of the reasons why 3-D is so hot right now. I mean, showing "Polar Express" on IMAX is one of the reasons why everyone is so interested.

"Polar Express" was a huge hit. It was done both 2-D and in 3-D, so you could have seen it at a regular movie theater. But tons of people went to see it at IMAX. And the truth is IMAX really needed the boost, because only showing it on about 84 screens they brought in $45 million, which is not a huge amount...

HAMMER: Right.

BOORSTIN: ... for a big Hollywood blockbuster, but it means a ton to IMAX. Their stock has gone way up because of it. And they even sold about 10 new -- new IMAX theaters.

HAMMER: This is -- this is pretty exciting. We`re entering a whole new dimension. Thanks as always, Julia Boorstin.

BOORSTIN: Thanks.

HAMMER: All right -- Karyn.

BRYANT: Time for more "Showbiz Shorts."

Farrah Fawcett pretties up the reality TV landscape tonight. "Chasing Farrah" premiers tonight on TV Land. The show follows the former "Charlie`s Angels" star and her on-again off-again relationship with Ryan O`Neal.

Dina no more on "24." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT confirms today Shohreh Aghdashloo`s character, Dina Araz, did indeed die on Monday`s episode of "24." Some viewers wondered if Dina might have survived, since her murder happened just off camera.

HAMMER: Well, it`s a big night for Elvis on Broadway tonight. Just moments from now, the final preview will begin for the Elvis-inspired musical "All Shook Up."

SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S David Haffenreffer is back with us again, live in New York City.

David, what`s going on?

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CORRESPONDENT: A.J., we are live at the Palace Theater here on 47th and Broadway in New York City. The show "All Shook Up" officially premiers tomorrow night. Let`s take a look.

The musical itself takes place in the mid-1950s when a small town girl meets up with a leather jacket clad stranger who turns her on to the magic of rock n` roll. And we are pleased to welcome with us here tonight Priscilla Presley.

Welcome to the program.

PRISCILLA PRESLEY, ELVIS PRESLEY`S WIDOW: Thank you very much.

HAFFENREFFER: You know, you can`t help but wonder, even though the press material goes out of its way to say this is not a biographical revue, about the story line, any truth to this story line?

PRESLEY: Absolutely. You know, it`s a character like -- it`s not -- it is not Elvis. It`s a character like Elvis, you know, who is very popular and who just shakes up the whole town.

I mean it`s a wonderful, wonderful original story. It`s fictitious characters but it`s a new story, new idea, and we`re really excited about it. We have the audience jumping.

And this is not to be confused with the play that I`m doing, because I`m also doing a play. This is -- this is the estate that put this on. And so we`re very excited.

HAFFENREFFER: A lot of people excited about this show, including many of the big name producers involved in it: the Weinsteins, Miramax, Clear Channel, even. What is it about this particular show that has gotten the interest of such a set of big-wigs?

PRESLEY: Well, obviously, it`s Elvis music. The whole show is Elvis` music. And I think what`s so great is it`s an original, unique story. And that, you know, it`s new. It`s not -- up know, we have so many stories about Elvis. But you know, Elvis gave us so much with his music. And I think that this original story shows that.

And you have -- it`s a great family show. Kids are loving it. And it`s a whole new audience. We`re reaching a whole new generation. So you know, I just love the idea that it`s original. It took years to get this finalized and this -- the results of it unbelievable.

HAFFENREFFER: Thank you for talking with us tonight. We appreciate it.

PRESLEY: Thank you.

HAFFENREFFER: Best of luck with the show, as well.

Again the official premier of the show, "All Shook Up" at the Palace Theater, right on Broadway, is tomorrow night. Back to you.

HAMMER: Broadway`s always ready to dance. Thanks very much, David Haffenreffer, live in New York City -- Karyn.

BRYANT: We`ve been reporting on last night`s "American Idol" mix-up. And our Buzz Bench has a hang-up about it. They`re ready to dial in. That`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Plus unveiling "Unleashed." We have your exclusive look at the new Jet Li thriller.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORI LOUGHLIN, ACTRESS: My name is Lori Loughlin, and I`m wearing this -- I don`t know if you would consider it vintage by now. But it`s a Gucci leather -- chocolate brown leather coat that my husband bought for me I think over 10 years ago now. It was one of the first Christmas gift he ever gave me when we were going out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Time for tonight`s "Buzz Bench," where we buzz about the hot stories of the day. Tonight`s topics: the "American Idol" voting mess, Jackson`s possible Vegas career, and why Oprah won`t be spending time in the projects.

HAMMER: Apparently, she won`t.

Well, joining us on the "Buzz Bench," we have comedian and TV personality Chuck Nice.

BRYANT: Yes, he is.

HAMMER: Celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch is here with us, and TV producer and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT contributor Amy Kean.

Amy, I want to start with you on the big story of the day, "American Idol" running this encore episode tonight because the voting, well, basically got all messed up last night.

AMY KEAN, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CONTRIBUTOR: When I first heard about this I got very excited, because I thought that they were going to perform again. But it`s not. It`s just going to be rehashing the same performances from last night with some added live segments.

But you know, I`m a little suspicious, because for something this high profile, for them to make a mistake on the numbers seems a little fishy.

HAMMER: It does. They`ve done it before, too.

CHUCK NICE, COMEDIAN: And they have had problems before. It does seem a little fishy. I`m not a person that`s given the conspiracy theories. But I will say this. I don`t know who made the mistake in the control room last night. But this will probably be the only graphics guy who makes that big of a mistake and gets the raise. Because now they`re back on TV again getting another 30 million people.

KEAN: Also, some people are also saying on the Internet that it`s -- now it`s going to -- the show will go against "Survivor," go against March Madness. So that`s the thought. So I think that in a way they`re stretching even more money out of people. And also the commercials will play.

PHILLIP BLOCH, CELEBRITY STYLIST: They love controversy. We`re talking about it. They just got a free commercial by us talking about it.

NICE: They are a genius. "American Genius," that`s the next show.

HAMMER: It will be interesting to see, though. They`re up against "Apprentice" now tomorrow night, because there`s this Thursday night show. And that`s the first time these shows are going head-to-head.

KEAN: But "American Idol," I think, appeals to more generation. I mean, it`s universally appealing, as far as age groups go. I think that`s still going to do really well.

NICE: You can never under estimate the universal appeal of Trump`s hair.

BRYANT: Well, I want to move on to Vegas, baby. Phillip, I want to - - I want to talk to you about this first. Michael Jackson potentially could be doing a Vegas show for Donald Trump when his new hotel and towers is completed, you know, kind of like Celine and Elton John. It would be Michael Jackson. Do you think this will work?

BLOCH: Absolutely. I think if he is acquitted, people are going to just really come out and support him. This is a man that`s accused of a heinous crime. And yet the fans are out there crying and weeping, and this man is loved.

NICE: Yes, yes. I know this much. If the show is Michael Jackson recreating the trial on stage, I`m buying a ticket. OK? Like he starts off hobbling to the stage, you know, guys helping him to the stage. And the finale is him dancing on top of an SUV.

KEAN: But also, when I read the story, though, of course, all you really hear is when you see this, oh, Donald Trump has a new hotel opening up in Vegas.

BRYANT: The biggest one.

KEAN: So no matter what, it`s great publicity for Donald Trump.

HAMMER: He spoke to "US Weekly," and he said he wants to do it.

BRYANT: Well, I mean, Michael could potentially make $80 million and, yes, Donald Trump`s hotel.

NICE: And he needs some change.

BRYANT: If he is acquitted it will be interesting to see. I think people would line up to buy tickets for that.

BLOCH: Absolutely. He puts on a show. This is a man that`s going to have pyrotechnics. And it`s going to be a show. It`s not like Celine going -- and, you know.

NICE: And it`s Vegas. Come on, I mean, it`s Michael Jackson in Vegas.

KEAN: The most important thing is we don`t know he did anything. And I think everyone -- I mean, might be -- I don`t know what you guys think. But I feel like I`m the only person who feels like you`re innocent until proven guilty.

BLOCH: You`re right. You are.

KEN: We don`t know -- we don`t know -- we don`t know if he`s innocent...

BRYANT: He does have a shot.

HAMMER: Well, that could be an amazing show.

Another amazing show that is not going to happen, it was all over the news this morning that Oprah Winfrey was going to be living in the suburban projects of Chicago.

KEAN: Right.

HAMMER: Which we all figured she probably would never do that. It was a false story. We tapped into the source, we talked to Oprah`s publicist and they said this isn`t going to happen.

Chuck?

NICE: I am so disappointed. I so wanted to see Oprah redefine ghetto fabulous. That would have been awesome. Oprah would have going into the projects living there, supposedly, for 30 days to call attention to the urban housing crisis.

Crime would have dropped precipitously, because Oprah`s there with her security force. Because she may be compassionate, but she`s not stupid. So you know, she`s there with her security forces. And you can see, like, you know it would actually bring attention to the real problem that, you know, that needs to be addressed.

And also it might start a trend. You know, Donald Trump moves to the South Bronx. Bill Gates moves to East St. Louis, you know. Malcolm Forbes shacks up with me for a little while. I mean, this could be cool, you know?

HAMMER: What about that?

BRYANT: We`ve got to...

HAMMER: He took control of that whole thing. And we`re out of time now.

BRYANT: Thanks to the "Buzz Bench." Chuck Nice, thank you very much. Phillip Bloch and Amy Kean, thanks for joining us here on the "Buzz Bench."

HAMMER: Well, "Alias" star Michael Vartan says it`s a good thing that he doesn`t have a girlfriend. What`s that about? Well, he does have a passion in his life, and we`ll tell you about it, coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: Plus, any change for 50 Cent? He topped the "Billboard" chart last week. We`ll see if he`s hanging on, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: You are looking at a live shot at Broadway in New York City. Traffic is jammed, as usual, as everybody is trying to get into their favorite show. Or maybe they`re getting set to buy a new gadget.

In the "Game Room" tonight, we have a hot new item that at midnight might have people lined up outside their favorite electronics store. It`s the new Sony Playstation Portable. It`s coming out tomorrow.

SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wanted to get a sneak peak at it, of course, so we buddied up with Michael Vartan. He plays a CIA agent on "Alias." And everybody knows that spies get all the best gear.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): Spies do love their gadgets.

PIERCE BROSNAN, ACTOR: Does this still work?

HAMMER: James Bond had his jet pack.

DON ADAMS, ACTOR: This is 86 calling control.

HAMMER: Maxwell Smart had his shoe phone. And Michael Vartan from the ABC spy show "Alias" has his Playstation Portable?

MICHAEL VARTAN, ACTOR: I`m addicted to scoring goals.

HAMMER: Vartan took SHOWBIZ TONIGHT along as he got an early look at the hot new Sony Playstation Portable, or PSP.

VARTAN: But you must see these graphics. They`re absolutely insane.

HAMMER: For this heroic TV spy saving the world is not enough. He`d rather have the World Cup.

VARTAN: I scored another goal. I mean, I cannot be stopped.

HAMMER: As part of the gadget heavy show "Alias," Michael feels right at home with real life gizmos. And he fell in love with the PSP.

VARTAN: Being able to bring this actual device to work, I`ll never know my lines again. Tragedy. I might get fired because I don`t know my lines.

HAMMER: I don`t think Michael needs to worry about that. But since he insisted on bringing up his day job, we asked him about all those cool little gadgets we see on "Alias".

VARTAN: We have all kinds of stuff. Our amazing props department builds these things out of, you know, paper clips and old, I don`t know, radios, whatever they can get their hands on. And they actually work.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like lip stick, you know, something that you -- you put it up...

VARTAN: Lipstick that pops open into some sort of a detonation device. Pop it open, if you press the button, the light actually comes on. I mean, obviously, it won`t detonate anything. But the fact that it actually works is pretty fantastic.

HAMMER: Our time with Michael Vartan wasn`t all fun and games. We also asked him about his love life. Is he still single?

VARTAN: Absolutely. Single and, I mean, thank God for this game. I mean, it would be hard to play a video game as much as I`m going to play this thing if I had a girlfriend.

HAMMER: Great. What, a smooth spy who picks gadgets over girls? Michael, James bond would not approve.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Some "Alias" news. Tonight`s episode will be mostly en espanol. The show is set in Argentina, so most of the dialogue will actually be in Spanish with English subtitles.

BRYANT: In tonight`s "Showbiz Showcase," we have an exclusive first look at the new trailer for the upcoming movie "Unleashed," starring Morgan Freeman and the amazing Jet Li.

Jet, raised as a slave trained only to kill, knows nothing of humanity. Now, Morgan Freeman, a blind piano tuner, encounters Li and attempts to tame the beast through music.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did you do that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The possibilities are endless. So let me work this through one more time. You take his collar off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kill him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s in my best interest to keep the collar on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you finish with the master kill the dog.

MORAN FREEMAN, ACTOR: Who`s there? You got family?

JET LI, ACTOR: I don`t know.

FREEMAN: Maybe you will one day.

I`ve been meaning to ask you. You all right with that thing around your neck?

ANNOUNCER: On May 13...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really do need to know where to find him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you just listen?

ANNOUNCER: Every man...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are my dog.

LI: Not anymore.

ANNOUNCER: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, "Unleashed".

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: "Unleashed" will be Morgan Freeman`s first new movie in theaters since he won the best supporting actor for "Million Dollar Baby."

HAMMER: Well, Jimmy Kimmel sends his aunt to spring break. That`s coming up in "Laughter Dark."

BRYANT: And there`s still time for you to sound off in tonight`s "Showbiz Showdown" question of the day. "Product placement: is it dishonest advertising?" Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or e-mail us what`s on your mind at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Another strong week for 50 Cent. His album, "The Massacre," is No. 1 on the "Billboard" album chart for the third straight week. The chart came out today. Here`s how the rest of the top five stacks up.

The "Now 18" pop compilation comes in at No. 2 followed, by Jack Johnson`s "In Between Dreams." Green Day`s "American Idiot" is fourth. And again, "The Documentary" is fifth.

And also worth noting on this week`s album chart the fact that Kelly Clarkson`s "Break Away" is holding strong at No. 6. Now, this is four months after its release. That`s doing well. J.Lo`s "Rebirth," on the other hand, is struggling at No. 7, selling the same number of copies as Kelly`s CD. And this is just after three weeks of release for J.Lo.

BRYANT: Well, it is time to lighten things up here. Let`s get our laughs on in "Laughter Dark." As we do every night, we bring you the late night laughs you may have missed.

On "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Jimmy sent his aunt to spring break.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody have a great time. The girls keep your tops on and your bottoms.

Are you frickin` animals?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you, Jimmy Kimmel. We love you!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Poke my frickin` eye out. I`ll go home blind.

They got a blow up doll there. It`s a woman. And it`s an ugly woman, too. They look like a bunch of losers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You lay down, you take a little bit of this off, maybe lift a little bit off. Force some alcohol on you, and I lick...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, wow! Wicked.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: How did Jimmy turn out the way did he?

BRYANT: I guess, too.

HAMMER: Could you take your mom on spring break?

BRYANT: Oh, yes. My mom can hang. She`s cool.

HAMMER: And she`s not so foulmouthed?

BRYANT: No, definitely not. Definitely not.

HAMMER: All right. Well, throughout the show tonight we`ve been asking you to vote online on our "Showbiz Showdown" question of the day. "Product placement, is it dishonest advertising?"

Let`s take a look at how the vote is going so far. Thirty-four percent of you said yes, product placement is dishonest advertising. Sixty-six percent of you said no.

You`ve also been sending us e-mails on the question. Take a look at some. One from Vincent, who`s in San Jose. He says, "It`s simply the next step in advertisement. It`s a great idea and can be no more dishonest than an actual average commercial."

And Mike wrote us saying, "We see enough commercials as it is. It seems as though I`m constantly watching ads."

And remember, you can continue to vote. All you`ve got to do is go over to the World Wide Web, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight is the address. We`d love hearing what you have to say.

BRYANT: Time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. Let`s take a look at the "Showbiz Marquee." Take it away, "Showbiz Marquee" guy.

HAMMER: He`s back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Look you there. It`s Ashton Kutcher. His new movie is a twist on "Guess Who`s Coming to Dinner." And guess who`s coming to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s Ashton Kutcher, tomorrow.

Also, spoiler alert -- watch what`s revealed in the new "Star Wars" movie, "Secrets of the Sith." Tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

From a galaxy far, far away, this is the marquee guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Take my word on it, the marquee guy is from a galaxy far, far away.

So earlier tonight, we were talking about the fact that all three of the original "Star Wars" movies are coming out in 3-D.

BRYANT: Yes.

HAMMER: And you being the biggest "Star Wars" fan, I have to...

BRYANT: I`m all over that. I love IMAX movies to begin with. But just "Star Wars" in 3-D, because the graphics are so good on it already. I just -- it`s going to just be amazing.

HAMMER: George Lucas is all over that technology. It will be cool.

That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll see you here tomorrow.

BRYANT: Nancy Grace is up next right after the very latest from Headline News.

(NEWSBREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

END


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