Dateline Hollywood, 734 words--

JOHN SINGLETON & COLUMBIA TOGETHER, AGAIN

According to Daily Variety, director John Singleton is in final negotiations with Columbia Pictures to back his Baby Boy treatment. Columbia will have

Singleton writing, directing and producing the film. Baby Boy is not a sequel to Singleton's Boyz N the Hood, but it captures many of the issues portrayed in his first picture, Columbia's Boyz N the Hood (1991).

SCOOBY-DOO COMES TO LIFE

Looks like the long-running animated series, Scooby-Doo, is set to be adapted into a live-action movie, according to executives at Warner Brothers. The film will follow the adventures of the ghost-busting detectives and their cowardly canine who always seems to discover relevant clues purely by accident. Scooby will shoot in Australia starting in early February 2001 with Raja Gosnell at the helm.

BRUCE WILLIS: THE PRODUCER

Actor Bruce Willis and his partner, Arnold Rifkin, officially hung the shingle outside their new production company. Cheyenne Enterprises, while announcing eight features and five television projects are already underway.

HOLD THE PICKET, BOYCOTT WENDY'S

Dave Thomas, founder and chairman of Wendy's, the fast-food chain, resigned from the Screen Actors Guild so he could shoot a non-union commercial. Thomas, the longtime "star" of the Wendy's commercials, originally said he would wait to shoot new ads until the strike against advertisers was over. Soon after his resignation was official, Thomas shot a Wendy's ad outside Las Vegas, which was picketed by Screen Actors Guild members.

KIM DELANEY TURNING IN HER BADGE

Actress Kim Delaney is leaving the streets for the courtroom. Producer Steven Bochco, creator of L.A. Law, is finalizing a deal with ABC-TV to create a new legal drama with NYPD star Delaney, debuting in the fall of the 2001 season.

LOOK IN YOUR MAILBOX! DOUGLAS & ZETA-JONES WEDDING INVITATIONS ARE OUT

Actor Michael Douglas and fiancée Catherine Zeta-Jones have set a date for their nuptials --November 18 at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Douglas told Germany's Gala entertainment weekly that is will be sumptuous affair and the invitations are in the mail!

HOUSTON & BROWN ARRIVING IN LAS VEGAS

Pollstar reports Whitney Houston and hubby Bobby Brown will perform together at the Aladdin Theater in Las Vegas on November 10.

HILL & McGRAW GO HOLLYWOOD

Another super star couple, Faith Hill and spouse Tim McGraw, will perform together on her CBS-TV Thanksgiving special, "Faith." Hill says the TV special is something she's always dreamed of and a it's a way to thank all her fans for an "absolutely incredible year."

ACTORS HELPING ACTORS

Eddie Murphy became the latest celebrity to support the striking actor's union by donating $100,000 to the Screen Actors Guild Foundation's strike-relief fund. Murphy's contribution brings the total of donations from high-profile SAG members to almost $900,000.

EVERYONE'S WILD FOR HARRY

Author J.K. Rowling says the next book in the Harry Potter "installment" will be on bookstore shelves "within" two years. The fifth of the seven-part series, Rowling says, is "not too far along...it will be ready when it's ready."

ANOTHER YANK ON THE BRITISH STAGE

How many US actors do we have overseas performing on the British stage? I don't know, but you can count 20-year-old Home Alone star, Macaulay Culkin, amongst the many. Culkin reportedly receiving three curtain calls following his performance in the play, Madame Melville, in London. He plays a teenager who is seduced by his teacher.

MEMOIRS FROM A SPICE GIRL

Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has sold the rights to her autobiography in a deal for more than $1.45 million.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE

Teenage pop idol, Christina Aguilera, debuts her first Christmas CD, My Kind of Christmas, featuring eleven tracks of old and new age Yuletide ditties.

WILL, GRACE & CHER?

One of Jack's favorite divas made a special appearance on Will and Grace. Cher, playing Cher, shot a guest spot on the Emmy-winning NBC sitcom on Tuesday, USA Today reports. NBC will air the episode, titled "Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves," on Nov. 16

SPIKE LEE AND THE BOOB TUBE

Spike Lee, the Oscar-nominated director is leaping over to the small screen to develop and produce a number of drama and comedy series, Daily Variety reports. Lee signed a one-year deal with Studios USA. "I’ve always wanted to do television. It’s a frontier I’ve never been able to crack," Lee told Variety. Variety didn't report if Lee will star in any of these vehicles.

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