G'DAY, MATE! Australian Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge and New Zealander Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings facing off against each other with 12 nominations apiece for this year's BAFTA awards, Britain's equivalent of the Oscars. The winners will be announced February 24.
STILL MORE AWARDS: The American Cinema Editors picking Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Black Hawk Down, The Lord of the Rings, Memento and A Beautiful Mind as the best dramatic picture nominees for the group's 52nd annual ACE Eddie Awards to be announced on February 24.
KA-CHING! Reese Witherspoon to collect $8 million for her next film--an untitled drama about a pro women's tennis player, Variety reports. It will be the biggest payday of her career.
SHAG THIS: New Line Cinema saying it will appeal an MPAA arbitration panel's decision that forced the studio to recall all promo materials for Austin Powers 3 after complaints from James Bond producers, according to Reuters. New Line reportedly believes the film, originally titled Austin Powers in Goldmember, is a parody and protected by the First Amendment.
PLUG PULLED: Fox yanking The Chamber from its prime-time lineup for February sweeps. The three remaining episodes of the low-rated game show may air in the spring.
TUNE IN NEXT YEAR: CBS renewing nine shows for its fall schedule: Becker, C.S.I., The District, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Guardian, JAG, Judging Amy, King of Queens and Yes, Dear.
TROUBLE IN TINSELTOWN: Five members of the Screen Actors Guild have lodged a formal complaint with the Labor Deparment over the botched elections, the Los Angeles Times reports. The five thesps want the feds to block the controversial new vote, which is slated for March.
MAKING A BUNDLE: Actor Andy Garcia and wife Marivi welcoming a baby boy Monday in Los Angeles. Andres Antonio Garcia-Lorida weighed in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and is the couple's first son.
FAST AND REALLY FURIOUS: Universal seeking a temporary restraining order to keep MGM from touting its long-delayed Rollerball as a film from one of "the filmmakers that brought you The Fast and the Furious." Universal says the screenwriter in question did some work but was not credited on Fast.
RECOVERING: Blues singer Koko Taylor reported in fair condition at a Chicago hospital, two days after fainting at her South Side nightclub, Koko Taylor's Celebrity. The 66-year-old singer's blood pressure and blood sugar rose after she didn't take her diabetes medication.
LAMPOONING: Bruce Willis and Sarah Jessica Parker named as this year's recipients of Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Awards, honoring performers who've made "a lasting and impressive contribution to the world of entertainment."
JUMPED: Van Halen leaving Warner Bros. Records, Lauch.com reports. The veteran band has been with the label since 1978. No word on what label VH is heading to.
WHIPPING POST: The Allman Brothers accusing Universal Music of "stalling" in the band's suit accusing the label of illegally taking several recordings. The band's lawyers are trying to get the case moved to federal court.