THE MICHAEL DOUGLAS FAN PAGE
NEWS ARCHIVES II
Yes, the News Archives finally got too big! Older
news has been added to the Archives for faster and easier reference. I will try to keep
the main News page with "fresh" (the last 3 months) news.
Douglas To Be Appointed "Messenger of
Peace"
6/30/98
Variety reports that Michael Douglas will be appointed a 3Messenger of Peace2 for the
United Nations by Secretary General Kofi Annan at the U.N. building in N.Y., July 30. Last
Saturday, Douglas addressed a conference presided over by Annan at the Vienna Intl. Centre
of the U.N. on the continuing threat of nuclear proliferation.
Also on hand: President Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former president of Ireland
and now U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson; Noble Laureate Wole Soyinka
of Nigeria and Elea Bonner, widow of Andrei Sakharov.
While in Vienna, Victor Klima, Chancellor of Austria, requested a private meeting with
Douglas regarding handgun control after viewing the Public Service Announcement Michael
did for Cease Fire, the handgun control organization founded by Jann Wenner, on which
Michael serves as a board member.
Wilcox property to be "Douglas Family
Preserve"
6/11/98
The 70 acre bluff property above Hendry's Beach has a new name. Actor Michael Douglas gave
lots of money ($600,000) to the public purchase effort, so now he gets to name the park.
On the 80th birthday of his father, Kirk Douglas, Michael announced the new name, the
"Douglas Family Preserve". The property belongs now to the private Trust for
Public Land, which used community donations (including the Douglas money) to buy the
property from developers for over $3,000,000. Now the challenge is to get the SB City
Council to accept the land as a gift. They're worried about liability, mostly because the
sometimes polluted Arroyo Burro Creek runs along the edge of the property.
Douglas Wins French Cultural Award
6/1/98
Take That, Jerry Lewis! Actor Michael Douglas received the French government's highest
cultural award: The Order of Arts and Letters. He picked up the equivalent of the French
Oscar.
Michael Signed-On For Deep-Sea Thriller
5/28/98
Daily Variety columnist Army Archerd reports that Michael Douglas is set to star as the
commander of a WWII submarine in the Universal deep-sea thriller "U-571". The
actorĐ-who has portrayed some pretty aberrant folks--comments of the role, "I'll be
a hero for a change, and I'm really looking forward to it." Jonathan Mostow
("Breakdown") will direct the Dino and Martha DeLaurentis pic; production will
commence late August in "the giant tank at Malta" and in Rome.
The effort will be something of a family affair: Douglas's brother Joel will be a
producer, and his son Cameron, 19, will also clock some time on the set. Speaking of
family, Douglas reminds Archerd that his father served on a sub chaser during World War
II, and he relates a story that Kirk and crew once set off a depth charge too shallow
while in pursuit of a sub and almost blew themselves to kingdom come.
Prior to putting out to sea, the Wall Street star must first retool the denouement of
director Andy Davis's "A Perfect Murder", a loose remake of the Alfred Hitchcock
classic "Dial M for Murder" that pairs Douglas in a homicidal marriage with
Gwyneth Paltrow.
Producing Calls...
5/26/98
Michael Douglas is Mr. Big in Littlesville. Or, at least he'd like to be. The actor is
working to bring the unproduced 1945 Preston Sturges script--which has been collecting
dust in the massive MGM vault--to the big screen. The romantic comedy centers around a
stressed-out workaholic tycoon who is instructed by his doctor to get a life. The man
takes a holiday and consequently falls for the owner of a bed and breakfast. Marshall
Brinkman is polishing the script, which Douglas will star in and produce.
Michael Featured in New Issue of "Cigar
Aficionado" Magazine
5/17/98
Michael is featured on the cover of the May/June issue of the classic magazine,
"Cigar Aficionado." Stay tuned for a copy of the article and photographs. (I'll
be scanning them in soon).
PREMIERE Names Hollywood's 100 Most Powerful
5/5/98
Now that the Oscars are over, it's time to turn our attention to what's really important
in Hollywood: power. The May issue of Premiere magazine includes the annual Power List,
ranking the 100 most powerful people in the biz, and this year, along with the usual
suspects, there are lots of fresh faces. "After years of supremacy, the old-boy
network of leading men is suddenly losing ground to a brash young generation of intense
actors," says the mag's editor in chief, James B. Meigs. Michael is ranked number 54
this year, down 3 notches from last year's ranking of 51.
Michael is Guest on Rosie O'Donnell Show
4/27/98
Michael made an appearance on the Rosie O'Donnell show today and spoke about his upcoming
movie, "A Perfect Murder". The clip that Rosie showed looked very dark, and she
commented that the film was excellent and that Michael is always so good at "playing
the bad guy in movies." The film is being released by Warner Brothers and the release
date has been moved up to JUNE 5!! Keep your eyes on this page for more information!!
Write-up of the 4/26 White House Correspondent's Dinner
4/27/98
Michael was one of the many celebrity guests at last night's White House Correspondent's
Dinner. Click here to read the
write-up of the stellar event, courtesy of The Washington Post.
Inside Scoop on "A Perfect Murder"
4/17/98
Check out this link for new inside info on
Michael's upcoming movie.
Douglas to be Recognized as Previous Best Actor Winner
at This Year's Academy Awards
3/20/98
Michael Douglas will make an appearance at the Academy Awards telecast on March 23. He
will be recognized and honored for his 1987 Best Actor Oscar win for "Wall
Street."
Basic Instinct Sequel in the Works
3/19/98
Yes, it has been reported that a sequel to Michael's hit movie "Basic Instinct"
is in the works, but he has NOT signed on to do the picture. Stay tuned for info as it
breaks!
Comoros Bars Yacht Carrying U.S. Film Star Douglas
05:16 AM ET 03/15/98
MORONI, March 15 (Reuters) - Comoros port authorities ordered a luxury yacht, carrying
American film star Michael Douglas and a small private party, to leave on Saturday after
interrogating its crew for several hours, officials said on Sunday.
They said the yacht arrived in Moroni, the capital of the Comoro Islands, without warning,
and after its crew had been questioned it left the port and headed out to sea.
Local politicians said the authorities had placed the yacht under tight security because
of fears of a possible link with last year's secession of Anjouan and Moheli islands from
the Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros.
They said Michael Douglas and another passenger had planned to disembark and catch a
flight from the Comoros, but stayed on board the yacht when it was ordered to leave. Last
month Comoran security authorities seized a South African-registered light aircraft and a
helicopter which landed apparently without prior authorisation. The planes were allowed to
leave after their occupants had been questioned.
Douglas Eyes WWII Role
Michael Douglas, last seen running for his life in the unfairly overlooked film "The
Game," wants to stay in the action genre. VARIETY reports that the actor is closing
in on a deal to star in the thriller "U-571," a World War II pic about the hunt
to recover a top-secret decoding device aboard a German sub. Douglas would play the head
of the U.S. team charged with stealing the decoder, known as the Enigma. VARIETY says that
Douglas agreed to star in the film, which will be directed by Jonathan Mostow
("Breakdown"), only if he has input into the development of the final script.
Douglas recently wrapped "A Perfect Murder" with Gwyneth Paltrow.(2/26/98)
"The Game" Now on Video
Michael's dark movie "The Game" is now available on video. The movie is
scheduled to be released on DVD in March. (2/17/98)
Michael Douglas to Star in Military Murder Mystery
A long-in-development film about the rape and murder of a heralded base commander's
daughter has suddenly landed on the fast track. VARIETY reports that Michael Douglas has
signed on to Paramount's "The General's Daughter," starring as an undercover
detective called on to investigate the murder. During the course of his investigation, he
uncovers a series of cover-ups involving sexual assaults, secret sex videotapes, and a
gang rape at West Point. The project, based on the book by Nelson DeMille, has been in
development for some time, and Paramount bought the rights in 1992 for $700,000. (2/1/98)
"Romancing the Stone" Sequel Rolling
Romancing the Stone gathers no moss. It was one of those rare films that brought together
a handful of emerging artists and launched them all into A-list careers (as well as a
successful sequel). And now Romancing the Stone is back, with a third installment in
development at 20th Century Fox, according to Industry trade reports Monday.
Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito starred in the original, which was
directed by Robert Zemeckis and pulled in $75 million at the box office, a huge sum back
in 1985 when only the rare hit broke the magical $100 million mark (and before budgets had
soared to their current, bloated levels). The 1986 follow-up, Jewel of the Nile, grossed
$65 million.
The film ignited Douglas' bankability, which led to hits like Fatal Attraction and Basic
Instinct, and, even 13 years after Romancing, he's still scoring with The Game, which
recently opened to record-breaking box office. Zemeckis followed Romancing with Back to
the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and the Oscar-winning Forrest Gump, while Turner
evolved into a sultry, gravel-voiced leading lady, and DeVito rode the coattails of
Romancing, his first post-Taxi hit, to a string of 25 movies he has produced, directed or
starred in (and sometimes all of those).
Details are scant on the coming sequel, and there is no word whether any of those stars
will again be involved, but Zemeckis is definitely out. Monday's speculation mainly turned
to Douglas, and the Hollywood Reporter quoted sources close to the actor as saying he was
interested in appearing in the film.
No word either on the direction the story will take. In the original adventure-comedy,
Turner plays a romance novelist who joins up with an adventurer (Douglas) to rescue her
kidnapped sister from Colombian terrorists. The sequel reteamed the actors in a Middle
Eastern setting, but, without Zemeckis, it lacked the creative punch of Romancing.
As the film is just now in development, it is unlikely to be coming to a theater near you
before Christmas '98. (11/12/97)
Douglas-Connery Team Up For Action Thriller
3/13/97
Sean Connery and Michael Douglas are in preliminary talks to star in Pathfinder, an
action-thriller for Paramount, says the Hollywood Reporter. Stay tuned for more info.
Hollywood On The Potomac
1/9/97
The gala show for President Clinton's inauguration (airing on CBS on January 19) will be
hosted by Candice Bergen, Michael Douglas, Jimmy Smits and Whoopi Goldberg and will
feature performances by Mikhail Baryshnikov, Aretha Franklin, Kenny G, Yo-Yo Ma and the
Broadway cast of "Chicago."
Douglas Makes Environmental Contribution In Honor of
Father
12/10/96
Michael Douglas gave $600,000 to set aside a wilderness preserve in Santa Barbara to mark
his father Kirk's 80th birthday.
Michael Attends Political Fundraiser
9/13/96
Michael Douglas showed up at last night's (9/12) fundraiser for Bill and Hillary Clinton,
held by the Hollywood Women's Political Committee. Others in attendance included Tom
Hanks, Sharon Stone, Robin Williams, JoBeth Williams, Julianna Margulies and Richard
Dreyfuss.
Rosie O'Donnell Takes On Michael Douglas
MICHAEL DOUGLAS was so scared of being the "butt" of a joke he forked over
$8,000 bucks to help restore New York Park. Why? Well, at BETTE MIDLER's Halloween
benefit, Auctioneer ROSIE O'DONNELL told Douglas if he didn't make a final bid on an item
she'd "do eight minutes on your butt from 'Basic Instinct.'" Good choice Mike!
(11/2/97)
Michael Douglas And Brother Create NewMedia Company
Peter Douglas and his brother, actor Michael Douglas, are bringing Hollywood production
values to the World Wide Web through their Santa Barbara, Calif.-based company, Vincent
NewMedia. Their goal: to create new and innovative Web content. (The brothers'
venture-capital operation is called Santa Barbara Digital Ventures.)
Peter says he has little fear of bumping heads with industry leaders. After all, with a
father like legendary actor Kirk, why should he be afraid of a little company like
Microsoft? According to Peter, the industry giants are neither all-seeing nor all-knowing,
and he doesn't feel threatened by any of them. He also doesn't rule out working with them
in the future.
In working with the "talent" in what he terms "new media," the
financial stake Douglas will offer will be based on the studio model that keeps Hollywood
running: royalties on successful projects. Or a piece of the cyber box office, if you
will. While it is still too early to discuss the products his group is behind -- most of
the year-old company's products are still in the developmental stage -- Peter believes the
future of the Web may be in small networks on which visitors won't crash or become
overloaded. He also wants to battle the time delays that occur when using the Net.
The Douglas brothers bring different talents to the table. Peter describes Michael as a
creative person, who also has the influence and ability to raise capital. Peter's own
background is in the production side of the entertainment industry. Curious about the nuts
and bolts of technology, he built his own PC back when computers were 10 times more
expensive than they are today. Peter was also an early subscriber to the pioneer online
service The Source.
Peter, who has produced in many venues, swears he's given up the type-A personality traits
that prevented him from enjoying life back when he was breaking into movie and television
production. In fact, when the time comes for Peter to give his daughter career advice, he
says he's going to tell her to relax a little, too.
And is father Kirk ready to jump aboard the high-tech business? It seems doubtful, since
Peter says his dad has little interest in computers. "First of all," he says
laughingly, "you can't play a good game of golf on the Web. So that takes the
priority out of it." (10/29/97)
Michael Douglas to be Honored at Film Festival
MICHAEL DOUGLAS, winner of two Oscars and considered one of Hollywood's brightest, will
receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chicago International Film Festival on Oct.
25, 1997 at the Sheraton Hotel. Douglas' first Oscar came in 1975 for producing ``One Flew
Over the Cuckoo's Nest,'' the second in 1987 for best actor in ``Wall Street.'' We have
fond memories of the excitement created by ``Cuckoo's Nest'' at the Chicago Film Festival,
which we emceed with the entire cast on hand. The movie won five Oscars.(10/20/97)
Murder On Douglas' Mind
Michael Douglas may be jumping on the Alfred Hitchcock bandwagon. Variety reports that the
Basic Instinct star is eyeing Perfect Murder, a remake of Hitchock's Dial M for Murder,
one of several of the famed director's films currently in development.
Director Andy Davis (The Fugitive, Chain Reaction) is also considering the Warner Bros.
project, which is about a playboy who plots to kill his wealthy wife. The original starred
Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, and Robert Cummings. Douglas is also still attached to star in
The General's Daughter, an of-the-moment piece about an undercover military detective
investigating the rape and murder of a base commander's daughter.(10/19/97)
Michael Douglas' Not-So-Foster Daughter
Michael Douglas lost a sister but gained a brother in PolyGram's The Game. Jodie Foster
was set to star opposite Douglas in the David Fincher-directed thriller, but there was
reportedly just one problem: the fifty-two-year-old Douglas wanted Foster to play his
sister; the thirty-five-year-old actress wanted to play his daughter.
PolyGram decided to stick with Douglas, and Foster was dropped from the film. The two-time
Oscar-winning actress sued PolyGram, home to her production company, Egg Pictures, for
$54.5 million, alleging that she and PolyGram had orally agreed that she would appear in
the film and that she had taken herself off the market because of that agreement. The suit
was settled last October for an undisclosed sum.
But Douglas still feels strongly about the casting debate. "I know how old Jodie
is!" he tells Buzz. "Granted, we could all hedge our ages a little bit, but I
said I didn't want to do that. I go look in the mirror a couple times a day and say, 'What
is her problem, man?' I don't know. Maybe Jodie needs to look in the mirror, too."
Douglas says that "it became a big issue."
Steve Golin, producer of The Game, says he's to blame for the misunderstanding over
Foster's role in the film. "It wasn't made clear enough," he says. "It just
got out of hand," he added, "It's been settled. We're friends." (9/16/97)
Michael Douglas honors Karl Malden
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Michael Douglas reached back into his TV past to pick who he wanted to
present his career tribute at the People's Choice Awards. He chose Karl Malden, the star
of the 1970s police drama Streets of San Francisco, in which Douglas, now 51, played a
young detective learning from a veteran.
Douglas, the star of films including Wall Street, Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct,
says the learning experience extended beyond the TV screen, calling Malden one of the
biggest influences in his life. Also on hand to honor Douglas Sunday will be Danny DeVito,
who directed him in War of the Roses, and Anne Archer, his co-star in Fatal Attraction.
Clips of those and other Douglas films will be shown.(March 9, 1996 )
New information will be moved to the archives when I
get it. For the most recent Michael Douglas news, check out the News page.