Osama bin Laden's death is blockbuster news for Hollywood

LOS ANGELES: Osama bin Laden's death is blockbuster news for Hollywood, whose attempts to dramatize the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have largely bombed.

Instead of churning out little-seen films about death and destruction wrought upon civilians and military personnel, the studios can now tap into resurgent American pride with movies about the hunt for the world's most wanted man.

If only John Wayne were still alive or Arnold Schwarzenegger were younger to star in a gung-ho film about the daring strike by dashing Navy SEAL operatives on a compound in suburban Pakistan. Picture "Black Hawk Down" with a happier ending, or "Die Hard" in Islamabad.

Coincidentally, the Oscar-winning director of "The Hurt Locker" -- an Iraq war film that earned just $17 million at the box office -- has a chance to reach a wider audience with an aptly named follow-up, "Kill Bin Laden."

According to entertainment news Web site Deadline.com, Kathryn Bigelow and her "Hurt Locker" screenwriter Mark Boal have been working for some time on their project about an earlier, unsuccessful mission to nab bin Laden.

Details about the film's plot were sketchy, Deadline reported, but the filmmakers will likely need to rework the script to take into account real-life developments. A spokeswoman for Bigelow said she was not talking.

Television will likely rush out a few quick movies if history is any guide. Within six months of the successful Israeli hostage rescue mission in Uganda in 1976, two television movies had been broadcast. The rescue of U.S. soldier Jessica Lynch by Special Operations forces in Iraq also got a similarly quick turnaround time in 2003.

The Navy SEALs -- short for SEa, Air and Land - were notably depicted in a 1990 action thriller of the same name starring Charlie Sheen.

The film's director, Lewis Teague, said that a new movie should be similar to "United 93," a semi-factual real-time depiction of events aboard one of the ill-fated 9/11 flights, or to "Touching the Void," which blended documentary footage and recreations to show a mountaineering mishap.

Ideally, the filmmakers should get full cooperation from the Navy SEALs, especially since Teague said they videotape all their operations.

And don't forget a few good jokes, said Teague, a Middle East expert who spent about a year working closely with Navy SEALs in San Diego on his project.

"I would definitely do it with humor," he said. "It takes a very peculiar character to be a Navy SEAL -- courage, stamina, dark humor, a witch's brew of a warrior's mentality."

Can't wait for the film? How about the book? In another strange-but-true coincidence, former Navy SEAL sniper Howard Wasdin is bringing forward the publication of his memoir by two weeks to next week.

"Seal Team Six" is about Wasdin's Navy SEAL training and his service in Somalia during the 1990s. Even though the book has nothing to do with bin Laden, Hollywood studios barraged Wasdin's agent on Monday.

"This story is really on everyone in Hollywood's mind right now so it is probably going to be a race about who can do this type of story," Scott Miller said. (Reuters)

Chilean miners surface in Hollywood

The 33 miners rescued from a Chilean mine after two months trapped underground arrived here Thursday, in a TV-network organized trip following the global media frenzy triggered by their ordeal.

The miners -- whose exploits could reportedly be made into a movie by Brad Pitt's production company -- were to be shown round Hollywood and Beverly Hills as guests of global news channel Cable News Network (CNN).

"It is incredible for us to be here, and for my wife it is the first time she has travelled by plane," one of the miners told. The men and five of those who rescued them last month will appear on a "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" to be held on Thanksgiving, next Thursday, November 25,.

The miners were the subject of a media bidding storm after their rescue in mid-October, following a record 69 days in an underground cavity at Chile's remote San Jose mine in the Atacama desert.

Hollywood's break ups in 2010

It's been a year that has sent shockwaves in Hollywood. Scores of celebrity relationships have bitten the dust, and the year still ain't over yet! With two marriages ending just last week — Courteney Cox and David Arquette have headed for a trial separation while Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman have already filed for divorce — the paparazzi in the West have gone overboard trying to scoop out as much dirt as they can on why the marriages/ relationships ended. TOI profiles some of the biggest relationships that have gone kaput in 2010...

Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes
If Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes had a quickie wedding, their divorce was even quicker. The two met in 2001 when they got together to discuss a theatre project. Married less than two years later, they had a son, Joe, the same year. Reports say that filming Revolutionary Road (Mendes directed Winslet in the movie) put a huge strain on their marriage. The film, incidently, was based on a couple in a disintegrating marriage. Both have now happily moved on to new partners.

Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman
After being married for five years, singer Christina Aguilera filed for divorce last week from husband Jordan Bratman. The 29-year-old singer admitted that the two were separating due to irreconcilable differences and that she was now planning on focusing on singlehandedly bringing up their two-year-old son Max. A source said that the couple had been living apart for a few months and had realised that they had simply grown apart over the years.

Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva
One of the most violent celeb breakups in recent times, Mel Gibson and his Russion girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva went their separate ways after Mel was accused of verbally and physically assaulting his partner. Oksana, a Russian pianist gave birth to the couple's daughter, Lucia, in October last year. The couple split in April this year and in June, Oksana filed a restraining order against Gibson to keep him away from her and Lucia. Gibson, on the other hand, also obtained a restraining order against Oksana later that month. The domestic violence investigation against Gibson continues while Oksana denies claims that it was she who released tapes that had the 54-year-old actor attacking her while she had their daughter in her arms.

Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren
Possibly the biggest celebrity scandal of the year, Tiger Wood's indiscretions came tumbing out of the closet after he was invloved in a bizarre car crash outside his house. Wife Elin Nordegren was quick to move out as a number of women (sources say over a 100 ) claimed to have been bedded by the star, with one even saying she was paid to have an abortion after Tiger got her pregnant. The couple now share custody of their two children, and Elin got a huge chunk from Tiger's estate (approximately $750 million) for the 'mental anguish' he put her through. Tiger went on to give a public apology and got himself admitted to rehab for sex addiction and returned to golf after a hiatus.

Sandra Bullock and Jesse James
Sandra Bullock and Jesse James got married in 2005 and divorced in 2010 after it emerged that Jesse had had an 11 month fling with a woman called Michelle McGee. Days after Sandra picked up an Oscar for best actress, lurid reports of Jesse's torrid affair with tattoo model Michelle sent shockwaves in Hollywood. Michelle, on her part, claimed that she was under the impression that the two were separated during the course of their affair. Sandra filed for divorce soon after.

Cheryl Cole and Ashley Cole
After a string of women came forward to discuss their passionate sexual encounters with England footballer Ashley Cole, wifey Cheryl filed for divorce in May this year, ending a four-year-old marriage that had been marked with marital problems. Ashley was also held responsible for sending nude pictures of himself to some of the women he bedded, which he later claimed had been sent a friend who had borrowed his cell phone. Cheryl moved on to a solo singing career, bagged a deal to be the face of a cosmetics company and continued her stint as a judge on a popular singing reality show. Last heard, she was all set to make a move to America to launch her career there.

Charlize Theron and Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend and Charlize Theron seemed like the perfect couple. Until they stunned the world announcing their split after nine years together. Sources close to the couple say that the relationship ran its course and that they'd become more like brother and sister than lovers. The two met in 2001 on the sets of Trapped in which they starred together. And while Theron's career reached dizzying heights, Townsend enjoyed far lesser success as an actor.

Courteney Cox and David Arquette
After 11 years of marriage, and a six-year-old daughter, Coco, Courteney and David announced their separation citing differences. However, just a day after the announcement, rumours started emerging about an open marriage and cheating. David shocked listeners when he went on radio a day after the split and said that the couple had not been intimate in four months and that he had been having sex with a woman called Jasmine Waltz. Courteney, on the other hand, is allegedly in love with her tv series, Cougar Town co-star, Brian Van Holt. A case of people growing apart?