'Into the Wild' grabs four SAG award nods
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20 (UPI) – Director Sean Penn's Alaskan adventure tale "Into the Wild" was nominated for four Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles Thursday.
Star Emile Hirsch earned a nod for outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role, while his co-stars Hal Holbrook and Catherine Keener picked up nominations in the supporting categories.
"Into the Wild" also made the shortlist for best ensemble cast, putting it up against the groups of actors in the movies "3:10 to Yuma," "America Gangster," "Hairspray" and "No Country for Old Men."
"No Country for Old Men" stars Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones each grabbed a nomination for the award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role.
Cate Blanchett garnered nominations for her lead role in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" and her supporting part in "I'm Not There."
Also vying for the outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role prize are Julie Christie, Marion Cotillard, Angelina Jolie and Ellen Page.
Hirsch will compete with George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Ryan Gosling and Viggo Mortensen for the male actor in a lead role award.
The 14th Annual SAG Awards show is slated to air Jan. 27 on TNT and TBS.
Kelly appears in court after missing date
CHICAGO , Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Singer R. Kelly was reportedly 20 minutes early for a Chicago court date Thursday morning -- a day after missing a scheduled appearance.
Kelly was charged with 14 counts of child pornography after he allegedly filmed himself in 2002 having sex with a girl believed to have been 13 or 14 years old at the time.
The recording artist is awaiting trial on the charges and must seek permission for trips outside the state of Illinois.
Kelly's lawyer, Ed Genson, said the performer missed Wednesday's court date after he was "detained because of some snow" while returning from a performance in Sacramento, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Kelly's tour bus was then stopped by Utah police who insisted the driver take a mandatory eight-hour rest stop before going any further, the recording artist said in a statement.
The hearing was rescheduled for Thursday and the judge presiding over the case warned Kelly that if he didn't appear in court then, a warrant would be issued for his arrest.
Dressed in a suit, the singer showed up for the rescheduled session 20 minutes early, TMZ.com reported.
The judge continued the hearing until Friday, meaning Kelly would be in court in the morning and headline a show at Chicago's United Center in the evening, the report said.
Parker sues X17 for affair report
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- NBA player Tony Parker is suing X17 for allegedly falsely reporting he cheated on his wife, Hollywood actress Eva Longoria.
The suit seeks at least $20 million in damages, TMZ.com said Thursday.
The photo agency X17 reportedly published stories on its Web site that said Parker had an affair with a French model shortly after marrying Longoria.
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Parker claimed X17 defamed him, stating, "X17 had to know that the story was false, or at the very least, it had to have entertained serious doubts about the credibility of its supposed source."
Parker also said X17 didn't attempt to "verify the information with Mr. Parker, Ms. Longoria, any of their representatives or ... anyone else who might have knowledge of the truth or falsity of the allegations."
People's Choice show gets a makeover
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- U.S. singer and actress Queen Latifah is set to host the upcoming People's Choice Awards show, which is getting a new format for 2008.
The People's Choice Awards honor what fans vote as the year's best in music, movies and television.
Slated to air on CBS Jan. 8, the show is to be produced in a new magazine-style format, instead of the traditional awards show set-up.
In addition to making their acceptance remarks, award winners will also answer questions their fans submit online.
"We're excited to pilot a new format," Fred Nelson, People's Choice president, said in a statement. "For 34 years, the People's Choice Awards has been the show that lets the voice of the fans be heard. With the reinvention of People's Choice, we're allowing entertainment enthusiasts to have even more influence on the show. In addition, the new approach will give fans a more personal glimpse into the lives of their favorite actors and musicians."
More than 10 million votes have already been cast on www.pcavote.com to determine the People's Choice Award winners for each category, representatives for the show said.
Fans will be able to vote up until the show airs Jan. 8.
