News from the entertainment capital

HOW HIGH CAN HARRY GO?

Box-office analysts say they're beginning to get a feel for how high the grosses will be for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" -- and it doesn't look like the magic boy will overtake "Titanic" for the all-time U.S. box-office record.

However, "Harry Potter" still has a chance of climbing past "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace" into third place on the all-time list. George Lucas' 1999 blockbuster grossed $431.1 million.

"Harry Potter" opened on Nov. 16, and took in $90.3 million in its first weekend. It collected $57.5 million in its second weekend -- $82.4 million over the entire five days of long Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend -- and stood at $187 million after 10 days in release.

Robert Bucksbaum of the box office tracking firm Reel Source told USA Today the 36 percent drop-off from the first weekend to the second is a sign that "Harry Potter" is human, after all.

"The drop-off was pretty considerable," said Robert Bucksbaum, "given that this is a family movie and the past weekend fell on a family holiday. Still, when you make $90 million your first weekend, there's only one way to go: down."

"Harry Potter" still shapes up as the highest-grossing movie of 2001, an honor that currently belongs to "Shrek" with a domestic gross of $267.6 million. Box-office analysts say that "Monsters, Inc." -- which has grossed $192 million in three weekends in released -- has a decent shot at overtaking "Shrek" and finishing as the second-biggest box-office attraction of 2001.

Warner Bros. head of distribution, Dan Fellman, told the paper the studio is not thinking of box-office records.

"It's making box office history, but that's not the goal," said Fellman. "We're just thrilled with the performance of the movie."

BIG NUMBERS FOR 'THE GRINCH'

While "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was dominating the U.S. box-office over Thanksgiving, last year's Thanksgiving box-office champion -- "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" -- came back for another big helping of consumer cash, raking in an estimated $145 million in DVD and videocassette sales and rentals in its first week on the home video market.

Universal Studios Home Video estimates that director Ron Howard's movie version of Dr. Seuss' classic children's book sold 3 million copies last week, becoming the third title this fall to set a sales record in its first week in release.

The other two were also Universal titles. "The Mummy Returns" and "Shrek" both sold more than 2 million DVDs in their first weeks.

Universal Studios Home Video president Craig Kornblau told Daily Variety the studio shipped 14.5 million copies of "The Grinch" video, but now he isn't sure that's enough to meet retailer demand.

SAG AWARD DEADLINE NEARS

Anyone who wants to submit names for consideration for the 8th Annual Screen Actors Guild awards has until the close of business Wednesday to take care of the paperwork.

The actors union will spend the next two months going over the submissions before announcing nominees on Jan. 29.

SAG announced this week that submissions this year are up 69 percent from last year.

Virtually anyone professionally associated with acting can nominate performances for an Actor -- the name the union has given to its award.

With the actor's permission, producers, studios, networks, agents, managers or publicists may submit a performance for consideration. Actors may also submit their own performances.

Nominees in five film categories and eight TV categories -- including outstanding performances by acting ensembles -- will be chosen by randomly selected panels of SAG members from across the United States.

The 8th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be telecast live over TNT on March 10, 2002 from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

ACADEMY NAMES FILM SCHOLARS

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has named film professors from Duke University and the University of Southern California as Academy Film Scholars.

Jane Gaines, director of the Program in Film and Video at Duke University in Durham, N.C., and Steven J. Ross, professor of history at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, are the second pair of film scholars to be chosen for the honor by the Grants Committee of the Academy Foundation.

Each will receive $25,000 from the Academy to pursue scholarly research.

Gaines will write an overview of critical and historical work on women in the silent film industry. Ross will write about movies, movie stars and American political culture throughout the 20th century.

The Academy Film Scholars program was created in 1999 by the Grants Committee of the Academy Foundation to "stimulate and support the creation of new, innovative and significant works of film scholarship about aesthetic, cultural, educational, historical, theoretical or scientific aspects of theatrical motion pictures."

"Our goal is to select from the top rank of important and influential American film historians and scholars for these grants," said Grants Committee chair Janet MacLachlan.

Only established scholars, writers, historians and researchers with "a significant record of achievement" were considered for the grants.

STARS LINE UP FOR 'SNL' DECEMBER SHOWS

NBC has announced that New York Yankees All-Star shortstop Derek Jeter, rock legend Mick Jagger and Ellen DeGeneres will appear on "Saturday Night Live" during December.

Jeter will host the Dec. 1 show, joining Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Wayne Gretzky and Chris Evert on the list of sports superstars who have hosted the long-running sketch-comedy series. Jeter will have two musical guests -- Latin music star Shakira and southern rapper Bubba Sparxxx.

Jagger shows up on the Dec. 8 show, which will also feature "X-Men" and "Swordfish" star Hugh Jackman. Jagger's appearance is part of an extensive promotional campaign in support of his new solo album, "Goddess in the Doorway."

DeGeneres will host the show on Dec. 15, with musical guest No Doubt. DeGeneres is still enjoying good buzz from her turn as host of the Emmy Awards telecast on Nov. 4, and No Doubt is currently opening for U2 on tour and promoting their new studio album, "Rock Steady."

HONORS FOR TIM BURTON

Video Business -- which tracks the home video industry -- has announced that Tim Burton will be inducted into the Video Business Hall of Fame in ceremonies Dec. 3 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Burton -- the director of "Ed Wood," "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure," "Beetlejuice," "Batman" and "Batman Returns" -- is being honored following an $80 million opening weekend for the home video release of his latest movie, "Planet of the Apes."

Burton's update of the 1968 sci-fi classic grossed $179 million at the U.S. box office this year.

ABC LIKES 'PHILLY'

Fans of the new Steven Bochco series, "Philly," will be happy to know that ABC has ordered nine more episodes, meaning that a full season of 22 hours will be produced.

"Philly" -- starring former "NYPD Blue" star Kim Delaney -- has been a solid performer in the ratings for ABC, doing particularly well with male viewers in the coveted 18-49 demographic.