Entertainment Today: Showbiz News

NBC'S BLOOM DIES IN IRAQ

NBC reporter David Bloom has died of natural causes while covering the war in Iraq. He was 39.

The television journalist, who was embedded with the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division, died after suffering a pulmonary embolism, NBC said Sunday.

His untimely death was not combat-related, the network emphasized.

A co-anchor of NBC's "Today" show weekend editions, Bloom is survived by his wife and three young daughters.

Bloom moved up to the network from the NBC affiliate in Miami, where he made a name for himself as a go-getter during 1992's Hurricane Andrew, when he ran up beside a looter who was stealing boxes of goods and started to ask him questions.

'PHONE BOOTH' DEBUTS AT NO. 1

Joel Schumacher's new nail-biter, "Phone Booth," earned $15 million and the top spot at the box office when it debuted this weekend.

The thriller, which stars Colin Farrell as a slick publicist trapped by a sniper in a Manhattan phone booth, impeached last week's No. 1 film, "Head of State." The Chris Rock comedy earned another $8.8 million, but tumbled to

the fourth spot, felled by a slew of new movies.

Coming in second place was "What a Girl Wants," a frothy comedy about an American teen (Amanda Bynes) who hops the pond to meet the stuffy British dad (Colin Firth) she never knew. That movie earned $12.1 million, according

to studio estimates released Sunday.

The new Vin Diesel actioner, "A Man Apart," muscled its way into the No. 3 spot, earning $11.2 million, while "Bringing Down the House" rounded out the top five with $8.5 million in ticket sales. The Queen Latifah-Steve Martin comedy spent three weeks at No. 1 last month.

FARRELL EXCITED ABOUT NEW BABY

Irish hunk Colin Farrell says he is very excited about his next project: fatherhood.

"It's great. Amazing," the "Phone Booth" and "Daredevil" star told reporters in New York. "I'm so excited. I'm not as scared as I've been told I should be."

Asked how the baby's mum, model Kim Bordenave, is feeling these days, Farrell replied: "She's four months. Yeah, she went through a period of being tired and fatigued and being nauseous, now she's going through a great patch. She's feeling great. Great girl."

TONI BRAXTON TO JOIN 'AIDA' CAST

Toni Braxton is set to star in the Broadway production of Elton John and Tim Rice's hit musical, "Aida," this summer.

The Grammy award-winning singer will begin her four-month, limited engagement on June 30.

"I am very excited to be coming back to Broadway as Aida," Braxton said in a statement. "Ever since I was a little girl, I have been a fan of Elton John's music and to be able to sing the wonderful score he wrote with Tim Rice will be a terrific challenge both as a singer and as an actress."

John added: "Toni Braxton has one of the best voices anywhere. It's a voice I've fallen in love with ever since her first album. I think she is going to be amazing as Aida."

This will mark Braxton's second appearance both on Broadway and at the Palace Theatre. She previously played the role of Belle in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" in 1998.

"Aida" is about the love triangle of Aida, a Nubian princess forced into slavery, Amneris, an Egyptian princess, and Radames, the soldier they both love. "Aida" is the winner of four 2000 Tony Awards and is the only production that opened during the 1999-2000 theater season still running on Broadway.