Entertainment Today: Showbiz News

'X-MEN' HOLD NO. 1 SPOT FOR SECOND WEEK

"X2: X-Men United" continued to dominate the box office for a second weekend in a row, raking in $41.4 million.

That brings the movie's total take for 10 days to $149 million.

Coming in second to the superhero sequel was the Eddie Murphy comedy "Daddy Day Care," which performed strongly over its debut weekend, earning $27.6 million in ticket sales.

According to studio estimates released Sunday, Disney's "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" came in third with $7.8 million, while the motel thriller "Identity" took fourth place with $6.3 million.

Rounding out the weekend's top five was the Adam Sandler-Jack Nicholson mental health comedy "Anger Management," which earned $5.5 million.

MERCHANT, IVORY: ANTI-FRENCH SENTIMENT FABRICATED

Ismael Merchant and James Ivory believe reports of anti-French sentiment in America are fabricated and won't hurt their Paris-themed film, "Le Divorce."

"That has nothing to do with this movie," director Ivory told United Press International in a recent phone interview. "The only thing it could have to do with this movie is to make it for some people more enjoyable. The laughs might be a little more pointed now because the film was completely shot and made and virtually finished before there was any war in Iraq, so some people will laugh at some of the lines in the film and some of the bits of Frenchness will amuse them, but it has no connection to this. I think this is the perfect time for it."

Producer Merchant agreed with his long-time film-making partner, noting people should not disregard an entire culture because they don't approve of its politics.

"In our life, in our times, in our civilization, good will always be good, no matter how people want to interpret it," he said. "You cannot take something wonderful or good from that country or those people. Obviously, there are flaws within any nationality, any character. Americans have a great deal of flaws in their character, but I think one sort of has to dismiss that and see what is good about a people and what is interesting, what is fascinating, and that was important and right from Thomas Jefferson. Who has had an enormous influence on America? The French! You want to go to a good restaurant, you want to drink good wine, who has contributed that? The French!"

Asked if he believes anti-French feeling exists in America, Merchant said he believes reports of it have been "fabricated."

So many things that have been happening in America right now, they are 90 percent fabricated for the news," he said. "The public doesn't know the reality and things have been hidden from the public... The media wants to latch on to any stupid thing they latch on to and then they make a big... a mountain from a mole hill."

Based on Diane Johnson's 1997 novel, "Le Divorce" stars Kate Hudson, Naomi Watts and Glenn Close and is due to be released in theaters this summer. Merchant and Ivory say there are no plans to postpone the release date due to anyone's feelings toward France.

ROMANTIC COMEDY FEATURES SONG BY RENEE AND EWAN

Those who stay through the end credits of "Down With Love" get to see the film's stars, Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor, sing.

Zellweger and McGregor both wowed moviegoers and critics recently revealing they can sing and dance as well as act. Zellweger earned an Oscar nomination for her performance last year in the screen musical "Chicago," while McGregor starred in Baz Luhrmann's celebration of bohemian life, "Moulin Rouge," the year before.

"I just kept saying to (the producers,)" McGregor recalls, "'Don't you think that we should do a song?' and I couldn't really believe that they were like, 'Maybe, we'll see.' I was like, 'Are you kidding? Are you nuts? Let us do a song!'"

McGregor says the producers enlisted the help of Marc Shaiman, the composer who scored the 1960s-style romantic comedy, to find something for them to sing.

"He came up with a classic," McGregor tells reporters in New York, referring to Shaiman's song "Here's To Love." "I mean, a classic. It really is like the last number in a huge musical show on Broadway or something. I think that he's nailed it. So, we shot (the duet) recently in Atlanta in a day to go under the credits at the end and it was great fun. It was like trying to create that 1960s TV show feeling where you're looking for the right camera and stuff. It was good."

McGregor says he hasn't ruled out starring in another big-screen musical, but adds his experience on "Moulin Rouge" was such a positive one, he doesn't want to cheapen it by doing another musical right away that might not be as good.. You want to protect those by not immediately doing another musical right after that might not be as good."

"Down With Love" opens this week.