Hollywood Digest

'STAR WARS' PLOT EXPOSED!

Samuel L. Jackson has apparently given away the plot "Star Wars: Episode III," but that doesn't necessarily mean that he has blown some big secret.

The Calgary Sun quoted Jackson as saying that the entire force of Jedi gets wiped out in the third episode. That might not come as such a shock to anyone who has seen "Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope," the 1977 blockbuster movie that started it all. After all, part of the back-story of "Episode IV" is that the Jedi are on the brink of disaster.

"All the Jedi die in 'Episode III' during the Clone Wars," Jackson told the paper. "I told George I didn't mind dying, I just didn't want to go out like some punk. George said that was fine and he'd see what he could do about a fitting death scene for Mace."

Jackson -- who plays Mace Windu, an aide to Yoda -- revealed that in "Episode II: Attack of the Clones" his character survives an attempt to assassinate Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). Of course he survives -- otherwise, how could he face a glorious death in "Episode III"?

BUT TOLKIEN KILLED IT

According to Peter Jackson -- the producer-director of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" -- it was J.R.R. Tolkien who spiked the idea of the Beatles making a movie version of his classic literary trilogy.

Jackson told the Wellington Evening Post that Paul McCartney himself said the lads from Liverpool had even talked to legendary director Stanley Kubrick about the possibility. Jackson said McCartney told him so in the lobby of the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, at the Academy Awards.

"It was something John (Lennon) was driving," said Jackson, "and J.R.R. Tolkien still had the film rights at that stage but he didn't like the idea of the Beatles doing it. So he killed it."

Jackson said McCartney was to have played Frodo, with Lennon as Gollum, George Harrison as the wizard Gandalf and Ringo Starr as Frodo's pal Sam.

"There probably would've been some good songs coming off the album," said Jackson.

As it turned out, Howard Shore won the Oscar for his original music score -- one of four Oscars awarded to Jackson's movie.

By the way, Jackson also told the paper the second installment of his movie trilogy, "The Two Towers," will have a "smoother flowing story" than "The Fellowship Of The Ring."

'GREG' IS HIT OUT OF THE BOX

"Greg the Bunny" got off to a fairly strong start in its premiere on Fox Wednesday -- delivering the strongest ratings of any of the three new comedies that hit the air this week.

The offbeat comedy averaged 10.2 million viewers, building on the audience that tuned in for its lead-in, "The Bernie Mac Show." By contrast, the new ABC show business satire "Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)" averaged just under 8 million viewers, and lost about 20 percent from its lead-in, "The Drew Carey Show."

The other new comedy this week, ABC's "The George Lopez Show," averaged 10.4 million viewers.

NBC won the night with "The West Wing" and "Law & Order."

'ONCE AND AGAIN' NO MORE

ABC programmers have pulled the plug on "Once and Again," the family drama that critics praised but viewers largely ignored.

The show will wrap up a three-year run on the network on April 15.

Fans of the show, including its producers, will blame the network's incessant schedule tinkering for its demise. The show never settled into one time slot, leaving it up to viewers to find it if they wanted to see it. This season, only around 6.5 million viewers, on average, managed to find it each week.

Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz -- who created the show -- issued a statement thanking fans for their support.

"We have been particularly moved by the outpouring of support by so many fans in their efforts to save the show," said Zwick. "And we're grateful that ABC has given us the chance to create a final episode that does justice to those who have been so loyal to the series."

ABC Entertainment president Susan Lyne said the network was proud of the show, even if it did fail in the marketplace.

"For the past three seasons, we've been incredibly proud of the creative work done on 'Once and Again,'" she said.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Rodney Dangerfield -- who made "I don't get no respect!" a national catch-phrase -- got one of Hollywood's highest measures of respect this week, a star on the Walk of Fame.

Jay Leno and Bob Saget helped do the honors for the star of such movie comedies as "Caddyshack" and "Back to School." Leno praised Dangerfield for "the fact that he always took time to talk to all the young comics."

Dangerfield joked about his lowbrow image.

"I just finished my first book," he said. "Now, I'm gonna read another one."

Actually, the 80-year-old Dangerfield -- who suffered a heart attack last November -- is almost finished writing his autobiography, "It's Not Easy Being Me."

SPIKE'S NEW JOINT

Spike Lee has a new gig, as artistic director of the Graduate Division of the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Lee -- the director of such features as "Bamboozled," "Malcolm X" and "Do the Right Thing" -- is a graduate of the school and a member of the faculty. His most recent project is the documentary, "Jim Brown: All American," an examination of the man widely regarded as the greatest football player ever.