Chow Yun-Fat drops out of Chinese historical epic

Chow Yun-Fat drops outof Chinese historical epic
HONG KONG -- Chow Yun-Fat's withdrawal from a major Chinese historical epic directed by John Woo -- the man who made him an icon -- has raised questions about whether a local son has forgotten his roots.
Chow, who starred in Woo's classic 1986 film, "A Better Tomorrow," dropped out of the director's 80 million "Red Cliff" just as shooting got under way. He was the film's biggest star.
The 51-year-old Hong Kong actor said he submitted a request to pull out through his lawyers Friday because he only got the script last week and didn't have enough time to prepare. Officials for the movie dispute this, saying they couldn't work with Chow because he made unreasonable demands.
It's unclear what those demands were, but Woo's business partner-producer, Terence Chang, told Chinese news Web site Sina.com the movie's Hollywood insurer opposed 73 clauses in Chow's contract.
Chang said Chow received a copy of the script last year and the version he got a week ago was a revision that incorporated his suggested changes.
Filmmakers said the movie remains on schedule and Chow's replacement will be announced this week.
Chang has said the Chinese government views the film, based on an ancient battle, as a showcase of Chinese history and wants it released before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
"Red Cliff" marks Woo's return to Chinese film after directing Hollywood movies such as "Broken Arrow," "Face/Off" and "Mission: Impossible II."
Chow's screen credits include "Anna and the King," "Bulletproof Monk" and the upcoming "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."
'Buckwild' co-host getsan 11-year sentence
LOS ANGELES -- A former co-host of the defunct Playboy TV show "Buckwild" has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy that used models to smuggle Ecstasy tablets.
Kenneth Cecil Francis III, 38, pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to import and distribute Ecstasy. Francis and Snoop Dogg were co-hosts of "Buckwild," which combined hip-hop and nudity.
Prosecutors said Francis took part in a drug smuggling ring that involved recruiting couriers to travel to Belgium and the Netherlands to pick up packages containing Ecstasy tablets.
The couriers told authorities they were told they were smuggling diamonds. The packages actually contained tens of thousands of pills that were brought into Los Angeles and New York in 2000 and 2001, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl Murphy.
Madonna visits orphanage
LILONGWE, Malawi -- Madonna returned Tuesday to the orphanage where she found David Banda, the young Malawian boy she hopes to adopt. The pop star was also accompanied by her 9-year-old daughter, Lourdes.
Children at the church-run Home of Hope orphanage in Mchinji, a village near the Zambian border, sang and recited lessons for Madonna while Lourdes took video footage.
Madonna's security and police tried to stop journalists and onlookers from entering the orphanage compound. But villagers, mainly children, clamored over the waist-high wall and rushed in.
Madonna visited Malawi in October and took custody of David, then 14 months old, who was in the orphanage after the death of his mother. The move sparked controversy and raised concerns that regulations were being swept aside to benefit a pop star who has been generous to the country.
The 48-year-old pop star has said she has followed the law.
Today's birthdays
Actress Barbara Hale is 86. Actor Clive Revill is 77. Actor James Drury is 73. Actor Robert Hooks is 70. Actress Hayley Mills is 61. Actor James Woods is 60. Actress-director Dorothy Lyman is 60. Actress Cindy Pickett is 60. Country musician Walt Richmond (The Tractors) is 60. Country musician Jim Scholten (Sawyer Brown) is 55. Actor Rick Moranis is 54. Actress Melody Thomas Scott is 51. Actor Eric Roberts is 51. Actor John James is 51. Rock musician Les Pattinson (Echo and the Bunnymen) is 49. Actress Jane Leeves is 46. Talk show host Conan O'Brien is 44. Bluegrass singer-musician Terry Eldredge is 44. Actor Eric McCormack is 44. Actress Maria Bello is 40. Rock musician Greg Eklund (The Oolahs) is 37. Rhythm-and-blues singer Trina (Trina and Tamara) is 33. Actress Melissa Joan Hart is 31. Actor Sean Maguire is 31. Actress America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty") is 23. Actress Alia Shawkat is 18.