The Morning Fix: Charlie Sheen back in arbitration! Chappelle thinking comeback? Bangkok takes beating in ‘Hangover 2.’
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After the coffee. Before deciding whether to delete my Twitter and Facebook accounts and go back to New York to run for Anthony Weiner’s seat.
The Skinny: Aren’t we done with this Charlie Sheen stuff yet? Apparently not. Elsewhere, Hollywood is finding new ways to get its content into China, Dave Chappelle may be coming back and Ryan Reynolds tries his hand at being a superhero.
Winning? A Superior Court judge in California kicked Charlie Sheen’s S100-million lawsuit against his former ‘Two and a Half Men’ bosses Warner Bros. and co-creator Chuck Lorre to arbitration. Sheen has been fighting arbitration because his legal team thinks his wrongful termination suit will play better in front of a jury than it will an arbitrator. Warner Bros., which fired Sheen in March claiming his lifestyle (run-ins with the law, substance abuse issues) made him unable to perform, has argued that the actor’s contract calls for arbitration to resolve any disputes. The studio and Lorre’s lawyer both cheered the decision while Sheen’s lawyer Martin Singer argued that his client’s fight for a trial wasn’t dead yet. In the meantime, reports earlier this week that Sheen was in negotiations with a broadcast network for a new show have yet to pan out. Maybe the talks are with My Network TV. Details on the latest in the Sheen case from the Los Angeles Times and Hollywood Reporter.
When the walls come crumbling down. Warner Bros.’ deal Wednesday with a company called You On Demand (headed by Shane McMahon, son of wrestling impresario Vince McMahon) to pipe its movies and TV shows into China via cable is the latest effort by Hollywood to penetrate China’s massive market. The Los Angeles Times looks at what’s so appealing about China to Tinseltown and the formidable challenges that lie ahead.
Bangkok blues. Apparently I’m not the only one who didn’t like ‘The Hangover 2.’ Many residents of Bangkok don’t like the way the city was portrayed (Holla! City of squalor!) in the movie. Having only seen the first half of the movie before walking out, I’ll say Bangkok looked no worse than New York did in ‘Taxi Driver.’ Of course, some local merchants are finding a way to cash in on the movie’s success. The Wall Street Journal looks at what one night in Bangkok can do to a city’s image.
Chappelle’s stream? Dave Chappelle, the comedian who abruptly quit his Comedy Central show just as it was becoming a huge success, is considering a new show that would be streamed on the Internet, according to The Daily, News Corp.’s online tabloid paper.
Now that’s just ironic. Rebekah Brooks, the chief executive of News Corp.’s News International unit and a former editor of its Sun newspaper, appears to have had her own phone hacked by the private investigator who is accused of hacking celebrities’ phones and voice mails on behalf of News Corp.’s News of the World paper. Can’t wait for the next company retreat. Details from The Independent.
Inside the Los Angeles Times: Ryan Reynolds is ready to shine in the ‘Green Lantern.’ but are we ready for him? NBCUniversal is getting into the superhero business.
-- Joe Flint
Follow me on Twitter. I’m not just a flash in the pan. Twitter.com/JBFlint
