Trade Round-Up: Foreigners Love Teri Hatcher, Tolerate Other Housewives
· Desperate Housewives, 24, and Lost have been successful overseas, thrilling international audiences in a way they haven't experienced since David Hasselhoff stapled a merkin to his chest and donned a red bathing suit. [Variety]
· While other media conglomerates look to get leaner and meaner through deconsolidation, Rupert Murdoch is happy to have his News Corp continue to bloat with further expansion. He's inching ever closer to his goal of having ten generations of heirs wipe themselves only with crisp hundred-dollar bills. (The help will use the wrinkled ones.) [THR]
· "Newsies converge on Vatican City." With a critical mass of priests gathering for the pope's funeral, the newsies don't want to see the altar boys getting all the action. [Variety]
· Summer is for remakes: The Pink Panther's release is moved to August 5th, where it will do battle with the similarly original Dukes of Hazzard flick.[Variety]
· George Clooney may join Cate Blanchett and his Section Eight producing partner Steven Soderbergh (who'll direct) to make The Good German, the story of "an American journalist who is sent to cover the Allied summit meeting that will carve out control of post-World War II Germany." If the deal is consummated, this will mark the fifth time that Clooney and Soderbergh have made beautiful love to each other across the camera. [THR]