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Lee Cut from 'Sweeney Todd'
28 May 2007 (WENN)
Horror movie icon Christopher Lee has been cut out of another major movie - director Tim Burton has axed the actor's role as a ghost in Sweeney Todd. Lee raged when his character Saruman was cut from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - and now he's been left out of another major blockbuster. According to FilmStew.com, Lee was slated to play a Gentleman Ghost in Burton's movie musical, which stars Johnny Depp as the fabled Demon Barber of Fleet Street, London - but Lee won't be needed afterall. But at least the aged actor didn't waste time filming his scenes for the movie. He tells London's Daily Telegraph, "It would have been worse if I had done the scenes, but I never got to film them."

Hardy Over 'Wicker Man' Remake
3 September 2006 (WENN)
British movie-maker Robin Hardy is so upset about the remake of his cult film The Wicker Man, he has hired a legal team to make sure he isn't inaccurately connected to the new film. Hardy, who also appeared in the creepy 1972 film, insisted an internet writing credit was removed - because he doesn't want fans of the original film to think he was in any way a part of the Neil LaBute remake. And LaBute admits he didn't expect his new film to create such a negative fuss - as fans of the original hit the internet to blast the very idea of the remake. The film-maker upset fans by relocating the setting of the film from the Scottish Highlands to America and changing the sex of the film's chief villain from Christopher Lee to Ellen Burstyn. He says, "I understand how people are very territorial about what they like and I understand how the original actors and director can think, 'God, how can they touch us.' "But it's not something that I want people to judge whether they like one better than the other."

Lee Praises "Best Bond" Brosnan
2 March 2006 (WENN)
Christopher Lee has hailed Irishman Pierce Brosnan as the best actor to ever play suave superspy James Bond. Lee, who played Bond villain Scaramanga in 1973 installment The Man With The Golden Gun and recently defended the casting of new 007 Daniel Craig, insists Brosnan depicted Bond exactly as author Ian Flaming intended. He says, "In my opinion - and I think I know as much, if not more about Bond than anyone, particularly about the characters on whom Ian told me Bond was based, Pierce Brosnan was by far the best and closest to the character."

Lee Slams Hollywood Teenagers
20 January 2006 (WENN)
British acting legend Christopher Lee has slammed Hollywood's obsession with youth, insisting the employment of beautiful but talentless teenagers is sabotaging modern movies. The Star Wars veteran, 83, is appalled by producers' willingness to cast young stars in emotionally-complex roles, and insists a backlash is on the horizon. And he fears for the reputations of young stars, condemning Los Angeles studios for pushing their protege's too far. He says, "The problem today, and I think it's a very dangerous one for the people concerned, is that there are quite large numbers of very young men and women from 18 to 30, and they are playing very large parts in huge films and they simply, through no fault of their own, don't have the background and the experience and the knowledge to pull if off. And it's dangerous for them because if they are in one failure after another, sooner or later people are going to say, 'Well, he may have a pretty face but he's not bringing the public in.' So many of these good-looking - sometimes even pretty - boys and girls are getting these good roles and it's not fair on them. At some point it's going to catch up."

Lee Still Haunted by Dracula
17 May 2005 (WENN)
Veteran British actor Christopher Lee is still haunted by his numerous screen appearances as Count Dracula. The 82-year-old last appeared as the mythical vampire in 1974's Count Dracula And His Vampire Bride, but Star Wars creator George Lucas was unable to resist making fun of Lee's past on the set of Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith. Lee's character Count Dooku famously fought with Yoda in Episode II - Attack of the Clones, and he was amused to find a vampire incarnation of the diminutive Jedi Master on the set of the final installment. He tells Empire magazine, "They put a puppet of Yoda on the set with a pair of fangs. People thought it was very funny. Didn't bother me - I haven't played the part for a long time!"

Lee Miffed at Being Cut from 'Lord of the Rings'
21 March 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Veteran actor Christopher Lee is still stewing over the deletion of his scenes from the third Lord of the Rings film. In an interview with Total Film magazine, the 82-year-old Lee, who played the evil wizard Saruman in the first two films, said: "My point was not that, as an actor, I'd had my scenes taken out. It was the story. You can't have a man looking frantic on a balcony when everything is being destroyed and then never see him again. The audience would demand, as they did, to know what happened to him. I just didn't understand it. I was given plenty of reasons why I was cut out, none of which made sense."

Multitude of Stars To Walk Down Berlin's Red Carpet
9 February 2005 (StudioBriefing)
The Berlin Film Festival, which ranks only behind its counterparts in Cannes and Venice as prestigious showcases for the world's movies, is due to open Thursday with an impressive list of Hollywood notables on hand. As listed in today's (Wednesday) Daily Variety, they include Joseph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas, who are promoting Man to Man; Bill Murray (The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou), Keanu Reeves (Thumbsucker), Will Smith (Hitch), Kevin Spacey (Beyond the Sea), Ian McKellen (Asylum), Catherine Deneuve (Changing Times), Glenn Close (Heights), Dennis Quaid (In Good Company), Gerard Depardieu (Changing Times), Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi (Tickets). In addition, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins and Christopher Lee are expected at Monday's Cinema for Peace gala.

Peter Jackson Justifies Cutting Lee from 'Return of the King'
18 December 2003 (WENN)
Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King director Peter Jackson has hit back at Christopher Lee's claims he discovered he'd been cut from the third movie on an internet website. The veteran Britain was left fuming after all his scenes as Saruman in Return Of The King - including a dramatic death sequence - were left on the cutting room floor. He said recently, "The only reason I'm able to say this is because it was on the internet and has been for some days. I only heard recently. Of course I am very shocked, that's all I can say. If you want to know why you would have to ask the company New Line or director Peter Jackson and his associates because I still don't really know why." But Jackson insists the 81-year-old was warned in advance, and blames petitioning fans - 44,000 of whom signed calling for him to be reinstated - for whipping up a frenzy. The movie-maker says, "Everything I've read on the 'net is completely wrong. There were phone calls, faxes. He's fine, but he's got a web site with fans who've started a petition, which I don't think is necessarily in h is best interest. I don't think for a second it was Christopher that drove that. I think it was just fans. It just brings a lot of publicity to it. He's not really feeling that way, but his fans are fighting the battle and it brings a lot of unnecessary publicity to it. But the scene's great and it will be on the DVD and everyone will get a chance to see it." Jackson also justifies his decision to axe Lee's scenes - insisting the seven-minute death scene was originally intended for second film The Two Towers, and only considered for Return Of The King if there was room in the final cut. Jackson adds, "It was never in The Return Of The King. The Saruman scene was one of many scenes we cut. The longer the film was, the less strong it got because you felt like you'd been there for too long and it lost its impact."

Christopher Lee Cut from 'Return of the King'
13 November 2003 (WENN)
Lord Of The Rings actor Christopher Lee is fuming after discovering all of his scenes have been cut from the third and final fantasy epic. The 81-year-old, who plays Saruman in the first two Lord Of The Rings films, says he was "shocked" and mystified by his exclusion from The Return Of The King - which hits cinemas worldwide next month - and has vowed to boycott the star-studded premieres. Lee says, "The only reason I'm able to say this is because it was on the internet and has been for some days. I only heard recently. As far as I'm concerned, I'm only telling you this because it has been revealed on the internet, someone has talked and it certainly wasn't me. Of course I am very shocked, that's all I can say. If you want to know why you would have to ask the company New Line or director Peter Jackson and his associates because I still don't really know why. I can't say any more because I signed a confidentiality agreement and I honored my word." And after being asked if he planned to attend any of the premieres, Lee snapped back, "No, what's the point? What's the point of going? None at all."

Jackson Hacks Off 'ROTK' Opening, Explains Action
11 November 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson has taken the unusual step of responding in detail to Internet rumors that he was forced to cut a sequence in the final film of his trilogy at the request of the studio. The sequence, which features Christopher Lee, was removed from the opening of The Return of the King, Jackson said in a message to the Ain't It Cool News website, because it felt as if the opening were "wrapping last year's movie instead of starting the new one." Jackson explained his editing decision in detail, then added: "We reluctantly made the decision to save this sequence for the DVD."

McCallum Reveals "Spoilers" for 'Star Wars: Episode 3'
19 August 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Presumably unconcerned that releasing tidbits of information about the plot of the upcoming Star Wars: Episode 3 will discourage fans from seeing it, producer Rick McCallum has revealed a number of what the online community calls "spoilers" during a chat with subscribers to the Star Wars: Hyperspace website. Among them: that the film will feature an underwater duel between Ewan McGregor and droids; a scene in which Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader; the meaning of the Darth Vader name (David Prowse, who played Vader in the original trilogy, will not return); there'll probably be a downbeat ending. Meanwhile, the British website itv.com is revealing that Christopher Lee, who plays Count Dooku, dies ten minutes into the opening of the new film. Britain's Guardian newspaper, which published details of the McCallum and ITV stories in today's (Tuesday) editions, commented afterwards, "Watch this space to have the experience of watching the film even more comprehensively ruined over the coming 12 months."

McKellen Heads to Hogwarts
27 December 2002 (WENN)
British acting knight Sir Ian McKellen will replace the late Richard Harris as Professor Albus Dumbledore in the third Harry Potter movie. The 63-year-old star, who also plays wizard Gandalf in the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, is set to appear in the third installments of both rival films - after signing to take on the role of the Hogwarts headmaster in Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban. McKellen takes over the role from Harris - who died of cancer in October. Movie bosses had hoped to cast Harris in the new film - which is due to begin filming in February - by using computer animation and film footage. But they found they did not have the required film available. Fellow Brit Christopher Lee - another Lord Of The Rings star - was among those tipped to replace Harris. A source on the Warner Bros movie set says, "Everyone has been sworn to secrecy about Ian McKellen getting the role of Dumbledore. One of the production staff let it slip and now it is spreading like wild fire. He got the part just before Christmas but Warner's won't announce it until the New Year. Bosses thought he was the perfect replacement for Harris and, as we all know, he is capable of playing the part of a wizard. They are not worried about people getting The Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter confused. They are two very different films."

Harris Won't Be Re-Created by CGI
20 December 2002 (WENN)
Reports that late Harry Potter star Richard Harris will be created by computer trickery in the next installment of the franchise have been proved false. The legendary actor, who died in October after battling cancer was set to resume his role as Professor Dumbledore in the next Potter film The Prisoner Of Azkaban. However, insiders at Warner Bros. have stated categorically that they will not undertake the feat by using computer technology. Although both Christopher Lee and Sir Ian McKellen have been muted as possible replacements there is no word yet on who will take over the role.

McKellen: "I Was Offered Dumbledore Before Harris Died"
14 November 2002 (WENN)
Lord Of The Rings legend Sir Ian McKellen has confessed he was offered the coveted role of Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films - before Richard Harris died. Harris, who appears in the first two installments of the magical franchise as the Hogwarts headmaster, lost his battle with cancer on October 25 - with a replacement yet to be confirmed for the upcoming third flick. McKellen and fellow Brit Christopher Lee have been touted in the British press as possible Dumbledores. Sir Ian, who plays wizard Gandalf in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, admits he has been offered the bearded part - but before Harris died. The acclaimed thespian has not confirmed or denied whether he has been approached again or if he wants to take over the part, but a posting on his official website teases, "I still haven't seen the first Harry Potter. Before Richard Harris died there was an enquiry from the Potter camp about filching Gandalf. The Grey or the White was not specified."

McKellen to Replace Harris?
12 November 2002 (WENN)
British actor Ian McKellen has been tipped to replace the late Richard Harris in the third Harry Potter movie. Last week Ian's Lord Of The Rings co-star Christopher Lee announced his disgust at being lined up to replace Irish star so soon after Harris lost his battle with Hodgkins Disease last month. McKellen has become the frontrunner to play Professor Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, which stars filming in the new year. An film insider says, "They need someone with gravitas and presence to take on the role, and Ian's got that by the bucketload. It's hard to think of anyone else who could really make the part their own." McKellen's spokesperson declined to comment on the reports.

Lee Disgusted by "Replacing Harris" Reports
4 November 2002 (WENN)
British film legend Christopher Lee is disgusted by media reports that he will replace the late Richard Harris in the forthcoming Harry Potter movies. The Dracula star, who stars as Saruman in the Lord Of The Rings films, was seemingly lined up to play Professor Albus Dumbledore last week, just days after Irish actor Harris lost his battle with Hodgkin's Disease on October 25. Lee fumes, "I wasn't approached about replacing Richard and it also wasn't true that the role in the first film only went to Richard after I turned it down. I was never asked, and I don't know where these rumors have come from, but I find it all a bit distasteful so soon after his death. The only thing that is sure is that I will be in both of the next two Lord Of The Rings movies, and I am considering three of four other interesting roles."

Lee to Be Dumbledore?
30 October 2002 (WENN)
Legendary actor Christopher Lee is tipped to take over the late Richard Harris's role of Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films. The Dracula star, 80, is a "strong favorite" to replace Harris - who died on Friday at age 72. Executives said Lee - a James Bond villain in The Man With The Golden Gun and the evil Saruman in the Lord Of The Rings films - "fits the bill of Dumbledore perfectly." Lee was originally asked to be Dumbledore but refused because he was too busy. Harris stand-in Harry Robinson is also in the running to land the role for the third film Prisoner Of Azkaban, filmed next spring. Warner Bros will make an announcement this weekend.

Oceans Stars Banned From Rings Premiere
13 December 2001 (WENN)
The cast of Ocean's Eleven were banned from the world premiere of the Fellowship Of The Ring so they wouldn't steal the limelight. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts had expressed an interest in attending the star-studded London screening on Monday night and the after-party in Tobacco Dock. However film executives feared the A-listers would distract attention from the Lord Of The Rings stars Elijah Wood, Liv Tyler, Sean Bean and Christopher Lee.

Lord Of The Rings Spins Into Action In London
11 December 2001 (WENN)
Liv Tyler and Elijah Wood brought the magic of The Lord Of The Rings to London at the film's world premiere Monday night. The gorgeous pair stole the show at the launch of the $106 million fantasy film at Leicester Square's Odeon cinema, casting a spell on the 2,000-strong crowd who screamed their welcome. Tyler was stunned by the reception, marvelling, "I've seen nothing like this ever before." Guests - including fellow stars Ian McKellen, Sean Bean and Christopher Lee - walked beneath a row of burning rings as they entered the glitzy event. And the stars were all ablaze with confidence that their film would come to be seen as one of the cinematic greats in years to come. Sir Ian boasted, "It's indisputably a landmark in movie history. It's biblical." And Lee added, "I think it will go down in cinema history - this and the next two - because no one has ever seen anything like it." The only major star missing from the premiere of the fantasy epic was actress Cate Blanchett who gave birth to her first son Dashiell on Wednesday and chose not to attend. But Tyler provided all the feminine glamor required for the occasion in her scarlet Alexander McQueen trouser suit with retro padded shoulders. The film, The Fellowship Of The Ring, is the first instalment in the trilogy of books written by J.R.R. Tolkien which have been adapted for the big screen.

Famed British Filmmaker Roy Boulting Dies At 87
7 November 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Roy Boulting, who with his twin brother John produced such classic British comedies as I'm All Right, Jack, starring Peter Sellers, The Family Way, with Hayley Mills (whom he later married), and Undercovers Hero with Sellers, has died in London at the age of 87. The Boultings alternated credits for producer and director of their films, which numbered 34, produced between 1939 and 1985. Boulting's death came on the same day as Anthony Shaffer, 77, who wrote Sleuthwhich starred Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier, and The Wicker Man, which starred Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, and Britt Ekland. Shaffer was also a twin. His brother Peter wrote Equus and Amadeus.

Cult Film Wicker Man Getting DVD Release
29 August 2001 (StudioBriefing)
The 1973 British horror classic The Wicker Man, starring Christopher Lee, is being released on DVD in what distributor Anchor Bay Entertainment calls "the rarely seen, uncut edition" lasting 103 minutes. Reporting on the release, today's (Wednesday) New York Post observed that the movie, directed by Robin Hardy, never performed strongly at the box office after it was released in 1973 and again in 1978, "but over the years it has built a cult following." It noted that Cinefantastique magazine called it "the Citizen Kane of horror movies."

Count Dracula Will Be Count Dooku
1 March 2001 (StudioBriefing)
George Lucas has revealed that onetime horror film star Christopher Lee will play a character named Count Dooku in Star Wars: Episode II. In an introduction to Christopher Lee: the Authorized Screen History by Jonathan Rigby, Lucas writes: "When it was time to cast the role of Count Dooku in Star Wars: Episode II my casting director suggested Christopher Lee and I jumped at the opportunity to work with him. I knew that I needed someone who could convey evil. But in addition, I needed someone to bring stature, strength and wisdom to the role. His villainous resume speaks for itself." Lee himself directed a writer for Britain's Empire magazine to the book after explaining that he himself was bound by a confidentiality agreement not to discuss his role in the movie. "If George has revealed [the name of the character], that's where I leave it, " Lee remarked. "I don't want to get into trouble with George, because there's [Episode III], don't forget."

Gabriel Byrne In Talks For Star Wars
20 July 2000 (WENN)
Irish heart-throb Gabriel Byrne is next on the list of actors vying for a spot in the next Star Wars movie. The Usual Suspects, The (1995) star is in talks with director George Lucas to take a part in the follow-up to Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999). Byrne explains, "We're discussing it - I think they're still writing the script." Byrne made an impression on Lucas, starring in the Coen brothers' gangster classic Miller's Crossing (1990), but he won't reveal any information on whom he would play or any plot details of the film. If Byrne does sign on Lucasfilm's dotted line, he'll join a cast that already includes former NYPD Blue star Jimmy Smits and British horror legend Christopher Lee.

Christopher Lee Joins Cast Of Episode II
11 July 2000 (StudioBriefing)
In a surprise announcement, Lucasfilm today (Tuesday) announced the casting of legendary horror-film star Christopher Lee in Star Wars: Episode II (2002). Production is already underway on the film in Australia. In an announcement posted on the Star Wars Website (http://www.starwars.com/episode-i/news/) Lucasfilm said that Lee will play a "charismatic separatist." The actor who is best known for his appearances in numerous Hammer Film Production releases in the 1950s and '60s, including, most famously, The Horror of Dracula, was quoted in the Lucasfilm announcement as praising the Star Wars movies for creating "a whole new era in the cinema. ... This particular series of film will be a mythic saga on a vast scale." Lee was also cast in another "mythic saga, " Lord of the Rings currently shooting in New Zealand.

Studio Set To Hammer Out Horror Flicks Again
9 February 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Hammer, the British production company best known for its horror movies of the '50s and '60s featuring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, is being brought back from the dead by a group of U.K. media investors who are planning to remake some of the classic Hammer movies, the BBC reported Tuesday. Among those who have taken major stakes in Hammer are advertising mogul Charles Saatchi, British Film Commission chairman Larry Chrisfield and former Warner Music chairman Rob Dickins. CEO Terry Ilott told the BBC that he is in discussions with U.S. film producers about the company's remake ideas, "but we are also very keen to use Hammer as a brand and horror as a genre to get into forms of merchandising."

Row Over Jinnah Film In Pakistan
28 September 1998 (StudioBriefing)
A storm of controversy has arisen in Pakistan over the imminent release of a motion picture biography of the country's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, starring horror-film actor Christopher Lee in the title role, the BBC reported Saturday. Correspondent Razia Iqbal said that Lee received numerous death threats during the shooting of the film and was always surrounded by armed bodyguards. Iqbal also reported that "it is the fact that Mr. Lee is associated with Count Dracula and not that he is a European playing an Asian that has exercised people." Although it is the first Western film to be shot in Pakistan, the government was forced to withdraw its share of funding halfway through the production because of the protests, Iqbal said.