'GEEKS' OUTRAGED BY HOLLYWOOD BIG SHOT'S FILM ANTICS
February 24, 2008 -- STAR Wars fans haven't been this upset since Jar Jar Binks.
Weinstein Co. boss Harvey Weinstein is being skewered online by devotees of the sci-fi franchise, who are calling him "Darth Weinstein" over the studio's decision to re-edit "Fanboys," its upcoming comedy about them.
Some "Star Wars" fans who have seen the original rough cut of the movie complain that the new version in the works will flip a story that was originally a love letter to friends of The Force into a mockery of their geekiness.
The film - starring Dan Fogler and Kristen Bell and featuring appearances by William Shatner and Seth Rogen - is set in 1998 and revolves around a group of friends who hatch a plot to break into George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch to steal a copy of "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace," before it hits theaters.
But it's the reason why they are stealing the print that is at the center of the controversy: One of the friends needs to see it ASAP because he's about to die of cancer.
While Star Wars fans who saw director Kyle Newman's early version viewed it as sweet, studio execs deemed it too big of a downer that didn't test well, and ordered it be re-cut to lighten it up.
Movie blogs, including The CineManiac and Ain't It Cool News, report the film's release has been delayed until spring and that Judd Apatow's producing partner Shauna Robertson has been looped into the project and is working on a new version that drops the cancer story completely. However a source familiar with the situation cautioned that nothing has been finalized on the edit.
While opinions online are split over which version is better, fanboys of "Fanboys" who view the new direction as insensitive of "Star Wars" fans, have launched - what else - an online campaign to keep "Fanboys" as is.
"committed.to/stopdarthweinstein," and a "Stop Darth Weinstein" MySpace page, that depict Harvey as the Dark Lord of The Sith, and call for a boycott of all the studio's releases.
Said one MySpace commenter: "He clearly doesn't know who he's messing with. Let's see how he likes having the Rebel Alliance put the smack down on him."
Countered a Weinstein spokesperson: "We are thrilled to see all this great interest and excitement for 'Fanboys.' While a potential conflict like this has not occurred since Luke last walked into that bar in Tatoonie, everyone can be assured that there has been no stir in the force and the film stays on target." Brian Garrity
Nice volley
After arranging a three-match exhibition series between Roger Federer and Pete Sampras in Asia, sports promoter Jerry Soloman, the president of StarGames, wanted to stage a similar match at Madison Square Garden.
There was just one problem: Tennis' No. 1 ranked Federer had only one date - March 10 - when he was available.
"Roger's schedule is determined by the tour and is pretty well spelled out," Soloman said. "There's not a lot of flexibility."
Soloman scrambled to line up the players, sponsors and the venue for the "NetJets Showdown," which marks the first time since 2000 that tennis will be played at the arena.
It's also the first time Federer and Sampras will face each other in the US
Federer has won 12 grand-slam title and is closing in on Sampras's record of 14.
The 19,000-seat event sold out in about three weeks, with ticket prices ranging from $50 to $1,000 for a VIP pass. In addition to the fans, sponsors including Men's Vogue, Rolex and BN Paribas also lined up for the event, giving Soloman reason to believe that tennis could become a fixture at Madison Square Garden.
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