Trade Round-Up: Bill Murray May Add To Proud "Garfield" Legacy
· Does beating your already "lowered expectations" constitute "good news"? If you're DreamWorks Animation and the news doesn't involve losing more money (here, it's Madagascar products helping the bottom line), it's good enough. [Variety]
· Bad contract or house payment due? Bill Murray is in negotiations to once again voice the world's favorite lasagna-gulping cat in Garfield 2. [THR]
· Chinese authorities relent and will let Desperate Housewives through its Great Wall of Programming, insuring that the world's most populous nation will think that all Americans are horny soap-opera actors with nicely manicured front lawns. [Variety]
· David E. Kelley generates buzz at NBC by giving morning talk shows the Ally McBeal treatment. Not so long ago, the performance of his The Law Firm reality series generated so much buzz that they had to demote it to Bravo. [THR]
· Westworld, the sci-fi remake put on hold when attached star Arnold Scwhwzenegger quite inconveniently was elected governor of California, is once again "a go." And should he or the people decide that he's a crappy politician, Arnold may use it as a comeback vehicle. [Variety]
· MTV refuses to let Wilmer Valderrama slip away into total obscurity, greenlights his "yo mama" joke competition show. Sometimes we're so happy that we've passed out of their target audience. [THR]