Kingdom of Heaven News

"Mission: Impossible 3" lit the fuse on the summer B.O. season but didn't deliver much of a bang. Auds seemingly grew weary of Tom Cruise's pervasive media presence, from his chair-hopping antics on the "Oprah" show to his ongoing advocacy for Scientology.

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Two major releases are heading into theaters this weekend: Fox's Ridley Scott historical epic "Kingdom of Heaven," bowing at 3,216 theaters, and Warner Bros. slasher remake "House of Wax," at 3,111. Also opening in wide release is Lions Gate's "Crash" at 1,864 venues. "Kingdom of Heaven" was planned by its studio as the kickoff of the summer season. Among the limited openers, MGM's Martin Short laffer "Jiminy Glick in La La Wood," a farce set at the Toronto Film Festival, bows on 24 screens. IFC Films is starting "Brothers" on two Gotham screens.

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Author James Reston Jr. has leveled charges at 20th Century Fox, director Ridley Scott and screenwriter William Monahan, alleging "flagrant copyright violation" and illegal use of material from one of his books for their forthcoming movie "Kingdom of Heaven." Reston, author of more than a dozen books and son of the late New York Times scribe James "Scotty" Reston, claims the movie draws heavily from his 2001 tome "Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade."

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Director Ridley Scott has crowned Eva Green to play the female lead in "Kingdom of Heaven," the Crusades-era epic adventure that Scott is filming in Morocco for 20th Century Fox. She will play Sibylla, a princess who falls in love with Balian, a peasant-turned-knight played by Orlando Bloom.

Director Ridley Scott has set Liam Neeson to star with Orlando Bloom in "Kingdom of Heaven," the epic love story 20th Century Fox is prepping for a January shoot. Bloom plays a peasant who becomes a knight, saves a kingdom and falls in love with a princess. Neeson has been offered the role of his father, Godfrey of Ibelin.

Director Ridley Scott has set Orlando Bloom to star in "Kingdom of Heaven," an epic love story that he will shoot in Morocco beginning Jan. 12. Bloom will play a peasant who becomes a knight, saves a kingdom and falls in love with the princess of Jerusalem. Scott saw Bloom's potential when he cast the then-unknown thesp to join the ensemble of "Black Hawk Down.

Ridley Scott and 20th Century Fox are mobilizing the Crusades-era epic "Kingdom of Heaven" for a January production start in Morocco. Set in the 12th century, the drama focuses on a young blacksmith who becomes a knight and helps defend Jerusalem against the Crusaders. There is also a love story, as the young knight falls in love with a princess. Scott is actively casting and word is that "Lord of the Rings" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" star Orlando Bloom is atop the list.

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