- Monday, March 26, 2012

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel just got a prime-time gig: host of the Emmy Awards.

The star of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” will host the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony Sept. 23 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, according to the Associated Press.

“I hope to be able to do for the Emmys this year what Eddie Murphy did for the Oscars,” Mr. Kimmel joked, referring to the comic actor who pulled out as host of this year’s Academy Awards. This is Mr. Kimmel’s first time hosting the Emmys.

Mr. Kimmel’s namesake show is in its 10th season on ABC. He previously hosted the American Music Awards and the ESPY Awards and is set to host the White House Correspondents’ Dinner next month.

ABC also announced that director and producer Don Mischer will executive produce the Emmy telecast. Mr. Mischer recently directed and produced the Academy Awards. This is his 12th time at the helm of the Emmys.

He said he’s “thrilled” to produce the Emmys again.

“We love television and look forward to working with the television academy and ABC in creating a show that is fast-paced, humorous, unpredictable, and at times irreverent, but clearly celebratory of our incredible industry,” Mr. Mischer said in a statement Monday.

ABC Family gets rights to air ’Hunger Games’ films

On the heels of “The Hunger Games’ ” record-setting $155 million opening weekend, ABC Family has landed the sought-after TV rights to the Lionsgate film, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

As part of the pact, the Disney-owned cable network also will get the network premiere rights to “Catching Fire,” the second film in the “Hunger Games” franchise, set to hit theaters Nov. 22, 2013. The films will begin airing in 2014, joining a collection of movies including the “Harry Potter” franchise and upcoming series “Bunheads,” “Baby Daddy” and “Beverly Hills Nannies” on the network’s schedule.

The hotly anticipated “Hunger Games” - adapted from Suzanne Collins’ trilogy of young-adult books, of which there are 26 million copies in print - generated the third-biggest opening weekend at the domestic box office behind only “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2” and “The Dark Knight.”

Woman charged in break-in at Cowell home

A woman accused of breaking into Simon Cowell’s house wielding a broken brick and then hiding in the entertainment mogul’s wardrobe appeared in a London court Monday.

Leanne Zaloumis, 29, was charged with aggravated burglary after the incident Saturday night, the Associated Press reports.

Prosecutors said Mr. Cowell was watching TV in the bedroom of his London mansion when he heard a loud bang coming from his bathroom and discovered Ms. Zaloumis inside with a brick.

Mr. Cowell’s security staff confined the intruder to a bedroom until police arrived and found her in the wardrobe. Police officers drew their weapons as they arrested Ms. Zaloumis, and later found bloodstains in the bathroom, prosecutor Paul Mitchell said.

The charge, read out in court, alleges that Ms. Zaloumis intended to “inflict grievous bodily harm upon a person therein and at the time of committing the said burglary had with you a weapon of offense, namely a broken house brick.”

She also is accused of shouting at Mr. Cowell and hurling items at his bathroom window while standing on a roof outside.

Mr. Cowell, 52, has gained fame in both Britain and North America as producer and an acerbic judge on TV talent shows including “American Idol” and “The X Factor.”

Cowell spokesman Max Clifford said Mr. Cowell described the incident as “just like something out of a horror movie.”

“He was shaken up,” Mr. Clifford said. “Strange as it might seem he feels lucky, because it could have been a gun or a knife in her hand.”

Ms. Zaloumis, who appeared in court with unkempt hair and a baggy gray sweatshirt, spoke only to confirm her name and address during a brief hearing at West London Magistrates’ Court.

District Judge James Henderson ordered her detained until her next hearing June 12.

’Survivor’ winner on ballot for governor of Indiana

Former reality TV star Rupert Boneham said he thinks he has a real shot at becoming Indiana’s next governor after being nominated as a third-party choice Saturday.

The fan favorite from 2004’s “Survivor: All-Stars” was unopposed for the Libertarian Party’s nomination, which came during the party’s state convention in Indianapolis.

“My aim, honestly, is to win governor,” Mr. Boneham said in an interview with the Associated Press. “I really feel I have a strong chance of pulling not just the Libertarian vote, but the independent vote, the undecided vote, and maybe even some votes from Democrats and Republicans.”

He will face Republican Mike Pence and Democrat John Gregg in November’s gubernatorial election. Current Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is limited to two terms and cannot run again.

“We have a governor’s candidate in Rupert Boneham that can reach out to the 70 percent of the population that does not vote, and bring them into the process,” said Sam Goldstein, the state chairman, in a statement. “He brings a level of name ID that our previous candidates have not had, which is important in politics.”

The tie-dye-wearing Mr. Boneham won $1 million on the “Survivor” series and donated some of the prize to his Rupert’s Kids charity, which provides mentoring and job training to at-risk youths.

Mr. Boneham said he’s been a Libertarian for more than 20 years but didn’t become active in the party until this year. He said he wants less government intrusion at the state level, especially in education.

Compiled from Web and wire service reports.

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