HBO Max is delving into the life of one of the more infamous figures in Hollywood’s recent history.
The streamer is developing a drama based on the life of Heidi Fleiss, the former “Hollywood Madam” who ran a prostitution ring that had a number of high-profile clients. The project comes from writer and executive producer Maggie Cohn (The Staircase), with Fleiss serving as a consultant on the project.
Fleiss was arrested on a number of prostitution charges in 1993, and her trial on the charges was a media sensation. Though Fleiss herself never revealed names of her clients, Charlie Sheen testified that he had used Fleiss’ services numerous times; Australian media mogul Kerry Packer was also named during the trial.
Fleiss was convicted in state court, though that was overturned after an appeals court ruled jurors had swapped votes to avoid a deadlock. She was convicted on separate federal charges...
The streamer is developing a drama based on the life of Heidi Fleiss, the former “Hollywood Madam” who ran a prostitution ring that had a number of high-profile clients. The project comes from writer and executive producer Maggie Cohn (The Staircase), with Fleiss serving as a consultant on the project.
Fleiss was arrested on a number of prostitution charges in 1993, and her trial on the charges was a media sensation. Though Fleiss herself never revealed names of her clients, Charlie Sheen testified that he had used Fleiss’ services numerous times; Australian media mogul Kerry Packer was also named during the trial.
Fleiss was convicted in state court, though that was overturned after an appeals court ruled jurors had swapped votes to avoid a deadlock. She was convicted on separate federal charges...
- 3/22/2023
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
London, August 14 (Ian) Australian cricket great Ian Chappell has officially called time on his more than four-decade-long commentating career, said a report in Daily Mail on Sunday quoting Sydney Morning Herald.
The veteran of 75 Test matches, who ended his illustrious career with more than 5,000 runs in the longest format, reportedly said his decision to leave the broadcasting box was similar to his career retirement call.
The cricketing great began his tenure inside the media box soon after retiring from international cricket, where he led Australia in 30 Tests.
“I remember the day when I knew I’d had enough of playing cricket,” the 78-year-old, who signed in 1980 with Channel 9 and has worked with the ABC, told the Sydney Morning Herald. “I looked at the clock and it was five past 11 on a day of play and I thought, ‘S***, if you’re clock-watching at that time, I have to go,...
The veteran of 75 Test matches, who ended his illustrious career with more than 5,000 runs in the longest format, reportedly said his decision to leave the broadcasting box was similar to his career retirement call.
The cricketing great began his tenure inside the media box soon after retiring from international cricket, where he led Australia in 30 Tests.
“I remember the day when I knew I’d had enough of playing cricket,” the 78-year-old, who signed in 1980 with Channel 9 and has worked with the ABC, told the Sydney Morning Herald. “I looked at the clock and it was five past 11 on a day of play and I thought, ‘S***, if you’re clock-watching at that time, I have to go,...
- 8/14/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Comedian and producer John Cornell has died aged 80 following a battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Cornell is best known for his role as Strop in The Paul Hogan Show, having begun his association with Hogan while working as a producer on A Current Affair.
According to a statement from his family, he died peacefully at his home in Byron Bay on Nsw North Coast with his wife and eldest daughter by his side, and his youngest daughter on the phone from the UK.
Born in Kalgoorlie, Cornell began his career in print journalism at Perth’s Daily News before turning his attention to television and becoming the original producer for A Current Affair.
It was while working on the show that he teamed up with a then unknown Paul Hogan, forming a partnership that would be responsible for not only The Paul Hogan Show, but the internationally successful Crocodile Dundee films.
Cornell is best known for his role as Strop in The Paul Hogan Show, having begun his association with Hogan while working as a producer on A Current Affair.
According to a statement from his family, he died peacefully at his home in Byron Bay on Nsw North Coast with his wife and eldest daughter by his side, and his youngest daughter on the phone from the UK.
Born in Kalgoorlie, Cornell began his career in print journalism at Perth’s Daily News before turning his attention to television and becoming the original producer for A Current Affair.
It was while working on the show that he teamed up with a then unknown Paul Hogan, forming a partnership that would be responsible for not only The Paul Hogan Show, but the internationally successful Crocodile Dundee films.
- 7/23/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Timothy Lee on location in ‘Mystery Road.’
After serving as a script editor on three seasons of House Husbands and writing episodes of Rush and Serangoon Road, Timothy Lee’s career has gone up a couple of gears.
Lee, who graduated from Aftrs in 2006, modestly credits his progression in part to the talent drain which has resulted in numerous Aussie writers plying their trade in the Us and the UK.
“That has created opportunities for the next generation of writers,” says Lee, who got his start as a script assistant/researcher on Rescue Special Ops after securing an Australian Writers’ Guild internship with Southern Star, mentored by Sarah Smith.
That led to writing episodes of the Nine Network drama and the fourth season of Network Ten’s cop show Rush. Working on Playmaker Media’s House Husbands, he reflects, “was good for my craft but not so good for my profile.
After serving as a script editor on three seasons of House Husbands and writing episodes of Rush and Serangoon Road, Timothy Lee’s career has gone up a couple of gears.
Lee, who graduated from Aftrs in 2006, modestly credits his progression in part to the talent drain which has resulted in numerous Aussie writers plying their trade in the Us and the UK.
“That has created opportunities for the next generation of writers,” says Lee, who got his start as a script assistant/researcher on Rescue Special Ops after securing an Australian Writers’ Guild internship with Southern Star, mentored by Sarah Smith.
That led to writing episodes of the Nine Network drama and the fourth season of Network Ten’s cop show Rush. Working on Playmaker Media’s House Husbands, he reflects, “was good for my craft but not so good for my profile.
- 5/13/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Sam Chisholm, the New Zealand-born television executive best known for launching Rupert Murdoch’s BSkyB, has died aged 78. Chisholm, a “pugnacious” figure in both the Australian and British television industries, was widely credited as one of the key figures in securing the English Premier League rights for Murdoch’s pay-tv broadcaster, a game-changing move for Sky.
Chisholm joined Sky Television as CEO in 1989 after 15 years running Kerry Packer’s Australian broadcaster Nine Network. He was responsible for merging Sky with British Satellite Broadcasting to create the pay-tv behemoth and was a terrifying figure in media circles, ruthless and always willing to sack staff. In addition to scoring the Premier League rights, he was known for his ability to strike landmark deals with the Hollywood studios over film rights.
He retired from Sky in 1997 and stayed on as a director for two years before returning to Nine Network in 2005 following a double lung transplant.
Chisholm joined Sky Television as CEO in 1989 after 15 years running Kerry Packer’s Australian broadcaster Nine Network. He was responsible for merging Sky with British Satellite Broadcasting to create the pay-tv behemoth and was a terrifying figure in media circles, ruthless and always willing to sack staff. In addition to scoring the Premier League rights, he was known for his ability to strike landmark deals with the Hollywood studios over film rights.
He retired from Sky in 1997 and stayed on as a director for two years before returning to Nine Network in 2005 following a double lung transplant.
- 7/10/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes flew into Sydney, Australia Wednesday in a public show of solidarity to attend a state memorial service for media mogul Kerry Packer. Media reports had speculated that the seven-months-pregnant Holmes had cancelled her trip at the last minute on the advice of her doctors who had advised against the 14-hour flight. The couple arrived on Cruise's private jet to show support for Packer's son, James, who has been a close friend of the actor's for five years. Their friendship grew through the Church of Scientology and Packer has described Cruise as one of "the world's nicest guys." The celebrity couple accompanied James and his girlfriend, Erica Baxter, on a yacht docked outside the Park Hyatt hotel on Sydney Harbor. Cruise told local media, "It's good to be back in Australia" and that he was "thrilled and excited" about the upcoming birth of his baby. The Mission: Impossible star, who is a qualified pilot, admitted he did not fly his private jet to Australia himself, as he was busy working and attending to Holmes.
- 2/17/2006
- WENN
Movie star Tom Cruise will attend the funeral of media mogul Kerry Packer in Sydney, Australia alone on Friday, after his pregnant fiancee Katie Holmes decided to stay at home at the last minute. Despite travel plans and accommodation arrangements being scheduled for both Cruise and Holmes, the Mission: Impossible star will stay at The Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney without his 27-year-old wife-to-be. Holmes is at least seven months pregnant and was reportedly advised not to endure the 14-hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney. Cruise is a friend of Packer's son James, and will attend the state funeral for the elder Packer on Friday. Actor Russell Crowe is scheduled to deliver the eulogy during the funeral, which is being broadcast live on Australian television. Cruise spent New Year's Eve 1999 on Sydney Harbor on Packer's yacht, The Arctic P, with his wife at the time, Nicole Kidman. The actor is expected to spend time on the yacht again during his visit, before flying out of Sydney on Sunday.
- 2/16/2006
- WENN
SYDNEY -- Just 36 hours after the death of Australian billionaire and media mogul Kerry Packer, his son was in his Sydney offices to take control of Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd. James Packer, 38, inherited the AUS$11 billion ($8 billion) media and gaming empire from his father. It was the first get-together of PBL executives since Packer's death Monday night from kidney and heart failure. CEO John Alexander said that James and PBL management would use "the present platform of companies to develop even more ambitious and successful enterprises," while reiterating, despite intense industry speculation, that PBL had no intention of selling off Kerry Packer's favorite asset, the Nine television network.
- 12/30/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Just 36 hours after the death of Australian billionaire and media mogul Kerry Packer, his son was in his Sydney offices to take control of Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd. James Packer, 38, inherited the AUS$11 billion ($8 billion) media and gaming empire from his father. It was the first get-together of PBL executives since Packer's death Monday night from kidney and heart failure. CEO John Alexander said that James and PBL management would use "the present platform of companies to develop even more ambitious and successful enterprises," while reiterating, despite intense industry speculation, that PBL had no intention of selling off Kerry Packer's favorite asset, the Nine television network.
- 12/30/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Just 36 hours after the death of Australian billionaire and media mogul Kerry Packer, his son was in his Sydney offices to take control of Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd. James Packer, 38, inherited the AUS$11 billion ($8 billion) media and gaming empire from his father. It was the first get-together of PBL executives since Packer's death Monday night from kidney and heart failure. CEO John Alexander said that James and PBL management would use "the present platform of companies to develop even more ambitious and successful enterprises," while reiterating, despite intense industry speculation, that PBL had no intention of selling off Kerry Packer's favorite asset, the Nine television network.
- 12/30/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Kerry Packer, head of Australia's Nine Network and the country's richest man, died in his sleep here Monday night. He was 68. No cause of death was reported, but Packer -- who alongside Rupert Murdoch is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Australian media -- had battled a series of illnesses in recent years. He had a kidney transplant in 2001, with a kidney donated by his helicopter pilot. Since 1990 he'd suffered a series of heart attacks -- after one of which, when declared dead for seven minutes, he quipped, "Mate, I've been to the other side, and there's nothing there." Tony Ritchie, Nine's head of news, announced Packer's death in a statement read on the air Tuesday. "Mrs. Kerry Packer and her children James and Gretel sadly report the passing last evening of her husband and their father Kerry," he said. "He died peacefully at home with his family at his bedside. He will be lovingly remembered and missed enormously. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced."...
- 12/27/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Kerry Packer, head of Australia's Nine Network and the country's richest man, died in his sleep here Monday night. He was 68. No cause of death was reported, but Packer -- who alongside Rupert Murdoch is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Australian media -- had battled a series of illnesses in recent years. He had a kidney transplant in 2001, with a kidney donated by his helicopter pilot. Since 1990 he'd suffered a series of heart attacks -- after one of which, when declared dead for seven minutes, he quipped, "Mate, I've been to the other side, and there's nothing there." Tony Ritchie, Nine's head of news, announced Packer's death in a statement read on the air Tuesday. "Mrs. Kerry Packer and her children James and Gretel sadly report the passing last evening of her husband and their father Kerry," he said. "He died peacefully at home with his family at his bedside. He will be lovingly remembered and missed enormously. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced."...
- 12/27/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Kerry Packer, head of Australia's Nine Network and the country's richest man, died in his sleep here Monday night. He was 68. No cause of death was reported, but Packer -- who alongside Rupert SYDNEY -- Kerry Packer, head of Australia's Nine Network and the country's richest man, died in his sleep here Monday night. He was 68. No cause of death was reported, but Packer -- who alongside Rupert Murdoch is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Australian media -- had battled a series of illnesses in recent years. He had a kidney transplant in 2001, with a kidney donated by his helicopter pilot. Since 1990 he'd suffered a series of heart attacks -- after one of which, when declared dead for seven minutes, he quipped, "Mate, I've been to the other side, and there's nothing there." Tony Ritchie, Nine's head of news, announced Packer's death in a statement read on the air Tuesday. "Mrs. Kerry Packer and her children James and Gretel sadly report the passing last evening of her husband and their father Kerry," he said. "He died peacefully at home with his family at his bedside. He will be lovingly remembered and missed enormously. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced."...
- 12/27/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Kerry Packer, head of Australia's Nine Network and the country's richest man, died in his sleep here Monday night. He was 68. No cause of death was reported, but Packer -- who alongside Rupert Murdoch is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Australian media -- had battled a series of illnesses in recent years. He had a kidney transplant in 2001, with a kidney donated by his helicopter pilot. Since 1990 he'd suffered a series of heart attacks -- after one of which, when declared dead for seven minutes, he quipped, "Mate, I've been to the other side, and there's nothing there." Tony Ritchie, Nine's head of news, announced Packer's death in a statement read on the air Tuesday. "Mrs. Kerry Packer and her children James and Gretel sadly report the passing last evening of her husband and their father Kerry," he said. "He died peacefully at home with his family at his bedside. He will be lovingly remembered and missed enormously. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced."...
- 12/26/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Kerry Packer, head of Australia's Nine Network and the country's richest man, died in his sleep here Monday night. He was 68. No cause of death was reported, but Packer -- who alongside Rupert Murdoch is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Australian media -- had battled a series of illnesses in recent years. He had a kidney transplant in 2001, with a kidney donated by his helicopter pilot. Since 1990 he'd suffered a series of heart attacks -- after one of which, when declared dead for seven minutes, he quipped, "Mate, I've been to the other side, and there's nothing there." Tony Ritchie, Nine's head of news, announced Packer's death in a statement read on the air Tuesday. "Mrs. Kerry Packer and her children James and Gretel sadly report the passing last evening of her husband and their father Kerry," he said. "He died peacefully at home with his family at his bedside. He will be lovingly remembered and missed enormously. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced."...
- 12/26/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Kerry Packer, head of Australia's Nine Network and the country's richest man, died in his sleep here Monday night. He was 68. No cause of death was reported, but Packer -- who alongside Rupert Murdoch is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Australian media -- had battled a series of illnesses in recent years. He had a kidney transplant in 2001, with a kidney donated by his helicopter pilot. Since 1990 he'd suffered a series of heart attacks -- after one of which, when declared dead for seven minutes, he quipped, "Mate, I've been to the other side, and there's nothing there." Tony Ritchie, Nine's head of news, announced Packer's death in a statement read on the air Tuesday. "Mrs. Kerry Packer and her children James and Gretel sadly report the passing last evening of her husband and their father Kerry," he said. "He died peacefully at home with his family at his bedside. He will be lovingly remembered and missed enormously. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced."...
- 12/26/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Kerry Packer's Nine Network claimed the 2005 ratings crown as the survey period came to a close over the weekend, based on results by ratings agency OzTam. The network has won every ratings year since the introduction of people meters in 1991, with the exception of 2000 when the Sydney Olympics were held. It's also the fifth consecutive win for the network in total viewers. The results indicate an increasingly tight margin between Australia's three free-to-air networks -- Nine, Seven and Ten -- with each claiming gains in different demographics and programming categories.
- 11/28/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Australia's two major pay TV platforms, Foxtel and Austar, on Monday announced they plan to migrate 100% of their subscription base from analog to digital by March 2007, far outstripping current trends in the free-to-air broadcast sector. It's also one of the fastest adoption rates experienced internationally to date. The two operators also announced that they plan to launch at least two high-definition TV channels by 2008 to compete against the limited range currently offered by free-to-air networks. Foxtel is Australia's largest pay operator, with just over one million subscribers. It's 50%-owned by News Corp. and Kerry Packer's Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd., with the remaining stake held by telco Telstra.
- 10/24/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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