George Pimentel/WireImage.com

The freelance reporter at the center of an ongoing legal battle concerning the late Heath Ledger has been ordered to do a little fact-checking on her claims.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John S. Wiley has dismissed 11 of the 12 allegations the so-called Jane Doe plaintiff has lobbed against the Splash News agency for a 2006 video in which she and Ledger appeared to be in the vicinity of some illicit substances. Wiley said the plaintiff failed to properly state her legal claims and must modify the suit if she wishes to proceed.

The unnamed woman had originally claimed she was the victim of fraud, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress or negligence and trespass, though the judge ruled that, as written, her lawsuit only accounts for the latter charge.

She has 15 days to amend her complaint or the lawsuit will be tossed.

Keep Reading

George Pimentel/WireImage.com

Nearly seven months after his death, what Heath Ledger did behind closed doors is still a major issue for some people.

A woman suing celebrity-photo agency Splash News after she ended up on a tape featuring the late actor in close proximity to cocaine is fighting to keep her legal action from being dismissed.

The plaintiff, who refers to herself only as "Jane Doe" in her complaint, claims her privacy rights were violated because she was caught on video with the Dark Knight star—whom she claims was duped into participating.

Keep Reading

Ash Knotek/Snapers/ZUMAPress.com

Mary-Kate Olsen has avoided being served.

Law enforcement reps, speaking on condition of anonymity, are saying that the Drug Enforcement Administration has closed its investigation into how Heath Ledger obtained two of the prescription painkillers found in his system at the time of his sudden death on Jan. 22.

That aspect of the federal agency's inquiry was expected to involve Olsen, who via her attorney issued a statement Monday saying that she had "nothing whatsoever to do with the drugs found in Heath Ledger's home or his body, and does not know where he obtained them."

Keep Reading

Jim Spellman/WireImage.com, Nick Harvey/WireImage.com

Guess Mary-Kate Olsen hasn't given officials all the "relevant information" they needed in the Heath Ledger case after all.

Days after a formal statement from the twin's rep proclaiming her innocence and insisting Olsen has fully cooperated with the Drug Enforcement Administration's investigation into how Ledger obtained medications sans prescription, E! News has confirmed a subpoena with the star's name on it is ready and waiting to be delivered.

"It was dated and signed on April 23, but it has not been enforced yet," says a federal law-enforcement source, denying reports circulating earlier today that Olsen had already been served.

"We are still in negotiations. There are still negotiations with Mary-Kate's lawyer and also with our U.S. Attorney's Office, the prosecutors."

Keep Reading

Jim Spellman/WireImage.com, Nick Harvey/WireImage.com

Mary-Kate Olsen is, and isn't, talking about Heath Ledger.

As E! News confirmed a report that the moneyed former child star is seeking immunity before talking to federal investigators probing Ledger's fatal overdose, Olsen's lawyer released a statement that makes the 22-year-old's message loud and clear.

"Despite tabloid speculation, Mary-Kate Olsen has nothing whatsoever to do with the drugs found in Heath Ledger's home or his body, and does not know where he obtained them," said Olsen attorney Michael C. Miller.

Keep Reading

Warner Brothers, Paramount

Ten years after sailing off with $600.8 million, Titanic remains the top-grossing movie of all-time, a title which, up until The Dark Knight onslaught, hasn't been seriously challenged.

Why?

Statistically speaking, says Jeffrey Simonoff, borrowing a famous line from screenwriter William Goldman, "Nobody knows."

"Many people have noted if the stock market is a high-risk market, the movies is far riskier," says Simonoff, professor of statistics at New York University's Stern School of Business.

Huge opening weekends and great buzz certainly increase a movie's odds of making lots and lots of money, but beyond that, Simonoff argues, it's all guesswork.

Keep Reading

Warner Bros. Entertainment.com

Can anything stop the Batman?

With The Dark Knight having blown past $200 million on Tuesday, just five days into its release, the answer apparently is no.

Steve Mason, lead box-office analyst for FantasyMoguls.com, said he thinks the movie will pick up another $70 million-$80 million this coming weekend, helping it blow past $300 million in less than 10 days.

"There's never been anything like it," Mason says via email.

The seemingly endless record grosses are coming despite a pair of offscreen incidents that, individually, have helped kill lesser movies: (1) the shocking death of one star and (2) the criminal allegations against another.

Keep Reading

Stephen Vaughan/Warner Bros. Entertainment

Spider-Man Batman forever.

The Dark Knight chased Spider-Man 3 from the record books with a $155.3 opening weekend gross, per Exhibitor Relations Co. estimates today.

The figure capped three days of eye-popping figures for the Christopher Nolan film. The highlights:

• The Dark Knight made more money in Friday midnight screenings ($18.5 million) than its predecessor, Batman Begins, made in any one day.
• The Dark Knight made more money in one day ($66.4 million on Friday) than Batman Begins made in any one weekend.
• The Dark Knight made about as much money in its second-biggest day ($48 million on Saturday) as Batman Begins made in its biggest weekend ($48.7 million).

Keep Reading

Stephen Vaughan/Warner Bros. Entertainment

So goes Plano, Texas, so goes the movie nation: The Dark Knight is one hot ticket.

The latest Batman movie, inspiring thousands of sold-out screenings and countless desperate hunts for seats, grossed a record $18.5 million at midnight screenings, studio estimates said today.

"That's just a portion of the day," marveled Media by the Numbers' box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

"I think this could break a lot of records," he said. "Yesterday, I was hedging my bets, but now all bets are off."

Keep Reading

Warner Brothers

At midnight, it comes. With expectations fueled by hundreds of advance sellouts, glorious reviews and Oscar buzz.

The Dark Knight, box-office experts say assuredly, is a $100 million opening-weekend lock—a feat requiring a take of at least $1.4 million every hour for 72 straight hours, a feat accomplished by only 10 movies in Hollywood history.

So far.

"It's just a ripped movie," says Media by the Numbers's Paul Dergarabedian of the latest Batman adventure. "It's not just a superhero movie. It is a crime epic...It kind of transcends that superhero moniker."

Keep Reading