Jake Gyllenhaal - 'an object of romantic passion'

Tonight emerged the extremely unbelieveable but very amusing yarn - amusing because it is so unbelievable - that a woman at Ealing Studios, West London, has been fired on the orders of Jerry Bruckheimer because of her Mills and Boons-esque ode to her love for Jake Gyllenhaal which she posted on the wall. Apparently, Prince of Persia stuff was taking place at the time, and Jake was about, and the lady's protestations of love were fed by a mischief maker under the door of a trailer.


Jerry Bruckheimer has denied that anyone has been sacked for 'praising Gyllenhaal as an object of romantic passion'. Just as well, as that must be a daily hazard around studios where Jake's about. You'd have thought they'd be used to it by now. It is interesting, however, to see the association of Eaing Studios with Prince of Persia.


Talking of Prince of Persia, a short while ago, I posted a link to an interview with filmset sculptor Robert Bean from Leek, Staffordshire - partly because I have family in Leek and this is the first connection I have ever heard between this one-bar town and Hollywood. Clearly, Leek's newspapers are similarly amazed because today there is another feature about their well-connected son.


While there have been some grumblings about the postponement of Prince of Persia, I think many of us are now resigned to the belief that the extra eleven months will mean, hopefully, an unrushed and spectacularly finished visual treat, in faith with the mood and tone of the games that have inspired it. By interesting comparison, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has also just been delayed and, apparently, the fans are in uproar - Harry and Dumbledore are running for the hills.


Finally, when Jackson Browne wrote the song Running on Empty way back when, I expect he had little idea that all these years later it would be used as an anthem in the campaign to get Republican John McCain elected to the White House. But it is and so Browne, a committed activist, is prosecuting, arguing that the use of his song is an anathema. This song was, of course, an inspiration for Naomi Foner's Oscar-nominated screenplay of the same name. Naomi's daughter Maggie is expected to attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver later in August.


And finally finally, Jeffrey Wells has been trying to find out if Brothers will be included in the Toronto lineup: 'Over the last couple of days I've written and called Sheridan (who's in town) to ask if Toronto might happen, and I've heard nothing back. I asked incoming MGM marketing guy Mike Vollman, who said something along the lines of "I haven't heard" or something like that. I also asked MGM corporate guy Jeff Pryor and he, too, claimed ignorance of the particulars, etc. You can interpret these three guys saying nothing as an indication of something or not. Probably not, I'm guessing, but it's only 72 hours to Tuesday morning.'

Includes pictures from IHJ.