February 11, 2009 4:19 PM
- Text
Owen Wilson Drops Out Of Stiller Film
(AP)
Owen Wilson, hospitalized after an apparent suicide attempt, has dropped out of the upcoming ensemble comedy "Tropic Thunder."
Wilson will not appear in the DreamWorks movie, already six weeks into production in Hawaii, Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter said Wednesday, citing sources they didn't identify.
The decision was characterized as a mutual agreement between director Ben Stiller and the 38-year-old actor, who was taken to the hospital Sunday after police responded to the report of a suicide attempt at his Santa Monica home.
The Hollywood Reporter said Wilson had a minor part in the movie, which stars Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. and revolves around a group of actors who find themselves in the middle of a war.
Messages left early Wednesday for a DreamWorks representative and Wilson publicist Ina Treciokas seeking comment weren't immediately returned.
Treciokas declined to answer questions Tuesday about whether Wilson attempted to commit suicide.
Many Hollywood insiders believe Wilson's setback will be short-lived and that he will continue to enjoy big-screen success.
"He's loved," Bernie Brillstein, a veteran Hollywood manager who worked with John Belushi and Chris Farley, said Tuesday.
Brillstein said the incident is "serious, but it's a singular case. Anyone can have a bad day, a very bad day."
Wilson's box-office track record - "Wedding Crashers" topped $200 million, "Cars" brought in almost $250 million - plus his on-screen image as an affable everyman who can charm the ladies while boozing with the boys has made him a favorite with both filmmakers and filmgoers.
Wilson's public perception is "very positive," industry analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Media By Numbers said Tuesday. "Owen Wilson has a really good reputation and people in general really feel bad for him right now."
Fox Searchlight had no comment Tuesday about "The Darjeeling Limited," which stars Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman. The film is scheduled for release Sept. 29.
Wilson's next starring vehicle, Paramount's "Drillbit Taylor," is set for a March release, a studio spokeswoman said, declining further comment.
A spokesman for 20th Century Fox declined to discuss Wilson's scheduled appearance opposite Jennifer Aniston in the upcoming "Marley & Me."
"It's an inappropriate question to ask," he said. "All our thoughts and concerns are with his health and well-being. Owen asked his privacy be respected and we intend to honor that."
Wilson's emotional issues could have "a deep impact on his future employability and the ability to obtain insurance," said longtime publicist Michael Levine.
But Brillstein said the problem lies in media coverage and the public's taste for ever more sensational celebrity news.
"There is no boundary," he said. "This (kind of thing) has happened for years but the press was never so vigilant in reporting bad news."
By Sandy Cohen
Wilson will not appear in the DreamWorks movie, already six weeks into production in Hawaii, Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter said Wednesday, citing sources they didn't identify.
The decision was characterized as a mutual agreement between director Ben Stiller and the 38-year-old actor, who was taken to the hospital Sunday after police responded to the report of a suicide attempt at his Santa Monica home.
The Hollywood Reporter said Wilson had a minor part in the movie, which stars Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. and revolves around a group of actors who find themselves in the middle of a war.
Wilson's part was to be filmed in just a week, the trade paper said.Photos: Owen Wilson
Messages left early Wednesday for a DreamWorks representative and Wilson publicist Ina Treciokas seeking comment weren't immediately returned.
Treciokas declined to answer questions Tuesday about whether Wilson attempted to commit suicide.
Many Hollywood insiders believe Wilson's setback will be short-lived and that he will continue to enjoy big-screen success.
"He's loved," Bernie Brillstein, a veteran Hollywood manager who worked with John Belushi and Chris Farley, said Tuesday.
Brillstein said the incident is "serious, but it's a singular case. Anyone can have a bad day, a very bad day."
Wilson's box-office track record - "Wedding Crashers" topped $200 million, "Cars" brought in almost $250 million - plus his on-screen image as an affable everyman who can charm the ladies while boozing with the boys has made him a favorite with both filmmakers and filmgoers.
Wilson's public perception is "very positive," industry analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Media By Numbers said Tuesday. "Owen Wilson has a really good reputation and people in general really feel bad for him right now."
Fox Searchlight had no comment Tuesday about "The Darjeeling Limited," which stars Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman. The film is scheduled for release Sept. 29.
Wilson's next starring vehicle, Paramount's "Drillbit Taylor," is set for a March release, a studio spokeswoman said, declining further comment.
A spokesman for 20th Century Fox declined to discuss Wilson's scheduled appearance opposite Jennifer Aniston in the upcoming "Marley & Me."
"It's an inappropriate question to ask," he said. "All our thoughts and concerns are with his health and well-being. Owen asked his privacy be respected and we intend to honor that."
Wilson's emotional issues could have "a deep impact on his future employability and the ability to obtain insurance," said longtime publicist Michael Levine.
But Brillstein said the problem lies in media coverage and the public's taste for ever more sensational celebrity news.
"There is no boundary," he said. "This (kind of thing) has happened for years but the press was never so vigilant in reporting bad news."
By Sandy Cohen
Popular Now in Entertainment
- Adele in Whitney's shadow as Grammys start
- Leslie Carter dead at 25
- Adele wins 6 Grammys, including Album of the Year
- Zsa Zsa at 95: Husband releases birthday photos
- Watch: Whitney's final performance
- Beyonce, Jay-Z post photos of Blue Ivy Carter
- "Idol": Carrey's daughter out, and then disaster
- Bobbi Kristina on alleged coke snorting photos
- Whitney Houston's final performance
- Whitney's mother: "We are devastated"
- Beyonce shows off her post-baby body
- Mariah Carey on Twitter: "Heartbroken"; Others react
- Grammys 2012: Fashion statements for good and bad
- Schwarzenegger, Stallone have hospital run-in
- Bobby Brown joins daughter in Los Angeles
- Remembering Whitney Houston 1963-2012
- Whitney Houston's body moved from hotel
Latest CBS News Headlines
on Facebook
on CBS News
- Teamsters members at Hostess vote to OK a strike
- Fossil, Diebold, Regeneron are market movers
- Obama honors achievements in arts, humanities
- Michigan officials oppose Lansing casino plans
on Facebook
- Whitney Houston 1963-2012
- Diane Aulger induces labor weeks early to let dying husband Mark hold baby
- 2012 Grammys: Red-carpet arrivals
on CBS News
