Bruce Lee movie, biography aims to set record straight

Hong Kong – Bruce Lee’s family plans to produce a film on the late martial arts star, the first such movie it has actively supervised, the Chinese company making the motion picture said Sunday.

The film, which will be made by the Lee family and the Beijing Jian Yongjia film company, will be based on an upcoming biography of the late actor by Lee’s brother, Lee Chun-fai, Beijing Jian Yongjia said in a statement.

The Lee family wants to let people know the true story about the star, the statement said.

The book will debut on Nov. 25, Bruce Lee’s birthday, and Beijing Jian Yongjia will produce a series of films, TV shows and documentaries based on it, including a movie titled “Bruce Lee,” it said.

Hong Kong native Lee died in 1973 at age 32 from swelling of the brain. He is known for films in which he portrayed characters that defended the Chinese and working class from oppressors.

John Lithgow, Jeffrey Tambor team up for new comedy

Pasadena, Calif. – John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor hope to blow holes in the theory that a couple of 60-something men don’t fit TV advertisers’ coveted 18-to-34 age demographic.

The veteran actors co-star as mismatched buddies in the new comedy “Twenty Good Years,” debuting Oct. 4 on NBC.

“I know how it feels to suddenly think, ‘Wait a minute, I do only have a few good years left, and by God, I’m going to make good use of it,”‘ Lithgow told the Television Critics Assn.’s summer meeting Friday. “I always think that the best comedy has a string of anxiety and panic and fear in it.”

Lithgow, 60, has focused on Broadway since his hit NBC comedy “3rd Rock From the Sun” went off the air a few years ago. He spends downtime at his home in Montana.

Tambor, whose Fox comedy “Arrested Development” was canceled, stays young with his 19-month-old son and a grandson born four days later.

“I can’t believe that I’m 62,” he said. “I certainly understand the follies of trying to be young. I try to run every day and my chiropractor says, ‘Don’t. You’re hurting yourself. This is not good for you.’ I think human beings are hysterical in trying to avoid the inevitable.”

Will Smith marches against violence in his hometown

Philadelphia – Will Smith returned to his hometown to participate in a march against violence.

The actor and rapper said he wanted to do something about the violence in the city, which had 380 killings in 2005 and appears likely to top that number this year.

“We’re going to take this walk, hopefully draw a little attention to the problem and get some solutions,” Smith said Saturday as he walked with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, in West Philadelphia, along with local officials and members of the community.

The level of violence last week prompted the Philadelphia Daily News to call for the National Guard to patrol city streets.

Gov. Ed Rendell gave Philadelphia a $7.5 million grant for 166,000 hours of police overtime to help deal with gun violence until state police free up 70 city officers by taking over highway patrols.