The latest news from Hollywood

Movies
+ Nearly two years after its inauspicious Sundance premiere, controversial Southern gothic drama Hounddog (otherwise known as ”the Dakota Fanning rape movie”) is finally hitting theaters on Sept. 5. The film — in which Fanning stars as Lewellen, an impoverished, Elvis-obsessed girl violated by a local teenager — left the festival in January 2007 with no distributor and plenty of hits from critics. ”It was painful,” says writer-director Deborah Kampmeier, who calls that version ”a work in progress. We were rushed to get ready for Sundance. Afterward, I was able to go back in and choose [stronger] takes. Fifty percent of the film is different now.” Kampmeier also trimmed the rape scene and cut creepy footage in which Lewellen’s father (played by David Morse) crawls into bed with her. ”Every single moment needed to support the story,” Kampmeier says. ”If something wasn’t working, then I had to take it out.”
+ Ron Burgundy fans, rejoice! It looks like Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, the brains behind Anchorman, are ready to put sexist, freewheeling newscaster Ron Burgundy back in the anchor chair. McKay tells EW that he and Ferrell have begun work on a sequel that could jump ahead a decade to the ’80s. (We can see it now: Ron discovers hair mousse.) DreamWorks says it hasn’t yet talked to the duo, but that doesn’t mean Ferrell and McKay aren’t dreaming up inappropriate new plots. ”The audience will now allow us to do even crazier stuff,” says McKay, ”and that’s really all we’re looking for in our careers.” — Missy Schwartz and Nicole Sperling, with additional reporting by Carrie Bell

TV
+ Now that the much-anticipated Office spin-off is on the back burner while writer Greg Daniels develops a comedy for Amy Poehler, NBC has to find a show to follow the Super Bowl on Feb. 1. A new episode of The Office seems like the most obvious choice, though far more enlightening alternatives may exist elsewhere on the schedule. To wit: The cast of 30 Rock had previously considered whether to pitch a live telecast after it successfully performed an episode at New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre last winter. Says a network insider: ”It’s still unclear at this point, but we’re gonna put the best asset we can in that slot.” So don’t hold your breath, Lipstick Jungle fans. — Lynette Rice

Music
+ You may recognize Bow Wow when he pops up on HBO’s Entourage this September as a new client of Eric’s (Kevin Connolly), but don’t bother looking for his name in the credits. The 21-year-old rapper-actor is opting to use his real moniker, Shad Moss. ”Bow Wow is an established artist, but he’s just a kid,” he says. ”Shad Moss is who I am 24/7.” But he’s not out of the doghouse just yet: He’ll release his seventh Bow Wow album, Pedigree, this November. And even though it features high-profile guests like Snoop Dogg, T.I., Nelly, Lil Wayne, and Soulja Boy, Bow Wow (or is it Moss?) hints that he’s flirting with the idea of retiring from music entirely. ”One day I will stop and just be an actor. I feel it in my bones. But when I’m on a movie set for three months watching [BET’s] 106 & Park and I don’t see me on there, that drives me to think I can’t leave it alone just yet.” — Shirley Halperin

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