Regency Enterprises

Milchan Gets New Backer: Australian businessman and media owner Kerry Packer has agreed to become a major shareholder and investor in Arnon Milchan's Regency Enterprises through Nine Network Australia Ltd., his Australian television company. Packer replaces German media tycoon Bodo Scriba at Regency, though Scriba will continue to co-produce all Regency productions and distribute all Regency products in Germany.

Arnon Milchan, Hollywood producer of such films as "JFK," "Tin Cup," "L.A. Confidential" and the current "City of Angels," is now hoping to serve up women's tennis to the world. Milchan's Regency Enterprises is expected to formally announce today that it has acquired worldwide television rights to the Corel WTA Tour series of women's professional tennis tournaments.

Arnon Milchan, Hollywood producer of such films as "JFK," "Tin Cup," "L.A. Confidential" and the current "City of Angels," is now hoping to serve up women's tennis to the world. Milchan's Regency Enterprises is expected to formally announce today that it has acquired worldwide television rights to the Corel WTA Tour series of women's professional tennis tournaments.

German media mogul Leo Kirch's check-writing blitz in Hollywood continued Thursday with the announcement that he is buying 7.5% of prolific film producer New Regency Productions. Kirch joins such deep-pocketed investors as Australian billionaire Kerry Packer and Korean electronics giant Samsung Entertainment Group in backing the ambitious plans of producer Arnon Milchan, whose Warner Bros.-based company made such hit films as "A Time to Kill," "Tin Cup" and "Heat."

German media mogul Leo Kirch's check-writing blitz in Hollywood continued Thursday with the announcement that he is buying 7.5% of prolific film producer New Regency Productions. Kirch joins such deep-pocketed investors as Australian billionaire Kerry Packer and Korean electronics giant Samsung Entertainment Group in backing the ambitious plans of producer Arnon Milchan, whose Warner Bros.-based company made such hit films as "A Time to Kill," "Tin Cup" and "Heat."

William F. Kartozian confirmed Tuesday that he will step down as president of the National Assn. of Theater Owners at the end of the year. He has served almost continuously since September, 1988, as the first full-time, paid president of the exhibitors organization. The group said it is in the early stages of finding a successor. Kartozian, a highly respected, Harvard-educated lawyer and former theater owner, said he has no plans. He has said he is "looking forward to the unknown."

Jennifer Garner is resurrecting her "Daredevil" role. 20th Century Fox and production partner Regency Enterprises said that Garner will star in an action spinoff featuring her Elektra Natchios character, introduced in Ben Affleck's superhero hit "Daredevil." The Elektra film will be set after events in "Daredevil," in which Garner's character seemingly died. But "Daredevil" ended with a cryptic scene indicating Elektra might have survived.

Macaulay Culkin has bright red candy lips in "George Balanchine's The Nutcracker" (citywide). They're practically phosphorescent. They could turn out to be the most famous pop star lips since Mick Jagger's. Clearly this is not the insight one is supposed to take away from this film. But whenever Culkin, playing the Nutcracker Prince, turns up, the bottom tends to drop out of the ballet (dance review, F12).

Robert Harper is leaving his position as vice chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment to head the studio's most important outside supplier of movies and television programming, Regency Filmed Entertainment. As the top executive at Regency, Harper will oversee New Regency Productions, its feature film division, as well as Regency Television. New Regency produced such hits as "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." The TV unit was behind "Malcolm in the Middle." News Corp.

"Empire Records" is a soundtrack album in search of a movie. It's not so much a film as a series of random scenes connected by pop songs concerning a record store so hip that spontaneous dancing routinely breaks out in the aisles and so cool that the easiest way to get a job there is to come in and fire a few rounds from a gun.

Milchan Gets New Backer: Australian businessman and media owner Kerry Packer has agreed to become a major shareholder and investor in Arnon Milchan's Regency Enterprises through Nine Network Australia Ltd., his Australian television company. Packer replaces German media tycoon Bodo Scriba at Regency, though Scriba will continue to co-produce all Regency productions and distribute all Regency products in Germany.

For film producer Arnon Milchan, there's no business like the shoe business. The prolific maker of such movies as "JFK," "A Time to Kill" and "Heat" is spending about $80 million for a 12.5% stake in the German athletic footwear and apparel company Puma, with an option to buy an additional 12.5%.

"The Man Who Knew Too Little" is too little, too late. At a time when the James Bond franchise struggles to keep au courant, a sendup of those Cold War spy capers of the '60s and '70s requires considerable imagination. Unfortunately, Bill Murray, Joanne Whalley, Peter Gallagher and Alfred Molina can't make a dent in this stale and hopelessly contrived comedy.