Hannibal hits Boxing Day screens

Move-makers are thought to have paid a six-figure sum to show a Boxing Day advert on UK television for the sequel to classic horror film Silence of the Lambs.

The film, called Hannibal, will be trailed during the final episode of the current series of Cold Feet, a ratings success for ITV.

In the trailer, star Anthony Hopkins is seen fleetingly as Hannibal Lecter with a mask across his mouth, an enduring image from Silence Of The Lambs.

The movie is directed by Ridley Scott, recently nominated for a US Golden Globe for his box office hit Gladiator.

The eagerly awaited film premieres in New York on 5 February and opens in the UK on 16 February.

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Rooney 'feeling fine'

Veteran comedy actor Mickey Rooney says he is feeling fine after having multiple bypass heart surgery earlier in the week.

"I feel wonderful and I'm ready to go back to work," said the 80-year-old.

Doctors say that Rooney should be discharged before Christmas.

He is best known for the Andy Hardy films of the 1930s and 1940s and for National Velvet with Elizabeth Taylor.

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Harrison: 'We're all doomed'

Former Beatle George Harrison is so concerned about the state of the world he is jokingly considering calling his next album Your Planet Is Doomed, Volume One.

"The world is just going mental," said the 57-year-old musician, who survived a knife attack last December as well as a throat cancer scare in 1997.

Harrison is looking forward musically, though, with work on his first album of new material since 1987 plus a revamped version of his All Things Must Pass .

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The Grinch on top

Jim Carrey's movie The Grinch has become the highest grossing film of the year in the US.

The movie, which is based on the Dr Seuss children's story and is directed by Ron Howard, has taken £148m in the 34 days since its release.

This puts it ahead of Mission: Impossible II, which is the year's next highest earner.

The film also broke the record for the best non-sequel movie debut of all time.

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Tiger terrific for Toronto

Ang Lee's martial arts period romance Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has been named best film of the year by the Toronto Film Critics Association.

Los Angeles critics gave the film the same accolade earlier this week.

Steven Soderbergh was best director for Traffic, which also picked up the best actor award for Benicio Del Toro.

Laura Linney won best actress for You Can Count On Me, which also took home the best screenplay award.