Travolta's sci-fi flop beats Honest

John Travolta's £50m movie Battlefield Earth has suffered a poor initial turnout from movie-goers - but has still managed to earn double the takings of All Saints' Honest.

Travolta's film - ridiculed by critics - took just £297,832 in its all-important opening weekend, dwarfed by Gladiator's third-week takings of £2m.

But it was roughly double Honest's opening take last week of £111,309 and was enough to get the science fiction epic into the charts at number seven.

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Attempted ex-Beatle murder denied

The man accused of attempting to murder former Beatle George Harrison and his wife Olivia has been committed for trial.

Michael Abram, 33, from Huyton, Liverpool, pleaded not guilty to five separate charges at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday.

Abram denies attempting to murder Harrison, 56, and his 51-year-old wife at their home on the 34-acre Friar Park estate in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, on 30 December last year.

He also denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent to George Harrison, unlawfully wounding Olivia Harrison and a further charge of aggravated burglary.

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Bee Gees tribute planned

The Bee Gees are to be honoured with a tribute concert this summer as top acts perform the veteran trio's tunes.

The show - organised by the music channel VH1 - will feature a series of Bee Gees medleys by unnamed acts.

The event, held to showcase tracks from the band's latest album, will include a round-up of some of their finest moments from a four decade career.

It will be held on 14 August at Brixton Academy, as part of an on-going series.

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Row threatens Steinbeck 'Pearl' movie

The son of classic American novelist John Steinbeck is considering legal action against a film adaptation of his book The Pearl.

Thomas Steinbeck says he is considering legal action to block distribution of the film, about a poor Mexican pearl diver who discovers a giant pearl.

He claims the addition of sex scenes and sharks violate the producers' vow to maintain the integrity of the work.

The movie stars Richard Harris and Lukas Haas.

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Theron drops glamour image

Charlize Theron is breaking away from her usual glamour roles by playing the poor "white trash" wife of Patrick Swayze in the film Wakin' Up in Reno.

The comedy centres on two couples on their way to see a monster truck show.

Director Jordan Brady said: "Charlize has always been the object of a man's desire in the movies but she wanted a chance to do some broader comedy."

Her previous roles include a supermodel in the 1998 movie Celebrity.

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Osmond writes postnatal depression Book

Marie Osmond is writing a book about her battle with postnatal depression, which she suffered after the birth of her seventh child.

The 40-year-old told a US paper it had been "very tough" to go public about it but that the response had been amazing.

I was absolutely overwhelmed by the hundreds and thousands of e-mails and letters," said the singer who now hosts a chatshow with brother Donny.

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Corrie star's plea over death plot

Coronation Street star Denise Welch has revealed that the soap's writers wanted her character to become pregnant and lose the child.

But Welch - who plays Natalie Barnes - rejected the idea, which came soon after the deaths of on-screen husband Des and son Tony.

Speaking on That's Esther, she said there were too many deaths in the soap.

"I've made a request that there are no more dead relatives at all," she said. "I just want to have a bit of fun!"