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June 23, 2000
Web posted at: 2:10 p.m. EDT (1810 GMT)

From staff and wire reports

Today's buzz stories:

• Lawmaker in huff over Buffaloans in the buff
• Stone set to star in 'Basic Instinct 2'
• Ivana sues over surprise water stun
• Fox film chairman leaves to form new venture

BUFFALO, New York -- A Buffalo legislator doesn't want a bad image of his city laid bare by a Broadway-bound version of "The Full Monty."

U.S. Rep. Jack Quinn is miffed that a musical version of the hit movie, about men who strip to make money in an economically depressed town, shifts the setting from Sheffield, England, to his home turf.

"Your current treatment of our city is both incorrect and irresponsible," Quinn wrote in a letter to playwright Terrence McNally, who adapted the story for the stage.

The Republican lawmaker, whose Rust Belt city has experienced economic hardship, argued that choosing a fictional setting for the story would avoid "undue harm to the psyche of a city on the rebound."

NEW YORK -- Sharon Stone will be one of the few familiar faces on the set of the sequel to "Basic Instinct."

Stone is expected to get about $15 million to revisit the icepick-wielding murder suspect from the 1992 blockbuster, Variety reported. But neither co- star Michael Douglas, screenwriter Joe Eszterhas nor director Paul Verhoeven are expected to return for "Basic Instinct 2," which starts filming this fall.

Stone long ruled out starring in a sequel, but said she was reassured by the involvement of the original producers and feels it will be made "with respect to the spirit of the original."

"I'm hoping that this will also be a two-box-of-popcorn fun experience at the theater," she said.

NEW YORK -- First The Donald, now this: Ivana Trump says an Italian TV company subjected her to "severe emotional distress" and made her sick during a surprise stunt last summer.

Donald Trump's ex is suing the company for $3 million, alleging that an employees doused her with a large quantity of water on a "Candid Camera"- like program called "Scherzi A Parte."

She claims the incident made her sick, destroyed a $3,000 dress and caused her to lose a pair of expensive earrings.

"She was not treated with respect on that show," lawyer Dan Harrington said.

Officials with RETI Televisive Italiane could not be reached for comment on the lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in Manhattan.

LOS ANGELES -- The head of Fox moviemaking has stepped down to start his own film production company.

Bill Mechanic, who served as chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment during "Titanic," resigned Thursday to open his as-yet-unnamed movie firm.

"The studio is in excellent shape with a strong summer line-up and terrific product into next summer," said Mechanic, who was at Fox for seven years, "and so I feel now is the time to pursue other personal ambitions."