Blockbuster Brown makes it to Hollywood

“The party needs a candidate to fight the election,” thunders the trailer. “Who’s it going to be? The seasoned pol and policy wonk, the ‘inevitable’ leader? Or the boyish, gifted orator preaching ‘change’?”

The Blair-Brown “Granita” pact finally makes it to Hollywood next week with the “world theatrical premiere” of The Deal, Stephen Frears’s Channel 4 drama starring Michael Sheen and David Morrissey.

The legendary producer Harvey Weinstein spotted an opportunity to market the “prequel to The Queen.” Since there is no Helen Mirren in this tale, the hard sell centres on parallels with the US election. “How did the young, dark-horse newcomer outmanoeuvre the inevitable candidate and win the prize?” asks the publicity material, promising “politics with a Machiavellian twist”.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton could have saved £1 billion if only they had followed the Granita route, says the blurb. “It was decided over a 45-minute meal in a trendy London restaurant. And the entire leadership campaign cost $38. (Plus tip).”

Royalty agrees with Mario Brenna, the Italian snapper, whose pics of “swimsuit siren” Helen Mirren in Puglia netted Jason Fraser, the celebrity photographer, about £70,000 in syndication fees. Brenna snapped the unsuspecting Dame at the end of her holiday, perhaps why she looks so relaxed. His 1997 pic of the Princess of Wales kissing Dodi Fayed earned him £3 million.

It’s become an awards tradition. Each year Hugh Laurie receives an Emmy best actor nomination for his grumpy doctor in House. Then each September the camera focuses on the grimacing Brit while James Spader bounds up to collect the gong for Boston Legal. The nominations, announced yesterday, featured Laurie . . . and Spader. Hardly worth dusting off the black tie.

Trading places on red carpet

The Face: Eddie Murphy

No love lost between comedian, Eddie Murphy, and the makers of his latest film, Meet Dave, in which Murphy plays a human-shaped spaceship and its miniature alien captain.

First Murphy upset execs at 20th Century Fox by using interview time to talk about his plans to ditch movies and return to stand-up, or, heaven forbid, the stage.

Then, on discovering that no premiere had been planned for the film, released in the UK today, Murphy insisted it deserved a proper launch.

The red carpet was unfurled and the world’s entertainment press assembled to snap pictures of the man, now most famous for siring the next Scary Spice, only to find the comic was a no-show.

No news on what he was doing - perhaps he’s finding Macbeth a little more taxing than his previous role as Pluto Nash.

U-turn from Margaret Hodge, the Culture Minister, who berated the Proms for being “elitist” last year. “Which Proms am I going to?” she asked officials at the department’s summer drinks. “I’m really looking forward to it.” Nigel Kennedy, performing Elgar tomorrow, looks the best nonelitist bet. Ms Hodge’s boss, Andy Burnham, meanwhile, wants to pogo to the Wedding Present, the ultimate 80s indie band. Sadly, not yet an addition to the Proms.

Postscript

Moby, KT Tunstall and Joss Stone held a peace summit with the Dalai Lama in Philadelphia. “I had this idea that I’d burn a CD for the Dalai Lama, maybe some relaxing music he could listen to on long flights,” said the bald vegan (Moby). “If you could be completely selfish for a week, what would you do?” the musician asked his idol. “Sleep,” he replied.

Michael Palin has revealed the secret of his screen success. Simply add a smattering of facial hair to his “boring” face. “Give me a moustache and I’m the man for the job,” he told BBC One’s Comedy Connections.

Robbie Williams: singer, songwriter and believer in alien visitors to Earth, has some new converts in the Beckham boys. “David and the boys rush into the Hollywood Hills to try to spot spooky lights,” a source said.

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