Studios passing on Super Bowl ads
Compared to the 2006 game, Super Bowl XLI is attracting far fewer ads for upcoming big Hollywood films. At this point only two studios have booked those pricey time slots on Sunday's game broadcast.
One will be for ''Pride'' (opening March 23) -- a movie based on the true story of an inner-city teacher who helps troubled kids by turning them into champion swimmers. It stars Terrence Howard and Chicago native Bernie Mac.
The other film being touted in a Super Bowl commercial will be ''Wild Hogs,'' a comedy opening March 2, starring John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, Tim Allen and William H. Macy.
Last year, film studios bought advertising for eight major movie launches.
Expert Hollywood observers attribute the deep decline in Super Bowl movie commercials to two things. Hollywood is increasingly focusing on Internet marketing. Plus, this summer's expected blockbusters are sequels to well-established film franchises, not needing a multimillion-dollar Super Bowl push -- ''Spider-Man 3,'' ''Shrek the Third'' and ''Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.''
PARTY TIME: Thursdays are sizzlin' hot at Billy Dec's new Underground club. This week's offering includes the celebrity scene ''it'' band White Starr, featuring frontman Cisco Adler (son of Lou Adler), currently dating Mischa Barton, and Alex ''Orbi'' Orbison, son of the legendary Roy Orbison.
ROMANCE CENTRAL: After Lance Armstrong spied a feature on fashion designer Tory Burch in Vanity Fair, the New York press reports the cycling champ used his clout to score a date -- and now they've reportedly become an item. ... Friends of Uma Thurman insist wedding bells will soon ring for the actress and on-again-off-again beau and hotel king Andre Balazs. ... And yes, the flames are said to be burning brightly on the torch Justin Timberlake is currently carrying -- for Jessica Biel.
BABY BEAT: Congrats to longtime Hilton Hotels PR guru Robert Allegrini and his beautiful wife, Cristina, on the birth Monday night of Alessandro Allegrini -- checking in at a healthy 8 pounds, 13 ounces. According to the proud new papa, the happy parents ''thought with that name we would jump-start his film star career!''
CASTING CALL: West Side native Robert Townsend is coming back to Chicago to star in ''Of Boys & Men,'' a film about a patriarch whose family is devastated when his wife is killed in a senseless car crash. Filming will begin later this year, but there's an open casting call for the movie for children ages 10 to 14. The auditions will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Living Word Christian Center Annex, 7600 W. Roosevelt in Forest Park.
TOUGH 'GET'? I had to laugh at a press release from the ''Extra'' TV show boasting about a big exclusive and ''extraordinary access'' the show's Terri Seymour snared with Paula Abdul.
After all, Seymour long has been romantically linked with Abdul's fellow ''American Idol'' judge Simon Cowell. Now that's what I call ''extraordinary access.''
Bill Zwecker is seen at 5:55, 6:25 and 11:25 a.m. weekdays on WBBM-Channel 2.
