Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Audiences who've seen "The Kite Runner," premiering Dec. 14, are already talking Oscar for lead actor Khalid Abdalla. It certainly comes as great news for Abdalla, but he tells us he's more concerned with getting people to see the movie.

"To be honest, I'm so proud of the film and I want people to see it. Obviously awards tend to help with that process," notes the British/Egyptian actor, who lived in Afghanistan for a month to prepare for the part and become fluent in Dari. "It was very important for me because I know what it feels like to be misrepresented, and I know how much it hurts to be treated like it's more important that a hairstyle or piece of furniture be more accurate than how a whole country speaks. I could never forgive myself if I hadn't given everything that I had in order for it to be as accurate as possible."

Abdalla also reports that fans of Khaled Hosseini's acclaimed best-seller will be pleased with the film's adaptation. "It was made by people who love the book. The real testament to it is that people who love the book seem to be loving the film and that never ever happens. I think Marc Forster [the director] made some fabulous decisions early on in terms of how he wanted to adapt it and cast it."

MEANWHILE: Two other standouts from "The Kite Runner" who are getting a lot of attention are Zekeria Ebrahimi and Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada — the two Afghan boys in the other lead roles. "They are now out of Afghanistan and are in the U.A.E. at the moment," Abdalla tells us of their impending future. "Basically there are fears that there could be some adverse reactions in Afghanistan, but we don't know if that's going to be the case. The studios are in the position to not leave anything to luck."

HOLDING OUT FOR HEROES: "Heroes" star Milo Ventimiglia tells us he's eager for his show to get up and running again, especially after creator Tim Kring apologized to fans for getting off track this season — but the actor is making sure he stays busy in the meantime.

"Because of the writer's strike we ran out of things to shoot, so we're down right now. Nobody's working. We had our kind of season finale air this past week," notes Ventimiglia. "I don't really have a break.

I've got two features I'm doing before Christmas. Plus my production company has two comic books in development as well as getting prepared for when the gates of Hollywood open back up. Of course I'm eager to get back to 'Heroes' because I did not want to stop the show as abruptly as we did, but at the same time there is no lack of work for me."

Ventimiglia certainly has been putting in a lot of time with his company, Divide Pictures, which he co-founded with Russ Cundiff. Their latest project has been producing webisodes for American Eagle Outfitters called "AE Winter Tales," three of which launch today (12/11) at www.ae.com. "We brought in Kristen Bell, Lil Jon, Adrianne Palicki, and Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz," says Ventimiglia of the stars, who lent their voices to the animated holiday-themed shorts. "You'd be surprised. People were very excited to be a part of it. I called Kristen myself and told her I'd be calling her manager to offer them this, and before I even got to the question she said yes. It's really an encouraging thing."

FROM THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT: Miguel Ferrer of "Bionic Woman" tells us he's been happy with development of his character on the series, though he admits the show overall has had a certain amount of trouble finding its voice. Of course, at the moment, "Bionic" is strike-bound, with Hollywood writers — and next year, actors and directors — wanting clear-cut contractual commitments as to how much they'll receive for work seen on the Internet and other non-traditional media. "The producers said a few years ago, 'Just trust us to do the right thing,' and it didn't work," he says. "Things are changing so dramatically. Working on a one-hour network drama, I feel like I'm in the last days of vaudeville."

THE VIDEOLAND TWO: Cris Abrego and Mark Cronin, the duo whose 51 Minds company produces VH1's lineup of reality television ("Flavor of Love," "Rock of Love," etc.), tell us that they're laying plans for some bigger budget offerings in the New Year. (Should we be worried?) The pair are quick to credit their cable home for its role in their success. "We should say it's been a great relationship with VH1," notes Abrego. And Cronin adds, "We have benefited from their trust in us, their willingness to spin off shows. We were at the WB with 'Surreal Life,' and they couldn't figure out what to do with it."

With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Fortune Feimster.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2007 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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