Former major league pitcher Pascual Perez, who had a troubled 11-season career that included two suspensions for drug use, was killed at his home in the Dominican Republic in an apparent robbery, police said Thursday. Perez, who last played in the majors for the New York Yankees in 1991, was found with a severe head wound in a town west of the capital, Santo Domingo, and there was evidence at the scene to suggest that whoever killed him had been searching for money, said Joel Valdemiro, a prosecutor who is involved in the investigation. No one was in custody and authorities did not reveal whether they had any suspects. Police said there were several assailants and that the house in the town of Don Gregorio appeared to have been ransacked. "It's an act of criminality, unfortunately," Valdemiro said. Perez's brother Carlos, a former pitcher for the Dodgers, confirmed his death. Perez's ex-wife Maritza Montero found his body about 8:30 a.m. Thursday and investigators said he appeared to have been slain about eight hours earlier. The precise cause of death has not been determined but officials said Perez, who had suffered severe kidney problems in recent years, had a fractured skull from a blow to the head. Perez, 55, played 11 seasons of in the majors and compiled a lifetime record of 67-68 with the Braves, Pirates, Expos and Yankees. But he was in and out of trouble for much of his career. "We were shocked to hear the news of Pascual Perez' death earlier today," said Braves president John Schuerholz in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during the aftermath of this tragic event. Pascual left his mark with the Braves organization and will always be remembered fondly by Braves fans."


Celeb Halloween Costumes... more news below

Disney buys Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05 billion

Walt Disney Co. agreed to buy George Lucas' Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05 billion, pressing Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger's $15 billion bet on creative franchises by adding "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones." Lucas, 68, the sole owner, will get half in cash and the rest in stock, making him a major investor in the film, theme park and TV company, according to a statement yesterday from Burbank, Calif.-based Disney. The first of a new trilogy of "Star Wars" films will be released in 2015, Disney said. The deal furthers Iger's pursuit of marquee content in an era marked by technology changes, such as $8-a-month video streaming and free game downloads, that disrupted Hollywood's traditional revenue sources. Iger, who paid a combined $11.2 billion for Pixar and Marvel, said memorable characters will be valuable no matter what medium they appear in. The Lucas acquisition brings the "Star Wars" pictures, which have generated $4.54 billion in worldwide ticket sales -- second only to Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter," according to Box Office Mojo. The "Indiana Jones" films have collected $1.95 billion. 'Sustainable Franchise' "If Disney is really trying to focus on the tent-pole, event pictures, and given that this is something that has huge carryover value in the parks and merchandise business, it certainly makes sense," said Matthew Harrigan, an analyst at Wunderlich Securities in Denver. "This is just the paradigm of the sustainable Hollywood franchise." Disney fell 0.4 percent to $50.05 on Oct. 26, the last trading day before Hurricane Sandy forced markets to shut down. The stock has gained 34 percent this year. Lucas, who will be a creative consultant on "Star Wars" films, will receive about 40 million Disney shares, becoming the second-largest non-institutional shareholder with about 2.2 percent of the company, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The largest is the trust of late Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs, who sold Pixar to Disney. Talks between Disney and Lucas began a year and a half ago. Iger, 61, is reinventing Disney's film business through acquisitions of popular animated and live-action characters. "Marvel's The Avengers," the first film from that acquisition to be marketed by Disney, is the top movie of the year worldwide, with $1.51 billion in ticket sales, according to Box Office Mojo. The picture, Disney's biggest ever, led to a 24 percent jump in profit in the quarter ended June 30. Theme Parks Iger is also using Pixar and Marvel characters as fodder for theme-park improvements, such as the Cars Land attraction that opened this year at the California Adventure park in Anaheim, California. Disney parks also feature "Star Tours" and "Indiana Jones" rides. Lucasfilm's consumer-products revenue this year will be comparable to the $215 million Marvel generated in 2009, when Disney acquired it, Rasulo said, suggesting 2012 sales of about $860 million for all of Lucasfilm. Disney seeks to expand "Star Wars" merchandise beyond toys and sees international markets, now 40 percent of consumer-product revenue, as a growth opportunity, he said. Hasbro Inc. which holds the main license for "Star Wars" toys, sells about $140 million a year in related products, according to Sean McGowan, an analyst at Needham & Co. in New York. A hit film in 2015 could triple that, he said. "The 'Star Wars' universe is immense," McGowan said in an e-mail. "And the franchise has the potential be the biggest ever."

Michael Nouri Arrested for Domestic Violence

Michael Nouri -- the famous character actor known for roles in "Flashdance" and "The Proposal" -- was arrested yesterday on suspicion of felony domestic violence. Law enforcement sources say police received a 911 call around 6:00 PM on Friday to a home in Beverly Hills. When cops arrived, they were told a fight between Nouri and his girlfriend had turned from her verbal to physical. According to sources, cops observed Nourit's girlfriend with visible marks and arrested Nouri on the spot. He was held on $50,000 bond and released around 1:00 AM this morning.

Dallas Buyers Club
Jennifer Garner is in talks to star in the true story drama "Dallas Buyers Club". It's unknown what role she'll play, but the key part of a cross-dresser has yet to be cast. Matthew McConaughey plays a man who was given six months to live after contracting AIDS in 1986, but lived another six years by illegally smuggling medicine into the U.S. and making sure a lot of other sufferers got them too.

The Last Nights

Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman are attached to star in the action adventure "The Last Knights Of AKO" at IF Entertainment. The story centers on a band of warriors who seek to avenge the loss of their master at the hands of a corrupt emperor. Kazuaki Kiriya will direct from a screenplay by Michael Konyves ("Barney’s Version"). Shooting aims to begin early November in the Czech Republic.

Ride Along
Tika Sumpter ("Sparkle"), Bryan Callen ("The Hangover") and Jay Pharoah ("Saturday Night Live") have joined the cast of Tim Story's action-comedy movie "Ride Along" at Universal. Kevin Hart plays a school security guard who must survive a nightmarish "ride along" with the cop brother (Ice Cube) of his fiancee (Sumpter) who disapproves of the marriage. Callen will play a wily undercover cop, Pharoah will play a street-smart informant.

The Expendables 3 & The Mechanic 2
Nu Media/Millennium Films posted a flyer at the current American Film Market with announcements and details of their projects. Two such projects on that slate though are high profile sequels. The first is "The Expendables 3", not a surprise considering the success of the first two films. The more unexpected one is a follow-up to the Jason Statham-led 2011 remake of "The Mechanic". That film was both panned by critics and fared poorly at the box-office.

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TV NEWS

Tonight's Special:NBC, NBC, Bravo, CNBC, E!, G4, MSNBC, Style, Syfy and USA Network: Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together
Tonight's Premieres:ABC: Last Man Standing at 8p; Malibu Country at 830p
CBS: Undercover Boss at 8p
TLC: Brides of Beverly Hills at 10p
Saturday's Premiere:BBC America: The Graham Norton Show at 11p
Sunday's Premieres:Bravo: The Real Housewives of Atlanta at 9p
Food Network: The Next Iron Chef: Redemption at 9p
Sunday's Finales:PBS: Call the Midwife at 8p
TLC: Long Island Medium at 9p & 930p
WE tv: Bridezillas at 10p

Celebrated gastronomist and explorer Anthony Bourdain has shot his show, "No Reservations," in 57 countries and entertained fans for eight seasons and 134 episodes. So it's no wonder the Emmy-nominated chef is ready for a change. His new CNN and ABC shows debut next year. In the meantime, the last installment of "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" airs Monday, Nov. 5, on the Travel Channel.

CMA WINNERS

Musical Event of the Year: “Feel Like A Rock Star,” Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw
Music Video of the Year: “Red Solo Cup,” Toby Keith
Single of the Year: “Pontoon” by Little Big Town
Vocal Duo of the Year: Thompson Square
Song of the Year: “Over You” (written by Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton)
Album of the Year: Chief, Eric Church
New Artist of the Year: Hunter Hayes
Vocal Group of the Year: Little Big Town
Male Vocalist of the Year: Blake Shelton
Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert
Entertainer of the Year: Blake Shelton