GERMAN actor Ulrich Muhe, star of the Oscarwinning Stasi drama The Lives of Others, has died from stomach cancer. The veteran stage and film actor was 54.

Muhe's greatest success was his role as the Stasi officer Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler in Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's Oscar-winning film. The actor won wide acclaim for the role and was awarded best actor at the German and European Film Awards.

Muhe seemed on the cusp of an international career. His agency in Berlin confirmed they had been swamped with scripts and offers for Muhe. But Muhe's cancer had already begun to worsen.

Lucrative summer set to see

Shrek on top Harry Potter And the Order Of The Phoenix has already grossed over 4 million in Ireland, yet is unlikely to prevent Shrek 3 becoming the year's biggest boxoffice with earnings to date of 6,6715,17. Meanwhile Die Hard 4.0 has been steadily accumulating 2,614,381, while Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End has topped 4.5 million, Ocean's 13 has taken 2.3 million and Fantastic Four 1.5 million. It's been Irish cinema's most lucrative summer ever and should make 2007 a record box-office year. And that's with The Simpsons, The Bourne Ultimatum, Knocked Up, I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry . . .which ousted Harry Potter as No 1 in the US . . . and Neil Jordan's hotly-tipped The Brave One still to come.

IRELAND: TOP FIVE MOVIES (20-22 July)
1(1) Harry Potter And the Order Of The Phoenix (David Yates) 681,205 ( 3,761,576 to date)
2 (-) Transformers (Michael Bay) 555,673 (previews)
3 (-) Hairspray (Adam shankman) 294,246 (-)
4 (3) Die Hard 4.0 (Len Wiseman) 251,492 ( 2,614,381)
5 (2) Shrek 3 (Chris Miller/Raman Hui) 245,443 ( 6,715,176)

Compiled from Sunday Tribune industry sources.

US: TOP FIVE MOVIES (20-22 July)
1(-) I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry (Dennis Dugan) $34.8m (-)
2(1) Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (Daivd Yates) $32.2m ($207.5m to date)
3(-) Hairspray (Adam Shankman) $27.8m (-)
4(2) Transformers (Michael Bay) $20.5m ($262.9m)
5(3) Ratouille (Brad Bird) $11m ($116.5m)