Hollywood.com Shares Rise on Expansion News

Who says a “dot-com” can’t stir up investors’ interest anymore?

Hollywood.com Inc.’s shares surged $2.25 to $10 on Nasdaq on Monday after the provider of movie news, reviews and show-time listings online said it began Spanish-language versions of its Web site in Mexico and Argentina.

The move adds to the company’s Latin American expansion, following the start of a Portuguese-language site in Brazil in December.

Hollywood.com estimates that the region is one of the largest and fastest-growing Internet markets, with annual growth of more than 30%. The company expects that 29.6 million users will be online in Latin America by 2003.

Hollywood.com (ticker symbol: HOLL) is based far from Tinseltown: It’s in Boca Raton, Fla. It’s also more than 30% owned by entertainment giant Viacom Inc.

The shares have tumbled from a 52-week high of $25.