Thursday, December 22, 2011

'Whale Wars' back for more

Animal Planet's "Whale Wars" has been renewed for a fifth season after months of back-and-forth over whether the show's protags, a militant animal-rights group called the Sea Shepherds, would be able to find any whalers to chase away after apparently scaring away Japanese whaling concern the Institute of Cetacean Research at the end of season four. The Sea Shepherd campaign chronicled in season five will return to the waters around Antarctica, where whaling by the ICR continues. Even in the trailer for the coming season, Animal Planet prexy and g.m. Marjorie Kaplan teases that this may be the last season for the show; the Sea Shepherds have created plenty of international tension with the ICR, which is backed by the Japanese government. Japanese whalers contend that the ICR's activities are legal and above board; the Sea Shepherds say the company's stated agenda is a smokescreen and that its harpooning and processing of whales violates the moratorium on whaling in international waters. Contact Sam Thielman at sam.thielman@variety.com

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Anchor Bay picks up 'Justice'

Anchor Bay Films has picked up the U.S. rights to the Nicolas Cage thriller "Seeking Justice," formerly titled "The Hungry Rabbit Jumps," and set a March 16 theatrical release. The Roger Donaldson-directed film co-stars January Jones and Guy Pearce. "Justice" was produced by Endgame Entertainment's James D. Stern along with Ram Bergman and Material Entertainment's Tobey Maguire and Jenno Topping. Bill Clark, president of Anchor Bay Entertainment, made the announcement Wednesday. Cage stars as a dedicated inner-city high school teacher happily married to an accomplished musician (portrayed by Jones). They enjoy a comfortable life until the wife's brutally assaulted -- leading Cage's character to accept an offer from a man to dispense immediate justice. He's then pulled into an underground vigilante organization. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Pay cablers achieve to the grey zone

HBOs one-on-one chat Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Back Together Again remembers Hollywoods senior class. HBO's programming-quilt philosophy means individual programs need not attract an especially wide audience. As lengthy as passionate subsets keep signing up for components as disparate as boxing, movies, documentaries, and original series from "True Bloodstream" to "Curb Your Enthusiasm," the channel's model yields returns.Possibly this is exactly why pay TV seems to represent among individuals couple of bastions within the youth-obsessed media in which the quilt reserves samples -- silently, with little fanfare, there within the corner -- for grandmother and grand daddy.It is a little early to call grey the brand new black. But you will find more signs pay TV is realizing senior citizens' money is as eco-friendly as anybody else's. Besides, for individuals not just a few beer marketers, attractive to a demographic a lot of the media has left out within the snow, metaphorically speaking, has its own advantages.HBO's documentaries have lengthy shown this inclination, including recent profiles of Gloria Steinem and Harry Belafonte. This is not to express individuals projects do not have relevance today, that the styles speak more to individuals who have been sentient throughout their early contributions to feminism and civil privileges.The funnel has additionally found different ways to celebrate Hollywood's emeritus class, like the wonderful one-on-one chat featuring Mel Brooks, Dick Cavett along with a cameo by Carl Reiner -- a trio that totals nearly one fourth-millennium of mirth.Apparently removing a webpage from that playbook, Encore will devote a number of its original-programming budget now to "Approach to the Madness of Jerry Lewis," a documentary tribute towards the octogenarian who, like Brooks and Reiner, demonstrates comedy is really a effective protecting agent.Even HBO's scripted fare has become in to the act. The network just offered a preview of their horseracing drama "Luck," where the majority of the marquee names -- including Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Farina, Nick Nolte and Michael Gambon, together with director Michael Mann and author supreme David Milch -- are gone 65.On the other hand, consider the Academy awards, which after its youth-movement hosting test out Hathaway As Catwoman and James Franco found itself inside a public-relations jam and retreated towards the safety and comfort of Billy Very, who's over the age of the pair of them combined.Possibly it's really no accident the film "Red-colored" is within pay TV rotation on TMC, showing it truly is possible, financially speaking, to become of sufficient age to retire and become very harmful.Granted, this range of good examples hardly qualifies like a turnaround of tides tugging within the other direction. Contrary, his or her demographic profiles migrate upward tv stations are much more wanting to corral more youthful audiences, which describes the giddiness surrounding CBS' "2 Broke Women" and Fox's "New Girl," that have carried out disproportionately well among individuals under 35. Oddly, one rarely listens to similar crowing concerning the strong 50-plus pull of "Harry's Law" and "Blue Bloods."There is no denying some condescension has crept into depictions of senior citizens, but possibly eclipsing that's the novelty factor: A lot continues to be completed to expunge older figures from certain media quadrants, seeing them provides something of the unpredicted kick, which partly describes the Betty Whitened craze that all of a sudden had her appearing everywhere.Integrating such projects on pay TV also reflects a shrewd realization concerning the transactional character of media, where people progressively pay directly for what's consumed with no advertising intermediary.Under individuals terms, you can program for an older audience, whose money is not reduced in the manner the need for their patronage is one kind of media purchasers. And also, since many senior citizens are really faring much better than their progeny in the present economy, they are prime candidates to pay for the toll to gain access to programs focusing on them.The media preoccupation with youth is simply too deeply ingrained to create a wholesale change -- even just in the minds of older baby seniors, frankly, who've a difficult time considering themselves his or her parents' age. Because the animation great Chuck Johnson, then 84, once told an interviewer, "I simply seem like a youthful guy that has something the problem with him."Nonetheless, if pay channels fine-tune their mix to take advantage of these demographic designs -- finding a silver lining, to quote the Grateful Dead, in a little grey -- it will not be just dumb luck. Contact John Lowry at john.lowry@variety.com

Monday, December 12, 2011

Middleditch in Warners' team of 'Rivals'

"Fun Size" thesp Thomas Middleditch has joined the cast of "Rivals," the Jay Roach-directed Warner Bros. comedy that's currently shooting in New Orleans. Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis star as rival politicians running for a congressional seat in a small North Carolina district election. Middleditch will play a slacker who works with Galifianakis' character. The rest of the pic's supporting cast includes Dylan McDermott, Jason Sudeikis, John Lithgow and Brian Cox. Earlier this year, Middleditch was named one of Variety's 10 Comics to Watch, as he regularly performs at the UCB Theatre and in College Humor videos. Thesp, who will soon be seen alongside Paul Dano and Robert De Niro in Paul Weitz's "Being Flynn," is also attached to star in Scot Armstrong's comedy "Road to Nardo." Additionally, Middleditch just received a pilot order from MTV for his animated project "Worst Friends Forever" that he will voice and exec produce with Mike Judge, John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky. Middleditch is repped by WME and Kirsten Ames Management. Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Sadface Emoticon: Alec Baldwin Leaves Twitter

Alec Baldwin, one of our chirpiest and most opinionated tweeters, has apparently given up Twitter altogether. The 30 Rock star and Oscar nominee fled the site following an incident in which American Airlines booted him off a plane for playing Words With Friends and for being violent, abusive, and aggressive. All that remains of his Twitter is the handle name and the word “Deactivated.” Sad, sad day. Thrust your American flag at the sky and never forget his above-average GOP putdowns. [@AlecBaldwin]

Oscar P La Hoya: Alec Baldwin Airline travel Snafu Blown From Proportion

First Launched: December 7, 2011 3:44 PM EST Credit: WireImage Caption Alec Baldwin / inset: Oscar P La HoyaLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Fellow top quality passenger Oscar P La Hoya, who observed Alec Baldwins airline travel Words With Pals snafu on Tuesday, mentioned the whole situation was exaggerated. Carrying out a incident, where Alec was told through your flight attendant to demonstrate his iPad while playing typically the most popular gaming after which it eventually situated on another flight, American Airline carriers released a disagreement. This passenger declined to demonstrate his cell phone when asked for to get this done if needed. The passenger ultimately was up (while using car seatbelt light still on for departure) and needed his phone to the planes lavatory. He condemned the lavatory door so desperately, the cockpit crew heard it and increased being alarmed, regardless of the cockpit door closed and locked, the airline travel mentioned in the statement released around the Facebook account. They immediately contacted the cabin crew to judge the issue. The passenger was very rude for the crew, providing them with a phone call inappropriate names and ultizing offensive language. Due to the particulars above, the passenger was removed the flight and declined boarding. The boxing great, however, stood a different undertake the issue. There wasnt no slamming of entrance doors reely such as this. I'm speaking about, it absolutely was, In my opinion, blown from proportion, Oscar told Access Hollywood on Wednesday. I've no clue him perfectly but he made an appearance as being a good guy. He preferred to experience his words game! I'm speaking about, thats all he preferred to complete! Alecs repetition, Matthew Hiltzik, needed to Twitter to talk about the issue, Tweeting, hey @AMERICAN_AA: Why ok 4 other top class people 2 tweet while @alecbaldwin asked for to go away when using the his device? #hypocrisy first clss passngers can tweet, but @alecbaldwin asked for to go away? Carrying out a incident, Alec deactivated his account, while not before delivering out any Tweet from the photo getting a caption that read, Let Alec play. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Contemporary company directors: Stylists or shape-shifters?

Chris Weitz went in the 'New Moon' undead to 'A Better Existence.''Moneyball' marked a change for 'Capote' director Bennett Burns.Woodsy Allen ("Night time in Paris") likes therapeutically confessional tete-a-tetes laced with jokes. David Fincher ("The Lady Using the Dragon Tattoo") favors a crisply beautiful visual and purposeful camera moves. Steven Spielberg ("War Equine," "The Adventures of Tintin") choreographs onscreen action like nobody else.These company directors -- together with many more within the running for Golden Globes this season -- might be stated to possess identifiable styles, even if the topic matters and locations change, as when Allen exchanged NY for Europe, and Fincher swapped serial murders this past year for computer brainiacs.Other Oscar challengers, however, are not as easy to pin lower.You will find filmmakers like Stephen Daldry, who's vaulted from the dancing British lad ("Billy Eliott") to a few time-hopping literary adaptations ("The Hrs," "The Readers"), and today includes a publish-9/11 childlike adventure occur NY ("Very Noisy and extremely Close"). Is he a chameleon?How about Bennett Burns, who's gone in the rarefied realm of a mid-twentieth century literary icon ("Capote") to Mlb as it is performed today ("Moneyball"). Does he possess a stylistic thumbprint? Or is he going to turn to be considered a shape-shifter?"It's difficult to understand yet," states Style film critic John Forces about Miller's work. "They are both brilliant outsider movies, shot with increased detachment than you normally expect. There's careful framework, and they are both rather quiet."Director Chris Weitz, who moved gears from the massive franchise follow up (2009's "The Twilight Saga: New Moon") for this year's more compact father/boy drama "A Much Better Existence," is one particular filmmaker who would rather never result in the same movie two times."I never would like to get pigeonholed," states Weitz, who loved going from the heavily storyboarded, CGI-wealthy world like "New Moon" to something small, location-dependent -- "A Much Better Existence" utilized 69 locations around La -- and contingent on the realistic depiction of urban existence."In ways, it is a disadvantage, career-smart, because individuals prefer to connect you with one factor, or perhaps a particular style. However I just attempt to suit myself to regardless of the material reaches hands. I do not possess a single unifying theme that I am always enthusiastic about fleshing out."He is doing admit one visual tic, though. "I love turning your camera upside lower, for whatever reason,Inch Weitz adds, having a laugh. "I'm not sure why."Daldry, meanwhile, characteristics his body of labor to date to self-referred to Catholic tastes. "I am attracted to some whole number of different tales," he states. "I believe it's intentional. I never prefer to pigeonhole myself. It comes down to the passions and enthusiasms which i uncover."This means the material ultimately dictates the design and style used, Daldry notes. "Form always follows content.""J. Edgar" helmer Clint Eastwood, however, includes a typically unvarnished directorial style that may have your style in throughout the studio system era."The way in which he composes shots is extremely old-fashioned," states Forces. "His feeling of rhythm is slightly pokier than modern. His stuff frequently inhales and it has the feelings of the old-fashioned movie. I believe it's among his benefits."It comes from a belief in never pandering for an audience, based on Eastwood's longtime cinematographer, Tom Stern. The director's fondness for any sometimes overpoweringly dark lighting plan of shadows and shades of black, for instance, isn't just a stylistic choice, but a means of "strengthening the audience's imagination," states Stern."Particularly in the Hoover picture, where you have someone who is not really black and whitened, it simply felt very appropriate," Stern states. "Sometimes, whether it's real dark, I'll say 'Is this OK?' And (Eastwood) will say, 'We're in reel three from the film they are fully aware who it's.A And he's absolutely correct. Should you satisfy the silhouette in reel one, he then becomes the silhouette in reel three."Overall, Weitz examines directors' styles as growing from the way they experienced filmmaking. Did other interests -- like theater or writing -- come first? Or were they cinephiles from in early stages?InchYou will find independent artists who came in internet marketing simply because they were considering movies ever since they were 12, nobody possess a stylistic factor they have taken care of within their minds," he states. "For me personally, I have been learning since my first day on the film set. However I think other people need to make an appearance of labor that demonstrates who they really are.InchGold GLOBE UPDATE Nixing the hijinx jinx Contemporary company directors: Stylists or shape-shifters? Stateside sitcoms mixed overseas Honours aren't goal of HFPA giving TV biz buys into back burner Globes role Memorable moments in the Globes Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Vital In Predicts Acquire Fantasy Novel Daughter Of Smoke And Bone

EXCLUSIVE: Vital Pictures is settling a deal inside the $700,000 range to obtain screen rights to Daughter Of Smoke and Bone, the Laini Taylor novel that was launched late September by Little, Brown Books For Youthful Site visitors. There is elevated fascination with it among art galleries–I’ve heard two others made bids–because from the chance of the massive, visual effects-driven fantasy film that could communicate with a young audience. The protagonist can be a 17-years of age art student who's sent by her awful father on travels all over the world to collect teeth with an unspecified but creepy purpose. This leads her to have an encounter by getting an angel and details about her family adding her into adventures including otherworldly animals. The sale’s dirty, nevertheless the book’s being brokered by Jane Putch (who’s attached as professional producer) and attorney Peter Nelson.

Kristin Cavallari Is Engaged... Again!

Kristin Cavallari Kristin Cavallari may have suffered a broken engagement earlier this year, but all is mended. The former Hills star and her boyfriend Jay Cutler got re-engaged over the weekend. On Wednesday, Cavallari tweeted the news, "This time it's official... Jay and I are engaged again :)" Report: Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler end their engagement The reality TV star, who also competed on Dancing With the Stars, and Chicago Bears quarterback were previously engaged, but he called if off in July. Do you think they'll stick it out this time?

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Salute to Mexican cinema

Faouzi Bensaidi's 'Death for Sale' will close the 11th annual fest.The 11th edition of the Marrakech Film Fest will highlight Mexican pics such as 'Miss Bala.'Always a colorful occasion -- blessed by winter sun and the Red City's unique blend of art deco and Moorish charms -- this year's 11th Marrakech Film Festival includes showcases of Mexican and Moroccan cinema, via a country tribute to Mexico and a record six national films in the fest line-up, including Marrakech's openers and closers.Fest VPs Noureddine Sail and Faical Laraichi are delighted by fest's growing maturity and the opportunity to highlight local talent."The vision of his majesty (King Muhammad VI) when he created the festival in 2001 was to help Moroccan cinema," says Laraichi. "It takes time to develop mentalities."This year we're seeing the results of this process. The fest offers a window on world cinema and is bulwarking the domestic film industry.""This year is the first time I've seen so many strong films from Morocco," says fest artistic director Bruno Barde. "Just as Cannes helped French cinema and Berlin helped German cinema, Marrakech has aided Moroccan cinema and is now reaping the fruits."The fest opens with Narjiss Nejjar's thwarted love story "The Rif Lover" and closes with Faouzi Bensaidi's noir heist movie "Death for Sale."There are also four Moroccan films in the fest's Coup de Coeur sidebar: Leila Kilani's "On the Edge," Hisham Lasri's "The End," Ahmed Boulane's homecoming drama "The Return of the Son" and Mohamed Nadif's emigration comedy "Andalusia, My Love!"Red carpet guests include helmers jury prexy Emir Kusturica, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Roland Joffe, Terry Gilliam, Marco Bellocchio and Roschdy Zem, plus thesps Sigourney Weaver, Jessica Chastain, Diego Luna and Maya Sansa.Many are returning to Marrakech, which highlights the seductive appeal of the fest's informal family-style network that has been nurtured since 2001 by its director, Melita Toscan du Plantier.The 15-film competitive official selection includes 11 debut features."I'm drawn towards first films because they're often more radical, demanding and rigorous," Barde says. "They tend to exude greater urgency, emotional violence, power and strength."Barde says this year's selection "reflects a world in a state of deep distress."The titles competing for Marrakech's Gold Star for best film -- the honor includes a $50,000 Moroccan TV rights deal from pubcaster SNRT -- are among others, Amir Hossein Saghafi's Iranian retribution pic "Death Is My Profession," Montxo Armendariz's child-abuse drama "Don't Be Afraid," Michale Boganim's Chernobyl disaster piece "Land of Oblivion," Mark Jackson's caregiver drama "Without," Cyril Mennegun's slice-of-life tale "Louise Wimmer," Frederikke Aspock's island melodrama "Out of Bounds" and Justin Kurzel's serial-killer pic "Snowtown."The out-of-competition section, focusing on more mainstream features by established directors, includes Annaud's oil-feud epic "Black Gold," Ami Canaan Mann's crime drama "Texas Killing Fields," Nobuhiro Yamashita's political thriller "My Back Pages" and Cristina Comencini's disturbed mother tale "When the Night."Mexico receives this year's country tribute, given the strength of its films over the past decade.Fest VP Faical Laraichi points out that Mexican culture is by no ways alien to Moroccans and says Mexican telenovelas are actually some of the most popular shows on Moroccan television.The 25-person Mexican delegation includes directors Pablo Aldrete, Alejandro Gerber Bicecci, Everardo Valerio Gout and Rigoberto Perezcano; thesps Luna and Stephanie Sigman; producer Jaime Romandia; and agent Jorge Mondragon.The Mexican tribute includes Pablo Aldrete's Western "River of Gold" in official selection, Gerardo Naranjo's explosive blockbuster "Miss Bala," Gout's loco crime epic "Days of Grace," Carlos Carrera's priest temptation pic "Crime of Father Amaro," Arturo Ripstein's lush melodrama "The Virgin of Lust" and four titles from the Three Amigos: Guillermo del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth," Alfonso Cuaron's "Y tu mama tambien" and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Amores perros" and "Biutiful."Master classes are a regular feature at Marrakech, and always bring a high turnout of students from local film schools including those from the plush ESAV Marrakech film school founded in 2007 and godfathered by Martin Scorsese.Helmers providing master classes this year are Annaud, Joffe, Terry Gilliam, Bellocchio and Nuri Bilge Ceylan.Student filmmakers from Morocco's budding network of film schools will compete in the Cinecoles short film competition, which was launched last year and shows 10 films from six schools, with a top film cash prize of $30,000 for the production to make another short. Sigourney Weaver is jury prexy.This year's program of open-air screenings in Marrakech's distinctive Jamaa el Fna square -- in the company of fire-eaters, snake charmers and fortune tellers -- includes Zem's Moroccan 2012 Oscar entry, "Omar Killed Me," Gilliam's "Doctor Parnassus" and football bio docu "Maradona by Kusturica."Sail says within the next four to five years he would like to add a film market at Marrakech, taking advantage of Morocco's position as a unique cultural crossroads.HIGHLIGHTS The Rif LoverOpening-night film. 20-year-old girl is jailed for being a drug baron's lover.Director: Narjiss NejjarStarring: Omar Lotfi, Nadia Kounda Don't be AfraidA young woman tries to come to terms with years of abuse by her father.Director: Montxo ArmendarizStarring: Michelle Jenner, Lluis Homar, Belen Rueda River of GoldApaches, Mexican settlers and American soldiers have a showdown in 1854.Director: Pablo AldreteStarring: Stephanie Sigman, Gonzalo Lebrija SnowtownA teenage boy becomes an accomplice in a serial-killing spree in Australia.Director: Justin KurzelStarring: Lucas Pittaway, Daniel Henshall, Louise Harris WithoutA young woman becomes caretaker to an old man in a vegetative state.Director: Mark JacksonStarring: Joslyn Jensen, Ron Carrier Death for SaleClosing-night film. Three friends decide to rob a jewelry store.Director: Faouzi BensaidiStarring: Fehd Benchemsi, Fouad Labiad, Mouchcine MalziFEST TRAVELER: MARRAKECH FILM FESTIVALSalute to Mexican cinema | Freedom fuels Arab oasis | Homegrown tales power Moroccan tube | Arab Spring signals return of foreign films Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Friday, November 18, 2011

'Arrested Development' to return on Netflix

'Arrested Development'Netflix is certification new cases of the tv series "Arrested Development" from last century Fox Television and Imagine Television. The perimeters struck a deal while using streaming service that will launch new cases of the Emmy-winning comedy noisy . 2013, the studio confirmed. The options of "Development" returning in TV and film forms was elevated lately when the show's creator, Mitch Hurwitz, introduced inside an appearance within the NYer Festival he was set on returning the series' original stars, including Jason Bateman and may Arnett, for the next go-round. "Arrested" stood a considerably acclaimed work on Fox from 2003-2006, nevertheless the network canceled the series given its ratings were always modest at best. All of the series regulars have expressed fascination with returning and so are expected back, though no deals are actually done. How that will work will probably be interesting given many of them are maintaing busy careers. "Arrested" player Arnett is presently round the NBC series "Up With The Evening" and also the other alum, Portia p Rossi, is installed on a greater-profile project in rise in the Peacock. Where this leaves the recommended "Arrested" feature film isn't apparent. While one source familiar with the project mentioned it's presently in development at Fox Searchlight, another source within the studio declined it absolutely was a dynamic project. Hurwitz's vision in the film wound up being to schedule it following a series go to have the ability to drive curiosity about this area office, but at least it seems the film and TV aren't installed on each other. Hurwitz was executive producer of "Arrested" with Imagine principals Ron Howard and John Grazer. The creating pair launched a disagreement: "Obtaining a challenge from cancellation rarely happens, however, 'Arrested' always involved as unconventional simply because they get, so that it seems totally appropriate this demonstrate that broke the mold is smashing it to pieces once again.Inch That Netflix has emerged the champion from the investing in an offer war that apparently incorporated pay-TV player Showtime will probably be seen as real coup for your service, which already gave Hollywood notice in March it's in the initial programming business in the large way if the bought a 22-episode adaptation in the BBC drama "House of Cards" set to premiere next season. Experts thought "Cards," that will include Kevin Spacey installed on star and David Fincher to executive produce, cost Netflix $100 million to obtain the rights from Media Rights Capital. Financial the "Arrested" deal aren't known but sometimes be substantial due to the standard of talent involved. While Netflix's market capital was sent spinning in recent several days after ill-advised options regarding its prices, the requirement of original programming may be the greater as content companies have held the street at giving the service Tv shows that are in-season. Since Netflix started certification original series, the service remains seen as potential deliverer for ill-fated productions which get shuttered inside the objections from the recognition they canrrrt sustain them. But saving a reveal that accompany a built-in audience--although one they canrrrt survive on tv--may well be a safer strategy than creating a new property from whole cloth. The hedge on "Cards" is always that its narrative is becoming an assessment run inside the U.K. though different talent on sides from you. Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix mentioned in the deal, "'Arrested Development is probably the finest American comedies in TV background its return through Netflix is a perfect illustration of how we'll work carefully with art galleries and systems to provide clients with entertainment they love,'" mentioned Ted Sarandos, Netflix Chief Content Officer. The return of "Development" is a stunner trained with is rare the series returns carrying out a protracted absence, though 20th and Fox have observed precedent here: Animated series "Family Guy" was canceled in 2001 only to be elevated three years later following a series exercised well on DVD too as with distribution. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Will Mad Males Fast-Toward 2011 within the Series Finale?

Jon Hamm Since debuting in 2007, Mad Males has single-handedly made the '60s awesome again, nevertheless the show may skip ahead to the present day for Don Draper's final curtain call. "I understand how the entire show finishes," series creator Matthew Weiner told Grantland. "It found me in the heart of last season. It's my job to felt like it may be the help of human existence. And human existence features a destination. It doesn't mean Don's gonna die. Things I am trying to find, and the way I am hoping to complete the show, is similar to ... It's 2011. Don Draper might be 84 at this time around. If only to depart the show in the place where you own an idea of exactly what it meant and the way it's connected along with you.Inch Mad Males deal is carried out: Matthew Weiner aboard for just two more seasons The fifth season of Mad Males will premiere this spring following a lengthy hiatus, and both AMC and Weiner have agreed that it's going to conclude red-colored carpet seasons. "All If only to complete is not placed on the welcome," he mentioned. "Am I Going To know everything that's gonna happen? No, I don't. But The most effective to ensure that it's entertaining which i would like people to consider it fondly and not think it brought to some fart." How will you want Mad Males to complete? Do you want to see an 84-year-old Don Draper?

Monday, November 14, 2011

Amazing Race's Laurence and Zac: The U-Turn and Getting Lost "Pushed Us Over the Edge"

Laurence and Zac Sunderland The Amazing Race's Laurence and Zac Sunderland survived Zac's two left feet at the Roadblock and a U-Turn, and were seemingly on their way to the Pit Stop when they got hopelessly lost for two hours. "They had some weird signs in Copenhagen and we ended up getting lost," Zac, who at 17 was the youngest person to sail solo around the world in 2009, tells TVGuide.com. "We took some wrong turns, got some bad advice and it kind of did us in in the end." Find out why traffic was so bad, why they had no luck with the locals and the scoop on Laurence's old rock band.Amazing Race's Justin and Jennifer: It was a "huge mistake" not biking backWhen did you notice you were going the wrong way?Zac: Like two or three times. It was just very hard to turn around.Laurence: Almost a day before we arrived in Denmark, they had a deluge of rain and some of the freeways were closed. It made it very difficult traffic-wise, aside from getting lost.Zac: Yeah, one of the main freeways we were on was actually shut down, like a six-lane road just completely shut down and grinded to a halt from flooding. A bunch of places downtown were still bailing out the water.How long did it take for you to get on the right track?Zac: We were always making progress toward the general area of Copenhagen we were supposed to be going to. It was a pretty unknown area. We probably asked like 40 people and each time we got a different answer. It took us a lot longer than normal.Laurence: What I thought was also interesting in Copenhagen was that not a lot of people were willing to help when you asked. Some of them walked the other way or rolled up the window of their car. It was just interesting that in other countries that we had been to, people were just all too willing to help, but in Copenhagen, it was the opposite. Not just our team, but I think other teams experienced difficulties working with the locals too, like [Marcus and Amani]. I think they were camera-shy or something.Do you know how far behind Jeremy and Sandy you were?Zac: We don't really know. Well, when we actually left [the Detour], I think they were right behind us. Somewhere along on the road they overtook us while we got lost.When you got lost, what was your mindset? Did you think you were last or did you think other teams may be in the same predicament?Laurence: We had a good idea we were last or second to last, but we didn't know until we parked out car and counted the cars that were there. Then it was like, "Oh, OK. We're the last car here." [Laughs] There's a lot of luck involved in this. We gave it our best shot.Amazing Race's Liz and Marie: Our cabbie ripped us offYou started the leg off so well, getting the earlier flight. You got to the castle first and then dancing slowed you down. Zac: Yeah, dancing took me way too long. That was not one of my prouder moments! But it was cool to go in the old castle. It took us a while to find that too, but we were one of the first teams to find it. It was an obscure clue. It wasn't painted with yellow and red like the clues were in the previous seasons. You had to do a lot of digging yourself and we found a guy to show us where the castle was, but we lost a couple places there.Could you tell from the initial clue that the Roadblock involved dancing?Zac: We literally drove our rental car into the main square of the castle. I'm not sure if we were supposed to do that. But we picked up the clue and I forget what it actually said, but it said something about medieval merriment, and you only have a few minutes to decide, so I took it because my dad had done the last two Roadblocks and I wanted to get in there and do one. And it turned out to be dancing! It took awhile, but we still weren't in last place when we left.How surprised were you that Bill and Cathi U-Turned you?Laurence: I still have a dartboard in my room with their picture on it! [Laughs] I'm kidding!Strategically for the whole race, for them and Ernie and Cindy, the snowboarders would've been the better target since they've won so many legs, but do you understand why they picked you?Zac: We thought about that a little while after we were eliminated. "Oh, they should've done this. They should've done that." But in the heat of the moment, you're going to do what you think is right. They were probably shocked they were U-Turned and then you have a few seconds with that board to figure out what teams are right behind you. I don't think they thought we were going to be completely kicked off, just that we'll be bumped back a little bit. But the U-Turn combined with getting lost pushed us over the edge.Amazing Race's Kaylani and Lisa: We're shocked Marcus forgot the answerYou wasted your U-Turn last leg on Marcus and Amani. What happened there?Zac: We weren't actually sure they had found the U-Turn yet. We thought they and Jeremy and Sandy were both behind us, but it turned out it was Jeremy and Sandy, and Justin and Jennifer.You've made a lot of little mistakes each leg. Do you think they all added up in the end?Zac: Yeah, a couple things didn't come together. But I think everyone makes mistakes. Everything is so in the moment that you have to go with it 100 percent and see where it takes you. You can't waste too much time making sure everything's perfect. It's a race and you have to keep going.I love that you were eliminated next to a ship. Zac: Yeah! [Laughs] I didn't know what the place was, but it was cool to see it was a ship. We didn't get to on it, but I heard the other teams had some fun there.Laurence, what's this about you being in a rock band back in the day?Laurence: How did you hear that? [Laughs] Yeah, before I came to America, I was the frontman of a rock 'n' roll band called Xyphoid. I enjoyed it immensely. I still play a little bit for my kids. I don't need my ego fed as much in this day and age! We had a lot of fun. ... It was an Australian band, and right when Irving Azoff and all the big guys in Hollywood were calling us, our visas were running out and I met this beautiful, wonderful lady who is now my wife and the mother of all my children. I ended up going back to England and coming out here and becoming a citizen of the country.What are you up to now?Zac: I'm out in Long Beach right now, getting some stuff together for another adventure, got some new management on board [for] another sailing adventure.Laurence: I started a company called WorldWind Productions and we produced a documentary called Wild Eyes: The Abby Sunderland Story and Intrepid: The Zac Sunderland Story. I also run the Sunderland Yacht Management and Shipwright Co. and I'm chasing the six kids who are still at home. We're keeping pretty busy here!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Kenneth Starr's Ex-Stripper Wife Joins 'Wall Street Wives' (Report)

Diane Passage, the estranged wife of jailed money manager Kenneth Starr, has decided to take part in the Wall Street Spouses reality show presently in development. The first kind stripper filed divorce in the federal prisoner this summer time. Starr -- to not be mistaken with former judge, Bill Clinton investigator and Baylor College judge Ken Starr -- is presently doing time for fraud and cash washing. Passage is Starr's 4th wife. She told the NY Occasions she became a member of Wall Street Spouses because "it simply appeared like fun. I'd learned about it, but I believed it was around the air already." PHOTOS: THR's Reality Host Roundtable Passage adds that they "pointed out" the show to Starr throughout among her prison visits but "he doesn't obtain a say" in whether she does the series or otherwise. Wall Street Spouses has been created by Devon Fleming. The show hasn't found a network home and Fleming continues to be rounding the cast. Fleming is, however, pleased to have arrived Passage for that project. She informs the Occasions, "She gets a lot of things. She still visits her husband in jail a great deal, and she or he could not be better." Related Subjects TV Development

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Twilight 'Breaking Dawn' Premiere: Fans Already Organizing

Maybe you have requested the die-hard status of 'Twilight' fans, this story should convince you rather quickly. In line with the Twilight Twitter page, people happen to be beginning to setup for your L.A. premiere of 'Breaking Beginning, Part I' -- four-and-a-half days before it even happens. So, if you are looking at catching a look at Christian Serratos, Rachelle Lefervre and Rachelle Lefervre, you might like to get through to the Nokia Theater in La immediately for Monday night's red-colored-colored carpet event (which, incidentally, we'll be live streaming here on Moviefone). Just just in case that's insufficient incentive, there is a huge 'Breaking Dawn' wedding cake displayed there, too. (Picture ahead.) This premiere craziness does boost the question: When will fans start organizing for next week's evening time relieve the film? Theater entrepreneurs, you are ready to get the obstacles out. [via @Twilight] [Photo: @Twilight] 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning' Comic-Disadvantage Red-colored-colored Carpet See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Friday, November 4, 2011

Jennifer Lopez To Defend Myself Against Carmen Sandiego

First Released: November 4, 2011 2:52 PM EDT Credit: Getty Images Caption Jennifer Lopez attends the main city FM Summer season Ball at Wembley Stadium on June 12, 2011 working in london, EnglandLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Where on the planet is Jennifer Lopez? The celebrity is arranged to create and perhaps star in a giant screen live-action version from the famous gaming-switched-animated series Where on the planet Is Carmen Sandiego?, based on Deadline. If she does star within the feature, she'd take part in the title character among the mobile phone industry's finest detectives who becomes the mobile phone industry's finest crook. Its then as much as her ex-partner to discover if shes really gone bad. This wouldnt be the very first time Carmen Sandiego was acquired like a movie. In the 90's, Disney attempted to build up a version starring Sandra Bullock, however it never materialized, based on Deadline. J. Lo lately wrapped production around the film What to anticipate When You Are Expecting, co-starring Cameron Diaz. She'll resume her knowing responsibilities around the eleventh season of yankee Idol once the show returns in The month of january. The state announcement of her return was confirmed in August by FOX. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Trailer for strange French horror Livid online

Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo company directors of brutal slasher Inside, have revealed a French-Language trailer for his or her new film, Livid. Like a special Halloween treat we now have a clip here, waiting that you should sink your teeth directly into. Dimension Films are backing the brand new 'horror fairytale', that is looking for theatrical release the coming year. Livid is placed on Halloween evening, where three not aware youths enter a desolate house in the quest for a classic woman's treasure."During the night, they enter into the home, which discloses itself to become progressively peculiar. Their search for Mrs Jessel's treasure leads them right into a horrifying supernatural number of occasions which will change Lucy forever..."The project will even begin to see the return of Inside actress, Beatrice Dalle. Other charged cast include Jeremy Kapone, Catherine Jacob, Felix Moati and Chloe Coulloud.Livid continues to be in comparison towards the works of Dario Argento and Guillermo del Toro, which seems like quite a perfect combination to us.Watch a clip below and inform us what you believe!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Iranian Actress Released From Prison

Hollywood Rallies Against Irans Draconian Choices Against Filmmakers And Stars Marzieh Vafamehr, the Iranian actress who was simply sentenced with a year jail time and 90 lashes for turning up inside the government-banned film My Tehran Available, remains released from prison, according to Amnesty Worldwide. In line with the human rights organization, her sentence was reduced to three several days and her lashing sentence was overturned she was released Monday. The film, an Australian production that wasn’t stated to become seen in Iran but hit the subterranean community, stars Vafamehr becoming an actress who's banned from working onstage by Iranian government physiques. It shows Vafamehr without any headscarf, together with other Iranian youthful people prone to undercover raves, smoking hashish and having sex before marriage. Meanwhile, the present rash of harsh action against filmmakers in Iran has brought towards the incarceration of three BBC documentary helmers and sentences for worldwide acclaimed company company directors Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof including jail, a stop from making movies and restrictions on departing the country. Panahi’s sentence was recently upheld. Amnesty also mentioned Iranian director Mojtaba Mir Tahmasb remains jail time after helming the documentary This Is not A Film, which chronicled Panahi’s house arrest and was smuggled to France to debut within the Cannes Film Festival. (The filmmakers’) ongoing detention demonstrates the Iranian government physiques desperate efforts to stifle any type of dissent,” Amnesty Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui mentioned.

Hot Trailer: Mission: ImpossibleGhost Protocol

Vital Pictures has launched a complete length trailer for Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol, the 4th installment from the franchise which was once left for dead after Tom Cruise’s acrimonious departure in the studio. Cruise and Qq Abrams created the film and set together again the pieces also it appears like they’ve place the money on screen. The final film was launched 5 years ago. Could it be me, or does Cruise appear not have aged each day? Kaira Bird directed the film and Jeremy Renner continues to be put into the cast.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

New Lessons of Fall TV: Comedy Is King

This article originally appeared in the Nov. 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter.our editor recommends'New Girl': Behind the Scenes of Fox's New Comedy10 TV Shows Canceled Faster Than 'The Playboy Club'Fall TV Preview 2011: 10 Fresh Faces To KnowFall TV Preview 2011: The New ShowsThe Sorry State Of '2 Broke Girls': Racism and Lame Sex Jokes Five weeks into the new television season, and a consensus has emerged: Comedy is king. Whatever has sent viewers to the tube in search of a laugh -- the dire economy and stubbornly high unemployment or simply the cyclical nature of primetime programming trends -- a preponderance of freshman shows getting full-season orders have been sitcoms. Fox and CBS, the Nos. 1 and 2 networks, quickly ordered full seasons of New Girl and 2 Broke Girls, respectively. NBC followed suit with Whitney and Up All Night. ABC already has given Suburgatory a full-season order, and Tim Allen's pricey Last Man Standing -- which bowed to strong ratings Oct. 11 and brought men to the female-skewing network on a night when Fox had Game 3 of Major League Baseball's American League Championship Series -- is a shoo-in to score a pickup. PHOTOS: Fall TV's 12 Most Anticipated Shows Conversely, only three dramas have made the cut: ABC's campy soap Revenge and CBS' J.J. Abrams/Jonathan Nolan drama Person of Interest and Unforgettable, starring Poppy Montgomery. NBC also has ordered additional scripts of the Maria Bello starrer Prime Suspect. But none of the new dramas has been burning up the ratings charts, and ABC canceled its ill-advised reboot of Charlie's Angels while NBC axed its derivative The Playboy Club after three episodes. Of course, not every comedy the networks threw at the wall stuck. CBS' critically excoriated How to Be a Gentleman was shunted to Saturdays, where it aired for a week before getting yanked. And a Twitter campaign by star Hank Azaria did Free Agents no good; NBC pulled it after four episodes. PHOTOS: Fall TV Preview 2011: 10 Fresh Faces To Know SHOW BY SHOW 2 Broke Girls:The Michael Patrick King comedy benefited from a massive Two anda Half Men lead-in (nearly 30 million viewers) for its premiere, but it's also winning its regular time slotfollowing How I Met Your Mother. New Girl:The comedy gave Fox its best fall sitcom bow in 10 years and returns Nov. 1 after theWorld Series. The X Factor:It might not draw the 9 demo American Idol averaged last season, but a 4-plus rating is worth singing about. Revenge:With ratings that earned it a full-season order, the soapy thriller is a bright spot on ABC's fall drama slate. Person of Interest:It's holding its own in the tough 9 p.m. Thursday slot, but the Abrams/Nolan drama is far from the barset by NCIS. STORY: The Hollywood Reporter's 10 Showrunners to Watch Terra Nova:Steven Spielberg's epic dinosaur drama came with a big budget and high expectations, making its 3-plus rating something of a disappointment. Last Man Standing:The Allen comedy was down double digits for its second episode Oct. 18, but it still snagged a solid 3 rating in the demo. Whitney:The Thursday night comedy has managed to outrate Community and Parks and Recreation, but ratings have been in free fall since itsbig Sept. 22 bow. Prime Suspect:Despite ratings nearly as low as Playboy Club's, NBC honcho BobGreenblatt is committed to making the highbrow drama work. RATINGS SCORECARD*: Fox gets a foothold this fall, while fourth-place NBC continues to sink. Fox: 2.4 rating [+21% from 2010] CBS: 3.3 [no change] ABC: 2.7 [-4%] NBC: 2.5 [-14%] Uni: 1.6 [no change] CW: 0.9 [-25%] *Source: Nielsen, most-current ratings in 18-49 demographic Related Topics Terra Nova The X Factor New Girl 2 Broke Girls Revenge Up All Night

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

13

Conflicting ideaologies clash in Mike Bartletts 13.A National Theater presentation of the play in 2 functions by Mike Bartlett. Directed by Thea Sharrock.Ruth - Geraldine James John - Trystan Gravelle Stephen - Danny Webb Mark - Adam James Rachel - Kirsty Bushell Amir - Davood Ghadami Edith - Helen Ryan Sarah - Genevieve Reilly Dennis - Nick Sidi Ruby - Sophistication Cooper Milton/ Jadie - Rose HobsonConflicting generational ideologies, the corruption of energy, political disaffection versus. the requirement for belief, war versus. pacifism, the points of interest and challenges of free-market capitalism ... Everything and much more is audaciously presented, compared and chewed in "13." The intellectual plate-spinning of playwright Mike Bartlett (U.K. hit "Cock," bowing Off Broadway early in the year) could be as pleasing, however, if ambition did not so clearly outstrip dramatic achievement. Twelve quickly introduced, apparently disconnected figures -- from tired charitable organisation worker Rachel (nicely finish-of-tether Kirsty Bushell) to Ruth, the Conservative Pm (Geraldine James), to lawyer Mark (Adam James) -- all seem to be discussing the same bad dream. Their fascinatingly surreal linkages with each other advise a pending crisis within this near-present-day dystopia, rising to some peak as all twelve, voluntarily or otherwise, come under the sway of political prophet John (Trystan Gravelle). He seems as though from nowhere and evolves a Christ-like presence of unencumbered goodness. His huge following made through the Internet intends the federal government, particularly because it stands poised to invade Iran over its nuclear weapons policy. Exercising the hyperlinks between your disparate figures gives momentum up to the more effective first half. So how exactly does the God-fearing wife from the U.S. politico squeeze into the image? What is the link between the atheist academic and also the Pm? Yet when the connections are created, they neglect to deepen. Puzzlingly, as though not fully in control of his structure, Bartlett also changes stylistic tack, shedding the greater surreal tone within the less strong other half and climbing down rather to some standard-problem debate having a mind-to-mind of conflicting ideologies across a table between your prophet and also the Pm. Worse, anybody even vaguely conversant with conspiracy thrillers can smell the inevitable routing from the idealist miles-off. Even though intelligence from the writing isn't uncertain, the theatrical texture wears thin since the diffuse ideas remain underdeveloped. Bartlett is not assisted by Thea Sharrock's fitful production. Her awkward, effortful crowd moments are unconvincing and although she gives clearness towards the mix-cut tales, there is a draining insufficient cumulative energy. Moment by moment, the stars illuminate their individual situations. Adam James brings piercing emotional precision towards the lawyer who cracks up underneath the realization that his all-consuming rage is actually fond of themself. And Geraldine James survives the caricature of her high-heels and upswept-hair costuming to breathe existence into implausibly isolated Ruth. Taking its signal from Tom Scutt's mainly black set strangely lit by Mark Henderson, Sharrock's bleak staging is within thrall to some giant, gradually spinning black cube in the center from the stage that indicates a metaphor whose meaning remains vague. More awkwardly still, its constantly turning surface serves to underlines Bartlett's uncharacteristic insufficient decision about his play's feeling of direction. His questions regarding the character of excellent and evil nowadays are bold but a level bigger real question is introduced to light through the drably staged coda where the conclusions towards the tales from the twelve are trotted by the stars inside a straight line. Why did not the National's literary management persuade Bartlett to consider a play of these potential through a minumum of one more major draft?Sets and costumes, Tom Scutt lighting, Mark Henderson seem, Ian Dickinson music, Adrian Johnston production stage manager, Laura Flowers. Opened up, examined March. 25, 2011. Running time: 2 Hrs, 50 MIN.With: Matthew Barker, Nick Blakeley, Katie Brayben, Natasha Broomfield, Martin Chamberlain, Sioned Johnson, Barbara Kirby, Esther McAuley, Lara Rossi, Zara Tempest-Walters, John Webber, Shane Zaza. Contact David Benedict at benedictdavid@mac.com

Monday, October 24, 2011

Bachelor Pad's Krisily Kennedy: "I'm Bisexual"

Krisily Kennedy Bachelor Pad's Krisily Kennedy, who once competed for Charlie O'Connell's love on The Bachelor, has come out as bisexual. "I'm bisexual," she told Life & Style at Friday's GLSEN Respect Awards in Los Angeles. Kennedy said she began dating women three years ago, and recently broke up with her girlfriend of a year. "I'm completely open to still dating men," she said. "For me, this is all very new, and I was very lucky to have had my friends and family behind me." Heroes' Zachary Quinto: I'm a gay man Now that she's open about her sexuality, Kennedy says she's ready to find love, whether it be with men or women. "I want to fall in love with anyone and I don't care who they are," she said. "I just want love. I want long-term commitment. I really want those things and if people open their hearts to it, you can find that with anyone." Just days after National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, Heroes actor Zachary Quinto also recently revealed his sexuality.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

'Paranormal Activity' prone to scare up B.O.

'Paranormal Activity 3' is monitoring to debut around mid-$Thirty Dollars million in your area.Older men're likely to be released for Christoph Waltz and Milla Jovovich in 3d pic The Three Musketeers, distributed inside the U.S. by Summit. Paramount's third installment inside the "Paranormal Activity" franchise may haven't an issue ruling the weekend's worldwide B.O. with good-to-solid returns -- but a depressed domestic market could prevent it from frightening up blockbuster-sized B.O. inside the U.S. The weekend's other wide releases at greater than 1,000 locations, 3d "The Three Musketeers" and "Johnny British Reborn," are known as for modest Stateside openings. But both photos are specific more for the worldwide market, so U.S. returns will probably be gravy. Universal's "Johnny British" follow-up already has totalled a superb $91 million worldwide through Wednesday, while "Three Musketeers," from Constantin Films, is approaching $50 million in overseas grosses. "Johnny British" first first demonstrated in areas including Australia and Russia on Sept. 15 as well as, since has extended to 43 areas "Three Musketeers" presently is playing in 40 areas outdoors the U.S. In your area, inspiring sports drama "The Mighty Apple computer systems" launches within an aggressive 975 playdates via Quaker Media. Pic looks to make use of the belief-based aud, last provided by Sony's "Courageous." Though little marketing muscle, the film isn't likely to gross greater than $millions of through Sunday. Fox Searchlight's "Martha Marcy May Marlene," which just nabbed three Gotham Independent Film Honours noms, bows today at four locations. Stateside B.O. remains sluggish lately, with last weekend heading lower one of the weakest October frames ever. "Paranormal Activity 3," that's monitoring to debut round the mid-$30 millions in your area, may have better results overseas, due to a hefty day-and-date launch in 42 areas, including Australia, France, Mexico, Russia as well as the U.K. Componen apparently required to turn away auds at its fan tests of "Paranormal" held March. 18 in urban centers around the globe, including NY, London, Dallas, Chicago, Melbourne and L.A., which saw the greatest crowd worldwide, gathering as much as 2,260 fans. Under-25 auds -- "Paranormal's" core demo -- are actually especially sparse at Stateside plexes lately, which explains why monitoring services have "Paranormal 3" opening with underneath the $40.7 million of the predecessor. However, many B.O. experts the current teen B.O. monotony is principally product-related meaning anything better-than-expected for "Paranormal 3" will hinge round the franchise's recognition. Without Lionsgate's annual "Saw" offering, "Paranormal 3" could have a apparent playing area through Halloween. A year ago, "Paranormal 2" faced "Saw 3dInch within the second week. The first sort pic wound up cuming $84 million in your area. U's "Johnny British Reborn" isn't likely to attract a Stateside crowd, since recognition for star Rowan Atkinson lies mostly with overseas auds. The film is predicted to create inside the $4 million to $6 000 0000 range and was allotted at $45 million. Meanwhile, "The Three Musketeers," being distribbed inside the U.S. by Summit, should attract mainly older males, getting a possible family component lifting weekend grosses for the low double-amounts. Summit is bowing the film at roughly 2,200 3d locations. Summit will be based mainly on domestic theatrical to cancel out the company's P&Dedication round the film. In limited release, Kerbside Sights requires a somewhat aggressive approach with Wall Street thriller "Margin Call," bowing the pic a couple of days ago at 56 playdates as well as on VOD. Also debuting round the indie front, Cohen Media Group's "Oranges and Sunshine," toplining Emily Watson, opens at four. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Paul Master To Star In Thriller Hrs, Written And Also To Be Directed By Eric Heisserer

Paul Master continues to be drawn on to star within the publish-Hurricane Katrina thriller Hrs, which Peter Safran’s Safran Co is creating and financing. Eric Heisserer, that has written the scripts for brand new Line’s Nightmare On Elm Street redo, Warner Bros’ Final Destination 5 and Universal’s approaching The One Thing, authored the script and can make his directorial debut around the project, that is preparing for any March 2012 production begin in New Orleans. The topic few Hrs would appear to become a departure from Heisserer’s genre work: The film focuses on a parent (Master) who fights to help keep his newborn daughter alive inside a New Orleans hospital after Hurricane Katrina hits the town. Master most lately starred in Universal’s hit Fast Five and merely wrapped shooting the indie thriller Vehicle 19, that they also executive created and Safran Co also created. He's repped by UTA and Luber Roklin. Heisserer is repped by UTA and Artwork Entertainment UTA Independent Film Group, which packed the project together with Safran, is repping the film’s worldwide privileges.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Polanski's go back to NYFF

John C. Reilly and Jodie FosterMichael Barker and Tom Bernard flank Richard Pena and Rose Kuo. Anjelica Huston and Yasmina RezaShanyn Leigh and Abel Ferrara When "Carnage" opened up the 49th annual NY Film Festival on the wet Friday, it had been just the second film from helmer Roman Polanski to obtain a showcase within the fest -- the very first being "Knife within the waterInch in NYFF's initial outing, in 1963. The new sony Pictures Classics, however, is a much more regular presence. Together with "Carnage," SPC has four other films within this year's fest, and "Carnage" reps the distributor's eighth pic to spread out the annual event. SPC's Michael Barker reminisced about a number of individuals memorable tests, such as the 2000 bow of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." "The screening was such as the shot heard across the world," he stated. Additionally to Alice Tully Hall, where "Carnage" unspooled, the fest also offers the Film Society of Lincoln subsequently Center's recently completed, multi-venue Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center to exhibit photos. "The fest turns 50 the coming year, but in lots of ways it feels as though we are just getting began," stated the Society's Ann Tenenbaum. "I switched 50 this season, and should not the same myself, regrettably." Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Monday, October 3, 2011

Morning Grind: 'Arrested Development' Movie Totally Definitely Absolutely Probably Going to Happen in 2013

Zach Galifianakis wasn't the only comedy titan making news at the NYer Festival over the weekend. On Sunday, the cast of 'Arrested Development' and creator Mitch Hurwitz sat down with NYer television critic Nancy Franklin to discuss their beloved series, and when talk turned to the long-rumored feature film version, Hurwitz had an update. "We're 80 percent of the way to an answer," he said, before revealing that there are also plans to do a short-run television series to catch fans up on the lives of the Bluth clan during the last five years. All that needs to happen now is some studio cooperation and the usual cutting of red tape. Said star Jason Bateman: "There's business left to be done, but creatively we are all on board and have a very specific plan about how it would come out and what we would do and when we would shoot it. I think we're targeting next summer to shoot it." Later, Bateman tweeted that the film could get released in early 2013. As for the limited-run series, Deadline reports that Showtime and/or Netflix could be interested. Don't hold your breath or anything, but feel free to dance like a chicken as soon as possible. [NYT/ArtsBeat] The cast of 'Flight,' director Robert Zemeckis' first non-motion capture film since 'Cast Away' in 2000, is coming together nicely. Oscar winner Melissa Leo and James Badge Dale are in talks to join Denzel Washington, Bruce Greenwood and the already negotiating Don Cheadle in the film, which focuses on an alcohol and drug-addicted airline pilot (Washington), who becomes a hero after safely landing a malfunctioning aircraft. Leo would play an investigator trying to prove the pilot was negligent; Dale, a dying cancer patient. [THR] Director Gavin O'Connor loves to-the-point titles. The 'Warrior' director (who previously helmed 'Miracle') has attached himself to 'The Samurai,' about an international assassin on the lam with a woman and her child. Just a note, Gavin: drop the "the"; it's, cleaner. [Deadline] Excited about the entire 'Harry Potter' book series coming available via Pottermore later this month? Don't be: the AP reports that sale plans have been pushed to 2012. [AP] Moviefone's Mike Ryan was disappointed with the Melissa McCarthy-hosted episode of 'Saturday Night Live' this weekend, but not audiences: ratings were up four percent from the season premiere, and eight percent from the second episode last year. [Deadline] Can you guess Netflix's most-rented film ever? Hint: It's not 'Crash'! (That's No. 2.) [THR] Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The NYer

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Friday, September 30, 2011

Dancing's Maks: I Had Been slightly Frustrated With the Judges' Comments

Maksim Chmerkovskiy Hey everyone!We imagine you stood a great week! Appreciate voting for people!I am really annoyed Val and Elisabetta left. I used to be worried about him - we concern yourself with each other constantly - then when he got removed, I felt bad because If only to determine him win and succeed. We're competitive by character which is difficult to believe that at first, however, you will and proceed. It is not ideal, but he'll return. I believed they did an admirable job utilizing their quickstep, but sadly, nobody understood her. They relied on acquiring a great score, they got, quite a few others got good scores too, also it might be a detailed spread, making this in which the fan bases increase the risk for difference.For the scores, it's how it is. I am more concerned about the judges' comments. I believed they were discouraging, not just for people, but other stars and pros. I recognize when harsh critique is deserved, though Hope, I don't think it absolutely was deserved. I used to be really at ease with them on Monday, however, if I saw video within our jive after, I thought it had been good. It absolutely was fast and fast and looked a lot better than a few others. Maybe it had been a scenario of high anticipation on her behalf, however thought she did well. We have got slightly frustrated. It's tough transporting this out week in and week out - we should obtain the pieces make an effort to proceed, which is on top of choreographing a completely new dance, teaching the completely new dance, learning the completely new dance and other things. It's psychologically difficult. Their comments associated with Hope. She felt slightly insecure of a few things. Precisely what she does round the soccer area feels in direct contrast from the products I'm trying to create her do here. I'm not trying to alter her body drastically - I am not going her to experience a hard time coming back for the Olympic camping. I'd rather not change that in their, it is therefore an equilibrium of finding that mix on her behalf to feel relaxed. I'm just happy we have got by which a couple of days has happened.We've the cha-cha. It's coming along great. It's also celebrity story week and so they achieve choose the song too. It'll be a significant dramatic week which i appear similar to the tunes people have selected is more lyrical or serious, but Hope went inside the other direction. But it's nothing beats you might be completely serious getting a cha-cha anyway! She selected a sound lesson the women's team carried out inside their locker room through the planet Cup to acquire pumped up. It's a really awesome, energetic song, and that we are simply prone to get available and execute a fun cha-cha. In my opinion everybody was great now. Lots of people had comebacks and several people had dips, but overall, In my opinion everyone did well. It absolutely was an very hard week, however think this third week will be the true test. Now we just have four days to arrange a dance, so we'll observe everyone does. The positive thing relevant for this week though? Sleep is becoming in La! It absolutely was his first plane ride! He's getting a lot of fun out at this time around. He's an very happy dog. They've pals which is the center of attention everywhere he goes. I needed him to produce yesterday, however i am unsure he's ready for his Dancing debut yet.I furthermore have good news about my jewelry line. The next month, JC Penney's will sell them in stores in NY, L.A., Miami, Houston, Dallas and Chicago. It'll be an attempt run, but we're very hopeful. They've been succeeding on the web and I've been hearing great feedback up to now. You will also have new pieces inside the collection that are not on offer online. I'll also tweet out all of the independent jewelry stores across the country that will carry them, so make certain to follow along with me at @MaksimC. I'm just excited to roll them out nationwide now. We didn't might like to do it at one time - we wish sturdiness but this is a great pace. I'm happy everybody loves it. I gave pieces for the cast and they've been wearing it. J.R. tried on the extender now when he completed. Chynna used something. Billy Baldwin is totally into them! Performing clients are excellent, but additionally to that particular, I'm thrilled being acquiring the response from people. It helps it be all very rewarding.That's all for the moment!Maks

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Damon Lindelof Talks Prometheus

Here be (mild) spoilers!Some people hate spoilers of any size or description, while others love to pick over drip-feeds of teased information. If you're in the former camp, we applaud you, but you'd better leave this story now. If you're of the latter persuasion, read on for a few MTV-sourced bits and pieces from Prometheus writer Damon Lindelof.There's nothing here that's world-ending or ruinous, but a few new hints on tone and direction and character...Of Ridley Scott, Lindelof says he felt a tremendous relief, having been part-responsible for Lost for so long, that the weight of Prometheus was on someone else's shoulders. He says that he came aboard following "a series of conversations where I was kind of interviewing Ridley to get a sense of the movie he wanted to make. Once I got a sense of that, then it was really about channeling that idea so that I was realising his vision, as opposed to imposing my vision on it. Really everything I was coming up with was just a different spin on what he was saying to me."Michael Fassbender's role prompts reference to another Scott sci-fi classic: "He plays a robot. One of the things that evokes the idea of Blade Runner is, 'What does the movie look like from the robot's point of view?' If you were to ask him, 'What do you think about all of this? What's going on? What do you think about these humans who are around you?'. Wouldn't it be cool if we found a way for that robot to answer those questions?"Of Charlize Theron's character, Lindelof reveals"She's sort of a corporate entity. That's another one of the familiar things from the Alien movies: that there are corporate interests in play. I feel like Charlize brought a new spin on that old variation. It's a remix .... I don't think she's slimy like Burke. She's not the suit you're used to: not the fast-talking, snake-oil face of the company. By the way, what company she's actually a face of is a big part of the fun..."And the writer believes that there's more fun to be had with the rug-pulling that an ensemble cast makes possible: "If you watch the first Alien cold, you think Tom Skerritt is the hero, and then he's one of the first to go.I love the idea of building a really cool ensemble and again presenting the audience with like, 'Who's going to be left standing at the end of this movie? Maybe all of them. Probably not'..."Prometheus is currently in post-production, and released on June 1 next year.

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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Zach Rosenfield Joins Prodigy PR

Prodigy Public Relations has added publicity veteran Zach Rosenfield to its ranks.The former Insignia PR and Media Strategies partnerwill have the role of executive VP, television and sports entertainment. "It is great to be working again with Zach, whose wealth of experience will be a tremendous asset to our company," said Prodigy president and CEO Erik Bright, who worked with Rosenfield at Insignia."He is one of the most talented media strategists I have worked with and in bringing him on board, it signals Prodigy's expansion into all aspects of the entertainment industry." Rosenfield will focus on expanding Prodigy's TV presence through representation of scripted and non-scripted material, writer/executive producers, series show runners and physical production. Rosenfield's past clients includeJosh Schwartz and Shonda Rhymes, Endemol Entertainment, Big Brother, Fear Factor, Paula AbdulandTom Green. Rosenfield has also worked at Fifteen Minutes Public Relations andAccuScore, where he oversaw day-to-day website business while also serving as company spokesperson.With Prodigy, he will look to represent athletes, companies, organizations, brands, events and sports films. Related Topics

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Jeremy Renner Installed on 'King of Heists'

And there's that news van again. The ever-busy Jeremy Renner has attached themselves to another project. Per Deadline, he'll star in 'King of Heists,' an adaptation of J. North Conway's non-fiction book about George Leslie, a bank crook in 1878 NY. Renner is positioned to appear in 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' this December, additionally to 'Hansel and Gretel: Witch Potential predators,' 'The Avengers,' 'The Bourne Legacy,' 'Ice Age: Continental Drift,' and -- possibly -- a biopic about actor Steve McQueen. Only a few things. [Deadline] Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Friday, September 16, 2011

No fest craze but deals aplenty

"The Oranges" Sharni Vinson in "You are Next" Erectile dysfunction Burns and Jennifer Westfeldt in "Buddies With Kids" As Toronto draws to some close, it's obvious this year's edition unsuccessful to repeat the purchasing craze of this past year, which saw major gamers such as the Weinstein Co. and The new sony Pictures Worldwide Purchases leave with photos.By Thursday, more recent gamers like Open Road, Relativity and Film District had not bought anything, though IFC, Magnolia, Samuel fledgling distrib Cohen Media Group walked away having a clutch of more compact game titles."There have been excellent movies here, but anticipation were excessive that purchasers went in expecting to get involved with putting in a bid wars immediately, so when they recognized that maybe they did not need to, they anxiously waited a beat," stated Submarine's Josh Braun, whose outfit looked numerous game titles including "Your Sister's Sister," which visited IFC. "I believe we are likely to see a minimum of 3 or 4 more purchases introduced within the next couple of days."Major deals inked in Toronto this season incorporated Lasse Hallstrom's "Fish Fishing within the Yemen," which visited CBS Films, whose new staffers include veteran The new sony professional Scott Shooman as professional veep of acquisition.The vitalized distrib grabbed the pic, probably the most in a commercial sense attractive game titles from the fest, to have an believed $5 million on Sunday after its preem on Saturday.Mickey Liddell's Liddell Entertainment clicked up domestic privileges to William Friedkin's "Killer Joe" on Tuesday from Current Pictures for $3.5 million along with a bigger P&Dedication.That acquisition came 2 days following the pic's preem in the fest, signalling a generally more measured method of dealmaking. Arianna Bocco, senior Vice president of purchases and productions for Sundance Chooses and IFC Films, closed three deals Wednesday: Lynn Shelton's "Your Sister's Sister" went to have an believed $1.5 million together with Abel Ferrara's "4:44: Last Day on the planet" and Alexandre Courtes' horror pic "The Incident."On Thursday, she closed on United States privileges for Michael Winterbottom's "Trishna."Bocco stated several more high-profile game titles for example "The Oranges," "Buddies with Kids" and "You are Next" came interest in the fest. "You will find aggressive new purchasers plus they need films," she noted.The professional she wasn't surprised, however, the more in a commercial sense-oriented new distribs haven't drawn the trigger on deals."It isn't shocking whatsoever, simply because they want films that they'll open in wide domestic release," Bocco added. "What they are searching for is really a specific film."Which "particular film" rarely appeared to boost its mind this season in Toronto."Maybe a few of the bigger game titles did not selection with buyers' anticipation," stated Braun. "The flicks that offered weren't those that were towards the top of all of the lists at the outset of the festival."Richard Rionda Del Castro, Boss of Hannibal Pictures, offered domestic privileges on football drama "Everything Break Apart,Inch toplining Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson on the very first day from the fest to Image Entertainment for any high six-figures.Many purchasers take their time for you to pull the trigger, Del Castro stated. "I can not blame them," he added. "TV and DVD aren't succeeding and P&A is extremely costly at this time, so just the most commercial are likely to sell."Alex Walton, prexy of worldwide sales and distribution at Exclusive Films Intl., tested football doc "Undefeated" at TIFF this season and introduced it had boarded Ron Howard's "Hurry," which started production about the second day's the fest.While early talks of "Hurry" happened in Toronto, pic is more prone to gain traction at AFM in November."It has been fairly active in comparison with 2 yrs ago and i believe you will see lots of deals got locked lower over the following week," he stated, observing the new revenues from digital streaming are supplying optimism to purchasers but additionally making deals more difficult to shut.InchGreater toronto area is not a sales market like Cannes or AFM -- it's much more of a hybrid," Walton stated. "It's an excellent starting point because you will find the eight days between now and AFM."Studiocanal's mind of worldwide sales Harold Van Lier, who offered Rebecca Hall starrer "The Awakening" to Cohen Media Group for any low-seven figure sum, noted this year's Toronto sparked more conversations about VOD."There has been much more gamers existing within Toronto because purchasers have experienced the need for the VOD market through Netflix and Lovefilm," he stated.But TWC's new VOD indie label, headed by former Magnolia cake toppers Tom Quinn and Jason Janego, has not made an acquisition by Thursday.The main one-year-old Cohen Media put itself into the spotlight: fledgling distrib also bought "Confessions of the Child from the Century" and Luc Besson's "The Woman,Inch toplining Michelle Yeoh, from Europa Corp., a project in france they telemarketer silently revealed to purchasers in Toronto this past year.Audience hits in the festival were surely George Clooney starrer "The Descendants," Steve McQueen's "Shame," Kaira Pitt starrer "Moneyball" and Summit's "50/50" which all resounded well for industryites and non-bizzers alike.Other photos that whetted buyers' appetites incorporated Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper starrer "Place Past the Pines," that is being looked by Nick Meyer's Sierra/Affinity. Pic offered well worldwide in Cannes and, after showing footage to purchasers in Toronto, pic is edging nearer to a U.S. deal.Glen Basner's FilmNation demonstrated twenty minutes of footage of Chinese epic "Flowers of War," toplining Christian Bale, to some room filled with purchasers but sources indicate that lots of worldwide purchasers will wait to determine the finished pic prior to making a move.Jennie Punter led for this report. Contact Diana Lodderhose at diana.lodderhose@variety.com

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Six Chapters in the Origin Story of Sarah Jessica Parker

This weekend, Sarah Jessica Parker stars in 'I Don't Know How She Does It.' In her new film, Parker -- y'know, I really have no idea what she does or how she does it in this film. What I can tell you is that 'I Don't Know How She Does It' involves Parker's character juggling work and family life. (I can also tell you Tina Fey will never see this movie. Probably.) Regardless! It's always interesting to look back at the origin of an actor because while some are inevitably embarrassing, some offer a glimpse of what is yet to come. With Parker, her origin starts on a popular PBS series not titled 'Sesame Street' or 'The Electric Company,' which eventual finds her opposite Kevin Bacon in 'Footloose' -- long before the world ever had ever heard of Carrie Bradshaw. 321 Contact (1980) In Parker's first credited role, she played Annie the Orphan (for reasons I don't quite understand) on the popular PBS children's television show '321 Contact.' In this version of Annie, her dog, Sandy, is so cold, he needs a space heater. At other times, Sandy is so hot that he needs a fan and sunglasses. The strangest thing about this clip is that we are taught that at one point Sandy is "hibernating" -- even though Sandy has his eyes wide open and it would be considered unusual for domesticated dogs to hibernate. I wonder how many parents, following a gruesome discovery, followed suit and told their kids that their beloved pet was just "hibernating" -- and stuck a note on the poor thing about not waking it up until the spring. (Parker enters at 1:55 in the video below.) 'Somewhere, Tomorrow' (1983) The plot here is a little convoluted: Parker plays Lori Anderson, a girl who loses her father in a plane accident. Later, two more people that she knows are in a plane accident (note: do not fly if you happen to know Lori Anderson), but -- this time -- one of the passengers survives, and it becomes Lori's mission to help this survivor. In the clip below, Parker is watching 'Topper,' which is probably a better idea than watching 'Somewhere, Tomorrow.' 'Square Pegs' (1982) Parker's breakout role was as Patty Greene in the critically acclaimed but short-lived high school comedy 'Square Pegs.' Think of it as the 'Freaks and Geeks' of the early '80s. Fun fact: Co-star Amy Linker would go on to guest on the 1984 situation comedy, 'E/R,' starring George Clooney. Fellow co-star Jami Gertz would go on to guest on the medical drama 'ER,' also starring George Clooney. 'Footloose' (1984) Parker played the love of Chris Penn's life, Rusty, in the 1984 original. (I will never get used to writing "original.") For the new film, Rusty's character has been given a Latin flair -- her name is now Rusty Rodriguez and is played by Puerto Rican native Ziah Colon. Even though 'Footloose' was a massive hit, it's interesting to note that overwhelming success for Parker was still quite a few years away. 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' (1985) Parker plays Janey, a girl who just wants to have fun and who also loves a dance show called 'Dance USA.' Janey's dad doesn't want her to have fun and doesn't want her to dance on 'Dance USA.' (Janey's dad is not played by John Lithgow.) Not surprisingly, Janey eventually gets to dance on 'Dance USA.' Here is a clip of that dance -- which features maybe 45 seconds of Parker compared to the remainder being Parker's dance double. You know that 'Sex and the City' prequel series that is in development -- it will probably look a lot like this. 'Flight of the Navigator' (1986) "But that's impossible!" It appears young Joey Cramer was taking his acting lessons from watching too much 'Star Wars.' To be fair, if I were the star of 'Flight of the Navigator,' I would me taking my acting lessons from 'Star Wars,' too. The plot of this movie centers on a young boy named David who is mysteriously transported into the future from 1978 to 1986. Seriously, what a lame time jump. Think back to all the great movies that came out between '78 and '85 -- 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' 'The Empire Strikes Back,' 'E.T.,' 'Back to the Future' -- and now you're living in 1986? Hope you like 'Crocodile Dundee,' kid! Oh, yeah, Parker plays an intern at an institute that is performing tests on David. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter. Follow Moviefone on Twitter.

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'Sarah Palin: You Betcha!' Trailer Debuts (Video)

TORONTO -- Ryan Gosling-Bradley Cooper thriller The Place Beyond the Pines was among the hottest projects shopped at the Toronto sales market, and has sold out the world, as well as drawing substantial interest from U.S. buyers.our editor recommendsToronto 2011: Buyers to See First Footage of Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper's 'The Place Beyond the Pines' Toronto 2011: 10 Hot Titles Buyers Dare Not Miss Derek Cianfrance is currently shooting the high-profile indie title, which also stars Rose Byrne and Eva Mendes. The project reteams Cianfrance and Gosling, who worked together on the critically acclaimed Blue Valentine, a dark drama about a failing marriage. Nick Meyer and Marc Schaberg's Sierra/Affinity is selling Place Beyond the Pines internationally, while WME and CAA are co-representing domestic rights. Produced by Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Place Beyond the Pines did brisk presales business when first introduced at the Cannes Film Market in May by Sierra/Affinity. A handful of key territory deals were signed, including for the U.K., France and Spain. At Toronto, Sierra finished up deals for virtually every remaining territory, insiders say. (Both U.S. and international buyers attending Toronto were invited to see the first footage from the film.) Domestic distributors also are pursuing U.S. rights. In the movie, Gosling plays a professional motorcycle stunt rider who turns to bank robberies to support his newborn son, but when he crosses paths with a rookie police officer, played by Cooper, their violent confrontation spirals into a tense generational feud tracing the intersecting lives of fathers and sons, cops and robbers, heroes and villains. The producers of Place Beyond the Pines are Sidney Kimmel, Lynette Howell, Alex Orlovsky and Jamie Patricof. Sierra/Affinity also handled foreign sales on the critically acclaimed Drive, which stars Gosling opposite Carey Mulligan and opens in theaters Sept. 16. FilmDistrict is releasing Drive domestically. Related Topics Toronto International Film Festival Ryan Gosling Bradley Cooper

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

17 Things You Might Not Have Known About 'The Lion King'

Call it the circle of life: many kids who saw 'The Lion King' in theaters when it opened in 1994 can now take their own kids to see it when the 3D version hits the cineplex on Sept. 16. (The film hits both standard and 3D Blu-ray on Oct. 4.) Of course, it's hard to believe there's a generation that has never been exposed to 'The Lion King'; since the landmark Disney cartoon debuted, it has spawned an industry that's included two direct-to-video sequels, a TV series, several video games and a long-running Broadway musical. To celebrate the 17-year history of 'The Lion King,' Moviefone has unearthed 17 things you might not have known about the furry film fable, including which Oscar-nominated song Elton John thought would kill his career, the supposed secret "sex" scene, what that chant at the beginning of 'Circle of Life' means, and a precedent-setting blast of warthog flatulence. 1. Originally, the movie was going to be called 'King of the Jungle,' until the filmmakers realized that lions live on the savanna, not in the jungle. 2. Initially, the film was not going to be a musical, but rather, a more realistic, National Geographic-type story. It was lyricist Tim Rice -- who'd worked with Disney on 'Aladdin' -- who suggested adding songs and hiring Elton John to compose them. 3. The film's writers referred to the film in private as 'Bamblet,' noting the similarity between their movie's plot and those of 'Bambi' and 'Hamlet.' 4. For inspiration, the animators and artists spent two weeks in Africa, visiting Hell's Gate National Park in Kenya. They also had real lions brought into the animation studio, under the supervision of Jim Fowler, of TV's 'Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.' 5. The song 'Hakuna Matata' originated with a phrase the animators heard from a tour guide during their African trip. Tim Rice heard the phrase (which, as every fan knows, means "no worries") and noted its similarity to 'Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo' from Disney's 'Cinderella,' and he turned it into the film's comic centerpiece. Elton John, however, was afraid the tune would mark a low point in his career. "I sat there with a line of lyrics that began, 'When I was a young warthog," John said in 1995, "and I thought, 'Has it come to this?'" Watch the trailer for 'The Lion King 3D' 6. Hans Zimmer, who eventually won an Oscar for composing the instrumental score, brought aboard Lebo M, a South African composer and singer he'd worked with on the film 'The Power of One.' (A self-imposed exile from the apartheid regime, Lebo M was parking cars in Los Angeles when Zimmer met him.) It's Lebo M who added the African choral passages to the score, including the famous 'Circle of Life' chant that opens the movie. 7. Lebo M's 'Circle of Life' chant, translated from Zulu, means, "Here comes a lion, Father/Oh yes, it's a lion/We're going to conquer/A lion and a leopard come to this open place." 8. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella, who were co-starring on Broadway in 'Guys and Dolls,' auditioned together, hoping to play hyenas. But the filmmakers liked their chemistry and cast them instead as Timon and Pumbaa, the meerkat/warthog comic relief duo. For the hyenas, the filmmakers initially wanted Cheech and Chong , but the stoner comedy duo had broken up by the time the movie was made. So the filmmakers stuck with Cheech Marin but used Whoopi Goldberg instead of Tommy Chong. 9. 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' was almost a comic duet for Timon and Pumbaa, but Elton John balked. As a traditional love ballad, marking Simba and Nala's romance, the song became one of three from the film nominated for Oscars (along with 'Hakuna Matata' and 'Circle of Life,') and it won the Academy Award for Elton John and Tim Rice. 10. A musical number called "The Morning Report" didn't make it into the film (it was replaced by dialogue), but it was used in the Broadway musical and was included in the 2002 IMAX re-release and the platinum-edition DVD, accompanied by newly created footage. 11. 'The Lion King' marks the second time that James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair played royal parents of an African prince. The first time was 'Coming to America,' where they played Eddie Murphy's dad and mom. 12. When Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas) tells Scar (Jeremy Irons), "You're so weird," and Scar replies, "You have no idea," the reference is to a nearly identical exchange between Ron Silver and Irons during the latter's Oscar-winning turn as Claus Von Bulow in 'Reversal of Fortune.' 13. Conservative activists objected to a scene where particles in the night sky supposedly spell out, for an instant, the word "SEX." The animators have said that they were actually spelling out the abbreviation "SFX" (for "special effects") as a signature of their work that would be visible only to viewers with sharp eyes (and fast thumbs on the pause button). 14. While the characters in the movie are all hand-drawn, computers were used for assistance in some sequences, notably, the wildebeest stampede. In that sequence, a computer multiplied several hand-drawn animals into hundreds and created random paths for them. The resulting two-and-a-half-minute sequence took more than two years to create. 15. 'The Lion King' was the highest grossing movie worldwide in 1994, with a total of $772.6 million grossed around the globe. It's also the top-grossing hand-drawn cartoon of all time and the fourth-biggest animated feature of all time (behind CGI features 'Shrek 2,' 'Toy Story 3,' and 'Finding Nemo') in the U.S. 16. For a long time, 'The Lion King' held the record as the best-selling home video release, having sold 30 million copies on VHS. Hakuna Matata The Lion King - MOVIECLIPS.com 17. Pumbaa was the first Disney character to fart. Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

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Saturday, September 10, 2011

Beetlejuice Follow up May Now Happen

With Seth Grahame-Cruz spearheading itThe concept of a follow up to Tim Burton's ace 1988 spook comedy Beetlejuice is a which has sailed between your mobile phone industry's of fact and rumour just like a lost soul for a long time. Now, following a lengthy period lost in limbo, it might appear it's back, with Abraham Lincoln subsequently: Vampire Hunter author Seth Grahame-Cruz speaking in the idea because he launches his new production company. While there's been loose chatter in regards to a follow-as much as the Michael Keaton film, with even Burton themself handing Mars Attacks! author Jonathan Gems the idea of a Hawaii-set follow up (which experienced several script drafts but never found an effective solution of day), it certainly is appeared to break out from time to time, usually when the cast or even the director themself are requested about this, after which die out again. Well, like Beetlejuice themself requiring to possess his title known as several occasions before he'll appear, it appears as if the follow up continues to be pointed out enough to create it to existence. It is simply one mooted movie being come up with by Grahame-Cruz and creating friend David Katzenberg, who've signed a 2-year cope with Warners for his or her KatzSmith Productions company. Striving to operate similar to Qq Abrams' Bad Robot or Ron Howard and John Grazer's Imagine, they'll generate their very own output in becoming movies and much more. And it is nothing like Grahame-Cruz does not curently have a Burton connection. He authored the script for that presently shooting Dark Shadows and Burton is really a producer about the film version of Abraham Lincoln subsequently. Plus, we wager it does not hurt that Katzenberg may be the boy of Jeffrey...Still, in the sounds from it, they have got a great deal bubbling away and also have already proven themselves with books, scripts along with a Television show to their name. When the privileges could be exercised, Grahame-Cruz intends to write the Beetlejuice script, that is apparently likely to "reboot it by evolving the story from the original" (Unsure quite how that actually works, but we might yet discover). We are just crossing our fingers that Michael Keaton is going to be back...

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Friday, September 9, 2011

Russell Crowe And Helena Bonham Carter Sing For 'Les Miserables'

Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of Russell Crowe? Well, you'll certainly be hearing his singing voice in full force come December 2012, as the Oscar winning actor has been cast as fugitive hunter Javert in Tom Hooper's "Les Miserables." Crowe is in talks to star opposite Hugh Jackman in the musical adaptation, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Additionally, the always creepy Helena Bonham Carter has been tapped to join the cast as Madame Thenardier, who sings the best line by far in "Master of the House." Great casting all around! Check out the rest of today's casting news past the jump! Stormare Makes A "Last Stand" Arnold Schwarzenegger, prepare to meet your match. Peter Stormare has joined the cast of "The Last Stand" as the villain's primary henchman, Variety reports. He's the second actor to sign onto the film following Schwarzenegger, who makes his big screen comeback with the July-shooting picture. Rodriguez Goes "Dark" For "Magic" Two new roles for "CSI: Miami" star Adam Rodriguez today. First up, Splash Page reports that the actor has a small role to play in "The Dark Knight Rises," Christopher Nolan's third and supposedly final Batman movie. Beyond that, he also has a role to play in "Magic Mike," Steven Soderbergh's movie about male strippers based loosely on Channing Tatum's pre-Hollywood career. Hopkins Finds "Solace" It's back to the serial killer genre for Anthony Hopkins, though Hannibal Lecter is nowhere in sight. Instead, the actor is set to star in "Solace," in which he'll play a former doctor with psychic abilities who now works with the FBI. It's through this profession that he finds himself on the path of a serial killer, reports Variety. Tell us what you think in the comments section and on Twitter!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

GRB Ing. launches scripted wing

GRB Entertainment, which until recently has solely created and distributed non-fiction programming, is starting a scripted division. Initially, the brand new division will acquire scripted films to become distributed worldwide to both television and theatrical platforms. Later, GRB intends to produce its films, stated Marielle Zuccarelli, that has been marketed to leader of GRB's worldwide division. "Starting scripted is extremely new for all of us,Inch stated Zuccarelli, that has been obtaining and disbursing non-fiction TV series -- including Discovery's "Auction Nobleman," Animal Planet's "Pit Boss," WE's "Braxton Family Values" and CNBC's "American Avarice" -- worldwide for GRB in excess of eight years. Just before that, Zuccarelli distributed scripted programming for brand new Films Worldwide and Hypnotic. To produce the brand new division, GRB has hired Todd Olsson, veteran of Disney and Sobini Films, as v . p . of movies. Olsson states the made-for-TV movie marketplace is warming up around the world because the reality trend fades a little. "Using the technology currently available and also the diversification of platforms, programming eventually ends up being king," Olsson stated. "Many of the films which were staples they could run over and over, that they might own the privileges for the following fifteen years, have grown to be outdated. Channels want stuff that's modern." Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Court Rejects Wesley Snipes Appeal Of Conviction On Tax Charges

FIRST PUBLISHED: September 6, 2011 4:50 PM EDT ATLANTA, Ga. -- The federal appeals court in Atlanta on Tuesday turned away the latest attempt by actor Wesley Snipes to get his conviction and prison sentence on tax charges overturned. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the appeal by Snipes, who was convicted in 2008 on three misdemeanor counts of willful failure to file income tax returns. His defense lawyers contended they received emails from former jurors reporting misconduct among other members of the panel. One of the former jurors said in the email that three other jurors acknowledged they had determined Snipes was guilty before the trial began. A federal court rejected the request for a new trial and noted that there were reasons to questionthe veracity of the allegations made in the emails. The 11th Circuit upheld the ruling on Tuesday, finding that there wasnt strong, substantial and incontrovertible evidence that would warrant a new trial. Snipes started a three-year term in a Pennsylvania prison in December. Hes appeared in more than a dozen films, from White Men Cant Jump and Demolition Man in the early 1990s to the blockbuster Blade trilogy. Defense attorney Dan Meachum said he was disappointed with the courts decision. He said his client still feels that he did not receive a fair trial decided by a just and impartial jury because of those issues. Copyright 2011 by Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Friday, August 26, 2011

A&E Gives Series Pickup to 'Longmire' Western

A&E has purchased contemporary crime thrillerLongmire to series.our editor recommends'Battlestar Galactica' Star Katee Sackhoff Lands A&E Pilot The drama, in regards to a widowed sheriff in Absaroka County, Wyoming, continues to be granted a ten episode order. The project, set to premiere sometime the coming year, stars Katee Sackhoff(Battlestar Galactica), whowill play a deputy oppositeRobert Taylor's mid-western sheriff.Also attached areLou Gemstone Phillips(Stargate World),BaileyChase(Savior) andCassidy Freeman(Smallville). The series, which originates in the Shephard/Robin Co. and Warner Horizon Television, will bedirected byGreg Yaitanes(House) and compiled by Search Baldwin, John CovenyandCraig Allen Manley. The second also authored the the Wally Longmirebook series which the show relies. Related Subjects Katee Sackhoff A&E

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

DCP seeks reconsideration in Globes dispute

With a trial looming over the rights to the Golden Globes, Dick Clark Prods. is asking a federal court judge to reconsider her decision not to render summary judgment over many of the issues in its dispute with the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. U.S. District Judge Valerie Baker Fairbank ruled Aug. 8 that because there were "numerous genuine disputes of material fact," the HFPA's case against longtime producer DCP could proceed. The case centers on a clause in a 1993 pact that appeared to give DCP "perpetual rights" to produce the telecast as long as it could continue to land a broadcast deal with NBC. The non-jury trial is scheduled to start on Sept. 6, with a final pretrial conference scheduled for Aug. 25. In a filing on Monday, attorneys for DCP asked that Fairbank reconsider her decision that the HFPA's claims are not barred by the statute of limitations. Fairbank ruled that the HFPA was still within the time frame to file suit because the dispute arose after DCP signed a long-term deal with NBC last October. The HFPA filed suit in November, claiming that the new NBC deal is invalid because DCP did not obtain its consent. But attorneys for Dick Clark Prods. contend that, because of the statute of limitations, the HFPA has long since passed the time in which it can raise one of its chief claims. The HFPA is arguing that its prexy in 1993, Mirjana Van Blaricom, acted beyond her authority when she signed the 1993 pact, an amendment to an earlier contract. Contact Ted Johnson at ted.johnson@variety.com