To Our Readers
Thanks for taking part in our recent survey. It's clear you have a lot to say about what we're doing, and that you have a great desire for changes in our coverage. Because you demanded it, you will see an increase in our coverage of box office and financing news, festivals, European and Asian film, web news and digital services in 2012. Additionally, there is an increased demand for monthly features, like our "Filmmakers to Watch" series, as well as "Writers" and "Producers" to watch. As such, and because of our need to expand and cover our resulting expenses, we've decided that come January we will move to a $4.99/month subscription price. Also, during the course of the year we will begin rolling out the additional monthly features for only $1.99 per month. Thanks again for your loyal readership and we look forward to beginning a new and improved FNB in 2012!
Happy Holidays!
We want to wish you all the very best this holiday season. In line with the above message we've been posting this past week, we're now taking the next couple weeks to clean up under the hood, make things work better and faster and generally improve our service here. Because of that, the site is down temporarily, but we'll be back up soon. Meanwhile, have a great couple weeks, and we'll return on Tuesday, January 3. See you soon!
Box Office
Weekend Estimate
December 16-18, 2011 (*millions)
FILM GROSS/CUMULATIVE TOTAL
1 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) $40M/$40M
2 Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked (2011) $23.5M/$23.5M
3 Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) $13M/$13M
4 New Year's Eve (2011) $7.42M/$24.8M
5 The Sitter (2011) $4.4M/$17.2M
6 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011) $4.3M/$266M
7 Young Adult (2011) $3.65M/$4.09
8 Hugo (2011) $3.62M/$39.1M
9 Arthur Christmas (2011) $3.6M/$38.5M
10 The Muppets (2011) $3.5M/$70.9M
Project Updates
"Ender" Getting More Cast
The casting for the film adaptation of the Orson Scott Card sci-fi novel, "Eneder's Game," is heating up. Canadian teen star Brendan Meyer has joined the OddLot project. Meyer will play Stilson, Ender’s (Asa Butterfield) classmate who taunted him during ground school in the futuristic film.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/mr-young-star-brendan-meyer-cast-in-enders-game-274780
Eva Green Is Bringing Some Class to "300" Prequel
Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ "300" prequel hasn't found its male star yet, but the movie is zeroing in on its female lead. Eva Greeen has entered negotiations to play Artemisia in the movie, which is currently working with the title "300: Battle of Artemisia." Noam Murro is directing.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/eva-green-300-sequel-prequel-274730 "Lone Ranger" Keeps Amping Up Towards Production
British actor James Frain has joined the cast of Disney’s "The Lone Ranger." Johnny Depp toplines the Gore Verbinski-directed pic, which also counts Armie Hammer,, Helena Bonham Carter and Tom Wilkinson among the cast. Frain will play a tough foreman overseeing Chinese and Indian rail workers who works for the story’s chief villain (Wilkinson).
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/true-blood-lone-ranger-james-frain-274750
Acquisitions/Film Festivals
Zeitgeist Gets Some "Payback" With Film Buy
Zeitgeist Films has acquired the documentary Payback, which will have its world premiere in the world documentary competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in January. The film is scheduled for a late April release. Directed by Jennifer Baichwal, the film is based on Margaret Atwood's bestselling book, "Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth," which looks at how debt influences relationships, societies, governing structures and the planet in different contexts around the world. Ravida Din of the National Film Board of Canada produced the project. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/zeitgeist-films-sundance-documentary-payback-274748
That Seagal-Austin Team-Up You've Been Waiting For? Anchor Bay's Bringing It To You
Anchor Bay has acquired the distribution rights to "Maximum Conviction," an action movie starring Steven Seagal and Steve Austin. The deal includes U.S. and Canadian theatrical and home entertainment rights and was struck with Voltage Pictures. Directed by Keoni Waxman, the story sees the action duo as private security contractors decommissioning an old prison. When two mysterious female prisoners are forced to stay there one night, the facility comes under siege by a force of mercenaries, with our heroes forced to stand against the mercenaries and find out the reason for the assault. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/anchor-bay-steven-seagal-steve-austin-274753
Business/Legal News
The Scoggins Report: Black List, Baby!
Friend/colleague/contributor Jason Scoggins returns with his bi-weekly look at the spec market. This time around, the big obvious news is the release of the famed Black List, as well as the fact that over a dozen pieces on said list are, wait for it, still up for grabs. As usual, our pal The Scogmeister has his finger on the pulse, so click on over to see for yourself (or, just do as we do, and subscribe! It's totally worth it!).
http://bit.ly/v5N3Sd
John Wells And Showtime Continue To Do Bidness Together
Showtime is looking to add another crime family to its lineup. The premium cable network has picked up a script based on the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury prize-winning film "Animal Kingdom," with "Shameless"' John Wells attached as an executive producer. The 2010 Australian film, distributed stateside by Sony Pictures Classics, revolves around a family of criminals as they battle the police, and the ordinary lives caught in the middle. The hourlong drama project will be written by Wells’ "Southland" co-EP/writer Jonathan Lisco and executive produced by Wells, Andrew Stearn and the film’s David Michod and Liz Watts. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/showtime-john-wells-animal-kingdom-274746
FX Getting Into The Spy Game
FX is moving ahead with "The Americans." The male-skewing cable network has given a pilot order to the KGB spy drama set in suburban Washington D.C. the early 1980s. The project, created Joe Weisberg, centers on the arranged marriage of Phillip and Elizabeth Jennings, who have two children who know nothing about their parents’ true identity. Their relationship grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War and the intimate, dangerous and darkly funny relationships they must maintain with a network of informants and spies under their control. Complicating it further is Phillip’s growing sense of affinity for the American way of life. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fx-the-americans-pilot-274293
Mariska Hargitay Is Getting her Producer On
NBC already has a series set behind the scenes of a sketch comedy show in Emmy-winning comedy "30 Rock." Now the network is looking to pull back the veil on the inner workings of reality series. NBC has bought "American Dream," an hourlong spec written by Paul Kolsby and executive produced by "Law & Order: SVU" star Mariska Hargitay, feature producer Andrew Lazar and Steve Shainberg.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/17/american-dream-mariska-hargitay_n_1155488.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weblogsinc%2Ftvsquad+%28TV+Squad%29
Technology/Multi-Platform Content
It's About Time! HBO Go Coming To Time Warner!
HBO Go will soon reach a lot more users. Time Warner Cable announced Friday that it reached a deal to offer the streaming video service to its customers who also subscribe to HBO. HBO Go (along with Cinemax counterpart MAX Go) open up the network's library of movies and original programming for free, unlimited streaming online and on multiple devices like the iPhone and iPad applications.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hbo-go-time-warner-cable-274829 | |
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