Oscar Nominations
Well, all the speculation and prognostication has led to this, the Oscar nominations came out this morning and "The Artist" appears to be the frontrunner in the 2012 race. But, hey, "War Horse" and "Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close" both got Best Picture noms and Albert Brooks was snubbed, so what do we know? Want to check out the entire list of nominees? IMDB's got you covered.
http://www.imdb.com/oscars/nominations/
Projects Announced
Well, It’s About Time! Director Dylan Kidd Finally Making Another Film It’s been a long dry spell for the writer and director of “Roger Dodger,” but Dylan Kidd is back in the director’s chair with “Get A Job.” Miles Teller (”Rabbit Hole,” “Project X”) will star, with offers out to Anna Kendrick and Bryan Cranston with Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jay Pharaoh (”Saturday Night Live”) and Jesse Eisenberg all circling roles (the latter’s appearance would be a cameo). Kyle Pennekamp and Scott Turpel sold the script to CBS Films way back in 2009, and it follows a college grad and his pals who face a recession crushed post-school life. No word yet on the roles any of the above would play at the moment. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/miles-teller-to-star-with-anna-kendrick-bryan-cranston-jesse-eisenberg-christopher-mintz-plasse-more-sought-to-get-a-job Legendary Italian Animator Getting Back In The Saddle Italian animator Bruno Bozzetto, best known for his political satires and his hapless reoccurring character Signor Rossi, on Monday announced plans for his first full-length feature project in 36 years. Bozzetto, who was nominated for an Oscar in 1991 for his short film “Grasshoppers” — a film seen as a precursor to the popular insect-themed animated films of the late 1990s, “Bugs Life” and “Antz” — said his next project will be called “Viavia,” which could loosely be translated as “Gogo.” The animated film will be set in a future where traffic problems are far worse than today. In the story, the “Viavia” is an invention that allows people who move around despite the debilitating traffic. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bruno-bozzetto-feature-film-viavia-284021 Is Bret Easton Ellis Writing A Sort Of Porn Flick For Paul Schrader? Maybe Could shock-novelist Bret Easton Ellis’ next detour lead him down some dark alleyways with the writer of “Taxi Driver”? If Ellis’ topsy-turvy Twitter account (via ONTD) is to be believed, he’s working on an “L.A. noir micro budget Paul Schrader movie.” And he’s got an interesting, NSFW Google search lead in mind. Following in the footsteps of “The Girlfriend Experience,” Ellis apparently has his eyes on adult film star James Deen to play “Christian or Ryan” in the new film, tweeting that Deen “has to act and be full frontal naked banging girls and guys realistically.” Skin-flick devotees know Deen as one of the more ubiquitous performers in the industry, but don’t let IMDb fool you, as his profile is, for some reason, filled with photos of the actual James Dean. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/bret-easton-ellis-and-paul-schrader-working-together-on-a-micro-budgeted-l-a-noir Today’s Best News: Lawrence Kasdan Hopping Back In The Director’s Chair Again It’s been a whole 11 years since “Return Of The Jedi” and “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” writer Lawrence Kasdan last tested himself behind the camera with the critically-panned sci-fi fantasy pic “Dreamcatcher” but 2012 will see the writer-director return to the tried and true family drama genre with “Darling Companion” before moving on to an adaptation of a thriller novel by “Tell No One” author Harlan Coben. Described as a “Big Chill”-esque tale, “Darling” features a fairly strong cast with Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Richard Jenkins, Dianne Wiest and Sam Shepherd and has been described as the comic, harrowing and deeply emotional story of a woman who enlists the help of numerous guests and a mysterious woman to find her beloved dog — all while her relationship with her self-involved husband deteriorates. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/lawrence-kasdans-darling-companion-to-open-santa-barbara-film-festival-will-helm-adaptation-of-harlan-cobens-stay-close-next “Aliens Vs Wizards” Is Russel T. Davies’ Next Gift To The World Russell T. Davies, the writer credited with re-invigorating “Doctor Who” for a fresh generation of children, is returning to kids’ TV programming with action adventure drama “Aliens Vs Wizards.” The project has heavyweight backing from the BBC and FreemantleMedia Enterprises and is created by Davies and Phil Ford. The series details the story of a fight between aliens and wizards to control planet Earth’s magic. The project, which set the Internet abuzz, will be produced by BBC Cymru Wales in association with FME’s Kids & Family Entertainment division. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/doctor-who-writer-russell-t-davies-aliens-vs-wizards-283959 Meryl Streep Lends Her Voice “To The Arctic 3D” Meryl Streep is to narrate “To The Arctic 3D,” a co-production from MacGillivray Freeman Films and Warner Bros. Pictures to bow in Imax theaters on April 20, 2012. The documentary by Oscar-nominated Greg MacGillivray takes viewers to the top of the world in a tale of survival. “To The Arctic 3D” is also MacGillivray Freeman’s third collaboration with Streep after she narrated “Hurricane on the Bayou” and “The Living Sea.” http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/meryl-streep-narrate-imax-doc-283958 Jan de Bont Gets Back In The Swing With “Five Minutes” One of Johnny Cash’s few film credits before deciding that music was the world that better suited him was as crazed criminal Johnny Cabot in 1961’s “Five Minutes To Live,” and now someone else will be taking it on as Jan de Bont has been hired to remake the movie. Producers Joseph and Jack Nasser have decided he’s the man to make the new version of “Five Minutes,” for which “Transparency’s” Raul Inglis has written a fresh script. It’ll follow the same basic plot though – two men hold a bank manager’s wife hostage until he agrees to give them a certain amount of money. One of the villains stays with the wife, and one confronts the manager at work, threatening that unless he calls his partner every five minutes, the man’s other half will die. Trouble is, the manager had already been planning to run away to Vegas with his mistress, and might just see the chance for his wife to die as one he’s willing to endorse … There’s no word on when it’ll kick off shooting, but the producers and de Bont are getting started with casting soon. http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32932
Rocket Pictures Takes A Chance On “N.E.R.D.S.” After surprising lots of people with both the quality and success of “Gnomeo & Juliet” last year, Elton John and David Furnish’s Rocket Pictures company has been buying up other properties and ideas, looking for more possible projects. The latest acquisition? Michael Buckley’s bestselling “N.E.R.D.S.” book series. Buckley’s stories focus on your stereotypical group of young, unpopular school geeks. But they have a secret — they also run a spy network under their teachers’ noses and battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant-turned-assassin, who is just one of a number of super villains they encounter. The kid agents are equipped with plenty of gadgetry and naturally boast charming stories of learning to get along in the world. Buckley has already written three books, and has another set to come out in the autumn. The Rocket Pictures team wants him to at least crank out the first draft of the screenplay for the film adaptation. http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32933 Jim Jarmusch Gets His Producer On With New Indie Jim Jarmusch might not be directing anything any time soon, but he will be producing friend Mark Webber’s next effort, “Panarea” written by Adam Mansbach wrote and to be directed by Adam Lough. Webber will star with Chloe Sevigny as a married couple that, in Webber’s words, “kind of goes on vacation in Italy, and gets tangled up with this Italian couple. And it’s all about machismo, and generals and it’s an amazing script. So I’m going to go work on that as an actor, and all through that I’ll be figuring out what I want to do next.” http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/jim-jarmusch-producing-erotic-dramedy-panarea-starring-mark-webber-chloe-sevigny Project Updates
Helmer Frears Strongly Considering A Revisit To His Past Stephen Frears, director of the upcoming film “Lay the Favorite,” has said that one of his next projects may be a remake of his own film, the 1984 underworld thriller “The Hit,” with development of the film first surfacing late last year. Frears is in Park City to promote his new film, “Lay the Favorite,” a dramedy starring Rebecca Hall as a former exotic dancer who finds her calling after taking a job for a professional gambler. The acclaimed filmmaker said that the idea for remaking “The Hit” came up several years ago, and conversations with the producer who bought the rights to the story prompted him to consider taking the job himself. The original film follows a London gangster who gets drawn back into the criminal underworld after providing evidence to the authorities of his colleagues’ misdoings. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/stephen-frears-confirms-hes-considering-an-american-remake-of-the-hit-but-its-not-quite-ready-to-roll-just-yet Don’t Tease Us, Kiefer! “24″ Star Says Flick Is Moving Forward While the movie adaptation of “24″ won’t borrow the show’s main conceit of taking place in real time — the title would have to lose a number, for one — it looks like there won’t be a huge difference with the subject material. When asked about the Mark Bomback-penned script for the “24″ movie (hopefully retitled “The Jack Bauer Power Hour”), star Kiefer Sutherland took a break from promoting his new Fox series “Touch” to she some light on the plot developments that will trouble Bauer’s CTU agency on the big screen in 2013. Sutherland said it is a continuation of the series, which would mean that we’re following up on the events that closed the series, with heroic Counter-Terrorism agent/superman/torture-lover Jack Bauer on the run from authorities after going rogue in a quest for redemption for a government coverup. There’s no director attached, though shooting is scheduled to start at the end of April or beginning of May, according to Sutherland. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/24-movie-to-occur-six-months-after-the-series-finale The Truth Hurts! Legendary Actor Latest On Board “Snow Piercer” John Hurt is the latest thesp with a ticket to board “Snow Piercer,” the English-language debut of Korean helmer Bong Joon-Ho, the man behind “Memories of Murder,” “The Host” and “Mother.” Based on a French graphic novel called “La Transperceneige,” the project is set in an icy, apocalyptic future, on board a train of survivors divided into carriages by their class, and while there’s no detail on his role, Hurt joins Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell and Song Kang-Ho in the project. Not too shabby, eh? http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/john-hurt-is-latest-awesome-addition-to-awesome-cast-of-bong-joon-hos-snow-piercer Today In Unsubstantiated Rumors: “Haywire” Star As Wonder Woman? It was a pretty decent weekend for Gina Carano. The former mixed martial arts fighter led “Haywire” to a solid $9 million debut at the box office, good enough for fifth place in a crowded field (the top choice was the similarly female-fronted action film “Underworld Awakening”). Not only that, but her name was thrown into the hilarious rumor mill for the possibly-never-happening big-screen version of Wonder Woman that Nicolas Winding Refn wants to direct. Hooray! According to the ever-reliable Page Six, Carano “might be in the running” to play the iconic superhero. No other specifics are given. Of course, whether this version of Wonder Woman ever even happens remains to be seen. Warner Bros. hasn’t given Refn a greenlight on the film, perhaps in the interest of waiting to see how Refn does with the remake of “Logan’s Run” he’s plannig with beffie Ryan Gosling. Whether he’s even thought of Carano for the part — a part that actually doesn’t exist at the moment — is unknown. http://news.moviefone.com/2012/01/23/gina-carano-wonder-woman_n_1223289.html Tuesday’s Comic Book Movie Adaptation Updates Those fellas over at Comic Book Resources do put together a nice bit of news every day regarding films aimed at us Geeks. Today has dirt on “The Avengers,” “Man of Steel” and “Prometheus,” among others. As usual, it’s an entertaining bit of agate, so glide on over to check it out. http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36553 Tom Riley Gets In Touch With “Da Vinci’s Demons” British actor Tom Riley has been cast to play a young Leonardo da Vinci in the Starz upcoming original series, “Da Vinci’s Demons.” The historical fantasy drama, a co-production with BBC Worldwide, follows what is being labeled the “untold” story of da Vinci during his turbulent youth in Renaissance Florence. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/starz-leonardo-davinci-demons-british-UK-actor-tom-riley-283869 A Possible Reunion? Jon Bernthal Thinks Long And Hard About Frank Darabont’s “L.A. Noir” “The Walking Dead’s” Jon Bernthal could be headed for a reunion with former showrunner Frank Darabont. Bernthal, who plays temperamental former sheriff Shane on AMC’s breakout “The Walking Dead,” is circling the lead in Darabont’s TNT pilot, “L.A. Noir,” it has been confirmed. Darabont, who was instrumental in adapting the zombie drama from Robert Kirkman’s comics, was ousted and replaced as showrunner in July, just days after representing the series at San Diego Comic-Con. In “L.A. Noir,” which TNT picked up to pilot earlier this month, Bernthal would play Joe Teague, the LAPD cop at the heart of the series that revolves around the police force’s pursuit of mobster Mickey Cohen. It’s unclear whether Bernthal, should he land the “Noir” gig, would depart “Walking Dead.” http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/walking-dead-jon-bernthal-frank-darabont-noir-284057 “Very Good Girls” Finds A Cast And Looks Ready To Take On The World Elizabeth Olsen, Dakota Fanning and Anton Yelchin are set for Naomi Foner’s “Very Good Girls.” Flick follows the story of lifelong best friends in the summer after their high school graduation, both determined to lose their virginity as a rite of passage into the adult world. When they fall in love with the same boy (Yelchin), their quest becomes much more complicated and emotionally dangerous than they ever imagined. They come out of the summer more women than girls, but in ways that they never imagined. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/naomi-foners-very-good-girls-starring-elizabeth-olsen-dakota-fanning-back-on-anton-yelchin-set-to-join Fox And Dreamworks Partner Up To Distribute Spielberg’s “Lincoln” Twentieth Century Fox is boarding and co-financing DreamWorks’ “Lincoln,” Steven Spielberg’s next film. Fox will handle international distribution duties, while Disney will distribute domestically per its deal with DreamWorks. Participant Media also is a partner on the pic. Daniel Day Lewis portrays Abraham Lincoln in the film, which also stars Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Robert Todd Lincoln. Tommy Lee Jones and James Spader also star. Spielberg has wrapped shooting on the film, which is set to open in the fourth quarter. Fox also is co-financing Spielberg’s “Robopocalypse.” http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-spielberg-lincoln-fox-dreamworks-284020 Pilot Season Hospital Drama In L.A., Fire Department Drama In Chicago, NBC Wants It All NBC has given pilot orders to drama projects from Jason Katims and Dick Wolf. Katims will write and executive produce “County,” a drama set in a morally compromising L.A. County hospital and will see the “Friday Night Lights” Emmy winner reteam with “Parenthood” guest star Jason Ritter. Universal Television will produce. Wolf’s “Chicago Fire,” meanwhile, is described as an action drama exploring the lives of the men and women of the Chicago Fire Department, with “3:10 to Yuma” scribes Derek Haas and Michael Brant attached to pen the project and executive produce alongside Wolf, Danielle Gelber and Peter Jankowski. Wolf Films and Universal Television will produce. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/jason-katims-dick-wolf-pilots-284082 Ben Stiller And HBO Might Just Be The Perfect Bedfellows HBO is getting into the Ben Stiller business. The actor, who got his big break on a short-lived, eponymous sketch show on MTV/Fox, has signed on to star, direct and executive produce “All Talk,” a new HBO comedy pilot from novelist Jonathan Safran Foer. The project, which is being billed as “politically, religiously, culturally, intellectually and sexually irreverent,” revolves around the daily and life-altering dramas of a Jewish family in Washington, DC. Emmy winner Alan Alda is currently in negotiations to join Stiller in front of the camera, marking what would be his first series regular role since “M*A*S*H.” The pilot is tentatively scheduled to shoot this fall. Stiller and Foer, along with Scott Rudin and Eli Bush, will serve as executive producers; Foer has penned the pilot script. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ben-stiller-jonathan-safran-foer-284120 NBC Orders Up Some Funny, Part 1 NBC has picked up three comedies to pilot, including Roseanne Barr’s “Downwardly Mobile.” From former Roseanne exec producer Eric Gilliland, “Downwardly Mobile” marks Barr’s return to series television as the proprietor of a mobile home park and surrogate mother to all of the people who live there during a challenging economic time. Barr will write and executive produce the 20th Television multicamera project with Gilliland, with John Argent also on board as an EP. In addition, the fourth-place network is moving forward with “Go On,” from “Friends” and “Joey” writer Scott Silveri and Universal Television. The single-camera comedy revolves around a charming sportscaster who attempts to move on from loss and finds solace in among the members of his mandatory group therapy sessions. Lastly, the network will produce a pilot for the single-camera office comedy “Animal Kingdom,” from “The Hangover Part 2″ writer Scot Armstrong. The project is described as a comedy centering on a House-like veterinarian who loves animals but typically hates their owners. Universal Television and American Work will produce, while Brian Gatewood and Alex Tanaka will pen the project and exec produce alongside Armstrong and Ravi Nandan. The three projects join other NBC half-hour pilots “Isabel,”" The Sarah Silverman Project,”" Save Me” and the untitled Kari Lizer best friends comedy. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-adds-comedy-pilots-roseanne-284114 NBC Orders Up Some Funny, Part 2 NBC is continuing to greenlight pilots, moving forward with five additional projects from Jimmy Fallon and the talent behind “Happy Endings,” “Weeds,” “Friends” and “The Office.” The first, “Daddy’s Girl,” hails from 20th Television and Kapital Entertainment and revolves around a young woman who returns home from overseas to find her father in a serious relationship with the “mean girl” from her high school. “Friends” producer Dana Klein will write and executive produce the multicamera project alongside “Terra Nova”’s Aaron Kaplan. Second, “Weeds” producer Stephen Falk will executive produce “Next Caller Please,” a single-camera gender comedy revolving around a brash alpha male DJ and his feminist co-host set in the office of a satellite radio station. The project hails from Lionsgate TV. Third, “Happy Endings” scribe Hilary Winston will executive produce and pen an untitled single-camera comedy from Sony Pictures Television focused on a shy and focused woman who leans on her co-workers in a bid to come out of her shell and plot revenge after being dumped by her fiancé. Jamie Tarses will exec produce alongside Winston. Fourth, the untitled Jimmy Fallon project revolves around three thirtysomething guys who enjoy the adventures of parenting despite the fact that they haven’t grown up themselves. Fallon and Amy Ozols will executive produce the multicamera comedy alongside Charlie Grandy who will pen the Universal Television/Holiday Road project. Fifth, the network is moving forward with its adaptation of British series “Friday Night Dinner” with “The Office” creator Greg Daniels. NBC has given pilot orders to the single-camera project, which was created by Robert Popper and revolves around the Goodmans, a traditional Jewish family as they observe Shabbat dinners in which twentysomething brothers Adam and Jonny visit their parents. Daniels will pen the project and executive produce alongside Howard Klein. The project hails from Universal Television and Big Talk Television. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-comedy-pilot-orders-jimmy-fallon-happy-endings-office-weeds-284125 Clearly, There Is Just No Stopping Greg Berlanti CBS is getting into the Greg Berlanti business. The network has ordered his cop drama “Golden Boy” to pilot. The project is about the making of a man — tracks one cop’s meteoric rise from officer to detective to Police Commissioner. Some have dubbed the project, which had multiple bidders earlier this development season, “The Good Wife” with a young cop. Nicholas Wootton, who got his start as a young writer on “NYPD Blue,” is attached to write and executive produce, alongside EP Berlanti. The pilot is set up at Warner Brothers TV, home to Berlanti’s new overall deal. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cbs-greg-berlanti-cop-show-golden-boy-284124 Acquisitions/Film Festivals
Berlinale Set To Expand Forum To More Esoteric Fare Work influenced by historical figures such as William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin, an homage to Cocteau’s “Orpheus” and an adaptation of Ronald Tavel’s play “The Last Days of British Honduras” are among the items to be presented in an expanded Berlinale Forum section, organizers said Monday. In addition to the exhibitions at the Kunstsaele Berlin and the various events to be held at HAU, Forum Expanded will also be presenting 10 film programs at the Arsenal and Delphi cinemas. The program includes a wide range of different lengths and formats, with experimental techniques to the fore. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/berlinale-s-forum-section-sets-283969 AFI Teams With Levi’s For Another Shorts Contest Aspiring filmmakers, take note: AFI Fest and AFI Conservatory have partnered with Levi’s to launch a short film competition. The “Show Us the Way” contest calls on filmmakers to submit story treatments for a chance to produce a five-minute short film about “a better tomorrow.” Submissions are open until March 30. Interested filmmakers can submit their story treatment here. https://showustheway.levi.com/ Business/Legal News
Spacey Film The Centerpiece Of New Lawsuit The law firm of Akin, Gump is suing a film executive whom is claimed to owe at least $2 million as a finder’s fee for helping line up hundreds of millions of dollars in studio loans as well as distribution for the film, “Father of Invention,” starring Kevin Spacey. The defendant is Mark Manuel, who allegedly had some bright ideas how Hollywood could take advantage of immigration laws for funding. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/akin-gump-john-burke-lawsuit-father-of-invention-kevin-spacey-283691 That “Crow” Remake Looks Better, Now That The Legal Stuff’s Settled The Weinstein Co. and Relativity Media have settled their legal battle over remake rights to “The Crow,” the two companies said Monday in a joint statement. As part of the out-of-court settlement, the parties have dropped their dueling claims against each other. TWC won’t further pursue a lawsuit that claimed Ryan Kavanaugh’s independent studio breached a 2009 distribution agreement that allegedly gives TWC the right to release the movie globally and in turn, Relativity has dismissed its $20 million claims that TWC botched the release and distribution of the movie “Nine.” In 2009, the companies agreed to work together on “The Crow.” http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/weinstein-relativity-settle-legal-battle-284012 “Eureka” EP Plans To Become An “Alpha” Male Matt Hastings is staying in the Syfy fold. The “Eureka” co-executive producer has joined the network’s sophomore drama “Alphas.” Hastings will serve in the same capacity on the series starring David Strathairn as a doctor who leads a government-backed team of “Alphas” — people with superhuman abilities — as they identify others with similar skills that pose a threat. Hastings joins an executive team that includes new showrunner Bruce Miller, who replaced Ira Steve Behr three weeks after the cable network renewed the series for a second season. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/eureka-ep-joins-alphas-283720 Sony Heads South Of The Border For Deal With Televisa Televisa and Sony Pictures Television have signed a first-look co-production deal for scripted and unscripted formats, including the Mexican media giant’s popular telenovelas. Under the agreement, SPT gets first look at all of Televisa’s formats for co-production worldwide, with the exception of the U.S. and Latin America. In turn, Teleivsa has first look at SPT’s scripted formats for possible co-productions in Spain. Televisa is looking to boost production in Spain. It recently took a 14.5 percent stake in Imagina, a leading Spanish-lingo media outfit. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mexico-televisa-sony-ink-production-283982 Paramount Says If It’s Going To Court, It Wants That Court To Be In NYC Paramount Pictures wants a dispute over whether the studio underreported millions of dollars in revenue in accounting statements to take place in a New York federal court. On Wednesday, Paramount sued Melrose 2, the financing entity that put up $375 million for a slate of films including “Mission Impossible 3,” “Blades of Glory” and the “Transformers” series. The studio is asking a judge to declare that it properly accounted for revenues and didn’t make any false statements. Melrose 2 filed its own suit against Paramount back in November, claiming that it had not seen any profits despite putting up money for films that reportedly grossed $7 billion. In the complaint lodged in LA Superior Court, Melrose 2 showcased how the days of Wall Street money flowing freely into Hollywood had taken a bad turn. The New York-based financing group charged Paramount with understating gross receipts, delaying payments, overstating production and distribution costs, and hindering audit rights to verify revenues and costs with the films that Melrose 2 had funded. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/paramount-melrose-2-lawsuit-283998 Jennifer Lopez And Wilmer Valderama Are Mining The Entertainment Possibilities Of Latino Teenagers Jennifer Lopez and Wilmer Valderrama are teaming up with Tres: MTV, Musica y Mas (formerly MTV Tres), the cable network targeting the Hispanic millennial generation. Lopez will serve as executive producer along with Simon Fields and Jane Startz on “Amigas Inc.”an aspirational eight-episode television series that chronicles the lives of four entrepreneurial Miami teenagers who launch a party-planning business to throw their perfect Quinceneras (comparable to a “Sweet Sixteen”). Valderrama will executive produce the docuseries “The Ricardo Laguna Project,” centered on the Mexican-American BMX champion Ricardo Laguna that he discovered. The niche cable network has ordered eight half-hour episodes to premiere in March. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jennifer-lopez-wilmer-valderrama-tres-mtv-283882 “Katie” Is Off To A Strong Start, Sales Wise Katie Couric’s upcoming talk show, “Katie,” is off to a strong start in syndication. Ahead of its September premiere, the talker has been cleared in 93 percent of the country, including 95 of the top 100 markets. “The sales momentum behind “Katie” has been truly remarkable,” Disney-ABC Domestic Television president Janice Marinelli said in a statement announcing the news Monday. “The multitalented Katie Couric is in a class all her own, which is why we believe the show has led the charge in the first-run syndication marketplace this year. We are committed to an extraordinary launch with these preeminent stations across the country.” In addition to the ABC Owned station group, Katie has also been sold to stations from broadcast groups including Allbritton Communications, Belo Corp., Cox Media Gorup, Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television, Scripps Howard Broadasting and several others. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/katie-courics-syndicated-talk-show-284022 “Marvel Universe” Debuts On Disney XD, April 1, No Fooling There’s been a strong Marvel presence on Disney XD for years now, and the network is formalizing the relationship as of April 1, with the debut of the Sunday “Marvel Universe” programming block. The April 1 launch will be highlighted by the series premiere of the “Ultimate Spider-Man” animated series, first announced in 2010. Current series “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” will also be a part of the lineup, along with “exclusive Marvel content, including new animated short-form series, and live-action interstitials.” Presently, Disney XD broadcasts repeats of many past Marvel animated shows including Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, X-Men: Evolution, and the ’90s Spider-Man and X-Men series. http://www.newsarama.com/tv/disney-xd-marvel-universe-120109.html Lea Michele From “Glee” Joins … A Reality Show About “Glee” On Oxygen Lea Michele is heading to Oxygen. The “Glee” star has been tapped to guest mentor during the Season 2 premiere of “The Glee Project,” the network announced Monday. Michele, who has picked up Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her role as New Directions diva Rachel Berry, will make her first appearance on the competition series whose winner will earn a seven-episode guest arc on Fox’s “Glee.” Last season’s co-winner, Damian McGinty, has already exceeded his seven-episode stint and is in talks to return to the Oxygen series as a mentor. Co-winner Samuel Larson recently started filming on the Fox series. Runners-up Lindsay Pearce already appeared in her pair of episodes, and Alex Newell has yet to appear. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/glee-project-lea-michele-guest-mentor-284011 “Touch” Gets A Global Premiere In March Fox’s upcoming Kiefer Sutherland drama “Touch” is getting the royal treatment. The drama, from “Heroes” creator Tim Kring, will premiere in more than 100 countries with a first-of-its-kind global distribution, marketing and sponsorship pact. Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, Fox Broadcasting Co., FOX One, 20th Television and Fox International Channels will collaborate for the worldwide bow on March 18 — a date that figures prominently in “Touch’s” pilot episode. Unilvever has also boarded the project as an ad sponsor. “Touch,” Sutherland’s first series television gig since his long-running “24,” revolves around Martin Bohm, a widower and single father who learns that his emotionally challenged son, Jake, can see hidden patterns that connect every life on the planet. Martin must then put the pieces together and help others across the world connect. Fox will preview “Touch” on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ahead of its Monday, March 19 premiere at 9 p.m. International launches will take place the week of March 19. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/kiefer-suthlerland-touch-global-premiere-284029 Summer Glau Is Brightening “Grey’s Anatomy” In February Fresh off an episode that featured two high-profile guest stars in Peri Gilpin and Nia Vardalos, “Grey’s Anatomy” is admitting Summer Glau to Seattle Grace. The “Firefly” and “Dollhouse” fan favorite will guest star in a February episode of the ABC medical drama from creator Shonda Rhimes. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/greys-anatomy-summer-glau-guest-star-284106 Ron Burkle Is Invested In Relativity Media Ron Burkle and his Yucaipa Cos. investment firm closed a second investment in Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Media, sources said Monday. A press release issued Monday simply confirmed that Yucaipa is now a Relativity shareholder, though it offered no financial details. Relativity represents Burkle’s latest advance into entertainment. He has also helped to finance movies from Harvey and Bob Weinstein and helped finance the launch of Al Gore’s Current TV. He recently bought concert-booking agency Artist Group International and the Soho House Clubs, a chain of private clubs founded in 1995 for people in the creative industries. Relativity has fallen on difficult financial times of late though it has financed, distributed or produced 200 movies that have accumulated $17 billion in box office receipts since its founding in 2004. Recent successes include “Immortals,”" Bridesmaids,”" The Social Network” and “Battle: Los Angeles.” Upcoming titles include “Act of Valor,”" The Raven” and “Mirror Mirror.” Relativity’s television unit, RelativityReal, has 17 series either airing or set to air. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ron-burkle-relativity-media-ryan-kavanaugh-284085 Phase 4 Wants To Sell Movies With Kevin Smith’s Name On Them Phase 4 Films has entered into a distribution deal with filmmaker Kevin Smith’s SModcast Pictures, Toronto-based Phase 4 announced today. The pact called for Phase 4 to exhibit and distribute up to 12 films per year in the U.S. and Canada under the “Kevin Smith and SModcast Presents” label. Phase 4 will release four of the films in theaters annually, and those will be promoted via a live tour with Smith, a prolific spoken word performer. He conducted a similar tour for “Red State,” his controversial thriller that bowed at Sundance in 2011. Phase 4 released “Red State” in Canada last year. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/sundance-2012-kevin-smith-phase-4-films-284093 Industry Moves
The All Powerful News Corp. Is Taking On Univision Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. is looking to challenge U.S. Spanish-language broadcast networks Univision and Telemundo, owned by NBCUniversal, by launching a rival in partnership with Colombian broadcaster RCN Television. MundoFox, which will be part of News Corp.’s Fox International Channels unit, is scheduled to launch in the fall as the Hispanic audience continues to be a sought-after demographic, the companies said. They added that the goal is to bring “a similar sensibility as the Fox network” to Latino audiences. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/news-corp-mundofox-spanish-broadcast-network-univision-telemundo-283963 The TV Academy’s New Board Falls Into Place The Television Academy is filling out its ranks for the 2012-13 term. Bruce Rosenblum, chairman and CEO of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, has tapped five of his six appointees to join the organization’s Executive Committee. Approved by the Board of Governors are: Gail Berman, co-owner and founding partner of BermanBraun; Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu; Steven Lafferty, head of television and managing partner at CAA; Steve Mosko, president of Sony Pictures Television; and Dana Walden, chairman of 20th Television. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tv-academy-topper-adds-5-284019 Jack Selby Is Going To Make Movies Incognito Ex-PayPal executive and financier Jack Selby has created Incognito Pictures, a new production company geared to making movies under $10 million, and secured a distribution deal with the Weinstein Co. Incognito has a $50 million fund that it hopes will let it create an initial slate of five or six films that will span genres, making the company “genre-agnostic,” as it calls itself. (Most movies made under $10 million tend to be horror movies, but the company doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed in that arena.) Selby will serve as chairman of the company while Scott Stone, who was an exec producer on such films as “Narc” and “Kickin it Old Skool,” is on board as CEO. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pay-pal-exec-jack-selby-284086 Warner TV Has Itself A Bit Of A Shakeup Warner Bros. Television is re-structuring its business affairs management team. Dan Limerick has been upped to the sole head of WBTV business affairs with responsibility for day-to-day operations of the unit, while Adam Glick will move over to Warner Horizon Television (WHTV) in the newly created role of executive vp for business affairs. Previously Limerick and Glick were co-heads of business affairs at WBTV. The announcement was made Wednesday by Peter Roth, president, Warner Bros. Television; Brett Paul, executive vp, Warner Bros. Television, who oversees both divisions’ business and production operations; and Craig Erwich, executive vp, WHTV. Additionally, Carlos Williams will move from Warner Horizon Television to Warner Bros. Television business affairs as the new senior vp in that department. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/warner-bros-television-restructures-business-284060 Tom Curley Steps Down As President And CEO Of The Associated Press Tom Curley, President and CEO of the Associated Press, announced Monday that he will step down once the company’s board of directors finds a suitable replacement. Curley led the AP during a period of great uncertainty for their member newspapers, as print advertising dried up and bureaus across the globe were shut down. As for any advice Curley has for the next leader of the global news organization? “The challenge for anyone running a media company these days can be described in one word: revenue,” Curley said. http://www.thewrap.com/media/column-post/ap-ceo-tom-curley-retire-34688 Technology/Multi-Platform Content
If You Need Wi-Fi In The UK, Thank The Olympics, Because It’s About To Be Everywhere U.K. media authorities are preparing for what they promise will be the “biggest media event in history” by boosting the U.K.’s wireless signal handling capacity and spectrum ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games. To meet the extra huge demand from broadcasters using ever more advanced technology, the London 2012 Organizing Committee will borrow additional spectrum capacity from the defense department as well as using capacity freed up by analog switch-off and currently unlicensed spectrum. Around 26,000 journalists, cameramen, photographers and broadcasters are expected to descend on London for the Games, creating “unprecedented” broadband and wireless demand, media regulator Ofcom said Monday. New technologies including wireless microphones, wireless networks for secure communications between team members, sports officials and support staff as well as the increased use of wireless cameras to achieve dramatic close-ups are expected to lead to more than double normal demand, the regulator said. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/2012-olympics-uk-boosts-wireless-283967 NBC Wants To Be On Your Tablet In More Ways Than One On Monday, NBC News announced the creation of a new publishing arm, NBC Publishing. The network’s new arm, which will be based out of NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza headquarters, will be tasked with creating tablet and e-reader content from the company’s brands based on current events, documentaries, biographies, profiles and trends. Content from “Today,” “NBC Nightly News,” “Dateline,” NBC Sports and additional properties (including Universal Pictures and Telemundo) will be used to populate the eBook venture. Peter Costanzo, previously of F+W Media and Perseus was also named creative director, and Brian Perrin (Rodale) is now director of digital development of NBC Publishing. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nbc-news-publishing-tablet-e-reader%20-284047 Around The Web
Remembering Indie Film Legend Bingham Ray — IndieWire
Why Trekkers Should Be Excited About What Paramount's Doing With The New "Star Trek" Video Game — THR.com
Want To Smell Like An Avenger? Now You Can! — IFC.com
Moviefone Writer's Odd Sundance Venture Continues — Moviefone.com
The High Octane Directing Team Behind That "Ghost Rider" Sequel (Which Looks Kinda Cool) — Comic Book Resources
Kalika — Off The Wall
Fresh From The Universe Our slightly off-center Tuesday columnist returns with her first piece of the new year, and it's standard issue. Which means, darn entertaining. Click on the link to see for yourself.
http://filmnewsbriefs.com/2012/01/kalika-%E2%80%94-off-the-wall-fresh-from-the-universe/ Website to Watch
https://buy.louisck.net/
Comedian Louis C.K.'s latest concert film, Live at the Beacon Theatre, has been available for download and/or streaming for $5. He's already cleared a million bucks on it. As the site says, the download is DRM-free, has "no restrictions. You can download this file, play it as much as you like, burn it to a DVD, whatever." It marks a bold step by a comedian, especially of Louis C.K.'s caliber, as it foregoes the regular distribution model of releasing an official DVD by way of a televised special on a channel such as HBO. The entire production and distribution of the special came out of the comedian's own wallet, so if you have the time, and find Louis C.K. hilarious (which, let's be honest, is hard not to), check it out. It's, as usual, riotously funny. Additional Source:
www.cynopsis.com | 
No comments:
Post a Comment