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Box Office
Weekend Estimate
February 10-12, 2012 (*millions)
FILM GROSS/CUMULATIVE TOTAL
1 The Vow (2012) $41.7M/$41.7M
2 Safe House (2012) $39.3M/$39.3M
3 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012) $27.6M/$27.6M
4 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) $23M/$23M
5 Chronicle (2012) $12.3M/$40.2M
6 The Woman in Black (2012) $10.3M/$35.5M
7 The Grey (2012) $5.08M/$42.8M
8 Big Miracle (2012) $3.86M/$13.2M
9 The Descendants (2011) $3.5M/$70.7M
10 Underworld: Awakening (2012) $2.5M/$58.9M
Projects Announced
Yes, Virginia, It Looks Like There WILL BE A “Rambo 5″! Even though David Morrell was the original author of “First Blood,” star Sylvester Stallone has co-opted the popular character of John Rambo, to the point where 2008′s “Rambo,” co-written and directed by Stallone, was near-autobiographical. Retiring the violent soldier hero made sense, as Stallone is currently 65 years of age. But legally speaking, the onscreen John Rambo doesn’t belong to Morrell or Stallone, but rather Lionsgate, who released the last “Rambo” film to a $113 million worldwide gross. In other words, a new “Rambo” film will happen with or without Stallone. Writer Sean Hood (“Conan The Barbarian”) is currently working on the script for a fifth installment, and he tweeted to fans (via Collider) that Sly is still very much involved in the next installment. “’Rambo 5′ on hold as Sly finishes ‘Expendables 2,’” he tweets. “He hasn’t decided if R5 will be an ‘Unforgiven’ or a ‘passing of the torch.’” http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/rambo-5-is-happening-will-be-either-like-unforgiven-or-a-passing-of-the-torch Well, The World Certainly Needs Another Vampire Movie, So … With movie projects dying out left and right, it only makes sense that some aborted ideas would be resurrected. Hence, “Dracula Year Zero,” a dopily-titled period about Prince Vlad, the noble-but-doomed hero who later became known as Vlad the Impaler, and later Dracula. Originally, Sam Worthington was set to star for director Alex Proyas. However, the “Dark City” helmer abandoned the film to take on the now-dead “Paradise Lost,” ostensibly taking Worthington with him, and setting the stage for newbie director Gary Shore to adopt the project from a new script by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. Who is Gary Shore? Still unknown to the industry at large, he was snapped up by Universal when his samurai short, “The Cup of Tears,” went viral. Shore’s still attached to a feature length version of that short for the studio, though they plan on keeping him in-house. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/gary-shore-the-latest-director-to-resurrect-dracula-year-zero-sam-worthington-and-alex-proyas-no-longer-involved Will Ferrell’s Newest Title? “Flamingo Thief” When Will Ferrell goes the dramedy route, wives have not always done him well. In last year’s “Everything Must Go,” an impending divorce found his character fully embracing his alcoholism while in Woody Allen’s “Melinda & Melinda,” a new downstairs neighbor becomes a temptation. Well once again, a woman will cause Ferrell to do something quirky in his latest detour from balls out comedy, “The Flamingo Thief.” Produced via Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Films shingle, the film is based on the book by Susan Trott about a man who starts stealing pink flamingos after his wife leaves him. Michael LeSieur (“You Me & Dupree,” “The Maiden Heist”) penned the screenplay, and if you think it all sounds a bit too oddball, just bear in mind it landed on the Black List last year. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/will-ferrell-is-the-flamingo-thief Lisbeth Salander Has Another Challenger On The Way, And She’s Canadian Karen Walton has been tapped by Strada Films to turn the Ava Lee crime novel series by Canadian writer Ian Hamilton into possibly the next “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” book to screen adaptation. The Canadian producer has chosen Hamilton’s debut Ava Lee book, “The Water Rat of Wanchai,” as the first film in a possible franchise. Walton has been charged with transporting Ava Lee, a fictional Chinese-Canadian forensic accountant character to the big screen as a globe-trotter who uses unorthodox methods to recover multi-million debts for her clients. Her fictional partner is an elderly Hong Kong–based “uncle” with seeming ties to the Triads. Sandra Cunningham and Robin Cass will produce for Strada Films. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/karen-walton-adapt-canadian-ava-289340 We Have A New Angelina Jolie Vehicle, People! Repeat! We Have A Jolie Vehicle! Disney’s “Maleficent” will be Angelina Jolie’s next movie. Jolie also had been eyeing a Luc Besson movie that had been set to start production in April, but that project appears to be off the table for the actress, insiders say. “Malificent” has gained momentum in recent weeks with Robert Stromberg brought on as director. Stromberg was the production designer on “Avatar” and “Alice in Wonderland,” as well as on Disney’s upcoming “Oz the Great and Powerful.” Jolie has long been toying with the idea of playing the famous sorceress in the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. She’s also eager to make a live-action family film after her experience voicing the Kung Fu Panda franchise. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/berlin-2012-angelina-jolie-eyeing-disney-film-maleficent-289515 Producer Lucas Foster Is Clearly The Right Man For “The Job” Lucas Foster, whose producer credits include “Man On Fire,” “Law Abiding Citizen” and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” is teaming with British indie production and finance banner GFM Films, run by regular market scenesters Guy Collins and Michael Ryan, to bring a hard-edged Casino heist script, “The Job,” to the big screen. Foster has signed to produce the action thriller based on an original screenplay penned by Brad Mirman, whose writing resume boasts “The Shadow Dancer,” starring Joshua Jackson, Claire Forlani and Harvey Keitel. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/berlin-2012-lucas-foster-produce-289518 Hitchcock Spins In His Grave Again As DreamWorks Announces “Rebecca” Remake DreamWorks has begun plans to remake the Alfred Hitchcock classic “Rebecca” with “History of Violence” screenwriter Steven Knight. Knight — Oscar nominated for writing “Dirty Pretty Things” in 2002, and also responsible for the David Cronenberg film “Eastern Promises” — will apparently go back to the Daphne DuMaurier source novel for his adaptation, and not work directly off Hitchcock’s moody thriller. The original 1940 film followed Mrs. de Winter (Joan Fontaine), a “naive young woman” who marries a rich widower (Laurence Olivier) and moves into his mansion — which just so happens to be haunted by his previous wife, Rebecca. http://news.moviefone.com/2012/02/10/rebecca-remake-alfred-hitchcock_n_1268668.html A Beastly Cassel Proves France Can Do Fairy Tale Movies, Too Hollywood may be all about the fairytales at the moment (“Red Riding Hood,” “Snow White,” “Jack The Giant Killer” and so on) but France is now getting in on the action too. Christophe Gans is preparing a new “Beauty And The Beast,” with Vincent Cassel and Lea Seydoux set to star. Cassel is the Beast and Seydoux the Beauty. Just in case there was any confusion. Gans made the live-action manga adaptation “Crying Freeman,” the mind-bending genre crossover “Brotherhood of the Wolf” (a pre-French revolutionary monster kung fu horror mystery), and the “Silent Hill” movie that’s currently getting the sequel treatment from Michael J Bassett. A great visual stylist, he’s promising big things for “Beauty And The Beast.” http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=33104 Danny Glover Wants To Experience “Supremacy” Danny Glover will lend his acting talents to another indie feature project; this one stilted “Supremacy,” which he’ll star in alongside Joe Anderson (“The Grey,” “The River”) and Dawn Olivieri (she plays Don Cheadle’s ex-wife on Showtime’s “House Of Lies”). The film is said to be based on a true story about a recently paroled white supremacist who, “after killing a police officer, takes an African American family hostage.” The film will be directed by Deon Taylor whose most recent and maybe most prominent work was the 2010 indie horror/thriller titled “Chain Letter.” http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/danny-glover-set-to-star-in-indie-based-on-real-story-of-white-supremacist-who-takes-black-family-hostage Jennifer Aniston’s Next Film Will “Miss You Already” Jennifer Aniston is attached to star in Paul Andrew Williams’ comedy drama “Miss You Already,” giving the project a healthy glow for buyers at the EFM. Being touted by Samantha Horley’s The Salt Company, the script is written by Williams (“Song For Marion”) and British actress, writer and producer Morwenna Banks. Movie follows two life-long friends whose friendship falls apart when one gets pregnant and the other becomes ill. The film will be produced by Christopher Simon and Felix Vossen of Embargo Films. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jennifer-aniston-paul-andrew-williams-berlin-miss-you-already-289619 Project Updates
Hailee Steinfeld Proves It Is Okay To Be Jealous Of A 15-Year-Old’s Career “True Grit” and “Romeo & Juliet” star Hailee Steinfeld has come aboard “Can A Song Save Your Life?” with Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson from “Once” writer/director John Carney. He’s penned the script here as well, telling another music-centered story that this time follows Gretta (Johansson) who moves with her long-time boyfriend to New York so they can pursue their passion for music. She’s heartbroken when he dumps her for the fame and fortune of a big solo contract, leaving Gretta all on her own. Her world takes a turn for the better when a down-on-his-luck record producer (Ruffalo) stumbles upon her singing in a local bar and is immediately captivated by her raw talent and inspiring authenticity — they may be each other’s last chance to turn their lives around. Steinfeld will play the producer’s daughter. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/hailee-steinfeld-joins-can-a-song-save-your-life-with-mark-ruffalo-scarlett-johansson Well, Jeez! We Got Shifting Release Dates ALL Over The Darn Place! Marketing strategy or a movie Summit is feeling nervous about? With a late summer bow initially pegged for Jonathan Levine’s zombie romance with Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer, “Warm Bodies” has now been moved to a chillier February 1, 2013 release date. The date shift might be savvy for a couple of reasons. Firstly, instead of arriving in front of Brad Pitt’s “World War Z,” the film will now arrive after, and there is no doubt the studio is hoping some of the heat from that bigger budgeted, starrier movie will carry over. Secondly, as the film revolves around a zombie (Hoult) who becomes involved with the girlfriend (Palmer) of one of his victims, a Valentine’s Day-ish release makes this a flick both geeks and their gal pals can go see. Everybody wins…right? The other advantage is that, for now, it’s the only film on that release date (though that will surely change). Meanwhile, in other release date news, Millenium Entertainment isn’t wasting any time: following the U.S. premire of “Intruders” at SXSW, the movie will be rolling into theaters fast on March 30th. Starring Clive Owen and Daniel Bruhl, the story spans two continents and two kids, as they are both spooked by something that goes bump in the night. Finally, IFC Flims have lined up a bunch of release dates. Most notably among them: Michael Winterbottom’s “Trishna,” starring Freida Pinto, arrives on May 18th, Lynn Shelton’s indie love triangle “Your Sister’s Sister” with Mark Duplass and Emily Blunt gets in the sack on June 22nd, and breezy comedy “Peace Love & Misunderstanding” with Elizabeth Olsen, Catherine Keener and Jane Fonda will hit on June 1st. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/zombie-romance-warm-bodies-moves-to-february-1-2013-intruders-arrives-on-march-30th Ty Burrell’s Arrival Makes This “Jackie Brown” Prequel Look That Much Better Emmy-winning star of ABC’s hit comedy “Modern Family” Ty Burrell will join John Hawkes and Mos Def (oops, sorry, Yasiin Bey) in “Switch,” a prequel to “Jackie Brown.” Set 15 years before the events we see unfold in Quentin Tarantino’s film, Ordell Robbie (Sam Jackson’s character in the original film, played here by Mos) and Louis Gara (Robert De Niro’s part, played by Hawkes) plan to kidnap Mickey Dawson, the wife of a corrupt real estate developer. Their plans are changed, however, when the husband refuses to pay the ransom, so the boys rethink their approach and the wife uses them to help exact some revenge. Burrell will play Marshall Taylor, a married country club member who has a thing for Mickey, but is left in a moral bind when he witnesses her being snatched away. Dan Schechter is writing and directing, winning the gig after riskily writing the project on spec without the permission of Elmore Leonard, who wound up giving the project his blessing and coming on board to produce. The cameras start rolling in May. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/modern-family-star-ty-burrell-joins-jackie-brown-prequel-switch “Beautiful Creatures” Adds Another One, Named Emma Thompson Emma Thompson is the latest to join the cast of “Beautiful Creatures,” Alcon’s adaptation of a young adult novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. The project, written and being directed by Richard LaGravanese, has been filling up its roll call. Youngsters and relative newcomers Jack O’Connell and Alice Englert earlier this week came on board to play the characters at the heart of the supernatural coming-of-age story, about two star-crossed teens, one a local boy, the other a mysterious new girl, who uncover dark secrets about their families, their history and their town. Viola Davis was the first person cast in the production last week. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/emma-thomspon-joins-beautiful-creatures-288683 Saorise Ronan Is The Latest To Enter The “Order Of Seven” There’s development and then there’s the journey that Disney’s “Order Of Seven” (as it’s now called) has taken. Originally envisioned as a kung-fu take on “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” the film has been in the works for years with names like Michael Chabon, Natalie Portman, Francis Lawrence and “The Matrix” fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping coming and going at various points. “Toy Story 3″ writer Michael Arndt was hired to polish the script in early 2011, and over the summer Australian commercial director Michael Gracey, a former animator, was tagged to direct. And now it looks like they’re ready to roll as they’ve got someone to lead the film. Saoirse Ronan will take on “Order Of Seven,” with the project now ditching any narrative ties to the fairy tale. Instead, the story will center on Olivia Sinclair (Ronan) a 19th century British expat, who seeks refuge with a group of ancient outlaw warriors. An evil empress rises and Sinclair then has to help the warriors reclaim their destiny etc, etc. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/saoirse-ronan-will-lead-order-of-seven-formerly-known-as-snow-and-the-seven-but-no-longer-has-any-fairy-tale-connections After Many Fits And Starts, The “Evil Dead” Are Getting More Company The Sam Raimi produced, Diablo Cody polished, Fede Alvarez directed “The Evil Dead” remake continues to line up some young victims and the latest is a name who has been working steadily the past few years, but hasn’t quite matched his breakout film. Lou Taylor Pucci, who first came to attention of film fans in Mike Mills’ “Thumbsucker,” is the latest to head into the forest of “The Evil Dead,” joining Jane Levy and Shiloh Fernandez. The new spin on the story will follow a group of teens out to the woods to help their friend detox, only to stumble across the Book Of The Dead, and well, you know what happens next. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/lou-taylor-pucci-is-one-of-the-evil-dead A Pair Of Risky Projects See A Giant Red Light Barely one day after Legendary Pictures stopped production plans on “Paradise Lost,” Columbia and its sister studio, Screen Gems, have put the brakes on two other risky projects. Both “The Boys” and “Mortal Instruments” have been placed in turnaround by the studios, meaning unless another party comes in to help facilitate production costs, the planned films will be shipped to development hell. Based on the comic by Garth Ennis, with artwork by Darick Robertson, “The Boys” was being developed by “Anchorman” director Adam McKay. “The Boys” is about a group of CIA agents who keep tabs on superheros around the country; McKay described it as a modern-day version of “Watchmen,” because of both its subject matter and its incredible violence. As for “Mortal Instruments,” Screen Gem’s planned adaptation of Cassandra Clare’s YA series had a director (Scott Stewart) and cast (Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower), but that wasn’t enough to keep it on the right track. About angels and demons, the film has been in development for a couple of years. http://news.moviefone.com/2012/02/10/the-boys-mortal-instruments_n_1269956.html So, If You’re Keeping Score, That’s Miley Out And Selena In To “Hotel Transylvania” On the heels of the news this week that Miley Cyrus is out of Sony Pictures’ upcoming animated vampire flick, she and manager Jason Morey have also split. The studio confirmed the departure of the 19-year-old singer and actress from “Hotel Transylvania,” featuring Adam Sandler voicing the lead role of Dracula. Cyrus would have played Mavis, his teenage daughter, but was quickly replaced by former Disney darling Selena Gomez. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/miley-cyrus-hotel-transylania-selena-gomez-sony-manager-289288 More Actors Really Want To “Kill Your Darlings” Michael C. Hall, Ben Foster, Kyra Sedgwick and Jennifer Jason Leigh have joined the cast of “Kill Your Darlings.” The quartet join an ensemble cast already boasting Daniel Radcliffe, Elizabeth Olsen, Dane DeHaan and Jack Huston. John Krokidas wrote the script with Austin Bunn and will make his feature directorial debut. Killer Films’ Christine Vachon is producing with Michael Benaroya of Benaroya Pictures and Rose Ganguzza of Rose Pictures. The script details the previously untold story of murder that brought together a young Allen Ginsberg (Radcliffe), Jack Kerouac (Huston) and William Burroughs (Foster) at Columbia University in 1944, providing the spark that would lead to their Beat Revolution. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/berlin-2012-michael-c-hall-kyra-sedgwick-jennifer-jason-leigh-kill-your-darlings-289504 Marilyn Monroe Doc Gets Better Cast Than Most Narrative Features Uma Thurman, Viola Davis, Lindsay Lohan (who has recreated Monroe photoshoots more than once), Paul Giamatti, Ellen Burstyn, Evan Rachel Wood, Lili Taylor, Zoe Saldana, David Strathairn, Jennifer Ehle, F. Murray Abraham, Vanessa Shaw, Michelle Monaghan and Gretchen Mol are all aboard “Fragments,” from director Liz Garbus who helmed the solid “Bobby Fischer Against The World.” Using the book of the same name which collects Monroe’s poems, notes and letters, and with participation from the Arthur Miller and Truman Capote estates who have contributed more material, the doc will take an interesting tack, with each of the actresses embodying the legend at various stages in her life. As for the dudes, Giamatti will be reading George Cukor (who directed Marilyn in “Something’s Got To Give” and “Let’s Make Love”) while Abraham will be taking on the role of Monroe’s psychiatrist. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/uma-thurman-viola-davis-lindsay-lohan-paul-giamatti-evan-rachel-wood-zoe-saldana-more-join-marilyn-monroe-doc-fragments Patton Oswalt Jumping On Board Makes “Mitty” A Remake We Can Believe In Though he still keeps one foot in the stand-up comedy world, Patton Oswalt is becoming more established as an actor with real range. And now he’s in talks to join “The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty.” Ben Stiller is directing and starring in the film, which will remake the 1947 Danny Kaye comedy. Stiller’s Mitty is a mild-mannered daydreamer who works in the photo-processing centre at LIFE magazine (where they seemingly stick to developing photos the traditional way for that authentic look). He distracts himself with flights of fantasy, but is forced to be a real hero when a negative goes missing. Oswalt is lining up to play Todd, an eHarmony worker who helps Stiller set up an online dating profile. Assuming he locks in a deal, he’ll join a cast that already includes Kristen Wiig and Shirley MacLaine. http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=33100 The Long Rumored Smiths Film Is Finally Taking Off At last, production will get underway later in the year on “Shoplifters of the World,” a new based-in fact comedy focusing on The Smiths and a curious coda to the band’s history, and the film’s attracted a cast full of fast-rising stars so far. Marking the return to features of documentarian Stephen Kijak, it’s based on the true story of an American Smiths fan who, devastated by the band’s 1987 break up, forced a heavy metal radio DJ to play nothing but Smiths songs for hours, with the film focusing both on the hostage-taker and his four best friends. The youthful cast includes Jessica Brown-Findlay, James Frecheville, Thomas Brodie Sangster, Jeremy Allen White, Will Poulter, Zosia Mamet and Skylar Astin. An offer has also gone out to Russell Brand, to play the DJ in the film. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/jessica-brown-findlay-james-frecheville-will-poulter-more-to-star-in-smiths-comedy-shoplifters-of-the-world-russell-brand-also-offered-role Let’s Add Another Flick To The Movies Russell Crowe Might Do Last year, when director Jaume Collet-Serra was riding high off the heat of “Unknown,” he took a look at a few projects including the long developing remake of “Le Cercle Rouge,” he got shortlisted to directed blockbuster sequels “300: Battle Of Artemisia” and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” he took on the vampire flick “Harker” and he wound up in the seat for “Akira.” Well, with Warner Bros. recently putting that project on hold, they’re turning their eye back to “Harker” and have a big star in talks to the lead. Russell Crowe is eyeing the film, which is a reimagining of the vampire tale you thought you knew. From a spec script by Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy, the story refreshes the lawyer Jonathan Harker as a Scotland Yard detective investigating the Count’s series of murders in England. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/russell-crowe-may-take-the-lead-in-jaume-collet-serras-dracula-reimagining-harker Tarantino’s Latest Is Still Casting Evan Parke has joined the cast of Quentin Tarantino’s highly-anticipated “Django Unchained.” One would figure he’ll play one of the key slave roles. The film, which stars Jamie Foxx as “Django” and Leonardo DiCaprio as the evil plantation owner and his main nemesis is already in production in New Orleans and is expected in theaters this Christmas. http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/evan-parke-joins-cast-of-quentin-tarantinos-slave-revenge-film-django-unchained Shia’s Return Means A “Necessary Death” Can Go On It seems the return of Shia LaBeouf to “The Necessary Death Of Charlie Countryman” has kicked the movie back into motion. The actor originally joined back in 2010 and was later replaced by Zac Efron, but last month LaBeouf climbed back into the lead less than two weeks later, and two more actors have come aboard with a start date on the horizon. Evan Rachel Wood and Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen will now take part in the thriller that follows Charlie, who after the death of his mother, heads to Europe to find himself. On the plane he meets Hungarian girl Gabi Banyai (Wood) — whose father dies on the flight — and he falls in love. The trouble is her violent and estranged ex-husband Nigel (Mikkelsen) vows to keep them apart, and Charlie endures one bruising beatdown after another to woo the girl and keep her out of harm’s way. The film has a Black List-approved script from Matt Drake, and will go in front of cameras in May with commercials director Frederik Bond making his feature debut. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/evan-rachel-wood-mads-mikkelsen-will-take-part-in-the-necessary-death-of-charlie-countryman Whitney’s Death Won’t Affect “Sparkle” Release Whitney Houston, who died Saturday at the Beverly Hilton, will make one final appearance on the big screen when Sony Pictures releases “Sparkle” on Aug. 17. “Like all those who knew and loved her, we are shocked and saddened and the world has lost an incomparable talent. Right now our thoughts are with her daughter, her family and her friends,” spokesman Steve Elzer said on behalf of the studio. Houston had completed filming on the project, a remake of the 1976 movie “Sparkle,” the showbiz saga of a trio of singers, which, in turn, was loosely based on the career of The Supremes. The film could have marked the beginning of a feature film comeback for Houston, who shone briefly but brightly in the ’90s with starring roles in “The Bodyguard,” “Waiting to Exhale” and “The Preacher’s Wife.” http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/whitney-houston-death-sparkle-sony-pictures-289560 “Prophet” Star Helping Helmer Round Out His Trilogy French actor Tahar Rahim, star of Jacques Audiard’s Oscar-nominated “A Prophet,” will play the lead in “The Cut,” the final entry in the famed “Love, Death and the Devil” trilogy from German director Fatih Akin that began with Berlinale Golden Bear winner “Head-On” (2004) and Cannes best screenplay winner “The Edge of Heaven” (2007). While “Head-On” dealt with romance and “The Edge of Heaven” with mortality, the conclusion of Akin’s trilogy will focus on the devil; that is, the evil inherent in mankind. It should be familiar ground for Rahim, whose international breakthrough in the violent “A Prophet” came from playing a young Arab man sent to prison who rises through the ranks to become a mafia kingpin. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/a-prophet-tahar-rahim-fatih-akin-289521 Long-Gestating Elijah Wood Project Finally Moving Forward They say patience is a virtue, and in the world of film development, that’s especially true. While “Black Wings Has My Angel” may seem new, this one has actually been brewing since around 2007. A couple of years ago, Elijah Wood signed on to the lead role in the hardboiled pic and then word when quiet, but it finally looks like the pieces are coming together. Tom Hiddleston and Anna Paquin have joined the long-gestating film, that will once again find Wood ditching his nice guy image for something a little grittier. Based on the novel by Elliot Chaze, the story centers on the ex-con anti-hero of the film, Tim Sunblade, who teams up with a call girl he meets in a backwoods Mississippi motel for a daring armored car robbery in Colorado. Barry Gifford, Christopher Peditto and Alfonso Pineda Ulloa penned the screenplay, with the latter also making his English language directing debut. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/tom-hiddleston-anna-paquin-join-elijah-wood-in-noir-black-wings-has-my-angel Pilot Season
New David E. Kelley Pilot Adds A Bit Of “Glee” Keong Sim is having a good week. The actor, who has been recurring on “Glee” this season as the stern father to Harry Shum Jr.’s Mike Chang, has booked a series regular role on David E. Kelley’s TNT medical drama pilot “Chelsea General” and a guesting gig on CBS’ “Mike and Molly.” Show, based on CNN chief medical correspondent’s Sanjay Gupta’s novel “Monday Mornings,” follows the lives of five surgeons as they push the limits of their personal and professional feelings. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/glee-david-e-kelley-chelsea-general-mike-and-molly-289278 And Ving Rhames, Too! And now add in this tidbit: Ving Rhames is set to star opposite Alfred Molina in “Chelsea General.” The show is about … oh, wait, just check out the story directly above this one. http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/ving-rhames-signs-up-to-star-in-david-e-kelleys-tnt-medical-drama-pilot-chelsea-general In Case The Movie Version Of “Legion” Wasn’t Enough For You, Syfy’s Got You Covered The science fiction and horror genre is a lucrative one on film, while a $68 million worldwide gross for a major tentpole would be deemed a failure, for a project like the 2010 supernatural thriller “Legion” it’s a hit. Produced for a budget of $26 Million, the film must have exceeded studio expectations and broke even in terms of marketing costs as well, as it looks like “Legion” is now a fully fledged property in its studio eyes. The film’s director/co-writer Scott Stewart is set to helm and serve as executive producer of a TV adaptation, written by “Sons of Anarchy” scribe Vaun Wilmott. The film starred Paul Bettany as the Archangel Michael, who helps an assortment of human beings held up at a roadside diner caught amidst the war between humanity and God’s angels that are racing towards earth to help usher in the Apocalypse. Stewart is set to helm the pilot episode for the Syfy series. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/remember-legion-its-going-to-be-a-syfy-series-now Yes, TBS And Vince Vaughn Will Be Comedy Partners For A While TBS is officially in business with Vince Vaughn. The cable network has given series orders to “Sullivan and Son,” a half-hour comedy executive produced by the “Wedding Crashers” star and starring Steve Byrne. Show stars Byrne as Steve Sullivan, an attorney who quits his job to take over his family’s legendary bar that serves as the unofficial “town hall” of the working-class Pittsburgh neighborhood. The project chronicles his attempt to find a more rewarding life. Sullivan will exec produce alongside Peter Billingsley, Vaughn and Rob Long, who will serve as showrunner. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tbs-vince-vaughn-steve-byrne-sullivan-and-son-289297 Fox Officially Orders To Pilot New Show From “HIMYM” Duo Fox is moving forward with Carter Bays and Craig Thomas. The network has greenlighted “Goodwin Games,” the “How I Met Your Mother” pair’s single-camera comedy project starring pilot season darling Becki Newton. The half-hour entry, which hails from 20th Century Fox TV, revolves around three siblings — one of which the “Ugly Betty” star will play — who reconnect after the death of their father. Bays and Thomas join “Mother” executive producer Chris Harris as writers and EPs on the project. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/becki-newton-how-i-met-your-mother-fox-pilot-289324 The Ubiquitous Shonda Rhimes Adds Cast To One Of Her Myriad Of Pilots Blythe Danner and Sarah Bolger are the newest edition to the Shondaland family. The actresses have become the first castings in Shonda Rhimes’ ABC period pilot “Gilded Lilys.” The drama centers on the opening of the first luxury hotel in New York City in 1895 and the stories of love, treachery and disdain between the classes set against a backdrop of vicious family rivalries, scandalous secrets and conflict and co-mingling of the classes. The Lily family has reigned over New York’s elite for decades but a recent family scandal has undermined their fortunes both financially and societally. Danner will play Caroline Lily, the ruthless but wickedly funny matriarch who has ruled the roost of New York society for decades. Bolger will play Violet Langton Lily, the wealthy, aristocratic and rebellious daughter of hotel owners Edwin and Elizabeth Lily. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/blythe-danner-sarah-bolger-shonda-rhimes-gilded-lilys-289380 John Goodman And Roseanne, Together Again, At Last After nearly 15 years, NBC is staging a “Roseanne” reunion. John Goodman is near a deal to co-star in “Downwardly Mobile,” the NBC comedy pilot starring Roseanne Barr as the outspoken proprietor and den mother to an array of characters at a mobile home park. Goodman, who played Roseanne’s loyal husband Dan Conner for nine seasons on the ABC comedy from 1988-1997, will play one of the guys who work at the park. Barr is writing and executive producing the multicamera pilot, from 20th Television, alongside Eric Gilliland, a former writer and executive producer on “Roseanne.” http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/john-goodman-roseanne-barr-nbc-downwardly-mobile-287258 Y’Know What, Michael B. Jordan? We’d Want To Keep Working With Jason Katims, Too Michael B. Jordan is reuniting with Jason Katims for the third time. The former “Friday Night Lights” and “Parenthood” star has joined Katims’ NBC hospital drama pilot “County.” In the project that revolves around the lives of a group of young doctors, nurses and administrators at an underfunded and morally compromising Los Angeles County hospital, Jordan will play Travis Hancock, a local intern from a rough neighborhood who has put himself through eight years of medical school with zero help but rarely lets that show. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/parenthood-michael-b-jordan-jason-katims-county-289437 James Wolk Proves “Lone Star” Was Not A Black Mark, As He Keeps Getting Hired James Wolk is heading to D.C. The former “Lone Star” lead has joined USA Network’s six-hour political drama series “Political Animals” from Greg Berlanti and Laurence Mark. Slated to launch this summer, show revolves around Elaine Barrish, a divorced former First Lady and current Secretary of State, who is struggling to keep her family together while dealing with conflicts of the State Department. Wolk, who has recently guest starred on Showtime’s “Shameless” and ABC’s “Happy Endings,” will play one of Elaine’s sons, Doug, also serving as her chief of staff. Berlanti will write and direct the pilot, in addition to executive producing with Mark. Melissa Kellner Berman will co-executive produce. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/james-wolk-usa-network-political-animals-289442 Greg Berlanti Has Found His Golden Boy Ryan Phillippe has booked the starring role in CBS’ untitled Greg Berlanti/Nicholas Wootton drama. Phillippe will play the cop at the center of the story, who rises quickly through the ranks from officer to detective to police commissioner in the project, previously known as “Golden Boy.” Phillippe joins the previously cast Chi McBride and Kevin Alejandro. Wootton is penning the pilot and will executive produce alongside Berlanti and Richard Shepard, who will direct the Warner Bros. TV drama. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/ryan-phillippe-cbs-pilot-greg-berlanti-289317 Plenty Of Announcements About Famous People Working On Pilots Jon Favreau will direct the pilot for J.J. Abrams’ “Revolution” at NBC. Written by “Supernatural” creator Eric Kripke, the show is described by Deadline as “high-octane action drama following a group of characters struggling to survive and reunite with loved ones in a world where all forms of energy have mysteriously ceased to exist.” Favreau also has a self-penned comedy pilot, “Tweaked,” lined up at CBS. “Warrior” helmer Gavin O’Connor has a cold war period drama pilot he’ll direct for FX called “The Americans.” The project was created by Joe Weisberg (“Falling Skies”) and will focus on two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington, DC. “Justified” showrunner Graham Yost will exec produce. “Limitless” director Neil Burger has signed on to direct Josh Friedman’s (“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”) spy drama pilot, “The Asset” for Fox. Finally, Ellen Barkin looks set to star in the pilot for “The New Normal,” a comedy pilot over at NBC. The pilot was written by “Glee” duo Ryan Murphy (who will also direct) and Allison Adler, and is describedas “a heartwarming comedy about a blended family of a gay couple and the woman who becomes a surrogate to help them start a family.” Barkin will play the surrogate’s mother. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/jon-favreau-teams-with-j-j-abrams-for-revolution-gavin-oconnor-neil-burger-ellen-barkin-take-tv-pilots Acquisitions/Film Festivals
IFC Likes What It Sees In “Room 237″ IFC Films have picked up buzzed about Sundance doc “Room 237,” an experimental documentary directed by Rodney Ascher which explores the numerous theories about the ‘real meaning’ of Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.” We can picture Stephen King sitting down with a bag of popcorn and really getting his teeth into this one. The film will likely screen in New York and Cannes, before receiving a theatrical/day and date VOD release later this year. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/weinsteins-vod-label-lands-pusher-remake-ifc-films-goes-into-room-237-tribeca-gears-up-the-giant-mechanical-man While Tribeca Gets “Mechanical” With Its Latest Pickup Tribeca Films have landed the rights to “The Giant Mechanical Man.” Starring a large ensemble including “The Office” actress Jenna Fischer, Topher Grace, Malin Akerman, Chris Messina, Lucy Punch and Bob Odenkirk, the offbeat romantic comedy was written and directed by Lee Kirk and centers on Janice (Fischer), a woman in her 30’s who has yet to learn how to navigate adulthood, and Tim (Chris Messina), a devoted street performer who finds that his unique talents as a “living statue” (ie. street artist) don’t exactly pay the bills. Out of work and crashing with her overbearing sister (Ackerman), Janice is on the receiving end of well-intentioned but misguided pressure to date an egotistical self-help guru (Grace). Everyone seems to know what’s best for Janice, but Tim helps her find her own voice and realize that it only takes one person to make you feel important. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/weinsteins-vod-label-lands-pusher-remake-ifc-films-goes-into-room-237-tribeca-gears-up-the-giant-mechanical-man Sony Worldwide Tells Scottish Indie, “Tonight You’re Mine” Roadside Attractions and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions’ Stage 6 Films will release David Mackenzie’s “Tonight You’re Mine” in theaters May 11. SPWA originally acquired the film under the title “You Instead” after its world premiere at the 2011 Glasgow Film Festival, followed by a US premiere at SXSW Film Festival. SPWA will distribute all other US media. The cast includes Luke Treadaway, Natalia Tena, Alastair MacKenzie, Gavin Mitchell and Sophie Wu. Thomas Leveritt wrote the script, and the film was produced by Gillian Berrie. Shot over four days at Scotland’s T in the Park music festival, the film follows an indie music star and a punk-rock girl band leader who get into a backstage fight and find themselves handcuffed together and unable to be separated, even to perform their gigs. http://www.indiewire.com/article/roadside-attractions-and-spwa-will-release-david-mackenzies-tonight-youre-mine The Sales Have Begun At SXSW, A Month Before The Fest Opens Anchor Bay has preemptively picked up the rights to “The Aggression Scale,” an action movie that will have its world premiere at next month’s SXSW Film Festival. The movie, which will screen as part of the festival’s Midnighter program, is described as being in the spirit of the 1980s canon and in the vein of “A History of Violence” but with the teens as the heroes, taking on four hitmen over $500,000 in stolen cash. It was directed and edited by Steven C. Miller and written by Ben Powell. The movie hails from Snowfort Pictures and Film Harvest. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/anchor-bay-aggression-scale-sxsw-film-festival-289344 Those New Amazon Studios Contests? Yeah, We Have Some Winners Amazon Studios, the open source-inspired studio run by Roy Price with a mission to find new films and screenwriters and offer them first-look deals with Warner Studios, has revealed the winner of its “Best Test” movie and best-script awards. The family musical “12 Princesses,” written and directed by Rob Gardner, won the Best Test film award, which carries with it a prize of $1 million. Matthew Gossett won the $100,000 best-script prize for his thriller “Origin of a Species.” http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/amazon-studios-announces-best-movie-and-best-script-awards-for-2011-contest Samuel Goldwyn’s New Doc Examines “Illusion” Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired U.S. rights to “People V. the State of Illusion,” from award-winning director Scott Cervine. The documentary, made in the vein of “What the Bleed Do We Know!??,” explores the science of power of our perceptions and imagination. Expect to see it in select theaters in March. http://www.indiewire.com/article/samuel-goldwyn-acquires-people-v-the-state-of-illusion If You Want To Know The Films In This Year’s True/False Fest, Now’s Your Chance The True/False Film Festival has announced it’s 2012 lineup consisting of 39 feature films and 19 short films from all over the globe. Leading the festival lineup is Victor Kossakovsky’s “Vivan las Antipodas!,” Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady’s “Detropia,” Bart Layton’s “The Imposter,” and Elizabeth Mims & Jason Tippet’s “Only the Young.” A large number of of the films this year will be from a group of new American directors with fresh takes on the documentary format, such as Peter Nicks’s “Waiting Room,” Chris Moukarbel & Valerie Veatch’s “Me at the Zoo,” and Daniel Lindsay & T.J. Martin’s “Undefeated.” The festival also prides itself on screening international documentaries that may have slipped under American audiences radar such as Rokhsareh Ghaem’s “Going Up the Stairs,” Jose Alvarez’s “Canicula,” and Xun Yu’s “The Vanishing Spring.” http://www.indiewire.com/article/true-false-film-festival-announces-2012-lineup German Historical Doc Will See The Light Of Day In US Dagmar Shultz’s “Audre Lorde – The Berlin Years 1984 to 1992″ – an untold chapter (the Berlin years) of the late writer, poet and activist, Caribbean child of immigrants from Grenada, who died rather young at 58 years old in 1992 has been purchased. Third World Newsreel has acquired the 84-minute film and will premiere at at The Brecht Forum in New York City on Monday, March 23rd; no word on where it’ll play after that. But it’ll be out on DVD sometime this spring. http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/third-world-newsreel-acquires-audre-lorde-the-berlin-years-1984-to-1992-for-march-release-trailer Montana’s Desire To Have Filmmakers Shoot There Yields Big (Sky) Results When the Montana Film Office launched a contest, Pitch the 406, to encourage filmmakers to pitch the office on shooting a film in Montana, they didn’t know their judges would choose Montana natives. That result reflects well on what is proving itself to be an interesting place for filmmakers to shoot stories that need a certain look. Recently, “Taking Chance,” “My Sister’s Keeper,” “Hoot,” “Hidalgo,” “The Slaughter Rule” and the documentary “Sweetgrass” have all used Montana vistas as their backdrop. For the Pitch the 406 contest, which awards its winner $20,000 for shooting in Big Sky Country, filmmakers needed to upload pitches to YouTube, which would then be considered by a panel of well-established filmmaking judges. http://www.indiewire.com/article/will-you-see-this-movie-montana-names-matthew-smagliks-magpie-as-winner-of-pitch-the-406 Cohen Media Gets Its “Swerve” On With Aussie Pickup Craig Lahiff’s Aussie thriller “Swerve,” starring Jason Clarke, Emma Booth and David Lyons, has mapped out trips to the U.S. and U.K. in deals struck by British sales house Moviehouse Entertainment. Cohen Media coralled U.S. rights to the project. The film opens with a man driving cross-country who witnesses a head-on collision between two cars that leaves only one beautiful woman survivor in a big rush to get away from the accident scene and a big bag of money. The pair unite, and a story of drugs, money, guns and suspicion ensues. The Lahiff-directed movie, which he also wrote, counts Travis McMahon and Vince Colosimo in its cast. Helen Leake produced. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/berlin-2012-aussie-thriller-swerve-289688 Business/Legal News
Lionsgate Is Clearly Hoping Stephenie Meyer Ain’t Done With Bella And Edward Keep hope alive Bella and RPatz fans and start getting that petition together for Stephenie Meyer! Ever since Lionsgate swooped in and bought Summit, the biggest question has been what their plans are for the latter’s biggest franchise and most valuable asset — the “Twilight” films. Last month Lionsgate chief Jon Feltheimer said “Boy I hope so,” when asked if the lucrative series would continue past the final film, “Breaking Dawn Part 2″ when it arrives this fall. And it might. Lionsgate motion picture group co-chair Rob Friedman was asked about the possibility of a 6th film, and he said if the material is there in another book, it will happen. “If she (Meyer) wishes to do it, we’ll be there to support her,” he said. Messageboards all over the world are now in meltdown. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/lionsgate-honcho-says-there-will-be-another-twilight-movie-if-stephenie-meyer-writes-the-book Cartoon Net Is Preparing For A Lot Of Super Hero Action DC Nation will launch March 3 on Cartoon Network with an hour-long Saturday morning block featuring “Green Lantern: The Animated Series” and “Young Justice.” Announced in March 2011, the programming initiative from Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment will also include a mixture of animated shorts and live-action interstitials featuring such DC properties as Plastic Man, Wonder Woman, Doom Patrol and Teen Titans. A new CG-animated series “Beware the Batman” is expected to be added to the mix in 2013. http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2012/02/10/dc-nation-kicks-off-march-3/ Looks Like We’re Going To Be In “Touch” With A “24″ Reunion While he awaits word on the fate of “Terra Nova,” Jon Cassar will reunite with an old friend: Kiefer Sutherland. The former “24″ executive producer/director has signed on to helm an episode of Fox’s drama “Touch.” Cassar — who remains close with Sutherland — last worked with him as a director/executive producer on Season 7 of the Fox terror drama and will direct the ninth episode of the series, which returns March 19. From “Heroes”‘ Tim Kring, Sutherland stars as Martin, a single father whose mute 11-year-old son Jake (David Mazouz) has the ability to connect unrelated events through a rare gift with numbers with Martin charged with deciphering what it all means. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/24-terra-nova-jon-cassar-kiefer-sutherland-288703 Interested In Buying German MMC Studios? Now’s Your Chance! Magic Media Company, the group that manages the MMC studios in Cologne, has been put on the auction block, with a sale expected by this summer. With more than 215,000 square feet of soundstage space, MMC is one of the largest studio complexes in Europe. Recent feature projects shot there include David Cronenberg’s “A Dangerous Method” and the upcoming “Mr. Morgan’s Last Love” starring Michael Caine. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/berlin-2012-german-studio-mmc-for-sale-289508 CBS Wants Two More Years Of Craig Ferguson (Well, Sure! Who Wouldn’t?) Craig Ferguson is very likely staying put at CBS. The “Late Late Show” host is nearing a new deal to remain with the network through 2014. As part of the pact, Ferguson’s 12:35 a.m. show, which launched in early 2005, will move to a bigger stage at CBS’ Television City. The move follows reports last month that CBS had begun talks to ensure Ferguson and David Letterman’s shows would continue at CBS. Letterman, whose Worldwide Pants owns both shows, has had his “Late Show” at the network since 1993 and has managed to close the ratings gap with rival Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” in recent months. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/craig-ferguson-cbs-deal-late-show-288702 Stephen Root Will Be Taking A Lengthy Stroll On The “Boardwalk” After a sophomore season that featured the death of a handful of series regulars, HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” is continuing to rebuild its ranks, with Stephen Root joining the drama. The premium cable network announced Friday that Root will recur as Gaston Means, a forger, swindler and murder suspect who became a Special Investigator for the United States Department of Justice under Attorney General Harry Daugherty (Christopher McDonald). http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/boardwalk-empire-adds-justified-true-289303 Industry Moves
You Can’t Stop Lachlan Murdoch, You Can Only Hope To Contain Him Lachlan Murdoch has been elected chairman of third ranked Australian commercial broadcaster Ten Network Holdings Ltd, taking up the post just five weeks after handing over day to day management of the company to new CEO James Warburton. In the board shakeup former chairman Brian Long becomes deputy chairman and lead independent director. The move also serves to effectively put a line through speculation by News Corp.’s local broadsheet, The Australian, that Murdoch, a director at News Corp., would replace his father Rupert as chairman of the company’s local arm, News Limited. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lachlan-murdoch-named-chairman-ten-288843 Fourth Place Peacock Forced To Lay Off Staffers The pink slips are being doled out across NBC’s marketing and publicity ranks. The news of structural changes comes as entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt continues to populate the ratings-challenged network with former Showtime colleagues, from marketing chief Len Fogge to publicity honcho Richard Licata. In doing so, Greenblatt has brought a cable mentality to the promotion of his fare, as evidenced by the lavish campaign for Monday’s musical drama “Smash” and reality break-out “The Voice.” Among those exiting: 26-year veteran Jim Vescera, the network’s executive vp and creative director of marketing, who opted to step down Friday. Somewhere in the neighborhood of nine others in the marketing department were let go. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nbc-layoffs-marketing-publicity-289434 Nu Image/Millennium Has Itself A Brand New International Man Independent producer and distributor Nu Image/Millennium Films has named John Fremes head of international, the company said Friday. The international sales veteran will report directly to principals Avi Lerner and Trevor Short. He will work side-by-side with Mark Gill, who joined the company as president of production arm Millennium Films in June. Fremes most recently worked as president of worldwide distribution at Essential Entertainment, where he worked on such titles as “Barney’s Version” starring Paul Giamatti, “The Expatriate” with Aaron Eckhart and “Defiance” starring Daniel Craig. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/berlin-2012-nu-image-millenium-289281 Technology/Multi-Platform Content
New “Star Trek” Movie Means New “Star Trek” Video Game! Paramount and video game maker Namco Bandai announced a deal on Friday to co-publish and distribute a “Star Trek” game in early 2013, ahead of the sequel to J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot of the space franchise. The combat game is centered on the adventures of Kirk and Spock, portrayed by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto in the Abrams incarnation, as they pair up to defeat a shared — and so-called “legendary” — enemy, the companies said. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/paramount-namco-bandai-star-trek-video-game-289277 CBS Wants To Give You Another Look Behind The Scenes Of “CSI” CBS is offering its fans a peek behind the scenes at “CSI.” The network unveiled “Anatomy of a TV Hit: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” a nine episode web series centered on the creation of the billion dollar franchise now in its 12th season. The episodes feature interviews with every major executive involved in the long-running series, from CBS’ Leslie Moonves and Nina Tassler to executive producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Carol Mendelsohn to former stars William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cbs-csi-anatomy-a-hit-web-series-289286 Around The Web
Remembering Whitney Houston, Her First Ever TV Appearance — TV Squad
"Tree Of Life" Cinematographer Is Kind Of An Interesting Cat — IndieWire
Crowd Sourcing Was A Big Topic Of Discussion At Berlinale — THR.com
Did This Video Game's Kickstarter Success Just Change Everything? — Newsarama
Genius Films About Genius, And Other Nonsense — Movieline
Celebrities Love The Muppets, Too — EmpireOnline
Website to Watch
http://kik.com/
This is an absolutely wonderful multiplatform text messaging app and a must-have if you don't have access to iMessage or BBM, or if you want to send a text message to a friend who has a smartphone, but doesn't have an iPhone or BlackBerry. The app is fast and its visual design is very sleek. On top of that, Kik Messenger notifies you (within the chat thread) when your message has been sent, delivered and read. It comes in handy when you need to send texts to a friend overseas. As far as we can tell, since Kik uses your data plan, as long as you're sending international messages over Wi-Fi, you are not going to incur additional charges. It's available for free on iOS and Android devices, as well as Windows Phone 7, Nokia and Symbian devices. RIM has not approved Kik for BlackBerry devices, but the website does offer you a quick guide to download the app. Additional Source:
www.cynopsis.com
FNB Editorial
Forget The Oscars, The Future Might Just Be Slated We’ve been hearing a lot about Kickstarter lo, these past couple years, and have always found it an interesting diversion for smaller projects and flights of fancy. Not to diminish the site, it clearly does a lot of good for people, but it’s always struck us as a bit limited, with a defined ceiling for the size of the projects the site is designed to help. We thought there was room for something bigger, but we never actually got around to doing anything about it. Luckily, a couple guys named Stephan Paternot and Duncan Cork did, and the result is the terrific Slated. The very purpose of the site is to match accredited investors with developing projects, allowing people to monitor the progress of casting and hiring, maintain buzz, it’s … it’s … intoxicating, really. Seriously, creating a site where filmmakers, distributors, investors and sales agents can interact with each other and track projects in an online environment protected and vetted by the community’s own members? Genius. On top of that (and, truthfully, the best part for us, as we are noted snobs), it’s kind of an exclusive club. You have to be approved by two existing members to get in. Again, seriously. It’s like being a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, only without the bombast and boring ceremony. All kidding aside, what took everyone so long? This site is exactly what the internet was made for, as far as the entertainment industry is concerned. It’s eHarmony, J-Date and Match all rolled into one, but instead of trying to score a mate, you can score a sweet deal for your project (or, on the other side, score a sweet project to deal. It really does work both ways!). Already signed up are reps of IM Global, WME, Participant Media, Weinstein Co, FilmDistrict, as well as high profile indie producers like Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte, Lesley Chilcott, MaryJane Skalski and Rene Bastian. Fairly elite company. One of the reasons why we’ve never really investigated Kickstarter is because it always felt too small. Getting a few bucks apiece from a couple hundred people was great in theory, but didn’t necessarily serve the purposes of anything on which we might have been working. But this? Even Chairman and co-founder Paternot admits, “all our investors are accredited investors, about 50 percent of our investor community represent institutions, distributors and sales companies.” That’s some serious juice right there, and most definitely the kind aimed at bigger fish. It’s amazing, really, that some of the best ideas are the ones you look at and say, “How come no one thought of this sooner?” This is one of those times. Editor@filmnewsbriefs.com
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