Film Clip Looks Shaggy In 'Argo' Still

Ben Affleck's a man of action now, isn't he? A few years back, his career banished him to romcom barf fests like "Gigli" and "Which makes it through Christmas." No longer -- he's developed plenty of critical momentum and box office success through gritty dramas like "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town,In . enough allowing him to attempt more heady roles, like next year's "Argo." This is actually the one where he's a CIA operative showing up included in a film crew to have the ability to save diplomats who was simply taken hostage, all in 1979 Tehran. The film they're pretending to use on? Naturally, it's a sci-fi film referred to as "Argo." This primary photo shows him searching somewhat shaggy, somewhat determined definitely not the clean-cut wise guy he acquired his early career heartthrob status through. He's searching very deliberately at some documents, but we've got not a clue what they may be. Maybe it's a Denny's menu. Maybe there's a comic book behind it. (Not likely.) "Argo" also features other stars who've seen career revivals lately, lifers like Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, and Kyle Chandler. With this particular much pure acting energy, it seems like "Argo" will probably be well worth needing to pay concentrate on if the arrives next season. Affleck also directs the film, and when you factor in his strong eye for layout and action in "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town,In . you'll recognize it the ideal choice. What can you consider this primary still from "Argo"? Inform us inside the comments section and also on Twitter!

New 'Hobbit' Production Diary Goes To Hobbiton

The very first factor you see throughout this new production diary for "The Hobbit"? The dwarves. The dwarves are kayaking with the river inside a large raft. They are on location, riding horses and brandishing swords and running against eco-friendly screens. There is lots to determine twelve minutes from it, to become exact, taking you thru the trailers and also the production galleries and also the computer labs where all the work will get done. Browse the "Hobbit" trailer! There's honestly an excessive amount of in summary, so you will need to take a look on your own. Nevertheless, the Shire turns up, just like Elijah Wood (reprising Frodo) and Ian McKellan (reprising Gandalf). Hobbiton's been recreated for that new film, and Wood gives his ideas on coming back towards the Tolkien-verse after 11 years away. Andy Serkis (Gollum) also turns up -- like a second Unit Director, should you did not learn about his broadened role. December 2012 is really a lengthy while away, but instead of withholding detail (ahem, Christopher Nolan), this can be a pretty intimate consider the film's production. That is not very surprising thinking about Peter Jackson's openness on his previous Tolkien-related films. "The The almighty from the Rings" gifted us with hrs of behind-the-moments detail, and "The Hobbit" is believe it or not attentively made. Nz is really eco-friendly! Hobbiton is really enjoyable-searching! Who wouldn't wish to live there, forever and ever? Wealthy filmgoers can click on Nz and tour the set, as well as the relaxation people, we'll have to hang about until next Christmas. Inform us that which you think about the brand new "Hobbit" production diary within the comments as well as on Twitter!

Odd Holiday Traditions for David Letterman

NY (AP) Think holiday traditions and mistletoe, eggnog and caroling come to mind. David Letterman's Christmas includes target practice at a giant meatball, the Lone Ranger and singer Darlene Love.Each has become part of CBS "Late Show" lore through the years, their appearances anticipated by fans like wrapped presents under a tree. The traditions return Friday.Comic Jay Thomas will be back to try to knock a meatball off the top of a Christmas tree with a football and recount his Lone Ranger anecdote again. Love will sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" as fake snow flutters to the stage."The best traditions are the ones you can't plan," said Rob Burnett, executive producer of "Late Show.""These happened very organically on our show and it is very silly and very goofy. It makes sense with the sensibility of the 'Late Show' to be part of our tradition."Letterman's on-set Christmas tree is frequently decorated with oddities, such as the meatball on top instead of a star, angel or bow.It all started one night back in 1998 when NY Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde was a guest. He and Letterman picked up footballs and began tossing them at the tree, aiming for the meatball. Watching their failures impatiently from the wings was Thomas, former quarterback at tiny Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C.Thomas had discussed trying the target practice with Letterman before the show, but no one told that to stage manager Biff Henderson. He blocked Thomas from going out onstage."I fake to the right and Biff goes to catch me and I run around him like a scramble," said Thomas, who picked up a football and threw with laserlike accuracy at the meatball, accomplishing in one throw what the NFL quarterback couldn't in several.Testaverde has been forgotten, but Thomas is invited back each year to see if he can repeat his feat.Around the same time Thomas isn't sure exactly when Letterman heard about a story Thomas told of his time as a radio DJ in the South when he and a friend had to give a ride to Clayton Moore, star of television's "Lone Ranger." We won't be spoilers; Letterman has called it the "best story I've ever heard."The story, too, is repeated each year. Thomas said he and Letterman have never discussed why it has become a tradition. It just has."It is the craziest thing I have ever been a part of," he said.Thomas practices before each appearance, taking a football into Central Park and aiming at a particular tree branch.Two years ago Letterman knocked off the meatball with his own throw before Thomas even came out onstage, leaving the comic whose acting career has cooled to moan in fake distress: "This is all I have!"Last year Thomas needed a cortisone shot to make the show after he had injured his shoulder throwing a golf ball. "They're shooting me up like a racehorse to make $760 and hit a friggin' meatball," he said.He's heard from plenty of people who look forward to his annual appearance, including a well-known Hollywood movie director. The power player, who Thomas wouldn't name, confessed that he's bipolar and often plays a recording of the holiday show when he's glum. Thomas is glad to cheer up the director. He'd like it even more if he could get an audition for one of the man's movies.The Darlene Love tradition has deeper roots. Letterman bandleader Paul Shaffer learned early on when he tried to play "Monster Mash" on Halloween that his boss isn't much into holiday music. But Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," originally recorded for the landmark 1963 holiday album "A Christmas Gift for You," is "the one place where his and my holiday tastes coincide," Shaffer said. "He loves the song."Shaffer was performing with Love in Ellie Greenwich's musical "Leader of the Pack" in winter 1984 and Letterman came to see them. Shaffer isn't sure which man had the idea of inviting her on the show then televised on NBC but everyone was pleased with the results.The first time, Shaffer accompanied Love with a quartet. As the years went on musicians were added to approximate original producer Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound," and upward of 20 musicians and singers have been onstage with Love.Each year's twist involves how red-suited saxophone player Bruce Kapler will appear for his solo: One year he burst through a chimney. The widow of famed sax session player Steve Douglas, who played on the original "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" recording, sold Shaffer the horn used on that session, and Kapler borrows it each year for Love's appearance.Letterman's staff has a real emotional connection to the song, enhanced with the passage of time, Burnett said."Every year there's a moment in the song, where she is hitting it full blast and the confetti comes down, just about every staff member even the toughest stagehand you can see just choking it back," he said.All of it the football, the meatball, the anecdote and the song make for an odd mix. But Letterman can be an odd man."If Dave didn't enjoy it, it wouldn't be on TV," Burnett said.Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. By David Bauder December 23, 2011 PHOTO CREDIT CBS/John Paul NY (AP) Think holiday traditions and mistletoe, eggnog and caroling come to mind. David Letterman's Christmas includes target practice at a giant meatball, the Lone Ranger and singer Darlene Love.Each has become part of CBS "Late Show" lore through the years, their appearances anticipated by fans like wrapped presents under a tree. The traditions return Friday.Comic Jay Thomas will be back to try to knock a meatball off the top of a Christmas tree with a football and recount his Lone Ranger anecdote again. Love will sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" as fake snow flutters to the stage."The best traditions are the ones you can't plan," said Rob Burnett, executive producer of "Late Show.""These happened very organically on our show and it is very silly and very goofy. It makes sense with the sensibility of the 'Late Show' to be part of our tradition."Letterman's on-set Christmas tree is frequently decorated with oddities, such as the meatball on top instead of a star, angel or bow.It all started one night back in 1998 when NY Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde was a guest. He and Letterman picked up footballs and began tossing them at the tree, aiming for the meatball. Watching their failures impatiently from the wings was Thomas, former quarterback at tiny Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C.Thomas had discussed trying the target practice with Letterman before the show, but no one told that to stage manager Biff Henderson. He blocked Thomas from going out onstage."I fake to the right and Biff goes to catch me and I run around him like a scramble," said Thomas, who picked up a football and threw with laserlike accuracy at the meatball, accomplishing in one throw what the NFL quarterback couldn't in several.Testaverde has been forgotten, but Thomas is invited back each year to see if he can repeat his feat.Around the same time Thomas isn't sure exactly when Letterman heard about a story Thomas told of his time as a radio DJ in the South when he and a friend had to give a ride to Clayton Moore, star of television's "Lone Ranger." We won't be spoilers; Letterman has called it the "best story I've ever heard."The story, too, is repeated each year. Thomas said he and Letterman have never discussed why it has become a tradition. It just has."It is the craziest thing I have ever been a part of," he said.Thomas practices before each appearance, taking a football into Central Park and aiming at a particular tree branch.Two years ago Letterman knocked off the meatball with his own throw before Thomas even came out onstage, leaving the comic whose acting career has cooled to moan in fake distress: "This is all I have!"Last year Thomas needed a cortisone shot to make the show after he had injured his shoulder throwing a golf ball. "They're shooting me up like a racehorse to make $760 and hit a friggin' meatball," he said.He's heard from plenty of people who look forward to his annual appearance, including a well-known Hollywood movie director. The power player, who Thomas wouldn't name, confessed that he's bipolar and often plays a recording of the holiday show when he's glum. Thomas is glad to cheer up the director. He'd like it even more if he could get an audition for one of the man's movies.The Darlene Love tradition has deeper roots. Letterman bandleader Paul Shaffer learned early on when he tried to play "Monster Mash" on Halloween that his boss isn't much into holiday music. But Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," originally recorded for the landmark 1963 holiday album "A Christmas Gift for You," is "the one place where his and my holiday tastes coincide," Shaffer said. "He loves the song."Shaffer was performing with Love in Ellie Greenwich's musical "Leader of the Pack" in winter 1984 and Letterman came to see them. Shaffer isn't sure which man had the idea of inviting her on the show then televised on NBC but everyone was pleased with the results.The first time, Shaffer accompanied Love with a quartet. As the years went on musicians were added to approximate original producer Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound," and upward of 20 musicians and singers have been onstage with Love.Each year's twist involves how red-suited saxophone player Bruce Kapler will appear for his solo: One year he burst through a chimney. The widow of famed sax session player Steve Douglas, who played on the original "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" recording, sold Shaffer the horn used on that session, and Kapler borrows it each year for Love's appearance.Letterman's staff has a real emotional connection to the song, enhanced with the passage of time, Burnett said."Every year there's a moment in the song, where she is hitting it full blast and the confetti comes down, just about every staff member even the toughest stagehand you can see just choking it back," he said.All of it the football, the meatball, the anecdote and the song make for an odd mix. But Letterman can be an odd man."If Dave didn't enjoy it, it wouldn't be on TV," Burnett said.Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Cheers & Jeers: SNL's Christmas Reunion

Saturday Evening Live Cheers to Saturday Evening Love getting the household home for that holidays.Want more Cheers & Jeers? Sign up for TV Guide Magazine.Jimmy Fallon - noticeably gone to live in be coming back to Studio 8H like a guest host - asked a bunch of his old pals together with him, starting with Rachel Dratch, also known as Denise, who squabbled and drawn face together with her Masshole wife Sully (Fallon) within the wicked opener. Amy Poehler became a member of for the reason that sketch plus an uproarious "Weekend Update" joke-served by Seth Meyers, against Fallon and the other former fake anchor, Tina Fey. And Fallon got that old band - Horatio Sanz, Chris Kattan and dancing machine Tracy Morgan - together again for that Yuletide classic, "If Only It Had Been Christmas Today."If perhaps the week's other visitors had felt the vacation spirit. Jude Law led a joyless cameo opposite Andy Samberg's Nicolas Cage, and Michael Bublé marred his smooth renditions of Christmas carols by looking into making bizarre faces. Maybe Bublé required an earlier taste from the New Year's Eve bubbly?What have you think about SNL's Christmas episode?Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now!

'The Amazing Spider-Man' Character Wallpaper: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone Showed up at the Desktop

Lost in many the fevered anticipation for 'The Dark Dark evening Rises' is the fact 'The Amazing Spider-Man' really showed up at theaters nearly 2 days before batman. Much less you'd understand that since the The brand new the new sony marketing campaign for your 'Spider-Man' reboot from director Marc Webb has carried out things relatively low-key -- or otherwise as in comparison towards the already engaged full-court press that Warner Bros. is putting on for Christopher Nolan's latest opus. It seems like that will change. The studio has first demonstrated a completely new website for 'The Amazing Spider-guy,' and furthermore to getting a moody score and several ambient sounds, it's character ads for that desktop. Now, additionally you, can stare at Denis Leary's mug every workday. (Or, Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield, if you're into that type of factor.) Photos ahead! 'The Amazing Spider-Guy' Character Wallpaper Emma StoneRhys IfansDenis LearyAndrew Garfield See All Moviefone Galleries » 'The Amazing Spider-Man' hits theaters about this summer time 3, 2012. Expect a completely new trailer later on around very quickly. [via TheAmazingSpiderMan.com] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Reese Witherspoon Attached to West Memphis Three Movie 'Devil's Knot'

Prashant Gupta / FX FX and Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter have prevailed in a lawsuit filed by an ex-Hell's Angel biker who claimed the idea for the hit drama series was stolen.our editor recommends'Glee,' 'Sons of Anarchy' Added to Amazon Prime Instant Video Streaming Service'Sons of Anarchy' Creator Kurt Sutter on Season 4's Bold Finale and Season 5 PlansFurious 'Sons of Anarchy' Creator Tells DirecTV Viewers 'You're Getting F---ed Over'; Reveals Banned Script Chuck Zito sued FX for $5 million in June 2010 claiming he had developed a show called Nomads (later The Wild Angels) and had agents at ICM set up a pitch meeting in 2004 with FX chief John Landgraf, during which Zito says he discussed ideas for a show about a motorcycle club. FX passed on the project but later developed Sutter's Sons, which ICM packaged and which recently concluded its 4th season as a big hit for the network. "FX was obligated to pay Zito the reasonable value of his ideas, hire him to work on the series and afford him screen credit as creator," the lawsuit alleged. "Defendants breached an implied-in-fact contract with defendant." VIDEO: 'Sons of Anarchy': Ron Perlman Says Season 4 Was a Challenge At the time, Sutter took to his twitter account to blast the lawsuit, saying: "HAVING THE F***ING IDEA IS NOT THE SHOW. THERE HAVE BEEN DOZENS OF OUTLAW MOTORCYCLE TV DRAMAS PITCHED IN THE LAST TEN YEARS. NONE OF THEM HAS MADE IT TO SERIES, EXCEPT SOA. BECAUSE THEY SUCKED." STORY: 'Sons of Anarchy' Creator Kurt Sutter on Season 4's Bold Finale and Season 5 Plans Today a Los Angeles Superior Court judge agreed, ruling on summary judgment that Sons was independently created and Zito doesn't have a case. The judge relied on declarations submitted by Sutter, Landgraf and talent agent Matt Solo (now with WME), among others, showing Sutter's development process and the fact that Sons was pitched to several networks, including HBO and AMC, before arriving at FX, which bought the project in a bidding war. The judge saw no reason for the case to continue past the summary judgment phase. We've reached out to Zito's attorneys for comment. FX is represented by Scott Edelman at LA's Gibson Dunn firm and Rick Stone at Jenner & Block. Email: Matthew.Belloni@thr.com Twitter: @THRMattBelloni PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery 'Sons of Anarchy' Red Carpet Premiere

Orson Welles's Oscar Would Make a Lovely Holiday Gift

What do you get for the cinephile who has everything? Start with a six-figure loan, I guess, and then check out the ongoing auction for “[t]he finest and most desirable item in Hollywood collecting — the original Oscar awarded to Orson Welles for best ‘Original Screenplay’ for Citizen Kane. This Oscar statue, awarded by The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is the very same statue presented to Orson Welles on 26 February 1942 at the Biltmore Hotel. [… F]or years it had gone missing and the Academy issued a replacement to Beatrice Welles, Orson’s youngest daughter and sole heir. The original had all along been in the possession of cinematographer Gary Graver, who tried to sell it in 1994.” [Nate D. Sanders via THR]

The Lady Using the Dragon Tattoo

Rooney Mara stars in David Fincher's adaptation of 'The Girl Using the Dragon Tattoo.'Co-starring Difficulties and Christopher Plummer, 'Dragon Tattoo' is dependant on Stieg Larsson's best-selling novel.A The new sony Pictures Entertainment discharge of a Columbia Pictures and MGM presentation of the Scott Rudin/Yellow Bird production. Created by Scott Rudin, Ole Sondberg, Soren Staermose, Cean Chaffin. Executive producers, Zaillian, Mikael Wallen, Anni Faurbye Fernandez. Co-producers, Berna Levin, Eli Rose bush. Directed by David Fincher. Script, Steven Zaillian, in line with the book by Stieg Larsson, initially released by Norstedts.Mikael Blomkvist - Difficulties Lisbeth Salander - Rooney Mara Henrik Vanger - Christopher Plummer Martin Vanger - Stellan Skarsgard Frode - Steven Berkoff Erika Berger - Robin Wright Bjurman - Yorick van Wageningen Anita Vanger - Joely Richardson Cecilia - Geraldine James Armansky - Goran Visnjic Det. Morell - Jesse Sumpter Wennerstrom - Ulf FribergIf ever an environment might be referred to as dank, fetid yet oddly luxurious, it is the chill leaking through every corrosively beautiful frame of "The Lady Using the Dragon Tattoo." As classy a movie as might be produced from Stieg Larsson's sordid page-turner, David Fincher's much-anticipated go back to serial-killer territory is really a fastidiously harsh pulp entertainment that plays just like a first-class train ride through progressively bleaker circles of hell. When the brooding intelligence and technical mastery displayed sometimes feel disproportionate towards the material, Rooney Mara's riveting undertake Lisbeth Salander nicely validates what will probably be Fincher's greatest success up to now. The worldwide recognition of Larsson's posthumously released "Millennium" trilogy should assist the The new sony release overcome numerous commercial hurdles, together with a no-bull R rating, moments of implied sexual assault, along with a pacey but unhurried 158-minute running time. This British-lingo adaptation is coming not lengthy following a broadly seen Swedish version (which made $104 million worldwide as well as an impressive $ten million within the U.S. this past year) could hinder its worldwide prospects to some extent, but overall, the need to determine what Hollywood has wrought from Larsson's literary juggernaut should lure franchise addicts, casual fans and mildly curious holdouts. What they are set for is really a substantially slicker and much more sophisticated bit of film craft compared to Swedish production or either of their Nordic TV sequels. The film telegraphs its exceptional production values and acrid tone and among Fincher's typically arresting credits sequences: an immediate-fire craze of images variously evoking sex, violence, birth, technology and immolation, set to some furious cover of Brought Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" featuring Karen O. It's most probably a howl of rage in the ravaged psyche of Lisbeth Salander (Mara), the dragon-inked Goth girl whose black mohawk, bondage gear and do not-mess-with-me attitude hide a troubled history in addition to among Sweden's great investigative minds. Hewing more faithfully towards the novel than its predecessor did, Steven Zaillian's smartly trimmed script divides it is time between Salander, a very gifted hacker and professional snoop, and the newest subject of 1 of her expert background inspections, Stockholm-based magazine journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Difficulties). Openly disgraced after losing a higher-profile libel situation rigged with a corrupt mogul (Ulf Friberg), Blomkvist requires a powder and relocates on impulse towards the remote Hedeby Island there, Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), aging patriarch from the wealthy, infamously fractious Vanger family, has designated him to discover what went down to Henrik's niece Harriet, who, as portrayed in beautifully hued flashbacks, inexplicably disappeared in the island a lot more than 4 decades ago. Blomkvist eventually unmasks not only a killer but a very disturbing record of generational sin etched within the Vanger dynasty's DNA and, by extension, the material associated with a Western capitalist society. Without excessively underlining the subtext, the film fully maintains Larsson's very finely veiled indictment of corporate skulduggery, anti-Semitism, child abuse and, most importantly, unspeakably sadistic crimes against women (not for free was the novel released in Sweden underneath the title "Males Who Hate Women"). Fittingly, it's Salander who can serve as not just a victim of these violence, but an avenging dark angel. To that particular finish, editors Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall crosscut frequently between Blomkvist's analysis along with a disturbing parallel narrative by which Salander, a ward from the condition, must cope with a predatory legal advocate (Yorick van Wageningen). Just like the Swedish pic, the moments by which this sadist abuses his authority will prove probably the most hard to watch, although here the degradation is much more implied than seen, shot dimly and from the well-judged distance, without any hint of leering or exploitation past the calculated satisfaction of watching Salander turn the tables. Blomkvist eventually employs Salander like a research assistant, starting a collaboration that sparks professional and romantic sparks and brings the analysis to some boil. Because the two make use of the most advanced technology to resurrect old files, photos and cuttings, their MacBooks commanding as much screentime his or her faces, Fincher charts their progress with unerring focus and agility intuitively, one picks up reverberations from the helmer's past work, particularly the razor-sharp techno-savvy of "The Social Networking" and also the procedural rigor of "Zodiac." Yet in which the obsessive mission for understanding for the reason that 2007 film was predicated around the unknowability from the truth, "The Lady Using the Dragon Tattoo" is finally disappointed with a yarn that contents itself with easy solutions and couple of residual mysteries. For the fetishistic attention Fincher and the crew lavish on every nasty forensic detail, they are not able to transmute Larsson's rudimentary mystery plotting into some thing than pop-lit fare. What remains, then, may be the hypnotic presence of Mara, who fearlessly steps right into a role made legendary by Swedish thesp Noomi Rapace and proves a lot more than comparable to the task. Whereas Rapace stressed the character's pluck and rage, the greater petite, vulnerable-searching Mara presents Salander being an purged-out enigma: Pierced towards the nines, her eye brows dyed a pale complexion in order to drain any readable emotion from her face, she frequently averts her gaze downward from whoever she might be addressing. It is a gesture at the same time defensive and defiant, bespeaking many years of suffered abuse and alienation, yet despite her blank affect, the actress charges every moment with tension and feeling. Though he's a far more compelling Blomkvist than Swedish inventor Michael Nyqvist, Craig still ensures to provide the smoothness as a little of the schlump, tamping lower his leading-guy charisma to permit Mara to decisively claim the spotlight. The duo's frequently darkly funny rapport takes care of with startling emotion within the final reels, possibly probably the most satisfying surprise from the filmmaker whose temperament has generally been as frigid because the film's Swedish landscapes. Casting elsewhere is ideal lower towards the littlest roles, particularly Robin Wright as Blomkvist's gorgeous editor/lover Stellan Skarsgard as Harriet's genial brother, Martin and, regardless of the excision of great importance and of her material in the novel, Geraldine James as Henrik's inquisitive grandniece, Cecilia. The slight variability from the ensemble's Swedish accents (Craig maintains his British enunciation) is really a minor although not annoying flaw. Using the outstanding aid of d.p. Shaun Cronenweth and production designer Jesse Graham Burt, Fincher has made a grey, strongly creepy world consistent with Larsson's cynical vision spanning glassy modern offices and moneyed estates in addition to squalid houses and rustic bungalows, it is a place where evil hides in plain sight, or even a well-hired apartment or perhaps an island getaway can change to be considered a sicko's torture chamber. Sometimes transporting echoes of the focus on "Social Networking," Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score blends dread with driving momentum, creating a highly unsettling mood with recurring dissonances, eerie windchimes and pulsing reverb effects.Camera (Luxurious color, widescreen), Shaun Cronenweth editors, Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall music, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross production designer, Jesse Graham Burt supervisory art director, Mikael Varhelyi art company directors, Frida Arvidsson, Kajsa Severin, Pernilla Olsson set decorator, Linda Janson costume designer, Trish Summerville seem (Dolby Digital/SDDS/Datasat), Bo Persson re-recording mixers, David Parker, Michael Semanick, Klyce seem designer, Ren Klyce visual effects supervisor, Eric Barba visual effects, Digital Domain additional visual effects, the 3rd & the Seventh, Proebius, Savage Visual Effects, Method Galleries, Ollin VFX, A52, Eden Forex, Colorworks stunt planners, Kimmo Rajala, Ben Cooke line producer, Malte Forssell assistant director, Bob Wagner casting, Laray Mayfield. Examined at The new sony Galleries, Culver City, 12 ,. 2, 2011. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 158 MIN. Contact Justin Chang at justin.chang@variety.com

Brinkley Vows To Rapidly Repay $531k Back Taxes

First Launched: December 5, 2011 7:49 PM EST Credit: Getty Images NY, N.Y. -- Caption Christie Brinkley attends the premiere in the Ides of March within the Ziegfeld Theater in NY City on October 5, 2011 Christie Brinkley vows spend immediately repay the $531,000 she owes with the spine taxes. NYs Daily News recently reported the government has filed a tax lien in the supermodel. Brinkley states in the statement the lien was due to an error and promises it'll be paid out entirely by Wednesday. Brinkley states she regrets not needing to pay more concentrate on her accounting. She states shes focused on her parents, who coping serious health issues. The 57-year-old Brinkley was married to Billy Joel and came out within the Uptown Girl video. She made her Broadway debut this year playing Roxie Hart inside the musical Chicago. She states she sights herself lucky to own been employed since she was 17 years old. Copyright 2011 with the Connected Press. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comcast Hints That Harry Potter Goes To Additional Universal Parks

CFO Mike Angelakis states that”The Wizarding Realm Of Harry Potter”was so effective for Universal Orlando’s Islands of chance it grew to become “a totally reset mechanism” for that amusement park.But he stopped lacking verifying reviews that the organization intends to bring Potter to Universal Galleries Hollywood, even while he gave experts attending the UBS Annual Global Media and Communications Conference every reason to think they’re accurate.Indeed, he appeared going to avoid making news, adhering insteadto Comcast’sfamiliar speaking points: He acknowledged that you will find “challenges” atNBC but saysit’s also”an opportunty for all of us” adding that Comcast is “investing where we are able to have an amount of success.” Hevowed to become”disciplined” in putting in a bid for sports programming, callingthe Comcast’s agreement in June to pay for $4.4B for U.S. broadcast privileges towards the Olympic games from 2014 to 2020 “a wise deal for all of us.” The organization also spoken up its new pactto sell wireless spectrum to Verizon Wireless Carrier, using the companies mix-selling one another’s items. “We don’t need to develop a wireless network,” Comcast Cable Boss Neil Smit states. “We’re thrilled.” He noted that Comcast will have the ability to sell Verizon Wireless Carrier phone services even just in marketplaces in which the cable company competes with Verizon’s FiOS video and broadband offering.

Natalie Wood Investigation: What the People Involved Are Saying

NY - After a long search, Time Warner has chosen Laura Lang, who has been CEO of digital advertising powerhouse Digitas, as the new CEO of its Time Inc. magazine unit, the entertainment conglomerate said on Wednesday. Lang, who has led Publicis-owned Digitas since 2008 after joining the firm in 1999, is expected to continue an aggressive digital push by the unit, which is the largest U.S. magazine publisher. Her hire comes after Time Warner CEO Jeffrey Bewkes early this year fired Jack Griffin who had caused a culture clash as leader of the magazine division, according to company sources. "Although Jack is an extremely accomplished executive, I concluded that his leadership style and approach did not mesh with Time Inc. and Time Warner," Bewkes said back then in a memo that was unusually candid for the media industry. Lang will assume leadership of Time Inc. from an interim management committee composed of Howard Averill, Maurice Edelson and John Huey, which guided the company over the last 10 months. Her bio on Digitas' Web site highlights that she has driven international growth and helped the company attract new clients. "Laura's leadership experience, brand management expertise, understanding of digital and marketing and strong relationships with the creative and advertising communities are a great fit for Time Inc.," said Bewkes. "She is the right person to lead the company as it aggressively evolves its businesses during a time of great change and opportunity in publishing." Said Lang: "I am thrilled to be joining the best journalists and publishing executives in the world at Time Inc. during such an exciting time for media and publishing. Time Inc's premier brands and stellar reputation, along with Time Warner's commitment to lead the digital transformation of all its businesses, will lead to great opportunities to deepen our connections with consumers." Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Topics Time Warner Jeff Bewkes

Box Office Report: 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn' Hits $500 Mil Worldwide in 12 Days

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures has come out swinging against a fraud lawsuit filed Tuesday by a financing entity that backed a string of high-profile movies but sued claiming the studio underreported millions of dollars in revenue in fraudulent accounting statements. Melrose 2, the NY-based entity that agreed in 2006 to back a slate of Paramount films in exchange for about a 25 percent share of revenue, argues in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that the studio has engaged in a practice of "under-reporting the revenue and overreporting the costs" attributable to 29 films co-financed by Melrose, including such hists as Mission Impossible 3, Blades of Glory and the Transformers series. "In contrast, five years after [the co-financing agreement] was signed, Melrose 2 has still not seen a dollar of profit from its $375 million investment" despite the films bringing in $7 billion in revenue, states the complaint, filed in Los Angeels Superior Court. But Paramount responds in a statement released Tuesday afternoon that the studio has played fair with its financial partner: "Paramount has complied with its obligations to Melrose 2 and has been forthcoming in the audit process. We are disappointed that these sophisticated investors would choose to file a lawsuit filled with hyperbole that ignores the true facts rather than seeing that process through to completion. The Melrose 2 investors have already received almost 90% of their investment back under the financing agreement, and a number of the films in which they participate (such as the successful Transformers 3) remain in the earliest stages of their earning potential. "While we intend to vigorously defend this lawsuit, the differences between the parties' positions are relatively modest in amount and we are confident they can be resolved in the ordinary course." The lawsuit claims potentially millions of dollars in damages and argues that Paramount has repeatedly tried to hinder the audit process on specific films, as well as charge improper expenses against its profit participation obligations. There was a ton of press coverage of the Melrose deal and other mega-budget "slate" financing arrangements back in 2006 and 2007. Wall Street money was flowing freely into Hollywood, and studios were happy to take the cash in exchange for back-end participations down the road. Then, when the economy crashed and hedge funds and other financing entities shied away from movie investments, speculation arose about whether investors would make back their money on the Hollywood deals. Melrose investors believe they've been cheated. Paramount says it has complied with the deal. It will be interesting to see how this case turns out. The suit alleges causes of action for breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, fraud, unfair competition and declaratory relief. Read the full complaint here. Email: Matthew.Belloni@thr.com Twitter: @THRMattBelloni Paramount Pictures

((Hagane no renkinjutsushi: Mirosu no seinaru hoshi))

A Shochiku relieve a Bones production. (Worldwide sales: Bones, Tokyo, japan, japan.) Produced by Masahiko Minami, Hiro Marayuma, Ryo Oyama, Noboyuki Kurashige, Fumi Teranishi, Arimasa Okada, Shin Furukawa. Directed by Kazuya Murata. Script, Yuichi Shinbo, based on figures created by Hiromu Arakawa inside the manga "Hagane no renkinjutsushi."Voices: Rie Kugimiya, Romi Park, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Fumiko Orikasa, Kenji Utsumi, Maaya Sakamoto, Megumi Takamoto, Sakiko Tamagawa, Shinichiro Miki. (Japanese dialogue)The second feature spinoff within the Japanime tube franchise, "Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos" is primed to thrill aficionados but furthermore draw beginners to the fold. Offering further adventures for just two brothers and sisters inside an alternate world where alchemy can be a highly sophisticated scientific application, pic upholds the series' trademark usage of pacey action and well-defined figures fighting against oppression and searching methods to spiritual questions. "Milos" designed a hearty $7.5 million in your area on 90 prints within this summer time and may attract solid fanboy biz on its early 2012 limited U.S. release. An worldwide ancillary bonanza is guaranteed. Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos Since turning up in 2001, the manga created by artist Hiromu Arakawa has offered 50 million copies in Japan and provided source material for animated TV series in 2003 and 2009, along with the feature presentation "Fullmetal Alchemist the film: Conqueror of Shamballa" (2005). The main protagonists of individuals popular tales are Alphonse Elric (voiced by Rie Kugimiya) and also the brother, Edward (Romi Park), youthful alchemists whose ongoing mission is going to be reunited utilizing their dead mother and reclaim regions of their physiques and souls they have lost for "smashing the taboo against human transmutation." Auds not inside the "Fullmetal" loop will question precisely what meaning at first, but everything soon becomes apparent once the siblings' latest mission can get on-going. Spiky-haired, quick-witted and trying out the career of "Condition Alchemist," Alphonse is distributed with Edward (who's available only just like a voice within the hulking suit of armor) utilizing their homeland Amestris to Table City, a buffer condition of high coves and deep valleys wedged between Amestris and rival energy Creta. Orders arrive from Cmdr. Col. Mustang (Shinichiro Miki, co-helmer of cult item "Funky Forest: The Initial Contact") to locate prison escapee Melvin Voyager (Toshiyuki Morikawa). A hazardously effective alchemist, Voyager is selecting the "Star of Fresh Blood stream," a sacred stone that opens "the doorway of truth." The lynchpin in Voyager's plan's Julia Crichton (Maaya Sakamoto), a 16-year-old orphan attracted in with the Milosians, a downtrodden people dwelling in caves below Table City whose future comes from the stone. People are merely the basic principles from the highly imaginative tale that can bring Edward and Alphonse into reference to shapeshifting wolf-chimera beasties as well as the Black Bats, a flying squad of human mma fighters bent on taking control of Table City. Although philosophical discussions around the valued object are every so often labored, scripter Yuichi Shinbo's elaborate plot remains coherent even during the time of furious fights and multiple identity switcheroos among combatants. Directed by experienced TV animator and "Fullmetal Alchemist" first-timer Kazuya Murata, and produced with the Bones animation studio which has shipped the entire "Fullmetal Alchemist" catalog, pic has subtly sharper lines and less fluid movement in comparison to TV episodes. Slight alternation in visual strategy suits the punchy tempos of Shinbo's narrative. All technical aspects are professional.Camera (color, HD), Yoshiyuki Takei editor, Kumiko Sakamoto music, Taro Iwashiro art company company directors, Kazuo Ogura, Tomoaki Okada appear (Dolby Digital), Masafumi Mima character designer, Kenichi Konishi chief animation director, Konishi mechanical designer, Shinji Aramaki visual effects, Team Taniguchi. Examined on DVD, Hawaii, March. 19, 2011. (In Hawaii Film Festival -- Anime Films.) Running time: 110 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Warner Bros Teams With Amazons LOVEFiLM For UK Digital Distribution

LONDON and BURBANK, Calif. 17th November 2011: Warner Bros. has signed a major film distribution agreement with LOVEFiLM it was announced today by Josh Berger, President & Managing Director, Warner Bros. UK, Ireland & Spain and Simon Calver, Chief Executive, LOVEFiLM. The multi-year, multi-layered pact offers consumers wider choice and more access to Warner Bros. content across a range of options. The deal spans LOVEFiLMs digital subscription, download to own and pay per view services, as well as Warner Bros. branded SVOD service WarnerFilms. An exclusive second window subscription pay TV deal will see Warner Bros.’ recent and forthcoming film releases added to LOVEFiLMs Watch Online service through the LOVEFiLM Player, either on the PC or accessible via Sony PlayStation3, Apple iPad, a growing number of web-enabled TV sets and Blu-ray players, and later this year Microsoft Xbox 360. Movies available at the start of the deal in December will include The Dark Knight, The Hangover, Gran Torino and Sex and the City 2. And, in the coming months and years, LOVEFiLM customers, who subscribe to streaming as part of their package, will be able to instantly watch a regular flow of Warner Bros. latest movies. Underscoring both companies commitment to giving customers a broad-ranging set of options to watch Warner Bros. content, the deal continues to make the studios film releases available for purchase or rent digitally; via LOVEFiLMs market-leading DVD and Blu-ray subscription rental service, through which DVDs and Blu-rays will be available by post 60 days after release, from 2012; and via Warner Bros. branded SVOD channel, WarnerFilms. Scheduled by Warner Bros. and offering a great selection of recent and classic movies from Warner Bros. portfolio of titles, WarnerFilms provides 24 hours a day on-demand access to 28 movies at any one time with seven new titles added every week. Commenting on the agreement, Josh Berger, President and Managing Director, Warner Bros. UK, Ireland and Spain said, This significant deal with LOVEFiLM and its parent company Amazon takes a 360 degree approach to delivering Warner Bros.’ world class movies across multiple business lines. Now, LOVEFiLM customers will enjoy more ways of enjoying great film content, all with the ease that the service has become known for. Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution added: The establishment of a second pay window with LOVEFiLM is an important evolution in the way films are made available for viewing in the UK in ever-more convenient ways. Importantly, the structure of the deal ensures that our films continue to retain their value to linear and non linear operators following this window and for the long term. Simon Calver, CEO of LOVEFiLM, added: Simon Calver, CEO of LOVEFiLM, added: This major deal builds on our partnership with Warner Bros. and gives LOVEFiLM members exclusive access to world-class movies across multiple platforms. We are committed to delivering the best entertainment service possible giving our members the content they want on the platforms of their choice.

New Trailer For Aardman's Pirates!

Hilarity on the high seasDepending on whether you live in the UK or US, Aardman's salty new sea comedy The Pirates! Is either subtitled In An Adventure With Scientists (Blighty) or Band Of Misfits (America-land). But either way, all signs point to it being the comedy equivalent of a treasure chest loaded with shiny booty. We brought you an exclusive look at the UK promo last month, and now the new US trailer has arrived for your watching pleasure.The Pirates! finds the Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) itching to win the Pirate Of The Year award. Trouble is, he's constantly being thwarted by his competitors, including Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and the sexy Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek). And his crew isn't exactly the cream of the crop.But, undaunted by the challenges, our hero promises he'll become the best buccaneer even if it means dealing with sea monsters, scientists (including David Tennant's Charles Darwin) and the fearsome Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton), who thinks all who plunder the seven seas are a pack of douchecopters.Frankly, the only thing we don't like about the film is waiting until March 28 to see it.

Lady Gaga Splits From Longtime Creative Director Laurieann Gibson, Rep Confirms

Lady Gaga and her longtime creative director Laurieann Gibson are no longer working together, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.our editor recommendsLady Gaga Wins Injunction Against Lady Goo Goo CartoonABC Announces Lady Gaga Thanksgiving SpecialLady Gaga to Return for 'X Factor' U.K. PerformanceLaurieann Gibson: 'We've Created a New Jerusalem' With Lady Gaga's 'Judas' Video Popular hip-hop gossip site MediaTakeOut was first to report that the two had a "bitter fight." It postulates that Gibson's ego has gotten the best of the choreographer-turned-reality star and points to several comments made in the press recently, one in which Gibson credits Madonna for inspiring Gaga's ever-evolving style -- a comparison Gaga has tried to distance herself from. PHOTOS: Lady Gaga's MTV Evolution The two had been working together since Gaga was first signed to Interscope Records. In April, Gibson described their earliest experiences together to THR. "I met one brilliant artist that the world had no idea existed," she said. "The hypocrisies of the industry were forcing her to act one way. She tells people that I fought for her, and I fought to protect her gift because it's rare. She's a fearless, transparent entertainer... we're colorful, we're dramatic, we were born this way." But as time went on, and Gibson pursued her own projects, like the Ryan Seacrest-produced E! series The Dance Scene, friction began to trickle into their working relationship. A hint of it came during the filming of Gaga's "Judas" video, whose strong religious overtones made Gibson somewhat uneasy. She described the conceptual debate as such: "At one point, there was two completely different views and after the third glass of wine, I was like, 'Listen, I don't want lightning to strike me. I believe in the Gospel and I'm not going there.'" Gibson added that she would have walked away from filming without a conceptual compromise. PHOTOS: Lady Gaga's Fashion Forward Style A scrapped treatment for the "Edge of Glory" video also apparently involved Gibson, who brought up "an issue" with director Joseph Kahn's vision for the clip, which was scrapped in favor of a low-rent city fire escape visual. Gibson went on a Twitter tirade after fans questioned the production value of the video and what went down. Gibson tweeted to two such critics: "listen u disrespectful f**k they had an issue on set I don't lie!!!!!" and "creative Changes happen always educate ignorant Monster's!!!" According to a source, relations between Gibson and Gaga really began to unravel this summer around the filming of yet another video, "Yoü and I."More recently, THR reported of a red carpet scuffle in September involving Gibsonat the Creative Arts Emmys, where she was nominated for directing Gaga's Monster Ball concert movie for HBO. Apparently, Gibson was taking her sweet time posing for photographers, so much so that she created gridlock and angered ID PR chief Kelly Bush, who was waiting with her client Paul Reubens. STORY:Lady Gaga Dominates at MTV Europe Music Awards, Picking Up Four Awards Richard Jackson, who was Gibson's No. 2, is now choreographing all of Gaga's performances, the pop star tweeted on Nov. 6. The two are currently in London, where Gaga just performed on U.K. X Factor. A rep for Gaga confirmed to THR that the two are no longer working together but declined to comment further. Gibson could not be reached for comment. Related Topics Lady Gaga

Nic Cages Stolen Superman Comic Poised to Break Auction Record

Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images Nicolas Cage's nearly-pristine copy of Action Comics no. 1 featuring the first appearance of Superman-stolen from his home in 2000 and just recovered in April in a storage locker-is poised to become the most expensive comic ever sold on the open market during an online auction now being conducted by comicconnect.com.our editor recommendsNicolas Cage's Biggest TroublesNicolas Cage Loses $9.5 Million on Rhode Island Mansion The auction started today and ends on Nov. 30th. After just a few hours bidding has already reached $900,000. The current record is $1.5 million for a less well-preserved copy of Action Comics no. 1 sold in March 2010. PHOTOS: Biggest Hollywood Splurges Few comics have as interesting or complicated a back story as Cage's copy of Action Comics no. 1. Certified Guaranty Company, the leading grader of the quality of collectible comics, recently assigned this copy a grade of 9.0, making it the best-preserved publicly-known copy of Superman's first appearance. Approximately 100 copies of Action Comics no. 1 remain in existence. Experts believe only about five others, all in private hands, are of comparable quality to this copy. Sotheby's sold this comic at auction in 1992 for a then-record $82,500. Cage bought it in 1997 for about $150,000. On January 21, 2000, Cage reported the comic stolen to the Los Angeles Police, along with high-grade copies of Batman's first appearance in Detective Comics no. 27 and Marvel Mystery no. 71. According to an accountComicconnect CEO StephenFishler posted on a collector's website, Cage had the books displayed in security frames mounted to the wall. The exact moment of the theft is unknown but the comics had possibly been missing for a week when Cage discovered the frames were empty. The Marvel Mystery resurfaced a few months later but the other two comics remained lost. In April 2011, Cage's copy of Action Comics no. 1 was recovered in a San Fernando Valley storage locker. The man who found the comic had bought the contents of an abandoned locker. Cage's publicist released a statement from the actor at the time calling the recovery of the comic "divine providence" and expressing hope "that the heirloom will be returned to my family." Cage had received an insurance payment for the comic but at the time expressed interest in reaching a settlement to regain ownership of the book. Fishler would not confirm this is the Action Comics stolen from Cage but theprovenanceof the comic--from its sale in the early 1990s to its theft in 2000-matches the history of the Cage comic. Comicconnect is selling it for the current owner, which is still believed to be Cage.Representatives for Cage have not yet responded to a request from The Hollywood Reporterfor comment.See a copy of the fabled Cage Action Comics no. 1 below. Nicolas Cage

THR's Actress Roundtable: Six A-Listers Sound Off on Bad Reviews, Nudity and Playing Hitler

The Hollywood Reporter kicks off its annual Oscar roundtable series with a first: Two actresses from the same film -- The Help's Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer -- were among the six A-listers who sat down for a wide-ranging discussion that touched on topics ranging from bad reviews to nudity.our editor recommendsMichelle Williams Brings a 'Heat Wave' to 'My Week With Marilyn' (Video)Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan Seduce in 'Shame' International Trailer (Video)Glenn Close Scores Best Actress Prize at Tokyo Film Festival for 'Albert Nobbs''Albert Nobbs' Trailer: Glenn Close Dons Drag to Play 19th-Century English Butler (Video)Charlize Theron Starrer 'Young Adult' Opens in Limited Release Dec. 9'The Help's' Viola Davis Drew Inspiration from Her Mother for Role (Video)Emma Stone in 'The Help' Trailer Joining the duo -- who play maids who participate in a tell-all book that shakes up life in 1960s Jackson, Miss. -- were four other awards contenders:GlennClose, who's turning heads for her gender-bending title role inAlbert Nobbs;Michelle Williams, who gave her spin on a screen legend inMy Week With Marilyn;Carey Mulligan, who brought to life a lounge singer with suicidal tendencies inShame; andCharlize Theron, who conquers an evil character again inYoung Adult. VIDEO: Behind the Scenes of THR's 2011 Awards Season Actresses' Cover Shoot The six actresses gathered Oct. 24 at Smashbox Studios in West Hollywood -- alongwithTHRnews directorMatthew Belloniand executive editor, features,Stephen Galloway --to discuss their biggest regrets, the mean things people say to them ("You look much better in real life" is one, saysClose) and watching their own performances. And in Theron's case, she even tells Close that she learned about "the birds and the bees" from watching Fatal Attraction as a child. Here are some excerpts from the discussion; read more here and in the Nov. 18 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. PHOTOS: The Hollywood Reporter Cover Stories TO WATCH ONESELF OR NOT TO WATCH, THAT IS THE QUESTION The Hollywood Reporter:Have you done roles that you were disappointed by afterward? Octavia Spencer:I never watch my work, so I can't say that I'm disappointed. THR: You haven't seenThe Help? Spencer:I sort of had to. [Davis and I] saw it together. THR: Did you like it? Spencer:I did likeThe Help. I was really scared that I would just hate everything. When you watch yourself, it really does take you out of the purity of that world that you create. I'm thinking? "Really? Does my stomach look like a smiley face? Really? You went with that take? Ugh, there was one that was better." Michelle Williams:I haven't seen everything I've done. PHOTOS: Michelle Williams: Fashion Through the Years Glenn Close:Fatal Attractionseems to be on all the time. Charlize Theron:You know, that's how I learned about the birds and the bees. Close:What? Theron:I grew up in a farm community town [in South Africa], and we didn't have movie theaters. My mom loved movies, and every Friday she would drive us out to a drive-in 45 minutes away from our farm. But we didn't know what would play. When the cars started lining up, you would see what was playing and you would see the rating, and my mom would hide me under a blanket if the rating was R. So I was about 8 or 9, and it wasFatal Attraction, and my mom was sitting in the car, and I could feel the panic. And this conversation started, and it ended up being my sex conversation. It screwed me up, so I can't have a healthy relationship. (Laughs.) Close:Oh, that's great. Will Glenn Close's Big Screen Transformation In 'Albert Nobbs' Equal Oscar? Related Topics Carey Mulligan Charlize Theron Glenn Close Michelle Williams Viola Davis Drive The Help Albert Nobbs Young Adult Octavia Spencer Shame Cover Shoot 1 2 3 4 5 next last

'Damages' Enlists Jesse McTeer (Exclusive)

Slaven Vlasic/Getty ImagesJanet McTeer Damages' Patty Hewes has another rival. To the Storm Emmy nominee Jesse McTeer remains cast just like a regular round the fifth and final season of Damages, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. McTeer may have Kate Franklin, a classic friend of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) who aims to battle her old boss by utilized by rival Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne). McTeer might be the most recent addition for the final season in the DirecTV drama. Spartacus' John Hannah remains attracted onto recur and Ryan Phillippe has reserved a season-extended arc round the former Foreign exchange series. McTeer acquired an Emmy nomination for supporting actress in the small this past year for Cinemax's To the Storm plus an Academy Award nom for actress in the leading role for 2000's Tumbleweeds. She appears in Close's approaching feature Albert Nobbs, due in December. Damages returns due to its final season inside the summer season on DirecTV. Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com Twitter: @Snoodit DirecTV Jesse McTeer Damages

Benicio Del Toro Wanted for 'Star Trek' Sequel

Apparently J.J. Abrams didn't take what Universal chief Ron Meyer said about Benicio Del Toro's 'Wolfman' performance to heart. ("Benicio stunk," said Meyer.) Variety reports that Abrams wants Del Toro to play the villain in the sequel to 'Star Trek,' and that an offer could go out sometime over the next few days. What villain Del Toro would play remains a mystery, but -- as Kyle Buchanan posits at Vulture -- perhaps he could be Khan? After all, the sequel to 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture,' was 'Wrath of Khan,' so that's something! Or maybe not. Speculate as wildly as you'd like in the comments below. [via Variety] [Photo: FilmMagic] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Canon Uncovers New Camera System for Film, TV Production

Canon puts its stake within the Hollywood ground Thursday, starting a light-weight, professional digital cinematography camera targeted at feature and TV production included in a brand new "Cinema Eos 550d" brand professional camera system.our editor recommendsCanon, Red-colored, Enthusiastic Prepare Anticipated Bulletins for ThursdayBryce Dallas Howard, Ron Howard Team for Canon Video Clip Fujio Mitarai, chairman and Boss of Canon, revealed your camera to 100s of visitors within the Vital Theater, where he outlined its compact and light-weight design, image quality and affordable cost in comparison with lots of other digital cinematography cameras. The brand new Canon camera technology can place for roughly $20,000. PHOTOS: Apple Items in TV and films Martin Scorsese was available for that launch. "I do believe these new tools that Canon has produced permit a significantly closer, more relationship between your filmmakers and also the world they're filming thean every before," he stated, embracing Canon executives and adding, "Thanks for visiting Hollywood." Richard Crudo -- a past leader from the American Society of Cinematographers -- directed and lensed an element entitled Max Has Returned, while using new camera. He was among several filmmakers who examined the gear and whose projects were tested throughout canon's event. Stated Crudo: "The finish product was very filmic and almost easy to attain with tremendous consistency." STORY:Canon, Red-colored, Enthusiastic Prepare Anticipated Bulletins for Thursday Your camera is going to be obtainable in two models. The Eos 550d C300, to be used with Canon's current and new EF lens selection, which is obtainable in The month of january, and also the Eos 550d C300 PL for that PL lens mount, that is slated for availability in March. The cameras possess a recently developed Super 35 mm CMOS sensor, which reads Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) video signals. It benefits as much as 60 fps at 720p resolution and 30 fps at 1080p. "This will be our first serious camera with contacts to aid it," Canon senior vice president Eliott Peck told The Hollywood Reporter. "It's our resolve for this industry you will see more items coming." 4K is around the development roadmap. Underscoring its push toward film and tv, recently Canon opened up canon's Hollywood Professional Technology and Support Focus on the Sunset Gower Studio lot. With Thursday's event -- which attracted 100s from all over the world -- Canon might have produced among Hollywood's most anticipated product bulletins of the season. The excitement began in mid-September, when the organization sent a save the date notice, announcing plans for any "historic global announcement. A Canon representative related that to help keep this news under systems, only employees which were directly active in the product were aware of the data, and all sorts of active in the shoots signed nondisclosure contracts. Actually, a Canon professional told The Hollywood Reporter that roughly 800 NDS were signed, including cast and deck hands. Related Subjects Martin Scorsese

'Silver Linings' for John Ortiz

"Fast and Furious" star John Oritz has grew to become an associate from the cast of David O. Russell's "The Silver Textures Playbook," the Weinstein Co. will distribute. Bradley Cooper stars just like a former secondary school teacher who's institutionalized for depression after which it released into the proper proper care of his mother, carried out by Jacki Weaver of "Animal Kingdom" fame. He tries to restore his ex-wife but becomes connected by having an eccentric neighbor with problems of her own. Jennifer Lawrence is positioned to see the neighbor, while Robert P Niro may have Cooper's father. Chris Tucker and Julia Stiles co-star as Cooper's spirited friend and Lawrence's older sister, correspondingly. Ortiz may have Cooper's childhood nearest friend, who still lives near his parents' home. Harvey Weinstein is creating Russell's adaptation of Matthew Quick's novel. Ortiz, who's coming off an Indie Spirit Award nomination for his perf in Philip Seymour Hoffman's "Jack Goes Boating," will rapidly be seen alongside Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte in Michael Mann and David Milch's approaching Cinemax series "Luck." Thesp formerly came out in Mann's "Public Competitors" and "Miami Vice." Ortiz is repped by Gersh, Sanders Remedy Caserta Management and attorney Ira Schreck. Contact Rob Sneider at rob.sneider@variety.com

Moviefone Mash: The Ultimate 'To Be or Not to Be' Speech

The Shakespearian drama 'Anonymous' comes out this weekend so Moviefone decided to put together a tribute mash-up to the most famous (and overused) quotation in literature. Hint: it has appeared in comedies, dramas and horror movies, been delivered in various languages and has even been riffed on by MST3K. Hamlet will always be a coveted role for actor's, and the range of stars who have played him is quite diverse, from Lawrence Olivier's pitch-perfect drama to Adam Sandler's over-the-top shenanigans. So, watch as the great actors of our time (and some not-so-great) contemplate suicide by asking themselves the eternal question... To be or not to be? #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-661449{display:none;}.cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-661449, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-661449{width:530px;height:357px;display:block;} Buy or Rent the Movies Used in this Mash 'Laurence Olivier's Hamlet' (1948) (Buy | Rent), 'William Shakespeare's Hamlet' (1996) (Buy | Rent), 'Hamlet' (1990) (Buy | Rent), 'Hamlet, Prince of Denmark' (1980) (Buy | Rent), 'Hamlet' (1990) (Buy | Rent), 'Hamlet' (2000) (Buy | Rent), 'Hamlet' (2009) (Buy | Rent), 'Hamlet' (1964) (Buy | Rent), 'The Magic Christian' (Buy | Rent), 'Mystery Science Theater 3000: Hamlet' (Buy | Rent), 'Billy Madison' (Buy | Rent), 'To Be Or Not To Be' (1983) (Buy | Rent), 'Theater of Blood' (Buy | Rent), 'Harriet the Spy' (Buy | Rent) Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook Images from 'Anonymous' (2011) See All Moviefone Galleries »

Microsoft's Entertainment an online-based Segments Outshine

Microsoft on Thursday reported that revenue rose 7 percent within the fiscal first quarter to $17.4 billion, while internet gain elevated six percent to $5.7 billion. Revenue within the software company's entertainment and items division elevated 9 % to $2 billion, but operating earnings there fell 9 % to $352 million. Microsoft'sonline services division experienced 19 percent revenue growth to $625 million, even though unit lost $494 million in contrast getting deficiencies in $558 million this past year. Microsoft mentioned that Bing's share in the U.S. Make an online search market elevated 350 basis indicates 14.7 percent. Xbox 360 360, the business mentioned Thursday, was the most effective-selling gaming console inside the U.S. for just about any ninth consecutive month. Microsoft launched the Gears of War 3 gaming through the quarter, and three million copies offered inside the first month. The business recently introduced expects to unveil with the finish of year its next-generation of TV entertainment on Xbox 360 360 Live, including three dozen content partners. Another highlight through the quarter was the final outcome of Microsoft's purchase of Skype. Related Subjects Microsoft Xbox 360 360

The Man on the Train

A Tribeca Film (in U.S.) release, in partnership with American Express, of a Jon Goodman Entertainment presentation, in association with 120DB Film, Maple Pictures and Infinity Intl., of a Pembridge Pictures production, in association with Prospero Pictures. Produced by Martin Katz, Larry Mullen Jr., Mary McGuckian. Executive producers, Jon Goodman, Peter Graham, Stephen Hays, Francois Ivernel, Laurie May, James Smith. Co-producers, James Morris, Karen Wookey. Directed, written by Mary McGuckian, based on the film "L'homme du train" written by Patrice Leconte, Claude Klotz.With: Donald Sutherland, Larry Mullen Jr., Graham Greene, Tony Nardi, Kate O'Toole, Carlo Rota.Faithfully following the same track as the acclaimed 2002 French drama that inspired it, "The Man on the Train" is a leisurely paced but consistently engrossing tale of two men who come to see in each other the end of a road not taken. With Donald Sutherland offering one of his finest performances and U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. demonstrating his proficiency in a character-actor gig, this Canadian-produced version of Patrice Leconte's arthouse hit could attract sophisticated viewers when it pulls into VOD and homevid stations Oct. 28. Capably directed by Irish helmer Mary McGuckian ("This Is the Sea"), whose screenplay is aptly billed as a "translation" in the opening credits, "Man on the Train" pivots on a chance encounter between two disparate characters who are no less memorable for never being identified by name. The traveler of the title (Mullen) arrives late one afternoon in a small town, obviously with something illegal on his agenda. Just as obviously, he has a throbbing headache, which necessitates a trip to the local pharmacy. That's where he meets a retired literature professor (Sutherland) who just happens to be getting a refill for his migraine medicine. Immediately intrigued by the newcomer, the professor offers the stranger a few pills and, since the only hotel in town is shuttered for the season, a place to stay. Warily, the stranger accepts the offer of hospitality but is slow to respond to his host's conversational gambits. That's OK: The professor is perfectly willing to do enough talking for both of them. Gradually, however, each man becomes fascinated by, and maybe a tad envious of, how the other lives. The professor, long resigned to a life of safe routines and avoided risks, bemoans his "uncanny ability to miss out on all the highlights of my life," and wishes he could come across as mysterious, if not downright dangerous, as his younger, less loquacious guest. Meanwhile, the stranger wanders about the cluttered rooms of the professor's spacious home, slips into a pair of his host's comfy slippers and finds himself amazed by his sudden contentment. There are supporting players here and there in the margins of "Man on the Train," but not even third-billed Graham Greene -- whose role as an eccentric getaway driver is little more than a walk-on -- has much to do. Indeed, only Kate O'Toole, effortlessly conveying mature sensuality as the professor's longtime paramour, manages to briefly dispel the overall impression that the pic is basically a sturdily constructed two-hander. As the aged professor, a role played in Leconte's original by Jean Rochefort, Sutherland deftly balances melancholy and self-mockery, along with a few welcome flashes of twinkly eyed bemusement. In many scenes, the veteran actor is so clearly relishing his role that his pleasure is highly contagious. Mullen provides the perfect counterpoint, playing the taciturn stranger as a hardboiled cynic who only gradually admits to his own sort of wistful longing, and seems pleasantly surprised by his willingness to be a sympathetic, even empathetic listener. In a nice touch, the stranger (played by another actor-musician, Johnny Hallyday, in Leconte's version) recalls being moved by the words of Charles Bukowksi, even though he doesn't know who the poet is or what poem the words are from. The professor, it should be noted, seems more partial to e.e. cummings. With the invaluable assistance of lenser Stefan Von Bjorn and production designer Jennifer Carroll, McGuckian makes shrewd use of the pic's central location -- the house, cluttered with books and bric-a-brac, which the professor shared with his now-deceased mother -- to subtly reveal different aspects of her two lead characters. For one, the place is a museum for a life that hasn't been lived so much as decorously maintained; for the other, it is a warm and inviting refuge that, alas, can't truly be savored.Camera (color), Stefan Von Bjorn; editor, Matthew Booth; music, Larry Mullen Jr., Simon Clime; production designer, Jennifer Carroll; costume designer, Melissa Stewart; sound, Bryan Day; assistant director, Tony Thatcher; casting, Sharon Howard-Field. Reviewed at West Oaks Alamo Drafthouse, Houston, Oct. 15, 2011. (In Tribeca Film Festival.) Running time: 100 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Universal Backs Off 'Tower Heist' Premium VOD Test

Universal has scrubbed plans to make Brett Ratner's action-comedy Tower Heist available in homes only three weeks after it debuts in theaters on Nov. 4, following threats by theater owners to boycott the film altogether.our editor recommendsBrett Ratner Not Involved in $59.99 VOD 'Tower Heist' TestGiant Theater Chain Cinemark Threatens to Boycott Universal's 'Tower Heist' Universal to Offer 'Tower Heist' on Early VOD for $59.99 But the studio stessed it will continue to pursue premium VOD. "Universal Pictures today announced that in response to a request from theater owners, it has decided to delay its planned premium home video on demand (PVOD) experiment in which Comcast digital subscribers in Portland and Atlanta would have had the opportunity to rent Tower Heist on demand just three weeks after its theatrical release on November 4, 2011. "Universal continues to believe that the theater experience and a PVOD window are business models that can coincide and thrive and we look forward to working with our partners in exhibition to find a way to experiment in this area in the future," the studio said in a statement." The announcement sparked an immediate response from National Association of Theater Owners president CEO John Fithian. "NATO would like to thank Universal for responding to various theater owners' concerns and cancelling the PVOD test it was contemplating. They have been engaged with individual exhibitors on this test, and while it was something that many theater owners could not ultimately support, the open and collaborative nature of the dialogue is appreciated. NATO recognizes that studios need to find new models and opportunities in the home market, and looks forward to distributors and exhibitors working together for their mutual benefit," Fithian said. Related Topics

Douglas Trumbull To Receive VES Honor

Los Angeles, October 11, 2011 – Visionary filmmaker, innovator and entrepreneur Douglas Trumbull, has been selected by the Visual Effects Society Board of Directors as the recipient of the 2012 Georges Mlis Award. The award will be presented at the 10th Annual VES Awards, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on February 7, 2012. The Mlis Award honors individuals who have pioneered a significant and lasting contribution to the art and/or science of the visual effects industry by a way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work. One of four effects supervisors [on] 2001: A Space Odyssey, he subsequently influenced moviegoers with stunning visual effects in films such as The Andromeda Strain, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Blade Runner. Previous recipients of the George Mlis Award were Robert Abel, John Lasseter, Phil Tippett and Ed Catmull.

Summit nabs rights to 'Headhunters'

Summit Entertainment has acquired feature rights to produce the English language adaptation of crime novel "Headhunters" by Norwegian author Jo Nesbo.Summit announced Monday that the Project's been set with Marianne Gray, Ole Sondberg, and Berna Levin, who will produce through their Yellow Bird production banner.The novel, recently published in the United States by Doubleday, centers on a corporate headhunter who steals valuable artwork from the homes of his applicants. After his latest heist goes awry, he finds himself in over his head and caught up in a murderous scheme.Nesb has won the Glass Key, the Riverton Prize, and the Booksellers Prize. He's the author of the Harry Hole and Doktor Proctor series of novels."Headhunters" will be overseen by Erik Feig, Summit's President of Production; Michael Schaefer, Summit's Senior VP of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, and Jeyun Choi, Summit's creative executive. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Hollywood youth honored just 'cause

JonesRodriguezPanettiereSteinfeldMoretz CrissMadisonVariety's fifth Energy of Youth event will recognition a slew of youthful artists within the March. 22 celebration on Paramount's backlot.Hayden Panettiere (clockwise from top left), Hailee Steinfeld, Rico Rodriguez, Darren Criss, Bailee Madison, Chloe Moretz and Angus T. Manley are actually selected to obtain Variety's Energy of Youth Philanthropy award for contributions to charitable causes."We're proud Variety's Energy of Youth will once again gather numerous current day most gifted youthful stars to help raise important funds and awareness for many worthy causes," mentioned John Gott, author, Variety. "We're thrilled to recognize our honorees for incredible work and dedication for his or her particular charitable groups.InchPanettiere is acknowledged on her work regarding the Whaleman Foundation, Steinfeld for Share Our Strength, Manley for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Rodriguez for Camping Ronald McDonald permanently Occasions, Moretz for your Film Foundation, Criss for your Trevor Project and Madison for Alex's Lemonade Stand.This Years event, presented with the Hub together with Variety's annual Youth Impact Report, includes live perfs as well as the Energy of Auction on CharityBuzz.com. Site visitors includes children and families influenced through the honorees' enjoying useful benefits charitable groups additionally to notable under-25 thesps and recording artists.Fans can win tickets for the invite-only event utilizing a donation widget at Variety.com/poy. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Moviefone Exclusive: Martin Sheen Won't Take No with an Answer in First Clip From 'The Way'

For Martin Sheen, his latest role will be a family affair in ways than the usual single. The Hollywood icon stars in 'The Way' (out March. 7), a drama of a father (Sheen) who travels overseas to recoup the body of his estranged boy, a trekker who died while walking the El Camino p Santiago between your country and France. Exactly why is 'The Way' special is always that Sheen's onscreen boy is carried out by his real-existence offspring Emilio Estevez, who also written and directed the completely new film. Ahead, watch the initial clip from 'The Way,' which focuses on Sheen's grieving father, as well as the measures he visits understand his greatly departed boy. Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Paul W.S. Anderson talks Resident Evil 5

Director Paul W.S. Anderson starts shooting Resident Evil: Retribution in a week's time so he had plenty to say about the project during an interview with Collider. "We're bringing in the Las Plagas parasite, which I love because it allows the undead to basically run around, ride motorbikes and shoot machine guns, which no one's done before," he said.Anderson also explained how one action sequence would be lifted from the game, albeit with a change of vehicle."There's a great action sequence which we've been inspired by from the fifth game, which is where the characters are driving in a Hummer through the desert and they're being chased by zombies shooting machine guns on motorbikes. We've taken that and we've kind of run with it. We're not gonna use a Hummer this time we're gonna use a Rolls Royce Phantom, cause no one's ever done a car chase with a Rolls Royce Phantom before. And I've discovered why, because it's really, really expensive."He also explained the thinking behind the introduction of new characters from the games into the film."[The new characters] is something that's kind of come out of Milla [Jovovich] and I talking to fans, feeling the characters that people wanted to come in. [We chose] three of those that seem to be the fan-favourites that we'd never touched on: Leon Kennedy, Ada Wong, and Barry Burton," Anderson said."We really went out of our way to get people who looked as much like their characters as possible from the game. This actor Johann Urb, who I'm very excited to be working with, not only is he a really good actor but he looks like Leon Kennedy. I mean you put photographs of them side-by-side, it's almost like he was manufactured by Capcom."Check out the full interview below...

Exhibs hit back at Sony

The National Association of Theater Owners has responded to Sony's decision to stop providing 3D glasses to moviegoers, calling the news "insensitive to our patrons." On Tuesday, word broke that the studio would cease to subsidize the eyewear, which can cost millions per stereoscopic pic. "Sony's actions raise serious concerns for our members who believe that provision of 3D glasses to patrons is well-established as part of the 3D experience," the org said in a statement issued Wednesday. "Since the onset of the digital 3D revolution in 2005 it has been understood that exhibitors would bear the weight of technological and facility modification costs related to 3D, while distribution took on the cost of 3D glasses. Any changes to that understanding must be undertaken through the mutual agreement of both sides of the business." Regal Entertainment CEO Amy Miles pointed to the success of 3D -- but also hinted at possible ramifications that a change in subsidizing 3D glasses could cause saying, "This could result in fewer screens exhibiting 3D films." "Under the current model, 3D has generated more entertainment options for our customers and helped exhibitors and studios generate incremental box office revenue," Miles said in a statement. "To the extent that Sony seeks to change the current model in a manner that shifts costs to exhibitors, we would be forced to evaluate this new economic model and program our screens accordingly." But the glasses aren't the only thing NATO's upset about. The release also cites the Warner Bros., Fox, Sony and Universal "failed" premium VOD experiment as evidence that both sides need to negotiate before making big exhibition decisions. Sony plans to stop subsidizing 3D glasses next May with "Men in Black III" and "The Amazing Spider-Man," bucking the trend that Disney started in 2005 when it provided them outright for "Chicken Little." "We are amenable to alternative models for distributing 3D glasses as long as the economics remain the same for exhibitors and our customers," Miles said. The nation's other largest exhib, AMC Theaters, deferred to the NATO statement. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com

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Sorvino joins 'Class Project' cast

SorvinoMira Sorvino has joined the cast of the true crime tale "The Class Project," which just wrapped production under the direction of Stan Brooks. Abigail Breslin and Georgie Henley ("The Chronicles of Narnia") star as Canadian sisters who have been at the mercy of their alcoholic mother (Sorvino) and her abusive boyfriends for as far back as they can remember. The duo decides to take matters into their own hands and plot to kill her in order to collect the insurance money. Fabrizio Filippo and Adam Till adapted Toronto Star reporter Bob Mitchell's 2008 book "The Class Project: How To Kill a Mother: The True Story of Canada's Infamous Bathtub Girls." Michael Rotenberg ("Extract") produced the indie drama with Damian Ganczewski and Juliette Hagopian. Sorvino, who recently starred in Nancy Savoca's indie drama "Union Square," also just wrapped the sex slave drama "Trade of Innocents," which stars Dermot Mulroney. Sorvino is repped by ICM and Untitled Entertainment. Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

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Hysteria Appears to Have Worked Out OK for Maggie Gyllenhaal

”[Hysteria director Tanya] Wexler said she gave everybody on set a vibrator. But getting them there caused a bit of embarrassment for a security guard at a Heathrow airport luggage checkpoint. ‘The officer said, “You have 20 or 30 small electronic devices in your luggage,” and I said, “Yes, they’re vibrators,” and the guy just said, “Move along,”’ she recalled. [Maggie] Gyllenhaal said she was awash with gift vibrators from friends by the end of filming.” Yowza! So, uh, why isn’t there more post-Toronto buzz? [NYDN]

MGM Names Dene B. Stratton as Its New CFO

Dene B. Stratton has been named chief financial officer at MGM, the company's co-chairmen and CEOs Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum announced today. Stratton, who spent nearly two decades at the Walt Disney Co., most recently served as CFO for the Internet start-up TRC Media Limited. During his tenure at Disney, he rose to the position of CFO, Jetix Europe. He also held such posts as senior vp, planning and control for ABC; senior vp and general manager for DIC Entertainment; senior vp, business development for Walt Disney Television International in Asia Pacific; and vp, finance, European controller, Walt Disney Studios Europe. Before joining Disney in 1990, Stratton was as business unit controller for Calcomp. "Dene has the solid foundation and the precise experience we were hoping to find in our new CFO. We are enthused by what we know he will bring to the table and look forward to a prosperous future together," Barber and Birnbaum said. Related Topics MGM

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New Study Shows Kaira Pitt's 'Moneyball' Producing Major Buzz Online (Exclusive)

The new sony Pictures I've found that BoxOffice.com, a well known and broadly reliable website that is an expert in forecasts and analysis of movie box office figures, will to produce special are accountable to its customers later today about Moneyball, the baseball drama starring Kaira Pitt which will open in theaters this Friday. Based on the release, Moneyball is producing much more buzz on social-networking sites compared to Social Networking, another Scott Rudin-created film that hit theaters almost exactly last year (Moneyball will open 1 week earlier) and ended up grossing nearly $225 million and scoring eight Oscar nominations, three which led to wins. BoxOffice.com editor Phil Contrino informs me that they have been monitoring Twitter and facebook activity since May 2010, and based its conclusions -- that they states are statistically significant -- on stats collected from monitoring the 2 sites over the past weekend prior to the films opened up. On Facebook, The Social Networking received 34,645 "likes" within that period, whereas Moneyball received 64,073. On Twitter, meanwhile, the first kind was the topic of 4,120 Tweets, whereas the second was pointed out in five,264. STORY: 'Moneyball': Exactly what the Experts Say Exactly what does everything mean? "It implies that Moneyball has genuine breakout potential," states Contrino, who forecasts the audience for your film will skew over the age of it had been for that Social Networking. "Grown ups are clearly hungry for serious-minded movies with Oscar buzz following a summer time filled with movies targeted at teens. Just take a look at how well Night time in Paris and also the Help did in the box office." FILM REVIEW: 'Moneyball' He adds, "The thought of putting Pitt inside a sports movie could turn to be considered a brilliant one. Ladies who normally wouldn't get a smart baseball flick will not get pulled to that one kicking and screaming." Kaira Pitt Moneyball

Charlie Sheen Says Hes Not Mad At Men Anymore

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Charlie Sheen seems to have buried the hatchet. Appearing on Thursdays Tonight Show, the former star of Two and a Half Men radiated a forgiving mood toward his old workplace. Asked by host Jay Leno if hes still angry at the sitcoms producers and network, he said no: He would have fired himself had he been in their shoes. Then he added with a laugh, Well, maybe not like they did. Sheen was dumped last March after the actor railed against his bosses, and they blasted him for his unpredictable behavior as a drug-abusing, reckless playboy. It was bad, Sheen said, summing up the clash, and I own my part in that, and I just want to make everything right. Asked why he thought he should have been fired, Sheen explained, I should have been a little more responsible about the condition I was showing up in. He told Leno he has not had any contact with his former castmates, but said he felt no animosity toward them. His formerly strained relationship with his father, actor Martin Sheen, is totally repaired, he said. Were buddies again. On Monday, the hit CBS comedy returns for a new season with Ashton Kutcher as Sheens replacement. He praised Kutcher as being accomplished, and when asked if he had any advice for his successor, he said hed like to give him a hug and tell him, Make me proud, dude. Sheen is also being interviewed on Fridays edition of Today. These appearances plug a Comedy Central roast of him airing on Monday. Copyright 2011 by Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Rhianna, Bono and Usher to Headline Celebration of Bill Clinton

Rhianna, U2's Bono as well as the Edge, and Usher works inside a party for Leader Bill Clinton that Yahoo will stream live on the web, the parties are likely to announce Tuesday.our editor recommendsUsher: Changing the facial skin of Charitable organization One Child at any time Lady Gagas Style Cover Released, Additional an hour or so Footage LeakedU2's '360' Tour Will Gross $736.millions of STORY: U2 to provide $7.2 million to Music Education The concert, scheduled for March. 15 within the Hollywood Bowl, is billed just like a celebration in the 10-year anniversary in the William J. Clinton Foundation, which has elevated some $10 billion for your former president's favorite causes, for instance Helps/Helps treatment and reducing hunger. It's also a late special birthday for Clinton, who switched 65 on August. 19. STORY: Usher: Changing the facial skin of Charitable organization One Child at any time Particulars in the concert continued to be to be hammered out early Tuesday, but a extended report on movie and TV personas will most likely appear, together with a speaker mentioned tickets will probably be available to everyone, unlike a party invitation-only Moving Gems concert that was organized to celebrate Clinton's 60thbirthday. As opposed to a conventional TV partner, the planners have granted exclusive broadcast rights to Yahoo, which must stream it worldwide to have an audience of numerous million, and sponsors continued to be to be arranged Tuesday. EXCLUSIVE: Leader Obama Sets Two Hollywood Fundraiser The show, a charitable event that's being produced by Control Room, is known as 10 Years of Difference: A Concert Praising 10 years in the William J. Clinton Foundation. Related Subjects Rhianna Usher Bill Clinton U2 The Benefit

Twenty Cigarettes Might Be the Best Movie Ever

“I wanted to do a portrait film with extended takes. Smoking came into it later, as the ploy to get people to stand still and not be totally conscious of being filmed, although a big part of Twenty Cigarettes is that very self-consciousness of a person in front of a camera and how that changes over time. Cigarettes also have this built-in duration and people will smoke at a different rate, and they’ll smoke the whole cigarette or part of the cigarette. Smoking has such a stigma now, especially in the U.S., so I thought it would be interesting to make a film where I won’t have any value judgment at all on smoking.” Sorry! This has NC-17 written allllll over it. [NYT] [Photo: TIFF]

'Kate Plus 8' Series Finale: Kate Gosselin Faces the Firing Squad (Exclusive Video)

We're sure even Kate Gosselin couldn't have imagined that her series, Kate Plus 8, would finish together with your debate. But, it's. And also on the best episode airing Monday at 9 p.m. on TLC, Kate will face the music activity as everyone talks their mind in what went lower concerning the vacation and through the epic pizza stress. The Hollywood Reporter posseses an exclusive sneak try looking in the ultimate episode through which everyone involved, including babysitter Ashley, bodyguard Steve, and Kate's friend, Jamie, hash the conflict that introduced to Ashley departing your family concerning the last episode. VIDEO: Kate Gosselin Announces Publish-'Kate Plus 8' Plans Fans first met the Gosselin family about the one-hour special referred to as Which makes it through Sextuplets and Twins in 2006. Yearly later, your family began the right path which will become Jon & Kate Plus 8. After an very public divorce this past year, Kate made a decision to do-it-yourself. Then, TLC passed on the show's cancelation the 2009 August. While using finish finally here, Kate introduced on Monday that fans could stay with the travails in the Gosselin bunch about the new website, KatePlusMy8.com.Before she'll proceed, Kate will have to answer for last episode's disastrous visit to Monday's final episode. VIDEO: Jon Gosselin to Kate: 'Reality Television is not work' Watch our exclusive preview above. You think Ashley have been overdramatic? Will you miss Kate Plus 8? Reveal inside the comments section below. Email: Jethro.Nededog@thr.com Twitter: @TheRealJethro RELATED: Kate Gosselin Describes Why She Referred to as Jon 'Mediocre' on 'Today' Show Kate Gosselin to begin Wendy Williams' Third Season Kate Gosselin on 'Kate Plus 8's' Cancelation: 'I'm Losing It' More 'Kate Plus 8' Coverage on THR Discovery Communications TLC Kate Gosselin Jon & Kate Plus 8

Tim Roth signs holding pact with 20th TV

Roth Former "Lie to Me" star Tim Roth may be headed back to primetime courtesy of the studio that delivered his series to Fox.Twentieth Century Fox Television signed actor to a combo talent and development deal for TV, the studio announced Tuesday.Pact calls for 20th to find another series vehicle for the Brit thesp, who may end up creating said vehicle himself though he could produce something in which he wouldn't star. A Roth-fronted project could be for broadcast or cable.The agreement does not cover film, where Roth is free to find work outside the studio.Twentieth TV chairman Dana Walden cited her experience with Roth on "Lie" as an impetus for the deal. "He was very creatively involved in the direction of that show, with good ideas about stories and character," she said.Roth starred on three seasons of "Lie," which began in 2009. He also served as a producer on the drama series.Some development component is fairly standard in studio talent deals as an incentive to retain their exclusive acting services. Twentieth has a first-look option on projects developed by Roth. Tim Roth was repped in the deal by CAA and attorney Geoff Oblath. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Janet Jackson, Lady Antebellum Cancel Indiana State Fair Performances, Maroon 5 Plan Benefit Show

There will be no Janet Jackson or Lady Antebellum concerts at the Indiana State Fair this week. Fair officials announced Monday that both have been canceled in the wake of the tragedy at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand on Saturday, when a hulk of stage rigging and equipment was shoved over by a burst of wind, killing five and injuring dozens.our editor recommendsSugarland Concert Stage Collapse: Musicians React to the TragedyMaroon 5 and Train at the Hollywood Bowl: Concert Review VIDEO: Sugarland Stage Collapse: Indiana State Fair Organizers Thought They Had More Time Jackson was scheduled to perform at the fair on Wednesday (Aug. 17) and Lady Antebellum was slotted for Friday (Aug. 19). A third concert, Thursday's double bill featuring Maroon 5 and Train, will go on but a new location will be announced tomorrow, fair spokesman Andy Klotz said. Before the announcement was made in Indiana, Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine told Billboard.com on Monday that he had at least some reservations about playing a rock concert at the fair so soon after the tragedy. "It just doesn't seem like the right sort of atmosphere, y'know?," he noted. "It'll probably take some time to heal. It's such a tragedy." STORY: Sugarland Stage Collapse: Death Toll Reaches 5; Shocking New Video From the Scene Valentine added that Maroon 5 is also hoping to perform a benefit show at another locale for the families of the Indiana victims, but is still working out those details. A request for comment has not been returned from Jackson's rep. A memorial service was held Monday to honor the victims of the weekend's tragedy, when a stage collapsed under the force of 60-70 mph winds, killing five and sending 45 to the hospital, some with critical injuries. The incident occurred 30 minutes after Sara Bareilles' set and just moments before Sugarland was scheduled to perform. STORY: Sugarland Stage Collapse: An Eyewitness Report Governor Mitch Daniels called it a "freakish accident" and the Indiana Occupational Health and Safety Administration and the State Fire Marshal's office have begun conducting investigations, the Indianapolis Star reported. The company that erected the stage, Mid-America Sound Corp., released a statement as well saying they were launching an internal investigation "to understand, to the best of our ability, what happened." Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland told the AP in a statement that she was "so moved" by the events and the reaction of fans in the stands. "Moved by the grief of those families who lost loved ones. Moved by the pain of those who were injured and the fear of their families. Moved by the great heroism as I watched so many brave Indianapolis fans actually run toward the stage to try and help lift and rescue those injured. Moved by the quickness and organization of the emergency workers who set up the triage and tended to the injured." Additional reporting by Gary Graff. Related Topics Janet Jackson Adam Levine

New Coriolanus Trailer Lands

What light from yonder firefight breaks?Judging by its thumping new trailer, Ralph Fiennes' Coriolanus looks like a hugely visceral interpretation of Shakespeare's political tragedy. This new spot comes via CC2K and it looks like a blood-stained gem. If you thought the Bard was all about hey-nonny-nonny'ing in forests or irresponsible balcony climbs, it's probably time to think again. Fiennes has jolted the great Bard's play from its Ancient Roman setting and into a fictional modern-day republic. As General Coriolanus, he's pressured to join the Roman Senate by his controlling mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave), but finds himself banished from the city in disgrace when his fellow politicians conspire against him. Click here to watch it in full. To regain power, Coriolanus must team up with his sworn enemy, Gerard Butler's Tullus Aufidius, because he controls the Volscian army, and, well, he's Gerard Butler. Updating Shakespeare's histories to a modern context is a tricky business and a bold call for a debut feature - even for someone as well versed as Fiennes - but this look like it could be a more than worthy rival to Richard Loncraine's excellent Richard III. It's out in the UK at the end of the year.