Friday, September 30, 2011

NBC Accumulates Two More Instances of Being a parent

Richard Dreyfuss, Lauren Graham, Craig T. Nelson NBC has purchased two more instances of Being a parent, a show repetition verifies.The pickup brings the growing season 3 total to 18 episodes.Fall Preview: Get scoop in your favorite coming back showsThe family drama is a consistent artist for that network. Tuesday's episode averaged 5.5 million audiences along with a 2.2 rating within the grown ups 18-to-49 demo - a five percent increase from a week ago.Being a parent airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on NBC.

CBS Films in talks for 'Psychopaths'

CBS Films may come on board Martin McDonagh's "Seven Psychopaths" and is in negotiations to co-finance the black comedy.If the deal goes through, CBS Films would distribute "Psychopaths" domestically. CBS Films confirmed the negotiations Friday.Project was announced at the Cannes Film Festival with Hanway selling international rights with Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke and Christopher Walken joining Colin Farrell. Rourke is currently not attached to the project.Directed and penned by "In Bruges" helmer Martin McDonagh, pic will be produced by Blueprint Pictures' Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin with Tessa Ross as exec producer.Story follows a screenwriter (Farrell) struggling for inspiration for his script, "Seven Psychopaths," who gets drawn into the dog kidnapping schemes of his oddball friends (Rockwell and Walken). Things take a turn for the worse when a gangster's mutt goes missing.The project reunites McDonagh, Broadbent, Czernin, Ross and Farrell, who all worked together on hitman pic "In Bruges."CBS Films exec VP Scott Shooman will oversee the project.Deal comes a day after Amy Baer announced she will be exiting her post as president and CEO of CBS Films, four years after she joined the company, and plans to segue to a producer role. CBS Films made the largest acquisition at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival earlier this month with a $5 million deal for Lasse Hallstrom's "Salmon Fishing In The Yemen."Shooting on "Psychopaths" is expected to start this fall in Los Angeles. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

5 Ways Simon Cowell Intends to Crush Idol using the X Factor: Mo' Money, Crazy Nicole

L.A. Reid, Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul knowing 1000's of ambitious performers, a number of whom can make your ears bleed? Seems like The American Idol Show redux. Initially, there is not a lot separating Cowell's audio competition show, The X Factor, from the forerunners - before you compare the particulars. Then Cowell's master arrange for music show domination becomes very obvious. My God, It's huge! And 9 other activities we learned in the premiere from the X Factor Prior to Wednesday's premiere (8/7c on Fox), Cowell and also the other X Factor idol judges help explain 5 greatest ways their show will crush your competition. 5. He'll throw more income in the screen: Just how to top his former co-workers at Idol? Go ahead and take Michael Bay approach! (And when you have not heard, Fox has signed on for your, pronouncing The X Factor the greatest show in the world.) Think veterans administration veterans administration voom aerial shots, grand entrances for that idol judges via helicopter and costly arenas full of 1000's to host the audition models. And that is only the audition models! "Whenever we began here [within the U.S.], i was only going to choose the network who would support it using their wallet," Cowell states. "No. 1 question we'd is: Why show not the same as anything else, and I have always stated, 'If you watch it, you will see the main difference.AInch Fall TV: Obtain the lowdown about this season's must-see new shows 4. The idol judges will not be as nice because the idol judges around the Voice: The Voice coaches get it very easy, relaxing in their large red-colored chairs, pushing a control button once they hear something purdy, hands-picking a common performers for his or her teams. Individuals coaches never need to use someone they do not like. Around The X Factor, however, producers assign each judge among four groups to mentor - males, women, groups and performers over 30 - and never everybody will be pleased with their team. To wit, performers just have three from four idol judges to agree advance, so odds are all of the idol judges is going to be dealing with a minumum of one contestant they initially switched lower. As well as in stark contrast towards the latest season of Idol, which featured not just one harsh word for that top 13 runners up, Cowell states the auditions would be the "nice" models. Expect the fangs to be released after. 3. They have employed a genuine live training partner for Simon: Simon likes nothing much better than a verbal smackdown - regrettably, watching him undertake Randy "for me personally, for you personally, it had been just aiight" Jackson and Ryan Seacrest continues to be merely a study in Cowell's persistence. They are like window dressing in comparison to X Factor judge L.A. Reid, an archive executive who counts Pink and Mariah Carey among his hits. So when Simon and L.A. face off, their arguments usually increase the conversation concerning the talent, instead of detract from this. "We now have both run record labels and that we always wanted no.1 record. We taken part with one another which explains why I needed him on the program,Inch Cowell states. "I did not want somebody that would accept me. I needed somebody that was competitive and that he is easily the most competitive person." Simon Cowell's X Factor may have drunks within the audience! Plus: Scherzinger changes accents! 2. You will see cry-offs between Nicole and Paula: Here's how new judge Nicole Scherzinger discusses the pains from the job: "It's difficult since you really sympathise. This is not only a talent show. They are real those who have families who're battling also it feels as though their whole existence is at risk, and you are part of that. So for me personally, it has been very emotional. I must refuse to those who are losing their houses the ones whose family just died a few days before and it is been very difficult for me personally.Inch Even Paula, the first kind teary-eyed cheerleader champion of singing competitions, states she was taken aback about how exactly emotional Nicole got throughout the audition models. "She was way in front of me, that was amazing," Paula states. "It had been like, wow, another person is really a crier." 1. Nicole may also be permitted to out-crazy Paula: Yes, Paula continues to be kooky and unpredictable Body first-round contestant makes her gag and she or he leaves the knowing table - but Nicole is directly on her heels. Simon has stated she automatically switches accents, and we are most likely likely to hear a great deal about her getting become her begin by winning a singing competition herself in the past. Eden's Crush, anybody? But she's a talkative one, and knowing through the 90-minute mash-from Episodes 1 and a pair of tested for reporters, producers are likely to allow her to ramble. Here is a sample, the response to "Why is a good fit for that X Factor?" "I'm able to only bring my encounters and that is me getting been in a show such as this ten years ago and becoming an artist, and getting an artist's life blood, which we usually put on on our sleeve. I bring that empathy and empathy and understanding. But simultaneously, I am pretty tough. I have labored very difficult to reach where I'm and that i know what must be done. Therefore, after i use the participants, I am likely to work to create the very best in them ..." Are you going to watch The X Factor? What exactly are you most excited to determine?

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

MRC raises $350 mil to grow biz

Media Rights Capital has closed a five-year, $350 million revolving credit facility, providing more coin for the company to grow its film and television business. The facility, led by JPMorgan, Comerica, Bank of America, SunTrust and Union Bank, will also provide for the indie studio to expand and develop current projects, including those under its five-year distribution deal with Universal as well as CBS sitcom "How to Be a Gentleman,'' Neill Blomkamp's "Elysium" (which Sony will distribute) and serialized Netflix political drama "House of Cards." MRC's last credit facility closing was a three-year $350 million starting in 2008. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com

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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Toronto 2011: Sundance Selects Takes U . s . States Rights to 'Trishna'

Sundance Selects has acquired U . s . States rights to author-directorMichael Winterbottom's new film Trishna. Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed star inside the drama based on Thomas Sturdy's classic novel Tess in the D'Urbervilles. TORONTO REVIEW: Trishna Occur contemporary Rajasthan,Trishna notifies the story from the Indian lady who falls deeply deeply in love with a wealthy British businessman when she goes to get results for his father's hotel business. Torn between tradition and ambition, Trishna's existence ultimately turns tragic.Winterbottom produced the film withMelissa Parmenter. The film had its world premiere within the Toronto Worldwide Film Festival. VIDEO: 'Trishna' Trailer: Freida Pinto Stars inside the Michael Winterbottom-Directed Drama "Trishnais Michael Winterbottom's most incredible and sensual film having a really sublime performance by Freida Pinto," mentioned Sundance Selects leader Jonathan Sehring. Sundance Selects execArianna Bocconegotiated the sale withStephen Kelliherof Bankside Films regarding the filmmakers. Bankside, that's handling worldwide sales, and Uk Film Council funded the film together with VTR Media Possibilities, Bob Film Sweden and Film I Huge while using support in the Swedish Film Institute.A Film (Benelux), Madman (New zealand and australia), Bac Films (France), Shooting Stars (Middle East) and Video Vision (Nigeria) also acquired rights for the film. A sister division to IFC Films, Sundance Selects has formerly released the Winterbottom films The Shock Doctrine, The Trip as well as the Killer Inside Me. Toronto Worldwide Film Festival Freida Pinto Trishna

Monday, September 12, 2011

Vanessa Hudgens Cast Opposite John Cusack and Nicolas Cage in 'The Frozen River'

Vanessa Hudgens is getting as far away from her 'High School Musical' persona as she possibly can. On the heels of starring as a pregnant teen runaway in 'Gimme Shelter,' Deadline reports that Hudgens will star as an escaped almost-victim of a serial killer in 'The Frozen River' opposite John Cusack and Nicolas Cage. Based on true events, the Scott Walker-directed film follows an Alaskan state trooper (Cage) on the trail of Alaska's most notorious serial killer (Cusack), a family man and well-respected member of the community. Shooting begins in Alaska on Oct. 17. [Deadline]

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Sunday, September 11, 2011

Box Office Report: Steven Soderbergh's 'Contagion' Winning Weekend Race

TORONTO --Steven Soderbergh's thriller Contagion opened to No. 1 at the domestic box office Friday with an estimated $8 million, while Disney's The Help held in strong at No. 2.our editor recommendsContagion: Venice Film ReviewWarrior: Film ReviewThe Help: Film ReviewBucky Larson: Born to Be a Star: Film ReviewRelated Topics•Box Office Otherwise, the news ranged from so-so to grim.The film business is looking at the worst weekend of the year in terms of revenues, which may only hit $70 million. PHOTOS: A Guide to Fake Film Diseases Lionsgate's mixed martial arts drama Warrior grossed an estimated $1.8 million in its first day to come in No. 3 and is now looking at a lower-than-expected weekend debut of $5 million to $5.5 million. At the same time, the film -- starring Nick Nolte, Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy -- is drawing strong reviews and drew an A CinemaScore, portending good word-of-mouth. Sony's comedy Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star, produced by Adam Sandler's production company Happy Madison, is an all-out bomb, earning a dismal $540,000 on Friday to fall outside of the top 10. Oddly, the pic received a B CinemaScore. PHOTOS: Movie Report Card: 10 Biggest Flops of 2011 (So Far) Warner Bros. and Participant Media's Contagion, starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law,Laurence Fisburne and Kate Winslet as a team of CDC doctors trying to stop a worldwide viral epidemic, should easily win the weekend race with $20 million to $22 million. The pic received a B- CinemaScore, with more than 80% of the audience over the age of 25. DreamWorks' The Help -- also co-financed by Participant -- should gross around $9 million, pushing its domestic total to nearly $140 million. Contagion knocks the film from the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office after a three-week rule. STORY: Summer Box Office: The 10 Biggest Flops of 2011 Focus Features' The Debt is enjoying a strong hold in its second weekend, grossing an estimated $1.4 million on Friday for a cume of $18.5 million. The Helen Mirren thriller, coming in at No. 4, is expected to gross roughly $4.5 for the weekend. Sony's Zoe Saldana action pic Colombiana is holding in the No. 5 position, grossing an estimated $1.2 million for a domestic cume of $26.9 million. Shark Night 3D and Apollo 18both saw steep drops in the their second weekends. Shark Night placed No. 7 on Friday, falling 64% to an estimated $1 million for a cume of $12.3 million. PHOTOS: 10 Billion Dollar Babies: Movies That Have Crossed the 10-Figure Mark Apollo 18 tumbled more than 68% to an estimated $875,000 for a cume of $13 million. Box office observers say Sunday, Sept. 9 could be a particularly slow day for male-driven films because of the start of the NFL season. Related Topics Gwyneth Paltrow Kate Winslet Matt Damon Tom Hardy Box Office Contagion Steven Soderbergh The Help Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star Warrior

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Friday, September 9, 2011

George Clooney Meets His Daughter's New Boyfriend in Latest Clip From 'The Descendants' (VIDEO)

L 'The Descendants' is a dramedy about a wealthy father (George Clooney) who has to take care of his two daughters when his wife gets into a life-threatening car accident, all while dealing with the revelation that she's been having an affair. Writer/director Alexander Payne's follow-up to 'Sideways' is scheduled to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival (after debuting at Telluride last week), and in anticipation, indieWIRE has debuted a new clip from the film. Watch ahead. No one likes an awkward road trip. [via indieWIRE/The Playlist] Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

The Raid: Toronto Review

Audiences is going to be scrambling to locate enough compound adjectives to explain Gareth Huw Evans hard-driving, butt-kicking, pulse-pounding, bone-crushing, skull-smashing, bloodstream-curdling fighting techinques siege movie, The Raid. "Compressing a trigger? That's like ordering takeout," scoffs one particularly psychotic killing machine when dealing with the option of utilizing a gun or his lethal fists and ft. The director is similarly disdainful of quick execution, rather favoring the adrenaline hurry of sustained pummeling. The new sony Pictures Worldwide Purchases snapped up U.S. privileges just before Toronto also it was introduced throughout the festival that Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park will compose a completely new score for that film. While adding some nu-metal grit certainly will not hurt, the film has already been plenty propulsive. Welsh-born Evans switched heads together with his 2009 feature, Merantau. He teams again here with similar breakout action star, Iko Uwais, getting married to Western genre conventions using the traditional Indonesian boxing discipline of silat. The influence that many involves thoughts are John Carpenter's 1976 Assault on Precinct 13, although inside a extremely amped-up homage. There's possibly also a little Large Trouble in Little China tossed in. Like Contractor, Evans brings a sly feeling of amusement to his mayhem. Have More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog Within the opening scene, rookie cop Rama (Uwais) puts over time on his prayer rug as well as on his workout. Both of them are good insurance for that ordeal he's going to face. Kissing his pregnant wife, he heads by helping cover their a SWAT team with an ill-planned pursuit to bring lower sadistic underworld kingpin Tama (Ray Sahetapy), who rules on the seedy population of thugs, crooks and lovers from his headquarters inside a fortress-like Jakarta tenement block. While Evans has little use for character establishment, he introduces Tama comfortably snack on noodles before icing a selection of bound-and-gagged rival gang people, playfully switching to some hammer when he's from bullets. The moment the cops see through the outer defense obstacles Tama deploys his goon squad, because he monitors the whole building via closed-circuit surveillance cameras along with a PA system. The majority of the 20-member SWAT team are pulped before they are fully aware what hits them, departing only a number of males to weigh the option of survival or even the near-certain suicide of proceeding towards the 15th floor to find the guy they came for. Among the couple of to flee the first onslaught, Rama will get his wounded friend to some relatively safe hiding place, endures a literal close shave having a machete after which single-handedly assumes a large number of would-be assassins, mostly unarmed. The liability of the crooked cop among the children is sort of foreseeable, there is however a far more directing wild card within the presence in Tama's group of friends of Rama's black-sheep brother Andi (Doni Alamsyah). Because the body count mounts on sides, the code of fraternal loyalty turns out to be the one which matters. For any movie with hardly any down time, The Raid is remarkably well modulated in the succession of extended set pieces. Filled with dynamic physical stunts and imaginative dying blows, the film balances moments of intense quiet with fresh crescendos of visceral violence. This type of relentless noise and carnage could be mind-numbing in less skilled hands, but Evans, who also handled the rapid-fire editing, brings elegance and imagination towards the insanely billed action, in addition to unflagging energy. Additionally to Matt Flannery's nervy, hyper-agile camerawork, Evans' principal allies are his superb fight choreographers, Uwais and Yayan Ruhian. The second also plays a stringy-haired killer who doles the movie's most vicious punitive measures, rising first against former Indonesian Judo champion Joe Taslim as the second cop, after which squaring off from the siblings inside a spectacularly ugly fight. If The new sony can try to steer the youthful male demographic into theaters to look at a subtitled Indonesian film, this may be a significant cult hit. In either case, it is a phone card which will open lots of doorways for Evans. Venue: Toronto Worldwide Film Festival (The new sony Pictures Worldwide Purchases) Production companies: PT Merantau Films in colaboration with Abc Films, Celluloid Bad dreams Cast: Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Doni Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian, Ray Sahetapy, Pierre Gruno, Tegar Satrya Director/film writer/editor: Gareth Huw Evans Producer: Ario Sagantoro Executive producer: Rangga Maya Barack-Evans, Irwan D. Musry, Nate Bolotin, Todd Brown Directorof photography: Matt Flannery Production designer: Moti D. Setyanto Music: Fajar Yuskemal, Aria Prayogi Fight choreographers: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian Sales: Celluloid Bad dreams No rating, 100minutes Toronto Worldwide Film Festival Worldwide Asia

Thursday, September 8, 2011

AFM confirms talks to move to downtown L.A.

The Independent Film and Television Alliance has confirmed that it is negotiating to relocate the 2013 American Film Market to L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. "We appreciate the attractiveness of Santa Monica and we are continuing discussions with the Loews," IFTA said in a statement. The association pointed out that relocating to downtown Los Angeles would mean lower hotel and exhibition costs for both buyers and sellers and better screening venues at the Regal Cinemas and Nokia Theater. By 2014, there will be more hotel rooms surrounding L.A. Live than in the Loews Santa Monica area, the statement observed. The L.A. Live area, adjacent to the Convention Center and Staples Center, also offers numerous restaurants and entertainment venues. There is no deal yet, it was emphasized. This year's AFM, set for November 2-9, and the 2012 mart would remain in Santa Monica. "The L.A. Live district will allow us to grow all segments of the AFM - market, conferences and the celebration of film -- and make the AFM more inclusive for the entire motion picture industry," said IFTA. The move would put the market somewhat closer to the affiliated AFI Fest, which runs November 3-10 in Hollywood. Among the questions the association would need to settle are whether international attendees will want to spend a week downtown instead of at the beach. L.A. Live owner AEG wooed Film Independent's Los Angeles Film Festival to move downtown in 2010, while the same org's Spirit Awards was held downtown in 2010 and moved back to Santa Monica this year. Contact Pat Saperstein at pat.saperstein@variety.com

Universal Funnel buys two NBC series

NBCUniversal-possessed British TV network Universal Funnel has licensed NBC series "Harry's Law" and "Law & Order: LaInch to become listed on its schedule later this month. Universal bought both seasons of "Harry's" from Warner Bros. Worldwide TV Distribution as the sole season of "L&O:LA" originates from NBCUniversal Worldwide TV Distribution. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Talkback: What's the Worst Line in Film History?

Movies teem with ridiculous dialogue, but only a few pop with memorably bad one-liners. Our friends at BuzzFeed compiled a list of 20 dubious movie lines, and while I’d have suggested more material from The Room or, say, anything in Black Swan, I’m more interested in what the Movieline hivemind thinks are worst. What say you, elite? Here’s one item the list definitely gets right. Happy Thanksgiving to poor taste! And are we too cool to reference this old gem anymore? Hit us up. What’s the worst? The 20 Worst Lines in Movie History [BuzzFeed]

Avengers Prequel Short Film Online

Coulson sends in The ConsultantAs promised and teased at ComicCon, the first in a series of Marvel One-Shots will grace the Thor DVD as part of the build-up to Joss Whedon's The Avengers. The purpose of the shorts is to bridge the gaps (if you thought there were any) between the individual Marvel movies and next year's giant team-up. First up is The Consultant, in which Agents Coulson and Sitwell discuss some dodgy orders from on high regarding Emil Abomination Blonsky, and Coulson baulks at using the titular freelancer to annoy General Ross. Who is The Consultant? Click the link above; we'll not spoil it for you here. We will say, however, that it might not be an enormous surprise to those who stayed through The Incredible Hulk's end credits. While the short does move beyond its talking-heads-in-a-diner set-up, the wider picture is recycled from the existing movies. The all-new deadpan banter between Clark Gregg and Maximiliano Hernandez is fun though, and it's amusing to see SHIELD agents bitching about their job as anyone else would. The director is the singularly-monikered Leythum, who's also been behind the camera of the forthcoming A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Thor's Hammer (fnar). Who's in that one? Coulson again. Other than that, we'll have to wait and see.... The mighty Thor is out on DVD etc. on September 26.