Rob McQuarrie dies at 82

Conceptual designer Rob McQuarrie, who designed the feel of "The Exorcist" figures including Darth Vader and Chewbacca, died Saturday, March 3, in Berkeley, Calif. He was 82 coupled with been struggling with Parkinson's. McQuarrie, area of the team that won an Oscar in 1986 for that visual effects in "Cocoon," done the 3 from the original "The Exorcist" films and designed the spaceships in "Close Encounters from the Third Kind" and "E.T.: The Additional-Terrestrial." He seemed to be credited on "Raiders from the Lost Ark" and done the initial "Battlestar Galactica" series. McQuarrie was created in Gary, Ind., but gone to live in California. He would be a technical illustrator for Boeing in the beginning, but additionally designed film posters and provided animation for CBS' coverage of NASA's Apollo missions. George Lucas hired him as one example of moments from his "The Exorcist" script, and McQuarrie not just produced the feel of figures Darth Vader, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO but additionally of a few of the sets, including from the desert world Tatooine. His conceptual sketches assisted convince twentieth century Fox executives to invest in the film. The artist even made an appearance in "The Wild Bunch,Inch playing General McQuarrie, who had been one of the figures converted to figures. Inside a statement, Lucas stated: "His genial contribution, by means of unmatched production works of art, powered and inspired all the cast and crew from the original 'Star Wars' trilogy. When words couldn't convey my ideas, I possibly could always indicate certainly one of Ralph's fabulous illustrations and say, 'Do it such as this.AInch McQuarrie later done the flicks "Star Wars IV: The Voyage Home," "Batteries Not Incorporated" and "Nightbreed" called the conceptual designer of To the near future: The Ride at Universal Galleries in Hollywood and Florida. He was later requested to operate around the "The Exorcist" prequel trilogy but rejected. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Sarah Wright & Amy Huberman Get Leads In NBC Pilots, Austin Butler In Carrie Diaries

EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Wright (Parks & Recreation) is set for the lead in NBCs untitled Hilary Winston single-camera pilot. It centers on Agnes (Wright), a shy, focused woman who, after being dumped by her fiance, leans on her co-workers to help her come out of her shell and plot her revenge. Wright, who joins Mena Suvari and Kyle Howard on the pilot, recently guest starred on ABC’s Happy Endings, produced by the companies behind the Hilary Winston project, Sony TV and Fanfare. Wright, repped by ICM and Ellen Meyer Management, will next be seen in the feature 21 And Over. In her first U.S. audition ever, Irish actress Amy Huberman has landed the female lead opposite Justin Kirk in NBCs single-camera comedy pilot Animal Kingdom. The project, from Universal TV and American Work, centers on a House-like veterinarian, Dr. George Coleman (Kirk), who loves animals but usually hates their owners. Hugerman will play Dorothy, George’s intelligent and beautiful old girlfriend, now engaged to another, who is assigned to run the animal hospital. Huberman, repped by KLWGN and the Lisa Richards Agency, is nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 9th Annual Irish Film & TV Awards for her role in Stella Days. Austin Butler (Lifetime’s The Bling Ring) has been cast as the male lead in the CW pilot Carrie Diaries.The project, based on Candace Bushnells novel, chronicles Carrie Bradshaws (AnnaSophia Robb) coming of age in the 1980s when she asks her first questions about love, sex, friendship and family while exploring the worlds of high school and Manhattan. Butler, repped by WME and Anonymous Content, will play Sebastian Kydd, a brooding heartthrob and ultimate insider who always plays the outsider. His presence at Carrie’s school will shake things up in a big way.

Musicians endorse SAG-AFTRA merger

The American Federation of Musicians has endorsed the proposed merger between the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, joining Actors' Equity in blessing the union. The exec board of the AFM said it is in "full support" of the merger pact. "When ratified by the groups' memberships, the uniting of the two groups will result in a more powerful and united face to represent workers in both film and broadcasting," the AFM said. Ballots went out this week to 120,000 SAG members and 70,000 AFTRA members, who include actors, broadcasters, DJs, singers and dancers, with a tabulation date of March 30. To be approved, the merger must receive at least 60% of the votes from each union. "The proposed merger is a historic step and is a symbol of unity for the entertainment sector and for the entire labor movement," said AFM president Ray Hair. "For decades, AFTRA and SAG have stood prominently and proudly for dignity and justice in the entertainment industry workplace. The joining of these two great unions will focus union power toward a better future for the media business, not only here in the United States but throughout the world." Should the SAG-AFTRA merger agreement be approved, new mergers would have to be approved by 60% of the voting membership or by 60% of the delegates of the new SAG-AFTRA. That means future combos with such performer unions as Equity and AFM could be OK'd without being subject to direct approval by the members of SAG-AFTRA. Merger proponents have long asserted that combining unions is a logical response to the increasing power of the mega-congloms and contended that the combined unions will have more bargaining clout. Merger opponents, who lost power at SAG in recent years, have argued that SAG will lose its unique character as a performers union and that the combined entity won't have more power at the negotiating table. SAG members voted down a proposed merger in 2003, when the merged union would have been called the Alliance of Intl. Media Artists. The Actors' Equity Council unanimously backed the "consolidation and affiliation" proposal in 2003. Opponents of the merger filed suit last week against SAG to block the combo, alleging that leaders have not conducted "the necessary due diligence." SAG's labelled the suit "a clear attempt at circumventing the will of the membership" and "a public relations stunt." Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Report: Stephen Colbert Takes Hiatus to look after Ailing Mother

Scott Speedman Felicity alum Scott Speedman will star opposite Andre Braugher in ABC's drama pilot from Shawn Ryan. In Last Measure, a renegade crew of the nuclear submarine, lead by Males of the Certain Age's Braugher, go on the move after repel a purchase to fireplace nuclear missiles. They find sanctuary in a NATO base where they declare the world's littlest nuclear nation. Speedman will have XO Mike Kendal, the 2nd-in-command from the U.S.S. Nevada, who's moral and sees every side of the confrontation. Pilot Season: Obtain the scoop! Also cast within the pilot is Camille p Pazzis, who'll portray Sophie, an understanding European researcher responsible for the NATO listening station the U.S.S. Nevada commandeers. As formerly introduced, Fall Reeser, Daisy Betts, and Serta Lissing will even star. The Shield's Ryan will executive-make the pilot, that they authored with Karl Gajdusek (Dead Much Like Me).

Ratings: Cougar Town Returns to all or any-Time Low

Courteney Cox and Busy Phillips Will we supply the Cougar Town crew a b - for trying?No matter the cast and producers' valiant guerrilla marketing effort for your extended-postponed third season, the comedy returned Tuesday to 4.8 million audiences together with single.8 rating inside the grownups 18-to-49 demo - both series lows.Social TV: Cougar Town creator offers ponies, drunken raves to loyal fansThe silver lining? The show experienced relatively small drops in measures - 4 and ten percent, correspondingly - within the Season 2 finale (if the broadcast on Wednesdays after Modern Family) and released the finest retention rate from Last Guy Standing (82 %) all season. Still, Cougar Town's premiere amounts are below people in the timeslot's previous (now-canceled) citizens Guy Up and Push The Button.Cbs television studios television galleries won the evening, run by NCIS, which came 19.4 million audiences together with a 3.9 rating.8 p.m.CBS: NCIS 19.4 million audiences (3.9 demo rating)ABC: Last Guy Standing 7.6 000 0000 (2.2) Cougar Town 4.8 million (1.8)Fox: Glee 6.9 million (2.8)NBC: The Finest Loser 5.8 million (2.) [8-10 p.m.]CW: Hart of Dixie (R) .7 million (.3)9 p.m.CBS: NCIS: La 16 million audiences (3.2)ABC: The Forest 4.9 million (1.7) Fox: New Girl 6.6 000 0000 (3.2) Raising Hope 4.68 million (2.1)CW: Ringer 1.07 million (.3)10 p.m.CBS: Memorable 10.9 million audiences (2.)ABC: Body of Proof 6.millions of (1.2)NBC: Motherhood 4.4 million (1.6)

Sports Illustrated's 2012 Bathing suit Edition Cover Leaks Online

Kate Upton, The 2012 Sports Highlighted Bathing suit Problem The previous Rookie of the season has switched professional. Kate Upton may be the cover girl for Sports Illustrated's 2012 Bathing suit Edition. Sports Highlighted was set to unveil the coverage Monday evening in an event, but a couple of issues were apparently sent early to some service station in Michigan and rapidly hit the web. TMZ.com published the coverage early online. Browse the relaxation of present day news Upton, one and actress, was named the Rookie of the season within the 2011 Bathing suit Edition. An e-mail to Sports Highlighted wasn't immediately came back.

New Horizons finds 'Jesus'

Reaching beyond its usual festivals and distribution procedures, Poland's New Horizons Assn. has boarded "Comrade Jesus," from helmer Urszula Antoniak. New Horizons, which runs the completely new Horizons Film Festival in Wroclaw, Belgium, also provides Przemyslaw Wojcieszek's "Secret" world premiering inside the Berlinale Forum. It's Wojcieszek's third film to unspool inside the section. New Horizons produced along with Dynamo Karuzela. New Horizons is creating "Comrade Jesus," starring Andrzej Chyra. Pic notifies the story of Jesus, who, while likely to a nouveau riche Polish family, won't leave to cause many trouble for your family members. New Horizons is presently hunting for a co-producer round the project. The ultimate film in the Polish-born and Holland-based Chyra was "Code Blue," which carried out in Directors' Week in Cannes this season. New Horizons distributed it in Belgium. Contact Carole Horst at carole.horst@variety.com