'Magic Mike' Start Searching: Channing Tatum Hits Happens

If you ever wondered this type of Steven Soderbergh stripper movie might appear like (are available on, I realize I'm only a few of the one available who's wondered relating to this) well, question ignore. The Academy Award-winning director's approaching film about hot dudes taking their clothes off your money can buy "Miracle Mike," possibly better known to as "Channing Tatum together with other shirtless Hollywood hunks" movie has released its first still, showing stars Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Joe Manganiello and Matthew McConaughey revealing their, ah, patriotism on stage. Our pals at Hollywood Crush are very naturally drooling inside the new photo, so mind there for further round the movie.

Fremaux set to take full control at Cannes

PARIS -- Thierry Fremaux, the Cannes Film Festival's delegate general, looks set to take full control at the world's premier film fest. Approved by Cannes' board of directors Monday, the new balance of power at Cannes also see Gilles Jacob's mandate as festival president extended to cover fest editions in 2013 and 2014. Serving as Cannes delegate general from 2007, Fremaux was already fully responsible for programming Cannes' Official Selection, which includes the Competition, out-of-competition slots, Special Screenings and Un Certain Regard. With Jacob -- Cannes delegate general from 1978, president from 2000 -- now serving as president in a non-executive capacity, Fremaux's new brief will extend his powers to the whole Cannes festival organization, including key issues such as sponsorship and new projects. Cannes presidential mandates normally run three years. Jacob, now 81, has effectively accepted to serve for three more editions since his current tenure lapses after Cannes next year. The new arrangement is the latest inflexion -- and a thumbs-up by the Cannes board -- for a delicate step-by-step transfer of power between Jacob and Fremaux begun when the latter became artistic director in 2001. Over the past 10 years that partnership has seen Cannes open up to new technologies, genre pics and a far more fluid relationship with Hollywood studios, whose pics -- often mixing auteurist vision with stars or new technology -- have supplied recent Cannes Gala Openers. Cannes has also initiated new projects, such as the Cannes Marche du Film's co-organization of Latin American film market Ventana Sur in Buenos Aires. Although Fremaux's decisions will still be taken in consultation with his board and Jacob, innovation can now be expected to continue, and may be accelerated. "I am proud about my new responsibilities and very happy to have Gilles Jacob at my side for a further mandate as president. This new situation could not be more perfect for me," Fremaux told Variety. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Franco to cameo in 'Lovelace'

FrancoNothAfter he was eyed to experience a mans lead of Chuck Traynor in "Lovelace," James Franco is within foretells cameo as Playboy founder Hugh Hefner within the indie drama which will reunite him together with his "Howl" helmers Take advantage of Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Should an offer close, Franco would join recently cast supporting gamers Hank Azaria, Bobby Cannavale, Chris Noth and Robert Patrick, in addition to stars Amanda Seyfried and Peter Sarsgaard.Set between your birth from the sexual revolution and also the culmination from the feminist movement, "Lovelace" represents the existence of Linda Boreman, who as Linda Lovelace grew to become the earth's first erotic celebrity because of the prosperity of "Deep Throat."Azaria will have "Deep Throat" author-director Jerry Damiano, who prides themself on getting designed a porn movie having a story, figures and humor. Cannavale and Noth will have "Deep Throat" bankers Butchie Peraino and Anthony Romano, who get into business with Linda's pornographer husband Traynor (Sarsgaard) after he shows them a house movie of her special skill. Patrick will have Linda's father John Boreman, who initially falls for Chuck's charm when Linda brings him home but later finds themself embarrassed with his daughter's newly found celebrity.Franco is anticipated to become on looking for just one day his screentime as Hefner is going to be restricted to moments where the magazine mogul welcomes Linda and Chuck towards the Playboy Mansion for any screening of "Deep Throat" and it has a heart-to-heart with Linda about her future.Sharon Stone, Juno Temple and Wes Bentley co-star as Linda's mother, closest friend and 2nd husband, correspondingly, while other notable supporting roles that haven't yet been cast include Linda's "Deep Throat" co-star Harry Reems, Gloria Steinem and Sammy Davis Junior.Production around the Andy Bellin-scripted pic started today in La, and also the film has been created using the cooperation of Linda Lovelace's estate. "Lovelace" is really a Millennium Films production that'll be created by Heidi Jo Markel for Eclectic Pictures, Laura Rister and Jason Weinberg for Untitled Entertainment and Jim Youthful for Animus Films. Professional producers include Boaz Davidson, Danny Dimbort, Mark Gill, W. Merritt Manley, Avi Lerner, Trevor Short and John Thompson for Nu Image/Millennium Films. Franco, who most lately toplined "Rise from the Planet from the Apes" and can soon wrap the title role in Mike Raimi's "Oz: The Truly Amazing and Effective," is repped by CAA and manager Miles Levy of James/Levy Management. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Bill Hader Ruined 'Titanic' for Some Sorority Girls

You love Bill Hader because of Stefon and all the other amazing things he does on 'Saturday Night Live' -- Herb Welch! -- but did you know he was once Public Enemy No. 1 for a group of sorority girls hoping to enjoy a night out with 'Titanic'? Back in 1997, Hader was working at a movie theater, and when a group of women who had rented out the theater were mean to him, the 'SNL' stalwart took action. "A sorority group rented out the movie theater. They were rude to me so I told them the end of 'Titanic,'" Hader told Us Weekly. "I said, 'The boat sinks, Leo dies, the old lady -- that's Kate Winslet -- she has a jewel and she throws in the water at the end, so that's where that goes!'" Needless to say, Hader was fired for his spoiling. No truth to the rumor that he later returned to the theater to ruin the ending of 'The Sixth Sense.' (Bruce Willis is dead the entire time, one person who hasn't seen 'The Sixth Sense.') [via Us] [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Kim Jong-il's Tasteless Cinematic Legacy: In Memoriam

Kim Jong-il, the reclusive North Korean leader who died Sunday at age 69, was a tyrant, a thug, a meddler, a menace, a fanatic, a spendthrift, a dilettante, and a dangerous visionary responsible for some of the worst abuses witnessed by world civilization in the last half century. But enough about his movies. The awfulness of Kim’s regime — its human-rights transgressions, its warmongering, its political ruthlessness — obviously cannot be overstated, and anyone who’s seen such bracing nonfiction fare as Yodok Stories (about DPRK concentration camp refugees who stage a musical about their lives), Kimjongilia (about surviving under the Dear Leader’s oppressive thumb) or The Red Chapel (about Kim’s sociocultural stranglehold on Pyongyang) knows full well about the nightmare that is life above the 38th Parallel. His horrors and quirks made him an easy target for such infamous parodies as those filling Team America: World Police, yet it’s also worth substituting millions of men, women and children for “Arec Bardwin” in this clip for some leavening historical perspective: And once you’ve got that out of the way, let’s reflect on that time when Kim — a notorious cinephile who had put an international assortment of filmmakers and other “cultural consultants” (read: political prisoners) to work as DPRK propagandists (several of whom wound up committing suicide) — kidnapped South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-ok and his ex-wife Choi Eun-hee. Their mission: Help Kim establish North Korea as a force in world cinema. They did exactly that with Pulgasari, quite possibly the worst monster movie in the history of a genre absolutely choked with awful films. Though, as with so many of the country’s most memorable cultural contributions over the years (Mass Games and magic shows come to mind) it’s a little more complicated than that: Despite Shin’s internal turmoil (or perhaps because of it), the director does have a few standouts from this phase in his career. Among them is Pulgasari, a Godzilla-esque film some suspect was meant as a slam to the cult of personality surrounding Kim Jong Il’s father as well as a veiled depiction of Shin’s feelings about his egomaniacal taskmaster. Fortunately, Kim loved it, largely because he interpreted the flick as an outright critique of capitalism. Even from beneath a pile of accolades and money, Shin and Choi couldn’t stop dreaming of escape. In fact, their “Dear Leader” was building them a mansion and a Hollywood-worthy movie set when the couple went to Vienna to negotiate film distribution rights in 1986. There, Shin and Choi eluded their bodyguards, fled to the American embassy, and pled for asylum. Discussions they’d secretly taped with their executive producer were used as proof that they hadn’t gone to North Korea for fame and fortune (as they’d been forced to claim during press conferences), and they were allowed to return home to South Korea. Shin passed away in 2006, at the age of 79. Kim Jong Il had to go back to relying on homegrown talent to crank out roughly 60 movies a year, but he never achieved his dream of winning an international audience. Regardless, as of 2006, a sign outside the country’s Ministry of Culture read, “Make More Cartoons”—proof that Kim Jong Il continued to impart his wisdom, and influence, on North Korean filmmakers. Here’s a glimpse at Pulgasari, for which I apologize in advance: And then there was Kim’s utterly vapid On the Art of Cinema, a 1973 book that served as both a motivational text for North Korea’s stillborn movie industry and a film-theory curio that no doubt just got a lot harder to find on Amazon. Among the “insights” therein: The cinema is now one of the main objects on which efforts should be concentrated in order to conduct the revolution in art and literature. The cinema occupies an important place in the overall development of art and literature. As such it is a powerful ideological weapon for the revolution and construction. Therefore, concentrating efforts on the cinema, making breakthroughs and following up success in all areas of art and literature is the basic principle that we must adhere to in revolutionizing art and literature. I mean, sure? I still prefer Sidney Lumet’s Making Movies 10 times out of 10, but maybe I’m missing something. In any case, we are left now with Kim’s son, Kim Jong-un, whose first economic policy effort as the DPRK’s new leader will no doubt be to find a buyer for his dad’s rumored collection of 20,000 DVDs. After all, the country needs all the GDP boost it can get, and to hear experts tell it, the kid’s more of “Watch Instantly” guy anyway. Good riddance to one and all.

'Sherlock' wins sluggish weekend B.O.

'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows'A pair of hefty holiday pics, Warner Bros.' "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" and Fox's "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked," weren't enough to cure the domestic B.O.'s moviegoing malaise, as overall totals came in roughly 10%-15% behind the same frame last year. Paramount's "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," which also helped fuel Stateside biz with its limited week-early launch, boosted overseas box office, tallying a projected $68.2 million. "Sherlock Holmes" easily won the weekend with an estimated $40 million domestically, while "Alvin" came in at No. 2, grossing through Sunday a projected $23.5 million. Neither film managed to match opening totals of their predecessor pics, though the first "Sherlock" pic and Fox's "Alvin" sequel both launched over Christmas weekend in 2009. The inaugural "Alvin," however, bowed at $44 million during this same weekend in 2007 - a much livelier marketplace. Appealing to the same crowd as "Sherlock," Par's exclusive large-format bow of "Ghost Protocol" saw terrific results, totaling an estimated $13 million - the majority of which (nearly $11 million) came from Imax - at a total 425 locations. Pic's cume is $13.6 million, including additional revenues from late-night Thursday screenings. Par vice chairman Rob Moore said the early Imax-dominated launch was meant to encourage word-of-mouth among fanboys, who tend to be first-responders. "No matter what's going on, if you're someone who likes to see movies in Imax, you also like to see them first," Moore said. "Ghost Protocol," which expands nationwide Dec. 21, posted a $32,000 per-screen average. That's a stellar start for the film, even with the average premium ticket upcharge from large-format houses, ranging between $3.50 and $5. Specialty B.O. mostly continued to counteract sluggish commercial biz. Focus Features' "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" was the clear indie winner on an individual theater basis, beating even "Sherlock" and "Ghost Protocol" in a few of its total 16 engagements. "Tinker," which launched solidly last weekend, scored a soph-sesh per-screen average of $28,267 for an estimated weekend gross of $452,278. Pic's cume is slightly more than $850,000. Five-times Golden Globes nominee "The Descendants" also displayed sturdy legs, grossing an estimated $3.4 million from 878 playdates. "Descendants" dropped a scant 24% in its fifth week, with a Stateside cume of $28.7 million. Underperforming in limited release, Sony Pictures Classics' "Carnage" tallied an average of just $17,139 from five locations - a less-than-desirable start, especially during the competitive holiday time frame. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

J.R. Martinez Is Going To Be A Father!

First Published: December 17, 2011 12:50 PM EST Credit: Getty Premium Caption J.R. Martinez and Diana Gonzalez-Jones arrive at 2011 CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on December 11, 2011LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- J.R. Martinez danced his way to the top on Dancing with the Stars Season 13, claiming the coveted mirrorball trophy alongside professional partner Karina Smirnoff. Now, the Iraq war vet is about to receive an even more precious prize a baby! The 28-year-old actor and girlfriend Diana Gonzalez-Jones are expecting their first child come spring, according to People. We found out just last week its a girl and we are over the moon, J.R. told the mag. Diana has a little baby bump now and its the cutest thing ever. With the holidays coming up, this is the biggest and best gift we could get. J.R., who won the hearts of millions of DWTS fans this year with his seemingly unending optimism and triumphant story (he survived an IED explosion in Iraq and subsequently underwent 33 surgeries), said the excitement of becoming a father is sinking in, but admitted hes overwhelmed by the tremendous joy this year has brought to him and his family. 2011 has been full of a lot of surprises and opportunities and ultimately, a lot of blessings, he said. Diana and I were just asking ourselves, How is 2012 going to top 2011? Well, we have our answer! In addition to becoming a new daddy, the lovable veteran-turned-actor will serve as Grand Marshal of the 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade on January 2. As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, J.R. first met Diana when he joined the cast of All My Children in 2008, where she was working as the assistant to the soaps executive producer. We were friends, and, you know, it was a workplace, so you dont want to cross the line. I was respectful of that, and for about two years we were great friends, J.R. told Access Hollywood Lives Billy Bush and Kit Hoover during a visit to the show last month. Finally, something happened, something clicked, and I just said, [Do] you ever look at me differently than just a friend? he continued, with a shy smile. And she kind of paid attention to it, and here we are! Its great. Though the relationship was slow to blossom, J.R. is glad he and Diana who was frequently seen in the Dancing audience proudly supporting her man built their romance on a time-tested foundation. I think we did it a great way to have a friendship first, and then build on that, he said. A rep for J.R. was not immediately available for comment on the happy news when contacted by Access Hollywood on Saturday. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AFTRA, record labels achieve deal

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has showed up in a tentative three-year deal with the record labels, 2 days just before the expiration in the current contract.AFTRA made the announcement Thursday and mentioned it had accomplished an increase in base rates of twoPercent yearly, additionally to the key objective of accelerating employer contributions for the AFTRA Medical health insurance and Retirement Funds.Discussions involving the union as well as the record labels began again now -- greater than two several days after people talks eliminate.The Appear Tracks Code produces greater than $140 million in annual earnings for AFTRA people. It covers entertainers, royalty and non-royalty artists, additionally to announcers, stars, comics, narrators and appear effects artists who concentrate on tracks in many new and traditional media and many types of music formats, furthermore to audiobooks, comedy albums and cast albums.The current contract was talked about in 2007 getting a June 2010 expiration nevertheless the pact was subsequently extended by 18 several days for the 12 ,. 31 expiration.AFTRA National Executive Director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth, who offered as chief negotiator, mentioned in the statement, "The functional people from the settling committee faced unique challenges in this particular settlement due to the structural changes, risks from content robbery and sharp economic declines it business has experienced throughout yesteryear decade, which are beyond anything gone through by our people used in other entertainment and media industries.""The AFTRA people round the settling committee nonetheless been effective in achieving considerably needed increases in minimums and H&R contributions, and extra bargained payment structures for digital revenue and new kinds of certification that will enable artists to greater be a part of altering business structures since the recorded music business attempts to sit in change," she added.The tentative agreement will probably be published for the national board for approval in addition to ratification by people. AFTRA mentioned particulars round the ratification process will probably be introduced right after the completely new year.AFTRA mentioned highlights in the contract, which will run retroactively from Jan. 1, 2012 to 12 ,. 31, 2014, include:-- Increase in base rates of twoPercent each year in the contract-- Rise in the industry medical health insurance and retirement contribution rate on royalty earnings by 1% inside the existence in the agreement-- maintained needed special employer contributions which guarantee medical insurance benefits for royalty artists round the current "roster" from the label, by growing the most on employer contributions from $5,000 to $6,500 every year-- enhanced and extended performers' base of participation in revenue from acquisition of digital downloads-- established a completely new structure of revenue-based obligations for completely new parts of poor licenses and licenses for non-traditional usages, for instance re-usage of tracks in novelty consumer products.AFTRA mentioned a thrilling-day session in NY went late Wednesday, then tentative agreement being showed up at Thursday morning. Discussions between AFTRA and reps from UMG, The brand new the new sony, Warner, EMI and Disney labels began August. 15, by getting one more round of settling kept in La a couple of times of Sept. 12-16 too as with NY on March. 5. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

KK&P lands pic rights to 'Eden'

Independent financier and production company Kerry, Kimmel and Pollack has acquired rights to Keary Taylor's novel "Eden," a dystopian thriller described as a cross between "The Hunger Games" and "The Terminator." Story follows Eve, a teenage girl living in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is on the brink of extinction and robots that were created to serve humans have turned against them. As Eve struggles to fight the Fallen and help her friends find safety, she must choose between a boy she has always trusted and one who holds the secrets to her past. "Eden" will be produced by Mark Morgan ("The Twilight Saga"), Kami Garcia (the "Beautiful Creatures" series), Brett Hudson ("Fast Flash to Bang Time") and Michael Pollack ("Black Forest"). KK&P, which recently acquired feature film and TV rights to pop culture guru Caprice Crane's novel "How to Be a Hater," is in pre-production on the W. Peter Illif-scripted psychological thriller "Fast Flash to Bang Time." Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

'Jerry Maguire' 15th Anniversary: Then-and-Now Cast Photos

'Jerry Maguire,' the sports drama/rom-com/inspirational story of one agent's quest for love and success is 15 years old. Fifteen! Yes, it's hard to believe more than a decade has passed since 'You complete me,' 'Show me the money' and a variety of other schmatlzy-yet-totally-memorable Cameron Crowe-written lines entered the zeitgeist. So, what do the stars of 'Jerry Maguire' look like in 2011? Luckily, the folks at Snakkle have posted a gallery featuring then-and-now photos of the entire 'Maguire' cast, including Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renee Zellweger, Bonnie Hunt, Jay Mohr and, of course, Jonathan Lipnicki (a.k.a. the cute kid). A few Moviefone favorites are below; make sure to head to Snakkle to see all the stars' then-and-now photos. [via Snakkle] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Dick Van Dyke Reuniting With TV Wife Mary Tyler Moore at SAG Awards

Chuck Lorre says he was prepared to leave Two and a Half Men, the mega-hit sitcom he created for CBS, during Charlie Sheen's manic media meltdown.our editor recommendsChuck Lorre, Michael Eisner New ATAS Hall of Fame InducteesChuck Lorre Talks Charlie Sheen Lawsuit, Tell-All Book in New Vanity Card'Two and a Half Men's' Chuck Lorre, Ashton Kutcher Meet (Photo)Chuck Lorre Hatches 'Two and a Half Men' Reboot Without Charlie Sheen (Exclusive)Related Topics•Charlie Sheen "I offered to quit the show last winter," Lorre told TV Guide in his first interview since Sheen seemingly went off the deep end, publicly trashing the producer at every opportunity. "I said, 'Listen, if for some reason I'm now the Antichrist I'm happy to leave. It's not in my interest to stop the show, and I certainly don't want to put all these people out of work. Keep going. Get another guy. Don't stop on my account.'" PHOTOS: Chuck Lorre & His TV Empire Sheen had blasted Lorre as a "little maggot," among other unprintable names, prompting an exasperated Lorre to tell the network: "I can't work with a guy who has decided that he hates my guts." In the end, of course, Lorre stayed and Sheen continued his downward spiral. "(CBS and Warner Bros.) chose to make a moral decision as opposed to a financial one," Lorre said. "But people were really frightened that they were signing off on what could have had devastating consequences. This was not a game. This was drug addiction writ large. This was big-time cocaine and in his own words, an 'epic drug run' that could have ended with either his death or someone else's." PHOTOS: Hollywood's Twitter Feuds Sheen, who will soon return to TV in his comeback comedy Anger Management, scheduled to air on FX this summer, became a headache for Lorre on and off the set. In fact, Lorre nearly threw in the towel in 2009, when his controversial star made headlines for pulling a knife on wife, Brooke Mueller, during a holiday trip in Aspen. "When he started attacking people with knives, that's it," Lorre recalled. "That should have been it. I should have walked. That's unthinkable. No more. I'm done. But for some reason I thought that because she was willing to forgive him ... we could emerge from this fiasco and be stronger and healthier." Then came the Plaza hotel-room-trashing incident nearly a year later. "Last January and February it was not working anymore. You couldn't do that much cocaine and work. It was heartbreaking to be around here last year. ... It was a painful year. I'll be sorting it out for a long time." PHOTOS: Charlie Sheen's Wildest TV Interviews The studio and network fired Sheen months later, and Sheen retaliated with verbal grenades and a lawsuit accusing his former boss of breaching his contract. The suit was settled. With Sheen out of the picture, Lorre recruited Ashton Kutcher to replace him as Jon Cryer's foil with the added bonus of further expanding the show's audience to include Kutcher's youthful Twitter fanbase. In a vanity card that aired following a September episode of Men, Lorre said: "Live and learn. Moving on. Game over." Not so fast, the creator continued: "There's just one problem. The thing inside me that died? It walks at night. It's angry. It's hungry. And worst of all ... It's writing a tell-all book." PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Chuck Lorre & His TV Empire Related Topics Chuck Lorre TV Casting Charlie Sheen CBS Warner Bros. Two and a Half Men

'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3' Crosses $1 Billion Sales Mark

NY - The Walt Disney Co. is adding to its popular princesses with a girl princess called Sofia who is aimed at pre-schoolers, or kids ages 2 to 7, and is the company's first princess who is not an adult, the NY Times reported.our editor recommends'Cars 2' Toys, Disney Princesses Help Drive Mattel's Third-Quarter Results'Winnie the Pooh': How the Disney Classic Became New Again Featured in a movie and coming TV series Sofia the First on the Disney Channel and Disney Junior, she joins the line of Disney princesses that have included Cinderella, Snow White and more. The Disney Princess toy line generates about $4 billion in annual retail sales, the Times highlighted. Aware of the potential for criticism, Disney emphasizes that Sofia will focus on teaching viewers age-appropriate themes, such as getting along with siblings and how to be kind and generous, the Times said. Sofia will have "plenty of pretty dresses and sparkly shoes," said Nancy Kanter, general manager for Disney Junior Worldwide, but episodes will teach children that "what makes a real princess is what's inside, not what's outside." Focus group reactions were full of "uniform positivity," she told the Times. "We saw girls have an instant relatability to this character. If kids relate to what they watch - if they can put themselves in that world - that's where real learning can start." Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Topics The Walt Disney Company

Hollywood's Real Estate Deals of the Week: Beyonce and Jay-Z, Ryan Phillippe, Blake Lively and Gerald Levin

NBC"Chuck" With the Christmas just two weeks away, programming on the broadcast networks are reflecting the holiday lull. Running Christmas programming and a Blue Bloods repeat, CBS still managed to top the night among the 18-49 demographic averaging a 1.4 rating, steady from last week when it aired originals. But NBC took advantage, bringing back Chuck and Grimm to boost its demo average to tie for first. It's been several weeks since NBC aired its regular Friday schedule, but last night's ratings performance proved that viewers would follow -- at least where Chuck was concerned. The Zachary Levi-directed episode of Chuck drew 3.7 million total viewers at 8 p.m., that's 500,000 more viewers than its last original in November. Among adults 18-49, the series improved slightly to a 1.0 rating. Following a trial run on Thursday night at 10 p.m. (in place of Prime Suspect), Grimm (5.4 million, 1.6)continued its steady run in its usual time slot following Chuck at 9 p.m. posting similar numbers to its last original. ABC placed third with an average rating of 1.3. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (5.1 million, 1.3) grew just a tad and 20/20 (4.7 million, 1.3) was flat. Fox and the CW aired reruns. Refresh for the latest ... PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Preview NBC's Fall Key Art for 'Playboy Club,' 'Grimm,' 'Whitney,' More TV Ratings Grimm Chuck

The Roots Must Now Apparent Late Evening Music with NBC

Ahmir Khalib Thompson also called "Questlove" Following an accidents with GOP presidential candidate Michelle Bachman lately, Jimmy Fallon's house band The Roots will have to apparent their Late Evening song options with NBC, in line with the Connected Press. NBC received fire in November when the Roots carried out the 1985 Fishbone song "Lyin' A-- B---" as Bachmann walked onto stage. The network later apologized for your incident and mentioned this rock band happen to be punished. NBC apologizes to Bachmann Wanted for Fallon intro music NBC is becoming while using extra key to make sure it doesn't happen again. Roots front guy ?uestlove mentioned they know your final decision that the network won't stand in the way humor. "It absolutely was kind of wrong will be able to throw (NBC) beneath the bus without allowing them to know exactly what it was, therefore i understand in the business perspective," he told the AP."It's still a comedy show, to ensure that they promise not to board my toes or that type of factor, nonetheless they certainly have to know the title in the song, the subject couple of the song, [and] could it be viewed as insult?"Can you accept NBC?

Ken Russell Was Hoping to Remake 1976 X-Rated Alice Musical... with Lady Gaga

When the late filmmaker Ken Russell passed away last week at the age of 84, he’d been planning to remake the infamous 1976 X-rated Alice in Wonderland musical in which Alice is taken on a tour of Wonderland by a randy White Rabbit. Ahem. And who had Russell hoped to bring along on his naughty trip down the rabbit hole? Lady Gaga, of course! Well, kinda; The Guardian reports that Russell, according to producers who are still moving forward with the project, had hoped to bring Gaga and Rihanna aboard to contribute songs to the musical, penned by composer Simon Boswell. Roger Daltry, who starred in Russell’s film adaptation of The Who’s Tommy, had been asked to play the Mad Hatter; is it much of a stretch to envision Lady Gaga as the White Rabbit, guiding young Alice along in an erotic romp through Wonderland? The producers are currently seeking a new director to take over from Russell, who left behind a near-complete script. More details over at The Guardian, but in the meantime, check out a peek at the infamous 1976 Alice (Sample ditty: “What’s a nice girl like you doing/on a knight like me?”) for a taste of the raunchy fantasy that inspired the project: Raunchy Alice musical could be Ken Russell’s final legacy [Guardian]

'Laugh-In' Comic Actor Alan Sues Dies at 85

LOS ANGELES (AP) Alan Sues, who brought his flamboyant and over-the-top comic persona to the hit television show "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" in the 1960s and 1970s, has died, a close friend said Sunday night.Sues died of cardiac arrest on Thursday at his home in West Hollywood, Michael Gregg Michaud, a friend since 1975, told The Associated Press."He was sitting in a recliner watching TV with his dachshund Doris who he loved in his lap," Michaud said.Sues had various health problems in the last several years, but the death came as a shock to friends, Michaud said. He was 85.A native Californian who moved to NY in 1952, Sues began his career as a serious actor and in 1953 appeared in director Elia Kazan's "Tea and Sympathy" on Broadway.But he would be remembered for his wild comic characters.They included "Big Al," an effeminate sportscaster, and "Uncle Al the Kiddies Pal," a hung-over children's show host, on "Laugh-In," the TV phenomenon that both reflected and mocked the era's counterculture and made stars of Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin and many others.Sues also donned tights as the commercial spokesman for Peter Pan peanut butter, and appeared in the popular 1964 "Twilight Zone" episode "The Masks."Fellow cast members and crew from "Laugh-In" remembered him as even more entertaining behind the scenes."Alan Sues was one of those guys even funnier in person than on camera," Ruth Buzzi, a co-star who appeared in many skits with Sues, said on her Twitter account. "Across a dinner table, over the phone ... hysterical. We'll miss him."Executive producer George Schlatter, who would eventually bring Sues to "Laugh-In" after seeing him alongside future co-star Jo Anne Worley in the Off-Broadway comedy "The Mad Show," said Sues was "a free spirit," an "outrageous human being" and "a love child.""He was a delight; he was an upper," Schlatter told the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the death. "He walked on the stage and everybody just felt happy."Sues would always be best known for "Laugh-In," which he left in 1972 before its final season.But Michaud said the Peter Pan spots brought Sues nearly as much recognition in later years.And he said the "Twilight Zone" episode brought him appearances at sci-fi and autograph conventions for decades."Fans of 'The Twilight Zone' are cuckoo," Michaud said.Michaud said that while Sues was always cast as the stereotypically gay character, he believed he needed to hide his own gay identity during his years on television."He felt like he couldn't publicly come out," Michaud said. "He felt like people wouldn't accept him."Sues was grateful for "Laugh-In," but wasn't happy he was typecast in his comic persona as he sought to return to more serious acting.He got one chance that he cherished in 1975, the serious role of Moriarty with the Royal Shakespeare Company in "Sherlock Holmes" on Broadway.He stayed with the show until it closed the following year, then went out to perform it with the touring company.In later years he would make many more theater appearances, do voiceover work for television, and appear in guest spots on TV series like "Punky Brewster" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch."Sues is survived by a sister-in-law, two nieces and a nephew.There were no immediate plans for a memorial.Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. By Andrew Dalton December 5, 2011 LOS ANGELES (AP) Alan Sues, who brought his flamboyant and over-the-top comic persona to the hit television show "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" in the 1960s and 1970s, has died, a close friend said Sunday night.Sues died of cardiac arrest on Thursday at his home in West Hollywood, Michael Gregg Michaud, a friend since 1975, told The Associated Press."He was sitting in a recliner watching TV with his dachshund Doris who he loved in his lap," Michaud said.Sues had various health problems in the last several years, but the death came as a shock to friends, Michaud said. He was 85.A native Californian who moved to NY in 1952, Sues began his career as a serious actor and in 1953 appeared in director Elia Kazan's "Tea and Sympathy" on Broadway.But he would be remembered for his wild comic characters.They included "Big Al," an effeminate sportscaster, and "Uncle Al the Kiddies Pal," a hung-over children's show host, on "Laugh-In," the TV phenomenon that both reflected and mocked the era's counterculture and made stars of Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin and many others.Sues also donned tights as the commercial spokesman for Peter Pan peanut butter, and appeared in the popular 1964 "Twilight Zone" episode "The Masks."Fellow cast members and crew from "Laugh-In" remembered him as even more entertaining behind the scenes."Alan Sues was one of those guys even funnier in person than on camera," Ruth Buzzi, a co-star who appeared in many skits with Sues, said on her Twitter account. "Across a dinner table, over the phone ... hysterical. We'll miss him."Executive producer George Schlatter, who would eventually bring Sues to "Laugh-In" after seeing him alongside future co-star Jo Anne Worley in the Off-Broadway comedy "The Mad Show," said Sues was "a free spirit," an "outrageous human being" and "a love child.""He was a delight; he was an upper," Schlatter told the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the death. "He walked on the stage and everybody just felt happy."Sues would always be best known for "Laugh-In," which he left in 1972 before its final season.But Michaud said the Peter Pan spots brought Sues nearly as much recognition in later years.And he said the "Twilight Zone" episode brought him appearances at sci-fi and autograph conventions for decades."Fans of 'The Twilight Zone' are cuckoo," Michaud said.Michaud said that while Sues was always cast as the stereotypically gay character, he believed he needed to hide his own gay identity during his years on television."He felt like he couldn't publicly come out," Michaud said. "He felt like people wouldn't accept him."Sues was grateful for "Laugh-In," but wasn't happy he was typecast in his comic persona as he sought to return to more serious acting.He got one chance that he cherished in 1975, the serious role of Moriarty with the Royal Shakespeare Company in "Sherlock Holmes" on Broadway.He stayed with the show until it closed the following year, then went out to perform it with the touring company.In later years he would make many more theater appearances, do voiceover work for television, and appear in guest spots on TV series like "Punky Brewster" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch."Sues is survived by a sister-in-law, two nieces and a nephew.There were no immediate plans for a memorial.Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Rankings Corporate Jungle: CBS CSI: NY Hits Low, NBCs Family Pic Tanks Wheres Grimm?

Before we checked on Grimm a few days prior to the Christmas, the rookie NBC drama appeared to become bottoming out, holding steady week-to-week to prevent its publish-premiere slide. However the fairytale procedural was benched once for that holiday, that is understandable, and on the other hand last evening for original movie Bet On Your Existence, which isn't a lot. Last evening, the most recent from the Procter & Gamble/Walmart-funded family movies that air on NBC as time buys came a meager .5/2 in grown ups 18-49 from 8-10 PM and a pair of.two million audiences. It's tied because the cheapest-ranked such movie to air on NBC on Friday or Saturday, in- or off-season. The first, Strategies Of The Mountain, averaged a decent 1.3/5 in 18-49 and 7.8 million audiences in April 2010. The Jensen Project published a .9 and three.9 million in summer time 2010. Both broadcast on Friday. Area Of Vision (.5/2, 2.7 million) along with a Walk During My Footwear (1.3/4, 4.9 million) broadcast on Saturday earlier this summer time. To help keep airing individuals movies, NBC without doubt is earning money around the time buys (and let’s face the facts, it’s not too NBC has cabinets stacked with originals following a brutal fall full of cancellations). However I’d question the arranging option for Bet On Your Existence, which stretches unnecessarily the hiatus of the newcomer series so early into its run. With Dateline (1./3, 4 million) at 10 PM, NBC finished 4th for that evening in 18-49. CBS’ dramas published wall-to-wall declines airing against Fox’s coverage from the Pac-12 Championship Game. A Gifted Guy (1.2/4, 8 million) was lower a tenth in 18-49, CSI: NY (1.4/4, 9.8 million) was lower 18% to some series low, and Blue Bloods (1.6/5, 11 million) was lower 20%. Within the fast excellent, CBS (1.4/4, 9.six million) is tied for No. 1 around the evening in 18-49 with Fox and Univision, but Fox’s amounts are approximate since the rankings for the overall game aren't time-modified. ABC broadcast Extreme Transformation: Home Edition at 8 PM (1.1/4, flat) and also at 9 PM (1.3/4), lower 13%, and 20/20 (1.3/4) at 10 PM. The CW’s Supernatural (.7/2, 1.9 million) was steady, while Nikita (.5/2, 1.7 million) was lower a tenth within the demo.

Blackberry Maker Hit With Charge on Weak Tablet Sales

NY - Cable giants Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable along with smaller cable firm Bright House Networks have agreed to sell wireless spectrum to telecom company Verizon Wireless for $3.6 billion. The companies also struck agreements that will see the cable firms and the telecom giant sell each other's products. SpectrumCo, a joint venture of the cable companies, said Friday that Comcast will receive approximately $2.3 billion from the sale. Time Warner Cable about $1.1 billion and Bright House $189 million. "The agreement comes at a time when consumer demand for wireless services and bandwidth is increasing rapidly," the firms said. "This sale of spectrum is an important step toward ensuring that the needs and desires of consumers for additional mobile services will not be thwarted by the current spectrum shortage." Government action to free up more spectrum is expected, but the deal partners said their transaction that available spectrum is used effectively for the benefit of customers. The deal partners said Friday that they have also formed an "innovation technology joint venture" for the development of technology to better integrate wireline and wireless products and services. "We're excited to be able to offer the nation's best wireless services to our customers and to have Verizon Wireless as a sales channel for our superb wireline services," said TW Cable president and COO Rob Marcus. "We're also pleased to have obtained an attractive price for the spectrum we're selling." "These agreements, together with our Wi-Fi plans, enable us to execute a comprehensive, long-term wireless strategy and expand our focus on providing mobility to our Xfinity services," said Neil Smit, president of Comcast Cable. Dan Mead, president and CEO of Verizon Wireless, added: "Spectrum is the raw material on which wireless networks are built, and buying the...spectrum now solidifies our network leadership into the future, and will enable us to bring even better 4G LTE products and services to our customers." Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Topics

Fox Announces Midseason Schedule

American Idol Fox has unveiled its midseason schedule, and not surprisingly, American Idol will fill the X Factor-sized hole on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, and of course Ryan Seacrest will kick off the show's 11th season on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 8/7c. The Bones spin-off The Finder bows on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 9/8c. The animated Napoleon Dynamite series will premiere on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 8:30/7:30c. J.J. Abrams' Alcatraz gets underway on Monday, Jan. 16 at 8/7c before moving to 9/8c the following week. Kiefer Sutherland's anticipated new drama Touch premieres Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 9/8c, immediately following Idol. Check out the full schedule: MONDAY Monday, Jan. 16: 8:00-10:00 PM ALCATRAZ (Series Premiere) Monday, beginning Jan. 23: 8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE (Time Period Premiere) 9:00-10:00 PM ALCATRAZ (Time Period Premiere) Monday, March 19: 9:00-10:00 PM TOUCH (Series Premiere) **************************** TUESDAY Tuesday, Jan. 17: 8:00-9:00 PM GLEE 9:00-9:30 PM NEW GIRL 9:30-10:00 PM RAISING HOPE Tuesday, March 6: 8:30-9:00 PM BREAKING IN (Season Premiere) **************************** WEDNESDAY Wednesday, Jan. 4: 9:00-10:00 PM MOBBED Wednesday, Jan. 18: 8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part One) Wednesday, Jan. 25: 9:00-10:00 PM TOUCH (Special Preview) *************************** THURSDAY Thursday, Jan. 12: 9:00-10:00 PM THE FINDER (Series Premiere) Thursday, Jan. 19: 8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part Two) *************************** FRIDAY Friday, Jan. 13: 8:00-9:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES 9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE *************************** SUNDAY Sunday, Jan. 8: 8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS 8:30-9:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW 9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY 9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD Sunday, Jan. 15: 8:30-9:00 PM NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (Series Premiere) Sunday, March 11: 8:30-9:00 PM BOB'S BURGERS (Season Premiere)

Wall Street states 'meh' to Lionsgate-Summit talks

'The Hunger Games'The prospect from the Lionsgate-Summit merger has triggered little reaction on Wall Street inside the wake of looks at the two minimajors are tease getting a merger. Shares of Lionsgate edged lower 1% on Tuesday getting a decline of 9 cents to $8.44. For your year, the stock expires 30%. Spokesmen for Lionsgate and Summit have rejected to comment since reviews of restarted merger talks emerged Monday mid-day following a market closed. Stifel Nicolaus analyst Ben Mogil launched an e-mail to traders Tuesday stating that Lionsgate will in all probability problem stock and unload TV Guide. "We view this kind of deal as getting limited operational synergies, largely foreign sales strength, although future Summit films could migrate to Lions Gate's Epix deal," Mogil mentioned. "With only one installment left inside the 'Twilight' series, earnings of the routine is pretty high and built-into valuation. The sale may very well largely involve Lionsgate stock as Summit (and Lionsgate) already carry substantial debt loads and likely accelerate an order of TV Guide." Experts have noted that Lionsgate may be reluctant to problem new stock until after March, if the opens "The Hunger Games" as an franchise starter. Mogil mentioned he is constantly rate Lionsgate just like a "hold" getting a $9 fair value estimate. More youthful crowd mentioned that this kind of deal might be then strong free earnings. "In the end will not opine round the merits until valuation is clearer, with Lionsgate stock now limited valuation, this kind of deal might well be accretive while potentially creating a strong fiscal 2013 between 'Hunger Games' and 'Twilight.'" The companies have held similar discussions formerly but people discussions have flattened over issues for instance who'd control the which makes it through entity. Independently possessed Summit introduced Tuesday that "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning -- Part 1" had hit $508 million in worldwide box office within the first 12 days. The best "Twilight" film will open November. 16. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Selena Gomez Reveals Her Mom Is Expecting

First Published: November 25, 2011 4:19 PM EST Credit: WireImage NY, N.Y. -- Caption Selena Gomez and mother Mandy Teefey attend the 2010 Hollywood Style Awards with The Palazzo Las Vegas, Klipsch, and FRS Healthy Energy at the Hammer Museum, Las Vegas, on December 12, 2010Theres a new reason to celebrate holiday season in Selena Gomezs household the star revealed her mom and stepfather are expecting a baby. On Friday, the star announced mom Mandy Teefey, 35, is pregnant. Momma and Brian are finally letting me share the news, she Tweeted. My mommys carrying my baby brother or sister :). Posting a photo of her mother, Mandy, and her stepfather, Brian Teefey, Selena Tweeted she was thrilled about the impending arrival. Click HERE to see the photo. Im the happiest girl in the world, Selena wrote. And Selena was quickly joined in her joy by her fans as Congrats Selena quickly became a top 10 trending topic on Twitter. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

London Game For Shoots During Olympics

As London prepares to welcome the 2012 Summer Olympics, the citys film and media agency wants filmmakers to knowmovie business is welcome. FilmLondon is creating a single online gateway for the first time andstreamlining the application process for productions aiming to shoot in the capital.Film London’s Microsite (www.filmlondon.org.uk/filmingin2012) will provide advice forovercominglogistical challenges during the Games which start in late July. The Olympic improvements are intended to send a message to the global industry that London is open to filmmakers throughout the whole of 2012, Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, said in a press release. London Mayor Boris Johnson added: Film production generates over 860 million for London each year and we want to attract major stars of the movie making firmament throughout next year, by making it as easy as possible to film here.

Lifeguard Captain Still Believes Natalie Wood 'Could Have Been Saved'

With the investigation of Natalie Wood's death 30 years ago under way, people who were close to the case then are speaking out about what could have happened in 1981.our editor recommendsNatalie Wood's Death: 10 Developments During Week 1 of the Reinvestigation Natalie Wood Case: Criminal Experts Outline Path for Investigation Natalie Wood's Sister 'Frightened' of Death Investigation Outcome (Video)Natalie Wood 'Ear Witness' Says She Was Threatened Three Days After The Actress Died PHOTOS: Best Pictures of Natalie Wood Lifeguard captain, Roger Smith, who pulled Wood's body from the water is still under the impression that the actress could have been saved had a search began earlier, the Los Angeles Times reports. The former county supervising rescue boat captain was optimistic that by police reopening Wood's case, the investigation into her death would provide answers over why there was a lull before lifeguards were alerted of the actress' disappearance. "Based on the condition of her body when we pulled her from the water, I believe she survived for sometime in the water and was blown out to sea. She probably cried for help for hours," Smith said. "I've always believed she could have been saved. Her fingers were still pliable when she was pulled from the water, suggesting she had not been dead for hours." VIDEO: 5 of Natalie Wood's Most Memorable Roles Wood disappeared off Catalina Island on Thanksgiving weekend in 1981 during a trip with her husband, actor Robert Wagner and Brainstorm co-star Christopher Walken. The original cause of death was determined to be an accidental drowning that occured when Wood fell into the water while attempting to tie a loose dinghy on the yacht, Splendour, but many have questioned the events of that night, including her sister, Lana Wood, and the yacht's captain, Dennis Davern, who more than a year ago were both calling for the department to reopen its investigation. The actress was 43. PHOTOS: 12 of Hollywood's Most Mysterious Deaths Smith noted that he was notified at 5:11 a.m. the day Wood went missing from her boat about 200 feet from the Isthmus, about four hours after she disappeared. A lifeguard boat was about 100 feet away the entire time, Smith recalled. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reopened the investigation into Wood's death on Nov. 17. Investigatorsrevealed that new information was behind the decision to revisit the events of Nov. 29, 1981. Related Topics Natalie Wood

Idol Winner Scotty McCreery Honored In NC Hometown

First Published: November 20, 2011 3:23 PM EST Credit: Access Hollywood RALEIGH, N.C. -- Caption Scotty McCreery performs I Love You This Big on Access Hollywood, May 26, 2011American Idol winner Scotty McCreery is being honored in a mural at his high school in North Carolina. The News & Observer of Raleigh reports that McCreery winner was on hand Friday as the new mural was unveiled at Garner High School. The mural honors the schools sports accomplishments. McCreery is pictured because he swung his microphone like a baseball bat at the end of a song on Idol. McCreery is pictured next to former Garner basketball star Donald Williams, who was named most valuable player during the University of North Carolinas run to the 1993 national championship. Hal Stewart, who coached the Trojans to the 1987 state football title, is also on the mural. McCreery is attending his senior year at Garner High School. Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Breaking Beginning Stars Respond To Fans Premiere Tent City

First Released: November 11, 2011 9:40 PM EST Credit: WireImage La, Calif. -- Caption Host and Nylon material November cover star Kellan Lutz arrives, in Dylan George and the own clothing line Abbot + Primary, in the Nylon material Men and Dylan George, Abbot and Primary party, backed by Luna Rosa Tequila in the Beverly, La, November. 10, 2011More than 1,000 Twilight fans are anxiously waiting for Mondays premiere of Breaking Beginning Part 1, already outdoor camping and arranging outdoors LA Reside in Downtown La. But exactly what do the Breaking Beginning stars themselves think about the Twi-hard tent city? Access Hollywood swept up with Kellan Lutz and Christian Serratos around the red-colored carpet from the Nylon material Men November problem release party on Thursday evening in West Hollywood to find the scoop. I actually want to go to tent city, Kellan told Access Hollywood. My buddies explained, I believe you are making the record for 2 premieres in a single week in the Nokia Theater, he added, mentioning towards the LA Live-held premiere of his other November film, Immortals, which sees him playing a youthful-searching Poseidon. Kellan, who plays Emmett Cullen within the Twilight Saga, is not the only real cast member jazzed through the #OccupyTwilight phenomenon. I learned about tent city as an hour ago. I'd no clue that fans were available already, Christian, who plays Bellas human friend Angela Weber, told Access. I understand they are doing it every movie, but to allow them to be available already is extremely awesome, very encouraging. Christian cant wait to determine the premiere either because she accepted that Breaking Beginning is her favorite installment in Stephenie Meyers book series. Im more excited with this movie than I've been for the others, the actress, who had been sporting a cool Forever 21 top and black and whitened Chanel athletic shoes, added. And Im inside it minimal! Among her favorite moments to film was the swapping of vows between Edward and Bella. It felt just like a real wedding. It had been emotionalespecially simply because they made the marriage the last scene all of us shot together, she stated. When requested the inevitable question, Team Edward or Team Jacob, the 21 year-old actress didnt hesitate for any single second before responding. I did previously listen to it awesome and say I had been neutral, but [expletive] it Im Team Edward! Christian told Access. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning Part 1 premieres next Monday, November 14. Part 2 follows in November 2012. -- Chandler Chase Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Molly Shannon At Center Of Disney Feature Pitch Deal

EXCLUSIVE: Molly Shannon teamed with veteran scribes Take advantage of Muir and Bob Hilgenberg to market an untitled comedy feature pitch to Disney. They'll write the script together for any film that may be a star vehicle for Shannon. It’s based by themselves encounters as a parent, and also the comedy concentrates on the social realm of motherhood. The film is going to be created by Andrew Panay (Wedding Crashers), and Shannon is going to be professional producer. Hilgenberg & Muir are presently scripting an active-action version from the Family Circus for Fox and Walden Media. Shannon’s repped by Gersh and Framework Entertainment, the scribes are repped by Summit Talent & Literary.

5 Terrible Moments from Five of the Fall's Best Films

We’re on the verge of a star-studded Oscar season, but before we dig into the potentially embarrassing J. Edgar, the probably overblown War Horse, or the already-cloying Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, let’s take a second look at five great films from fall and remember that they weren’t so flawless either. In fact, these films all possessed one ridiculous moment that completely took me out of the otherwise believable drama. Did you have the same problems with Moneyball, Martha Marcy May Marlene, and Drive? Click through for our rundown. Moneyball Moneyball’s critical success seemed like a statistical impossibility (guh-her!), but it’s a smartly scripted meditation on Oakland Athletics manager Billy Beane’s intuition, his successful 2002 recalibration of the team, and the almost mystically unwatchable sport of baseball. It’s successful, that is, until the movie’s conversational realism goes south when we’re introduced to Beane’s wide-eyed preteen daughter. At first she seems like a loyal, if unassuming girl, but in the most cringe-inducing minute of fall cinema, she reveals herself to be a brilliant singer-songwriter who strums a guitar and trills damning lyrics about her father’s character. When do we hear her full, perfectly composed ditty about being a loser, you ask? Why, over the closing credits after her father’s team loses! It’s a little convenient. Especially since Billy Beane has no such singer-songwriter daughter, and the song she chirps is Australian artist Lenka’s post-2002 tune “The Show.” Martha Marcy May Marlene Martha Marcy May Marlene’s glimpses into its fractured heroine’s cult past are disturbing and engrossing, but it runs into trouble when chronicling Martha’s new life squatting with her chilly sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) and her arrogant husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) at their vacation home. The worst of it occurs when Martha, whose grasp of social norms is clearly shot to hell — she tries sleeping in bed with Lucy and Ted while they’re having sex; she swims nude in the middle of the day as neighbors abound — endures a PTSD-grade conniption during the night. As she harrumphs up the stairs in a maniacal, nocturnal fit, she kicks away Ted, who tries to restrain her. Ted’s reaction? Not to realize that Martha Marcy is exhibiting the most textbook trauma since Sybil, but to yell, “She’s crazy!” and dismiss her animalistic terrors as selfish bitchiness. Come on. I don’t care how many pontoon boats Ted owns; there’s no way he’s too rich to realize Martha’s been through a dehumanizing hell. Drive Drive is undeniably the starkest, most stylish thriller of fall. It is also undeniably pretentious. I’m ambivalent about whether College’s soundtrack contribution “A Real Hero,” which reiterates the inanely literal lyrics, “He’s a real hero and a real human being,” needs to played twice during the film, but I’m very decided that there’s no need for an inhumanely long, lingering gaze between The Driver (Ryan Gosling) and Irene (Carey Mulligan) at her apartment. The Driver is supposed to represent stoic, charitable heroism, but scenes like this squelch his pure intentions and recast him as a reticent homewrecker. He should want to help the beleaguered Irene, not bed her. Later in the film when he steals a kiss from Irene in a surreal elevator scene, the dissolution of The Driver’s saintly intentions is clear. He’s just a horndog with a decent coat and strong facestomping legs after all. 50/50 Bryce Dallas Howard’s role as Rachael in the cute, inoffensive 50/50 is mysteriously one of the most poorly treated female characters of the season. As the cancer-stricken Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s artsy girlfriend, she should be likable until Seth Rogen’s character Kyle spots her making out with an arthouse hipster. Instead, the movie is mean to Rachael right as it begins; early in the film, we’re treated to viewings of her artwork, which she assigns contrived, sophomoric titles like “Existence” and “Defiance” (the actual names are escaping me, but you get the point) — and we’re supposed to laugh at her moronic ideas. Meanwhile, her boyfriend is spending weeks working on a similarly contrived NPR segment about volcanoes for half the movie, so I can’t decide whose artistic instincts are worse. Nevertheless, Levitt is treated like a lovable everyman and she’s treated like a disposable, idiotic bitch as soon as the movie starts. The Ides of March Sure, The Ides of March skimps on deep intrigue and settles for surface-level political thrills, but it’s chockablock with great performances. One of my favorites was Marisa Tomei, who plays a roving, no-nonsense NY Times reporter whose scoops compromise the candidates’ campaigns. However, I could’ve done without learning that her name was “Ida,” and that she represents — wait for it! — the Ides of March. I haven’t experienced such a pang of punny pain since (500) Days of Summer when a girl named Autumn replaced Summer in the movie’s final moments. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, we need to have a firm discussion about your movie paramours.

IM Global to finance 'Dead Man Down'

IM Global has come on board to fully finance action thriller "Dead Man Down," starring Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace."Dead Man" will be produced by Neal H. Moritz's Original Film and screenwriter J.H. Wyman of Frequency Films. IM Global topper Stuart Ford and Moritz made the announcement Tuesday, a day before the start of the American Film Market.Niels Arden Oplev ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo") will direct the $30 million pic. Shooting will begin early next year.Action thriller, which stars Colin Farrell (Total Recall, Horrible Bosses, Miami Vice, S.W.A.T.) and Noomi Rapace (Prometheus,The Girl with the DragonTattoo). Original's Ori Marmur will exec produce with Reid Shane of Frequency.Farrell will portray the right hand man to an underground crime lord in NY City who is seduced and blackmailed by Rapace's character, a crime victim seeking retribution. Their intense chemistry leads them spiraling into payback delivered in violent catharsis.Moritz has produced two pics for Sony -- "21 Jump Street" and "Total Recall," which also stars Farrell. He's also producing "Jack the Giant Killer" for Warner Bros. and "R.I.P.D." for Universal.Oplev also directed CBS' "Unforgettable" pilot episode. Wyman currently serves as the executive producer and co-show runner of Fox's "Fringe."Rapace starred as Lisbeth Salander in the original Millennium trilogy and is in "Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows."Oplev is represented by ICM and Curtis Brown in the UK. Rapace is represented by Magnolia Entertainment, UTA, and attorney Howard Fishman. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Access Hollywood Live: Halloween Social Gathering Quality recipes

First Released: October 31, 2011 1:27 PM EDT Credit: Access Hollywood Caption Bon Apptits Adam Rapoport stopped by Access Hollywood Live to exhibit Billy Rose bush and Package Hoover some good and tasty ideas to toss the perfect Halloween Social Gathering!La, Calif. -- Bon Apptits Adam Rapoport stopped by Access Hollywood Live to exhibit Billy Rose bush and Package Hoover some good and tasty ideas to toss the perfect Halloween Social Gathering! Listed here are the hyperlinks fully quality recipes Adam demonstrated on-air Pumpkin Soup with Gruyere, here. Cranberry Cobbler, here. Fried Chickpeas, here. Texas Beef Brisket Chili, here. Zucchini Cornbread, here. Halloween Bleeding Cookies, here. Happy Halloween! Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Warner Bros Wins Round In Superman Suit Against Copyright Lawyer

Warner Bros/Electricity Comics Sues Superman Copyright Lawyer How Come Electricity/WB Vendetta Against Superman Copyright Lawyer Based On Stolen Files? Letter From Lois Lane To Time Warner Boss Ruling regarding Warner Bros., a federal judge on Tuesday rejected copyright lawyer Marc Toberoff’s claims that his actions as lawyer for receivers in the co-designers of Superman were shielded from legal interference. Using this method the judge allowed Warner Bros.’ suit against Toberoff to move forward. Warner Bros. outdoors counsel Daniel Petrocelli is attempting to undo Toberoff’s relationship while using receivers of Jerome Siegel and Ernest Shuster by accusing the attorney of interfering just like a competing company owner in contracts the studio and Electricity had produced while using receivers. Petrocelli was hired to build up a means to steer clear of the studio from possibly losing a part of the copyright to Superman in 2013 just like a court has formerly ruled. Petrocelli filed the current suit last May to put Toberoff in the position where he might need to resign since the attorney for your Siegels and Shusters. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Otis Wright learned that the studio’s argument “makes sense.” He ruled that because Toberoff had established strategic business plans through their very own company Off-shoreline Pictures with receivers of Siegel and Shuster, he wasn't protected under California’s anti-SLAAP (proper suit against public participation) statute that safeguards rights entrepreneurs against legal violence. Wright rejected Toberoffs anti-SLAPP argument, ruling he was acting within the capacity just like a businessman, not just a lawyer, through Off-shoreline Pictures — particularly concerning exploitation of Joe Shuster’s works of art. Furthermore, legal court ruled Toberoff interfered by getting a current 1992 agreement with Electricity Comics by inducing the Shusters to sign the Off-shoreline Pictures contracts, which purport to assign Toberoff the identical rights the Shusters had already assured Electricity. Wright agreed because the Off-shoreline Pictures Contracts essentially stomach the 1992 Agreement, and reassign to Toberoff people rights which in fact had lately been granted to Electricity Comics. The judge also granted Warner Bros. utilization of a This summer time 2003 letter from Laura Siegel to her late brother Michael. The letter appears to supply a lot more weight for the studio’s report that Toberoff tortiously interfered with WBs separate 2001 settlement while using Siegels to influence these to sign new contracts with him. At risk is if Warner Bros. can proceed with future exploitations in the rights to Superman. Deadline reported taken that in 2013, the Siegel receivers as well as the estate of co-creator Shuster will own a part of the original copyright to Superman and neither Electricity Comics nor Warner Bros. will have a way to exploit any new Superman works together with no license within the Siegels and Shusters. The receivers of Siegel are actually granted half the copyright for Superman. In 2013 the receivers of co-creator Shuster get the remaining half.

Sean Durkin Talks Martha Marcy May Marlene, Elizabeth Olsen's Face and Directing Like a Coach

It’s every young filmmaker’s dream scenario: Break through and sell your film at Sundance before making the rounds at not one, not two, not three, but four major international festivals. Then bring it home and watch it open strong in limited release ahead of a likely awards campaign that will find you back in the spotlight while developing your eagerly anticipated follow-up. Think it’s too good to be true? Meet Sean Durkin. Durkin’s feature debut, Martha Marcy May Marlene, made its way to theaters Friday as one of 2011’s most critically acclaimed efforts. Starring Elizabeth Olsen in her own shattering debut as a cult escapee whose refuge with her sister and brother-in-law (Sarah Paulson and Hugh Dancy) is riven by flashbacks and other paranoiac delusions, Martha is both a textbook example of modest, mood-driven low-budget filmmaking and a case study in collaboration: The film was co-produced and developed in concert with Durkin’s partners at Borderline Films, which he founded with multi-hyphenate peers Josh Mond and Antonio Campos. Durkin recently spoke to Movieline about conceiving, casting, shaping, making and living with Martha, one of the more rousing indie success stories of this or any year. I’ve read more and more into your background over the last nine months as this film made the festival rounds, but let me hear it from you: How did you get into filmmaking? I was really into writing short fiction and also photography when I was a kid. I kind of always knew I wanted to be a filmmaker, but I never really did it. I was a lot more focused on sports growing up. Really? Yeah, I was a soccer player, and I was really into basketball. Soccer was very much my focus. I went to my first college to play soccer. And then as I got there, I just had this realization that I’d had this idea of being a filmmaker in the back of my head for so long, and I was writing fiction and taking pictures and merging those two, and about two and a half years into college I decided to transfer — and I got into NYU. Once I got in there and started making films, I met Josh [Mond] and Antonio [Campos], my two partners, and we just immediately started working. And we never looked back. How did that partnership develop? How did you determine what you wanted and that you could or should go for it? Josh and I were in the same class where you make these one-minute films, and we were in the same group. We just started making these short black-and-white films together. And we started talking about film in general; we both wanted to use NYU to find our crew and start our company. Naturally working together and becoming friends, we started to do that, and then we met Antonio soon after and started collaborating with him. It was a very gradual process. That’s just what our team became, with a few other people. We had the same goals — to have a company — and we started that company in school. But then we thought, “How are we going to transition so we can make films?” We started to do music videos, small commercials — anything we could get. We worked in casting on the side. And we decided to share all the money we made evenly to support the projects. At first, Josh and I were doing music videos while Antonio was writing Afterschool. So it was this idea of knowing how to internally develop projects and making sure that we could take care of each other and focus our energies on making films. It just kept continuing to grow from there; there was never a time when we said, “OK, we’re gonna do this now!” It just grew and grew and never stopped. How did Martha come about? Martha was an idea I first had when I got out of school. I was thinking about what I could do as a first feature, and I had this idea about making a modern-day cult film. That was it to begin with. I just started writing and reading and meeting people, then writing more and reading more and building and building. It gradually became what it was. Did you have this genre in mind for it — the psychological thriller? Yeah. Those are the kinds of films that I like. Even in my two films at NYU, one was like a horror film and the other was like a thriller; it was pretty dark. That’s just been my interest since… forever. When I was a little kid, I loved horror films. I always liked being scared. So I think it was inevitable. And that was one of the things that drew me to it — I was terrified of cults. I think that probably drew me in — being scared of groups and conforming with them. So it was always going to be that. And where it really took its shape was when I met somebody who told me about her experience — the first few weeks after, and how disorienting it was. She was lying to everyone, she thought they were following her. And when I heard that, that’s when I decided that would be the time for me to focus on. Up to that point, I had read about all the periods of cult process and getting out — five years later, rehabilitation, or how someone got it. I just decided after that meeting it would be the place to go. The filmmaking’s great, but this movie seems to really come together in the casting — this blend of newcomers and veterans? How was it assembled? For me, how you combine the acting with the script is the most important. Everything else comes after that. I mean, just get it in focus! Yeah! Acting is very much the priority. The cast was pretty much entirely handpicked by my casting director, Susan Shopmaker. I think that a lot of times, director and producers don’t let casting directors do their jobs. When you really collaborate with somebody — and I try to do this with everybody I work with — you fully collaborate and hire somebody because of their talent. Let them do their work, as long as you know you’re on the same page and you’re making the same movie and you’re working with them. Susan I’ve known for years. I worked for her for a long time. She cast all of my movies at Borderline; she always has. She’s amazing, and I’ve just let her do her thing. Basically she handpicked a lot of the cast, and there were a couple people I knew. For Martha, we wanted an unknown actress, so we held open casting for three or four weeks; we’d see every unknown actress we could see. They came in, and Lizzie was the best.

Mena Suvari to Guest-Star on American Horror Story

Mena Suvari Mena Suvari has signed on for a guest role on American Horror Story, TVLine.com reports. The American Beauty and American Pie star will play a young woman with a connection to the Harmon's house whose nickname happens to be The Black Dahlia. It's unclear whether she'll portray the same Black Dahlia murder victim whose case is still unsolved after more than 60 years. Check out the rest of today's news Suvari, who will return to the Pie fold in 2012's American Reunion, will appear in Episode 9 of the FX series.

Cinemax, Scott Rudin Adapting 'Swamplandia' (Exclusive)

Cinemax will Florida with Scott Rudin. The premium cable network has acquired Swamplandia, one half-hour comedy project from Rudin according to Karen Russell's book of the identical title. Swamplandia involves Ava Bigtree, a 12-year-old alligator wrestler who embarks with an improbable journey with the mangrove backwoods of southwest Florida as she looks for her lost sister. Searching is arrived for any author around the project, with Rudin mounted on executive produce the comedy and author Russell talking to. Feature producer Rudin (The Social Networking) has several projects setup at Cinemax, including Aaron Sorkin's untitled cable news drama with Shaun Daniels, that was acquired to series in September. Additionally, Rudin is mounted on Noah Baumbach's adaptation of Jonathan Frazen's The Corrections and Cynthia Mort's half-hour comedy according to scribe Mary Karr's existence. Swamplandia marks Russell's first novel and 2nd book overall. Her work has made an appearance within the anthology The Very Best American Short Tales and also the NYer, amongst others. Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com Twitter: @Snoodit Related Subjects Cinemax Scott Rudin TV Development

Billy Burke, Taylor Lautner and Rachelle Lefervre to Cement Their Status as Celebrities

Rachelle Lefervre, Taylor Lautner and Billy Burke are following within the foot prints of Lana Turner, George Clooney and 100s of other cinema symbols. Literally! The hands and foot prints from the 'Twilight' trio is going to be immortalized in concrete in the legendary Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The large event (book your tickets to L.A. now!) happens November 3., just two days before 'Breaking Beginning, Part 1' opens. Reckon that proves for good whether they are real celebrities. [via HollywoodLife] [Photo: WireImage] The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning - Part 1 See All Moviefone Art galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Hindsight (Pureun sogeum)

A CJ Entertainment presentation of a Media and Cinema Studioblue production. (International sales: CJ Entertainment, Seoul.) Produced by Ahn Soo-hyun, Lee Hyeon-seung. Executive producer, Katherine Kim. Directed, written by Lee Hyeon-seung.With: Song Kang-ho, Shin Sae-kyung, Chun Jung-myung, Lee Jong-hyeok, Kim Min-jun, Yoon Yeo-jeong, Esom.Splendid setpieces and a typically charming perf from Korean superstar Song Kang-ho adds up to not very much at all in "Hindsight." The long-anticipated return of Lee Hyeon-seung, director of "Il Mare" (remade Stateside as "The Lake House"), this visually pleasing but confused and unsatisfying thriller follows a retired gangster whose friendship with a teenage sharpshooter could lead to love or death. Pic underperformed locally in September, garnering a mere 5.6 billion won ($4.8 million), and while its helmer's rep will bring some international attention, it's likely to remain a cult item. Like so many thrillers determined to undermine their own climax, the pic opens with a life-or-death standoff. Elfin markswoman Se-bin (Shin Sae-kyung) takes aim at retired Seoul gangster Doo-heon (Song) and shoots him at point-blank range. Yarn then flashes back to the cooking class where the pair met: Doo-heon plans to open a restaurant catering to his gangster comrades, just like he's seen in Hong Kong movies, while Se-bin appears to be a typical sulky teenager, annoyed by Doo-heon's inability to prepare food properly. As it turns out, Se-bin was once a competitive shooter in line for the national championship, but her prospects were cut short by injuries sustained in a car accident. While not explicitly stated, it's implied she borrowed money from Busan's crime syndicate, and to pay it back, she accepted a contract to kill Doo-hoen. Doo-heon's flirtatious nature begins to melt Se-bin's icy veneer, but her gal pal Eun-jung (Esom) tries to run him down, seemingly to help out her friend, although Se-bin never asked her to do so. Doo-hoen erroneously concludes gangsters are after him and heads to Seoul to investigate, leading to further dangerous complications and misunderstandings. Knotty plot details and a nagging opacity about character motivations keep the story from flowing smoothly. Nonetheless, there are several memorable scenes: Lee's handling of a knife fight in Doo-heon's kitchen is masterful, and a climactic car chase through South Korea's farmland and subsequent shootout are exquisitely realized. These scenes are individually well-directed, making it all the more disappointing that the script never finds its groove. Even worse, the overlong drama concludes with an absurd coda completely at odds with what precedes it. Song juggles dramatic and whimsical moments with aplomb, his easy charm as commanding as ever. Made up to look like some manga artist's malevolent daydream, Shin still manages to be believable as an emotionally conflicted young woman. As Doo-heon's scar-faced buddy, One-Eye, Chun Jung-myung is intriguing but never quite emerges as a three-dimensional character. HD lensing by Kim Byung-seo ("Castaway on the Moon") offers a glorious postcard of the city's beaches and streets. Sound is as crisp as the images are beautiful, and the jazz-flecked score by Kwon Sung-min and Han So-yeon reps a sophisticated delight. Korean title, which riffs on Doo-heon's obsession with cooking, translates as "blue salt."Camera (color, widescreen, HD), Kim Byung-seo; editors, Kim Sang-bum, Yoo Sung-yup; music, Kwon Sung-min, Han So-yeon; production designer, Lee Ha-jun; costume designer, Choi Se-yeon; sound (Dolby Digital), Sung Ji-young, Hong Ye-young; associate producer, Lee Sang-moo. Reviewed at Busan Film Festival (Korean Cinema Today), Oct. 9, 2011. Running time: 121 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

NBC O&Os to air 'Steve Harvey'

Producer Endemol USA has inked a deal with NBC to air syndie yakker "Steve Harvey'' on 10 of the Peacock's O&Os starting next fall, when the "Family Feud'' host's hourlong talk show is skedded to debut. The series will air on flagship station WNBC in Gotham, as well as KNBC in L.A., WMAQ Chicago, WRC Washington and KXAS Dallas-Fort Worth, among others. Harvey has had a successful run with his syndicated radio show, which began in 2000, as well as with his advice-book career. A feature-film adaptation of his book "Think Like a Lady, Act Like a Man'' is currently in development at Screen Gems. Contact Sam Thielman at sam.thielman@variety.com

50th-Anniversary Timeline

1960 Jan. 16June 10: A Writers Guild of America strike occurs over the right of writers to receive a portion of studio revenue from the lease or sale of films to television. March 7April 18: Screen Actors Guild president Ronald Reagan leads the union in a strike against the major movie studios, the first industrywide strike in the film business. There had been earlier walkouts in the television industry. Dec. 2: The first issue of Back Stage is published.1962 Sept. 23: Lincoln Center's Philharmonic Hall (now Avery Fisher Hall) opens.Marlon Brando's salary for "Mutiny on the Bounty" makes him the first actor to be paid more than $1 million.1963 Sidney Poitier becomes the first African-American to win the Academy Award for best actor.1967 "Hair" opens Off-Broadway and later enjoys Broadway success. It boasts a racially diverse cast and helps define the genre of rock musical.1969 "Monty Python's Flying Circus" premieres on British TV. The series' actors, writing, and humor continue to influence the world of comedy in 2011.1970s The VHS format becomes commercially available, making videotape the dominant method of watching recorded home entertainment until DVDs.1971 "All in the Family" debuts on television. The program receives high ratings and is seminal in tackling racism, homosexuality, the Vietnam War, women's rights, and other subjects previously considered inappropriate for American comedy shows. 1973 "An American Family,"a TV documentary filmed in 1971 and later considered the first American reality show, airs on PBS. Its 12 episodes show the troubles of the Loud family, including the divorce of parents Pat and Bill. Eldest son Lance, who announces on the show that he is gay, is cited as the first openly gay person on television. 1974 The improv comedy troupe the Groundlings is founded. It will produce cast members of TV shows such as "Saturday Night Live," "MADtv," and "Reno 911!"1975 "Saturday Night Live" premieres and goes on to become a launching pad for some of Hollywood's biggest comedy stars, such as Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and Tina Fey. "Jaws" is the first high-concept summer blockbusterproving the season fertile ground for releasing big-budget studio filmsas well as the first wide release, demonstrating the profit potential of releasing a movie on the same day throughout the country rather than on different dates in different regions. "A Chorus Line" opens Off-Broadway; it's significant for its nonlinear narrative and its focus on the struggles of Broadway dancers. It later becomes the longest-running show in Broadway history, eventually surpassed by "Cats," "The Phantom of the Opera," "Les Misrables," and the revival of "Chicago." "Gunsmoke" goes off the air. The CBS show is tied with "Law & Order" for longest-running American drama series and second-longest-running scripted series with ongoing characters. 1976 "Taxi Driver" opens. The film's gritty and violent NY City is depicted in movies throughout the era. 1978 The Sundance Film Festival opens. As of 2011, it is the largest independent film festival in the United States.Mid-1970s and 1980s Personal computers are developed and sold for home use. 1980 JulyOct. 25: SAG and AFTRA members go on strike and boycott the year's prime-time Emmy Awards ceremony. 1981 MTV is launched. The channel popularizes, among other things, music videos, which serve as career launching pads for actors such as Eva Mendes and directors such as Michael Bay. 1984 "The Cosby Show" debuts. Its success helps revive the sitcom genre and inspires a proliferation of shows centered on African-Americans. 1985 The average cost of a movie theater ticket is $3.55.The fax machine becomes popular in offices. Pixar is founded and goes on to become, because of its computer animation, one of the most influential film studios. 1986 Billboard Publications buys Back Stage. 1987 A Directors Guild of America strike lasts three hours and five minutes."Les Misrables," a hit in London's West End, opens on Broadway and becomes one of the longest-running and most successful shows in New York theater history. 1988 The Film Preservation Act is passed, allowing films to be selected for the Library of Congress' National Film Registry.March 7Aug. 7: A Writers Guild of America strike affects production on movies and TV shows, costing the industry an estimated $500 million. At 155 days, it is the guild's longest strike to date. "The Phantom of the Opera" opens on Broadway. It is the Great White Way's longest-running show. Late 1980s and 1990s The Internet continues to be developed and slowly begins making its way into mainstream use.1990 The Internet Movie Database is established, becoming a resource for entertainment industry professionals and casual cinephiles."Law & Order" begins its 20-year run and becomes a staple of the entertainment industry in NY, where it is set and filmed. 1992 "The Real World" premieres, presaging the boom in reality TV, which begins to dominate the airwaves in the early 2000s.1993 Robert Rodriguez releases his independent film "El Mariachi" at the age of 24. His follow-up, "Desperado," will introduce Salma Hayek to American audiences and help popularize Antonio Banderas in the United States.1994 "Beauty and the Beast" opens on Broadway, the first of several shows based on Disney films to find homes on the Great White Way. Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeverijen buys Back Stage. VNU is later renamed the Nielsen Company.Back Stage West is founded.1995 "Toy Story," Pixar's first feature film and the first feature to be made completely with computer-generated imagery, opens. 1996 The DVD format is introduced in Japan and eventually becomes the dominant way to watch recorded home entertainment."Rent" opens Off-Broadway, bringing attention to the struggles of artists in NY City and the HIV/AIDS crisis. Its author, Jonathan Larsen, dies just before the opening. The show later transfers to Broadway.1997 "The Lion King" opens on Broadway and goes on to win six Tony Awards, including best musical.BackStage.com is launched.Netflix is founded. In April 2011, it boasted 23.6 million subscribers."Titanic" opens in theaters and becomes the first film to gross more than $1 billion.1998 Back Stage West buys Drama-Logue, its chief competitor in Los Angeles. The first podcasts begin, but they do not grow in popularity until around 2004.1999 "The Sopranos" premieres on HBO and is lauded by critics and viewers for delivering a higher level of production and artistry to television. It paves the way for cable TV to broadcast high-quality dramas. 2000 "Survivor" debuts. Its high ratings and financial success contribute to the rapid increase in reality TV shows in the 2000s.May 2Oct. 24: SAG and AFTRA wage a commercials strike, asking their membersroughly 135,000 actorsto cease working on TV and radio ads. Between 5,000 and 10,000 performers who earn a major part of their income from commercials are affected. Los Angeles, where many commercials are shot, loses an estimated $125 million. 2001 Halle Berry becomes the first African-American performer to win an Academy Award for best actress.The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have a lasting impact on everyday life in America. Among other effects, tourism in NY City falls sharply, ticket sales for entertainment decrease, and small businesses in Lower Manhattan feel significant economic strain. "24" premieres after having its debut delayed a week by 9/11. The show is criticized for using torture in its story lines and for its portrayal of Muslims. Though in development before Sept. 11, it was one of the first of many projects about counterterrorism released after the attacks. 2002 The Tribeca Film Festival is established in response to 9/11 as a way to celebrate NY and foster Lower Manhattan's recovery. 2003 March 711: Broadway musicians strike over producers' proposal to reduce the number of musicians at shows and possibly use prerecorded music. MySpace is launched, becoming the most popular social-networking site from 2005 until early 2008. Its members publicize their artistic endeavors by posting their music and videos. Auditions for theater, film, and TV projects are submitted through the site. 2004 Facebook is founded. As of 2011, it is the most popular social-networking site in the world. 2005 Because of high DVD sales, "Family Guy" returns to television after being canceled. YouTube is founded, bringing fame to amateur video-makers and helping professionals find an audience.2006 Twitter is launched, helping businesses and performers connect with each other, fans, and customers.2007 Nov. 5Feb. 12, 2008: The Writers Guild of America strikes, and more than 12,000 writers stop working. Estimates of how much money Los Angeles lost range from $380 million to $2.1 billion. Nov. 1028: Unionized Broadway stagehands strike against Shubert, Jujamcyn, and Nederlander theaters, the first strike in IATSE's 121-year history. NY City loses an estimated $40 million in revenue. Unaffected Broadway shows, as well as Off- and Off-Off-Broadway productions, enjoy an increase in sales.2008 Back Stage East and West are combined into one national publication.2009 Back Stage and other Nielsen publications are sold to e5 Global Media, later renamed Prometheus Global Media.2011 April 14: ABC's cancellation of "One Life to Live" means that as of September, there will be no more soap operas in production that shoot in NY.June 19: SAG and AFTRA officially begin merger negotiations. Oct. 3: Prometheus Global Media announces a partnership with a group of investors led by John Amato, who becomes CEO and chairman of Back Stage. 1960 Jan. 16June 10: A Writers Guild of America strike occurs over the right of writers to receive a portion of studio revenue from the lease or sale of films to television. March 7April 18: Screen Actors Guild president Ronald Reagan leads the union in a strike against the major movie studios, the first industrywide strike in the film business. There had been earlier walkouts in the television industry. Dec. 2: The first issue of Back Stage is published.1962 Sept. 23: Lincoln Center's Philharmonic Hall (now Avery Fisher Hall) opens.Marlon Brando's salary for "Mutiny on the Bounty" makes him the first actor to be paid more than $1 million.1963 Sidney Poitier becomes the first African-American to win the Academy Award for best actor.1967 "Hair" opens Off-Broadway and later enjoys Broadway success. It boasts a racially diverse cast and helps define the genre of rock musical.1969 "Monty Python's Flying Circus" premieres on British TV. The series' actors, writing, and humor continue to influence the world of comedy in 2011.1970s The VHS format becomes commercially available, making videotape the dominant method of watching recorded home entertainment until DVDs.1971 "All in the Family" debuts on television. The program receives high ratings and is seminal in tackling racism, homosexuality, the Vietnam War, women's rights, and other subjects previously considered inappropriate for American comedy shows. 1973 "An American Family,"a TV documentary filmed in 1971 and later considered the first American reality show, airs on PBS. Its 12 episodes show the troubles of the Loud family, including the divorce of parents Pat and Bill. Eldest son Lance, who announces on the show that he is gay, is cited as the first openly gay person on television. 1974 The improv comedy troupe the Groundlings is founded. It will produce cast members of TV shows such as "Saturday Night Live," "MADtv," and "Reno 911!"1975 "Saturday Night Live" premieres and goes on to become a launching pad for some of Hollywood's biggest comedy stars, such as Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and Tina Fey. "Jaws" is the first high-concept summer blockbusterproving the season fertile ground for releasing big-budget studio filmsas well as the first wide release, demonstrating the profit potential of releasing a movie on the same day throughout the country rather than on different dates in different regions. "A Chorus Line" opens Off-Broadway; it's significant for its nonlinear narrative and its focus on the struggles of Broadway dancers. It later becomes the longest-running show in Broadway history, eventually surpassed by "Cats," "The Phantom of the Opera," "Les Misrables," and the revival of "Chicago." "Gunsmoke" goes off the air. The CBS show is tied with "Law & Order" for longest-running American drama series and second-longest-running scripted series with ongoing characters. 1976 "Taxi Driver" opens. The film's gritty and violent NY City is depicted in movies throughout the era. 1978 The Sundance Film Festival opens. As of 2011, it is the largest independent film festival in the United States.Mid-1970s and 1980s Personal computers are developed and sold for home use. 1980 JulyOct. 25: SAG and AFTRA members go on strike and boycott the year's prime-time Emmy Awards ceremony. 1981 MTV is launched. The channel popularizes, among other things, music videos, which serve as career launching pads for actors such as Eva Mendes and directors such as Michael Bay. 1984 "The Cosby Show" debuts. Its success helps revive the sitcom genre and inspires a proliferation of shows centered on African-Americans. 1985 The average cost of a movie theater ticket is $3.55.The fax machine becomes popular in offices. Pixar is founded and goes on to become, because of its computer animation, one of the most influential film studios. 1986 Billboard Publications buys Back Stage. 1987 A Directors Guild of America strike lasts three hours and five minutes."Les Misrables," a hit in London's West End, opens on Broadway and becomes one of the longest-running and most successful shows in NY theater history. 1988 The Film Preservation Act is passed, allowing films to be selected for the Library of Congress' National Film Registry.March 7Aug. 7: A Writers Guild of America strike affects production on movies and TV shows, costing the industry an estimated $500 million. At 155 days, it is the guild's longest strike to date. "The Phantom of the Opera" opens on Broadway. It is the Great White Way's longest-running show. Late 1980s and 1990s The Internet continues to be developed and slowly begins making its way into mainstream use.1990 The Internet Movie Database is established, becoming a resource for entertainment industry professionals and casual cinephiles."Law & Order" begins its 20-year run and becomes a staple of the entertainment industry in NY, where it is set and filmed. 1992 "The Real World" premieres, presaging the boom in reality TV, which begins to dominate the airwaves in the early 2000s.1993 Robert Rodriguez releases his independent film "El Mariachi" at the age of 24. His follow-up, "Desperado," will introduce Salma Hayek to American audiences and help popularize Antonio Banderas in the United States.1994 "Beauty and the Beast" opens on Broadway, the first of several shows based on Disney films to find homes on the Great White Way. Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeverijen buys Back Stage. VNU is later renamed the Nielsen Company.Back Stage West is founded.1995 "Toy Story," Pixar's first feature film and the first feature to be made completely with computer-generated imagery, opens. 1996 The DVD format is introduced in Japan and eventually becomes the dominant way to watch recorded home entertainment."Rent" opens Off-Broadway, bringing attention to the struggles of artists in NY City and the HIV/AIDS crisis. Its author, Jonathan Larsen, dies just before the opening. The show later transfers to Broadway.1997 "The Lion King" opens on Broadway and goes on to win six Tony Awards, including best musical.BackStage.com is launched.Netflix is founded. In April 2011, it boasted 23.6 million subscribers."Titanic" opens in theaters and becomes the first film to gross more than $1 billion.1998 Back Stage West buys Drama-Logue, its chief competitor in Los Angeles. The first podcasts begin, but they do not grow in popularity until around 2004.1999 "The Sopranos" premieres on HBO and is lauded by critics and viewers for delivering a higher level of production and artistry to television. It paves the way for cable TV to broadcast high-quality dramas. 2000 "Survivor" debuts. Its high ratings and financial success contribute to the rapid increase in reality TV shows in the 2000s.May 2Oct. 24: SAG and AFTRA wage a commercials strike, asking their membersroughly 135,000 actorsto cease working on TV and radio ads. Between 5,000 and 10,000 performers who earn a major part of their income from commercials are affected. Los Angeles, where many commercials are shot, loses an estimated $125 million. 2001 Halle Berry becomes the first African-American performer to win an Academy Award for best actress.The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have a lasting impact on everyday life in America. Among other effects, tourism in NY City falls sharply, ticket sales for entertainment decrease, and small businesses in Lower Manhattan feel significant economic strain. "24" premieres after having its debut delayed a week by 9/11. The show is criticized for using torture in its story lines and for its portrayal of Muslims. Though in development before Sept. 11, it was one of the first of many projects about counterterrorism released after the attacks. 2002 The Tribeca Film Festival is established in response to 9/11 as a way to celebrate NY and foster Lower Manhattan's recovery. 2003 March 711: Broadway musicians strike over producers' proposal to reduce the number of musicians at shows and possibly use prerecorded music. MySpace is launched, becoming the most popular social-networking site from 2005 until early 2008. Its members publicize their artistic endeavors by posting their music and videos. Auditions for theater, film, and TV projects are submitted through the site. 2004 Facebook is founded. As of 2011, it is the most popular social-networking site in the world. 2005 Because of high DVD sales, "Family Guy" returns to television after being canceled. YouTube is founded, bringing fame to amateur video-makers and helping professionals find an audience.2006 Twitter is launched, helping businesses and performers connect with each other, fans, and customers.2007 Nov. 5Feb. 12, 2008: The Writers Guild of America strikes, and more than 12,000 writers stop working. Estimates of how much money Los Angeles lost range from $380 million to $2.1 billion. Nov. 1028: Unionized Broadway stagehands strike against Shubert, Jujamcyn, and Nederlander theaters, the first strike in IATSE's 121-year history. NY City loses an estimated $40 million in revenue. Unaffected Broadway shows, as well as Off- and Off-Off-Broadway productions, enjoy an increase in sales.2008 Back Stage East and West are combined into one national publication.2009 Back Stage and other Nielsen publications are sold to e5 Global Media, later renamed Prometheus Global Media.2011 April 14: ABC's cancellation of "One Life to Live" means that as of September, there will be no more soap operas in production that shoot in NY.June 19: SAG and AFTRA officially begin merger negotiations. Oct. 3: Prometheus Global Media announces a partnership with a group of investors led by John Amato, who becomes CEO and chairman of Back Stage.