• Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail held the top spot at the box office this past weekend, beating out Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience. Meanwhile, Slumdog Millionaire experienced the best "Oscar bump" in over a decade, coming in at No. 3 with $12.2 million.

• Jason Bateman will reunite with Juno director Jason Reitman for Up In the Air. George Clooney will costar in the dramedy, about a corporate downsizer obsessed with getting frequent flier miles. Topical!

• Kiera Knightley will star in Never Let Me Go, a cloning-themed scifi thriller to be directed by Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo).

• J.J. Abrams hinted that a Cloverfield sequel is in the works during a panel at WonderCon. Wait, don't we already know what the monster looks like?

• The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers president Nick Counter will step down at the end of the month. The AMPTP has yet to settle negotiations with SAG.

• Terminator: Salvation director McG is fighting Warner Bros. over his R-rated cut of the movie. Warners wants to cut out a nude scene, while McG wants it in. Don't studio execs usually want to sex things up? What's going on here?

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS 3/2/09

BIZ
WGA Sets Record Straight On Its Strike: "We Achieved Most Important Objectives"
from Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily by Nikki Finke
The Writers Guild Of America, West, just issued this statement to answer "the concerted effort underway by the AMPTP and some in the press to minimize the success of our strike" which officially ended with the ratiication of the proposed Theatrical and Television Basic Agreement on February 26, 2008.

Will Oscars translate to boxoffice riches?
from Hollywood Reporter by By Stuart Kemp and Scott Roxborough
As the Oscars fade into memory, the question of glory inevitably turns to one of commerce, in this case, what global boxoffice bump the best picture nominees can expect.

300 employees laid off by Univision
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Univision Communications has laid off 300 of its employees, a spokeswoman for the U.S. media group says.

In Downturn, Americans Seek Silver-Screen Lining
from NYT > Movies by By MICHAEL CIEPLY and BROOKS BARNES
Even as the economy teeters, Hollywood has been startled by a box-office surge with little modern precedent.

Movie Industry Surges As Americans Seek Escape From Recession
from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by The Huffington Post News Team
While much of the economy is teetering between bust and bailout, the movie industry has been startled by a box-office surge that has little precedent in the modern era. Suddenly it seems as if everyone is going to the movies, with ticket sales this year up 17.5 percent, to $1.7 billion, according to Media by Numbers, a box-office tracking company.

John Farr: A Word To Hollywood: In Recessionary Times, Smaller, Better Films, Please -- And More Of Them!
from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by John Farr
But what about the movie business? Given the old studio bosses' success in adapting to the Great Depression, and the integral role movies played in the lives of struggling Americans desperate for escape, one would now expect more scrutiny on this industry that has contentedly wallowed in its own excesses for so long.

Jonathan Handel: Hollywood Labor Roundup
from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by Jonathan Handel
Keeping you up to date on miscellaneous goings-on in the world of Hollywood labor, here's what's happened in the last week or so.

Digital TV may bypass skid row
from L.A. Times - TV News
Low-income people who lack addresses recognized by the census can't get coupons for converter boxes.

U.S. networks nab Canadian shows
from Variety.com
Weekly: 'The Bridge,' 'Flashpoint' both cross border -- Canadian TV shows keep creeping across the border to the U.S. networks and that's clearly good news for the Canuck production biz. But some in the Great White North wonder whether they are giving away too much in terms of coin and creative control.

Nick Counter, chief studio negotiator, to retire
from L.A. Times - TV News
The Hollywood veteran helped put together 311 major contracts in 25 years with the AMPTP.

NY's tax credit program revamped
from Variety.com
Front Page: Organization pitches stripped-down version -- Empire State Development execs are hoping to salvage New York's depleted Empire State Film Production Tax Credit program by floating a number of options, including scaling back dollar value of the incentives offered to bring film and TV productions to the state.

Ian Montone duets with Rick Yorn
from Variety.com - Music News
Music News: Music manager partners with production co. -- After splitting with one prominent music manager, Rick Yorn has joined forces with another.

FESTIVALS
Festival of Media Awards Get More Than 650 Entries
from Advertising Age - MediaWorks by akerwin@adage.com(Ann Marie Kerwin)
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The 28-member jury gathering in London next week will have to sort through more than 650 entries from 52 markets around the world to select the finalists for this year's inaugural Valencia Festival of Media Awards.

Pitchfork Music Festival 2009!
from Pitchfork Media - Today by Ryan Dombal
Drum roll: The fourth annual Pitchfork Music Festival will take place in Chicago July 17-19. So cancel that "screw the recession" European vacation ASAP-- it's not worth it.

AWARDS
French film honors Hoffman, Penn
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
PARIS (AP) -- The French film industry honored Dustin Hoffman and saluted Sean Penn Friday during a ceremony that saw its coveted Cesar for best film going to Martin Provost's "Seraphine."

MOVIES
Weekend Box Office: February 27-March 1, 2009
from Box Office Mojo - Current Box Office Results
Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail tops the box office with an estimated $16.5 million

"Button" top movie overseas for fourth weekend (Reuters)
from Yahoo! News: Entertainment News
Reuters - It may have played second fiddle at the Academy Awards with its three "minor" citations, but "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" led the foreign box office for a fourth consecutive weekend, raising its total to $176 million.

Jonas Brothers: They're, um, No. 2
from E! Online - Movie News
A funny thing happened on the way to Jonas Brothers world domination: a second-place finish. Jonas Brothers: The 3D Experience grossed an estimated $12.7 million Friday-Sunday

Iran angered over films 'The Wrestler' and '300'
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By NASSER KARIMI
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- An adviser to Iran's president on Sunday demanded an apology from a team of visiting Hollywood actors and movie industry officials, including Annette Bening, saying films such as "300" and "The Wrestler" were "insulting" to Iranians.

Jonas Brothers Surprise Fans At NY Movie Theater
from Access Hollywood - Movies
The Jonas Brothers have visited fans on familiar turf, making a surprise appearance at a suburban New York movie theater they frequented while growing up.

Bruce Willis Accused of Shirking Director's Duties
from E! Online - Movie News
Bruce Willis didn't go the whole nine yards on this one. The actor is being sued by a production company that claims Willis just walked off the set of a $20 million movie 

First Look: 'Lymelife'
from Access Hollywood - Movies
Alec Baldwin, Jill Hennesy and the Clukin brothers are a dysfunctional Long Island family in the 70's-set drama, "Lymelife."

'Slumdog' credited for higher Indian aid
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW DELHI, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- An official with an international charity says the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" has triggered more interest in helping children in India.

JJ Abrams Has "Pretty Cool Idea" For Cloverfield Sequel/Spin-Off
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
During the Star Trek panel at WonderCon, JJ Abrams was asked to give a status update on a sequel to Cloverfield.

Terminator Salvation: Warner Bros Wants PG-13 Edits, McG is Fighting For His R-Rated Vision
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
When production first began on Terminator Salvation, rumors began to circulate that Warner Bros wanted the film to be PG-13.

Watching the 'Watchmen' at WonderCon
from L.A. Times - Movie News
Video from the panel including Malin Akerman talking about her fashion and Patrick Wilson on Nite Owl's problems in bed.

'Watchmen': First flop of the year?
from L.A. Times - Movie News
Could the most anticipated fanboy movie of the year possibly be a flop?

TELEVISION
Nightline Tops Late Show Last Week
from mediabistro.com: TVNewser
ABC's Nightline topped CBS' Late Show with David Letterman last week in Total Viewers and the A25-54 demo.

Newsweek: How Fallon can compete in late-night TV
from MSNBC.com: Television
Jimmy Fallon will have to freshen up the late-night format if he wants to flourish; it'll take more than a hipster-approved house band to give people a reason to stay up past their bedtimes. Here are a few suggestions for how he can compete.

CBS looking for "Strongest American" (Reuters)
from Yahoo! News: Entertainment News
Reuters - CBS is developing a reality project in which ordinary Americans will compete in crazy strength competitions.

Solving a Murder in 42 Minutes Each Week
from Advertising Age - MediaWorks by ldobrow@adage.com (Larry Dobrow)
Larry Dobrow takes a look at the most welcoming place for individuals who can't abide realism and continuity in their dramatic fare, the place where those who appreciate intricate, nuanced plotting are treated like lepers with a persistent sniffle: CBS.

'Big Love' cast talks it up
from L.A. Times - TV News
Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny and Ginnifer Goodwin discuss the series' philosophy and the challenge of understanding their characters.

More TV ads project images of racial harmony
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By TODD LEWAN
Ever see an inner-city schoolyard filled with white, Asian and black teens shooting hoops? Or middle-aged white and Latino men swigging beer and watching the Super Bowl on their black neighbor's couch? Or Asians and Latinos dancing the night away in a hip-hop club?

Katie Cassidy, Steven McQueen land at CW
from Hollywood Reporter by By Nellie Andreeva
Katie Cassidy, daughter of David Cassidy, is moving into "Melrose Place," while Steven R. McQueen, grandson of Steve McQueen, landed a lead on "Vampire Diaries."

It's a face-off: 'America's Next Top Model' and 'Make Me a Supermodel'
from L.A. Times - TV News
'ANTM' gives lip service to uniqueness, while 'MMAS' holds out edgier hope.

Review: 'Running in Heels'
from L.A. Times - TV News
Three interns go behind the veil at Marie Claire.

MUSIC
U2 Profile: Trying To Be The Next Big Thing
from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by The Huffington Post News Team
U2 has entered the fourth decade of a career that began in 1978, when its members were teenage schoolmates in Dublin; they are now in their late 40s. And U2 may well be the last of the megabands: long-running, internationally recognized rockers whose every album, from "Boy" in 1980 to "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" in 2004, has sold millions of copies worldwide.

Axl Rose: Slash bashing
from EW.com: Today's Latest Headlines by Leah Greenblatt
After interview with AOL's Spinner.com, it doesn't seem a Guns N' Roses reunion tour is likely any time soon

Snoop Dogg appears at Nation of Islam convention
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) -- Snoop Dogg has made an appearance at the Nation of Islam's annual convention in a Chicago suburb.

Video: Death Cab for Cutie: "Grapevine Fires"
from Pitchfork Media - Today by Marc Hogan
When it's not earthquakes, when it's not mudslides, it's wildfires-- and if you have any personal connections to California, you probably know people who have been adversely affected by all three. The Walter Robot-directed video for "Grapevine Fires", from Death Cab for Cutie's 2008 Narrow Stairs, is a nicely animated depiction of a boy on a bike experiencing basically a way-over-the-top version of what's happening in the lyrics.

Faith No More returns
from Top Stories from LiveDaily.com
Faith No More, which split more than 10 years ago, recently slipped a reunion announcement in a press release for Mike Patton's latest score for the film "Crank 2: High Voltage." However, no details about the lineup for the band.

Swift isn't slowing down
from Variety.com - Music News
Music News: 'Fearless' remains at No. 1 on charts -- Taylor Swift's "Fearless" remains No. 1 on the nation's album sales chart for a 10th nonconsecutive week, having sold 62,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Ad Skippers Beware: Ask.com Going After You With TV Crawl
from Advertising Age - MediaWorks by bsteinberg@adage.com(Brian Steinberg)
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- In an effort certain to raise eyebrows, search engine Ask.com just started an ad campaign that relies mostly on "crawls" that show up in the lower part of the screen during selected cable programs

ETC...
Broadcasting pioneer Paul Harvey dies at age of 90
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By RUPA SHENOY
CHICAGO (AP) -- Paul Harvey, the news commentator and talk-radio pioneer whose staccato style made him one of the nation's most familiar voices, died Saturday in Arizona, according to ABC Radio Networks. He was 90.

American Reporter Detained in Iran
from mediabistro.com: TVNewser
A former Miss North Dakota, who's been working in Iran as a freelance reporter, is being detained in undisclosed location there.

The TV Watch: What Are You Doing? Media Twitterers Can't Stop Typing
from NYT > Television by By ALESSANDRA STANLEY
The Internet has revolutionized society by giving anyone -- including journalists -- an instant and unfiltered outlet for self-expression.

Rihanna and Chris kiss and make up
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Recording artists Rihanna and Chris Brown have reconciled, following a high-profile altercation that ended in Brown's arrest in Los Angeles three weeks ago.

Hospitalized McMahon has bone cancer
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. television personality Ed McMahon has been hospitalized for nearly a month and is in extremely serious condition, TMZ said Friday.

Jennifer Lopez And Marc Anthony Sue Over Baby Carriage Ad
from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by The Huffington Post News Team
LOS ANGELES -- Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony have filed a federal lawsuit against the makers of high-end baby carriages over the unauthorized use of their images.

'New Deal' exhibit opens at American Art museum
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By BRETT ZONGKER
WASHINGTON (AP) -- As the nation grapples with its worst recession since the 1930s, the Smithsonian American Art Museum is opening an exhibition of paintings from the first U.S. government program that supported the arts nationally during the Great Depression.

Gilmore Girl Lauren Graham is Broadway's New Doll
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By KRISTEN A. LEE
NEW YORK (AP) -- At Lauren Graham's first rehearsal for her Broadway debut in "Guys and Dolls," the star of TV's long-running "Gilmore Girls" felt a twinge of insecurity when the actors were asked how many times they've been cast in a Broadway show.

Milan puts on good fashion show in tough times
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By DANIELA PETROFF
MILAN (AP) -- Despite tough economic times, Italian designers are putting on a good show this week as they present womenswear for fall-winter 2009-2010.

Ashton Kutcher waves goodbye to bachelor pad
from Los Angeles Times - Celebrity News
The home has six bedrooms and 5 1/2 bathrooms in 4,860 square feet. The property has a tennis court and was renovated in 2008.

'Addams Family' musical sets date
from Variety.com
Legit News: Tryout set for Oriental Theater on Nov. 13 -- The tuner version of "The Addams Family" has targeted a March 2010 start date for Broadway, with an opening in April.

Poets say poetry blossoming on Internet
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LONDON, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Poetry is once again gaining popularity thanks to the Internet, where amateur poets worldwide can publish their works, two respected U.K. poets say.