The Newsdesk 03.19.09 - R.I.P. Natasha Richardson; More Missions for Cruise
• Natasha Richardson died at the age of 45 after suffering a head injury during a skiing lesson in Canada. Star of stage (Cabaret), and screen (The Comfort of Strangers, Evening), Richardson married Liam Neeson in 1994. She was the daughter of acting legend Vanessa Redgrave, and the late director Tony Richardson.
• Tom Cruise is planning to do another Mission: Impossible movie. Ah, is Tom jealous of Jason Bourne getting all the attention?
• Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones will join Ben Affleck in John Wells' corporate drama The Company Men. Costner, Jones, and the producer of E.R.? This is shaping up to be the hot film of 1997!
• Spike Lee's documentary on Kobe Bryant, Kobe Doin' Work, will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
• The husband of late actress/filmmaker Adrienne Shelly (The Waitress) plans to develop and produce a screenplay she left behind.
• Brian Grazer will produce Merman, a comedy about a merman who comes to land to win back his mermaid fiancee. This should really be a Splash sequel.
• Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman will star in an adaptation of Leanne Shapton's book
Important
Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan
and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry. Fit that on a marquee!
BIZ
Industry donating big to USC expansion
from Hollywood Reporter by By Jay A. Fernandez
With the 80th anniversary of USC's School of Cinematic Arts
imminent, industry benefactors have been lining up to support the institution's
expansion.
MPTF Or USC School Of Cinema: Guess Which Fast-Tracked H'wood
Fundraising?
from Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily by Nikki Finke
Interesting how the same Hollywood moguls who say the necessary millions can't be raised for the expansion and modernization of the Motion Picture & Television Fund's acute care hospital and longterm care nursing home are instead meeting lofty fundraising goals for the expansion and modernization of the USC School Of Cinematic Arts.
Lionsgate, Icahn battle heating up
from Hollywood Reporter by Staff report
The dance between Carl Icahn and Lionsgate continued Tuesday
as reports surfaced that the studio hired a law firm to defend itself against
what could turn into a proxy battle or hostile takeover.
Joint Cable Channel Epix Debuts October
from Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily by Nikki Finke
Remember that big announcement about a new premium cable
channel starting up by Viacom, Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate? Well, on
Wednesday, Viacom prez/COO Philippe Dauman said at the McGraw-Hill
Media Summit that "Epix" was on track for an October launch.
Ousted Doug Allen Joins SAG Actors Rally
from Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily by Nikki Finke
SAG rank-and-file and/or board members Tony Danza, Frances Fisher, Anne-Marie Johnson, Ed Asner were among the 100 actors at the rally joined by ousted SAG National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Doug Allen Wednesday outside CBS Television City "to defend our residuals, pensions, health care".
States
Underwrite Films, Some in Narrowest Release
from NYT > Movies by By MICHAEL CIEPLY
Under an unusually aggressive program of state film incentives
that began in April, nearly two dozen feature-length movies were shot in
Michigan last year.
FESTIVALS
Pixar's 'Up' to open 62nd Cannes Film fest
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
PARIS (AP) -- This year's Cannes Film Festival will have an animated opening.
SXSW Roundup: Panel Reports, Movie Reviews and Video Interviews
From Around The Web
from indieWIRE News
"This isn't where we are going to be making money now," "Super Size Me" director Morgan Spurlock told a large crowd on Monday at SXSW. "If you are looking to pay your rent, not so much, if you're looking to pay your phone blll, you have a chance."
The indieWIRE Guide to Film Festivals
from indieWIRE News
The following is a list of 2009 film festivals, by month, with links to '08-'09 iW coverage.
It's No Secret: Linklater Channels 'Welles'
from The Wrap RSS by admin
No SXSW Film Festival can do without Richard Linklater. The Austin-based filmmaker routinely appears at the fest each year, whether or not he has a movie in it. This time, the program technically contained no Linklater movie, but he managed to slip one in, anyway.
AWARDS
TV Academy honors 8 programs with a `conscience'
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By LYNN ELBER
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The TV Academy will honor eight programs
that are examples of "television with a conscience," including a
"Brothers & Sisters" episode about same-sex marriage.
MOVIES
Daily Box Office: Tuesday, March 17, 2009
from Box Office Mojo - Current Box Office Results
Race to Witch Mountain tops Tuesday's box office with $1.9 million
'Slumdog Millionaire' to hit Chinese screens
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By MIN LEE
HONG KONG (AP) -- Academy Award-winning "Slumdog Millionaire" has secured a coveted slot as one of 20 major foreign movies that China will import this year, a distributor said Wednesday.
Film:
The Creatures That Jumped Off the Screen
from NYT > Movies by By BROOKS BARNES
The story of how "Monsters vs. Aliens" went from two dimensions to three.
from Forbes.com: Media News by Lauren Streib
Meet the 10 most successful actors at getting audiences to tune into 'toons.
It may be called Grey Gardens, but HBO's upcoming film based on the classic 1970s documentary is anything but grey.
Brad Pitt And Natalie Portman: Onscreen Lovers
from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by The Huffington Post News Team
Paramount Pictures has attached Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman to star in a film based on the new Leanne Shapton book "Important Artifacts and Personal Property From the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion and Jewelry."
Reviewed by Lisa Schwarzbaum
Mission: Impossible 4 Being Prepped?
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
Aint It Cool News have run a story from one of their readers, reporting that Tom Cruise has appeared on Japanese television and revealed plans for the 4th Mission: Impossible film.
Reviewed by Owen Gleiberman
Reviewed by Owen Gleiberman
EXCLUSIVE: 'X-Men 3′ Director Brett Ratner Says 'There's Nothing Left' In Comics For Him
To Adapt
from Splash Page by Casey Seijas
He's the rumored front-runner to call the shots on a "Conan" revamp, he's officially onboard
to produce and direct an adaptation of Rob Liefeld's "Youngblood,"
and he already has one financially successful comic book adaptation under his
belt (2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand"), but Hollywood heavyweight Brett Ratner
isn't done with comics. In fact, he wants to do more movies based on them.
Justin Long is 'Going the Distance'
Film News: Adam Shankman producing New Line comedy -- New Line is "Going the Distance" with Justin Long, tapping the thesp for the lead role in its romantic comedy to be directed by Nanette Burstein.
X-Men 2 Screenwriter Dan Harris To Adapt Dante's Inferno
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
In November, Universal Pictures won a bidding war to develop a big screen movie adaptation
of Dante's Inferno, the yet-to-be-released video game from
Electronic Arts. Variety reports that Dan Harris, screenwriter of Superman
Returns and X2: X-Men United, has been hired to pen the adaptation.
Reviewed by Owen Gleiberman
Lionsgate Premieres Crank 2 Poster on Twitter
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
Lionsgate has released the outdoor poster advertising for Crank: High Voltage on Twitter, making them the first studio to premiere exclusive content on the micro-blogging platform.
EXCLUSIVE: Watch Paul Dano Fall For Zooey Deschanel In
'Gigantic'
from MTV Movies Blog by Brian Jacks
One of the quirkiest romantic films of the year, "Gigantic" stars Paul Dano as a high-end mattress salesman from a dysfunctional family, who falls for a customer played by the always lovely Zooey Deschanel.
TELEVISION
Obama to appear on 'Tonight Show'
Guests on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" usually appear to promote a movie, TV show, book or album, but President Obama will visit the NBC show Thursday to make the case for his financial rescue plans.
Access to Obama-Leno show stirs controversy
President Barack Obama is hoping to use comedian Jay Leno's late-night show to add a light touch to his work getting the economy on track. But news photographers who cover the White House aren't laughing.
'Dancing With Stars' Tops Monday Night
from Advertising Age - MediaWorks
MINNEAPOLIS (AdAge.com) -- Genres reflecting their relative
ratings popularity told the tale of Monday night's -- and all season's --
ratings race. Reality TV led ABC to a first-place 4.6/12 rating and share in
the ad-centric 18-to-49 demographic, as "Dancing With the Stars"
shone as TV's top-rated show Monday night, with a 5.3/14. "Dancing,"
however, had 13% less spring in its step than last week's program premiere, but
the news was better for ABC at 10 p.m., with new drama "Castle," which
eroded "only" 3% from last week, to a 2.9/8.
Where Did All the Broadcast Viewers Go Tuesday Night?
from Advertising Age - MediaWorks
MINNEAPOLIS (AdAge.com) -- Maybe Americans were so mad about
the song and dance from AIG's CEO that they tuned out the song-and-dance
reality shows designed to get away from the world's woes. Whatever the reason,
both Fox's "American Idol" and ABC's "Dancing With the
Stars" results show -- as well as NBC's weight-loss reality show "Biggest
Loser" -- lost viewers last night. But then again, so did CBS's dramas,
which returned from two weeks of repeats and delivered their lowest
original-episode ratings this season.
VH1 resuscitates 'Behind the Music'
from Hollywood Reporter by By James Hibberd
VH1 is reviving its former signature series "Behind the
Music," with Lil Wayne and Scott Weiland signed on to participate in the
documentary program.
NBC tuning up singing competition series
from Hollywood Reporter by By James Hibberd
NBC is launching a singing competition series destined to
draw comparisons to Fox's "American Idol."
NBC's Zucker Defends Network's New Programming Schedule
from Advertising Age - MediaWorks
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker tried
to put the best spin possible on the media industry's increasing woes, saying
during a question-and-answer session today that he was placing faith in his
company's cable assets while NBC and others attempt to figure out how to
monetize TV and other programming in an increasingly digital world.
`The Colbert Report' set for USO Persian Gulf tour
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Stephen Colbert is taking his Comedy Central show to the Persian Gulf.
Ask Ausiello: State of (Seattle) Grace
from EW.com: Today's Latest Headlines by Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello has ''Grey's'' scoop -- some engaging, some disturbing.
CBS renews `Two and a Half Men,' `Big Bang Theory'
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- CBS says it's reached deals to keep the comedies "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory" on the air for several more seasons.
Bravo to air 'Housewives of New Jersey'
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, March 19 (UPI) -- Bravo has announced plans to air a new reality show called "The Real Housewives of New Jersey."
Locklear not returning to 'Melrose'
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, March 19 (UPI) -- U.S. actress Heather Locklear has opted not to appear in the updated version of her 1990s TV series "Melrose Place," a source says.
'Life on Mars' to wrap up next month
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, March 18 (UPI) -- The series finale of the 1970s-set, sci-fi New York cop drama "Life on Mars" is scheduled to air next month, ABC announced.
from L.A. Times - TV News
Show's creator says it's a turning point for the series this week with 'Man on the Street.'
MUSIC
'Wanted' is No. 1 on the U.S. album chart
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, March 18 (UPI) -- Kelly Clarkson's "All I Ever Wanted" is No. 1 on the U.S. album chart, Billboard.com reported Wednesday.
New Jonas Brothers album due June 15
from The Hollywood Reporter - Music by By Gary Graff, Billboard
The Jonas Brothers are nearing completion of their fourth album, due out June 15, which the trio says will take the band in some new sonic directions.
Most musicians don't like doing interviews at their homes. It's much too private. Stevie Nicks, however, has no problem inviting journalists to her big colonial house in Pacific Palisades, half a mile above the California coastline.
West charged in paparazzi fracas
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, March 18 (UPI) -- Hip-hop artist Kanye West was charged Wednesday in Los Angeles with misdemeanor vandalism, battery and grand theft in a paparazzi incident, officials said.
New York Dolls reunite with Rundgren for new album
from Reuters: Entertainment News
LONDON (Billboard) - Veteran rock act the New York Dolls will issue its fourth album, "Cause I Sez So," on May 5 in the U.S. and a day earlier in the U.K.
ETC...
Family devastated by Richardson's death
Natasha Richardson, a film star, Tony-winning stage actress and a member of the famed Redgrave acting family, has died after suffering injuries in a ski accident. She was 45.
Heath Ledger-directed music video set for release
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A Modest Mouse music video directed by the late Heath Ledger is set for release this year.
Broadway thriving despite recession
from Reuters: Entertainment News
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - If this is how a recession affects Broadway, well then, bring it on!
Obama signs deal for post-presidency book
from USATODAY.com Life - Top Stories
President Barack Obama already has a job lined up after his presidency: writing another book.
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