The Newsdesk 03.24.09 - Hopkins Is Papa Hemingway; Williams in Recovery
• Anthony Hopkins is in talks to star in an Ernest Hemingway biopic to be written and directed by Andy Garcia.
• Cameron Diaz is in talks to star in the romantic comedy Swingles. It's kind of like Swingers meets Singles meets the worst movie title ever.
• Robin Williams is expected to make a full recovery from his recent heart surgery.
• Anne Hathaway will portray Judy Garland, both onstage and in a biopic, for the Weinstein Company. Knowing Harvey Weinstein, he'll also have Hathaway playing Garland in a 3D animated movie.
• New Regency/Fox is developing an adaptation of the comic book Freedom Formula: Ghost of the Wastland as a potential vehicle for Bryan Singer to direct. Will this keep Singer off the next Superman installment?
• Emily Blunt revealed that she was forced to drop out of Iron Man 2 due to scheduling conflicts with her role in the Jack Back Gulliver's Travels film. To make her feel better, Black plans to walk around the Gulliver's set in a homemade Iron Man costume.
• Yahoo! released their list of the 100 movies to see before you die.
BIZ
Variety to bloggers: Would you (please) drop dead!
It was inevitable that Variety would eventually respond to
the chorus of catcalls from the blogosphere about the way it covers Hollywood.
DirecTV, NFL ink $4 billion deal
from Variety.com
Sports News: Satellite service renews pact thru 2014 -- DirecTV has inked a four-year, $4 billion extension with the National Football League that will keep "NFL Sunday Ticket" game coverage on the satellite service through 2014.
Hollywood: Faster Change on Darfur!
from The Wrap RSS by admin
With their man now in the White House, George Clooney and others are starting to demand results
March Madness On Demand Sets Record
from The Wrap RSS by admin
Traffic through the first four days surpasses the entire 2008 tournament
Branded Content May Be the Answer to Monetizing Shorts
from The Wrap RSS by admin
Not just a way to make money, it can align the show with the brand's identity in a way that feels organic and not intrusive
from The Wrap RSS by admin
Another wave of layoffs and buyouts has hit Spring St., with
the number put at more than 50.
FESTIVALS
Fest Circuit 101 | A Guide to Fests (and a Bit of Expert
Advice)
from indieWIRE News
Filmmakers and fest programmers (past and present) joined a discussion on festivals aptly called "Surviving the Festival Circuit" last week at SXSW, a conversation that basically became a Festivals 101 primer for filmmakers looking to get their films out there.
SXSW ends as buzz grows for bands who impressed
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By JAKE COYLE
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Not long after the last guitar is strummed, the final beer is downed and East 6th Street clears out, the discussion of which acts made a mark at South By Southwest begins.
'Tokyo Sonata' best film at Asian Film Awards
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By MIN LEE
HONG KONG (AP) -- Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Tokyo Sonata" was named best film at the third Asian Film Awards on Monday in an evening dominated by Japanese filmmakers.
Bev Hills fest to honor DP Haskell Wexler
from Hollywood Reporter by Staff report
The ninth annual Interntional Beverly Hills Film Festival,
which runs from April 1-5 at the Clarity Theater in Beverly Hills, will honor
cinematographer Haskell Wexler with its second annual Legends Award.
MOVIES
Summer fare '09: 'X-Men,' 'Terminator' and 'Star Trek' are just
the beginning
from Film Journal by Sarah Sluis
For summer 2009, the film community is cooking up lots of
familiar ingredients: sequels, prequels, and nostalgic names from the past.
Yahoo's 100 Movies To See Before You Die
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
Yahoo has released a list of the 100 Movies To See Before
You Die. Fanboys might be angered that The Dark Knight doesn't make the
list, but I'm more angry that Star Wars is listed but not The Empire
Strikes Back.
Anne Hathaway to Pull Double Judy Garland Duty
A star has already been born, but apparently Anne Hathaway's Oscar-nominated role as a tempestuous recovering addict in Rachel Getting Married was just a warm-up.
Cameron Diaz mingles with 'Swingles'
from Hollywood Reporter by By Jay A. Fernandez and Borys Kit
Cameron Diaz is looking for a date. She is in negotiations
to topline "Swingles," a romantic comedy being produced by Kevin
Misher for Paramount.
First Look: Von Trier's "Antichrist"
from indieWIRE News
Buzz about the Lars Von Trier's latest, "Antichrist," intensified today with the release of a still image from the new movie. The framegrab from the film, expected to debut this year at the Cannes Film Festival, captures a scene featuring film leads Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
Paramount Pictures has released a new tv spot for JJ Abrams' Star Trek, featuring a little bit of new footage I haven't seen before.
He loves Hollywood, man: Producer Donald De Line doubles the
laughter with Rogen and Rudd comedies
from Film Journal by Doris Toumarkine
So how does an R-rated, young-male-skewed comedy packed with the predictable laundry list of guy-film raunch, including a sex-obsessed slacker dude, filthy talk, projectile vomiting, ear-damaging rock 'n' roll.
Tom Selleck falls victim to 'Five Killers'
from Hollywood Reporter by By Jay A. Fernandez and Borys Kit
Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara and Martin Mull have joined
the cast of "Five Killers," a Lionsgate action comedy that stars
Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl.
Cassavetes conserving 'Kingdom'
Film News: Filmmaker signs on to direct New Line drama -- Nick Cassavetes has signed on to helm the conservation-themed drama "Peaceable Kingdom" for New Line.
from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by Mark Blankenship
Here's my advice for film critics everywhere, whether you're getting paid to
review or just talking about a movie at a bar: Remember to analyze what you actually
saw and not what you wish you had seen.
EXCLUSIVE: Former 'Iron Man 2' Black Widow, Emily Blunt, Speaks
Out About Losing Role
from Splash Page by Eric Ditzian
Earlier this month, it seemed Emily Blunt was poised to make the leap from
critically adored actress to household name.
Zac Efron No Longer Cutting Footloose
Footloose is now Zac Efron-free. The teen dream has shimmied out of his Kevin Bacon-channeling role in the long-gestating remake of the classic '80s musical.
'Twilight' sequel finds Wolf Pack
from Hollywood Reporter by By Steven Zeitchik
Summit has brought on a cast of American Indian actors to
star in the werewolf- and vampire-themed "New Moon," the sequel to
"Twilight."
from The Wrap RSS by admin
By Jenny Sundel
Paul Rudd risked overexposure this week by appearing at two movie premieres in
one week. But with two markedly different films, he did not wear out his
welcome in Hollywood just yet.
Cage wants to stir imaginations with films
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, March 23 (UPI) -- U.S. actor Nicolas Cage says science-fiction movies like "Knowing" allow him to express himself in an abstract way while still pleasing audiences.
Sam Raimi Insists Bruce Campbell Will Return For Fourth 'Evil
Dead' Film
from Splash Page by Splash Page Team
For a few years now, there's been ample talk of revising the Sam Raimi
helmed "Evil Dead" franchise with star Bruce Campbell telling MTV last Spring that a 4th installment
of the horror-comedy film would not feature a younger sidekick to give it
more contemporary juice as many sit-coms in the past have done so to
desperately revive their ailing product. Back then, only a year ago Campbell
was raring to go.
TELEVISION
Ratings: President Obama boosts '60 Minutes' to Sunday win, as
'Kings' declines
from Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider by Jennifer Armstrong
President Obama's continuing comedy tour may have contained an ill-advised "joke," but it still boosted ratings for CBS' 60 Minutes on Sunday to 16.2 million viewers, according to early Nielsen estimates.
Condoleezza Rice to appear on 'Tonight'
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
BURBANK, Calif., March 23 (UPI) -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has agreed to appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," NBC announced Monday.
Sci Fi Channel founder bashes name change
from The Live Feed by hollywoodreporter
A co-founder of the Sci Fi Channel is taking offense at NBC Universal's plan to change the network's name.
'Northern Lights' is Lifetime's most-watched movie
from The Live Feed by hollywoodreporter
Tabloid rumors likely helped Lifetime's presentation of "Nora Roberts' Northern Lights"
from Hollywood Reporter by By Nellie Andreeva
Amanda Bynes is returning to series television as one of the
stars of ABC' comedy pilot "Canned."
Wozniak injured reaching for 'Stars'
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, March 23 (UPI) -- Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak pulled a hamstring while rehearsing for "Dancing with the Stars" in Los Angeles.
Peter Krause, Maura Tierney in 'Parenthood'
from Hollywood Reporter by By Nellie Andreeva
Peter Krause and Maura Tierney are jumping back into
primetime with starring roles on NBC's pilot "Parenthood," which is
based on the 1989 movie.
Cartoon Network scores NBA deal
from Hollywood Reporter by By James Hibberd
Cartoon Network is partnering with the NBA to develop
basketball-themed programming, with one series already in development.
Jacqueline Bisset joins CBS' 'Eastmans'
from Hollywood Reporter by By Nellie Andreeva
Jacqueline Bisset is set as a lead in CBS' drama pilot "The Eastmans," and Steve Howey has landed the male lead in NBC's comedy pilot "State of Romance."
'Parks and Recreation': Poor audience test results are normal,
NBC's Ben Silverman says
from Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider by Tim Stack
Reports of poor test results for NBC's new sitcom Parks and Recreation hit the web today but NBC Entertainment co-chair Ben Silverman tells EW these kinds of negative responses are not unusual for a new series.
Andy Richter talks 'Tonight Show,' 'Controls the Universe'
from Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider by Dan Snierson
This certainly registers on the Richter scale. On June 1, Andy Richter will re-team with his old Late Night buddy, Conan O'Brien
Television: On BET, Lifestyles of the Rich and Real
from NYT > Television by By GINIA BELLAFANTE
The network's reality programming often assumes the burden of correcting reductive portraits of black life.
John C. McGinley goes 'Back' for CBS
from Hollywood Reporter by By Nellie Andreeva
"Scrubs' " John C. McGinley is switching genres
with a co-starring role on CBS' drama pilot "Back."
from NYT > Television by By NEIL GENZLINGER
The makers of "Ten Trillion and Counting," Tuesday's "Frontline" on PBS, want to make sure that you know that George W. Bush, not Barack Obama, put the country in the economic mess it's in now.
Chelsea Handler inks new deal at Comcast
from Hollywood Reporter by By James Hibberd
Chelsea Handler has inked a sweeping multiyear new deal with
Comcast Entertainment Group that includes a production pact for E!'s late-night
talk show host.
Ausiello: 'Lost,' 'Grey's' plan weddings!
from EW.com: Today's Latest Headlines by Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello confirms a date for you to save: May 13 nuptials on ''Lost.'' Is May 7 booked for ''Grey's''?
Arts, Briefly: Short-Lived Cult Shows Live Again on DirecTV
from NYT > Television by Compiled by DAVE ITZKOFF
Canceled shows never die; they're just rebroadcast on DirecTV.
Fishburne Is The $14 Million Man On CBS
from Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily by Nikki Finke
I've confirmed that Laurence Fishburne is being paid "north of $14 million" for his CSI gig.
MUSIC
Counting
Crows Go Indie But Stay Busy
from Billboard News - All by David J. Prince, N.Y.
Counting Crows mainman Adam Duritz isn't slowing down even
after 18 years in the music business.
Perry Farrell Gets Shocked: Jane's Addiction Frontman on SXSW
Gig, Reznor Sessions, Lollapalooza
from Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily by Caryn Ganz
It's been 21 years since Jane's
Addiction released Nothing's Shocking, and frontman Perry Farrell
has finally found a cultural phenomenon that refutes the memorable refrain from
"Ted, Just Admit It ..." "The Octo-Mom is shocking, so there you go," he says.
"It finally happened. I'm shocked."
Elvis Costello goes acoustic on new album
from Reuters: Entertainment News
NEW YORK (Billboard) - On Elvis Costello's newest album, "Secret, Profane & Sugarcane," the prolific singer-songwriter-composer returns to acoustic American roots music for the first time since his 1986 album "King of America."
Prince turns a brilliant sonic triple play: 3 albums in 1 day
from USATODAY.com Life - Top Stories
Prince likes defying conventions, and this time he's doing it with a 3-D sonic assault.
Jonas Brothers' Fan Club Crashes From Massive Demand For
Presale Concert Tickets
from Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily by Daniel Kreps
In what is just the latest in a series of high-profile ticket debacles, the demand for concert tickets during the Jonas Brothers' fan club presale was so colossal this morning that the site crashed roughly 30 minutes before the 10 a.m. EST on-sale time, according to Rock Daily sources ― or friends who wish to remain nameless so they don't get made fun of for joining the Jonas Brothers fan club ― who tried to purchase tickets.
Warner songs silenced on YouTube
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, March 23 (UPI) -- Thousands of amateur videos have either been pulled or silenced on YouTube because of a copyright dispute with the Warner Music Group, The New York Times said.
Neil Young's "Archives Vol. 1″ Set for Release June 2nd
from Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily by Daniel Kreps
Neil Young's long-in-the-works and much-anticipated Archives Vol. 1 1963-1972 finally has a release date: June 2nd.
ETC...
Producer-director Brett Ratner takes on publishing
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Producer-director Brett Ratner is adding publisher to his list of credits.
David Letterman marries longtime girlfriend
Late-night talker David Letterman married his longtime girlfriend, Regina Lasko, last week, according to a transcript of the taping of his Monday night show. Letterman told his audience the wedding almost didn't happen after the couple got their truck stuck in the mud on the way to a Montana courthouse ceremony.
Robin Williams' surgery goes 'extremely well'
Robin Williams' heart surgery "went extremely well" and he is expected to make a full recovery in eight weeks, according to his surgeon.
Seth Rogen's monster move to video games
from MSNBC.com: Movies
Seth Rogen has been in plenty of movies. But until "Monsters vs. Aliens," he hadn't lent his voice to a single video game.
Lauren Conrad Halts Production of Clothing Collection
"She's taking a few seasons off so she can rework the line," says a rep for the Hills star
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