The Newsdesk 09.01.09 - Disney Buys Marvel; Green Hornet Delayed
• Disney has purchased Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion, acquiring a roster of over 5,000 characters. Yes, even Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham.
• Predators, the sequel to Predator, could film soon in Hawaii. It's safe to say there will be more than one Predator in this one.
• Paramount confirmed that Thor and Iron Man 2 are still on the way despite Marvel's sale to Disney. Which is just as well, because the Mouse House doesn't know what to do with Mickey Rourke.
• Fox is planning to reboot the Fantastic Four franchise with a new screenwriter. That'll show Disney. Reboot the one Marvel franchise no one likes.
• Green Hornet has been pushed back five months from July 2010 to December 2010. The delay will give audiences the chance to find out who Green Hornet is.
• Jerry Bruckheimer will turn Derek Haas' short story Shake into a big screen thriller. How will he pad out a short story to feature length? Many, many explosions.
Disney to Acquire Marvel in $4 Billion Deal
from Advertising Age - MediaWorks
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Walt Disney Co. announced this morning it was acquiring Marvel Entertainment for about $4 billion, or $50 per Marvel share. The acquisition price represents a 30% premium to Marvel's current share price. Operationally Marvel appears to be a good fit for Disney. Disney's distribution could quickly exploit Marvel's strong licensing business.
Viacom hopes the Beatles: Rock Band game sets stage for rebound
The company has bet big on the music video game title due
out Sept. 9 to help its own ailing division and the industry, which is facing a
sales slump.
Television executives reach for reset button
from FT.com - Media
Broadcasters, faced by plummeting advertising revenues, are at a critical moment and many of the threatened incumbents must redefine their businesses if they are to find growth once more
Movie Marketing: TV Trends Don't Translate to Web
from Advertising Age - MediaWorks
The data suggest that what works for TV does not carry over
into online video, bucking conventional media-buying wisdom. If you want to
promote a movie release in the online-video medium, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
rule from a reach and ad-response standpoint, and Thursday is by far the worst
day to spend ad dollars.
FESTIVALS
Oscar Race May Heat Up at Festival in Toronto
from NYT > Movies by By MICHAEL CIEPLY
In a September ritual America's film industry looks north to Toronto's annual film festival for help in making sense of its own year-end awards race.
from Variety.com
Legit News: 'Lincoln' dances with kudos -- New York Fringe
Festival has handed out its annual awards to a sizable list of shows, with
"Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party," "Devil Boys From
Beyond" and "Viral" sharing laurels for play.
AWARDS
Academy
changes best picture voting rules
from MSNBC.com: Movies
The winner won't be determined simply by which film gets the most votes. Instead it will be a more complicated process in which the voter's No. 2 and 3 choices are considered.
Scream 2009 Awards Nominations
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
Spike TV has released the list of nominees for the fourth annual Scream Awards,
which is billed as "the first and only global event of its kind to honor the
best in sci-fi, fantasy, horror and comic genres."
FILM
'District 9' opens in South Africa
The futuristic South African sci-fi that has taken the U.S box office by storm opened in its home country this weekend.
Paramount: 'Thor,' 'Iron Man 2′ still coming despite Marvel sale
from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Alynda Wheat
Paramount Pictures issued a statement today in the wake of Marvel Studios' sale to Disney, reported earlier. The $4 billion deal won't affect Paramount's distribution arrangement for five upcoming films, the studio announced, including the highly anticipated Iron Man 2 and Thor.
Nicolas Cage starring in 3D action pic 'Drive Angry'
from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Simon Vozick-Levinson
Nicolas Cage will star in a 3D action film called Drive Angry, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The film is a gory revenge fantasy involving an extended car chase which reportedly "leav bodies strewn along the highway." Patrick Lussier (My Bloody Valentine 3D) will direct.
Jerry Bruckheimer Buys Online Short Story 'Shake' For Seven
Figures
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
Jerry Bruckheimer has purchased the rights to Shake, a short
story by Wanted co-writer Derek Haas.
TELEVISION
Fox teams with Twitter for promo
from Hollywood Reporter by By James Hibberd
Fox this week will introduce "tweet-peats" of "Fringe" and "Glee": encore presentations accompanied by messages from cast and producers via the online social network.
Audrina Patridge Ready to Ditch The Hills
Audrina Patridge is so totally over The Hills. "I'm graduating," she told me with a laugh this weekend while promoting her new horror movie, Sorority Row.
Paula Abdul: I didn't leave 'Idol' over money
from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Alynda Wheat
In one of her first interviews since announcing her exit from Fox's mega-hit American Idol, Paula Abdul told TV Guide that the split wasn't over money, as has been widely speculated.
'Glee' releasing first-season soundtracks
from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Simon Vozick-Levinson
Columbia Records will release multiple soundtracks from the upcoming first season of Fox's Glee, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Glee: The Music, Volume 1, featuring cast covers of songs by artists from Neil Diamond to Kanye West, will be available Nov. 3.
Ausiello: 'SNL' reunion on 'Parks and Rec'
from EW.com: TV
By Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello reports exclusively that Fred Armisen will make a guest
appearance on Amy Poehler series this fall
MUSIC
'Where the Wild Things Are' Soundtrack Cover Revealed!
from Spin magazine's Daily Noise by Matt Kiser
The buzz around the Oct. 16 release of Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze's movie adaptation of Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book, is building, especially with last week's release of "All Is Love," the first single from the film's soundtrack by Karen O and the Kids on both MySpace and iTunes.
Arctic Monkeys top U.K. albums chart for 3rd time
from Reuters: Entertainment News
LONDON (Billboard) - The Arctic Monkeys scored their third U.K. No. 1 album and Dizzee Rascal his third No. 1 single, while 92-year-old wartime entertainer Dame Vera Lynn achieved her highest ranking on the album chart.
Shania Twain slowly stepping back into spotlight
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By CAITLIN KING
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Country music singer Shania Twain is slowly stepping back into the spotlight after the break up of her marriage to Robert "Mutt" Lange in May 2008.
Jason Mraz makes history with 71-week chart run
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By MESFIN FEKADU
NEW YORK (AP) -- Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" may be the longest running song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but the hippie-friendly jam has been around even longer....
Brown says he doesn't recall hitting Rihanna
Pop star Chris Brown has admitted guilt and apologized for assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna in February, but he does not remember hitting the singer, he told CNN's Larry King.
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
JERUSALEM, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Pop star Madonna is in Israel with a schedule that includes two concerts and visits with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Tzipi Livni.
Lady Gaga And Michael Bolton Join Forces On 'Murder My Heart'
from MTV News
'Her energy was so high and her focus excited me,' Bolton tells a London newspaper.
ETC...
Court: Paris Hilton can pursue Hallmark lawsuit
from Reuters: Entertainment News
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The celebrity and heiress Paris Hilton may pursue her lawsuit against Hallmark Cards over its use of her picture and catchphrase "That's hot" on a greeting card, a federal appeals court ruled on Monday.
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