VIDEO: 'Smash' Preview Offers a Backstage Look at the NBC Drama

New NBC Entertainment topper Robert Greenblatt faces his first big test as a broadcast network programmer when NBC's "Smash" premieres Feb. 6.Featuring former "American Idol" contestant Katharine McPhee leading an ensemble cast in the story of the making of a Broadway play, the fourth-place network is going all-out to promote the series, releasing a seven-minute extended sneak peek at the series.In the clip, McPhee and co-stars Debra Messing, Megan Hilty, Jack Davenport and Anjelica Huston (among others) are joined by a "dream team" of writer-producers Neil Meron, Craig Zadan and Steven Spielberg as they discuss the concept for the series.I've had this idea for quite a few years," Spielberg says. "I'm really interested in what happens backstage. In movies, I know exactly how to put together a story and how to put together a production but for me it's a complete mystery how they do it in theater."Watch the extended preview below. The Hollywood Reporter

Daniels set as Manley in 'Magic Bird'

Kevin Daniels remains attracted onto portray La great Miracle Manley inside the approaching Broadway play "Miracle Bird." Legit production, from producers Fran Kirmser and Tony Ponturo in colaboration using the Basketball, is positioned to start in Gotham in the year. "Inside the Levels" and "Lombardi" helmer Thomas Kail is pointing the play composed by Eric Simonson ("Lombardi"). The play will examine the bond between Bird and Manley, who've been bitter rivals both attending college and professional basketball however produced an endearing friendship. Daniels is loaded with lots of legit experience, including "Twelfth Evening" and "Suge Dark evening." Round the smallscreen, Daniels has came out in recent cases of "Modern Family," "Franklin and Party" and "House." Formerly, Tug Coker was cast as Boston Celtics great Ray Bird. He's guest starred in many TV series too, including "Torchwood," "CSI" and "Community." Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

'Warrior' Star Nick Nolte Scores a Knockout in a Role Close to Home

'Warrior' Star Nick Nolte Scores a Knockout in a Role Close to Home By Jenelle Riley December 16, 2011 Photo by AP Photo/Matt Sayles Nick Nolte At 70, Nick Nolte cuts an impressive figure. Though the actor is standing in a hotel room ensconced in a shapeless ensemble of oversize shirt and pants and smoking an e-cigarette, he manages to still look manly. He's here to talk about his latest film, "Warrior," in which he is earning raves as Paddy Conlon, the alcoholic father of two sons who end up facing each other in a winner-takes-all Mixed Martial Arts championship. The elder son, Brendan, played by Joel Edgerton, is a teacher and family man who has distanced himself from Paddy after a recent unspecified incident. The younger son, Tommy, portrayed by Tom Hardy, resents his father even as he asks Paddy to help him train. The role was written with Nolte in mind by director Gavin O'Connor, who lives in the same Malibu neighborhood as the actor. So it's probably not a coincidence that Paddy and Nolte share struggles. A lifelong battle with alcohol resulted in Nolte's arrest in 2002 for driving under the influence, producing perhaps the most famous mug shot in history. Nolte talks openly about his troublesin fact, he talks openly about everything. With a career spanning five decades on stage and screen and including such seminal projects as "Rich Man, Poor Man" and his Oscar-nominated role in "The Prince of Tides," Nolte is full of stories. For a half hour, he holds court on such topics as Marlon Brando being miscast in "A Streetcar Named Desire," Nolte's years in regional theater, and his latestand perhaps greatestrole.Back Stage: Paddy Conlon is a fantastic role; did you know when you read the script you had something special? Nick Nolte: I knew it was excellent material right away. And I was excited to do it because I knew Gavin well. I was supposed to do a film with him before, "Pride and Glory," and I walked on that. Back Stage: I thought you left due to needing knee surgery. Nolte: No. I walked two weeks before we started. Back Stage: And he still wanted to work with you? Nolte: Yeah. There were very specific reasons I left. He has the message on his phone explaining why I can't go on. And I told him I had to get my knee transplant done, which then obligated me to do that. So I did. I had some difficulties, but not with Gavin. There was some communication amongst the actors that wasn't quite right. And at my age, I won't do things chaotically anymoreI walk away. I used to sit through them, but it's just not worth it. Life is too short. Back Stage: At what point did he tell you he was writing a role for you? Nolte: When he was writing it, there was communication, but nothing specifically about the character. Then came the day he brought the script over, and I read it, and it was just brilliant. His writing is excellent. I wasn't thrilled with the MMA fighting. I wasn't a fan, I didn't watch too much of it, and it looked awful brutal to me. I called him and said, "I love this, it's really great, butdo we have to go down the MMA road?" He said, "I know it's ugly and violent, but you've really got to find out what it's about. Go to some of the matches, meet some fighters, meet their parents, meet their girlfriends, see their life. And you'll see it's not about violence." And I did. And it isn't about violence. I watch it now.Back Stage: The character of Paddy has some struggles that reflect your own life. Did that make you hesitate to take the part? Nolte: No, I embraced it. Because I have a drunk driving record and I have not been silent about my own addictions, it was a perfect vehicle. I understand addictions; I understand how destructive they are and how difficult they are to break. I was 48 before I got sober. I just didn't know you didn't drink. Brian James, an actor, said to me one day, "You know, if you ever feel like you don't want to, there's a little meeting up here at the school; you can come up." About two weeks later I was through a bottle or two and knew I should go. I walked into that meeting, and there were about 10 people who I had wondered where the hell they had gone to. I sat down next to a wet drunk, somebody who's been in the hospital hallucinating. This guy still had the willies; he was moaning and shouting. It was a quite frightening experience, when you catch on to yourself and you really know you got a problem. Because you know it's got to change, but you don't have the slightest idea how to do it. So I got through that meeting, and at the very end I was trying to get to the door and get the hell out of there, and this wet drunk grabbed me and said, "If you don't believe it right now, just pretend as if you do, and you'll be all right."Back Stage: Sort of like with acting. Nolte: Exactly. And I think that moment helped me more than anything else. I don't even know who he was.Back Stage: The audience has a lot of sympathy for Paddy, but we understand he's done some bad things in his past. Did you discuss that history with Gavin? Nolte: Yeah, we pretty much created the backstory. Living with an alcoholic just cannot be a happy experience, because you neglect everybody and everything. Brendan won't let Paddy come into his house, and I can tell you specifically the backstory I came up with there. Three Christmases ago, Paddy got a load on and went over there for Christmas and ran the car right through the living room, almost killing the kids. That's why he won't let me back in. I heard that story from an old guy I used to see at a bar. Back Stage: Was there anything you took away from playing Paddy? Nolte: Asking for forgiveness is just one of the most painful kind of experiences. It was very cathartic. If you know you've done something wrong and fess up to it, it's always a relief. To carry around that weight of knowing you've done something wrong; it's just emotional weight you can't get past. Outtakes Will next be seen opposite Dustin Hoffman on the HBO series "Luck"Other films include "Tropic Thunder," "North Dallas Forty," "Cape Fear," and "Affliction," for which he received his second Oscar nominationStudied at the Pasadena Playhouse and the Stella Adler Academy in Los AngelesPlaying the combative sons of Nick Nolte's character are rising stars Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton, who revealed to Back Stage how they landed their roles. Tom Hardy: I had a lengthy process of begging. I knew if I auditioned for it, there was no way I would get it. I'd talked to Gavin on the phone about process and how I could get there and transform myself. A lot of my audition process was me saying, "Trust me! Just trust me!" And Gavin really did trust me. He invited me out to come talk to him, and I flew out and stayed with him for a week. Joel Edgerton: I showed up at Gavin's house as well, but I didn't stay. I was a little different from Tom because I had a history of martial arts; I had a black belt as a kid, and I've played a lot of sports. Then he called me in India to offer me the part. They wanted to send some people to me to put me through the Krav Maga class, too, and I also kept telling him to trust me. Then I snuck away and tried to lift as many weights as possible. 'Warrior' Star Nick Nolte Scores a Knockout in a Role Close to Home By Jenelle Riley December 16, 2011 Nick Nolte PHOTO CREDIT AP Photo/Matt Sayles At 70, Nick Nolte cuts an impressive figure. Though the actor is standing in a hotel room ensconced in a shapeless ensemble of oversize shirt and pants and smoking an e-cigarette, he manages to still look manly. He's here to talk about his latest film, "Warrior," in which he is earning raves as Paddy Conlon, the alcoholic father of two sons who end up facing each other in a winner-takes-all Mixed Martial Arts championship. The elder son, Brendan, played by Joel Edgerton, is a teacher and family man who has distanced himself from Paddy after a recent unspecified incident. The younger son, Tommy, portrayed by Tom Hardy, resents his father even as he asks Paddy to help him train. The role was written with Nolte in mind by director Gavin O'Connor, who lives in the same Malibu neighborhood as the actor. So it's probably not a coincidence that Paddy and Nolte share struggles. A lifelong battle with alcohol resulted in Nolte's arrest in 2002 for driving under the influence, producing perhaps the most famous mug shot in history. Nolte talks openly about his troublesin fact, he talks openly about everything. With a career spanning five decades on stage and screen and including such seminal projects as "Rich Man, Poor Man" and his Oscar-nominated role in "The Prince of Tides," Nolte is full of stories. For a half hour, he holds court on such topics as Marlon Brando being miscast in "A Streetcar Named Desire," Nolte's years in regional theater, and his latestand perhaps greatestrole.Back Stage: Paddy Conlon is a fantastic role; did you know when you read the script you had something special? Nick Nolte: I knew it was excellent material right away. And I was excited to do it because I knew Gavin well. I was supposed to do a film with him before, "Pride and Glory," and I walked on that. Back Stage: I thought you left due to needing knee surgery. Nolte: No. I walked two weeks before we started. Back Stage: And he still wanted to work with you? Nolte: Yeah. There were very specific reasons I left. He has the message on his phone explaining why I can't go on. And I told him I had to get my knee transplant done, which then obligated me to do that. So I did. I had some difficulties, but not with Gavin. There was some communication amongst the actors that wasn't quite right. And at my age, I won't do things chaotically anymoreI walk away. I used to sit through them, but it's just not worth it. Life is too short. Back Stage: At what point did he tell you he was writing a role for you? Nolte: When he was writing it, there was communication, but nothing specifically about the character. Then came the day he brought the script over, and I read it, and it was just brilliant. His writing is excellent. I wasn't thrilled with the MMA fighting. I wasn't a fan, I didn't watch too much of it, and it looked awful brutal to me. I called him and said, "I love this, it's really great, butdo we have to go down the MMA road?" He said, "I know it's ugly and violent, but you've really got to find out what it's about. Go to some of the matches, meet some fighters, meet their parents, meet their girlfriends, see their life. And you'll see it's not about violence." And I did. And it isn't about violence. I watch it now.Back Stage: The character of Paddy has some struggles that reflect your own life. Did that make you hesitate to take the part? Nolte: No, I embraced it. Because I have a drunk driving record and I have not been silent about my own addictions, it was a perfect vehicle. I understand addictions; I understand how destructive they are and how difficult they are to break. I was 48 before I got sober. I just didn't know you didn't drink. Brian James, an actor, said to me one day, "You know, if you ever feel like you don't want to, there's a little meeting up here at the school; you can come up." About two weeks later I was through a bottle or two and knew I should go. I walked into that meeting, and there were about 10 people who I had wondered where the hell they had gone to. I sat down next to a wet drunk, somebody who's been in the hospital hallucinating. This guy still had the willies; he was moaning and shouting. It was a quite frightening experience, when you catch on to yourself and you really know you got a problem. Because you know it's got to change, but you don't have the slightest idea how to do it. So I got through that meeting, and at the very end I was trying to get to the door and get the hell out of there, and this wet drunk grabbed me and said, "If you don't believe it right now, just pretend as if you do, and you'll be all right."Back Stage: Sort of like with acting. Nolte: Exactly. And I think that moment helped me more than anything else. I don't even know who he was.Back Stage: The audience has a lot of sympathy for Paddy, but we understand he's done some bad things in his past. Did you discuss that history with Gavin? Nolte: Yeah, we pretty much created the backstory. Living with an alcoholic just cannot be a happy experience, because you neglect everybody and everything. Brendan won't let Paddy come into his house, and I can tell you specifically the backstory I came up with there. Three Christmases ago, Paddy got a load on and went over there for Christmas and ran the car right through the living room, almost killing the kids. That's why he won't let me back in. I heard that story from an old guy I used to see at a bar. Back Stage: Was there anything you took away from playing Paddy? Nolte: Asking for forgiveness is just one of the most painful kind of experiences. It was very cathartic. If you know you've done something wrong and fess up to it, it's always a relief. To carry around that weight of knowing you've done something wrong; it's just emotional weight you can't get past. Outtakes Will next be seen opposite Dustin Hoffman on the HBO series "Luck"Other films include "Tropic Thunder," "North Dallas Forty," "Cape Fear," and "Affliction," for which he received his second Oscar nominationStudied at the Pasadena Playhouse and the Stella Adler Academy in Los AngelesPlaying the combative sons of Nick Nolte's character are rising stars Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton, who revealed to Back Stage how they landed their roles. Tom Hardy: I had a lengthy process of begging. I knew if I auditioned for it, there was no way I would get it. I'd talked to Gavin on the phone about process and how I could get there and transform myself. A lot of my audition process was me saying, "Trust me! Just trust me!" And Gavin really did trust me. He invited me out to come talk to him, and I flew out and stayed with him for a week. Joel Edgerton: I showed up at Gavin's house as well, but I didn't stay. I was a little different from Tom because I had a history of martial arts; I had a black belt as a kid, and I've played a lot of sports. Then he called me in India to offer me the part. They wanted to send some people to me to put me through the Krav Maga class, too, and I also kept telling him to trust me. Then I snuck away and tried to lift as many weights as possible.

MTV's #8 Movie Of The Year Is '50/50'

I kept fearing "50/50" would take a left turn onto Sappy Boulevard, plod past Preachy Junction and come to a rest in a town populated by "Dying Young," "Autumn in NY" and "Sweet November," where everyone learns pat lessons and becomes better people (except for those who die; those unfortunate folks just help us learn something about ourselves before they pass into the Great Cheesy Beyond). "50/50" is a movie about cancer, after all, about a young man with the disease. At a certain point star Seth Rogen would have to cease being Seth Rogen, and the whole film would become some YA version of "Beaches," right? Wrong, wrong, wrong. Based on writer Will Reiser's own experiences and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a young radio producer suffering from a rare form of cancer, "50/50" pulls off the magic trick of staying consistently funny, sweet, affecting and real and never, ever cheesy. For all these reasons and more, "50/50" lands at #8 on MTV's Best of 2011 Movie list. As Rogen, who produced the film and plays Gordon-Levitt's best friend (and happens to be Reiser's close pal), told us back in September, "We'd always talk about how it's not a creative challenge to take something depressing and make something depressing out of it. To us, it was much more interesting to take something that's inherently depressing and try to make something really, really funny out of it." "50/50" joins "Attack the Block" (#10) and "The Descendants" (#9) on our Best of 2011 list. All week long, we'll be counting down our list in the lead up to our Best of 2011 Movies live stream on Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET. During the show, we'll revel the top five. Don't miss it! Related: #10 Movie of the Year: "Attack the Block" #9 Movie of the Year: "The Descendants" All this week, watch "AMTV" on MTV every day at 8 a.m. ET for our Best of 2011 lists. Then, come to MTVNews.com at 5 p.m. as we reveal our top picks of the year!

Will Ferrell Stars in Advertisements for Old Milwaukee Beer Free Of Charge

Will Ferrell Will Ferrell must love beer -- more particularly, Old Milwaukee. That Old School star agreed to come in a number of spots for that parent firm Pabst Brewing Co. in September - free of charge. They are only running on local TV in Davenport, Iowa, based on Business Insider. But that has not stopped them from going viral online. Browse the advertisements:

'Ender's Game' Eyes Hailee Steinfeld For Petra

Hailee Steinfeld is one lucky lady. After impressing audiences with "True Grit" last year, she missed out on being cast in "The Hunger Games" and has only been cast in relatively under-the-radar projects. But now all that is about to change. Variety is reporting that Steinfeld is in talks to play Petra Arkanian in the upcoming adaptation of "Ender's Game." Petra is the most significant female character in the story, and also acts as Ender's right-hand woman. This would hands down be Steinfeld's biggest role to date if she ends up agreeing to it, and also would likely launch her into her first franchise. This follows the news that Asa Butterfield will play Ender and Harrison Ford is being considered for the role of Colonel Hyrum Graff, which means the casting process is quickly getting underway. Neither Steinfeld nor Ford's participation in the film are set in stone, but it would be a good career move for both of them to join the project. With the roles of Ender, Petra and Graff potentially squared away, there are still some other big roles left to cast. The biggest of them is Bean, a character who ends up getting his own side series in the "Ender" universe. He is a younger recruit than Ender in the Battle School, but just as smart and apt for his job. There are also Ender's older siblings Peter and Valentine Wiggins to cast, as well as the rest of his Battle School peers. It will be interesting to see if director Gavin Hood ends up continuing to cast well-known actors, or if he starts looking for some unknowns to fill the roles. More on "Ender's Game" in today's Talk Nerdy To Me! Do you think Steinfeld will be a good addition to "Ender's Game"? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Box Office Report: 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn' and 'Muppets' Rule Thanksgiving

Summit Entertainment's The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn--Part 1 topped the Thanksgiving eve box office with $12.5 million, while Disney's new family film The Muppets came in No. 2 with $6.6 million million.our editor recommendsBox Office Preview: 'The Muppets' Likely to Win Thanksgiving Family FeudFamily Feud: November's Biggest Box Office Battles, Weekend-by-Weekend New Movie Reviews: 'Hugo,' 'The Muppets,' 'My Week With Marilyn' Hitting TheatersMartin Scorsese Talks 'Hugo,' Recurring Nightmares and How His 12-Year-Old Rules the RoostRelated Topics•Twilight Wednesday's grosses suggest that Breaking Dawn -- with a domestic gross of $171.5 million -- will land in the high $50 million range for the five-day holiday stretch. In a victory for Disney, The Muppets has a strong shot at hitting $40 million for the five days. Starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams opposite the iconic puppets, the family film cost a modest $45 million to produce and is designed to introduce a new generation to the brand. PHOTOS: 'The Muppets' Red Carpet Arrivals Warner Bros. holdover Happy Feet Two bested Sony and Aardman's new family film Arthur Christmas, grossing $2.9 million, compared to $2.4 million for Arthur. Sony believes that Arthur, costing $85 million to produce, will have especially strong legs, even if it starts slow. Happy Feet Two should hit $20 million for the five days; Arthur is hoping for the same. Muppets earned a stellar A CinemaScore, while Arthur earned an A-. PHOTOS: 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn' Black Carpet Arrivals Martin Scorsese's critically acclaimed new 3D film Hugo came in No. 8 on Wednesday after opening on 1,277 theaters, only a third of the location count of Muppets and Arthur Christmas. Projections show the film grossing $12.5 million for the five days, in line with expectations. Paramount, which is distributing Hugo, believes the film will play older than traditional family films, as well as to more sophisticated audiences. By opening on a smaller number of screens, Paramount is looking to build word-of-mouth heading into the heart of awards season. Hugo, Muppets and Arthur Christmas have all received great reviews. Alexander Payne's The Descendants, starring George Clooney, expanded nicely, grossing $985,000 on Wednesday as it moved into a total of 390 theaters across the country. The film came in No. 10, and its domestic cume is now $2.5 million. Michelle Williams specialty film My Week with Marilyn opened Wednesday in 123 theaters, grossing $155,000 for a location average of $1,256. The Weinstein Co. is distributing the film. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Red Carpet's Top 10: Twilight: Breaking Dawn Premiere Related Topics Box Office Happy Feet 2 The Muppets

Jerry O'Connell, Jonah Hill and Josh Groban to Co-Host 'Live! With Kelly'

Getty ImagesJerry O'Connell and Jonah Hill Live! With Kelly features four guest co-hosts, who'll join Kelly Ripa round the morning talker.our editor recommendsFirst 'Live!' Episode After Regis Philbin's Departure Draws Good RatingsJerry Seinfeld Joins Kelly Ripa on First 'Live' Broadcast Sans Regis Philbin Jerry O'Connell and singer-actor Josh Groban will return to co-host alongside Ripa, while Dwts professional Derek Hough and Jonah Hill will probably be making their debuts. O'Connell, presently starring in Broadway's Seminar, will have the following day of Thanksgiving. Site visitors for your episode include Castle star Nathan Fillion and Glee's Jane Lynch. Groban will occupy his chair for three days from 12 ,. 7-9, where site visitors includes Zac Efron, Neil Gem, Charlize Theron and Abigail Breslin. Hill, an expert producer on Fox's Allen Gregory and recently starring in Moneyball, co-hosts the 12 ,. 6 hour. Nicole Kidman, Emily Van Camping and chef Richard Blais visit for just about any chat. Hough co-hosts 12 ,. 5, when Burn Notice's Jeffrey Donovan and Martha Marcy May Marlene actress Elizabeth Olsen visit. Neil Patrick Harris joins Ripa beginning November. 28 for just about any days time. Jerry Seinfeld co-situated from November. 21-23. Jerry O'Connell Jonah Hill Josh Groban Live! With Kelly

This Is What Happens When Rappers Review The Muppets

If you’d rather forgo the lengthy critical reviews of this weekend’s The Muppets and instead know whether or not you’ll stay awake during Jason Segel’s big-screen revival of Jim Henson’s beloved characters, NextMovie has the video review for you. It features Brooklyn-based rappers M.O.P., who impressively do not mention Segel’s name once but do call out Chris Cooper’s rapping skills (or lack thereof) and compare Miss Piggy to “a not-so-hot Nicki Minaj.” Click through for the fresh, direct and vaguely insulting (to Miss Piggy) take on The Muppets. Get More: For more from NextMovie: Trailers | Movies | DVD & Blu-Ray For more of NextMovie’s “Rappers Review” series, enjoy the Immortals, Bad Teacher, Hangover Part II and Sucker Punch installments. The Muppets hits theaters tomorrow. [via NextMovie]

FEINBERG FORECAST: 'The Artist,' 'The Descendants,' 'The Help' Atop Best Pic Area

Fox Searchlight Below is my latest assessment of all of the high-profile Oscar groups, along with commentary by whatOrthat has negative and positive momentum at this time in most of these. I welcome your opinions inside the comments section in the finish in the publish. BEST PICTURE Management The Artist (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, PG-13, trailer) The Descendants (Fox Searchlight, 11/23, R, trailer) The Help (Disney, 8/12, PG-13, trailer) Evening amount of time in Paris (The brand new the new sony Pictures Classics, 5/20, PG-13, trailer) Moneyball (Columbia, 9/23, PG-13, trailer) War Equine (Disney, 12/25, PG-13, trailer) Very Noisy and very Close (Warner Bros., 12/25, PG-13, trailer) The Woman While using Dragon Tattoo (The brand new the new sony, 12/21, R, trailer) J. Edgar (Warner Bros., 11/11, R, trailer) Margin Call (Kerbside Sights, 10/21, R, trailer) Major Risks The Ides of March (The brand new the new sony, 10/14, R, trailer) Mess, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Focus Features, 12/9, R, trailer) Hugo (Vital, 11/23, PG, trailer) The Tree of Existence (Fox Searchlight, 5/27, PG-13, trailer) Shame (Fox Searchlight, 12/2, NC-17, trailer) Beginners (Focus Features, 6/3, R, trailer) The Iron Lady (The Weinstein Company, 12/30, PG-13, teaser) Harry Potter as well as the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2 (Warner Bros., 7/15, PG-13, trailer) Options Inside the Land of Blood stream and Honey (FilmDistrict, 12/23, R, trailer) 50/50 (Summit, 9/30, R, trailer) My Week with Marilyn (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, R, trailer) Youthful Adult (Vital, 12/9, R, trailer) Carnage (The brand new the new sony Pictures Classics, 12/16, R, trailer) Super 8 (Vital, 6/10, PG-13, trailer) Drive (FilmDistrict, 9/16, R, trailer) We Bought a Zoo (last century Fox, 12/23, PG, trailer) This timely little indie's gutsy day-and-date release plan has paid out off in spades, while using film raking in considerable dough and having a hot subject of dialogue among both industry affiliates and everybody's intelligentsia. Nobody seems quite certain in what this film "is" -- an honours contender, purely commercial, or neither -- as well as the announcement that it's going to have a very "country wide commercial sneak" four days before its actual release is not reassuring news. BEST DIRECTOR Management Alexander Payne (The Descendants) Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) Woodsy Allen (Evening amount of time in Paris) Steven Spielberg (War Equine) Tate Taylor (The Help) Major Risks Stephen Daldry (Very Noisy and very Close) David Fincher (The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo) Bennett Burns (Moneyball) Clint Eastwood (J. Edgar) Terrence Malick (The Tree of Existence) Martin Scorsese (Hugo) George Clooney (The Ides of March) Options Steve McQueen (Shame) J.C. Chandor (Margin Call) Tomas Alfredson (Mess, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) Phyllida Lloyd (The Iron Lady) Jason Reitman (Youthful Adult) Roman Polanski (Carnage) Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive) It needed guts with this particular old-school filmmaker to try out a technique like 3-D the first time within the career at 69, but his efforts relating to this family film are increasingly being met with lots of praise in the type of 3-D pioneer James Cameron (read here) and Time magazine's Richard Corliss (read here). Fairly or else, the growing consensus seems being this is not among his "major works" (think Unforgiven, Mystic River, and Big Baby), but rather the newest in the more recent string of films that have left a little more being preferred (Changeling, Gran Torino, Invictus, and Hereafter). BEST ACTOR Management Jean Dujardin (The Artist) George Clooney (The Descendants) Kaira Pitt (Moneyball) Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar) Michael Fassbender (Shame) Major Risks Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March) Gary Oldman (Mess, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) Michael Shannon (Take Shelter) Woodsy Harrelson (Rampart) Ryan Gosling (Drive) Ernest Gordon-Levitt (50/50) Paul Giamatti (Mutually Advantageous) Options Thomas Horn (Very Noisy and very Close) Difficulties (The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo) Take advantage of Fiennes (Coriolanus) Demian Bichir (A Far Greater Existence) Owen Wilson (Evening amount of time in Paris) Jeremy Irvine (War Equine) Zachary Quinto (Margin Call) Matt Damon (We Bought a Zoo) He's been beating the pavement around anybody this honours season, and -- even if his character in this film has turned off some female voters, who feel he's unapologetically misogynistic -- he themselves can be a hard guy not to like. Though virtually nobody who is not concentrating on the film has seen the film yet, the thrill that we'm hearing could it be's the Rooney Mara show, which whether or not this scores any acting jerk it'll be one on her behalf, not Craig. BEST ACTRESS Management Viola Davis (The Help) Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn) Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) Rooney Mara (The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo) Major Risks Charlize Theron (Youthful Adult) Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia) Keira Knightley (A Dangerous Method) Tilda Swinton (We must Discuss Kevin) Michelle Yeoh (The Lady) Options Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre) Ellen Barkin (Another Happy Day) Felicity Manley (Constantly) Adepero Oduye (Pariah) Rachel Weisz (The Whistleblower) Vera Farmiga (Greater Ground) This actress' incredible portrait of Margaret Thatcher as both a thrilling middle-aged and diminishing senior citizens lady has become passionate acclaim from virtually everyone which has seen it since its unveiling the other day, which is certain to bring her accurate documentation-stretching 17th Oscar jerk. The film which performance -- easily the marriage factor relating to this -- seem to become diminishing within the discussion because the second mental/sex-centric drama -- Shame, which stars Michael Fassbender -- steps the main attraction. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Management Christopher Plummer (Beginners) Max von Sydow (Very Noisy and very Close) Albert Brooks (Drive) Jeremy Irons (Margin Call) Kevin Spacey (Margin Call) Major Risks Stanley Tucci (Margin Call) Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady) Jonah Hill (Moneyball) Armie Hammer (J. Edgar) Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn) Patton Oswalt (Youthful Adult) Ben Kingsley (Hugo) NEW Tom Hanks (Very Noisy and very Close) Options Christoph Waltz (Carnage) John C. Reilly (Carnage) Nick Nolte (Warrior) John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene) Andy Serkis (Rise in the Planet in the Apes) Kaira Pitt (The Tree of Existence) Viggo Mortensen (A Dangerous Method) George Clooney (The Ides of March) Christopher Plummer (The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo) NEW Handful of expected the 27-year-old -- which has almost exclusively labored in frat-pack comedy right before this venture (with Cyrus being the primary one notable exception) -- to have their own around he did opposite Kaira Pitt in this film, the honours campaign that's presently being elevated. This performance has not been seen by virtually anybody not concentrating on the film, but is mentioned being incredibly brief -- almost a cameo, really -- and substantially overshadowed by veteran von Sydow's. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Management Octavia Spencer (The Help) Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) Berenice Bejo (The Artist) Jessica Chastain (The Help) Jesse McTeer (Albert Nobbs) Major Risks Sandra Bullock (Very Noisy and very Close) Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus) Carey Mulligan (Shame) Evan Rachel Wood (The Ides of March) Judy Greer (The Descendants) Jodie Promote (Carnage) Options Kate Winslet (Carnage) Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Existence) Marion Cotillard (Evening amount of time in Paris) Elizabeth Reaser (Youthful Adult) NEW Emily Watson (War Equine) Kim Wayans (Pariah) Judi Dench (J. Edgar) Scarlett Johansson (We Bought a Zoo) Many a young actress remains recognized in this category, which one assessments off plenty of important boxes: she's pretty, charming, and humble (see her profile/pic inside the new EW, not online) -- and in addition it never affects to own George Clooney experimenting saying fantastic causes of you. As strong from the perf since this is in the truly great actress, the film that's offered -- that can take classic Shakespeare and sets it within our day -- just is not everyone's bag and is not lighting a fire place inside the bellies of even people to whom it's. BEST Modified Script Management Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash (The Descendants) Tate Taylor (The Help) Stan Chervin, Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian (Moneyball) Richard Curtis, Lee Hall (War Equine) Eric Roth (Very Noisy and very Close) Major Risks Steven Zaillian (The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo) George Clooney, Grant Heslov (The Ides of March) Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan (Mess, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) John Logan (Hugo) Hossein Amini (Drive) Options Pedro Almodovar (The Skin Home Is) Roman Polanski (Carnage) Christopher Hampton (A Dangerous Method) Cameron Crowe, Aline Brosh McKenna (We Bought a Zoo) John Logan (Coriolanus) BEST ORIGINAL Script Management Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) Woodsy Allen (Evening amount of time in Paris) Dustin Lance Black (J. Edgar) Mike Mills (Beginners) J.C. Chandor (Margin Call) Major Risks James Ward Byrkit, John Logan, Gore Verbinski (Rango) Diablo Cody (Youthful Adult) Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) Tom McCarthy, Joe Tiboni (Mutually Advantageous) Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy Mae Marlene) Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen (Shame) Terrence Malick (The Tree of Existence) Options Will Reiser (50/50) Asghar Farhadi (A Separation) James Ellroy, Oren Moverman (Rampart) Drake Doremus, Ben You'll be able to Manley (Constantly) Rob Nichols (Take Shelter) Abi Morgan (The Iron Lady) J.J. Abrams (Super 8) Dee Rees (Pariah) BEST ANIMATED FILM (FEATURE) Management Rango (Vital, 3/4, PG, trailer) The Adventures of Tintin (Vital, 12/21, PG, trailer) Cars 2 (Disney, 6/24, G, trailer) Happy Foot 2 (Warner Bros., 11/18, PG, trailer) Puss in Boots (DreamWorks, 11/4, PG, trailer) Major Risks Kung Fu Panda 2 (DreamWorks, 5/26, PG, trailer) Rio (last century Fox, 4/15, G, trailer) Arthur Christmas (The brand new the new sony, 11/23, PG, trailer) Options Alvin as well as the Chipmunks: Nick-Wrecked (last century Fox, 12/11, TBA, trailer) Winnie the Pooh (Disney, 7/15, G, trailer) The Smurfs (The brand new the new sony, 7/29, PG, trailer) The Lion of Judah (Animated Family Films, 6/3, TBA, trailer) BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM (FEATURE) Management Project Nim (Kerbside Sights, 7/8, PG-13, trailer) Buck (IFC Films, 6/17, PG, trailer) In case your Tree Falls (Oscilloscope, 6/22, TBA, trailer) Bill Cunningham NY (Zeitgeist Films, 3/16, TBA, trailer) Fight for Brooklyn (TBA, 6/17, TBA, trailer) Major Risks Better Our World (Bullfrog Films, 8/26, TBA, trailer) Hell and Again (Docurama Films, 10/5, TBA, trailer) Pina (Sundance Selects, 12/23, TBA, trailer) Sing Your Song (Cinemax Documentary Films, 9/2, TBA, trailer) Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (Cinemax Documentary Films, TBA, TBA, trailer) Options I Had Been Here (Danger Signal Delivering, 9/?, TBA, trailer) Undefeated (The Weinstein Company, 2/10, TBA, TBA) Semper Fi: Always Faithful (TBA, TBA, TBA, trailer) Under Fire: Journalists in Combat (TBA, TBA, TBA, trailer) Jane's Journey (First Run Features, TBA, TBA, trailer) BEST Language FILM Management A Separation (Iran) Which Side We Proceed Now? (Lebanon) Le Havre (Finland) A Simple Existence (Hong Kong) In Darkness (Belgium) Major Risks Monsieur Lazhar (Canada) Commitment of War (France) Footnote (Israel) Pina (Germany) The Flowers of War (China) Happy, Happy (Norwegian) Terra Firma (Italia) Sonny Boy (Netherlands) Superclasico (Denmark) Options Bullhead (Belgium) Black Bread (The nation) Postcard (Japan) Omar Destroyed Me (Morocco mole) The Turin Equine (Hungary) Not such a long time ago in Anatolia (Chicken) Montevideo: Taste from the Dream (Serbia) Morgen (Romania) BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Management The Artist (Ludovic Bource) War Equine (John Williams) Hugo (Howard Shoreline) The Adventures of Tintin (John Williams) Very Noisy and very Close (Alexandre Desplat) Major Risks The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross) Mess Tailor Soldier Spy (Alberto Iglesias) The Help (Thomas Newman) Super 8 (Michael Giacchino) Harry Potter as well as the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Alexandre Desplat) The Ides of March (Alexandre Desplat) Options Moneyball (Mychael Danna) Jane Eyre (Dario Marianelli) A Dangerous Method (Howard Shoreline) The Skin Home Is (Alberto Iglesias) Evening amount of time in Paris (Stephane Wrembel) Nathan Larson (Margin Call)

NBCs Grimm Will get Order For Just Two Scripts

I've found that NBC has purchased two additional scripts from newcomer drama Grimm. The fairytale-designed drama procedural, produced by Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt, got off and away to an excellent rankings begin Friday, October 28 against Game 7 around the globe Series. It's ended up since but nonetheless ranks among NBC’s greatest-ranked scripted shows in 18-49. Within an encouraging sign, Grimm was featured on NBC’s midseason schedule launched on Monday.

When Existence Hands You Lemon...Sing Through It

Today, the first time, my voice malfunctioned inside an audition. Unlike a few things i may have expected, paradise didn't come crashes lower.My singing voice is rather reliable. Even if I'm not feeling great, which i do not appear my best, it features a inclination to achieve success pressurized. I've had moments of great interest upon entering the audition room after which it ended up amazed because when well things went. As well as when my voice isn't at peak performance, it's rare with this to remain in this kind of condition the panel can inform something's wrong.These days will be a new day my pals.I visited an audition that we was pretty searching toward. The show was having a composer I like whose tasks are little completed. I used to be all specific around execute a piece by him. Once I awoke today I understood my voice wasn't at it's best, but figured I really could survive my a few seconds inside the room. I went in, spoken while using accompanist, and was excited to sing this song I like do not achieve do often.The music activity started. I opened up up my mouth. As soon as I started singing I new something was wrong. I really could possess the gunk moving on me. And this time around around it absolutely was audible. It absolutely was apparent that we needed a glass or two water to be able to apparent my throat. Clearly, there's very little else will be able to do but to sing through it.Fortunately singing vibrates people traditional vocal cords. Following a first phrase I used to be golden. Well...not golden, however felt the panel had ample chance to hear a few things i really appear like. In my opinion, if something such as this had happened initially initially when i first moved here, I'd have panicked. I'd have assumed the corporation would believe I'm horrible and spend the comfort of your time together wondering why I even showed up. In time here' have recognized it's not use worrying such situations.There's one minute there today once i considered beginning over (which i've never done before), however thought what's the point? I'm merely a person, right? Sometimes unpredicted unexpected things happen. Every so often people the situation is inside our control, but more often than not they aren't. In case your room full of people can't forgive me to become a genuine person, than I probably should avoid using them anyway. (Clearly these were particularly nice people who didn't appear phased with the problem inside the littlest.)You will discover always other auditions together with other jobs. Essentially cried every time I messed up a lyric, didn't appear my best, or wasn't engaged enough inside the audition room I'd spend a considerable a part of my existence in tears. Rather, I choose to forge ahead and relish as soon as. I choose to not take myself too seriously. I choose allowing myself a mistake or two once in awhile.Nowadays things didn't go precisely how I'd wanted, however can't wait to determine which tomorrow must offer.Discover More About UNSCRIPTED

Wuss

A Very Personalized Films production in colaboration with Minor in Possession and Femmewerks Prods. Produced by Eric Steele, Barak Epstein, Adam Donaghey. Executive producer, Bala Shagrithaya. Directed, put together by Clay Liford.With: Nate Rudin, Alicia Anthony, Ryan Anderson, Chris Gardner, Cody Manley, Tony Hale, Alex Karpovsky, Sylvia Luedtke, Jennifer Sipes, Tamara Fana, Ashley Oliver, Johnny Mars.By frequently upending anticipation and shifting tones, author-director Clay Liford keeps his audience really intrigued and anxious throughout "Wuss," an remarkably crafted drama laced with darkly comic humor. After several stops over the fest circuit -- plus a showcase at Los Angeles' AFI Film Festival, where it won an audience award -- this offbeat indie, of a mousy secondary school teacher who's brutalized by delinquent students and mocked by most grownups within the orbit, has the capacity to graduate to limited theatrical release. But it'll require a knowledgeable distrib in a position to shouldering a difficult marketing challenge. In the get-go, Liford signifies Mitch Parker (Nate Rudin), a short, slight fellow within the mid-20s, as someone who likely experienced a nonstop barrage of bullying throughout his adolescent years. Sadly, since the opening sequence at his high-school reunion rapidly determines, things haven't changed much for Mitch years after graduation: He's still within the same school, living conscious of his less-than-affectionate mother (Sylvia Luedtke) plus much more-than-threatening sister (Jennifer Sipes), and being struggling with students and staffers alike, even though he's now an British teacher. Mitch is actually psychologically beaten-lower it has come about as little surprise he doesn't hurry to get hold of government physiques when he's assaulted having a student who not respond well to discipline. Jamal (Ryan Anderson) is actually an irredeemable brute, even their very own mother (Ashley Oliver, inside an attention-getting single-scene performance) thinks Mitch should drop anything at all on him after he attacks the brand new teacher. Yet it's not until he'll acquire some encouragement from Maddie (Alicia Anthony), among his best students, that Mitch begins to plot revenge. "Wuss" is very amusing within the broadly comical moments, specifically when Mitch joins extended-time pals (including some fellow teachers) for spirited Dungeons & Dragons games. Indie stalwart Alex Karpovsky ("Beeswax," "Small Furniture") can get some laughs becoming an strongly condescending vice principal who loves disturbing Mitch. Despite the fact that Johnny Mars is a lot more than adequately menacing as Maddie's older brother, who just is undoubtedly a gun-runner, he's all of a sudden amusing when he unveils his avocation just like a rare-books dealer. Beneath the funny business, however, an acceptable volume of serious suspense percolates throughout "Wuss." As Mitch, Rudin affectingly plays a put-upon character whose humiliation and desperation helps to keep the pic compelling. And newcomer Anthony beguilingly fires up various areas of a complicated, even contradictory character -- sometimes tearfully vulnerable, sometimes brazenly poised. The bond between Mitch and Maddie calculates being the existence bloodstream of "Wuss," triggering an ambiguous yet satisfying finale. Shot around Garland, a midsize Texas city near Dallas, "Wuss" boasts fine production values, climax likely some pop tunes round the soundtrack may be transformed just before the pic's theatrical release.Camera (color), Christopher Simpson editor, Jay Serra music, Curtis Heath production designer, Yen Tan art director, Ellen Weaver costume designer, Andie Day appear, Codi Putman connect producer, Farah White-colored assistant director, Angie Meyer casting, Eric Steele. Examined on DVD, Houston, November. 12, 2011. (In AFI, SXSW film festivals.) Running time: 96 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Ron Howard's 'Rush' shelves up sales

Ron Howard's racing drama "Hurry" is showing lots of traction in worldwide marketplaces, annually before its expected release. Exclusive Media Group introduced Wednesday, the ultimate day's the American Film Market, it had offered the pic to marketers for 30 marketplaces including Alliance Films for Canada, Aurum for The country, Universum/RTL for Germany, E1 for New zealand and australia, MisLabel for Scandinavia and Independent in Benelux. Variety reported Monday that StudioCanal had acquired U.K. privileges. Alex Walton, leader of Exclusive Films Intl., told Variety that putting in a bid have been highly competitive with strong prices. "We feel this film is a major event title for that finish of 2012, and that we possess the most powerful worldwide partners to understand that worldwide," he added. Universal's handling the U.S. release. Walton stated the chances are the domestic launch is going to be associated with the November. 16-18 F1 race in Austin, Texas. Exclusive came on throughout the Toronto Film Festival to co-finance "Hurry" with Mix Creek Pictures. Project, which sports identifiable talents for example Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl and Olivia Wilde, sometimes appears included in the growing efforts through the indie sector to consider advantage because the large Hollywood galleries escape from mid-budget projects. Story concentrates on the competition between James Search (Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Bruhl) as well as their F1 racing teams, McLaren and Ferrari, as both were pressed towards the breaking reason for their physical and mental endurance. Shooting will begin in Feb around F1 tracks in Silverstone, England, and Nurburgring, Germany. Exclusive's deals for "Hurry" include California Filmes for Latin America Ascot Elite for Europe NuMetro for Nigeria Noori Pictures for Columbia Lusomundo for Portugal Golden Scene for Hong Kong Audiovisual for A holiday in greece Mike Film for Iceland Tanweer Film for Poultry Tandem for Bulgaria Blitz for Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia AQS for that Czech Republic and also the Slovak Republic Media Professional for Hungary and Romania ITI for Belgium U . s . King for Israel Front Row for that Middle East Apsara/Reliance for India and Pakistan PT Amero for Indonesia Media Films for Malaysia and Thailand Cathay Keris Films for Singapore Star TV for East Asian TV and Blockbuster for Taiwan. Producers are Howard, John Oliver, John Grazer, Eric Fellner, Peter Morgan and Andrew Eaton. Exclusive co-chairmen Nigel Sinclair and Guy East professional produce with Exclusive mind of production Tobin Armbrust. Imagine's Todd Hallowell also professional produces. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

RKO Pictures Branches Into TV With Teen Adaptation 'False Memory' (Exclusive)

RKO Pictures is branching into television, acquiring the screen rights with a youthful adult novel titled False Memory while using goal to develop a TV adaptation. The debut novel by Serta Krokos will probably be launched by Disney*Hyperion in November 2012. It's the initial book from the planned trilogy. False Memory follows four pals with supernatural forces, elevated being soldiers, who escape their government training facility searching for an regular teenage existence. RKO's Kevin Cornish recognized what he saw just like a deluge of YA genre books being furiously developed as features inside the wake from the wealth from the Twilight Saga and (Lionsgate hopes) The Hunger Games. The posting world is trading as many as seven figures to find the books, while art galleries spend almost exactly the same amount for your movie rights. "The systems aren't as oversaturated since the art galleries, by beginning TV, this could differentiate False Memory within the other projects," states Cornish, who'll become professional producer with RKO's Vanessa Coifman. "This could also let's fill the area inside the teen sci-fi market created by shows like Smallville going in the air." The duo is becoming winding up in showrunners. Krokos is repped by Pouya Shahbazian of FinePrint Literary Management. Email: Borys.Package@thr.com Twitter: @Borys_Package

'19 Kids and Counting' Mom Michelle Duggar Expecting 20th Child (Video)

TLC The Duggar brood continues to grow.our editor recommendsThe Duggars Add Another in '19 Kids and Counting: First Grandson' (Video) The family featured on TLC's 19 Kids and Counting revealed that matriarch Michelle Duggar is three and a half months pregnant with her 20th child. In true Duggar fashion, the family appeared in full on the Today show to announce the good news. "We are due in April and just thrilled," Michelle told Ann Curry during the broadcast. "We have the motto in our house that there's always room for one more." "I don't know how it happened!" joked husband Jim Bob. The couple welcomed their 19th child, Josie, in 2009. During the pregnancy, Michelle suffered gall-bladder problems and preeclampsia, giving birth to Josie three and a half months prematurely. At birth, the infant weighed one pound, six ounces but is now a healthy toddler about to celebrate her second birthday. The family is currently gearing up for the ninth season of their reality program, set to debut on Nov. 13. As for welcoming more children into their home, the family is always open to the possibility. "We'll have to wait and see," said Michelle. "We would love however many the Lord sees fit to give us." Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy TLC

Hunky Dory

An E1 Entertainment discharge of a movie Agency of Wales, Prescience, in colaboration with Aegis Film Fund presentation of the Large Pond Prods., Bad Wolf Films production. (Worldwide sales: Independent Films, London.) Created by Jonathan Finn, Serta Lupovitz. Executive producers, Pauline Burt, Christopher Figg, James Gallimore, Keith Potter, Robert Whitehouse. Directed by Marc Evans. Script, Laurence Coriat.Vivienne - Minnie Driver Davey - Aneurin Barnard Stella - Danielle Branch Evan - Tom Harries Headmaster - Robert Pugh Mrs. Valentine - Haydn Gwynne Mr. Cafferty - Steve Speirs Tim - Aled Pugh Sylvie - Julia Perez Kenny Loder - Darren Evans Evan - Tom Harries Mike - George MacKay Lewis - Adam Byard Vicki - Kimberley NixonMinnie Driver plays an instructor battling to shepherd her students via a pop-obtained manufacture of "The Tempest" in "Hunky Dory," helmer Marc Evans' raggedy, period-set comedy drama. Supplying further evidence the karaoke aesthetic of "Glee" is rapidly metastasizing, the pic draws only slight entertainment value in the spectacle of babies warbling seventies pop tunes, just like a retro version of "Senior High School Musical" with less charm. The half-baked script does not help, however the film's greatest problem is going to be finding an aud: Kids will think the background music old-fashioned while couple of parents will discover the premise appealing. Inside a Welsh suburb within the sweltering early summer time of 1976, Vivienne (Driver), a higher-school drama teacher who once aspired to become a thesp herself, attempts to keep her youthful charges' minds on practicing a musical version of "The Tempest" that opens inside a couple of days. Very frequently, the children cut rehearsals to visit swimming or storm off after fighting with one another. Such clashes happen with rather forced regularity throughout, so that they can generate plot-sending momentum. A minimum of shy male lead Davey (Aneurin Barnard) is motivated, especially since he reaches play Ferdinand opposite crush Stella (Danielle Branch), the beautiful "town bike" (so named because "everybody has already established a ride") who's been cast as Miranda. Once the kid playing Prospero all of a sudden drops to concentrate on rugby practice, Vivienne in desperation persuades the school's headmaster (Robert Pugh) to accept role, wishing that flattering his vanity will give you some protection against fellow faculty people, for example prissy Mrs. Valentine (Haydn Gwynne) and sneering P.E. teacher Mr. Cafferty (Steve Speirs), who'd both be thrilled to determine the entire factor cancelled. The script propagates itself too thin attempting to give backstories and subplots to a lot of figures, probably the most intriguing and edgy which sees Davey moving his affections from Stella to Vivienne herself, but this proto-"Notes on the Scandal" development remains unconsummated. Around the upside, the musical plans by Jody Talbot are actually frequently lovely, particularly when they deploy unusual instrumentation and choirs of tuneful Welsh kids on tracks initially carried out by ELO, Nick Drake (a credibility-stretching pick, considering the fact that he was barely known beyond aficionado circles in 1976) and David Bowie ( "Existence on Mars," possibly not the best option, because it consists of the road "However the film is really a saddening bore "). The climactic performance from the experience an outside set has charm, and it is prettily lit and lensed by rising youthful d.p. Charlotte now Bruus Christensen ("Submarino"). Barnard, who required charge role within the London stage version of "Spring Awakening," really includes a fine group of pipes, and Driver (who's launched a couple of solo albums among acting gigs) is not bad, either, although she somewhat lacks color. The regularity that she's triggered to sing boosts accusations the pic might have been partially designed like a vanity project to showcase its star's musical abilities. Although it was really created before "Glee" began showing on television, "Hunky Dory" nonetheless feels as though a latecomer cashing in on the possibly already waning fad for cover-version-based musicals. In comparison using the U.S. television series, the script by Laurence Coriat ("Me Without You") lacks wit, even comprising the degeneration of "Glee" in the last year. Helming by Marc Evans is serviceable but underwhelming. Perhaps, the pic's best moment comes in the finish, when subtitles reveal the bittersweet fates that befall the majority of the figures within their old age, adding a downbeat quality that slices a few of the sugariness from the preceding 109 minutes.Camera (color, widescreen), Charlotte now Bruus Christensen music, Jody Talbot music supervisor, Liz Gallacher production designer, Jacqueline Abrahams art director, Carly Reddin seem (DTS/SDDS/Dolby Digital) supervisory seem editor, Stephen Griffiths re-recording mixer, Take advantage of Hughes executive visual effects supervisor, Sean Farrow assistant director, Serta Mumford casting, Jessica Ronane. Examined at London Film Festival (Film around the Square), March. 21, 2011. Running time: 109 MIN.(British dialogue) Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Rankings: Bones Has Greatest Season Premiere in 3 Years

David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel The Growing Season 7 premiere of Bones marked the show's greatest opener in 3 years. Up 22 percent from last season's premiere, Bones drawn in ten million total audiences on Thursday, topping ABC's Grey's Anatomy, which received 9.3 million audiences. Within the marketed-valued 18-49 demo, though, Grey's beat Bones, 3.5 to three.3. Overall, CBS won the hour with Person of great interest (11.66 million and NBC's Work (6.05 million) and Whitney (4.33 million/2.1) arrived 4th. The CW's The Key Circle nabbed 2.27 million audiences. Bones Season 7: Can an infant break the Moonlighting curse? In 8 o'clock hour, CBS' The Large Bang Theory drawn inside a whopping 15.49 million total audiences along with a 5.1 rating within the demo. X Factor adopted with 11.28 million along with a 3.6 rating. The already canceled Charlie's Angels had 5.38 million audiences along with a 1.2 rating for ABC. NBC's Community had 3.87 million/1.7 and also the Vampire Journals fell slightly behind with 3.34 million/1.5. At 8:30/7:30c, Rules of Engagement hit a Thursday high (11.9 million/3.7), while Parks and Entertainment had just 3.94 million audiences along with a 2. within the demo. Within the final hour of prime time, The Mentalist on CBS won with 13.46 million total audiences along with a 2.9 rating. ABC's Private Practice adopted with 6.76 million along with a 2.6 within the demo. Prime Suspect on NBC arrived last with 4.47 million total audiences along with a 1.2 rating.

'Chinese Takeaway' wins Rome's top prize

ROME - Argentine hit comedy "Chinese Takeaway," by Sebastian Borensztein, was the large champion in the sixth Rome Film Festival, which wrapped on an optimistic note Friday despite a little of bickering earlier. Written by Disney in Argentina, where it has been a smash, this cool laffer starring Ricardo Darin ("The Key to themInch) like a Buenos Aires retailer who helps out a Chinese immigrant, scooped both Rome's jerk for the best film and also the large metropolitan fest's audience award. "Takeaway," that has been offered broadly by Madrid-based Latido Films, goes in Italia via Archibald. The jury, headed by Ennio Morricone and composed of Debra Winger and Susanne Bier, gave its grand jury award to Gallic helmer Claude Miller's "Watch When They Dance," starring Italy's Maya Sansa, as the special jury jerk visited Fred Schepisi's "The Attention from the Storm." The actress jerk visited Noomi Rapace on her role like a mother attempting to safeguard her boy from an allegedly abusive father in mental thriller "Babycall," by Norwegian helmer Friend Seltaune. Gallic thesp Guillaume Canet scooped the actor prize for his role like a prepare with credit issues in Cedric Kahn's "A Much Better Existence." The jerk for original score visited German composer Ralf Wengenmayr for Communism spoof "Hotel Lux," by helmer Leander Haussman. "Girl Model," by U.S. helmers David Redmon and Ashley Sabin, by which U.S, and Russian model scouts trawl remote Siberian towns for youthful women appropriate for modelling jobs in Japan, required top docu jerk in Rome's Extra Section. Iranian gay-designed drama "Circumstance" by Maryam Keshavarz and tyro Gallic helmer Emmanuelle Millet's teen drama "Twiggy" tied for Rome fest's emerging new talent prize. Rome's Alice within the City section devoted to kiddie fare saw "En el nombre p la hija," a humor-laced family-drama occur the seventies from Ecuador's Tania Hermida, go ahead and take under-13 prize, while Belgian helmer Bavo Defune's gay coming-of-ager "Noordzee Texas" won within the over-13 category. Attendance was up a lot more than 4% this season, with 123,000 tickets offered in the Eternal City extravaganza. Event came fire from Italo culture czar Giancarlo Galan who reiterated he sights it as being antagonistic to Venice, which however isn't considered that a threat. Meanwhile, Rome's Business Street mart the coming year is going to be moving to clever digs in Rome's Maxxi contempo art museum, boosting its profile like a small but significant European industry event. Contact Nick Vivarelli at nvivarelli@gmail.com

Beyonce Expected To Cancel For Just About Any second In Time Sweden

First Launched: November 3, 2011 9:04 AM EDT Credit: Getty Premium STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Caption Beyonce creates day 2 in the V Festival at Hylands Park in Chelmsford, England on August 21, 2011 Planners say Beyonce remains expected to cancel a show in Sweden due to exhaustion for again now. Live Nation representative Kristofer Akesson mentioned the singer felt ill before her concert in Stockholm on Wednesday evening which she made a decision in consultation getting your physician to cancel the show approximately one hour before she ended up being to take stage. Akesson states Beyonce is exhausted and doesn't feel well, but sometimes not give more particulars. The singer cancelled a concert in Malmo in southern Sweden on Monday, but tend to perform the following evening in Stockholm. Planners are trying to set up new dates for your shows. Copyright 2011 with the Connected Press. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Coldplay, Pete Townsend show digital difference

It has been an active week within the digital music sphere, and as always for that arena, recent developments have lead some to greatly different conclusions. Vital among news is Coldplay's record-setting week, where the Brit band capped the album chart with 447,000 sales of their latest, "Mylo Xyloto," beating the main one-week iTunes sales record the band itself had set with "Viva La Vida." This guitar rock band elevated eye brows by decreasing to permit its music to become streamed on the on-demand sites, like Spotify and MOG, which have seen huge growth since Facebook's Open Graph platform integrated music streaming so indelibly into its site. By departing digital clients just one option, some have believed, this guitar rock band gained the advantages. As opposed to Coldplay's open-arms welcome from the Apple music store, the Who's Pete Townshend has released a broadside against it. Speaking in a tribute for late British broadcast legend John Peel, the guitarist known as out iTunes for capitalizing in the music business without having done enough to aid it. "Can there be really worthwhile reason, simply because iTunes is available within the wild west Internet land of Twitter and facebook, it cannot provide some facet of these types of services towards the artists whose arrange it will bleed just like a digital vampire, just like a digital Northern Rock, because of its enormous commission?" Townshend stated, asking why the background music store could not hire talent scouts and services to help artists in the way of the record company. The complaint wasn't a replacement, however it introduced into relief a contentious argument within the issues natural in depending on iTunes -- or streaming services -- like a primary outlet for recorded music revenue. Incidentally, one company that's been instrumental in opening digital distribution to unsigned bands, TuneCore, bending lower its presence within the digital sphere on Monday, starting its very own posting division. Active since 2006, the organization founded by Shaun Cost has rapidly get to be the most voluminous distributor of digital music to iTunes, Spotify yet others. Starting its cool product, named Songwriter Posting Administration Service and headed by former Bug Music professional Jamie Purpora, the organization will offer posting services because of its clients, assisting to oversee certification contracts and obligations. TuneCore's distribution services are unusual for the reason that it claims no privileges towards the music it distributes -- artists simply pay the organization a per-song or per-album fee, then receive all royalties and retain almost all their own privileges. The business's posting venture is sort of different, as TuneCore charges a 1-time $50 fee upfront then requires a 10% cut from future posting revenues. But that might be a small cost to cover the largely small, independent artists who use TuneCore for distribution, to whom getting use of these certification possibilities might be a potential found diamond. As Cost place it: "Once artists look underneath the hood and find out what money we are able to get these questions shorter time period ... we believe the service will require off as rapidly as our digital distribution service did." Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor may be the first large-title artist to enroll in the service, getting distributed his music through the organization for a while. The central problem with TuneCore is a that Townshend could appreciate: While strengthening music artists to have their tunes to the greatest-profile digital platforms, and today matching posting, the organization still leaves the relaxation from the work -- for example marketing, management, touring and recording costs -- at the disposal of the artist. Business music artists have discovered methods to cope, matching sponsorship and mix-marketing possibilities with interested brands, or benefiting from such endeavors as Converse's Rubber Tracks studio, which opened up in Brooklyn last summer time and offers free studio time for you to bands. However it still leaves artists having a greater-than-ever degree of uncertainty over how you can manage their business. Whether a band is really a major-label megaseller like Coldplay, or perhaps an indie who's selected to do it yourself, the possibilities to forge a distinctive path with the digital music backwoods are lots of and growing, much like the questions. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Alice Eve Cast in 'Decoding Annie Parker'

Alice Eve has joined the cast of Decoding Annie Parker, an indie comedy-drama that stars Helen Hunt and Samantha Morton.our editor recommendsRashida Jones Joins Indie 'Decoding Annie Parker''Midnight in Paris' Actor Corey Stoll Cast in Indie 'Decoding Annie Parker' The project from directorSteven Bernsteinis based on the true story of geneticist Mary Claire King, who discovered a gene linked to breast cancer. Hunt stars as King and Morton plays Annie Parker, a woman who resolves to fight her cancer diagnosis. Eve will play Louise, a former friend of Parker's who has an affair with her husband, causing them to divorce. Decoding also featuresAaron Paul,Corey StollandMaggie Grace. The project began filming in Los Angeles in October. Eve's film credits include Sex and the City 2 and She's Out of My League; she will appear in Men in Black III and The Raven. The actress also had a memorable turn on the final season of HBO's Entourage as Sophia, the Vanity Fair reporter who becomes engaged to Adrian Grenier's Vince. Media House Capital (Canada) Corp. is co-financing Decodingand will produce with Ozymandias Productions. Aaron L. Gilbert, Media House' managing director, will also serve as an executive producer, along withJonathan Brownlee and Sahil Chanana.The project is being produced byClark Peterson, Stuart Ross, Keith Kjarval, Mary Vernieu and Ron Senkowski. Eve is represented by UTA, the U.K.'s Artist Rights Group and Untitled Entertainment. Email: Daniel.Miller@THR.com Twitter: @DanielNMiller Related Topics

Peter Webber to helm 'Emperor'

Peter Webber ("Girl With a Pearl Earring") has come on board to direct post-WWII romance-drama "Emperor" as a co-production between Fellers Films and Krasnoff/Foster Entertainment.Project, which is in pre-production, was announced Wednesday at the opening day of the American Film Market.Screenplay for "Emperor" is penned by David Klass ("Walking Tall,") and Vera Blasi ("Woman on Top"). Pic will be produced by Yoko Narahashi, Gary Foster, Eugene Nomura and Russ Krasnoff.Inspired by true events, "Emperor" is set amid the tensions and uncertainties of the days following the Japanese surrender at the end of the war. A general and expert on Japan on General Douglas MacArthur's staff is ordered to decide whether Emperor Hirohito should be tried and hanged as a war criminal.Interwoven with the politics is the story of a love affair with a Japanese exchange student he had met years previously in the U.S."The end of WWII in the Far East and the relationship between MacArthur and Japan, is a part of history which has been largely unexplored on film," Foster said. "With most documents burned, historians have relied on accounts which are being debated to this day."Production is due to begin in January with lensing to take place in New Zealand and Japan. CAA is handling sales in the U.S. and casting is currently underway.Fellers Film was formed by Narahashi and Nomura. Foster's credits include "Sleepless in Seattle," "Tin Cup," "Ghost Rider," "Daredevil" and "The Soloist." He and Krasnoff executive produce the NBC series "Community."Webber will make "Emperor" before the previously reporter "The Spider's House." Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

New Women Men Talk Shows Return

First Released: November 1, 2011 4:51 PM EDT Credit: FOX La, Calif. -- Caption Lamorne Morris as Winston, Mike Manley as Nick, Max Greenfield as Schmidt and Zooey Deschanel as Jess in New Girl on FOXZooey Deschanels New Girl returns to FOX Tuesdays having a completely new episode and things enter into embarrassing territory for Mike Johnsons Nick character, following a naked run-along with his spectacled housemate, Jess. My figures a weight date, Maxs character makes fun of me for getting a little of the stomach, therefore i get insecure and that i remove my clothes before my very own mirror, Mike told Access Hollywood Lives Billy Rose bush and Package Hoover from the setup for Tuesdays episode from the comedy, also including Max Greenfield, who plays Schmidt. Zooey walks in and accidentally sees my peen, for a moment, also it sparks an entire factor about seeing one another naked and coping with female roommates. FOX place the show on hold for that World Series, soon after it got a complete season pick-up, but at the time they learned this news regarding their show going the length, the cast was thrilled. [Creator] Liz Meriwether stated, Can One get everybody inside a circle? She stated, I simply spoken to [FOX Leader] Kevin Riley used to do a complete season, Mike recounted. I went coupled with just a little cry, Max chimed in. Its so rare nowadays you receive news like this. New Girl, centers around Zooeys character, Jess, who moves along with three men following a bad breakup, and Lamorne Morris, who plays Winston, accepted he had an identical roommate situation backwards. He resided with three ladies. Three of these simultaneously. It had been Threes Company, Lamorne stated. Three women moved in, three buddies of mine we'd four lavatories, therefore it was great. New Girl airs at 9/8 C on Tuesday on FOX. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Next Iron Chef's Spike around the New Twist, "Culinary Assassin" Anthony Bourdain

Spike Mendelsohn Chef Spike Mendelsohn might have taken part on Bravo's culinary reality show Top Chef -- two times -- but he still did not be prepared to be employed for Food Network's Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs, which premieres Sunday at 9/8c. "I acquired the telephone call from nowhere. I had been really quite surprised," Mendelsohn informs TVGuide.com. "I did not expect these phones cast me included in this crew, alongside another ones. I had been certainly honored to achieve the chance. You will find lots of chefs involved which i idolize and that i follow their careers. To become standing alongside them, was type of like, 'OK, you managed to get.'" Anthony Bourdain on Paula Deen: "Her food sucks" Individuals other luminaries include current Food Network and Cooking Funnel stars Anne Burrell (Worst Cooks in the usa), Robert Irvine (Dinner: Impossible), Michael Chiarello (Easy Entertaining With Michael Chiarello), Alex Guarnaschelli (Alex's Day Off), Chuck Hughes (Chuck's Day Off). Adding much more warmth towards the competition are Top Chef Masters champion Marcus Samuelsson, Chopped competitor Geoffrey Zakarian and past Iron Chef America competitors Elizabeth Falkner and Love MacMillan. Mendelsohn may be among the more youthful chefs starting fight, but he already includes a following, including Michelle Obama who frequents his Washington, Electricity-based Nutrients Eatery and that we, the Pizza. But despite the fact that he's given the very first Lady and made it two Top Chef seasons, there's still one individual he finds intimidating if this involves knowing his food. "I believe everybody would agree that Anthony Bourdain is sort of a culinary assassin if this involves knowing people," Mendelsohn confesses. "He certainly allows you realize what's on his mind and just how he feels. He's the toughest judge I have experienced." Take a look at Mendelsohn's undertake the brand new twist within the competition, which chef's real personality surprised him, how wise Alton Brown is really and what he'd prefer to serve Obama if she were a guest judge on the program. Why did you choose to do Next Iron Chef after competing in Top Chef and Iron Chef America? Are you currently some kind of adrenaline junkie?Spike Mendelsohn: Some know I am an adrenaline junkie. I simply think I'd a lot success with my very first time at carrying out a reveal that it arrives with the territory nowadays. It relates to my companies. It is also something fresh and various constantly for me personally. It requires me from my everyday grind, that is coping with companies and restaurant employees. It causes it to be fun for me personally. Perhaps you have met your rivals before?Mendelsohn: I'd met many of them before at some point during my career. Some I used to be just familiar with, some I used to be buddies with plus some I'd just seen through food festivals and such things as that. It certainly was surreal standing there . There have been a few chefs which i personally think about the greater echelon of chefs just standing there within the stadium and merely being on the program. It had been a minute. Of all of them, whose food wish to consume the most?Mendelsohn: I believe Let me try Chuck's food because he's a Montreal kid, and I am from Montreal and that i haven't eaten his food before, so Let me see what he's doing. Have there been surprises meeting any man or woman who wasn't that which you expected?Mendelsohn: Well, as large and bad and muscular as Robert Irvine looks and comes off on tv, he's quite a sweet guy. And Anne Burrell is crazier than she seems. Nah, I am just kidding! What's the special factor you can include towards the selection? Could it be personality or perhaps a particular culinary perspective?Mendelsohn: I lead some entertainment, some up-and-coming talent. I am pretty versatile in a number of various kinds of cuisine. And So I lead what I am about, things i do as a living. Also, I do not possess a Food Network show and am not presently in "the household.Inch So perhaps I seem like I possibly could be a little of threat because they do not know an excessive amount of about me. What else could you inform us concerning the twist, the brand new format using the elimination challenge?Mendelsohn: They did away using the old elimination challenge format by which all of the rivals were facing one another. Now, that which you do first is you all go in internet marketing in some form of initial challenge and so the bottom two possess a mind-to-mind cookoff having a secret component to determine who will get began and who stays. Therefore the format is exactly what you'd expect from Iron Chef America's mind-to-mind battles. ... It simply causes it to be much harder. I type of love the brand new format. It is good. I usually enjoy mind-to-mind battles and i believe you are set for some surprises. The juicy benefit of Food Network Star's Bobby Flay Are you finding it more nerve-wracking this way?Mendelsohn: I really worked using the pressure better. Let us say you are up for elimination that old way, and there is 10 individuals you simply have no idea at that time. It can make you very anxious, it certainly is a speculating game, as well as your thoughts are playing methods you. A minimum of using the mind-to-mind fight, you are like, "Ok, it's either this person or me right now and I must put my life blood on the plate and find out where it lands. It is going my way, that's great, but when it does not, it does not." For me personally it had been a great deal simpler to cope with that type of pressure. Was there a secret component that you simply were searching toward while using most? It is possible to secret component you wouldn't like to obtain?Mendelsohn: I really like using offal meat, so any kind of sweetbreads or something like that like that might be good. I really like cooking with individuals kinds of things. I believe every chef does indeed. So far as elements which i wouldn't anticipate cooking with could be something strange like stinky tofu or possibly abalone. What's your undertake your humble host, Alton Brown? Is he really that wise?Mendelsohn: Alton Brown is really a genius. I was raised watching him and learning a lot of things and food science from watching all his different shows. He's certainly a properly-seasoned host also it was great to understand him a little better and to be with him. We'd just a little chatter behind the curtain in some places, but nothing too in-depth. He's a show to create and he's a really busy guy. Michelle Obama is keen on your cuisine, so she will be the ultimate guest judge. Should you needed to present a dish to her for judgment, what will it be?Mendelsohn: If she arrived like a guest judge, I'd perform some soulful dishes, like something really scrumptious and tasty but quite simple, even tho it's a roast chicken or steak and taters. I type of know nowadays what she likes eating so I'd certainly ensure that it stays for the reason that realm. The Truly Amazing Food Truck Race Season 2 champion is... So, no lie: you totally practiced your intimidating Iron Chef America entered-arm pose, right?Mendelsohn: (laughs) Yeah, for hrs on finish inside my house within the mirror. Now here's the truly real question: Should you be likely to stand available online for one of the old-school Iron Chefs, which vegetable will you be holding?Mendelsohn: I'd decide to hold a butternut squash. Here is a look at Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs: Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs airs Sundays a 9/8c on Food Network. Who do you consider has got the best chance at winning one of the super chefs?

Box Office Report: 'Paranormal Activity 3' Collects a Franchise Best $8 Mil in Midnight Shows

Paramount's Halloween horror pic Paranormal Activity 3 grossed a stellar $8 million in Thursday midnight grosses from 2,200 theaters in North America -- 30 percent higher than last year's Paranormal Activity 2, which earned $6.3 million.our editor recommendsBox Office Preview: 'Paranormal Activity 3' Expected to Open North of $30 MillionParanormal Activity 3: Film Review The prequel now has a strong shot at matching the $40.7 million opening of the sequel, bucking the overall downturn at the domestic box office. The midnight grosses were the best ever for an R-rated film after Hangover Part II, which earned $10.4 million in midnight runs this past summer. And Paranormal 3 also is off to a strong start overseas, where it's outpacing Paranormal 2 as well. The movie opened to $521K in France on Thursday, 13 pecent of Paranormal 2. In Russia, the $550K opening waas 45 percent higher than the sequel, while Australia turned in $516K, 14 percent ahead. The Paranormal franchise, produced by Jason Blum, Oren Peli and Steven Schneider, has been one of the most profitable film series in recent memory. The first Paranormal, which cost $15,000 to produce and opened in a limited run in September 2009, went on to gross $193.4 million worldwide. Paranormal 2 cost $3 million to produce, and grossed $177.5 million worldwide. The threequel's budget is pegged at $5 million. Related Topics Box Office Paranormal Activity 3

HBO's Bryant Gumbel Compares Basketball Commissioner David Stern with a 'Modern Plantation Overseer' (Video)

Bryant Gumbel, host of Cinemax's Real Sports, used some potentially questionable phrases to blast Basketball commissioner David Stern on his show Tuesday evening.our editor recommends'Dancing While using Stars'' Ron Artest Responds to Elimination (Video) Kobe Bryant To Produce His Movie Acting Debut in 'The Black Mamba'Endemol USA plans Kobe Bryant Web seriesKhloe Kardashian's Husband Lamar Odom Associated with Near-Fatal Vehicle Accident Attacking Youthful Boys MVP of Basketball All-Star Celebrity Game Gumbel places blame Stern for having less resolution inside the ongoing labor discussions involving the players and entrepreneurs that introduced for the league getting rid of the initial 2 days of the year. STORY: Opponents' Kobe Bryant to see in Italia Throughout Basketball Lockout "The Basketball's infamously egocentric commissioner seems more hell-bent lately on demeaning the players than fixing his game's labor impasse," Gumbel mentioned. But he didn't hang on a minute. Gumbel evoked images of slavery in further remarks. "Stern's version from the products remains happening nowadays has clearly been disputed, but his efforts were conventional a commissioner which has always made an appearance wanting to appear as some form of modern plantation representative, coping with Basketball males as if they were his boys," he mentioned. "It's part of Stern's M.O., like his past self-serving edicts on dress code or perhaps the questioning of government bodies. His moves were designed to just show how he's the primary one keeping the hired hands inside their place." STORY:Basketball Cancels Initial Few Times of Season Among Lockout Gumbel acknowledged that his comments may very well earn him some critique but he wasn't concerned about it. "Most clearly wince at this portrayal," Gumbel mentioned. "But Stern's disdain for your players can be as palpable and pathetic as his motives are transparent. Yes, the Basketball's enterprize model is broken. But to correct it, maybe the league's commissioner should concern themselves most while using solution, and stop joining the problem.Inch Meanwhile, the Basketball introduced the other day it had been getting rid of the initial 2 days in the regular season after entrepreneurs and players were not able to to attain a completely new labor deal and finished the lockout. MAP: Who Sits Where at Opponents Games In those days, Stern mentioned any time two straight occasions of discussions that every side were "very far apart on just about all issues. ... We just have a very gulf that separates us." The sticking reason behind the discussions was apparently how a team entrepreneurs in addition to their players would split the $4 billion in revenue created yearly with the league.The Basketball claims it's losing $300 million yearly, with 22 of the 30 teams also at an adverse balance. STORY: Union States Basketball Lockout Coming during the night time Meanwhile, Gumbel's comments aren't the initial potentially questionable remarks he's made. In 2006, he mentioned he doesn't like the Winter Olympics and won't watch them, adding: "So not laugh when someone states fundamental necessities world's finest sports sports athletes despite a paucity of greens making the winter season Games appear just like a GOP convention." That same year, he mentioned of outgoing Nfl commissioner Paul Tagliabue: "Before he cleans out his office, have Paul Tagliabue demonstrate where he keeps [then-Nfl Players Association executive director] Gene Upshaw's leash," Gumbel mentioned. "By considering making the docile mind in the players union his personal pet, your predecessor saved the peace without giving players the kind of guarantees other pros ignore. Attempt to make sure nobody competent ever replaces Upshaw inside your watch." Related Subjects Basketball David Stern Bryant Gumbel

Danny Masterson and Bijou Phillips Got married

Bijou Phillips and Danny Masterson After eight years of dating, That '70s Show's Danny Masterson and girlfriend Bijou Phillips have grown to be married, People reviews.Tuesday's ceremony happened before family and pals inside a private castle in Tipperary, Ireland. Phillips, the half-sister of Chynna Phillips and Mackenzie Phillips, used a Zac Posen gown. Masterson's brother Chris was the most effective guy.Photo gallery: Storybook celebrity romancesThe couple met inside a celebrity poker tournament in Las vegas in 2004. Masterson, 35, and Phillips, 31, starred together inside the 2009 drama The Bridge to Nowhere. He recommended in March 2009, according to People.

Getting a Family

Shot in Vancouver by Entertainment One Television in colaboration with Patriarch Pictures. Executive producers, Tom Patricia, Ira Pincus, John Morayniss, Noreen Halpern, Mary Martin co-executive producers, Kim Delaney, Margaret O'Brien supervisory producer, Suzanne Berger producer, Randolph Cheveldave director, Mark Jean author, Pamela Wallace.Ileana - Kim Delaney Alex Chivescu - Jared Abrahamson Suzanne Bante - Sarah-Jane Redmond Jim Bante - Paul McGillion Henry - Dee Jay Jackson Attending Harvard, it works out, is the best feel-good finale for youth movies, which describes why they behind "Destitute to Harvard" was behind this latest inspiring true story, "Getting a Family," for Hallmark Movie Funnel. Although suspense is not area of the Hallmark formula, the storyplot of Alex Chivescu -- a ward from the condition who satisfied the dream developed in him by his mother of joining the Ivy League -- lumbers along pretty uneventfully, including what comes down to a long cameo by star/producer Kim Delaney. Unlike its protagonist, the film barely will get by like a pass-fail proposition. "Education is sort of a miracle answer to open any door," Delaney's Ileana informs her youthful boy, Alex, in the start, before a vehicle crash and related mind injuries yield unpredictable bouts of depression and anger which make her unfit to boost him. Seven years later, Alex (Jared Abrahamson) escapes her custody of the children, then performs exceptionally well in school while bouncing with the promote-care system. Confronted with having to relocate, Alex takes it upon themself to locate a family that will permit him to remain at his current school -- keeping his college ambitions alive -- and ends up using the too-good-to-be-true Bantes (Sarah-Jane Redmond, Paul McGillion), who've to help keep reassuring him he's worthy of their love and support. And that is about this. Apart from the inevitable payback, the whole exercise feels as though it's simply marking time. Delaney vanishes car midsection, and Abrahamson -- while wide-eyed and fresh-faced -- is not interesting enough to keep the screen, though he can not be faulted for the possible lack of pace or emergency in Mark Jean's direction of Pamela Wallace's script. There is nothing wrong, always, with movies that begin with a contented ending and work backwards, however they require creating a little of dramatic tension to be able to result in the beneficial finale resonate. Out of the box, while it's swell things exercised for that real-existence Alex, his triumphant march to some first-rate education, alas, has led to another-rate TV movie.Camera, David Pelletier production designer, Paul Joyal editor, Stein Myhrstad casting, Donna Rosenstein, Candice Elzinga. 120 MIN. Contact John Lowry at john.lowry@variety.com

James Cameron on Why You May See 'Terminator 2' and 'Aliens' Converted to 3D Soon

Even in the midst of what may or may not be a backlash against 3D -- "may" if you wasted your hard earned money on a poor up-conversion; "may not" if you happen to be James Cameron -- the aforementioned James Cameron still stands defiant. To be fair, he has the right to do so: 'Avatar' may have spawned clones of rip-off 3D suitors, but that's certainly not Cameron's fault, and no one has questioned Cameron's painstaking attention to 3D detail. James Cameron was presented with the Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Leadership Award in NY City on Monday night, and the Oscar-winning director spoke to Moviefone one-on-one about the 3D backlash, his rerelease of 'Titanic' in 3D in April of 2012 (more on that here), and why the success of 'Titanic' just may lead to 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' and 'Aliens' getting the 3D treatment as well. It seems like with every blockbuster 3D movie, the reports are that more and more people are opting for the 2D version. This happened with 'Pirates 4.' After the good will of 'Avatar,' how do you win back an audience that feels tricked? I don't think that's the case at all. I don't think the audience feels tricked, I think the audience occasionally feels like they're not getting their money's worth when they go to see a film where they're paying for a premium ticket price and it's sort of sloppily converted to 3D and it's not delivering. And that usually happens because the studio imposes 3D on the filmmaker and the filmmaker says, "Look I'm making the movie, you all do with it what you want." Which is really a bad attitude because if you're not shooting for 3D, it's not going to look as good. So I'm not in favor of conversion. I think that's potentially a way to do minor damage to the marketplace. So is there a backlash? I think this whole story is trumped up by the media. You know, they built it up, it's this fantastic new thing, and now we're going to tear it down. You seem frustrated by this. Are you frustrated by this story? No, no. I'm not frustrated at all. I think it's a natural course of the evolution of any new thing. But I think people need to understand and remember: 3D revenues for movies have grown 40 percent a year, year over year, for three years. And are projected to do that next year. This business is not going away. You're not going to put that toothpaste back in the tube. We've gone from one percent of the market four years ago to 21 percent of movie revenues now. So, I think it's being very broadly accepted on a global basis -- much more so internationally than domestically. So, 3D is going to be with us forever. The question is: When does it reach the same levels of broadcast? We've got about 110 camera systems right now that are out all of the time -- the trucks are out all of the time. We've done 160 sporting events and it goes up 20 of new ones every couple of months. So that's now starting to explode. You mentioned that you're not in favor of conversion, but you are converting 'Titanic.' Was that process more difficult than you expected? Are you happy with the results? I expected it to be really hard to get high quality results. And that proved to be accurate. Including the mastering of the film and the 3D conversion, we're spending 18 million dollars in one year -- and it will barely be done in time, in February -- to do it up to a standard equal to having shot it in 3D. Which, of course, would have been my first choice. Short of having a time machine available, I don't know a way to do that. Will we see other films from the James Cameron catalog converted? We are exploring a new market here for classic library titles that are much beloved films that may or may not have a new life in the theatrical marketplace. We're just going to have to see. I mean, do the numbers support the idea of a 'Terminator 2' or 'Aliens'? I don't know, those would be cool movies to convert. But I don't know -- we have to see how much we make off of 'Titanic.' You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter. Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Hugh Jackman: What's Next for that Actor

Using the robot fighting feature Real Steel in theaters a few days ago, star Hugh Jackman has several movies decreasing the pipeline.our editor recommendsBox Office Report: Hugh Jackman Starrer 'Real Steel' Wins Weekend with $27.3 Mil'Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway' Coming back to NY StageHugh Jackman's 'Real Steel': Exactly what the Experts are Saying'Real Steel': Hugh Jackman Talks Robot Boxing, Possible Follow up (Video)'SNL': Hugh Jackman Constitutes a Surprise Appearance Although Not Playing Themself (Video) Real Steel snagged no. 1 place within the domestic box office, generating a lot more than $27 million, however the Shawn Levy-directed film has brought mix reviews, most referencing the Transformers and Rocky franchises. PHOTOS: 'Real Steel' Premiere "Rocky the Robot could have been probably the most accurate title with this bot-boxing melodrama, which feels as though a mashup of spares from Transformers, The Champion, The Exorcist and Sylvester Stallone's series, among other cash cows of numerous vintages," creates The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy. Here's what Jackson has within the works: STORY: 'Real Steel': 5 Things Been sent around the Red-colored Carpet Jackman co-stars in Butter, starring Jennifer Garner, as Boyd Bolton. The indie film focuses on a youthful girl who finds out that they includes a talent for making sculptures from butter. Butter is anticpated to be launched March. 21. Following Butter, Jackman can next be observed in the ensemble feature, Movie 43, by which he co-stars with Elizabeth Banks, Emma Stone and Kate Winslet, simply to title a couple of. Banks directed the film too, that will emerge the coming year. Jackman also provided his voice for that approaching animated film, Rise from the Parents, which involves Father Christmas, the Easter time Bunny, Jack Frost along with other childhood figures joining as much as safeguard children's imagination. Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin and Jude Law are probably the other voice stars. Additionally towards the lengthy-gestating follow up to Wolverine, the Australian actor will have Jean Valjean within the large-screen adaptation of L'ensemble des Miserables, alongside Russell Crowe. It had been introduced recently that Jackman could be creating a go back to Broadway together with his show, Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway, for any 10-week stint in the Broadhurst Theatre. Performances are slated to start March. 25 and undergo Jan. 1, 2012, with opening evening happening on November. 10. Related Subjects Hugh Jackman Worldwide Asia Real Steel

KK&P flies with ' White Crow'

Independent financier and production company Kerry, Kimmel and Pollack has acquired feature film rights to Marcus Sedgwick's novel "White Crow" and will co-finance and co-produce the picture.Psychological thriller centers on a 16 year-old girl who moves to a sleepy seaside town with a deadly past, and discovers what's on the other side of death.KK&P's CEO Michael Pollack and prexy Mark Morgan ("The Twilight Saga") will produce with Brett Hudson and Kami Garcia. Production is skedded to start in fall 2012 on Isle of Man, located within the British Isles.Sedgwick has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal, an Edgar Allan Poe award, and the Guardian Children's Book Prize.KK&P's most recent project is "Quattrocento," an independently-financed miniseries that is currently in prep in Budapest. Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

Watch X-Men: First Class The Movie

Yahoo beefs up original programming

Internet giant Yahoo has introduced a selection of eight new web show focusing on women because it ramps up original programming -- brings total output to 34 shows either around the network or perhaps in production. They will be released from the refurbished destination site known as Yahoo! Screen.Some shows are weekly, some daily. They range long from three-to-5 minutes, to longer form. Two shows have been in-house productions from Yahoo Galleries, others developed together with companies including Electus/Principato-Youthful Entertainment, FishBowl Worldwide Media, Prime Content and Warrior Poets. In a press briefing in NY Tuesday morning, Mickie Rosen, senior Vice president of Yahoo Media Network, presented the selection like a slate, similar to broadcast systems. She stated marketers be capable of buy over the slate of shows. ''Original programming is when we make our mark and accelerate our brand building,'' she stated.The brand new choices include ''Reluctantly Healthy'' with Judy Greer (''The Descendants,'' ''Arrested Development'') about living healthy on the run, ''Let's Discuss Love'' with Niecy Nash of ''Reno 911'' and ''The Failure Club,'' located by Morgan Spurlock (''Supersize Me''), about adopting the worry of failure to modify your existence.In ''Your Buddies Won't Ever Believe You'' with Ryan Rottman (Nickelodeon's ''Gigantic''), brief moments of random celebrity interaction are taken on hidden cameras and targets attempt to convince their buddies what just happened. ''Ultimate Proposal'' shows host Cameron Mathison (''All The Kids,'' ''Good Morning America'') along with a team of experts helping males provide the ultimate marriage proposal. ''omg! NOW'' is really a celebrity fest with host Kristen Aldridge. ''Blue Ribbon Hunter,'' with food author Allison Fishman, offers a mix of local flavor and cooking instruction at food festivals across America. And celebrity chef Fabio Viviani hosts their own cooking program ''CHOW CIAO!'' ''This is next generation television, available anytime, anywhere, with something for everybody,'' Rosen stated.Despite turmoil within the executive suite and constant gossips it's up available, Yahoo is clearly on the go. The 2009 week, the organization introduced a sweeping alliance with ABC News. Traders appear to love the things they see. Yahoo shares were up in midday buying and selling Tuesday, beating the general market. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

The Five Primary Motivations for Releasing an Oscar Hopeful in December

Sony Pictures The vast majority of this year's awards hopefuls have already played at least once on the festival circuit (Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Telluride, Toronto, and/or NY) and/or gone into general release. Most of those that have not are set for October or November releases. But a select few others are being held until December, the last month in which they are eligible to qualify for Oscar consideration this year, and are being screened for the press only selectively before then, if at all. PHOTOS: Oscars Party Pics We all know that it is generally imprudent to release awards hopefuls early in the year -- though there have been exceptions (most recently The Hurt Locker), early releases tend to be forgotten and/or drowned out by the end of the year rush, when invitations to screenings and screeners of newer films with fresher hype start to pile up and the strategic challenge and cost of reviving interest in earlier films can be enormous. But why wait until so late in the awards season to unveil a contender? PHOTOS: Backstage at the 83rd Academy Awards I had my own suspicions, but decided to reach out to several top awards strategists for their take, and have come up with five different motivations. As you can see below, I believe that each of this year's end-of-the-year releases falls under at least one of them. "The Last Man Standing" Definition: A film that has the on-paper pedigree of a major contender and hopes to swoop in and take over the conversation after everyone else has already shown their hands. Past Examples: A Beautiful Mind (12/21/01); Gangs of NY (12/20/02); Cold Mountain (12/25/03); The Aviator (12/17/04); Dreamgirls (12/15/06) 2011 Examples: Young Adult (12/9), a dramedy written by Oscar winner Diablo Cody, directed by Oscar nominee Jason Reitman, and starring Oscar winner Charlize Theron; Carnage (12/16), a dramedy adapted from a hit Broadway production, co-written for the screen/directed by Oscar winner Roman Polanski and starring Oscar winners Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, and Christoph Waltz, plus Oscar nominee John C. Reilly; We Bought a Zoo (12/23), a dramedy adapted from a best-selling novel, co-written for the screen/directed by Oscar winner Cameron Crowe and starring Oscar winner Matt Damon; War Horse (12/25), a drama adapted from a best-selling novel-turned-hit Broadway production, directed by Oscar winner Steven Spielberg, and with contributions from an Oscar-winning team of collaborators including producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, film editor Michael Kahn, and composer John Williams. Upside: The "old-school model," it allows a film to avoid the festival circuit (where it would be just one of many films being discussed, could get knocked down a notch, and, even if it survives intact, would have to try to maintain momentum for months thereafter), and to instead drop in like a shiny new toy right before the end of the eligibility period. Downside: As other contenders fall short of expectations, anticipation only builds for those that have not yet been seen. High hopes -- and particularly the "frontrunner" label -- can prove very hard to live up to. * * * "The Opportunist" Definition: A film that is primarily aimed at making money over the holidays, and for which any awards attention will be seen as icing on the cake. Past Examples: Titanic (12/19/97); The Great Debaters (12/25/07); The Lovely Bones (12/11/09); It's Complicated (12/25/09); Avatar (12/18/10) 2011 Examples: The Adventures of Tintin (12/21), Steven Spielberg's animated/motion-capture 3D adaptation of a popular series of comic books, produced by Spielberg, Peter Jackson, and Kathleen Kennedy and featuring the work of the master of motion capture, Andy Serkis, among others; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (12/21), David Fincher's adaptation of Stieg Larsson's blockbuster novel-turned-Swedish film, which up-and-comer Rooney Mara (The Social Network) as the title character opposite James Bond himself, Daniel Craig. Upside: When it comes to the end of the year, making money and garnering awards attention often go hand-in-hand, so if a studio can accomplish its primary objective of connecting in a big way with the general public then it will also only improve its chances of connecting with awards voters. Downside: Not crafting an awards strategy early on can put you at a great disadvantage when going head-to-head with films that have. With the money that Avatar wound up making, Fox could have afforded to hire every awards strategist out there, but because the studio was so focused on making back its huge investment at the box-office (understandably), they didn't really have any pros working on awards strategy until The Hurt Locker's "David vs. Goliath" and "ex-wife vs. ex-husband" narratives had already taken hold, costing it the best picture Oscar. * * * "The Late Scramble" Definition: A film that was only recently completed and is being quickly turned around in time to qualify for eligibility this year. Past Examples: Million Dollar Baby (12/15/04); Letters from Iwo Jima (12/20/06); The Reader (12/10/08) 2011 Examples: The Iron Lady (12/21), Phyllida Lloyd's biopic of Margaret Thatcher, which stars Lloyd's Mamma Mia! (2008) star Meryl Streep as the title character, only wrapped post-production days ago; Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (12/25), Stephen Daldry's adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's best-selling novel, which stars Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, among others, and which was only shot earlier this year, and which is still being finished. (I have heard rumors that The Weinstein Company might surprise people with John Hillcoat's star-studded The Wettest County in the World before the year comes to a close, but the studio, which already has its hands full with numerous other awards hopefuls, insists that it has no such plans.) Upside: As Clint Eastwood films have proven on numerous occasions, dropping a quality film into a race that few ever thought it would ever be a part of can reap great rewards. Downside: Strategists' hands are largely tied, in the sense that even they themselves can't see the film until only shortly before everyone else has to, leaving them little time to reframe expectations, drum up interest, book screening rooms, and get the film and talent in front of the various critics and awards groups. * * * "The Titillator" Definition: A film with controversial/risque content is given early screenings on the festival circuit and then goes away for a while, hoping to ride early festival buzz/curiosity late into the season. Past Examples: Brokeback Mountain (12/16/05); Atonement (12/7/07); Blue Valentine (12/29/10) 2011 Examples: Shame (12/?), Steve McQueen's sure-fire NC-17 film starring Michael Fassbender, in the performance that won him the best actor award at September's Venice Film Festival, as a sex addict (who spends much of the movie completely nude and engaged in sexual acts) and Carey Mulligan as his troubled sister (who is also shown nude in an extended full-frontal scene); Pariah (12/28), Dee Rees's semi-autobiographical film, which impressed at Sundance, starring Adepero Oduye as a young semi-closeted lesbian (who is shown engaging in sex acts, playing with sex toys, and dancing to sexually-explicit songs); We Need to Talk About Kevin (12/?), Lynne Ramsey's disturbing drama about a mother (Tilda Swinton) whose son (Ezra Miller) goes on a killing rampage at his school, which played at Cannes, Telluride, and Toronto, and raises difficult questions about whether an evil person is born or becomes that way. Upside: The early screenings get people talking -- "The movie is so crazy/disturbing/realistic... I wouldn't be surprised if Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams actually had sex in it" or "The movie is fascinating... and Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan both have scenes of full frontal nudity!" -- causing interest to spread like wildfire ("I've heard it's unlike anything else out there!"). These sorts of films often result in acting nominations (which are chosen by actors, who tend to admire and reward risk-taking), but not much else. Downside: Titillating content, in and of itself, is never enough to get a movie into phase two, so it better have more to it than just that. * * * "The Chris Christie" Definition: A film that few really expect to be in the running this year, but that could still surprise us. Past Examples: Breaking and Entering (12/15/06); Factory Girl (12/29/06); Miss Potter (12/29/06) 2011 Examples: Butter (12/?), an entertaining light comedy starring Jennifer Garner that screened at the Telluride and Toronto film festivals and is set to be distributed by The Weinstein Company; In the Land of Blood and Honey (12/23), a low-budget indie written and directed by Angelina Jolie and set to be distributed by little FilmDistrict; The Lady (12/?), a quiet, understated historical drama directed by Luc Besson and starring Michelle Yeoh that played at Toronto, where its distribution rights were purchased by the Cohen Media Group; Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (12/?), a drama written by Oscar winner Simon Beaufoy, directed by Oscar nominee Lasse Hallstrom, and starring Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, and Oscar nominee Kristin Scott Thomas that premiered at Toronto and was acquired there for a considerable sum by CBS Films. Upside: Low expectations. Downside: Low profile. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Watch The Hangover 2 Megavideo