Daily Variety articles from December 2010, page 13

Daily Variety archives from December 2010

'Burn' prequel turns to star.
December 1, 2010... Jeffrey Donovan, star of bellwether USA series "Burn Notice," will direct its prequel movie airing on the cabler next spring and starring series co-star Bruce Campbell. "Burn Notice" creator and show-runner Matt Nix will write the two-hour...

Creditors silent on MGM reorg plan.(Brief article)
December 1, 2010... MGM s creditors have declined to object to the studio s reorganization plan, clearing the way for a key bankruptcy court hearing later this week. No objections have been filed to the plan and a meeting Tuesday that MGM was required to hold...

NBC U Int'l goes on Lark.
December 1, 2010... NBC Universal Intl. is expanding its production domain in Canada, sealing a partnership with producer Louise Clark. As part of the pact. Clark--who helped develop seminal Canadian series such as "Corner Gas" and "Defying Gravity"--has...

Digital derring-do: extra 'Jackass' footage on Web, DVD.
December 1, 2010... Johnny Knoxville is reteaming with 1 Paramount Digital Entertainment and MTV Movies on Web pic Jackass 3.5," which will showcase material not seen in recent B O. hit "Jackass 3D." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Knoxville is producing the Internet...

D'Works seeks boy for 'People'.(DreamWorks)(Brief article)
December 1, 2010... DreamWorks has launched an open casting call to fill the third lead role in Chris Pine-Elizabeth Banks drama "Welcome to People." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pic marks the directorial debut of Alex Kurtzman, who penned...

Correction.(Correction notice)
December 1, 2010... The score by Clint Manse 11 for "Black Swan" has not been ruled ineligible for an Oscar nom Its eligibility status was incorrectly stated in "Eye on the Oscars: Music Preview," Daily Variety, Nove. 17.

NBC rules in favor of 'Comic' judge.
December 1, 2010... "Last Comic Standing" judge Natasha Leggero has landed a talent holding deal at NBC. Under the pact, NBC will look to cast the comedian-writer in either a pilot or an existing series. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Peacock execs are already...

Thesp thrills to 'Looper'.(Brief article)
December 1, 2010... Paul Dano is in talks to join the time-travel thriller "Looper," opposite Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rian Johnson ("The Brothers Bloom," "Brick") is directing from his own script Project...

Will pics speak with 4K tongue? Industry slow to adopt next-gen digital format.(Tech Tussles)
December 1, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Is 4K the future of movies, or a wrongheaded dead end? There is plenty of energy on both sides of the debate Some bizzers are pushing hard for the super-high-resolution digital format, while others say the extra...

Revived classics fueling 4K fever.(Tech Tussles)
December 1, 2010... Oddly, some of the tailwind for 4K is coming from movies that were shot when "digital cinema" would have meant movies of your fingers. Restorations of classic films--unofficially known as "4K classics"--have stirred interest in 4K among movie...

Acad takes look ahead.(Tech Tussles)
December 1, 2010... Wondering about what becomes of the familiar arts and crafts of moviemaking as digital production, performance capture and 3D become more ubiquitous? The Motion Picture Academy will present a look at the future of movies, 'Where Do We Go From...

All Good Things.(Movie review)
December 1, 2010... A Magnolia Pictures release presented with Groundswell Prods. of a Hit the Ground Running production Produced by Marc Smerling, Andrew Jarecki, Bruna Papandrea, Michael London. Executive producers. Bob Weinstein Harvey Weinstein, Michelle Krumm,...

Helmers get live-action feel on CGI pics.(V PLUS: EYE ON THE OSCARS: THE DIRECTOR PREVIEW)
December 1, 2010... If this year's crop of acclaimed animated features, such as Pixar/Disney's "Toy Story 3" and DreamWorks' "How to Train Your Dragon," have a distinctly 3D-CG edge, a peek beneath the surface reveals some live-action pedigrees. Look at the way...

Auds entertained by pics' royal pains.(V PLUS: EYE ON THE OSCARS: THE DIRECTOR PREVIEW)
December 1, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There is a scene in "The King's Speech" that illustrates the impenetrable chasm between the lofty heights of British royalty and the stumbling, forelock-tugging serfs who ostensibly represent the majority of the House...

Nolan's arthouse meets funhouse pic.(V PLUS: EYE ON THE OSCARS: THE DIRECTOR PREVIEW)
December 1, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Christopher Nolan has never been psychoanalyzed. "Only by film critics," the director laughed. But his subconscious provided a kind of three-sided Rorschach test this...

First person: six helmers behind some of the year's most buzzed-about pics talk about their inspiration, their modus operandi and the actors who were key to achieving their vision.
December 1, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DARREN ARONOFSKY Despite its goth-horror overtones, 'Swan' is about 4a girl becoming a woman' For director Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan" is immensely personal. It begins with a sister who I underwent rigorous...

Mario Monicelli.(Obituary)
December 1, 2010... Oscar-nommed Italo scribehelmer Mario Monicelli, who directed more than 60 movies, including Italian comedy classics "Big Deal on Madonna Street" and 'The Great War," died Monday in an apparent suicide. He was 95. Monicelli jumped to his...

Mel Rydell.(Obituary)
December 1, 2010... Milford "Mel" Rydell, who worked in film services at MGM, died Nov. 17 in Torrance. Calif., of congestive heart failure. He was 86. As senior exec VP of film services at MGM, Rydell was responsible for the logistics of getting film prints...

Ernie Tate.(Obituary)
December 1, 2010... Thesp Ernie Tate, who headed the Screen Extras Guild in the 1980s, died Oct 9 in Henderson, Nev. of cardiac arrest. He was 84. Tate was first VP of SEG for four years and interim prexy for six months in 1987. During his tenure he tried to get...

Vonetta McGee.(Obituary)
December 1, 2010... Vonetta McGee, star of several blaxploitation-era films including "Blacula" and "Shaft in Africa," died July 9 in Berkeley after being taken off life support following cardiac arrest. She was 65. Born Lawrence Vonetta McGee, the California...

Tuner gets 3D revamp.(World News)(Brief article)
December 1, 2010... London and New York-based Goldcrest Post is working with Gotham's Jacoby Entertainment to convert Joe Jacoby's 1995 family musical "Davy Jones1 Locker" into stereoscopic 3D. During the two-month conversion the 35mm negative of the pic, which...

Parfitt for role: producer cast as film London chair.(David Parfitt)(World News)(Brief article)
December 1, 2010... Producer David Parfitt has been tapped chair man of Film London, the U.K. capital's film and media agency. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The news comes a day after the government gave Film London some of the responsibilities held by the U.K. Film...

Gallic f/x event sets Gilliam peek.(World News)
December 1, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gaul's biggest showcase of vfx and animation. Paris FX, will unveil sneak peeks of Terry Gilliam's animated film "1884: Yesterday's Future" and Antoine Charreyron's "The Prodigies" at its fourth edition Dec. 15-16. ...

Prodding Tallinn.(World News)(Brief article)
December 1, 2010... The Baltic region's biggest annual co-production market opens in Tallinn today. The ninth Baltic Event, part of the Black Nights Film Festival, runs until Friday in the Estonian capital. It promises to be the biggest yet with many...

Mouse takes Spain Toon.(World News)
December 1, 2010... Disney has taken Spanish theatrical and DVD distribution rights to toon romancer "Chico and Rita," helmer Fernando Trueba's first foray into animation. Spanish graphic artist Javier Mariscal and brother Tono Errando also co-direct. Disney...

Teutonic docs back on lineup.(World News)(Brief article)
December 1, 2010... German pubcaster ARD has reversed its decision to ax its Monday night docu strand after an outcry from filmmakers and politicians On Tuesday it announced that it will move docs out of primetime and into latenight. after the evening news,...

Swedish fish for biz.(World News)(Brief article)
December 1, 2010... TALLINN, Estonia -- Sweden's regional film commissions have joined forces to launch the first national body to lure foreign producers to the Scandinavian country. The Sweden Film Commission. which debuts Thursday, is a one-stop shop for...

2011 Spirit Award nominations.
December 1, 2010... FEATURE "Black Swan'--Scott Franklin. Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Brian Oliver, producers "Greenberg"--Jennifer Jason Leigh. Scott Rudin. producers "127 Hours"--Danny Boyle, Christian Colson, John Smithson, producers "The Kids...

Comcast to add Maya to VOD file.
December 1, 2010... Maya Entertainment is expanding its video-on-demand footprint, partnering with Comcast. As part of the deal, Comcast on Friday will launch a Maya at the Movies folder with four day-and date VOD releases, including Aidan Quinn starrer "Across...

Need for speed.
December 1, 2010... Feature-film director Rob Cohen is heading back to TV as exec producer of upcoming auto centric Speed network show "Gymkhana Wars." Cohen, who has helmed box office hits The Fast and the Furious" and "XXX," told Daily Variety he has always...

PR vet to exit Sony.
December 1, 2010... Ann Morfogen, longtime head of PR for Sony Corp of America, is retiring at the end of the year after 40 years in the media biz. Morfogen will work with Sony as a consultant starting in January. Sony CEO Howard Stringer said Morfogen plans to...

Position Among the Stars.(Movie review)
December 1, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Stand van de sterren) (Docu - Netherlands) A Cinema Delicatessen release release of a Scarabeefilmns, Human Broadcasting presentation, with the support of Netherlands Film Fund, Stimuleringsfonds Netherlandise,...