Daily Variety articles from July 2006

Daily Variety archives from July 2006

$106 mil hero's welcome; 'Superman' flies as 'Devil' gets its due.
July 5, 2006... "Superman Returns" is off to a strong start, albeit not as fast as a speeding bullet. Warner Bros. superhero tent-pole grossed a solid $52.5 million on its opening weekend and $74 million over the five-day Fourth of July frame. Since its...

DVD year the strong, silent type.(digital video disks)(sales report of video business)
July 5, 2006... The vid biz's yearlong funk appears to be over. Just don't expect definitive data outlining how--and exactly when--it turned the corner. Unlike the theatrical biz, which eagerly slices and dices box office returns for public consumption,...

Acad speaks new language.
July 5, 2006... Oscar is growing more multilingual. A movie no longer has to be in an official language of the submitting country to qualify for a foreign-language film nomination under the newly approved rules for the 79th Oscar season. The Academy...

Clark lights spark o'seas.
July 5, 2006... "Superman Returns" opened solidly rather than spectacularly in Australia and Asia, leading a moderate foreign box office with $20 million from 1,750 prints in 11 markets in its launch weekend. The Man of Steel finished first in all 11...

Eye in bed with couple.(Ben Stiller directs half hour comedy for CBS Broadcasting Inc.)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Ben Stiller is returning to television, exec producing and directing a half-hour comedy for CBS that will star his wife, Christine Taylor. Eye has given a pilot commitment to the project, which will be loosely based on Taylor's life. ...

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.(Movie review)
July 5, 2006... A Buena Vista release of a Walt Disney Pictures presentation in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Films. Produced by Bruckheimer. Executive producers, Mike Stenson, Chad Oman, Bruce Hendricks, Eric McLeod. Directed by Gore Verbinski....

Monster House.(Movie review)
July 5, 2006... (Animated) A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a Columbia Pictures/Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg presentation in association with Relativity Media of an Imagemovers/Amblin production. Produced by Steve Starkey, Jack Rapke....

Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular.(Theater review)
July 5, 2006... (The Venetian, Las Vegas: 1,800 seats; $150 top) A Really Useful Theater Company, Live Nation and Base Entertainment presentation of the Venetian production of the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Theater Co. musical in one act, with music...

'Mission' statement squeaks past censors.(Inside Moves)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Chinese censors delayed "Mission: Impossible III" for months because of its negative depiction of urban life in Shanghai. But they missed an even seedier reference in the movie--a genuine cell-phone number spray-painted on a wall that...

Helmers join Venice jury.(Cameron Crowe)(Park Chan-wook)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Helmet-producer Cameron Crowe and South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook will be on the jury at the Venice Intl. Film Festival, where their pics preemed last year. Spanish director Bigas Luna ("Sound of the Sea"), prolific Portuguese producer...

NBC punts Arena football.(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Nielsen touchdowns became so rare for arena football during the last four years that NBC has canceled its contract to carry a package of weekly games. What probably doomed the partnership was the anemic household rating for NBC's telecast...

H'wood's trump card: the Donald to launch prod'n shingle.(Donald Trump)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... The Donald is going Hollywood. Real estate mogul-turned-TV host Donald Trump is launching an L.A.-based production shingle, tapping staffer Andy Litinsky to run it. Litinsky is a former contestant on "The Apprentice" who's spent the...

'Seven Day' siren's set.(Seven Day Itch)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Michelle Monaghan is set to star opposite Ben Stiller in "Seven Day Itch," a DreamWorks comedy inspired by "The Heartbreak Kid." Peter and Bobby Farrelly are directing. Monaghan will play a young woman who causes a honeymooning groom to...

'Abby' dear to L.A. fest.(Ira and Abby)(Los Angeles film festival)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Robert Cary's "Ira & Abby," starring and written by Jennifer Westfeldt, picked up the audience award for narrative feature as the Los Angeles Film Festival wrapped Sunday night at its new Westwood locale. Westfeldt is a two-time L.A. lest...

Nia Long will reprise her "Are We There Yet?" role in Revolution Studios' "Are We Done Yet?," the sequel to Ice Cube starrer.(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Nia Long will reprise her "Are We There Yet?" role in Revolution Studios' "Are We Done Yet?," the sequel to Ice Cube starrer. Also signed on is John C. McGinley, who will play an exuberant contractor who becomes the nemesis to Cube s character....

Dermot Mulroney, and Garrett Hedlund, have joined the cast of Morgan Creek's "Georgia Rule," lensing in Los Angeles.(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Dermot Mulroney, near right, and Garrett Hedlund, far right, have joined the cast of Morgan Creek's "Georgia Rule," lensing in Los Angeles. Pic, penned by Mark Andrus, is directed by Garry Marshall and stars Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohan and...

Morgan Fairchild.(Players)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Morgan Fairchild has been cast in MyNetworkTV's "Fashion House." Series is set to debut Sept. 5. Bo Derek also stars in the skein about the fashion industry. Fairchild will play a longtime enemy of Derek's fashion mogul character.

Richards helmed 'Raisin'.(Obituary)
July 5, 2006... Lloyd Richards, the first African-American to direct a Broadway production, died of heart failure Thursday, his 87th birthday, at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. Richards was a leader in American regional theater and the mentor who guided...

Recording pioneer dies.(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... HOLLYWOOD -- Irving Green, co-founder of Mercury Records, died Saturday in Palm Springs. He was 90. Green was seen as a pioneer in breaking down color barriers in the music industry. From the beginning, Mercury's roster was racially...

Comic hosted gamers.(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Jan Murray, a Catskills comedian who went on to work in Vegas and later hosted a string of TV gameshows, died Sunday in Beverly Hills. He was 89. Born Murray Jankowski in the Bronx, Murray got his start on the Borscht Belt, the circuit of...

Fired ABC journo wins small victory.(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Richard Gizbert, the London-based journalist who won an unfair dismissal claim against ABC in December after refusing to go to Iraq to cover the war, was awarded $180,000 in compensation on Monday. At the employment tribunal, Gizbert evoked...

'Sunny's' solid bow looks bright for FX.(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... The second season of FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" opened Thursday to an average of 1.58 million total viewers for back-to-back half-hour episodes. Number's modest compared with those for hit FX series like "Nip/Tuck" and...

ICM seeks compensation.(International Creative Management)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... ICM has sued the Agency Group, claiming it wrongfully induced former ICM agent Keith Naisbitt to break his employment agreement with ICM and take clients with him. Suit, filed Friday in L.A. Superior Court, alleges that Naisbitt, who was a...

Helmer's ex sues Pellicano.(Anthony Pellicano)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Director John McTiernan's ex-wife, Donna Dubrow, has sued private investigator Anthony Pellicano for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In her suit seeking unspecified damages, she alleges that McTiernan...

Change is beneficial for ContentFilm.(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... ContentFilm, the London-based film and TV sales company, has returned to operating profit after a year of transformation. Content reported an operating profit of 386,000 [pounds sterling] ($713,000) for the year ended March 31, compared...

Spain back in gear: Mouse, exhibs on same road for 'Cars'.(conflicts of Walt Disney Productions Inc. and theater chains in Spain)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... The boycott of Disney pics in Spain looks to be over: The distributor has pacted with the theater chains that refused to screen its "Scary Movie 4" on slightly better rental terms for the exhibs. The rebel loops--Yelmo Cineplex,...

Disney's H.K. chief ankles.(Hong Kong)(Walt Disney Intermational)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Doug Miller has ankled as the Mouse House's top man in Hong Kong and will move to the U.S. by the middle of July. Miller was exec VP-managing director of Walt Disney Intl. for the Asia Pacific region, and that position will not be filled....

Lygo: Film4 will help C4.(Channel Four Television Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... LONDON -- The topper of Channel 4, Blighty's commercially funded pubcaster, said its decision to relaunch pay movie web FilmFour as a free service monikered Film4 on July 23 will not affect its scheduling. "Film4 will continue to act as an...

Huge tax bill socks Sony.(World News)
July 5, 2006... Sony Corp. has been hit with a surprise tax bill of [yen] 27.9 billion ($245 million) from the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau. Company says it will appeal. Some of the extra taxes are charges against profits that Sony subsidiary Sony...

Sony BMG taps creative type.(appointment of Ged Doherty)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... LONDON -- Sony BMG Music Entertainment has chosen an executive heavily involved in the creative side as chairman-CEO of its U.K. & Ireland operations. Ged Doherty, who was president of the music division, replaces Rob Stringer, who last...

Latam nets cue up for Grammys.(Latin Grammy Awards rights for Latin American broadcasters)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... MEXICO CITY -- Latin American broadcasters have snatched up rights to the seventh Latin Grammy Awards, licensed by Alfred Haber Distribution. Televisa in Mexico, Gamavision in Ecuador, Televicentro in Nicaragua, Compania Televisora in...

The Human Comedy.(Theater review)
July 5, 2006... (Robert Boland Theater at Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield, Mass.; 500 seats; $52 top) A Barrington Stage Company presentation of a musical in two acts with music by Gait MacDermot, book and lyrics by William Dumaresq from a story...

Sean Wing.(Players)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Sean Wing has landed a supporting role in indie romantic comedy "10 Inch Hero." Pic, directed by David McKay, concerns a sandwich shop employee who gets involved in her co-workers' love lives. Jensen Ackles and Elizabeth Harnois star. The...

John Eric Bentley.(Players)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... John Eric Bentley ("Less Than Perfect") has joined the cast of Constantin Film's "Resident Evil: Extinction," starring Milla Jovovich and being directed by Russell Mulcahy. Bentley will play an Umbrella Corp. exec trying to track down...

Soccer tops weekend ratings in Gotham.(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Univision scored this holiday weekend in Gotham. When Brazil went foot-to-foot with France in the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, the match airing on Univision 41 (WXTV) was the top-rated program of the weekend June 30-July 2 among...

Ferrera cops kidnapping pic.(America Ferrera in "Hacia la oscuridad" )(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... America Ferrera, star of ABC's upcoming "Betty the Ugly," has signed on to star in and exec produce the indie pic "Hacia la oscuridad" (Toward Darkness) for writer-director Antonio Negret. Bilingual thriller concerns the last 90 minutes in...

Editor's tied to tube.(Richard Perez-Feria and Galan Entertainment on deal)(Brief article)
July 5, 2006... Richard Perez-Feria has inked a first-look deal with Nely Galan's Galan Entertainment for scripted fare and features in Spanish and English targeted at U.S. auds. He has ankled as People en Espanol magazine editor-in-chief to develop a...

ESPN juiced by baseball ratings.
July 6, 2006... ESPN and ESPN2 are hitting this year's baseball coverage out of the park. Cablers are seeing ratings gains of close to 20% thanks to more marquee teams on Sunday night and fewer primetime blackouts on Monday. Critics took their share...

Televisa cashes in chips.(Televisa sells stake in Univision Network L.P.)
July 6, 2006... Smarting from its sale snub last week, Mexican broadcaster Grupo Televisa says it plans to sell its 11% stake in Univision--a move that will allow it to pursue new ventures in the U.S. without its former partner. Televisa, which lost out...

Swinging singles: downloads offset albums' drop.(album sales report)
July 6, 2006... Album sales for the first six months of 2006 are down 4% from last year, but digital downloads continue to provide a silver lining. Nielsen SoundScan reported that 281 million individual tracks were sold through online services in the first...

'Santa' redo suits up.(National Broadcasting Company Inc. and Mark Wolper join to produce "The Year Without a Santa Claus")
July 6, 2006... NBC and producer Mark Wolper are mounting a live-action version of Bass-Rankin's 1974 stop-motion holiday chestnut "The Year Without a Santa Claus." Ron Underwood ("City Slickers") is directing the two-hour pic, which will star John...

Bertelsmann family plan.(Bertelsmann AG purchases stakes of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert S.A.)
July 6, 2006... Bertelsmann's shares will stay in the family. The world's largest private media conglom on Wednesday ensured that none of its shares--and little new information about its business--would be thrown open to the public when it made final its...

Live nation sings blues.(Live Nation Inc. purchases HOB Entertainment Inc.)
July 6, 2006... The country's largest concert promoter, Live Nation, will purchase its biggest rival, HOB Entertainment, for $350 million. Live Nation made the acquisition to expand its presence in the midsize venue business and fill in geographic gaps in...

Picasso's Closet.(Theater review)
July 6, 2006... (Goldman Theater, Washington, D.C.; 214 seats; $40 top) A Theater J presentation of a play in three acts by Ariel Dorfman. Directed by John Dillon. Sets, Lewis Folden; costumes, Kate Turner Walker; lighting, Martha Mountain; sound, Ryan...

Psych.(Television program review)
July 6, 2006... (Series; USA; Fri. July 7, 10 p.m.) Filmed in Vancouver by Tagline Pictures in association with NBC Universal Television Studio. Executive producers, Steve Franks, Kelly Kulchak, Chris Henze; co-executive producer, Mel Damski; director,...

Carter takes creative mantle at Fremantle.(FremantleMedia promotes Gary Carter)
July 6, 2006... FremantleMedia, the global producer behind "American Idol," has promoted Gary Carter to the newly created post of prexy for its creative networks division. New unit combines the currently separate departments of worldwide drama and...

Warner ups distrib exec.(Scott Forman joins Warner Bros. Pictures)(distribution executive)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Scott Forman has been upped to senior VP-assistant general sales manager of domestic distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures. He will report directly to domestic distrib prexy Dan Fellman, as well as to exec VP-general sales manager Jeff...

'Seance' a family affair.(Stephen Schwartz's first opera, to be developed)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Composer Stephen Schwartz's first opera, based on the 1964 film "Seance on a Wet Afternoon," will be helmed by his son Scott in their first collaboration. Schwartz pere is writing the work for Opera Santa Barbara, which commissioned the...

Acad opens doors to 120 new members.(Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... "Crash" producer Cathy Schulman and thesps Eric Bana, Dakota Fanning, Terrence Howard, David Strathairn and Rachel Weisz are among the 120 creative individuals invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. The Academy...

'Kiki' kicks in on Rialto.(Kiki and Herb: Alive on Broadway)(play information)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... The lounge act that wouldn't die has finally clawed its way to Broadway. After conquering Carnegie Hall in a 2004 concert, the downtown cult duo will hit the Rialto with "Kiki & Herb: Alive on Broadway." Playing a limited run through Sept....

FCC seeks to delay case.(Federal Communications Commission)
July 6, 2006... The Federal Communications Commission has asked the federal court slated to hear legal challenges brought by network affiliates against recent indecency decisions to postpone the start of the case. Affils of NBC, ABC and CBS have endorsed...

Correction.(Correction notice)
July 6, 2006... Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity have had books top the New York Times' bestsellers list since 2003. Information was incorrect in the June 16 issue.

Summer heat wave: Fox cooking with reality.(Fox Entertainment Group Inc.)
July 6, 2006... Auds are going against the script this summer, and Fox has been the biggest beneficiary. On the heels of its dominant finish to the broadcast season in May with "American Idol," the net is the summer leader to date among young adults...

Tuners toast B'way B.O.(broadway)(box office)(gross report of movie industry)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Broadway ticket sales remained healthy over the week ended Sunday, with total grosses of $17,554,076 showing a boost of $1.5 million from the corresponding flame in 2005. "Wicked retained its top B'way grosses rank with a chart, page 8...

Pic weathers distrib pickup.(Zeitgeist Films acquires rights for "Climates")(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Zeitgeist Films has acquired all U.S. rights from Istanbul's CO Prods. to Turkish helmer-thesp Nuri Bilge Ceylan's latest, "Climates." Pic, about the fragility of a relationship between a middle-aged professor (Ceylan) and his younger...

Lane Garrison.(contracts)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Lane Garrison ("Prison Break") has been cast in Antoine Fuqua's "Shooter." Paramount pic, which also stars Mark Wahlberg and Danny Glover, is lensing in Vancouver over the summer. Thesp-scribe Garrison stars in indie "Quality of Life,"...

Brian White ("The Family Stone"), and Madison Pettis, have joined the cast of Disney's "The Game Plan.".(Walt Disney Pictures and Television)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Brian White ("The Family Stone"), right and Madison Pettis, far right, have joined the cast of Disney's "The Game Plan." Pic recently had its start delayed when star Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson was injured. Pettis will play Johnson's long-lost...

Film box office wrap: for the weekend of June 30-July 2.(Statistical table)
July 6, 2006... Film Box Office Wrap FOR THE WEEKEND OF JUNE 30-JULY 2 Ranking Reported This Last Weekend Week Week Title (Distributor) Boxoffice 1 --...

TV & cable production chart.
July 6, 2006... PRODUCTION CHART KEY Abbreviations: SUPR EXP-Supervising executive producer(s); EXP-Executive producer(s); CO-EXP-Co-executive producer(s) SUPR PROD-Supervising producer(s); PROD-Producer(s); CO-PROD-Co-producer(s); DIR-Director(s);...

Showbiz stocks: Wednesday, July 5, 2006.(Statistical table)
July 6, 2006... Showbiz Stocks Wednesday, July 5, 2006 YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg %Chg AccessIT AIXD ... 9.85 -.64 -5.1 AcmeCm ACME ... ...

Nielsen ratings report.(television audience ratings)(Table)
July 6, 2006... Nielsen Ratings Report Total Viewers June 26-July 2, 2006 abc Monday 4.38 8:00 Wife Swap (R) 4.90 8:30 (5.08) 5.27 9:00...

Exclusives report: for the weekend of June 30 - July 2, 2006.(new releases)(Table)
July 6, 2006... Exclusives Report For the weekend of June 30-July 2, 2006 Nielsen EDI A Service of Nielsen Entertainment NEW YORK NEW THIS WEEK Weekend Film ...

Top 10 films in Manhattan: for the weekend of June 30 - July 2, 2006.(rankings of movies)(Statistical table)
July 6, 2006... Top 10 Films In Manhattan % change Wknd. Film vs. last Week Rank B.O. (distributor) wknd. No. 1. $828,666 Superman...

Broadway top 10: June 26-July 2.(Statistical table)
July 6, 2006... Broadway Top 10: June 26-July 2 Week's Net Receipts Show Potential (Theater)(Prod. Net Category) (Seats) ...

A.J. Buckley.(A.J. Buckley stars in "The Last Sin Eater" and "Walking Tall 2." )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... A.J. Buckley ("CSI: NY") has landed roles in "The Last Sin Eater" and "Walking Tall 2." Fox's "Sin Eater," a period drama set in 1850s Appalachia, is written and directed by Michael Landon Jr. and is lensing in Utah. "Walking Tall 2" is...

Barbara Hershey.(Barbara Hershey stars in "Old Loves")(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Barbara Hershey has booked a role in Jan Schutte's "Old Loves," which the helmer adapted from short stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Pic, lensing in Gotham, also stars Tovah Feldshuh and Rhea Perlman. Story concerns an aging author (Otto...

Todd Stashwick.(Todd Stashwick stars in "Live!" )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Todd Stashwick has been cast in the independent feature "Live!" alongside Eva Mendes and Andre Braugher. Pic, written and directed by Bill Guttentag, concerns a reality show in which contestants play Russian roulette. Thesp will play a network...

Biz sues Yahoo! China.(cases of copyright infringement)
July 6, 2006... The Intl. Federation of the Phonographic Industry is preparing a lawsuit in China against Yahoo! China for copyright infringement as part of the music biz's efforts to crack down on piracy. "Yahoo! China has been blatantly infringing our...

Kidman nuptials catnip for TV mags.(Nicole Kidman)(television magazines)(ratings of television programs)
July 6, 2006... Syndication ratings were mostly higher for the week ended June 25 despite the start of the usually soft summer season, but only a handful of strips saw higher year-to-year ratings. Most of the magazines featured coverage of Nicole Kidman's...

Sundance to Google itself.(contracts of Sundance Channel LLC. and Google Video)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... Sundance Channel has signed a deal that will make 18 movies and three TV-series episodes from the "First Amendment Project" available for sale or rental on Google Video. Movie titles include "The Sleepy Time Gal," "Amy's Orgasm," "Scotland...

Two cablers make foray into top tier.(television audience ratings)(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... It's rare when one cable network roars in out of left field to become a top-five-rated channel during a given week, but two of them--AMC, in third place, and BET, in fifth--made history for the week ended Sunday. It took just one program...

Basking in 'sunshine'.(Los Angeles Film Festival )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... The Los Angeles Film Festival wrapped under a starry sky Sunday as festgoers attended a closing-night bash on the grounds of the Veterans Affairs campus in Westwood following a screening of Fox Searchlight's "Little Miss Sunshine." ...

Cirque du 'Love'.( )(Brief article)
July 6, 2006... LAS VEGAS -- An eclectic group of thesps, comics and musicians trod the 80-foot red carpet to see the Beatles and Cirque du Soleil come together as "Love" preemed Friday at the Mirage. The $135 million roof-raiser pays tribute to the Fab...

Emmy sends mixed messages: going from hot to cold.(issues of Emmy award nominations )
July 7, 2006... A new mystery is brewing on Wisteria Lane: Why did Emmy thumb its nose at "Desperate Housewives"? The sudser failed to earn a nomination for comedy, and none of its stars appeared in the top acting categories. Meanwhile, Emmy watchers...

Emmy sends mixed messages: edginess is a no-show.(nomination issues of Emmy Awards)
July 7, 2006... Emmy wanted a revolution but what it got was more confusion. Despite a much-hyped shakeup in the voting process, the list of nominees for the 58th annual Primetime Emmy Awards is filled with plenty of shows and actors that have been around...

Toronto fest covets 'King's'.(Oscar-winning picture All the King's Men)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... "All the King's Men," the remake of the 1949 Oscar-winning pic, will world preem at the Toronto Film Festival. Canuck fest, which runs Sept. 7-16, will also host the world preems of thesp-helmer Bob Balaban's "Bernard and Doris," Jason...

Disney's buccaneers expect to plunder B.O.
July 7, 2006... With absolutely huge tracking numbers for Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"--more than 50% of those polled in one survey said it's their first choice pic to see this weekend--a monster opening is expected from the sequel...

Stern still a Sirius draw.(Stern Radio)(Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.)(user statistics report )
July 7, 2006... Howard Stem is the gift that keeps on giving. Six months after the shock jock joined Sirius, the company's subscriber count is still growing at an impressive rate. Company added 600,000 new subs in the second quarter, it revealed...

Brotherhood.(Television program review)
July 7, 2006... (Series; Showtime; Sun. July 9, 10 p.m.) Filmed in Providence, R.I., by Mandalay Entertainment. Executive producers, Blake Masters, Henry Bromell, Elizabeth Guber Stephen; co-executive producers, Nicole Yorkin, Dawn Prestwich, Phillip...

School of the Americas.(Theater review)
July 7, 2006... (Public Theater/LuEsther; 178 seats; $50 top) A LAByrinth Theater Company, Public Theater presentation of a play in two acts by Jose Rivera. Directed by Mark Wing-Davey. Sets, Andromache Chalfant; costumes, Mimi O'Donnell; lighting, David...

The WanderLUSTers Present 'Achtung Grimm!'.(Theater review)
July 7, 2006... (Ohio Theater; 78 seats; $15 top) An Ice Factory 06, Concrete Temple Theater presentation of a play in one act written and directed by Renee Philippi, with music and lyrics, Lewis Flinn. Sets, Carlo Adinolfi; lighting, Renee Molina;...

Which execs will lose in EMI, Warner duet?(executives)(mergers of EMI Group North America Inc. and Warner Music Group Corp.)
July 7, 2006... As music industry giants EMI Group and Warner Music edge ever closer to an agreement on a merger package, speculation has begun about what that would mean for the companies' top execs. Analysts expect the companies to reach a deal within...

Trib outfoxes Fox: stations lose syndie 'Family' to rival.(Tribune Broadcasting Co.)(Fox stations Group)(Family Guy)
July 7, 2006... The TV-syndication community got hit with a thunderbolt on Thursday with the news that the Tribune-owned TV stations have outbid the Fox stations for reruns of the animated sitcom "Family Guy." Conventional wisdom going in was that the Fox...

ThinkFilm cries 'Wolf'.(ThinkFilm snaps rights for distributing "10th and Wolf")(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Indie distrib ThinkFilm has snapped up all North American rights to writer-helmer Bobby Moresco's "10th & Wolf" and pegged an Aug. 18 rollout for the pic. James Marsden stars with Giovanni Ribisi, Brad Renfro, Piper Perabo, Brian Dennehy,...