Daily Variety articles from March 2008

Daily Variety archives from March 2008

An Oscar bounce renews 'Old Men'.
March 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Television viewers may have snubbed the Oscarcast in record numbers this year, but a best picture win still seems to mean something at the box office. Just how much remains a question. The Coen brothers' "No...

Dribbles & drabs: Ferrell fans fickle for New Line swan song.
March 3, 2008... New Line's R-rated basketball spoof "Semi-Pro" didn't get off to a fast break at the weekend box office, grossing an estimated $15.3 million from 3,121 theaters in the lowest opening for a Will Ferrell comedy in almost a decade. Laffer won...

P.I. trial digs into old dirt.
March 3, 2008... Once billed as the case that would bring down Hollywood kings and kingmakers including Brad Grey, Michael Ovitz and Bert Fields, the trial of private investigator Anthony Pellicano is scheduled to begin this week, albeit in a much diminished...

AFTRA gives SAG a push.(American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)(Screen Actors Guild)
March 3, 2008... AFTRA is telling the Screen Actors Guild to stop dragging its feet--and warning that it's willing to start negotiations as early as this month without SAG. The move by the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is the latest...

ABC in 'HSM' chorus.
March 3, 2008... ABC is finally getting a piece of Disney's "High School Musical" franchise. Net is developing a multi-episode reality competish themed to the "High School Musical" concept, with a nationwide talent hunt followed by a group of contestants...

Parlez-vous 'fracas'?(ONLY AT VARIETY.com)
March 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Oscar winner Marion Cotillard runs into a buzzsaw as year-old comments on the 9/11 attacks resurface in the media.

Actors debate their right to vote.
March 3, 2008... FILLING OUT MY WRITERS GUILD strike ballot the other day, I had a disturbing realization: I'm officially entitled to vote for both a writers strike and an actors strike even though I'm neither a writer nor an actor. Why do skuzzy outsiders like...

TV Production slow to rebound.
March 3, 2008... Post-strike TV production in Hollywood has been getting back on its feet but remains well behind the levels of a year ago, according to permitting agency Film L.A. Features, on the other hand, saw little impact from the strike and a 25%...

Games click at Vivendi.
March 3, 2008... Vivendi is rocking, but not to the sound of music division Universal Music. Earnings at the French conglom are being driven by vidgame arm Vivendi Games, paybox Canal Plus and telco unit SFR. Confirming its status as one of Europe's...

B'way's 'Boeing' lands duo.(Theater review)
March 3, 2008... Gina Gershon and Mary McCormack are coming in for a landing on Broadway this spring, playing flight attendants in the upcoming revival of Marc Camoletti's 1960s farce "Boeing-Boeing." Both Gershon and McCormack appeared on the Rialto as...

Tribeca Film Institute folds in arts org.
March 3, 2008... The Tribeca Film Institute, the nonprofit arm of the Tribeca Film Festival, will merge with Renew Media, a fellow nonprofit for the arts. New entity will retain the Tribeca Film Institute name. "It's harder and harder to make movies; this...

Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On.(Concert review)
March 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas; 4,296 seats; $250 top) Presented by AEG Live. Musical director, Bette Sussman. Opened Feb. 20, 2008; reviewed Feb. 29. Band: Sussman, Tony Barney, Sonny Emory,...

Lost: Via Domus.
March 3, 2008... An Ubisoft presentation of a game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and licensed by ABC for the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Reviewed on Xbox 360. Rated 32 $30-$60 Watching the tense faces of actors carefully carrying dynamite made for...

Supremes mull Clinton doc.(Hillary Clinton)
March 3, 2008... The Supreme Court has asked for new briefs in a case involving broadcast promos for a documentary attacking Hillary Clinton. At issue is whether the court has jurisdiction to take the case, which is based on a challenge to certain campaign...

Cabler loves 'Chris': Nick at Nite picks up repeats of CW sitcom.
March 3, 2008... Nick at Nite has bought cable TV rights to reruns of "Everybody Hates Chris" for a license fee of between $250,000 and $300,000 an episode. The show's distributor, CBS TV Distribution, will also chalk up two minutes within each half-hour...

Puppy love for thesp.(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Eric Dane will be moonlighting from "Grey's Anatomy" to take a co-starring role alongside Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston and Alan Arkin in "Marley & Me," Fox 2000's adaptation of John Grogan's bestselling memoir. David Franklin is directing. ...

Strike fears force exit of 'Hell's' belle.(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Ellen Page has dropped out of Sam Raimi's supernatural thriller "Drag Me to Hell" due to scheduling conflicts. The Ghost House Pictures and Mandate Pictures project was slated to start lensing March 17 in Los Angeles but has been postponed...

New Line's new look will be a lot leaner.
March 3, 2008... It's looking like the end of the line for most of New Line's 600 employees and uncertainty for New Line's slate. Parent Time Warner hasn't disclosed details of job cuts since last Thursday's announcement that New Line would be folded into...

Neve Campbell.(Players)
March 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Neve Campbell has been added to biopic "Vivaldi," starring Joseph Fiennes. She'll play a Venetian courtesan with access to the city's most powerful men in the pic, which is being produced and directed by Boris...

Tom Sizemore.(Players)
March 3, 2008... Tom Sizemore has been cast in Matt Schulze's upcoming web/TV action series "The Acquirer." His recent credits include "Red" and "American Son."

Master P.(Players)
March 3, 2008... Master P is set to star in "Soccer Mom," directed by Gregory McClatchy. He'll play the parent of a young soccer player in the indie. Master P's credits include "Hollywood Homicide" and "Dark Blue." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Jill Marie Jones and comedian Earthquake have joined the cast of Fred Durst's "Comeback," starring Ice Cube.(Players)
March 3, 2008... Jill Marie Jones and comedian Earthquake have joined the cast of Fred Durst's "Comeback," starring Ice Cube. Jones' recent credits include "The Perfect Holiday" and "Redrum." Earthquake j recurs on "Everybody Hates Chris" and his credits...

Material digs into 'Treasure'.
March 3, 2008... London-based producer Material Entertainment has acquired screen fights to rookie adventure writer John Drake's "Flint & Silver," a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island." Book, which is set to be published by HarperCollins...

Alphabet deal for comedian.
March 3, 2008... Fresh off of his Comedy Central spesh, thesp-comedian Nick Thune has sold a pilot script to ABC and ABC Studios for a half-hour he will co-write with feature scribe Bob Fisher ("Wedding Crashers") and helmer Ruben Fleischer. He's also signed a...

Thesp going 'Crazy': Allen sets helming bow on indie laffer.
March 3, 2008... Tim Allen will make his feature directing debut on "Crazy on the Outside," an independently financed comedy. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Allen will star, along with Ray Liotta, Carrie-Anne Moss, Julie Bowen and Kelsey Grammer, who are all...

Brit vidgamer Sci cuts staff in reorg.
March 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] British vidgame publisher Sci, parent company of Eidos Interactive, is laying off 25% of its staff amid a major restructuring after negotiations to be acquired fell through. News came as Sci reported dismal...

Gaul grabs Czech kudo.(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... In an upset, French actress and Oscar winner Marion Cotillard won the Czech Lion best-actress award, an honor normally reserved for local stars. "La Vie en rose" was lensed partly in Prague, with the city standing in for war-time Paris,...

Fugees' Pras lands 'Oz'.(GOTHAM FILM CLIPS)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Hip-hop artist Pras Michel of the Fugees has optioned film and TV rights to comic series "Dark Oz" originally published by Caliber Comics. Storyline follows an older Dorothy Gale in a "gothic and more macabre" setting as she journeys through Oz...

"Running the Sahara," a docu about three ultra-runners' quest to cross the desert, will be released in summer by NEHST Studios.(GOTHAM FILM CLIPS)
March 3, 2008... "Running the Sahara," a docu about three ultra-runners' quest to cross the desert, will be released in summer by NEHST Studios. Doc was directed by James Moll ("The Last Days") and narrated by Matt Damon. The runners are tracked from a...

'Tila' shingle taps Tappon.(495 Prods appoints Drew Tappon )(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Growing reality shingle 495 Prods. ("A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila") has tapped former MTV exec Drew Tappon to serve as its head of development. It will be an easy segue for Tappon, who has already been working closely with 495 prexy...

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.(Movie review)
March 3, 2008... (UK.-US.) A Focus Features release (in U.S.) of a Kudos Pictures (U.K.)/Keylight Entertainment (U.S.) production. Produced by Nellie Bellflower, Stephen Garrett. Executive producer, Paul Webster. Co-producer, Jane Frazer. Directed by...

Paradise Park.(Theater review)
March 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Peter Norton Space; 160 seats; $20 top) A Signature Theater presentation of a play in one act by Charles Mee. Directed by Daniel Fish. Sets, David Zinn; costumes, Kaye Voyce; lighting, Mark Barton; original...

Peter Grimes.(Opera review)
March 3, 2008... (Metropolitan Opera; 3,800 seats; $320 top) A Metropolitan Opera presentation of an opera in three acts with music by Benjamin Britten, libretto by Montagu Slater. Directed by John Doyle. Conductor, Donald Runnicles. Sets, Scott Pask;...

Christine Ebersole and Billy Stritch.
March 3, 2008... (Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall; 1,231 capacity; $75) A Lincoln Center presentation of American Songbook. Musicians: Tom Hubbard, David B. Meade. Reviewed Feb. 29, 2008. The 10th anniversary of the American Songbook series at...

NBC U digital chief returns to roots.(Company overview)
March 4, 2008... After 27 months as NBC Universal's top exec overseeing digital media and ad sales, Beth Comstock is ankling to return to her previous post as chief marketing officer for NBC U parent General Electric. Salil Mehta, NBC U's newly appointed...

Phoning it in.(ONLY AT Variety.com)
March 4, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Simon Cowell and Relevant Ent. will produce for Par a bio of Paul Ports, the cell phone salesman-turned-opera singer who won "Britain's Got Talent."

Pair packs up Maverick TV.
March 4, 2008... Maverick TV--the shingle behind FX's "The Riches"--has shut its doors. Decision to close up shop was made jointly by Maverick TV partners Guy Oseary and Michael Rosenberg, who are separating amicably. Oseary has allowed Rosenberg to take...

TNT turns it up: Turner battles broadcast with originals.
March 4, 2008... TNT is aiming for the primetime big leagues: Cabler has unveiled an ambitious series development initiative with the goal of assembling an all-original Monday-Wednesday primetime lineup by 2010. "Cable has taken the measure of broadcast TV...

Marley biopic in rhythm.
March 4, 2008... The Weinstein Co. has I optioned rights to "No Woman No Cry: My Life With Bob Marley," by the reggae star's widow Rita Marley, with plans to develop and produce a biopic about the legendary Jamaican singer. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Duo adopt 'Children'.(Book review)(Brief review)
March 4, 2008... Warner Independent Pictures has optioned Charles Bock's debut novel "Beautiful Children" for Bona Fide Pictures partners Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa. The studio is in talks with Eric Roth to adapt. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The "Hamlet...

Oprah gives big to ABC.
March 4, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Oprah Winfrey's magic touch has extended to a primetime series for the first time, as Sunday's debut of "Oprah's Big Give" was a ratings winner for ABC. The Alphabet also achieved a quieter success following "Big...

The Real Housewives of New York.(Television)
March 4, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Series; Bravo, Tues. March 4, 11 p.m.) Produced by Ricochet Television. Executive producers, Nick Emmerson, Jennifer O'Connell; co-executive producers, Lenid Rolov, Kirsty Robson; supervising producer, Barrie...

Kd lang.
March 4, 2008... (Allen Room; 550 seats; $100 top) Presented inhouse. Band: kd lang, Grecco Buratto, Joshua Grange, Daniel Clarke, Ian Walker, Danny Frankel. Opened, reviewed Feb. 27, 2008, closed Feb. 28. If there were still room on primetime...

New Amsterdam.(Television program review)
March 4, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Series, Fox, Tues. March 4, 9 p.m.) Filmed in New York by Sarabande Prods., Scarlet Fire Entertainment and Hallstrom Holleran Prods. in association with Regency Television. Executive producers, Lasse Hallstrom,...

B'way chill settles in: tuners still waiting for biz's spring thaw.
March 4, 2008... It's not springtime on Broadway just yet, with B.O. for most shows continuing to slide from the Presidents' Day weekend spike. Total sales were down more than $3 million to $14.8 million for 32 shows reporting. Estimated grosses for "Young...

Coens on front burner.(Movie review)
March 4, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Focus Features and Working Title have decided to go wide when opening the Coen brothers' next film, "Burn After Reading," on Sept. 12 because of the film's comedic appeal and cast. Dark spy-comedy stars George...

'Idol' sets charity lineup.
March 4, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bono, Fergie, ex-"American Idol" contestant Chris Daughtry and Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood will perform as part of "Idol Gives Back," the program's second annual charity event set to air April 9 on Fox. ...

ShoWest nod for Redford.(Brief article)
March 4, 2008... Robert Redford will be honored with a special Visionary Award at next week's ShoWest exhib confab in Las Vegas for his pioneering work in bringing independent film to the bigscreen. Redford founded the Sundance Institute in 1981 to nurture...

Peacock scares up 'Fear' creatives.
March 4, 2008... NBC has put together its creative lineups for "Fear Itself" the 13-episode horror anthology, series set to debut this summer. Skein, produced by Lionsgate and Industry Entertainment, is a reincarnated version of the Showtime series "Masters of...

MPAA still dogging pirates.
March 4, 2008... The MPAA has allocated two bootleg-sniffing retrievers to a school education campaign and donated another two canines to Malaysian authorities to help pick up the scent of counterfeiters. As part of the Weekly Reader series for children,...

EMI plans for global matrix.
March 4, 2008... EMI has created divisions to deal with its catalogs and the licensing of master recordings for other media. The moves are the first two within lip new topper Guy Hands' plan to alter EMI from a locally centralized model to what he calls "a...

Weekend at the B.O.(Statistical table)
March 4, 2008... Weekend at the B.O. $97.4 million Feb. 29-March 2, 2008 vs. last weekend vs. last year -12% -21% Screen scene The weekend's top 10 engagements: ...

Film box office wrap: for the weekend of Feb. 29-March 2.
March 4, 2008... Film Box Office Wrap FOR THE WEEKEND OF FEB. 29-MARCH 2 Ranking Reported This Last Title (Distributor/ Weekend Pct. Week Week Financier) ...

Burnett taps chief: exec to head Asia division.(World News)(Marketing Bureau Voor Programma Aanbieders)
March 4, 2008... Man Shu Sum has been tapped as head of Mark Burnett Prods. Asia and will quit as director of strategic relations at Singapore's Media Development Authority in May. MBPA was launched in October as a $20 million joint venture between Mark...

Canal Plus revs up subs.(World News)(Brief article)
March 4, 2008... Mirroring bullish figures at Vivendi and parent Canal Plus Groupe, French paybox Canal Plus is on a roll expanding its subscriber count, and healthily in the black, driving up 2007 net profits by 12% to 47 million [pounds sterling] ($71.3...

French pubcaster swings upward.(World News)
March 4, 2008... France 2, the recently underperforming flagship channel of French pubcaster France Televisions, is bouncing back. An eclectic mix of Six Nations Rugby, "Without a Trace," films, telepics and docs offset a soft fall. France 2 aud share...

Medvedev vows freedom of press.(RUSSIA)(Dmitry Medvedev )(Brief article)
March 4, 2008... Sunday's landslide victory for Russian President-elect Dmitry Medvedev signals a possible sea change in television broadcast freedom. "We must protect the real independence of the media, which provides the channels for feedback between...

Singapore TV group MediaCorp is planning to invest in a Vietnamese channel startup and is launching an Indian channel in its home market.(SINGAPORE)(MediaCorp)(Brief article)
March 4, 2008... Singapore TV group MediaCorp is planning to invest in a Vietnamese channel startup and is launching an Indian channel in its home market. Both moves by the state-backed broadcast conglom are intended to give MediaCorp a bigger profile. ...

Curzon Cinemas.(UNITED KINGDOM)(appointment of Richard Napper )(Brief article)
March 4, 2008... Richard Napper has been appointed managing director of indie cinema circuit Curzon Cinemas, part of distrib-exhib outfit Curzon Artificial Eye. Napper, formerly managing director, U.K., for Sony Pictures Intl., will oversee all operations...

Global box office takings for UTV's "Jodhaa Akbar" have passed the symbolic 1 billion rupees ($25 million) mark, proving that controversy sells tickets.(INDIA)
March 4, 2008... Global box office takings for UTV's "Jodhaa Akbar" have passed the symbolic 1 billion rupees ($25 million) mark, proving that controversy sells tickets. The period romancer has clocked $18.3 million in India after 17 days. Despite some...

Virgin's changing its channel plans.(World News)
March 4, 2008... Blighty cabler Virgin Media is reviewing its portfolio in a move that could lead to the country's largest auction of channels since the emergence of multichannel television. Goldman Sachs is conducting the review, according to reports. ...

Italy celebrates Magnani.(World News)
March 4, 2008... Italy is celebrating the centennial of Anna Magnani's birth with a host of initiatives, including a new docu and bio, plus a Rome confab dedicated to the star of "Rome, Open City" who went on to become Italy's first Oscar winner. Magnani...

Albuquerque's biz quest.(Location News)
March 4, 2008... Albuquerque Studios isn't leaving its expansion plans on the drawing board. The studio, owned by Pacifica Ventures, broke ground last year with phase one of its $74 million, 28-acre studio complex consisting of eight soundstages and support...

Showbiz stocks: Monday, March 3, 2008.
March 4, 2008... Showbiz stocks YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg % Chg AccessIT AIXD ... 2.31 -.05 -48.3 AcmeCm ALME 2 ...

U.S. Drag.(Theater review)
March 4, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Beckett Theater; 99 seats; $37.50 top) A StageFarm presentation of a play in one act by Gina Gionfriddo. Directed by Trip Cullman. Sets, Sandra Goldmark; costumes, Emily Rebholz; lighting, Nicole Pearce; sound,...

Burning the Future: Coal in America.
March 4, 2008... (Docu) A FireFly Pix production. Produced by David Novack, Alexis Zoullas. Executive producers, Donald Rosenfeld, CJ Follini. Directed by David Novack. Written by Novack, Richard Hankin. Camera (color, HDV), Scott Shelly, Samuel...

Vigil.(Theater review)
March 4, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, Conn.; 575 seats; $55 top) A Westport Country Playhouse presentation of a play in two acts by Morris Panych. Directed by Stephen DiMenna. Sets, Andromache Chalfant;...

Battle just beginning: Blu-ray won a key round when it vanquished HD DVD, but its fight to become the homevid technology of the future goes on.(THE FORMAT WAR: NOW WHAT?)
March 4, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For Blu-ray, the format war has turned into one of those epic quests you see in badly dubbed martial arts movies. Sure, its kung fu was too good for rival HD DVD to overcome. But hold on to those...

United stand sits Sony in sweet spot.(V PLUS: HI-DEF UPDATE)
March 4, 2008... From Betamax to the MultiMedia Compact Disc to the Universal Media Disc, Sony found itself on a rather conspicuous winless streak when it came to launching homevid formats over the last few decades. But the Japanese conglom's luck changed...

The Oscar contenders collection: this year's best picture honorees have already started to hit the streets on DVD and in hi-def. Here's a look at all five titles.
March 4, 2008... ATONEMENT Universal Available March 18 on DVD and HD DVD Featurettes include novelist Ian McEwan and screenwriter Christopher Hampton chatting about the adaptation, along with helmer Joe Wright and stars Keira Knightley and James...

Jeff Healey.(Obituary)
March 4, 2008... Blind rock and jazz musician Jeff Healey died Sunday in Toronto after a lifelong battle against cancer. He was 41. The Grammy-nominated Healey rose to stardom as the leader of the Jeff Healey Band, a rock-oriented trio that gained...

'Trumbo' to open fest.(Brief article)
March 4, 2008... Peter Askin's film "Trumbo" will open the Full Frame Documentary Festival on April 3 in Durham, N.C. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Doc, based on the play written by Christopher Trumbo, profiles "Spartacus" screenwriter Dalton Trumbo through...

Broadway top 10: Feb. 25-Mar. 2.
March 4, 2008... Broadway Top 10: Feb. 25-Mar. 2 Week's Net Show Receipts (Theater)(Prod. Potential Prev Week's $Change Category) (Seats) Net Receipts Net...

New York's top pics.(Statistical table)(Brief article)
March 4, 2008... New York's Top Pics (based on location averaage for the weekend of Feb. 29-March 2, 2008) Nat'l # of N.Y. # N.Y. Rank Title (dist) ...

'Pettigrew's' day.(Brief article)
March 4, 2008... One week after taking home Oscars in three categories, Joel and Ethan Coen were celebrating once again--this time at Sunday's premiere of Frances McDormand's latest pic, "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day." Having both men at the Tribeca...

Bigger, stronger, faster *.(Movie review)
March 4, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Docu) A Magnolia Pictures release of a BSF Films production. Produced by Alex Buono, Tamsin Rawady, Jim Czarnecki. Executive producers, Terrance J. Aamio, Robert Weiser, Richard Schiffrin. Co-producer, Kurt...

'Angels' gets wings.(Movie review)(Brief article)
March 4, 2008... HOLLYWOOD--It's been more than a year since Warner Independent's "Snow Angels"--which preemed Thursday at the Egyptian--debuted at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, and, since then, writer-director David Gordon Green has spread his filmmaking...

New Line pix find an afterlife.
March 5, 2008... Turner Broadcasting's TBS and TNT are trying to corner the market on theatrical pre-buys, locking up the cable TV fights to four high-visibility movies set for release by New Line and Picturehouse later this year: "The Women," "Journey to the...

Moguls meet.(ONLY AT Variety.com)
March 5, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] IAC/InterActiveCorp's Barry Diller and CBS boss Leslie Moonves match wits in a chat moderated by Variety editor-in-chief Peter Bart.

Rome's fest test: event toppers keep eye on mayor's moves.
March 5, 2008... Will the recent resignation of Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni jeopardize the Rome Film Festival? The film-buff pol, who launched the Eternal City fest as his pet project while in office in 2005, is running for prime minister against Silvio...

Met livens up with Rialto regulars.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Mary Zimmerman, Robert LePage, Julian Crouch, Catherine Zuber and Brian MacDevitt are among the legit names working at the Metropolitan Opera in its 125th season. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In addition to six new productions and 18...

Col's pair seal deal.
March 5, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Columbia Pictures has extended the contracts of production toppers Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach through 2011. The pair, who served as presidents of production, also received a title bump, with each named Col prexy....

Peacock flags summer sked.(National Broadcasting Company Inc.'s summer plays American Gladiators and America's Got)(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... The Peacock is waving the red, white and blue this summer, dubbing its off-season programming strategy "NBC's All-American Summer." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The patriotic theme, derived from two of NBC's summer plays-"American...

Butler birthing shingle.(Movie review)(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gerard Butler has launched the production shingle Evil Twins with his longtime manager, Alan Siegel. Their first project is the psychological thriller "Law Abiding Citizen" which the duo are producing for Mark...