Daily Variety articles from May 2008

Daily Variety archives from May 2008

Bardem out of 'Nine'.(VARIETY.COM)
May 1, 2008... Javier Bardem has dropped out of the lead in Rob Marshall's adaptation of musical "Nine." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Studio salvo: majors say SAG is unrealistic.(Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Screen Actors Guild)
May 1, 2008... The gloves have come off in the contract negotiations between the majors and Screen Actors Guild. With the SAG talks going nowhere fast, the majors have gone on the offensive by criticizing the guild's demands as unreasonable and unrealistic....

Fighting words over digital divide.(ShowCanada)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Countering remarks by DreamWorks Animation topper Jeffrey Katzenberg, National Assn. of Theater Owners prexy John Fithian said exhibs aren't to blame for holding up the transition to digital movie screens--some of...

'Spider Woman' crawling to B'way.
May 1, 2008... Producer Darren Bagert will bring the little-known 1983 play adaptation of "Kiss of the Spider Woman" to Broadway next season. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bagert aims to begin perfs in the late fall. Peter DuBois ("Becky Shaw") will likely...

Private eye's last chance to persuade.(PELLICANO TRIAL)(Anthony Pellicano)
May 1, 2008... In his last chance to convince the jury that he's innocent of illegal wiretapping and racketeering charges, former Hollywood P.I. Anthony Pellicano simply described himself as a problem solver who got the job done. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Indie on Roman's trail.
May 1, 2008... ThinkFilm has scooped up domestic theatrical and homevid rights to hot Sundance doc "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" from HBO. Marina Zenovich's documentary about the scandal that led the legendary director to flee America into exile...

Thurgood.(Theater review)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Booth Theater, 780 seats; $95 top) A Vernon Jordan, Shubert Organization, Bill Rollnick/Nancy Ellison Rollnick, Matt Murphy, Daryl Roth/Debra Black, Roy Furman, Jam Theatricals, Lawrence Horowitz, Eric...

The Caucasian Chalk Circle.(Theater review)
May 1, 2008... (Theaters at 45 Bleecker; 99 seats; $18 top) A Hipgnosis Theater presentation of a play in two acts by Bertolt Brecht. Directed by Margot Newkirk. Costumes, Krista Thomas-Scott; lighting, Robert Nguyen; original music, Demetrios Bonaros;...

'Xanadu' stars ready to roll till January.(LEGIT BITS)(Kerry Butler, Cheyenne Jackson, Tony Roberts, Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... In the face of continuing speculation in the industry about when "Xanadu" may close, the Broadway tuner's producers are touting the fact that all of the show's lead thesps have reupped their contracts through early next year. The five...

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center has announced selections for the 2008 edition of its National Music Theater Conference, a developmental program for new tuners.(LEGIT BITS)(Conference news)
May 1, 2008... The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center has announced selections for the 2008 edition of its National Music Theater Conference, a developmental program for new tuners. The shows will include the following: * "Myth," a musical version of...

Off Broadway's Atlantic Theater Company has joined the list of legit orgs presenting developing shows at the Perry-Mansfield New Works Fest in Steamboat Springs, Colo., this summer.(LEGIT BITS)
May 1, 2008... Off Broadway's Atlantic Theater Company has joined the list of legit orgs presenting developing shows at the Perry-Mansfield New Works Fest in Steamboat Springs, Colo., this summer. Atlantic joins Actors Theater of Louisville, Denver Center...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
May 1, 2008... The title for the HBO-backed version of "Little Britain" will be "Little Britain USA." Information was incorrect in Wednesday's paper. Jeremy Sams will direct "13" at Goodspeed Musicals in the spring. Information was incorrect in...

Cutting the cable: Time Warner formalizes its spinoff plan.
May 1, 2008... Time Warner reported solid earnings Wednesday in a first quarter tarnished by softness at AOL, but chief exec Jeffrey Bewkes scored some points by affirming full-year guidance and formalizing plans to spin off Time Warner Cable. Time...

Pair opting for 'Elegy'.(Samuel Goldwyn Films, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Samuel Goldwyn Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group teamed to nab domestic rights to Lakeshore Entertainment's drama "Elegy," starring Penelope Cruz and Ben Kingsley. Netflix division Red Envelope...

CBS leads Emmy field.
May 1, 2008... CBS led the field in nominations for the 35th annual daytime Emmy Awards, announced Wednesday ayem on ABC's "The View." CBS raked in the most noms with 56, ahead of PBS (44), ABC (39) and syndicated shows (28). NBC and Disney Channel were...

Carey disc carries on in the No. 1 slot.(Mariah Carey's E=MC2, Billboard 200)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Mariah Carey's "E=[MC.sup.2]" held onto the No. 1 slot on the nation's album sales chart for a second week, selling 182,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan. The tally was nearly double that of the second-place finisher, Leona Lewis'...

Tribeca pic gets pickup.
May 1, 2008... Magnolia Pictures picked up North American fights to writer-director Peter Tolan's "Finding Amanda," which had its world preem in the Tribeca Film Festival. Semiautobiographical dark comedy from Emmy winner Tolan ("Rescue Me") stars...

Sezmi touts all-in-one box.
May 1, 2008... Seeking to capitalize on the era of flux and consumer dissatisfaction with TV and homevid offerings, a new company launching Thursday believes it has the next-gen solution. Sezmi is backed by a consortium of venture capital funds and...

Daily Variety editor-in-chief Peter Bart, received the RAAM Intl. Award on Tuesday from RAAM Management's Rob Arthur, and Tony Meehan.
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Daily Variety editor-in-chief Peter Bart, center, received the RAAM Intl. Award on Tuesday from RAAM Management's Rob Arthur, left, and Tony Meehan. Kudo was presented in London at the opening of the RAAM...

TV production chart.
May 1, 2008... 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, April 30, 2008.
May 1, 2008... Showbiz Stocks Wednesday, April 30, 2008 YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg %Chg AccessIT AIXD ... 2.95 +.40...

Bart Got a Room.(Movie review)
May 1, 2008... A Plum Pictures production, in association with Shrink Media, Basra Entertainment, Hart-Lunsford Pictures, Benedek Films. (International sales: Cinetic Media, New York.) Produced by Gait Niederhoffer, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Celine Rattray,...

Marilyn Crispell.
May 1, 2008... (Birdland; 220 capacity; $20) Presented inhouse. Reviewed April 29, 2008. As one of the more iconoclastic pianists of her generation, Marilyn Crispell can sometimes find it difficult to hit upon a sympathetic setting for her elegiac,...

Master P and his son Lil' Romeo will star in slasher pic "The Pig People," helmed by David Gueringer.(Players)
May 1, 2008... Master P and his son Lil' Romeo will star in slasher pic "The Pig People," helmed by David Gueringer. Story follows five college students who are terrorized in a haunted forest by half-swine, half-human creatures. Master P's upcoming credits...

Jessica Stroup.(Players)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jessica Stroup ("Prom Night") has snagged a role in CW's untitled "Beverly Hills, 90210" up-late from CBS Paramount Network TV Stroup rill next be seen in "Homecoming."

James Kyson Lee.(Players)
May 1, 2008... James Kyson Lee ("Heroes") is lensing in Bulgaria on Sci Fi Channel's "Termination Shock." Lee was recently onscreen in Masayuki Ochiai's "Shutter," and his credits include "Beef Palace" and "Moola." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Josh Feinman.(Players)
May 1, 2008... Josh Feinman has been cast in a lead guest role in CBS skein "Without a Trace." Feinman recently wrapped on indie "Dead Air" directed by Corbin Bernsen, and his credits include "Transformers" and "Mr. Woodcock."

Cranford.(Television program review)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Miniseries; PBS, Sun. May. 4-18, 9 p.m.) Filmed in the U.K. by BBC and WGBH Boston in association with Chestermead. Executive producers, Rebecca Eaton, Kate Hatwood; producers, Sue Birtwistle, Susie Conklin;...

Classic Stage Company will open its 2008-09 season with Mandy Patinkin toplining Shakespeare's "The Tempest.".(LEGIT BITS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Classic Stage Company will open its 2008-09 season with Mandy Patinkin toplining Shakespeare's "The Tempest." CSC artistic director Brian Kulick will direct the production, which plays a limited engagement Sep. 18-Oct. 12. For CSC's 40th...

Epic Theater Ensemble has announced casting for its upcoming production of "Palace of the End," the 2008 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winning monologue-play about the Iraq war.(LEGIT BITS)
May 1, 2008... Epic Theater Ensemble has announced casting for its upcoming production of "Palace of the End," the 2008 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winning monologue-play about the Iraq war. The three-hander will star Teri Lamm as convicted torturer Lynndie...

'Iron Man' shows mettle.(V)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... If I don't hear some shouting, I will go nuts," Robert Downey Jr. joked prior to the screening of "Iron Man" on Monday. The aud happily obliged and cheered its way through the film as if in a Times Square multiplex instead of the intimate...

Tribeca Film Festival.(V)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz, Adam Yauch and Mike D at Thursday's screening of "Gunnin' for That #1 Spot," which Yauch directed [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Lake City" stars Sissy Spacek and Troy Garity with...

Vows at 'Honor' bow.(V)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sony did its best to make sure Monday's "Made of Honor" premiere stood out from the rest of the Tribeca Film Fest red carpets by holding a real wedding ceremony outside the Ziegfeld Theater. The nuptials were...

Moving tribute.(VARIETY.COM)
May 2, 2008... Ang Lee was among the guests as the Museum of the Moving Image honored James Schamus and Matt Blank at its annual benefit gala Wednesday at the St. Regis. Visit the photo gallery online. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

B.O.'s heavy metal: 'Iron Man' ready to mine weekend gold.
May 2, 2008... Paramount and Marvel Studios' "Iron Man" is looking like an ironclad winner as summer gets under way at the worldwide box office. The tentpole, toplining Robert Downey Jr. as Marvel comicbook superhero Tony Stark, got an early start on the...

Buoyant B'way fills Gotham coffers.
May 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 2006-07 Broadway season contributed $5. l billion to the Gotham economy, according to the Broadway League's biennial report on the Rialto's overall economic impact. Figure is up slightly from the org's 2006...

'Liaisons' is a stylish affair.(Les Liaisons Dangerenses)(Theater review)
May 2, 2008... It's a testament to the wit, ingenuity and economy of Christopher Hampton's distillation of Choderlos de Laclos' epistolary 1782 novel "Les Liaisons Dangerenses" that this delicious tournament of sex and power never gets old--regardless of the...

'Right' has bite.(TRIBECA FILM)(Let the Right One In)
May 2, 2008... Tomas Alfredson's "Lat den ratte komma in" (Let the Right One In), about first love between a young boy and the vampire next door, won the feature prize as the Tribeca Film Festival named the winners of the seventh annual competish. The...

Case now in jury's hands.(illegal wiretapping and racketeering case)
May 2, 2008... It's now up to the jury. The final two defense attorneys gave their closing arguments Thursday on behalf of their clients Rayford Earl Turner and Abner Nicherie, two of the four co-defendants charged with illegal wiretapping and...

Speed Racer.(Movie review)
May 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Warner Bros. release presented in association with Village Roadshow Pictures of a Silver Pictures production in association with Anarchos Prods., a co-production between Velocity Prods. and Sechste Babelsberg Film....

Made of Honor.(Movie review)
May 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a Columbia Pictures presentation in association with Relativity Media of an Original Film production. Produced by Neal H. Moritz. Executive producers, Callum Greene, Tania...

'Idol' slips in sweep: numbers down for Fox's golden goose.
May 2, 2008... While "American Idol" once again ruled the Wednesday night airwaves, the Fox behemoth continues to show considerable slippage. Compared with a year ago, "Idol" dropped 24% in adults 1849, according to Nielsen. On a night in which highly...

Fox, TV fest set scribe competish.(Fox Entertainment, New York Television Festival, Fox-New York Television Festival Comedy Script Contest)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Fox and the New York Television Festival have partnered for the Fox-New York Television Festival Comedy Script Contest. The best half-hour pilot script will earn its writer $25,000 and a development deal with Fox. Submissions are open as...

'Sopranos' pals gang up.(Michael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa, Sharon Angela, Nick Sandow, Aunjanue Ellis to film The Hungry Ghosts)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... "The Sopranos" thesp Michael Imperioli makes his feature helming debut with his script "The Hungry Ghosts." Ensemble drama begins lensing May 19 in Gotham with a projected budget under $1 million for the 24-day shoot. [ILLUSTRATION...

Jamie Kennedy.(Tenpercenteries)
May 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Multihyphenate Jamie Kennedy has signed with Paradigm. He recently starred in upcoming features "Spring Break '83" and "Finding Bliss." "Heckler," a docu Kennedy produced, is due to bow in September, and he's...

Stephen A. Smith.(Tenpercenteries)
May 2, 2008... WMA has inked ESPN basketball analyst Stephen A. Smith. Smith is a panelist on ESPN's "NBA Shootaround" and previously hosted talkshow "Quite Frankly With Stephen A: Smith" on the net. He also regularly appears on "SportsCenter." ...

ICM.(Tenpercenteries)
May 2, 2008... Dana-Lee Schuman has joined ICM as an agent in the international TV and media division. She joins ICM from Rebel Entertainment Partners, where she worked with alternative television talent.

Robinne Lee.(Tenpercenteries)
May 2, 2008... Robinne Lee ("Hitch") has signed with Framework Entertainment for management. She's currently lensing "Seven Pounds" and recently wrapped "Hotel for Dogs"' Lee is repped by Abrams Artists.

Lilly Kilvert.(Tenpercenteries)
May 2, 2008... Endeavor now represents production designer Lilly Kilvert. Her work will next be seen in "Valkyrie." Notable credits in her 25 years as a production designer include "The Last Samurai" and "Legends of the Fall."

Endgame.(Theater review)
May 2, 2008... (BAM Harvey Theater; 874 seats; $75 top) A Brooklyn Academy of Music presentation of a play in one act by Samuel Beckett. Directed by Andrei Belgrader. Set, Anita Stewart; costumes, Candice Donnelly; lighting, Michael Chybowski; production...

Russian on the Side.(Theater review)
May 2, 2008... (Royal George Theater, Chicago; 434 seats; $55 top) A Michael Alden, Karen Lotman presentation of a solo show in one act written and performed by Mark Nadler. Directed by Mark Waldrop. Set, David Korins; lighting, Keith Parham; sound, Tom...

MCC tuner has Merritt.(MCC Theater, The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... A new musical from the Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt, based on a book by Nell Gaiman, is on the bill for the 2008-09 season at Off Broadway's MCC Theater. Also on the company's upcoming slate are world preems of plays by Nell LaBute and...

Kleban kudos doled out.(LEGIT BITS)(David Lindsay-Abaire, Laura Harrington, Bill Solly and Donald Ward)
May 2, 2008... David Lindsay-Abaire has snagged the 2008 Kleban Award for most promising musical theater lyricist, while Laura Harrington and the songwriting team of Bill Solly and Donald Ward will share the librettist kudos. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Filming in the future.(Film Production Chart)
May 2, 2008... ALPHONSO BOW Jeffrey Pierce, Michael Dempsey, Kate Rodger, Kasey Buckley EXP, Carmen Alterman; PROD, Lije Sarki, Scott Mellnii; DIR, Sarki; AD, Mellini; SCR, M Sarki; DP, Dan Coplan; PD, Gabriel Wilson; CAST, Chad Ritterbach, Betsy...

Filming in the U.S.(Film Production Chart)
May 2, 2008... THE BLEEDING Vinnie Jones, Michael Matthias, Michael Madsen, Armand Assante, DMX, William McNamara, Rachelie Leah, Kat Von D., Pittsburgh Slim EXP, Frank Capra Ill; PROD, Mike Tadross Jr.; COP, Charbel Youssef; DIR, Charles Picerni;...

From the Army Archerd archive.
May 2, 2008... July 10, 1958 GOOD MORNING: The No. l item in story confabs at 20th-Fox is finding a good yarn for Marilyn Monroe. She owes her alma mater three more pix in as many years... She's returned after a two-year absence from Hollywood during...

Filming in Gotham.(Film Production Chart)
May 2, 2008... ** THE ARRANGEMENT EXP Jon Overend: DIR, Ari Taub; SCR, Chuck McMahon, Mario Radosta, John Ramaine: DP, Caio Ribiero, Ian Dudley; CAST, Donna McKeana. The Arrangement (65 Roebling St., Brooklyn, NY 11211, 718-782-8381, Fax: 718 782-8388)...

Filming outside the U.S.(Film Production Chart)
May 2, 2008... * BECOMING BERT STERN Bert Stern, George Wein, Allegra Kent, Anne Thompson, Michael Musto, Jody Quon, Carol Halebian, Zach Barnett, Twiggy Lawson, Clive Kennedy, Judith Crist, George Avakian, Estelle Leeds, David Fahey, Olivier Lorquin ...

Showbiz stocks: Thursday, May 1, 2008.
May 2, 2008... Showbiz stocks Thursday, May 1, 2008 YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg %Chg AccessIT AIXD ... 2.81 -.14 -37.1 AcmeCm ACME ...

The leader of the brand: building broad empire on image, taste and savvy.(DIDDY BUSINESS: BEYOND THE MUSIC)(Sean Combs)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As a 12-year-old growing up in Mount Vernon, N.Y., Sean Combs managed to finagle his way into a $600-a-week paper route even though he was a year too young to get the job. It was then, the hip-hop mogul once said, he...

Combs eyes thesp gigs beyond B'way debut.(V PLUS EXCLUSIVE)(Sean "Diddy" Combs, A Raisin in the Sun)
May 2, 2008... When acting coach-producer Susan Batson first heard that hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was interested in her services, which have been bestowed on stars such as Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, her reaction was absolute. "Of course I'm not...

Rolling the merchandise: mogul shifts his gear beyond urban and into the mainstream 'aspirational' market.(PRODUCT LION: LIFESTYLE EMPIRE)
May 2, 2008... For Sean Combs, making money transcended the music biz a long time ago. The mogul has spent the past decade turning his name into a successful brand for clothing, fragrances and, more recently, vodka. He launched the Sean John clothing...

Diageo/Diddy deal for Ciroc makes nice biz chaser.(LUSH LIFE)
May 2, 2008... Sean Combs sees himself as a luxury brand builder. But after launching successful clothing and fragrance lines, the one thing missing from his portfolio was premium liquor. To fix that, Combs inked a deal late last year with Diageo to...

Sean John clothing.(PUFF 'N' STUFF: new vodka line lets buyers toast their good fashion taste)
May 2, 2008... Sean John's critically acclaimed clothing line has transitioned over the years from its baggy, urban-centric roots. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Bad Boy artist Cassie is a major component of the women's line and is the "ambassador" of the...

Unforgivable fragrance.(PUFF 'N' STUFF: New vodka line lets buyers toast their good fashion taste)
May 2, 2008... Celeb fragrances are de rigueur, but Combs' Unforgivable line has been a huge seller. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Ciroc vodka.(PUFF 'N' STUFF: New vodka line lets buyers toast their good fashion taste)
May 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Developed with Diageo, Ciroc is one of the company's super-premium brands, a strategy that fits the Combs empire mold.

Builder of a nation: as image-savvy as it was controversial, Combs' label made music history.(HIP-HOP HISTORY: THE RISE OF BAD BOY)
May 2, 2008... Back in 1994, upstart hip-hop imprint Bad Boy Entertainment scored an early hit with rapper Craig Mack's single "Flava in Ya Ear," but it was the subsequent remix that truly turned heads. Featuring flavor of the moment Mack, Hip-Hop Nation...

Kane proves able as 'Band' mates hit top of the charts.(TELEVISION)
May 2, 2008... Mix the hitmaking taste of a successful music producer with a slew of youthful, aspiring performers. Stew the latter in cross-continental competition and melodrama. Skim album and concert revenue off the top of successful reality TV ratings....

Full metal journey: as a performer and producer, Combs has paved a road filled with platinum and gold.(Sean Combs)(Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Craig Mack)
May 2, 2008... JODECI Having signed with New York's Uptown Records, the erstwhile "Bad Boys of R&B" were assigned to a young go-getter who got all of the label's hard-to-handle acts. Attitude proved no problem for rising A&R exec Sean Combs, however. In...

Couldn't stop wouldn't stop: from New York to L.A. to Las Vegas, Combs has kept his social calendar almost as full as his business itinerary.(Photograph)
May 2, 2008... DIDDYLAND ADVENTURES [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Sean Combs gets behind the microphone at Las Vegas nightclub Pure in 2007. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2. Combs gets chummy with Italian designer Roberto Cavalli at the Sean John fall...

Madonna.
May 2, 2008... (Roseland Ballroom; 3.300 capacity; free) Presented by Verizon. Band: Monte Pitman, Rick Key Pageot and Brian Frasier Moore. Reviewed April 30, 2008. Madonna may have had ups and downs in terms of popularity and creative impetus, but...

These Shining Lives.(Theater review)
May 2, 2008... (Center Stage, Baltimore; 300 seats; $60 top) A Center Stage presentation of a play in one act by Melanie Marnich. Directed by David Schweizer. Set, Alexander Dodge; costumes, Anita Yavich; lighting, Justin Townsend; original music and...

Paris by Night.(Theater review)
May 2, 2008... (Dowling Theater, Providence, R.I.; 254 seats; $60 top) A Trinity Repertory Theater presentation of a musical in two acts with book and lyrics by Curt Columbus, music by Andre Pluess and Amy Warren. Directed and choreographed by Birgitta...

'Iron' a real scorcher: $201 mil global grab ...(Iron Man)
May 5, 2008... "Iron Man" forged B.O. gold in its overseas debut, ruling foreign multiplexes with a $96.8 million take from 7,500 playdates in 57 international markets. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Marvel's tentpole, handled by Paramount in most...

Yahoo deal's off the table.
May 5, 2008... The tech nuptials of the year are off--and now each side has to find a way to bolster its online ad businesses without each other. Microsoft abandoned its three-month courtship of Yahoo on Saturday afternoon over that old relationship...

'Iron' a real scorcher: ...gets summer going.
May 5, 2008... Paramount and Marvel Studios' summer tentpole "Iron Man" has joined the pantheon of all-time highest openers, grossing an estimated $104.2 million domestically and $96.8 million internationally for a worldwide cume of $201 million in its first...

SAG, studios still talking.(Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)
May 5, 2008... Amid confusing signals to a worried town, the Screen Actors Guild and the majors launch their fourth week of feature-primetime talks today. The session--the 17th since negotiations began April 15--comes in the wake of SAG's first...

Fox adopts 'Family' Guy.
May 5, 2008... Two and a half years after they entered the negotiating room. "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane has sealed an overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV. keeping him in business with the studio through 2012. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Terms...

Hollywood losing its global grip.
May 5, 2008... WITH HOLLYWOOD GEARING up its annual arsenal of action pictures, distributors in Europe are marveling over the mythic success of perhaps history's gentlest blockbuster. The hit status of the French film "Welcome to the Sticks" (loose...

Viacom finds a hot groove.
May 5, 2008... Viacom profits zoomed higher last quarter on rollicking sales of music vidgame "Rock Band," strong cable nets and slimmer losses at Paramount. CEO Philippe Dauman expects studio results to fire up as the year progresses and said all pics...

MTV raising 'Elle' in June.(LEGIT BITS)
May 5, 2008... Rialto reality show" 'Legally Blonde the Musical': The Search for Elle Woods" has set its preem date, bowing June 2 on MTV. Eight-episode, pre-taped series will follow 10 actresses vying to replace Laura Bell Bundy as the star of "Legally...

Cheyenne Jackson, Ana Gasteyer and Randy Graft have joined the cast of "Damn Yankees," this year's Encores! Summer Stars production.(LEGIT BITS)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Cheyenne Jackson, Ana Gasteyer and Randy Graft have joined the cast of "Damn Yankees," this year's Encores! Summer Stars production. Jackson, taking time off from "Xanadu" to appear in "Yankees," will play a baseball fan who sells his soul...

Pols push to roll up Rome's red carpet.(Rome Film Festival, Pasquale Squitieri)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Italian director Pasquale Squitieri, who looks set to become the next director of the Rome Film Festival, has suggested that the event is a waste of money and that coin should instead go to the Venice Film Festival. "In Italy we have more...

'Terminator' targets wider aud with PG-13.
May 5, 2008... The "Terminator" will indeed be back but this time with a more kid-friendly rating. As production starts today on "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins," the next installment in the action franchise, producers at the Halcyon Co. say...