Daily Variety articles from November 2011

Daily Variety archives from November 2011

Funders in a funk over Par investment: backers of Melrose 2 claim in lawsuit that they've seen no return on the $375 million ponied up for a slate of studio pics dating back to 2006.
November 30, 2011... Investors in Melrose 2, a fund which co-financed Paramount pies including the "Transformers" franchise, have sued the studio over profits to several films. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior court, the suit seeks...

B.O. blessing for 'Mormon'.
November 30, 2011... Hallelujah--Broadway tuner "The Book of Mormon" has recouped its $11.4 million capitalization costs. Show's swift journey into the black isn't much of a surprise given the stellar grosses the musical has consistently logged since it opened in...

And they're off: 'Artist' sets early pace in kudos race.(analysis)(84th Academy Awards)
November 30, 2011... With 88 days to go before the 84th Academy Awards, the kudos season's first responders unleashed a flurry of tiny insights Tuesday morning--but no major surprises or clarity in a race with no apparent front runner and an enigmatic new Oscar...

It's black & white for New York crix.(New York Film Critics Circle awards winner 'The Artist')(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The Artist" got an early award-season boost from the New York Film Critics Circle, which tapped the Weinstein Co.'s silent, black-and-white homage to cinema history for its top feature kudo and Michel Hazanavicius for...

Indies hit radar thanks to Spirits.(Spirit Award nomination for independent movies)
November 30, 2011... Weighing in on the kudos race with the Spirit Award nominations, the indie sector added to the momentum of Michel Hazanavicius' "The Artist" and put the spotlight on Jeff Nichols' doomsday tale "Take Shelter." The disparate dramas led the...

TV movies blowing their comeback bid.(TUNING IN)
November 30, 2011... The preview screener for "Downton Abbey is due shortly, and from a critical perspective, the follow-up to PBS' Emmy-winning miniseries can't arrive a moment too soon. Because despite a recent mini-resurgence in longform projects--on an...

Scandal still hurts Murdoch.
November 30, 2011... James Murdoch survived an attempt to oust him as chairman of U.K. paybox BSkyB on Tuesday, but the phone-hacking scandal at a News Corp. tabloid continues to bite. At a highly charged BSkyB annual meeting held in Central London, Murdoch was...

Pols intro spectrum bills.(law on the spectrum space for mobile and wireless devices)(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... A proposal to reshuffle the broadcast airwaves to free up more spectrum space for wireless and mobile devices could move forward in Congress this week. House lawmakers unveiled two dueling bills that would allow the government to hold...

Netflix stock dips on downgrade.(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... Netflix stock stumbled Tuesday after a downgrade by S&P, while the company's chief financial officer David Wells defended its strategy on all fronts foreign expansion, a host of nonexclusive content deals and last week's move to raise $400...

Sony ups publicity maven.(Angela Galgani's promotion to Sony Pictures' senior vice president of publicity)(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... Angela Galgani has been upped to senior VP of publicity for Sony Pictures worldwide marketing and distribution. Galgani assumes the day-to-day duties running the Gotham publicity office, previously the responsibility of Gigi Semone, who left...

Snapper shields gets 'Girl'.('Final Girl' director Tyler Shields)(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... Celebrity photographer Tyler Shields will make his feature directorial debut with the thriller "Final Girl," which Prospect Park is producing. Jack Nasser, chief exec of NGN Releasing and Studio City Pictures, will finance the pic, which...

Broadway bunny hop: TV's Parsons materializes for 'Harvey'.(LEGIT)
November 30, 2011... Jim Parsons has nailed down his next legit gig, toplining an upcoming Broadway revival of "Harvey." The "Big Bang Theory" star, who made his Main Stem bow last season in the revival of "The Normal Heart," will appear in a Roundabout Theater...

Duo spirited to Main Stem.(LEGIT)('Ghost' lead actors Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy)(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy, the two leads of the West End tuner incarnation of "Ghost," will reprise their roles in the Broadway version of the show this spring. Fleeshman and Levy will play the murdered Sam...

Waters to lead ATL.(LEGIT)(Actors Theater of Louisville annual Humana Festival of New American Plays artistic director Les Waters)(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... Actors Theater of Louisville, the Kentucky legit org that produces the annual Humana Festival of New American Plays, has tapped Les Waters as its new artistic director. Waters, the associate a.d. at Berkeley Repertory Theater, replaces Marc...

Gridiron's net gain: football rules holiday as series slump.
November 30, 2011... In a Thanksgiving frame that saw preemptions or lower-than-usual ratings for some of primetime's biggest hits due to lower television usage, football ruled supreme. Pigskin prevailed in key demos on four nights last week (Monday, Thursday,...

New skeins, six renewals in Travel plans.
November 30, 2011... Travel Channel has picked up eight new unscripted series for 2012 and renewed six, including "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations," which will return for its eighth season, and "Ghost Adventures" (its sixth). Net is also developing two new skeins....

The fixer is in for Showtime's 'Ray'.(television drama 'Ray Donovan')(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... Liev Schreiber has been cast as the lead in Showtime's drama pilot "Ray Donovan." Show from "Southland" creator Ann Biderman, centers on a professional ' fixer for the rich and famous in contemporary Los Angeles. As the go-to guy in...

EOne reels in drama.(Entertainment One drama series called 'The Reel')(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... Entertainment One has pacted with writer-helmer Paul W.S. Anderson to develop a supernatural drama series dubbed "The Reel." Project was brought to the Canuck production-distribution outfit by tyro scribe Adam D'Alba, who created the concept...

Oxygen greenlights trio.(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... Oxygen is adding more series to its development slate, giving the greenlight to three new docu-series. Among the new batch is "Taking NY," from Discovery Studios' Daniel Soiseth. Show follows three fashionable Gotham gals trying to navigate...

WB's princely pact: ITV sets output deal with studio.(World News)
November 30, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Warner Bros. has inked a multi-year output deal with Brit commercial web ITV, giving the channel free-to-air broadcast fights for a slew of titles including the broadcast preem of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood...

Turin lab taps 5 projects.(World News)(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TorinoFilmLab, the Italo coproduction mart partly modeled after the Sundance Institute, announced the winners of its fourth edition Tuesday, awarding a total $691,000 in production coin to five projects. They are: *...

BFI adds coin to P&A fund.(British Film Institute)(World News)(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... The British Film Institute, which distributes lottery money to productions in the U.K., is injecting an extra 1 million [pounds sterling] ($1.6 million) into its P&A Fund, raising the pot to $6.2 million. The fund, which helps independent...

'Forces' makes U.S. landing via e0ne.(World News)(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... EOne has acquired U.S. distribution fights to Diane Kruger starrer "Special Forces" from French major Studiocanal for release in spring. It's Entertainment One's first U.S. theatrical pickup since launching its distribution branch in the...

Sales torrent for films.(World News)(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Italian distrib One Movie has secured fights to Spanish comedy franchise "Torrente." One Movie plans a 100-print release for the four pies in association with Massimo Ferrero Cinemas, after the latest part of the...

The Take.
November 30, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Take (Miniseries; Encore, Fri. Dec. 2, 9p.m.) Filmed in Ireland by Company Pictures & Warner Sisters for Sky1 and Sky1 HD, and distributed by ITV Studios Global Entertainment. Executive producers, Lavinia...

Weed Wars.(Television program review)
November 30, 2011... Weed Wars (Series; Discovery Channel, Thurs. Dec. 1, 10 p.m.) Produced by Braverman Prods. Executive producer, Chuck Braverman; co-executive producer/director, Alex Braverman; series producer, Josh Cole; supervising producer, Mathilde...

The Dream of Lu/El sueno de Lu.(Movie review)
November 30, 2011... The Dream of Lu (El sueno de Lu) (Mexico) A Catatonia Cine presentation in co-production with Te Films/Al Fondo de Callejon. (International sales: Catatonia Cine, Mexico City.) Produced by Sachiko Uzeta, Hari Sama. Directed, written...

Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie.(Movie review)
November 30, 2011... Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie (Docu Canada) Directed, written by Sturla Gunnarsson. Lecture written by David Suzuki. Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival (Special Presentations), Sept. 10, 2010. With: David Suzuki. ...

Khodorkovsky.(Movie review)
November 30, 2011... Khodorkovsky (Docu-Germany-France) Directed, written by Cyril Tuschi. Reviewed at Berlin Film Festival (Panorama Dokumente), Feb. 14, 2011. With: Cyril Tuschi, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Jean-Marc Barr, Harvey Friedman, Marina...

Outrage.(Movie review)
November 30, 2011... Outrage (Autoreiji) (Japan) Directed, written by Takeshi Kitano. Reviewed at Cannes Film Festival (competing), May 16, 2010. With: Beat Takeshi, Kippei Shiina, Ryo Kase, Tomokazu Miura, Jun Kunimura, Tetta Sugimoto, Takashi...

Shame.(Movie review)
November 30, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Shame (U.K.) Directed by Steve McQueen. Screenplay, McQueen, Abi Morgan. Reviewed at Venice Film Festival (competing), Sept. 4, 2011. With: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Nicole Beharie....

Sleeping Beauty.(Movie review)
November 30, 2011... Sleeping Beauty (Australia) Directed, written by Julia Leigh. Reviewed at Cannes Film Festival (competing), May 11, 2011. With: Emily Browning, Rachael Blake, Ewen Leslie, Peter Carroll, Chris Haywood, Hugh Keays-Byrne. More tiresome...

Bard barbs inspire teens: prep students drawn to BAFTA/LA drama program.(V PLUS: BRITANNIA AWARDS)
November 30, 2011... Normally, a bunch of high school students standing across one another hurling insults back and forth wouldn't inspire a teacher's wanton praise. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] But for producer Paul Heller ("David and Lisa," "My Left Foot") the...

David Yates: John Schlesinger Award for excellence in directing.(V PLUS: BRITANNIA AWARDS)
November 30, 2011... As far as feature films went, David Yates had made just one, a virtually unseen low-budget pic, when David Heyman asked him to direct "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." Four films and $4.2 billion box office later, Yates is now the...

Helena Bonham Carter: British Artist of the Year.(2011 Britannia honorees)
November 30, 2011... From the deranged malice of Bellatrix Lestrange to the demure yet steely sweetness of Queen Elizabeth, Helena Bonham Carter has once again displayed her impressive range in the past year. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] She's come a long way since...

Warren Beatty: Stanley Kubrick Award for Excellence in Film.(2011 Britannia honorees)
November 30, 2011... In recent years, Warren Beatty has joined the company of the entertainment select whose august faces are underlit by the glow of commemorative statuettes. The Stanley Kubrick is only the latest award. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] These tributes...

Ben Stiller: Charlie Chaplin Award for excellence in comedy.(2011 Britannia honorees)
November 30, 2011... Ben Stiller's work ethic is contagious. Stiller, whom BAFTA/LA is honoring with the Charlie Chaplin Award for Excellence in Comedy, has the uncanny ability to take on multiple things at once and do them all well. "He runs extremely hot...

John Lasseter: Albert R. Broccoli award for worldwide contribution to filmed entertainment.(2011 Britannia honorees)(Interview)
November 30, 2011... For someone responsible for more than $10 billion in worldwide box office, John Lasseter is quick to deflect the credit. "Often, you see management structures where it looks like the important person is at the top," says Lasseter, chief...

Biopics face bio hazards: new pix work to avoid usual pitfalls of genre.(From the pages of Weekly Variety)
November 30, 2011... The biopic has been a Hollywood staple since the early days of cinema, but this year's crop seems particularly bountiful, spotlighting the struggles of creative artists (Melies, Shakespeare, Marilyn Monroe), political power brokers (J. Edgar...

Ripped from the headlines.(From the pages of of Weekly Variety)(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... A number of this year's biopics focus on high-profile people who were the Newsmakers of their day. Variety and Daily Variety's online Archives offer Multiple examples of their time spent in the public eye: Aug. 7, 1909 [ILLUSTRATION...

'Red Robin' bobs along with thesps.(Judd Hirsch, Ryan O'Nan, C.S. Lee, Jaime Ray Newman, Caroline Lagerfelt and Joseph Lyle Taylor)(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... Producers of "The Red Robin" have tapped Judd Hirsch, Ryan O'Nan, C.S. Lee, Jaime Ray Newman, Caroline Lagerfelt and Joseph Lyle Taylor to star in the psychological thriller. Screenwriter Michael Z. Wechsler will direct and produce. Exec...

Cablers set winter premiere dates.
November 30, 2011... A handful of new and returning series have received 2012 debut dates, including "Life's Too Short" on HBO and "Common Law" on USA Network. "Life's Too Short," which is written, directed, exec produced by and occasionally stars Ricky Gervais...

High and dryer.(Gotham Independent Film Awards winners)(V)(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 2011 Gotham Independent Film Awards had their usual indie vibe, with a Monday night ceremony that started late and included hosts Oliver Platt and Edie Falco threatening to sing, career-tribute award-winner Charlize...

Marty's royal nite.(Martin Scorsese)(V)(Brief article)
November 30, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Martin Scorsese and his pic's Parisian troop stepped out onto London's red carpet Monday for the royal premiere of Paramount's "Hugo." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were...

'Boots' gets a salsa kickoff.(V)
November 30, 2011... Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas showed London their dance moves on Thursday, at the U.K. opening meow of Paramount's "Puss in Boots." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The feline duo prowled the ginger carpet alongside helmer Chris Miller and...

Scott goes deep for dope tale.(Tony Scott)
November 29, 2011... Who said no one in Hollywood was working over Thanksgiving? 20th Century Fox used the holiday weekend to close a preemptive deal for David Guggenheim's action thriller spec "Narco Sub," which Tony Scott is attached to direct and produce...

TV viewers revel in the rich & the dead.
November 29, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sunday night saw AMC's "The Walking Dead" wrap its short fall season with big numbers while viewers continued to cling to the Kardashian clan. Also of note at the end of the long holiday weekend was a sluggish start...

Tribeca fest reels in A.D.
November 29, 2011... The Tribeca Film Festival has tapped Frederic Boyer artistic director. He most recently ran Cannes' Directors' Fortnight. Boyer will report to exec director Nancy Schafer and Geoff Gilmore, chief creative officer of Tribeca Enterprises. ...

Icon-ic shift: U.K. distrib arm folds as Lionsgate eyes assets.
November 29, 2011... After months of speculation, Icon U.K. Group is shuttering its U.K. distribution arm and planning to concentrate on production. Lionsgate U.K. is believed to be in negotiations to buy the library and handle future releases of acquired titles in...

Feds unplug copycats.
November 29, 2011... Seeking to raise awareness of copyright theft on the year's heaviest trafficked shopping day online, federal authorities on Monday announced the seizure of 150 domain names selling counterfeit merchandise, including DVDs, CDs, handbags, shoes...

Gotham awards.
November 29, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The IFP-sponsored kudos, hosted by Oliver Platt and Edie Falco, ramped up awards season with a ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday night. For full coverage and a list of winners, go to Variety.com.

Biz takes tentative steps amid big changes.(REMODELING: Exploring the industry's evolving business models)
November 29, 2011... For showbiz, 2011 has been a year of movement in fits and starts, rather than great leaps forward, as the industry grapples with a fast-changing, increasingly global business landscape. There haven't been any transformative transactions on...

Helmer took creative risks.(KEN RUSSELL: 1927-2011)
November 29, 2011... Ken Russell, the visually baroque helmer of such films as "Tommy," "Altered States," "Women in Love" and "The Devils," died Sunday, his 84th birthday, in the U.K. following a series of strokes, his son Alex Verney-Elliott said Monday. Russell...

Int'l Star kudo for thesp.(Six degrees of VARIETY: OUR EVENTS AND CONNECTIONS)
November 29, 2011... Owen Wilson will receive Variety's International Star of the Year award, acknowledging an actor's contribution to the film industry, at the eighth Dubai Film Festival. Wilson will also hold a Q&A during the fest, which runs Dec. 7-14. His...

Gener8 adds Repola to board.(Art Repola)(Brief article)
November 29, 2011... Former Disney exec Art Repola is joining Vancouver-based 3D production company Gener8 as a member of its advisory board. Repola has worked on 200 films for companies including Amblin Entertainment, Industrial Light & Magic and Disney,...

Hearty B.O. harvest: B'way bountiful in Turkey Day frame.(LEGIT)
November 29, 2011... Last week's Broadway sales demonstrated once more than Thanksgiving is a great time to be on Broadway--at least if you're an established hit that holiday visitors flock to see. In-demand productions can capitalize on the spike in...

Cumming takes on 'Macbeth' solo.(Alan Cumming)(LEGIT)(Brief article)
November 29, 2011... Alan Cumming will star in a one-man "Macbeth" at the Lincoln Center Festival in July. Cumming will play all the roles in Shakespeare's tragedy and reteam with helmer John Tiffany ("Black Watch"), who worked with the thesp on "The Bacchae" in...

The Kitchen Sink.(Theater review)
November 29, 2011... A Bush Theater presentation of a play in two acts by Tom Wells. Directed by Tamara Harvey. Sets and costumes, Ben Stones; lighting, Oliver Fenwick; sound, Matt McKenzie. Opened November 23, 2011; reviewed November 25. Running time: 2 HOURS, 10...

Broadway top 10: Nov. 21-27, 2011.(LEGIT)
November 29, 2011... Broadway Top 10: Nov. 21-27, 2011 Week's gross Show receipts (Theater)(Prod. category) Potential Prev. week's (Seats) gross receipts Gross...

The sound of Naples: Demme sets docu on Italo jazzman.
November 29, 2011... Jonathan Demme will direct a Naples-set music documentary about Enzo Avitabile, a jazz and fusion musician of whom he is a big fan. Avitabile is a sax player and songwriter who, after touring internationally and collaborating with James Brown...

Millennium Films to go on 'Guys Night'.(Brief article)
November 29, 2011... Millennium Films is going on a "Guys Night," acquiring rights to Chris Baldi's comedy spec and targeting a spring production start. Story centers on four guys stuck in dead-end jobs and not-much-better relationships who hear about a mystery...

Chandler takes in 'City'.
November 29, 2011... Kyle Chandler will join Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe in Allen Hughes' political thriller "Broken City." The co-production of New Regency and Emmett/Furla Films will be distributed in the U.S. by 20th Century Fox. Wahlberg stars as a...

Harris logs into 'Lincoln'.(Jared Harris)(Brief article)
November 29, 2011... Steven Spielberg has placed another Brit in a key role on DreamWorks' "Lincoln," as Jared Harris has been cast as Ulysses S. Grant. London-born Daniel Day-Lewis is starring as Lincoln, with Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln. Based on "Team...

Telemundo Media adds exec.
November 29, 2011... NBCUniversal's Spanish-language unit Telemundo Media has tapped former Univision exec Alina Falcon senior exec VP of news and alternative programming. Falcon, who has been in the Hispanic media biz for 28 years, will join the unit in early...

Scott Turow's Innocent.(Television program review)
November 29, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Scott Turow's Innocent (Movie; TNT, Tues. Nov. 29, 9 p.m.) Filmed in British Columbia by Mike Robe Prods. Executive producers, Frank von Zemeck, Mike Robe; producer, Lisa Richardson; co-producer, Laurence...

One Love/Un amor.(Movie review)
November 29, 2011... One Love (Un amor) (Argentina) A Distribution Co. release of an Utopica Cine, Lagarto Cine, Aleph Media, Picnic Producciones, Hibou Producciones, Film Suez, Nunchaku Producciones, Travesia Producciones, Morocha Films, Tarea Fina...

P-047/Tae peang phu deaw.(Movie review)
November 29, 2011... P-047 (Tae peang phu deaw) (Thailand) A Song Sound production with the support of Thailand Ministry of Culture, Red Blue Thailand, 5 Takkab Thailand, Paris Project Paris Cinema Film Festival. (International sales: Song Sound, Bangkok.)...

Blood money flows into Hollywood.(From the pages of Weekly Variety)
November 29, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With a $283 million worldwide opening weekend, "Twilight's" vampires have once again reminded us that there's plenty of life in the undead. Film and TV plans for the coming year indicate there's fresh blood on the...

The Vodka Factory/Vodkafabriken.
November 29, 2011... The Vodka Factory (Vodkafabriken) (Docu-Sweden-Poland-France) A Hysteria Films production in co-production with Arte GEIE, SVT, TVP 1, with the support of the Swedish Film Institute, the Polish Film Institute, in collaboration with YLE....

Wrinkles/Arrugas.(Movie review)
November 29, 2011... Wrinkles (Arrugas) (Animated-Spain) A Perro Verde Films, Elephant in the Black Box, Cromosoma production with the participation of TVG, TVE, RTVV. (International sales: 6 Sales, Madrid.) Produced by Manuel Cristobal, Oriol Ivern....

Jay displays eagle eye for rising talent.(Gina Jay)(V PLUS: SAG AWARDS: THE ENSEMBLE)
November 29, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "There is a palpable emotional power that comes from the collective harmony--and the contrasts--within a good ensemble," says London-based casting director Jina Jay, who has tackled some of 2011's most impressive...

Hunting in pairs: high-profile pix reveal casting director/helmer relationships that run deep.(V PLUS: SAG AWARDS: THE ENSEMBLE)
November 29, 2011... Some of the year's strongest ensembles were assembled by casting directors with long collaborative histories with particular A-list helmers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Laray Mayfield met David Fincher on the very day she arrived in L.A., and...

Expert opinions: some of film and TV's most respected casting pros single out their fave ensemble works of 2011.(V PLUS: SAG AWARDS: THE ENSEMBLE)
November 29, 2011... One could say that casting an ensemble film requires the greatest skill. In my opinion, there is no better example than the casting of 'The Help.' Kerry Bardem and Paul Schnee did an amazing job in finding such vivid and skilled performers, who...

Primetime wholes made up of great parts.(V PLUS: SAG AWARDS: THE ENSEMBLE)
November 29, 2011... It's the measure of a successful party when no matter who slips in and out of the circle, the conversation remains lively and interesting. And that holds true with ensemble series. In the past few years in particular, ensemble TV programs...

Weekend at the B.O.
November 29, 2011... $164.3 million Nov. 25-27, 2011 -9.7% vs. last year -26.2% vs. last weekend Screen scene The weekend's top 10 engagements: Theater, city (circuit) Gross 1 The Muppets ...

Film box office wrap.
November 29, 2011... DAILY VARIETY Film box office wrap for the weekend of Nov. 25-27 Ranking Reported This Last weekend Week Week Title (Distrib/Financier) ...

Murdoch pushback: investors to vote against BSkyB chair.(World News)
November 29, 2011... Opposition is growing to James Murdoch's chairmanship of U.K. paybox BSkyB ahead of the company's annual meeting today. Institutional investor Legal & General, which owns 2.9% of the satcaster, is planning to vote against Murdoch's...

China bans ads during sudsers, dramas.(World News)(Brief article)
November 29, 2011... China will ban commercial breaks in sudsers and dramas next year, a move that could cost broadcasters more than $3 billion a year. No reason was given for the ban, but it comes as part of a broader crackdown on broadcasting in China, the...

Sino compromise over 'War' tickets.(World News)(Brief article)
November 29, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] China's Film Bureau has settled a fracas over an attempt by the country's distribs to hike ticket prices and take a higher share of revenues from Zhang Yimou's Christian Bale starrer "The Flowers of War." While the...

HBO Asia preps local feature.(Brief article)
November 29, 2011... Singapore-based HBO Asia has teamed with Infinite Studios to shoot its first Asian feature, "Dead Mine," an English-language action-horror pic, in Indonesia. Movie will be shot in the island-city of Batam's Infinite Studios and will mix...

Seeing big picture.
November 29, 2011... Imax Corp. has signed its first deal with Cineworld, the U.K.'s leading exhibitor by market share, to install digital Imax screens in three theaters. Imax already has a strong U.K. presence with 12 digital screens in the Odeon chain, plus...

Pathe, Stigma pact.(Brief article)
November 29, 2011... Pathe U.K. has inked a first-look deal with producer Matt Wilkinson's Stigma Films. Stigma's focus will be on "high-concept genre fare" for an international aud. Wilkinson previously worked at Working Title Films, where he was a development...

Lara set for 'Cinco'.
November 29, 2011... Rafa Lara is set to direct "5 de mayo: la batalla," re-creating Mexico's 1862 Battle of Puebla. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Budgeted at $5.5 million, the film uses 5,000 members of Mexico's armed forces and is backed by Mexico's State of...

TV Hall kudos set.( TV Academy's Hall of Fame)(Brief article)
November 29, 2011... Michael Eisner, Sherman Hemsley, lighting designer Bill Klages. Mario "Don Francisco" Kreutzberger and Chuck Lorre are among the 2012 inductees to the TV Academy's Hall of Fame. The TV Acad's Hall will also honor producer Jonathan Murray and...