Daily Variety articles from October 2009, page 8

Daily Variety archives from October 2009

U.K., N.Y. set dates for phantom return.
October 8, 2009... The phantom finally has a date. "Love Never Dies," Andrew Lloyd Webber's long-awaited sequel to his blockbuster tuner "The Phantom of the Opera," will premiere March 9 at London's Adelphi Theater before bowing on Broadway Nov. 11 and in...

Duo draw Abu Dhabi coin.(Producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald )(Brief article)
October 8, 2009... Producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald have made a deal with Imagenation Abu Dhabi that will provide a $10 million revolving financing fund to develop film projects under their Parkes/MacDonald Prods. Banner. The fund will cover...

A full plate for Murphy.
October 8, 2009... "Desperate Housewives" alum Kevin Murphy has put together an eclectic slate ranging from a CW drama on which he's working with "Smallville's" Tom Welling to a stage adaptation of "Heathers." Murphy has also joined the staff of Syfy's...

Babs 'Love' again: Streisand a week of soft bows.(Barbra Streisand's Love Is the Answer)
October 8, 2009... In a week characterized by surprisingly soft numbers on a flood of new releases, Barbra Streisand brushed back challenges by younger thrushes and led eight new albums into the U.S. top 10 with her ninth No. 1 album, "Love Is the Answer." ...

Showtime expands kudo streaming.(Brief article)
October 8, 2009... Following streaming of its programs to members of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for the Emmys, Showtime has made its wares available online to other groups as well. Cabler has set up access codes to stream its programming to the...

BET gets mojo from Mo'Nique.
October 8, 2009... Mo'Nique is riding momentum these days. BET's Monday premiere of "The Mo'Nique Show" drew 1.5 million viewers, making it the top-rated program of the season for the cabler. And prelims for Tuesday showed it pulling in 1.9 million. Airing...

In PETA sidestep, 'Dancing' chimp nixed.(Inside Moves)(Dancing With the Stars)(Television program review)(Brief article)
October 8, 2009... Outsiders might consider Hollywood to be made up of a bunch of apes, but producers of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" showed they could live the sans simian life. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Dancing" displayed a highly evolved touch Tuesday,...

Cavallo grooves to WMG.
October 8, 2009... Warner Music Group has tapped producer Rob Cavallo as chief creative officer. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cavallo, most recently a free agent, began his label career at Warner Bros. Records as an A&R rep in 1987, rising to senior VP of...

Fisher hooks pic pair at U.
October 8, 2009... Universal Pictures has acquired two projects that will be developed as star vehicles for Isla Fisher. Fisher, who last starred in "Confessions of a Shopaholic," is attached to topline and produce "Life Coach," a comedy about a young woman who...

Let Me Down Easy.(Theater review)
October 8, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Second Stage; 296 seats; $70 top) A Second Stage Theater presentation of a solo show in one act written and performed by Anna Deavere Smith. Directed by Leonard Foglia. Set, Ricardo Hernandez; costumes, Anne...

The Power of Yes.(Theater review)
October 8, 2009... (National Theater/Lyttelton, London; 898 seats; 35 [pounds sterling] ($56) top) A National Theater presentation of a play in one act by David Hare. Directed by Angus Jackson. Sets and costumes, Bob Crowley; lighting, Paule Constable; original...

Jane Krakowski has sold out ... tickets available.(Theater review)
October 8, 2009... (Feinstein's at the Regency; 140 capacity; $60, plus $40 minimum) Presented inhouse. Music director, Michael Kosarin. Band: Jay Leonhart, Kevin Kuhn, John Redsecker, Lawrence Feldman. Opened, reviewed Oct. 6, 2009. Runs through Oct. 17. ...

Patinkin off to Yale Rep.(Legit Bits)(Mandy Patinkin )(Brief article)
October 8, 2009... Mandy Patinkin will star in the world premiere of Rinne Groff's "Compulsion" which will bow at Yale Repertory Theater in New Haven in late January, helmed by Public Theater a.d. Oskar Eustis. Patinkin's previous Broadway role was in the 2000...

Couples Retreat.(Movie review)
October 8, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Universal release presented in association with Relativity Media of a Wild West Picture Show/Stuber Pictures production. Produced by Vince Vaughn, Scott Stuber. Executive producers, Victoria Vaughn, Guy Riedel....

Wake Up Sid.(Movie review)
October 8, 2009... (India) A UTV Motion Pictures release of a Dharma Prods. production. Produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Directed by Ayan Mukerji. Screenplay, Mukerji, Niranjan Iyengar. Camera (color), Anil Mehta; editor,...

Believe It or not, I have never seen an episode of "Law and Order"--not a single one.(Christine Lahti)(Brief article)
October 8, 2009... BELIEVE IT or not, I have never seen an episode of "Law and Order"--not a single one. It's difficult to imagine how anyone could miss it, but please read on, say I, the veteran coverer-of-showbiz. This TV show is so ubiquitous and is a true...

Soprano Danielle de Niese knocked them dead Monday night down at Le Poisson Rouge on Bleeker Street in Greenwich Village.
October 8, 2009... SOPRANO Danielle de Niese knocked them dead Monday night down at Le Poisson Rouge on Bleeker Street in Greenwich Village. This performance kicked off the singer's new hotly anticipated Decca recording, "The Mozart Album." She squeezed it in on...

Silvio's shield gone: immunity tossed; Berlusconi faces trials.(World News)(Silvio Berlusconi )
October 8, 2009... Italy's highest court has lifted the immunity shielding Silvio Berlusconi from prosecution in a ruling that will revive two trials in which the prime minister and media mogul is indicted. Trials are centered around his Mediaset TV empire and...

Rome scene goes green.(World News)
October 8, 2009... The Rome Film Festival is going green with an Eye on the World sidebar on climate change that will unspool eco-pics and environmental events, including a conversation/live perf by British singer Jarvis Cocker. Cocker, the former Pulp...

'President' visits Pusan fest.(World News)
October 8, 2009... The Pusan Film Festival rolls out the red carpet today for its opening film, the world premiere of helmer Jang Jin's "Good Morning President." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Celebs expected at the nine-day fest include Tilda Swinton, star of Luca...

Euro film acad honors Huppert.(World News)(Isabelle Huppert)(Brief article)
October 8, 2009... BERLIN--The European Film Academy will honor French actress Isabelle Huppert with its European Achievement in World Cinema tribute at the European Film Awards ceremony on Dec. 12 in Bochum, Germany. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Isabelle Huppert...

TV format sales growing worldwide.(mipcom)(Brief article)
October 8, 2009... The global production volume of traded TV formats has grown dramatically in the past five years, reaching 9.3 billion [euro] ($13.6 billion) between 2006 and 2008, according to a report presented at Mipcom in Cannes. Published by the Format...

First sale for Seinfeld 'Ref'.(World News)
October 8, 2009... As the 25th Mipcom TV market began to wind down after three days of brisk activity, distributors continued to announce deals. Endemol's much-hyped reality comedy hybrid "The Marriage Ref," produced by Jerry Seinfeld, has nabbed its first...

Richard Zimbert.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
October 8, 2009... Veteran film executive Richard "Dick" Zimbert died Oct. 4 in Los Angeles after a long illness. He was 80. He spent nearly 20 years at Paramount Pictures in business affairs, retiring in 1994 as its executive VP and general counsel. Prior...

Alain Bernheim.(Obituaries)(Obituary)
October 8, 2009... Producer and literary agent Alain Bernheim, who famously sued Paramount with Art Buchwald, died of bacterial meningitis Oct. 3 in Paris. He was 86. In 1988, Bernheim and his producing partner, humorist Buchwald, made headlines when they sued...

Douglas Duitsman.(Obituaries)
October 8, 2009... Publicity exec Douglas Duitsman, who served as president of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, died of cancer Sept. 17 in Thousand Oaks, Calif. He was 81. Duitsman was VP of publicity and promotion at Warner Bros. as well as VP of...

Jewell Jordan Mason.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
October 8, 2009... Jewell Jordan Mason, who was Luise Rainer's stunt double in "The Good Earth" and Merle Oberon's for "Wuthering Heights," died Sept. 24 in Camarillo, Calif. She was 92. She started as an extra at MGM at the age of 8 and worked as an extra,...

"Zero Hour" has arrived Off Broadway.(Legit Bits)
October 8, 2009... "Zero Hour" has arrived Off Broadway. Directed by thesp Piper Laurie, Jim Brochu's solo show about actor Zero Mostel will start previews Nov. 14 at the Theater at St. Clement's, with opening night set for Nov. 22. The show played previously...

Duo dig 'Death'.(Wesley Snipes and Abel Ferrara in Game of Death)(Brief article)
October 8, 2009... Wesley Snipes and helmer Abel Ferrara are reuniting on action-thriller "Game of Death." It's their first project together since Ferrara's 1990 cult pic "King of New York." Snipes stars as a politician's bodyguard who must fend off five of...

Johnson's SAG 1st VP.
October 8, 2009... Anne-Marie Johnson lost her bid to be president of the Screen Actors Guild, but she has been re-elected first veepee of the guild by its Hollywood division board of directors. The divisional board elections on Monday night also saw New York...

Syfy's 'Alice' mini sets a date.
October 8, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Syfy has set Dec. 6 as the premiere date for its four-hour miniseries "Alice," based on the classic Lewis Carroll books "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass." Two-parter, which gives the...

U'S office 'Retreat'.(V)(Universal Pictures' Couples Retreat)(Brief article)
October 8, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There's always a touch of awkwardness when a studio has a regime change the day of a premiere ("It becomes both a wake and a cotillion," said one exec), but such was...

Party for the Dane.(V)(Jude Law)(Brief article)
October 8, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jude Law's melancholy Dane keels over and dies around 10 at the Broadhurst, but Law was ready to party by 11 p.m., when he entered the after-party for the Broadway opening of "Hamlet" at the vast Gotham Hall on 36th...

'Citizen' set to raise Cain.(V)(Law Abiding Citizen)(Brief article)
October 8, 2009... Overture was definitely going for the jugular, and all the blood pumping therein, when it preemed "Law Abiding Citizen" Tuesday at the Chinese in Hollywood. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "It's an intelligent thriller with a lead who's a high-tech...

Hosts Andrea Wong and Barbara Walters flank Sherri Shepherd at a soiree Monday celebrating the launch of series "Sherri".(V)
October 8, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Hosts Andrea Wong and Barbara Walters flank Sherri Shepherd at a soiree Monday celebrating the launch of series "Sherri" at N.Y.'s Empire Hotel rooftop.

Starz Media toppers Bill Hamm, Gene George, Bill Myers and a stand-in gladiator are pumped at Monday's Mipcom bash.(V)
October 8, 2009... Caption: Starz Media toppers Bill Hamm, left, Gene George, Bill Myers and a stand-in gladiator are pumped at Monday's Mipcom bash for "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Brand plan: trib's WGN on laff track.(Tribune Co.'s WGN America)
October 7, 2009... Tribune Co. has big plans in store for its sleepy cable superstation WGN America. During the past year, Tribune has quietly been committing significant dollars to off-network acquisitions for the channel, something WGN has rarely done in its...

Brody's ready for action in Predators.(Adrien Brody to star in 'Predator')(Brief article)
October 7, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In a surprise, Adrien Brody has been set by 20th Century Fox to play the heroic mercenary who battles alien hunters in "Predators," the reinvention of the "Predator" franchise that is being creatively spearheaded by...

Tellem's Eye toward future.(Inside Move)
October 7, 2009... Nancy Tellem is thinking about the future, both her own at the Eye and the future of television programming and distribution. Tellem, prexy of CBS Television Studios Entertainment Group, is mulling a shift to a different exec role that would...

Law's chilly, stylish 'Hamlet'.(Theater review)
October 7, 2009... The castle at Elsinore, in director Michael Grandage's stolid "Hamlet" is a towering mausoleum. Designer Christopher Oram has built monolithic marbled walls pierced by lofty windows through which Nell Austin pours shards of dungeon-like light....

Are DVRs, procedurals serial killers?
October 7, 2009... IN CBS' STRONG START this TV season there is a message about the schism between procedural and serialized dramas--and potentially the rift separating broadcasting and cable as the digital video recorder's impact on TV consumption steadily grows....

Thom Yorke.
October 7, 2009... (The Orpheum; 2,190 seats; $47 top) Presented by Bill Silva Presents. Band: Yorke, Flea, Nigel Godrich, Mauro Refosco, Joey Waronker. Opened Oct. 4, 2009; closed and reviewed Oct. 5. Also appearing: Lucky Dragons. About halfway though his...

The Night Watcher.(Theater review)
October 7, 2009... (59E59 Theaters: 199 seats; $60 top) A Primary Stages presentation, by special arrangement with Bruce Ostler, of a play in two acts, written and performed by Charlayne Woodard. Directed by Daniel Sullivan. Set, Charlie Corcoran, Thomas Lynch;...

A Ludicrous Evening With John Cleese--Or How to Finance Your Divorce.
October 7, 2009... (Oslo Concert Hall, Oslo, Norway; 1,616 seats; 900 kroner ($157) top) A Publicom presentation. Opened, reviewed Oct. 2, 2009. Running time: 2 HOURS, 30 MIN. With John Cleese. John Cleese is not shy about his motivation for going out on...

Parade.(Theater review)
October 7, 2009... (Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles; 739 seats; $80 top) A Center Theater Group presentation of the Donmar Warehouse production of a musical in two acts with book by Alfred Uhry, music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, co-conceived by Harold...

Marquee names set for benefit.(Legit Bits)(Atlantic Theater Company's benefit 'The 24 Hour Plays')(Brief article)
October 7, 2009... Playwrights David Mamet and Ethan Coen and thesps Mary Steenbergen, Ted Danson and Jessica Alba are among the lineup for the Atlantic Theater Company's Oct. 19 benefit, "The 24 Hour Plays," a series of short works scripted, rehearsed and...

Broadway productions "Shrek," "Guys and Dolls" and "33 Variations," as well as Off Broadway's "Blasted," lead the field of 60 theater artists nominated for the 2009 Henry Hewes Design Awards.(Legit Bits)
October 7, 2009... Broadway productions "Shrek," "Guys and Dolls" and "33 Variations," as well as Off Broadway's "Blasted," lead the field of 60 theater artists nominated for the 2009 Henry Hewes Design Awards. "Shrek" received five noms, for Tim Harley's sets,...

Composer tunes into 'Informant's' p.o.v.(below the LINE)
October 7, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Steven Soderbergh and producer Greg Jacobs were in pre-production on "Che" in remote parts of Latin America, they drew unexpected inspiration while watching a DVD of Woody Allen's "Bananas." Composer Marvin...

Where no cowboy has gone before.
October 7, 2009... Production designer Scott Chambliss is hard at work on helmer Jon Favreau's "Cowboys and Aliens," even though the film isn't scheduled to start shooting till summer 2010. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "As usual, I'm the first one on," says...

Pigskin packs 'em in: football, Dave drive Monday.
October 7, 2009... A record cable audience of 21.84 million tuned in to ESPN's "Monday Night Football" this week to see Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings defeat his old team, the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, a contrite David Letterman also packed 'em in on...

8 skeins look great in early going.(television ratings)(Statistical data)
October 7, 2009... After two or more airings, a surprisingly high number of new broadcast network shows--eight--are performing well this fall. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While there are no "Desperate Housewives" or "Lost"-like breakouts, the hot rookies are...

PGA kudos for Lynton, Pascal.(Sony Pictures Amy Pascal and Michael Lyntonto be receive award from the Producers Guild of America )(Brief article)
October 7, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Producers Guild of America will honor Sony Pictures execs Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal with the 2010 Milestone Award, considered the guild's highest honor, at the 21st PGA Awards Ceremony....

Thesp takes 'Me' time.(Samuel L. Jackson to star in film adaptation of 'Same Kind of Different as Me')(Brief article)
October 7, 2009... Samuel L: Jackson has signed on to star in "Same Kind of Different as Me," an adaptation of a nonfiction bestseller that has been adapted by screenwriters Roderick and Bruce Taylor ("The Brave One"). Jackson will play Denver Moore, an ex con...

Nielsen primetime ratings report.(Statistical table)
October 7, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TOP SHOWS IN 18-49 1. Sunday Night Football (NBC) 7.4/19 2. Monday Night Football (ESPN) 6.6/17 3. Grey's Anatomy (ABC) 6.1/16 4. House (Fox) 5.8/15 5. The Big Bang...

Primetime scorecard.(Statistical table)(Brief article)
October 7, 2009... PRIMETIME SCORECARD WEEK 2 Viewers A18-49 A25-54 A18-34 abc 9.64(+4%) 2.9/8(+4%) 3.5/9(+6%) 2.3/7(+5%) CBS 11.32(+2%) 2.9/8(-9%) 3.8/10(-7%) 1.8/6(-14%) NBC 7.79...

Pee-wee's playhouse just got bigger.(Legit Bits)
October 7, 2009... Pee-wee's playhouse just got bigger. Due to strong advance demand, the upcoming return of Paul Reubens' "The Pee-wee Herman Show" has moved venues, switching to Club Nokia @ LA Live for a four-week run, Jan. 12-Feb. 7. [ILLUSTRATION...

Euros set 'Borgias' rival.(Canal Plus and EOS' 'The Burgias')(Brief article)
October 7, 2009... Let the bloodletting begin. Canal Plus and German production company EOS have greenlit production of 12-hour mini "The Burgias," exec produced by Chris Albrecht and Anne Thomopoulos. Project, penned by Tom Fontana, will be a co-production...

RZA's 'Due' for comedy.(Robert Fitzgerald Diggs joins cast of "Due Date")(Brief article)
October 7, 2009... Warner Bros. has set RZA to star alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis in "Due Date," the Todd Phillips-directed comedy. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RZA joins a cast that also includes Michelle Monaghan and Jamie Foxx in the story...

'Seinfeld' gang spurs 'Curb'.(ratings of "Curb Your Enthusiasm")(Brief article)
October 7, 2009... The return of the "Seinfeld" gang was good news for HBO, as Sunday's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" drew 1.6 million viewers, the most for any episode of the show in five years. Add in the 10 p.m. encore, and the total rises to 2.6 million who were...

CanWest buys some time.(CanWest Global Communications Corp.)(Brief article)
October 7, 2009... Canada's largest media company, CanWest Global Communications, is filing for court-sanctioned bankruptcy protection, the latest step in its long-running efforts to restructure its crippling debt, which ran as high as $3.6 billion earlier this...

Two swaps at the top: U gets back to basics with new bosses.(Universal Studios Inc. taps Adam Fogelson and Donna Langley)
October 6, 2009... After watching a succession of films stumble at the box office this year, Universal Pictures chief Ron Meyer was under pressure to pick a new team to decide which movies the studio makes. In tapping Adam Fogelson as chairman and Donna Langley...

Duo land key jobs amid tough times.
October 6, 2009... These are not exactly dream jobs. Adam Fogelson and Donna Langley are taking over a studio whose film slate has been battered at the box office and whose corporate parents appear headed for divorce. Their efforts to energize the film...

Rock makes a 'Friend'.(Chris Rock to star in 'Will You Be My Black Friend?')(Brief article)
October 6, 2009... Lionsgate has partnered with Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films to acquire rights to the November 2008 GQ magazine article "Will You Be My Black Friend?" The article, a humorous account by senior correspondent Devin Friedman about his clumsy attempt...

A real-life 'Fantasy'.(Mark Burnett and Sony Pictures TV's 'Fantasy Island')(Brief article)
October 6, 2009... Smiles, everyone, smiles: Sony Pictures TV and Mark Burnett are partnering to turn "Fantasy Island" into a reality series. Sony and Burnett announced the show Monday at the Mipcom confab in Cannes. The producers are in talks now with...

'Activity' guy in alien land.(Paramount Pictures Corp.'s 'Paranormal Activity')(Brief article)
October 6, 2009... As Paramount Pictures broadens "Paranormal Activity" from underground midnight screenings to round-the-clock showings in 40 cities this weekend, writer-director Oren Peli has already scared up a start date and the financing for his follow-up. ...

Mouse taps brand man.(Walt Disney Studios' new chief Rich Ross)
October 6, 2009... The ascent of Disney Channels Worldwide chief Rich Ross to to chairman of Walt Disney Studios speaks volumes about the areas the studio intends to focus on in the future. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ross earned his promotion by proving to be a...

Fresh B'Way Blood: 'Rain' tops the $1 mil mark.(LEGIT)
October 6, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Broadway maintained its momentum last week, with a slew of new productions in previews, plus some major openers. Total grosses climbed to $17,947,578 for the 28 shows on the boards, up a little more than $90,000 from...

Pair 'Present' at Coward revival.(Legit Bits)(Brooks Ashmanskas and Harriet Harris join the cast of 'Present Laughter')(Brief article)
October 6, 2009... Harriet Harris and Brooks Ashmanskas will join Victor Garber in the Roundabout Theater Company's Broadway revival of Noel Coward's "Present Laughter," opening Jan. 21 at the American Airlines Theater. In Nicholas Martin's production, first...

Daniel Craig, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Linda Emond and Mike Nichols have joined the lineup for the Public Theater's "Courage in Concert" benefit to be held Oct. 19 in the Newman Theater.(Legit Bits)
October 6, 2009... Daniel Craig, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Linda Emond and Mike Nichols have joined the lineup for the Public Theater's "Courage in Concert" benefit to be held Oct. 19 in the Newman Theater. The show reunites the cast of the Public's 2006 Shakespeare...

Still Life.(Theater review)
October 6, 2009... (Lucille Lortel Theater; 198 seats; $59 top) An MCC Theater presentation, by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Theater Foundation, of a play in two acts by Alexander Dinelaris. Directed by Will Frears. Sets, David Korins; costumes,...

Broadway top 10: Sept. 29-Oct. 4.
October 6, 2009... Broadway Top 10: Sept. 29-Oct. 4 Week's Net Receipts Show Potential Prev Week's $Change (Theater)(Prod. Net Receipts Net Receipts Avg....

'Broken' in on cable: FX, Fox 21 buy hourlong.
October 6, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FX and Fox 21 have acquired "Broken" an hourlong drama script that will be penned by Sheldon Turner, co-writer of the Jason Reitman-directed "Up in the Air." Set in post-Katrina New Orleans, the series is built...

Shingles go on safari with 'Daktari'.(Magic Lantern Entertainment and Fitz Roy Media)(Brief article)
October 6, 2009... The daktari is in at Magic Lantern Entertainment, which is partnering with family entertainment shingle Fitz Roy Media to develop features, TV series and straight-to-DVD properties around Dr. Sue Hart's experiences as South Africa's first female...

Family gives OK to MTV's DJ AM skein.
October 6, 2009... MTV has confirmed plans to air "Gone Too Far," the docuseries hosted by the late DJ AM. The eight-episode series, which wrapped production just days before DJ AM's untimely death, will launch at 10 p.m. Monday. "Gone Too Far" was...

Bravo shapes new 'Chef'.
October 6, 2009... "Top Chef" is sharpening its knives and returning for a seventh season. Bravo's popular cooking series has set dates for open casting calls to find the next set of small-screen kitchen maestros. Next edition of the series will premiere in...

I-Emmys to honor frost.(David Frost to receive the Intl. Emmy Founders Award)(Brief article)
October 6, 2009... David Frost will receive the Intl. Emmy Founders Award during the Intl. Emmys Nov. 23 at the Hilton Hotel in Gotham. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Frost, known for his interviews with former president Richard Nixon, depicted in last year's...

Foreign pix in Oscar mix.
October 6, 2009... A slew of foreign pics flew in under the wire as the submissions deadline for Oscar's foreign-language film category hit at 5 p.m. Thursday in Hollywood. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With Vietnam, Peru, Colombia, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Uruguay...

'Dragon' gets distrib.(Music Box Films to distribute 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' in Germany)(Brief article)
October 6, 2009... Music Box Films has picked up U.S. fights to Swedish hit thriller "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," which has grossed almost $100 million internationally and has yet to open in Germany. The $13 million pic, the first in the "Millennium"...

Inherit the Wind.(Theater review)
October 6, 2009... (The Old Vic, London; 1,003 seats; 48.50 [pounds sterling] ($77) top) An Old Vic Theater presentation of a play in two acts by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Directed by Trevor Nunn. Sets, Rob Howell; costumes, Howell and Irene Bohan;...

Broke-ology.(Theater review)
October 6, 2009... (Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater; 299 seats; $85 top) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Lincoln Center presentation of a play in two acts by Nathan Louis Jackson. Set, Donyale Werle; costumes, Emily Rebholz; lighting, Jason Lyons; sound, Jill BC DuBoff;...

Weekend at the B.O.
October 6, 2009... Weekend at the B.O. $103.70 million Oct. 2-4, 2009 +6% vs. last weekend -9% vs. last year Screen scene The weekend's top 10 engagements: Theater, city (circuit) Gross 1 Toy Story/Toy Story 2 ...

Film box office wrap: for the weekend of Oct. 2-4.
October 6, 2009... Film Box Office Wrap FOR THE WEEKEND OF OCT. 2-4 Ranking Reported This Last Title (Distributor/ Weekend Week Week Financier) Box Office 1 -- ...

ITV heads to Madrid for prod'n facility.
October 6, 2009... Continuing its international production center rollout, Blighty's ITV Studios is setting up ITV Studios Spain in Madrid. The production facility will be headed by Fran Garcia, the veteran TV exec who was formerly CEO of Atlas-Grupo Telecinco,...

Fox pix to ProSiebenSat.1.(Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution and ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG)(Brief article)
October 6, 2009... BERLIN -- Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution has inked an exclusive long-term output deal with Germany's ProSiebenSat. 1. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Licensing agreement, the first between the two in 14 years, includes exclusive TV...