Variety articles from April 2011

Variety archives from April 2011

Power plays: Mexican moneymen in media war.
April 25, 2011... Amid a constantly changing media landscape, lawmakers and regulators around the globe have been grappling with new technology and trying to create a marketplace where TV, Internet and telco will most benefit the consumer. In the next few years,...

H'w'd reboots vidgames.
April 25, 2011... Hollywood can turn comicbooks, action figures, even theme park rides into billion dollar franchises, but has yet to prove it can do the same for vidgames. That may soon change as studios, thirsty for brand-name source material, have learned...

Globe girds for a Yank-style summer.
April 25, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This summer, Hollywood will find out if it can Americanize the world box office by having it adopt the U.S.' summer blockbuster season. With four multibillion-dollar franchises--"Pirates of the Caribbean,"...

NATO marshals forces.(in the news)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... James Cameron and Peter Jackson are among 23 top helmers and producers who co-signed an open letter to the industry from the theater owners' org condemning four studios for supplying titles in an early window for the launch of premium VOD on...

Cannes fills out sidebars.(in the news)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... Cannes' 50th Critics Week will include Sundance title "Take Shelter" from Jeff Nichols, and Jonathan Caouette's "Walk Away Renee." Event's Directors' Fortnight unveiled a slate with 15 Euro pics out of 21.

Obama orbits H'wood.(in the news)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... President Obama flew back to the fundraising well that is showbiz, skedding events on the Sony lot and at a Brentwood eatery, even though many industryites are cooler toward him than they were during his first run.

Sudsers down the drain.(in the news)(All My Children and One Life to Live)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... Two more daytime soaps have been put to rest by the Alphabet net's decision to end its long-running "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" serials.

"Mortal Kombat".(project)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... Warner Bros. has committed to a reboot of the "Mortal Kombat" vidgame franchise.

Jason Statham.(castings)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... Jason Statham is in talks to star in the thriller "Parker," with Taylor Hackford helming.

Elizabeth Banks.(castings)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... Elizabeth Banks is on track to star in Gary Ross' "The Hunger Game."

Tim Hetherington.(farewell)(Obituary)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... Tim Hetherington, 40, co-director of Oscar-nommed docu "Restrepo," said to have been killed by a grenade in Libya. April 20

Michael Sarrazin.(farewell)(Obituary)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... Michael Sarrazin, 70, actor who starred in Sydney Pollack's 1969 film "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" April 19 For complete obituaries, visit Variety.corn/obits

Savvy helmers get into H'w'd flow.(first look)(Todd Phillips)(Interview)
April 25, 2011... BUILDING A CAREER AS A FILM director can either be a thrill ride or a demolition derby. Some filmmakers, like Todd Phillips, get into the flow--he made seven films before the age of 40 and on one ("The Hangover") came away with a total payday of...

Animator toons in to nothing but the spoof.(FIRST LOOK)
April 25, 2011... A hit on the Web, Next Media Animation's clips of CGI-animated news, commentary and straight-up surrealism draw 13 million viewers internationally each month, and it has Tiger Woods to thank. Founder and CEO Jimmy Lai--whose Next Media is...

A 'Furious' pace: Moritz cranks out hard-driving.(FIRST LOOK)(Neal Moritz; Fast Five)
April 25, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A few days ago, Neal Moritz went to Best Buy wearing a "Fast Five" T-shirt and ran into a kid who asked him, "Hey, what do you know about that movie?" "I heard it's really good," answered Moritz, the film's producer....

Casting agent needed pull--and wrestlers.(FIRST LOOK)
April 25, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During pilot season, Hollywood casting agents have been in overdrive, handling not only lead roles but also hundreds of character parts. And while they're used to finding players for TV skeins, every once in while they...

Much ado around blighty: U.K. screen agencies squabble over territory.(film)
April 25, 2011... Cuts to arts, including the end of the U.K. Film Council, have roiled the Blighty film biz, and regional screen agencies across the U.K. have not escaped a shakeout. Last November, culture minister Ed Vaizey's blueprint for film policy...

Craig Gillespie will helm the adaptation.(film)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Craig Gillespie will helm the adaptation of lit hit "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies."

Crix' picks.(FILM)(Table)
April 25, 2011... CRIX' PICKS U.S. Atlas Rio Scream 4 The Shrugged: Conspirator Part 1 Studio Rocky Fox Dimension...

Risk management: distribs fishing in small-budget pond.
April 25, 2011... Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions' recent pickup of SXSW premiere "Attack the Block" for Sony's Screen Gems may seem unusual--it reps an instance in which one of Hollywood's biggest studios has nabbed a low-budget U.K. film with no big stars...

Edinburgh's fest unrest.(FILM)(Edinburgh International Film Festival)
April 25, 2011... In less than two months, the 65th edition of the Edinburgh Film Festival, one of Europe's oldest, will unspool, but industryites are still in the dark about what the fest's radical revamp, under a new regime, will have to offer. Like the rest...

International box office.(FILM)(Statistical table)
April 25, 2011... INTERNATIONAL BOX OFFICE U.K. IRELAND Week ended 04/17/11 $1 = 0.61 [pounds sterling] Weekend's Rank Title (local distributor) B.O. Week Engmnts 1. Scream 4 (Entertainment) ...

Box office report.(FILM)(Statistical table)
April 25, 2011... BOX OFFICE REPORT Visit Variety. com/boxoffice for a searchable, sortable and international B.O. archive. Reported Percent Box Office Change ...

This frees us up to focus on the creative process instead of worrying about the kinds of fixes.(tech)(Curtis Clark)(Quotation)
April 25, 2011... "This frees us up to focus on the creative process instead of worrying about the kinds of fixes we'll need down the line."--Curtis Clark, ASC

File this under 'Fixed': Acad's transfer standard tames digital frontier.(tech)
April 25, 2011... For years, filmmakers have been vexed by a chaotic Wild West of digital file formats that caused everything from dramatic falloffs in image quality to vast jumps in cost. Now, a new fix from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences aims...

Vfx bizzers debate union.(tech)(movie visual effects)
April 25, 2011... Veteran visual effects artist Dave Rand appears to have started an industrywide conversation with his open letter criticizing IATSE's slow pace to unionize the vfx industry. CG supervisor Joe Harkins, who works with Santa Monica-based vfx...

HBO ordered a second season of fantasy series "Game of Thrones.(tv)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... HBO ordered a second season of fantasy series "Game of Thrones" just two days after it bowed. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Biz tracks tie-ins via location sites: Foursquare, Gowalla link auds, ends.(tv)(television viewing)
April 25, 2011... Savvy cable networks, eager to extend their brands outside viewer living rooms, have discovered that while Facebook and Twitter are useful, location-based social media services like Foursquare and Gowalla can enhance the smallscreen experience...

Networks sweep shows under rug.(tv)
April 25, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IF TV HAS A WINDOW RESERVED FOR sentimentality, it's traditionally been May, the sweeps month associated with series finales and cliffhangers. Yet while last year was a veritable feast of fond farewells--as networks...

Current Objective: Gore's Italo Web Fills Need for Unbiased News
April 25, 2011... Al Gore's Current TV is feeding an Italian craving for serious news in the Silvio Berlusconi era and helping to redefine the founder's vision for an unconventional, unbiased, in-depth news channel. Just a few months after the localized...

ProSieben Arrow targets English markets.(TELEVISION)
April 25, 2011... European media group ProSiebenSat.1 is increasingly looking across the Pond and beyond as it focuses on developing and producing TV content for the international market. The Munich-based broadcast and entertainment conglom has already made...

An American hook to South Africa 'Shores'.(TELEVISION)('Clifton Shores')
April 25, 2011... A South African coal magnate is creating an unscripted drama with a location that the cast of "Jersey Shore" can only dream about. "Clifton Shores" is a series about four American women who relocate to Cape Town to work at an events company...

Nielsen scorecard.(TELEVISION)(Statistical table)
April 25, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Top primetime shows of the week (April 11-17, 2011) Adults 18-49 Overall ...

The overachievers: once a season is not enough.(TONY'S PREVIEW)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... The Tony voters didn't split Matthew Warchus' chances two years ago when, nommed for "The Norman Conquests" and "God of Carnage," he took home the helmer prize for the latter: Warchus has just one entry this season, "La Bete." If any director is...

The music men: guys thrive as tuners survive.(TONY'S PREVIEW)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The current Broadway season is awash with new tuners sporting original scores and books. There are nine, not including "Spider-Man," and that lofty number measures very well against the 1950s heyday when there were...

The title: where some journos fear to tread.(TONY'S PREVIEW)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... How do you hawk a play called "The Motherfueker With the Hat"? Depends on the media outlet. In ads and press coverage of the Stephen Adly Guirgis play (starring Chris Rock and Bobby Cannavale), the standard censoring (as it reads on the...

The box office: Bard is boffo after all these years.(TONY'S PREVIEW)('The Merchant of Venice')(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... For a couple of months last summer, you could see Al Pacino free of charge in the Shakespeare in the Park staging of "The Merchant of Venice." But that didn't stop Broadway goers in the autumn from happily shelling out top dollar for the chance...

The nailbiters: scribe tribe stages biggest competish in years.(TONY'S PREVIEW)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tony usually has trouble just finding four decent works to nominate for best play. Fortunately, gone are the days when the org had to resort to including a new adaptation of Ivan Turgenev's "Fortune's Fool" to fill up...

The ink: $80 million buys a lot of publicity.(TONY'S PREVIEW)('Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark')(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Did you see "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark"? Did anyone die? How many times did they stop the show for technical difficulties? What's going on in the second act? Does it really look like they spent $80 million? How low...

The street scene: legit feels that 'Harry Potter' love.(TONY'S PREVIEW)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... Once upon a time, it was Elizabeth Taylor. Now it's Daniel Radcliffe. La Liz created mob-scene pandemonium on West 46th Street when her new hubby Richard Burton appeared in "Hamlet" at the Lunt-Fontanne in 1964. She then repeated that mass...

The lyrics: are these the bleeps that will cause CBS to lose sleep?(TONY'S PREVIEW)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] They are the lyrics that you will never hear on the Tonys. In act one of "The Book of Mormon," a couple of young missionaries arrive in Uganda to hear the locals singing "Hasa Diga Eebowai!" which expresses their...

How do you solve a problem like Deloris?('Sister Act')(Theater review)
April 25, 2011... SISTER ACT Broadway Theater Directed by Jerry Zaks Starring: Patina Miller, Kingsley Leggs Whoopi Goldberg looms large over the new musical comedy "Sister Act," and that's part of the problem. While she co-produced, Goldberg isn't...

Flash of the Titans.(Thor)(Movie review)
April 25, 2011... THOR Paramount Directed by Kenneth Branagh Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Neither the star pupil nor the dunce of the Marvel superhero-to-screen class, "Thor" delivers the...

Gentle Moretti goes easy on 'Pope'.(We Have a Pope)(Movie review)
April 25, 2011... WE HAVE A POPE Directed by Nanni Moretti Starring: Michel Piccoli, Jerzy Stuhr, Renato Scarpa Following a string of mordant themes, Nanni Moretti turns to gentle comedic stylings with the artistically and doctrinally conservative "We Have...

3D Sex And Zen: Extreme Ecstasy/3D R0u Pu Tuan Zhi Ji Le Bao Jian.(Movie review)
April 25, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (HONG KONG) A One Dollar Distribution (in Hong Kong)/Dream Movie (in Australia) release of a China 3D Digital Entertainment presentation of a One Dollar Prods., Local Prod. production. (International sales: One...

African Cats.(Movie review)
April 25, 2011... (DOCU) A Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures release of a Fothergil/Scholey presentation of a Disneynature production. Produced by Keith Scholey, Alix Tidmarsh. Executive producer, Don Hahn. Directed by Keith Scholey. Co-director, Alastair...

St. Nick.(Movie review)
April 25, 2011... A Beautiful Confusion Films, Zero Trans Fat production. Produced by James M. Johnston. Executive producer, Adam Donaghey. Directed, written, edited by David Lowery. Camera (color, HD), Clay Liford; production designer, Ellen Weaver; art...

Rabies/Kalevet.(Movie review)
April 25, 2011... (ISRAEL) A United Channels Movies presentation, in association with the Rabinovich Foundation. Produced by Chilik Michaeli, Avraham Pirchi, Tami Leon, Julia Schifter. Directed, written by Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado. Camera (color),...

Gnarr.(Movie review)
April 25, 2011... (DOCU--ICELAND) An Allskonar Films presentation of an Enjoy and 10Films production. Produced by Sigvaldi J. Karason, Bjorn Ofeigsson. Co-producers, Rafn Rafnsson, James Marquand. Directed by Gaukur Ulfarsson. Camera (color, HD), Bjorn...

Low Cost.(Video recording review)
April 25, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (FRANCE) A Les Films du Kiosque presentation of a France 2 Cinema, Wild Bunch and Alvy Prods. production in association with TPS Star. Canal Plus and France Televisions. Produced by Francois Kraus. Denis...

Wonderland
April 25, 2011... (MARQUIS; 1,612 SEATS; $139.75 TOP) NEW YORK A David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts/Judy Lisi, Franzblau Media, Nederlander Presentations, Knights of Tampa Bay/David Scher/Hinks Shimberg, Michael Speyer/Bernie Abrams, Jay Harris,...

Intervention not divine.(High)(Theater review)
April 25, 2011... BROADWAY HIGH (BOOTH TREATER; 799 SEATS; $111.50 TOP) NEW YORK A presentation by Leonard Soloway, Chase Mishkin, Terry Schnuck, Ann Cady Scott, Timothy J. Hampton, James and Catherine Berges, Craig Schnuck, Barbara and Buddy Freitag,...

Joely Richardson will topline the Off Broadway.(legit)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Joely Richardson will topline the Off Broadway world preem of Michael Weller's "Side Effects."

B'way: a big athletic supporter: producers turn to unique teammates to bring sports to Rialto.(legit)
April 25, 2011... If the producers of the Broadway play "Lombardi" were professional athletes, they'd probably be offensive linemen, since Tony Ponturo and Fran Kirmser are using some serious marketing muscle to create an opening for sports on the stage. Their...

'Desert' blooms on B'way.(BROADWAY GROSSES)(Brief article)
April 25, 2011... NEW YORK A trio of queens became box office royalty, a jet-age swindler's show took off despite downbeat reviews, and auds finally started noticing that guy in the hat on Broadway in Week 47 (April 11-17). Among three recently opened...

Road grosses.(Legit Grosses)(Statistical table)
April 25, 2011... NEW YORK Four of the 11 shows pulled in more than $1 million in Week 47 (April 11-17). Overall box office was down almost 2%, as subtle declines at a number of shows ("West Side Story," "Hair," "Next to Normal") outpaced small gains at others...

Legit grosses.(LEGIT)(Statistical table)
April 25, 2011... Legit Grosses WEEK 47: April 11-17, 2007 Week's Gross Receipts Prev Week's Show Potential Gross Gross (Theater)(Prod....

Promoters retune for tours of booty.(Mark Campana on concert tours)
April 18, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] After a significant downturn in its fortunes last summer, the live music touring business is hoping for a shot in the arm with a healthy roster of acts hitting the road this summer. But to steer things back on course,...

Jishuku time: Japan biz slowly recovers post-quake.
April 18, 2011... A month after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan, leaving 27,500 dead or missing and racking up an estimated $300 billion in damages, the impact on every part of society, including the entertainment industry,...

Frenzy in the throne zone.(Prince William and Kate Middleton wedding)
April 18, 2011... Prince William and Kate Middleton both admit to pre-wedding jitters; they're not the only ones. Those in charge of delivering the live TV feed of the April 29 royal nuptials to a global audience, which U.K. culture secretary Jeremy Hunt claims...

Femmes invade Cannes.(Lynne Ramsay, Naomi Kawase, Maiwenn and Julia Leigh at the 64th Cannes Film Festival)(Brief article)
April 18, 2011... Marking a banner year for female directors, Scotland's Lynne Ramsay, Japan's Naomi Kawase, France's Maiwenn and Australia's Julia Leigh will duke it out for the Palme d'Or alongside such Croisette faves as Pedro Almodovar, Terrence Malick, Lars...

Live upstart.(joint venture between Hearst Broadcasting Corp. and Mark Burnett Production)(Brief article)
April 18, 2011... Hearst exec Scott Sassa has engineered a joint venture between Hearst and Mark Burnett for a production shingle targeting multiplatform distribution of live events.

Jackson action.(Peter Jackson)(Brief article)
April 18, 2011... In a move that some say could change moviemaking as much 3D has, Peter Jackson will shoot "The Hobbit" at 48 frames per second--twice the current rate.

Helming giant dies.(Sidney Lumet)(Obituary)(Brief article)
April 18, 2011... Sidney Lumet, known for pics including "Dog Day Afternoon," "12 Angry Men," "Serpico" and "The Verdict," passed away April 9 at 86. For the complete obituary and a critic's appreciation, go to variety.com.

Sony outbid other studios to distribute the next pics.(Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.)(Brief article)
April 18, 2011... Sony outbid other studios to distribute the next pics in MGM's James Bond franchise.

"Cloud Atlas.".(movie)(Brief article)
April 18, 2011... Andy and Lana Wachowski, along with Tom Tykwer, will write and co-direct Tom Hanks starrer "Cloud Atlas."

Sally Field.(castings)(Brief article)
April 18, 2011... Sally Field will play Mary Todd Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln".

Joaquin Phoenix.(castings)(Brief article)
April 18, 2011... Joaquin Phoenix is in talks to star in Paul Thomas Anderson's next film.

Sidney Harman.(farewell)(Obituary)(Brief article)
April 18, 2011... Sidney Harman, 92, audio pioneer who bought Newsweek last year. April 12.

Arthur Marx.(farewell)(Obituary)(Brief article)
April 18, 2011... Arthur Marx, 89, writer and son of Groucho. April 14.

Stoner pics build fresh buzz.(Cheech Marin)(Interview)
April 18, 2011... I RAN INTO CHEECH MARIN (of Cheech and Chong) last week and asked his opinion of the fast-growing subgenre of stoner films. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Do you have to be stoned while you're shooting them as well as when you're seeing them?" I...

Pope-apalooza may beat royals.(Pope John Paul II and wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton)(Brief article)
April 18, 2011... Could the royal wedding clash with Pope John Paul II's beatification ceremony? The two major media events, both scheduled for the Friday-Monday period of April 29-May 2, will see multitudes of tourists and newsies converge on their respective...

APP-adaptations: studios dig into libraries for games.(FIRST LOOK)(The Weinstein Co., MGM Studios Inc. and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. produce movies based on games)
April 18, 2011... The 20th Century Fox release "Rio" arrived in theaters over the weekend fueled in part by a promotional tie-in with "Angry Birds," one of the most successful gaming franchises in the Apple store. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] But studios are...

3D could be B.O. Viagra for Asia porn.(FIRST LOOK)(box office impact of the movie '3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy')
April 18, 2011... The movie "3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy," which bills itself as the world's first serious 3D porn pic, is generating a lot of excitement in China, even though it won't be shown there. Instead, it will be released in Hong Kong and Taiwan in...

George Clooney's shingle will tackle the Wall Street bailout.(film)(Brief article)
April 18, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] George Clooney's shingle will tackle the Wall Street bailout in an as yet untitled feature.

Fest tests net's worth: free pix add muscle to Tribeca's beefed-up Web fare.(film)(Tribeca Film Festival's Tribeca (Online) Film Festival)
April 18, 2011... Many film festivals have experimented with Internet content, but arguably none have gone further than the Tribeca Film Festival's latest venture, the Tribeca (Online) Film Festival. In addition to providing interactive content, it is webcasting...

Flying Foligno: post house exec moves into pic prod'n.(featured PLAYER)(Molinare's Mark Foligno resigns as managing director to run MoliFilms)
April 18, 2011... Mark Foligno will quit as managing director of London post house Molinare at the end of April in order to devote himself to running his own production and financing venture, MoliFilms. He couldn't have picked a more triumphant time to do so....

Korea film fests buy in on pics.(FILM)(Jeonju Film Festival and Pusan Film Festival)
April 18, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The move into film acquisition and distribution is paying off for South Korea's biggest film festivals. Last year, the Jeonju Film Festival picked up Spanish helmer Pere Portabella's "The Silence Before Bach" and...

Crix' picks.(FILM)(film critics)(Table)
April 18, 2011... CRIX' PICKS U.S. Arthur Hanna Soul Your Surfer Highness Studio Warner Focus Affirm Universal ...

Short pic, big plans: fantasy helmer sees magic trilogy.(FILM)(Mike Le Han's short film 'Mrs. Peppercorn's Magical Reading Room')
April 18, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The film biz wasn't invented by people who think small. So it's easy to see where wannabe Brit helmer Mike Le Han and his wife and creative collaborator, Helen Rigby, get off suggesting their 24-minute family-friendly...

Fox's 'Rio' takes flight at o'seas B.O.(FILM)(overseas box office performance of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp's 'Rio')
April 18, 2011... Offshore box office headlines over the April 8-10 weekend were dominated by 20th Century Fox's 3D toon "Rio," which bowed to this year's highest worldwide opening, winging its way to $54.9 million from 45 international territories. "Rio's"...

International box office.(FILM)(Statistical table)
April 18, 2011... INTERNATIONAL BOX OFFICE U.K. IRELAND Week ended 04/10/11 $1 = 0.61 [pounds sterling] Weekend's Rank Title (local distributor) B.O. Week Engmnts. 1. Rio (Fox) ...

Box office report.(FILM)(Statistical table)
April 18, 2011... BOX OFFICE REPORT Visit Variety. com/boxoffice for a searchable, sortable and international B.O. archive. Reported Percent Box Office Change ...

PBS series "American Masters" will devote two nights this fall.(tv)(Public Broadcasting Service)(Brief article)
April 18, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PBS series "American Masters" will devote two nights this fall to a retrospective on Woody Allen.