Variety articles from August 2010

Variety archives from August 2010

TV's game-changer: showdowns loom if NFL lengthens season.
August 30, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The arrival of Fox's "American Idol" every January has come to represent a gut punch to competing networks, a heavyweight whose presence is felt across the primetime schedule. But the fall still belongs to the National...

Vertigo balances an eclectic slate: lad banner adds dimension.(FILM)(Vertigo Films)
August 30, 2010... The winds are changing for the lads at U.K. indie outfit Vertigo Films. For the London-based producer-distrib that kick-started its way into the U.K. scene eight years ago with a raft of gritty, urban Brit pics targeted to male auds (think Danny...

They want the government to step in to protect their business model.(tech)(Brief article)
August 30, 2010... 'They want the government to step in to protect their business model.' --Gary Shapiro, CEA

TW helps Chile prez out of jam.(TELEVISION)(Time Warner Inc. has bought Chilevision)
August 30, 2010... The Aug. 25 sale of Chile's No. 3 terrestrial web Chilevision to Time Warner, after months of trying sell the network to a number of suitors to make good on his campaign promise, has allowed Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, the network's...

Toppers' choice: the dream team: Intl. fest pros pick the ultimate auteur lineup.(V plus)
August 30, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What does a festival director want? Bigname auteurs, yes; cinematic gems, for sure; and a sprinkling of younger talent ready to grab the spotlight. For the definitive answers to those questions, Variety asked 17 fest...

The jury is in.(Highlights)(Venice International Film Festival)(Brief article)
August 30, 2010... QUENTIN TARANTINO presides over the Venice jury, which includes Mexican filmmaker Guillermo Arriaga, Lithuanian actress Ingeborga Dapkunaite, French filmmaker Arnaud Besplechin, U.S. composer Danny Elfman, Italian director and screenwriter Luca...

Venice days.(Highlights)(La Balena di Rossellini)(Brief article)
August 30, 2010... Claudio Bondi's "La Balena di Rossellini" highlights Venice Days, a selection of world cinema sponsored by Italian Assn. of Filmmakers (ANAC) and 100 Autori. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Venice's see food: Venetian cuisine favors fresh & local.(SHOWBIZ TRAVELER What to do, see, eat and wear at the Venice Intl. Film Festival)
August 30, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Venetian cuisine may not be as well known or as defined as Tuscan or Sicilian cuisine, but the city's (and Italy's) adherence to seasonality has inspired top chefs from Mario Batali to Evan Kleiman to the modern Italian...

TV 'Season' set to launch: fest adds U.S. series spotlight while indie pics grab highlights reel.(DEAUVILLE FESTIVAL OF AMERICAN CINEMA: When: Sept. 3-12 Where: Deauville, France Web: festival-deauville.com)
August 30, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PARIS The Deauville Film Festival's ethos of embracing Americana in various art forms--movies, shorts, docs, literature--extends to television this year with the launch of "Deauville: Season 1." Fest's managing...

U.S. coalition: Rome's co-prod mart pacts with Sundance.(INTL. ROME FILM FESTIVAL: When: Oct.28-Nov. 5 Where: Rome Web: romacinemafest.it)
August 30, 2010... ROME [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Looking to build a real bridge between European producers and the U.S. indie scene, the Rome Film Festival's New Cinema Network co-production mart is launching a partnership with the Sundance Institute's Feature...

The wrath of Roth.(V page)(Eli Roth)(Brief article)
August 30, 2010... HOLLYWOOD At least one guest at the Aug. 24 preem of Lionsgate's "The Last Exorcism" hoped it wasn't truly the last of Hollywood's possessed pics. "I'm looking forward to being horrified," Quentin Tarantino said on the ArcLight red carpet. ...

Vroom at the top.(V page)('Machete' by Robert Rodriguez)(Brief article)
August 30, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HOLLYWOOD Twentieth Century Fox pumped up the testosterone levels on Aug. 25 when it bowed Robert Rodriguez's "Machete," rolling out the cast and crew in souped-up low riders in front of downtown's Orpheum Theater....

Coasting on crude.(Going the Distance)(Movie review)
August 23, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GOING THE DISTANCE Warner Bros. Directed by Nanette Burstein Starring: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long A geographically challenged relationship is put to the test in "Going the Distance," a bicoastal comedy with a...

Gulf spill galvanizes Lee's swollen 'Creek'.(If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise)(Television program review)
August 23, 2010... IF GOD IS WILLING AND DA CREEK DON'T RISE Docu; HBO Aug. 23-24 9 p.m. Directed by Spike Lee Oil giant BP doesn't have many friends in the U.S., but strictly from a storytelling standpoint, Spike Lee ought to send the company a nice...

Takers.(Movie review)
August 23, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a Screen Gems presentation of a Rainforest Films production in association with Grand Hustle Films. Produced by Will Packer, Tip "T.I." Harris, Jason Geter. Executive producers,...

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale.(Movie review)
August 23, 2010... (FINLAND-NORWAY-FRANCE-SWEDEN) A Cinet, Pomor Film, Love Streams Agnes B. Prods., Davaj Film, FilmCamp, Filmpool Nord production, in association with Kinology. (International sales: Kinology, Paris). Produced by Petri Jokiranta. Co-producers,...

Man at Bath.(Movie review)
August 23, 2010... (HOMME AU BAIN) (FRANCE) A Le Pacte release of a Les Films du Belier presentation of a Les Films du Belier, Theatre de Gennevflliers production. (International sales : Le Pacte, Paris.) Produced by Justin Taurand. Directed, written by...

Morgen.(Movie review)
August 23, 2010... (ROMANIA-FRANCE-HUNGARY) A Mandragora presentation and production, in collaboration with Slot Machine, Katapult Films. (International sales: Les Films du Losange, Paris.) Produced by Anca Puiu. Co-producers, Marianne Slot, Ivan Angelusz....

Bright, vivid 'color'.(Free Man of Color)(Theater review)
August 23, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FREE MAN OF COLOR (COLONY THEATER, 270 SEATS; $42 TOP) BURBANK, Calif. A Colony Theater Company presentation of a play in two acts by Charles Smith. Directed by Dan Bonnell. Sets, David Potts; costumes, A. Jeffrey...

Mumble jumble: talkers in turmoil as demos, departures take toll.(tv)
August 16, 2010... It's not quite the equivalent of putting the aged and infirm onto ice floes. But the tide is definitely going out on TV's talkshow titans. With the Millennial/Gen-Y crowd increasingly dominating key demos, perhaps Oprah Winfrey, Larry King...

Bunkered in with the bookers.(first look)
August 16, 2010... It used to be a cozy little fraternity consisting of publicists and assorted celebrity acolytes, with guest bookers at the nexus. The publicists' cause: enhancing the fame and fortune of the superstar clients they humbly served. The bookers'...

PR: the first line of defense?(public relations)
August 16, 2010... In an ever-changing media landscape, personal publicists are more crucial yet more irrelevant than ever. The PR maven was once a necessity for only the biggest stars, but nowadays everyone from the third lead on a CW series to a tentpole...

Mouse mines movie gold.(in the news)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... Disney credited the strong box office performance of its films for a $123 million rise in profits for the third quarter. In it's earnings report, the studio cited Pixar's "Toy Story 3" and "Iron Man 2" (through its Marvel division) as well as...

Strange netfellows.(in the news)(Google Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc.)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... In major realignment in the net neutrality debate, rivals Google and Verizon outlined a joint set of proposed rules that would bar Internet providers from favoring one type of traffic over the other while keeping the door open to new premium...

Reality's authentic imprint.(in the news)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... Endemol North America has aquired a majority stake in the reality production company Authentic Entertainment. With the partnership, Endemol gains a stake in such shows as "Ace of Cakes" and "Flipping Out."

Netflix adds more pix.(in the news)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... Pay cabler Epix and the Netflix service have pacted for the rental chain to exclusively distribute Epix's slate of movies on demand, which includes "Shutter Island" and "The Godfather."

Wishing on a star.(in the news)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... News Corp. has sold control of Star China TV to state-backed media investment fund China Media Capital for an undisclosed sum.

Homevid harnesses Fantasy.(FIRST LOOK)(Germany's Fantasy Filmfest)
August 16, 2010... Unleashing a host of cannibalistic ghouls, heretical sorcerers and an angry, gun-wielding Michael Caine, Germany's traveling Fantasy Filmfest blasts off this week for a summer orgy of blood, gore and violence. For the local industry, the...

'America' outsourced to S. Africa.('America: The Story of Us')
August 16, 2010... America: The Story of Us" premiered on the History Channel in April with a foreword from President Barack Obama, bringing the network a record audience of 5.7 million. Despite a mixed critical reception, it's up for four Emmys--nonfiction...

Russia's heat wave singes showbiz.
August 16, 2010... The air has been unbreathable, the temperatures unbearable and the seasonal death rates double the norm, but life in Russia's beleaguered capital goes on this hot, smoggy August. With central Russia suffering under its worst-ever heat...

Ready for Ramadan.(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... With Islamophobia on the rise in Europe and the topic of U.S. talkshows of every political stripe, the nearly 4 million Muslims in Germany heartily welcomed one small gesture promoting inclusion at the start of the holy month of Ramadan on Aug....

Taiwan reboots B.O.: fresh fare boosts local biz.(FIRST LOOK)(box office)
August 16, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Think about the Taiwan film biz, and festival favorites Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Mingliang come to mind. But that's about it. Local Taiwanese auds stayed away from their local films in droves; Hollywood killed off...

Studios want to be players: WB, Disney lead charge into vidgames.(film)(Warner Brothers Entertainment Inc. and)
August 16, 2010... Hollywood isn't playing around when it comes to competing for a piece of the $20 billion videogames biz. While every major studio has a growing games group on the lot, Warner Bros. and Disney in particular have opened up their wallets over...

New Line vets developing writers block: boutique shingle puts the accent on authors.(FILM)
August 16, 2010... In 2008, after New Line Cinema's eclectic 40-year run--highlighted by "The Lord of the Rings," Freddy Krueger, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," Austin Powers and "Hairspray"--Time Warner cut the division's staff from 600 to 50 and slashed New Line's...

New crew can't topple 'Inception' o'seas.(FILM)
August 16, 2010... With few new day-and-date entries to tempt overseas auds in most major territories, Warner Bros.' holdover giant "Inception" stayed on top during the Aug. 6-8 weekend, adding a sizable $47.8 million to its international haul of $251.2 million....

Crix' picks.(FILM)(Table)
August 16, 2010... CRIX' PICKS U.S. The Cairo Middle Other Step Up Time Men Guys 3D Studio IFC ...

Brits: post haste: London-based vfx houses get busy.(FILM)
August 16, 2010... While most entertainment business sectors in the U.K. are undergoing tumultuous budget cuts or worrying about downsizing, the folks running post-production houses are relatively sanguine. Sure, even the post biz stumbled a bit during the...

3D will likely become a standard feature on the majority of new HDTVs.(tech)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... "3D will likely become a standard feature on the majority of new HDTVs, and that will certainly support sales of Blu-ray."--Sony's Lexine Wong

3D green for Blu? Format may help drive lagging sales.(tech)
August 16, 2010... A few weeks back, Apple topper Steven Jobs took a shot at Sony's Blu-ray Disc format, calling it "a bag of hurt" at a computer confab, and later emailing an Apple customer that "Blu-ray is looking more and more like one of the high-end audio...

Vidgame developer plays Paris.(tech)(Dustin Browder )(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... On a recent July day in Paris, game developer Dustin Browder was living like an international rock star, doling out autographs and chatting with fans. The lead designer on Activision-Blizzard's "Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty," one of the...

"Pushing Daisies" and "Dead Like Me" creator Bryan Fuller is co-writing a pilot.(tv)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Pushing Daisies" and "Dead Like Me" creator Bryan Fuller is co-writing a pilot for Syfy.

Discovery finds a higher calling: Cabler stakes claim to classier reality.(tv)
August 16, 2010... With "Jersey Shore" snookin' through the summer and "Real Housewives" sprouting up in the U.S. capitol, it's easy to despair about the future of unscripted TV (in this context, "reality" hardly applies). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Yet there is...

New shows could be CW's lifeblood: rookies solid, but netlet must take more chances.(fall TV ANALYSIS)
August 16, 2010... The Vampire Diaries" gave CW the big hit it needed last season, but the netlet still faces an uphill battle. As the youngest-skewing broadcaster, its challenges in enticing viewers to watch TV the traditional way--as opposed to on their own...

Digital drives rebound in Oz ad revs.(TELEVISION)(television advertising)
August 16, 2010... Australia's new digital channels are helping to drive a boost in advertising revenues that had plummeted due to the financial crash. According to data released by industry org Free TV, the three commercial webs received a total of A$1.8...

HBO helps build Eastern blocks: net bows docs webs nix.(TELEVISION)
August 16, 2010... Western European pubcasters, while not averse to populist content, generally take pride in producing less commercial fare--educational and socially relevant skeins that win kudos for originality. The same can't be said of the former Eastern...

Japan, Korea pair for pic exchange.(TELEVISION)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... TV Asahi, one of Japan's five major networks, has started airing three films created under the Telecinema 7 project that combines Korean stars and helmers with Japanese scripters to make seven 120-minute dramas. The project originated at the...

Crime pays.(Highlights)(Norwegian International Film Festival)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... "The Writing on the Wall," directed by Stefan Faldbakken, will close the Norwegian Intl. Film Festival on Aug. 25. Pic is the first of six planned films based on crime novels featuring private investigator Varg Veum, played by Trond Espen.

Event planning.(Highlights)(Norwegian International Film Festival)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... Aug. 18-26 in Haugesund is packed with cinematic events, including the New Nordic Films (Aug. 18-21), the Nordic Co-Production Forum (Aug. 20), the Amanda Awards ceremony (Aug. 20), the fest's main program (Aug. 21-26) and the Children's Film...

'Blue' man groups.(Highlights)('Wde Blue Yonder')(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thesp Brian Cox is headed to Haugesund for the world premiere of the Norwegian-British "Wide Blue Yonder" on Aug. 19.

Norway's best.(Highlights)(Amanda Awards )(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... The Amanda Awards honor the best in Norwegian film, and this year's list for top film includes "A Somewhat Gentle Man," "Upperdog" and "Vegas," along with director nominees Arild Ostin Ommundsen ("Rat Nights"), Sara Johnsen ("Upperdog") and...

War diaries.(Highlights)(Janus Metz and Lars Skree )(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... "Armadillo" helmer Janus Metz and cinematographer Lars Skree are making the trek to Haugesund for the unspooling of their doc, which chronicles the experiences of Danish soldiers in Afghanistan. Pic took the top prize at Cannes' Critics' Week.

Northern spotlights: Norway focuses its national fest on major film artists, public-friendly screenings.(V plus: FEST TRAVELER: NORWEGIAN INTL. FILM FESTIVAL)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The organizers of the Norwegian Intl. Film Festival in Haugesund think smaller is better. "That way, everybody has a chance to meet each other," says the fest's honorary president, Liv Ullmann. "Producers, directors,...

Coin toss: co-production forum attracts projects from hot producers worlwide.(V plus: FEST TRAVELER: NORWEGIAN INTL. FILM FESTIVAL)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... The Norwegian west coast is the right place to shoot international productions--at least according to the Norwegian Film Commission. To push this message home, international producers will be treated to a helicopter tour, including a...

Nordic helmers in focus.(FEST TRAVELER: NORWEGIAN INTL. FILM FESTIVAL)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Norwegian Intl. Film Festival's New Nordic Films section attracts some 300 industryites with a string of works in progress. Reps from Cannes, Berlin, Karlovy Vary, Tribeca, Sundance, St. Petersburg and Raindance...

Showtime stirs laffs with pain.(The Big C)(Television program review)
August 16, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What would a middle-aged person do upon learning she has a year, maybe 18 months to live? The liberating, philosophical, and yes, comic aspects of such a diagnosis coalesce in "The Big C," a Showtime series adding Laura...

Pretty mystic woman.(Eat Pray Love)(Movie review)
August 16, 2010... The food looks great, but the romance is undercooked, and God remains strictly a bit player in "Eat Pray Love." While far from an unpleasant experience as it whisks Julia Roberts through Italy, India and Indonesia (tourist boards, rejoice),...

'Romance' doesn't get old.(The Last Romance)(Theater review)
August 16, 2010... The boulevard comedy--once a staple of commercial and community theatrical activity, now in semi-eclipse--gets a shot in the arm with Joe DiPietro's "The Last Romance," making its West Coast debut in the Old Globe's arena space. No great shakes...

Cemetery Junction.(Movie review)
August 16, 2010... A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a Columbia Pictures presentation of a Gervais/Merchant production. Produced by Sarah Baden-Powell, Charlie Hanson. Executive producers, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant. Directed, written by Ricky...

Maria and I.(Movie review)
August 16, 2010... (MARIA Y YO) (DOCU--SPAIN) A Bausan Films release of a Bausan Films, Pelis Chulas, TVE production with the participation of Canal Plus. (International sales: Bausan Films, Barcelona.) Produced by Loris Omedes. Directed by Felix Fernandez...

Lottery Ticket.(Movie review)
August 16, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Warner Bros. release of an Alcon Entertainment presentation of a Burg-Koules and Cube Vision production. Produced by Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Matt Alvarez, Mark Burg, Oren Koules. Executive producers, Ice...

Precious Life.(Movie review)
August 16, 2010... (HAIM YEKARIM) (DOCU--ISRAEL) A United King Films, Bleiberg Entertainment release of a Bleiberg Entertainment, Origami Entertainment production with the support of the Rabinovich Film Foundation, Rencanti Foundation, Reshet, Tel Aviv...

Infiltration.(Movie review)
August 16, 2010... (HITGANVUT YEHIDIM) (ISRAEL-FRANCE) A Transfax Film Prod./Sophie Dulac production with the support of the Rabinowitz Film Fund, Cinema Project, HOT, Keshet, CNC. (International sales: Transfax Film Prod., Tel Aviv.) Produced by Marek...

Deep in the Woods.(Movie review)
August 16, 2010... (AU FOND DES BOIS) (FRANCE-GERMANY) A Cine-@, Passionfilms, Egoli Tossell Film production, in association with Albertine Prods., Arte France Cinema, with the participation of Canal Plus, Cinecinema, in association with Cofinova 6....

L.A. Zombie.(Movie review)
August 16, 2010... (GERMANY-U.S.-FRANCE) A PPV Networks, Wurstfilm, Dark Alley Media, Aruo Rok production. (International sales: Raspberry & Cream, Berlin.) Produced by Bruce LaBruce. Arno Rok, Robert Felt, Maciek Dziekiewicz, Juergen Bruening, Joru...

No Greater Love.(Movie review)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... (DOCU--U.K.) A Soda Pictures release of a Hot Property Films production. (International sales: Soda Pictures, London.) Produced by Janine Marmot, Michael Whyte. Directed, edited by Michael Whyte. Camera (color, HD), Whyte, Reviewed on DVD,...

Perspective is life of 'Party'.("Abraham Lincoln's Big, Gay Dance Party")(Theater review)
August 16, 2010... ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S BIG, GAY DANCE PARTY (THEATER ROW--ACORN; 190 SEATS; $66.25 TOP) NEW YORK A Bluerare presentation in association with Aaron Glick and Deborah Taylor of a play in three acts by Aaron Loeb. Directed by Chris Smith. Set,...

Beautiful Burnout.(Theater review)
August 16, 2010... (PLEASANCE FORTH; 270 SEATS; 14 [euro] TOP ($18.55) EDINBURGH A production by the Frantic Assembly and the National Theater of Scotland of a play in one act by Bryony Lavery. Directed by Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett. Set and costumes,...

Patti LaBelle will join the cast of Broadway's "Fela!".(legit)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Patti LaBelle will join the cast of Broadway's "Fela!" from Sept. 14 to its Jan. 2 closing.

B'way warms to 'Memphis' beat: even Gothamites are stopping in to visit Tony winner.(legit)(Broadway)
August 16, 2010... During the first week of August, the Tony-nominated Montego Glover took a well-deserved vacation from "Memphis"--and the box office jumped $26,723 for a $923,397 gross, the second-biggest tally to date for the tuner. No offense to the talented...

'Night' bright on B'way.(BROADWAY GROSSES)
August 16, 2010... NEW YORK Looks like "A Little Night Music" is benefiting from its latest batch of reviews: The tuner revival saw weekly sales jump a whopping 26% in Week 11 (Aug. 2-8). Re-reviews for new topliners Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch goosed...

Burundi fest aims to develop film biz.(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... Three years after hosting its inaugural edition in the tiny east African republic, the Burundi Film Festival is back, and with a mission: Train young filmmakers and help plant the seeds of a local industry. Organizers hope the second edition,...

Joshing with Josh.(V page)(Josh Brolin)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... NEW YORK The Museum of Modern Art could have been mistaken for a football locker room Aug. 9. Former NFL stars Boomer Esiason and Harry Carson joined Jane Fonda and Kerry Washington for a screening of the Weinstein Co.'s "The Tillman Story,"...

Meet pose dish.(V page)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Eat Pray Love"--all three were uniformly trumpeted as the foundation to a happy and balanced life during the Aug. 10 premiere of the Columbia Pictures film at Gotham's Ziegfeld Theater. Left unclear was what came next...

'R' for wrong.(V page)(holocaust documentary ' A Film Unfinished')(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... NEW YORK The Aug. 11 premiere of Yael Hersonski's holocaust docu "A Film Unfinished" was an appropriately somber affair, with a talkback moderated by Broadway's Torah Feldshuh just after the MOMA screening. The after-party at Brasserie...

Think global, film local.(V page)(Brief article)
August 16, 2010... NEW YORK At the Aug. 11 preem of "La soga" at the Regal Union Square Cinema, its filmmakers were especially proud that it's the first pic shot in the Dominican Republic to be picked up by the Toronto Film Fest. At the after-party, scribe-star...

Playing at the VIP table.(HBO's 'Boardwalk Empire')
August 9, 2010... Terence Winter battled a nagging thought as he wrote the pilot for HBO's series "Boardwalk Empire," a sprawling period epic that recreates Atlantic City of the 1920s. "I kept thinking 'This is pointless. How can we possibly afford a...

H'wood moguls show their art smarts.(first look)
August 9, 2010... IT'S AUGUST. NO ONE WANTS TO read yet another in-depth analysis of business trends. So this is a column about art. Why art? For one thing, the art market is booming: New galleries are opening and paintings by "serious" artists are selling at...

'Idol' overseer returns.(in the news)(Nigel Lythgoe returns as producer of 'American Idol')(Brief article)
August 9, 2010... Nigel Lythgoe, an exec producer on "American Idol" during its first seven seasons, has returned to the Fox show in that capacity. Meanwhile, Universal Music Group has signed a long-term alliance to handle all development, distribution and...

Miramax finds a buyer.(in the news)(Brief article)
August 9, 2010... Disney reached an agreement to sell Miramax Films to an investor group led by construction magnate Ron Tutor for $660 million.

Sherak reups at Academy.(in the news)(re-election of Tom Sherak)(Brief article)
August 9, 2010... The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences reelected Tom Sherak as its president.

Variety to honor Bieber.(in the new)(singer Justin Bieber)(Brief article)
August 9, 2010... Justin Bieber will be feted at Variety's .fourth Power of Youth event on Oct. 24 for his work with the philanthropic org Pencils of Promise.

Film Dept. IPO a no-go.(in the news)(Brief article)
August 9, 2010... Mark Gill and Neil Sacker's the Film Department has withdrawn its IPO with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It's closing in on a deal to tap $200 million from private investors for future financing. The IPO withdrawal comes after the...

Farewell.(in the news)(Obituary)
August 9, 2010... Robert F. Boyle, 100, art director on such films as "North by Northwest" and "Fiddler on the Roof." Aug. 1. Tom Mankiewicz, 68, scribe of such pics as "Live and Let Die" and "Superman." July 31. Mitch Miller, 99, head of A&R at Mercury...

Jets rally a 'Hard' sell.(FIRST LOOK)(marketing 'Hard Knocks')(Brief article)
August 9, 2010... HBO is building hype for its new season of "Hard Knocks" the way high school teams nationwide do: with an old-fashioned pep rally. On Aug. 10, Times Square will host a kickoff rally featuring former New York Jets players and interactive...