UPFRONTS 2013: The Overachievers 
‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ On Track For $27M … 
‘Mike & Molly’ Creator Mark Roberts To … 
Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts Set For … 
Hammond On Cannes: Weinstein Brings Out Stars For 2013 … 
Cannes: Fake Gunshots Interrupt Canal Plus Live Broadcast … 
‘The Great Gatsby’ Starts With $5.4M … 
Cannes: Music Box Acquires Competition’s … 
Cannes: Bruno Wu & Pierre-Ange Le Pogam Kick Up Angel … 
UPDATE: Amazon Studios Begins Pilot Pickups; … 
Bruce Rosenblum Bids Classy Goodbye 
RATINGS RAT RACE UPDATE: ‘American Idol’ Hits … 
UPDATE: ‘Iron Man 3′ Box Office Crosses $1B … 
John Lesher’s Le Grisbi Teams With DCM Productions … 
Upfront Market: Will Auto Makers Subsidize TV … 
Cannes: Thief Makes Off With $1M+ In Chopard Jewelry Meant … 
Cannes: Cyrus Nowrasteh To Helm Film On Soviet Dissident … 
‘Scandal’ Finale On Small Screen And Onstage At … 
Cannes: Cassian Elwes, Robert Ogden Barnum Launch e2b … 
SPOILER ALERT! NBC’s ‘The Office’ Finale 
‘Modern Family’ Gets Cable Makeover For Launch … 
After Brett Ratner’s spectacular self-inflicted demise as Oscarcast producer, the Academy gets down to business finding a replacement to join Don Mischer in picking up the pieces. I’ve heard speculation ranging from Scott Sanders (who was eyed before Ratner got the nod) to previous Oscar producers Joe Roth, Adam Shankman and Laurence Mark. Harvey Weinstein offered an out-of-the-box suggestion last night. Weinstein, who has sat through plenty of Oscarcasts, suggested drafting Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels, and getting Tina Fey involved in the writing. The idea is they would make Eddie Murphy comfortable and give the broadcast a strong comic focus. I’m not sure Michaels or Fey could spare the time away from their weekly show obligations in New York, though. Who should produce the show?
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Give Harvey his due that would be a good idea if it could be worked out. Helps retain Murphy, gets Fey on writing. It’ll never happen but it’s a nice idea. Fey and Downey Jr were the best part of the awful Martin/Baldwin tele-cast.
I agree. This is a good idea and why not listen to brilliant Harvey Weinstein. He knows this business. That’s a proven fact.
Nobody should replace Ratner. Ratner should stay on.
His remarks, while stupid, are nothing more offensive than things every single director, actor, producer, and studio employee in Hollywood has said. His timing was just horrible.
He apologized, and I believe they were poor choices of words to use, but not malicious.
This is much ado about nothing, and people need to chill the f out and let Ratner do this thing. He sounded like he had a real entusiasm to do this project with some great ideas to reinvigorate it. NOw because of people’s need to be PC, we’ll get the same boring drivel.
He was a bad choice to begin with. Between the open homophobia and the misogyny he’s a real turn off. Gays and women should be offended. the guy has not taste and he’s classless.
He’s not talented enough to survive saying such moronic things in 2011.
Is this Ratner’s agent speaking?
People’s need to be PC? Are you an idiot? Or do you just lack common sense, decency, class and an education (kind of like Brett Ratner)?
He used a slur, which is unacceptable and which strongly embarrassed the Academy. He did the right thing and stepped down (or was encouraged to step down).
oh my god! it’s a word!!! get over it.
yes, political correctness is out of control.
seriously – this would show that Hollywood is forgiving and intelligent. Brett may not have used sensitive judgment, but his words were not that big a deal.
While I think Brett would have done a good job, I have to argue that not “every single director, actor, producer, and studio employee in Hollywood” has said simular things. Most people I work would never use the “F” word or talk about their personal sexual exploits at work, let along in front of a mic or audience.
…and I sincerely hope Eddie stays on. This was a great opportunity for him to actually be funny again, and get back to his SNL/stand-up roots. It could be the beginning of a resurgence for him and a return to form. If he bows out now, I fear he’ll be right back to horrible family films, remakes, sequels, and sequels to remakes of family films.
I agree with you too. I’ll actually watch the Oscars if Eddie is the host. Havey has to sit through them. I don’t!
In his authorized biography Woody Allen confesses that he’s always dreamed of hosting the show. He’s just had his biggest box office hit ever, so if not now, when?
WTF, I just heard about this.
1. Bret Ratner did not mean the statement towards gays to be derogatory. Anyone with common sense knows he was just trying to be funny. Perhaps he watched one of Eddie Murphy’s old stand up routines. Has the united states become Nazi Germany. The gay rights organizations need to seriously lighten up. They are starting to come off like the villains in all this by attacking a guy who didn’t mean it that way. Seriously, how stupid do they think people are.
2. That class lacking Olivia Munn was the one who STARTED trashing him in the public. She said some really grotesque things about him that I’m sure was taken out of context and exaggerated. She said he has a small phallus and ate shrimp while masturbating to her and she described it all the bitchest of attitudes. I would never work with her or date her since she can’t keep her mouth shut. He replied in self defense that he dated her and he was a little mad and said he banged her. I have found it grotesque that the women coming to Hollywood have this Kim Kardashian inconsiderate attitude that Olivia Munn has. It’s revolting to see that 75% of actresses are this inconsiderate. We need to keep them out and black list them.
What gets me the most is that the morons with no common sense are making him out to be the bad guy when he’s not. Olivia Munn is the one who started it by embarrassing him because she has an over blown ego. Nobody ever says anything so rude women like her get away with it. Bret Ratner wrote a letter to the gay rights organizations and it was LONG. THAT SHOULD BE THE END OF IT. Anyone trashing him after words are the actual bad ones since they think the public is stupid and everything they are basing this stuff on is unrealistic.
There’s a rule that you never trash a fellow director.
That goes especially for actors. Olivia Munn not only broke that rule, she stomped on it and laughed. Don’t cast her in your movie. We have to stick together.
All I have to say concerning what Olivia Munn said is Wow!! This young lady has nerve.
Olivia Munn didn’t name him in her book. She told a story, but didn’t say any names or identify the director in question.
Then Ratner goes on TV, says that the story is about him but it’s not true, then makes up this bullshit about her that she was just made that he “banged her a few times” then forgot about her.
He recanted it, but only after waiting a day. Half the people in these comments don’t even realize it was a lie.
If Ratner spent less time trying to act like he’s important enough for women to sleep with and more time focused on storytelling maybe his movies wouldn’t suck so much.
All you people calling for a boycott on Olivia Munn have proven one thing to us: douche bags stick together.
I too think they should still let him host but you’re not making any sense. It doesn’t matter if it was a joke or not, the issue is that he used the word “fag.” Of course he apologized, his reputation and $$$ is affected. Anybody in Hollywood would’ve apologized but we should accept Ratner’s because it’s “long”????? Can you explain your reasoning please? Fact is, an apology for his behavior doesn’t require an apology that long, if at all. He’s a douchebag-pig and that’s how he behaves. He probably calls his friends “fag,” “pussy,” “cocksucker,” just like most guys do and it now we know.
If you’re trying to defend Ratner and change people’s opinions about him, you’re doing a poor job. You pick the Olivia Munn fling to support your argument? Care to google him and justify his more well known antics?
You sound just as misogynistic as Ratner.
Uh, Ratner has a history of being a douchebag, which is now coming back to bite him in the ass. Karma’s a bitch. He’s the one who quite obviously lacks class. Stop being the victim and own up to the behavior patterns. If he was someone the industry in general respected, one slip of the tongue could possibly be forgiven. But he is not respected and he has no one but himself to blame…
“I would never work with her or date her since she can’t keep her mouth shut.”
Given the high degree of enlightenment evident in you posting, I don’t seen this happening in the foreseeable future.
“We need to keep them out and black list them.”
Very nice. I’d ask if you have any idea about the historical associations of the term “black list”, but it’s clear you don’t.
I’m glad you were impressed by the length of Ratner’s apologia. But based on your comments, I have to conclude that you lack the intellectual capacity to actually read it all, or realize that it was crafted by a PR executive. I know Ratner. He can’t put two coherent sentences together, let alone write this.
Ratner outed himself about Olivia Nunn; she didn’t name names. He couldn’t help himself. I assume you like your women stupid, compliant, and silent.
You, sir, are an idiot.
Well said!
Harvey should…Get Quentin Tarantino up there with Eddie Murphy…
wow what an original suggestion …… lorne michaels would be brilliant as would tina fey ……. all of the above mentioned fine brilliant talented. calm down pete, we’re not replacing berlusconi, obama,
angela merkel or nikki finke ……. it’s just the co-producer of the always spotty mostly boring no longer glamourous and no longer honourable ( screeners, political lobbyists, private lunches and
dinners, junkets etc etc ) Oscars. It will be fine. Chill out.
As for Ratner …… he’s a hard working hard playing professional. always made money for his
financial partners at Fox, Fox TV, Universal and New LIne. He’s fun and funny. It’s too bad he
ran head first into the the hypocrytical family values side of the liberal Hollywood Establishment.
He would have done a wonderful job. And Pete, relax
How would Lorne Michaels make Eddie more comfortable when Eddie has been avoiding him for 20 years? That makes no sense. Get a collaborator that Eddie actually likes and has a good relationship with. Maybe bring in Steve Martin, who did great work with Eddie on Bowfinger, to be a writer/behind-the-scenes-adviser
Get it together peeps – it’s almost 2012 – when are you going to get it in your head that it’s not ok to bash gays, minorities, women, animals etc. White men have always been the big bullys of politics and the entertainment industry. Get with the program, keep your mouth shut and get on with your job. What you do with your shrimp and your private parts is none of my business, but when your views are aired publically and you’re producing a family friendly show that the entire world tunes into, you better be pc. Consequences. Actions.
Where do I apply. I have no experience in producing, but actually know what is funny and love movies. Something that seems to be lacking too often from the Oscars. I could give 10 easy steps to make the show better but I don’t give my advice away for free
Dumping Ratner was the best publicity the Academy could have, both for the Oscarcast and for the honor of the organization itself, which is in total internal disarray and nobody will break the story.
Certainly not the worst suggestion from a “put on a good show” standpoint, but adding Michaels will do nothing to retain Murphy since he’s never worked for the man before.
Eddie was on SNL after Lorne had left in 1980, and there have always been tensions between the two because Murphy basically kept Michaels’ baby alive after he abandoned ship. When SNL celebrated its 25th anniversary, Eddie was not in attendance. He has also never guest hosted while Lorne has been back in charge.
This is not to say that adding Michaels is a bad idea, but if the goal is to make Eddie Murphy comfortable – it misses the mark.
“drafting Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels, and getting Tina Fey involved in the writing. The idea is they would make Eddie Murphy comfortable ”
..er .. Eddie Murphy worked on SNL in the time when Michaels was not the producer. Murphy was hired by Jean Doumanian and mostly worked for producer Dick Ebersol.
So, yeah, the biggest movie star ever to come out of SNL had nothing to do with Lorne Michaels. Think about it.
Have Joss Whedon produce and Neil Patrick Harris host
Christopher Lloyd?
Judd Apatow?
Murphy has never worked with Lorne Michaels, so there’s no way to know that he would make him more comfortable or not. Dick Ebersol was the producer of SNL when Murphy was a cast member.
Also, SNL is in the midst of its current season (as is Fey’s 30 ROCK), so there’s no way Michaels would be able to drop everything and to produce the show. Few seem to recall that Michael produced the Emmys back in ’89 and was said to have disliked the experience (he never produced it again).
I nominate Die Antwoord’s DJ Hi-Tek!
Lorne Michaels would be GENIUS!!!! Would easily be highest rated Oscars ever. Please do this!
Please….just don’t turn the Oscar-cast into a GLEE episode like the Emmys. Ugh.
Have Matt Stone and Trey Parker produce the show and have Marc Shaiman do the music. It would be amazing.
Here! Here! You won’t get mormoms to watch but that is must see!
Whomever produces, and especially if it’s Lorne Michaels, they need to have JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE host if Eddie walks. He has great comedic chops on SNL, did a spectacular hosting job at the ESPY’s a few years ago, and the SNL people know how to write to his strengths.
Never enjoyed a frame of Ratner’s work, but he has always be good to his employees and other hard working creatives. Murphy got me very excited that the show might be strong in a whole new way this year, but now Idk. Anyone in town who was born in the 70′s/80′s has a soft spot for Eddie.
So, if HE must go… I suggest Apatow to Produce. Stiller or Sandler to Host. They are a good team. They all love cinema.
It could be golden…
Bring Rat Back! Bring Rat Back!
Bob Saget.
Here’s what I think. Every day Ellen degeneres puts on a hilarious and inspiring show. Get whoever produces that show to do the oscars. It’s always the perfect mix of funny and heart. That’s what you want the oscars to be.
Because she was so great on American Idol?????