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Cannes: Upstart Mulberry Films Kicks Off With ‘Purple America’; Adaptation of ‘Ice Storm’ Author’s ’90s Novel

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday May 15, 2013 @ 8:26am PDTTags: Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Wrap-Up, Dennis Lee, Mulberry Films, Rick Moody, The Ice Storm
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Mulberry Films comes to the Croisette for the first time with the intention of turning strong literary works into films. First up: Purple America, an adaptation of the Rick Moody novel that Dennis Lee will direct and which Lee will co-write with Daniel Ragussis. This will be the first Moody novel headed for screen treatment since the Ang Lee-directed The Ice Storm. Published in 1998, Purple America is a dysfunctional family drama about how the ordinary, commonplace tragedies of life can sometimes make heroes out of very ordinary people. A fortysomething returns to Long Island to visit his invalid mom, and discovers her husband has bailed. He has to learn to face up to responsibilities. He has previously made a career avoiding this kind of thing, which is why he has not much to speak of in his empty life. Read More »

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2013-14 ABC Schedule

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday May 14, 2013 @ 9:03am PDT

ABC FALL 2013-2014 SCHEDULE
(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8 PM – Dancing With The Stars
10 PM – Castle

TUESDAY
8 PM – MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
9 PM – THE GOLDBERGS
9:30 PM – TROPHY WIFE
10 PM – LUCKY 7

WEDNESDAY
8 PM – The Middle
8:30 PM – BACK IN THE GAME
9 PM – Modern Family
9:30 PM – SUPER FUN NIGHT
10 PM – Nashville

THURSDAY
8 PM – ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND
9 PM – Grey’s Anatomy
10 PM – Scandal

FRIDAY
8 PM – Last Man Standing
8:30 PM – The Neighbors
9 PM – Shark Tank
10 PM – 20/20

SATURDAY
8 PM – Saturday Night College Football

SUNDAY
7 PM – America’s Funniest Home Videos
8 PM – Once Upon A Time
9 PM – Revenge
10 PM – BETRAYAL

2013-2014 NEW SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Dramas

Betrayal — A chance meeting between photographer Sara Hadley (Hannah Ware) and Attorney Jack McAllister (Stuart Townsend) leads to an instant and undeniable attraction. Sarah’s husband, Drew (Chris Johnson), is a successful prosecutor with political aspirations, while Jack is married to Elaine (Wendy Moniz), the daughter of his boss, Thacher Karsten (James Cromwell). When Karsten’s brother-in-law Lou is murdered, all evidence points to Karsten’s son, T.J. (Henry Thomas). Jack, the company’s lead counsel, will have to defend him, but for Sara’s prosecutor husband, Drew, this is the kind of high-profile murder case that can secure his political future. Just as Sara and Jack’s affair is starting, the lovers find themselves in an impossible situation — on opposite sides of a murder investigation. “Betrayal” stars Hannah Ware (“Shame,” “Boss”) as Sara, Stuart Townsend (“The … Read More »

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ABC 2013-14 Schedule: Rebel Wilson Gets Post-‘Modern Family’ Slot, ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ On Tuesday, ‘Dancing’ Shrinks To One Night

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Tuesday May 14, 2013 @ 9:00am PDTTags: ABC, Dancing With The Stars, Super Fun Night
Nellie Andreeva

ABC is launching eight new series in the fall and taking some big swings, including a Tuesday lineup of all-new series, anchored by Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Rebel Wilson’s hot streak continues, with the rising star landing the post-Modern Family slot for her comedy Super Fun Night. ABC is looking to stem Dancing With The Stars‘ ratings decline by eliminating the Tuesday edition, with the Monday 8-10 PM show incorporating both performances and results. Dancing, as well as The Bachelor, Shark Tank and The Taste have been formally renewed for next season. Here is ABC’s fall schedule, analysis and descriptions of all 13 new series for next season, including newly picked up adventure reality series The Quest from The Amazing Race creators Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri:

Related: ABC To Air Some Dramas In Two Batches Of 12 Episodes

ABC FALL 2013-2014 SCHEDULE
(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8 PM – Dancing With The Stars
10 PM – Castle

TUESDAY
8 PM – MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
9 PM – THE GOLDBERGS
9:30 PM – TROPHY WIFE
10 PM – LUCKY 7

WEDNESDAY
8 PM – The Middle
8:30 PM – BACK IN THE GAME
9 PM – Modern Family
9:30 PM – SUPER FUN NIGHT
10 PM – Nashville

THURSDAY
8 PM – ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND
9 PM – Grey’s Anatomy
10 PM – Scandal

FRIDAY
8 PM – Last Man Standing
8:30 PM – The Neighbors
9 PM – Shark Tank
10 PM – 20/20

SATURDAY
8 PM – Saturday Night College Football

SUNDAY
7 PM – America’s Funniest Home Videos
8 PM – Once Upon A Time
9 PM – Revenge
10 PM – BETRAYAL

From ABC’s returning series, left off the schedule are comedy Suburgatory and reality series The Bachelor, which comes on in midseason, and The Taste.

Read More »

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2013-14 Fox Schedule

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday May 13, 2013 @ 5:08am PDT

FOX FALL 2013-2014 SCHEDULE
(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8-9 PM Bones (fall) / ALMOST HUMAN (late fall)
9-10 PM SLEEPY HOLLOW (fall) / The Following (midseason)

TUESDAY
8-8:30 PM DADS
8:30-9 PM BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
9-9:30 PM New Girl
9:30-10 PM The Mindy Project

WEDNESDAY
8-10 PM The X Factor (fall) / American Idol (midseason)

THURSDAY
8-9 PM The X Factor Results (fall) / American Idol Results (midseason)
9-10 PM Glee (fall) / RAKE (midseason)

FRIDAY
8-9 PM JUNIOR MASTERCHEF (wt) (fall)
9-10 PM SLEEPY HOLLOW encores (fall)

Late Fall:
8-9 PM Bones
9-9:30 PM Raising Hope (late fall)
9:30-10 PM ENLISTED (new; late fall)

SATURDAY
7-10:30 PM Fox Sports Saturday
11 PM-12:30 AM ANIMATION DOMINATION HIGH-DEF

SUNDAY
7-7:30 PM NFL Game (fall)
7:30-8 PM The OT (fall)
8-8:30 PM The Simpsons
8:30-9:00 PM Bob’s Burgers
9:00-9:30 PM Family Guy
9:30-10 PM American Dad

Schedule TBAs: GANG RELATED, SURVIVING JACK, US & THEM, MURDER POLICE

2013-2014 NEW SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

New Comedies — Fall

Brooklyn Nine-Nine — From Emmy Award-winning writer/producers Dan Goor and Michael Schur (“Parks and Recreation”), and starring Emmy Award winners Andy Samberg (“Saturday Night Live”) and Andre Braugher (“Men of a Certain Age,” “Homicide: Life on the Street”), BROOKLYN NINE-NINE is a new single-camera ensemble comedy about what happens when a talented, but carefree, detective gets a new captain with a lot to prove. Detective JAKE PERALTA (Samberg) is a good enough cop that he’s never had to work that hard or follow the rules too closely. Perhaps because he has the best arrest record among his colleagues, he’s been enabled – if not … Read More »

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Fox 2013-14 Schedule: Comedy Block And ‘Bones’ On Friday, ‘Sleepy Hollow’ Monday

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday May 13, 2013 @ 5:00am PDTTags: Fox
Nellie Andreeva

Male-friendly new comedy and drama series dominate Fox‘s new series picks. Fox is launching six new series in the fall — comedies Dads, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Enlisted and dramas, Sleepy Hollow and Almost Human — and one reality series, Junior Masterchef. Midseason will be as important with six new shows slated to unspool then: comedies Surviving Jack, Us & Them and animated Murder Police, dramas Rake and Gang Related and event series Wayward Pines, from M. Night Shyamalan. Without further ado, here is Fox’s 2013-14 schedule, with analysis and new show descriptions below it:

FOX FALL 2013-2014 SCHEDULE
(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8-9 PM Bones (fall) / ALMOST HUMAN (late fall)
9-10 PM SLEEPY HOLLOW (fall) / The Following (midseason)

TUESDAY
8-8:30 PM DADS
8:30-9 PM BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
9-9:30 PM New Girl
9:30-10 PM The Mindy Project

WEDNESDAY
8-10 PM The X Factor (fall) / American Idol (midseason)

THURSDAY
8-9 PM The X Factor Results (fall) / American Idol Results (midseason)
9-10 PM Glee (fall) / RAKE (midseason)

FRIDAY
8-9 PM JUNIOR MASTERCHEF (wt) (fall)
9-10 PM SLEEPY HOLLOW encores (fall)

Late Fall:
8-9 PM Bones
9-9:30 PM Raising Hope (late fall)
9:30-10 PM ENLISTED (new; late fall)

SATURDAY
7-10:30 PM Fox Sports Saturday
11 PM-12:30 AM ANIMATION DOMINATION HIGH-DEF

SUNDAY
7-7:30 PM NFL Game (fall)
7:30-8 PM The OT (fall)
8-8:30 PM The Simpsons
8:30-9:00 PM Bob’s Burgers
9:00-9:30 PM Family Guy
9:30-10 PM American Dad Read More »

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UPDATE: ABC Picks Up ‘Once Upon A Time’ Spinoff, ‘Mixology’, ‘The Returned’, ‘Killer Women’, ‘Lucky 7′, ‘Betrayal’, ‘Trophy Wife’, Cullen Bros, ‘Influence’, ‘The Goldbergs’, ‘Super Fun Night’, ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ To Series

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday May 10, 2013 @ 6:13pm PDTTags: ABC, Disney, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Rebel Wilson
Nellie Andreeva

When all was said and done tonight, ABC picked up a total of 12 new series — seven dramas and five comedies. All comedies are single-camera as ABC passed on both of its multi-camera pilots. Here is how it all came down today as the network opened the pickup process with one Disney-friendly shoo-in pilot, Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D., and closed it with another, the Once Upon A Time spinoff. Descriptions of all ABC series and first-look photos at the bottom of the post.
ABC’s Once Upon A Time is officially a franchise as the network just ordered spinoff Once Upon A Time In Wonderland to series, joining the original series, which also was renewed.

Also picked up at ABC are ensemble comedy Mixology, which had been heating up, drama The Returned, now called Resurrection, said to be one of Paul Lee’s favorite pilots, and female procedural Killer Women, executive produced by Sofia Vergara and Ben Silverman. The Malin Akerman starrer Trophy Wife also has gotten a series pickup.

It’s a great day for David Zabel, who just got a pickup call for both of his ABC pilots, dramas Lucky 7 and Betrayal.

Two more series pickups at ABC to two 20th TV pilots, the Cullen Bros. comedy starring James Caan and executive produced by Aaron Kaplan, titled Back In The Game, and the Steve Zahn-Christian Slater procedural Minds Games (formerly Influence).

Also getting a series pickup at ABC is comedy frontrunner Adam Goldberg, whose autobiographical 1980s dysfunctional family comedy is now called The Goldbergs. 

ABC wants to be in the Rebel Wilson business. The network’s first new comedy series pickup went to Wilson’s Super Fun Night. The pilot was not perfect, but with Wilson’s star rising so fast, the network couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have her on its air.

No surprise here — ABC’s first new series order for next season has gone to Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D., from The Avengers’ Joss Whedon. The network will air a first-look at the series, officially titled Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., during the season finale of Once Upon A Time on Sunday. This marks the first pilot and first series for Disney-owned Marvel on ABC.
Read More »

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Univision Announces Adaptations of ‘Breaking Bad’ & ‘Gossip Girl’ For Hispanic Market

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday May 10, 2013 @ 1:31pm PDTTags: Univision

UPDATE: According to Breaking Bad producer Sony TV, the studio has not closed a deal with Univision for a Spanish-language adaptation. The studio had shot and shopped a Spanish-language Breaking Bad pilot for the U.S. and Latin American markets but has not decided what network(s) it would go with or whether it would proceed with the series at all.

PREVIOUS, 1:31 PM: Spanish-language versions of Breaking Bad and Gossip Girl are among the new shows coming to Univision next season. Ahead of the network’s upfront Tuesday, Univision today unveiled its programming slate for next season. Along with a number of returning series, Univision itself will launch 21 new series plus eight new series on its youth-focused UniMás network and three on its sports-heavy Galavision outlet. The Univision shows include two new big telenovelas, La Tempestad (The Storm) and Mentir para Vivir (Lie So You Can Live). In addition to a lot of sports and 10 documentaries made with Participant Media, Univision will also for the first time adapt English-language series for the Hispanic market. UniMás, Univision’s second broadcast network, will be airing Metastasis, a U.S.-based series patterned on AMC’s Breaking Bad, and Gossip Girl Acapulco, a look at the scandalous lives of Acapulco’s elite based on the CW series. Both are set to debut in 2014, said Univision Communications president and CEO Randy Falco on a conference call today. Falco also said there were a few surprises left to be announced next week in NYC including some new awards shows and a musical reality series set to air in 2014 that Univision Studios is co-producing. Here are the details about the new shows: Read More »

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Fox Picks Up Dramas ‘Rake’, ‘Gang Related’, ‘Sleepy Hollow’ And ‘Almost Human’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday May 8, 2013 @ 6:00pm PDTTags: Almost Human, Fox, Gang Related, Rake, Sleepy Hollow
Nellie Andreeva

Fox just made its new drama series pickups, ordering four shows — Rake starring Greg Kinnear, Gang Related starring Ramon Rodriguez, Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci’s Sleepy Hollow, and Almost Human, from the Fringe duo of J.H. Wyman and J.J. After last season’s experiment with Mob Doctor, Fox went unapologetically male with its new hours, all toplined by male actors — Kinnear (Rake), Rodriguez (Gang Related), Brit Tom Mison (Sleepy Hollow), — who is poised to be one of the breakout stars next season — and Karl Urban and Michael Ealy (Almost Human). I hear Rake is eyed for a midseason launch in the mold of another starring Fox drama vehicle, this season’s The Following. The drama pickups assure continuous presence on Fox for Abrams, Wyman, Kurtzman and Orci. Fringe, which Abrams, Kurtzman and Orci created and Wyman ran, finished its run on the network earlier this season. Studio-wise, Fox spread the wealth, picking up two projects from its sister studio and one each from Warner Bros. and Sony. Two of the pilots were directed by big-name feature helmers, Sam Raimi (Rake) and Len Wiseman (Sleepy Hollow). Fox’s other hourlong pilots, Delirium, starring Emma Roberts; Boomerang, starring Felicity Huffman and Anthony LaPaglia; and The List, starring Michael Pena, are dead. The network’s comedy pickups are expected shortly. Here are descriptions of Fox’s new drama series along with first-glimpse photos:

Related: PRIMETIME PILOT PANIC: Rumor Mill

Related: Fox Picks Up Dramas ‘Rake’, ‘Gang Related’, ‘Sleepy Hollow’ And ‘Almost Human’

Read More »

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Cannes: Marza Ramps Up 3D Animation Slate With ‘Robodog’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday May 7, 2013 @ 3:30pm PDTTags: Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Wrap-Up, Marza Animation Planet, Robodog

CG specialist Marza Animation Planet is in pre-production on their first animated feature under newly appointed CEO Masanao Maeda, the company announced today. Maeda previously served as President and COO of SEGA of America before moving to Marza, which is financed by the SEGA SAMMY Group holding company. The animated family flick Robodog follows two odd-couple canines, one a robot and one a real dog, as they embark on an adventure and find their place in the world. Henry F. Anderson III, who was animation director on Disney’s hit Gnomeo & Juliet, has been tapped to helm. Read More »

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Paramount & MGM Sued For $23M By ‘G.I. Joe’ Writers Who Claim Sequel Was ‘Stolen’

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Monday May 6, 2013 @ 4:27pm PDTTags: David Elliot, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, MGM, Paramount Pictures, Paul Lovett

Two of the screenwriters of the first G.I. Joe movie have filed a multi-million copyright infringement suit against Paramount Pictures, MGM, Hasbro and Di Bonaventura Pictures. In their two-claim complaint (read it here) filed on May 3 in federal court, David Elliot and Paul Lovett are seeking $23 million in damages and claiming much of this year’s G.I Joe: Retaliation sequel was “stolen” from their ideas. With extensive side-by-side comparisons between the pitch the duo were asked to submit to the companies in late 2009 and the actual Retaliation film, the heavily detailed 113-page complaint alleges that the two works are “substantially similar in every material way.” Claiming copyright infringement and breach of implied contract, Elliot and Lovett are seeking a jury trial in the case.

The Principato-Young Entertainment repped duo were the writers of the G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra movie back in 2009 along with Stuart Beattie. Not long after that film came out, they were requested to put together some ideas for a sequel with the understanding that they would get the scribe gig on the movie if their ideas were accepted. Though they put together a detailed plotline and characters descriptions, as well had extensive back and forth with the film’s producers like Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, it was just not meant to be. “On or … Read More »

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‘The Crow’ Flies With Luke Evans

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Saturday May 4, 2013 @ 1:57pm PDTTags: Fast & Furious 6, Luke Evans, The Crow, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: The Crow will fly with Welsh actor Luke Evans playing the title role in the F. Javier Gutierrez-directed franchise reboot for Relativity Media. Evans was the original choice, but he has been incredibly busy. He was just cast as the lead in Dracula Year Zero, he is the villain in Fast & Furious 6 and is Bard the Bowman in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Evans seemed to be unavailable because of production on Dracula and promotion on The Hobbit. The distributor looked at Tom Hiddleston and more recently Alexander Skarsgard, the latter of whom has a bunch of offers after Warner Bros halted Tarzan. Ultimately, they have decided to push the start date to early next year to accommodate his schedule in order to secure Evans, who is currently promoting the release of Fast 6. So hey junket guys, be sure to ask him about it. They are now in negotiations and I expect the deal to make. He seems an ideal fit for the role originated by Brandon Lee, who died tragically during production on the 1994 Alex Proyas-directed revenge story based on the James O’Barr comic book series. He’s repped by WME and United Agents.

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CBS, ‘The Young And The Restless’ Top Daytime Emmy Nominations

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday May 1, 2013 @ 7:09am PDTTags: CBS, Daytime Emmy Awards, The Ellen Degeneres Show, The Young and the Restless
Nellie Andreeva

CBS was the most nominated network at the 40th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards announced this morning with 50 nominations, almost half of them for soap The Young And The Restless, which was the most nominated program with 23. All surviving soaps on the broadcast networks received a best drama series nomination, plus One Life To Live for its final episodes on ABC. (The Daytime Emmy Awards cover the previous calendar year. OLTL and All My Children‘s reboots by Prospect Park will be eligible next year.) Among talk shows, stalwart The Ellen DeGeneres Show again leads the way with 10 noms and will square off for best talk show with Live!, The View and The Talk. Katie Couric’s freshman syndicated talk show was the only newcomer in the top talk show categories, nominated for best talk show/informative alongside The Doctors and Dr. Oz. However, fellow rookie talk show host Steve Harvey snagged a nomination for his game show host duties on Family Feud.

The National Academy Of TV Arts & Sciences kept with tradition in the morning show category, nominating the three broadcast network morning programs including the embattled Today. Speaking of embattled, Kevin Clash, subject of multiple sexual abuse lawsuits, landed his last nomination as Elmo puppeteer. This year’s Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award for lifetime achievement will be presented to game show veterans Monty Hall and Bob Stewart. The 40th Daytime Emmys will he held June 16 at the Beverly Hilton and air on HLN. Here is a full list of the nominees and tallies by network and by program: Read More »

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Alex Pettyfer In ‘50 Shades Of Grey’? Tom Hiddleston In ‘The Crow’? Dont Dress For Either

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday April 29, 2013 @ 4:14pm PDTTags: Alex Pettyfer, Alexander Skarsgard, Fifty Shades Of Grey, The Crow, Tom Hiddleson
Mike Fleming

The fast pace of digital-age reporting means a lot of half-truths and half-baked conversations being reported as fact. First, I’ve gotta call bullshit on these recent reports (sorry, PMC-owned sister publication Hollywood Life) that Alex Pettyfer has been set to play Christian Grey in the eagerly awaited Universal Pictures adaptation of E.L. James’ Fifty Shades Of Grey. That book is selling faster than Harry Potter, another novel series about a guy with a magic wand. There hasn’t been a shred of discussion at the studio about Pettyfer playing Grey. The actor filmed the “deflowering” scene from the book for Gus Van Sant, who did that on spec in an attempt to get himself the helming job. A lot of major directors have been discreetly approached, but everyone is waiting on a script by Kelly Marcel. They would not set any cast without input from a filmmaker.

Also not happening is Thor and The Avengers antagonist Tom Hiddleston starring in Relativity Media’s reboot of The Crow. A simple conversation has been overhyped and reported like it was going to happen. The guy to keep an eye on here is True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard, who is getting numerous offers since his plans to star for David Yates in Tarzan died on the vine when Warner Bros halted the project over budget. No formal offer yet, but it sounds to … Read More »

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R.I.P. Jack Shea

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday April 29, 2013 @ 11:41am PDTTags: Directors Guild Of America, Jack Shea

Director, producer, writer and former DGA president Jack Shea, died yesterday of complications from Alzheimer’s in Tarzana, CA, according to his wife Patt. He was 84. Shea, a New York City native, served three terms as Directors Guild of America president from 1997-2002. Under his watch, the DGA addressed runaway production, encouraged diversity in hiring, formed an Independent Directors Committee and negotiated landmark deals including the historic “blended contract.” One of the original organizers and a past president of the Radio and Television Directors Guild, the precursor to the DGA, Shea encouraged the merger of the RTDG with the Screen Directors Guild in 1960 to form the DGA. In 1992, he was awarded the DGA’s Robert Aldrich Award for “40 years of extraordinary service.” His 40-year television directing and producing career included episodes of The Jeffersons, Silver Spoons, The Ropers, Sanford & Son and Designing Women for which he received an Emmy nomination. His other credits include The Charmings, Growing Pains, The Waltons, Valerie’s Family, The Royal Family, The Golden Girls, Punky Brewster and Full House. Shea also had a longtime professional relationship with Bob Hope, directing many holiday and comedy specials from 1956-1966, including many specials taped overseas.

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Specialty B.O. Preview: ‘Mud’, ‘Arthur Newman’, ‘At Any Price’, ‘Kon-Tiki’, ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’, ‘An Oversimplification Of Her Beauty’, ‘Aquí Y Allá’, ‘Sun Don’t Shine’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday April 25, 2013 @ 9:55pm PDTTags: Aqui Y Alla, Mud, Specialty Box Office

Brian Brooks is a Deadline contributor. 

This weekend boasts a big number of Specialty Releases ranging from star-powered features to smaller offerings with non-pro actors. Jeff Nichols’ Mud with Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon opens in over 300 theaters courtesy of Roadside Attractions, while Cinedigm’s Arthur Newman stars Emily Blunt, Colin Firth and Anne Heche. Sony Classics will platform release At Any Price, which stars Dennis Quaid, Kim Dickens, Zac Efron as well. The Weinstein Company with its Pacific adventure, Kon-Tiki. Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist with Kate Hudson, Liev Schreiber and Kiefer Sutherland had a wild ride before it finally opened the Venice Film Festival last August and Terence Nance’s An Oversimplification Of Her Beauty received new life after winning a Gotham Award. Joining the fray this weekend are Torch Films’ Aquí Y Allá and Factory 25′s Sun Don’t Shine which will open in L.A. and New York respectively.

Mud
Director-writer: Jeff Nichols
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Paulson
Distributor: Roadside Attractions

Writer-director Jeff Nichols had the idea for Mud back in college during the ’90s. The film follows two teenage boys who encounter a fugitive (McConaughey) and form a pact to help him evade the bounty hunters on his trail and to reunite him with his true love. “I was thinking who I’d like to hang out with on an island on the Mississippi River and that was Matthew McConaughey”, joked Nichols who spoke at the Apple Store in SoHo last weekend in New York. “And I liked him in Lone Star”. “He is the DNA of the project”, said McConaughey. “I’ve done over 40 films and I’ve never done one in which we stayed so closely to the script as on this film”. The Cinema Society hosted the New York premiere of Mud last Sunday and Nichols and McConaughey were joined by Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Paulson at the event and party at nightspot Harlow. Witherspoon did not join the Apple store conversation and she also notably cancelled scheduled appearances on GMA and Fallon following her recent arrest in Georgia. Asked if he thought Witherspoon’s turn from the public eye might affect the film’s opening weekend, Roadside Attractions chief Howard Cohen sounded upbeat. “We’re doing a big television buy and we have Matthew out everywhere”, he said. “We’re totally focused on the great things we’ve done and she’s great in the movie. It happened and it’s played out, but she’s great and did a ton of press ahead of time and she also attended the premiere and I don’t think it will have an impact”. Read More »

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Studiocanal, Aardman Animations Team For ‘Shaun The Sheep’ Feature

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Thursday, 25 April 2013 11:42 UKTags: Aardman Animations, Shaun The Sheep, StudioCanal

The stop-motion animated TV series Shaun The Sheep first aired on the BBC’s CBBC in 2007 and has been sold in over 170 countries. France’s Studiocanal will finance the feature version of the popular kids show from Aardman Animations. Studiocanal will also distribute in the UK, France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand and handle international sales. The family film, written and directed by Richard Starzak and Mark Burton, will see the titular character and his flock venture into the big city to rescue their farmer.

This is the first collaboration between Studiocanal and Aardman and will be one of Studiocanal’s lead pre-sales titles in Cannes, where I understand the company will dedicate a day to Shaun.

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Chris Morgan Launches TV Company, Signs Pod Deal With 20th Century Fox Television

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday April 22, 2013 @ 2:41pm PDTTags: 20th Century Fox TV, Big Deals TV, Chris Morgan
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: After making a successful expansion into television, feature writer Chris Morgan is setting up TV shop. Morgan is launching a TV offshoot of his Chris Morgan Prods., which will be housed at 20th Century Fox TV with a two-year pod deal. Under the pact, Morgan will write and produce new series for the studio, as well as supervise other writers and develop projects for all networks.

Morgan, writer of the hit Fast And Furious movie franchise, first tested the TV waters this development season when he sold a few projects, two of which, Gang Related at Fox and Big Thunder at ABC, went to pilot. What’s more, both pilots have been garnering strong early buzz and appear strong contenders for series orders. Morgan wrote and executive produces Gang Related and co-wrote the story and executive produces Big Thunder. He has been in first position on Gang Related, which is produced by 20th Century Fox TV. The pilot was directed by Allen Hughes and stars Ramon Rodriguez, Terry O’Quinn and RZA.

After such a “fast & furious” start in TV, Morgan was pursued by multiple TV studios for a deal but opted to go with 20th TV because of what he said was “an amazing experience” with the studio’s executives during the development and production of Gang Related. “I have big goals in television, and I look forward to achieving them with the studio as my creative partner,” Morgan added. Read More »

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Cannes: Lineup Unveiled Of Short Films & Cinéfondation Titles In Competition

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Tuesday, 16 April 2013 15:47 UKTags: Cannes Film Festival, Jane Campion

Thierry Frémaux will announce the official selection of features for the 66th Cannes Film Festival on Thursday in Paris. In the meantime, the festival has set its slate of short films and Cinéfondation titles that are running in competition. The Short Film committee chose nine works from 3,500 submissions. The top prize in the section will be awarded at the fest’s official closing ceremony on May 26. The Cinéfondation committee picked 18 movies from 1,550 entries by students at 277 film schools around the world, a third of which are participating for the first time. Three Cinéfondation prizes are to be handed out on May 24. Jane Campion is president of both juries. The full lists of films follow: Read More »

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‘Tarzan’ Dying On The Vine At Warner Bros?

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday April 10, 2013 @ 1:02pm PDTTags: Alexander Skarsgard, David Yates, Jessica Chastain, Tarzan, Warner Bros
Mike Fleming

Alexander SkarsgardEXCLUSIVE: Things are not looking very good right now for Tarzan, the re-imagining of the Edgar Rice Burroughs tale that has Harry Potter helmer David Yates preparing to make it this year, with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard playing the title character and Zero Dark Thirty‘s Jessica Chastain circling the female lead. I’m hearing they’ve shut down plans to make the film this year, and are shuttering the production office. Sounds like it had to do with a high budget they just couldn’t reduce to the level that made the studio comfortable. Casting and timing could also have been an issue, as word is the studio had been courting Jamie Foxx to play the film’s third lead but hadn’t made a deal. This is the film that Warner Bros has tried to get going for years, even hiring scribes Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer to separately script their own visions for the franchise.

Nobody was commenting officially, but insiders at the studio tell me they are trying again for 2014 and that Yates is still in the fold. The studio hadn’t greenlit the film and did not have pay or play deals, so it wasn’t that hard to apply the brakes. Warner Bros is always voracious for franchises that can play on a global stage, but the studio also has been pretty bold about unplugging films that cost too much or don’t get the … Read More »

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