Deadline.com http://www.deadline.com Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:03:19 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Glenn Geller To Run Current Programming For CBS & CBS Studios, David Brownfield Segues To Development Deal At CBS Studio CBS is combining the current programming departments of the network and sibling studio CBS TV Studios. CBS veteran Glenn Geller, most recently SVP and head of current programming for CBS TV Studios, has been promoted to EVP, Current Programming for the CBS Network TV Entertainment Group, overseeing the newly consolidated division reporting to both CBS TV Studios president David Stapf and CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler. David Brownfield, who has headed of CBS Entertainment’s current programming department since the 2004 reorganisation following the CBS-Paramount merger when he succeeded Stapf, is segueing to producing. He is staying in the CBS fold, signing a development deal with CBS TV Studios. Before joining CBS, Brownfield was a co-producer and writer on the ABC comedy Boy Meets World. “The timing is right to make this move,” said Tassler and Stapf. “David has wanted to return to writing and producing television, and the majority of our series are now produced in-house. It makes sense creatively and operationally to have one streamlined current operation to support our shows.” The consolidation does make sense as the majority of CBS TV Studios’ output is for CBS. Additionally, the studio has three series on the CW and King & Maxwell on TNT. Geller has been with CBS since 2001, serving as Director and VP of Current ... Read More »]]> http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/glenn-geller-to-run-current-programming-for-cbs-cbs-studios-david-brownfield-segues-to-development-deal-at-cbs-studio/ Shailene Woodley’s Mary Jane Role Cut From ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2′; Actress Out Altogether? Shailene Woodley Spider-Man 2UPDATED: Despite shooting a handful of scenes as Mary Jane Watson in Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Shailene Woodley will not be appearing in the superhero sequel after all, the studio confirms. The Mary Jane character – the most famous of Peter Parker’s comic book love interests – will instead be pushed to the third film so that the rebooted franchise can focus on the relationship between Peter (Andrew Garfield) and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) first established in 2012′s The Amazing Spider-Man. “I made a creative decision to streamline the story and focus on Peter and Gwen and their relationship,” director Marc Webb explained in a statement. “Shailene is an incredibly talented actress and while we only shot a few scenes with Mary Jane, we all love working with her.” It’s unclear if Woodley’s already-filmed scenes will be saved for use in the third film, which has a ways to go before it hits theaters in 2016. That timing calls more into question for the hot Woodley, whose starring run on ABC Family’s The Secret Life Of The American Teenager just ended after five seasons clearing her to focus on her burgeoning film career. A breakout thanks to 2011′s Oscar-winning The Descendants, Woodley has the award-winning Sundance hit The Spectacular Now in theaters in ... Read More »]]> http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/shailene-woodley-mary-jane-cut-amazing-spider-man-2/ Ex-LA Times Showbiz Czar Sallie Hofmeister Joins Sitrick And Company Public Relations Los Angeles Times to the Century City offices of Sitrick And Company. “Like many of my new partners who came from journalism, I didn’t think I would ever join a PR firm, but Sitrick is not exactly a traditional or ordinary public relations firm,” explained Sallie Hofmeister in her announcement. She was formerly Assistant Managing Editor directing all arts and entertainment coverage both digitally and in print until LAT Editor Davan Maharaj exited her a year ago almost to the day. “I speak for everyone at the firm when I say we are very thrilled to have Sallie join our team,” Mike Sitrick said in the announcement. “It takes a certain combination of judgment and skill to succeed in this business and I am confident Sallie has both.” If you’re  going to do PR, Sitrick’s self-processed strategic and crisis flackery though certainly controversial is more interesting than most. And while I’ve written harshly about Sallie in the past, we’ve become better acquainted over recent months, and I’ve grown to like and respect her. (Hey, she gave me this announcement first…) I truly wish her well in her new gig. ]]> http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/ex-la-times-showbiz-czarina-sallie-hofmeister-joins-sitrick-pr/ R.I.P. Vince Flynn Vince Flynn, bestselling author of the Mitch Rapp political thriller series of novels, died today after a long battle with prostate cancer, his rep ICM Partners said. He was 47. Flynn’s memorable Rapp character, an undercover CIA counter-terrorism agent, was the focus of 14 books including American Assassin, Kill Shot, Transfer Of Power, The Third Option, Separation Of Power, Executive Power, Memorial Day, Consent To Kill, Act Of Treason, Extreme Measures, Pursuit Of Honor and The Last Man. CBS Films optioned feature film rights to the Rapp character with the intention of making a character-based, action thriller movie franchise. It later offered $10M to Chris Hemsworth to star in the first pic in that deal, American Assassin, but Hemsworth passed because of scheduling issues. ]]> http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/r-i-p-vince-flynn/ ‘Star Wars’ Cast Breakdown Unveiled The casting directors for Disney‘s new Star Wars movie — April Webster and Alyssa Weisberg in the U.S. and Nina Gold in the UK — have sent casting breakdowns to agents. It provides the first real clues about what’s happening in the next movie in the franchise, which Michael Arndt is writing and JJ Abrams is directing. Abrams said recently that he expects production to start on Star Wars — Episode VII at the beginning of 2014. Kudos to Bleeding Cool for scooping this list, saying these are lead roles and that casting is officially underway in the UK, where the movie will lens. (UPDATED: Looks like movie fansite Schmoesknow had the breakdown first the day before, so credit where credit’s due.) Here’s the list of characters in play sent around, so have fun trying to figure out who’s who:
A young man aged between 20 and 25, witty and smart, fit but not classically handsome, Man in late twenties, also fit, but this one is handsome and confident. Late teenage girl, independent, good sense of humour, also… physically fit . Second young female, also late teens, tough, smart and physically fit. Man in his forties, obviously physically fit, this one is a military type. A man of around thirty or so, this one is an intellectual type. Finally, a guy aged around seventy, strong opinions and tough.
]]> http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/star-wars-cast-details-unveiled/ Marvel’s ‘Iron Man 3′ Past $400M Domestic Iron Man 3 Box Office RecordMarvel’s Iron Man 3 became Disney’s 5th release to cross the $400 million mark at the domestic box office. The film has now earned over $1.2 billion and is the #5 film of all time globally. It also recently passed Disney’s Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and is currently the #6 film of all time at the international box office with more than $803 million. After the 2nd biggest domestic opening in history with $174.1 million, Iron Man 3 crossed the $1 billion threshold globally in 23 days, making it Disney’s 6th billion dollar and 2nd highest-grossing release of all time, behind only Marvel’s The Avengers. It has surpassed the total gross of The Avengers in China, Finland, Hong Kong, Korea, Russia, Poland, Switzerland, Thailand, and Ukraine, as well as Malaysia and Vietnam, where it is the highest grossing film of all time. ]]> http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/marvels-iron-man-3-passes-400m-domestic/ Academy Science And Technology Council Names 2013 Interns BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has selected five students to participate in its 2013 summer internship program, with placements at the Tech Council, Dolby Laboratories, Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios. The only one of its kind, the Academy-sponsored program is designed to nurture the next generation of motion picture technologists by providing real-world experience to students interested in careers in motion picture technology and scientific research. The 2013 Science and Technology Council summer interns and their internship hosts are: Victor Mateevitsi, University of Illinois at Chicago – Pixar Animation Studios Ritvik Menon, University of Pennsylvania – Walt Disney Animation Studios Jaclyn Pytlarz, Rochester Institute of Technology – Science and Technology Council Wei Wang, Texas A&M University – Pixar Animation Studios Xi Xu, University of Illinois at Chicago – Dolby Laboratories These five students were selected from among applicants who underwent a rigorous vetting process by a distinguished panel of Tech Council members. The applicants submitted demo reels of their work, which were reviewed and evaluated for technical aptitude, innovation, creativity and originality. Now in its seventh year, the summer internship program provides a 10- to 12-week hands-on experience that helps students gain a deeper understanding of advanced motion picture technologies. During the internships, the students will also attend several Academy-related events in Southern California and the Bay Area, including meet-and-greets with industry experts. “Our hope is that these ... Read More »]]> http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/academy-science-and-technology-council-names-2013-interns/ Drafthouse Films Revives 1979 John Huston-Sam Peckinpah Sci-Fi ‘The Visitor’ Drafthouse Films has added another curio to their eclectic slate. They’ve unearthed 1979′s The Visitor, a phantasmagorical sci-fi oddity starring Lance Henriksen, Mel Ferrer, Shelley Winters, Franco Nero, and iconic film directors John Huston and Sam Peckinpah in the tale of an alien Christ figure battling a demonic 8-year-old girl and her pet hawk for the fate of the universe. One of the crop of Hollywood knockoffs that proliferated in Italian cinema in the 1970s and ’80s, the Italy/US co-production from producer Ovidio G. Assonitis and bodybuilder-turned-director Michael J. Paradise mashes elements of The Omen, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, and Star Wars in what Drafthouse Creative Director Evan Husney describes as “joyfully delirious” experience. The Austin-based distributor has plans for a theatrical, home video and VOD/digital release later in the year from an HD restoration of the film. The bizarre pic has been a must-see on the late night circuit for genre devotees for years. COO James Emanuel Shapiro negotiated the deal on behalf of Drafthouse Films and Fabrizio Giona on behalf of the film’s rights holder, producer Ovidio G. Assonitis. ]]> http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/drafthouse-films-1979-john-huston-sam-peckinpah-sci-fi-the-visitor/ Shine America Boosts Marketing And Research Units With Hires Los Angeles CA—June 19, 2013—Shine America has named Rob Hughes Vice President, Marketing and Kevin Ivey, Executive Director, Research, it was announced today by Vivi Zigler, President, Shine 360˚ & Digital, Shine America. Hughes, who was formerly Executive Director, Marketing & Communications for Saban Brands, will oversee all day-to-day marketing responsibilities for Shine America including working with all network and digital partners on Shine America series initiatives, developing international marketing materials for Shine America produced series, as well as marketing Shine America itself. Ivey, who was formerly Vice President, Program Research for NBCUniversal cable network’s Syfy and Chiller, is charged with creating a new research department for Shine America and supplying strategic research data to the company’s scripted, unscripted, digital, publicity, Shine Latino and Shine 360˚ teams. Both Hughes and Ivey will work out of Shine America’s Los Angeles office and report to Zigler. ]]> http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/shine-america-rob-hughes-kevin-ivey-marketing-research/