UPDATE: ‘The Grey’ $15+M, ‘One For The … 
John Lee Hancock To Direct John Grisham Novel ‘The … 
Viacom’s Philippe Dauman Makes $43.1M In 2011, Down … 
‘The Artist’ Blooper Reel: A Must See 
Rosemary Rodriguez To Direct ‘Addicted’ For … 
‘This Means War’ Gets PG-13 Rating 
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Theater Chain Won’t Play Lionsgate Film 
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Golden Globes TV Rights Trial: Day Three 
EXCLUSIVE: WME Must Only Pay $20M-$30M In Beverly Hills … 
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Shawnee Smith Lands A Lead On Charlie Sheen Comedy Series … 
Netflix Shares Rocketing As Analysts Swoon Over 4Q Report 
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Beverly Hills, CA – Producer credits for 84th Academy Awards® Best Picture nominee “The Tree of Life” have been determined by the Producers Branch Executive Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The official nominees for the film are Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Dede Gardner and Grant Hill.
Academy rules allow for no more than three producers to be nominated and to potentially receive Oscar® statuettes. The executive committee called a meeting to determine if “The Tree of Life” represented a “rare and extraordinary circumstance,” as described by the rules, and if any additional producer would be eligible. The committee determined that Green, Pohlad, Gardner and Hill functioned as genuine producers of the film and would be cited in the nomination.
Producers for the eight other motion pictures nominated in the Best Picture category – “The Artist,” “The Descendants,” “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” “The Help,” “Hugo,” “Midnight in Paris,” “Moneyball” and “War Horse” – were announced on January 24 and remain unchanged.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre.
OSCARS: ‘Tree Of Life’ Producer Credits Finally Determined For Best Picture Contender
Walt Disney Pictures Sued By Fired Top Exec
EXCLUSIVE: Former EVP Music/Creative Marketing Glen Lajeski filed the lawsuit today alleging breach of contract and claiming that he was terminated without warning or explanation by Walt Disney Pictures. MORE
Participant Acquires ‘Middle Of Nowhere’: Sundance
Park City, UT – January 27, 2012 – Participant Media and AFFRM (African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement) have jointly acquired U.S. theatrical rights to MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, an elegant and emotional drama chronicling a woman’s separation from her incarcerated husband and her journey to maintain her marriage and her identity. Written and directed by AFFRM founder Ava DuVernay, the film was produced by DuVernay and Howard Barish with producer Paul Garnes.
Staring into the hollow end of her husband Derek’s eight-year prison sentence, Ruby Sexton fights to support him on the inside and survive her own identity crisis on the outside. Through a chance encounter and a stunning betrayal that shakes her to the core, Ruby is propelled in new and, often frightening, directions of self-discovery.
AFFRM will distribute the film theatrically later this year, activating marketing and promotional support through its broad grassroots collective powered by the nation’s top black film organizations. AFFRM’s inaugural feature through this innovative model was the critically-acclaimed drama, “I Will Follow,” released in March 2011. In December 2011, AFFRM distributed last year’s Sundance World Cinema Drama Audience Award winner, “Kinyarwanda.”
UPDATE: ‘The Grey’ $15+M, ‘One For The Money’ $12+M, ‘Man On A Ledge’ $6+M
Theater Chain Won’t Play Lionsgate Film ‘One For The Money’
Lionsgate-Summit Offers Discounted Tickets For Films This Weekend
FRIDAY 2:30 PM UPDATE: Things are starting to pop. Sources are telling me that the No. 1 movie at the North American box office is projected as Open Road Films acquisition of Liam Neeson-starrer The Grey with $5M-$6M for today and $15M-$17M for the weekend from 3,185 locations. Lionsgate’s opener One For The Money starring Katherine Heigl and based on the Janet Evanovich’s bestselling novel is coming on stronger than people thought it would with $4M-5M for today and $12M-$14M for the weekend from 2,737 runs. Summit Entertainment’s new actioner Man On A Ledge with Sam Worthington is looking like $2M-$3M for today and $6M-$7M for the weekend from 2,998 theaters. In other words, weak. No word yet on whether those Groupon/Living Social discounted movie ticket deals are helping the Lionsgate/Summit pics but it did prevent the Marcus Theatre chain from playing One For The Money in the midwest. Numbers will be refined later with full analysis.
John Lee Hancock To Direct John Grisham Novel ‘The Partner’ For New Regency
EXCLUSIVE: The Blind Side director John Lee Hancock has been set to write and direct The Partner, based on the John Grisham bestseller. The project is set up at New Regency, whose principal, Arnon Milchan, previously adapted the Grisham novels A Time To Kill, The Client and Runaway Jury, back in the day when Grisham was getting up to $8 million for movie rights to his legal thrillers.
Hancock has also been circling Highwaymen, the John Fusco-scripted drama about the vet cops dragged out of retirement to hunt down bank robbers Bonny and Clyde. If Hancock commits to that film, he’ll do The Partner next.
Published in 2005, The Partner is about Patrick Lanigan, a young partner in a white shoe Biloxi law firm with a wife and newborn daughter. Trapped in a burning car one night, he died, leaving behind only ashes. But Lanigan is disillusioned enough by his life to fake his death and steal $90 million from his firm. He just has to hope the wrong people don’t catch up with him as he goes on the run. CAA-repped Hancock wrote and made his directing debut on The Rookie, after scripting such films as A Perfect World and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Sarah Jessica Parker To Replace Demi Moore In ‘Lovelace’
Sarah Jessica Parker has signed on to the role of Gloria Steinem in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s Lovelace, the Millennium Films biopic about the iconic adult-film star that toplines Amanda Seyfried along with Peter Skarsgaard. Demi Moore was set to play Steinem before pulling out this week to seek treatment for exhaustion. The film has already begun production.
Viacom’s Philippe Dauman Makes $43.1M In 2011, Down 49%
Last year’s $84.5M package made Dauman one of the highest paid CEOs in the U.S. — and a target for a lot of scorn. But much of his bonanza came from one-time stock awards. Without them he’s still a candidate to be one of the most richly compensated media execs in 2011, based on the data in Viacom’s just-filed proxy. For the fiscal year that ended in September, while Viacom stock was up 7.7%, Dauman’s compensation includes: salary of $3.5M (+33% vs last year), annual stock award of $10.2M (flat), $3.1M in one-time stock (-90.1%), $6.0M in annual option award (flat), and $20M in non-equity incentive compensation (+77.8%). His perks included $232,000 for personal use of Viacom’s aircraft, and $15,000 for car service. Dauman’s package accounted for 39.5% of the compensation that Viacom awarded to its top five execs. His lieutenant, COO Tom Dooley, came in second with $34.1M (-47.3% without one-time stock) — equal to 31.2% of the total for the top five. Viacom said that the duo “executed on key operational goals such as strengthening relationships with key partners, increasing the Company’s investment in content as well as cost-effectiveness in our operations, building our international operations and returning capital to our stockholders while maintaining a solid financial position.” Viacom also praised them for achieving ”strong financial results while continuing to navigate economic challenges and positioning the Company well for the future.” Chairman Sumner Redstone, who controls the company, made $21M (+40%). … Read More »
OSCAR VIDEO: ‘Time Freak’ Team Finds Out They’ve Been Nominated
84th Academy Award Nominations
Not all Oscar categories are announced during the annual early-morning ceremony in Hollywood. So writer-director Andrew Bowler and producer Gigi Causey had to find out the old-fashioned way that their live-action short Time Freak made the final cut that punches their ticket to the Academy Awards. And like good filmmakers they got it on camera in one take — and still in their PJs.
Latest GOP Debate Draws 5.36 Million
There are three figures that stand out about last night’s CNN Republican presidential debate in Florida: It averaged 5.36 million viewers, and it was the 10th most watched of 18(!) GOP TV debates so far this election season. It was slightly up from the last debate on CNN on January 19 (5.02 million) and slightly down from the last one on rival Fox News (5.48 million). Broadcast networks ABC and NBC lead the pack in total viewers with their specials. Here’s the ratings rankings for the debates so far: Read More »
‘Anderson’ Exec Producer Jim Murphy Exits
EXCLUSIVE: Anderson executive producer Jim Murphy is stepping down, completing the behind-the-scenes changing of the guard at Anderson Cooper’s syndicated daytime talk show. Murphy’s departure leaves rising star Terence Noonan as the only executive producer alongside Cooper at the helm of the Telepictures-produced freshman talker, which has already been renewed for a second season. Noonan joined Anderson from Dr. Oz at the beginning of October and was quickly upped to executive producer alongside the show’s original executive producers Lisa Morin, Murphy and Cooper. Morin left at the beginning of December, followed by today’s exit of Murphy. “I’m grateful for Jim’s help and his hard work launching the show,” Cooper said in a memo to the staff. “He’s a good friend and will always be a friend of our show. We have a terrific team in place led by our executive producer, Terence Noonan, and I’m really excited about the momentum we’ve built and the future of the show.”
For the week ending January 15th (the most recent ratings we have), Anderson posted a 25% jump to a series high 1.5 household rating, the largest household rating increase of any new show. It also scored 20% or better increases in every key female demo, including 29% among women 25-54 to a 0.9. Murphy, who came from Good Morning America, is said to be looking to to return to news. “This has been an amazing experience being involved in the creation of this great … Read More »
UTA Signs Camilla Belle From WME
EXCLUSIVE: Camilla Belle has left WME and has signed with UTA in a team led by Theresa Peters for representation in all areas. The American-born actress, who is part Brazilian, is currently attached to Legendary/Warner Bros’ upcoming film Paradise Lost directed by Alex Proyas. Belle broke out in the highy regarded indie The Ballad Of Jack And Rose and starred in Adrift. She continues to be represented by manager Deborah Gould and attorney Marcy Morris.
Garry Marshall Set For NAB Hall Of Fame
Washington, DC — The National Association of Broadcasters announced today that Garry Marshall, legendary Hollywood actor, director, writer and producer, will be inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame during the 2012 NAB Show Television Luncheon, sponsored by Wide Orbit, on Monday, April 16. NAB Show, held in Las Vegas, is the annual conference and expo for professionals who create, manage and distribute entertainment across all platforms.
IFC Films Nabs Rights To ‘Simon Killer’ In North America
Park City, UT (January 27, 2012) – IFC Films announced today from the 2012 Sundance Film Festival that the company is acquiring North American rights to director Antonio Campos’ SIMON KILLER. The film, with a screenplay also by Campos, stars Brady Corbet, Mati Diop, Michael Abiteboul, Constance Rousseau, and Lila Salet. The picture was produced by Josh Mond and Sean Durkin of Borderline Films and Matt Palmieri, who also financed through his FilmHaven Entertainment banner. The two companies previously collaborated on the critical sensation, MARTHA, MARCY, MAY, MARLENE.
Rosemary Rodriguez To Direct ‘Addicted’ For Lionsgate
EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate has set Rosemary Rodriguez to direct Addicted, an adaptation of the provocative bestselling novel by Zane. The book is a psychological drama that tells the story of the perfect family woman whose addiction to sex is unraveling her perfect family life. Script was written by Christina Welsh, with a rewrite by playwright Lucy Thurber. The film’s being readied for a spring/early summer start. Rodriguez has helmed Acts of Worship and episodes of TV shows including The Good Wife and Rescue Me. She’s repped by Rain Management Group and Paradigm.
NBC Picks Up ‘New Normal’ Family Comedy Pilot From Ryan Murphy And Allison Adler; Is Network Done With Half-Hour Orders?
It’s officially a go for NBC’s comedy project from the Glee duo of Ryan Murphy and Allison Adler. The network has given a pilot order to The New Normal, a single-camera project co-written by Glee co-creator Murphy and Adler and to be directed by Murphy, which might be the last half-hour to snag a pickup at NBC this season. The Book Of Mormon star Andrew Rannells is set for one of 3 leads in the project, a heartwarming comedy about a blended family of a gay couple and 
the woman who becomes a surrogate to help them start a family. The comedy had been as close to a sure thing as it could be since NBC landed the pitch in a three-way bidding war with penalty said to be bigger than any other commitment for a half-hour project this season. Murphy and Adler were still writing the first draft when NBC moved on to hire a casting director to explore options for the 3 leads. Rannells was tapped as one of them last week. 20th Century Fox TV is producing, with Murphy, Adler and Ryan Murphy Prods.’ Dante Di Loreto executive producing. The New Normal was one of 2 comedy projects about a gay couple with kids that NBC put in development this season, along with a half-hour … Read More »
Reality Notes: Purveyors Of Pop Lands Overall Deal, Chuck LaBella Hired At NBC
Purveyors of Pop, the production company of Matt Anderson and Nate Green, executive producers and showrunners of four Real Housewives series – The Real Housewives of New York, New Jersey, Atlanta as well as spinoff Bethenny Ever After – has signed an overall deal with FremantleMedia North America to develop and produce unscripted programming. Additionally, Cooper Green has joined the Purveyors of Pop as VP of Development.
Chuck LaBella has been named VP of Talent Development, Alternative Programming, NBC. He previously served as a talent consultant for NBC’s Alternative Series and Specials department and as the Executive in Charge of Talent for the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants. He also was a talent producer for five seasons of NBC’s The Celebrity Apprentice and Last Comic Standing.
Sandra Dewey Promoted To EVP At Turner
Sandra Dewey has been elevated to EVP, Head Of Business Affairs at Turner Entertainment Networks and Cartoon Network Originals. With the new title, she will continue to lead business affairs and production for TNT, TBS and TCM originals, as well as new media and advertiser-sponsored initiatives. She also leads business affairs for truTV and Cartoon Network Originals. Dewey most recently oversaw the business model for Turner’s first global series, Falling Skies, and was lead negotiator in the deal that brought Conan O’Brien to TBS. She is based in L.A. and continues to report to Turner Entertainment Networks president Steve Koonin; and to Stuart Snyder, president and COO of Turner Broadcasting’s Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media group.
WSJ: Bankers Fighting Over Facebook IPO
One of the tech world’s most eagerly anticipated public offerings could take place next week, with Facebook potentially raising about $10B from shares that would value the company at as much as $100B, The Wall Street Journal reports. If the numbers are correct, then the Facebook IPO would be the largest-ever tech offering — well ahead of the $5.9B sale in 2000 for shares in semiconductor company Infineon Technologies. But first Facebook has to decide which Wall Street bank will lead its campaign, which the paper says could be worth “tens of millions of dollars in fees as well as bragging rights.” Morgan Stanley appears to be on top. But Goldman Sachs is still in the running despite its snafu last year when a $1.5B private offering it led for Facebook ended up being restricted to overseas investors. The banker made that decision after the SEC began to investigate whether Goldman had run afoul of the law that bars “general solicitation and advertising” for a private offering.
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