Hammond On Cannes: Suspense Builds To Sunday’s Palme D’Or And Acting Winners

By PETE HAMMOND | Saturday, 25 May 2013 21:45 UKTags: Behind The Candelabra, Cannes Film Festival, Inside Llewyn Davis, Michael Douglas, Nebraska, Palme d'Or, Robert Redford, Steven Spielberg, The Past
Pete Hammond

We are at the end of a long Cannes, and jury members have had the opportunity to see all 20 films in the main competition. But who wins the Palme d’Or? I have learned  that jury president Steven Spielberg has specifically instructed his colleagues to remain tight-lipped and not provide any clues. Cannes juries anyway are notoriously hard to predict and critical reaction through the festival doesn’t necessarily mean anything. But, jumping into the shark-infested waters of predictions, I would say frontrunners for the Palme d’Or are likely Joel and Ethan Coen’s Inside Llewyn Davis, Italian director Paolo Sorrentino’s stunning The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza), Abdellatif Kechiche’s Blue Is The Warmest Color (thanks to buzz), and possibly Iranian director  Asghar Farhardi’s The Past which was shot in Paris and mostly in French. I also would throw in the wonderfully heartfelt Japanese entry Like Father, Like Son, a truly moving film from director Kore-Eda Hirokazu. It’s a long-shot but human emotion goes a long way with juries. I could have picked J.C. Chandor’s All Is Lost with a virtuoso performance from Robert Redford but for some reason it was shown out of competition and not eligible. Otherwise it would have been in the top tier of contenders. Watch for a possible sleeper with the  Chinese entry (their first in a few years) ,A Touch Of Sin  from director Jia Zhangke who is overdue. Reaction was mixed overall  to the overlong four-segment story that examines China today warts and all in some cases. Plus it has some pretty extreme violence. But he could win a prize as a statement supporting more honest and open China filmmaking which this seems to represent. Further down the list  are Alexander Payne’s Nebraska and James Gray’s beautifully realized period piece The Immigrant, at least in terms of Palme d’Or buzz for both very American directors. The wild card is likely Steven Soderbergh’s Behind The Candelabra since he said it’s his last film for the forseeable future. But that could be hampered by the fact it premieres on HBO in the U.S. tomorrow and most think it is more likely to win for its acting, specifically Michael Douglas.

The last three days of the festival saw the sun come out on the Croisette and the quality of films particularly impressive. High profile contenders holding premieres included Nebraska, The Immigrant, and the much touted by critics 3-hour French teen lesbian drama Blue Is The Warmest Color. Followed by Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive, Roman Polanski’s Venus In Fur had its official premiere Saturday night. This entertaining French language adaptation of the hit Broadway play stars his wife Emmanuelle Seigner in an actress audition that turns into a sexual game of cat and mouse with her director portrayed by Mathieu Almarac (who looks uncannily like a younger Polanski – likely on purpose).

The acting categories will provide the most Solomon-like decisions for the jury. Michael Douglas may receive a prize alone or add his equally fine co-star Matt Damon. The actor race is impossibly crowded and also includes the magnificent Toni Servillo of Great Beauty, Oscar Isaac in Inside Llewyn Davis, Bruce Dern and Will Forte of Nebraska, and Almaric of Venus In Fur. And if the jury is watching closely there’s a truly moving performance from Masaharu Fukiyama as the flawed parent in Like Father, Like Son. I would also give a shout-out to the excellent Souleymane Deme as Grigris in a film that didn’t get a lot of traction. On the women’s side, Adele  Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux could be honored together or apart for brave and explicit work in Blue Is The Warmest Color. READ MORE »

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Joss Whedon Provides ‘Avengers 2′ Scoop

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Saturday, 25 May 2013 20:21 UKTags: Joss Whedon, The Avengers 2

On Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night Friday, Joss Whedon confirmed that Marvel characters Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver would be in The Avengers 2.  “I found their powers to be very visually interesting,” Whedon explained. “In the last film a lot of the characters had very ‘punchy powers’ where they were always punchy something and that got kind of boring after awhile.” Whedon said no one has been cast yet, and Fallon suggested Selena Gomez and Channing Tatum. (Was that a joke?) Whedon didn’t raise the name of Evan Peters, who was cast as Quicksilver in Fox’s X-Men: Days of Future Past earlier this week. Here’s the Fallon-Whedon video:

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Record-Breaking Memorial Weekend 2013! ‘Fast & Furious 6′ Huge #1 With $39M Friday/$121M For Franchise Biggest; ‘Hangover III’ $14.5M/$52M; ‘Epic’ $9.1M/$44.2M

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Saturday, 25 May 2013 19:41 UKTags: Box Office, Epic, Fast & Furious 6, The Hangover Part III

Box Office Hangover Part IIISATURDAY 11:30 AM, 8TH UPDATE: Universal’s Fast & Furious 6 opened day and date with the U.S. and Canada in 59 international territories and is breaking records. The studio says it opened #1 in every territory and is dominating the box office with 65% market share. Friday’s international gross is $36M at 8,583 dates for an early total of $90M. This is Universal’s highest grossing Friday of all time and will be Universal’s biggest overseas weekend by a large margin. The international total will be $169M though Sunday. Combined with the North American estimates of $96.2M, the three-day weekend worldwide total will be $265.2M.

SATURDAY 6:30 AM, 7TH UPDATE: Summer 2013 keeps sizzling as huge grosses for the Top 6 movies add up to the biggest Memorial Day weekend and the biggest 4-day holiday eve r(numbers below). That’s potentially $300+ million, easily beating 2011′s all-time Memorial Weekend record of $276M. Yowza! The easy #1 is Universal’s Fast & Furious 6 pulling ahead with $39M Friday (including Thursday late shows and Friday midnights) to target $121M for the holiday weekend from 3,658 domestic theaters. After 12 years, five films and more than $1.5 billion at the global box office, the sixth Fast & Furious installment successfully transitioned from street racing to heist action to terrorist plot and will be the franchise’s biggest opening by far. Audiences gave it an ‘A’ CinemaScore which will help word of mouth. Universal claims the cost of the movie is $160M. F&F6 debuted in 2,409 North American theaters for Thursday 10 PM late shows and Friday midnights and made $6.5M which speeded past Fast 5‘s $3.8M late show grosses from an uncrowded April 29, 2011. It debuts day and date in 59 total international territories this weekend and going into Friday already has $53.4M from 34 international markets, opening #1 in all of them as the franchise’s biggest. Another 25 territories release Friday. Universal has six more territories to open including Trinidad on May 29, Australia and New Zealand on June 6, Venezuela on June 21, Japan on July 6 and China on July 20. No studio has ever dared to keep changing the genre of a successful franchise – but chairman Adam Fogelson and co-chairman Donna Langley again hired Chris Morgan to freshen it yet again. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is back as a federal agent alongside Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and of course director Justin Lin (behind the camera for the 4th time) and longtime producer Neal Moritz. It also stars Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Elsa Pataky plus newcomers Luke Evans and Gina Carano.

The #2 film is Warner Bros’ The Hangover Part III co-financed with Legendary Pictures making $14.5M Friday after earning $11.7M for its Wednesday late shows/Thursday midnights. As the only R-rated comedy, it’s aiming for a $52M Memorial Weekend from 3,555 North American theaters and $63.5M cume over 5 1/2 days. Studio claims the cost was $103M. Pic’s $11.7 million start for Wednesday late shows and Thursday midnights was miniscule compared to H2‘s April 2011 Thursday opening of $31.6M - the highest-grossing opening day ever for a live-action comedy. Audiences only gave The Hangover Part III a ‘B’ CinemaScore compared to the ‘A-’ which the sequel scored. Reviews were only 26% positive on Rotten Tomatoes compared to H2‘s 34% which was considered embarrassingly awful. (By contrast, both F&F6 and Epic both scored 70+% positive RT reviews.) But worldwide moviegoers really like this mindless summer crap. Internationally, the comedy is taking off in only 3 markets this weekend – the UK, Australia and New Zealand with strong early numbers. Next weekend H3 opens in 32 markets, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil. Memorial Weekend wouldn’t have been so crowded if either Warner Bros (who came late and then moved from a Friday to Thursday wide release) or Universal (who tagged it from the beginning) blinked. “But they just stared each other down as they both were driving off a cliff,” one rival studio exec says. Strange because the weekend of May 31st stayed open until Will Smith’s After Earth grabbed it. H3 is positioned as ”the epic conclusion to the trilogy of mayhem and bad decisions” and ”fans have to see how the most popular comedy franchise of all time ends”. Director Todd Phillips returns Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and nemesis Ken Jeong to Las Vegas where it all began.

And #4 right now is Twentieth Century Fox/Blue Sky Studios’ 3D toon Epic which is looking at $9.1M Friday and expecting $44.2M in 3,882 U.S. and Canadian locations for Memorial Weekend.That’s about par for the course for original content animated films in a very competitive environment. (Opening weekends for recent comps range from $37M-$39M. This may pop since audiences gave it an ‘A’ CinemaScore which will help word of mouth. Sibling of the hit Ice Age and Rio franchises looks more earnest and less fun but benefits greatly from what has been a drought of family fare since March when The Croodsopened. Fox claims cost was $93M for this Chris Wedge-directed animated actioner with screenplay credited to James V. Hart & William Joyce, Dan Shere, and Tom J. Astle & Matt Ember. Producers were Lori Forte and Jerry Davis. Beyoncé was the cast ‘get’ plus Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Christoph Waltz, Aziz Ansari, Pitbull, Jason Sudeikis, Steven Tyler. Blake Anderson, and Judah Friedlander. Epic began its $14.5M overseas rollout last weekend in only 16 markets - only 3 top – with 20 additional international territories opening this Memorial Weekend.

There are also 3 proven blockbusters still in the marketplace: Disney/Marvel’s Iron Man 3 in 3,424 theaters, Warner Bros/Village Roadshow’s The Great Gatsby in 3,090 locations (which Friday crossed $100M domestic after only 14 days and is the first Baz Luhrmann film to do so), and Paramount/Skydance’s Star Trek In Darkness in 3,907 theaters.

Here’s the Top Six based on Friday estimates. Refined numbers in the morning:
Read More »

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Cannes: Un Certain Regard Winners Include ‘The Missing Picture’, ‘Fruitvale Station’

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Saturday, 25 May 2013 19:08 UKTags: Cannes Film Festival, Fruitvale Station

The 2013 Un Certain Regard prizes were handed out by Thomas Vinterberg’s jury this evening in Cannes. Cambodian director Rithy Panh won the top award for his first-person story The Missing Picture. The Jury Prize was given to the well-liked Omar by Oscar nominee Hany Abu-Assad. Alain Guiraudie won the Directing Prize for the controversial but acclaimed erotic thriller Stranger By The Lake which Strand Releasing picked up this week. The Un Certain Talent award was given to the ensemble of actors from Spanish director Diego Quemada-Diez’ The Golden Cage. And Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station was honored with the Prize of the Future. His film, which won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in Sundance, held a berth in UCR that’s usually reserved for movies that made a name in Park City. Eventual Oscar nominee Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts Of The Southern Wild ran in UCR last year. Read More »

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SAG-AFTRA Sued For Witholding Foreign Residuals And Rewarding Officials; UPDATE: Union Says “Without Merit”

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Saturday, 25 May 2013 18:48 UKTags: Ed Asner, Lawsuit, SAG AFTRA

SATURDAY UPDATE, 10:48 AM: The union says that it will “vigorously respond in the appropriate forum in due course” to the suit filed Friday by former SAG president Ed Asner and others over $110 million in undistributed residuals and royalties. Claiming that they are “proud” and “confident” in their foreign royalties program, SAG-AFTRA admit they haven’t actually seen the filing itself. Still, based on previous correspondence with the plaintiffs, the union calls the claims “completely without merit.” Read statement here:

We are very proud of, and confident in, our unclaimed residuals and foreign royalties programs which distribute millions of dollars to performers every year. The foreign royalties program has successfully distributed to performers more than $14 million — money that would otherwise go uncollected and be lost to them forever. The foreign royalties program was previously subject to a class action lawsuit that resulted in a resolution favorable to the union after intense scrutiny of the program. While we have not been provided with a copy of the current complaint, the claims as presented in the plaintiff’s earlier correspondence have been thoroughly reviewed and are completely without merit. We will vigorously respond in the appropriate forum in due course.

PREVIOUS FRIDAY PM: Actors Ed Asner, Clancy Brown, Dennis Hayden, and George Coe are among the 15 plaintiffs who filed suit today in federal court against SAG-AFTRA for not properly disbursing $110 million in foreign residuals they say have not been paid out. Asner is the former SAG president (1981-1985) who very publicly opposed the SAG-AFTRA merger along with other ex-union board members. The 52-page filing also claims that the merged union has deliberately withheld information and kept the money in trust and spent portions on first class travel and lavish parties and big salaries for current union officials. “Plaintiffs have reason to believe that SAG-AFTRA has now amassed a substantial slush fund that does not belong to the labor organization but instead belongs to members and non-members, and/or their estates, on covered and uncovered works,” says Friday’s filing. Requesting a jury trial, the plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages as well as injunctive relief and an order by the court that would stop the union from being able to collect overseas royalties. Instead, the suit proposes a separate “independent body” established to handle the funds in the future. Read More »

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Harvey Weinstein Closes Prolific Cannes With Deals For ‘Carol’ And ‘The Young And Prodigious Spivet’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Saturday, 25 May 2013 18:33 UKTags: Cannes Film Festival, Carol, Harvey Weinstein, The Young And Prodigious Spivet
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: As the Cannes Film Festival announces the winners of the fest’s competing films, the big winner in the market portion of the festival is Harvey Weinstein, hands down. Weinstein has just closed two more acquisition deals, leaving Cannes with six films under his arm, and another two for his multi-platform arm Radius-TWC. The Weinstein Company has completed a deal for U.S. distribution rights to Carol, a film that shoots in the fall, directed by Far From Heaven helmer Todd Haynes for HanWay Films. TWC has also just completed the acquisition of U.S. rights to The Young And Prodigious Spivet, the 3D film that reunites Weinstein with Amelie helmer Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Carol stars Cate Blanchett and Mia Wasikowska and is based on a Patricia Highsmith novella adapted by Phillis Nagy. It tells the dual stories of two women: a twenty-something woman working in a department store hoping for a better life; and a wife trapped in a loveless marriage, afraid for her daughter if she bolts. Helena Bonham Carter heads the cast of Jeunet’s 3D film, about a 12-year-old cartographer who secretly leaves his family’s ranch in Montana where he lives with his cowboy father and scientist mother, to travel across the country on board a freight train to receive an award at the Smithsonian Institute. CAA brokered the latter deal.

While the pace of buying at the fest by U.S. distributors seemed lackluster most of the way through, Weinstein and … Read More »

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Cannes: ‘Blue Is The Warmest Color’, ‘Blue Ruin’ Among FIPRESCI Winners

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Saturday, 25 May 2013 18:32 UKTags: Blue Is The Warmest Color, Blue Ruin, Cannes Film Festival

Ahead of tonight’s Un Certain Regard prizes comes word that the International Federation of Film Critics has honored three films in three Cannes sections. Directors’ Fortnight title Blue Ruin, which Radius-TWC has Stateside, took the FIPRESCI prize for a film in a parallel section. Jeremy Saulnier directs. Abdellatif Kechiche’s hot Competition title Blue Is The Warmest Color was FIPRESCI’s pick from among that section. Sundance Selects previously acquired that one. In the Un Certain Regard sidebar, banned Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof’s Manuscripts Don’t Burn was the FIPRESCI winner. Cineuropa reports that prizes were also handed out by the Ecumenical Jury today, with Asghar Farhadi’s The Past (Sony Pictures Classics) the main winner. Hirozaku Kore-Eda’s Competition title Like Father, Like Son and Valeria Golino’s Un certain Regard entry Miele each received a special mention.

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Cannes: Competition Movies Divide Critics; How Much Do Reviews Really Matter?

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Saturday, 25 May 2013 12:59 UKTags: Cannes Film Festival, Inside Llewyn Davis, Only God Forgives

Whichever way the mistral wind blows on Sunday when Steven Spielberg’s jury hands out its awards, it’s fair to say that, for critics, the Competition has been divisive. While a number of films received huzzahs in the Palais, several met with mixed reactions. Among the best received were the Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, Steven Soderbergh’s Behind The Candelabra, Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty, Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s Like Father Like Son, and Abdellatif Kechiche’s Blue Is The Warmest Color. Among the not so hot were Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives and Takashi Miike’s Shield Of Straw, both of which were subject to boos during press screenings. And, yet, each has its supporters. Read More »

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Latest ‘Turbo’ Trailer Tied To Indy 500 Race

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Saturday, 25 May 2013 03:25 UKTags: Indianapolis 500, Turbo

The Indianapolis 500 will be broadcast Sunday on ABC. But this DreamWorks Animation toon’s 2nd phase trailer waits what seems like an interminable time for the tie-in. David Soren writes and directs Turbo about a snail that feels the need for speed. Scripted with Darren Lemke and Robert D. Siegel, its voice cast includes Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michael Pena, Bill Hader, Richard Jenkins, Ken Jeong, Michelle Rodriguez, Maya Rudolph, Snoop Dogg, and Samuel L. Jackson. The Fox release opens July 19th:

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New Charlie Sheen In Robert Rodriguez Film

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Saturday, 25 May 2013 03:02 UKTags: Carlos Estevez, Charlie Sheen, Robert Rodriguez

It’s the first time the actor won’t be billed as Sheen. TMZ obtained this screengrab from the upcoming pic showing that he’s changed his name to Carlos Estevez for writer-director Robert Rodriguez’ upcoming campy thriller Machete Kills. Explanation: Sheen’s dad Martin Sheen was born Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estevez and never changed it legally to ’Martin Sheen’. So ‘Estevez’ is Charlie’s real last name just as it is Emilio’s. Machete Kills also stars Danny Trejo, Sofia Vergara, Mel Gibson, Jessica Alba, Antonio Banderas, Vanessa Hudgens and Lady Gaga whose big-screen debut came about because of a chance encounter with Trejo in an LA tattoo parlor. Pic is scheduled to be released in the U.S. in September.

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NYC Comptroller Calls For Cablevision’s “Zombie Directors” To Resign

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Saturday, 25 May 2013 02:35 UKTags: Cablevision

UPDATE, 7:51 PM: Cablevision returned fire at Comptroller John Liu for challenging the directors who failed to win a majority of the votes. The company says that they “have helped to create great value for Cablevision shareholders. We look forward to their continuing contributions. Our shareholders know that Cablevision is a controlled company and they understand the rules by which our directors are elected. Once again, Mr. Liu is off base attacking another major New York employer. Mr. Liu is no position to lecture anyone about ethics.”

PREVIOUS, 6:35 PM: The term “zombie director” refers to a board member who’s elected without the support of a majority of the shareholder votes —  and their existance infuriates corporate governance watchdogs. But Cablevision reports today that two of the five candidates for the board seats to represent public investors failed to meet that threshold at yesterday’s annual meeting. Since the company only nominated five people for the openings — and there were no outside candidates — they couldn’t lose. But Bond Street Holdings’ Vincent Tese won with just 45.2% supporting him and 54.8% withholding approval. New Century Holdings’ Leonard Tow  was supported by 48.2%. Another director who failed to win a majority last time — former JP Morgan Chase Managing Director Thomas Reifenheiser — barely made it above that level with 50.5% support. The results outraged New York City Comptroller John Liu who oversees the city pension funds’ 532,020 Class A Cablevision … Read More »

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Cannes: SPC Sinks Teeth Into Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Saturday, 25 May 2013 01:00 UKTags: Cannes Film Festival, Jim Jarmusch, Only Lovers Left Alive, Sony Pictures Classics
Mike Fleming

Sony Pictures Classics acquired North American rights to Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive, the vampire pic that premieres tomorrow at Cannes in the In Competition section. The film was produced by Jeremy Thomas of Recorded Picture Company and Reinhard Brundig of Pandora Film. Christos Konstantakopoulos of Fairilo House served as executive producer. Starring Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt, Anton Yelchin and Jeffrey Wright, Only Lovers Left Alive takes place against the romantic desolation of Detroit and Tangier and follows an underground musician, deeply depressed by the direction of human activities, who reunites with his resilient and enigmatic lover. Their love story has already endured several centuries at least, but their debauched idyll is soon disrupted by her wild and uncontrollable younger sister. “It would take a stake through the heart to keep Barker, Bernard and Leiner away from a good movie,” stated Producer JeremyThomas. Thorsten Schumacher and Jan Spielhoff for HanWay Films and ICM negotiated the deal.

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Ryan Seacrest On Mike Darnell’s Fox Departure

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Saturday, 25 May 2013 00:15 UKTags: Mike Darnell, Ryan Seacrest
Nellie Andreeva

Ryan Seacrest was a local Los Angeles DJ when he was picked by Fox’s head of alternative programming Mike Darnell as co-host and then sole host of American Idol. Seacrest became a TV star and has gone on to expand into producing and build a mini reality empire. “Mike Darnell was a pioneer in reality television,” Seacrest said today about Darnell’s decision to depart Fox. “He brilliantly paved the way for all of us, creating a powerful entertainment genre that audiences can’t get enough of. I’ve had the privilege of working with him for more than a decade, and I’ve learned so much from him. He has been an inspiration for imparting his creative genius constantly, a mentor as I launched my production company, as well as a dear friend. I’m excited to work with him as he blazes a new path in his incredible career.” Seacrest has one more year on his current blockbuster Idol contract and, with Darnell gone and the current judges and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe also likely out, he may be the only key auspice returning next season, providing continuity.

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Zach Braff Ends $3+M Kickstarter Campaign

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday, 24 May 2013 23:21 UKTags: Kickstarter, Wish I Was Here, Zach Braff

After 30 days and several big name castings, Zach Braff’s Wish I Was Here Kickstarter campaign ended today up $1 million over its initial ask. The final result was just over $3.1 million.  When it launched on April 24, Braff initially sought $2 million for the indie film which surpassed its $2M fundraising goal in just three days. ”Thank you, thank you, thank you. I won’t let you down! Lets do this,” posted Braff on Twitter, along with the pic to the right, after the campaign closed on Friday. The crowdfunding effort ended up with 46,520 backers including 3 who pledged $9,000 or more and 1 who pledged $10,000 or more. Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin and Josh Gad will join Braff in the film about a thirtysomething actor who is trying to figure out who he is. The former Scrubs star co-wrote the screenplay for Wish I Was Here with his brother and will direct the film. Stacey Sher and Michael Shamberg are producing the pic through their Double Feature Films. Worldview Entertainment has stepped in to provide gap financing for the film.

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Deadline Big Media With David Lieberman, Episode 36

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Friday, 24 May 2013 23:00 UKTags: Apple, Deadline Big Media, MPAA, Yahoo

Listen to (and share) episode 36 of our audio podcast Deadline Big Media With David Lieberman. Deadline’s Executive Editor talks with host David Bloom about Apple’s taxing day on Capitol Hill; whether production tax incentives pay off the way the MPAA says they do; and Marissa Mayer’s big gamble with Yahoo’s $1.1 billion Tumblr acquisition.

Deadline Big Media, Episode 36 (MP3 format)
Deadline Big Media, Episode 36 (MP4a format) Read More »

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Mike Darnell On His Decision To Leave Fox & His Future

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday, 24 May 2013 22:22 UKTags: American Idol, Fox, Mike Darnell, The X Factor, WME
Nellie Andreeva

Mike Darnell Leaves FoxShortly after we broke the news of Fox President of Alternative Programming Mike Darnell‘s decision to depart the network after 18 years, I’ve got to speak to Darnell about the bombshell news. “I  remember considering leaving the last time,” he said. “This happens every time my contract is up. It’s always an excruciating decision.” This time he couldn’t resist the temptation of other opportunities. “I love it here, but there are all these other things out there.” What are the things he’s most attracted to? “I will take a little time to feel my way through, but it will be something that is creative and exciting that has a sense of entrepreneurship,” Darnell said, indicating that a career as a producer might be in the cards. He has already signed with Mark Itkin, the co-head of TV at WME.

Fox President Of Alternative Programming Mike Darnell To Depart

As for the timing of his decision to leave Fox and likely the executive ranks, “my dream was to work on a big show that will go down in the history books,” he said. “I achieved that with American Idol, which may be the biggest show that ever was.” But Idol, as well as newbie The X Factor, had been taking up a lot of Darnell’s time over the last few seasons with a series of shakeups and attempts to keep Idol … Read More »

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Fox Unscripted TV Czar Mike Darnell To Exit

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday, 24 May 2013 21:32 UKTags: American Idol, Fox, Mike Darnell, The X Factor
Nellie Andreeva

Mike Darnell Leaves FoxEXCLUSIVE: The reality TV landscape will never be the same. After 18 years at Fox, the dean of unscripted TV executives, Fox’s President of Alternative Programming Mike Darnell, is stepping down. He will stay on through the end of June, when his current contract is up, and help with the transition. Darnell was offered a new long-term deal at the network but, after long deliberation, decided it was time to move on. Darnell faced similar agonizing soul-searching several years ago when he was offered rich producing deals elsewhere but ultimately opted to stay at Fox, where he’s had free rein on the unscripted side. This time around, he decided to leave the network, which he helped build first with noise-making reality specials like World’s Scariest Police Chases and When Animals Attack! and then with such tentpole series as American Idol and Family Guy. The colorful, unconventional, cowboy hat-wearing Darnell never shied away from controversy, relishing in the blockbuster attention projects like the Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? special and hit series Joe Millionaire brought on. In a  testament to Darnell’s importance to Fox and parent News Corp, company chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch weighed in on his departure. “Mike took risks at a critical time and was a pioneering force in shaping the reality programming genre that exists today,” Murdoch said. “He’s a smart and fearless executive who will be missed.”

Related: Mike Darnell On His Decision To Leave Fox & His Future

Darnell is expected to take some time off before making his next move, which I hear likely will be in the producing/entrepreneurial arena. “I’m extremely grateful that Fox has offered me a new long-term contract (and anyone who knows me won’t believe I’m saying this), but I’ve decided it’s time for a change,” Darnell said. “With my current deal ending in June, and having been here for 18 years (kind of a record in Hollywood), I had to make a decision: either stay (and basically admit to myself I was going to retire at Fox … not a terrible choice) or leave and try something new. I’ve been in ‘Reality’ since before it was even called that, and it has truly been an amazing ride. However, the world has changed drastically over the last few years, and now with hundreds of channels and limitless ways to watch television, I’ve decided this was the perfect time to take advantage of the rapidly changing marketplace. To say I am going to miss everyone here and that the people at Fox are like a family to me would be the understatement of the decade.  I have so many people to thank (and I will call all of you!), but first and foremost, I want to thank Kevin Reilly, Peter Rice, Chase Carey and Rupert Murdoch for all their amazing support over these many years,” the exec said in a statement Friday.

Related: Anyone Care Who Won ‘American Idol’?

Fox is expected to begin the search for Darnell’s successor, who will navigate veteran American Idol and The X Factor through their upcoming overhauls, soon as Idol is looking to rebound from all-time low ratings. “Mike has been a trailblazer for the entire industry and has made innumerable contributions to the growth and success of the network over the past two decades,” said Rice, Chairman of Fox Networks Group. “His passion for – and dedication to – television knows no bounds. He is like a member of the family, and Fox won’t be the same without him. While we wish he would’ve stayed forever, we regretfully accept his decision.”

Related: Jennifer Hudson In Talks For ‘American Idol’ Judge Gig
Read More »

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Hot Trailer: ‘Ain’t Them Bodies Saints’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday, 24 May 2013 21:29 UKTags: Ain't Them Bodies Saints, David Lowery, IFC Films

The first trailer has come out for the David Lowery-directed drama Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. The film, which IFC picked up at Sundance this year, stars Casey Affleck as a man who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met. Rooney Mara, Ben Foster, Nate Parker and Keith Carradine fill out the top flight cast.  IFC Films have set the movie to come out on August 16. Check out the trailer here now. 

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NBC Sets Oklahoma Tornado Benefit Concert For May 29

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday, 24 May 2013 20:38 UKTags: Blake Shelton, NBC, Oklahoma tornado

Blake Shelton’s relief benefit concert for victims of the tornado that hit The Voice judge’s native state of Oklahoma will air live on NBC at 9 PM ET May 29, the network announced today. Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and Vince Gill are the only other musicians set to appear right now, but sources say Shelton’s fellow Voice judges likely will perform in some capacity as well. The concert for the United Way will also air on Style, G4, Bravo, E! and CMT on either a live or delayed basis.

Related: NBC Plans Blake Shelton Tornado Benefit Next Week

Read the full release from NBC below:

OKLAHOMA CITY - May 24, 2013 - Blake Shelton has organized and will headline the telethon “Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert” on May 29, to take place at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. Grammy Award-winning artists Miranda Lambert, Reba and Vince Gill will also perform. Additional guests for the concert will be announced shortly. The concert will be televised live at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. It will also air on cable networks Style, G4, Bravo, E! and CMT on either a live or delayed basis.
“Everyone has their way to help, and mine as an entertainer is to perform to help raise money and awareness for this tragedy,” Shelton said. “This is why I want to do this special and especially hold it in Oklahoma City, which is near ground zero.”

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