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‘Saturday Night Live’ Season Finale Posts Average Ratings

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Sunday May 19, 2013 @ 9:40am PDTTags: Ben Affleck, Saturday Night Live, TV Ratings
Nellie Andreeva

Last night’s Saturday Night Live season finale with host Ben Affleck and musical guest Kanye West drew a 4.7/12 in metered-market households and a 2.7/13 among adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with Local People Meters. That was flat in 18-49 vs. last year’s season finale with host/musical guest Mick Jagger and down 10% in total viewers (5.2/13). The show, which marked Bill Hader’s departure, also was in line with SNL‘s delivery this season with any host but Justin Timberlake, including Kristen Wiig (4.6, 2.7), Vince Vaughn (4.6, 2.8), Melissa McCarthy (4.8, 2.7) and Kevin Hart (4.8/12, 2.8/13). Timberlake’s fifth turn as host remains the season’s high mark with 5.9/15 and 3.7/18.

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Ben Affleck On ‘SNL’ Finale: ‘Ben Go F*** Yourself’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Sunday May 19, 2013 @ 2:51am PDTTags: Ben Affleck, Saturday Night Live

Five-time host Ben Affleck brought out wife Jennifer Garner for his opening SNL monologue, then poked fun at his Oscar cred and his Gigli past in a Argo bit featuring Fred Armisen as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Affleck:

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Ben Affleck & Kanye West ‘SNL’ Promos: Video

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday May 17, 2013 @ 6:29pm PDTTags: Ben Affleck, Kanye West, Saturday Night Live

Oscar winner Ben Affleck is hosting this weekend’s Saturday Night Live season finale, but it’s musical guest Kanye West who steals the spotlight in SNL‘s set of promos. “Hell no, I’m not going on SNL skits, this is my goddamn life,” he said onstage this … Read More »

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Ben Affleck And Warner Bros Set Next Film: Dennis Lehane Crime Novel ‘Live By Night’

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Tuesday May 7, 2013 @ 9:09am PDTTags: Ben Affleck, Big Deals Film, Dennis Lehane, Live By Night, Warner Bros

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros Pictures chief Jeff Robinov didn’t waste any time moving to make Ben Affleck‘s next picture after Argo snagged the Best Picture Oscar for the studio in February. I’ve learned that pre-production starts … Read More »

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Kristen Wiig And Ben Affleck To Close Out ‘SNL’ Season

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday April 26, 2013 @ 9:27am PDTTags: Ben Affleck, Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Kristen Wiig will make her first appearance as host of Saturday Night Live on May 11, and Ben Affleck will close out the late-night show’s 38th season the following week. Wiig memorably signed off the … Read More »

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TOLDJA! ‘Daredevil’ Rights Revert From Fox To Disney

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday April 23, 2013 @ 12:25pm PDTTags: Ben Affleck, Big Deals Film, Daredevil, Disney, Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios
Mike Fleming

The blogosphere is going wild as Marvel chief Kevin Feige does interviews for Iron Man 3 and acknowledges that Daredevil has returned to the Marvel fold at Disney. We told you this was going to happen last August, when … Read More »

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‘Argo’s Ben Affleck At Center Of Warner Bros Deal For Nathaniel Philbrick Book ‘Bunker Hill’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday March 18, 2013 @ 2:26pm PDTTags: Ben Affleck, Big Deals Film, Bunker Hill, Nathaniel Philbrick, Warner Bros
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros has just closed a high six-figure against seven-figure deal for screen rights to Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution, a book by Nathaniel Philbrick that will be published April 30 by Viking. The project was acquired for Pearl Street Films as a potential directing vehicle for Argo helmer Ben Affleck, who partners in the company with Matt Damon. Word is that Affleck (who is busy adapting the Dennis Lehane novel Live By Night to direct, star in and produce) will turn the book over to his Argo scribe Chris Terrio, making this a major project.

Philbrick is the author of Mayflower and the National Book Award-winning In The Heart Of The Sea, the real story beyond the white whale that informed Moby Dick, and the struggle of the whalers to survive after the giant whale split their ship in half. That book has long been at Warner Bros and looks like it is finally getting made later this year with Ron Howard directing and Thor’s Chris Hemsworth starring.

Resolution’s Rich Green brokered the movie deal for Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency, and Pearl Street president Jennifer Todd moving aggressively to bring the book into the fold, with Sarah Schechter overseeing for the studio.

Affleck, who until Argo had directed movies in the Boston backdrop where he grew up, is going home again as Bunker Hill is hailed as the battle that lit the fuse for the American Revolution in 1775. Read More »

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UPDATE: Lawyer For Iran Said Seeking Suit Over More Than Just ‘Argo’

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Wednesday March 13, 2013 @ 3:51am PDTTags: Argo, Ben Affleck, Warner Bros

UPDATE, 3:51 AM: It turns out that French lawyer Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, wife and defender of Carlos the Jackal, is not only angling to sue Hollywood over Ben Affleck‘s Oscar-winning Argo, she’s attempting to mount a case against a series of U.S. films that Iran believes have portrayed it in a distorted and unrealistic manner. Coutant-Peyre, according to local media, is looking to bring suit in international court against directors and producers who local officials believe have promoted “Iranophobia,” The Guardian reports today. The attorney is quoted by the semi-official ISNA news agency as saying, “I’ll be defending Iran against films that have been made by Hollywood to distort the country’s image, such as Argo.” Other films that have gotten under the skin of Iranians are understood to include 2006′s 300, 1991′s Sally Field-starrer Not Without My Daughter, and Darren Aronofsky’s Oscar-nominated The Wrestler. An attendee at Monday night’s “Hoax Of Hollywood” conference in Tehran, Mohammad Lesani, is reported to have said the gathering was intended to “unify all cultural communities in Iran against the attacks of the West, particularly Hollywood.” The real possibility of a lawsuit is thought dubious, but if brought, it would not be in the U.S., New York defense attorney Stuart Slotnick tells Deadline. “Perhaps those in power in Iran will decide to bring a lawsuit in another country where the movie received distribution”, he said. Iran and the U.S. severed diplomatic ties after the 1979 hostage crisis which is the focal point of Argo. Warner Bros. had no comment on the matter. Read More »

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OSCARS: Analysis By Pete Hammond

By PETE HAMMOND | Monday February 25, 2013 @ 3:04am PSTTags: Ang Lee, Argo, Ben Affleck, Daniel Day-Lewis, George Clooney, Oscars, Seth MacFarlane
Pete Hammond

Oscars 2013 AnalysisEven as tonight’s Governor’s Ball was winding down, Ben Affleck was still off in a corner of the room celebrating his Argo‘s most unlikely Best Picture victory in becoming only the second film in 80 years to win the top prize without even a nomination for its director. Affleck’s roller coaster ride has been remarkable this season and as he told me earlier this weekend, and tonight after the Best Pic triumph, it has been filled with hills and valleys, but it all came together at the Dolby Theatre when First Lady Michelle Obama (from the White House) opened the envelope and announced his film as the winner.

Related: Nikki Finke’s Oscar Live-Snark

When he was left off the list of Directing nominees on January 10th he said he was really depressed, but that same night he won the Critics Choice Movie Award as Director and Best Picture, then the Golden Globe three days later, then the PGA, SAG, DGA, WGA and BAFTA honors to name a few. Suddenly Argo was the one to beat and it never wavered. Affleck’s emotional acceptance was heartfelt and perfectly described the personal journey of this actor turned first-rate director. And his acknowledgement of Steven Spielberg from the stage was a nice touch. He won, with Matt Damon, for Best Original Screenplay in 1997 for Good Will Hunting, but this was different as Affleck told me and he was going to savor this moment as long as he could before moving on into the night. It was the same for Argo’s winning screenwriter Chris Terrio who also was hanging late at the Govs Ball even though he had to catch a flight back to his New York home where he is currently writing a new script based on the Greengrass story. As he was just exiting the Ball at the Hollywood and Highland Grand Ballroom, he told me someone gave him advice that he should just try to enjoy this moment first. He seemed to have a hard time soaking it in, but he was going to give it at least this one night before getting back to work.

Argo, after vitually a clean sweep of awards season since the directing snub (which in retrospect could not have hurt), won a respectable three Oscars (also for Editing and Adapted Screenplay), tying Les Misérables for that number of Oscars. But the big winner of the night (if you can call it that) was 20th’s risky box office success Life Of Pi which nabbed four statuettes including a biggie, Best Director for Ang Lee. Had Affleck been nominated, he likely would have won since Best Picture and Director usually go hand in hand, but for whatever reason in a year with an embarrassment of riches it somehow seems totally appropiate that there was a split and Lee was given this award. If anything, Life Of Pi was a directorial achievement like no other and this Oscar was acknowledgement of that. In fact, right after Affleck was snubbed, I predicted Lee would take it, and in the last couple of weeks it was apparent a tide was building for him among Academy voters. It became one of the easiest calls of the night despite the fact that many pundits were calling it for Lincoln‘s Steven Spielberg. At the Govs Ball, Lee, who has won two previous Oscars (for Best Foreign Language Film for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Director for Brokeback Mountain), told me this one means as much or probably more because of the extreme challenges Pi provided. He was clearly thrilled with it and I told him he becomes the first director since George Stevens in the 50s with A Place In The Sun (1951) and Giant (1956) to win two Best Director Oscars for two films that did not win Best Picture, a rare occurence. Read More »

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Former Canadian Diplomat Still Miffed About ‘Argo’ Version Of Events

By KINSEY LOWE | Sunday February 24, 2013 @ 7:13am PSTTags: Argo, Ben Affleck, Oscars

Ross Lincoln is a Deadline contributor.

Ben Affleck’s historical thriller Argo is a favorite to win Best Picture tonight at the 85th Academy Awards. But with hours to go before the ceremony, former Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor still feels the … Read More »

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OSCARS: Frontrunners Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence Join Presenter Parade

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday February 14, 2013 @ 6:10am PSTTags: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain, Oscars
Mike Fleming

BREAKING: Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence all hope they will take the Oscars stage at some point to accept a golden trophy and thank their agents and everybody else they know. But we’re now guaranteed to see them onstage. The trio has joined the lengthy list of Oscar presenters, the Academy has announced. With so much star power milling around backstage, will it blunt host Seth MacFarlane’s ability to make fun of them as he does on Family Guy? It’s so much easier when they are not in proximity to punch you or at least give you the fish eye.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Academy Award® nominees Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence will present on the Oscar telecast, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today.

Academy Award-winner Affleck, who is nominated this year for producing the Best Picture nominee “Argo,” won the award in 1997 for co-writing the Best Picture nominee “Good Will Hunting.”

Chastain, who is nominated for her lead performance in the Best Picture nominee “Zero Dark Thirty,” received her first nomination last year for her supporting role in the Best Picture nominee “The Help.”

Lawrence, who received her first nomination in 2010 for her leading role in “Winter’s Bone,” is nominated for her lead performance in the Best Picture nominee “Silver Linings Playbook.”

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Big BAFTA Best Film Win Sends ‘Argo’ Into Oscars With Huge Momentum

By PETE HAMMOND | Sunday February 10, 2013 @ 3:36pm PSTTags: Amour, Argo, BAFTA, Ben Affleck, Daniel Day-Lewis, Django Unchained, Emmanuelle Riva, George Clooney, Les Miserables, Quentin Tarantino, Skyfall
Pete Hammond

Actual betting on the Oscars is outlawed in the U.S.. But it is permissible in England – and afterBAFTA today’s British Academy Awards show which just wrapped in London, people would be wise to put some pounds on … Read More »

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DGA Awards: ‘Argo’ Increases Its Hold On Oscar’s Best Picture Prize With Affleck Win

By PETE HAMMOND | Sunday February 3, 2013 @ 1:19am PSTTags: Academy Awards, Argo, Ben Affleck
Pete Hammond

By all coventional signals, Warner Bros is sitting with a hot hand right now with Argo.

After winning a key SAG award for Cast, a very predictive Producers Guild honor for Best Picture and now tonight an all-important DGA … Read More »

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SAG Awards Film: ‘Argo’ On A Roll; Is It Unstoppable?

By PETE HAMMOND | Sunday January 27, 2013 @ 9:45pm PSTTags: Anne Hathaway, Argo, Ben Affleck, Daniel Day-Lewis, Dick Van Dyke, Jennifer Lawrence, Lincoln, SAG Awards, Screen Actors Guild, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Tommy Lee Jones
Pete Hammond

Though the media often refer to Outstanding Cast In A Motion Picture award as the Screen Actors  Guild’s version of Best Picture, SAG balks at the comparison. The actors say their winners don’t always match up and in fact are … Read More »

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PGA Win: Is ‘Argo’ Now Oscar Frontrunner?

By PETE HAMMOND | Sunday January 27, 2013 @ 1:32am PSTTags: Argo, Ben Affleck, Bob Weinstein, George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Harvey Weinstein, J.J. Abrams, Lincoln, PGA, Producers Guild, Silver Linings Playbook
Pete Hammond

It’s starting to get serious. This wild ride of an awards season may not be predictable, according to conventional wisdom. But in the end the winner of the Producer Guild’s Best Picture award Saturday night was completely predictable in … Read More »

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Ben Affleck, David O. Russell & Benh Zeitlin Among Directors Set For Film Independent Series

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday January 15, 2013 @ 4:31pm PSTTags: Ben Affleck, Benh Zeitlin, David O. Russell

Others include writer-directors Ira Sachs (Keep The Lights On), Julia Loktev (The Loneliest Planet) and Jill Soloway (Afternoon Delight). The 12th annual Film Independent Directors Close-Up series will be held on five consecutive Wednesdays beginning February 6 at the Landmark West Los Angeles. Panelists will discuss specific aspects of directing, including sound, writing, cinematography, casting and eliciting compelling performances from actors. Click over for this year’s schedule and topics: Read More »

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Golden Globes Movies: Winning Films Enjoy The Taste Of Victory, But Does It Really Help Oscar Chances?

By PETE HAMMOND | Monday January 14, 2013 @ 3:36am PSTTags: Anne Hathaway, Argo, Ben Affleck, Bill Clinton, Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globes, Les Miserables, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty
Pete Hammond

If anyone thought the Golden Globes results were going to add any clarity to the topsy-turvy atmosphere that has so far characterized this year’s Oscar race,  forget it. In a week that has offered crushing disappointment and major highs … Read More »

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AFI Awards: Hollywood Power Players Turn Out For A Moment Of Sanity During Oscar Season Madness

By PETE HAMMOND | Saturday January 12, 2013 @ 10:59am PSTTags: AFI, AFI Awards, American Film Institute, Amy Pascal, Ben Affleck, Daniel Day-Lewis, Silver Linings Playbook, Sir Howard Stringer, Steven Spielberg
Pete Hammond

Between the roller-coaster ride of Thursday’s 85th Academy Award Nominations and Critics Choice Awards and this weekend’s Golden Globes mania, Friday’s annual AFI Awards Luncheon was not only a breath of fresh air in this busy season. … Read More »

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Critics’ Choice Movie Awards: ‘Argo’ Best Picture, Director; Daniel Day-Lewis, Jessica Chastain Take Acting Honors

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday January 10, 2013 @ 7:07pm PSTTags: Argo, Ben Affleck, Critics Choice Movie Awards, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jessica Chastain

Ben Affleck got some consolation tonight when his Argo was named Best Picture and he was honored as Best Director at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. Affleck, who was overlooked in the director category at today’s Oscar Nominations, took things in stride tonight as he picked up his award for Argo: “I would like to thank the Academy. I’m kidding, this is the award that really counts”.

The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards took place at the Barker Hangar at Santa Monica Airport. This morning Lincoln dominated Oscar nominations with 12, and Steven Spielberg’s historic film portrait also dominated the broadcast critics contenders with 13. The CW is broadcasting the event from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern time, tape delayed for the West Coast.

Daniel Day-Lewis, accepting his award for Best Actor, said that Lincoln was “One of the great unforeseen privileges of my life. Each and every day was filled with discovery and the joy of discovery.” Jessica Chastain was voted Best Actress for her work as a driven CIA analyst for Zero Dark Thirty. Jennifer Lawrence nabbed two prizes, one for Best Actress in an Action Movie for The Hunger Games and the other for Best Actress in a Comedy for Silver Linings Playbook.

A complete list of winners follows:
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