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10 Best Picture Oscar Nominations

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

Ten pictures are nominated in the Best Picture category this year. Here is the list:

Avatar, James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
The Blind Side, Nominees to be determined
District 9, Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
An Education, Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
The Hurt Locker, Nominees to be determined
Inglourious Basterds, Lawrence Bender, Producer
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
A Serious Man, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
Up, Jonas Rivera, Producer
Up in the Air, Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Photo: Todd Wawrychuk / (C) A.M.P.A.S.

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Video: 2010 Grammy Red Carpet Highights

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST

The Grammy Awards were last night. They were lengthy (3 1/2 hours) but featured some great performance and amazing outfits. In this "Best Of the Red Carpet Clip" Ryan Seacrest hears the story of how Russell Brand and Katy Perry got engaged and chats with everyone from Pink to Taylor Swift. Take a look:

You can find more coverage of the Grammys here.

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Rumor: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to Skip Oscars

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

E Online is reporting that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt will not be attending this year's Academy Awards. Angelina Jolie will be missed on the red carpet.

As for why the couple, not seen together publicly since a December outing in New York, has suddenly caught a case of the camera-shies?

Jolie will be heading to Venice at the end of February to start production on The Tourist, a remake of a French thriller costarring Johnny Depp in which Jolie plays a vengeful Interpol agent.

The Oscars are being held on March 7th. Angelina Jolie shooting a film at the end of February is not a good excuse for missing the Oscars. There is no film that shoots during the Oscars. It's the Oscars. Plus, the film crew and cast would love it if Angelina attended and mentioned the movie. The news that they are not attending comes amidst rumors the hot Hollywood couple is splitting up.

Photo: Bryan Crowe, (C) A.M.P.A.S.

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Live Nation-Ticket Master Merger Moving Forward

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST

The Department has tentatively approved the merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster, providing certain conditions are met. The conditions are part of a settlement of an antitrust suit which was filed to stop the merger.

Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney said Ticketmaster must license its ticketing software to its major competitor Anschutz Entertainment Group, and must sell off its ticketing subsidiary Paciolan to within 60 days to Comcast Spectacor, which has already signed a letter of intent to purchase the unit, or to another suitable buyer.

The merged entity would also have to submit to a 10-year court order barring it from retaliating against venues that sign pacts with competing ticketing firms.

Varney said, "The Department of Justice's proposed remedy promotes robust competition for primary ticketing services and preserves incentives for competitors to innovate and discount, which will benefit consumers."

After the deal is approved by the court, the merger will create the largest entity of its kind in the U.S. music business, from ticketing to venues. Many people think that's a very bad idea, hence the antitrust suit.

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Oprah Invites Jay and Conan to Appear on Her Show

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:40:00 EST

Tonight was Conan O'Brien's last night as host of The Tonight Show. He decided to leave rather than put his show back thirty minutes. His $40 million settlement will no doubt ease some of the pain he's feeling. Jay Leno will move to The Tonight Show after the Olympics, and Jay can count on at least one major fan to help him spread the word: Oprah Winfrey. Oprah has also invited Conan O'Brien to appear, although Conan hasn't responded yet.

Oprah announced on her show today that Jay will be a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Oprah Winfrey said she is set to interview Jay Leno, and her production company said an offer has been made to Conan O'Brien to appear.

Winfrey said on her talk show Friday that she was going to Los Angeles for a "one-on-one" interview with Leno to air on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Thursday. O'Brien's appearance has not yet been confirmed, Harpo Productions said.

Will Conan show up and hug it out with Jay? Will they both cry? All signs point to....yes.

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Conan and NBC Finalize Deal

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

The late night NBC disaster is finally over. Early this morning Conan O'Brien's team and NBC reached a deal in which Conan leaves NBC, gets a lot of money, and can go back to work on another network on September 1. Jay Leno will go back to The Tonight Show and The Jimmy Fallon Show will remain in the same time slot.

In a marathon session, lawyers for the talk show host and NBC finalized a settlement sealing O'Brien's exit from "The Tonight Show" at about 3 a.m. Thursday. The overall deal is said to be worth $46 million-$47 million, close to the $50 million annual production cost of "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien."

O'Brien's settlement is for about $33 million, with the rest of the money going to his staff in severance packages from the network. NBC on Thursday also formally announced the return of Jay Leno as "Tonight" host. He'll start March 1. "We're pleased that Jay is returning to host the franchise that he helmed brilliantly and successfully for many years," said Jeff Gaspin, chairman of NBC Uni TV. "He is an enormous talent, a consummate professional and one of the hardest-working performers on television."

The network will air reruns of Conan's show until the Olympics, then will reboot The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after the Olympics ends. Conan will most likely end up at Fox where he will compete with David Letterman and Jay Leno.

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Chinese Government Pulling Avatar From 1,628 Screens

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST

Avatar has been a huge hit in China. In fact, it's such a big it that the Chinese government is pulling the film from 1,628 2-D screens. The government says that the film is being pulled to make way for a biography about ancient philosopher Confucius starring Chow Yun Fat, but other sources say that the real reason the film is being pulled is that it shines a light on the forced eviction of residents to make way for government projects. The L.A. Times reports:

According to the Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, the switch was made at the urging of propaganda officials who are concerned that "Avatar" is taking too much market share from Chinese films and drawing unwanted attention to the sensitive issue of forced evictions.

Millions of Chinese have been uprooted to make way for high-rise buildings and government infrastructure projects in the fast-growing country. In "Avatar," human colonists try to demolish the village of an alien race to obtain a precious energy source buried under it.

Although losing the 2-D screens is a blow to the hugely successful "Avatar," which has grossed more than $1.6 billion around the world, it will not knock out the movie's primary revenue source in the country. Nearly 900 3-D screens in China have generated $49 million of its $76 million in ticket sales there so far, according to Fox. It's already the most successful movie of all time in the country, the studio said.

Avatar was tops at the box office in the U.S. once again this past weekend.

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Martin Scorsese Presented With 2010 Cecil B. DeMille Award

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:03:00 EST

Golden Globe winners Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio presented Martin Scorsese with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills. Scorsese was presented with the award for his "outstanding contribution to the entertainment field." Robert De Niro says Scorsese is a "champion of film." Take a look:

Hollywood Foreign Press Association

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Video: Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young Singing Pants on the Ground

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST

Jimmy Fallon did a hilarious bit on his show in homage to the American Idol "Pant son the Ground" song, penned by a would be contestant in Atlanta. Jimmy does a acoustic, mournful version of the song while dressed as Neil Young. Take a look:

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Kevin Alejandro Joining Cast of True Blood

Mon, 4 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

True Blood's Layfayette may be getting a new love interest. Southland's Kevin Alejandro, who also starred in the ill-fated series Drive, has landed a gig on the HBO vampire drama. According to The Hollywood Reporter Alejandro will be a series regular.

Alejandro, expected to appear in almost every episode of the HBO series' upcoming third season, will play Jesus, a Latino orderly who is taking care of Ruby Jean Reynolds (Alfre Woodard) at her care facility and becomes involved with her son, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis).

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On "Blood," he joins such other new additions as Denis O'Hare, Marshall Allman, Theo Alexander, Grant Bowler, Joe Manganiello and Lindsay Pulsipher.

Alejandro will stay on Southland, which has moved to TNT. He's going to be a very busy guy, shooting two series at the same time.

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DVD/Blu-ray Christmas Gift Ideas

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:40:00 EST

Here's a list of some great DVD and Blu-ray gift ideas for films and tv series released in 2009.

17 Again (DVD/Blu-ray) - Zac Efron is hilarious playing a 30-something father who magically becomes a teenager again. Thomas Lennon is hilarious as the geeky friend.
Angels & Demons (DVD/Blu-ray) - a great movie with a really tight script.
Bolt (DVD/Blu-ray) - Family friendly crowd pleaser.
District 9 (DVD/Blu-ray) - Director Neill Blomkamp proved you can make a science fiction classic without a massive budget.
Duplicity (DVD/Blu-ray) - Clever, entertaining tale about corporate espionage starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen
The Hangover (DVD/Blu-ray) - a hilarious film from start to finish. Not family friendly in any way, shape or form.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (DVD/Blu-ray) - all the Harry Potter films have been classics. The Half-Blood Prince is no exception.
Julie & Julia (DVD/Blu-ray) - Meryl Streep is amazing as Julia Child in this must-watch for all foodies and home cooks.
Lost Season 5 (DVD/Blu-ray) - Every season of Lost is must-see.
Marley & Me (DVD/Blu-ray) - Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson star in heartwarming tale about mischievous but lovable dog. Based on the true story.
The Proposal (DVD/Blu-ray) - Sandra Bullock shines in this entertaining romp with the surprisingly hilarious Ryan Reynolds.
Quantum of Solace (DVD/Blu-ray) - Daniel Craig's second James Bond outing: worth it for the opening car chase in Italy alone.
Race to Witch Mountain (DVD/Blu-ray) - really fun, family-friendly fare starring The Rock
Slumdog Millionaire (DVD/Blu-ray) - classic storytelling in this Oscar winner for Best Picture
Star Trek (DVD/Blu-ray) - J.J. Abrams successfully rebooted the Star Trek franchise pleasing Trekkies and making new ones.
Taken (DVD/Blu-ray) - Nail biting thriller about a father (Liam Neeson) who tear apart Paris in order to rescue his kidnapped daughter
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (DVD/Blu-ray) - Tinker Bell has a new look for her all-new magical adventure beyond Pixie Hollow
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen (DVD/Blu-ray) - Megan Fox and giant robots from space. What's not to love?
Up (DVD/Blu-ray) - another Pixar classic that received great reviews
Valentino: The Last Emperor (DVD/Blu-ray) - Absolutely fascinating look at the world of the brilliant couturier Valentino in the days before his retirement.
Valkyrie (DVD/Blu-ray) - Underrated thriller about a failed Hitler assassination attempt.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (DVD/Blu-ray) - Hugh Jackman shines in Wolverine's origins story

This post was cross-posted from our sister site, ShoppingBlog.com)

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Bryan Singer to Direct X-Men: First Class

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST

Bryan Singer is returning to the X-Men franchise. He is set to direct X-Men: First Class which will deal with the early years of Xavier and Magneto and how they had a falling out. Variety reports;

"This is the formative years of Xavier and Magneto, and the formation of the school and where there relationship took a wrong turn," Singer said. "There is a romantic element, and some of the mutants from 'X-Men' will figure into the plot, though I don't want to say which ones. There will be a lot of new mutants and a great villain."

In the film, Xavier and Magneto will be twentysomething, and the film sounds similar in construct to the J.J. Abrams-directed "Star Trek." Whether it's 'Batman,' 'Lord of the Rings' or 'Star Trek,' if the characters are good, you want to see them on their journey even if you know their destiny," Singer said. "I put myself in the fan's position, and I think this story is something I would want to see, and so will they."

The script will be written by Josh Schwartz, and Singer says that production will be fast tracked.

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Golden Globe Nominations Announced

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST

The Golden Globe nominations were announced yesterday. The nominees for Best Picture (Drama) are Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire, and Up In The Air. Meryl Streep was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for both Julia and Julia and for It's Complicated. Sandra Bullock was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama for Blind Side and for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for The Proposal.

Nine did very well with five nominations, including Best Actress for Marion Cotillard and Best Picture (Musical or Comedy). You can see the full list of nominees here.

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DiCaprio to Star in Mel Gibson's Viking Movie

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

Variety reports that Leonardo DiCaprio is slated to star in Mel Gibson's planned Vikings period movie.

There is no distributor at the moment, but Gibson and King often make their films outside the studio system and secure distribution later.

The principals confirmed the project but would not divulge many details. DiCaprio, who has long been fascinated by Viking culture, will play one in a storyline that will be as unsparing as Gibson's other period directing efforts, "Braveheart," "The Passion of the Christ" and "Apocalypto."

Filming on Gibson's Viking film is expected to begin next year.

Posted in Movies

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Recession Puts Crimp in Dubai's Hollywood Plans

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:00:00 EST

The credit crunch is wrecking Dubai's plans to become a major Hollywood player. With the global recession in full swing, funding for new projects is drying up as fast as the Sahara desert. Variety reports:

Dubai plans to roll out a film-incentive program are on hold, key local execs involved in the media push have been ousted, and even Dubailand, the giant theme park complex in which a handful of Hollywood studios are involved, seems certain to be scaled back.

While Hollywood's involvement in ventures, including Dubailand and planned film partnerships, look likely to proceed, there is uncertainty about how and when those plans will come to fruition. Still on course are Abu Dhabi's Imagenation and Qatar's Al noor's film funds -- $1 billion and $200 million, respectively -- to finance projects for the international marketplace, and Rupert Murdoch's plans for News Corp. to acquire a 10% stake in Saudi billionaire Prince Waleed bin Talal's Rotana media conglom.

But there are new signs that the brutal belt-tightening which has affected the global economy is catching up to these oil-rich emirates. The evolving financial problems were the talk of the Dubai Intl. Film Fest, which bowed Dec 9 and runs through Dec. 16.

"I think Hollywood has already lost confidence in Dubai," says one local producer. "They've seen Abu Dhabi step up to the plate and put up money. They've seen what's happened with both 'Body of Lies' and 'Sex and the City 2' not being allowed to film in Dubai." The former was nixed due to political content, the latter due to its sexual content. "The authorities here need to realize that introducing some incentives would actually be good for Dubai's recovery."

Dubai World is falling apart and the city is riddled with expensive building projects that lack the funding to be finished. Foreigners are leaving in droves as jobs disappear. Dubai will have to pull back on some of its Hollywood dreams.

Posted in Movies

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Leonardo DiCaprio Joins Cast of The Guardians

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

Leonardo DiCaprio is going where he has never gone before: into an animated film. Leo is set to voice a character based on Jack Frost in the new animated film, The Guardians. DreamWorks Animation is producing. Variety reports:

Just as DWA's "Shrek" offered a revisionist view of the fairy-tale universe, "The Guardians" reimagines five popular childhood heroes -- Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman and Jack Frost -- as members of an elite superhero squad who join forces to fight an evil spirit named Pitch (which suggests there are at least five more juicy voice parts yet to be filled).

The high-concept variation hails a forthcoming series of books by William Joyce to be called "The Guardians of Childhood."

The release date is November 2, 2012. The other parts have yet to be cast. But the director will be Peter Ramsey who directed the DreamWorks Halloween special Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins From Outer Space. This is his feature film debut.

Posted in Movies

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Beyonce and Taylor Swift Lead Grammy Nominations

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST

Beyonce has garnered ten Grammy nominations. Taylor Swith has eight nominations.

Pop/hip-hop unit The Black Eyed Peas, R&B vocalist Maxwell and rapper Kanye West all hauled in six nominations, announced by the Recording Academy on Tuesday night. A handful of nominees were revealed during a special show broadcast live in the east from L.A.'s Club Nokia. Winners in 109 Grammy categories, voted on by members of the Recording Academy, will be announced Jan. 31 at the annual ceremony at L.A.'s Staples Center.

Facing off for album of the year honors are Beyonce's "I Am.Sasha Fierce," Swift's "Fearless," Gaga's "The Fame," the Black Eyed Peas' "E.N.D." and the Dave Matthews Band's "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King." Competing for record of the year are Beyonce's "Halo," the Peas' "I Gotta Feeling," Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody," Gaga's "Poker Face" and Swift's "You Belong to Me."

Nominees for song of the year -- a writer's award -- are Beyonce's "Single Ladies" (written by Thaddis Harrell, Terius Nash, Beyonce Knowles and Christopher Stewart), Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" (by Lady Gaga and RedOne), Maxwell's "Pretty Wings" (by Musze and Hod David), Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" (by band members Caleb, Nathan, Jared and Matthew Followill) and Taylor Swift's "You Belong to Me" (by Swift and Liz Rose).

This should be an interesting Grammy Awards in January. Kanye, Beyonce and Taylor Swift will all be there once again. Will Kanye even show? Will he behave himself? We'll have to tune in to see.

Posted in Music

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Ugly Betty Moving to Wednesdays

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

After being marooned on Friday nights in a terrible timeslot this season, Ugly Betty has a glimmer of hope: ABC is moving the show to Wednesday nights, just after Cougar Town. Variety reports:

"Ugly Betty" fills the void left by "Eastwick," which was not picked up for a full season. Scheduling move shifts "Betty" from what had been a lonely Friday night slot, sandwiched between the reality series "Supernanny" and the newsmag "20/20."

Airing in that rough slot, "Ugly Betty" had been a Nielsen also-ran -- most recently, during the holiday weekend, posting just a 0.9 rating/3 share among adults 18-49. With "Ugly Betty" moving off Friday, ABC plans to return to a completely non-scripted lineup on the night, replacing the 9 p.m. hour with the reality series "Shark Tank."

Betty will make the move in January. This season's writing has been outstanding, but unfortunately no one has seen it since ABC dumped the show into the Friday Night Graveyard. Is it too late to save Betty? We certainly hope not.

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GE Pushing Forward With Deal to Sell NBC to Comcast

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Variety reports that General Electric is going to buy 20% of NBC Universal. The 20% stake is currently owned by French media company Vivendi SA. After that purchase is completed, GE will then turn around and sell 51% of NBC Universal to Comcast, the U.S.' biggest cable company.

An agreement was supposed to have been announced weeks ago, but GE's talks with Vivendi have been taking longer than expected. Vivendi knew it had a strong hand -- GE wants to sell part of NBC Universal to raise money after suffering losses in its GE Capital unit. Meanwhile, Comcast wants to beef up its programming assets with a marquee name at a price it could handle -- around $5 to $7 billion cash plus contribution of its cable networks to a joint venture that would house the new NBC Universal.

Vivendi also could use the money. Two weeks ago, it invested $4.2 billion to take control of Brazilian telecom operator GVT. However, a Vivendi executive had said the company might decide not to exercise its annual window -- which ends Dec. 10 -- to sell its stake in NBC Universal. Vivendi hoped to get more than $6 billion for its NBC Universal holdings but $6 billion was GE's ceiling, the person said. The Wall Street Journal has reported that GE would pay $5.8 billion for the stake.

Comcast's agreement with GE is set and won't be affected by whatever price GE ends up paying Vivendi. Comcast wants NBC Universal largely for its lucrative cable channels. NBC Universal spans the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks; cable channels such as Bravo and CNBC; the Universal Pictures movie studio and Universal theme parks.

Comcast has said it will make lots of changes at NBC, including charging people to watch shows on Hulu.com. That is going to make a lot of tv viewers very angry.

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First Image of Josh Brolin as Jonah Hex

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

The first publicity shot from Jonah Hex is out. It shows Josh Brolin as the comic book antihero Jonah Hex, a bounty hunter. Half of his his face is scarred. Megan Fox also stars in the film, according to the posters, but Megan has said she really just has a cameo. In any event, Jonah looks mighty grumpy. The film is set to be released in June, 2010.

Via Den of Geek

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USA Renews Psych and Burn Notice

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

USA Network has renewed two of our favorite shows: Burn Notice, which will have a fourth season, and Psych, which will now have a fifth season. Variety reports:

"Burn Notice," which stars Jeffrey Donovan as a Miami-based spy, was a key driver of USA's strong perf this summer. Cabler ran nine episodes and will air the remaining seven in January. USA's fourth-season order for Fox Television Studios series comes on the heels of Monday's fifth-season pickup for "Psych."

The split seasons are really weird, but we're going with it. By far the worst split season idea has to be what ABC is doing with V. After four episodes, the show is on hiatus until March.

Posted in TV

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Stars Walk the Red Carpet at the AMAs

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST

Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Snoop Dog, Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige all walked the red carpet at the American Music Awards Sunday night. They talked about which acts they were most excited to see. Of course, they had no idea that Adam Lambert was going to steal the show with his controversial closing performance. Take a look:

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Jennifer Hudson to Play Nelson Mandela's Ex Wife in Winnie

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST

Variety reports that Jennifer Hudson will star in Winnie a film about the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela.

Hudson will play Winnie Mandela in a film that begins production May 30 in the South African locations of Johannesburg, Capt Town, and the Transkei and Robben Island where the future president spent 18 of his 27 years in prison.

Winnie will be directed by Darrell J. Roodt, the veteran South African filmmaker whose 2006 film Yesterday was Africa's Best Foreign Film nominee, and who also directed Cry, The Beloved Country, and Sarafina!

The film is based on the biography by Marie du Preez Bezdrob called Winnie Mandela: A Life. The film will examine the heroic side of Winnie in which she was jailed for fighting for her husband's release and standing against apartheid, but it will also examine the dark side of her life. Winne was jailed for fraud and was associated with a bodyguard who murdered a 14-year old alleged informer. Jennifer says she is looking forward to playing such a complex woman.

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Stephenie Meyer Talks Rob Pattinson

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Stephenie Meyer talked to Oprah Winfrey about the first time she met Robert Pattinson and why he's the perfect Edward. For one thing, Stephenie said he doesn't look like everyone else. She said he looks like the Edward she had in her mind when she wrote him. She also says Rob is very different in real life from his Edward Cullen character. Take a look:

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

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MGM is For Sale

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

MGM is officially up for sale, according to Variety. Bondholders have given the company a month and a half to come up with a new cash infusion or a buyer before more debt payments are due.

According to sources close to the company, MGM's investment bankers Moelis & Co. are overseeing the sales process, while current management will remain in place with feature development and production continuing. MGM's lenders had agreed previously to let the studio forgo three interest payments until Dec. 15.

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The announcement came following mounting speculation that MGM was heading toward an auction of assets, which include the 4,000-title library, the logo, the United Artists operations, rights to the James Bond franchise and half-ownership in the upcoming "Hobbit" films. Possible buyers include Time Warner, News Corp. and Lionsgate.

MGM has $3.7 billion in debt. Bondholders have allowed MGM to forego interest payment three times already, but their patience is fraying. MGM management says its open to various ideas for solving its financial problems, but an outright sale seems the most likely outcome, with some kind of restructuring of the debt.

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2012 Debuts Tomorrow

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Roland Emmerich's disaster epic 2012 starring John Cusack opens tomorrow and studio heads are hoping that the film decimates the competition at the box office. Emmerich's The Day After Tomorrow, which was released in 2004, took in a whopping $357.5 million overseas and $186.7 million domestically.

Sony expects to dominate the worldwide box office this weekend as Roland Emmerich's latest disaster spectacle, "2012," opens across all territories, looking to match the mammoth foreign success of the helmer's "The Day After Tomorrow."

Domestically, "2012" debuts in 3,404 runs, and box office observers say it could open north of $40 million or even substantially more. Overseas, it opens on roughly 13,000 screens in 105 countries.

We see no reason why the film won't do very well indeed. The special effects look amazing and the idea of indie king John Cusack headlining an action disaster flick is quite intriguing.

Posted in Movies

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Trailer: Extraordinary Measures

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Here's the new trailer for Extraordinary Measures, which is based on a true story. Brendan Frasier, Keri Russell and Harrison Ford star in a story about a father's search for a cure for his little girl's terminal illness. Take a look:

Posted in Movies

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First Kick-Ass Trailer Released

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Kick-Ass is a film based on the Marvel comic book written by Mark Millar and illustrated by John Romita, Jr. The story follows a high school student who is inspired by comic book superheroes to become a superhero himself. He is joined by others including a young girl named Hit-Girl who carries a sword. The film will arrive in theatres next April. Here's the first trailer for the film.

Posted in Movies

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Video: Conan Apologizes to Levi Johnston, Shatner Rides Again

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Conan O'Brien was forced to apologize to Levi Johnston for having William Shatner read Levi's tweets as freeform poetry. Levi didn't post those items on Twitter, an imposter did. So Conan made his mea culpas to Levi, then promptly brought out William Shatner again to read some of Levi's writings. Only this time, Shatner used only verified quotes that Levi made to the media in various interviews. It's still hilarious. Take a look:

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No Doubt Sues Activision Over Band Hero

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Rock band No Doubt is suing Activision for breach of contract. The gamer has used images of the band members in a way that was not approved by the band for the game Band Hero.

n a suit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the veteran ska-rock group claims that "Band Hero" users have the ability to manipulate No Doubt members, both collectively and individually, into singing popular songs by other artists -- something the band said they didn't sign up for. "No Doubt agreed to place avatars containing their name and likeness performing three No Doubt songs in the upcoming 'Band Hero,'" the group said in a statement.

The game, released Tuesday by Activision, uses the likeness of No Doubt members in more than 60 songs, "which are not appropriate for No Doubt and have not been and would not have been chosen by No Doubt for recordings or public performances." Activision has declined to comment on the suit, while No Doubt adds that the vidgame maker has refused to alter the title, "claiming the necessary fix would be too expensive."

Activision says it would be too expensive to make the changes, but No Doubt is not amused that their images can be manipulated by the users into looking and acting in ways that are offensive to the group. Who wins this case will depend entirely on what the contract says. If No Doubt's attorneys did their job, this is a slam dunk. If they didn't spell out how the images could be used, No Doubt is in trouble.

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Johnny Depp to Star With Angelina Jolie in The Tourist

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

There have been so many cast and director changes to the upcoming thriller The Tourist that it's been hard to keep track. But according to Variety, things are finally shaping up nicely with Angelina Jolie starring as the Interpol agent who must track down a former lover and Johnny Depp starring as an American who gets caught up in the intrigue. Johnny is still in talks, but his surprise involvement has thrown some real buzz behind the project.

The move comes after Avatar star Sam Worthington exited along with director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, both over creative differences. Already, directors are circling the plum gig, including Alfonso Cuaron.

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Spyglass initially set up the remake of the 2005 French thriller Anthony Zimmer with Bharat Nalluri directing Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron. Worthington came aboard with Theron after Cruise took Knight & Day at Fox. Von Donnersmarck then came into the picture with Jolie. Depp was brought into the mix by King, with whom he has a close relationship, most recently collaborating on The Rum Diary and the Gore Verbinski-directed animated pic Rango.

Johnny was supposed to make Pirates of the Caribbean 4 for Disney, but it looks like that may not be happening after all. Johnny was very unhappy when studio chief Dick Cook was forced out and since then his enthusiasm for another pirate move has waned, according to The L.A. Times.

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Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg Reunited For Third Film

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:11:00 EST

Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg are said to be returning for a third "Three Men" movie. This one will be called Three Men and a Lady. Steve Guttenberg reportedly leaked news that Disney is developing the film.

The trio played bachelor pals forced to raise a baby together after she's left on their doorstep by desperate mum Nancy Travis in the 1987 original. The reteamed three years later for the follow up, Three Men and a Little Lady. Now, 19 years later, studio bosses at Disney are planning to reunite the trio for their movie daughter's wedding.

Breaking the news to WENN, an excited Guttenberg says, "Disney's developing Three Men and a Bride. That's going to be a smash. A smash hit. They're bringing everybody back for that.

"Nobody knows about it. I'm the first to talk about it."

The premise of this film is that the baby girl from the last movie is now a young woman and she is about to get married. The article doesn't say if Nancy Travis will be returning.

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Halcyon Putting Terminator Rights Up For Auction

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 21:13:00 EST

Halcyon is putting the Terminator franchise on the auction block. Variety reports that the bankruptcy court will have an auction in January to sell off the rights to future Terminator movies, television series, DVDs and merchandise.

An exec with FTI Capital Advisers, retained by Halcyon, issued a bullish outlook Monday, saying there's been strong interest building since the investment bankers began sending out materials last week to prospective buyers. "This is a unique asset -- the only Hollywood tentpole asset that's not owned by a studio," said Kevin Shultz, senior managing director of FTI Capital Advisers.

"Terminator Salvation," the fourth film in the franchise, carried a production pricetag of about $200 million and took in $371 million worldwide. Shultz noted that the recent $60 million purchase of rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise by Nickelodeon should provide a useful comparison to potential buyers.

It seems quite likely that there will be a next Terminator movie; how that sorts out depends entirely on who buys the rights.

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This Is It Grosses $20.1 Million Worldwide in Opening Day

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:15:00 EST

The Michael Jackson documentary This Is It grossed $20.1 million worldwide on opening day, according to Variety.

"This Is It" grossed $20.1 million in its first day at the worldwide box office -- a solid, but not glowing, start for Michael Jackson's final act. The Sony release grossed $7.4 million from 3,481 theaters at the domestic B.O., including $2.2 million from Tuesday night shows.

Overseas, where the King of Pop's popularity has endured, "This Is It" pulled in $12.7 million in 97 territories. Opening-day highlights included $1.9 million in the U.K., $1.4 million in France, $1.2 million in Japan and $1.1 million in Germany. Film, slotted to play only two weeks, opened in 10 more overseas markets on Thursday, making for a worldwide print count of 15,000 heading into the weekend. Sony said the successful opening of the pic reaffirms the global appeal of Jackson.

But many in Hollywood expected opening-day numbers to be higher at the domestic B.O. since the film is a fan-driven title. Last year, "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" grossed $8.6 million on its opening day at the domestic B.O., although that pic bowed on a Friday.

The film is expected to top the box office this weekend, barring some kind of upset due to the Halloween factor.

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Theater Owners Scramble to Add More 3-D Screens For Holiday Films

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

Theater owners are working hard to ensure they have enough 3-D screens in time for the holiday movie fare, such as James Cameron's hotly anticipated SF film Avatar.

Theater owners are scrambling to make sure they have enough 3D screens to make it a happy holiday season. This past year, moviegoers have proved their willingness to pay extra coin for a 3D ticket -- particularly in foreign markets. So exhibs around the globe have been adding screens as fast as they can before the Nov. 6 release of Disney's "A Christmas Carol," starring Jim Carrey, and the Dec. 18 bow of James Cameron's "Avatar," from 20th Century Fox.

At the beginning of the year, there were 900 theaters in the U.S. equipped to play 3D titles. That count has more than doubled in the months since, with Robert Zemeckis' "Christmas Carol" expected to open in approximately 2,000 locations. Fox expects there to be 2,400-2,500 3D locations in the U.S. by the time "Avatar" unspools. (Domestically, exhibs tally the number of theater locations, while overseas distributors use screen counts.)

Internationally, the number of 3D screens should more than triple by the end of the year, from 1,000 at the end of 2008 to roughly 3,200. That makes a worldwide screen count of approximately 6,700.

The return of 3-D has been one bright spot in the movie business during the recession. The higher prices that theaters can charge for 3-D has made the screens very appealing. The 3D screen count for "Monsters vs. Aliens" was only 20% of the total, but those screens yielded 43% of the gross box office receipts.

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This Is It Makes $2.2 Million on Opening Day

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

The Michael Jackson documentary This Is It grossed $2 million in its opening day. Sony held 18 premieres all over the world, with the biggest premiere happening in Los Angeles. The movie has gotten rave reviews from critics. The film was distilled from 80 hours of rehearsal footage from what would have been Michael's comeback concert series starting in London.

The global preem was held Tuesday in order to line up with foreign territories' usual opening days -- films typically bow on Wednesdays in France, for example. The 6 p.m. Tuesday start time in Los Angeles translated to 2 a.m. Wednesday over most of Europe, meaning thousands of fans flocked to screenings in the middle of the night.

The film is playing in roughly 3,500 theaters domestically. It opened in 99 countries including the U.S. and Canada, and expands to 110 territories around the world, with 15,000 prints, this weekend. Plans are for a two-week run.

Sony already is starting to generate big returns for the $60 million it paid concert promoter AEG Entertainment for 100 hours of footage and distribution rights. The first showings of the film earned an estimated $2.2 million in Tuesday night shows domestically and roughly the same amount Wednesday, for a total $4.4 million for two days.

*****

Sony executives declined to disclose financial details of the big-scale preem, but the studio did manage to contain costs in several ways. The only after-party for the premiere took place in L.A., with food catered by Wolfgang Puck, who has a deal with L.A. Live for events, as well as by In-n-Out, Hot Dog on a Stick and Korean BBQ vendor Kogi.

The behind the scenes look at how Michael worked and supervised every minute detail of the show gives a never before seen look into the King of Pop's work ethic. It shocked many people how good a shape Michael was in during the grueling rehearsals.

Overseas grosses are expected to be high.

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Matt Damon, Josh Brolin Have True Grit

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges and Josh Brolin are in talks to star in a remake of True Grit.

Paramount Pictures and the Oscar-winning writer-director team are moving fast on their re-adaptation of the Charles Portis novel, first reaching out to Jeff Bridges, and now Damon and Brolin, to potentially star. Damon would take on the Glen Campbell role of a Texas Ranger tracking an outlaw along with a gruff U.S. marshal originally played by John Wayne, who won an Oscar for his role in the 1969 Western.

All three actors are in discussions with the studio, which hopes to move into production in the spring. The story concerns a 14-year-old girl traveling into dangerous territory with the two lawmen in search of the man who murdered her father, who Brolin would play.

Bridges and Brolin have worked with the Coens before, but Damon is new to their coterie of actors. Bridges famously portrayed Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski in the Brothers' comic noir, "The Big Lebowski," in 1998. Presumably, the new role will involve fewer acid flashbacks and bowling montages.

Another remake, what a surprise. And this time, some actor will trod in John Wayne's Oscar-winning shoes. Here's an idea: use an original script and do something different.

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Tyler Perry Talks Film Criticism

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

There's no question that Tyler Perry has made a lot of money at the box office. However, Tyler Perry also gets heavily criticized for some of his characters like Madea. Tyler says the criticism pisses him off. He says his characters are bait for genuine messages. Tyler Perry says his characters are "Disarming, charming, make-you-laugh bait so I can slap Madea in something and talk about God, love, faith, forgiveness and family." Take a look:

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Vampire Diaries Gets Full Season

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

The CW's freshman drama The Vampire Diaries has earned a full season pickup.

While "Melrose" has been a letdown, "Vampire" has turned into a bona fide hit for the netlet. Both shows, which launched before the season started, also manage to do quite well with DVR playback.

Six episodes have already aired of both. "Vampire" to date averages a 1.8 rating and 5 share with adults 18-49, and 3.9 million viewers overall. Among women 12-34, the show usually wins or is a contender for the timeslot win, averaging a 2.8/10.

Vampire Diaries, which is based on the bestselling book series of the same name by L.J. Smith, stars Nina Dobrev, Steven R. McQueen, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Sara Canning, Katerina Graham, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, Kayla Ewell and Michael Trevino.

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Ridley Scott Wants Angela Jolie for Gucci Dynasty Movie

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

Ridley Scott is determined that Angelina Jolie play the lead in his upcoming film about the murder, mayhem and extravagant living of the Gucci family dynasty during the 70s and 80s. Angie would play Patrizia Gucci, who was sentenced to 29 years in jail for plotting the murder of her ex-husband, Maurizio Gucci.

The studio is about to hire a scribe to rewrite the drama that recaptures the glamorous days of the Gucci family dynasty in the 1970s and 80s, when the family was selling $500 million in product annually. Squabbles hobbled the clan until Maurizio, the grandson of founder Guccio Gucci, came out on top of a power struggle to run the family business. Just when he was about to reestablish the brand name by debuting a line designed by newcomer--and now film director--Tom Ford, Maurizio was gunned down in front of his Milan apartment in 1995.

There are still moving pieces in the package--the script is still being developed and Scott needs to lock down an actor to play Maurizio. The director has approached his Body of Lies star Leonardo DiCaprio, but he is not attached at this point.

Angelina Jolie and Leonardo DiCaprio: that's an interesting pairing. But it sounds like Leo hasn't signed on the dotted line. It's a juicy role, no question.

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Joss Whedon to Direct Episode of Glee

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

Joss Whedon will be directing an upcoming episode of Glee. We just couldn't be more excited. We loved the Buffy musical episode, "Once More With Feeling" and "Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog." So how did this happen? Michael Ausiello explains:

Turns out, the genius who gave us not only the "Once More, With Feeling" musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but also Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a big fan of Ryan Murphy's new phenom. So when Twentieth (the studio behind Glee) approached him about the gig, pretty much his only reservation was scheduling.

"Joss directed one of the great musical episodes in the history of television on Buffy," gushes Murphy, "so this is a great, if unexpected, fit. I'm thrilled he'll be loaning us his fantastic groundbreaking talent."

We just cannot wait for this. Now, let's talk guest stars. We're thinking Sarah Michelle Gellar needs to get a babysitter and get to the Glee set. Or James Marsters -- he has his own rock band. Or Neil Patrick Harris? Better yet, how about all three of them?

Posted in Music

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Putting a Stop to Loud TV Commercials

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST

Super loud commercials may soon be a thing of the past. So why are they so loud? So that you will still hear them if you leave the room. How will they be stopped? Two ways, The FCC already mandates that commercials can't be louder than the loudest part of the program they interrupt. If you're watching an action movie, that's no help at all.

But this approach has serious limitations. An action show that climaxes in a burst of gunfire is one thing; a commercial that's as loud as a gun going off from start to finish is another -- especially if the lead-in to the commercial is relatively quiet. And in addition to making their commercials as loud as the FCC lets them, marketers also use various technological tricks to make them sound even louder than they are, like packing more sound energy into midrange frequencies, the ones that the human ear is most sensitive to.

To close this loophole, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) introduced a bill in the House of Representatives last year, the Commercial Advertising Loudness Mitigation Act. CALM would charge the FCC to enact regulations prohibiting commercials from being "excessively noisy or strident." The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing to consider amendments on the bill Thursday.

And a parallel effort within the TV and consumer-electronics industries may also bear fruit soon. The Advanced Television Systems Committee, a nonprofit whose membership includes broadcast networks, cable operators, and electronics manufacturers, has been working to develop voluntary standards that will let broadcasters measure and effectively modulate the volume of commercials.

We say: we don't care how you stop them, just stop them. We hate loud commercials and always mute them. We wouldn't mute them if they weren't so loud and annoying, so really it's in the advertisers' best interested to tone it down.

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Fox Reality Channel to be Shuttered

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:17:00 EST

News Corp has decided to shut down the Fox Reality Channel. The channel will go dark in March, 2010. There is no word yet what will replace the channel, but News Corp denied that it was being replaced by a comedy channel. Variety reports:

News Corp. is mum on what will replace the channel, now available in almost 50 million households, after that. According to the Wrap, which first wrote about the shutdown, a complete channel rebranding is in the works and may include a new partner outside of the Fox Cable Networks group.

*****

Fox Cable Networks released a brief statement on the shutdown: "With the changing cable landscape we've made a strategic decision to shift some resources and refocus on emerging channels. However, Fox Reality Channel will remain on our lineup for at least the next several months."

Fox Reality Channel aired such original shows as American Idol Extra, Gimmie My Reality Show! and Reality Remix, along with repeats of popular reality shows.

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FlashForward Gets Picked Up

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:03:00 EST

The ABC drama FlashForward has received a back nine pickup, which is great news. The order has been extended from 22 to 25 episodes.

Move is not unexpected as drama from ABC Studios has been a solid ratings earner at 8 p.m. Thursday, challenging CBS reality stalwart "Survivor" in the timeslot. "FlashForward" is one of the top new dramas of the season in adults 18-34.

Over the show's three weeks' live plus same-day average, skein is drawing 10.7 million viewers, with a 3.6 rating/11 share in the 18-49 demo. New DVR numbers reveal the Joseph Fiennes starrer picked up 2 million viewers for a total of 14.5 million in its Sept. 24 premiere. Rating increased from a 4.1 to 4.9. Numbers have settled down since the launch, but that is to be expected in a serialized show such as "FlashForward."

Joseph Fiennes and John Cho are both doing fabulous jobs with their characters on the show, and we can't wait until Dominic Monaghan (Charlie from Lost) joins the cast.

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NBC's Chuck May Make Early Return

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:15:00 EST

Michael Ausiello reports that Chuck may make an early return to NBC. The hit show may return as early as late October.

"How much sooner" you ask?

As early as late October, my moles tell me. And while it remains unclear whether the little show that could (and has and shall again) would return to its Monday timeslot or find itself a new perch, NBC insiders who've seen the first four episodes are calling this season the best yet.

Michael Ausiello says an early return makes it more likely that Chuck will get additional episodes beyond the 13 NBC initially commissioned. We love Chuck so the show returning early with a good chance of more episodes sounds good to us. We just hope they don't put it up against one of our other favorite shows as the networks so often like to do.

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Cougar Town Gets Early Pick Up, Southland Gets Surprise Cancellation

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST

ABC has given an early pickup to Courtney Cox's Cougar Town, Modern Family and The Middle. The series all got picked up for nine more episodes.

Courteney Cox's "Cougar Town," which like "Modern Family" has aired three times, came out strong too. More than 11.2 million viewers tuned in to the Sept. 23 premiere, which earned a 4.4 rating/11 share in 18-49. Through three airings, ABC Studios' "Cougar" is averaging a 3.8/10 in the demo and solid 9.5 million viewers overall.

ABC is showing faith in Warner Bros.' "The Middle." Sitcom, which garnered mostly favorable reviews, is averaging a 2.4/7 in 18-49 and 7.8 million viewers overall in the 8:30 p.m. slot, building in its two airings by half a ratings point over "Hank," the new Kelsey Grammer starrer.

In other tv news, Ben McKenzie's supposedly renewed cop show Southland just got axed by NBC. The cast and crew has already filmed six episodes of the second season, so the news is coming a quite a shock.

Rumors say that NBC execs were shocked at how dark the six episodes are, but we're not buying it. Southland executive producer John Wells issued a statement saying: "I am disappointed that NBC no longer has the time periods available to support the kind of critically acclaimed series that was for so many years the hallmark of their success." He said he is going to shop the show to another network. It's a good show and hopefully another network will pick it up.

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Vacation Sequel in the Works

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST

The Hollywood Reporter writes that a sequel to the 1983 Vacation film that starred Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold is in the works. This film would have the son, Rusty Griswold, as a grownup with his own children setting out on a family vacation.

New Line is meeting with writers to pen the script, but the take is already developed: The story focuses on Rusty Griswold, the son of Clark Griswold, the protagonist of the initial movies and portrayed by Chevy Chase. Rusty, now a father himself, takes his family on a road trip vacation.

The characters would acknowledge that first trip, making the movie more of a sequel than a reboot. Chase and Beverly D'Angelo, who played the mom in the original movies, will have room to make appearances as grandparents, providing a sense of continuity, though no deals are in place.

David Dobkin - who directed and produced Wedding Crashers - is attached to possibly produce and direct the Vacation sequel.

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24 Director John Cassar to Direct Feature Film

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

John Cassar, co-executive producer and director for 24, is inking a deal for his first feature film. The film is called Motorcade and is being produced by DreamWorks. Ryan Reynolds is rumored to star in the secret service thriller.

The studio hopes to get the picture into production by late summer or early fall 2010, and DreamWorks is eyeing Ryan Reynolds to play the disgraced Secret Service agent who happens to be in the wrong place at the right time when the U.S. president is kidnapped in New York.

*****

The drama has been a priority for DreamWorks and was one of the projects Tom Cruise seriously considered when "Live Free or Die Hard" helmer Len Wiseman was attached. Reynolds, who will next star in the Martin Campbell-directed "Green Lantern" for Warner Bros. next spring, has not signed on at this point.

The script is being revised by Billy Ray. Ryan Reynolds' career is super hot right now; we think an action thriller would be perfect for him. Although we loved him in The Proposal. He is so great at comedy.

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Bones Set Shut Down Due to Swine Flu

Mon, 5 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST

Michael Ausiello reports that the swine flu has shut down the production of the tv show Bones starring David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel.

Bones has abruptly shut down production due to a possible outbreak of swine flu, the show"s creator, Hart Hanson, announced via Twitter. "First time in Bones history we are shut down from production," Hanson tweeted. "Damn swine flu! That's gonna cut into Christmas hiatus."

A show spokesperson confirms that among those sidelined is leading man David Boreanaz, although it's unclear if he actually has the H1N1 bug. "David is out with the flu and the show shut down today since he was in every scene," says the rep. "We hope to resume production tomorrow."

Hanson later clarified via Twitter that "there is no indication that Boreanaz has swine flu. We expect him back tomorrow. I'm now going out to get swine flu myself in atonement."

We wish everyone good health on the set -- whatever is going on there.

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Disney Begins Restructuring of Miramax

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 17:44:00 EST

Variety reports that Disney is beginning its restructuring and downsizing of Miramax films and that big layoffs are coming.

The Mouse House began the overhaul of its film operations Friday with word that it will restructure Miramax Films, consolidating operations and reducing the number of films it releases annually. Meanwhile, it's considered a fait accompli that Disney Channels Worldwide prexy Rich Ross will soon be elevated to a role overseeing at least the Disney-branded portion of the Mouse's studio operation.

With the Miramax downsizing, prexy Daniel Battsek will continue to oversee creative, development, production and business and legal affairs out of New York. Walt Disney Studios will handle most marketing, distribution, operations and administrative support functions from its Burbank headquarters.

As such, the axe is likely to fall on Miramax staffers next week. The cuts could run deep, with industry insiders suggesting that about 20 staffers will remain from the roughly 80 people now employed across Miramax's offices in Los Angeles and Gotham. Departments expected to be hit hardest are marketing, publicity, distribution and production.

Disney has not revealed how many films Miramax will be allowed to produce each year. It produced eight films in 2007 and eight in 2008. So far the studio has only produced five films this year.

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Jessica Alba to Join Cast of Third Meet the Parents Movie

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST

Jessica Alba is in talks to join the cast of the third Meet the Parents movie. Variety reports:

Alba will play a key role alongside Ben Stiller, Teri Polo, Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner, and Owen Wilson. Jane Rosenthal and Jay Roach are producing. John Hamburg rewrote an original script by Larry Stuckey.

Alba will next be seen in the Garry Marshall-directed ensemble romantic comedy, "Valentine's Day." She most recently completed filming roles in "Machete," the drama that Robert Rodriguez is co-directing, and "The Killer Inside Me," the Michael Winterbottom-directed adaptation of the Jim Thompson book.

The third movie in the franchise will be directed by Paul Weitz. There's no word yet of what exactly Jessica's role will entail.

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Hugh Jackman Stops Play Because of Annoying Cellphone Interruption

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST

An audience member filmed Hugh Jackman asking an audience member to please turn off his cellphone, which kept ringing and ringing during an emotional moment in the Broadway play "A Steady Rain" which also stars Daniel Craig. The play is an intense drama about two policemen. Hugh stayed in character as he asked the audience member to do something about the annoying ringing. The audience applauded and eventually Daniel Craig joined in, as well. Finally the phone stopped ringing and the play went on. Take a look:

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Barbie Heads to the Big Screen

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST

Barbie is ready for her close up. The 50 year old iconic doll will soon have her own feature film. This won't be another cartoon or direct to DVD deal. This will be a real live action movie with a decent budget.

"Barbie is the most famous doll in history, a unique cultural icon in the world of brands," said Universal Pictures chairman Marc Shmuger. "So many representations of Barbie frequent pop culture, but never before has she been brought to life in a motion picture. We're grateful to Mattel for entrusting us with this extraordinary opportunity."

Marc said the next step will be to canvas writers and decide a creative take for a family-friendly movie. Mark, who just produced Julie & Julia and is currently in production on the untitled James L. Brooks-directed comedy that stars Reese Witherspoon and Jack Nicholson, was one of several A-list producers who met with Mattel and U execs. Marc said he felt fortunate to get the job and said there is no shortage of plot possibilities, since Barbie has held more than 120 jobs over the years.

"Barbie may be the most popular girl in the world, and has always been a wonderfully aspirational figure, so we must do her proud," Marc said.

Universal wants a piece of the family-friendly pie and has decided that Barbie is the way to get it. It could work. But it will be tricky to get it right. For one thing, there is no actress alive today that has Barbie's measurements. If Barbie were a human, she would be 7' 2" tall, weigh 101 pounds, wear a size four dress and a size five shoe. She would have a 39" bust (FF cup), 19" waist, and 33" hips.

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Justin Timberlake Cast in Facebook Movie

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:00:00 EST

Justin Timberlake has been cast as the co-founder of Napster in the new film about the formation of Facebook. David Fincher is directing the film which features a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin.

Jesse Eisenberg will play founder Mark Zuckerberg, Justin Timberlake will play Sean Parker, the Napster co-founder who became Facebook's founding president, and Andrew Garfield will play Eduardo Saverin, the Facebook co-founder who fell out with Zuckerberg as the social network became a financial juggernaut.

*****

The pic focuses on the evolution of Facebook, the social network created in 2004 on the Harvard campus. And how overnight success and wealth changes the lives of the classmates who created it. The trio were the subject of internet rumors as Fincher zeroed in on his leads.

Production on the film will begin in October in Boston, and then will move to Los Angeles. Justin Timberlake is determined to be a triple threat, but so far his film career hasn't taken off. Will this be his breakthrough role?

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