To the Futureand Beyond

Take Five To the Futureand Beyond December 19, 2011 Ed Stelz Judy Chen, NY City Throughout the past 12 months, I have grown in so many ways as an actor and as an individual. From auditioning at Lincoln Center to working with great people in film and onstage, I feel truly grateful and humbled. However, even more valuable were the times I felt as though I were merely spinning my wheelsquestioning my decision to leave a solid career behind and wondering when I would actually get cast after attending hundreds of auditionsfor those were the moments that reinforced how much I truly loved to perform.Pursuing my passion has certainly made me more appreciative of every moment. Gone are the days of living in a rut and thinking that there was nothing more to life than toiling at a desk job, meeting deadlines, paying bills, waiting for the weekends, and going on a string of bad dates. Instead, I'm happily reading scripts, memorizing lines, and preparing for auditions. I am working on developing projects and productions I want to take part in and be proud of. I reprioritize my time on what is truly fulfilling to me. Having less of a social life doesn't seem like a sacrifice, especially since I get to devote the time I do spend with quality, genuine people who are my closest friends. The support of these friends and family may not make me invincible or feel any less defeated, but it has undoubtedly been the strongest force that impels me to continuously plow ahead whenever I begin to doubt myselfand those moments are still quite frequent.One of the biggest lessons I've learned as a result of being part of Take 5 this year stemmed from meeting people at auditions, in class, on the street, and even online who send emails to my website or Facebook page who found it necessary to share with me how my writing has resonated with them. And that lesson is this: Never underestimate the influence we have on our peers. When I learn from my cast members, I may not have told them explicitly or even known that something they did clicked in my mind until I brought the adjustment with me to enhance a subsequent performance, but we all wield that power to affect others nonetheless. Ironically, I have known since January what I would write for my December column, because regardless of what has changed in our lives and the achievements we have accomplished this year, our goal has remained the same since day one: to become better actors each day. When we progress in our craft, we improve any ensemble we are a part of. For my last sign-off, I want to share with everyone something I remind myself daily: I have no idea what the future holds, but I will do everything I can to get where I want to be.Thanks for coming along for the ride.Jenna Lamia, Los Angeles This month I've been thinking about listening. I remember one of my theater professors at Amherst saying that listening is nine-tenths of one's job as an actor. I think this is an alternate version of the oft-repeated "acting is reacting." And it is a wise and valuable bit of advice for an actor. But, as a writer, I've decided there is a higher form of listening, and that is "selective." Because I write for a TV show, I am constantly getting notesfrom the studio, the network, and the showrunners. It is my job to take in everyone's opinions, and to implement the suggested changes in a way that makes the show better. But it is also my job to have a clear enough vision of the intended final product that I don't let the barrage of opinions sway me off track, resulting in a hodgepodge of ideas that don't hold together in one cohesive story line. In trying to make everyone happy, if I am not careful, I will end up making everyone, including myself, supremely unhappy. Yet, if I have a distinct vision and a way to get there, chances are I will deliver something unique and interesting, even if it's not exactly what everyone had in mind. Because that's just it: There is no final creative product that is going to be exactly what everyone had in mind. I am not advocating ignoring anyone's opinion but your own (though I admit sometimes that's tempting), but I am saying that being clear on what your ideas are and sticking to them with vigor is a great quality for a creative person. If you are steering the ship and you don't know where you're trying to go, good luck to your passengers. Not everyone is going to like your output all of the time, but that's because art is unique and subjective. That's a good thing. As long as the final product is deliberate, I feel I have done my job, and that is true as a writer and an actor. Because this is the last column of the year, I want to use my remaining space here to wax nostalgic. It has been such a pleasure to read about all the other Take 5ers' adventures this year, and I'm grateful to have been included among their ranks. I will never forget buying my first Back Stage at a newsstand on 56th and Seventh Avenue when I first moved to Manhattan and eagerly flipping to the auditions listings. Then, a year or two later when my teacher at Weist-Barron Studios, Rita Litton, put me in an ad for her acting classes, I was so excited to be "in Back Stage," I saved the paper for years in a bureau drawer. Now I have a whole year's worth of Back Stages to save. Thank you so much for having me; it has been a real treat.Ed Stelz, NY City So here we are, nearly a year later. There have been 12 articles, two pilots, and half a feature written; several commercials and a TV episode aired; and the formation of a production company. Yet only a portion of my January 2011 goals is crossed off. How does this make me feel? Pretty solid! Let's take a look, though, at something a little more relevant: the things I failed to accomplish. I didn't make it into an Off-Broadway show or a feature film, and I didn't create any new casting director contacts. Now, we may partly blame this on the void that would normally be filled by a legit agent. But if we dig deeper, we see that my insufficiencies as an artist are truly at fault. Living in NY City, you learn to cope with its many annoyances and quickly appreciate its few conveniences. For instance, traveling to work means letting someone do the driving for you. And considering the amount of meetings and auditions I go to, this en-route time tallies up. But rather than flinging red, yellow, and black cartoon birds at wooden and stone structures, I use my transit time to delve into literature that, I hope, will aid in furthering my craft and career. Just recently, I blew through three books, one of which was Patsy Rodenburg's "The Right to Speak: Working With the Voice." (Patsy, if you are unfamiliar with her, is renowned for pioneering new vocal techniques.) I've constantly battled an internal voice demon. Between voice work at school and on my own, I was unable to get rid of it. It wasn't until I read this book that I understood the anatomical headlock that stifled my voice. On top of this, I finished "Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing From Concept to Screen," by Steven D. Katz. Since the inception of my production company, I've wanted to learn directing for film, camera angles, shot styles, etc. Soon enough, I found myself applying these newly acquired skill sets to my writing and analytical processes for breaking down text. I realized, the answers to my problems are out there. If I keep searching, I'll eventually find them. Each and every one of us has a different journey with different hurdles to tackle. Now, I'm not one to get all cheesy and philosophical, but sometimes we forget the most apparent truths. There are actors out there who are blessed with a great on-camera look, a well-placed voice, and innate acting strengths. They sneak into the system fairly easily. Then there are others, like me, who don't and are faced with two options: improve and become the elite or quit and go home. Hollywood and Broadway do not have gray areas. You're either in it, or you're not. Okay, sentimental time: If I had more than 500 words, I still wouldn't be able to express how grateful I am to both Dany Margolies, our editor, and you, our readers, for riding side by side with me on this journey. It has truly been an amazing experience, and I hope my successes and my woes have helped you even in the slightest bit. Deborah Strang, Los Angeles Time is so relative. When I was 5, a year seemed to last forever. Now it lasts one-sixtieth of my life and is too brief, too brief. This is my final Take 5. I don't think I will miss worrying about deadlines, but I will miss this opportunity to reflect on my journey, to attempt to find the words to describe it, and to extract any meaning it might have. What an extraordinary, challenging, and mind-boggling year this has been. A year ago I was in Argentina, playing with penguins, dancing the tango, eating steak. Nine months ago I embarked on my first Ionesco play with my two fondest collaborators at A Noise Within, Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, and in May it became our farewell to our 19 years in Glendale. In late September, we moved into our new permanent theater in Pasadena, and we had our first audience three weeks later. Since then, we previewed Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," staged an elaborate gala opening night with a tented sit-down dinner for nearly 400 peopleincluding Pasadena's mayor and various dignitaries and long-, long-, long-term patrons and supportersand previewed and opened Eugene O'Neill's rarely staged masterpiece, "Desire Under the Elms," to great acclaim. We've had full houses, instituted new valet parking, increased our subscriber base by more than 25 percent, carpeted the theater, resealed the outside of the building, scrubbed the floors and sealed the concrete, and instituted and continue to learn a new database system, a new ticketing system, and a new computer and networking system. I'm not sure whether I should classify us as risk-taking innovators or insane fools. It is a major, major thing that we have accomplished. I recently reconnected with an old friend from graduate school who commented on the fact that I have managed to stay the course as an actor, and he attributed this to my perseverance. According to Webster this means "persistence, steadfastness, tenacity" and to persevere is "to continue in a given course in spite of difficulties, obstacleswith a determination not to give up." And yes, I suppose that is true, but sometimes I feel like a train just pulled into the station and I climbed on, or a door opened and I walked through. Perhaps what has led me here has actually been an openness to the task at hand, more of an ability to follow the course rather than stay the course. But however it has come about, I find myself in an extraordinary position at a historical moment in time with a company of artists whom I revere and cherish. I marvel at my present state and can only wonder where this path may lead. And now, life beckons. I have a callback for a new Aaron Sorkin episodic. Wish me luck!KC Wright, Los Angeles Talk about coming full circle. After a year of ups and downs, I will be starting 2012 with a new agent (I sign the contracts this afternoon), my SAG card, my first feature film credits, and a dozen amazing new projects under my belt. I remember wringing my hands in January, waiting for something to change. A few months later, I lost the representation that I had had since graduation and went from big network auditions to crickets. Something changed! Getting dropped by my agent was the biggest hurdle I've faced in my short career but also the best thing that could have happened. As one of the lucky few who were offered representation right out of college, I was never forced to make my own way. I'm not sure I was even ready for the career that I was striving for. But since parting with the agency, I've taken my place with thousands of other young actors in L.A. I discovered a world of talented actors with no impressive degree or family name to stand behind, who have learned to create their own opportunities out of a dollar and a dream. This has taught me to stop waiting for a change; the only thing I can change is me.It hasn't been easy starting from relative scratch, but it has been incredibly satisfying. Each new victory is doubly sweet, because it's proof of how much I've learned. And the more I learn, the more I understand that the learning will never end. A career where you're not an expert at 24? Imagine that! The most profound moments of the past year were rooted in the work. Being on set, even for unpaid or student films, is the greatest learning experience out there. Watching the other actors work, observing the crew, working with sound and camera equipmentall offer lessons not found in a textbook. The various projects I've worked on have taught me so much and given me a real hunger to work in film and television. I will always love the stage, but I'm thrilled to have found a subtly different craft that excites me just as much. I've also changed my attitude toward my business. I've always hated the idea of marketing, but I've come to realize that there is nothing shameful in building up my career. It doesn't have to be pushy and phony, either; it's about cultivating relationships, being a real person, and knowing that I can be of service to the people I meet. If talent, training, and skill are the seeds of a career, relationships are the watering cans.It has been an amazing 12 months writing for Back Stage, and I'm sad to see it come to an end; this job is a regular roller coaster, and no one likes to ride a roller coaster alone. Just one piece of advice: Don't be afraid of the fall. It's scary and dangerous and thrilling, and that's the best part. To the Futureand Beyond December 19, 2011 Ed Stelz Judy Chen, NY City Throughout the past 12 months, I have grown in so many ways as an actor and as an individual. From auditioning at Lincoln Center to working with great people in film and onstage, I feel truly grateful and humbled. However, even more valuable were the times I felt as though I were merely spinning my wheelsquestioning my decision to leave a solid career behind and wondering when I would actually get cast after attending hundreds of auditionsfor those were the moments that reinforced how much I truly loved to perform.Pursuing my passion has certainly made me more appreciative of every moment. Gone are the days of living in a rut and thinking that there was nothing more to life than toiling at a desk job, meeting deadlines, paying bills, waiting for the weekends, and going on a string of bad dates. Instead, I'm happily reading scripts, memorizing lines, and preparing for auditions. I am working on developing projects and productions I want to take part in and be proud of. I reprioritize my time on what is truly fulfilling to me. Having less of a social life doesn't seem like a sacrifice, especially since I get to devote the time I do spend with quality, genuine people who are my closest friends. The support of these friends and family may not make me invincible or feel any less defeated, but it has undoubtedly been the strongest force that impels me to continuously plow ahead whenever I begin to doubt myselfand those moments are still quite frequent.One of the biggest lessons I've learned as a result of being part of Take 5 this year stemmed from meeting people at auditions, in class, on the street, and even online who send emails to my website or Facebook page who found it necessary to share with me how my writing has resonated with them. And that lesson is this: Never underestimate the influence we have on our peers. When I learn from my cast members, I may not have told them explicitly or even known that something they did clicked in my mind until I brought the adjustment with me to enhance a subsequent performance, but we all wield that power to affect others nonetheless. Ironically, I have known since January what I would write for my December column, because regardless of what has changed in our lives and the achievements we have accomplished this year, our goal has remained the same since day one: to become better actors each day. When we progress in our craft, we improve any ensemble we are a part of. For my last sign-off, I want to share with everyone something I remind myself daily: I have no idea what the future holds, but I will do everything I can to get where I want to be.Thanks for coming along for the ride.Jenna Lamia, Los Angeles This month I've been thinking about listening. I remember one of my theater professors at Amherst saying that listening is nine-tenths of one's job as an actor. I think this is an alternate version of the oft-repeated "acting is reacting." And it is a wise and valuable bit of advice for an actor. But, as a writer, I've decided there is a higher form of listening, and that is "selective." Because I write for a TV show, I am constantly getting notesfrom the studio, the network, and the showrunners. It is my job to take in everyone's opinions, and to implement the suggested changes in a way that makes the show better. But it is also my job to have a clear enough vision of the intended final product that I don't let the barrage of opinions sway me off track, resulting in a hodgepodge of ideas that don't hold together in one cohesive story line. In trying to make everyone happy, if I am not careful, I will end up making everyone, including myself, supremely unhappy. Yet, if I have a distinct vision and a way to get there, chances are I will deliver something unique and interesting, even if it's not exactly what everyone had in mind. Because that's just it: There is no final creative product that is going to be exactly what everyone had in mind. I am not advocating ignoring anyone's opinion but your own (though I admit sometimes that's tempting), but I am saying that being clear on what your ideas are and sticking to them with vigor is a great quality for a creative person. If you are steering the ship and you don't know where you're trying to go, good luck to your passengers. Not everyone is going to like your output all of the time, but that's because art is unique and subjective. That's a good thing. As long as the final product is deliberate, I feel I have done my job, and that is true as a writer and an actor. Because this is the last column of the year, I want to use my remaining space here to wax nostalgic. It has been such a pleasure to read about all the other Take 5ers' adventures this year, and I'm grateful to have been included among their ranks. I will never forget buying my first Back Stage at a newsstand on 56th and Seventh Avenue when I first moved to Manhattan and eagerly flipping to the auditions listings. Then, a year or two later when my teacher at Weist-Barron Studios, Rita Litton, put me in an ad for her acting classes, I was so excited to be "in Back Stage," I saved the paper for years in a bureau drawer. Now I have a whole year's worth of Back Stages to save. Thank you so much for having me; it has been a real treat.Ed Stelz, NY City So here we are, nearly a year later. There have been 12 articles, two pilots, and half a feature written; several commercials and a TV episode aired; and the formation of a production company. Yet only a portion of my January 2011 goals is crossed off. How does this make me feel? Pretty solid! Let's take a look, though, at something a little more relevant: the things I failed to accomplish. I didn't make it into an Off-Broadway show or a feature film, and I didn't create any new casting director contacts. Now, we may partly blame this on the void that would normally be filled by a legit agent. But if we dig deeper, we see that my insufficiencies as an artist are truly at fault. Living in NY City, you learn to cope with its many annoyances and quickly appreciate its few conveniences. For instance, traveling to work means letting someone do the driving for you. And considering the amount of meetings and auditions I go to, this en-route time tallies up. But rather than flinging red, yellow, and black cartoon birds at wooden and stone structures, I use my transit time to delve into literature that, I hope, will aid in furthering my craft and career. Just recently, I blew through three books, one of which was Patsy Rodenburg's "The Right to Speak: Working With the Voice." (Patsy, if you are unfamiliar with her, is renowned for pioneering new vocal techniques.) I've constantly battled an internal voice demon. Between voice work at school and on my own, I was unable to get rid of it. It wasn't until I read this book that I understood the anatomical headlock that stifled my voice. On top of this, I finished "Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing From Concept to Screen," by Steven D. Katz. Since the inception of my production company, I've wanted to learn directing for film, camera angles, shot styles, etc. Soon enough, I found myself applying these newly acquired skill sets to my writing and analytical processes for breaking down text. I realized, the answers to my problems are out there. If I keep searching, I'll eventually find them. Each and every one of us has a different journey with different hurdles to tackle. Now, I'm not one to get all cheesy and philosophical, but sometimes we forget the most apparent truths. There are actors out there who are blessed with a great on-camera look, a well-placed voice, and innate acting strengths. They sneak into the system fairly easily. Then there are others, like me, who don't and are faced with two options: improve and become the elite or quit and go home. Hollywood and Broadway do not have gray areas. You're either in it, or you're not. Okay, sentimental time: If I had more than 500 words, I still wouldn't be able to express how grateful I am to both Dany Margolies, our editor, and you, our readers, for riding side by side with me on this journey. It has truly been an amazing experience, and I hope my successes and my woes have helped you even in the slightest bit. Deborah Strang, Los Angeles Time is so relative. When I was 5, a year seemed to last forever. Now it lasts one-sixtieth of my life and is too brief, too brief. This is my final Take 5. I don't think I will miss worrying about deadlines, but I will miss this opportunity to reflect on my journey, to attempt to find the words to describe it, and to extract any meaning it might have. What an extraordinary, challenging, and mind-boggling year this has been. A year ago I was in Argentina, playing with penguins, dancing the tango, eating steak. Nine months ago I embarked on my first Ionesco play with my two fondest collaborators at A Noise Within, Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, and in May it became our farewell to our 19 years in Glendale. In late September, we moved into our new permanent theater in Pasadena, and we had our first audience three weeks later. Since then, we previewed Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," staged an elaborate gala opening night with a tented sit-down dinner for nearly 400 peopleincluding Pasadena's mayor and various dignitaries and long-, long-, long-term patrons and supportersand previewed and opened Eugene O'Neill's rarely staged masterpiece, "Desire Under the Elms," to great acclaim. We've had full houses, instituted new valet parking, increased our subscriber base by more than 25 percent, carpeted the theater, resealed the outside of the building, scrubbed the floors and sealed the concrete, and instituted and continue to learn a new database system, a new ticketing system, and a new computer and networking system. I'm not sure whether I should classify us as risk-taking innovators or insane fools. It is a major, major thing that we have accomplished. I recently reconnected with an old friend from graduate school who commented on the fact that I have managed to stay the course as an actor, and he attributed this to my perseverance. According to Webster this means "persistence, steadfastness, tenacity" and to persevere is "to continue in a given course in spite of difficulties, obstacleswith a determination not to give up." And yes, I suppose that is true, but sometimes I feel like a train just pulled into the station and I climbed on, or a door opened and I walked through. Perhaps what has led me here has actually been an openness to the task at hand, more of an ability to follow the course rather than stay the course. But however it has come about, I find myself in an extraordinary position at a historical moment in time with a company of artists whom I revere and cherish. I marvel at my present state and can only wonder where this path may lead. And now, life beckons. I have a callback for a new Aaron Sorkin episodic. Wish me luck!KC Wright, Los Angeles Talk about coming full circle. After a year of ups and downs, I will be starting 2012 with a new agent (I sign the contracts this afternoon), my SAG card, my first feature film credits, and a dozen amazing new projects under my belt. I remember wringing my hands in January, waiting for something to change. A few months later, I lost the representation that I had had since graduation and went from big network auditions to crickets. Something changed! Getting dropped by my agent was the biggest hurdle I've faced in my short career but also the best thing that could have happened. As one of the lucky few who were offered representation right out of college, I was never forced to make my own way. I'm not sure I was even ready for the career that I was striving for. But since parting with the agency, I've taken my place with thousands of other young actors in L.A. I discovered a world of talented actors with no impressive degree or family name to stand behind, who have learned to create their own opportunities out of a dollar and a dream. This has taught me to stop waiting for a change; the only thing I can change is me.It hasn't been easy starting from relative scratch, but it has been incredibly satisfying. Each new victory is doubly sweet, because it's proof of how much I've learned. And the more I learn, the more I understand that the learning will never end. A career where you're not an expert at 24? Imagine that! The most profound moments of the past year were rooted in the work. Being on set, even for unpaid or student films, is the greatest learning experience out there. Watching the other actors work, observing the crew, working with sound and camera equipmentall offer lessons not found in a textbook. The various projects I've worked on have taught me so much and given me a real hunger to work in film and television. I will always love the stage, but I'm thrilled to have found a subtly different craft that excites me just as much. I've also changed my attitude toward my business. I've always hated the idea of marketing, but I've come to realize that there is nothing shameful in building up my career. It doesn't have to be pushy and phony, either; it's about cultivating relationships, being a real person, and knowing that I can be of service to the people I meet. If talent, training, and skill are the seeds of a career, relationships are the watering cans.It has been an amazing 12 months writing for Back Stage, and I'm sad to see it come to an end; this job is a regular roller coaster, and no one likes to ride a roller coaster alone. Just one piece of advice: Don't be afraid of the fall. It's scary and dangerous and thrilling, and that's the best part.

Q&A with Judd Apatow

Apatow'Bridesmaids'"Bridesmaids" producer Judd Apatow is in post-production on his next directing project, "This Is 40," and has two producing projects queued for 2012. But he took a break to talk with Variety's Christy Grosz about the gender-neutral success of "Bridesmaids" and why awards-bait weepers are no harder to make than comedies.Grosz: Why do you think it is so difficult for comedies to get recognition during awards season?Apatow: I definitely think there is some sort of bias there. Most people think a really intense devastating sad movie about a tragic subject is more difficult to make than "Blazing Saddles." And the truth is, it's just as hard to make "Blazing Saddles." My days would be much shorter if I didn't have to add jokes. I also don't think comedy editors tend to get any respect. People always think a super-fast action movie is more difficult to execute as opposed to the rhythm of comedy and language and action comedy setpieces. I feel bad for the editors.CG: What do you think the success of "Bridesmaids" will do for female-driven comedies?JA: It's made it pretty clear that there's a gigantic market for movies like "Bridesmaids" and movies that star women or are intended for a female audience. People assume that men will drag women into every hardcore action movie out there and that occasionally a woman will drag a guy to a romantic comedy. There's an enormous amount of stereotypes which aren't true in our industry. If you make a strong movie, which appeals to a female audience, then people will want to go see it. Most (follow-up) movies aren't good, so the only way that this trend will continue is if somebody makes another great movie. I'm sure it will happen, but it won't happen just because they're trying to make a movie with women or for women. Usually what happens with a trend like this (is) the next few aren't very good. And then people say, "Was that a fluke?" It wasn't a fluke. People just like good movies.CG: Do you ever set out to appeal to a specific kind of audience with a specific kind of comedy?JA: I thought Kristen (Wiig) and Annie (Mumolo) and Paul (Feig) would make a great movie and that a lot of people would want to go. I didn't think it would be men and women. I thought that we would market it to women and the word would get to men that they would like it just as much as women. Basically what happened was "Bridesmaids" works for everybody. I never think about who the crowd is, I just try to figure out the best way to tell the story. We don't give it a ton of thought beyond trying to do what we think works and is funny.CG: And actors shouldn't necessarily have to take on a drama-laden role just to get awards attention.JA: In terms of the actors, what Kristen Wiig did is as difficult as any movie without laughs, so I'm glad the movie is getting some recognition. And I didn't know who Melissa McCarthy was until she came in to read for that part, and I was blown away -- she was even better on film when we started shooting. That character connects with people because she is an oddball but she is very confident. I never thought about it that much, but I have decided there should be a comedy category for most award shows, not just the Academy Awards. Comedies rarely get nominated anyway. It's not like it will affect the best picture category, and it hasn't hurt anybody that there is an animated category at the Oscars. As long as they are changing all the rules, that's the good one to change. It would make for a show that is a lot more fun, and you would be able to see a lot more people you would want to see on a show like that.CG: How much improv do you leave room for within the scripts that you write and direct?JA: To me the entire project is about improvisation. I'm trying to be loose in the writing and leave a lot of space for something interesting to happen when we rehearse, then I do more rewrites. On the set, we shoot the scene and we are open to any suggestion and any idea that can better it at the time. Some days we stick close to the script, and some days we forget to even look at what was written in the first place. It changes, but I feel like when people are spontaneous, their acting is more interesting. People pay attention differently, and they react differently. It is fun to see things evolve naturally, and every once in a while something cool and magical happens. Or that's just rationalization, and I am too lazy to actually figure everything out until the day we shoot.CG: You've said "This Is 40" isn't necessarily a spinoff, but you're definitely revisiting characters from "Knocked Up." What is it exactly?JA: Because I come from television, I always want to do a lot of episodes about characters that I have in these stories. I just fall in love with certain characters, and I want to know what else they're up to. Sometimes I'll try to come up with new characters, and I'll realize I already have characters that would fit into this story better than anything new I can come up with. Contact Christy Grosz at christy.grosz@variety.com

'Winn-Dixie' aims for Broadway

A tuner version of the novel "Because of Winn Dixie" is in the works. Story also inspired a 2005 film. BenjaminSheikTartagliaA musical version of dog-centric tale "Because of Winn Dixie," with tunes by Duncan Sheik, has begun mapping out Broadway plans that include a developmental reading this spring.Nell Benjamin ("Legally Blonde") writes the book and lyrics for the show, which will be helmed by John Tartaglia, whose Rialto thesping credits include "Avenue Q" and "Shrek the Musical."The only actor to sign on to the project so far is an Irish Wolfhound named Taran, brought on board under the care of veteran Rialto animal trainer Bill Berloni, who'll serve as animal director on the show.Canine will serve as the lead character of the musical, based on the 2000 Kate DiCamillo novel that also inspired a 2005 pic. Storyline centers on a stray dog who helps a young girl embrace life and reconnect with her father.Producers estimate the show will be budgeted between $6 million and $7 million, with a cast of about 15 actors. Team is shooting for a mid-size Rialto house of about 1200 seats.Sheik, who picked up a Tony for his score to "Spring Awakening," is also at work on other stage projects that include the brewing legit version of "American Psycho."Gerald Goehring, Michael F. Mitri and Dorothy Berloni lead the producing team of "Winn-Dixie." Goehring and Mitri also produce the tuner version of "A Christmas Story," currently playing a national tour during the holiday season.Exact dates for the "Winn-Dixie" reading have not been set, with a production timeline, including an out-of-town tryout, still to be hammered out. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Listing Of Nominees For That 18th Annual SAG Honours

First Released: December 14, 2011 4:35 PM EST Credit: Getty Images La, Calif. -- Caption Kaira Pitt is viewed in the premiere of Moneyball in the Vital Theatre from the Arts in Concord, Calif. on on September 19, 2011Brad Pitt is viewed in the premiere of Moneyball in the Vital Theatre from the Arts in Concord, Calif. on on September 19, 2011Nominees introduced Wednesday for that 18th annual Screen Stars Guild Honours: MOVIES: Actor: Demian Bichir, A Much Better Existence George Clooney, The Descendants Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar Jean Dujardin, The Artist Kaira Pitt, Moneyball. Actress: Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs Viola Davis, The Assistance MerylStreep, The Iron Lady Tilda Swinton, We have to Discuss Kevin Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn. Supporting actor: Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn Armie Hammer, J. Edgar Jonah Hill, Moneyball: Nick Nolte, Warrior Christopher Plummer, Beginners. Supporting actress: Berenice Bejo, The Artist Jessica Chastain, The Assistance Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids Jesse McTeer, Albert Nobbs Octavia Spencer, The Assistance. Cast: The Artist, 'Bridesmaids, 'The Descendants, 'The Help, 'Midnight in Paris. Stunt ensemble: The Adjustment Bureau, 'Cowboys&Aliens, 'Harry Potter and also the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, 'Transformers: Dark from the Moon, 'X-Males: Top Class. TELEVISION: Actor inside a movie or miniseries: Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood Paul Giamatti, Too Large to Fail Greg Kinnear, The Kennedys Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce James Forest, Too Large to Fail. Actress inside a movie or miniseries: Diane Lane, Cinema Verite Maggie Cruz, Downton Abbey Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult Betty Whitened, Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Lost Valentine Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce. Actor inside a drama series: Patrick J. Adams, Suits Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire Kyle Chandler, Friday Evening Lights Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad Michael C. Hall, Dexter. Actress inside a drama series: Kathy Bates, Harrys Law Glenn Close, Damages Jessica Lange, American Horror Story Julianna Margulies, The Great Wife Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer. Actor inside a comedy series: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock Ty Burrell, Modern Family Steve Carell, Work Jon Cryer, 2 . 5 Males Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family. Actress inside a comedy series: Julie Bowen, Modern Family Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie Tina Fey, 30 Rock Sofia Vergara, Modern Family Betty Whitened, Hot in Cleveland. Cast inside a drama series: Boardwalk Empire, 'Breaking Bad, 'Dexter, 'Game of Thrones, 'The Good Wife. Cast inside a comedy series: 30 Rock, 'The Large Bang Theory, 'Glee, 'Modern Family, 'The Office. Stunt ensemble: Dexter, 'Game of Thrones, 'Southland, 'Spartacus: Gods from the Arena, 'True Bloodstream. Copyright 2011 through the Connected Press. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Lifetime takes lower 'Wall'

Marisa Ramirez and Rachael Carpani in "In The Wall"With typically just one.6 million audiences across its 13-episode run, the femme-skewing cabler thought the show was without the next continuing to move forward.Skein, from creator Annie Brunner and Universal Cable Prods., starred Rachael Carpani just like a Chicago cop who joins the department's internal matters division. Co-stars incorporated Treat Williams, Kathy Baker and Andrew Master."In the Wall" came just one.8 million due to its premiere episode This summer time 31, with "Drop Dead Diva" becasue it is lead-in.

Variety uncovers Company directors to look at

Variety has introduced its 10 Company directors to look at list, representing up-and-coming helmers whose early work indicates promising careers ahead.The selection includes Zal Batmanglij ("Seem of My Voice"), Valerie Donzelli ("Promise of War"), Gareth Evans ("The Raid"), Philippe Falardeau ("Monsieur Lazhar"), Gerardo Naranjo ("Miss Bala"), Matt Piedmont ("Casa p mi padre"), Michael R. Roskam ("Bullhead"), Lynn Shelton ("Your Sister's Sister"), Benh Zeitlin ("Monsters from the Southern Wild") and filmmaking duo Mike "Mouse" McCoy and Scott Waugh, also known as the "Bandito Siblings," former stuntmen whose "Act of Valor" stars actual Navy Closes inside a ground-breaking actioner.Four from the helmers were also drawn on to represent their house nations within the Oscar language category: Donzelli's French "War" was selected for that opening evening slot of Experts Week at Cannes Canadian Falardeau lately gained the crowd prize for "Monsieur Lazhar" in the Whistler film fest Naranjo revealed Mexican thriller "Miss Bala" at Cannes and Roskam's Belgian debut "Bullhead" continues to be winning awards at both art- and genre-film fests.A number of the flicks continue to be traveling the festival circuit. A minimum of five will screen in the Palm Springs sprocket opera the following month, while later in The month of january, another five are going to Sundance, where Zeitlin's "Monsters" is placed to preem in narrative competition.Profiles from the company directors can look in Daily Variety on Jan. 6. Contact Peter Debruge at peter.debruge@variety.com

Rainey Qualley named Miss Golden Globe

The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has crowned Rainey Qualley as Miss Golden Globe 2012. Qualley, the daughter of thesp Andie MacDowell and Paul Qualley, is going to make her feature debut within the indie "Mighty Fine," starring Chazz Palminteri and MacDowell. She's also going after work in music. Typically, Miss Golden Globe may be the child of the Hollywood thesp who assists on stage throughout the Globes kudocast. The HFPA made the announcement in a Evening of Firsts, an inaugural party for that Globes season at Cecconi's in West Hollywood. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Warner Music narrows deficits

Warner Group shown small year-to-year and quarter-to-quarter improvements within the financial results, with modified internet deficits loss to $138 million for your fiscal year ended Sept. 30 from $143 million this past year together with a fourth-quarter insufficient $43 million, simplified by 7%. Company mentioned losing "reflects the impact in interest expense connected using the This summer time 2011 refinancing of certain indebtedness concerning the purchasing the business by Access Industries." As the organization was taken private having its $3.3 billion purchase by Len Blavatnik's Access Industries, it's ongoing to problem earnings reviews. Revenue for fiscal 2011 declined 4% to $2.96 billion from $2.98 billion this season. fourth-quarter revenue dropped 6% to $707 million from $753 million this past year. Company mentioned the decline "reflects a simple release schedule, together with the continuing transition to digital inside the recorded music business.Inch Rise in France, The nation and Latin America was offset by drops inside the U.S., Japan as well as the relaxation of Europe. In recorded music, WMG's top merchants through the final quarter incorporated Sought After Chili A myriad of all kinds of peppers, Bruno Mars, Lenny Kravitz, Blake Shelton and Jason Derulo. Its major functions through the fiscal year incorporated Michael Buble (presently atop the U.S. album chart along with his "Christmas" album), Cee Lo Eco-friendly, James Blunt, the Chili A myriad of all kinds of peppers and Mars. WMG's music posting division, Warner/Chappell, introduced small dips in revenue for your fiscal year and fourth quarter, connected having a contract about mechanical royalties obligations developed in prior years. Earnings report came round the heels from the internal announcement that chairman and ex-Boss Edgar Bronfman Junior. would step reduced The month of the month of january (Daily Variety, 12 ,. 6). Bronfman's departure follows WMG's abruptly ended bid for EMI Music. With finishing Universal Music Group's $1.9 billion purchase of EMI, WMG is really a distant third among the three major music companies if this involves business. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Remembering John Lennon: On the Anniversary of His Death, 5 Iconic Moments (Video)

"The Five-Year Engagement" Rom-coms are back and this time it's The Five-Year Engagement with Jason Segel and Emily Blunt vying for moviegoers' attention. The Universal comedy starts off with Tom (Segel) and Victoria (Blunt) getting engaged (with fireworks in the background, no less) and a video parading Tom's past romances, complete with a customized song by his best friend (Chris Pratt). But when Victoria enters into a program at the University of Michigan, months turn into years and before they know it, it's been five. That's when the re-evaluation begins. "Have you two picked a date yet?" "Not yet, but ... within the year." Community actress Alison Brie tries her hand at a British accent playing Blunt's younger sister Suzie who tries to talk some sense into Victoria. The Five-Year Engagement offers glimpses of Blunt wearing a more comedic hat; at one point during the trailer, she takes part in a memorable pratfall and getting shot at by a dart (by the hand of a young girl, of course). Directed by Nicholas Stoller, who co-wrote the film with Segel, Five-Year Engagement opens in U.S. theaters April 27, 2012. Jacki Weaver and Rhys Ifans also star. Watch the trailer below: Alison Brie Emily Blunt Jason Segel

Your New Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame Inductees' 5 Best (and Weirdest) Film Moments

The Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2012 batch of new inductees, which includes The Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Laura Nyro, Donovan, and first-time qualifiers Guns ‘N Roses. That’s a varied group, but they all have one thing in common: fantastic, often bizarre appearances in motion pictures. Join us as we revisit the cinematic work of these five acts, as well as identify the key ’80s actress with strong personal ties to three of the aforementioned inductees. I’ll buy you a Snickers if you can name her offhand. The Red Hot Chili Peppers in The Chase The Chase is a definitive Bad Movie We Love, and not just because Charlie Sheen and Kristy Swanson are the brattiest kidnapper-kidnappee duo since the O. Henry short story “The Ransom of Red Chief.” There are also extremely silly cameos from RHCP legends Anthony Kiedis and Flea, who play van-loving burnouts. If you’re looking to buy your mother a kitschy bargain-bin movie this Christmas, consider The Chase - because when it comes to RHCP, what-they’ve-got-you’ve-got-to-give-it-to-your-mama, of course. Rewatching Kiedis’s performance, perhaps his stoner angst is attributable to his breakup with girlfriend and actress Ione Skye? Guns N’ Roses in The Dead Pool Guns N’ Roses had plenty to do in 1988 following the release of their mega-blockbuster album Appetite for Destruction in ‘87, but they squeezed in time to appear in the most forgettable (and last) Dirty Harry movie, The Dead Pool. As Clint Eastwood and Liam Neeson exchange clenched expressions, the boys of Guns ‘N Roses playfully shoot off weaponry on a boat. Nice acting face, Izzy! Beastie Boys’s Ad-Rock in Lost Angels The Beastie Boys are just damn lovable. Not only are they some of the most consistently brilliant musicians of the past three decades, but they’re pretty unpretentious and fun for a group that wants to save Tibet. Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, the group’s guitarist, even embarked on a small acting career beginning with the 1989 low-budget film Lost Angels, starring as Tim ‘Chino’ Doolan, a troubled LA youth who makes a connection with a psychiatrist (Donald Sutherland!) in a private psychiatric hospital. Here, Ad-Rock enjoys some bathroom stall sex with a cute new friend. Rewatching Ad-Rock’s performance, it’s clear we’re seeing some of the sexual passion he’d soon experience with his future wife, actress Ione Skye. Laura Nyro in Monterey Pop The inimitable, still-underrated Laura Nyro influenced many confessional singer/songwriters in pop music, and that includes everyone from Tori Amos and Sinead O’Connor to Elton John, Elvis Costello, and Alice Cooper. Kanye West even sampled her song “Save the Country” on “The Glory” from Graduation. Though rumors have circulated that a 19-year-old Nyro bombed at the hugely transformational Monterey Pop Festival of 1967 (where Jimi Hendrix twanged a tripped-out “Wild Thing” and set his guitar on fire), footage from the official Monterey Pop documentary proves she was stellar. Enjoy a few bars of “Wedding Bell Blues” (one of the big hits she wrote for The Fifth Dimension) and the haunting “Poverty Train.” Donovan in The Pied Piper If becoming the first major rock star to be busted for marijuana possession isn’t legacy enough, Donovan’s list of hit singles (including “Mellow Yellow,” “Sunshine Superman,” and “Hurdy Gurdy Man”) cements his legend. His calming, but subversive voice is unforgettable, and it’s perfect for his role in the strange ‘72 feature The Pied Piper, where he played the titular Hamelin resident. I wonder if he was inspired to take part in The Pied Piper because of the birth of his daughter, actress Ione Skye. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns N’ Roses in 2012 class [Washington Post]

Disneys Best Of Luck Charlie Movie Draws 6.9M Audiences, Austin & Ally Opens To Five.7M

The most recent Disney Funnel original movie, Best Of Luck Charlie: It’s Christmas, a spinoff from the network’s hit sitcom, opened with 6.9 million total audiences last evening. It dethroned Lifetime’s The Craiglist Killer because the most-viewed live-action cable movie of 2011. Best Of Luck Charlie also shipped 3.3 million kids 6-11, 2.4 million tweens and 1.4 million grown ups 18-49. The film provided a powerful starting pad for Disney Funnel’s audio-centered sitcom Austin & Ally, which opened up well with 5.7 million total audiences, 2.7 million kids 6-11 and a pair of.1 million tweens. The series moves to the regular time slot Sunday.

'American Pie's' Natasha Lyonne Makes Praise for Portrayal of Mental Patient on 'Law & Order: SVU' (Video)

American Cake star Natasha Lyonne hit the small screen Wednesday evening in NBC's Law & Order: SVU.our editor recommends'American Reunion' Red-colored-colored Band Trailer Finds New Techniques to Obscure Jason Biggs' Privates'American Reunion' Photo Montage Returns Old Recollections (Video)'Chuck' Star Vik Sahay Joins 'American Reunion' Cast (Exclusive)Thomas Ian Nicholas Accepts Invitation to 'American Reunion' The actress -- who returns for the silver screen inside the fourth American Cake film, American Reunion, next season -- carried out an alleged rape victim who switched that need considering someone in the mental hospital. Another patient claims he observed the incident, however, if confront Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Rollins (Kelli Giddish), she declines are actually assaulted. [Watch a clip below.] 'American Reunion' Full Trailer Hits the internet (Video) The guest-starring turn acquired the actress lots of praise within the audiences, who hit Twitter to discuss their opinions. Written a Twitter user named Strokefest: "Let's you need to all the honours and supply those to Natasha Lyonne. #svu" Jen Rabulan-Bertram also chimed in: "Natasha Lyonne on tonight's @nbcsvu is riveting. She plays cray cray oh so well." Added Craig Dale Manley: "Natasha Lyonne is wicked in SVU tonight." STORY: Who Got Paid out What for your 'American Cake' Reunion And Imani Mosley tweeted: "Not always feeling tonight's air but my girl Natasha Lyonne is KILLING it. #lawandorder" It marks an about-face for your actress from only a few years back, when reviews made an appearance they was destitute and was make the hospital with serious health issues. In those days, the actress was mentioned being battling with hepatitis C, a heart infection together with a flattened lung in addition to dealing with methadone treatment, that's typically accustomed to help heroin clients. She also provides stood a spate of legal troubles, including being billed with Driving under the influence in 2001 she plead guilty to driving while impaired and was situated on probation combined together with her license suspended. She also provides needed part in the court-bought drug program. STORY: Chris Klein Unveils 5 Plot Secrets Within the 'American Reunion' Set Lyonne was arrested again in 2006 for allegedly threatening to sexually abuse a neighbor's dog, nevertheless the charges were overlooked and he or she was sentenced with a conditional discharge. Meanwhile, fellow actor Michael Rapaport mentioned in 2005 he was expected to evict her from the condo he was leasing to her because she trashed the region and held a great deal recently-evening parties. Lyonne, who came out inside the initial few American Cake movies together with other films including Detroit Rock City and Edge: Trinity, reprises her role as Jessica in American Reunion, that's searching for an April 6 release. The film uncover the initial stars dealing with existence inside their thirties. Along with Lyonne, Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Sean William Scott, Shannon Elizabeth, Tara Reid, Eugene Levy, Chris Klein, Eddie Kaye Thomas and Mena Suvari will be ready to reprise their roles. SVU airs at 10 p.m. Wednesdays on NBC. Mariska Hargitay Natasha Lyonne American Reunion Law & Order: SVU

Occupy Protesters Go back to Zuccotti Park After Judge Orders Eviction

Protestors on Occupy Wall Street experienced more obstacles on Tuesday, November. 15 when police raided Zuccotti Park in early hrs before beginning. Protestors were kicked out in the park and removed of the camping equipment following a judge ruled in support of NY City and park owner Brookfield Office Qualities Corporation. Roughly 200 protestors were arrested.our editor recommendsMedia Stored at Distance as NY Police Obvious Occupy Wall Street EncampmentHow Music Is Playing an important Role within the Occupy Wall Street ProtestsJay-Zs Occupy Wall Street T-T shirts Removed After Critique PHOTOS: The Scene at Occupy Wall Street Later on that day, the 2 parties faced off against Occupy Wall Street Reps within the court docket. Top Court Justice Michael Stallman ultimately on the sides using the city, ruling that camping around the block wasn't freedom of expression protected through the First Amendment, though protestors could go back to the park without their tents along with other equipment, reviews the Wall Street Journal. The park continued to be closed through a lot of the day, with 100s of protestors waiting for the judge's decision outdoors a barricaded area yet others staging an impromptu rally nearby, which led to several additional busts. PHOTOS: 'Occupy Wall Street Hollywood': Artists on Scene of Protests Meanwhile, roughly 100 people from the Occupy LA movement broke using their primary encampment to march via a downtown street and show oneness using their NY counterpart. There have been no busts or utilization of pressure. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg held a news conference that mid-day, by which he expressed concern within the healthy and safety conditions around the block, based on the NY Occasions. PHOTOS: The Scene at Occupy La "NY City may be the city where one can come and express yourself," he stated. "That which was happening in Zuccotti Park wasn't that." The park was reopened shortly at night, permitting protestors revisit their movement in one file line. Based on a publish on OccupyWallStreet.org, NYPD are presently taking up Liberty Square with unclear demands. Related Subjects Occupy

Stor Fisk's 'Fungi' goes Awol

BARCELONA -- Stor Fisk has licensed most worldwide sales rights on toon series "Fungi" to Julie Fox's Paris-based Awol Animation. Mango Distribution, that's co-possessed with the Philippines' Top Draw Animation and Australia's Sticky Pictures, is selling Australia, Nz and Asia, outdoors Japan. Awol will handle Europe, U.S. and Latin America. A Barcelona-based pre-school and kids toon studio, Stor Fisk is creating "Fungi" with Catalan pubcaster TV3 and Top Draw. First program sales to Latin America and Germany will be in the entire shebang, mentioned Stor Fisk's Pablo Jordi. Directed by SF partners Jordi and Veronica Lassenius, the 26-seg "Fungi" narrates the mystery-fixing adventures of two kids -- Max, a music artist, as well as the imaginative Frida. Each of them live at Fungihouse, an ebullient community of Undergrounders, where everybody uses fungi -- truffles -- for food, clothing, medicine in addition to hats. Specific at 4-8s, "Fungi" mixes fantasy with realism together with a Scandinavian style -- Lassenius can be a Finn Jordi acknowledged the influence of Scandinavian picture books -- getting a cosmopolitan air. One family's accents change from American to British to Scandinavian. "This mix is original, but quite realistic. 'Fungi' is occur an illusion setting but offers realistic situations," Jordi told Variety. First full episodes will probably be ready by next February. A flagship toon production from Catalonia, "Fungi" is removed energetic condition financing inside the North-east The the spanish language language region from both pubcaster TV3 as well as the ICIC Catalan Institute of Cultural Industries, mentioned Jordi. TV3 plows about 3 million ($4.millions of) every year into local animation production yearly. It's co-creating 24 productions, mentioned TV3 animation co-producer Oriol Sala Patau. Five Catalan TV toon projects examined at September's Cartoon Forum: "Funghi," "The Mint Fairy," "Perfect Teeth," "Evening Breeds" and "Wilbur Willmore." "Fungi" has attracted lower a reason from Spain's ICAA The the spanish language language Film Institute, plus development gold gold coin within the EU's Media Program. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

U + Me = Reunion? MTV's Fake Boy Band 2gether Planning Comeback

2gether The hardest part of breaking up is ... finding the right time to reunite? MTV's fake boy band 2gether is hoping to reunite for a documentary parody, TMZ reports. Alex Solowitz aka Mickey Parke aka the "bad boy" of the group tells the site that he and the remaining members of 2gether want to film a faux documentary chronicling the band's reunion and work on a new song. Michael Cuccione, who played QT, died in 2001 after a long battle with cancer, but Solowitz tells TMZ a major amount of the proceeds from the project would go to Cuccione's foundation. Catch up on today's latest news 2gether was MTV's first original TV movie when it premiered in 2000, and was turned into a TV series soon after. Although fake, the band released albums, toured with Britney Spears and had notable hits including "U + Me = Us (Calculus)," "Say It (Don't Spray It)" and "The Hardest Part of Breaking Up (Is Getting Back Your Stuff"). According to Solowitz, the next step is getting MTV and 2gether's creators to sign off on the project. "Ok, here's the plan I need everybody, all of you to tell everyone about this. We need this to go insanely viral so MTV can't turn us down," Solowitz wrote on his Facebook page. "You all have done an amazing job of blowing this up, let's take it to the next level!" Do you want 2gether to get back, well, together?

Herman Cain is Subject of Another Gloria Allred Press Conference (VIDEO)

The first kind boyfriend of Sharon Bialek, the very first lady to openly state that she was groped by presidential candidate Herman Cain, was by attorney Gloria Allred throughout a press conference Monday to aid the accusations.our editor recommendsFox News to Air Gloria Cain Protecting Husband Herman in First Public Interview (Video)Clint Eastwood Praises Herman Cain and Chris ChristieHerman Cain's Accusers Might Join ForcesHerman Cain Faces Reporters on Live TV and Concurs to Lie Detector Test (Video) PHOTOS: 10 Hollywood Gamers Which Will Really make a difference within the 2012 Elections Victor Zuckerman, a doctor who dated Bialek within the the nineteen nineties when she labored for that National Restaurant Association much more it had been headed by Cain, stated that Bialek told him in those days of the incident where Cain touched her wrongly after getting dinner with him. Bialek asserted inside a press conference of her very own that they was release from her NRA job and she or he arrived at to Cain to ascertain if he'd help her get reinstated. Since that time, her credibility continues to be known as into question through the Cain campaign, which published several cases of legal cases and bankruptcy she's been associated with. On Monday, Zuckerman revealed he'd also declared personal bankruptcy once. VIDEO: Herman Cain Sexual Harassment Scandal Detailed at Press Conference Bialek stated she traveled from her home in Chicago to go to Cain in Washington in 1997 to discuss her job, that is when he arrived at under her skirt and forced her mind toward his crotch. "I'm able to confirm when she came back, she was upset," Zuckerman stated at his press conference in Shrevesport, La., where he read from prepared remarks. "She stated something had happened, which Mr. Cain had touched her within an inappropriate manner. She stated she handled and didn't wish to discuss it further." (Video is below). VIDEO: Herman Cain Faces Reporters on Live TV and Concurs to Lie Detector Test Zuckerman stated he dated Bialek while she was dealing with the divorce as well as their partnership ended a couple of several weeks following the alleged incident with Cain. He stated it had been his idea on her to set up a trip with Cain after she lost her job, which he even taken care of her accommodation. Bialek stated in her own earlier press conference that Cain had upgraded her to some suite. This news conferences including Cain's alleged sexual bad behavior nearly 2 decades ago are clearly less interesting towards the media and also the public in particular compared to what they have been just the other day when Allred's press event with Bialek would be a top story at cable news channels. In comparison, articles Monday at BusinessInsider.com was headlined: "Gloria Allred's Latest Press Conference Is Proof The Herman Cain Scandal Is Dead." PHOTOS: Dems and Republicans' Favorite Movies Journalists on Monday requested Allred if she was planning further such reports. "We're not revealing what our future actions might be," she stated. Allred has stated formerly that she'd like her client Bialek to become listed on with another accuser, Karen Kraushaar, for any joint press conference, although it has not yet been arranged. Meanwhile, Cain's wife is placed to protect her husband throughout a job interview with Greta Van Susteren around the Fox News Funnel tonight. thetimes on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free Related Subjects Fox News Funnel Greta Van Susteren Politics Herman Cain

Weekend Receipts: Immortals Sends Jack and Jill Downhill to # 2 Slot

Even though it didn’t quite slay Jack and Jill within the box office — an even more resounding spanking might’ve restored my belief in humanity, however, many, lots of people still showed up in this area for your Adam Sandler twinsies comedy — Tarsem’s fantasy actioner Immortals exceeded anticipation visiting some surprising $32 million # 1 opening, the most effective ever debut for studio Relativity Media. Also: Puss in Boots and Tower Heist ongoing to slide lower the ranks, with J. Edgar developing a decent go of items to accomplish the most effective 5. Participate in for that Weekend Receipts! 1. Immortals Gross: $32,000,000 (new) Screens: 3,112 (PSA $10,283) Days: 1 Bloggers had Tarsem’s bloody spin on Greek mythology known as to obtain behind the twin star energy of Adam Sandler playing opposite themselves, but surprise! Immortals shot to Number One at first, due to a mostly youthful crowd together with a marketing campaign that invoked the title of 300, Zack Snyder’s stylized period ab-fest. The auspicious opening is a superb sign for future Superman Henry Cavill, who makes his action debut since the sword-swinging, sandal-wearing Theseus. 2. Jack and Jill Gross: $26,000,000 (new) Screens: 3,438 (PSA $7,563) Days: 1 It could arrived a smidge beneath the $Thirty Dollars million opening range conventional an Adam Sandler movie, but $26 million cost of ticket customers still examined a clip and ads and abysmal reviews for Jack and Jill and thought, “Gee, why not?” (Furthermore the fact it got a b -- rating within the under-18 segment in the asked audience.) I be sad for humanity. Now when was Adam Sandler just prone to completely quit making Re-Do, already? 3. Puss in Boots Gross: $25,500,000 ($108,809,000) Screens: 3,903 (PSA $6,533) Days: 3 (Change: -22.9%) The Shrek spin-off broke $100 million domestic now, showing some endurance within the third week of release. Guess meaning Puss in Boots 2 announcement arrives every single day, right? 4. Tower Heist Gross: $13,200,000 ($43,900,000) Screens: 3,370 (PSA $3,917) Days: 2 (Change: -45.1%) Give Tower Heist another day or two plus it’ll fade out of your collective memory, such as this fever dream many of us had where Brett Ratner was pointing the Oscars. '! As if. 5. J. Edgar Gross: $11,470,000 (new) Screens: 1,910 (PSA $6,005) Days: 1 Clint Eastwood’s would-be Oscar heavyweight shrank in stature now due to mixed compares the great Academy awards giant of the year it ain’t. Even combined, the prestige sheen in the biopic and star energy of Leonardo diCaprio (in some guy makeup! Making eyes at Armie Hammer! Speaking getting an interesting accent!) couldn’t even buoy J. Edgar to fit the opening levels of Hereafter, which only agreed to become a film about Matt Damon seeing dead people. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

West End dons 'Top Hat'

The stage version of Irving Berlin's Astaire-Rodgers movie tuner "Top Hat" will open at London's Aldwych theater, beginning previews Apr. 19 ahead of a May 9 press night.Based on the RKO motion picture and presented by arrangement with RKO Pictures LLC, Warner Bros. Theater Ventures and the Irving Berlin Music Company, the tuner is helmed by Matthew White who, together with Howard Jacques, has also adapted the original screenplay by Dwight Taylor and Allan Scott. Choreographed by Bill Deamer with sets by OIivier-winner Hildegard Bechtler, costumes by Jon Morrell and lighting by Peter Mumford, the production stars Tom Chambers and Summer Strallen alongside a supporting cast of 29 and a live band of 15.The arrival of "Top Hat" increases the already tough West End competish for audiences for retro-styled tuners. The hit Regent's Park Open Air Theater revival of the Gershwins' back-catalog show "Crazy For You" has already transferred to the Novello Theater on the same block as the Aldwych. Meanwhile, the Chichester Festival Theater SRO revival of "Singin' in the Rain" begins previews at the Palace Feb. 4. Billed as "a new musical comedy," "Top Hat" has already played a 17-week U.K. tour and features additional Irving Berlin classics including "Let's Face the Music and Dance" and "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket." Contact David Benedict at benedictdavid@mac.com

'Snow White-colored As Well As The Huntsman' Trailer: Charlize Theron Will Eat Your Heart Out

FROM HOLLYWOOD CRUSH: Mirror, mirror round the wall, which "Snow White-colored" movie might be the best famous them? It's still too soon to resolve that question, possibly, but "Snow White-colored as well as the Huntsman" certainly gets the advantage at this time around due to its lately released trailer! The initial official "Snow White-colored as well as the Huntsman" trailer turned up online today because of Apple, gifting fans utilizing their best look yet at what director Rupert Sanders has readily available for his mythic starring "Twilight" sensation Christian Serratos, "Thor" star Chris Hemsworth and "Monster" Oscar champion Charlize Theron. Clearly, that "Our god in the Rings" vibe that was guaranteed is most certainly displayed here. See the full story at Hollywood Crush.

Brett Ratner: Just what the Marketplace Is Saying

On Tuesday, since the Hollywood Reporter first reported, Brett Ratner introduced he was walking lower as producer in the Oscars after his usage of a homophobic slur.our editor recommendsBrian Grazer Is Top Choice to Replace Ratner as Oscar Producer (Exclusive)Brett Ratner Spoofed by 'Happy Endings' Actor for Funny or Die (Video)Brett Ratner, Allan Carr as well as the Home That Unites the Disgraced Oscar ProducersBrett Ratner's Oscar Exit Sparks Passionate Reactions Across the WebBrett Ratner and Olivia Munn in Strange Feud Over X-Rated Claim PHOTOS: Hollywood's Memorable Mea Culpas "It absolutely was a dumb approach to showing myself," he mentioned in the statement. "Everyone who knows me sees that I don't have a very prejudiced bone throughout my body system. But just like a storyteller I will are actually much more thoughtful in regards to the energy of language and my choice of words. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Finest Blunders Academy leader Tom Sherak also launched comment Tuesday evening, saying, ""He did the very best factor for your Academy too for themselves." Adding, "Brett is a superb person, but his comments were unacceptable." Ratner happen to be named since the producer in the 2012 Academy awards show, but he's been under fire to create a quantity of ill-judged remarks in recent days, includingsaying "testing is ideal for fags"anddiscussing his sex lifewithHoward Stern.Ratner ongoing Stern's radio show Monday one of the growing debate over his first remark made at Hollywood's ArcLight theater Friday evening. More youthful crowd spoken in regards to a partnership with actress Olivia Munn throughout his Tower Heist press tour. But, because they may have removed themselves within the Oscar's equation, his comments have created a larger conversation in regards to the attitude of both industry as well as the academy towards using prejudiced language. PHOTOS: Oscar Show Moments "Not receiving him accountable for the Oscars doesn't need to be about hands-wringing, jewel-clutching, in addition to gasping in shock," produces NPR's Linda Holmes. STORY: Brett Ratner's 10 Offensive Quotes That Brought to Oscar Trouble "It must be finished with a dispassionate shrug. "We aren't hunting for a producer using this vision from the products public behavior should certainly appear like, because the Oscars telecast is really a that isn't consistent with that." It doesn't have to be a scandal. It's simple expected final results. This is because choosing to acquire attention with swaggering insults specific at people you think others independently think it's awesome and funny to insult. It makes sense you are able to't function as producer from the demonstrate that is dependent around the goodwill and participation of people same people." VIDEOS: The Finest Not successful Jokes within the Academy awards "Probably the Academy of Movies Arts and Sciences thinks it's inoculated itself against connection with homophobia, but we'd request, they've forgotten "Delirious," Mr. Murphy's infamously scabrous rant against everything gay?" produces the NY Occasions' Media Decoder blog. "Without any, we're not really posting a clip, thanks.Mister. Ratner, whose coarseness is legendary, seems positively refined in comparison.In . Adding, "The Academy's quick retreat from Mr. Ratner -who was simply being relied onto assemble the celebs, functions and movie lore behind the show- suggests it is now offering no film-oriented producerless than four monthsbefore the show together with a number who's hardly bulletproof if the involves charges of homophobia. Signal slippery slope." Actor Jeffery Self written for your Huffington Publish, "This is just what I have to tell Mr. Ratner:Maybe your bones aren't prejudiced, however, your mouth seems being, which's a substantial problem that you'll require assistance.I don't think you are in a position to say a factor such as this and expect us to disregard it. You don't achieve apologize for using word and developing a false statement about Olivia Munn inside the same breath. Saying you lied about Olivia Munn isn't delivering some hate within the producer in the Academy awards having a scared gay teen in Kentucky, nevertheless the other factor you mentioned is." "There's not only a extended, nuanced debate available relevant for this,In . opined Grantland blogger Mark Harris. "If he'd used an identical racial or religious slur, the discussion would go something such as, 'You're fired.' Apology or else. The identical rule is relevant here. You aren't getting a mulligan on homophobia. Not this season.In . "Well, that is pleasing, I'm not prone to lie," mentioned TV.com's Seth Abramovitch. "Brett Ratner-the egomaniacal representative who's a walking, breathing parody of techniques the earth generally perceives Hollywood people to appear and behave-will not be creating this years Oscars. What meaning for your fate ofEddie Murphyas host, who, let's tell the truth, was searching many a great deal a lot more like anan unmitigated disaster-to-be, expires up. Let's hope he's part of the exit package. He continues, "The primary reason, remarkably, isn't that everybody out of the blue clicked on for his or her senses and recognized that Ratner is certainly an intolerable hack who's been planning an Oscars telecast of roughly the identical sophistication level when you average Pirelli calendar shoot.Rather, Ratner themselves resigned inside the wake from the growing uproar around the comment he gained to have an L.A. audience who'd showed up at hear a Q&A about his new movie,Tower Heist." Adding, 'He's a perfect embodiment in the profound mediocrity and idea-vacuum the film market is becoming.Inch Related Subjects Brett Ratner Eddie Murphy Oscars Olivia Munn Oscars 2012 Honours Season Preview Tower Heist

Attacking Youthful Boys Declines He Fathered A Youthful Child

First Launched: November 4, 2011 11:26 AM EDT Credit: Access Hollywood Caption Access Extended: Find Attacking Youthful Boys Beneath The MistletoeNY, N.Y. -- ustin Bieber has declined accusations he fathered a youthful child in the backstage bathroom and states he's never met the woman who filed the paternity suit against him. To produce the record straight, none of it's true, the teen heartthrob declared Friday within a short appearance on NBCs Today show. As mobs of fans screamed adoringly in Rockefeller Plaza, Bieber referred to as it crazy that anybody can make up this kind of story. I realize Im apt to be a target, but Im not really considered a victim, Bieber told Today host Matt Lauer. Its crazy, because each night following a show Ive gone from transpires with my vehicle. So its crazy that lots of people desire to make up such false accusations. The paternity suit was filed in Hillcrest Superior Court by Maria Yeater this year's week. She'd just switched 19 when she states she and Bieber, then 16, stood a brief sexual encounter after one of the entertainers concerts last fall at La Staples Center. She mentioned she shipped a boy within this summer time and thinks Bieber might be the daddy because there has been few other possible males she'd sex within individuals days. Asked for when they know Yeater, Bieber told Lauer, Never met the woman. Yeater is asking a judge for your kids together with a dna test. A hearing is scheduled for 12 ,. 15. Her lawyer has known to her just like a stay-at-home mother who's trying to find sufficient your kids in case your dna test determines Bieber might be the daddy. Bieber, 17, attracted what came out being hundreds of fans while he briefly spoken with Today hosts, pushing being heard within the earsplitting screams. Along with knocking lower gossips, Biebers appearance was apparently timed for the relieve a Christmas album. Its difficult to record a Christmas album in September, he mentioned. Bieber returns to Today for just about any live musical appearance on November. 23. Copyright 2011 with the Connected Press. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

W2 Media to co-finance, distribute 'Bizarre'

W2 Media originates onto co-finance and distribute ''The Theatre Bizarre 2,'' a follow up to Severin Films and Mataluna Prods.' ''The Theater Bizarre'' horror anthology.Deal was introduced Friday in the American Film Market by W2 Media Boss John Flock.W2 Media is delivering ''The Theatre Bizarre'' theatrically within the U.S. in The month of january and intends to release the follow up in The month of january 2013. W2 Media can also be handling worldwide sales for photos.Severin and France's Metaluna co-created the initial, inspired by '''Theatre du Grand Guignol'' of Paris in early twentieth century and professional created by Daryl J. Tucker. Pic featured films by company directors Douglas Buck, Buddy Giovinazzo, David Gregory, Karim Hussain, Jeremy Kasten, Tom Savini and Richard Stanley.The initial creating team will even produce the follow up. W2 Media lately introduced an offer to co-finance and handle worldwide sales for ''The Drummer,'' starring Aaron Eckhart. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas: Film Review

The minds behind A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas weren't kidding about that 3D in the title. Things come flying off the screen every few moments - a flaming Christmas tree, showers of glass, lawn ornaments, lots of eggs, pot smoke, exploding confetti and, look out, here comes the kitchen sink! The third installment of these mildly successful stoner comedies doesn't so much work off a screenplay as a checklist: Have we shown any spurting blood recently? Has a young child inadvertently dragged into the movie's misadventures ingested any new drug? When was the last racial joke? Let's not lament how yet another comedy series has gone off the rails because this one really hasn't. Once upon a time - that time being 2004 when Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle became something of a cult hit - the joke was that here's a stoner road movie about a bookish Korean-American and an Indian-American party animal, ethnic stereotypes filling in for the usual Anglo stereotypes who would inhabit these roles. The NYers - well played by John Cho andKal Penn - ventured into the night seeking smokes, girls and sliders at a White Castle burger joint. VIDEO: 'A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas' Red Band Trailer: The Second Coming of Neil Patrick Harris Nothing has changed. After being waylaid by the lame Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay in 2008, Harold and Kumar, looking well past 30 - the actors always played much younger than they were - return for another nocturnal ramble that will increasingly move into surreal fantasy. But the situation, for all the 3D claptrap, remains essentially the same: Two reasonably authentic characters tumble into a Wonderland of sheer nonsense. How funny this nonsense is will be found in the minds of viewers. So in this instance, reactions will very in the extreme. A person could grow up appreciating the Marx Brothers, Three Stooges and John Landis comedies and may still find this movie's only funny line concerns Kal Penn's brief career diversion into the Obama White House. Others will bust a gut laughing at the robot waffle-maker, a desperate virgin, Ukranian mobsters, African-American con artists and a critically injured Santa. VIDEO: John Cho, Kal Penn Promise Holiday Cheer in 'A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas' The script by Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg, who have written all three films, shows desperation in the what-can-we-do-now panic that motivates much of the story. Like the White Castle movie didn't? Yet at the core of this movie lies a real problem: What happens when former college friends drift away from each other? Harold has bought into the middle-class American dream with the deluxe house in the suburbs and a beautiful wife Maria (Paula Garces), albeit one who, being Mexican and this being a comedy trafficking in racial stereotypes, comes with a family headed by a father (Danny Trejo) and extended family that look like they stumbled in from a Robert Rodriguez movie. Kumar, on the other hand, is still a pot-smoking kid at 30, whose girlfriend Vanessa (Danneel Harris) would ditch him only she has just learned she is pregnant. A package misaddressed to Harold's former abode - Kumar's mess of a walk-up flat - brings the two together on Christmas Eve and, naturally, disaster ensues. A Christmas tree, ignited by an errant joint, goes up in smoke, necessitating the two men and their new "best friends" - Kumar's horny pal Adrian (Amir Blumenfeld) and Harold's suburban wuss amigo Todd (Tom Lennon) - to hazard the night's many caprices to find a suitable substitute. No doubt serious substance abuse prior to the movie will make these adventures much funnier, however, there are occasional inspired flights of fancy including the movie's sudden deviation into claymation with stop-motion characters, all the winks and nods over the 3D Christmas and yet another appearance by Neil Patrick Harris playing a character called "Neil Patrick Harris." You might think of this movie as a lineal descendent of the Hope-Crosby road pictures, which took two hapless characters into misadventures, musical numbers and self-referential gags and in-jokes that played with audiences' memories of past movies and movie conventions themselves. It's as harmless as it is stupid so neither the claymation schlong nor a seriously drugged child should offend. They will, of course, and indeed the filmmakers are counting on someone to think this is all edgy humor when in fact Cheech and Chong beat everyone to the punch years ago. (Up in Smoke is the best stoner comedy ever and that's the end of the discussion.) So A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas is, like its predecessors, a mildly diverting naughty comedy, lacking the pure comic nastiness of Bad Santa or the sheer audacity of Up in Smoke. Tech credits achieve high marks - whoops, let's make that solid marks - for the 3D shenanigans and the claymation by an Oregon-based company, HOUSE Special. A shorts and TV director named Todd Strauss-Schulson made his feature debut with this movie and hasn't been mentioned until now because he seems to bring little personality or vision to this effort. The film's success really comes down to Kal Penn and John Cho and the almost endearing, idiotic characters they have created over these three films. Opens: Nov. 4 (Warner Bros.) Production companies: New Line Cinema presents in association with Mandate Pictures a Kingsgate Films production Cast: Kal Penn, John Cho, Amir Blumenfeld, Tom Lennon, Danny Trejo, Elias Kotaes, Neil Patrick Harris, Paula Garces, Danneel Harris, Eddie Kaye Thomas, David Krumholtz, Bobby Lee Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson Screenwriters: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Producer: Greg Shapiro Executive producers: Nathan Kahane, Nicole Brown, Richard Brener, Michael Disco, Samuel J. Brown Director of photography: Michael Barrett Production designer: Rusty Smith Music: William Ross Costume designer: Mary Claire Hannan Editor: Eric Kissack R rating, 90 minutes Neil Patrick Harris

Fox Business Funnel Ratings Still Dismal After four years

It absolutely was an abysmal month for Fox News' youthful sister funnel. Fox Business Network saw an average daily viewership near to 65,000 for October, according to Nielsen, which been the month in the network's four-year anniversary. Within the target 25-54 demo, though, Fox Business only came typically 10,000 audiences daily. This, in contrast for the network's chief competitor, CNBC, which saw around 201,000 audiences normally and 59,000 inside the 25-54 age group. An origin familiar with the network states that four years in, they expected Fox Business being undertaking "a lot better than 10,000 inside the target demo." PHOTOS: Most likely Probably The Most Spoken-About TV News Faces Adding towards the network's worries is the fact Don Imus' program, Imus every morning, which Fox Business first demonstrated this past year since the network's daily morning kickoff program, is undertaking totally -- with typically just 5,000 daily audiences inside the target demographic for your month and 90,000 total audiences. In contrast, Squawk Box, which airs on FBN's chief competitor CNBC concurrently as Imus' show, received 179,000 total audiences normally for your month and outdelivered Imus inside the target demographic by greater than 1,one hundred percent, with 65,000 audiences. There's one relatively vibrant spot for Fox Business -- its early prime-time 4 p.m.-8 p.m. slate, including shows like Cavuto and Lou Dobbs Tonight. The network attracted around 85,000 average daily audiences for your month, including 12,000 audiences within the target demographic, throughout people several hours. But even that figure remains well behind the 212,000 total audiences CNBC received for the same time slot. Fox Business Network executive v . p . Kevin Magee is trying to put an positive spin round the amounts, saying things aren't badly simply because they appear. "It's my job to want better ratings than I have,Inch he told Adweek. "[But] the recognition expires for people.In . Magee mentioned the network's ratings are "substantially up from October this past year -Up 38 percent year upon year.Inch For that network's ratings as compared to the competition, Magee downplayed the value of target demographic ratings altogether, saying, "I'd appropriately explain how the specific makeup within our audience is rather terrific. We've most likely probably the most affluent audience in fundamental cable. We've got people with money, which we attract some very, high-finish entrepreneurs." Calculating success according to when the network is reaching it's the 25-54 age group "might be an outdated measurement," Magee mentioned. STORY: Moguls Share A Typical Television Stations The ratings trouble at Fox Business follows round the heels from the incident earlier inside the month when Reuters acquired a memo Magee had sent the network's staff instructing those to focus much more on business news along with a more compact amount round the type of political fodder that's become Fox News Funnel's signature. "I've been asked for to assist help remind everyone again that they are separate channels, as well as the more we make [Fox Business Network] appear like [Fox News Funnel] the higher from the injustice all of us caused by ourselves," Reuters reported Magee as writing inside the memo. "I recognize the temptation to imitate our sister network expecting emulating its success, but we can not.In . That note to staff introduced some to question if Fox News chief Roger Ailes was searching to produce Fox Business Network on something from the course correction. In speaking to Adweek, Magee looked for to understate the value of what he'd written. "In my opinion the memo got a little more play laptop or computer deserved," he mentioned. "We've mentioned immediately that people must function as Fox Business Network." For whether he's happy with Imus, which has fought against gossips surrounding his employment within the network formerly, Magee mentioned, "Don introduced an audience to us that individuals wouldn't have grown to be otherwise . . . I'm not out thinking, 'I have to replace Imus.' Incidentally, he's around the contract. There's the exact same thing.In . Related Subjects Fox Business Funnel

Lackluster Reactions to 'Prime Suspect,' 'Hart of Dixie,' 'Revenge' Marketing Campaigns Suggest Shows in danger: Study

NBC's Prime Suspect, the CW's Hart of Dixie and ABC's Revenge should be worried about their futures, if TiVo's soon-to-be launched report about marketing conversions is any suggestion.our editor recommendsFall TV's 'The X Factor,' 'New Girl' Among Top Shows For Marketers Study: Fall's Most Anticipated New Shows RevealedNew Training of Fall TV: Comedy Is King18 Familiar Faces of Fall TVFall TV Premiere Week: The Those who win and LosersRelated Subjects•Fall Television Preview Based on TiVo, the only real shows with lower conversions than individuals three, Charlie's Angels and H8R, happen to be canceled. TiVo interviewed the viewing habits of 35,000 of their customers to find out the number of promotions on new Television shows they saw, the number of occasions they saw them and if the promotions convinced these to stay tuned. When they updated in to the premiere episode having seen a minimum of three promotions, that qualified like a effective "conversion." PHOTOS: 10 Television Shows Canceled Faster Than 'The Playboy Club' Television professionals may want to take TiVo's data seriously, because no five shows using the cheapest promo conversions this past year was restored. Scoring the greatest conversion rate was CBS' 2 Broke Women, which already gained a complete-season order. No. 2 on TiVo's list was Fox's New Girl. PHOTOS: Fall TV Dying Pool: Which Shows Is Going To Be Axed Next? The machine isn't foolproof, though, because the show using the third-greatest conversion rate, CBS' How to become a Gentleman, continues to be canceled, as was NBC's Free Agents, which obtained the eighth-greatest promo conversion rate. Rounding the top ten new broadcast shows using the greatest promo conversions are Terra Nova, Person of great interest, Pan Am, Suburgatory, Up Through The Night and Memorable. PHOTOS: Fall TV's 12 Most Anticipated Shows Rounding the bottom 10 are Whitney, The X Factor, The Playboy Club (already canceled), Ringer along with a Gifted Guy. TiVo also notes in the are convinced that there's no direct correlation between "achieve" and conversion rate. For instance, Whitney obtained the greatest achieve with 85.3 % from the panelists uncovered towards the promotions, though its conversion rate was the 5th cheapest one of the 21 new fall broadcast series that opened between Sept. 12 and March. 2. Revenge also obtained high achieve but low conversion. Related Subjects Terra Nova The X Factor New Girl Hart of Dixie Ringer H8R Person of great interest Memorable A Gifted Guy 2 Broke Women Charlie's Angels Pan Am Revenge Suburgatory Prime Suspect The Playboy Club Up Through The Night Whitney Free Agents ABC NBC CBS Fox Broadcasting Corporation The CW Fall TV Preview

AFM: Woodsy Allen Doc Foreign Rights

Submarine Entertainment and HanWay Films are marketing Robert B. Weide’s Woodsy Allen: A Documentary to worldwide customers within the American Film Market now in Santa Monica. Various U . s . States rights have formerly offered. It'll air by 50 percent parts November 20-21 on PBS’ American Masters. The documentary features clips of Allen’s movies including his most commercial effective Evening amount of time in Paris. Emmy-winning and Oscar nominated Weide examines Allen’s existence and artistic process, from his childhood and early career to the present. Weide had extensive utilization of observe Allen’s writing habits, casting, pointing, editing and relationship along with his stars. Interviews of stars too numerous to read cover his whole career from Louise Lasser, Tony Roberts, Dianne Wiest, Diane Keaton completely to Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, Naomi W and Owen Wilson. Writing collaborators Marshall Brickman, Mickey Rose and Doug McGrath weigh in along with cinematographers Gordon Willis and Vilmos Zsigmond along with creating partner Letty Aronson, producers Robert Greenhut and Stephen Tenenbaum and longtime managers Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe plus Martin Scorsese among a lot more.

Zentrops grows in Europe

'Summer Window'BERLIN -- The wider the internet, the greater the return for Zentropa Entertainments Berlin, 1 of 2 German subsidiaries of Peter Aalbaek Jensen's and Lars von Trier's Copenhagen-based group which has spread across Europe to become leading mix-border player, having a network of shingles in 13 European nations, including The country, Belgium, Sweden, Norwegian, the U.K., Italia and France. "We're not thinking about specific languages or specific ethnicities, but when you've got a film that should be created mix-border and funded mix-border, that is what we are able to offer -Body company that signifies two, 3 or 4 nations -- whatever you have to build your film," states Aalbaek Jensen.Hendrik Handloegten's surreal drama "Summer time Window," loosely with different 1967 novel by Austrian author Hannelore Valencak, reps a tailor-made production for that Zentropa arm. Shot in Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig and Finland, and allocated at 3.3 million ($4.six million), the development drawn on regional and federal funds in Germany in addition to Finnish gold coin. TrustNordisk is selling the film worldwide. Maria Koepf, who heads Zentropa Entertainments Berlin, developed the project with author-director Handloegten, who spent his early childhood in Finland, and the reminiscences found their distance to the film's story.While "Summer time Window" is Handloegten's first film with Zentropa, it's his third film with Koepf, who created his previous photos "Paul Is Dead" and "Understanding how to Lie" while she was at Berlin-based X Filme Creative Pool. The 2 have been developing "Summer time Window" when Koepf became a member of Zentropa in 2007."This continuity is essential in my experience. We all know one another perfectly,Inch Handloegten told a nearby magazine. "After I use Maria, I understand she thinks inside it -- that provides me security."Zentropa's European subsidiary network not just gives the organization a substantial advantage in creating diverse worldwide films, additionally, it helps make the group a perfect co-production partner. " 'Summer Window' is a perfect project (for Zentropa) since it had the Finnish area of the story," Koepf. Indeed, adding Finland towards the story provided Liisa Penttila, mind and co-who owns Zentropa's Helsinki-based subsid Edith Film, the chance to board the project as co-producer.While "Summer time Window" marks the shingle's first full inhouse production, Zentropa Berlin has performed a substantial role like a co-producer on the slew of films, both Zentropa productions in addition to photos from third-party producers, since its launch in 2007. Included in this are Guys Herngren's "The Bathing suit Problem," Lukas Moodysson's "Mammoth" and Han-Christian Schmid's "Storm."Koepf is co-creating Peter Naess' The Second World War drama "Comrade," starring Rupert Grint, with Zentropa Intl. Norwegian, and Nikolaj Arcel's Danish historic romance "A Royal Affair," starring Mads Mikkelsen and Alicia Vikander, which shot in Prague and Dresden.For Koepf, employed by the Zentropa group offers significant plusses. "Being a member of a large clients are a significant advantage when you are getting bank credit. It is a completely different situation if you have the corporation, this large label behind you."An additional: Filmmakers can contact one Zentropa office and also the group will manage production services and financing from several territory in Europe.Additionally towards the Berlin subsidiary, the network includes Zentropa Intl. Perfume. Run by Bettina Brokemper, the Perfume office serves mainly like a co-production arm for that parent company and additional underscores the significance of Germany for that group.Indeed, Aalbaek Jensen states Germany isn't just a primary co-production country its Zentropa's large films but additionally a substantial marketplace for the relaxation from the company's photos.Zentropa Berlin is probably the group's most active worldwide subsidiaries, but Aalbaek Jensen states it's quality, not quantity, that's essential. "Maria is very picky by what she's doing," he adds. "Within this business, it comes down to selecting the best films, not creating a certain quantity of films. We lose a lot money whenever we get some things wrong, and so i support her being picky."Aalbaek Jensen states that U.S. producers are trying to find additional funding from Europe, and Zentropa includes a U.S. co-production within the works which will likely start shooting next spring, although he would not be attracted on particulars."The planet has become more compact following a economic crisis. Everyone is a lot more available to collaborations, the People in america," he states. "Zentropa's pan-European model thus remains more essential than ever before.Inch Contact Erectile dysfunction Meza at staff@variety.com

Philip K. Dick Estate Sues Media Privileges Capital Over Adjustment Bureau

BREAKING: Lawyers for that estate of legendary sci-fi author Philip K. Dick have sued in US District Court in California against Media Privileges Capital over what it really alleges is definitely an attempt to get away from obligations for that privileges to make use of Dick’s short story because the foundation for the Matt Damon thriller The Adjustment Bureau. The complaint alleges that MRC is applying the argument the material is incorporated in the public domain. One's heart from the complaint is: When author/director George Nolfi optioned the fabric in the estate in 2001, he decided to pay $25,000 against a $a million-$1.85 million cost, with respect to the film’s budget, in addition to 2.5% of internet profits. MRC, which bought the project last year and performed purchasing the fabric, compensated the estate $1.4 million. The estate thinks it's owed a lot more than $500,000 which should happen to be compensated once the film arrived at break even. Rather, The suit alleges that MRC has breached anything and attempted to slide from these obligations by challenging the copyright status from the underlying material. Works out the short story was initially released on the sci-fi magazine in This summer, 1954, however the estate claims it had been done with no understanding from the author. The very first approved publication from the material, the estate claims, arrived 1973 in an accumulation of Dick’s tales. The complaint claims MRC hidden it might challenge the copyright until following the film was launched. The estate wants MRC to meet the terms decided to within the original deal decided to by Nolfi and the partner, Michael Hackett. Justin. M. Goldstein, the attorney from Carlsmith Ball LLP who's pressing the situation for that Philip K. Dick Testamentary Trust, released this statement: “Philip K. Dicks trust and beneficiaries were partners all the means by lending time, support and cooperation throughout the expansion, production, marketing and discharge of The Adjustment Bureau. Quickly following the movie was launched and also the money began flowing in, the filmmakers and Media Privileges Capital tried to cut the Trust out entirely, and grab every last dollar on their own. To try and justify this greedy move, they're saying that contracts and copyright filings that they, their lawyers, and agents examined and approved — and that the U.S. Copyright Office fortunate not once but two times — are actually wrong. With respect to the an incredible number of fans worldwide of the visionary sci-fi author, it genuinely saddens us thatthe matter needed to achieve this time.” MRC couldn't immediately be arrived at for comment. Deadline will prove to add an argument assuming it is available in.

Amy Winehouse 'Not Suicidal' Before Dying, Inquest Unveils

LONDON - Musical diva Amy Winehousehad rejected therapy to cope with her alcohol issues, proclaiming that medical team they would resolve her problems within their way.our editor recommendsAmy Winehouse Reason behind Dying Not Revealed After AutopsyAmy Winehouse In RehabAmy Winehouse Died From Consuming A Lot Of Alcohol, Coroner RulesRelated Subjects•Amy Winehouse Speaking within the Inquest, which learned that the singer died of alcohol poisoning about this summer time 23, her physician of four years Dr Christina Rometesaid the star happen to be positive in regards to the future combined with rejected mental therapy on her behalf alcohol issues on numerous occasions. "She [Winehouse] was towards any type of mental therapy...she was most likely probably the most intelligent youthful women I've ever met. She was very likely to do things her way, including her therapy. She'd very strict sights on that," the doctor mentioned, according to reviews. Romete mentioned the star interspersed alcohol with "periods of abstinence." Three vodka bottles were later discovered by her bed mattress when Winehouse's inert is discovered at the begining of evening of the summer time 23. The physician told the inquest she'd seen the singer around 7 p.m. round the evening before she died, which Winehouse had lately been consuming. "She was calm, she was coherent. She was tipsy I'd say, but she didn't slur and may hold an entire conversation." Romete mentioned they did not have fears that Winehouse planned to think about her own existence, getting spoken about - among other activities - plans for your singer's approaching 28th special birthday. "Besides the truth that they'd started consuming there's hardly any other concern. I wasn't concerned they was suicidal...she discussed future things. She mentioned 'I haven't accomplished most of the a couple of a few things i wanted.' She was searching toward the long run.In . The inquest heard that throughout time of her dying, pathologist professorSuhail Baithunhad found 416mg of alcohol per deciliter of blood stream inside the underweight and fragile singer's body. The legal driving limit is 80mg, some 200mg would see an regular person come unglued over their physiques and face injuries while a sum more than 350mg is associated with deaths, he told legal court. Assistant deputy Coroner Suzanne Greenawaygave a verdict of "dying by misadventure" In the statement, the Winehouse family mentioned it absolutely was "some respiteInch to uncover what had happened for his or her daughter. "Legal court heard that Amy was fighting difficult to conquer her difficulties with alcohol the industry resource of great discomfort to us they could not conquer time.Inch Your family offers the Amy Winehouse Foundation inside the singer's title. Related Subjects Worldwide Amy Winehouse