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Friday B.O.: Soft Starts for 'Christmas Carol,' 'Goats'
19 hours ago
With release activity at the domestic box office heating up for the holidays and the awards season, Friday saw soft openings for Disney’s expensive 3D stop-motion-animated “A Christmas Carol” and Overture’s ensemble satire “The Men Who Stare at Goats.”
Universal, meanwhile, seemed to benefit from the current public interest in verite-style sci-fi/horror, with paranormally themed “The Fourth Kind” enjoying a better-than-expected premiere. Also, Lionsgate awards hopeful “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire&... »
- Daniel Frankel
Ratings: Rihanna Interview Boosts '20/20'
20 hours ago
By Josef Adalian
Friday's interview with pop singer Rihanna sent ratings for ABC's "20/20" soaring.
The newsmagazine notched a 2.7 rating/9 share among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m. Friday, dramatically higher than the show's usual Nielsen number (in recent weeks, a 1.6). It was by far the top-rated show of the night in the key demographic, and the best adults 18-49 performance by the newsmag in nine months.
The chat proved particularly potent with viewers 18-34, giving "20/20" its best ratings in that demo (2.3/9) in nearly three years.
Among all viewers, "20/2... »
- Adalian
'Real Housewives': Really Big Ratings (Again)
6 November 2009 7:17 PM, PST
By Josef Adalian
Guess blondes do have more fun. Or, at the very least, draw big ratings.
The fifth cycle of "Real Housewives of Orange County" returned Thursday to record Nielsen numbers, attracting 2.58 million viewers (1.98 million of whom were under 50). That's the best perfomance ever for "Oc," as well as the biggest premiere number for any installment of the franchise (sorry, Hotlanta, New York and New Jersey).
Compared to the cycle four premiere, "Oc" was up 44 percent in viewers and 28 percent in adults 18-49. "Oc" got a big boost from its lead-i... »
- Adalian
Obit: Former AMPTP President Nick Counter
6 November 2009 6:20 PM, PST
By Brent Lang
Nick Counter, who as president of the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) led the Hollywood studios through nearly three decades of labor negotiations, died Friday night at West Hills Hosptial in Los Angeles. He was 69.
No cause of death was given, according to an AMPTP spokesperson.
Counter, who was known to be ill, had retired in March of this year. For 27 years, from its formation in 1982 until then, Counter oversaw the AMPTP and took a lead role in shaping more than 300 major guild and union agreements. He achieved perhaps his greatest prom... »
- Brent Lang
10 Things I Learned This Week
6 November 2009 5:35 PM, PST
1. 2012 = Bang For Your Buck
Roland Emmerich’s mega disaster mash-up does exactly what it says on the tin. His puree job of every end-of-the-world movie ever made – with big dollops of “Airport," “The Poseidon Adventure” and “Titanic” thrown in for good measure – is spectacular and a terrific popcorn entertainment. It’s also one of the best comedies of 2009, although it’s open to debate how intentional the laughs are.
http://www.empireonline.com.au/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?Fid=135843
Not sure about a TV ... »
- Josh Dickey
'Factor' This: Bill O'Reilly Beats NBC Comedies, 'Fringe'
6 November 2009 5:03 PM, PST
By Josef Adalian
Coverage of the Fort Hood shootings predictably resulted in a ratings spike for cable news networks-- including Bill O'Reilly, who drew more viewers than several major primetime series.
Thursday's "The O'Reilly Factor" averaged a hair under 5 million viewers from 8-9 p.m., outrating NBC's "Parks and Recreation" in the 8:30 half hour. The "Factor" also outdrew Fox's own "Fringe" at 9 p.m. (4.86 million) and "The Jay Leno Show" (4.83 million).
O'Reilly's show Thursday was a mix of breaking news coverage of the shootings, as well ... »
- Adalian
The Pain: Layoffs Hit A&E, Lifetime Post-Merger
6 November 2009 4:59 PM, PST
The fallout from the merger of Lifetime and A&E Networks has begun.
Variety reports that more than 100 staffers have been let go this week, with non-programming posts getting hit hardest. Jessica Samet, Lifetime's head of reality programming, is among the casualties, the trade publication said.
Multichannel News broke first details of the layoffs Friday afternoon, though the cuts had been anticipated since the merger was announced.
Check out the Variety story here for more details.
»
- Adalian
Paltrow Joins Kidman in 'Danish Girl'
6 November 2009 4:51 PM, PST
By Variety
Gwyneth Paltrow will join Nicole Kidman in “The Danish Girl,” an adaptation of the David Ebershoff novel that tells the story of a relationship between the first post-operative transsexual, Einar Wegener, and his wife Greta.
Thomas Alfredson (“Let the Right One In”) is directing a script by Lucinda Coxon. Gail Mutrux, Anne Harrison and Linda Reisman are producing, along with Kidman and Per Saari.
Read more at Variety. »
- Brent Lang
'Dr. Phil' Renewed
6 November 2009 4:42 PM, PST
By the Hollywood Reporter
Syndicated talk show "Dr. Phil" has been renewed through the 2013-2014 season in 70% of the country, including 20 of the top 25 markets.
The three-year renewal will take "Dr. Phil," now in its eighth year, through its 12th season. The strip starring Phil McGraw was reupped by stations from the CBS TV group, Gannett Broadcasting, Belo, Media General, Lin Television, Sinclair, Dispatch Broadcasting, Cox, Midwest Broadcasting among others.
Read more at the Hollywood Reporter. »
- Brent Lang
Oscar Verdicts: 'Precious,' 'The Road,' More
6 November 2009 4:41 PM, PST
By Steve Pond
The movie that some are calling the Oscar frontrunner comes out today, and Lionsgate will be watching closely to see if the buzz caused by pre-release raves will be sustained now that the dark, gritty film is out in (a few) theaters.
I know I’m arriving late to the party for “Precious” (hey, I didn’t go to Sundance or Toronto and I had to leave theWrap’s screening early to interview the director and star!), but I finally caught up with it last weekend, along with a couple of other films that might figure in the awards picture. So here’s the lates... »
- Steve Pond
'2012's Roland Emmerich: Grilled
6 November 2009 4:03 PM, PST
By Iain Blair
You can usually set your calendar by Roland Emmerich and one of his huge summer disaster spectacles, such “The Day After Tomorrow” or “Independence Day.”
But this year something’s off with his timing – appropriately enough, it turns out, as his latest mega-disaster, “2012,” is based on doomsday interpretations of the Mayan calendar and its apparent prediction that a cataclysm of epic proportions awaits the earth in 2012.
Obviously this sort of thing can’t be handled by governments and scientists. It takes... »
- Josh Dickey
Celebrating the Anniversary of an Oscar Snub
6 November 2009 3:25 PM, PST
By Steve Pond
It’s been 15 years since what might be the biggest Oscar snub in history, a decade-and-a-half since the injustice that changed Academy rules and helped lead to the creation of a new branch within AMPAS.
“Hoop Dreams” came out in 1994. It celebrated its 15th anniversary Wednesday night at a theater in Chicago named after Gene Siskel, one of two critics whose support of the documentary was crucial to its success. The colleague who championed the film alongside Siskel, Roger Ebert, saluted what he called “the great American documentary” in a blog post the... »
- Steve Pond
Joe Jackson Seeks Stipend
6 November 2009 2:25 PM, PST
By the Associated Press
Court records show Michael Jackson's father is seeking an allowance from his son's estate.
An attorney for Joe Jackson filed papers in Los Angeles on Friday seeking a stipend, saying there was no apparent reason for the administrators of the estate to not seek an allowance for the 81-year-old family patriarch.
Read more at the Associated Press. »
- Brent Lang
Survivor: Personal Attacks Backfire
6 November 2009 1:51 PM, PST
By Mark Stone
Survivor once again welcomes you to Blindside City.
It’s Night 18 and Foa Foa is in a horribly inferior position with four people out of 12. Russell has some big idears about getting members of Galu to move over, and he’s “too good for this game and too sly.” And, he’s ready to plant his seed in the other dumbasses heads.
Day 19 and things aren’t all wine and roses for Galu despite their dominance of the game thus far. Shambo and Laura are having a power struggle and Shambo once again reverts to her 90210 comparison for... »
- Josh Dickey
Reality Watch: The Bombshells are Back!
6 November 2009 1:38 PM, PST
The bombshells are back!
Yes, we’re still mourning the loss of the Housewives of Atlanta (Oh, NeNe, how I’ll miss your bralessness!) but Bravo didn’t waste any time getting us back on track. We went straight from the Atlanta reunion show into the Season 5 premiere of “The Real Housewives of Orange County.”
<img style="margin:15px 15px 15px 15px;height:304px;width:250px;float:left... »
- Josh Dickey
Afm Update: Intandem to Represent 13 Seven Arts Titles
6 November 2009 12:13 PM, PST
By ScreenDaily
London based Intandem Films has agreed to act as the sales agent and servicer for a slate of 13 completed films, formerly represented by Seven Arts International.
The filmsnclude the Keanu Reeves vehicle, "Johnny Mnemonic," "I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead" with Clive Owen and "No Good Deed," starring Samuel L. Jackson.
Intandem’s sales and marketing directors, Billy Hurman and Andrew Brown will be negotiating the renewal of contracts with existing distributors and selling the available territories at the American Film Market.
<s... »
- Brent Lang
Pixel Magic to Open Louisiana Studio
6 November 2009 11:42 AM, PST
By Wrap Staff
Pixel Magic announced plans to open a studio in Lafayette, Louisiana on Friday morning. The digital effects company plans to create 12 jobs by the end of the year -- a number it expects to grow to a total of 40 jobs in three years.
"Pixel Magic is a great example of the kind of companies we hoped to position Louisiana to secure when we strengthened Louisiana's film production and digital interactive media tax credits during the last legislative session," Gov. Bobby Jindal said at the company's announcement, according to "The Times-Picayune." "Pixel Magic's d... »
- Brent Lang
Beatles Photos to Be Sold at Auction
6 November 2009 11:27 AM, PST
By Reuters
Seven black-and-white photographs of the Beatles sitting on a grassy field, taken by a teenage girl on the last day of filming for their movie "Help!," will be sold next week by Cameo Auctioneers.
Gwyn Blanchard, then a 13-year-old student, trudged half an hour in the rain with a group of friends to the set of the Fab Four's second film, hoping for an autograph, but wound up being invited for a chat with her idols. When the Beatles were filming the scene in which they play beside some tanks, Blanchard snapped some photographs as the band-members relaxed between takes.
... »
- Brent Lang
Jackson Movie Passes $100M Mark Overseas
6 November 2009 10:32 AM, PST
While continuing to only smolder Stateside, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" remains incindiary overseas, with distributor Sony announcing Friday that the concert-rehearsal film has passed the $100 million mark in foreign ticket sales after nine days in release.
The studio's estimated international gross stands at $100.2 million going into the weekend, with domestic ticket sales currently at $43.8 million. Many pre-release projections had the movie grossing $45 million in North America within its first five days.
Foreign hot spots for "This Is It' continue to be J... »
- Daniel Frankel
Emg Acquires Newmarket Films
6 November 2009 10:07 AM, PST
By Wrap Staff
Exclusive Media Group will acquire Newmarket Films, the Los Angeles based film production and distribution company. After the deal, Emg will now comprise Newmarket Films, Spitfire Pictures, Hammer and Exclusive Film Distribution with offices in both Los Angeles and London.
The acquisition of Newmarket will add a library of over 250 titles to Emg’s already existing 300 title library. Newmarket’s production credits include “Memento,” “The Mexican,” “Cruel Intentions,” and “The Prestige”, while its distribution arm has handled... »
- Brent Lang
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