Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

And It Appears That’ll Be All For Dawn Ostroff at The CW

The CW entertainment president Dawn Ostroff will step down at the end of the season, according to sources with direct knowledge of her thinking. A formal announcement is not expected to come until after next month’s Television Critics Assn. conference in Pasadena. Ostroff’s contract is up in June and network sources say there is no discussion of a replacement yet. Ostroff has led the CW since its inception in 2006 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation. Prior to that, she ran UPN and Lifetime.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/confirmed-dawn-ostroff-leave-cw-64405

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Lucasfilm Lawsuit Put To Rest

Lucasfilm settled a lawsuit over hiring practices with the Dept. of Justice on Tuesday. The DoJ filed a complaint calling on the film, toon and FX powerhouse to stop entering into “anticompetitive” agreements with Pixar that the DoJ said unfairly affected digital animators. The filing included the proposed settlement to end the ongoing suit, pending court approval. The complaint was part of a larger probe by the DoJ’s antitrust division into tech company employment practices. The department asserts that Lucasfilm and Pixar agreed not to cold-call each other’s employees with job offers, to notify each other when offering an employee a job, and not to counter-offer when such an offer was made. The DoJ settlement (to be in effect five years) prohibits both companies “entering, maintaining or enforcing any agreement that prevents any person from soliciting, cold-calling, recruiting or competing for employees.”

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118029367?refCatId=13

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

In Case You Missed It, NBC Is Re-Streaming Its Fall Lineup

The Peacock has again stuffed its website and Hulu with a full slate of fall episodes from its many series through at least the end of the year. By posting every episode from fall — not just the most recent segs — NBC hopes to entice viewers who might not have initially tuned in to the net’s fall lineup. The menu includes the full load of episodes so far for “The Event,” “Parenthood,” “Outsourced” and “Law and Order: Los Angeles.” Peacock is streaming this fall’s “The Office” and “30 Rock” episodes but in five-episode intervals.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118029351?refCatId=14

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Music Box Acquires “Hermano”

Music Box Films has acquired U.S. rights to the Venezuelan sports and urban crime drama “Hermano” and plans a late spring release. Pic, Venezuela’s foreign-language Oscar submission, tells the story of two young men raised as brothers in a Caracas slum who must overcome the violent law of the streets to become professional soccer players. “Hermano,” directed by Marcel Rasquin, premiered at the Moscow Film Festival in June and won the top jury prize and the audience award.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118029340?refCatId=13

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

As If Hearing Our Prayers, MGM Eager To Move “Bond” Along

Now that MGM’s has completed its restructuring with $500 million in fresh funding, one of the top priorities is to renew James Bond’s license to kill. MGM may turn to Sony for co-financing, as it did on “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace,” or sell off some of major foreign territories. MGM has been working up plans for a 2012 yearlong commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first Bond pic, 1962′s “Doctor No,” so the studio will probably move as quickly as possible to lock down Daniel Craig and to secure a director. Sam Mendes has long been rumored to be the leading candidate to helm.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118029334?refCatId=13

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

“Madden NFL” Tackles The Big Screen

Videogame publisher Electronic Arts is entering the movie business and their planned first feature is a film based on the popular “Madden NFL” franchise. While there have been some great movies made about football, EA’s plans for a big screen “Madden” have little to do with the actual gridiron action – and will instead focus on the infamous “cover curse” that’s been plaguing athletes since back in 1999. The “Madden Curse” basically dictates that any professional football player featured on the cover of the game will either suffer a debilitating injury or have one of the worst years of his career statistically. What sounds like a lot of superstitious mumbo-jumbo seems all too real when perusing NFL history. Pat O’Brien, a VP at EA, is currently controlling development of the idea and will serve as a producer.

http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/12/21/john-madden-football-game-movie/

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Current.com/studios/

Current TV has debuted this service, a new online destination where the global online community can participate in the creation of Bar Karma, a new series set to premiere on Current TV in Feb. 2011. The vision of Will Wright, creator of EA’s The Sims and Spore franchise and Worldwide Biggies CEO Albie Hecht, the show is about a mystical watering hole at the edge of the universe and site establishes a touchpoint for viewers to participate far beyond typical commenting. Viewers can actually pitch their own storyline concepts and storyboards, with the community voting to determine which path the story and visuals takes. The producers will adapt, shoot, produce and edit the winning storyline into a 30-minute television episode, and development can be followed through Facebook and Twitter, or via mobile device.

http://current.com/studios/

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

“Cash Cab” Is Coming To Chicago

The Discovery Network show that turns a New York City cab ride into an instant game show is launching a spinoff version based in Chicago next spring. Comic Beth Melewski, a “Second City” cast member, will be behind the wheel. The expansion comes after a triumphant year for “Cash Cab.” Chicago, a city similar to New York with many cabs, seemed like it could work in a way that Los Angeles, for example, couldn’t since there’s relatively little cab use.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/cash-cab-launch-chicago-62066

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Sony Picks Up Remake Rights To German “Robber”

Sony has bought the English-language remake rights to Austrian helmer Benjamin Heisenberg’s “The Robber.” Deal was a low-figure development buy for Sony. Based on author Martin Prinz’s source tome, “Der Rauber” tells the real-life story of marathon runner Johann Rettenberger, known as “Pump-gun Ronnie,” who made a hobby of robbing banks. The Austrian-German thriller, which unspooled in competition at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, had its German bow in March. Laura Ziskin will serve as producer on “The Robber” retread. Sony has yet to announce a director.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118029332?refCatId=13

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Perfect Casting? Heather Morris In Talks For “Buffy” Movie

Heather Morris, who plays ditzy cheerleader Brittany Pierce on “Glee,” may play the title role in the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” reboot. Warner Bros. picked up the movie rights to the remake of “Buffy” in November. Charles Roven and Steve Alexander of Atlas Entertainment will produce. Not involved: Joss Whedon, who created the oriental 1992 movie, and then the TV version, which starred Sarah Michelle Gellar.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/glee-cheerleader-heather-morris-shes-62064

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

“Sophie’s Revenge” Director Working On New TV and Film Projects

Eva Jin Yimeng, writer and director of China’s 2009 smash hit “Sophie’s Revenge,” is in Los Angeles working on both a feature film script and a television pilot for two separate major Hollywood studios. Jin is reportedly writing a cross-cultural romantic comedy feature about meeting Chinese parents-in-law. Like Sophie, this feature will include animated elements of the lead character’s imagination, a la the U.S. TV series “Ally MacBeal.”

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chinese-director-jin-working-hollywood-62038

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

MPAA Hires Karen Thorland as VP and Senior Content Protection Counsel

As the MPAA has joined with the U.S. government and others to ramp up the war against pirates, it has named Karen Thorland vp and senior content protection counsel. Thorland, who will be based in Los Angeles, joins the MPAA from the law firm Loeb & Loeb, where she was a partner. She will replace Lisa Stone, who is leaving to raise her young children, and report to senior vp Daniel Mandil, MPAA general counsel and chief content protection officer. Thorland will manage content protection civil litigation and oversee and coordinate worldwide content protection.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/karen-thorland-joins-mpaa-61745

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Shonda Rhimes Does It Again! Her Pilot Is ABC’s First Choice

ABC delivered Shonda Rhimes an early Christmas present Friday, handing the uber-producer the network’s first official pilot order this development season. Untitled drama, to be written by Rhimes, centers on the “life and work of a professional fixer and her dysfunctional staff.” Show is based on the life of real-life crisis management consultant Judy Smith. Rhimes will exec produce the project through her Shondaland label. Rhimes’ Shondaland partner, Betsy Beers, is also an exec producer. Smith will be a co-exec producer.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118029278?refCatId=14

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

And New Canadian Animated Comedy Gets One, Too

“Two and a Half Men” exec producer Jeff Abugov is to show-run the Canadian animated comedy “Fugget About It” from 9 Story Entertainment for Teletoon. Canadian cartoon cable channel Teletoon ordered 13 half-hours of the comedy about the 16 year-old son of a former New York mob boss whose family now lives in a Canada as part of witness protection program. “Fugget About It” was created by Nicholas Tabarrok and Willem Wennekers, before being kicked into shape by Abugov, a veteran Los Angeles sitcom writer.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/two-men-s-jeff-abugov-61713

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Syfy Names a Showrunner for “Alphas”

“Star Trek” vet Ira Steven Behr has been named executive producer and showrunner of Syfy’s upcoming series “Alphas.” “Alphas” stars David Strathairn as the eccentric leader of a team of ordinary citizens with extraordinary mental abilities. Known as Alphas, they tackle cases that the CIA, FBI and Pentagon are unable to solve. The Syfy series recently received an 11-episode pick-up in addition to the pilot. Behr will executive produce the series with Zak Penn, Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein. Jack Bender directed the 90-minute pilot.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Syfy-Alphas-Showrunner-1026994.aspx

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

MGM Restructuring Plan Takes Effect

MGM on Monday said it has emerged from bankruptcy with $500 million to run its rejuvenated business. At the helm are Spyglass Entertainment founders Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, who are running things at MGM as of Monday as co-chairmen and co-CEOs. They own a combined 1% of the new MGM and remain non-operational owners of Spyglass. The rest of MGM will be owned by a slew of entities that swapped about $5 billion in debt for various amounts of equity in the revamped company. Owning the biggest chunk is billionaire financier Carl Icahn, who also has a large stake in Lionsgate.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mgm-restructuring-plan-takes-effect-61755

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Will Smith and Fox Take Crime-Fighting to China

Will Smith is making a return trip to China for a series in development at Fox. Smith and James Lassiter’s Overbrook Entertainment have partnered with Chinese-born filmmaker Eva Jin to develop a crime drama set in that country. Overbrook’s untitled hourlong, which focuses on a crime-fighting female college student China, has a script order at Fox. Twentieth Century Fox TV is the studio. There’s no word on whether this project would be produced overseas. Jin, who went to school in the U.S., is a cartoonist-turned-filmmaker who was behind the Zhang Ziyi romantic comedy “Sophie’s Revenge.”

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118029275?refCatId=14

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Trio of Actor Joins “I Don’t Know How She Does It” Adaptation

Christina Hendricks, Olivia Munn and Seth Meyers have sign on to the Weinstein Co.’s adaptation of Allison Pearson’s novel “I Don’t Know How She Does It.” The trio will join Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan and Kelsey Grammer in the romantic comedy, which centers on a high-powered finance worker (Parker) who must balance work and her home life as a mother of two children. Hendricks, who’s best known for her role as Joan in AMC’s “Mad Men,” will play Parker’s pal, while “Attack of the Show’s” co-host Munn will play a colleague. No word yet as to what Meyer’s role will entail.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Hendricks-Munn-Comedy-1026956.aspx

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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Ken and Barbie Are the Center of First “Toy Story” Short

While the “Toy Story” film series has seemingly come to an official end, Pixar isn’t done with Woody, Buzz and the gang announced last month that they were planning a series of short films that would continue the characters’ adventures in the world beyond Andy. Now, thanks to a tweet from Disney artist Floyd Norman, we may have an idea of what to expect from the first “Toy Story” short: Ken and Barbie want to go to Hawaii.

http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/12/20/toy-story-short-ken-and-barbie/

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Monday, December 20th, 2010

Antonio Campos Gets a Green Light For His “Momma”

FilmHaven Entertainment and Borderline Films have tapped Antonio Campos to direct family drama “Momma” from his own script, with production set for next fall. Borderline Films’ Josh Mond and Sean Durkin and FilmHaven Entertainment’s Matt Palmieri will produce. The banner has just wrapped on Campos’ second indie feature, “Simon Killer,” starring Brady Corbet and Mati Diop. Shot entirely in Paris, “Killer” featured the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, Charles de Gaulle International Airport and the Gare du Nord train station.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118029290?refCatId=13

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