Tag Archives: biz break

Fifty Shades of Grey Passes One Million, Nora Ephron Service Set: Biz Break

Also in Thursday afternoon’s round up of news briefs, the folks at the Academy announced some new rules in various categories governing the Oscars. A comedy and a thriller head to U.S. theaters and a Halle Berry thriller gets some legs. Academy Makes Some Rule Changes for 2013 Oscars The significant changes are in the Music, Foreign Language and Visual Effects categories. Here’s a rundown: A fourth songwriter for an individual song be considered in rare and extraordinary circumstances (previously it was two); Foreign-language films must be submitted to the Academy in 35mm or DCP, but are no longer required to be exhibited in those formats in their countries of origin; The Oscar in the Makeup category will now be known as “Makeup and Hairstyling Award”; In the Visual Effects category, nominees will be selected from a pool of ten films chosen by the Branch Executive Committee by secret ballot (previously, the committee could put forward as many as ten productions or as few as seven). My Worst Nightmare Heads to U.S. Strand Releasing picked up U.S. rights to Anne Fontaine’s comedy My Worst Nightmare starring Isabelle Huppert, Benoit Poelvoorde and Andre Dussollier. The droll comedy centers on an uptight contemporary gallery owner who falls in an unlikely relationship with a crass contractor who is in the process of remodeling her apartment.  The Selling Goes GoDigital The company will release the comedic horror The Selling directed by Emily Lou, which picked up five awards at last year’s LA Comedy Film Festival including Best Feature. Around the ‘net… Nora Ephron Service Planned for July 9th Ephron’s son Jacob Bernstein said details about the service are still in the works. Ephron died Tuesday in New York, age 71, AP reports . Fifty Shades of Grey Beats One Million Sales Record EL James’s Fifty Shades of Grey has become the fastest adult paperback novel to sell one million print copies. The first in the erotic trilogy passed the million mark in 11 weeks, surpassing the previous record of 36 weeks by Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code . Ryan Gosling has been rumored to be up for the lead in the film version. Universal already has the film rights. BBC reports . Studios Join Halle Berry Thriller The Hive production starring Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin is getting partners. WWE Studios and Toika Pictures are teaming to co-produce and co-finance the thriller about a kidnapping of a teen girl, directed by Brad Anderson, Deadline reports .

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Fifty Shades of Grey Passes One Million, Nora Ephron Service Set: Biz Break

It’s Splits-ville for News Corp, Comic-Con Sets Up a Power Saturday: Biz Break

In Thursday’s round up of news briefs, News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch made it official that his media empire will be divided into two companies. Also this morning, skateboarding doc Waiting for Lightning headed for distribution, The Amazing Spider-Man gets a big release in one giant Asian country and the Men In Black brand readies for transformation. Waiting for Lightning Heads to Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn Films has picked up U.S. rights to the Bandito Brothers’ Waiting for Lightning . The SXSW Film Festival documentary follows skateboarding legend and action sports pioneer Danny Way on his journey to jump China’s Great Wall. Goldwyn plans a fall 2012 release. Around the ‘net… News Corp Officially Splits The company will separate its publishing and entertainment assets. Rupert Murdoch will be the chairman of both companies. Chase Carey will be president and COO of the media and entertainment entity, which includes Fox and other brands. The separation will take about a year, Deadline reports . Comic-Con: Fanboys in for Marathon Saturday Panel Sessions Tentpoles including Man of Steel , > The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , Pacific Rim and Iron Man 3 will all take place July 14th at the San Diego Convention Center’s Hall H, which seats 6,000, Variety reports . The Amazing Spider-Man to Get Widest-Ever India Release The film will be released Friday, ahead of its U.S. launch and it will be the widest release for a Hollywood film ever in the country. Indian actor Irrfan Khan ( Slumdog Millionaire ) makes a cameo as Dr. Rajit Ratha in the pic, THR reports . Men In Black Franchise Will Broaden Sony Pictures Entertainment and Starlight Runner Entertainment are heading toward an evolution of the Men In Black brand to transmedia. The brand will extend its story into a number of possible properties, Variety reports .

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It’s Splits-ville for News Corp, Comic-Con Sets Up a Power Saturday: Biz Break

It’s Splits-ville for News Corp, Comic-Con Sets Up a Power Saturday: Biz Break

In Thursday’s round up of news briefs, News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch made it official that his media empire will be divided into two companies. Also this morning, skateboarding doc Waiting for Lightning headed for distribution, The Amazing Spider-Man gets a big release in one giant Asian country and the Men In Black brand readies for transformation. Waiting for Lightning Heads to Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn Films has picked up U.S. rights to the Bandito Brothers’ Waiting for Lightning . The SXSW Film Festival documentary follows skateboarding legend and action sports pioneer Danny Way on his journey to jump China’s Great Wall. Goldwyn plans a fall 2012 release. Around the ‘net… News Corp Officially Splits The company will separate its publishing and entertainment assets. Rupert Murdoch will be the chairman of both companies. Chase Carey will be president and COO of the media and entertainment entity, which includes Fox and other brands. The separation will take about a year, Deadline reports . Comic-Con: Fanboys in for Marathon Saturday Panel Sessions Tentpoles including Man of Steel , > The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , Pacific Rim and Iron Man 3 will all take place July 14th at the San Diego Convention Center’s Hall H, which seats 6,000, Variety reports . The Amazing Spider-Man to Get Widest-Ever India Release The film will be released Friday, ahead of its U.S. launch and it will be the widest release for a Hollywood film ever in the country. Indian actor Irrfan Khan ( Slumdog Millionaire ) makes a cameo as Dr. Rajit Ratha in the pic, THR reports . Men In Black Franchise Will Broaden Sony Pictures Entertainment and Starlight Runner Entertainment are heading toward an evolution of the Men In Black brand to transmedia. The brand will extend its story into a number of possible properties, Variety reports .

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It’s Splits-ville for News Corp, Comic-Con Sets Up a Power Saturday: Biz Break

Russell Crowe Denies Murdoch Rumors, Spider-Man Netting Women: Biz Break

Also in Wednesday morning’s round up of news briefs, Jack Bender of ABC’s Lost is developing a new thriller and Justin Timberlake is tipped to be headed to Baywatch movie. And thriller/comedy The Revenant to hit theaters. Lightning Entertainment and Paladin Team on Horror Comedy, The Revenant New York distributor Paladin will handle the theatrical release of Lightning Entertainment’s The Revenant in a deal between the two companies. Starring David Adners ( The Vampire Diaries ) and Chris Wylde ( The Ten ), the story centers on a soldier and his slacker best friend who become zombies, and then use their newfound powers to become vigilante crime fighters with hilariously mixed results when their adventures become more complicated and bloody than expected.  Around the ‘net… Russell Crowe Denies Rupert Murdoch Rumors Reports in the U.K. linked him and Colin Firth to Good Times, Bad Times , based on the memoirs of Sunday Times editor Sir Harold Evans, THR reports . Women the Target of The Amazing Spider-Man Marketing Campaign Men have been easy customers for past Spider-Man installments, but for this go-around, Sony Pictures is partnering with companies like Kellogg’s, beauty brand OPI, Walmart and Target to reach out to women, Variety reports . Lost Director Developing Thriller Jack Bender, the preeminent director on ABC’s Lost is developing Devolution , a thriller. Details are being kept quiet, but it’s based on an original idea by Max Brooks, the author of World War Z , THR reports . Justin Timberlake a Possible Bay Watch Babe The singer/actor is being sought to star in the Baywatch movie, joining Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff in the big screen version of the ’90s television show. He would likely play a disgraced Olympic swimmer who tries out for the crew, Twitch reports .

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Russell Crowe Denies Murdoch Rumors, Spider-Man Netting Women: Biz Break

Channing Tatum as Superman, Will Arnett as Batman… in LEGO Movie

Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller made names for themselves with their feature debut, the animated Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs , before moving on to direct Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in the live-action hit 21 Jump Street . As they work up their next film — WB’s live-action/CG blend LEGO adaptation, apparently titled Lego: The Piece of Resistance , based on the plastic toy building blocks — the duo are casting a few familiar superheroes to appear in the pic. Variety reports that Lord and Miller have tapped Will Arnett to voice LEGO Batman in the adventure, with the hope that Tatum can find room in his schedule to come on as LEGO Superman. They’d be joining Parks and Recreation ‘s Chris Pratt , who leads the pic after recent turns in Moneyball , What’s Your Number , and The Five-Year Engagement . Pratt and Tatum also co-star in the indie high school reunion drama Ten Year , which is slated for release through Anchor Bay, while Tatum of course starred in 21 Jump Street for Lord and Miller, with hilarious results. The synopsis, via Variety: “Pratt will play Emmet, an ordinary, law-abiding, Lego mini-figure who is mistaken for the most extraordinary MasterBuilder. He’s drafted into a fellowship of strangers on a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the universe together.” Of course, there’s no indication of just how big the parts of LEGO Batman and Superman will be in the film, but the cheeky, geeky move should get DC/LEGO fans excited nonetheless. The parts are all falling into place… [ Variety ]

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Channing Tatum as Superman, Will Arnett as Batman… in LEGO Movie

MMA-Filled Here Comes the Boom Trailer: Like Warrior, Only With Kevin James

…and, um, there’s just one of him. Bear with me here: A slimmed-down Kevin James , who’s actually looking kind of handsome here (or am I crazy?), plays a high school teacher who enters the octagon to raise cash as a mixed martial arts fighter. He’s basically Joel Edgerton in last year’s MMA pic Warrior , only — lucky for us — he’s still Kevin James, so it’s a broad comedy and not a gut-wrenching drama and instead of Tom Hardy he’s got Salma Hayek to wrestle with. Sigh . The other depressing Here Comes the Boom – Warrior point of comparison: This is going to make so much more money than the under-seen and under-appreciated Warrior . At least there are no talking gorillas (that we know of). Here Comes the Boom (seriously, do people really use that phrase?) rolls into theaters on October 12 and is directed by Frank Coraci ( The Wedding Singer , Waterboy , Zookeeper ). [via Fandango ]

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MMA-Filled Here Comes the Boom Trailer: Like Warrior, Only With Kevin James

R.I.P.: Oscar-Nominated Nora Ephron Dead at 71

A flurry of online reports today revealed that filmmaker Nora Ephron was battling illness in a New York hospital and not expected to survive the night. The Washington Post now reports that Ephron has died six years after being diagnosed with the blood disorder myelodysplasia. Ephron was nominated for an Oscar three times for writing Silkwood , When Harry Met Sally… , and Sleepless in Seattle . As a director she helmed eight features, including popular romantic comedies Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail . Ephron had also earned acclaim as a journalist, essayist, and blogger, and most recently directed the foodie biographical drama Julie & Julia . Remember Ephron with a spirited clip from the 2007 documentary Dreams on Spec , in which she vividly compares screenwriting and filmmaking to making a pizza. [ Washington Post ]

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R.I.P.: Oscar-Nominated Nora Ephron Dead at 71

Emily Blunt May Do Prada Sequel, Prometheus & Hunger Games Stars Head to South: Biz Break

In Tuesday evening’s round up of news briefs, Emily Blunt teased she would consider the second Devil Wears Prada under one condition. Also, the Austin Film Festival added details on its October event while Outfest rounds out its upcoming edition next month. The Avengers passes a domestic high water mark and Catherine Keener is set for role opposite Mark Ruffalo. Austin Film Festival Unveils First Round of Panels D.C. vs. Marvel, Hollywood Horror Stories, Crowd Funding Your Indie Film and Writing for Video games are among the topics that will be discussed at the 19th Austin Film Festival taking place October 18 – 25. Among this year’s participants so far are Shane Black ( Iron Man 3), Paul Feig ( Bridesmaids ), Saca Gervasi ( Anvil: The Story of Anvil ), Michael Green ( The Green Lantern ), and Damon Lindelof ( Prometheus ). For more details, visit the festival’s website . Outfest 2012 Adds to its 30th Edititon Outfest, the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival will screen a never before seen episode of ABC’s comedy Happy Endings with cast members and creators present. Also added to the festival’s line up is Eytan Fox’s acclaimed Israeli film, Yossi , the sequel to the director’s hit Yossi and Jagger . Around the ‘net… Avengers Passes $600M in U.S. The mega-hit crossed the $600 million mark in the domestic box office. It is currently number three in the world in the box office and it has yet to open in Japan, Deadline reports . Catherine Keener Joins Mark Ruffalo in Can a song Save Your Life? Keener will play Mark Ruffalo’s estranged wife in the drama directed by Once filmmaker John Carney. She joins Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Hailee Steinfeld and Adam Levine on board the project, THR reports . Emily Blunt May Be In for Another Devil Wears Prada She said she “might be interested” in another go around playing Miranda Priestly’s spirited assistant Emily Charlton in the sequel to the comes-drama. She noted that Meryl Streep said she’d do it if she didn’t have to lose the “f***king weight,” and agreed. Huff Post reports . Prometheus and The Hunger Games Stars Set for Indie Son of the South Rafe Spall ( Prometheus ) and Jacqueline Emerson ( The Hunger Games ) will star in the new indie drama by Barry Alexander Brown with Spike Lee on board to executive produce. Based on Bob Zellner’s autobiography chronicling the author’s life in Alabama where he grew up as a son of a minister and a grandson of a KKK member before joining the Civil Rights movement, Variety reports .

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Emily Blunt May Do Prada Sequel, Prometheus & Hunger Games Stars Head to South: Biz Break

Magic Mike Headed to Broadway?

Director Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike debuted over the weekend , closing out the Los Angeles Film Festival. And while the Warner Bros film opens in theaters this Friday, fans may have the opportunity to see it live in the flesh as it were in the future. Starring Channing Tatum, the story loosely revolves around the actor’s eight month stint dancing at male strip clubs in Tampa, Florida. It is a time during which Tatum admits to witnessing a much more dark and depressing version of events than what producing partner/writer Reid Carolin transposes to the script. He meets an eager college drop out, played by Alex Pettyfer and takes him under his wing. Carolin tipped off to USA Today that there are plans to strut Magic Mike on Broadway in the near future. “”We are working on it as a Broadway show, which would be a different story,” said Carolin, adding, “More of a romp, more of a fun night out at a club with a story. I’m almost more excited about that than the movie because I think it’s the perfect thing for women to go see on Broadway, to be participants in the show.” And Pettyfer may have a chance to show more skin as well if and when the show hits the great white way. He said he “absolutely” would do the show. “”I think we should all do the opening night,” he said.

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Magic Mike Headed to Broadway?

Magic Mike Headed to Broadway?

Director Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike debuted over the weekend , closing out the Los Angeles Film Festival. And while the Warner Bros film opens in theaters this Friday, fans may have the opportunity to see it live in the flesh as it were in the future. Starring Channing Tatum, the story loosely revolves around the actor’s eight month stint dancing at male strip clubs in Tampa, Florida. It is a time during which Tatum admits to witnessing a much more dark and depressing version of events than what producing partner/writer Reid Carolin transposes to the script. He meets an eager college drop out, played by Alex Pettyfer and takes him under his wing. Carolin tipped off to USA Today that there are plans to strut Magic Mike on Broadway in the near future. “”We are working on it as a Broadway show, which would be a different story,” said Carolin, adding, “More of a romp, more of a fun night out at a club with a story. I’m almost more excited about that than the movie because I think it’s the perfect thing for women to go see on Broadway, to be participants in the show.” And Pettyfer may have a chance to show more skin as well if and when the show hits the great white way. He said he “absolutely” would do the show. “”I think we should all do the opening night,” he said.

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Magic Mike Headed to Broadway?