Week of
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Roger Ebert Through the Years (Videos)
4 April 2013 5:14 PM, PDT
Film critic Roger Ebert, who died Thursday morning after a long bout with cancer, was a larger than life personality, especially on camera. Here are some memorable clips of the late writer.
Ebert on the importance of film criticism:
He and Siskel talking about their orginal “Sneak Previews” show on “Later” with Bob Costas:
Siskel and Ebert devote a whole episode of “At the Movies” to the magic of the “Star Wars” phenomenon (the originals, not the prequels):
A vintage clip from “Sneak Previews” in which he and Gene Siskel analyze the women in peril horror movie wave of the 1970s:
On the impact of Quentin Tarantino:
More: Photos of Roger Ebert Through the Years »
- Variety Staff
‘Evil Dead’ Could Top Crowded Weekend B.O.; ‘Jurassic Park’ 3D Release Harder to Predict
4 April 2013 4:14 PM, PDT
A remake and 3D re-do join a list of holdovers bigfooting each other at the B.O. this weekend.
Sony’s “Evil Dead” remake looks most likely to scare up top coin at the domestic box office in the low-to-mid $20 millions. But Universal’s “Jurassic Park” 3D conversion is a more intriguing question mark, with tracking in the high teens.
Family holdover “The Croods” should also fare well in its third frame using 2010′s “How to Train Your Dragon” as a viable comparison. That film dropped just 14% in its third outing; if “Croods” falls similarly, it’ll collect around $22 million through Sunday. Also, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” looks to gross somewhere in the high teens.
The four-pic spread should be good for business, especially since Easter fell this time last year. The market then still was benefiting from holdover “Hunger Games.”
Friday grosses will provide more clarity concerning the weekend’s outcome, »
- Andrew Stewart
Fox Searchlight Dates ‘Baggage Claim’ for Sept. 27
4 April 2013 3:44 PM, PDT
Fox Searchlight has dated David E. Talbert’s romantic comedy “Baggage Claim” for a Sept. 27 release in the United States.
“Baggage” stars Paula Patton, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Luke, Taye Diggs and Jill Scott. Talbert wrote, directed and produced the adaptation of his novel.
Patton stars as an unmarried flight attendant who becomes determined to find a man as her younger sister’s wedding approaches.
The Sept. 27 date will also see openings of Sony’s “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2,” Fox’s thriller “Runner Runner” and Lionsgate’s actioner “The Tomb,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. »
- Dave McNary
Lionsgate, Good Universe Teaming on Gaghan’s ‘Candy Store’
4 April 2013 1:52 PM, PDT
In a pre-Cannes move, Good Universe and Lionsgate are partnering on action-thriller “The Candy Store” with Stephen Gaghan producing and directing and Jason Clarke and Omar Sy starring.
Lionsgate will distribute in North America. Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane’s Good Universe will handle international sales and present the project in Cannes.
Gaghan is producing with Allison Shearmur and directing from a script he co-wrote with Shannon Burke. Story is set in the criminal underworld in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
Clarke will play a former covert operative who discovers the organization he was dedicated to fighting is now operating in his new backyard. When he teams up with a disgraced local cop, their investigation leads them to a pimp (portrayed by Sy).
Clarke starred in “Zero Dark Thirty” and will be seen in the upcoming “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and “The Great Gatsby.” Sy toplined “The Intouchables” and »
- Dave McNary
Matthew Velkes Promoted to COO at Village Roadshow
4 April 2013 1:44 PM, PDT
Village Roadshow Pictures Entertainment has expanded the duties of chief financial officer Matthew Velkes to include the newly created post of chief operating officer.
Velkes has been CFO since 2006. In the new post, he’ll report to chairman and CEO Bruce Berman and Greg Basser, who’s the CEO of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group subsidiary.
“We are pleased to recognize Matthew’s enormous contributions to Village Roadshow Pictures by naming him COO,” Berman and Besser said in a statement. “During his six years at the company, Matthew’s work has expanded beyond the financial realm to that of a full-fledged motion picture executive.”
Velkes joined Fox in 1996 and eventually became senior VP of motion pictures finance and business development. He then joined Bill Mechanic as the CFO and later COO of Pandemonium.
Village Roadshow’s next film is Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby,” opening May 10, followed by the animated »
- Dave McNary
Barbra Streisand Directing Romance Story for Aldamisa
4 April 2013 1:34 PM, PDT
Barbra Streisand has selected a period romance project as her directing vehicle with Aldamisa International.
She has closed a deal to direct love story between photographer Margaret Bourke-White and author Erskine Caldwell. Mark Manuel’s Kilburn Media will finance the film and Aldamisa will handle worldwide sales.
Aldamisa said Streisand is currently overseeing the screenplay for the new project. Aldamisa’s Nadine de Barros will also serve as a producer on the film.
Selection of Bourke-White as the subject of the film project was first reported by Deadline.com. Aldamisa and Streisand announced at Berlin that she would direct a project.
Streisand debuted as a director on “Yentl” in 1983, followed by “The Prince Of Tides” in 1991 and “The Mirror Has Two Faces” in 1996. »
- Dave McNary
Roger Ebert Dead: Hollywood Reacts on Twitter
4 April 2013 1:24 PM, PDT
Legendary movie critic Roger Ebert died April 4. He was not only the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize, but one of the only critics known to the general public. Here, his fans remember him.
Roger Ebert. Clear-eyed dreamer, king of the written word… say.ly/bRt5wg3—
Cameron Crowe (@CameronCrowe) April 04, 2013
I Miss My Dear Friend Roger Ebert.Roger Was One Of The 1st Major Movie Critics To Support My Joints,Especially Malcolm X And Dtrt.-R.I.P.—
Spike Lee (@SpikeLee) April 04, 2013
Roger Ebert. Millions of thumbs up for you. Rip—
Michael Moore (@MMFlint) April 04, 2013
we lost a thoughtful writer, i remember my first review from him, pi (i got his and siskel's thumbs) it was a career highlight. #rogerebert—
darren aronofsky (@DarrenAronofsky) April 04, 2013
Thanks Mr. Ebert.—
Steve Carell (@SteveCarell) April 04, 2013
A sincere Rip, Mr. Ebert, from this Chicago boy.—
Steve Levitan (@SteveLevitan) April 04, 2013
All best thoughts »
- Variety Staff
XLRator Takes North America On ‘Holy Ghost People’
4 April 2013 1:02 PM, PDT
XLrator Media has acquired all North American rights to Mitchell Altieri’s thriller “Holy Ghost People,” a month after its world premiere at South by Southwest.
The movie was produced by Jeffrey Allard, Phil Flores, Altieri, Joe Egender and Kevin Artigue and exec produced by L.C. Nussbeck. The script was written by the team of Artigue and Joe Egender and the team of Altieri and Phil Flores, also known as the Butcher Brothers.
XLrator handled the release of the Butcher Brothers’ vampire story “The Thompsons.”
“Holy Ghost People” stars Emma Greenwell as a young woman who enlists the help of an alcoholic ex-Marine (played by Brendan McCarthy) to find her estranged sister who has gone missing deep in the Appalachian Mountains. Their search leads them to a church and an enigmatic snake-handling preacher, portrayed by Joe Egender.
The deal was negotiated by XLRator topper Barry Gordon and the Paradigm Finance »
- Dave McNary
Akinnouye-Agbaje Heading To ‘Pompeii’ (Exclusive)
4 April 2013 1:00 PM, PDT
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has joined the cast of Paul W.S. Anderson’s “Pompeii” opposite Kit Harington, Kiefer Sutherland and Emily Browning.
“Pompeii” is being financed and produced by Constantin Film with Lionsgate handling distribution in the U.S. Martin Moszkowicz, Don Carmody and Robert Kulzer are producers.
“Pompeii,” written by Michael Robert Johnson, is set in the days leading up to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79 and tells the tale of an enslaved gladiator — played by Harington — who faces the tyrant (Sutherland) who years before murdered his family and now threatens to steal his lover (Browning). Jared Harris, Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pingue round out the cast.
Akinnuoye-Agbaje will portray another enslaved gladiator who becomes friends with Harington’s character.
Akinnuoye-Agbaje recently competed shooting the role of Algrim/Kurse in “Thor 2: The Dark World” as well as “The Inevitable Defeat Of Mister And Pete.” Other credits »
- Dave McNary
Showbiz Plays Up Papal Opportunities
4 April 2013 12:38 PM, PDT
Rome — What’s in a new pope’s name?
The recent election of Pope Francis is prompting a flurry of showbiz opportunities, including the launch of “Francesco,” an English-language skein about St. Francis of Assisi to be helmed by Liliana Cavani (“The Night Porter”) and shopped at next week’s MipTV mart in Cannes.
“When I heard that the new pope had decided to call himself Francis, there was an immediate exchange of phone calls between myself, Liliana and the head of drama at (pubcaster) Rai,” said Italo TV producer Claudia Mori (pictured above), who had a project about the saint set up that suddenly gained more impetus.
Rai head of drama Tinny Andreatta and a sales exec for Mori’s Ciao Ragazzi shingle will be seeking international co-producers at Mip for “Francesco,” which is currently casting.
Plan is to start shooting late summer in the Assisi area and the outskirts of Jerusalem. »
- Nick Vivarelli
Roger Ebert Dies at 70
4 April 2013 12:36 PM, PDT
Film critic Roger Ebert was not only the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize, but one of the only critics known to the general public, thanks to his long-running movie review shows such as “Sneak Previews” and his thumbs-up or down movie reviews. He died Thursday of complications from cancer, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He was 70.
The avuncular champion of movies big and small had been fighting thyroid cancer since 2002, and in the past few years spoke with a voice machine. The latest show to bear his name is the PBS series “Roger Ebert Presents at the Movies,” in which he briefly appears on camera with a prosthetic chin though other critics shoulder reviewing duties.
He apperared on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2010, speaking with a machine that tailored his speech more closely to his natural voice.
He continued reviewing films and kept in the public eye »
- Pat Saperstein
Allison Janney Mulls Role in ‘Tammy’ (Exclusive)
4 April 2013 11:33 AM, PDT
Allison Janney is in talks to join New Line’s Melissa McCarthy comedy “Tammy” opposite Susan Sarandon and Mark Duplass.
Project is on track to begin shooting next month with McCarthy starring and co-directing with spouse Ben Falcone. McCarthy and Falcone are also producing from a script they co-wrote.
Pic follows a women who, after losing her job and learning that her husband has been unfaithful, hits the road with her profane, hard-drinking grandmother (Sarandon).
Janney would play the mother of McCarthy’s character.
Janney’s reps and the producers are attempting to work out scheduling for the thesp, who’s in Castle Rock’s untitled Hugh Grant romantic comedy and has a recurring role on Showtime’s “Masters of Sex.” She’ll be seen in Fox Searchlight’s “The Way Way Back,” due out in July.
Janney is repped by Gersh and Thruline. »
- Dave McNary
Benedict Cumberbatch to Star in Del Toro’s ‘Crimson Peak’ (Exclusive)
4 April 2013 11:33 AM, PDT
Guillermo del Toro is assembling quite the guestlist for his haunted house thriller “Crimson Peak,” as Benedict Cumberbatch is set to star in the Legendary Pictures movie.
Cumberbatch would join Emma Stone and Charlie Hunnam with del Toro helming.
Plot details are unknown as del Toro and Lucinda Coxon work through a rewrite on a script del Toro and Matthew Robins originally penned.
Legendary will produce and be a participating financing partner on the movie, with Universal Pictures retaining an option to finance at a later date. The film is set to begin shooting in February 2014.
The role marks another major part for Cumberbatch, whose schedule is packed of late.
Among his roles this year: “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “12 Years a Slave,” “August: Osage County” and “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.” He is currently filming “The Fifth Estate” where he will play Julian Assange. He’s also busy with »
- Justin Kroll
Audrey Delaney Joins Myriad Pictures
4 April 2013 11:20 AM, PDT
In a pre-Cannes hiring, Audrey Delaney has joined Myriad Pictures as senior VP of marketing and acquisitions.
She will oversee developing and managing the worldwide marketing campaigns for Myriad’s slate and acquisitions. The hire was announced by Myriad topper Kirk D’Amico.
Prior to joining Myriad, Delaney was VP of acquisitions, business development and marketing for Lightning Entertainment. She previously worked for Media 8 Entertainment and Jersey Films, working for producers Stacey Sher, Michael Shamberg and Danny DeVito.
Myriad’s Cannes slate includes “The World Made Straight,” starring Jeremy Irvine, Minka Kelly, and Noah Wyle; “Weightless,” with Jessica Alba to star and Myriad and Pinewood Studios producing; “Electric Slide,” starring Jim Sturgess as a bank robber who hit over 70 banks in four months; two-film project “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,” starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy; romantic comedy “Wonder Tonight,” starring Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Seyfried; and thriller “The Curse of Downers Grove, »
- Dave McNary
Elizabeth Banks Tapped for CinemaCon Kudo
4 April 2013 10:48 AM, PDT
Elizabeth Banks has been tapped to receive CinemaCon’s excellence in acting award.
Banks will be presented with the kudo at the conference’s awards ceremony April 18 at Caesars Palace.
Banks will reprise her role as Effie Trinket in Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” due out Nov. 22. Recent credits include “Pitch Perfect,” “The Hunger Games,” “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” “People Like Us,” “Our Idiot Brother” and “W.”
She’s a two-time Emmy Award nominee for “30 Rock” and has appeared on “Modern Family” and in a recurring role on “Scrubs.” »
- Dave McNary
Tenpercenteries: Innovative Inks ‘Shahs of Sunset’ Star Golnesa ‘Gg’ Gharachedaghi
3 April 2013 7:52 PM, PDT
Innovative Artists has signed “Shahs of Sunset” star Golnesa “Gg” Gharachedaghi (pictured above). The Bravo show recently wrapped and was renewed for a second season.
* * *
Michael Gallagher has signed with UTA. The multi-hyphenate is best known for writing and directing the popular webseries “Totally Sketch.” Additionally, he wrote and helmed his first film “Smiley.” He continues to be represented by Underground and attorney Dave Feldman at Bloom Hergott.
* * *
Music agents Jazz Spinder, Matt Kingsley and Inbal Lankry have joined CAA. The trio will be based in CAA’s Los Angeles office and will work closely with the agency’s electronic dance music specialists Maria May, Mac Clark, Alex Becket, Hunter Williams and Roman Trystram. Prior to joining CAA, the trio worked at Toronto-based agency The Rebel Agency. »
- Justin Kroll
Leighton Meester and Jeremy Strong Round Out Cast of ‘The Judge’ (Exclusive)
3 April 2013 5:13 PM, PDT
Leighton Meester and Jeremy Strong are in negotiations to join the cast of the Warner Bros. dramedy “The Judge” starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall.
Vincent D’Onofrio, Billy Bob Thornton and Vera Farmiga also star in the pic with David Dobkin helming. Project will be a co-production between Team Downey and Big Kid Pictures; Susan Downey, Dobkin and David Gambino are producing.
Dramedy follows a big-city lawyer who returns to his childhood home where his estranged father, the town’s judge, is suspected of murder. He sets out to discover the truth and along the way reconnects with the family he walked away from years before.
Strong will play Downey’s youngest brother and Meester will play Farmiga’s daughter.
Bill Dubuque has written the most recent draft, with Nick Schenk writing the original script.
The pic marks Meester’s first major role since her popular TV show “Gossip Girl” ended her run. »
- Justin Kroll
Video: ‘Only God Forgives’ Red-Band Trailer
3 April 2013 4:14 PM, PDT
Buckle up cinefiles, Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn are back.
On Tuesday, Radius-twc issued the first look at the duo’s follow-up to the 2011 cult smash “Drive.”
“Only God Forgives,” starring Gosling and directed by Refn, is set in the Bangkok underworld of boxing and prostitution and promises another dark and bloody symphony from the “Drive” collaborators.
“It’s very extreme,” Gosling recently told The Playlist. “It’s part of the same dream as ‘Drive,’ but it’s more of a nightmare than a dream but it’s more extreme.”
Budgeted at $5 million and produced by Lene Borglum, “Only God Forgives” arrives in U.S. theaters July 19 after its expected Cannes Film Festival premiere in May.
Gosling, who recently wrapped Terrence Malick’s Untitled rock romancer, is currently in pre-production on his directorial debut “How to Catch a Monster.”
»
- Stuart Oldham
Cruise, Trevorrow, James, Duvall: Film Castings and Their Impact
3 April 2013 3:00 PM, PDT
Who:
Theo James lands the male lead opposite Shailene Woodley in “Divergent.”
Logline:
Set in a futuristic dystopia, a teenager seeks to break free from society. She joins a rival faction, where she falls for a young man.
Why it matters:
Considered by many in town to be one of the lengthier casting searches in some time, “Divergent” landed in the lap of James, a British actor best known for starring in new midseason CBS drama “Golden Boy.” He won a role that could have the kind of springboard effect “Thor” gave Chris Hemsworth and “Twilight” afforded Robert Pattinson. As Summit continues talks with Jai Courtney, Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart and Kate Winslet in supporting roles, he could find himself surrounded by a top-flight cast. Those last two names won’t come cheaply, though. Courtney, Teller and James are all very busy in the next year. Adding »
- Justin Kroll
Tentpole Torpor Stalls Hollywood’s Dream Machine
3 April 2013 3:00 PM, PDT
Rupert Murdoch is not an affectionate man, but he loves newspapers. As he prepares for the split of his newspaper publishing holdings from the rest of his empire, the Murdoch decree was that the publishing side would be debt-free as it goes solo with some $2.6 billion in initial funding.
(From the pages of the April 2 issue of Variety.)
Murdoch’s generosity prompted me to wonder: Would any of his rival media conglomerates spin off a movie company (rather than a newspaper one) with a handsome capital infusion? Such an entity, if well managed, would likely yield a far healthier return than the newspaper business.
Except that the media hierarchs by and large have lost their passion for the movie business. Talk to any of them about the state of the industry and you hear a lot of grumpy dialogue.
Their mood is reflected in a long article in the Economist titled “Split Screen, »
- Peter Bart
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