• Despite hitting budget snags, casting is going ahead on Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg's 3D performance-capture Tintin film. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are confirmed to star as bowler-hat wearing detective duo Thomson and Thompson, while Andy Serkis (Gollum) will portray Captain Haddock. No Tintin yet however, as actor Thomas Sangster had to drop out. This will be one interesting project -- if it ever comes out.
• Oscar handicappers take note: The Producers Guild of America just announced their nominations for Best Film of the year. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire getting nods is no surprise, but The Dark Knight's nom definitely ups the comic book epic's chances for Oscar glory.
• The director of Horton Hears a Who has signed on to helm Jonah Hex, an adaptation of the DC Comics character. Hex, whose gritty adventures often take a supernatural turn, was previously in the hands of Crank gurus Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. This latest choice makes about as much sense as Rob Zombie directing an episode of Gossip Girl.
• In Hollywood gossip news, Lindsay Lohan denied splitting up with Samantha Ronson, even though everyone else says they're done. Lohan once again released a statement through her MySpace blog, something which must drive her publicist crazy.
• Forrest Whitaker may get physical for the action thriller The Expendables opposite Sylvester Stallone. Jet Li and Jason Statham are already in the tough guy flick while, alas, Sandra Bullock has dropped out. All eight of us hoping for that Demolition Man reunion just had our dreams dashed.
• John Waters has written a script treatment for Hairspray 2 that reportedly has Zac Efron's character taking acid, among other crazy stuff. Director Adam Shankman said that a lot of what Waters has come up with won't get used, though he will keep (spoiler!) a weight-loss storyline that finds John Travolta's Edna getting hooked on diet pills.
• Speaking of Shankman, he'll be staying in his musical comfort zone by helming a remake of Bye Bye Birdie, the sort of straight-laced musical throwback that Waters so cheekily tweaked with Hairspray.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
BIZ
Directors and studios sharing economic pressure
from Reuters: Entertainment News
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Catherine Hardwicke had
every reason to celebrate as her latest film, "Twilight," opened to
nearly $70 million in November.
LG high-def TVs to stream Netflix videos directly
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By BARBARA ORTUTAY
Blu-ray's future may be bright, but short
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
FESTIVALS
Palm Springs International Film Festival has its own star power
Dustin Hoffman, Sean Penn are being honored at the showcase
for 210 independent films from 73 countries.
SUNDANCE
The 2009 Shorts: Long on Innovation and Style
from 2009 Sundance Festival | News
"With submissions topping over 5,600 this year, I can
assure you we have some good ones" - this guarantee comes certified by the
entire Festival shorts programming team, which I'm a member of. We saw a 10%
rise in shorts submissions this year and found a record-breaking 96 films of
all styles, sensibilities, genres, countries, and demographics to program for
the Festival. Mittens off, badges on, this year marks one of the finest
selections of shorts at the Festival that we've ever had.
Sundance Survival Guide: Tickets and Transport
from 2009 Sundance Festival | News
As you map out your days and firm up your screening
strategy, here are some suggestions about how best to get yourself around historic Park City.
SUNDANCE
'09 INTERVIEW | Premieres: "Mary and Max" Director Adam Elliot
by indieWIRE (January 6, 2009)
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews,
conducted via email, profiling dramatic and documentary competition and
American Spectrum directors who have films screening at the 2009 Sundance Film
Festival. "Mary and Max" will kick off the 2009 Sundance
Film Festival. A claymation animation by Academy award-winning filmmaker Adam
Elliot ("Harvie Krumpet"), it tells the simple story of a
20-year pen-pal friendship between two very different people.
SUNDANCE
'09 INTERVIEW | American Spectrum: "World's Greatest Dad" Director
Bobcat Goldthwait
by indieWIRE (January 6, 2009)
Director Bobcat Goldthwait's film "World's Greatest Dad"
is a dark comedy about Lance Clayton (Robin Williams), a high school poetry
teacher who dreams of becoming a rich and famous writer.
SUNDANCE
'09 INTERVIEW | American Spectrum: "Everything Strange and New"
Screenwriter/Director Frazer Bradshaw
by indieWIRE (January 4, 2009)
SUNDANCE
'09 INTERVIEW | American Spectrum: "La Mision" Screenwriter/Director
Peter Bratt
by indieWIRE (January 4, 2009)
Feared, yet respected, as the baddest Chicano on the block,
Che (Benjamin Bratt), a reformed inmate and recovering alcoholic, resorts to
violence and intimidation to get what he wants.
SUNDANCE
'09 INTERVIEW | Doc Competition: "Art & Copy" Director Doug Pray
by indieWIRE (January 4, 2009)
"Art & Copy" takes us inside a
powerful, yet surprisingly unknown, industry to reveal the most influential
creative forces tapping the zeitgeist of our time.
Ashley Greene Eager To 'Shrink' Sundance With Kevin Spacey
from MTV Movies Blog by Larry Carroll
The 10 Most Eagerly Anticipated 2009 Films From the "Twilight" Stars. One of the entrants is "Shrink," an under-the-radar indie that began building buzz recently when it was chosen for this month's Sundance Film Festival. Within hours, Twilighters began wondering about this dramedy that stars not only Kevin Spacey and Keke Palmer, but their very own Ashley Greene.
AWARDS
Meet this year's Golden Globe nominees
from USATODAY.com Movies - Top Stories
Click through this year's movie and television nominees,
check out clips and let us know who you're rooting for this awards season.
Diaz, Lange, Rock to be Globes presenters
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Cameron Diaz, Jessica Lange and
Chris Rock have signed up to be presenters at "The 66th annual Golden
Globe Awards" gala in
Producers Guild nominations announced
from Entertainment Weekly's Oscar Watch by Dave Karger
The Producers Guild listed The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button, The Dark Knight, Frost/Nixon, Milk, and Slumdog Millionaire as their
five nominees today, further sharpening this year's Oscar race. The last five
years, the PGA matched four of the five...
'Milk,' 'Slumdog' tops in Vancouver
from Variety.com - Award Central News
Award Central News: Fincher, Boyle make directors cut -- Gus Van Sant's "Milk," Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" and Pixar toon "Wall-E" topped the list for the Vancouver Film Critics Circle, who announced their nominations for the best of 2008.
MOVIES
January is the saddest movie month of the year
from MSNBC.com: Movies
If you're a moviegoer, the transition from December to January is a rough one, like falling asleep in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory and waking up in the dystopia of "Blade Runner."
A Discussion with The Best Directors of 2008
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
The Hollywood Reporter recently held a roundtable
discussion with the six of this year's Best Director hopefuls: Ron Howard
(Frost/Nixon), Gus Van Sant (Milk), Ed Zwick (Definace), Darren Aronofsky (The
Wrestler), Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) and Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino).
David Fincher and Christopher Nolan apparently weren't available for the sit
down.
Adam Shankman in for 'Birdie' remake
from Hollywood Reporter by By Steven Zeitchik and Borys Kit
Fresh off the success of his fairy tale hit "Bedtime
Stories," Adam Shankman is giving a boost to a Birdie.
Daunting figure was 'hopeless' at small talk
Though Sir David Frost doesn't see his 1977 interviews with
former President Richard Nixon as "an intellectual 'Rocky' " -- in
the words of "Frost/Nixon" playwright and screenwriter Peter Morgan
-- he does agree that the sessions had their "adversarial" moments.
The former president himself was an "enigma," says Frost.
Frank Langella: Sex, lies and Watergate
from Film News from Times Online
Frank Langella strides into a freezing hotel room. An elegant man whose golden skin is set off by a crisp navy shirt. He walks, talks and breathes with a certainty in himself, a comfort in his own skin, a contrast to the man I'd seen on screen the previous evening as the sweaty-faced President Nixon.
EXCLUSIVE: 'Twilight' Star Edi Gathegi Joins The Law In Our
Second 'My Bloody Valentine 3-D' Clip!
from MTV Movies Blog by Brian Jacks
Last week we brought you the very first clip from the upcoming horror film "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," and now we're back with a second helping. This time we're in the sheriff's office with "Twilight" star Edi Gathegi, who receives a potentially gruesome package.
Rob Zombie Unveils New Face Of Michael Myers For 'H2'
from MTV Movies Blog by Brian Warmoth
Rob Zombie's follow-up to his 2007 "Halloween" remake will put a new face on the franchise when it hits in 2009. Now, the official MySpace page for the film has a headshot of exactly what that face will be.
Daniel Craig On Filming 'Defiance' -- 'They Told Us [The Swamp]
Was Clean, But Who Knows?'
from MTV Movies Blog by Jocelyn Vena
He may play suave James Bond, but in his new film, "
'Hairspray 2: White Lipstick' Director Plans To Sober Up Zac
Efron, Subtract A Big Star
from MTV Movies Blog by Larry Carroll
Last month, we broke big news on John Waters' bizarre, top-secret script treatment blueprinting the upcoming "Hairspray 2." The details were so weird, in fact, that as news spread across the Web some people thought composer/producer Marc Shaiman was joking.
Shooting Down the Legal Eagles
from Peter Bart
The legal battle over which studio releases
"Watchmen" has taken on a surreal twist with Warner Bros. and Fox
each denigrating its rival's marketing prowess.
TELEVISION
What to Watch for week of January 5 to 11
from EW.com: TV
By Jessica Shaw
A day-to-day guide to notable programs*
New Showtime series to debut at Netflix
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- The new Showtime series "United States of Tara" is to make its debut at Netflix before it premieres on television, Netflix, Inc. announced.
New `Bachelor' Jason Mesnick says he's engaged
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By ALICIA RANCILIO
Ratings: Football and 'Desperate Housewives' score strong
weekend numbers
from Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider by Jennifer Armstrong
TV awoke from its holiday nap Saturday with the San Diego
Chargers' overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts on NBC scoring the best
ratings for a primetime Wild Card playoff ever ??? 23.8 million viewers,
according to preliminary Nielsen estimates....
from EW.com: Today's Latest Headlines by Michael Ausiello
Show's candid creator tells Michael Ausiello about how it
all (sorta) ends, leaving NBC, and...Hillary Duff?
from Hollywood Reporter by By Kimberly Nordyke and Nellie Andreeva
USA Network is moving forward with "Royal Pains,"
giving a series pickup to the show starring Mark Feuerstein as an on-call
doctor to the
Duo goes 'Mad' for David E. Kelley
from Hollywood Reporter by By Nellie Andreeva
David E. Kelley has cast 27-year-old English actress Charity
Wakefield as the female lead in his new legal drama for NBC. Jon Seda also has
been cast.
MSNBC's Chris Matthews to decide soon on Senate bid
from L.A. Times - TV News
Hardball host Chris Matthews is expected to let his bosses know
in the coming weeks whether he s going to pursue a Senate run in
Taking 3-D to a new dimension: the TV
from L.A. Times - TV News
Electronics makers and film studios are seeking a way to
bring the technology from the theater to the home.
TV legends' histories just a mouse click away
from L.A. Times - TV News
The Archive of American Television's trove of videotaped
interviews grows, with hundreds of hours of the talks accessible online.
from NYT > Television
The pleasures of the new series "The City" are
greater than any attempted in "Bromance," a completely unwatchable
reality show.
Michelle Trachtenberg to Return to Gossip Girl
The actress will reprise her role as crazy
TLC, NASCAR will track checkered lives
from Reuters: Entertainment News
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - TLC is gearing up a new reality show tracking the spouses of NASCAR drivers.
MUSIC
Springsteen Goes Free With Amazon, 'Guitar Hero'
from Billboard News - All by Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Bruce Springsteen is offering free downloads through
Amazon.com and "Guitar Hero" in the run-up to the Jan. 27 release of
his next Columbia album, "Working on a Dream." Rumors are also
swirling that the Boss will co-headline at the Bonnaroo and
Radiohead Snags Kraftwerk For Spring Shows
from Billboard News - All by Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Radiohead has drafted legendary German electronica act
Kraftwerk to support its spring tour of Latin America, which begins March 15-16
in
Lance Bass Hopeful For 'N Sync Reunion
from Billboard News - All by Gary Graff,
He may be dancing with the stars this winter, but Lance Bass
says he can foresee an 'N Sync reunion somewhere down the road.
Robyn, Lykke Li Guest On New Royksopp Album
from Billboard News - All by Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Norwegian electronica duo Royksoop's first album in
three-plus years, "Junior," will arrive March 23 internationally and
the following day in the
Ohio Players Founder Robert Ward Dies
from Billboard News - All
Robert Ward, a
Anthony, Rubio to sing at Inaugural Gala
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
Taylor Swift set to perform on 'SNL'
from Hollywood Reporter by By Ken Tucker, Billboard
Taylor Swift, who ended 2008 as the top selling artist with just over 4 million albums sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan, will kick off 2009 as the musical guest on NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
Hollywood's Musicians Institute teaches the endangered art of A
& R
In the troubled music industry, many labels have cut or
eliminated their artists-and-repertoire staff. But instructors at MI are
determined to teach the skill of making a musical connection.
'Gossip Girl' creator helms web series
Music News: Music, love and ambition in 'Rockville, Ca' --
Take a collection of twentysomethings, mix in love, lust, ambition and music
from some of the hottest indie acts, and you've got "Rockville, CA,"
the new Web series from "Gossip Girl" and "The OC" creator
Josh Schwartz.
Jett Travolta died of seizure disorder
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- An autopsy conducted on the son
of
Report: Arquette and Jane to divorce
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Television actress Patricia Arquette has filed for divorce from actor Thomas Jane, her husband of two years, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, TMZ said.
QVC will sell memorabilia at Obama inauguration
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By DAVID BAUDER
Spears, Obama hit by Twitter tampering
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
Jennifer Love Hewitt and Fiancé Split
from People.com Latest News by Alexis Chiu
The engagement is off between the Ghost Whisperer star and
Ross McCall
Rebecca Romijn gives birth to twin girls
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 (UPI) --
Pat Hingle, Batman's Commissioner Gordon, Dead
Lower the Bat-Signal. Pat Hingle, the veteran character
actor best remembered by fanboys as
Bernie Hamilton, TV Actor, Is Dead at 80
from NYT > Television
Mr. Hamilton played the no-nonsense police captain on the
1970s TV series "Starsky and Hutch."
Queen Latifah to Continue as Jenny Craig Spokesperson
After shedding 20 pounds last year, she signs on for another
year with the company.
Lindsay Lohan Denies Split With Samantha Ronson
from People.com Latest News by Mike Fleeman
"We did NOT break up!" the actress says on her
blog in response to media reports
