• Christopher Nolan will direct Inception from his own script. The sci-fi action movie will be a 2010 release for Warner Bros., who hope to keep Nolan on the home team for a third Batman film.
• Joaquin Phoenix made a bizarre appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman as part of his plan to give up acting for hip-hop. This is stunt, right?
• John Malkovich is joining Josh Brolin in Jonah Hex. Most insane Western ever? It's starting to look that way.
• Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington might be teaming up for David Cronenberg's spy thriller The Matarese Circle.
• The trailer for Angels and Demons, the follow-up to The Da Vinci Code, has been released.
• Music-video director Samuel Bayer will direct the Nightmare on Elm Street reboot for producer Michael Bay. Bayer directed the Blind Melon video with that creepy bee girl, so this makes perfect sense.
• Rumor has it that the Wachowski brothers could be taking over the Superman franchise. Look for a scene where Jimmy Olsen takes Clark Kent to a rave.
• Darren Bousman (Saw II, Repo! The Genetic Opera) will tackle a submarine-heist thriller.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS 2/12/09
BIZ
Obama signs bill delaying switch to digital TV
from L.A. Times - TV News
Some stations have asked permission to turn off analog signals on the originally planned date -- Tuesday.
House Tries to Pass Media Shield Law
from The Wrap RSS by admin
Stop the presses. Congress might give reporters a Stay Out of Jail card. Like California, many states have a media shield law that gives reporters the right to withhold information from the courts to protect a confidential source. But for the last eight years, the Bush administration fought to require reporters to disclose their confidential sources. The House passed a shield law last year but Republicans in the Senate threatened a filibuster.
Will Smith Tops Forbes.com's Bankable Stars List
from Access Hollywood - Movies
Will Smith was voted the most bankable star in Hollywood in a survey of industry professionals by Forbes.com.
Madonna Tops 2009 Music Money Makers List
from Billboard News - All by Ray Waddell, Nashville
Madonna made big bank. So did Coldplay and Lil Wayne. Billboard crunches the numbers to reveal the top 20 earners of the last year.
Despite economy, the show must go on in Hollywood
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By CHRISTY LEMIRE
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- It's a city where perception is reality and image is everything. But Hollywood is having trouble keeping up appearances in the midst of the nation's economic downturn, even during its splashiest, most self-celebratory time: awards season.
FedEx chief still believes in (and funds) the movie biz
For more than a decade, the Hollywood outsider has quietly bankrolled Alcon Entertainment.
Justice to look into TM-LN merger
Two lawmakers are urging the Obama administration to block the proposed merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation, which they said would create a "near monopoly" in concert ticketing.
Gossip magazines report circulation losses
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
CHICAGO, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Circulation of celebrity-focused magazines fell sharply, indicating paying readers are skipping the scuttlebutt on the glamorous, one indicator reported.
Reports: Sirius in talks with DirecTV, Liberty
from Hollywood Reporter by Reuters
Sirius XM Radio chief executive Mel Karmazin has approached DirecTV Group and Liberty Media in an effort to fend off bankruptcy as well as a bid by EchoStar Corp.'s Charlie Ergen, media reports said Wednesday.
Now Its Free Movie Product Placement
from Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily by Nikki Finke
Steve Tihanyi, the director of General Motors media operations and branded entertainment, tells Bloomberg that GM is getting almost free advertising from Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen.
FCC OKs Cable's Split From Time Warner
from Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily by Nikki Finke
In a decision posted on its website today, the FCC finally gave approval for Time Warner Cable's spinoff from Time Warner. Now the deal only needs an okay from the IRS to be complete.
Actor Seagal wants to bring Hollywood to Costa Rica
from Reuters: Entertainment News
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters) - Action movie star Steven Seagal told Costa Rican President Oscar Arias on Wednesday he wants to help the Central American country build a filmmaking industry to put its dramatic landscapes to use.
Funny or Die on L.A. comedy shorts fest lineup
from Hollywood Reporter by By Gregg Kilday
The inaugural L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival will take place March 5-8 at the at the newly renovated Downtown Independent Theatre, 251 S. Main Street, in Los Angeles.
Berlin: Buyers show healthy interest
from Variety.com - Film Festivals
Film Festivals: Economic crisis squeezes mid-budget projects -- As the first snowflakes fell toward the end of what had been an unusually mild Berlinale, departing film execs were taking some reassurance in the knowledge that at a time of global financial turmoil, the right projects were still generating healthy interest from buyers.
Jazz Fest: Neil Young in, Aretha out
from USATODAY.com Life - Top Stories
Neil Young will join a slew of other first-time performers at the 2009 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, a bittersweet announcement.
BritWeek returns to Los Angeles
from Variety.com - Film Festivals
Film Festivals: Program kicks off on April 21 -- BritWeek, the 17-day celebration of Blighty's connection with California, will hit Los Angeles April 21.
AWARDS
Weinstein vs. Miramax: The double showdown
from Entertainment Weekly's Oscar Watch by Dave Karger
Two of the closest major races at the Oscars this year -- Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress -- have something very intriguing in common: They've both become competitions between Harvey Weinstein and the company he used to run, Miramax.
Oscar upset? Philip Seymour Hoffman vs. Heath Ledger
It would be an upset heard 'round the world. Here are some reasons why it would be Hoffman.
Prism Award nominations unveiled
from Hollywood Reporter by By Carl DiOrio
Sony Pictures Classics' relationships drama "Rachel Getting Married" and Paramount's military drama "Stop-Loss" were among films attracting nominations Wednesday from the Prism Awards
MOVIES
Daily Box Office: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
from Box Office Mojo - Current Box Office Results
He's Just Not That Into You tops Tuesday's box office with $2.0 million
'Friday 13th' Selling 1-In-4 Online Tickets
from Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily by Nikki Finke
UPDATED: More than one in four tickets sold online today by the two biggest ticket-selling services were for Friday The 13th 2009. Fandango.com found that 54% of the moviegoers are taking a date to see it on Valentines Day weekend.
Report: Hardwicke declined huge `New Moon' payday (AP)
from Yahoo! News: Entertainment News
AP - "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke says she walked away from the payday of a lifetime to direct the sequel "New Moon" because she didn't want to make the movie under the deadline and budget constraints that would have been placed on her.
Batman Franchise to Stay Dark at Least Two Years
Holy bad news, Batfans. Looks like a Dark Knight sequel is at least two years away.
'Panther 2' director inspired by 'Tom and Jerry'
Director Harald Zwart builds off of the 'timing' and 'brutaility' of the cartoon.
The Performance: The actress portrays a woman in a love triangle along with Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow in James Gray's film.
Zellweger plays woman desperately seeking husband
from Reuters: Entertainment News
BERLIN (Reuters) - Renee Zellweger courts a bankrupt businessman, a cruel colonel and a deranged "serial matrimonialist" in a touching new comedy loosely based on the 1950s childhood of Hollywood actor George Hamilton.
Carla & Malin's 'Watchmen' Women's Health Cover Shoot
from Access Hollywood - Movies
"Watchmen" stars Carla GuGino and Malin Ackerman shoot their new cover for Women's Health magazine and talk about some of their favorite parts of making their new superhero film.
Video: Featurette: 'Angels & Demons'
from Access Hollywood - Movies
Who are the Illuminati? Access takes you behind the scenes with director Ron Howard and star Tom Hanks to shed some light on the complex and thrilling plot of "The Da Vinci Code" follow-up, "Angels & Demons."
'Angels & Demons': See full trailer
from EW.com: Movies
By Tim Stack
Tim Stack was no fan of ''Da Vinci Code,'' but this one looks faster-paced -- and with better Hanks hair
Justin Marks to Rewrite McG's Captain Nemo
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
Justin Marks has been hired by Disney to rewrite 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo, which McG is attached to direct. Marks is well known in Hollywood as a screenwriter who gets the geek niche, and has turned in drafts for Masters of the Universe, Super Max (The Green Arrow jailbreak movie), Voltron, Hack/Slash and Street Fighter.
Video: 'Coraline' Premiere, Portland, Oregon
from Access Hollywood - Movies
Teri Hatcher and Dakota Fanning attend the Portland, Oregon premiere of "Coraline."
Video: NY Comic-Con 2009: Derek Mears Talks 'Friday The 13th'
from Access Hollywood - Movies
Derek Mears, a fan of the original series, talks about playing the iconic Jason Voorhees role for the first time in the new "Friday The 13th" movie.
Video: NY Comic-Con 2009: Jared Padalecki Talks 'Friday The 13th'
from Access Hollywood - Movies
Once "Supernatural" star Jared Padalecki heard that director Michael Bay was producing the reboot of "Friday The 13th," he was on board.
Darren Bousman to Direct a Submarine Heist Thriller
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
Coming off of the growing cult goth musical Repo! The Genetic Opera, music video turned SAW II, III and IV director Darren Bousman has found a future beyond the horror movie genre. Bousman's next film, Akula, is a heist thriller set in a submarine.
Movie Review: Confessions of a Shopaholic
from EW.com: Movies
Reviewed by Owen Gleiberman | A-
from EW.com: Movies
Reviewed by Owen Gleiberman | A-
Movie Review: The International
from EW.com: Movies
Reviewed by Lisa Schwarzbaum | B-
'Fame': First Look at '09 remake
from EW.com: Movies
Get an early glimpse at a member of the class of '09, heading for a N.Y. performing-arts high school this fall. Plus: A Cylon and Chevy Chase visit ''Chuck,'' Emily Blunt's new ''Buck,'' and more exclusive looks at Hollywood's coolest projects
Samuel Bayer to Direct Nightmare on Elm Street Remake
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
Music video and commercial director Samuel Bayer has been hired by Platinum Dunes to direct the remake of Nightmare on Elm Street, according to RiskyBiz. Bayer got his start directing music videos when Nirvana, according to legend, hired him to direct Smells Like Teen Spirit because his test reel was the worst one that the band had seen.
The Wachowski Brothers to Direct Superman Reboot?
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
Could The Wachowski Brothers be in line to direct a reboot of Superman for Warner Bros?
Is Michael Moore's Next Film About the Bailout?
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
Michael Moore's next film started off as a rumored quasi-sequel to Fahrenheit 9/11, but over the last year the film has been developing into something much different. In November it was reported that the yet-to-be-titled film will now have a "end-of-the-empire tone", with a focus on the United State's recent economic problems and the global financial crisis.
Pixar offers reporters a sneak peek at 'Up'
from MSNBC.com: Movies
Hollywood reporters were so enchanted that they groaned in disappointment when the preview ended halfway through the film.
EXCLUSIVE: Check Out Emily Blunt In The Dark Comedy 'Sunshine Cleaning'
from MTV Movies Blog by Brian Jacks
"Sunshine Cleaning" came out of Sundance last year with a lot of buzz, and now the film is seeing limited release on March 13. The pic stars Emily Blunt and Amy Adams as sisters who -- in order to raise some cash -- start a business cleaning up crime scenes.
EXCLUSIVE: Paul Giamatti Says It Would Be 'Fantastic' To Play The Penguin In 'Batman 3'
from Splash Page by Rick Marshall
When MTV News bumped into Giamatti, we ran the rumor by him to find out what he had to say about it.
TELEVISION
Ratings: 'The Mentalist' sets new series high
from Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider by Mandi Bierly
It's nice that Simon Baker is still eligible for a raise. He deserves one. His freshman drama The Mentalist, TV's No. 1 new show, set another series-best in ratings Tuesday night, with 19.7 million viewers.
U2 takes a week on David Letterman's `Late Show'
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
NEW YORK (AP) -- Make room, Paul Shaffer. U2 will be on David Letterman's "Late Show" for a full week to promote their upcoming album.
Phoenix makes awkward 'Late Show' stop
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. actor Joaquin Phoenix sported sunglasses and a bushy beard, and gave mainly one-word answers on the "Late Show with David Letterman" Wednesday night.
ABC: Nicollette Sheridan leaving `Housewives'
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- ABC says Nicollette Sheridan is leaving "Desperate Housewives."
Excitable ABC Now Firing Cast Members On ALL Its Shows
from Defamer by Kyle Buchanan
In this economy, ABC can't afford to only let go every gay, gay-adjacent, or gay-hating actor on Grey's Anatomy. Other ABC series are feeling the burn, and two newly departing actors were announced today.
Carol Burnett to appear on 'SVU'
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. comic icon Carol Burnett has agreed to guest-star on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," executive producer Neal Baer announced.
Larry the Cable Guy roast planned
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Comedy Central says it has lined up Drew Carey, Jeff Foxworthy, Toby Keith, Lisa Lampanelli and Jeffrey Ross to roast U.S. comedian Larry the Cable Guy.
ABC extends 'Bachelor' party with special
from Hollywood Reporter by By James Hibberd
With "The Bachelor" blazing in the ratings for ABC this season, the network has ordered a one-hour special to air the day after the finale.
CBS greenlights two drama pilots
from Hollywood Reporter by By Nellie Andreeva
CBS added two more drama pilots to its development slate Wednesday.
ABC lays down 'Law' with Cedric pilot
from Hollywood Reporter by By Nellie Andreeva
Cedric the Entertainer is back at ABC with a comedy pilot. The network on Wednesday greenlighed "The Law" (working title), a single-camera pilot starring and executive produced by Cedric.
Sheriff Lee Baca's reality TV shows get mixed reviews
from L.A. Times - TV News
Los Angeles County approves a sixth program, but some say such projects distort police work.
MUSIC
The Fray Topples Springsteen On Billboard 200
from Billboard News - All by Katie Hasty, N.Y.
The Fray earns its first No. 1 on The Billboard 200 with its sophomore self-titled Epic album, which sold 179,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The Denver-based rock act's previous album, "How To Save a Life," has sold 2.37 million to date.
Limp Bizkit announces new CD, tour
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- The original members of the U.S. rock band Limp Bizkit are working on a new album and planning a world tour, Interscope Records said Thursday.
Eminem's 'Bottle' Breaks Digital Record
from Billboard News - All by Silvio Pietroluongo, N.Y.
The rap triumvirate of Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent will soar 78-1 on The Billboard Hot 100 to be posted tomorrow morning (Feb. 12) with "Crack a Bottle," which sets a Nielsen SoundScan record for opening week download sales (418,000).
Fleetwood Mac Tuning Up For Spring Tour
from Billboard News - All by Gary Graff, Detroit
Not having a new album is working to Fleetwood Mac's advantage as the group prepares for its upcoming Unleashed North American tour. "This is the first time we've gone on the road without an album," says drummer and co-founder Mick Fleetwood.
A 'New Moon' For The Jonas Brothers?
from Access Hollywood - Movies
The Jonas Brothers are hoping for a chance to sing on the "New Moon" soundtrack.
Lily Allen Welcomes New Album At MySpace Show
from Billboard News - All by Michael D. Ayers, N.Y.
Lily Allen celebrated yesterday's (Feb. 10) release of her new album, "It's Not Me, It's You," with a gig at New York's intimate Bowery Ballroom as part of MySpace's "Secret Show" series.
Ciara Album Gets April Release Date
from Billboard News - All by Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Originally expected last year, Ciara's new album, "Fantasy Ride," will now arrive April 7 from Jive.
Morrissey: No Smiths reunion planned
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LONDON, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- British recording artist Morrissey says his 1980s rock band The Smiths has no plans to reunite.
Jennifer Hudson's new music video released
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. singer-actress Jennifer Hudson's music video for her new song "If This Isn't Love" was released on television and the Internet Wednesday.
Britney Spears Plays a Sexy Housewife in New Video
from People.com Latest News by Pernilla Cedenheim
The singer bakes an apple pie and has perfectly-groomed kids in the video
from Pitchfork Media - Today by Tom Breihan
Santogold was Santi White, the Brooklyn-based pop singer who made one of last year's best albums and who is just now starting to pop up on A-list rap songs. Santo Gold, on the other hand, is Santo Rigatuso, the Baltimore-based jeweler/filmmaker/huckster who made this infomercial and the no-budget 1985 aliens-fighting-wrestlers movie Blood Circus. You can see how just about anyone would get these two confused, right? I mean, they're basically the same person.
White Stripes to Play Conan's Last "Late Night"
from Pitchfork Media - Today by Ryan Dombal
Conan O'Brien and the White Stripes go back a long way. So with Conan leaving "Late Night" to replace comedy super-villain Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show", it makes perfect sense for the White Stripes to blitz the show's farewell episode.
Mandy Moore is getting a license to wed rocker Ryan Adams.
That's Unseemly: Britney Spears To Save Books
from The Wrap RSS by admin
The pop star wants to write a memoir about it all, and has invited the top publishers in the land to fly to L.A. to meet with her about it.
Octuplets: TV/movie/book update
from EW.com: Today's Latest Headlines by Lynette Rice
Publicists say Nadya Suleman has proposals to mull; TLC prez is ''watching story unfold,'' but has questions
TaleSpin: The Saga Of Joaquin Phoenix
from Access Hollywood - Movies
For a couple of weeks Joaquin Phoenix has been telling anybody who would listen that he's done with acting, that he's moving on to a career as a rap artist. After what happened in New York tonight (at the premier of his new movie "Two Lovers") we suspect that rather than simply walking away from his career, he is instead trying to kill it.
Producers say `Minsky's' is headed to Broadway
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By MICHAEL KUCHWARA
NEW YORK (AP) -- "Minsky's," the big, brash musical tale of Depression era burlesque that opened last week in Los Angeles, is Broadway-bound, its producers say.
Chris Brown 'feels very bad,' says his stylist
from Los Angeles Times - Celebrity News
Another FOC (friend of Chris) chimed in to People, "You can tell everybody that Chris really feels bad about the whole situation..."
NY designers get creative to battle recession
from Reuters: Entertainment News
NEW YORK (Reuters) - With recession ripping a hole in the U.S. retail industry, designers are struggling to come up with clothes women feel they can't do without as they unveil their collections at New York's fashion shows this week.
