• The Motion Picture Ratings Board has slapped an early cut of Bruno with an NC-17. Not surprisingly, the rating is mostly due to the copious nudity of star Sacha Baron Cohen.
• Monsters vs. Aliens took the box office crown this weekend with $58.2 million in estimated ticket sales.
• George Lucas and Steven Spielberg attended the unveiling of USC School of Cinematic Arts' new facilities in commemoration of the school's 80th anniversary.
• New posters for Sherlock Holmes, Twilight: New Moon, The Hurt Locker, and more were unveiled at ShoWest.
• Maurice Jarre, the composer of the sweeping scores for Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, passed away at the age of 84.
• Harold Ramis confirmed that the original Ghostbusters will be appearing in the upcoming third movie. Now if someone could just bribe Rick Moranis out of retirement, we'd be in business.
• Jackie Chan's remake of The Karate Kid will go by the unfortunate title, Kung Fu Kid. Will Smith's son, Jaden, is set to star, while fans of the original Kid are set to cry their eyes out.
BIZ
N.Y. state eyes $350 mil for productions
from Hollywood Reporter by By Georg Szalai
New York would free up an additional $350 million for an existing
film and TV production tax credit program under a budget agreement reached in
Albany over the weekend.
Actors' ad pact expires Tuesday
from Variety.com
Business News: SAG, AFTRA continue weekend talks -- Madison Avenue's going down to the wire with SAG and AFTRA, as weekend talks continued ahead of Tuesday's contract expiration date.
FremantleMedia stepping into drama
from Variety.com
Mip News: Company looks beyond reality fare -- U.K.-based conglom FremantleMedia Enterprises, well-known for its global stable of unscripted fare, is looking to expand its footprint in the drama arena.
Relativity, Sony ink distribution deal
from Variety.com
Mip News: Duo to target markets outside of the U.S. -- RelativityReal, the reality TV production arm of Ryan Kavanaugh's Relativity Media, has inked an international distribution pact with Sony Pictures TV.
Sony, AMC theaters in digital deal
from Variety.com
Technology News: Duo reach agreement on projector pact -- In
a sign the rollout of digital cinema systems may once again be picking up
steam, AMC has reached agreement in principle with Sony to deploy its digital
projectors across the entire AMC chain.
FESTIVALS
April Fest Collision. You Can't Only Pick Just One. - Indie
Wire
In coming weeks, we have the Atlanta Film Festival, the Nashville Film Festival, the Independent Film Festival of Boston, and the Tribeca Film Festival
San Francisco film org fetes Coppola
Film News: Honored to be presented at film festival -- The
San Francisco Film Society will present Francis Ford Coppola the founder's
directing award at the 52nd San Francisco Film Festival on April 30 at the Westin
St. Francis Hotel.
AWARDS
from The Wrap RSS by admin
Funny thing: Awards shows represent everything that's gone
wrong with Hollywood, but on Saturday night, an awards show captured what feels
right about the fledgling web TV industry. It was the very first Streamy
Awards, sponsored by Kodak and presented by the newly minted International
Academy of Web Television, formed late last year to try to give some
institutional structure and heft to the scattershot world of web TV.
'Noah's Arc,' 'Shelter' top GLAAD nods
from Hollywood Reporter by By Gregg Kilday
Two films -- Patrik-Ian Polk's "Noah's Arc: Jumping the
Broom" and Jonah Markowitz's "Shelter" -- tied for the award for
limited-release film at the 20th annual GLAAD Media Awards. Tyra Banks and Suze
Orman also were honored.
Smith, Hudgens top Kids' Choice Awards
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, March 29 (UPI) -- Nickelodeon says U.S. movie stars Will Smith and Vanessa Hudgens were among the top winners at the 22nd Annual Kids' Choice Awards.
"Wire," "Bashir" Top Cinema Eye Doc Awards
from indieWIRE News
James Marsh's "Man on Wire" and Ari Folman's "Waltz With
Bashir" were amomg the big winners tonight at the second Cinema Eye Awards,
honoring outstanding achievement in documentary filmmaking. Marsh's film won
the Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking prize and the
production and editing prizes, while "Waltz With Bashir" won four awards
including achievement in directing, music, graphic design and animation, and
best international feature.
Nickelback tops Canada's Juno nods
from The Hollywood Reporter - Music by By Etan Vlessing
Alberta rockers Nickelback dominated the Junos, Canada's music awards, on Sunday night as they won trophies for group of the year and album of the year for "Dark Horses" and the fan choice award.
MOVIES
Weekend Box Office: March 27-29, 2009
from Box Office Mojo - Current Box Office Results
Monsters Vs. Aliens tops the box office with an estimated $58.2 million.
'Knowing' top overseas boxoffice
from Hollywood Reporter by By Frank Segers
"Knowing," the sci-fi thriller starring Nicolas
Cage, grabbed the No. 1 weekend spot overseas with a relatively modest $8.8
million from 1,711 locations in 10 markets.
Weekend Estimates: Strong "Solo"; "Valentino" Has Highest PTA
from indieWIRE News
According to estimates provided by Rentrak earlier this afternoon, Ramin Bahrani's "Goodbye Solo" has rode its significant critical acclaim to a promising opening weekend. The Roadside Attractions release grossed $40,540 from three screens in New York and Chicago, averaging a strong $13,413.
'Monsters vs. Aliens' is a hit in three dimensions
In a strong weekend at the box office, the DreamWorks
Animation film is No. 1, earning $58. 2 million -- with about half of that from
3-D screenings.
from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by The Huffington Post
News Team
Universal's "Bruno," the widely anticipated Sacha Baron Cohen
docu-comedy opening in July, has been slapped with an NC-17 rating on its first
submission to the Motion Picture Association of America because of numerous
sexual scenes that the ratings board considers over the line, according to the
studio releasing the film.
Hollywood-Fueled Drug Wars Hit Close to Home
from Defamer by Owen Thomas
Everyone's a critic. Queen
of the South, a movie about the world of Mexico's drug-running gangsters,
has been dropped over fears of retribution by criminals who object
to their cinematic portrayal
'Good Looking' catches DreamWorks' eye
from Hollywood Reporter by By Jay A. Fernandez and Borys Kit
Screenwriter Chris McCoy is on one heck of a streak. McCoy
just sold his second project this month to DreamWorks.
Kathy Bates on "Blind Side" team
from Reuters: Entertainment News
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Kathy Bates has joined Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side," a football comedy-drama based on the best-selling novel by Michael Lewis.
McConaughey takes 'Lincoln' case
Film News: Actor to star in Lakeshore's legal thriller -- Matthew McConaughey is taking on the case of "The Lincoln Lawyer" for Lakeshore Entertainment.
from Variety.com
TV News: Network ready to 'Dance' again -- Fox is kicking off its summer slate in late May, starting with the return of "So You Think You Can Dance" and new drama "Mental."
TELEVISION
What to Watch for week of March 30 to April 5, 2009
from EW.com: TV
By Clark Collis
A day-to-day guide to notable programs*
From the "Freakishly Partisan" Olbermann to the
"Atavism" of Beck
from mediabistro.com: TVNewser
The NYTimes' David Carr thinks the cable news channels are operating as if they're still covering the election.
Katherine Heigl: No Plans to Leave Grey's
"I'm there," says the actress about staying on the hit medical drama - if her character survives
`Cupid' gets a second chance on ABC
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By DAVID BAUDER
NEW YORK (AP) -- Love sometimes get second chances, but failed TV series rarely do. "Cupid" has become one of those rare exceptions.
'ER' brought nearly $33.5M to Chicago
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
CHICAGO, March 29 (UPI) -- NBC's fading TV series, "ER," helped boost the Chicago-area economy by nearly $33.5 million during its 15 seasons on the air, film offices say.
Ausiello: 'Lipstick Jungle' is done
from EW.com: TV
By Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello confirms with a network insider series is dead; NBC
spokesperson declines official comment
Discovery greenlights Paula Zahn series
from Hollywood Reporter by By James Hibberd
Former CNN anchor Paula Zahn's weekly news project for Discovery Investigates has received a series order from the network.
Big Three nets cast comedy leads
from Hollywood Reporter by By Nellie Andreeva
T.J. Miller and Nick Thune have landed the two leads on CBS'
comedy pilot "Waiting to Die," Leslie Bibb and John Michael Higgins
have been tapped as leads on NBC's untitled Justin Adler comedy pilot, and Ryan
Stiles will star opposite Christian comedian Anita Renfroe in her untitled
comedy presentation for ABC.
Enthusiastic Steve Wozniak defies logic of 'Dancing'
from USATODAY.com Life - Top Stories
No one watching ABC's 'Dancing With the Stars' is likely to confuse Steve Wozniak with Fred Astaire.
from Variety.com
TV News: Network to air six episodes this season -- ABC has cut back the order for midseason laffer "In the Motherhood."
from Variety.com
Web Exclusive: 'Flavor' contestant back with new show -- Tiffany "New York" Pollard is doing yet another reality series for VH1, this time taking on jobs suggested by text-messaging viewers.
MUSIC
Prince: One night, three L.A. shows
from EW.com: Today's Latest Headlines by Whitney Pastorek
Whitney Pastorek on musical marathon courtesy of Target, LotusFlow3r.com, and gods of perseverance
Children's charity urges Madonna not to adopt
A British children's charity has urged Madonna to rethink her planned adoption of a Malawian baby girl as the singer was reportedly due in the east African country to take custody of a four-year-old child.
Green Day's 'Idiot' heads to the stage
Music News: Musical version of album to bow at Berkeley -- A legit tuner version of the 2004 Green Day album "American Idiot" will open the 2009-10 season at Berkeley Repertory Theater.
U2's Edge facing opposition over project
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
MALIBU, Calif., March 29 (UPI) -- A real estate project masterminded by the U2 guitarist known as the Edge threatens the environment in Malibu, Calif., some residents say.
Maurice Jarre, composer, dies at 84
from EW.com: Movies
By Tim Stack
His scores for ''Lawrence of Arabia,'' ''Doctor Zhivago,'' and ''A Passage to
India'' won Oscars
ETC...
Film News: Stars come out for university's new facilities -- George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were on hand Sunday to unveil the USC School of Cinematic Arts' lavish new facilities in commemoration of its 80th anniversary.
Macy's parade may have new route
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, March 29 (UPI) -- The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade could soon travel a different route through New York, a Macy's spokeswoman says.
Brewster happy with education decision
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW HAVEN, Conn., March 29 (UPI) -- Jordana Brewster says she is happy with her decision to halt her acting career to obtain a degree at Connecticut's Yale University.
Spelling's widow selling home for $150M
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, March 29 (UPI) -- Candy Spelling, widow of the late TV producer Aaron Spelling, says she is selling her Los Angeles home that once hosted countless stars for $150 million.
