• James Cameron announced plans to screen fifteen minutes of Avatar at select IMAX and 3D theaters in August. A 24-minute clip from the film also screened to a rapturous crowd at Comic-Con.
• Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con to talk about Alice In Wonderland and 3D movies with director Tim Burton. Meanwhile, Robert Zemeckis discussed how he wants to make nothing but creepy motion-capture films.
• The Tron sequel is now called Tron Legacy. Isn't the legacy of Tron a lot of terrible video game movies?
• The late Heath Ledger was remembered at Comic-Con at a panel for his final movie, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
• The first trailer for The Hughes Brothers' The Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington, has been released. Can audiences handle more than one cautionary post-apocalyptic tale this fall?
BIZ
Upfront Deals Start to Get Done
from Advertising Age - MediaWorks by bsteinberg@adage.com (Brian Steinberg)
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- After weeks of delays, TV's upfront marketplace is
beginning to move, with the five broadcast networks all writing some business,
according to media buyers.
from Hollywood Reporter by Associated Press
The U.S. has largely prevailed in a trade dispute with China over restrictions on the sale there of American CDs, DVDs, books and computer software.
FESTIVALS
Adrian Grenier to present 'Victoria'
from Variety.com
Legit News: Fringe fest scheduled to run Aug. 15-22 -- "Entourage" thesp Adrian Grenier will present New York Fringe Festival entrant "Victoria and Frederick" at the 2009 event, where it is skedded to run Aug. 15-22 at the New School for Drama.
Comic-Con: Next Wave Of DC Motion Comics Announced - Get Your
First Look At 'Superman: Red Son' Here
from Splash Page by Brian Jacks
At a Comic-Con panel today, Warner Bros. announced three more additions to
their Motion Comics line, which previously saw "Watchmen" being adapted in numerous chapters.
The projects on the docket include Mark Millar's "Superman: Red Son"
(an alternate timeline tale where Superman landed in Communist Russia rather
than Smallville, Kansas), "Batgirl: Year One" and "Batman: Black
and White Collection 2."
Fans Howl & Growl For 'New Moon' Cast At Comic-Con
from Access Hollywood - Movies
"New Moon" stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart - with jet-black hair for her "Runaways" role as rocker Joan Jett - and Taylor Lautner caused a fan firestorm as the famous threesome kicked off the 40th anniversary of Comic-Con International in San Diego on Thursday.
Johnny Depp Ignites A Fan Frenzy With Surprise Comic-Con
Appearance
from Access Hollywood - Movies
Johnny Depp sent fans into a frenzy with a surprise appearance at Comic-Con in San Diego on Thursday.
Almodovar, Solondz pics in Toronto
from Hollywood Reporter by By Etan Vlessing
Almodovar's "Broken Embraces" and Solondz's "Life During Wartime" will have their North American debuts at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Jay-Z Replaces Beasties at All Points West
All Points West just announced in a press release that Jay-Z will be headlining the July 31st show In a precedent-setting move for American music festivals, ALL POINTS WEST MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL organizers have just confirmed the U.S. festival debut of JAY-Z.
Daily Box Office: Wednesday, July 22, 2009
from Box Office Mojo - Current Box Office Results
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince tops Wednesday's box office with $7.5 million
'Eternal Sunshine' director to do 'Green Hornet'
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By MIN LEE
HONG KONG (AP) -- "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" director Michel Gondry has replaced Hong Kong comedian Stephen Chow as director of the Columbia Pictures adaptation of the TV series "The Green Hornet," a studio spokesman said Thursday....
Amy Adams On 'Julie & Julia': 'I Could Eat As Much As I
Wanted'
from Access Hollywood - Movies
In "Julie & Julia," Amy Adams plays a blogger who cooks through the recipes of Julia Child - and it was a role she could really bite into.
Jeff Bridges returns to world of TRON, now in 3D
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Jeff Bridges promises the new "TRON" is just as groundbreaking as the 27-year-old original....
Production begins on 'Drawn Together' film
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, July 23 (UPI) -- Comedy Central says production has begun on
"The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie," the big-screen adaptation of
its U.S. animated "reality" series.
Concert tour of "Star Wars" to kick off in October
from Reuters: Entertainment News
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A concert version of "Star Wars", featuring a live symphony orchestra, huge screens, film clips and a traveling exhibit, will kick off a North American tour in October with plans to go global in 2010, organizers said on Thursday.
"Women In Trouble" Finds Distribution
from indieWIRE News
Screen Media Films has acquired the U.S distribution rights to Sebastian Gutierrez's "Women in Trouble."
from MTV Movies Blog by MTV Movies Team
Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis showed off Disney's new 3-D motion capture
technology that will be used in November's release of "A
Christmas Carol" starring Jim Carrey.
Movie Review | 'In the Loop': War of Words, Misspoken and Spun
from NYT > Movies by By A. O. SCOTT
"In the Loop" is a sharply written, fast-talking, almost dementedly articulate satire on modern statecraft.
Movie Review | 'Shrink': Physician, Drug Thyself: Psychiatrist
in Hollywood
from NYT > Movies by By STEPHEN HOLDEN
Like smog settling over Los Angeles, a creeping sense of
anomie haunts the Hollywood power players and parasites sidling nervously through
"Shrink."
Obama press conference draws 24.7 million
from The Live Feed by hollywoodreporter
President Obama's fourth primetime press conference since taking office drew 24.7 million viewers across 11...
Fox sits out Obama event; 'Dance' wins night
from Hollywood Reporter by By James Hibberd and Nellie Andreeva
Fox benefited from declining to air President Barack Obama's news conference Wednesday night, with "So You Think You Can Dance" rising to top the night in the adults 18-49 demographic.
Jon Stewart: Most trusted anchor?
from EW.com: TV
By Adam Markovitz
That's what an unscientific online poll from Time says; he gets Adam
Markovitz's vote -- how about yours?
T.R. Knight on why he left 'Grey's Anatomy'
Fans were shocked when T.R. Knight made the surprising decision to leave "Grey's Anatomy," the hit medical drama that launched him to fame.
Rogan, Apatow set for 'View' interview
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, July 23 (UPI) -- Seth Rogan and Judd Apatow have agreed to make their first appearance on the U.S. daytime chat show "The View," ABC announced.
Diddy to star in new MTV reality series
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, July 23 (UPI) -- U.S. hip-hop impresario Sean "Diddy" Combs is set to star in the new reality series "Making His Band," MTV announced.
Heidi Montag To Perform At Miss Universe Pageant
from MTV News
The 'Hills' star and aspiring singer is set to perform at
the competition, which airs August 23 on NBC.
'Feeling' No. 1 on the U.S. record chart
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, July 23 (UPI) -- The Black Eyed Peas's "I Gotta Feeling" is No. 1 on the U.S. record chart, Billboard.com reported Thursday.
Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward Supergroup Announces Tour
from Spin magazine's Daily Noise by Matt Kiser
Indie supergroup Monsters of Folk has announced plans for a fall tour, kicking
off October 13 in Vancouver, BC, before hitting 16 cities across the U.S.
Judge approves deals to reprint `Moonwalk'
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A judge has approved a deal that will bring Michael Jackson's autobiography, "Moonwalk," back to store shelves....
Nas ordered to make $44K monthly payments to Kelis
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By ANTHONY McCARTNEY
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A judge has ordered Nas to pay Kelis nearly $44,000 in monthly support for the near future, a day after the "Milkshake" singer gave birth to the divorcing couple's baby boy....
Amy Winehouse goes on trial for assault
Singer Amy Winehouse went on trial Thursday on charges that she assaulted a woman at a London charity ball last year.
Taylor Swift Says Working With Jack White Would Be 'Really
Awesome'
from MTV News
'I love his writing and I think he's an amazing player,' Swift says of wanting to work with the White Stripes frontman on her next album.
Whitney Houston Credits Daughter, Clive Davis For Comeback
from MTV News
Singer was happy just being a mom when Davis suggested new
album, I Look to You.
Kid Rock Collaborates with Lil Wayne, T.I. on New Album
from Paste Magazine
Lil Wayne's previous performances with Kid Rock at the VMAs and CMAs must have been an enlightening experience for both. Kid Rock is calling on Weezy again for another collaboration, this time one that will appear on the former's album, Billboard says.
Vanity Fair Torturing Intern with Cable News
from mediabistro.com: TVNewser
Over four days next week, Vanity Fair intern Thomas Kaplan will be subjected by his bosses to 32 hours of cable news viewing in a small room. Each day, as a "cunning" form of "torture," he will watch a full slate of CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, or Fox News.
Ted Johnson: Brad Pitt's Foundation Seeks Stimulus Funds
from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by Ted Johnson
Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation is among a consortium applying for federal
stimulus money that could expand his effort to rebuild homes in New Orleans and
also launch a project in Newark, N.J.
A 'Hero' Looks to Create Branded Content
from Advertising Age - Madison+Vine by ahampp@adage.com (Andrew Hampp)
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- As actors such as Ashton Kutcher use their production
companies to experiment with branded entertainment in front of the camera,
others, including Milo Ventimiglia, are looking to go one step further by
developing original web content with brands in mind.
Angelina Jolie visits displaced Iraqis
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Angelina Jolie on Thursday visited a settlement for displaced Iraqis in northwest Baghdad in her role as a goodwill ambassador for UNHCR....
Tyler Perry's rags-to-riches tale
Tyler Perry is known today as the first African-American to own a major film and TV studio. He's a pioneer whose own life story reads like a screenplay. Now a writer, actor, director and producer -- Perry's success grew out of a troubled home in a poor neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana.
'Addams Family' headed to B'way in 2010
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, July 23 (UPI) -- "The Addams Family," a new stage musical starring Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane, is scheduled to open on Broadway next April, show representatives said.
