• The director of Saw is in talks to direct an adaptation of Konami's Castlevania video game series. Hopefully Simon Belmont will take out those whiny Twilight vamps.
• Jon Hamm is joining Ben Affleck and Rebecca Hall in The Town, a romantic crime thriller directed by Affleck. Who would have guessed back in the Gigli days that Affleck would become one of Hollywood's most promising filmmakers?
• Mila Kunis will star opposite Natalie Portman in Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. Somewhere, the guy who played "Hyde" on That '70s Show is calling his agent.
• D.J. Caruso (Eagle Eye) will direct an adaptation of the video game Dead Space. It's safe to say some outer space-related death will be occuring.
• Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox will make its world premiere at the London Film Festival. The movie will open in theaters in November.
• Maggie Grace, Cary Elwes, and Christine Lahti are among the cast of the indie drama Flying Lessons. Will Elwes be playing a devilish rogue with a thin mustache?
BIZ
NBC's Ben Silverman Is Out After Two Years
from Advertising Age - MediaWorks
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Ben Silverman is out after a two-year stint as co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, where he attempted to revive the fourth-place network with a mix of reality shows and nostalgia, like a failed remake of "Knight Rider." The former William Morris agent, who came to NBC in 2007 as the producing wunderkind behind "The Office" and "Biggest Loser," is going back into business with Barry Diller, the InterActiveCorp CEO and former Fox network chairman who invested in Mr. Silverman's production company, Reveille.
Jeff Gaspin: 'Cable Has Emerged as a Superior Model'
from The Wrap RSS by Michael Speier
New NBC Universal TV boss talks with TheWrap about buzz and building brands.
Apple, Record Labels Team Up to Boost Album Sales
from Paste Magazine
Very soon, your next album purchase on iTunes might contain more than just a handful or two of tracks. Although the project reportedly deemed "Cocktail" is characteristically still under wraps, Apple is said to be planning a virtual, interactive CD experience with every full-album download.
Top Universal Film Execs Under Scrutiny
from The Wrap RSS by Sharon Waxman
Marc Shmuger, David Linde are feeling the heat after summer
slate fizzles.
AWARDS
Film News: Project accepting kudos entries -- The
Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) will host the 19th annual Gotham
Independent Film Awards Ceremony on Dec. 1 at Cipriani Wall Street in Gotham.
FESTIVALS
Fans get first peek at `Iron Man 2' at Comic-Con
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By SANDY COHEN
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The buzz for the first "Iron Man" film began at Comic-Con, director Jon Favreau said, so he thanked fans for their support by showing an exclusive clip from next summer's sequel....
'Fantastic Mr. Fox' to open London Fest
from Hollywood Reporter by By Stuart Kemp
This year's The Times BFI London Film Festival will open with Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox," as a world premiere, organizers said Monday.
from Hollywood Reporter by By Eric J. Lyman
The Venice Film festival on Monday announced plans for a new sideline award for the festival's best Stereoscopic 3D film, adding a cutting-edge aspect to the world's oldest film festival.
Just for Laughs brings the funny
from The Hollywood Reporter - Awards by By Etan Vlessing
Montreal's Just for Laughs comedy festival wrapped over the weekend, with local Canadian talent dominating this year's yukfest.
FILM
'Potter' is highest-grossing film in U.K.
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LONDON, July 27 (UPI) -- "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is the highest-grossing film in the United Kingdom so far this year, Warner Bros. Pictures International said Monday.
Comic-Con Interview: 2012 Director Roland Emmerich
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
Director Roland Emmerich has forgotten more about destruction than you or I will ever know.
Jon Favreau: Recasting Terrence Howard Was 'Tough,' Says Don
Cheadle Owning War Machine Role
from Access Hollywood - Movies
The cast of "Iron Man" - Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard - helped propel the first installment of the superhero franchise to $585 million in box office takings worldwide. So it should come as no surprise that director Jon Favreau found replacing Howard, "tough."
from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Margaret Lyons
D. J. Caruso has been tapped to direct Dead Space, a sci-fi horror film based on the popular video game about an alien virus that reanimates human corpses.
from Hollywood Reporter by By Steven Zeitchik
Alcon Entertainment has acquired Aaron Guzikowski's hot spec with a plan to fast-track production and release the movie in October 2010.
Mila Kunis may join Natalie Portman in Darren Aronofsky's
'Black Swan'
from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Simon Vozick-Levinson
Mila Kunis is in talks to star opposite Natalie Portman in director Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Movie Preview: The Time Traveler's Wife
from EW.com: Movies
By Karen Valby
Cameron Diaz & Megan Fox Freaked Out By Horror Films
from Movies: News & Videos about Movies - CNN.com
They can star in them, but just don't ask them to watch!
from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Simon Vozick-Levinson
Spirit Pictures has purchased film rights to Kong: King of
Skull Island, an authorized 2004 prequel to the tale of King Kong, Variety
reports.
Batman 3 Will Shoot Next Year, Says Gary Oldman
from Paste Magazine
At Comic-Con to promote the thriller The Book of Eli, Gary Oldman unexpectedly took a question about a sequel to The Dark Knight and told the audience this: "The next Batman is next year, so I think it is two years away. But you didn't hear it from me."
Documentarian captures the danger and hope in Afghanistan
When Havana Marking heard about an 'American Idol'-like TV show in the Muslim country, she knew she had to go there.
TELEVISION
ABC, CBS tie in Sunday ratings race
TV Ratings: 'Big Brother,' '60 Minutes' stand out on slow night -- On an anemic night of broadcast viewing, ABC and CBS tied Sunday as the Eye's latest edition of "Big Brother" lodged the evening's best rating. "60 Minutes," as often happens, drew the most viewers.
What to Watch for week of July 27 to August 2, 2009
from EW.com: TV
By Jessica Shaw
A day-to-day guide to notable programs*
Study: HBO leads on TV in showing gay characters
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By FRAZIER MOORE
NEW YORK (AP) -- HBO scored highest among 15 networks for its representation of gay characters last season, according to a report released Monday....
Clown of 'Morning Joe' Gets a Show of His Own
from NYT > Television by By BRIAN STELTER
Willie Geist's new program, "Way Too Early," is opening another front in the fierce competition between cable news channels.
'Real Housewives of Atlanta' adds new face
from CNN.com - EntertainmentEdit Entry - AMC News | Movable Type Enterprise
Why would an award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and single mother want to tack reality TV star onto her long list of accomplishments? For Kandi Burruss, the newest member of the "Real Housewives of Atlanta," the answer is simple: "I was a fan last year. I love the show."
CBS plans 'Neighborhood' reality show
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, July 27 (UPI) -- CBS says it has selected eight families to compete in its new U.S. reality television competition series "There Goes the Neighborhood."
Nightline's Success? "A Relentless Focus on the News"
from mediabistro.com: TVNewser
The NYTimes' Bill Carter writes about the late night shakeup that has pushed ABC's
"Nightline" to the top of the ratings four weeks and counting.
SyFy announces premiere date for 'Caprica'
from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Tim Stack
SyFy has set Jan. 22, 2010 at 9 p.m. for the premiere of their new series, Caprica. The premiere will be a two-hour event, but subsequent airings will be in one-hour episodes at 10pm on Fridays.
TNT firms cast for Spielberg pilot
from Hollywood Reporter by By Nellie Andreeva
Moon Bloodgood, Jessy Schram, Seychelle Gabriel and Maxim Knight have joined Noah Wyle on TNT's untitled alien invasion pilot from executive producer Steven Spielberg.
MTV to air Paris Hilton documentary
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, July 27 (UPI) -- MTV says it plans to air for the first time on U.S. television a documentary about socialite and actress Paris Hilton called "Paris, Not France."
'American Idol' stars in talks for bigger pay
from L.A. Times - TV News
Ryan Seacrest has a $30-million deal, Simon Cowell is in
talks for what could be $45 million a year and Paula Abdul has cut her request
for $20 million, sources say, amid a dearth of TV network hits.
'Grey's': George's 'lost' episode
from EW.com: Today's Latest Headlines by Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello reveals exclusive details about a killer story we'll never see now that T.R. Knight's leaving
'Family Guy' vs. Fox on 'abortion'
from EW.com: Today's Latest Headlines by Ken Tucker
Ken Tucker on Seth MacFarlane's Comic-Con claim network OK'd
episode, then got cold feet on airing it
MUSIC
Top Online Song and Video Downloads
from Advertising Age - Madison+Vine
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Michael Jackson claimed seven of the top 10 spots on AOL's music-video-downloads chart. See the full chart for top iTunes, AOL-music-video and peer-to-peer music downloads and Yahoo lyric searches.
Kurt Loder Remembers 'Purple Rain'
from MTV Movies Blog by Kurt Loder
It's not hard to grasp why Purple Rain was such an event when it was first
released, 25 years ago this summer: The album was a dizzying synthesis of rock,
pop and R&B, and it still sounds groundbreaking today.
Blink-182 'Humbled' By Tour Kickoff, Promise More Obscenities
from MTV News
'To come back and have our tour sell like this, I think it's strange for all of us,' bassist Mark Hoppus says.
Bon Iver's Justin Vernon Works on Charlie Chaplin Film Score
from Paste Magazine
Nevermind Kid Rock and Lil Wayne. Come the first month of 2010, the
collaboration du jour will be Charlie Chaplin and indie rock. More
specifically, Chaplin's timeless work matched with a pair of recent headline grabbers: Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Collections
of Colonies of Bees' Chris Rosenau.
Monsters of Folk Announce Fall Charity Tour
from Paste Magazine
It's been a little more than a year since we first brought you news of the Monsters of Folk, the (probably) satirically-named supergroup of Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, My Morning Jacket's Jim James, and M. Ward of She & Him/M. Ward fame. Now that their debut album is nearing release, the quartet will hit the road this fall for an international tour with a philanthropic bent.
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
NEW YORK (AP) -- Madonna's love letters and erotic answering machine messages to an ex-boyfriend are up for sale in New York City....
Michael Jackson's Burnt Hair From Pepsi Accident Made Into
Diamonds
from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by The Huffington Post
News Team
Since Michael Jackson's sudden death on June 25, the rumour mill over details
of his bizarre personal life has ground away nearly non-stop, and on Friday,
one company said it was turning his hair into diamonds. That one is true.
from Spin magazine's Daily Noise by Matt Kiser
The Decemberists have added 14 shows to their U.S. tour behind The Hazards
of Love, the Portland, OR, band's latest album. The new run of gigs will
kick off September 20 in Burlington, VT, and conclude in San Francisco Oct 18.
Whitney Houston's I Look To You Addresses Her 'Ups And Downs'
from MTV News
'I kept my faith and I kept my head up and I took my time,' she says of putting together her first studio album in seven years.
Flight of the Conchords Announce Freaky New Album
from Paste Magazine
The adorable, hilarious Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, who together make up the New Zealand band and HBO series Flight of the Conchords, have just announced the release of their sophomore album, I Told You I Was Freaky.
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LONDON, July 27 (UPI) -- A drug counselor said his Mercedes was totaled in a London collision with musician Robert Plant's Audi.
Billie Joe Armstrong Says Green Day's American Idiot Film Might
Be Like ... 'Rocky Horror'?
from MTV News
'American Idiot had a lot in common with something like 'Rocky Horror Picture Show,' ' frontman says.
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NASHVILLE, July 27 (UPI) -- Nashville star Trace Adkins is the model for a new comic book character due to be published this fall, the publisher said.
Kelly Clarkson Loses Fight Against Beyonce-Like Single
from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by The Huffington Post
News Team
Kelly Clarkson unsuccessfully fought her record label not to release
"Already Gone" as the third single off her new album, as the music is
the same as the music from Beyonce's hit "Halo."
Mariah Carey LP Shaped By 'Amazing' Connection With Nick Cannon
from MTV News
'Everything changes when you're in love,' she says of
husband's effect on Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.
The White Stripes Release Trailer for Tour Documentary
from Paste Magazine
Between working with his new supergroup, The Dead Weather, operating label Third Man Records, and serving on the Nashville Music Council, Jack White is approaching Broken Social Scene-levels of music-world monopoly these days. Now he can add one more line to his impressive resume: starring in a documentary of The White Stripes' wild 2007 Canadian tour.
ETC...
Shakespeare's Globe to tour United States
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
LONDON (AP) -- Shakespeare's Globe, the London theater that stages the Bard's plays in an Elizabethan setting, is taking its show on the road in the U.S....
'My Girl' star all grown up in acting comeback
She broke your heart and won rave reviews as the earnest kid in the coming-of-age drama "My Girl." And then, a few years later, Anna Chlumsky had her own heart broken -- by Hollywood.
More than 1M 'Ghostbusters' games sold
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, July 27 (UPI) -- More than 1 million copies of "Ghostbusters: The Video Game" were sold in North America during its first month in release, Atari said Monday.
Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis among comedians contributing
to graphic novel series
from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Simon Vozick-Levinson
Comedians including Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis, Bob
Odenkirk, David Cross, Patton Oswalt, B.J. Novak, and Janeane Garofalo will
contribute to the new graphic novel anthology series Comedy Death Ray, Variety
reports.
Secy. Clinton: We Work on Current TV Reporters' Situation
'Every Day'
from mediabistro.com: TVNewser
BayNewser has the clip from "Meet the Press" yesterday as David
Gregory asked Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton about the status of Current TV reporters, Laura
Ling and Euna Lee who've been imprisoned in North Korea since
March.
