Daily Variety back issues from August 2006:
Runaway drain? Study: pic biz in a big pickle.(movie production companies contribution to the economy)(Industry overview)
Aug 01, 2006; ... The U.S. is still king of the world in feature film production, but its predominance is fading. So says a study released Monday that provides a far sunnier snapshot of TV production. The lure of foreign incentives--and their aid to the bottom line--for feature films ...
'Hotel' key to Sony toons.(Sony Pictures Animation)(Hotel Transylvania)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Sony has greenlit its third animated feature, monster comedy "Hotel Transylvania," giving a vote of confidence to Sony Pictures Animation one month ahead of its first release. Anthony Stacchi and David Feiss, co-director and head of story, respectively, on "Open Season" the ...
Axel topper boards TW.(Time Warner Inc., stock cases)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Nearly six months after he gave up the fight, Carl Icahn is still seeing the fruits of his battle against Time Warner. Conglom has appointed Mathias Dopfner, chairman and CEO of German publishing giant Axel Springer, to its board. He's the first of two independent directors it ...
'Flags' planted in Tokyo.(Flags of Our Fathers)(Tokyo International Film Festival )
Aug 01, 2006; ... Clint Eastwood's WWII pic "Flags of Our Fathers" will open the 19th Tokyo Film Festival on Oct. 21, fest organizers announced Monday. Movie is one of a pair Eastwood is helming about the battle against the Japanese for the island of Iwo Jima--one told from the American ...
Biz on Mel-gate: the oys of summer.(Mel Gibson)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Newly elevated Walt Disney prexy Oren Aviv said he accepted Mel Gibson's apology for the anti-Semitic remarks he reportedly made during a drunken-driving arrest on Friday, even while Endeavor partner Ari Emanuel called on Hollywood to boycott the star. Meanwhile, Gibson said he ...
World Trade Center.(Movie review)
Aug 01, 2006; ... A Paramount release of a Michael Shamberg/Stacey Sher/Moritz Borman production. Produced by Shamberg, Sher, Borman, Debra Hill. Executive producers, Donald J. Lee Jr., Norm Golightly. Co-producer, Chantal Feghali. Directed by Oliver Stone. Screenplay, Andrea Berloff, based on ...
One Ocean View.(Television program review)
Aug 01, 2006; ... (Series; ABC, Mon. July 31, 10 p.m.) Produced by Bunim-Murray Prods. Executive producers, Jonathan Murray, Joey Carson; co-executive producers, Dana DeMars, Laura Korkoian; supervising producers, Kenny Hull, Andrea Bailey; camera, Jack Reichert; production design, Ellen Waggett; ...
A Furst step for TV: Lionsgate, duo get 'Tough' for tube.(Lions Gate Television Inc. signs a deal with movie directors)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Feature producers Sean and Bryan Furst ("The Cooler") are making their first foray into television, striking an overall first-look deal with Lionsgate TV. First collaboration between the pair and indie studio is HBO series project "Tough Trade." Story concerns a fictional ...
B'way biz holds up in summer heat.(Broadway)(market share of plays)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... The start of the heat wave didn't make Broadway will. Weekly grosses basically held steady for the week ended July 30, with 24 shows on the boards bringing in $16,564,885, down about $100,000 from the previous sesh. The weekend kicked off a hot spell that's expected ...
Gotham's got laughs.(New York Comedy Festival)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Denis Leary, Queen Latifah and Howie Mandel are among those toplining the third annual New York Comedy Festival, set for Nov. 7-12. Event will unfold at venues throughout Gotham, including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall and the Apollo Theater. Fest will pay tribute ...
New tuner fest lands Lippa.(Andrew Lippa)(Paul Gordon)(National Alliance for Musical Theater)(Festival of New Musicals)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Andrew Lippa ("A Little Princess"), Paul Gordon ("Jane Eyre") and a tuner adaptation of 1998 pic "Dangerous Beauty" with lyrics by Amanda McBroom (who wrote 1970s. tuner "The Rose") are all on the slate at the upcoming Festival of New Musicals, produced by the National Alliance for Musical ...
Deauville dives into bayou.(Deauville Festival of American Film)
Aug 01, 2006; ... The Deauville Festival of American Film has invited the state of Louisiana as a special guest one year after Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans, which was founded by the French in 1718. The 32nd fest will open Sept. 1 with Nell Burger's "The Illusionist" starring Edward ...
Friel, Hynes return to N.Y.(LEGIT BITS)(Brian Friel and Garry Hynes)(Translations)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Two Irish legiters who made a splash in Gotham this year, scribe Brian Friel and director Garry Hynes, will be back in New York next year with a Hynes-helmed production of Friel's 1981 play "Translations" set for January at the Manhattan Theater Club's Biltmore Theater. Show--a ...
Correction.(Correction notice)
Aug 01, 2006 ... "The Banquet" is directed by Feng Xiaogang ....
Radical Thinking taps Friedman prexy.(Bob Friedman)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Bob Friedman has bowed out as president of Classic Media to take on the job of president of Radical Thinking, a newly formed division of @radical.media. Radical Thinking will focus on the production and distribution of TV shows and movies for every showbiz platform, ranging from ...
Geffen, DIC to host Slumber Party.(DIC Entertainment L.P. and Geffen Records Inc., teams up)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Geffen Records and DIC Entertainment are partnering to host a music-based slumber party for tweens and teens. The two are creating entertainment brand SPG. Cornerstone act is the Slumber Party Girls, who will host the Eye web's new kids' programming block, "KOL's Secret Slumber ...
GOPers skipping network news.(Cable News Network)(Fox News Network L.L.C.)(National Broadcasting Company Inc.)(Survey)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Audiences for cable news increasingly resemble their stereotypes, with Republicans expressing a strong preference for Fox News Channel and Democrats opting for CNN. Perhaps that's no surprise. But in another sign that TV news auds are becoming increasingly polarized, Republicans ...
Automaker gets Sirius.(General Motors Corp.)(Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc.)(Volkswagen AG)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Mel Karmazin's Sirius Satellite said Monday that its radios will be a standard feature or factory option this fall on four models from Mitsubishi Motors North America--and on all Mitsubishi '08 models, which will be available Stateside next year. Sirius and rival XM Satellite ...
Showbiz stocks: Monday, July 31, 2006.(DIRECTV Inc.)(EchoStar Communications Corp.)(Napster Inc.)(Statistical table)
Aug 01, 2006 ... <Pre> Showbiz Stocks Monday, July 31, 2006 YTD NameTkr PE Last Chg %Chg AccessITAIXD9.00-13.3 AcmeCm ACME...
'Host' with the most: local action fare tops at Asian B.O.(World News)(The Host)(box office)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Homegrown pics about local legends and chopsocky action dominated the box office in South Korea, Japan and Hung Kong, respectively, last weekend, beating big-budget Hollywood fare. South Korean monster pic "The Host" demolished local record for an opening weekend in that ...
'Superstar' stung in suit.(Panamericana Television)(FremantleMedia Ltd.)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... FremantleMedia has won its copyright suit against Peru's Panamericana Television, claiming latter's "Superstar" is a ripoff of Fremantle's "American Idol." The Peruvian court has ordered Panamericana TV to pay an undisclosed fine as well as Fremantle's legal expenses. ...
Equity firm nabs Brit TV producer.(World News)(All3Media management, Permira Funds)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... European private equity outfit Permira Funds has taken a majority stake in Blighty's biggest independent TV producer, All3Media, in a deal valuing the latter at around 320 million [pounds sterling] ($595 million). Move means Permira and the All3Media management team--including ...
Arab fest up on 'Building'.(World News)(Institut du Monde Arabe, The Yacoubian Building)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... The Institut du Monde Arabe's biennial of Arab cinema wrapped Saturday in Paris with the escalating violence in the Mideast casting a long shadow over proceedings. Top prize went to Egyptian blockbuster "The Yacoubian Building," by helmer Marwan Hamed. Pic also took acting ...
Ratings rise for digital ITV.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC)(UKTV)(internet television)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... British web ITV, whose CEO Charles Allen is under threat because of falling share price and falling auds for flagship terrestrial web ITV1, is getting something right: Ratings for the first half of the year show gains for its digital upstart channels ITV2, ITV3, kids' service CITM, ITV ...
X Filme game for int'l prod'n.(World News)(Naomi Watts)(Michael Haneke)(Funny Games)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006 ... BERLIN -- Germany's X Filme has set up a shingle to increase international production, and has boarded Celluloid Dreams' remake of Michael Haneke's "Funny Games" starring Naomi Watts. Pic, about a family terrorized by two men while on vacation, will be the first project from the ...
RAI spinning cycling pic.('Pantani, Pride Restored')(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... As the professional cycling world plunges into another Tour de France doping scandal, Italian pubcaster RAI announced Monday it will tackle the controversial topic with a biopic on the rise and fall of Italian cycling star Marco Pantani. In 1998, Pantani won the Tour de France ...
The Taming of the Shrew.(Theater review)
Aug 01, 2006; ... (Greek Theater, College of St. Elizabeth, Madison, N.J.; 1,000 seats; $28 top) A Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey presentation of the play in one act by Williams Shakespeare. Directed by Brian B. Crowe. Set, Jesse Dreikosen; costumes, Martha Bromelmeier; lighting, Tony Galaska; ...
Shakira, Peppers heat up MTV noms.(MTV Networks Inc.awarded, Shakira and the Red Hot Chili Peppers )(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Shakira and the Red Hot Chili Peppers top the nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards with seven each for "Hips Don't Lie" and "Dani California," respectively. Cabler's 23rd annual kudocast, skedded for Aug. 31 at Gotham's Radio City Music Hall, will feature performances from ...
Film box office wrap: for the weekend of July 28-30.(movie industry)(Statistical table)
Aug 01, 2006 ... <Pre> Weekend Stats Domestic Box Office $131.3 million July 28-30, 2006 vs. last week -13% vs. last week+7% Daily Breakdown (in millions of $) vs. last year'svs. last weekend comparable weekend ...
Exclusives report: for the weekend of July 28-30, 2006.(movie industry)(Statistical table)
Aug 01, 2006 ... <Pre> Exclusives Report For the weekend of July 28-30, 2006 NEW YORK NEW THIS WEEK Film (distributor) Circuit Theater, city Weekend B.O. Gross Little MissLocal Engmnts.: 3 Wknd. total for N.Y. area:$163,726 ...
Story's key, says Disney VP.(Joe Rohde)(Disney Imagineering)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Good storytelling breeds good synergies. That was the message of Disney Imagineering VP and executive designer Joe Rohde on Monday as he kicked off the 33rd annual Siggraph computer graphics conference in Boston. Rohde, longtime designer of the Disney Animal Kingdom ...
Top 10 films in Manhattan: for the weekend of July 28-30, 2006.(movie ratings)(Statistical table)
Aug 01, 2006 ... <Pre> Top 10 Films In Manhattan For the weekend of July 28-30, 2006% change vs. last Rank Wknd. B.0.Film (distributor) wknd. 1.$466,739 ...
Broadway top 10: July 24-30.(ratings of plays)(Statistical table)
Aug 01, 2006 ... <Pre> Broadway Top 10: July 24-30; Show Week's Net Receipts Prev Week's (Theater)(Prod. Category)(Seats) Potential Net Receipts Net Receipts Wicked $1,443,870$1,443,757 (Gershwin)(M)(1,809) ...
Severance.(Movie review)
Aug 01, 2006; ... (UK.-Germany) A Pathe (in U.K.)/Magnolia Pictures (in U.S.) release of a Qwerty Films, U.K. Film Council presentation, in association with Isle of Man Film, of an N1 European Film Produktions (Germany)/Dan Films (U.K.) production. (International sales: HanWay Films, London.) ...
'Hills' still alive at MTV.(Lauren Conrad)(The Hills)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... MTV is sticking with "Laguna Beach" star Lauren Conrad. Music net has locked up a second season of Conrad's starring vehicle, "Laguna" spinoff "The Hills," currently the channel's No. 2 show. The number of episodes is not yet set, but MTV has slated a 2007 premiere ...
Kabul Transit.(Movie review)
Aug 01, 2006; ... (Docu) An Akbar Taxiwan Films presentation. Produced by David Edwards. Co-producers, Gregory Whitmore, Maliha Zulfacar. Directed by David Edwards, Gregory Whitmore. Camera (color/B&W, DV), Whitmore; editor, Whitmore; sound, Whitmore. Reviewed at Los Angeles Film ...
Fifteen candles.(V)(New York Latino Film Festival )(Quinceanera)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... WHAT: Sony Pictures Classics' unspooling of "Quinceanera," which closed the New York Latino Film Festival on Saturday. WHERE: Florence Gould Hall, followed by an after-party at Crobar. PREGNANT WITH POSSIBILITY: Pic, which nabbed the 2006 Sundance grand jury prize ...
Dominick Dunne hosted a Southampton screening of Allen Coulter's mystery pic "Hollywood" Sunday.(V)
Aug 01, 2006 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Dominick Dunne hosted a Southampton screening of Allen Coulter's mystery ...
"Barnyard: The Original Party Animals" helmer Steve Oedekerk and voice talent Sam Elliott arrive Sunday at Hollywood's Cinerama Dome for the world preem.(V)
Aug 01, 2006 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: "Barnyard: The Original Party Animals" helmer Steve Oedekerk and voice ...
News Corp.'s Peter Chernin joined 20th Century Fox TV.(V)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: News Corp.'s Peter Chernin joined 20th Century Fox TV toppers ...
Fox 2000 spins 'Carousel' remake.(Fox 2000 Pictures)(Hugh Jackman)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006; ... Fox 2000 is looking to remake the musical "Carousel" as a star vehicle for Hugh Jackman, who will produce with his Seed Prods. partner John Palermo. Fox released the original film, starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, in 1956. A deal is being negotiated with the Rodgers & ...
Sony drives new disc biz.(Culver Entertainment)(Sony Pictures Television)
Aug 02, 2006; ... Sony Pictures TV has launched a direct-to-DVD arm as a means to distribute certain TV projects without a network attached. Division, named Culver Entertainment, will kick off with a new animated version of "Spider-Man." Culver will produce 13 half-hour segs of the toon, which ...
McHale charts new discovery.(Judith McHale)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006; ... Judith McHale, an 18-year veteran of the Discovery Channel who rose to prexy-CEO of Discovery Communications, will step down on Dec. 1 to work as a private citizen on social and political issues. Expectation is that her successor will come from the ranks of the four top ...
Cabler commits: 'Trail' turns into big slate of originals.(Broken Trail)(AMC)
Aug 02, 2006; ... Riding high on the ratings from Robert Duvall's "Broken Trail," AMC is unveiling its first development slate of scripted series. The cable network has lined up drama and comedy projects from "Donnie Darko" writer-director Richard Kelley, "Monster's Ball" scribe Will Rokos and ...
CW's in the 'Doll' house.(The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006; ... The CW is teaming with McG, Jimmy Iovine and "America's Next Top Model" producer Ken Mok to launch "The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll." Net has ordered eight hourlong episodes of the project, a sort of "Top Model" meets "American Idol" that will award the winner a spot in ...
TMZ basking in its Gibson glory.(Mel Gibson)
Aug 02, 2006; ... There aren't too many winners in Gibsongate. But TMZ, the niche Web site that uncovered the original police report about the star's arrest and anti-Semitic outburst, is enjoying an unexpected vogue as a journalism powerhouse. Site is co-owned by Telepictures and ...
Strange bedfellows on the litmus test express.(Tuning In)(Mel Gibson and Oliver Stone)(political overtones in the movie business)(Column)
Aug 02, 2006; ... AT FIRST GLANCE, it would be hard to imagine stranger bedfellows than Mel Gibson and Oliver Stone. Still, advance publicity surrounding Stone's fundamentally apolitical film "World Trade Center" (which prompted second-guessing from conservatives over whether the ...
Scribe pair plotting 'Deceit'.(Michael Brandt and Derek Haas)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006; ... Universal Pictures has tapped Michael Brandt and Derek Haas to adapt James Siegel's novel "Deceit," about a disgraced journalist who tries to redeem himself by solving a crime. Lorenzo Di Bonaventura is producing the pic. Brandt and Haas' credits include several other U ...
Electronic Arts beats Street expectations.(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006; ... Showing signs of strength after a weak holiday season and winter, Electronic Arts saw sales increase 13% to $413 million last quarter. News helped to drive its stock up 3% in after-hours trading. Net loss rose 40% to $81 million, but that was due entirely to a new ...
'History' lesson at PBS.(Public Broadcasting Service)(Unnatural History)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006; ... Director-producer Jonas McCord and former Pixar animator Seth Piezas are looking to line up about $27 million in financing for "Unnatural History," a proposed 65-episode animated children's series. PBS flagship station WNET New York has agreed to co-produce the series, which ...
HBO, Fuller may take 'Britain' to U.S.(Home Box Office Inc.)(Simon Fuller )(Little Britain)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006; ... HBO and "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller are in talks to adapt edgy British sketch comedy "Little Britain" for Stateside auds. Fuller is understood to have been approached by the writers and stars of "Little Britain" Matt Lucas and David Walliams, to develop the show for a ...
Network news war: Fox News down from '05 but still tops.(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006; ... CNN saw sharp audience increases in July as war broke out in the south of Lebanon. Net was up 29% in total viewers and 46% in the 25-54 demographic during the month--the biggest increase for any cable news network. Fox News Channel was down 6% in total viewers and ...
Ledger joins bat pack for 'Dark Knight'.(The Dark Knight)(Heath Ledger)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006; ... The Bat will fly again as Warner Bros. announced it's starting production early next year on "The Dark Knight." Heath Ledger has signed on to play the Joker in the sixth Batpic, with Christian Bale back as the Caped Crusader and Christopher Nolan returning to the director's ...
Sirius has its ups and downs.(earnings of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006; ... Sirius Satellite Radio's losses widened last quarter, but revenue nearly tripled as the company added more than 600,000 new subscribers. Chairman-CEO Mel Karmazin said Sirius plans to introduce a handheld live satellite radio unit, called the Stiletto, by the end of summer. ...
WB captures 'Code' thriller.(Sleeper Code)(Warner Bros.)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006; ... Warner Bros. has acquired screen rights to the Tom Sniegoski novel "Sleeper Code" and will turn it into a thriller to be written by Jason Keller. Peter Donaldson, Stacy Maes and Jay Sanders will produce. Published last month as a young-adult title by Penguin, ...
U music man EMI's guy.(Barney Wragg )(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006; ... After a turbulent time at its digital division, EMI Group is hoping a change in leadership does the trick. Company has tapped Universal Music's Barney Wragg to run its global digital biz. Wragg is a vet of UMG's eLabs, where he oversaw global digital music for that ...
Green to play witch queen.(Eva Green)(The Golden Compass)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006; ... Eva Green will go from the Bond girl in "Casino Royale" to the queen of witches in "The Golden Compass," New Line's first installment of a potential trilogy based on Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials." Green, who just wrapped "Casino Royale" with Daniel Craig, has signed a ...
Stormbreaker.(Movie review)
Aug 02, 2006; ... (UK.-Germany) An Entertainment Film Distributors (in U.K.)/the Weinstein Co. (in U.S.) release of an Isle of Man Film, U.K. Film Council Entertainment Film Distributors presentation of a Samuelson Prods. (U.K.)/VIP Medienfonds 4 (Germany) production, in association with Rising ...
International weekend box office.(market share of movies)(Statistical table)
Aug 02, 2006; ... <Pre> International Weekend Box Office Reported PercentBox Office Change Weekend ending in TITLE/DISTRIBUTOR/COUNTRY ...
TV mags ride high on affair.(television magazine ratings)
Aug 02, 2006; ... All five weekend magazine shows were hot in the week ended July 23, due in large part to reports about Christie Brinkley's marriage and revelations of husband Peter Cook's yearlong affair with a 19-year-old employee of his company. "Insider Weekend" had the largest week-to-week ...
Top 25 shows in 18-49.(television broadcasting industry)(Table)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006 ... <Pre> TOP 25 SHOWS IN 18-49 1. So You Think ... Dance-Wed. (Fox) 3.8/11 2. Hell's Kitchen (Fox) 3.5/10 3. So You Think ... Dance-Thu. (Fox) 3.4/10 4. House (Fox) 3.3/09 5. Last Comic Standing (NBC)...
Top shows in 25-54.(ranking of television programs)(Table)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006 ... <Pre> TOP SHOWS IN 25-54 1. CSI (CBS) 4.0/11 2. House (Fox)3.9/10 3. So You ...
Top cable nets in 18-49.
Aug 02, 2006 ... <Pre> TOP CABLE NETS IN 18-4 1. USA 1.00 2. TBS 0.73 3. TNT ...
Evening news.(television broadcasting industry)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
Aug 02, 2006 ... <Pre> EVENING NEWS WEEK 44: July 24-28Viewers Adults 25-54 ABC 7.46 million 2.0/9 CBS 6.87 million ...
Nielsen ratings report.(television broadcasting industry)(Table)
Aug 02, 2006 ... <Pre> Nielsen Ratings Report Total Viewers July 24-29, 2006 abc Monday 6.36 8:00Wife Swap 5.55 8:30(5.89) (R)6.24 9:00...