Daily Variety back issues from May 2008:
Bardem out of 'Nine'.(VARIETY.COM)
May 01, 2008 ... Javier Bardem has dropped out of the lead in Rob Marshall's ...
Studio salvo: majors say SAG is unrealistic.(Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Screen Actors Guild)
May 01, 2008; ... The gloves have come off in the contract negotiations between the majors and Screen Actors Guild. With the SAG talks going nowhere fast, the majors have gone on the offensive by criticizing the guild's demands as unreasonable and unrealistic. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television ...
Fighting words over digital divide.(ShowCanada)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Countering remarks by DreamWorks Animation topper Jeffrey Katzenberg, National Assn. of Theater Owners prexy John Fithian said exhibs aren't to blame for holding up the transition to digital movie screens--some of the major studios are. Fithian ...
'Spider Woman' crawling to B'way.
May 01, 2008; ... Producer Darren Bagert will bring the little-known 1983 play adaptation of "Kiss of the Spider Woman" to Broadway next season. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bagert aims to begin perfs in the late fall. Peter DuBois ("Becky Shaw") will likely direct the show, capitalized at ...
Private eye's last chance to persuade.(PELLICANO TRIAL)(Anthony Pellicano)
May 01, 2008; ... In his last chance to convince the jury that he's innocent of illegal wiretapping and racketeering charges, former Hollywood P.I. Anthony Pellicano simply described himself as a problem solver who got the job done. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "There was an investigative ...
Indie on Roman's trail.
May 01, 2008; ... ThinkFilm has scooped up domestic theatrical and homevid rights to hot Sundance doc "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" from HBO. Marina Zenovich's documentary about the scandal that led the legendary director to flee America into exile more than three decades ago was much ...
Thurgood.(Theater review)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Booth Theater, 780 seats; $95 top) A Vernon Jordan, Shubert Organization, Bill Rollnick/Nancy Ellison Rollnick, Matt Murphy, Daryl Roth/Debra Black, Roy Furman, Jam Theatricals, Lawrence Horowitz, Eric Falkenstein, Max OnStage, James D'Orta, ...
The Caucasian Chalk Circle.(Theater review)
May 01, 2008; ... (Theaters at 45 Bleecker; 99 seats; $18 top) A Hipgnosis Theater presentation of a play in two acts by Bertolt Brecht. Directed by Margot Newkirk. Costumes, Krista Thomas-Scott; lighting, Robert Nguyen; original music, Demetrios Bonaros; choreography, Kimberly Braton; props, ...
'Xanadu' stars ready to roll till January.(LEGIT BITS)(Kerry Butler, Cheyenne Jackson, Tony Roberts, Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008; ... In the face of continuing speculation in the industry about when "Xanadu" may close, the Broadway tuner's producers are touting the fact that all of the show's lead thesps have reupped their contracts through early next year. The five major players--Kerry Butler, Cheyenne ...
The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center has announced selections for the 2008 edition of its National Music Theater Conference, a developmental program for new tuners.(LEGIT BITS)(Conference news)
May 01, 2008; ... The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center has announced selections for the 2008 edition of its National Music Theater Conference, a developmental program for new tuners. The shows will include the following: * "Myth," a musical version of three Greek myths by John Mercurio. ...
Off Broadway's Atlantic Theater Company has joined the list of legit orgs presenting developing shows at the Perry-Mansfield New Works Fest in Steamboat Springs, Colo., this summer.(LEGIT BITS)
May 01, 2008; ... Off Broadway's Atlantic Theater Company has joined the list of legit orgs presenting developing shows at the Perry-Mansfield New Works Fest in Steamboat Springs, Colo., this summer. Atlantic joins Actors Theater of Louisville, Denver Center and Gotham's Primary Stages on the ...
Corrections.(Correction notice)
May 01, 2008 ... The title for the HBO-backed version of "Little Britain" will be "Little Britain USA." Information was incorrect in Wednesday's ...
Cutting the cable: Time Warner formalizes its spinoff plan.
May 01, 2008; ... Time Warner reported solid earnings Wednesday in a first quarter tarnished by softness at AOL, but chief exec Jeffrey Bewkes scored some points by affirming full-year guidance and formalizing plans to spin off Time Warner Cable. Time Warner spun off a chunk of its cable unit in ...
Pair opting for 'Elegy'.(Samuel Goldwyn Films, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Samuel Goldwyn Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group teamed to nab domestic rights to Lakeshore Entertainment's drama "Elegy," starring Penelope Cruz and Ben Kingsley. Netflix division Red Envelope Entertainment picked up rights for its ...
CBS leads Emmy field.
May 01, 2008; ... CBS led the field in nominations for the 35th annual daytime Emmy Awards, announced Wednesday ayem on ABC's "The View." CBS raked in the most noms with 56, ahead of PBS (44), ABC (39) and syndicated shows (28). NBC and Disney Channel were next in the ranking with 14 and 13, ...
Carey disc carries on in the No. 1 slot.(Mariah Carey's E=MC2, Billboard 200)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008; ... Mariah Carey's "E=[MC.sup.2]" held onto the No. 1 slot on the nation's album sales chart for a second week, selling 182,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan. The tally was nearly double that of the second-place finisher, Leona Lewis' "Spirit," which sold 96,000. The two ...
Tribeca pic gets pickup.
May 01, 2008; ... Magnolia Pictures picked up North American fights to writer-director Peter Tolan's "Finding Amanda," which had its world preem in the Tribeca Film Festival. Semiautobiographical dark comedy from Emmy winner Tolan ("Rescue Me") stars Matthew Broderick as a drinking and gambling ...
Sezmi touts all-in-one box.
May 01, 2008; ... Seeking to capitalize on the era of flux and consumer dissatisfaction with TV and homevid offerings, a new company launching Thursday believes it has the next-gen solution. Sezmi is backed by a consortium of venture capital funds and features execs and board members with ...
Daily Variety editor-in-chief Peter Bart, received the RAAM Intl. Award on Tuesday from RAAM Management's Rob Arthur, and Tony Meehan.
May 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Daily Variety editor-in-chief Peter Bart, center, received the RAAM Intl. Award on Tuesday from RAAM Management's Rob Arthur, left, and Tony ...
TV production chart.
May 01, 2008 ... PRODUCTION CHART KEY Abbreviations: SUPR EXP-Supervising executive producer(s); EXP-Executive producer(s); CO-EXP-Co-executive producer(s); SUPR PROD-Supervising producer(s); PROD-Producer(s); CO-PROD-Co-producer(s); DIR-Director(s); CASTING-Casting director. Affiliated ...
Showbiz stocks: Wednesday, April 30, 2008.
May 01, 2008 ... <Pre> Showbiz Stocks Wednesday, April 30, 2008 YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg %Chg AccessIT AIXD ... 2.95 +.40 -34.0 AcmeCm ACME ...
Bart Got a Room.(Movie review)
May 01, 2008; ... A Plum Pictures production, in association with Shrink Media, Basra Entertainment, Hart-Lunsford Pictures, Benedek Films. (International sales: Cinetic Media, New York.) Produced by Gait Niederhoffer, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Celine Rattray, Jai Stefan, Tony Shawkat. Executive producers, ...
Marilyn Crispell.
May 01, 2008; ... (Birdland; 220 capacity; $20) Presented inhouse. Reviewed April 29, 2008. As one of the more iconoclastic pianists of her generation, Marilyn Crispell can sometimes find it difficult to hit upon a sympathetic setting for her elegiac, languidly free playing. Although ...
Master P and his son Lil' Romeo will star in slasher pic "The Pig People," helmed by David Gueringer.(Players)
May 01, 2008; ... Master P and his son Lil' Romeo will star in slasher pic "The Pig People," helmed by David Gueringer. Story follows five college students who are terrorized in a haunted forest by ...
Jessica Stroup.(Players)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jessica Stroup ("Prom Night") has snagged a role in CW's untitled ...
James Kyson Lee.(Players)
May 01, 2008; ... James Kyson Lee ("Heroes") is lensing in Bulgaria on Sci Fi Channel's "Termination Shock." Lee was recently onscreen ...
Josh Feinman.(Players)
May 01, 2008; ... Josh Feinman has been cast in a lead guest role in CBS skein "Without a Trace." Feinman recently wrapped ...
Cranford.(Television program review)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Miniseries; PBS, Sun. May. 4-18, 9 p.m.) Filmed in the U.K. by BBC and WGBH Boston in association with Chestermead. Executive producers, Rebecca Eaton, Kate Hatwood; producers, Sue Birtwistle, Susie Conklin; directors, Simon Curtis, Steve ...
Classic Stage Company will open its 2008-09 season with Mandy Patinkin toplining Shakespeare's "The Tempest.".(LEGIT BITS)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008; ... Classic Stage Company will open its 2008-09 season with Mandy Patinkin toplining Shakespeare's "The Tempest." CSC artistic director Brian Kulick will direct the production, which ...
Epic Theater Ensemble has announced casting for its upcoming production of "Palace of the End," the 2008 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winning monologue-play about the Iraq war.(LEGIT BITS)
May 01, 2008; ... Epic Theater Ensemble has announced casting for its upcoming production of "Palace of the End," the 2008 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winning monologue-play about the Iraq war. The three-hander will star Teri Lamm as convicted torturer Lynndie England, Rocco Sisto as British weapons ...
'Iron Man' shows mettle.(V)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008; ... If I don't hear some shouting, I will go nuts," Robert Downey Jr. joked prior to the screening of "Iron Man" on Monday. The aud happily obliged and cheered its way through the film as if in a Times Square multiplex instead of the intimate screening room at the Tribeca Grand hotel. ...
Tribeca Film Festival.(V)
May 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz, Adam Yauch and Mike D at Thursday's screening of "Gunnin' for That #1 Spot," which Yauch directed [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Lake ...
Vows at 'Honor' bow.(V)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sony did its best to make sure Monday's "Made of Honor" premiere stood out from the rest of the Tribeca Film Fest red carpets by holding a real wedding ceremony outside the Ziegfeld Theater. The nuptials were part of an online contest under ...
Moving tribute.(VARIETY.COM)
May 02, 2008 ... Ang Lee was among the guests as the Museum of the Moving Image honored James Schamus and Matt Blank at its ...
B.O.'s heavy metal: 'Iron Man' ready to mine weekend gold.
May 02, 2008; ... Paramount and Marvel Studios' "Iron Man" is looking like an ironclad winner as summer gets under way at the worldwide box office. The tentpole, toplining Robert Downey Jr. as Marvel comicbook superhero Tony Stark, got an early start on the weekend by opening in 4,105 theaters ...
Buoyant B'way fills Gotham coffers.
May 02, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 2006-07 Broadway season contributed $5. l billion to the Gotham economy, according to the Broadway League's biennial report on the Rialto's overall economic impact. Figure is up slightly from the org's 2006 study, which pegged the ...
'Liaisons' is a stylish affair.(Les Liaisons Dangerenses)(Theater review)
May 02, 2008; ... It's a testament to the wit, ingenuity and economy of Christopher Hampton's distillation of Choderlos de Laclos' epistolary 1782 novel "Les Liaisons Dangerenses" that this delicious tournament of sex and power never gets old--regardless of the indelible memory of the original Royal ...
'Right' has bite.(TRIBECA FILM)(Let the Right One In)
May 02, 2008; ... Tomas Alfredson's "Lat den ratte komma in" (Let the Right One In), about first love between a young boy and the vampire next door, won the feature prize as the Tribeca Film Festival named the winners of the seventh annual competish. The event will be televised locally on ...
Case now in jury's hands.(illegal wiretapping and racketeering case)
May 02, 2008; ... It's now up to the jury. The final two defense attorneys gave their closing arguments Thursday on behalf of their clients Rayford Earl Turner and Abner Nicherie, two of the four co-defendants charged with illegal wiretapping and racketeering along with Anthony Pellicano. ...
Speed Racer.(Movie review)
May 02, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Warner Bros. release presented in association with Village Roadshow Pictures of a Silver Pictures production in association with Anarchos Prods., a co-production between Velocity Prods. and Sechste Babelsberg Film. Produced by Joel Silver, Grant Hill, ...
Made of Honor.(Movie review)
May 02, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a Columbia Pictures presentation in association with Relativity Media of an Original Film production. Produced by Neal H. Moritz. Executive producers, Callum Greene, Tania Landau, Amanda Lewis, Marry Adelstein, ...
'Idol' slips in sweep: numbers down for Fox's golden goose.
May 02, 2008; ... While "American Idol" once again ruled the Wednesday night airwaves, the Fox behemoth continues to show considerable slippage. Compared with a year ago, "Idol" dropped 24% in adults 1849, according to Nielsen. On a night in which highly emotional contestant Brooke White said ...
Fox, TV fest set scribe competish.(Fox Entertainment, New York Television Festival, Fox-New York Television Festival Comedy Script Contest)(Brief article)
May 02, 2008; ... Fox and the New York Television Festival have partnered for the Fox-New York Television Festival Comedy Script Contest. The best half-hour pilot script will earn its writer $25,000 and a development deal with Fox. Submissions are open as of June 2 and will continue through June ...
'Sopranos' pals gang up.(Michael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa, Sharon Angela, Nick Sandow, Aunjanue Ellis to film The Hungry Ghosts)(Brief article)
May 02, 2008; ... "The Sopranos" thesp Michael Imperioli makes his feature helming debut with his script "The Hungry Ghosts." Ensemble drama begins lensing May 19 in Gotham with a projected budget under $1 million for the 24-day shoot. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pic stars "Sopranos" pals ...
Jamie Kennedy.(Tenpercenteries)
May 02, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Multihyphenate Jamie Kennedy has signed with Paradigm. He recently starred in upcoming features "Spring Break '83" and "Finding ...
Stephen A. Smith.(Tenpercenteries)
May 02, 2008; ... WMA has inked ESPN basketball analyst Stephen A. Smith. Smith is a panelist on ESPN's "NBA Shootaround" and previously hosted ...
ICM.(Tenpercenteries)
May 02, 2008; ... Dana-Lee Schuman has joined ICM as an agent in the international TV and media division. She ...
Robinne Lee.(Tenpercenteries)
May 02, 2008; ... Robinne Lee ("Hitch") has signed with Framework Entertainment for management. She's currently ...
Lilly Kilvert.(Tenpercenteries)
May 02, 2008; ... Endeavor now represents production designer Lilly Kilvert. Her work will next be seen in "Valkyrie." ...
Endgame.(Theater review)
May 02, 2008; ... (BAM Harvey Theater; 874 seats; $75 top) A Brooklyn Academy of Music presentation of a play in one act by Samuel Beckett. Directed by Andrei Belgrader. Set, Anita Stewart; costumes, Candice Donnelly; lighting, Michael Chybowski; production stage manager, James Latus. Opened, ...
Russian on the Side.(Theater review)
May 02, 2008; ... (Royal George Theater, Chicago; 434 seats; $55 top) A Michael Alden, Karen Lotman presentation of a solo show in one act written and performed by Mark Nadler. Directed by Mark Waldrop. Set, David Korins; lighting, Keith Parham; sound, Tom Craft; production stage manager, Jana ...
MCC tuner has Merritt.(MCC Theater, The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt)(Brief article)
May 02, 2008; ... A new musical from the Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt, based on a book by Nell Gaiman, is on the bill for the 2008-09 season at Off Broadway's MCC Theater. Also on the company's upcoming slate are world preems of plays by Nell LaBute and Michael Weller. Season ...
Kleban kudos doled out.(LEGIT BITS)(David Lindsay-Abaire, Laura Harrington, Bill Solly and Donald Ward)
May 02, 2008; ... David Lindsay-Abaire has snagged the 2008 Kleban Award for most promising musical theater lyricist, while Laura Harrington and the songwriting team of Bill Solly and Donald Ward will share the librettist kudos. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Each nod, named after the late ...
Filming in the future.(Film Production Chart)
May 02, 2008 ... ALPHONSO BOW Jeffrey Pierce, Michael Dempsey, Kate Rodger, Kasey Buckley EXP, Carmen Alterman; PROD, Lije Sarki, Scott Mellnii; DIR, Sarki; AD, Mellini; SCR, M Sarki; DP, Dan Coplan; PD, Gabriel Wilson; CAST, Chad Ritterbach, Betsy Fels. BEBO Prods. (2308 ...
Filming in the U.S.(Film Production Chart)
May 02, 2008 ... THE BLEEDING Vinnie Jones, Michael Matthias, Michael Madsen, Armand Assante, DMX, William McNamara, Rachelie Leah, Kat Von D., Pittsburgh Slim EXP, Frank Capra Ill; PROD, Mike Tadross Jr.; COP, Charbel Youssef; DIR, Charles Picerni; SCR, Lance Lane; DP, Tom Priestley; ...
From the Army Archerd archive.
May 02, 2008 ... July 10, 1958 GOOD MORNING: The No. l item in story confabs at 20th-Fox is finding a good yarn for Marilyn Monroe. She owes her alma mater three more pix in as many years ... She's returned after a two-year absence from Hollywood during which she's been doing a lot of studying ...
Filming in Gotham.(Film Production Chart)
May 02, 2008 ... ** THE ARRANGEMENT EXP Jon Overend: DIR, Ari Taub; SCR, Chuck McMahon, Mario Radosta, John Ramaine: DP, Caio Ribiero, Ian Dudley; CAST, Donna McKeana. The Arrangement (65 Roebling St., Brooklyn, NY 11211, 718-782-8381, Fax: 718 782-8388) 5/1, New York City. DUPLICITY ...
Filming outside the U.S.(Film Production Chart)
May 02, 2008 ... * BECOMING BERT STERN Bert Stern, George Wein, Allegra Kent, Anne Thompson, Michael Musto, Jody Quon, Carol Halebian, Zach Barnett, Twiggy Lawson, Clive Kennedy, Judith Crist, George Avakian, Estelle Leeds, David Fahey, Olivier Lorquin PROD, Phyllis Stuart; DIR, ...
Showbiz stocks: Thursday, May 1, 2008.
May 02, 2008 ... <Pre> Showbiz stocks Thursday, May 1, 2008 YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg %Chg AccessIT AIXD ... 2.81 -.14 -37.1 AcmeCm ACME 20 1.75-35.9 Actvsn...
The leader of the brand: building broad empire on image, taste and savvy.(DIDDY BUSINESS: BEYOND THE MUSIC)(Sean Combs)(Brief article)
May 02, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As a 12-year-old growing up in Mount Vernon, N.Y., Sean Combs managed to finagle his way into a $600-a-week paper route even though he was a year too young to get the job. It was then, the hip-hop mogul once said, he figured out that "one plus one equals ...
Combs eyes thesp gigs beyond B'way debut.(V PLUS EXCLUSIVE)(Sean "Diddy" Combs, A Raisin in the Sun)
May 02, 2008; ... When acting coach-producer Susan Batson first heard that hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was interested in her services, which have been bestowed on stars such as Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, her reaction was absolute. "Of course I'm not interested in working with Puff ...
Rolling the merchandise: mogul shifts his gear beyond urban and into the mainstream 'aspirational' market.(PRODUCT LION: LIFESTYLE EMPIRE)
May 02, 2008; ... For Sean Combs, making money transcended the music biz a long time ago. The mogul has spent the past decade turning his name into a successful brand for clothing, fragrances and, more recently, vodka. He launched the Sean John clothing line in 1998 (moniker's his ...
Diageo/Diddy deal for Ciroc makes nice biz chaser.(LUSH LIFE)
May 02, 2008; ... Sean Combs sees himself as a luxury brand builder. But after launching successful clothing and fragrance lines, the one thing missing from his portfolio was premium liquor. To fix that, Combs inked a deal late last year with Diageo to serve as the brand manager of ...
Sean John clothing.(PUFF 'N' STUFF: new vodka line lets buyers toast their good fashion taste)
May 02, 2008 ... Sean John's critically acclaimed clothing line has transitioned over the years from its baggy, urban-centric roots. ...
Unforgivable fragrance.(PUFF 'N' STUFF: New vodka line lets buyers toast their good fashion taste)
May 02, 2008 ... Celeb fragrances are de rigueur, but Combs' Unforgivable ...