Daily Variety back issues from August 2008:
Where's the beef? Studios not buying into strike threat.
Aug 01, 2008; ... After taking much of the summer off in the hopes of avoiding any more labor strife, the film biz is planning to get back to work after Labor Day. As the Screen Actors Guild's contract stalemate with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers enters its second ...
'Mummy' seeks to rein in Batman.(Movie review)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Universal film franchise "The Mummy" comes back to life in theaters this weekend after a seven-year slumber, with U looking to seize the No. 1 spot from Warner Bros.' Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight." "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" opens in 3,759 runs. Brendan ...
Changes at top of IATSE.(International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada president Matthew D. Loeb)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Thomas C. Short, president of the Intl. Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees since 1994, has retired and been replaced by IATSE exec Matthew D. Loeb. IATSE announced the moves--which have been rumored recently in Hollywood labor circles--on Thursday at the union's general ...
Helmer takes the stage.
Aug 01, 2008; ... Brit film director Ken Russell will make his Gotham stage debut at the helm of the upcoming Off Broadway offering "Mindgame," toplined by Keith Carradine. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Russell ("Women in Love," "Tommy," "Altered States") will stage a new production of ...
Princess Bride.(VARIETY.COM)
Aug 01, 2008 ... The "Princess Bride videogame" is a lighthearted and ...
Games tame Internet.(Olympics)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Millions of viewers have had an online sneak preview of the Beijing Olympics' Opening Ceremony thanks to South Korea's Seoul Broadcasting System TV station--much to the irritation of the Chinese authorities. The slip is likely to make the Chinese even more edgy about Internet ...
Project's all Greek to Col.
Aug 01, 2008; ... Columbia Pictures will turn the story of an ancient Greek military expedition into an epic action film. The studio has acquired a pitch for an adaptation of "Anabasis," a memoir written around 400 B.C. by Xenophon, a Greek soldier who was among 10,000 elite mercenaries who ...
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.(Movie review)
Aug 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Universal release, presented in association with Relativity Media, of a Sommers Co./Alphaville production. Produced by Sean Daniel, James Jacks, Stephen Sommers, Bob Ducsay. Executive producer, Chris Brigham. Co-producers, Lei Qin, Doris Tse, Josette ...
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.(Movie review)
Aug 01, 2008; ... A Warner Bros. release of an Alcon Entertainment presentation, in association with Alloy Entertainment, of a Di Novi Pictures/Debra Martin Chase production. Produced by Chase, Denise Di Novi, Broderick Johnson, Kira Davis. Executive producers, Andrew A. Kosove, Christine Sacani, Alison ...
America the Beautiful.(Movie review)
Aug 01, 2008; ... (Docu) A First Independent Pictures release of a Sensory Overload production. Produced by Darryl Roberts, Kurt Engfehr, Stela Georgieva, Michele G. Blumenthal. Executive producers, Henry N. L. Anderson, Michael Beach, Dennis Damore, Terence Wright. Co-producers, Sherese Locke, ...
Flamingo Court.(Theater review)
Aug 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (New World Stages; 350 seats; $72 top) A Theater 21 and Carolyn Rossi Copeland presentation of three plays in two acts by Luigi Creature. Directed by Steven Yuhasz. Sets, James Youmans; costumes, Carol Sherry; lighting, Herrick Goldman; sound, ...
The Understudy.(Theater review)
Aug 01, 2008; ... (Nikos Theater, Williamstown, Mass.; 172 seats; $37 top) A Williamstown Theater Festival presentation of a play in one act by Theresa Rebeck. Directed by Scott Ellis. Sets, Alexander Dodge; costumes, Tom Broecker; lighting, Kenneth Posner; music and sound, Obadiah Eaves; ...
Gallipoli.(Theater review)
Aug 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Sydney Theater, Sydney, Australia; 805 seats; A$77 ($75) top) A Sydney Theater Company presentation of a play with music in two acts by Nigel Jamieson in association with the cast. Directed by Jamieson. Set, Jamieson, Brad Clark, Alexandra ...
'Leaves' collects 3 thesps.(LEGIT BITS)('The House of Blue Leaves' cast Jane Kaczmarek, Kate Burton and John Pankow )
Aug 01, 2008; ... Jane Kaczmarek, Kate Burton and John Pankow will top the cast of "The House of Blue Leaves," the first show to play in L.A.'s newly renovated Mark Taper Forum. Pankow ("Mad About You") plays zookeeper and frustrated songwriter Artie in John Guare's 1971 comedy, set during the ...
Ripa's shingle beefs up staff.
Aug 01, 2008; ... Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos have added creative mojo to Milojo, the New York production company they recently founded, with the hiring of three execs. Former "Live With Regis & Kelly" producer Albert Bianchini has been tapped VP of production and development, while former ...
Tribeca fest sets dates.(2009 Tribeca Film Festival)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2008; ... The Tribeca Film Festival has announced dates for the 2009 edition, to be held April 22-May 3. Submissions for the eighth annual fest open Sent. 15. The early deadline is Nov. 14, with the official deadline on Dec. 15. Late entries still shooting or in post-production after that ...
Lionsgate believes in 'God'.(Lions Gate Films to produce 'God and California')(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Before selling the book, author and cartoonist Chris Millis has sold screenplay rights to his novel "God and California" to Lionsgate. Millis will adapt the story of an Iraq war vet and a disgraced Catholic priest who travel from Gotham to California in a pink 1975 El Dorado in ...
Lion taps prod'n veepee.(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.'s Luke Ryan)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2008; ... MGM has hired Luke Ryan as VP of theatrical production. He will oversee the production and development of MGM's bigscreen projects. Ryan will also jump into a number of priority projects for the studio that include "Cabin in the Woods," "RoboCop," "Red Dawn" and "Hot Tub Time ...
CBS dials radio sale: 50 stations in mid-sized markets for sale.
Aug 01, 2008; ... CBS Corp. chief exec Leslie Moonves said Thursday that the company is putting 50 radio stations in 12 markets on the block in an apparent move to combat a sour economy, which is squeezing local advertising. The stations, which generate 15% of CBS' radio revenue, are in midsized ...
Vivendi picks up Zucker pic.
Aug 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Vivendi Entertainment has picked up North American rights to David Zucker's new comedy "An American Carol" and will release it in the fall. Pic tracks a cynical, anti-American filmmaker who sets out on a crusade to abolish the July Fourth ...
Sergei Bodrov.(Tenpercenteries)
Aug 01, 2008; ... WMA has signed Russian helmer Sergei Bodrov. Bodrov's "Mongol" is currently onscreen, and his previous credits ...
Del Shores.(Tenpercenteries)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Multihyphenate Del Shores has inked with CAA. Shores' "Sordid Lives: The Series," based on the play he wrote, recently preemed on MTV's Logo network. Writing ...
Otto Bathurst.(Tenpercenteries)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Director Otto Bathurst has signed with Endeavor. Bathurst most recently directed the first three episodes of the BBC miniseries "Criminal Justice." He has also ...
James Lafferty.(Tenpercenteries)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Thesp James Lafferty CA Season on the Brink") has signed with Paradigm: Lafferty stars on ...
"Stuttering" John Melendez.(Tenpercenteries)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Comedian "Stuttering" John Melendez has signed with Innovative Artists for representation. Melendez is best known from his 15 years on ...
Swiss manga mania: Locarno fest adds pair of Japanese pix.(World News)
Aug 01, 2008; ... The Locarno Film Festival has added two live-action manga features, including the international bow of "Kitaro and the Millennium Curse," plus vintage Japanese toons from the Shochiku stable, to its special events lineup. This latest title in the cult "Kitaro" franchise, which ...
Canucks slam Yank TV fare.(World News)
Aug 01, 2008; ... ACTRA, Canada's main actors union, is unhappy that broadcasters are spending less on homegrown programming and more on U.S. fare. A study from broadcast regulator the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission reported that private broadcasters spent C$616 ...
BSkyB records growth in subs.(World News)
Aug 01, 2008; ... LONDON -- News Corp.'s BSkyB, Europe's biggest paybox, has recorded its highest level of new subscriber growth in five years despite fears of a U.K. recession. The satcaster said 92,000 new customers came aboard in the fiscal fourth quarter, as it announced preliminary results ...
Lower taxes boost Mediaset bottom line.(World News)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset broadcast group posted better than expected first-half net profits Thursday, largely due to lower tax rates in Italy and Spain, where it controls Telecinco. The 2.7% rise to 350 million [euro] ($545.7 million), helped by some ...
TF1 profits dive in 1st half.(World News)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2008; ... PARIS -- TF1, France's leading private broadcaster, saw profits slump 32.7% to 125 million [euro] ($195 million) in the first half of 2008 as a poor economic climate and programming costs from the European Cup soccer tournament took a toll on earnings. The TF1 Group's ...
Gucci Lido noms set.(World News)(Gucci Group Award)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] British visual artist-turned-helmer Steve McQueen, whose debut. "Hunger." about the death of Irish Republican Army leader Bobby Sands. scooped this year's Cannes Camera d'Or. is among nominees for the Gucci Group Award given in tandem with the Venice Film ...
Spain nets' earnings sink.(World News)(Telecinco and Anteua 3)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2008; ... LISBON -- Spain's leading private webs, Telecinco and Anteua 3, posted 6% and 31% falls in net profits for the first half of this year. Their reduced earnings, caused by a stalling Spanish economy and market fragmentation, follow record results last year. Telecinco ...
H.K.'s Mei Ah in the red.(World News)(Mei Ah Entertainment in Hong Kong)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2008; ... HONG KONG -- Hong Kong film and TV conglom Mei Ah Entertainment swung to losses of HK$83.5 million ($10.7 million) in the year to March from a profit of $2.8 million a year earlier. Much of the damage was done by a revaluation of convertible loan notes. Revenue fell 25% to $13.2 ...
Filming in the future.(Film Production Chart)
Aug 01, 2008 ... PRODUCTION CHART KEY Abbreviations: EXP, Executive producer; PROD-Producer; COP-Co-producer; DIR-Director; AD-First assistant director; 2DIR-Second-unit director; SCR-Screenwriter; DP-Cinematographer; ED-Editor; PD-Production designer; ART-Art director; SET-Set decorator; ...
Filming in Gotham.(Film Production Chart)(New York)(Directory)
Aug 01, 2008 ... BIG PUN: THE LEGACY Rosie Perez, Snoop Dogg, DMX, Xzihit, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Sticky Fingaz, Fredro Start, Redman, Chuck D, Prodigy, B Real, Jim Jones, Swizz Beatz, Bone Thugs n Harmony, Styles P., Big Tigger, Sheek Louch, Liza Rios, Raekwon, DJ Green Lantern, D.J. Enuff, Bobbito ...
From the Army Archerd archive.(Column)
Aug 01, 2008; ... June 10, 1968 GOOD MORNING: Robert Vaughn, emotionally wrung out after standing vigil Friday with Ted Kennedy at the casket of his friend Robert EK., departed N.Y. yesterday for Prague, to start "Bridge at Remagen." On the longhorn from N.Y., Vaughn said he had shipped ahead to ...
Filming in the U.S.(Film Production Chart)
Aug 01, 2008 ... A FONDER HEART Burt Reynolds, Anne Archer, Shelley Long, Charles Durning, Kevin Pollak, Morgan Fairchild, Brenda Strong, CathyLee Crosby, Corbin Timbrook, Gray Graham, Jodi Knotts, Matt Geiger, Lucy Webb, Lucius Buston, Chris Kelly EXP, Jim Brubaker, Richard Barner; PROD, Corbin Timbrook, ...
Filming outside the U.S.(Film Production Chart)
Aug 01, 2008 ... AMELIA Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Christopher Eccleston, Joe Anderson, Aaron Abrams, Mia Wasikowska, Ewan McGregor, Virginia Madsen, Cherry Jones EXP, Don Carmody, Runald Bass, Hilary Swank; PROD, Ted Waitt, Lydia Dean Pilcher, Kevin Hyman; DIR, Mira Nair; AD, Walter Gasparovic; 2DIR, ...
Stealing America: Vote by Vote.(Movie review)
Aug 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Docu) A Direct Cinema Limited release, in association with Abramorama & Mitropoulos Films, of a Concentric Media production. Produced by Dorothy Fadiman. Executive producers, Mitchell Block, James Fadiman. Co-producers, Bruce O'Dell, Carla ...
Showbiz stocks: Thursday, July 31, 2008.
Aug 01, 2008 ... <Pre> Showbiz Stocks Thursday, July 31, 2008 YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg%Chg AccessIT AIXD ... 2.30+.08 -48.5 AcmeCm ACME ... 1.29+.07 -52.7 Avid ......
'Guitar,' 'Panda' pump Activision.
Aug 01, 2008; ... Revenue surged 34% and profits more than doubled in Activision's last quarter as a stand-alone company thanks to a boffo bow for the "Kung Fu Panda" game and two new "Guitar Hero" titles. Activision, which recently merged with Vivendi Games to form Activision Blizzard, reported ...
Trib shuffles hit stations.(Tribune Broadcasting)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Tribune Broadcasting has shuffled the management of its East Coast and Chicago stations. Betty Ellen Berlamino, longtime veep-general manager of WPIX-TV New York, has been upped to prexy of the station. In Chi, Marty Wilke has been named interim g.m. of Tribune's WGN-TV flagship ...
"Broadway on Broadway," the annual outdoor event previewing the 2008-09 Rialto season, has been skedded for Sept. 14.(LEGIT BITS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... "Broadway on Broadway," the annual outdoor event previewing the 2008-09 Rialto season, has been skedded for Sept. 14. The free concert, which features cast members of legit productions performing segs from current and upcoming shows, shuts down Times Square every year to allow ...
Lisa Poelle is the new topper of Camp Broadway, the educational org that runs legit programs for kids.(LEGIT BITS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Lisa Poelle is the new topper of Camp Broadway, the educational org that runs legit programs for kids. Poelle joins Camp Broadway after a stint as director of work/life effectiveness at Time Warner. She also has worked for Children's Musical Theater San Jose, where ...
L.A.'s Taper begins its second act.(Mark Taper forum in Los Angeles, California)
Aug 01, 2008; ... After a year of renovation, Center Theater Group unveiled the refurbished Mark Taper Forum with an emphasis on increased comfort for patrons and improved working conditions for casts and crews. The $30 million makeover included the lowering of the stage level by nearly three ...
Weekend B.O. preview.(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2008 ... <Pre> Weekend B.O. Preview Variety.com/weekendopeners YEAR TO DATE (in billions of $) 2007 2008 Jan. 5-Aug.1 5.81 Jan. 4-July 30 5.80 Note: Table made from bar graph. Pic (distrib) Mummy: Tomb ... Emperor (U) ...
Tightly wound: bat barely slays 'Dragon'.
Aug 04, 2008; ... Universal's "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" fell just short of stealing the box office crown from juggernaut "The Dark Knight," which dropped only 42% in its third weekend to come within shouting distance of the $400 million mark in domestic ticket sales. [ILLUSTRATION ...
'Mummy' dearest o'seas.(The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, overseas)
Aug 04, 2008; ... "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" came alive with a vengeance overseas, opening with a stellar $59.5 million at 3,559 playdates in 28 markets. Universal's third "Mummy" movie showed plenty of offshore traction, with a sparkling $16,700 per-screen average, or 48% higher ...
'Lost Souls' finds a mate.
Aug 04, 2008; ... Nikolaj Arcel has signed on to direct Universal Pictures' action adventure "Island of Lost Souls" a remake of the 2007 Danish film "De fortabte sjaeles o," co-written and directed by Areel. Jennifer O'Kieffe has been tapped to pen the remake's screenplay. Story ...
Jitters in Beijing.
Aug 04, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Excitement is building in Beijing over an Olympic celebration that Chinese authorities keenly intend to mark the country's emergence on the world stage. With the Opening Ceremony set to take place Friday, the celebratory mood was underlined ...
'Price' is right for fresh exec.
Aug 04, 2008; ... Furthering its efforts to attract a younger audience, "The Price Is Right" has signed Mike Richards as co-exec producer. The move comes about a month after Roger Dobkowitz left his duties as producer of the venerable gameshow, produced by FremantleMedia North America, (Daily ...
De Niro close to 'Edge'.(Robert De Niro in Edge of Darkness)(Brief article)
Aug 04, 2008; ... Robert De Niro is near a deal to join Mel Gibson in "Edge of Darkness," the Martin Campbell-directed feature for Graham King's GK Films. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Shooting begins this month in Massachusetts. Gibson stars as Thomas Craven, a straitlaced ...
Will Obama campaign be star-crossed?(Barack Obama)
Aug 04, 2008; ... GEORGE CLOONEY THINKS it's risky. Sean Combs (P. Diddy) thinks it's urgently important. Every celebrity feels differently on the question of political advocacy--whether a star should campaign for a candidate and whether that effort helps or hurts. That argument has ...
FCC hones ISP policing rules.
Aug 04, 2008; ... Internet service providers cannot block or slow online traffic without a good reason, but they are free--even encouraged--to police their pipes for illegal content. That was the main showbiz implication of Friday's widely expected FCC ruling that Comcast had violated federal ...
WGA edits credits steps.(Writers Guild of America )
Aug 04, 2008; ... The WGA's rewritten rules are great news for rewrite scribes. Members of the Writers Guild of America have strongly endorsed a trio of proposals in a referendum aimed at simplifying procedures for determining feature screenwriting credits. About 15% of WGA members ...
Her Naked Skin.(Theater review)
Aug 04, 2008; ... (National Theater, Olivier, London; 1,127seats; 30 [pounds sterling] ($60) top) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A National Theater presentation of a play in two acts by Rebecca Lenkiewicz. Directed by Howard Davies. Sets and costumes, Rob Howell; fighting, Neil Austin; ...
The Midnight Meat Train.
Aug 04, 2008; ... A Lionsgate release, presented with Lakeshore Entertainment, of a Lakeshore Entertainment/Lionsgate production, in association with Midnight Picture Show and GreeneStreet Films. Produced by Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Clive Barker, Jorge Saralegni, Eric Reid, Richard Wright. Executive ...
Manager stakes vision of 'Beauty'.(Oren Segal to produce Just Like Beauty)(Brief article)
Aug 04, 2008; ... Oren Segal has optioned Lisa Lerner's debut novel "Just Like Beauty." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nick Pustay has been tapped to adapt. The dark comedy--set in a dystopic future replete with a gang of blowtorchers, mutant grasshoppers and an underground suicide ...
Rome gaga for Gothamite.(Al Pacino )(Brief article)
Aug 04, 2008; ... Al Pacino will get a lifetime achievement nod at the Rome Film Festival as part of the fest's tribute to New York's Actors Studio. South Bronx-born Pacino is a board member of the Studio, which was formative in his career. "Thank you for bestowing your Marcus ...
Steady rise for mobile revs.(mobile data revenue )(Brief article)
Aug 04, 2008; ... With more consumers turning to their cell phones and similar devices to be entertained, mobile data revenue will grow by a compound annual average of 16% over the next decade, according to a report from research firm SNL Kagan. The firm said the $24 billion in mobile data revs ...
Par slipped a 'Miki': Manga series heads to bigscreen via Plan B.(Miki Falls acquired by Paramount Pictures and Brad Pitt's Plan B)(Brief article)
Aug 04, 2008; ... Paramount Pictures and Brad Pitt's Plan B have acquired "Miki Falls," a four-volume manga series created by Mark Crilley. TV scribe Sera Gamble has been tapped to adapt. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Story chronicles the final year of high school for Miki ...
TWC's 'Shanghai' shuffle.
Aug 04, 2008; ... The Weinstein Co. said Saturday that its decision to shift production of "Shanghai" to Thailand after failing to receive permission to lense in China was based on the need to ground the production in Asia. "It was the wrong timing when we applied to shoot in China, with the ...
Fox trots 'Dance' Pickup.(So You Think You Can Dance)(Brief article)
Aug 04, 2008; ... Fox has given an early fifth-season pickup to summer sensation "So You Think You Can Dance." "Dance" regularly wins its two weekly time periods among adults 18-49, 18-34, teens and total viewers. The powerful one-two punch of the show's Wednesday performance episode and Thursday ...
Treciokas flies solo with P.R.(Ina Yreciokas )(Brief article)
Aug 04, 2008; ... Publicist Ina Yreciokas is exiting Kelly Bush's I/D PR after a 13-year stint to start her own agency. Treciokas, whose client list includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Mike Myers, Katie Holmes and Owen Wilson, will take those four clients with her. She and Bush are working ...
E! Is for estrogen: net nabs trio of femme pix.
Aug 04, 2008; ... E! Entertainment TV has ponied up about $7 million for some runs of the theatrical version of"Sex and the City" in the network window following the movie's basic-cable premiere on the USA Network. As part of the deal, E! has bought a second position in two other New Line ...