Daily Variety back issues from March 2009:
Oscar's glow: 'Slumdog's' B.O. gain best since 'Titanic'.(Slumdog Millionaire, Box Office)
Mar 02, 2009; ... Fox Searchlight's "Slumdog Millionaire" enjoyed the biggest post-Oscar bounce since "Titanic" at the domestic box office, grossing an estimated $12.2 million as it boldly expanded to 2,943 runs in its 16th sesh. "Slumdog" is fast approaching the $200 million mark at the ...
H'wood sings union blues.
Mar 02, 2009; ... The outlook on Hollywood's labor front is getting murkier. The news that Nick Counter, longtime prexy of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, will retire as of March 31 adds to the uncertainty surrounding relations between the creative guilds and the majors. ...
Fun but no extra fizz.(Guys and Dolls)(Theater review)
Mar 02, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The opening image in Des McAnuff's strangulated revival of "Guys and Dolls" is of Damon Runyon pounding his typewriter, framing the production unequivocally in a fictional world. But the unintended effect has been to process the author's richly slangy, ...
Goodbye screens?
Mar 02, 2009; ... Sumner Redstone. who has long prided himself on his roots an the exhibition biz. is faced with the prospect of ending that long chapter in his career as he looks to unload hundreds of screens In a buyer's market. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The sale talk comes as ...
Searchlight's in clone zone.
Mar 02, 2009; ... Keira Knightley will star in the sci-fi thriller "Never Let Me Go" for Fox Searchlight. Mark Romanek ("One Hour Photo") will direct the cloning-themed pic, which will also star Andrew Garfield and Carey Mulligan. Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich are producing through ...
Night moves.(VARIETY.COM)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Jimmy Fallon's debut tonight marks phase one of NBC's "peaceful" transfer of ...
Peter's principles hold firm.
Mar 02, 2009; ... Memo to: Peter Chernin From: Peter Bart CONGRATULATIONS on your liberation, Peter, and welcome back to the real world. Or what passes for it. To be sure, you've long been accustomed to a surreal environment. While your peers have been managing publicly ...
'Seraphine' seduces Cesars.( France's 34th Cesar Awards)
Mar 02, 2009; ... "Seraphine," a modestly budgeted biopic of Gallic painter Seraphine de Senlis, took top honors Friday at France's 34th Cesar Awards, with seven nods including film, original screenplay and actress for Yolande Moreau. Moreau previously won two Cesars for "When the Sea Rises," ...
Helmer Lee to lead Venice jury in September.
Mar 02, 2009; ... Ang Lee will head the main jury of the 66th Venice Film Festival. A two-time Golden Lion winner--for "Brokeback Mountain" in 2005 and for "Lust, Caution" in 2007--Lee was praised by lest topper Marco Mueller on Friday as "one of the most successful directors at creating a ...
Director in culture mix.(Gurinder Chadha)
Mar 02, 2009; ... Tapping into "Slumdog Millionaire's" Indian spice, Brit helmer Gurinder Chadha is putting together a slate of cross-cultural projects fusing Asian and Western sensibilities. First up is "It's a Wonderful Afterlife," which the helmer describes as "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" meets ...
Empire State's fate: Gotham players work to save tax credit.
Mar 02, 2009; ... Empire State Development execs are hoping to salvage New York's depleted Empire State Film Production Tax Credit program by floating a number of options, including scaling back the amount of incentives offered to bring film and TV productions to the state. Local businesses and ...
'Plow' row speeds on.(Speed-the-Plow)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009; ... Get ready for the next round in Producers vs. Piven. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The producers of the Broadway revival of "Speed-the-Plow" have opted to pursue independent arbitration in the dispute over Jeremy Piven's abrupt exit from "Plow" earlier this season. ...
D'Works 'Up' for Bateman.
Mar 02, 2009; ... Jason Bateman has signed on for "Up in the Air," the adaptation of the Walter Kirn novel that director Jason Reitman is lensing for DreamWorks and the Montecito Picture Co. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] George Clooney stars as a corporate downsizer who is obsessed with ...
Indie 'Rape' recruits trio to topline.(Maria Bello, Abigail Breslin and Samuel L. Jackson in Rape: A Love Story)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009; ... Maria Bello, Abigail Breslin and Samuel L. Jackson will star in the indie drama "Rape: A Love Story." Harold Becker ("Domestic Disturbance") will helm. Michael Mendelsohn is producing and financing through his Patriot Pictures banner, with lensing skedded to start in June. ...
Sony's exec shuffle: Stringer moves up in major revamp.( Howard Stringer)
Mar 02, 2009; ... Sony has added prexy to chairman/CEO Howard Stringer's titles in a major operational reorganization and management shake-up that comes just one month after the company disclosed it faces record losses of $2.7 billion this year. Stringer has, in effect, ousted current prexy Ryoji ...
CAA enters N.Y. lit biz.
Mar 02, 2009; ... CAA has made its first foray into the publishing biz, hiring Simon Green to broker book deals for its celebrity clients from the agency's Gotham office. Green recently worked with CAA to broker a seven-figure deal for a photo book involving the Jonas Brothers. He worked for POM, ...
Scarlet out at Tribeca Fest.
Mar 02, 2009; ... Peter Scarlet is ankling as creative director of the Tribeca Film Festival on the eve of its eighth edition and his seventh. The move, announced in a concise press release Friday morning, is effective immediately. It follows news in February that ex-Sundance guru Geoffrey ...
'Addams' to join Rialto's family in '10.(Legit Bits)( March 2010 start date for Broadway's The Addams Family)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009; ... Producers of the tuner version of "The Addams Family" have targeted a March 2010 start date for Broadway, with an opening in April. The website for the developing musical lists March 5 for the first Gotham preview and April 8 for the opening, but a rep for the show said those ...
Alice Ripley ("Next to Normal") will topline an industry reading of "Cutman, a Boxing Musical.".(Legit Bits)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009; ... Alice Ripley ("Next to Normal") will topline an industry reading of "Cutman, a Boxing Musical." Show about a Jewish boxer has previously been seen in a reading that was part of the 2007 New York Musical Theater Festival. Drew Brody penned ...
Young sticks up for scribes' strike.(David Young supports Screen Actors Guild's strike)
Mar 02, 2009; ... WGA West exec director David Young has issued a strong defense of the writers strike and gone on record as supporting SAG's demand that its next contract end in 2011, not 2012. "There is a concerted effort under way by the AMPTP and some in the press to minimize the success of ...
Warner France chief exits.(Warner Bros. France's Francis Boespflug )(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009; ... Francis Boespflug is leaving his post as managing director of production and distribution for Warner Bros. France. Boespflug, who had been with the company for 12 years, cited personal reasons for his ankling. During his tenure, he oversaw the release of the Harry ...
Kaspar Hauser: A Foundling's Opera.(Theater review)
Mar 02, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Flea Theater; 74 seats; $25 top) A Flea Theater presentation of a musical in one act by Elizabeth Swados and Erin Courtney, with music and lyrics by Swados. Directed by Swados. Musical direction, Kris Kukul. Choreography, Mimi Quillin. Set, ...
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.(Movie review)
Mar 02, 2009; ... A 20th Century Fox release of a Hyde Park Entertainment, Capcom presentation, in association with AdLabs Films, of an Ashok Amritraj/Capcom production. Produced by Amritraj, Patrick Aiello. Executive producers, Haruhiro Tsujimoto, Keiji Inafune, Toshihiro Tokurnaru. Co-producer, Russ ...
Paul Harvey.(Obituaries)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Paul Harvey, the news commentator and talkradio pioneer whose staccato style made him one of the nation's most familiar voices, died Saturday in Arizona, according to ABC Radio Networks. He was 90. Harvey died at a hospital in Phoenix, where he had a winter home, said Louis ...
Ed Cotter.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Actor, director and TV editor Ed Cotter, who won an Emmy for editing "Happy Days," died Feb. 16 in Torrance, Calif. He was 80. Cotter edited "Happy Days" for more than nine years, winning his Emmy in 1978 for the episode "Richie Almost Dies." He also worked as an editor on ...
Howard Zieff.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Howard Zieff, who helmed the features "Private Benjamin" and "Unfaithfully Yours," died Feb. 22 in Los Angeles of complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 81. Known for his keen sense of comic timing and eye for detail, Zieff was considered one of the most influential ...
The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd.(Theater review)
Mar 02, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Mint Theater Company; 100 seats; $55 top) A Mint Theater presentation of a play in two acts by D.H. Lawrence. Directed by Stuart Howard. Set, Marion Williams; costumes, Martha Hally; lighting, Jeff Nellis; sound, Jane Shaw; dialect coach, ...
'Push' pulled from new fest.
Mar 02, 2009; ... "Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire" has bowed out of its planned closing-night berth at the New Directors/New Films fest in Gotham. Lincoln Center's tony fest, which highlights emerging talent culled from Sundance, Toronto and elsewhere, unspools March 25-April 5. ...
Kushner's 'Guide' draws trio.(Legit Bits)(Tony Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009; ... Two alums of "Angels in America" and one from "Homebody/Kabul" will star in the world preem of "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures" a new play by "Angels" and "Homebody" scribe Tony Kushner. Kathleen Chalfant and Stephen ...
Media migraine: biz socked in stock drops.
Mar 03, 2009; ... As a fresh setback Monday sent major indices plunging to mid-1990s levels, media companies generally kept pace with the market. As the Dow fell another 4%--the lowest it's been since 1997 and less than half its all-time high above 14,000 reached in October 2007. Similarly dented ...
'Sleepless' aims to wake up B'way.
Mar 03, 2009; ... Those behind a developing tuner version of "Sleepless in Seattle" hope to wake up Broadway in 2010. Composer-lyricist Leslie Bricusse ("Stop the World--I Want to Get Off") and book writer Jeff Arch, who penned the story and co-wrote the screenplay of the 1993 romantic comedy, ...
N.Y. biz rallies for tax credits.
Mar 03, 2009; ... Thesps, crew members, studio facility owners and other Gotham showbiz players braved the snowstorm that blanketed the city on Monday to publicly urge Gov. David Paterson to save the state's production tax incentive program. Bizzers held the news conference at Kaufman/Astoria ...
Helmer's 'Sea' worthy.
Mar 03, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Director Edward Zwick has hooked a whale of a tale for his likely next film. New Regency has set the helmer to direct "In the Heart of the Sea," the fact-based tale of Nantucket whaling ship the Essex, which was stalked and ultimately destroyed ...
Stars stir small talk.
Mar 03, 2009; ... Alexander Payne is putting the finishing touches on the social satire Downsizing," a script about miniature people, and has put to, a big, name cast. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Paul Giamatti, Sacha Baron Cohen and Reese Witherspoon have all committed to star in the film, ...
Heiress buys into H'wood.
Mar 03, 2009; ... Wal-Mart heiress Christy Walton will finance and exec produce her first feature film, an adaptation of the Rudolfo Anaya novel "Bless Me, Ultima." Carl Franklin is set to write and direct the pic, and Monkey Hill Films' Sarah DiLeo will produce with Mark Johnson and his Gran Via ...
Hollywood heads to Tehran.(VARIETY.COM)
Mar 03, 2009 ... Iranian media are making a big deal out of a cultural exchange visit by AMPAS ...
'Brothers' smothers: skein tops on its own.('Brothers and Sisters')
Mar 03, 2009; ... In the shadow of "Desperate Housewives" for its entire run, ABC sudser "Brothers and Sisters" proved it could stand on its own Sunday, locking up winning numbers with a special two-hour installment. Sunday also showed there's still plenty of life in NBC's "The Apprentice," ...
Lionsgate nabs TV Guide.(Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and TV Guide Network Inc.)
Mar 03, 2009; ... Lionsgate has been handed the keys and the deed to cabler TV Guide Network and the TV Guide Online biz after closing its $255 million purchase from Macrovision. Lionsgate pounced on the cabler in December, cutting a stealth deal with Macrovision even after the latter had ...
Doc to turn lens on Kramer.(Stanley Kramer)(Brief article)
Mar 03, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Shoreline Entertainment will produce a feature-length documentary about producer-director Stanley Kramer in collaboration with his widow, Karen Sharpe Kramer, who's exec producing. Kramer's films, which received a total of 85 Oscar nominations, ...
Woody works with Tribeca.
Mar 03, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The eighth Tribeca Film Festival will open April 22 with Woody Allen's "Whatever Works." The pic reps a return to Gotham for Allen, who'd shot and set his last four films in Spain and the U.K. That makes it a logical fit with ...
Don't talk about yourself; it will be done when you leave," said Wilson Mizner.(Brief article)
Mar 03, 2009; ... DON'T TALK ABOUT YOURSELF; IT WILL BE DONE when you leave," said Wilson Mizner. Well, I'm not "leaving" my spot here writing this column, so maybe it's all right if I say a few words about what happened in the past few days. I have decided it is quite exhilarating to be fired, at the age ...
I have had many emails from people expressing love, concern and thoughts about the future of news--TV, print and Web journalism.
Mar 03, 2009; ... I HAVE HAD MANY EMAILS FROM people expressing love, concern and thoughts about the future of news--TV, print and Web journalism. One phone call I had the other day was from Carol Burnett who said, "Liz, I think you have fallen a step up in leaving the New York Post." It didn't hurt ...
Divorced! You and I have both been divorced!" Said the widow, Patricia Schoenfeld, to me this week.
Mar 03, 2009; ... DIVORCED! YOU AND I HAVE BOTH BEEN DIVORCED!" said the widow, Patricia Schoenfeld, to me this week. Only days ago I was describing Mrs. Schoenfeld as looking smart and snappy when she came onstage at the Majestic Theater at the end of her husband Gerry's star-studded memorial. When I asked ...
Henry V.(Theater review)
Mar 03, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (New Victory Theater; 499 seats; $35 top) A New Victory presentation of an Acting Company/Guthrie Theater production of a play in two acts by William Shakespeare. Directed by Davis McCallum. Set, Neil Patel; costumes, Anita Yavich; lighting, ...
Lookingglass spies trio.(Legit Bits)
Mar 03, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Three world premieres will comprise the upcoming season for Chicago's Lookingglass Theater. Two of the plays are based on ancient myths and one--co-written and directed by David Schwimmer--takes on the potential perils of the digital world. ...
'West Side' whammo: boffo previews for tuner.
Mar 03, 2009; ... Well, hello, "West Side Story." The revival of the beloved 1957 tuner exploded onto Broadway last week, grossing a boffo $1,042,713 for its first seven preview perfs. Box office for the enduring title, which played to 96% capacity auds, looks even more impressive in a ...
Dangerous.(Theater review)
Mar 03, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Caldwell Theater, Boca Raton, Fla.; 333 seats; $42 top) A Caldwell presentation of a play in two acts by Michael McKeever. Directed by Clive Cholerton. Sets/technical direction, Tim Bennett; costumes, Alberto Arroyo; lighting, Thomas Salzman; ...
Broadway top 10: Feb. 23-March 1.
Mar 03, 2009 ... <Pre> Broadway Top 10: Feb. 23-March 1 Week's ShowNet Receipts (Theater)(Prod. Category)Potential Prev Week's $Change (Seats) Net Receipts Net Receipts Avg. Tick Wicked ...
Film box office wrap: for the weekend of Feb. 27 - March 1.
Mar 03, 2009 ... <Pre> Weekend at the B.O. $111.7 million Feb. 28 - March 1, 2009 +15% -22% vs. last year vs. last weekend Screen scene The weekend's top 10 engagements: Theater, city (circuit)Gross 1 Jonas Brothers: 30 ...
Stephen Daldry will helm a reading of a solo show written and performed by David Hare at London's Royal Court Theater this month.(Legit Bits)
Mar 03, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Stephen Daldry will helm a reading of a solo show written and performed by David Hare at London's Royal Court Theater this month. The 40-minute "Wall" examines the 486-mile barrier that will be erected between Israel and the West Bank. Show is a ...
The stage version of "High School Musical 2" gets a term abroad later this year, with the legit adaptation of the Disney Channel telepic opening in London in the summer and going on to a U.K. tour.(Legit Bits)
Mar 03, 2009; ... The stage version of "High School Musical 2" gets a term abroad later this year, with the legit adaptation of the Disney Channel telepic opening in London in the summer and going on to a U.K. tour. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jeff Calhoun, who staged the Stateside preem of ...
Robin Williams will play three more perfs on Broadway this spring, with additional nights of his solo act "Weapons of Self-Destruction," announced to accommodate strong demand.(Legit Bits)
Mar 03, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Robin Williams will play three more perfs on Broadway this spring, with additional nights of his solo act, "Weapons of Self-Destruction," announced to accommodate strong demand. The ...
Star sightings: H'w'd steps out for bows, benefits and Broadway.(V)
Mar 03, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas are ready for action as they arrive at the Disney premiere of "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gwyneth Paltrow and Christy Turlington ...
Emmy gets an i-Full: showtime screeners go to iPhone, iPod.
Mar 04, 2009; ... After leading the charge to put Emmy screeners online, Showtime will show off its wares to TV Academy voters this year on both the iPhone and the iPodTouch. Emmy voters with the Apple mobile devices will be able to screen full episodes of Showtime series including "Dexter," ...
Lorre laffers locked up long term.
Mar 04, 2009; ... CBS is about to lock up its Monday-night comedy tentpoles for several more years. An excited Chuck Lorre let it slip a bit prematurely, informing his staff Monday that "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory" were about to get multiyear pickups from the Eye. ...
TW push for on-demand.
Mar 04, 2009; ... The cable biz is starting to feel the heat from viewers who want free online access to top shows. Time Warner chief exec Jeffrey Bewkes is talking up an ambitious plan, dubbed TV Everywhere, that would give viewers that free on-demand online access provided they are already ...
Ignition on DeLorean bio.
Mar 04, 2009; ... David Permut is getting into gear on a biopic of maverick auto exec John Z. DeLorean, with Steve Lee Jones also producing through his Bee Holder Prods. Jones has secured life rights from the late DeLorean's longtime attorney, Mayer Morganroth. Permut Presentations VP Steve Longi ...
Plexes get kid faves.
Mar 04, 2009; ... Hit Entertainment, the kidvid mainstay known for Tomas the Tank Engine," "Barney and Friends" and "Bob the Builder," has launched a movie division. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hit Movies is starting with adaptations of the company's TV portfolio, but the game plan is to ...
Cabler back to 'School'.
Mar 04, 2009 ... The fourth installment of "High School Musical" will return the franchise back to where it started: the Disney Channel. Featuring a new cast, the "High School Musical 4" telepic is skedded to begin production later this year and premiere on Disney Channel in 2010. ...
Hoops on demand.(VARIETY.COM)
Mar 04, 2009 ... CBS is making its NCAA basketball tourney coverage widely available on the ...
Sports woes provide insight for showbiz.
Mar 04, 2009; ... SETTING ASIDE THE SCREEN Actors Guild negotiations, those wanting to preview the near future that awaits Hollywood talent should probably begin reading the sports section. Analogies between the sports leagues and showbiz aren't always precise, but the parallels are significant ...
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.(Television program review)
Mar 04, 2009; ... (Series; NBC, Tue. March 3, 12:37 a.m.) Produced by Broadway Video Entertainment in association with Universal Media Studios. Executive producer, Lorne Michaels; producer, Michael Shoemaker; co-producer, Gavin Purcell; director, Dave Diomedi; head writer, A.D. Miles; senior ...
New kid draws crowd.
Mar 04, 2009; ... Talkshow host Jimmy Fallon is off to a solid start. "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" won its 12:37 a.m. timeslot with a 2.3 rating/8 share among metered-market households, giving the Peacock its best Monday rating in the hour since 2006. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...
The Savannah Disputation.(Theater review)
Mar 04, 2009; ... (Playwrights Horizons; 199 seats; $65 top) A Playwrights Horizons presentation of a play in one act by Evan Smith. Directed by Walter Bobbie. Set, John Lee Beatty; costumes, David C. Woolard; lighting, Kenneth Posner; sound, Tony Meola; production stage manager, Robyn Henry ....
Tales of an Urban Indian.(Theater review)
Mar 04, 2009; ... (Public Theater/Shiva; 99 seats; $10 top) A Public Theater presentation, in association with Native Voices at the Autry, of a solo show in one act written and performed by Darrell Dennis. Directed by Herbie Barnes. Set, Beowulf Borritt; costume, Fritz Masten; lighting, Russell ...