James Franco's Bad NYU Grade Gets the Taiwanese Animation Treatment

On Monday, news broke that one of James Franco's NYU professors was (allegedly) fired for giving the 'Spider-Man' actor a D in acting class. "In my opinion, they've turned the NYU graduate film degree into swag for James Franco's purposes ... a possession, something you can buy," said now ex-NYU acting teacher Jose Angel Satana. So, a movie star and former Oscar host perhaps inadvertently gets a professor fired from his prestigious university job? The only thing that can make this story better is the Taiwanese animation team! Better known as Next Media Animation, the group has gained popularity for their hilarious animated retelling of American news. In the Franco video, James gets a D from his professor, Angel Santana, who is then promptly chased off school property (just like it happened in real life -- maybe). There's also a reenactment of Franco's famous amputation scene from '127 Hours.' Make sure to keep a look out for the not-so-subtle 'Spider-Man' reference along with NY University scenery that looks nothing NY. [via Movieline] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

'The Dark Knight Rises' Trailer: Bane Will Let Batman Die When Gotham is Ashes

After some fits and starts thanks to a non-working link on Apple, the first full trailer for 'The Dark Knight Rises' has exploded online. Not literally, but kinda. As in: Bane keeps the fire rising by pressuring Batman and destroying an entire football field. If that scene looks a little too much like 'The Last Boy Scout' for your taste -- and it should -- don't worry: there are also shots of Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) and the mysterious characters played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard and Matthew Modine. The only thing this slam-bam trailer doesn't really allude to? The fact that you cannot understand most of what Bane (Tom Hardy) says -- at least judging by the beautiful-looking-if-incomprehensible IMAX prologue that many saw in front of 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' over the weekend. Head over to Apple to watch the trailer in HD; Moviefone will post the embed when it becomes available. 'The Dark Knight Rises,' from director Christopher Nolan, arrives in theaters on July 20, 2012. UPDATE: Watch below! [via Apple] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Charter taps Tom Rutledge as CEO

RutledgeTom Rutledge, who ankled Cablevision as chief operating officer late last week, has been named CEO of Charter Communications, the St. Louis-based cable company announced Monday.He joins Charter immediately and will become president and chief executive effective Feb. 13. He was also named to the board of directors. He will keep his home in NY and split his time between there and Charter's two hubs in St. Louis and Denver. Rutledge, 58, and considered one of the best cable executives in the business, had been chief operating officer of Cablevision, in Long Island, since 2004. The veteran exec previously worked at Time Warner Cable. He succeeds Michael Lovett, who announced in October plans to step down as Charter CEO by April of 2012 unless a replacement was found sooner. Lovett will stay on until February to help the transition. A rep for Charter, the nation's fourth-largest cable operator, said Rutledge wasn't commenting further on his move just yet, the first part of which was the abrupt departure from Cablevision that shocked Wall Street and industry insiders. Rutledge and Cablevision CEO James Dolan were said to be at odds although neither side gave any reason for his departure. Speculation started immediately, however, that he might be tapped for the open Charter job. Before Rutledge left, another highly regarded former Cablevision exec who resigned earlier this year, John Bickham, was said to be in pole position for the Charter CEO post.Charter said in an SEC filing Monday that Rutledge's four-year contract carries a base salary of $2 million with a target bonus of 175% of that and equity awards of 1.26 million shares of common stock. The news was announced after the market closed resulting in an abrupt reversal in Charter's share price. Shares slipped 3.26% during the day to close at $52.74, before jumping 3.25% in after-hours trading. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Brad Grey Inks New Contract to Remain Paramount Chairman

Last year, as Oprah Winfrey was attempting to set up lucrative carriage deals for her new TV network, she decided to negotiate personally with the executives at Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator.our editor recommendsGayle King Addresses Oprah Winfrey's Letter to Wendy Williams: Not RealOprah Winfrey Magazine, Website Struggle After End of Syndicated Talk ShowOprah Winfrey's Primetime Series to Launch on New Year's DayHollywood's Real Estate Deals of the Week: Oprah Winfrey, Bruce Willis, 'Twilight' Honeymoon House, Justin Bieber's Manager The Ceremony: Academy Honors Oprah Winfrey, James Earl Jones and Dick Smith in Emotional EveningOWN Shifting Attention to Its African-American ViewersOWN Expands Oprah Winfrey's 'Lifeclass'Oprah Winfrey's OWN Taps Susanne Daniels as a Consultant Winfrey traveled to the company's Philadelphia headquarters in the hope that a little Oprah magic would result in handsome fees for her joint venture with Discovery Communications. But according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the meeting, Comcast executives not only rebuffed Winfrey but characterized her pitch as "greedy" for an unproven network. After that, Winfrey did not attend other such meetings. PHOTOS: Oprah Through the Years The rude awakening is indicative of Winfrey's struggle to turn OWN into the kind of powerhouse she presided over during her 25 years as the queen of daytime TV -- a struggle that has taken on a new sense of urgency as Winfrey returns to television with the launch of her weekly interview show Jan. 1, OWN's first anniversary. As losses mount, industry observers and some former insiders are starting to wonder how long Discovery or Winfrey will stay in the ambitious effort to make OWN fly. Today, major service providers including Comcast pay nothing for OWN, which is not unusual for a network with no ratings history. (Comcast declined comment.) But Discovery is going without those fees as it has poured $254 million into funding the venture (far above its initial $189 million commitment). And the network faces an increasing number of "make-goods" after negotiating rich pacts with such blue-chip advertisers as General Motors and Procter & Gamble, which agreed to a $100 million multiplatform sponsorship deal personally shepherded by Winfrey. With these pressures, analysts suggest Winfrey should cover at least some of the costs of running OWN. Right now, the venture pays 7 percent interest on the $254 million investment, and Discovery recoups its investment first with profits split 50-50. From the start, Winfrey's reach has seemed to exceed her grasp with OWN. She attempted to launch the network while still hosting her syndicated show. And unlike competitors, OWN tried to program without a lineup of reruns of established shows. "It's hard to start without an existing library," says a source with firsthand knowledge of the situation. "The idea that [OWN] had to create almost all original programming was kind of daunting." VIDEO: The 5 Best Clips From 'The Oprah Winfrey Show Winfrey also is said to have been unfamiliar with the general television landscape, according to sources with firsthand knowledge -- one insider says that in the early going, she often expressed enthusiasm for ideas that seemed original to her -- but weren't. "Oprah has a bubble she lives in," says another. "She's not a fan of a lot of TV." Multiple sources also describe Discovery Communications president and CEO David Zaslav as somewhat "starstruck" in his early dealings with Winfrey. These sources say Zaslav operated on the hope that Winfrey would be willing to appear on the network five days a week, even though she was "pretty firm from the outset" that she would not. "That claim is ludicrous," says Discovery spokesman David Leavy. "We are trying to build a business, a brand and a platform to nourish an audience and build value for the long-term. Any characterization beyond that is just ill-informed." One insider says Winfrey delayed signing her deal with Discovery in part because of ambivalence about the venture overall and escalating pressure to increase her role. Her pact was renegotiated in summer 2010, several months after she announced in November 2009 that she would end her daytime talk show. From the start, OWN has been beset with executive turnover. The most recent casualty was Discovery COO Peter Liguori, whose exit was announced Nov. 9. So far this year, OWN is averaging just 136,000 viewers per day (Monday through Sunday, 6 a.m.-6 a.m.), a decline of 8 percent compared to predecessor Discovery Health in 2010. Among women 18 to 49, OWN is down 12 percent. In primetime, OWN actually is up slightly among total viewers -- 2 percent, to 258,000 -- and is up 8 percent among women 25 to 54. But OWN is flat among younger women 18 to 49. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Top Earners If Discovery executives remain disappointed with OWN's ratings -- "below our expectations" is how Zaslav characterized them in May -- they say they remain committed to the network. "My job, Oprah's job, is to create a meaningful audience for OWN over the next two years," Zaslav said Dec. 7. Executives at Discovery stress that the network is looking at the long-term upside potential of OWN. "After 11 months, we're very pleased with where we are," says Leavy. "We remain extraordinarily enthusiastic about the venture and what the venture holds." So far, the top-rated OWN show has been The Judds, which averaged 724,000 viewers and wrapped its six-episode run in May. The No. 2 show is reruns of CBS' Undercover Boss (640,000 viewers). And while OWN is doing relatively well with the documentary series Our America With Lisa Ling (477,000 viewers) and docusoap Welcome to Sweetie Pie's (450,000 viewers), the much-hyped Rosie Show -- which marked the return of Rosie O'Donnell to the talk-show format -- has been a big disappointment, averaging only 244,000 viewers as of Dec. 4. The next test for Winfrey, 57, will come with the launch of Oprah's Next Chapter. The weekly interview show -- a promo features Winfrey in the New Hampshire woods with American Idol judge Steven Tyler -- will mark Winfrey's return to the format that made her famous, albeit in primetime and only once a week. The show will air Sunday at 9 p.m., a competitive time slot. But executives at OWN and Discovery are banking that a little Oprah will go a long way to shore up the network's disappointing fortunes. "A network's ratings can improve quite a bit with one oversized hit," says Eric Handler, an analyst at MKM Partners, adding that OWN was launched with "an unusually high cost structure for a cable network because Oprah was attached to it." STORY:OWN Shifting Attention to Its African-American Viewers On the positive side, SNL Kagan analyst Derek Baine predicts advertising revenue for OWN will hit around $56 million this year and more than $85 million next year, far better than Discovery Health's $15.1 million in 2010. But he expects affiliate revenue to be cut in half, from $62 million in 2010 to less than $30 million in 2012 as Discovery attempts to lure more carriers by giving the channel away. Further, he says programming expenses are likely to balloon from $29 million last year to $135 million this year and more than $155 million next year. What this means for OWN's overall financial picture is murky because Discovery is an equity investor and therefore doesn't fully consolidate its results in financial reports. Thus wildly divergent predictions: Baine estimates that cash flow will swing from $28.8 million in 2010 to a negative $55.6 million this year and a $67 million loss in 2012. Miller Tabak analyst David Joyce expects Discovery to report a loss of $17 million for its equity stake in OWN for 2011, which will reverse to a positive $26 million next year and positive operating cash flow of $81 million by 2016. Observers agree that an increased sense of urgency has surrounded OWN in recent weeks, as insiders wonder whether the company can increase carriage fees, and how much it will need to invest to do so. TV distributors would not comment on when their current carriage agreements with Discovery and OWN expire. With major service providers paying nothing for the network now, the hope is that by 2013 these providers would agree to pay 20 cents per sub, a hefty increase from the 7 cents Discovery Health was getting from some, if not all, carriers. Sources say some smaller operators, including Charter and Cox, have agreed to those terms. [OWN did sign up Cablevision -- which has more than three million subscribers in the NY City area -- in December 2010.] But OWN has so far been unable to turn major operators. SNL Kagan estimates that at least for those who are paying, average monthly carriage fees per subscriber for OWN dropped to 5 cents this year and will go to 3 cents in 2012 as OWN offers the network to providers for free. STORY:Oprah Winfrey Magazine, Website Struggle After End of Syndicated Talk Show Some believe requiring Winfrey to pony up more money is the smart move. "Discovery has deep pockets but not bottomless," says Handler. "I think getting Oprah to match Discovery dollar for dollar on new capital would be a great idea, and it would show investors that she remains serious about the long-term success of the network." Winfrey has said that she "lets other people worry about ratings." But the ratings -- and everything else about the network -- have become a big problem, leaving many industry observers wondering whether Discovery or Winfrey will have the stomach to continue the struggle. "If I were her, I'd pack my bags," says an OWN insider. "What does she need this for? Running a network is 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Anything short of that, forget about it." Georg Szalai contributed to this report. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery The 5 Best Clips From 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' Related Topics Oprah Winfrey

William Morris Headquarters Offered for $47.8 Million (Exclusive)

Jesse Trump introduced that he's backing from moderating a Republican debate in Iowa on 12 ,. 27.our editor recommendsDonald Trump Scolds Bachmann Wanted as Debate Implodes, Teases Go back to Presidential RaceDonald Trump's GOP Debate: Ron Perry Becomes 4th Candidate Who Will not Participate Why? Since the billionaire states he might still run. "It is crucial in my experience the right Republican candidate be selected to defeat the unsuccessful and incredibly destructive Federal Government, but when that Republican, for me, isn't the right candidate, I'm not willing to stop my to run being an Independent candidate," Trump stated in the statement. "Therefore, to ensure that there's no conflict of great interest inside the Republican Party, I've made the decision to not function as the moderator from the Newsmax debate." PHOTOS: 10 Hollywood Gamers Which Will Really make a difference within the 2012 Elections Newt Gingrich and Ron Santorum were the only real Republican candidates who had decided to appear in the 12 ,. 27 debate moderated by Trump. Following the announcement came that Trump could be moderating the 12 ,. 27, a few of the candidates, including Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman, expressed their belief the debate only agreed to be for spectacle and declined to go to. "This isn't about rankings for Jesse Trump this really is about jobs for that United states citizens,Inch Huntsman told CNBC when he introduced he'd not participate. Several prominent Republicans have apparently advised candidates to skip the big event. They predicted it might be a media circus along with a distraction from important issues. PHOTOS: The Films and Stars Dems versus. GOPers Love (and Like to Hate) On Tuesday morning, The Hollywood Reporter spoken with Trump, who accepted he was wavering on his decision to moderate the controversy. "The issue is the Republicans are scared when I run being an independent candidate, they don't wish to have a debate after which have me announce which i'm running being an independent candidate," Trump told THR. Trump also told THR that he's still thinking about a run for leader being an independent candidate. He told THR he wouldn't make any bulletins until following the finale from the Celebrity Apprentice. The brand new season premeires on Sunday, February. 12 and also the finale airs May 20. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Box Office Politics: The Films and Stars Dems versus. GOPers Love (and Like to Hate) Related Subjects Jesse Trump Politics

Adele Usually Takes two or three Years Before Next Album

First Launched: December 10, 2011 12:29 PM EST Credit: Getty Images La, Calif. -- Caption Adele holds her award within the Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize 2011 within the Grosvenor House, London, Sept. 6, 2011Nominated for six Grammy honours and recently named Ads Artist of year, Adele has centered the 2011 charts along with her second album, 21. However, after fighting a throat condition that needed surgery, times of vocal relaxation and postponing numerous concerts, the British giant states the key task on her behalf account current to-do list is relaxation. Im really searching toward some time to accomplish nothing, the 23-year-old told Billboard magazine inside an interview for December 17 problem. And, in news that may make many Adele fans cringe, the star states she may not launched audio for two to three years. I imagine Ill be 25 or 26 when my next record arrives, after i havent even considered my third record yet, she told the mag. Im just gonna lay some concrete, setup home and basically be for any little. Ill disappear and return getting an archive when its sufficient. There will not be any audio until its sufficient and until Im ready. On her health, the You singer states shes recovering nicely and expecting achievement from her recent surgery. The surgery couldnt go better but because I used to be singing with damaged vocal guitar guitar chords for three or four several days and because of the surgery and because of the silence following a surgery, I will have to create myself support vocally, she revealed. Its likely to be a good deal simpler will be able to sing now. And psychologically I wont be worried about my voice on stage any more. And So I must become accustomed to that. Thatll take a lot of the month of the month of january, so February Ill be singing properly! she added. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Lifetime cancels 'Against the Wall'

Lifetime has canceled first-year drama series "From the Wall." With only one.six million audiences tuning in weekly for that 13-episode run, the femme-skewing cabler thought the show did not have a future moving forward. Skein, from creator Annie Brunner and Universal Cable Prods., starred Rachael Carpani like a Chicago cop who joins the department's internal matters division. Co-stars incorporated Treat Williams, Kathy Baker and Andrew Master. "From the Wall" came only one.8 million because of its premiere episode This summer 31, with "Drop Dead Divas" like a lead-in. Lifetime, underneath the helm of Nancy Dubuc, has purchased a number of aircraft pilots lately, such as the Renee Zellweger-created "Cinnamon Girl," Eric Stoltz and Ally Sheedy in "Modern Love," and Neve Campbell in "Sworn to Silence," that will run like a telepic. Also arriving 2012 may be the Jennifer Love Hewitt starrer "The Customer List," looking for a ten-episode order. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Uma Thurman To Do Major Arc On Smash

In her first series gig, Uma Thurman has been tapped for a major five-episode guest-starring arc on NBCs midseason musical dramaSmash. On the series, about the process of creating and staging Marilyn, a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, Thurman will play a famous and somewhat difficult movie star who flirts with the idea of starring in the production. The Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill star won a Golden Globe for one of her rare TV stints, in the HBO movie Hysterical Blindness. She will next be seen in the film Eloise in Paris. Smash, which stars Debra Messing, Christian Borle, Katharine McPhee, Megan Hilty, Anjelica Huston and Jack Davenport, premieres on Feb. 6.

Alec Baldwin Deactivates Twitter Account; American Airlines Presents Their Facts

Alec Baldwin Fans of Alec Baldwin's humor will just have to wait to tune into 30 Rock because the actor has deactivated his Twitter account. Following the Emmy winner's ejection from an American Airlines flight for using his cell phone to play a game on Tuesday, Baldwin tweeted, "Flight attendant on American reamed me out for playing 'Words With Friends' while we sat at the gate, not moving. But, oddly, 30 Rock plays in flight on American." He then encouraged his 600,000 Twitter subscribers to unfollow him. Trying to access his Twitter account, @AlecBaldwin, only brings users to a page informing them that it has been deactivated. Watch full episodes of 30 Rock American Airlines has since released a statement on their Facebook page addressing Tuesday's incident: "Since an extremely vocal customer has publicly identified himself as being removed from an American Airlines flight on Tuesday, Dec. 6, we have elected to provide the actual facts of the matter as well as the FAA regulations which American, and all airlines, must enforce. Cell phones and electronic devices are allowed to be used while the aircraft is at the gate and the door is open for boarding. When the door is closed for departure and the seat belt light is turned on, all cell phones and electronic devices must be turned off for taxi-out and take-off. This passenger declined to turn off his cell phone when asked to do so at the appropriate time. The passenger ultimately stood up (with the seat belt light still on for departure) and took his phone into the plane's lavatory. He slammed the lavatory door so hard, the cockpit crew heard it and became alarmed, even with the cockpit door closed and locked. They immediately contacted the cabin crew to check on the situation. The passenger was extremely rude to the crew, calling them inappropriate names and using offensive language. Given the facts above, the passenger was removed from the flight and denied boarding." Whose side are you on?

Patton Oswalt on Young Adult, Great Chemistry and the Downside of Nostalgia

Patton Oswalt is hardly a screen rookie, having starred in various TV series, films, comedy specials; he’s not even a stranger to awards season, having voiced the lead in Pixar’s Oscar-winning Ratatouille. But there’s an unmistakable milestone quality to this week’s Young Adult, which places the actor and comic opposite Charlize Theron in a bitter stew of generational angst, woe and futility topped with a hint — but just barely a hint — of optimism. Theron stars as Mavis, a hard-living young-adult novelist who embarks on a quixotic journey to her hometown in the hopes of reigniting her high-school romance with Buddy (Patrick Wilson). Alas, Buddy is married with a new baby — a minor obstacle to Mavis, despite the urgent counsel of Matt Freehauf (Oswalt), another former schoolmate who has managed graver struggles of his own in the years since graduation. Their unlikely alliance opens Mavis’s eyes to a humanity that eludes her, but will it hold enough of an appeal to adapt to as she pushes middle age? Written by Diablo Cody and directed by her Juno partner in crime Jason Reitman, Young Adult offers a bracing, darkly comic glimpse at the past, present and future of an American generation at odds with itself. Oswalt talked it over recently with Movieline. First things first: You recently attended the Academy’s Governors Awards. How did that go? That was so much fun. It just shows you what a movie geek I am: The person I was most excited about was Dick Smith, because I owned his movie makeup kit when I was a little kid. I would mix the Flex Flesh and put it in the mold and make the bullet wound and the Quasimodo eye… I had all that stuff. And then I was also so excited because over at the next table… I mean, Gore Verbinski was there, Tom McCarthy — who I ended up frightening because I kind of got in his face because I love his movies so much. And he was like, “OK! Have fun!” “But in Win Win, the angel falls off the window, I think that’s symbolic of the…” And then he said, “OK, I’m gonna go.” But two tables over is the actor Ed Lauter. You know? Absolutely. From The Longest Yard and stuff? I got so… [Pause] I go and I get in Tom McCarthy’s face, but I don’t have the nerve to go up to Ed Lauter. That’s what a movie geek I am. It’s pathetic. So how did you get involved with Young Adult? I met Jason years ago. I was presenting an award at the ACE editors awards, and I was — again — such a movie geek that I recognized all the editors. I actually knew who they were. I’m like the music geek who recognizes the bassists. “Oh, it’s that guy.” And so I met Jason there, and we both bonded over how much we love movies — and also the fact that we both own French bulldogs. So we exchanged e-mails. He said, “I do these screenings at my house; you should start coming to those.” Those were really great. And then he got this script and he said, “I want to see how this sounds out loud; I heard you do a lot of table reads. Why don’t you come over and we can read this?” And we did. We did two or three different reads with two or three different people, and by the time Charlize got there, I just kept doing the reads. “And he was just like, “You know what? You’re Matt.” And also, when Charlize and I read it, our chemistry just… boom. It really worked. How so? I don’t know what it was, but we were so comfortable with each other. We were adversarial in a fun way. We were immediately cool with teasing each other. It’s not anything I can describe with any sort of articulation; it’s just that we got along and it worked. You know what it is? What did John Huston say about movies? “The thing just happens”? He’s made a lot of movies that were just disasters, and there are obviously some that are amazing. He’s asked how he made the ones that are amazing, and he says, “The thing just happens.” You look up there, and the thing just happens. That was one of those cases — the thing just happened. The thing that struck me was how deceptively physical it is. Of course Matt has a disability, but how did disability — once who you got into the role — impact the way you developed this character? Well, the script itself was so nuanced in terms of dialogue and character. I hired an acting coach and worked with her for three months — this woman Nancy Banks, who’s amazing. I worked with a physical therapist to figure our how my leg didn’t work. How would I compensate? How would I work with a crutch? I did that over and over again until it wasn’t really on my mind. But then what I realized was… [Stands up] Then, psychologically, what would happen —I’m not sure if you noticed this; I didn’t even realize I was doing it — was that in the scenes where I’m walking along almost too fast? Or faster than I should be going, because I want to keep up with her? [Performs Matt’s walk] I had this stoic look on my face, like, “I know what I look like, and I’m not going to acknowledge it, and we’re just going to get this done so I can stop.” It’s saying, “I’m so sick of people pitying me — ‘Oh, look at this poor guy’ — that I’m going to power through and not acknowledge it.” But all that was there because of all the work I did with the physical therapist and with Nancy — working out what this character’s bio was, what had happened to him. It was moments like that that I didn’t realize would come out, but came out because of all the work that I did. There’s this amazing shot of you when she walks up to the garage, and you’re in there with the blow torch and the barrel— Oh, yeah! That was a cool shot, wasn’t it? I didn’t know it was going to look that cool. What did you think when saw it for the first time? I was just like, “Fuck!” It must have been like when you about actors who see shots of themselves and say, “Oh, I didn’t know you were going to make me look that cool.” That was great! I got to experience that. Young Adult is an interesting commentary on nostalgia, as if to say that the generation that came of age in the late ’80s/early ’90s is either too cynical for nostalgia or just knows it’s better to move on. Where do you think the film stands? Where do you stand? I think they’re too cynical to acknowledge nostalgia, but they’re just as guilty of it — if not more — than generations that came before them. Unlike generations that came before them, because they were constantly recontextualizing and mashing up and being meta and post-ironic and postmodern about the stuff they loved as they were loving it, it truly never did go away. This movie is very much about Generation X approaching 40 and how they’re doing it — and they’re not doing it very well, I don’t think. And because we grew up much like the vile bodies of the 1920s, where it all about, “You can act bored, but you’d better never be boring.” But there’s nothing more boring than approaching your mid-40s. And there’s also nothing more pathetic than realizing, “I need some simple comforts right now. I need a song I love. I need a movie I sank myself into. I need an old coat that I liked.” There’s that kind of double tragedy going on.

eOne nabs 'Special Forces' in U.S.

PARIS -- eOne has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Diane Kruger starrer "Special Forces" from French major StudioCanal. Deal marks eOne's first U.S. theatrical pickup since launching its distribution branch in the States in August. The pic will be released next spring. It has now been sold in all key territories, most of which were closed at Cannes. Pic is now sold out worldwide with the exception of a few territories that will close soon, StudioCanal said. Set in Afghanistan, the high-voltage thriller turns on a French journalist who gets kidnapped by the Taliban. Budgeted just under $25 million, pic was lensed in Tajikistan, Djibouti and the French Alps. It marks the feature debut of Stephane Rybojad, a former documentary filmmaker who previously helmed docus on the special forces. Kruger plays opposite Benoit Magimel, Denis Menochet, Raphael Personnaz and Djimon Hounsou. Pic is produced by Paris-based up-and-coming shingle Easy Company. Led by prexy David Reckziegel, eOne Films North America plans to release 12-15 films theatrically in the U.S. every year. As well as the U.S., eOne operates in the U.K., Canada, Benelux, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Scandinavia and South Africa. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Round The Edge: Online Cleaning cleaning soap Opera Network May Fold, Spelling The Conclusion Of OLTL, AMC

EXCLUSIVE: That is potential very not so great to clean cleaning soap fans who feel grateful this Thanksgiving that canceled ABC series One Existence To Reside In and many types of The Children may continue online. That now is probably not happening. It absolutely was considered a bold and harmful move when Wealthy Frank &Rob Kwatinetzs Prospect Park within this summer time developed a certification deal with ABC to keep OLTL and AMC alive for online distribution. The transfer from broadcast TV for the Web shown a lot more difficult than anybody anticipated. I hear that Prospect Park self-funded extensive research which is principals held hundreds of conferences with potential traders for Online Network, which was initially slated to create inside the first quarter of 2012. (The newest plan remains a minimum of Existence To Reside In to consider first, with all the Kids positioned on hold.) Within an indication of potential hurdles, Prospect Park in the finish of the summer time launched a disagreement it had been “in the whole process of working out the essential regards to our recommended collective settling contracts while using appropriate guilds and unions, which we ought to just do before firming up handles above- and below-the-line talent.” I hear that people discussions shown difficult, mostly due to there being no existing template for just about any broadcast program shifting online. Word is the guilds are actually searching to help keep OLTL and AMC to broadcast terms, that's somewhat understandable since the Prospect Park-ABC deal necessitates the 2 series to carry on being shipped concentrating on the same quality andin the identical format and length. But shows produced on broadcast terms are impossible to assist with internet versus. TV advertising. (ABC, making supplemental income on its soaps from off-network sales to SoapNet and foreign areas, mentioned it absolutely was still losing profits on OLTL and AMC, leading to their cancellation.) To produce the mark launch date, the cleaning cleaning soap authors hired by Prospect Park specified for to begin work captured nonetheless they haven’t as there is no deal with the WGA. And many types of pacts with stars from OLTL and AMC that Prospect Park made within the last handful of several days were contingent on clearances with the unions. In addition, I’ve discovered potential problems with the web network’s tech partners. I hear that Prospect Park principals continue being searching for a final-minute treatment for keep the cleaning cleaning soap online venture going but feel pressed in to a corner after tiring every possible avenue and should close the lid around the moment today.

Bioshock Movie Finally Sunk

Game adaptation forget about afootA couple of years back there's large talk from the movie based on Bioshock, the amount of crazy art-deco steampunk underwater photography enthusiasts from Irrational Games and Take-Two. Colossal budgets were, er, allotted, and Gore Verbinski was installed on direct. But nothing happened, and Irrational honcho Ken Levine now states that you will find "forget about a burning desire" to acquire Bioshock made.Bioshock really was probably the most intriguing prospects for the sport-to-film journey, given its chance of amazing design, which is oddly Ayn Rand-like anti-utopian ideas. But concerns inside the immense costs (mentioned being north of $160m) were elevated throughout Verbsinki's tenure, which he bowed out if the made an appearance the film might shoot outdoors the u . s . states to economize.Verbinski did, however, remain aboard as producer, and there's talk of Juan Carlos Fresnadillo overpowering behind the cameras until a run of other potential Fresnadillo films made an appearance to suggest he wasn't any more interested.The comfort was silence, despite the fact that as recently as last May Levine was saying the Bioshock film was "still inside the conversation", lucrative confesses the speaking has basically stopped. "We have got not not even close to configuring it made," according to him. "We'd a deal [at Universal] together with a director, but we don't need to get it made just regarding configuring it made."Once the film would eventually happen, Levine stresses that, "It's arrived at be a thing that will both supply the fans something they need, and introduce people who've no clue Bioshock to something that's good overall game. It must be described as a good representation."So no film Large Daddys or Little Brothers and sisters, Pipe Mania, Vita-Chambers or drowned Xanadus for now, but no less than it seems the abandonment is gloomier to qc. Levine features a past just like a film author, it is therefore difficult that Bioshock will resurface just like a movie afterwards. And meanwhile, Bioshock Infinite is going next season.

Muppets Twilight Parody Posters Online

Emo romance for Kermit, Piggy & Rowlf The run of Muppet parody trailers has formally finished now, but to accompany Breaking Prawn, listed here are a couple of Twilight-y posters. We're able to not possibly imagine why they've been timed so...This trio of Muppet Saga ads provides Dame Piggy as Bella Swine, who's most most likely presented to swooning over re-bloodstream pressure dimensions of Muppeting Levels. We're inferring that she's also torn between romantic trysts while using vamphibian Kermit, and were-pianist Rowlf. Kermit doesn't look especially sparkly here, but Rowlf, who not placed on clothes anyway, is correctly shirtless.We're unsure the central drama of Breaking Beginning quite translates here though, since the Muppet Christmas Carol shows us the pig as well as the frog can procreate with no trouble whatsoever...Lucky Us citizens have the Muppets for Thanksgiving, but it's within the Uk in February.

Exclusive: MTV Developing Another Animated Series with Beavis and Butt-mind Producers

Worst Pals Forever Heh-heh, you mentioned development. Hot in the effective relaunch of Beavis and Butt-mind, MTV is joining again with executive producers Mike Judge, John Altschuler and Dork Krinsky on another animated series. Worst Pals Forever, which follows several teenage women simply because they navigate secondary school, remains acquired just like a pilot with the cable network. Thomas Middleditch (Splinterheads), whose animation credits include voices for Beavis and Butt-mind and Ugly Us citizens, created the show. Worst Pals Forever involves besties Sandy, Brittany and Barrier, who hover round the edges of recognition inside their secondary school. Meanwhile, their friendship is provide the exam simply because they cope with cattiness in addition to their teenage crushes. MTV remains pleased with the return of Beavis and Butt-mind, which first demonstrated within the finish of October with 3.3 million audiences. Last night's episode averaged single.4 rating among grownups 18-34, beating NBC and CBS at 10 p.m. Animation was once commonplace in MTV, as well as the network remains attempting to return into the sport, getting also launched the completely new animated series Good Vibes. Ternion, the expansion company setup by Judge, Altschuler and Krinsky (all whom also labored together on King in the Hill as well as the 2009 feature Extract), will produce. Also on Altschuler and Krinsky's busy plates, the producers were developing an Adam Carolla animated project at Fox. Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Exclusive Psych Sneak Look: Can Molly Ringwald Cure Crazy Shawn?

James Roday Psych's Shawn (James Roday) is actually somewhat round the awesome side, nevertheless it seems like he many have lately become themselves committed. In Wednesday's episode, titled "Shawn, Interrupted" - an homage for the 1999 women-gone-really-crazy film Girl, Interrupted - Shawn must admit themselves with a mental institution to monitor a recently billed killer who pleaded madness nonetheless they suspect being completely, well, sane. Before he and Gus catch the theif, Shawn's arrived at convince Nurse McElroy (carried out by Brat Packer Molly Ringwald) that he's really battling with something. Psych's James Roday on Shawn and Juliet, Gus' "growing pains" and breaking all the rules "They tell me I've got something referred to as narcissistic personality disorder. But, the fact remains, this lustrous hair and dimpled face are essentially Chapter 1," Shawn states before listing off such existence-threatening conditions as "crazy intelligence syndrome" and "obsessive effective disorder." "Goodness, I have not experienced somebody that is affected with many different ailments that don't exist," Nurse McElroy (Ringwald) notifies her new patient. Shawn's explanation? According to him he's later on. Apparently, it won't be tough to convince the nurse he's lost his marbles ultimately! See the exclusive clip from Wednesday's episode: Psych airs Wednesday at 10/9c on USA.

Oscar Index: Hello, Hugo! (And Goodbye, J. Edgar)

Oscar-ed out for the week? Don’t be! Movieline’s Institute for the Advanced Study of Kudos Forensics is here to remind both the casual and obsessive fan alike that the Academy Awards are, first and foremost about movies. With that in mind, let’s have a look at where this season’s Oscar Index crop landed after one of the most turbulent patches in recent memory. [Click the graphs for full-size images.] The Leading 10: 1. The Descendants 2. War Horse 3. The Artist 4. The Help 5. Midnight in Paris 6. Moneyball 7. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 8. Hugo 9. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo 10. J. Edgar Outsiders: The Tree of Life; My Week With Marilyn; The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn; The Ides of March; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Margin Call; Shame What a week, with Hugo, J. Edgar and War Horse all finding their ways to audiences for the first time. Well, sort of the first time: The West Coast pundit class that opted to wait and see about Hugo for themselves before deigning to so much as raise their eyebrows for its fond East Coast first look is officially over the moon after two very well-received special screenings (including one at the Academy) last weekend. No longer a work-in-progress (“99.9%-finished,” in Pete Hammond’s words) Martin Scorsese’s 3-D tribute to movies and movie-love set off a relative mushroom cloud of praise, with the likes of Sasha Stone writing “Martin Scorsese’s Hugo is a lyrical dream, a film that pays homage to what is so transformative about cinema,” and Steve Pond calling it “the most magical moviegoing experience I’ve had in a very long time.” It couldn’t have hurt that the guild/media event on Saturday afternoon featured a Q&A attended by Scorsese and awards-magnet collaborators like editor Thelma Schoonmaker, composer Howard Shore, DP Bob Richardson and production designer Dante Ferretti. (And moderated by Paul Thomas Anderson, because why not?) Pond noted that while that night’s Academy screening that night wasn’t quite the barnburner enjoyed by Moneyball and The Help, at least 100 voting members took in the earlier show, so it might even out. Not quite, said Hammond, who nevertheless remained optimistic about Hugo’s chances: The attendance figure at the Academy screening is middling, nowhere near the packed houses for other recent Oscar contenders — Midnight In Paris, Moneyball, The Ides Of March to name three that nearly filled the place. Despite Scorsese’s name, part of the problem might be that it is currently perceived as more of a 3-D kids film by Academy members, who generally don’t lavish Oscar attention on that genre. Paramounties are positioning it as something with equal or even greater adult appeal and I would agree, if you can work them to a winter’s passion to see it the way it should be seen. It’s much more ambitious than the average studio family holiday offering. At the very least it’s definitely got HUGE film freak appeal (count me as one of those). Scorsese working at the absolute top of his game may be key to getting those older butts in seats. From my perspective it is a masterpiece of personal filmmaking along the lines of Fellini’s Amarcord, Truffaut’s Day For Night and Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso. I don’t disagree, but the bottom line for Hugo is the craft categories. Taken together, Stone’s smart breakdown of the “1 percent” Best Picture threshold and Gold Derby’s analysis of Hugo’s technical strengths — not to mention Scorsese’s A-list accomplices noted above — forecast a perfect storm of influence within the Academy’s individual branches. In other words: Round up enough consummate pros at their peaks — in the service of Scorsese’s most personal film — and you’ve got a phenomenon on your hands. And it’s this year’s prestigious Royal Film Performance, a bit of news whose timing I wouldn’t exactly attribute to serendipity. The biggest hurdle is the box office, which could in fact be a problem despite the 3-D boost; neither The Muppets nor Arthur Christmas are going to cede much ground in the five-day Thanksgiving frame. (Not to be outdone, The Artist and My Week With Marilyn — two more beautifully made homages to moviemaking — open in limited release the same weekend.) But with Paramount clearly knowing the triumph it has, as well as the movie-love motif so prevalent in this year’s race, has any other film this year accrued so much potential — so much sheer momentum — so fast? On the other hand, has any film fallen farther off the pace quicker than J. Edgar? A week ago, mere whispers of disapproval were all that separated it from the season’s established frontrunners. Today, it’s rocking a pathetic 44 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and has all the political goodwill of a thong with Brett Ratner’s likeness ironed on the front. OK, maybe it’s a little better than that: A small core of critical heavyweights are behind it, and no one should underestimate the Eastwood factor that so regularly wins Academy hearts and minds (and, more often than not, votes). But come on. Apart from the sporadic raves for Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer (which we’ll get to in a bit), this one is over. For Warner Bros., suddenly it’s on to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close — an interesting, almost shocking institutional shift that boosts the latter film’s stakes immensely. No pressure, Warners! Meanwhile, War Horse has finally peeked out of the stable for actual viewers. A smattering of far-flung previews last week yielded generally positive, even glowing reactions, though it’s up to you how much weight you choose to give an AICN review (“War Horse is what movies are all about — transporting the audience into a world that will never exist again. As for myself, I loved every moment”) and a steady trickle of Twitter approbation, or even the anonymous hater quoted by Jeffrey Wells: “I don’t know what’s happened, but the man who made Saving Private Ryan didn’t make this.” It’s thin in general, but hey! Every clue helps. The Leading 5: 1. Alexander Payne, The Descendants 2. Steven Spielberg, War Horse 3. Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist 4. David Fincher, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo 5. Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris Outsiders: Martin Scorsese, Hugo; Stephen Daldry, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; George Clooney, The Ides of March; Bennett Miller, Moneyball; Tomas Alfredson, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Clint Eastwood, J. Edgar As usual, what goes for Picture goes, too, for Director, though I’m not quite ready to downgrade Fincher for Scorsese’s sake. At the moment, the bottom two slots are cutthroat musical chairs for them and Allen; my gut tells me Dragon Tattoo will surge post-Hugo, nudging Woody out for good with only Daldry left to battle through January. Your mileage may vary; if so, tell me about it!

CBS Tuesday dramas sweep timeslots

CBS shipped a convincing primetime rankings victory on Tuesday, as veterinarians ''NCIS'' and ''NCIS: Los Angeles'' became a member of rookie ''Unforgettable'' in winning their timeslots in key demo groups. Elsewhere, Fox's ''New Girl'' again arrived less than its early-season earnings, while NBC's ''The Greatest Loser'' increased a little more now.In accordance to preliminary national estimations from Nielsen, ''NCIS'' (4.1 rating/11 be part of grown ups 18-49, 20.3 million audiences overall) was easily the night's No. 1 enter in grown ups 18-49 in addition to grown ups 25-54 (5.7/14) and total audiences, where it capped 20 million in same-evening viewing the very first time this year. It had been then ''NCIS: Los Angeles'' (3.4/8 in 18-49, 15.9 million audiences overall), which brought the 9 o'clock hour in key demos and was consistent with a week ago. And also at 10, ''Unforgettable'' (2.4/7 in 18-49, 11.six million audiences overall) flourished because the only crime drama within the hour (ABC's ''Body of Proof'' was pre-empted), edging up and ruling its timeslot. At Fox, ''Glee'' (3.1/8 in 18-49, 6.9 million audiences overall) was up a tick week to week, placing second to ''NCIS'' in 18-49 while remaining in charge from the more youthful 12-34 crowd (3.1/10). It had been then ''New Girl'' (3.5/9 in 18-49, 6.8 million audiences overall), that was consistent with a week ago called the night's No. 2 show in 18-49 despite again arriving beneath the high levels it had produced using its three early-fall airings before you take a baseball-related hiatus. And also at 9:30 p.m., second-year comedy ''Raising Hope'' (2.1/5 in 18-49, 4.six million audiences overall) hit a season low and fell to 4th devote 18-49.ABC's ''Last Guy Standing'' (2.6/7 in 18-49, 9.two million audiences overall) was on componen with a week ago, placing third in 18-49 for that 8 o'clock hour. But 8:30 p.m. half-hour ''Man Up'' is constantly on the find it difficult to keep that audience, shedding to some 1.7/5 in 18-49 and 6.two million audiences overall. The internet then rebounded at 9 p.m. using the ''Dancing Using the Stars'' results show (2.7/7 in 18-49, 14.9 million audiences overall), that was consistent with a week ago, and 10 p.m. new bands special ''In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts'' (1.7/5 in 18-49, 8.six million audiences overall) arrived a little less than usual slot occupant ''Body of Proof.''NBC's ''The Greatest Loser'' (2.4/6 in 18-49, 6.8 million audiences overall), that has been getting a sub-componen season, increased for any third straight week to complement its delivery around the comparable evening of last year. It had been then ''Parenthood'' (2./6 in 18-49, 5.two million audiences overall), which dropped week to week but was consistent with its showing of last November.At CW, ''90210'' (.8/2 in 18-49, 1.six million audiences overall) had its best performance since last September in a number of groups, rising to some 1./3 in grown ups 18-34. It had been then rookie ''Ringer'' (.7/2 in 18-49, 1.7 million audiences overall), that was lower slightly week to week.Preliminary 18-49 earnings for that evening: CBS, 3.3/9 Fox, 2.9/8 NBC, 2.3/6 ABC, 2.2/6 Univision, 1.5/4 CW, .8/2.As a whole audiences: CBS, 15.8 million ABC, 10.4 million Fox, 6.3 million NBC, 6.3 million Univision, 3.5 million CW, 1.six million. Contact Ron Kissell at ron.kissell@variety.com

On the Set of Lifeclass, Oprah Is Queen of Social Media

Oprah Winfrey It's not so hard to get in touch with Oprah Winfrey. For the past few weeks, viewers who've followed the former Queen of Daytime into prime time on her eponymous cable network have found themselves able to engage in real-time conversations with Winfrey via Skype, Facebook and Twitter during the nightly series Oprah's Lifeclass (Monday-through-Friday, 8/7c, OWN). During the live part of last Friday's show, which filmed in Los Angeles, a young man named Harel beamed in via Skype from Israel to ask Winfrey herself for some advice; simply, he'd been having a bit of an existential crisis. She shared her own thoughts on giving back and then read him a comment from a Facebook user who had written in, especially for Harel: "You are here. We are all one in a million possibilities. You matter." When a college student in Plattville, Wis., spoke to Winfrey and Friday's co-coach Iyanla Vanzant about her inability to move on from the driving accident she caused that killed her best friend a year ago, Winfrey again quoted a Facebook user. "From Marlene: Tell her to celebrate life instead of reliving the death." Oprah among honorary Oscar recipients Each night during Oprah's Lifeclass, Winfrey shares the life lessons she learned during 25 years of The Oprah Winfrey Show. The weeknight series premiered Oct. 10 to 330,000 viewers - but without the recently added Friday post-show that airs live on TV and online, putting her in touch with her fans. Last Friday, more than 46,000 Lifeclass students logged in to the show's Facebook page, in addition to those who participated on Twitter, to talk and leave comments on what was happening live. Many of those were read on-air by both Winfrey and OWN President Sheri Salata, who also live-tweeted during the session. Those in the studio audience were encouraged by producers to participate on Facebook and tweet from their seats; laptops and iPads were welcome. Oprah to become CEO of OWN "We're working out the balance between TV and the online thing," Winfrey told the audience as she bounced among Skype conversations, Facebook, polling the audience and chatting with the in-studio guest (last week, it was Nia Vardalos). And she seemed to really be enjoying the free-flowing format. "I did the fire waaaaaaalk," she sang to the audience at the top of the show, explaining that for her new January series, Oprah's Next Chapter, she had recently interviewed Tony Robbins. "Are you tweeting? Did you tell 'em I was a firewalker?" she asked during a commercial break. She fawned over recently booted Dancing with the Stars contestant David Arquette, who Skyped in to share his own moment about being kind to yourself. And at the end of the evening, she told her guests how amazed she was to have interacted with Lifeclass watchers in New Mexico, Connecticut, Toronto, Wisconsin and Israel. "I love this," she said. The first season of Lifeclass concludes Friday, and Winfrey announced that a second season would begin early next year -- with a few changes. The Chicago-based series will go on the road and switch to a weekly format as opposed to a daily one, which she said her students found to be "way too much" in terms of keeping up with the homework. Have you logged on to do some deep-thinking with Oprah? Will you enroll in a second season of in Lifeclass?

Actor Alan Fudge dies at 67

Character actor Alan Fudge, most broadly noted for recurring roles in TV series including "Guy From Atlantis," "Eischied" "Paper Dolls" and, most recently, "seventh Paradise," died March. 10 in La of lung and liver cancer, they have been fighting for approximately yearly. He was 67.Fudge gathered almost 140 smallscreen credits throughout the time of 37 years furthermore to roles in 17 films including "Capricorn One," "Chapter Two," "The Border," "Brainstorm," "NaturalInch (he carried out Robert Redford's father but did not have lines) and "Edward Scissorhands."Author-producer Graham Yost mentioned of Fudge: "Personally, Alan was most likely probably the most generous, kind and caring males I have seen. The majority of the roles he carried out over time reflected that side of him. After which it there has been the roles where he arrived at go really dark and twisted -- people were the roles that made the majority of us who understood him smile and applaud. He will be a great actor together with an excellent guy."Fudge was produced in Wichita, Kan., and gone after Tucson, Ariz., along with his family at 5. He graduated within the U. of Arizona, where he will be a theater major. In 1962-63 he will be a part of Tucson folk group the Ash Alley Entertainers. Later he gone after NY and increased being an connect in the APA repertory troupe, turning up in lots of mostly small roles on Broadway from 1967-69, including in productions of "You Can't Accompany You,Inch "The Cherry Orchard" and "Hamlet."The actor made his smallscreen debut in the 1972 episode of "Gunsmoke" and labored continuously inside the medium for your better part of 4 decades. Fudge guest starred in the memorable 1975 episode of "MASH" just like a wounded captain who thinks he's Jesus.In NBC's 1977-78 sci-fi series "Guy From Atlantis," starring Patrick Duffy, Fudge carried out C.W. Crawford he carried out Det. Commissioner Kimbrough on NBC crime drama "Eischied" (1979), starring Joe Don Baker. In another recurring stint, he carried out Dr. Van Adams in ABC's fashion-industry sudser "Paper Dolls" (1984). Inside the 1992-93 CBS crime drama "Physiques of Evidence," which starred Lee Horsley and George Clooney, Fudge carried out Chief Frank Leland. None of individuals shown being extended-running series, however.Fudge had recurring roles on "Empire" and "L.A. Law," nevertheless the actor came out frequently on television it had not been uncommon for him to appear multiple occasions around the series in a variety of roles, while he did on "Hawaii Five-O," "Lou Grant," "The A-Team," "Columbo" and "Murder, She Written."Fudge also came out in several telepics, including "Nowhere Dark evening," "Kids of the Lac" and "I Realize I'm Steven."He gained his last bigscreen appearance inside the Coen brothers' 2001 film "The Man Who Wasn't There."Fudge ongoing to use continuously until 2009, yearly through which he guested in cases of "Large Love," "The Closer" and "WorkInch and came out inside the Hallmark Funnel telepic "Relative Stranger."He's managed to get by his wife, Kathy a boy and a pair of kids together with a great boy. Contact Carmel Dagan at carmel.dagan@variety.com

David Cook Tour Diary: The 'American Idol' Winner Talks Life on the Road, TV Show Stigma (Video)

our editor recommends'American Idol's' David Cook, Gavin DeGraw Announce Fall TourKelly Clarkson on Making Peace With Her Label, New Album: 'It's About Putting All That Crap in the Back'David Archuleta Explains Break From Jive, Management Company (Video)The Ultimate 'American Idol' Alumni Twitter Directory Grabbing his guitar, David Cook launches into Def Leppard's "Hysteria" with more than a hint of irony. "I gotta know tonight, if you're alone tonight," he sings from center stage at the Fox Theater in Pomona, Calif., trying his best to find the emotional core of the 1987 hit (Cook was five when it came out, his fairytale TV story still 21 years away). It doesn't take long before the American Idol season 7 winner, who clenched his victory in large part by reimagining radio classics just like this one, breaks character and his band breaks down in quick succession. "It already sounds really cheesy," he laughs, unable to determine whether it's a good cheese or the kind you'll regret when you realize it lives forever on Youtube. Indeed, Cook would later tell us he's been cursing the video site "for years -- ever since I fell singing 'Hot for Teacher' in Biloxi, Mississippi," he grouses. It's an understandable insecurity as many dozen clips from Cook's current tour with Gavin Degraw and Carolina Liar live on the site, starting from a fateful first show at Penn State, when "Dicklaration" became the newest entry to the Cook lexicon. It refers to the moment during that show when the word nerd's brand new pants ripped from "knee to crotch" (his words) just as he getting ready to play "Declaration," the opening track to his self-titled debut album. "I had just bought these new pants -- wax denim, lace up the side, they weren't cheap and I was into them -- and I just heard and felt this rip," Cook recalls with equal part glee and horror. "I had to make a split-second decision: do I go offstage and let the band meander? I said, 'Screw it.' At this point, a couple thousand people know -- I'm a pale guy you can tell and I'm wearing dark pants -- so I had to inform everybody, then I went behind the lighting rig and gaffed the pants together. It was definitely one of the more mortifying things that have happened to me onstage, but I think I handled it correctly." ANALYSIS:'The X Factor' Vs. 'American Idol:' Who's Leading the Battle for Talent Show Supremacy It was an audacious start to a nearly two-month trek that will take Cook from coast to coast and bring him face-to-face with some of his most devoted fans via a daily meet-and-greet where, for $75, anyone can get a special VIP pass autographed and have a picture taken with the man himself. In Pomona, they lined up early in the afternoon and got to sit in for a couple songs during sound-check ("Declaration" and Nine Inch Nails' "Hand That Feeds") -- after Cook worked out the kinks with another, even more ambitious cover: Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll." Earlier, guitar-bation ensued as Cook and new band member Devon Bronson traded licks onstage and goofed off. Warned Cook: "I can come off like I'm drunk when I'm sober." It's actually an apt description for the entire Cook concert experience, which emphasized fun above all for those in the crowd, onstage, working the bar, selling T-shirts (it seems David's brother Andrew has been tasked with that responsibility at select shows) or handling the gear. The Fox Theater performance was no exception. Kicking off the set with mood-setter "Circadian," Cook gingerly ran through his catalog, mixing up songs from his debut ("Light On," "Heroes," "Bar-ba-sol") and his latest album, This Loud Morning ("Paper Heart," "The Last Goodbye," "We Believe"). The night's cover: a perennial favorite, Muse's "Stockholm Syndrome." STORY:'X Factor': What the 'American Idol' Alums Think of Simon Cowell's New Show "For the next hour and change, you're stuck with our moderately good-looking asses," Cook cracked -- not that anyone was complaining. Indeed, outside of the recording studio, where he logged plenty of overtime hours while making This Loud Morning, the road might be Cook's most natural habitat. It's one reason why he chose a combination of live footage (culled from performances in Columbus, St. Louis and Tulsa) and highway travels for his latest video, "Fade Into Me" (below). So is the it his "Faithfully?" we asked. "I don't know," says Cook. "Every live video -- 'Dead or Alive,' Faithfully,' 'Home Sweet Home,' 'Don't Speak' -- is such a lofty comparison." On the Declaration tour, Cook played a mind-boggling 152 dates in just under a year -- the longest tour by an Idol alum at the time. Is he looking to break a record with this trek? Sort of. "I live for this," says Cook, adding that additional dates with DeGraw are being sorted out along with a trip abroad next year -- to Europe and perhaps beyond. "I used to be such a studio nut and now I love nothing more than being on the road, so put me wherever. I'm into it. CAA, book those shows!" See more from our time with Cook in THR's exclusive video above and check out "Fade Into Me" below. American Idol David Cook Gavin DeGraw

Early Sandra Bullock Audition Tapes (Video)

Duncan Stewart, director of casting at National Artists Management Company, talks about opening every submission and what he wants to see in a headshot.; casting; Duncan Stewart; headshot; NY city; open submissions; Duncan Steward, director of casting, talks about what he wants from an actor in a general meeting, mainly truth, likability, and lack of ego.; advice; casting; Duncan Stewart; NY city; tips; Duncan Stewart, director of casting, talks about what he expects from an audition and common mistakes actors make.; advice; auditions; casting; Duncan Stewart; NY city; Alaine Alldaffer breaks down the real role of a casting direcor.; Alaine Alldaffer; casting; casting director; Grey Gardens; play; stage; theater; Casting director Alaine Alldaffer talks about casting "Saved" and all the misconceptions about being an actor in NY City.; Alaine Alldaffer; casting director; NYC theatre; play; saved; NY casting director Bernie Telsey describes what actors need to know before walking into an audition. (Part 1 of 2) ; Bernie Telsey; casting director; We spoke with casting director Mark Teschner about working on soap operas. (Part 1 of 3) ; General Hospital; Mark Teschner; soap opera; NY casting director Bernie Telsey describes how to give your best audition. (Part 2 of 2) ; Bernie Telsey; casting director; We spoke with casting director Mark Teschner about working on soap operas. Need only beautiful people apply? (Part 2 of 3) ; General Hospital; Mark Teshner; soap opera; We spoke with casting director Mark Teschner about auditioning for soap operas. (Part 3 of 3) ; General Hospital; Mark Teschner; soap opera; Videos for the Back Stage News & Features section.

Johnny Depp's Dr. Seuss Biopic Features Animated Figures?

Apparently Dr. Seuss won't be the only colorful character in Johnny Depp's approaching biopic in regards to the children's book author. His beloved figures might be creating a feel and look inside the film too. Inside an interview with Ray King, Depp mentioned the biographical movie will most likely feature a mixture of live action and animation. "It's something we're developing with Seuss' widow, [Theodor] Geisel's widow," he mentioned. "It's a thrilling possibility, as it is a mixture of live-action and ... the figures will certainly lead.Inch See the relaxation of current day casting news following a jump! Lily Collins Installed On "The British Teacher" Artina Films introduced in the news release today that Lily Collins originates aboard their approaching indie comedy "The British Teacher." She'll be joining Julianne Moore, Greg Kinnear, Nathan Lane and Michael Angarano. Collins may have a common secondary school student who makes conflict with Linda, a greater school British teacher who convinces a classic student showing his not-produced play at their school. "The British Teacher" continues to be directed by Craig Zisk. John Cusack And Malin Akerman Mind To "The Amounts Station" The Hollywood Reporter finds that John Cusack and Malin Akerman are usually set to star inside the approaching thriller, "The Amounts Station." Cusack may have a disgraced black procedures agent who's charged with safeguarding Malin Akerman, a CIA code operator. Danish director Kasper Barfoed will direct the project. It's set to start principal photography in mid-November. Jason Sudeikis Joins The "Dog Fight" Greater than 10 several days after Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis's political comedy was introduced, it finally showed up itself a title together with a brand new cast member. Harmful Customers are verifying that Jason Sudeikis originates aboard the flick, that's now referred to as "Dog House." The Jay Roach-directed comedy follows Ferrell and Galifianakis as rival people in politics in Sc. Filming is positioned to start in November with an August 10, 2012 release date. Michelle Monaghan Heads To "Fort Bliss" Michelle Monaghan might be the very first actress later on aboard Claudia Myers' approaching indie drama "Fort Bliss," Variety reviews. The "Machine Gun Preacher" star may have a skilled in the war in Afghanistan who's told to visit home and struggles to reunite along with her 5-year-old boy. The film uses front from you next June in New Mexico. Reveal your opinions on current day Casting Make contact with should be genuine section below or on Twitter!

Lindsay Lohan Accepts Playboy Nude Pictorial Offer

This is what things have come to for actress-singer-celebrity criminal Lindsay Lohan; at the tender age of 25, as the media watches her every move, the onetime promising Disney star has reportedly agreed to pose nude for Playboy. For less than a million! Oh, LiLo. TMZ reports that Lohan, who recently came under fire for being tardy to her first day of community service at the morgue in Los Angeles, already began shooting her Playboy spread. Maybe the gig contributed to her tardiness. Technically, she was working over the weekend… and the job didn’t require her to seek employment in Europe! How convenient! From TMZ: Sources tell us the deal has been in the works for months, and that Lindsay balked at an initial $750K offer because she wanted … ONE MILLION dollars … to show the world what her momma gave her (apologies for the DiLo reference). Apologies, indeed. Remember when Lohan was young and innocent and fresh-scrubbed, and there were two of her? And one of the two of her was British? Yes, I’m talking The Parent Trap. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember: This was 13 years ago. How fast they grow up. [via TMZ] Follow Movieline on Twitter.

John Travolta Doesn't Understand How KFC Works

According to The Daily Mail, last Friday while in West Sussex, England for an annual Scientology event, John Travolta asked one of his reps to reserve a table at the local KFC for him and his guests. The KFC employee who answered the phone kindly explained to the actor’s rep that fast food chains operate on a first come-first serve basis, even if the customer was John Travolta. Sadly, the actor never got his table or his fried chicken, instead going directly to a charity dinner. A spokesman for KFC has since released a statement about the Travolta debacle: “In hindsight, of course, we would have reserved a table for him. It’s not every day you get a Hollywood star eating in your restaurant.” [Daily Mail]

Britney Spears Debuts Racy Criminal Video

First Published: October 18, 2011 11:25 AM EDT Credit: Getty Premium Caption Jason Trawick and Britney Spears arrive at the 28th Annual MTV Video Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles on August 28, 2011LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Steamy shower sex, slaps to the face, kicks to the crotch, convenience store stick ups and a crime spree on the streets of London Britney Spears new video for Criminal is here! The pop star dropped her latest video late Monday night, Tweeting, Ladies & gents, Im excited to present to you the video for one of my favorite songs off of Femme Fatale. Enjoy. Brits real-life boyfriend, Jason Trawick, stars as the singers hero in the video, saving the pop star from an abusive British man who slaps Britney at a highbrow party. The singers modern-day Bonnie and Clyde musical adventure is filled with various criminal acts intermixed with sex scenes and shots of the star dancing in a hallway. The video culminates in a massive slow-motion shootout with the police as Brit and Jason lock lips in a blaze of bullets and then escape through the streets of London. On Tuesday, Jason called in to Access Hollywood Live and told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover the secret behind his rock-hard abs that he sports in the video. [Im] eating healthy, Ive been working out, he said. I let myself go, I had to do something. Jason also revealed he wasnt too sure of his acting abilities before filming the video. I was a little nervous, he told Billy and Kit. Download Britneys Criminal video, HERE! Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Lena Headey Implementing The Crazy Deeply In Love With Wager On Thrones Season 2

First Launched: October 17, 2011 6:26 PM EDT Credit: WireImage La, Calif. -- Caption Lena Headey reaches Spike Televisions Scream Honours 2011 at Universal Art galleries Backlot, Hollywood, on October 15, 2011Production round the Belfast number of Wager on Thrones Season 2 is rapidly going to an in depth, and Lena Headey mentioned large the situation is on her character, the questionable Full Cersei Lannister. She's losing control because her boy is totally uncontrollable, Lena told Access Hollywood on Saturday within the Scream Honours, mentioning to Cerseis boy, Joffrey, who's now king carrying out a dying of his father, Robert Baratheon, in Season among the Cinemax show. In my opinion she cant be truthful to anybody, the actress ongoing, mentioning to Cerseis approaching Season 2 predicament. Shes dying to request help, and he or she will not. Carrying out a brief trip to La for your Scream Honours, where Wager on Thrones was honored in addition to Show, Lena was already on her behalf account sometime ago to Belfast to wrap some misunderstanding. Were on our past few episodes, she mentioned of progress on Season 2. Joffrey is becoming more trouble. It's the youthful actor Jack Gleason who plays King Joffrey, a personality, that like his mother Cersei is polarizing but central for the thrilling drama. Jack Gleason is adorable, and thus effective in like a little sh**, she jeered, improving her co-star. Hes so excellent at being terrible. With Sean Beans Ned Stark in the picture, following his execution consequently from the completely new teen king, Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) is headed to Nobleman Landing in Season 2, getting been hired hands in the King. The move, clearly, will set the Imp in Cerseis path, material Lena has sunk her teeth into. This season there's a sizable arc with Cersei and Tyrions relationship, that's interesting, because its love/hate there, totally, she told Access. It's been really fun filming all people moments, and theres just a lot more drama this year. While among Cerseis brothers and sisters is at Nobleman Landing, another her twin and lover Jamie Lannister, is becoming within reach of The Starks and Lena mentioned that does funny products to her character. There is a rather incestuous relationship, that's very wrong, nonetheless it is the means by which she was elevated. Shes somewhat crazy under thesurface, Lena mentioned. Second season, Im coping with explore that a bit more, that's good, because I really like the crazy. Season 2 of Wager on Thrones returns to Cinemax in 2012. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

August's 'Beyond' wins Nordic prize

'Beyond'LONDON -- Swedish Oscar contender "Beyond," the directing debut of actress Pernilla August, has won the Nordic Council Film Prize.The prize, founded in 2002 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Nordic Council, is Scandinavia's richest movie award, worth $65,000 in cash.The money will be split between August, her co-writer Lolita Ray and producers Helena Danielsson and Ralf Karlsson."Beyond," submitted by Sweden as its candidate for the foreign language Academy Award, stars Noomi Rapace as a woman confronting her troubled childhood.The jury described the film as "a very personal and original adaptation of a bestselling novel."The Nordic Council is a forum between the parliaments of the five Scandinavian countries - Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. The film prize, administered by the Nordic Film & TV Fund, is for "an artistically original film that is rooted in Nordic cultural circles."Each country puts forward their own nominee and the winner is chosen by jury. This year's honorary jury chair is Helen Mirren, who announced the winner at a press conference in Copenhagen. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Is Something Wrong with Lindsay Lohan's Teeth?

Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Lohan, call your dentist. The actress was photographed at a red carpet event in Los Angeles on Wednesday sporting a scary smile. Photos from that evening show that the 25-year-old actress' teeth appeared to be seriously yellowed.Check out photos of Lindsay Lohan when she had healthy teethBut Lohan's rep says there are more pressing issues than the state of his client's chompers -- like our inadequate education system, for example. (No, he really said that.)"With everything going on - from deteriorating public education to rampant homelessness to international unrest - there is no way I'm going to comment on Lindsay's teeth," Steve Honig told People, with a straight face.And in case anyone had forgotten, Honig continued, "She's been on the cover of Vanity Fair and the top beauty and fashion magazines. She's a beautiful and glamorous actress."

TruTV orders up 'Guinness ... Gone Wild'

KennedyTruTV has purchased an airplane pilot for "Guinness World Records Gone Wild," by which participants attempt to beat obscure Guinness records.Jamie Kennedy is aboard as host from the pilot, created by High Noon Entertainment ("Cake Boss").One of the more unusual records that participants will aim to top would be the quickest time for you to hop over three oncoming cars, greatest dive into one foot water, most kicks towards the mind in a single minute, most live roaches locked in the mouth and many paintballs hitting an individual in thirty seconds.Professional producers are High Noon's Pamela Healey and Jim Berger, with Angel Annussek professional creating for TruTV and Take advantage of Molloy as e.p. for Guinness World Records. Contact Mike Thielman at mike.thielman@variety.com

Lamberg to UMPG leader

Filling vacuum pressure near the top of among music publishing's finest firms, Evan Lamberg remains promoted to leader of Universal Music Posting Group, The U . s . States. Lamberg was formerly professional V . p . of creative for UMPG, Colonial. Within the new role, he'll oversee their U . s . States methods, including its pop, urban, country, Latin, Christian/gospel and Canadian divisions. Move installs a completely new topper within the pubbery, which has did not come with an innovator since former UMPG chairman-Boss David Renzer ankled the business in April. Renzer, who spent 15 years while using posting unit, held the title of UMPG leader through 2004. Lamberg is dependent in UMG's Santa Monica office and report with each other to Universal Group leader-chief operating officer Zach Horowitz and UMG chairman-Boss Lucian Grainge. Just like a creative professional at UMPG, Lamberg has signed or labored together with your top songwriters and processes as Attacking Youthful Boys, Owl City, Desmond Child, Sean Garrett and Jackie Evancho. More youthful crowd inked a partnership posting agreement with Lady Gaga's creative team of Troy Carter and Vincent Herbert. Before joining UMPG, Lamberg was at EMI Music Posting, where he rose to professional V . p . of creative, The U . s . States, at Gibson Guitar, where he was professional V . p . of methods. Horowitz mentioned in the statement: "Evan's stellar history for locating, signing and being careful of the very effective songwriting talent, combined together with his controlling, business and business capabilities, makes him the best choice to build up UMPG's market leading position also to take our U . s . States methods to another level.In . UMPG also introduced the roll-from an international board "to assist maximize options for UMPG talent and partners around the worldwide basis." The world board includes Lamberg, Paul Connolly (leader, U.K. and Europe), Eddie Fernandez (senior V . p ., Latin America), Andrew Jenkins (professional V . p ., Asia Off-shoreline/industry matters), Gary Gross (worldwide prexy, Universal Posting Production Music) and Michael J. Sammis (professional V . p ., methods, and worldwide chief financial officer). Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

'Castle' EP, ABC Developing David Blaine Thriller (Exclusive)

Alexi Hawley ABC is looking for a little magic. The network has picked up drama project In Like Fin from Castle producer Alexi Hawley and My Generation's Warren Littlefield. Based on David Blaine, the project revolves around Fin, an illusionist who is pulled into action in a covert government sting. Hawley will pen the drama and executive produce, with Littlefield attached as a nonwriting EP. Blaine is not attached to the project. Endurance artist Blaine, dubbed the modern-day Houdini, is best known for his high-profile illusions. In 1999, he was been buried alive in a plastic coffin underneath a three-ton water-filled tank for seven days across from Trump Place. He's also been encased in a huge block of ice in Times Square for 63 hours. ABC aired Blaine's first TV special, David Blaine: Street Magic, in 1997. Finis the latest in a string of projects from Castle executive producers. Laurie Zaks and Moira Kirland are developing The Murder Season, an hourlong drama set up at ABC. Zaks also is attached to The Lockharts, an hourlong musical drama set in the 1970s from Make It Or Break It scribes Michael Gans and Richard Register, which also is set up at ABC. Littlefield, meanwhile, is executive producing ABC's untitled time-travel project with writer Scott Veach. He's also co-writing Showtime's adaptation of the Oni Press comic The Damned. Hawley is repped by CAA, Managemint and Hansen Jacobson. Littlefield's credits also include Love, Inc., and Keen Eddie. He's also repped by CAA. Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit TV Development

Ratings: Two and a Half Men Declines, Kardashian Wedding Breaks Record

Jenny McCarthy and Ashton Kutcher Two and a Half Men started so big that even a fourth consecutive week of decline has still left it with enviable numbers. The Ashton Kutcher-led CBS sitcom at 9/8c entertained 16.20 million fans and scored a 5.9 rating among 18-to-49-year-olds Monday night. Most network shows that night hit season lows up against the major league playoffs on Fox, as well as Monday Night Football -- which scored 16.38 million viewers --and Kim Kardashian's "fairy-tale" wedding, which drew a combined total of 10.5 million Sunday and Monday nights, making it E!'s most-watched event ever. Hank Williams Jr. writes song, appears on talk shows after Hitler-Obama uproar The American League Division Series contest between the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers ran more than 50 minutes into the first hour of prime time, garnering 6.57 million fans and a 1.9 rating in the prized demo while pushing back both scheduled Fox shows. Meanwhile, CBS sitcoms How I Met Your Mother lured 8.89 million fans (4.0) and 2 Broke Girls 10.71 million (4.3) and The CW's Gossip Girl 1.27 million (0.6). Read our Dancing with the Stars recap Also starting at 8, Dancing with the Stars averaged the night's highest viewership at 16.79 million (3.0), and NBC's The Sing-Off 4.35 million (1.5 rating) over two hours. In prime time's middle hour, Terra Nova skidded to 7 million - down from last week's 8.31 million viewers, which itself marked about an 8 percent decrease from its debut. After a 3.1 demo rating in the first two weeks, the Fox sci-fi thriller sank to a 2.5. The third episode of The CW's Hart of Dixie fell to 1.57 million and a 0.6 from 1.78 million and a 0.8. Check out the rest of the day's news on TVGuide.com Following Men, Week 3 of Mike & Molly lured 11.65 million (3.9) - a big drop-off from last week (13.24 million /4.3). In prime time's final hour, NBC threw in the towel, running a repeat of Prime Suspect to replace The Playboy Club, which became the first cancellation of the 2011-12 TV season last week. The rerun got 2.92 million people (0.7). ABC's Castle nabbed the most viewers in the slot for the fourth straight week - 10.23 million (2.1) - vs. CBS' Hawaii Five-0 with 10.07 million (2.7). An hour later than usual because of the game, House called on 6.85 million (2.7).

TV biz busy in Cannes

BERLIN -- Business ongoing inside a brisk pace on day a few the Mipcom TV programming market in Cannes Tuesday. Germany's Telepool acquired a slew of sales due to its top game game titles, including "The Search for your Amber Room," the newest installment within the greatly popular adventure TV movie series including "The Charlemagne Code" and "The Spear of Future." "The Search for your Amber Room," a Dreamtool production, agreed to RAI Cinema for Italia and Telecinco for that country in presales on day one in the market, while "The Charlemagne Code" and "The Spear of Future" visited Canadian funnel Historia. Telepool also offered hit RTL action series "Alarm for Cobra 11" to China's Closed-circuit television, and new Indian funnel Large RTL Thrill. "MEK 8," another action series from "Cobra 11" producer Action Concept, of a top-secret elite squad, agreed to U.S. web V-Me. France's M6 nabbed "The Golgotha Files," a great archaeologist who discovers the remains of Jesus, much for the chagrin from the secret Christian order set on keeping the important thing hidden Telecinco needed the next season of medical comedy "Doctor's Diary," while South Korea's KBS and Sweden's SVT acquired the two-part historic drama "Shades of Happiness." Shine Worldwide, meanwhile, reported more format sales. Shine TV's entertainment series "The Masters of miracle" agreed to Weit Media in Russia and Spintrex inside the Ukraine. The format increased being the finest rated show in Sweden if the bowed on SVT1 March. 1, getting in 1.2 million audiences (a 35% share). The BBC has furthermore commissioned a bigger second season in the primetime extravaganza. Season two will air live in the U.K. if the returns within the month of the month of january. The show had been acquired in 50 areas, including nations throughout Asia and europe. In further news: -- Disney acquired new preschool series "Mouk" in the major multi-territory deal with European producer-distrib Millimages. "Mouk," about two globetrotting pals who explore the earth around the bicycles, will air on Disney Junior channels within the U.K., France, Italia, The nation, Portugal, Benelux, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, the middle East and Africa. -- Zodiak Rights, the world division of Zodiak Media Group, signed an worldwide distribution and production deal with Guinness World Records TV. Furthermore to disseminating GWR TV's catalogue, including Guinness World Record shows within the U.S., U.K., Italia, China and Australia, Zodiak Rights works together with Zodiak Media Group's network of 45 local production companies and GWR TV to develop new programs and formats while using Guinness World Records content and brand. -- Studio100 Media, a subsidiary of Belgian family entertainment group Studio100, offered numerous re-mastered classic animated series to Swiss broadcaster RTS, including "Maya the Bee," "Vicky the Viking" and "Heidi," which are all acquiring a 3 dimensional facelift. RTS also acquired the animated "Pippi Longstocking" series. -- Ovation, the U.S. multi-platform network dedicated to arts and culture, closed its first certification deal with Sky ARTS. London-based distributor DRG is repping Ovation's original programming library and contains licensed four in the network's special deals together with a six-part series for the devoted funnel. Shows include "Rob Koons: Beyond Paradise" "Situations Are Art" "Close-Up: Photography fanatics in the officeInch "Close-Up: Portraits" and "Art as well as the City," that can take audiences on cultural around urban centers around the globe. -- Scandinavian broadcaster Viasat has acquired hit Israeli format "24/7 Love Lab," from Tel Aviv-based Armoza Formats. The show, which will air on Viasat channels in Sweden, Norwegian and Denmark, sees one bachelor, his entourage of three pals, and 14 single women living together in the mansion to find love, or perhaps the next best factor. Contact Erection dysfunction Meza at staff@variety.com

U.K. TV exports rise 13%

CANNES -- Shows for example "Downton Abbey," "Strictly Come Dancing" -- referred to as "DwtsInch within the U.S. -- and "Sherlock" are assisting to drive a boom in U.K. TV exports. There is a 13% increase in export revenues to a lot more than 1.4 billion ($2.2 billion) within the this past year, based on figures released by TV producers' lobby group Pact, and also the government trade body U.K. Trade and Investment. Overseas manufacture of U.K. formats elevated from $57.3 million last year to $126 million this past year, but exports of completed shows were worth $1.02 billion. The quickest growing market was Russia, where revenue rose by 54% to $20.a million this year. The United States symbolized 42% of total U.K. export revenue this year, with Europe adding 31%, and also the relaxation around the globe 27%. The U.S. continues to be greatest buyer of U.K. TV, with sales worth $815 million this year. Sales towards the U.S. increased by 13%. However, there is critique that British shows, especially drama, under-carried out in global marketplaces because U.K. webs commission shorter runs than their U.S. alternatives. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Two boost road grosses

A couple of the eight shows drawn in additional than $a million in Week 17 (Sept.19-25). Total box office rose 3.7%, with the help of "Hair" in Dallas. "Wicked" in Atlanta brought all shows using more than $two million in sales. Total gross for that week was $8,449,987.ATLANTA Wicked (M-first Co.) Fox Theater ($73 4,440, $2,189,856) (9/14-10/9/11).PW, $1,845,000.Last (second) wk, $2,036,093. BIRMINGHAM, ALA. L'ensemble des Miserables (M-first Co.) BJCC Concert Hall ($65 2,768 $1,127,685) (9/20-9/25/11).PW, $1,086,840 in Memphis, Tenn.Last (first) wk, $884,596. DALLAS Hair (M-first Co.) Winspear Opera House ($91.50, 2,248, $1,322,876) (9/20-9/25/11).Last(first) wk, $452,896. OMAHA, NEB. Jersey Boys (M-first Co.) Orpheum Theater ($80 2,570, $1,357,740) (9/19-9/25/11).PW, $953,958.Last (3rd) wk, $984,312. PITTSBURGH Wicked (M-second Co.) Benedum Center ($82 2,806, One Dollar,640,056) (9/7-10/2/11).PW, $1,730,923.Last (3rd) wk, $1,738,565. SALT LAKE CITY Mary Poppins (M-first Co.) Capitol Theater ($85 1,834, $1,078,425) (9/1-9/25/11).PW, $722,282.Last (fourth) wk, $783,157. SYRACUSE, N.Y. The Lion King (M-first Co.) Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater ($100 1,926 $1,242,700) (9/6-10/2/11).PW, $943,390.Last (3rd) wk, $980,884. TUCSON, ARIZ. West Side Story (M-first Co.) Tucson Music Hall ($80 2,274 $1,052,632) (9/20-9/25/11).PW $1,136,785 in Costa Mesa, Calif.Last (first) wk, $589,484. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Michael Ovitz And IMG World And Teddy Forstmanns Brain Cancer: The Particular Story, Including What Ovitz Described Relating To This

EXCLUSIVE: First, let me knock lower this false rumor: I realize for many there is no IMG World board meeting around the business call otherwise now to discuss ousting board member Michael Ovitz responding to accusations he’s controlling inside the board with Forstmann, Little & Co traders to use and/or own the world management and production giant. Also, let me say definitively that Mike Dolan is and may remain for a lot of timeIMG’s Leader/COObecause he was handpicked by chairman/owner Teddy Forstmann to use the business. The 71-year-old Forstmann is fighting brain cancer in a really public and courageous struggle. Forstmann particularly told his board people who, no matter what went down to him, Dolan was obtain the very least of2 to 3 years to continue running IMG’s global sports, fashion and media business otherwise longer. IMG’s board is purely an advisory board because this is an individual company (and not as being a board of company company directors from the public corporation) and for your reason does not possess the energy to eliminate any board member a more compact amount Ovitz. Just what the real story is, according to my several days of verifying, is always that IMG management has lawyers finding out how you are able to remove Ovitz within the board and prevent him from disturbing Dolan’s running from the organization or with Forstmann, Little & Co traders. “This prick was fucking around with management. Is he being devote his place? Yes,” an insider notifies me. The accusations against Ovitz bring that he's “harassing” management by demanding IMG financial recordspressuring Dolan and senior IMG professionals to account to him by attempting to setup a so-referred to as executive committee within the board to supervise IMG activities because of Forstmann’s illness and treatment andapproaching Forstmann, Little & Co partners and traders allowing them to know he was considering buying IMG while using backing of Greg OHara, the controlling director of just one Equity Partners LLC. (One Equity Partners can be a private equity finance finance firm that frequently functions since the utilized buyout arm of JP Morgan Chase & Co the primary investor.O’Hara has turned into a significant questionable character because of the Hollywood company he keeps: besides Ovitz, he's also trying to boost money for embattled Ryan Kavanaugh to buy out his Relativity Media’s investor Elliott Affiliate marketers. But up to now which has been all talk to no action. Same goes with Ovitz, who according to my verifying wasn't anywhere close to obtaining the money to buy out IMG.) Recently, according to my sources, Dolan made a decision, “Ovitz goes or The year progresses.” “So actually the fight is between Mike Ovitz and Mike Dolan, the handpicked guy by Teddy to use the business,” an insider notifies me. “Ovitz is disturbing running the business while Teddy is sick. It’s like what Alexander Haig did when Reagan was shot: ‘I’m in charge here.’ That’s the bullshit he’s trying to drag. Now lawyers are counseling Mike Dolan.” Ovitz has strenuously declined in my opinion he desires to run and/or buy IMG or has attempted to get this done. (See Ovitz’s comments below.) “Of course he’s denying it. He’s a scumbag,” a board member notifies me. “But the problem for him is always that he cast a internet so wide trying to find backing and funds. He’s in the closet. He’s not necessarily subtle relating to this. He desires to own the business, which he doesn’t trust current management. But this is often a very healthy company. Toss the motherfucker Ovitz out. Teddy doesn’t need to handle this shit.” The accusations against Ovitz might be harder to consider if he didn’t have past trying to destabilize companies to assist their very own ambitions. And Ovitz also provides past using people’s conditions to his advantage in operation situations. (Concurrently, being fair, Ovitz also provides past helping people to conquer illness. He's a complicated guy…) At the begining of May, I used to be first expected by an insider that “Ovitz is trying being Boss of IMG while Teddy Forstmann has brain cancer”. Just like a extended-time Ovitz watcher, I used to be naturally intrigued. Especially because Ovitz (despite his protestations on the other hand) remains searching for his distance to the company spotlight since he left the Hollywood talent agency CAA being leader in the Wally Disney Co and was fired by his nearest friend Michael Eisner, his try to create a Nfl football team for the La area shown quixotic, and also the management and production company AMG not successful, alongside a myriad other endeavors. That same early May, IMG hired Mike Dolan to chief operating officer after it absolutely was states Forstmann was dealing with technique to his brain cancer. The 64-year-old Dolan in those days was IMG’s chief financial officer but was coping with the lately created responsibilities to make certain effective day-to-day treatments for the business, with different memo shipped to IMG employees acquired by Bloomberg News. Dolan also was ongoing for everybody as CFO until he named a successor. I came across it interesting this had changed into another Mike versus Mike fight. The ultimate one was Michael Eisner versus Michael Ovitz. This latest was Michael Dolan versus Michael Ovitz. A Few Things I discovered was that some Forstmann affiliates wanted the particular story to acquire to prevent Ovitz’s unseemly activities. But others didn’t want the unsavory story being released because of sensitivity to Forstmann’s illness and feelings. I used to be told then that Teddy were not sure about Ovitz’s controlling. It had been a hard demand me just like a journalist. I made a decision to think about a wait-and-see attitude vis a vis Ovitz’s controlling and IMG management’s pushback. As recently as today The trainer told us affiliates believe Forstmann still doesn’t find out about Ovitz’s controlling. Individuals close to himaren’t sure they wish to make sure he understands, either. Consider the gossips today have found their distance for an online article and onto business wires like Reuters, although inside an inaccurate way, I’ve made a decision to show my verifying. In mid-May I spoke to Ovitz in regards to the accusations I heard. He confirmed in my opinion he’d been situated on Forstmann’s IMG advisory board around the start of 2011 before Forstmann’s illness. He mentioned he came on one time as former Univision Chairman/Boss Jerry Perenchio and grew to become an associate of Live Nation Entertainment’s Executive Chairman Irving Azoff, former Goldman Sachs Leader/Co-COO John Thornton, former Chris Craft owner Plant Siegel, Ariel Possibilities Leader Mellody Hobson, and banker and investor Evelyn Robert Adrian p Rothschild. Mentioned Ovitz: “Everyone on thatboard I realize. He’s always selected the identical little crew of people being on his board. Ted’s carried this out well for people as traders.” Ovitz defined personally his 30-some-year relationship with Forstmann whom he met while chairman of CAA in addition to their close personal and professional associations. People ranged from philanthropy andcauses likeschool literacy, to non-public equity firm Forstmann, Little & Company’s utilized buyouts around half-dozen companies including Gulfstream, Ziff Davis, and Topps asan investor and/or board member. “No appear’s happened throughout my existence, good or bad, Ted’s been my friend.” Ovitz mentioned. He described he and Forstmannhad spoken for some time about his joining IMG’s board but “I didn’t wish to be on any boards whatsoever at this time around. Teddy’s asked for me throughout the final 5 years to accept board.” Ovitz mentioned he saved lowering until the start of this year. Several incumbent IMG board everyone was surprised to find out Ovitz when he switched up for your first board meeting. “He’d not necessarily attended [Forstmann's] Aspen conference a long time back to back,” one board member noted in my opinion. Because same conversation, I asked for Ovitz in regards to the accusations regarding him and IMG. Ovitz strenuously declined he was using his position round the board as well as the fact of Forstmann’s brain cancer to maneuver behind the trunk of uncle of three decades and/or dominate running the business from Michael Dolan. He declined he was seeking in addition to preferred to exchange Forstmann as mind of IMG and run the business themselves instead of departing it within reach of Teddy’s handpicked successor Dolan. Ovitz referred to as Forstmann’s illness “really sad” and “just totally horrible” and asserted that “Running Ted’s customers are not something I’m considering at this time around. My job is always to support my friend who's really sick. Mike Dolan, who's Leader/COO, is exquisitely qualified which is undertaking an extraordinary job keeping the business together. He’s a great all-around guy.” Once I asked for if there’d been any discussion of having him run IMG, Ovitz described, “There’s been zero discussion from this. The board is dedicated to trying to aid Ted. If anybody can beat cancer, it’s Ted. He’s built being an ox. He’s tough. He’s game physically and psychologically. Anybody who's propagating gossips is just full of garbage. Everybody is shellshocked. It’s so godless. And quickly. While dining he'd slightly cough. It absolutely was happening in 24 several hours. His existence switched upside lower.” Ovitz mentioned he’d made medical intends to assist Forstmann. “It’s all I be worried about. I phone him each day.” Once I asked for Ovitz how a accusations may have started, he suggested it absolutely was because the “CAA enterprize model as well as the IMG business models and so are quite different because of the expansion business but furthermore similar. But you will discover no discussions. The business is defined so well it’s really running well. The representation customers are not. At this time around, solid just like a rock configuring it back together again. IMG offered a good deal the representation business. CAA stole agents. Our focus is about the school sports business and worldwide joint endeavors now. Also to help Ted.”