Digital free-for-all may loom

Netflix loomed so large over digital distribution this year that its shadow may have obscured the emergence of a more diversified ecosystem feeding off of Hollywood content. It was hard to escape the Los Gatos, Calif.-based streaming service in 2011, from the stratospheric growth of its subscriber base and stock price to a series of ill-advised strategic decisions that triggered the plunge of its market capitalization as well as acquisition rumors. Even Hollywood got caught up in the drama, moving from the cold shoulder Time Warner topper Jeff Bewkes first gave the new competish to a warm embrace many congloms offered Netflix for ordering its first original series and signing a plethora of licensing pacts that rained revenue like manna to their bottom lines. But there's many more digital players that will command the attention of studios and consumers in 2012, from would-be Netflix rivals to those sporting entirely different business models and aiming to deliver TV programs and movies to every screen in U.S. homes. The 22 million subs Netflix brings in validated its approach as it collects monthly fees in exchange for which customers can get all the programming they can stream or snag by snail mail. But CEO Reed Hastings' success created an entirely new category, known as subscription VOD, that spawned imitators with the potential to steal away market share. Hulu, for one, built an SVOD component, Hulu Plus, off its massive ad-supported base that has nabbed 1 million subs in over a year. Like Netflix, Hulu began commissioning original content and locking up exclusives on catalog fare, though it didn't spend anywhere near as much on either front. Netflix is set to revive the Fox comedy "Arrested Development" and adapt BBC drama "House of Cards," starring Kevin Spacey. These are huge commitments that have spawned smaller original efforts like Hulu's own original unscripted series featuring Morgan Spurlock. With more growth could come grander programming ambitions on par with what Netflix is developing. Studios that had difficulty selling anything that wasn't typical aftermarket fare like hourlong procedurals found that Netflix was willing to fork over high-six-figure sums for highly serialized dramas like "Mad Men," effectively creating a new market for syndie distribs. But Hulu should stay competitive here, having made its own deals for shows that would have fetched very little in traditional broadcast and cable syndication, including NBC's cult-fave laffer "Community" and Fox reality hit "Hell's Kitchen." How exactly Hulu will try to close the gap with Netflix remains to be seen after its owners, News Corp., NBCUniversal and Disney, decided to take the joint venture off the auction block and run it for the foreseeable future. Regardless of how it plays out, the subscription revenue derived from Hulu Plus will be central to their plans. Amazon's own SVOD spinoff could be even more challenging to Netflix because it has the deep pockets to nab the kind of content that will differentiate the Amazon Prime offering from the rest of the pack. Jeff Bezos' company has already stepped up to make big catalog deals approaching the scale of Netflix pacts with CBS and 20th Century Fox TV. It's possible that Netflix hasn't even seen all of its SVOD competition yet. Verizon may enter the space in conjunction with Redbox, which has been sitting on the sidelines without a digital strategy for long because it has the clout to take its time. The emergence of SVOD has eclipsed market entrants that paved the way in digital distribution by offering a la carte digital rental options, including Apple's iTunes. It's the king of a rather small kingdom given data showing the volume of transactions in so-called iVOD category is dwarfed by that of SVOD, but there's no shortage of market entrants that could make trouble especially if they go the SVOD route, including Walmart's Vudu and Dish Network's Blockbuster. Facebook poked a toe in the iVOD water this year with some one-off movie offerings from studios including Warner Bros. Although Facebook has talked a lot about having more of a presence in the content world, there's only a vague sense of what its plans actually are. Microsoft's Xbox Live was the first to try a third digital-distribution model for video that everyone from Verizon to Sony has been reported considering: the virtual MSO model, which bundles a bunch of linear channels akin to how a cable operator does, but with much fewer channels at a much lower price point. All the while, Xbox stays in the iVOD biz via its Zune marketplace. Like Microsoft, Google is a company to watch because it's not relying on any one digital-content business model. Google has poured at least $100 million into an original-content strategy that has reconfigured YouTube into a more channel-centric outlet while beefing up the premium-content supply to its rental offerings. The company is even contemplating a virtual-MSO strategy via a broadband network being built for the test market of Kansas City. What Google needs most is content to support its platforms, whether its own nascent Google TV service or the myriad handhelds powered by its Android software. Apple is thinking similarly, leaving perhaps the biggest question market hovering over the entire playing field: Will there be an Apple-branded TV set introduced to the market next year? Such a product would be an instant gamechanger if it comes to fruition. Last but not least, don't underestimate the incumbents all these digital players are trying to marginalize: the MSOs. Whether a cable operator like Comcast or satcasters DirecTV and Dish, they have the resources and relationships with programmers to innovate with real impact if they're willing to experiment with offerings that might go head-to-head with their legacy businesses. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Angelina Jolie's Luc Besson Movie Expires Next

Jennifer Aniston will get her "Fifth Element" on, it seems, as reviews of her approaching sci-fi action collaboration with director Luc Besson are starting to warm up increasingly more today. Meanwhile, Harrison Ford may have finally found his Jackie Robinson, Michael Shannon's "Iceman" killer finds his bride-to-be-to-be, and "Burt Wonderstone" is crushing the amounts. It's December 13, and you're simply tuning into current day Casting Call! Angelina Jolie's Besson Collaboration Inches Closer It's searching progressively much more likely that Jennifer Aniston and Luc Besson will indeed be joining together for just about any large new sci-fi project. Deadline reviews that Universal bakes an offer to secure 80% in the approaching film's distribution rights, including within the united states . States. The film is predicted being Jolie's next, though handful of to no particulars are presently known beyond the two key players involved cheap it's tonally similar to Besson's earlier efforts "The Professional" and "The fifth Element." Basically: awesome. Jackie Robinson Found In addition to gentlemen, now batting, number forty-two: Chadwick Boseman! Variety looks at the relative newcomer remains cast as legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson inside the approaching Legendary Pictures biopic "42." Boseman will most likely star opposite Harrison Ford, who was simply formerly introduced incorporated within the project. John Helgeland will direct using their own script. Ryder Marries The "Iceman" Avoid them, Winona! He's a killer! Oh--oh, it's just a movie? Okay, that is not so bad. Seems like Winona Ryder, most broadly known recently in a nutshell looks in "Black Swan" and "The Exorcist,Inch features a killer new role up her sleeve. According to Deadline, she'll star in thriller biopic "The Iceman" as Deborah Kuklinski, who didn't have clue that her husband (carried out by Michael Shannon) was independently a contract killer. Chris Evans also stars just like a fellow killer-for-hire. Garrett Meets "Wonderstone" Much like everybody loves Raymond, also does everybody love "Burt Wonderstone." Or, no less than, "Raymond" vet Kaira Garrett can be a large fan. THR reviews that he's joining the Steve Carell-introduced "Wonderstone" in the supporting role becoming an accountant that Carell's magician character fires. The cast includes Jim Carrey, Olivia Wilde and Steve Buscemi. Cooper's "Summer season" Vacation THR also notes that Dominic Cooper will enjoy "Summer season in February." The "Devil's Double" actor has signed on for your novel adaptation that's known to as "an authentic tale of love, liberty and scandal one of the Edwardian artists colony in Cornwall." Serta Stevens and Ophelia Lovibond also star. Got any casting news to feed along? Send it in my opinion @roundhoward! Inform us everything you consider current day Casting Make contact with should be genuine section and also on Twitter!

Liz Hurley Shares Her Strategies For Remaining Slim & Fashion After 40

First Released: December 12, 2011 3:56 PM EST Credit: Getty Images La, Calif. -- Caption Liz Hurley constitutes a personal appearance to boost awareness for Cancer Of The Breast Awareness Month at Edinburgh, Scotland on October 4, 2011 Elizabeth Hurley might be 46, but shes turning heads alongside Blake Lively and Leighton Meester on Gossip Girl, and she or he described among the large tips for searching good as she inches toward 50. [After I was more youthful], I possibly could look very good on three hrs sleep, Liz told United kingdom magazine Zest, per The Daily Mail. Now, I seem like a lunatic basically dont reach least double that. During my 20s I did previously have the ability to exist on coffee, cigarettes and crisps, however, a few days of this now and Id feel and look really frightening! Beyond getting her beauty sleep, Liz, that has a bathing suit line, which she herself models, accepted it is not hard to maintain the motivation to sort out, especially during the cold months. I put myself pressurized to stay slim because I still model my very own bikinis but it's a lot more hard to feel motivated within the gloomy winter, she stated. I wrap myself up and then try to walk every single day with my dogs and often pressure myself to operate a little however i hate it. I really like Bikram yoga and yoga but, again, am more prone to do them early in the year and summer time. And Lizs new love, Australian cricket star Shane Warne, helps out too. Hes naturally very sports because hes been an expert sportsperson for more than two decades. He keeps threatening to create me run with him, but Ive opposed to date, she added. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

FilmDistrict weighs in at in at future plan

FilmDistrict's decision to create several game game titles, including "Red-colored-colored Beginning," via Open Road Films (Variety, 12 ,. 6) is the one other instance of an indie distrib that's found the going tough inside the mid-sized pic market. It's among several options for FilmDistrict continuing to move forward inside the distribution game. Despite experienced professionals and solid backing, maintaining a effective domestic distrib operation entails considerable risk for mid-sized labels for instance Relativity Media and CBS Films. The down sides of acquiring superbly listed game game titles commercial enough to see wide in the sluggish theatrical climate have shown a lot of for a number of. "It is a difficult business," mentioned one distrib professional. "You can't undertake lots of films." FilmDistrict saw success taken with "Insidious" and "Soul Surfer," because both versions were bought through the new the new sony Pictures Worldwide Purchases. (Sony's TriStar Pictures distribbed the 2nd pic, with FilmDistrict co-marketing -- another potential way of the shingle.) Summer season releases "You Should not Panic from the Dark" and "Drive" completed adequately, though some experts mentioned FilmDistrict overspent on P&A for "Drive," wanting the arty Ryan Gosling pic would crossover to mainstream auds. Still, the combined $125 million domestic gross all films totals greater than almost every other start-up's first four films within the last 15 years, showing that there has been other tensions affecting stability at FilmDistrict. The go to offload photos to start Road comes monthly after Bob and Jeanne Berney introduced their exit as FilmDistrict's top distribution and marketing professionals, a rapid change for your start-up that's packing up its NY office and moving to La. The Berneys continues handling FilmDistrict releases until March 1, including Angelina Jolie's Christmas release "Inside the Land of Blood stream and Honey." Beneath the three-picture deal between Open Road and FilmDistrict, Open Road will release sci-fier "Avoid M.S. One," starring Guy Pearce and Maggie Sophistication, on April 20, as well as the "Red-colored-colored Beginning" remake on November. 2. The Next film is not selected. Why partner with another start-up like Open Road, rather than an experienced major? To start with, Open Road features a wide-open sked next season, with only two photos dated up to now throughout the initial quarter -- "The Grey" on Jan. 27 and "Quiet House" on March 9. Headed by former The brand new the new sony worldwide matters and purchases topper Peter Schlessel, FilmDistrict seems to experience a natural partner inside the Culver City studio, having its numerous delivering labels including TriStar and Screen Gems. However The new the new sony features a packed 2012 slate it'll, however, distribute FilmDistrict's Sept. 28 release "Looper" as well as the "Evil Dead" retread, because both versions were based on prior contracts. Schlessel also provides an effective relationship with Open Road Boss Tom Ortenberg, from Schlessel's time in the new the new sony. Whether FilmDistrict decides to stay the course just like a distrib (it'll release "Only God Forgives"), or becomes an purchases and production label using distribution partners, its partnership with Open Road could provide a template due to its future direction. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

CBS CEO Leslie Moonves: 'We Want a Healthy Netflix'

Comedy Central is bulking up on its comedic offerings. In an effort to expand its slate, which already includes such shows as South Park, Workaholics and Tosh.0, the Viacom-owned network has ordered scripts for three more projects, two of which are animated. There'sGajillionaires, a half-hour animated show about the uber-wealthy Benjamin and George Krabbe and their misadventures in the world of big business.Bailouts, corrupt senators, sycophantic cronies like Chef Boyardee and Dick Cheney and an undying love for Tipper Gore are all along for the ride. PHOTOS: 10 Broadcast and Cable TV Show Most Watched by Men The project, created, written and produced by Yoni Brenner (Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs), countsJoel Kuwahara, Scott Greenberg andMark McJimsey of Bento Box along with Peter Principato, Paul Young and Tucker Voorheesof Principato/Young Entertainment as executive producers. Among the other scripts Comedy Central has ordered:Grubstein & Grubstein, an animated comedy created and co-executive produced by Arthur Jones andKarl Ackerman based on two twenty-something brothers who inherit a Brooklyn brownstone filled with oddball tenants. Finally, the network has nabbed a script for Upstate, a half-hour narrative based on two guyswho return to the summer town of their youth and live like they are sixteen again, complete with bonfires, jet-ski races and stealing Uncle Gary's pot.The project is written and co-executive produced by its stars,Jon GabrusandJustin Tyler. Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com; Twitter: @LaceyVRose Related Topics Comedy Central TV Development

Work of Art's Michelle on which Went Wrong, the Kymia Debate and Why Poop Is really a Positive Thing

Michelle, Thing Of Beauty Jerry Saltz selected Thing of beauty contestant Michelle Matson to win the entire factor - her first couple of pieces "The Eternal Woodsman" and "Dirty Playground" made her a leader in early stages. However when she was confronted with needing to create something from the bits of a Fiat 500, Matson's anthropomorphic vision of the happy/sad vehicle got her only the boot. On a trip abroad, the 29-year-old Brooklyn artist who is an expert in unusual paper-based masterpieces, told TVGuide.com via e-mail by what went wrong, the Kymia debate and her dependence on poop. Jerry is virtually devastated to possess sent you home. Does that cause you to feel much better? He creates that behind the curtain, he really attempted in order to save the whole bottom three. Michelle Matson: It can make me feel amazing to possess this type of well-regarded as critic during my corner -- even when Used to do finish up getting told to go home. However, I'd have loved it as we counseled me permitted a pardon! Mental hiccup!! Work of Art's The Sucklord how the children challenge destroyed him Had you been surprised to possess been cut? What have you think about the critique of the piece? Why do you consider Lola and Kymia were able to escape? Matson: I had been surprised, although not shocked. I felt like the 3 people made pretty poor pieces and for me the critique was fair. Someone needed to be told to go home. Given another chance, can you have tied to your original body made from vehicle parts idea? Or even the steamy, sinful vehicle home windows? (In the recap, Jerry creates that the first idea could have been your "best piece" yet.) Matson: Looking back, If only I'd tied to my original idea. It had been the piece I had been most excited by and i believe it might have switched out perfectly. Why do you consider you second-suspected yourself now? Even if Simon did not appear offered because of your Diet Coke can in Pop Art Week, you tied to it. Matson: Well, it is not as simple as everything. Throughout the Pop Challenge I designed a second piece which Simon and that i talked about thorough. Simon is an extremely intelligent guy along with a convincing mentor. I respect his opinion, and desire I'd made better options with this challenge. Work of Art's Bayete: I could not pull it together whatsoever Why have you and Lola ignore Kymia when she was asking to make use of the computer systems throughout Street Art Week? Exactly why is everybody annoyed by her? Have you also stick peel off stickers on her behalf street art or was that simply Lola? Matson: When a lot of artists will work in close closeness to each other it creates lots of noise and distraction -- you learn how to tune stuff out to be able to concentrate. It's like reading through around the subway. I believe Kymia was feeling the strain from the challenge and overreacted to some perceived slight. Lola and that i directed everyone else to stay the peel off stickers everywhere. There have been peel off stickers throughout DUMBO. It had been great -- everyone else was just like a swarm of bees. I revisited the website lately and you will find still little tiger cigarettes in some places, stuck under guardrails as well as on stop signs. Which piece that you simply made on the program are you currently most happy with and why? Matson: Most likely the children challenge, I had been really loving the grassy landscape and vines growing throughout that piece. It's really inspired my latest body of labor -- it is a completely new direction for me personally. Character! Why poop? It had been a topic additionally you wanted revisit throughout movement week. Matson: I really like the way the body works, it's this unique perfect/imperfect factor. Birth, dying, growth, digestion, cell regrowth, bodily failure, reproduction... it's all regulated fascinating in my experience. Poop is just one of individuals things that's equal parts necessary, gross and kinda enjoyable. Everybody feels better following a good poop. What's next for you personally? Matson: I am showing some completely new pieces the following month only at that amazing artist-run project space: Youth Group Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. The outlet is The month of january 27th.

Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj Headline Billboard's Women in Music Ceremony

Donald Trump may not have been successful in his bid for a Republican presidential nomination, but NBC'sThe Apprentice host has found another way to get involved with the race.our editor recommendsDonald Trump Doc Maker Orders Iranian Regime To Cancel Illegal Screening of His FilmDonald Trump Accuses Jon Stewart of 'Racist Rant' about Herman Cain (Video)Donald Trump Loses Libel Lawsuit Over Being Called A 'Millionaire'Donald Trump Charging $10,000 for Invitation-Only Meet and GreetDonald Trump: I Will Not Be Running for PresidentRelated Topics•Politics PHOTOS: NY City Power List Newsmax Media, a conservative magazine and website, has tapped Trump to moderate a presidential debate in Des Moines, IA Dec. 27, the NY Times reports. "Our readers and the grass roots really love Trump," Christopher Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax Media, told the paper. "They may not agree withhim on everything, but they don't see him as owned by the Washington establishment, the media establishment." PHOTOS: 10 Hollywood Players That Will Make a Difference in the 2012 Elections The Republican candidate participants have not yet been named. Candidates were sent their debate invitation Friday, the same day Trump's moderatorship was announced. Some of the presidential hopefuls have already met with Trump this year. Gov. Rick Perry dined with him Sept. 14. Michelle Bachmann has sat down with him on several occasions and Mitt Romney met with him privately in Sept. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Top Earners The real-estate mogul explored a possible White House bid earlier this year before ultimately announcing he would not run in May. "This decision does not come easily or without regret; especially when my potential candidacy continues to be validated by ranking at the top of the Republican contenders in polls across the country," he said in a statement at the time. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Box Office Politics: The Movies and Stars Dems vs. GOPers Love (and Love to Hate) Related Topics Donald Trump NBC Politics Rick Perry Mitt Romney

The Women of 'The Help' Work Together to Bring a Bestseller to Life

The Women of 'The Help' Work Together to Bring a Bestseller to Life By Back Stage staff November 30, 2011 Photo by Dale Robinette/DreamWorks Time and again, the lack of good movie roles for women has been bemoaned. Or a female-centric film does well at the box office, spawning articles on how there really is an audience for such stories. This year, two films with primarily female casts became critical and box office hits. First came "Bridesmaids," in which Kristen Wiig and company proved they could tackle gross-out comedy as well as the boys. Then there was "The Help," in which a group of fine actors assembled to bring Kathryn Stockett's bestseller to life.The film, directed by Tate Taylor, centers on African-American maids in 1960s Mississippi who decide to tell their stories to an ambitious young journalist. Heading the cast are Viola Davis, in her first lead film role, as quiet domestic Aibileen Clark, and Emma Stone as Skeeter, the writer who tells the women's stories. The supporting cast is full of outstanding actors, from Bryce Dallas Howard as a spoiled socialite to Sissy Spacek as her adorable mother, as well as two of the biggest breakouts of the year: Jessica Chastain, who is also earning raves for her work in "Take Shelter" and "The Tree of Life," charms as social outcast Celia Foote, and Octavia Spencer shines as her maid Minny, a role that Spencer inspired Stockett to write.On how they got involved with "The Help" Viola Davis: I was a fan of the book. I just thought [Kathryn] really humanized these women who in history have never been given a voice. As soon as I read it, I said, "Oh, this has got to be a movie, and I've got to option it, and I've got to play Aibileen. Then I found out that Tate Taylor had it. And from there it just went from us having mutual friends and me finding out that he actually did have me in mind for the movie. Jessica Chastain: Celia was the role I was asked to audition for, and it was the role I truly wanted. I think sometimes people get in the trap of saying, "Oh, I want the lead," or "Oh, I want a hit." But I read the script and immediately I wanted Celia because she is so different from anything I've done. I'm not kidding when I say I cried while reading the screenplay. And I said, "This is a woman I want to know for a while."Octavia Spencer: I met Kathryn about eight or nine years ago in New Orleans. Tate had talked about us meeting. We were there doing the sound mix on his short film "Chicken Party." Kathryn came down for the day, and Tate decided we should take a walking tour of the city. It was hot, I was on a diet, starving and grumpy, and we start on this tour. And then the complaints began from me. And from there, I think, Minny was born. But she's not based on me. I say it jokingly, but it's true: Minny is short and round; I am short and round. Minny speaks her mind all the time; I don't have a problem speaking my mind. But here's the thing: I did have to audition for it, and why not? When you think about it, it's an unknown director with a hot property who wants to cast an unknown in one of the leads. Mo'Nique has just won an Oscar, Jennifer Hudson has just won an Oscar, and you have amazing actresses out there like Queen Latifahwhy would they cast me? [The studio was] very gracious to allow me to come in and audition, and I was never made to feel like it wasn't an easy decision for them.On preparing for the role Davis: A teacher once told me you can never have too much information about a character. You just have to arm yourself with information. So of course, I found every type of information about that period. I felt I had to saturate myself with that because I am a 21st-century girl. A lot of what existed in that time period is so foreign to me. Of course, intellectually I know, but I felt I had to arm myself with more information. So I watched documentaries. Some I had already seen, like "Eyes on the Prize," and documentaries on domesticshow they feel. Everything about Freedom Summer in Mississippi. And also I started with what I feel as an actor is the bible, which is the text itself, which is the book and the script. And then after that I always feel like I need a person to focus on, because I feel like a lot of actors create in a vacuum, that performance is really dynamic but only in the confines of a classroom, but you can never look at a character and go, "I know someone like that" or "Those characteristics are palpable to me." So I always have to have a vision of a person in my head. And that person was my mother and my grandmother, who when they walk into a room nobody would ever notice themjust, in the most beautiful way, ordinary. I felt like I had to start with that. I had their experiences very much in my head, stories my mother had told me about my grandmother being a maid and herself being a maid. And everything else I just had to make up, use my imagination in terms of filling her out. On the most challenging scene to shoot Davis: Definitely the last scene. Probably not for any of the reasons that people think, and for all the reasons people think. Because even reading the book, it was very challenging for me to read that part. That story really touched me the most. When Aibileen and Mae Mobley were separated in the end, it totally devastated me as a reader. So the actual shooting of it was very difficult. Emotionally, it was difficult because for me I felt like it was Aibileen making peace with letting Treelore, her son, go. I felt that was that whole connection. And certainly when you go to that place as a person, it's very difficult. I understand how it feels that someone is gone. That is how I was able to get through that scene, number one. But number two, it was challenging because it was cut up. The first part of the separation scene was an interior scene, and the other part of the scene is exterior. They were shot two different days, and yet when you ultimately see it, it is one long scene. That is very challenging as an actor. And it's also very challenging working with a 3-year-old who doesn't understand that concept. So you're trying to really get it out of them at the same time you have your own work to do. So the constant kind of stepping out of my body to be kind of a facilitator for her just to hit her mark and to say her lines and to look at me, and then stepping back into myself to play Aibileen. Spencer: Actually, there were three. One didn't make the final cut. It's a scene where I finally leave Leroy, and I'm beaten up and the kids are with me and I'm at a phone booth. That was hard. But equally difficult is being in the scene where Celia loses the baby, because I've fallen in love with Jessica Chastain and it's hard to see your friend like that. Same thing with Aibileen, when she tells the story about losing Treelore and why it's important that the book be published. Seeing her go through that pain was hard, because I love Viola. Those were things where I had one or two words to say, but they were just very difficult to shoot.On working with the other actors Davis: It's one of those dream situations where you're with other actresses who are not competitive. That's the best way to put it. Usually people don't want to encourage you to do your best, because they feel it's a reflection of what they're not doing or their failure. But [on "The Help"], my excellence was their excellence. It's my same experience working with Meryl Streep [on "Doubt"]. It felt like her giving 150 percent during my close-up was just as important as her giving 150 percent during her close-up. And those are the kind of people you want to be creating withtotal lack of ego. And so many people have asked this too: "What's it like working with so many women?" It was fabulous! It was exactly how it should be. You know, comrades. It certainly was a whole lot of fun being in Mississippi, in a small community, just us, because we weren't going back to our apartment or homes. We were going to each other's homes. Eating, having just the best time.Chastain: I loved this cast. With Octavia, it was love at first sight for me. She was my reader at my audition. And at my very first audition, I said, "I need to do this movie just because I want to be in scenes with Octavia, because our chemistry's so good." I loved Celia and was excited about it, but when I went in, that's when I was like, "I have to do this." You don't always have that chemistry between people, and usually it's between men and women when they talk about it, and they mean it in an intimate way. But I thought our chemistry was so good. For comedy, for the more touching, emotional scenes. I love working with actors so muchthat's my favorite part of being an actor, the relationships you develop. I became obsessed with the project, and I knew I had to do it. On awards buzz for their performances Chastain: It's funny. I'm in other films this year, and someone told me I needed to strategize or I'll cancel myself out. But I don't know if that's something I can do. To even have people talking about the films I'm in, I'm just overwhelmed. I think more about my co-stars. Like, I think Michael Shannon should be recognized. I think Octavia Spencer should be recognized. This year has been so good, I don't know if I can take anymore!Spencer: You know what? It's every actor's dream to win accolades, but it's not something that we can control. And I'm a control freak. So I'm learning to be healthy and recognize I can't control it and just live in this moment. And in this moment, I got to work on a great film that I'm getting to promote, and I've made great friends. That is a great reward. If anything else happens, I'll be over the moon, but I can't even allow myself to think about it. I will say this: Oscar is my type of guy. He's bald and full of bling. The Women of 'The Help' Work Together to Bring a Bestseller to Life By Back Stage staff November 30, 2011 PHOTO CREDIT Dale Robinette/DreamWorks Time and again, the lack of good movie roles for women has been bemoaned. Or a female-centric film does well at the box office, spawning articles on how there really is an audience for such stories. This year, two films with primarily female casts became critical and box office hits. First came "Bridesmaids," in which Kristen Wiig and company proved they could tackle gross-out comedy as well as the boys. Then there was "The Help," in which a group of fine actors assembled to bring Kathryn Stockett's bestseller to life.The film, directed by Tate Taylor, centers on African-American maids in 1960s Mississippi who decide to tell their stories to an ambitious young journalist. Heading the cast are Viola Davis, in her first lead film role, as quiet domestic Aibileen Clark, and Emma Stone as Skeeter, the writer who tells the women's stories. The supporting cast is full of outstanding actors, from Bryce Dallas Howard as a spoiled socialite to Sissy Spacek as her adorable mother, as well as two of the biggest breakouts of the year: Jessica Chastain, who is also earning raves for her work in "Take Shelter" and "The Tree of Life," charms as social outcast Celia Foote, and Octavia Spencer shines as her maid Minny, a role that Spencer inspired Stockett to write.On how they got involved with "The Help" Viola Davis: I was a fan of the book. I just thought [Kathryn] really humanized these women who in history have never been given a voice. As soon as I read it, I said, "Oh, this has got to be a movie, and I've got to option it, and I've got to play Aibileen. Then I found out that Tate Taylor had it. And from there it just went from us having mutual friends and me finding out that he actually did have me in mind for the movie. Jessica Chastain: Celia was the role I was asked to audition for, and it was the role I truly wanted. I think sometimes people get in the trap of saying, "Oh, I want the lead," or "Oh, I want a hit." But I read the script and immediately I wanted Celia because she is so different from anything I've done. I'm not kidding when I say I cried while reading the screenplay. And I said, "This is a woman I want to know for a while."Octavia Spencer: I met Kathryn about eight or nine years ago in New Orleans. Tate had talked about us meeting. We were there doing the sound mix on his short film "Chicken Party." Kathryn came down for the day, and Tate decided we should take a walking tour of the city. It was hot, I was on a diet, starving and grumpy, and we start on this tour. And then the complaints began from me. And from there, I think, Minny was born. But she's not based on me. I say it jokingly, but it's true: Minny is short and round; I am short and round. Minny speaks her mind all the time; I don't have a problem speaking my mind. But here's the thing: I did have to audition for it, and why not? When you think about it, it's an unknown director with a hot property who wants to cast an unknown in one of the leads. Mo'Nique has just won an Oscar, Jennifer Hudson has just won an Oscar, and you have amazing actresses out there like Queen Latifahwhy would they cast me? [The studio was] very gracious to allow me to come in and audition, and I was never made to feel like it wasn't an easy decision for them.On preparing for the role Davis: A teacher once told me you can never have too much information about a character. You just have to arm yourself with information. So of course, I found every type of information about that period. I felt I had to saturate myself with that because I am a 21st-century girl. A lot of what existed in that time period is so foreign to me. Of course, intellectually I know, but I felt I had to arm myself with more information. So I watched documentaries. Some I had already seen, like "Eyes on the Prize," and documentaries on domesticshow they feel. Everything about Freedom Summer in Mississippi. And also I started with what I feel as an actor is the bible, which is the text itself, which is the book and the script. And then after that I always feel like I need a person to focus on, because I feel like a lot of actors create in a vacuum, that performance is really dynamic but only in the confines of a classroom, but you can never look at a character and go, "I know someone like that" or "Those characteristics are palpable to me." So I always have to have a vision of a person in my head. And that person was my mother and my grandmother, who when they walk into a room nobody would ever notice themjust, in the most beautiful way, ordinary. I felt like I had to start with that. I had their experiences very much in my head, stories my mother had told me about my grandmother being a maid and herself being a maid. And everything else I just had to make up, use my imagination in terms of filling her out. On the most challenging scene to shoot Davis: Definitely the last scene. Probably not for any of the reasons that people think, and for all the reasons people think. Because even reading the book, it was very challenging for me to read that part. That story really touched me the most. When Aibileen and Mae Mobley were separated in the end, it totally devastated me as a reader. So the actual shooting of it was very difficult. Emotionally, it was difficult because for me I felt like it was Aibileen making peace with letting Treelore, her son, go. I felt that was that whole connection. And certainly when you go to that place as a person, it's very difficult. I understand how it feels that someone is gone. That is how I was able to get through that scene, number one. But number two, it was challenging because it was cut up. The first part of the separation scene was an interior scene, and the other part of the scene is exterior. They were shot two different days, and yet when you ultimately see it, it is one long scene. That is very challenging as an actor. And it's also very challenging working with a 3-year-old who doesn't understand that concept. So you're trying to really get it out of them at the same time you have your own work to do. So the constant kind of stepping out of my body to be kind of a facilitator for her just to hit her mark and to say her lines and to look at me, and then stepping back into myself to play Aibileen. Spencer: Actually, there were three. One didn't make the final cut. It's a scene where I finally leave Leroy, and I'm beaten up and the kids are with me and I'm at a phone booth. That was hard. But equally difficult is being in the scene where Celia loses the baby, because I've fallen in love with Jessica Chastain and it's hard to see your friend like that. Same thing with Aibileen, when she tells the story about losing Treelore and why it's important that the book be published. Seeing her go through that pain was hard, because I love Viola. Those were things where I had one or two words to say, but they were just very difficult to shoot.On working with the other actors Davis: It's one of those dream situations where you're with other actresses who are not competitive. That's the best way to put it. Usually people don't want to encourage you to do your best, because they feel it's a reflection of what they're not doing or their failure. But [on "The Help"], my excellence was their excellence. It's my same experience working with Meryl Streep [on "Doubt"]. It felt like her giving 150 percent during my close-up was just as important as her giving 150 percent during her close-up. And those are the kind of people you want to be creating withtotal lack of ego. And so many people have asked this too: "What's it like working with so many women?" It was fabulous! It was exactly how it should be. You know, comrades. It certainly was a whole lot of fun being in Mississippi, in a small community, just us, because we weren't going back to our apartment or homes. We were going to each other's homes. Eating, having just the best time.Chastain: I loved this cast. With Octavia, it was love at first sight for me. She was my reader at my audition. And at my very first audition, I said, "I need to do this movie just because I want to be in scenes with Octavia, because our chemistry's so good." I loved Celia and was excited about it, but when I went in, that's when I was like, "I have to do this." You don't always have that chemistry between people, and usually it's between men and women when they talk about it, and they mean it in an intimate way. But I thought our chemistry was so good. For comedy, for the more touching, emotional scenes. I love working with actors so muchthat's my favorite part of being an actor, the relationships you develop. I became obsessed with the project, and I knew I had to do it. On awards buzz for their performances Chastain: It's funny. I'm in other films this year, and someone told me I needed to strategize or I'll cancel myself out. But I don't know if that's something I can do. To even have people talking about the films I'm in, I'm just overwhelmed. I think more about my co-stars. Like, I think Michael Shannon should be recognized. I think Octavia Spencer should be recognized. This year has been so good, I don't know if I can take anymore!Spencer: You know what? It's every actor's dream to win accolades, but it's not something that we can control. And I'm a control freak. So I'm learning to be healthy and recognize I can't control it and just live in this moment. And in this moment, I got to work on a great film that I'm getting to promote, and I've made great friends. That is a great reward. If anything else happens, I'll be over the moon, but I can't even allow myself to think about it. I will say this: Oscar is my type of guy. He's bald and full of bling.

The Human Centipede II Banned in Australia

Consider it another notch in Tom Six’s cinematic bedpost: The barf-inducing horror sequel The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) has been banned in Australia following review by the Classification Review Board, the nation’s three-person governing body. Too extreme even for an R 18+ rating, the film was deemed to contain “gratuitous, exploitative, or offensive depictions of violence with a very high degree of impact and cruelty which has a high impact;” hit with a RC (Refused Classification) label, it can’t be “sold, hired, or advertised” in Australia. This, despite the Australian teaser for the film back in September suggesting that Australia would get an uncut version. Don’t worry, Aussies: Censors in U.K. also banned The Human Centipede II via a refusal to certify (albeit with much more colorful, entertaining language) and the film eventually passed muster after Six edited out the more horrifying content. And you don’t want to end up like Movieline’s poor Fantastic Fest seatmate, do you? Of course, there’s the whole censorship business to be outraged by, but trust me: If you truly want the full, uncut Human Centipede II experience it’ll be available eventually in Six’s Director’s Cut on DVD. At least then you can curl up into the fetal position in the comfort of your own home. [Classification Review Board via Movie City News]

Seven Artists Selected for 2012 Sundance Retreat

Seven Artists Selected for 2012 Sundance Retreat By Madasyn Czebiniak November 28, 2011 Seven artists will are able of your life: to wind down, recharge, create new material, and possess it critiqued in early stagesat a cattle ranch round the edges of Sheridan, Wyo. Yes, a cattle ranch. The Sundance Institute Theatre Program introduced today the seven artists selected because of its 2012 Playwrights Retreat at Ucross Foundation. Five authors and a pair of composers were selected with this particular year's program, which occur in February. They are Bruce Norris, Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, Nathan Louis Jackson, Brett Neveu, Joshua Schmidt, Heidi Schreck, and Georgia Stitt."Ucross offers a spectacular atmosphere and support, that's considerably crucial in enabling artists inspiration and community," Philip Himberg, creating artistic director in the theater program, mentioned in the written statement.Added Ucross Foundation leader Sharon Dynak, "We trust the 2010 selection of exceptional authors and composers will uncover just as much creative inspiration inside our surroundings since the artists that precede them." Seven Artists Selected for 2012 Sundance Retreat By Madasyn Czebiniak November 28, 2011 Seven artists will are able of your life: to wind down, recharge, create new material, and possess it critiqued in early stagesat a cattle ranch round the edges of Sheridan, Wyo. Yes, a cattle ranch. The Sundance Institute Theatre Program introduced today the seven artists selected due to its 2012 Playwrights Retreat at Ucross Foundation. Five authors and a pair of composers were selected with this particular year's program, which occur in February. They are Bruce Norris, Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, Nathan Louis Jackson, Brett Neveu, Joshua Schmidt, Heidi Schreck, and Georgia Stitt."Ucross offers a spectacular atmosphere and support, that's considerably crucial in enabling artists inspiration and community," Philip Himberg, creating artistic director in the theater program, mentioned in the written statement.Added Ucross Foundation leader Sharon Dynak, "We trust the 2010 selection of exceptional authors and composers will uncover as much creative inspiration inside our surroundings since the artists that precede them."

Modern Family First Look: Book of Mormon's Josh Gad Loves to Man-Shake

Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Josh Gad The Book of Mormon's Josh Gad will make his Modern Family debut on Wednesday - and if you can imagine, his character is even more awkward than Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell). "He grew up in the neighborhood and used to be the Dunphys neighbor," Gad tells TVGuide.com. "He winds up coming back and visiting them. They're very surprised by what he's done with himself because he was not necessarily going to make much of his life and quite the opposite happens." Modern Family partners with Greg Kinnear for guest spot Gad has producers Chris Lloyd and Steve Levitan to thank for landing the role. He previously worked with the Modern Family duo on Fox's short-lived comedy Back to You. "We had been trying to pair up for a while to work again together, and one day they called me up and said, 'We have this great character and if you can get a second to break away from your day job, we'd love for you to come and do it," he says. "I, of course, complied because this show is a little bit of a hit, but I felt like it needed my presence in order to get to that next level." The logistics of getting Gad to Los Angeles to shoot the role weren't as simple as him actually landing the plum part. The Book of Mormon actor flew out to L.A. Monday morning, hopped on a Red Eye that night and hit the stage Tuesday night for Mormon. Still, he says, it was completely worth it. "It was a reunion of sorts with Ty Burell, who was on Back to You, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson and I got our starts in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Broadway together. It was so rewarding and I would do it all over again." Watch full episodes of Modern Family Despite the chaotic lengths Gad took to shoot Modern Family, he hopes this isn't the last we see of him on TV. "My goal is to fly every Monday for the next year to go do a guest role on every single show currently shooting just to say I did," he says with a laugh. "We'll just start with the CSIs, knock them all off." As for his time on Modern Family, Gad points to a particular scene that made his time worth it. "The most fun element of the entire shoot was this physical comedy bit that Ty and I got to really create from scratch," he says. "It's an old meet-and-greet handshake that goes just so far and is so unnecessarily elaborate." Check out what scene Gad is talking about in this sneak peek below:

Menkes gets retrospective

Nina Menkes' latest film, 'Dissolution,' will play throughout this spring's retrospective, in addition to some of her older pics. Gotham's Anthology Film Archives and the UCLA Film Archives will partner to present a retrospective of films by Nina Menkes this spring.Her latest pic, 2010's "Dissolution," will play throughout the retrospective week in NY, in addition to older works.Experimental filmmaking stalwart Menkes, who has made six features, has established a rep for controlling all elements of production, serving as producer, writer, director and editor. She has collaborated on several projects with sister Tinka Menkes as lead actress.Menkes' first feature was 1986's "Magdalena Viraga," about an L.A. prostitute incarcerated for murdering her pimp. Other pics include Sundance alum "Queen of Diamonds" (1991), "The Bloody Child" (1996) and "Phantom Love" (2007)."Dissolution," filmed in black and white in Tel Aviv, is loosely based on Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment." Israeli musician and philosopher David Fire stars.Menkes' next movie, "Heatstroke," will be filmed in Cairo and L.A., with Gus Van Sant onboard as exec producer.Bicoastal retrospective is set for March, with exact dates and lineups to set. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Producer Brian Grazer Facing a Welcome Oscar Dilemma

This story first appeared in the Nov. 25 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.our editor recommendsBrian Grazer Replacing Brett Ratner as Oscar Producer (Exclusive)Oscar Shake-up: Hollywood Weighs In on New Host Billy Crystal, Producer Brian GrazerBrian Grazer: 5 Things to Know About Brett Ratners Oscar ReplacementOscar Show Producer Replacements: If Not Brian Grazer, Then Who? Eddie Murphy Says Brian Grazer Saved 'Tower Heist' (Video) Brian Grazer knows how tense Oscar nights can be. He's been there, sitting in the audience as a nominee on four occasions, and only once -- when A Beautiful Mind was named best picture in 2002 -- was his name called. Now that Grazer has agreed to step in to produce the 84th Annual Academy Awards with Don Mischer, he'll find the evening even more fraught. Not only will he be responsible for ensuring the always-unwieldy telecast goes off without a hitch, he himself could be a nominee for J. Edgar. Add to that a preshow complication: Rival campaigns will be watching his every move closely, ready to pounce if, in his role as Oscar producer, Grazer shows J. Edgar any favoritism. Complains one Academy member: "The Academy just doesn't worry about these conflicts the way it once did. Look, the other night they honored Vanessa Redgrave in London, and it's not going to happen, but she could be a nominee for Coriolanus." PHOTOS: 'J. Edgar' Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals It's not really a question of how Grazer might shape the Oscar broadcast Feb. 26. He could turn it into a veritable J. Edgar lovefest, and it wouldn't matter. By then, all the votes will be cast, and the movie will have done the bulk of its box-office business. But in the coming weeks, as he begins to put his mark on the show, there will be announcements carrying Grazer's name about writers and designers coming aboard. Once the nominations are announced Jan. 24, he'll be front and center at the Nominees Luncheon on Feb. 6, where the show's producer traditionally appears to preview bits from the telecast and plead that the winners keep their speeches short. Then, in the second phase, as final votes are cast, he, along with host Billy Crystal, will be pushed forward to do publicity to promote the big night. COVER STORY: The Making of 'J. Edgar' Grazer's situation is unusual, though not unprecedented. In 1958, Jerry Wald, one of the most prolific producers of his era, produced the Oscars while having a best picture nominee, Peyton Place, in contention. (It lost to The Bridge on the River Kwai, and he went home without a single trophy.) Given how quickly events unfolded once Brett Ratner resigned as producer Nov. 8, there was never any real discussion about the issue. That day, Grazer was flying back from NY, where the previous evening he had attended a screening of his Clint Eastwood-directed biopic starring Leonardo DiCaprio. When he landed, Academy president Tom Sherak was on the phone, offering him the job. After quickly consulting with his Imagine Entertainment producing partner, Ron Howard, Grazer accepted. "I said, 'OK, congratulations.' That's how quickly it happened," says Sherak. Asked whether he foresees any potential conflict, Grazer replied: "We're just hoping people want to see the movie. We're professionals; we'll just take it from one day to the next." PHOTOS: Warner Bros.' Fall Movies As far as J. Edgar's chances go, the die had already been cast. The filmmakers spent the week before the Academy's Oscar meltdown unveiling it with a premiere at AFI Fest and Q&As at the DGA, SAG and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Although Grazer was on hand, he tends to hang back, letting the talent front for the film. Says one source familiar with how he works, "When it comes to campaigns, Brian is just not a controlling, manipulative type -- certainly not in the sense of a Spielberg or a Rudin." The strategists at Warner Bros. are watching the film's reception before plotting their next moves. Overall, critics were mixed, though key reviews in the Los Angeles Times and The NY Times gave it raves that could translate to Oscars. A best picture nomination isn't a sure shot, though: Eastwood, a five-time Oscar winner, personally hasn't earned a nom for his past four films. DiCaprio is a much safer bet because he gets to pull out the stops, playing Hoover from ages 24 to 77. Armie Hammer's supporting role as the loyal Clyde Tolson and Dustin Lance Black's original screenplay also could capture noms -- though Black's nuanced script, which paints Hoover as much victim as victimizer, could be too sympathetic for some older Academy members who still view him as Public Enemy No. 1. It's certainly possible some voters, grateful Grazer is helping the Academy out of a jam, could toss a vote or two J. Edgar's way. But because voters write down the name of a film, not those of individual producers, a vote for J. Edgar isn't necessarily a thank-you vote for Grazer. And in the end, predicts another insider, the movie "is really going to be seen as a Clint movie more than Brian's film. FOUR TENSE EVENINGS AT THE ACADEMY AWARDS:It's an honor to be nominated, but Grazer, who has won just once, knows the big night can be tough. 1985: Splash:A story credit on his second feature, about a mermaid-human love story, earned him his first nom -- as a writer. 1996: Apollo 13:Having won PGA and DGA awards, it was consideredthe front-runner but lost best picture toBraveheart. 2002: A Beautiful Mind:Despite nasty whispers that the movie's subject is anti-Semitic, the film prevailed, giving Grazer an Oscar. 2009: Frost/Nixon:Five noms, including best picture, but no wins. Hollywood wasn't ready to reward a movie about Richard Nixon. Related Topics Brian Grazer Oscars Oscars 2012 Tom Sherak

Michael Fassbender's 'Prometheus' Character Inspired By... Greg Louganis?

For that mystery wrapped around Ridley Scott's probably "Alien"-related next film, perform know a few causes of "Prometheus." For starters, a plot summary says clear on Hollywood's most in-demand stars, Michael Fassbender, may have an android inside the approaching film. MTV News sitting lower with Fassbender because they was marketing his new film, "Shame," which he asked for the actor exactly what it was would rather join the legacy of "Alien" robots. Fassbender referred to that for his character, David, he needed their very own path when conceiving a child him. "I kind of went my own, personal way, really. I didn't watch the ['Alien'] films. Once I discovered I used to be carrying it out, I didn't revisit them," he mentioned. He did, however, have a look at another famous robot-related movie before starring in "Prometheus." "I seen 'Blade Runner,' however i didn't watch the 'Alien' films," mentioned Fassbender, who recognized that Ian Holm's and Lance Henriksen's performances will be at the rear of his mind. "Clearly, they're inside. I am in a position to remember them from the moment I've come across the movies before, however type of went another way.In . Too for inspiration directly from left area, Fassbender mentioned he looked to Olympic diver, Greg Louganis. "Louganis was my first inspiration. I thought that I'd type of base my physicality roughly around him, and kind of attacked that,Inch he mentioned. Possibly he'll perform a space diving. Who knows? What can you consider Fassbender's approach to his role in "Prometheus"? Inform us inside the comments below and also on Twitter!

Andy Rooney's Son Remembers the Eccentric, Doting Side of the Late '60 Minutes' Commentator

This story first appeared in the Nov. 18 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Andy Rooney delivered his first 60 Minutes commentary on July 2, 1978, railing against the media tradition of tallying highway deaths during holiday weekends. But Rooney, who died Nov. 4 at 92 of complications following surgery, worked at CBS for nearly 60 years and spent 30 years of his career behind the camera. He always considered himself a writer first. Rooney grew up in Albany, N.Y., was drafted into the Army in 1941 and won a Bronze Star for his reporting under fire at the Battle of Saint-Lo. Here, former ABC News correspondent Brian Rooney remembers his dad. One year, on the night before Halloween, my father lined up his four children in the kitchen, handed us each a partial bar of soap, and said, "Get out and soap some windows." PHOTOS AND VIDEO: 5 Andy Rooney Rants He thought being a kid should be fun and a little reckless. We lived in a small town in Connecticut with lots of hills where he taught us how to ride a Flexible Flyer down streets hard-packed with snow. It didn't seem to trouble him that we had to dodge cars while doing it. He took us winter camping, without a tent. We made an igloo out of snow and went to sleep inside until the weather warmed, rain fell and it started to melt. I woke in the middle of the night to see him standing over the campfire, trying to dry our wet clothes. We had a long toboggan that he hitched with a rope to the bumper of the family station wagon and dragged us all over town in a snowstorm. He drove with his head out the window looking back at us, and we'd shout, "Faster, faster!!" VIDEO: '60 Minutes' Pays Tribute to Andy Rooney: 'America's Favorite Grouch-in-Chief' He gave me my first pocketknife and taught me how to use a power saw. He said, "It doesn't seem right, but it's safer when your fingers are closer to the blade." We had a volunteer fire department, and whenever a horn went off down at the fire station, he packed us all in the car and drove us across town to watch somebody's house burn down. He felt it was a civic duty. My father was a man of his times. He did not hug you or tell you, "I love you." He didn't tell us we were wonderful. But if you had to get up at 6 a.m. to drive 300 miles, he'd get up at 5 and make you fresh popovers before you left. Brian Rooney is one of Andy Rooney's four children and his only son. His sister Emily hosts Greater Boston, a PBS public affairs program. Related Topics 60 Minutes Andy Rooney

Disney Posts 30 % Increase in Quarterly Net Gain As Amusement Parks Soar

The Wally Disney Co. on Thursday stated it notched a 30 % increase in net gain to $1.25 billion on revenue that rose 7 percent to $10.43 in the fiscal 4th quarter, matching anticipation on top line. On the per-share basis, Disney published 58 cents in profit while Wall Street experts had predicted 55 cents. Within the same quarter last year, Disney reported an income of 43 cents per share. Studio entertainment revenue sunk 8 percent, while other segments published rising revenue around the quarter. The studio, though, recorded a decent 13 percent increase in operating earnings. Disney blamed strong evaluations for sinking studio revenue, as Cars 2, Twisted, Thor, Captain America and Pirates from the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides didn't measure to this past year's Toy Story 3, Alice's adventures in wonderland, Iron Guy 2 and Princess and also the Frog. Having a 33 percent gain, Disney's parks and resorts segment obtained the greatest improvement in operating earnings because of the inclusion from the Disney Dream cruiseship and greater ticket prices in the parks, where clients also spent more about food and merchandise. Disney shares rose 2.five percent throughout the standard session Thursday to $34.64 and advanced another 2.6 % in after-hrs buying and selling. Disney Boss Bob Iger along with other top professionals will discuss the income inside a business call later today, where some expect a minumum of one from the experts around the call to request to have an update around the all of a sudden questionable Oscar telecast that airs on Disney's ABC network in Feb. Disney's earnings ended the growing season for that conglomerates. Prior to the opening bell on Thursday, Viacom reported better-than-expected quarterly financials, delivering its stock five percent greater at the time. Related Subjects ABC Bob Iger Academy awards Viacom The Wally Disney Company

Daniel Loeb warns Yahoo, Yang

Activist investor Daniel Loeb, whose Third Point LLC owns about 5% of Yahoo, has put the struggling Netco's board and management on notice that shareholders expect to reap rewards from an eventual sale, and he has asked co-founder Jerry Yang to leave the board. Loeb, in a biting letter to directors made public Friday, railed at reports that the company could consider skirting an outright sale by having one or more private equity firms work with Yang to invest a chunk of money in Yahoo, leaving the structure and management unchanged. "The only purpose would be to put substantial equity stakes into friendly hands to entrench management and transfer effective control without payment of a premium or even, it appears, a shareholder vote," Loeb wrote. "We will not tolerate any transaction which appropriates for insiders opportunities that duly belong to current Yahoo shareholders." He threatened a proxy contest if the company pursues a deal that doesn't give shareholders a fair shake. "We can assure all Yahoo shareholders that whatever the outcome of the strategic review process may be, it will serve the best interests of all the company's shareholders," Yahoo countered in a statement. "News reports based on rumor and speculation are just that. The board's comprehensive strategic review process is still under way, with a wide range of options under active consideration." Yahoo hired investment bankers over the summer and has said nothing more publicly than that it's exploring all strategic options. The fate of the giant company with stellar worldwide brands but facing brutal competition has become a matter of almost daily speculation -- with volatility exacerbated by the fact that Yahoo hasn't named a new CEO to replace Carol Bartz, who was ousted earlier this year. Jack Ma's Alibaba Group of China, major private equity firms Texas Pacific Group, Providence Equity, Silver Lake, KKR and Blackstone, along with Microsoft and Google are said to be eyeing a deal. "We do not blame our friends at the private equity firms rumored to be involved for trying to get the best deal possible for their investors," Loeb wrote. "However, we at Third Point are also in the value-maximizing business. We would welcome the prospect of any of these firms' presence on a reconstituted Yahoo board of directors and work on a long-term strategy for the company should it be necessary for us to pursue a proxy contest next year." Loeb, who is famous for making public harsh letters to boards and executives he wants to pressure, may have a long-standing grudge in this case. He claims in the letter that Yahoo's failure to clinch a sale to Microsoft in 1998 was due to Yang's "ineptitude." Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Longtime News Corp. Human Assets Professional Walking Lower

At any time News Corp is pressurized within the mounting phone hacking scandal london, their mind of human assets since 2007 is walking lower and being transformed in the corporate restructuring.our editor recommendsEx-WSJ Author Will Testify Again on Phone Hacking ScandalDow Manley Boss Likely Faces Tough Questions in News around the world ScandalConfessions from the 'News in the World' Reporter (Exclusive)Analyst Compares News Corp. Phone Hacking Scandal to Oliver Stone Movie and 'Very Bad Things' PHOTOS: News around the world's Top Ripoffs Beryl Prepare, who has existed top positions at News Corp and subsidiaries for 22 years, is departing, and frequently will stay an effective consultant focusing on business and talent initiatives over the organization, with different comment Thursday. Using what it referred to as an connected move, News Corp named Rob Mook, presently senior v . p . of worldwide compensation, to visualise the career of Executive v . p . and Chief Human Assets Officer. Mook, who's fifty years old, grew to become an associate of News Corp in March 2010 after two-and-a-half decades just like a consultant and HR expert, including working at AC Nielsen, Readers' Digest as well as the Interpublic Mook will account to News Corp Deputy Chairman Chase Carey. STORY: Rupert Murdoch Ally Ces Hinton Resigns as Boss of News Corp.'s Dow Manley Unit Among Phone Hacking Scandal Prepare, who was simply initially a journalist, labored in a number of divisions and related organizations over time including BSkyB inside the U.K. At both STAR TV in Hong Kong at BSkyB london, she labored cautiously with James Murdoch. At BSkyB her title was Director of people. While James Murdoch was Boss in the European satellite service. In 2005, she was credited with creating the thing that was referred to as a Forum, to encourage two-way communications between employees and management. She appeared to become a vital player inside the many professional-atmosphere campaign run by BSkyB, although she stopped missing using the Boss's ambition of creating a wind turbine over the organization's headquarters. Under her leadership BSkyB, however, did achieve the status of one of the primary media companies inside the Uk being carbon-neutral. James Murdoch has converted into a central estimate the hacking scandal, and chances are it will testify November. 10 once again before a committee of individuals in the British Parliament. In 2007, Prepare moved from London to NY being mind of HR for the entire corporation. In individuals days she appeared to become named an connect in the office in the chairman. The chairman, clearly, is Rupert Murdoch, who's also Boss from the organization. The restructuring means your brain of HR forget about is part of the office in the chairman, but rather reviews now for the deputy chairman. On Thursday, Murdoch launched a disagreement adoring Prepare: "Beryl features curiosity, creativity and endless energy to her work. I have valued her good counsel as well as the progress she's made strengthening our capacity to build up and fasten co-employees, and offer devoted people with great options around the globe. I recognize her decision to go away NY and am delighted she's made the decision to remain in the hands a crucial role inside the organization." Prepare, per the announcement is returning to "the Asia Off-shoreline region being closer to her family." Throughout her tenure, Prepare also held positions or labored with News Ltd. Nationwide, the Fiji Occasions in Fiji and STAR TV in Asia. "Determining to step away remains difficult," mentioned Prepare in the statement, "but, after greater than 2 decades on the road, I have to be closer to my family members, also to roll-up my masturbator masturbator sleeves again to use directly having a couple of from the gifted teams inside the worldwide companies." Mimi Turner london brought with this report. Related Subjects News Corp. News around the world

'Harry Potter' Killing Spree: Hagrid Almost Died, Lupin Almost Lived

When J.K. Rowling first started writing "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," she had a very different perception of who would survive until the end of the book. She already admitted that she flirted with the idea of killing off Ron Weasley, but apparently he wasn't the only one she almost hit with the killing curse. If Rowling hadn't had such a clear mental image of Hagrid carrying Harry Potter's body out of the Forbidden Forest at the end of "Deathly Hallows," he likely would have been gone long ago. That image kept him safe, she said during her conversation with Daniel Radcliffe on the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" DVD. Turns out that, while she readied her wand for Ron and Hagrid, there was one "Potter" favorite that Rowling never planned on offing: Remus Lupin. Originally, Lupin was supposed to live through the end of the book. But when she realized that war doesn't discriminate who lives and who dies, she needed a very effective character to dramatize that point. There were few more effective than the newly-married Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, who had given birth to a son before the events of "Deathly Hallows" began. One of the most horrifying things about war is how it leaves children fatherless and motherless, she said. I had no intention of killing [Lupin]. But then it dawned on me he had to die. Do you wish Hagrid had died, or that Lupin had lived? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Greg Silverman Re-Ups With Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Pictures' leader of production Greg Silverman has re-upped while using Burbank-based studio. Silverman, whose used the studio since 1999 (minus a short stint at Revolution Art galleries at the begining of 2000s) and elevated the ranks after beginning just like a junior professional, could keep getting oversight inside the studio's development and budget. While using new contract, he'll also, in line with the studio, be "charged with seeking new options to broaden making upon the success the business has consistently accomplished." The move takes care of a fantastic team atop one of the finest studio around, since the team headed by Warner Bros. Pictures Group leader Rob Robinov is amongst the stable. They may also be generating tentpole-sized movies than almost every other studio. Silverman, when he returned to Warner from Revolution, regularly elevated the ranks within the studio, from v . p ., production in 2002 to senior v . p ., production in 2004 to executive v . p ., production in 2006. Among the recent crop of films he's overseen are Christopher Nolan's The Dark Dark evening and Beginning, 300 as well as the Hangover movies. Related Subjects Warner Bros.

The Voice Season 2 Scoop: More Blind Audition Rounds, Bigger Teams, Savvier Contestants

The Voice When NBC's The Voice returns next season, it will be bigger than ever. There will be more blind audition rounds, in which singers perform for the coaches sight unseen, and 12 contestants per team, up from Season 1's eight. The Voice names Christina Milian as new social media correspondent It's not yet clear exactly how many more blind audition episodes will air - they ran for two weeks earlier this year - but executive producer Mark Burnett says the decision to expand came from viewer feedback and having more time to produce them. "We put the show on so quickly last year. We only had four months," he told TVGuide.com after a press conference Friday. "And the biggest complaint that we got was, 'Awww, the blind auditions ended so early.' It was a quick blip. So I managed to make a lot more blind auditions and clearly we're responding to what our fans are asking for." Series coaches - Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton - told reporters they remain unworried about the glut of music shows. The Voice returns in February after the Super Bowl, and after The X Factor wraps in December, but it will still have to contend with a new season of American Idol. Aguilera says The Voice's process when it comes to selecting singers -- the coaches listening only to a performer's voice and then swinging around in those huge red chairs - remains unmatched. "There's not a more suspenseful TV show out there," she said. (Burnett added: "These chairs have become stars in their own right.") Is Carson Daly the founding father of social TV? Asked specifically about the similarities to Simon Cowell's X Factor, Burnett told TVGuide.com he'd only seen "maybe 10 minutes" of the show. "They certainly spent a lot of money, it's certainly big. I don't think it's different from anything else I've seen," he said. So while X Factor will award its winner with a $5 million recording contract, The Voice will stick with its $100,000. "Do you know what that reminds me of? It reminds of Austin Powers. 'One meeeellion dollars,'" Burnett said. "I mean, people aren't watching the show for that." As for the new crop of Voice contestants - all selected now that the show has finished filming Season 2's blind auditions -- the coaches say they got extra competitive when it came to filling out their rosters. "We know the game now. It's an intense competition this year," Aguilera said. She boasted that her team includes an opera singer "who makes you cry." "You sit there wondering why these people don't have record contracts," she said. Those contestants are also savvier than ever when it comes to picking who they want to work with. "Now, they're all like, 'What can you do for me?'" Aguilera said. "They know how it works" when more than one of the coaches want in. "All of a sudden, we're the ones pitching ourselves," Levine said. Season 2 of The Voice returns Sunday, Feb. 5 after the Super Bowl on NBC.

Blockbuster to supply VOD on Facebook

Blockbuster expects to create 8,000-10,000 films on its Facebook page using a new video-on-demand service that will integrate social media tools like comments and emoticons. Blockbuster will rent the movies in the manner similar to how Warner Bros., Vital and Universal offer game game titles around the Facebook pages. Audiences will have a way to choose from numerous reactions as moments play and discover comments from pals. Move will enable Blockbuster to supply up "Appear Video"-like commentary from filmmakers, getting a director like David O. Russell, say, speaking about his applying for grants "The Fighter." "For people it's determined by optionality and which causes it to be available," mentioned Neil Davis, Blockbuster's mind of corporate and digital development. "Everyone knows everybody else sourcing is becoming more valuable if the involves what people watch and get,In . he added, therefore the organization preferred to provide audiences a choice regarding simply how much they wish to connect with the movies they watch. Offering could also eventually serve for art galleries to check on screen films online, rather than through proper research tests in theaters, and offer filmmakers and professionals with real-time feedback. Blockbuster remains waiting for Facebook to understand the social-media functions before beginning the service, that might exist in the conclusion of November. It presently doesn't rent films on Facebook. The completely new offering was revealed within the Authors Guild of America West early Thursday throughout an early on have a look at January's Electronic Products Show in Las vegas as well as the Entertainment Matters program that will guide Hollywood using the massive tech confab. Davis also mentioned the rental chain may return to acquiring independent films given that it could monetize the overall game game titles better across various platforms -- stores, DVD-by-mail, online, kiosks -- this didn't have if the first started acquiring indies and supplying the flicks strictly within the physical stores. Davis mentioned Blockbuster will launch more VOD services afterwards incorporated in the acquisition by Dish Network, which expects to pony up around $100 million to market the organization inside the U.S. and overseas. "I had been inches in the grave" before Dish acquired the business, Davis mentioned. "For people, this is often a phoenix project and letting people know we're still alive." Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

Auteur Ex Smackdown: Will Madonna or Guy Ritchie Have the Better-Received Fall Film?

This coming winter will bring us two major showdowns: Glenn vs. Meryl in the Best Actress race, and now ferocious exes Madonna and Guy Ritchie are officially duelists: Her W.E. debuts Dec. 9, and his Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows follows up on Dec. 16. Place your bets now: Which of these dubious, aggressively modern “old-fashioned” films will critics and audiences enjoy/tolerate more? First, here’s Madonna’s W.E., an unofficial adaptation of the esteemed children’s book The English Roses (if you ask me), in all its watercolored, scone-nibbling bliss: And as we just posted, here’s Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows — or as I call it, The Ham of the Baskervilles. I can’t believe I’m doing this to my sweet panther sorceress Madonna, but I think Sherlock’s Meta-score will top hers. Critics will be willing and primed to accept the nonsense whizzbang of Sherlock’s adventures, but there’s no prefacing Madonna’s waterlogged pretension. Every character in W.E. looks more static than the last, and I can’t say Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law lack personality. Ugh, why! Why does Madonna’s movie have to be so bad? Why! I thought I’d seen the worst of it in I Am Because We Are, but no, now accents, crinkly royal smiles, and that stupid fucking monogram have to come into play. I’ve worked too hard for Madonna to blow this. I tolerated American Life for this queen. I think I even called Jesus Luz “potentially all right” once. Is anyone else even remotely upset by the outlook of this bomb? It’s the unsightly hydrangea of the season, and now Arthur Conan Doyle’s Adderall-addicted, gunpowder-fed step-grandchildren are better than it. This? This is true blue sads. Follow Louis Virtel on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter. [Photo: Getty Images]

Joss Whedon Films Movie in Secret

Joss Whedon Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon has completed a movie he filmed in secret. On Sunday night, frequent Whedon collaborators Nathan Fillion and Sean Maher tweeted a link to the website for the project, Much Ado About Nothing. "Bellwether Pictures is proud to announce the completion of principal photography," the site reads, adding that it's a film by Joss Whedon and "based on a play." Cobie Smulders to join Joss Whedon's Avengers? Um, Shakespeare's? Among the cast: Fillion, Maher, Reed Diamond, Clark Gregg, Tom Lenk, Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof.

UPDATE: Occupy L.A. Targets News Corp. Meeting At Fox Studios

UPDATE, 9:59 P.M.: A British Member of Parliament scheduled to join News Corp. stockholders inside Fox’s Zanuck Theatre is expected to address protesters in front of the studio on Pico Boulevard before heading into the meeting, one of the organizers told Deadline late Thursday. Labor Party MP Tom Watson, a key figure in the Parliament’s investigation of the phone hacking scandal, has said he plans to present new allegations of other types of technological surveillance methods News Corp. has used in addition to phone hacking by representatives of the now-defunct News of the World. Holders of proxy shares — apart from institutional and other groups who plan to vote against Murdoch-allied board members — are also certain to have harsh questions for company execs. PREVIOUSLY, 7:31 P.M.: News Corp. shareholders arriving for their annual meeting Friday at the Fox lot on Pico Blvd. in West Los Angeles will encounter some uninvited greeters bearing unhappy tidings. Occupy Los Angeles, according to information posted on the Occupy Wall Street offshoot’s website, plans to protest “one-sided reporting, job cuts, phone-hacking, and bad governance.” Rupert Murdoch and other company leaders are expected to hear from a major pension funds and other stockholder groups disgruntled by the way members of the Murdoch family and their supporters on the board have handled the phone hacking scandal in the U.K. and other company activity. Those shareholders may be allowed to lodge their complaints but lack the clout or votes to remove any of the Murdochs or their supporters from the board. At least they’ll get inside the meeting. Occupy L.A. protesters are extremely unlikely to get beyond the front gate or anywhere on the lot, let alone near the studio’s Zanuck Theater where the meeting is being held. Studio security will be tighter than usual, and anyone without authorization won’t get beyond the gate. Efforts to reach protest organizers were unsuccessful.

On The Download: Death Cab for Cutie - KCRWs Berkeley Street Sessions

First Published: October 18, 2011 11:09 PM EDT Credit: Jeremiah Garcia. Caption Death Cab for Cutie perform at KCRWs Berkeley Street SessionsLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- KCRW hosted a private Death Cab for Cutie show at Bob Clearmountains Berkeley Street studio in Santa Monica. This intimate setting is a perfect venue for watching a band you truly love. The past few times Ive seen Death Cab in concert I was really far away amongst a crowd of thousands, so it was such a treat to see them up close and personal. The excited crowd of 150 people stood shoulder to shoulder in eager anticipation waiting for the band to take the stage. After 14 years together, Ben, Chris, Jason and Nick released their seventh studio album, Codes and Keys, back in May. Throughout their ten-song set, they performed songs from the new album as well as some fan favorites. Opening with Crooked Teeth (one of my favorites) from their seminal album Plans, the quartet seemed right at home on a relatively smaller stage than theyre used to. They led right into A Movie Script Ending, followed by a song from the new album, Doors Unlocked and Open, which had everyone moving in unison to the strong and steady beat. Thats just one of the many things I love about this band. No matter how mellow they may seem, their live shows always get people moving. They performed the new albums lead single, You Are a Tourist next. The audience hung on to every word as lead singer Ben Gibbard sang define your destination/theres so many places to call home. Following Tourist, there was a mini-break in the show where the band was interviewed by KCRWs Annie Litt and we got to know a little bit more about the quartet. For any Death Cab fan, it was a brilliant dialogue where they discussed their lyrics, music, touring, books theyre reading and how theyve managed to stay strong as a band throughout the last decade and a half. After the interview, they kicked back into gear with Portable Television laden with a groovy tambourine (tambourines are ALWAYS groovy!) and a predominant drum beat. After Blacking Out the Friction, they played a couple more songs from Codes and Keys, including the album closer, the sweet and carefree Stay Young, Go Dancing. For their non-core as Ben called it they closed with the full and rich Sound of Settling. The show was over way too soon, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. This really was an incredible venue and the acoustics were top notch. The performance and interview will air on Tuesday, November 1 on KCRWs Morning Becomes Eclectic. Be sure to tune in! It will also be streaming live on line during the radio broadcast. You can catch Death Cab for Cute currently on tour and their Keys and Codes Remix EP will be available on November 22. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Justin Bieber's 'Mistletoe' Debuts on Ryan Seacrest (Video)

Justin Bieber's new Christmas song "Mistletoe" premiered on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show Monday morning.our editor recommends Justin Bieber Is the 'Real Deal' and Will Have a Long Career Says Reality TV Producer Ne-Yo Pens Tunes for Justin Bieber, Rihanna PHOTOS: Justin Bieber's Top 10 THR Outtakes The song also hits iTunes Monday. It's off his holiday album, Under the Mistletoe, which will be released on Nov. 1 and also feature a duet with Mariah Carey. PHOTOS: Top 10 Highest Paid Music Artists Bieber told Seacrest: "I wanted to make a Christmas album, because my fans haven't heard my music in a long time. I wanted to do something that was charitable, but was also something that people haven't heard before. Because there are a lot of Christmas songs on my album that are new and original that people haven't heard." PHOTOS: The Most Watched Holiday Specials of 2010 The album will also include Band Perry, Usher and Boyz II Men. Bieber has hinted that Taylor Swift and Sean Kingston will be involved. Bieber also announced that he'll perform alongside Lady Gaga at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve (hosted by Seacrest) this year. Related Topics Justin Bieber Mariah Carey Ryan Seacrest

George Clooney And Carl Reiner Reminisce

Last evening the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honored Carl Reiner. Deadline’s own Pete Hammond (Pete describes the evening here) moderated sections which incorporated Dick Van Dyke, Bill Persky, Bonnie Search, Avoi Marie Saint, Gary Shandling, Ray Matthews, Lily Tomlin, and Paul Reiser. Pete then intro’ed an unpredicted guest, George Clooneywho found the final outcome the evening by getting an award presentation. Here’s the footage: rtmp://streaming.deadline.com/ondemand/video/Carl_Reiner_George_Clooney_2011-10-14.flv

Large Brother's Cassi Colvin Will get Sudsy around the Bold and also the Beautiful

Cassi Colvin Your Government 13 contestant Cassi Colvin - a genuine-existence model and Olivia Wilde lookalike - makes her acting debut around the Bold and also the Beautiful October 20 inside a role that will not require heavy-lifting. She plays one, easily named Cassi, who's dealing with up-and-coming designer Hope Logan (Kim Matula) around the new "Hope for future yearsInch fashion line. "Thankfully I had been responding to to my very own title and so i did not miss a signal!" states Colvin, a 15-year vet within the modeling biz who began appearing appropriately at 11 and continued to lucrative contracts in NY, Milan, Sydney and Hong Kong. "I'd a lot of fun around the Bold and also the Beautiful however the job came right without warning - I'd never even seen the show," Colvin states. "I am not searching for an acting career whatsoever. My large dream is to buy my wings!" While waiting for your call from Victoria's Secret, the twangy Texan continued Your Government last summer time and attempted to cover her profession to prevent jealousy. It did not work. The eventual champion, Rachel Reilly, required an immediate dislike to Colvin making sure she was rapidly returned. "I am comfortable during my own skin and that i like who I'm inside and Rachel could not handle it due to her very own various insecurities," Colvin states. "I wasn't impacted by what she considered me which would be a large threat to her." Damn! Inside a near collision we'd have appreciated, Reilly may also be a guest on B&B - but simply a couple of days after Colvin. Particulars on that in a few days! Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now!

Talent Agencies Provide the La Regional Food Bank

Talent Agencies Provide the La Regional Food Bank By Gregg Kilday October 12, 2011 Hollywood's major talent agencies have banded together to assist a extended effort benefitting the La Regional Food Bank that begins today.The foods and cash drive is titled Hatch -- Hollywood Agencies Together Combat Hunger. The site for Hatch can be found at internet.lafoodbank.org/hatch and site site visitors are requested to guide for the site.ICM agent Todd Hoffman, inspired having a similar initiative round the part of the legal community, showed up at to a different agencies involved to set up your time and energy. The participating agencies are ICM, CAA, WME, UTA, Paradigm, APA, Abrams Artists Agency, Gersh, Innovative Artists, the Kaplan Stahler Agency, Montana as well as the Osbrink Agency.The La Regional Food Bank provides food to greater than 1,000 charitiable groups throughout La County. It provides enough food for 770,000 meals every week, forty percent which visit children under 18. In line with the agency, every dollar reaised means 5 pounds of food for people in need of funds. The Hollywood Reporter Talent Agencies Provide the La Regional Food Bank By Gregg Kilday October 12, 2011 Hollywood's major talent agencies have banded together to assist a extended effort benefitting the La Regional Food Bank that begins today.The foods and cash drive is titled Hatch -- Hollywood Agencies Together Combat Hunger. The site for Hatch can be found at internet.lafoodbank.org/hatch and site site visitors are requested to guide for the site.ICM agent Todd Hoffman, inspired having a similar initiative for that legal community, showed up at to a different agencies involved to set up your time and energy. The participating agencies are ICM, CAA, WME, UTA, Paradigm, APA, Abrams Artists Agency, Gersh, Innovative Artists, the Kaplan Stahler Agency, Montana as well as the Osbrink Agency.The La Regional Food Bank provides food to greater than 1,000 charitiable groups throughout La County. It provides enough food for 770,000 meals every week, forty percent which visit children under 18. In line with the agency, every dollar reaised means 5 pounds of food for people in need of funds. The Hollywood Reporter

Stephen Root Steadily Built His Career With Perseverance and Nerve(s)

Stephen Root Steadily Built His Career With Perseverance and Nerve(s) By Dany Margolies October 6, 2011 Photo by Getty Images Stephen Root It's too difficult to calculate the number of projects Stephen Root worked on this year. "It keeps mushrooming. I'm very, very lucky that people think of me," he says. Projects onscreen in 2011 include "Rango," "Justified," and "Raising Hope." He won't, however, admit he's more skilled than others. "There's a lot of people who are a lot more talented than I who've gone by the wayside during the years because they can't take looking for a job every day or can't take the idea of not-secure employment," he says.Root graduated with a degree in theater from the University of Florida, where the sagest words a teacher ever gave him were "to listen," even though one is not speaking. That teacher was Dr. Leland L. Zimmerman, then of the university's theater department. Around that time, Zimmerman phoned him one morning, asking why Root wasn't at auditions for the school's summer repertory season. "If it hadn't been for him calling me up," says Root, "I probably wouldn't be here." Root dressed, ran to the audition, and won the lead in a show. Eventually, Off-Broadway and Broadway roles followed, until the time came to head west for on-camera work.1. He Didn't Take 'No' for an Answer. "The reason I'm still acting is because, even though I had been turned down by a big audition, I went to NY and said, 'No, I didn't get that letter,' and auditioned again and got it. Persistence is key in this business." The audition was for the National Shakespeare Company, a bus-and-truck troupe based in New York City. The year before, Root had earned a callback through Southeastern Theatre Conference auditions, but he opted for another year of university training. The following year, when he again auditioned at the SETC, he received that letter stating he wasn't accepted into the company. "So I went on my own to NY and said, 'I didn't get that letter. Let me do it for you right here in the room,' " he recalls. "Persistence." After a while, he says, "I felt like I had some sort of a rsum that people would go, 'Oh, I know his work,' " he says. "Then I could get into more auditions. It's the same everywhere: The more you have on your rsum, the more auditions you could get into, and the more comfortable a casting director will be putting themselves out, saying, 'Yes, I know this guy's work.' "2. He Has First-Day-Itis. When was Root the most nervous on a first day of a project? "Every day!" he proclaims. "Every first day of a new project is always very, very crazy for me. It's just being the new kid at school: The first day of any project has always been hard for me. I've learned to deal with it, but it's always the same, and it doesn't matter if you've worked with the people before. It's a new situation, a new role, a new slate. And then you do one scene, or one rehearsal, and then you're fine. And I think that's true of a lot of people."3. He Got His Irish On. "I was doing an Off-Broadway show called 'The Au Pair Man,' which is a two-hander about an Irish au pair, and I had to do a complete Irish accent and submerse myself into being Irish," he recalls. "That took a while. It took two weeks of the director just beating me over the head'No. No. No. No.' So it was a thrilling experience to get to opening night and go, 'Ah, I can relax. I've got the guy; now I can have fun.' But you really can't have fun until you, quote, get the guy. I kind of heard that through Charles Laughton. He was doing a movie called 'The Big Clock.' He couldn't get the guy, and you could see it in some early scenes; he wasn't there. Then finally he turned one day to his colleague and went, 'I've got him.' And then there's this brilliant character you see for the rest of the film. So you can't really relax and play until you've got it."4. He Had to Start Over. "What discouraged me when I first got to L.A. was the fact that you start over," he says. "You could do three Broadway shows in a row, and then you get to L.A. and you might get a guest-star on "Roseanne" for three lines. That was discouragingto come to a screeching halt and hear, 'No, you go start over again.' I'm glad it worked out that way, because it takes you a period of adjustment not to do too much on film. You can't project like you do in a play. You're not trying to hit the back wall; you're trying to convey something more subtle. So that's an adjustment that some people make easily. It took me longer. I'd hit myself in the face and say, 'Stop "acting." ' "5. He Keeps It Moving. Animation has in effect taken the place of theater in Root's arsenal of skills, allowing him to experiment and do characters he wouldn't be right for on film. "So you're able to stretch what you normally do out a little bit, and it's nice to be able to play that way. But when you're doing animation, you're still using your body. Your head hasn't detached itself from your body. You're still doing the character; you just have to be seated and have less motionor whatever, however you do it. I stand up and do mine. I feel like you have to commit to being that character, no matter what it is. And you can't just limit that to your head and your throat. When we did 'Rango,' the Gore Verbinski animated movie, he actually shot the whole movie as scenes. We did them as rehearsal scenes, so even if I'm playing a muskrat, I have to come up with some kind of physicalization of that for his camera, so he can use that later on in the animation. So that was the first time I'd experienced that, but they're doing that more and more, filming you as you do your animation." Root says he works on animated projects between his other film and TV work. It's apparently a great way to keep himand his careermoving right along.Stephen Root will appear on the "Working Actor" panel at Back Stage's Actorfest LA trade show on Nov. 5. For more details, visit BackStage.com. Stephen Root Steadily Built His Career With Perseverance and Nerve(s) By Dany Margolies October 6, 2011 Stephen Root PHOTO CREDIT Getty Images It's too difficult to calculate the number of projects Stephen Root worked on this year. "It keeps mushrooming. I'm very, very lucky that people think of me," he says. Projects onscreen in 2011 include "Rango," "Justified," and "Raising Hope." He won't, however, admit he's more skilled than others. "There's a lot of people who are a lot more talented than I who've gone by the wayside during the years because they can't take looking for a job every day or can't take the idea of not-secure employment," he says.Root graduated with a degree in theater from the University of Florida, where the sagest words a teacher ever gave him were "to listen," even though one is not speaking. That teacher was Dr. Leland L. Zimmerman, then of the university's theater department. Around that time, Zimmerman phoned him one morning, asking why Root wasn't at auditions for the school's summer repertory season. "If it hadn't been for him calling me up," says Root, "I probably wouldn't be here." Root dressed, ran to the audition, and won the lead in a show. Eventually, Off-Broadway and Broadway roles followed, until the time came to head west for on-camera work.1. He Didn't Take 'No' for an Answer. "The reason I'm still acting is because, even though I had been turned down by a big audition, I went to NY and said, 'No, I didn't get that letter,' and auditioned again and got it. Persistence is key in this business." The audition was for the National Shakespeare Company, a bus-and-truck troupe based in NY City. The year before, Root had earned a callback through Southeastern Theatre Conference auditions, but he opted for another year of university training. The following year, when he again auditioned at the SETC, he received that letter stating he wasn't accepted into the company. "So I went on my own to NY and said, 'I didn't get that letter. Let me do it for you right here in the room,' " he recalls. "Persistence." After a while, he says, "I felt like I had some sort of a rsum that people would go, 'Oh, I know his work,' " he says. "Then I could get into more auditions. It's the same everywhere: The more you have on your rsum, the more auditions you could get into, and the more comfortable a casting director will be putting themselves out, saying, 'Yes, I know this guy's work.' "2. He Has First-Day-Itis. When was Root the most nervous on a first day of a project? "Every day!" he proclaims. "Every first day of a new project is always very, very crazy for me. It's just being the new kid at school: The first day of any project has always been hard for me. I've learned to deal with it, but it's always the same, and it doesn't matter if you've worked with the people before. It's a new situation, a new role, a new slate. And then you do one scene, or one rehearsal, and then you're fine. And I think that's true of a lot of people."3. He Got His Irish On. "I was doing an Off-Broadway show called 'The Au Pair Man,' which is a two-hander about an Irish au pair, and I had to do a complete Irish accent and submerse myself into being Irish," he recalls. "That took a while. It took two weeks of the director just beating me over the head'No. No. No. No.' So it was a thrilling experience to get to opening night and go, 'Ah, I can relax. I've got the guy; now I can have fun.' But you really can't have fun until you, quote, get the guy. I kind of heard that through Charles Laughton. He was doing a movie called 'The Big Clock.' He couldn't get the guy, and you could see it in some early scenes; he wasn't there. Then finally he turned one day to his colleague and went, 'I've got him.' And then there's this brilliant character you see for the rest of the film. So you can't really relax and play until you've got it."4. He Had to Start Over. "What discouraged me when I first got to L.A. was the fact that you start over," he says. "You could do three Broadway shows in a row, and then you get to L.A. and you might get a guest-star on "Roseanne" for three lines. That was discouragingto come to a screeching halt and hear, 'No, you go start over again.' I'm glad it worked out that way, because it takes you a period of adjustment not to do too much on film. You can't project like you do in a play. You're not trying to hit the back wall; you're trying to convey something more subtle. So that's an adjustment that some people make easily. It took me longer. I'd hit myself in the face and say, 'Stop "acting." ' "5. He Keeps It Moving. Animation has in effect taken the place of theater in Root's arsenal of skills, allowing him to experiment and do characters he wouldn't be right for on film. "So you're able to stretch what you normally do out a little bit, and it's nice to be able to play that way. But when you're doing animation, you're still using your body. Your head hasn't detached itself from your body. You're still doing the character; you just have to be seated and have less motionor whatever, however you do it. I stand up and do mine. I feel like you have to commit to being that character, no matter what it is. And you can't just limit that to your head and your throat. When we did 'Rango,' the Gore Verbinski animated movie, he actually shot the whole movie as scenes. We did them as rehearsal scenes, so even if I'm playing a muskrat, I have to come up with some kind of physicalization of that for his camera, so he can use that later on in the animation. So that was the first time I'd experienced that, but they're doing that more and more, filming you as you do your animation." Root says he works on animated projects between his other film and TV work. It's apparently a great way to keep himand his careermoving right along.Stephen Root will appear on the "Working Actor" panel at Back Stage's Actorfest LA trade show on Nov. 5. For more details, visit BackStage.com.