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| Fox loses appeal over Dish's 'Hopper' ad-skipper Wednesday, Jul 24, 2013 12:10 PM PDT  By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Wednesday rejected Twenty-First Century Fox Inc's effort to stop Dish Network Corp from selling devices that let viewers skip over commercials on primetime broadcast shows. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court judge's refusal to temporarily halt sales of Dish's Hopper, which contains the ad-skipping feature known as AutoHop, and a related "marsupial-inspired" product called the Joey. ... Full Story | Top |
| Natalie Portman to debut as director with film of Amos Oz memoir Wednesday, Jul 24, 2013 11:09 AM PDT  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman will direct her first feature film based on "A Tale of Love and Darkness," a memoir by Israeli novelist Amos Oz, the author said on Wednesday. The Israeli-American actress, who won a best actress Oscar in 2011 for her role in ballet drama "Black Swan," will also play Oz's mother, who committed suicide when he was 12. "She (Portman) read 'A Tale of Love and Darkness' and asked me for the rights to make a film adaptation around five or six years ago," Oz told Reuters by telephone. "I agreed because of my high esteem for her work. ... Full Story | Top |
| AOL to host 'upfront' for selling ads via electronic exchanges Wednesday, Jul 24, 2013 07:08 AM PDT  By Jennifer Saba (Reuters) - AOL Inc plans to host an "upfront" advertising event aimed at selling online ads through electronic exchanges, making a big bet that the buying and selling of ads will increasingly be handled by machines. Known in the ad industry as "programmatic," electronic exchanges allow advertisers to bid on and place ads on a variety of websites - for example, on AOL's Huffington Post. ... Full Story | Top |
| John Travolta reunites with Kirstie Alley on her TV Land sitcom Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 05:45 PM PDT  By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - TV Land is staging a reunion. John Travolta will guest star on former cast mate Kirstie Alley's new comedy series, "Kirstie." "I'm excited about working with Kirstie again, in addition to such terrific talent on the show," Travolta said in a statement. "It's always a treat to be surrounded by people you respect so much both personally and professionally." On the sitcom, Alley plays Broadway star Maddie Banks whose life gets turned upside down when the son she gave up for adoption re-enters her life. ... Full Story | Top |
| Jeff Zucker junks his network's previous mandate: 'CNN is greater than politics' Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 05:43 PM PDT  By Sara Morrison LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - One of Jeff Zucker's first acts as CNN president was to toss out the previous regime's Big Idea - and he's not afraid who knows it. "When I came in, one of the slogans at CNN was that 'CNN equals politics,'" Zucker told Fortune's Andy Serwer at Brainstorm Tech's 2013 conference on Tuesday. "And I said - I put a line through that and said that CNN does not equal politics. Obviously, politics is a huge part of what we do and will continue to be. But really, that has to be that CNN is greater than politics. ... Full Story | Top |
| Steven Soderbergh donates $10K to Spike Lee's kickstarter project Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 05:42 PM PDT  By Greg Gilman LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Spike Lee thanked Steven Soderbergh in a recent interview for doing the right thing by supporting independent filmmaking. The "Old Boy" director, who is trying to raise $1.25 million on Kickstarter for his newest joint, told NextMovie that Soderbergh was one of three backers who have pledged $10,000 to the project, which has racked up just under $105,000 total. The generous donation earns Soderbergh the top prize: A dinner and basketball date with Lee. "I'm taking him to dinner and we're going to the game together," Lee said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hollywood movies losing out to Chinese films in a big way Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 05:40 PM PDT By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - China is not turning out to be the pot of gold Hollywood expected it to be a year ago after the country loosened restrictions on the number of foreign films it imports. The country's box office returns continue to grow at an astonishing rate, but foreign films are accounting for a smaller and smaller chunk of the pie, according to data from China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. During the first six months of the year, films from the United States and other foreign countries accounted for $674.3 million, which is a 21. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'The Killing,' 'True Blood' star Michelle Forbes lands role on 'Chicago Fire' Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 05:39 PM PDT  By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Michelle Forbes, who played Dionysus-worshiping immortal Maryann Forrester on HBO's "True Blood" and grieving mother Mitch Larsen on AMC's "The Killing," has lined up a recurring role on Dick Wolf's NBC drama "Chicago Fire." In a multi-episode arc on the show's upcoming second season, Forbes will play Gail McLeod, a high-ranking consultant with the State Fire Marshal's office, McLeod keeps a sharp eye on budgets and performance at Chicago's fire houses, and puts the firehouse of Engine 51 under her microscope. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: 'Twilight' star Kellan Lutz in talks to join Sylvester Stallone in 'Expendables 3' Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 05:37 PM PDT  By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Kellan Lutz, who played Emmett Cullen in "The Twilight Saga," is in early talks to join Sylvester Stallone in "The Expendables 3," an individual familiar with the Lionsgate project told TheWrap. Lionsgate did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Australian filmmaker Patrick Hughes, who has a successful background in commercials, is directing the action-packed sequel, which Stallone is producing with Millennium Films. ... Full Story | Top |
| Danny McBride confirmed to join Bradley Cooper in Cameron Crowe's next movie Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 05:35 PM PDT  By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Hot off a hilarious turn in Sony's "This Is the End," Danny McBride has signed on to join Bradley Cooper in Cameron Crowe's next movie, TheWrap has learned. Emma Stone and Rachel McAdams also star in the Sony film, which Scott Rudin is producing with writer-director Crowe. The project is rumored to be a revamped version of Crowe's old script "Deep Tiki," which had been slated to star Ben Stiller. ... Full Story | Top |
| Heather Graham, Ellen Burstyn to star in Lifetime's 'Flowers in the Attic' Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 05:34 PM PDT  By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Lifetime is officially moving forward on its movie adaptation of the dark V.C. Andrews novel, "Flowers in the Attic," TheWrap has learned. Heather Graham ("Boogie Nights," "Drugstore Cowboy") is set to play Corrine, the mother who abandons her four young children, leaving them with their truly messed up grandmother, Olivia, who, wait for it, will be played by Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy winner Ellen Burstyn ("Political Animals," "Requiem for a Dream"). ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Poltergeist' remake lands female lead in Rosemarie DeWitt Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 05:28 PM PDT  By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Rosemarie DeWitt must've enjoyed watching her husband Ron Livingston get haunted in "The Conjuring," as she's in early talks to star in her own horror movie - MGM's "Poltergeist" remake, TheWrap has learned. DeWitt, who just had a baby with Livingston back in April," is making a deal to play the matriarch of the Freeling family, who move into a new suburban home and becomes terrorized by ghosts. Gil Kenan ("Monster House") is directing the movie, which was written by David Lindsay-Abaire. ... Full Story | Top |
| WE Tv greenlights Richard LaGravenese's 'The Divide' as its first scripted series Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 05:27 PM PDT By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - WE tv took the plunge into scripted programming on Tuesday, greenlighting "The Divide" from Richard LaGravenese and Tony Goldwyn. "The Divide" will follow a case worker with the Innocence Initiative who delves into the case of a death-row inmate she believes was wrongly convicted of a young family's murder. She confronts a passionate district attorney whose view of justice is colored by shades of gray, and the pair's pasts resurface as they're faced with the question of one man's guilt or innocence intertwined with their own personal histories. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ex-WSJ tech reporter Jessica Lessin poaches ace Google beat writer for startup Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 05:26 PM PDT By Sara Morrison LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jessica Lessin, the Bay Area tech reporter who quit the Wall Street Journal to launch her own tech publication, has poached her first talent, and it's a doozy hire - former WSJ colleague and ace Google beat reporter Amir Efrati. "Amir is the killer combination of a scoop maven and a smart, analytical thinker," Lessin said on Tuesday in her announcement. Efrati will join her as-yet-unnamed news site as a senior reporter in mid-August. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'The Butler's' Terrence Howard joins Fox limited series 'Wayward Pines' Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 05:24 PM PDT  By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Terrence Howard has joined M. Night Shyamalan's limited series for Fox, "Wayward Pines," a network representative told TheWrap. He will play Sheriff Pope, the town of Wayward Pines' top cop. He takes offense when Secret Service agent Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon) comes in to town to investigate the disappearance of two agents. Howard joins already announced cast members, Dillon, Carla Gugino, Toby Jones and Melissa Leo on the series based on the novel series of the same the name. ... Full Story | Top |
| CBS, Time Warner Cable duke it out over deal as TV industry faces challenges Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 05:21 PM PDT  By Liana B. Baker (Reuters) - The CBS broadcast network and Time Warner Cable, which are battling over the fees the cable company pays to carry CBS, have taken their fight public in advertising that risks turning off the very consumers they need to grow their businesses. If they do not reach a new deal by Thursday, CBS would go dark in markets like Los Angeles and New York, depriving viewers of summer shows such as "Under the Dome" and "Big Brother. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: 'Enlightened' star Laura Dern joins Shailene Woodley in 'The Fault In Our Stars' Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 04:19 PM PDT  By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Enlightened" star Laura Dern is set to play Shailene Woodley's mother in Fox's "The Fault In Our Stars," TheWrap has learned. Josh Boone ("Stuck In Love") is directing the adaptation of John Green's bestselling novel. Story follows two cancer-stricken teens who strike up a romantic relationship as they face an uncertain future. Ansel Elgort, who plays Woodley's brother in "Divergent," co-stars as her love interest Augustus, while Nat Wolff has just closed a deal to play his best friend Isaac. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hugh Jackman bringing one-man show to L.A. for MPTF benefit Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 04:16 PM PDT  By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Hugh Jackman is hanging up Wolverine's claws and breaking out the tap shoes on behalf of the Motion Picture & Television Fund. The Oscar nominee and Tony winner will transplant his critically acclaimed one-man show from Broadway to Los Angeles for a one-night-only performance benefiting the Hollywood non-profit. "Hugh Jackman...One Night Only" will take place Saturday, October 12, 2013, at The Dolby Theatre and marks Jackman's first time performing the evening of show tunes in Southern California. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Maron' renewed by IFC for expanded season two Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 04:15 PM PDT By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Marc Maron's IFC series has been renewed for a 13-episode second season, up from ten episodes this year. The new episodes will premiere in 2014, said Jennifer Caserta, president and general manager of IFC. They will continue to chronicle Maron's portrayal of himself as a standup comedian, podcaster, and one-man cat rescue operation. "In many ways, Marc is a perfect representation of IFC and our approach to comedy," said Jennifer Caserta, president and general manager of IFC. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Fight Club' gets a sequel - this time as graphic novel Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 04:13 PM PDT By Tony Maglio LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Chuck Palahniuk is planning to follow-up his 1996 "Fight Club" book - and it will arrive as at least one graphic novel, likely more. The original book, of course, was adapted into a movie in 1999, directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. Palahniuk's original announcement fell somewhat under the radar during the craziness that was Comic-Con. He mentioned it during the "Ode to Nerds" panel with fellow writers D.C. Pierson, Patrick Rothfuss, Cory Doctorow, Austin Grossman and Robyn Schneider, according to ChickPalahniuk.net. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: 'Despicable Me 2' denied release in China Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 04:13 PM PDT  By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Despicable Me 2" has been denied a theatrical release in China, TheWrap has learned. It is not clear why the country rejected the film and whether it had to do with censorship issues, but the Universal film - a juggernaut at the global box office - will not get a chance to crack the second largest film market in the world, according to a Chinese film executive. The rejection potentially denies the film tens of millions of dollars of box-office revenue. Universal declined to comment. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: NFL stars Chris Johnson and Devin Hester kick off Nat Geo Wild's Big Cat Week Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 04:11 PM PDT By Tony Maglio LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Speedy NFL stars Chris Johnson and Devin Hester - and one big game cat - are going to run like their species depends on it to kick-off Nat Geo Wild's Big Cat Week. Betty White will also be joining the team in a different special, the network told TheWrap exclusively. The aforementioned experiment of speed and agility will be the subject of the Big Cat Week kickoff special, "Man vs. Cheetah," which airs this November on Nat Geo Wild. This is the network's fourth annual Big Cat Week, its highest-rated week. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Duck Dynasty' to release the Quackin' August 14 Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 04:09 PM PDT By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - A&E wants to make sure you didn't duck its latest billboard campaign: After huge signs promising it would "Release the Quackin'" on August 14, the network officially confirmed the date Tuesday as the start of "Duck Dynasty" Season 4. Television's top-rated non-fiction cable show will return with the further adventures of the duck-hunting Robertsons, who have built an empire selling duck calls. Last season the show was the second-most-watched series on cable, behind only "The Walking Dead. ... Full Story | Top |
| Disney vets turn to Kickstarter for unique animated 'art story' Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 04:09 PM PDT By Greg Gilman LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Disney Animation veterans Aaron Blaise and Chuck Williams have been working outside the studio system for three years, but are turning to Kickstarter to get back in with "Art Story," an animated feature that sends a young boy and his grandfather on the adventure of lifetime when they get stuck in famous paintings. ... Full Story | Top |
| Geraldo Rivera tries to explain nearly nude selfie: 'I just pushed the trigger' Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 04:07 PM PDT By Sara Morrison LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Geraldo Rivera, who tweeted a nearly naked photo of himself early Sunday morning to the shock and horror of thousands, if not millions, offered an explanation for his actions on his syndicated daily radio show on Monday. To summarize: he was drunk, lonely and into himself. Television personality Eric Bolling and former governor Eliot Spitzer were Rivera's call-in guests, and Bolling quickly set about finding out what happened. "Of all the people that should know better, it should be you," Bolling said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syfy revisits 'Wizard of Oz' with miniseries project from Timur Bekmambetov Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 04:05 PM PDT  By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Syfy is destroying the land of Oz. The cable network is developing a miniseries with "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" and "Wanted" director Timur Bekmambetov that revisits the mythical land from L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" with an apocalyptic twist, a Syfy representative told TheWrap. The Russian filmmaker will executive produce and possibly direct the action-adventure miniseries, which follows a warrior from present day earth who is transported to the future and a post-apocalyptic Oz. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Dumb and Dumber To' lawsuit sparks poison-penned counterclaim Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 04:04 PM PDT By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The legal argument over the upcoming sequel to "Dumb and Dumber" is getting nasty and nastier. Steve Stabler and Brad Krevoy, who produced the 1994 film "Dumb and Dumber" but are being sued to be kept away from the upcoming sequel "Dumb and Dumber To," have now filed their own cross-complaint calling the sequel's producers, Red Granite Pictures' Riza Shahriz Bin Abdul Aziz and Joey McFarland, untrustworthy and unqualified. ... Full Story | Top |
| Joss Whedon on how 'Marvel's agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' can co-exist with 'Avengers' Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 04:03 PM PDT By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Joss Whedon thinks it's high time we marvel at those who can't fly or break through walls unscathed. His new series for ABC, "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," which premieres September 24 at 8/7c, shines a light on characters from "The Avengers" universe that don't have the advantage of super powers. "I have to make sure that I don't overstep," Whedon said of planning the ABC series so that it doesn't interfere with the "The Avengers" movie franchise. "At the same time, it's such a different mandate in terms of where we are in the Marvel universe. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sacha Baron Cohen exits Freddie Mercury role in Queen movie Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 04:01 PM PDT  By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Sacha Baron Cohen has exited the role of flamboyant singer Freddie Mercury in a long-gestating Queen movie due to creative differences, an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap. Sony and GK Films spent years developing the project, which had been courting Baron Cohen's "Les Miserable" filmmaker Tom Hooper to direct, though insiders say the surviving members of Queen refused to approve the choice. ... Full Story | Top |
| Imogen Poots replaces Brie Larson as star of Wes Anderson-produced movie Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 03:59 PM PDT  By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Need for Speed" star Imogen Poots has replaced Brie Larson as the star of Peter Bogdanovich's showbiz-themed comedy that co-stars Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, TheWrap has learned. Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach are producing with Holly Wiersma, and production is currently under way in New York. Poots will play a prostitute-turned-Broadway-actress who gets a career boost from a married Broadway director (Wilson) who falls for her. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'The To Do List' review: take this unfulfilling sex comedy off yours Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 03:57 PM PDT By Alonso Duralde LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The tricky thing about smart sex comedies is that, when done badly, they become stupid sex comedies. Despite a raft-full of talented performers and the best of intentions, "The To Do List" winds up being a very, very stupid sex comedy. Do young women deserve equal access to raunchy, ribald and risqué farces about losing one's virginity and learning the mechanics of carnality? Absolutely. Do those same ladies deserve a movie whose jokes actually land and which takes their sexuality seriously? No question - and "The To Do List" ain't it. ... Full Story | Top |
| In an uncertain Egypt, street artists rein in their outrage Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 03:05 PM PDT  By Tom Finn and Noah Browning CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian rappers and graffiti artists who captured the spirit of the youthful rebellion that toppled president Hosni Mubarak are toning down their outrage as the path to democracy has become more complicated. Three weeks since the military ousted Mubarak's elected successor, the Islamist Mohamed Mursi, street artists who want neither religious nor military rule see little place in today's exhausted Egypt for their once defiant world view. "Emotions are high. The country is divided... ... Full Story | Top |
| Singer Chris Brown pleads not guilty to hit-and-run charge Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 01:43 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B singer Chris Brown pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to a hit-and-run charge in a case that could lead to jail time for the Grammy-winning performer, a Los Angeles Superior Court spokeswoman said. Brown had been on probation for assault, stemming from the 2009 beating of his then-girlfriend and fellow R&B star Rihanna, when he was involved in a Los Angeles traffic accident on May 21. He allegedly rear-ended another vehicle and fled the scene. Lesser charges of driving without a valid license and driving without proof of insurance were dismissed. ... Full Story | Top |
| Snooki's plans to set TV show on Jersey shore upset some locals Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 01:29 PM PDT  By Noreen O'Donnell NEW YORK (Reuters) - Even the Jersey shore might have had enough of Snooki. Some residents of tiny Pelican Island say they do not want the star of MTV's "Jersey Shore" reality show there to film the latest season of her spinoff show, "Snooki and JWoww." The unhappy locals have hired an attorney to argue that the show's producers would be converting a house into a production studio, a use not allowed in the residential neighborhood by the local zoning ordinance. "They didn't disclose to anyone what they were doing there," said the attorney, Ronald Gasiorowski. ... Full Story | Top |
| Toronto film festival to debut films on Mandela, Assange Tuesday, Jul 23, 2013 01:11 PM PDT  By Peter N Henderson TORONTO (Reuters) - The world premiere of "The Fifth Estate," a ripped-from-the-headlines drama about Julian Assange and the creation of WikiLeaks, will open the 38th Toronto International Film Festival, which typically yields a number of Oscar contenders. Widely considered the kick-off to Oscar season, the 2013 festival will feature films starring Meryl Streep, Idris Elba, Colin Firth, Chiwetel Ejiofor, George Clooney and others, organizers said on Tuesday. The 11-day event opens September 5. ... Full Story | Top |
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