NEWS ARCHIVE [page 1]
 
'CHRISTMAS STORY' FANS CELEBRATE FILM'S 25th YEAR [AP, 11/30/08]
Fans of the holiday classic "A Christmas Story" are celebrating the film's 25th anniversary with a convention and trips to the house where the movie was made. The 1983 film, an adaptation of Jean Shepard's memoir of a boy in the 1940s, was set in Indiana but largely filmed in Ohio. The movie starred Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker, a young boy determined to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. The film was a modest theatrical success, but critics loved it. It eventually joined "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street" as a Christmas cult classic. "It's a film about being a kid and looking back," said Brian Jones, who owns the house where the movie was shot and the neighboring museum dedicated to the film. About 4,000 fans are attending the convention at Cleveland's Renaissance Hotel, where they'll meet some of the film's actors, watch three documentaries made about the film and see the original 1938 fire truck from a famous scene in the movie involving a child's tongue stuck to a frozen pole. "It is unbelievable that a movie has touched the lives of millions of families," said Phil Gillen, son of the late actor Jeff Gillen who played the movie's worn-out Santa Claus. He traveled from Miami with his family to attend the convention.
 
"TONY MANERO" WINS TOP PRIZE AT TURIN FILM FESTIVAL [Reuters/Hollywood, 11/30/08]
"Tony Manero," an unlikely drama about a serial killer obsessed with John Travolta's character from "Saturday Night Fever," was awarded the Best Film prize at the 26th Turin Film Festival, which concluded Saturday, November 29. The Brazil-Chile co-production from director Pablo Larrain also won the Italian festival's film critics' award and produced the Best Actor prize for lead performer Alfredo Castro. French actress Emmanuelle Devos won the Best Actress award for her role in Fien Troch's "Non-Dit" (Unspoken). Sean Baker's drama "The Prince of Broadway" won the jury prize. But the award winners were almost overshadowed by a non-announcement from Turin's second-year artistic director, Nanni Moretti. The noted auteur, who took the helm at Turin last year after announcing a sabbatical from filmmaking, was expected to announce Saturday whether he would stay at the festival for a longer period. Instead, he said a decision would be made within a week. 
 
"NEW MOON" POSSIBLY BEGIN FILMING IN MARCH, HINTS KRISTEN STEWART [Aceshowbiz, 11/30/08]
"New Moon" may start lensing in March 2009. ShockTillYouDrop reported that the potential production date has been revealed by "Twilight" actress, Kristen Stewart, when she chatted with Ryan Seacrest on his radio show on KiisFM. Apart from when the shooting may begin, the 18-year-old also gushed about where some of the filming will take place. "A lot of the book takes place in Italy, and I think we're going to get to go to Italy, which is so cool," she said, adding, "For a while there, they were like, 'oh, we don't know if we have the money', but now I think we may have the money!" On the occasion, the co-star of Jodie Foster in "Panic Room" also made time to talk about the Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" novel itself. "It's oddly engaging," she explained. "I mean, you read the book and you feel like you are the character. It's a totally vicarious experience. She's such a good strong female character. I can understand why girls put herself in that position." "New Moon" is an adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's second novel in her Twilight series. While "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke is rumoured to be in talks to return helming the sequel, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg has been set to come back and pen the script for this second movie. Earlier report has also claimed that both leading actors, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, will earn $12 million each for "New Moon".
 
"DURHAM COUNTY" AND "ENGLISHMAN'S BOY" WIN AT GEMINI AWARDS [CBC, 11/30/08]
New shows and new faces took some of the top prizes at the Gemini Awards Friday night, November 28 with dark drama Durham County taking home three awards. Another big winner was Cock'd Guns, a rock mockumentary that won two Geminis, including best comedy writing and best ensemble performance. "This is for best writing, but the show is improvised," said actor-writer Morgan Waters in accepting the first of the two awards. "Durham County", about a homicide detective played by Hugh Dillon who moves his family to Durham County after his partner is killed, won best direction for Holly Dale, best acting performance for Justin Louis and best actress in a leading dramatic role for Hιlθne Joy. Project Runway Canada, which debuted on the Slice Network in October 2007, won the Gemini for best reality TV show, its first win. Producer Andrea Gabourie said the appeal of the show was that average people get to display their talents. Chris Haddock's Vancouver crime drama Intelligence was named best dramatic series but no one from the show was present to accept the award. The show was cancelled by CBC earlier this year. The best comedy Gemini went to CBC's This Hour has 22 Minutes, the weekly satirical show that pokes fun at Canada's current affairs. Executive producer Mark Farrell said the show's writers are going to have to be nimble to catch up with current political winds out of Ottawa, where the NDP and Liberals are cooking up a plan to overturn the Tories. Three CBC hosts were named tops of their profession — Ian Hanomansing won the award for best news anchor, Ron Maclean won best host of a sports program for Hockey Day in Canada and George Stroumboulopoulos won best host of a talk program for The Hour. In his acceptance speech, Stroumboulopoulos paid tribute to the program New Music Canada, which fell to cutbacks this week. Stroumboulopoulos made his start at the program and said it was unparalleled in giving exposure to Canadian bands. The other double winner was CBC's The Englishman's Boy, which was named best dramatic mini-series and earned best actor honours for star Nicholas Campbell. Campbell is starring in the stage play Festen and couldn't accept his award in person. Those wins were in addition to four Geminis the mini-series picked up at a ceremony last month. Kevin DeWalt, the Regina-based producer of "The Englishman's Boy", said it took him 12 years to bring it to the screen after he optioned Guy Vanderhaeghe's book. MuchMusic VJ Leah Miller won the Viewers Choice best actress honours and Roswell and Bones star Brendan Fehr won Viewer's Choice best male actor. The Gemini Awards for the best in Canadian TV were hosted by Jason Priestley, of 90210 fame, who poked a little fun at his old show. "Let's face it, there never would have been a Beverly Hills, 91210 if DeGrassi Junior High hadn't paved the way with poorer, less aggressive kids," he said, referring to the show as "9021-Oh for god's sake would you let it go already."
 
ANOTHER "THE X-FILES" FILM MAY DEPEND ON "I WANT TO BELIEVE" DVD [Aceshowbiz, 11/30/08]
Having shared his future plans of another "The X-Files" movie, Frank Spotnitz now revealed that the development of the third "X-Files" film may depend on the DVD sales of "The X-Files: I Want to Believe". To Bloody-Disgusting, the popular sci-fi thriller series said about his belief of future film installment saying, "I think there very well could be more in the future. ...When the studio looks at the sales of the DVD that's when they will really decide to see if its worth risking." On the disappointing result "I Want to Believe" attained at the box office, Spotnitz pointed out on the bad timing of the release. "We were all a bit disappointed, we had some indication that we were in for a rough time when The Dark Knight started to become the phenomenon that it is, and breaking records. The Dark Knight is a history making film at the box office, and we came out with our little dark film a week after," so he said. Previously, the television writer has hinted that if another "The X-Files" movie were to be made, it will most likely see the return of the aliens to the sci-fi film, stating, "I mean, if we were to make one more feature, I think we would definitely have to deal with alien colonization." He also fessed-up that the third film may become the last of the series, and may come out in 2012. "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" debuted fourth at the North American box office behind "The Dark Knight" and "Step Brothers" upon its release on July 25. The movie that teams up once again David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson has so far collected $67.7 million worldwide. It will come out on DVD and Blu-ray on December 2, 2008.
 
SEAN PENN OFFERS WARM "MILK" TO MOVIE FANS [Reuters, 11/29/08]
Even in liberal Hollywood, an openly gay actor with a marketable name is a hard commodity to find, and if anyone should know, it is the filmmakers behind new movie, "Milk." Fortunately for them they had Sean Penn, the very straight Oscar winner who has loyal fans and seems able to play any role in front of him, including San Francisco's gay politician Harvey Milk who was murdered on the job in November, 1978. "He came in kind of ready made" for the role, director Gus Van Sant told Reuters about winner of the best actor Academy Award for playing a hard-nosed cop in 2003's "Mystic River." In real life, Penn has maintained a tough guy image ever since getting into scrapes with the paparazzi early in his career. Yet in the movies, he has shown wide versatility, whether playing a mentally retarded man in "I Am Sam," a jazz guitarist in "Sweet and Lowdown" or a death row inmate in "Dead Man Walking" -- all which earned him Oscar nominations. Harvey Milk may be his best role yet, many critics say. Writing for USA Today, reviewer Claudia Puig called Penn's performance "magnificent, career-topping" and Kenneth Turan, in a generally mixed review of the overall film, called Penn's performance "strong and convincing." In recent years, several A-list actresses have come out of the closet as lesbians, including Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O'Donnell. But it has been a rare event for gay men. Perhaps the highest profile actor to do so was TV star Neil Patrick Harris. "It was hard to find gay actors who were out," said openly gay director Van Sant. "There really aren't (many). You could do it, but they would be unknowns and that would be fine with me, but the money (financiers) would start to get nervous." The fact that Penn and his co-stars -- James Franco, Emile Hirsch and Diego Luna -- could feel comfortable playing gay roles, coupled with how small the pool of marketable gay actors truly is, shows at least one thing: times have changed in Hollywood for gay men but they have also stayed the same. "Milk" picks up on the politician's life after he moves from New York to California, and it focuses almost exclusively on Milk's political involvement in San Francisco. Milk lost several early campaigns but finally was elected to the city's Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to hold a major public office in the United States. By using broadcast film footage of the 1970s gay rights battles, Van Sant offers not just a portrait of a man, but a look at the times and the city, too.
 
MADONNA'S FILM "I AM BECAUSE WE ARE" TO AIR ON SUNDANCE [AP, 11/29/08]
Madonna's awakening to the crisis in Malawi — an impoverished African nation where one million children are orphaned by AIDS — had many consequences. She adopted one of those orphans, her 3-year-old son David. She is building a school there. And she has told Malawi's harrowing story in her documentary, "I Am Because We Are." With an audience thus far limited to isolated theater screenings, it will be screened for everyone with its TV premiere on Sundance Channel at 9 p.m. EST Monday, December 1  (World AIDS Day). The feature-length film was written, produced and narrated by Madonna (directed by Nathan Rissman). It consults experts including President Bill Clinton and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. But the film's real power is its images, which are often dismaying but, here and there, reflect hope and a remarkable will to survive. "I had many goals," said Madonna during a phone conversation from her Manhattan home a few days ago. "I did get to a point where I thought, 'I'm being overambitious, I'm trying to say too much, I'll never accomplish it.' But I feel proud of the fact that I did get to make all my points." Among her points: an insistence that any crisis comes with solutions, however hard-won and piecemeal. The film offers its audience a menu of constructive responses. "If all you can do is live life in YOUR world in a way that shows you are responsible for the people around you, that's a course of action," said Madonna. "People can be of service in large ways and small." The first wide exposure of "I Am Because We Are" may be coming at a propitious time, which befits the pop superstar who made it, with her knack for anticipating and identifying cultural trends. Though on a brief New York break from her concert tour, Madonna said the day's long to-do list called for this AP interview to be followed by interviews she would be conducting herself: with prospective head mistresses for the girls school she is building in Malawi. "We're all going there together at the end of March," she said, referring to David, 8-year-old son Rocco and 12-year-old daughter Lourdes.
 
"MIRACLE WORKER" PLAYWRIGHT WILLIAM GIBSON DIES AT 94 [CBC, 11/29/08]
Writer William Gibson, best known for penning the inspirational Helen Keller play The Miracle Worker, has died at the age of 94. Gibson died at his home in Stockbridge, Mass., on Tuesday, November 25, according to his family. Though his oeuvre also included novels, short stories and poetry, Gibson was best known for penning stage productions. The New York writer's first professionally produced play was the highly successful 1958 romantic drama Two for the Seesaw, directed by Arthur Penn and starring Anne Bancroft. However, it would be his next collaboration with Penn and Bancroft for which Gibson would forever be associated. The Miracle Worker started out as a play written for television about the blind and deaf Keller and her unrelenting teacher, Anne Sullivan. In 1959, it debuted as a Broadway production — directed by Penn and starring Bancroft and a 12-year-old Patty Duke. The following year, The Miracle Worker was a smash at the Tony Awards, scoring trophies for best play, as well as for Bancroft (actress), Penn (director) and Gibson (writer). The subsequent film adaptation in 1962 also won acclaim, leading to Academy Awards for Bancroft and Duke and nominations for Penn and Gibson. Gibson's other stage credits included Golden Boy, a musical adaptation of the Clifford Odets play, and Golda's Balcony, a heavily revised version of his earlier flop Golda. Gibson is survived by two sons.
 
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. ALMOST SERIOUSLY INJURED DURING "SHERLOCK HOLMES" FILMING [Aceshowbiz, 11/29/08]
Robert Downey Jr. almost got a serious injury during the filming of "Sherlock Holmes". According to the report by The Sun, the star of "Iron Man" who is playing legendary detective Holmes has been knocked unconscious when shooting a fight scene with co-star Robert Maillet at Chatham dockyard in Kent. Though walking away with six stitches in his mouth, the incident left the 43-year-old "out cold" for about six seconds and "drooling blood" before medics could bring him round. Recalling the incident, a nurse said, "Robert was accidentally caught on the chin by a thundering hook. He went flying and was out cold. He didn't want to go to hospital and kept trying to get up. He's a trooper. But there have been lots of other problems too." Other that this mishap, another serious incident also occurred on the set. On Thursday, November 27, a loaded petrol tanker exploded in a fireball during a delivery to the set, forcing the set to be closed for two hours and Downey Jr., Jude Law and director Guy Ritchie to flee from the set. These series of accident on the set has caused the filming crew to think that the movie may be cursed. Aimed for a November 20, 2009 U.S. release, " Sherlock Holmes" reportedly is based on Lionel Wigram's upcoming comic book and centers on the adventures of the famed 19th Century detective. Apart from Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, this action thriller film will also see Rachel McAdams as she takes on the role of Irene Adler, Holmes' love interest.
 
MATT DAMON NOT YET SIGNED FOR FOURTH "BOURNE" FILM [Aceshowbiz, 11/29/08]
Despite the claims of earlier reports about him being attached to fourth "Bourne" film, Matt Damon has said otherwise. The Celebrity Truth reported that the 38-year-old actor has told Extra that he has yet to be signed for "Untitled Bourne 4 Project". Addressing more on his potential return as action man Jason Bourne, Damon suggests that he will join the project if director Paul Greengrass is willing to do the movie. "If Paul Greengrass (the director) wants to do the movie, then there would definitely be a reason to do it," he explains, adding, "He's just a terrific director." On the movie itself, the Academy Award recipient for his screenwriting in "Good Will Hunting" states that the movie is still far away from its big screen release. "That movie is way, way, way down stream. They've just commissioned the script," so he claims. Still, he shares some hope stating, "I think everyone's moving forward with the expectation that it's gonna happen but it wouldn't come out for a few years." Rejecting the possibility of Bourne being the next generation's James Bond, Damon says, "It's not built in a way to go forever. Whereas Bond can have a different mission with every movie and have new bad guys, Bourne is very much dealing with the same issues. Unless you kind of turned it into a guy who started accepting missions and going on them, which I don't see being true to the spirit of that character." The fourth "Bourne" film has been reported to be penned by George Nolfi, the screenwriter of "The Sentinel" and "Ocean's Twelve". On the story, producer Frank Marshall earlier suggested that it will be adapted from a fourth book which isn't being written by Robert Ludlum. The producer also hints that this time, Bourne may head to South America.
 
TOM TYKWER "THE INTERNATIONAL" TO OPEN BERLIN FILM FEST [AP, 11/29/08]
German director Tom Tykwer's action thriller "The International" will kick off the annual Berlin film festival with its world premiere in February, 2009. In the film actors Clive Owen and Naomi Watts play agents trying to uncover the criminal transactions of a powerful bank. Festival organizers said Friday the film would be shown out of competition. Tykwer is best known for the film "Run Lola Run." He also directed "Perfume" two years ago. British actress Tilda Swinton will head the festival jury. The festival runs Feb. 5-15, 2009. The Berlin event is the first of the year's major European film festivals.
 
CITY BALLET CELEBRATES WHOPPER OF A GIFT [AP, 11/28/08]
Next time you're looking for a place to donate $100 million, consider a theater: Such a sum can get you the best pair of seats, any night you want them, for the rest of your life. That's what New York City Ballet chief Peter Martins offered David H. Koch on Tuesday night, November 25 as he toasted the oil billionaire, one of the world's richest men, sitting with his wife in the first ring. Koch's gift, pledged in the summer, will help renovate Lincoln Center formerly named New York State Theater — now, it's named after Koch — home to both the ballet troupe and to New York City Opera. If times weren't so hard, Martins told Koch from the stage, the entire audience would have gotten some vodka, as they did in January 2004, on what would have been George Balanchine's 100th birthday. But in this economy, only Martins, Koch and his wife got the booze. Otherwise, it was the usual fall gala at New York City Ballet, with ample opportunity for people-watching. Sarah Jessica Parker was there in a glittery black minidress, running into friends like the designer Valentino and Candace Bushnell, the sex columnist on which Parker's famous TV character, Carrie Bradshaw, was based (Bushnell is married to an NYCB principal dancer.) As for the dancing, it was a greatest-hits style evening, a pleasing mix of styles, choreographers and composers. A weightier first act gave way to a more lighthearted second half, with the guest Julliard Jazz Orchestra onstage, playing music from Wynton Marsalis to Ray Charles to Duke Ellington. After the show, the well-clad crowd retired to the promenade for dinner and dancing, leaving the rest of the crowd to file somewhat wistfully out of the building.
 
LARRY KING TO GUEST STAR ON "30 ROCK" [Aceshowbiz, 11/28/08]
It has been reported by TV Week that American veteran host for television and radio, Larry King, will make his debut appearance on the hit comedy series "30 Rock" for an upcoming episode of season three. Moreover, a reliable source has informed that King has filmed his scene on the set of his CNN talk show, "Larry King Live". King is said to contribute to the series by playing himself. In his special appearance, he reportedly will star opposite the series' character Tracy Jordan, played by Tracy Morgan. There is no official confirmation from the series' representative, the network, or King himself about this future cameo. 
 
"BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" MOVIE COULD BE ON THE WAY [Aceshowbiz, 11/28/08]
Emmy-Award Winning American cult television series, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", may be a step closer to being brought up to the big screen. In its November 27 edition, Herald-Sun Newspaper has suggested that a script for the feature film has been written, as reported by Moviehole. Quoting the Australian newspaper, Moviehole wrote in its report that Joss Whedon has got a film script for the television series on his hand and is only waiting for the green light. "Rumours are circulating in Hollywood that [Joss] Whedon has a feature-film script based on his hit TV series ready to roll as soon as a studio is prepared to commit," so read the quotation. On the reason of bringing up "Buffy" to the big screen, Herald-Sun pointed out on the success of another vampire movie, "Twilight". "The monster success of girly vampire pic Twilight at the U.S. Box office last weekend could kick open the door for a big-screen return of Joss Whedon's much-loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer," wrote the publication. The original television series of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" follows the story of Buffy Summers, a young woman fated to battle against vampires, demons and other forces of darkness. The series which started its run in 1997 was starred by Sarah Michelle Gellar. The Buffy concept was first unveiled as a movie in 1992 with Kristy Swanson taking the titular role.
 
MICHAEL CERA FILM "PAPER HEARTS" EXPECTED AT SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL [CBC, 11/28/08]
A new film featuring Canadian actor Michael Cera is expected to debut at next year's Sundance Film Festival, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Sundance won't announce its lineup until December, but Paper Hearts is already creating high expectations. "Paper Hearts" is described as part documentary, part scripted comedy, and centres around Cera's real-life relationship with girlfriend Charlyne Yi, who played the pigtailed stoner in "Knocked Up". The film has drawn attention for its host of talent from the Judd Apatow stable — the director is Nicholas Jasenovec, an actor from Superbad making his directing debut. Promoters have released little information about the film, hoping it will emerge at Sundance as a surprise hit. Cera, born in Brampton, Ont., has acted since he was a teenager, but came to wide acclaim with roles in Superbad, Juno and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. The Sundance Film Festival, considered the foremost forum for independent films, announces its 2009 program next week.
 
ROMAN RIOT AS POLANSKI HITS TURIN FILM FESTIVAL [BBC, 11/27/08]
A personal appearance by veteran director Roman Polanski is the main talking point at this year's Turin Film Festival. The line of people outside the Massimo cinema extends right down the Via Verdi almost as far as the Universita degli Studi di Torino. The afternoon, though sunny, is bitterly cold. Yet that has not deterred some expectant punters from waiting for the last two hours. The queue is not for the latest James Bond adventure, though, or some up-and-coming rock band. Instead it is for a 75-year-old film-maker whose distinguished body of work goes hand in hand with a life steeped in tragedy and scandal. Diminutive of stature, Roman Polanski is nevertheless a cinematic titan who has given us some of the most memorable motion pictures of the last five decades. All of them feature in a complete retrospective that is one of the highlights of this year's Turin Film Festival. At the nearby Museo Nazionale del Cinema, the gantry that snakes around its spectacular five-storey exhibition hall is decorated with blown-up photographs from the director's own collection. Viewed together, they offer fascinating insights into the making of such iconic masterworks as Repulsion, Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby. A snap from the latter's set sees its star Mia Farrow visibly delighted by a chart breaking down her performance into separate components. It is the man himself, though, who delights as he arrives to field questions posed by the festival's artistic director, Italian film-maker Nanni Moretti. Offering his apologies for speaking in French, the Oscar-winning director of The Pianist revealed he deliberately set himself challenges with each of his films. Re-watching his 1971 adaptation on Macbeth recently, he decided the film would have been better had Martin Shaw - the actor cast as Banquo - had played the title role instead. Of all his features, however, the one that gives him most pain is his costly 1986 flop Pirates. This was not the forum to broach the real nightmares in Polanski's life - the brutal murder of his pregnant wife Sharon Tate, or the death of his mother in a Nazi concentration camp. Nor did Moretti mention the statutory rape conviction that prompted the director to flee the U.S in the late 1970s. A sign of the retrospective's totality, however, is the inclusion of a BBC-funded documentary about this still-unresolved court case. Introducing her film later in the festival, its American director Marina Zenovich points out how its title - Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired - sums up how he is regarded on the two sides of the Atlantic. Even in his eighth decade, it seems, Polanski is never too far from controversy. The 26th Turin Film Festival continues until 29 November, 2008.
 
DEMI MOORE SHIMMERS AT "FLAWLESS" GALA [BBC, 11/27/08]
Hollywood star Demi Moore, along with husband Ashton Kutcher, have attended the charity premiere of her latest film, Flawless, in London's West End. The 46-year-old actress, who plays a 1960s businesswoman frustrated by the glass ceiling, said scooping film roles as an older woman was a challenge. "It's not difficult, but different. It's not ageism, but as human beings we're captivated with what's new". Moore stars opposite Sir Michael Caine in the movie, which opens on Friday. Moore, who was dressed in an eye-catching Chanel gown, said there was no reason why she should not continue acting into her seventies like the Oscar-winning actor. The pair form an alliance in the film, which tells the story of an ambitious diamond robbery. Moore's 30-year-old husband posed for photographs, but did not speak to reporters at the gala. Flawless director Michael Radford described his pleasure at working with its leads. "It's great working with people who know their business. You don't direct Michael Caine. There is nothing to say to him. He's so inch-perfect and very professional. "I was asking Demi to play her age, and that's not kind," he added. The British film-maker, whose previous credits include Il Postino, revealed that his current film project has been halted as a result of the global financial crisis. "The film industry is being affected really, really badly. I am supposed to be making a film in Spain at the moment, and on 10 November all Spanish banks ceased their cash flow for movies. "It's stopped us in our tracks. I'm waiting to find if there's another way of getting money for pre-production that's not from the banks. British actor Nathaniel Parker said the chance to work with Radford had been an immediate attraction to taking a role in Flawless. "He's one of the best storytellers we've seen in the last 30 or 40 years," said the star. He also revealed that the premiere was his first glimpse of the finished movie. "On the flights from Los Angeles I saw it was available, but said 'Nope! I'm not going to watch it'." He agreed that Flawless was an old-fashioned film with "no action, no sex and no violence - and it's a thriller!"
 
DIVORCE TAKES A HOLIDAY IN "FOUR CHRISTMASES" [Reuters, 11/27/08]
Marriage, kids and divorce have all had their impact on Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon, so when it comes to planning the holidays and extended family visits, she has this advice: go with the flow. Witherspoon, 32, sees her new film comedy "Four Christmases," debut in U.S. theaters on Wednesday, November 26 telling of an unmarried couple whose relationship is forever changed after a series of holiday visits to their four divorced parents. The actress, who has two young children with her ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, said in recent interviews that she deals with her own family dynamics at the holidays by trying to stay open and communicating with everyone concerned. "It's all very go with the flow, whatever happens in the moment," she said. After seven years of marriage, she and Phillippe separated in 2006 and finalized their divorce this past June. She said her feelings about marriage have changed, somewhat. Divorces and extended families are often the norm in today's world, but Witherspoon said the story being told in "Four Christmases" seemed very unique for moviegoers. "I've never really seen someone have to deal with the idea of blended family and how they have to go to a million different places," Witherspoon said. "But I hear people complain about it constantly." Witherspoon, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of country singer June Carter in "Walk the Line," produced "Four Christmases" through her company Type A Films. She and co-star Vince Vaughn play a couple living together in a posh San Francisco apartment, who every Christmas come up with an excuse to avoid their families. The parents are played by Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen and Jon Voight. Steenburgen, who is married to actor Ted Danson, said her Christmas resembles the way one of the households in the movie handles their holiday.
 
KRISTEN STEWART AND ROBERT PATTINSON MAY GET $12 MILLION EACH FOR "NEW MOON" [Aceshowbiz, 11/26/08]
Having a major hit movie with the recently released "Twilight", Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson reportedly will get a huge salary boost for the sequels, including "New Moon". According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the two young leading actors are looking forward to bring home $12 million each, six times more than what they have earned in "Twilight". Apart from the six times $10 million paycheck raise, the actors who play the unlikely lover, Bella Swan and Edward Cullen will also get a nice percentage of the future movies' box-office take. Though both Stewart and Pattinson have revealed that they are already signed for a three-picture deal, the official confirmation about their returns have yet to be released. In an interview with MTV earlier, Pattinson confessed that "New Moon" is his favorite book. "I'm looking forward to doing the re-emergence...at the end of the second book, when he's killing himself," the 22-year-old expressed his excitement. "I think that'd be kind of spectacular seeing that. And the second book is my favorite book, so I'm quite looking forward to doing it." "New Moon" is an adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's second novel in her Twilight series. Continuing the story of a mortal girl named Bella who falls for a vampire named Edward, this first sequel will be scripted also by "Twilight" screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg. The official announcement of "New Moon" development came after "Twilight" scored big on its opening day with $35.7 million on its pocket.
 
"CADILLAC RECORDS" STARS GLAMMED UP FOR LOS ANGELES PREMIERE [Aceshowbiz, 11/26/08]
A Los Angeles premiere event for "Cadillac Records" has been held on Monday, November 24, 2008 evening, at The Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, California. Benefiting Phoenix House, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping those affected by addiction, the gala saw the film's stars dressing up for the special occasion. While scruffy Adrien Brody walked down the red carpet wearing a black suit, his co-star Beyonce Knowles came to the premiere dressed in a black Dolce & Gabbana dress with puff sleeves. Brody was accompanied by Elsa Pataky, whereas Knowles brought her mother, Tina Knowles, to the special evening. Other than Brody and Knowles, their other co-stars making an appearance at the event included Gabrielle Union, Jeffrey Wright, Eamonn Walker, Columbus Short and Chyna Layne. The film's producer Andrew Lack as well as other guests, such as Etta James, Lauren London, Rachel Roberts and Sanaa Lathan were also seen on the red carpet. "Cadillac Records" is directed and scripted by Darnell Martin. It is a drama musical chronicling the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists that include Muddy Waters, Little Walter and Howlin' Wolf. It will come out to the U.S. big screen on December 5, 2008.
 
FOX NEW REALITY SHOW "SECRET MILLIONAIRE" [Aceshowbiz, 11/26/08]
Two TV promos, introducing the new reality show on FOX titled "Secret Millionaire" have been given out. The videos show how the actual-millionaires go on disguise as a person in need to experience how it feels to survive in impoverished neighborhood and consequently find the right person to share their fat pile of bucks. To be premiered on December 3, 2008 at 8 P.M., "Secret Millionaire" will follow several wealthy Americans in their mission to help improve the life of people in need but through a thorough observation on who should deserve it. As an undercover, they will work minimum wage jobs and live in a poverty-stricken neighborhoods including in the community that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. On the last day of their mission, they will reveal their true identities to the people they have been involved in and decide who should take away the prize. Other communities visited by the show are the old coal mining town in Schuylkill County, PA, and areas outside of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas. The millionaires that participate are Internet entrepreneur Gurbaksh Chahal; Raising Cane's CEOs Todd and Gwen Graves; Century Software, Inc. founder Gregory R. Haerr; founders of DUB Magazine Myles and Cynthia Kovacs; Ruzicka & Wallace law firm founders Gregory and Cole Ruzicka, and civic leader Molly Shattuck.
 
"I AM LEGEND 2" POSSIBLY MORE A SEQUEL THAN PREQUEL [Aceshowbiz, 11/26/08]
Rumour has it, "I Am Legend" prequel might no longer be a prequel. In an unconfirmed twist related to "Untitled I Am Legend Prequel", AICN has broken out the possibility that the second movie to the blockbuster horror thriller starring Will Smith may instead be a sequel as their scooper Westwood9 came out with an update about the project. Reporting on the matter, Westwood9 firstly explained that at the beginning, Warner Bros. went along with Smith's initial story which "took place several years before the original film and there were still pockets of survivors". But after screenwriter D.B. Weiss and Smith officially joined the project, they allegedly decided to shake things up by making the project a sequel. Despite this report, Warner Bros. have yet to come out with confirmation nor denial on the sequel potential. Back in late September, Warner Bros. Pictures have confirmed that the prequel of "I Am Legend" is en route. At the time, it is noted that the story will be centered on the final days leading up to wiping up of the New York population by the man-made virus. "I Am Legend" itself is Lawrence's sci-fi horror film based on Richard Matheson's novel of the same name. Telling the story about the lone survivor in the world that has been infected by incurable virus, the flick starring Will Smith, Alice Braga and Charlie Tahan has opened first on the box office with $77.2 million and since its release on December 14, 2007, it has collected $584 million worldwide.
 
SCHRADER TAKES  BOLLYWOOD ACTION MOVIE  "EXTREME CITY" TO  INDIA [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 11/25/08]
Saying that he feels the U.S. film market has become "barren," Paul Schrader, the writer of classics "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull," is packing his bags for Mumbai, India, to write and direct the Bollywood action movie "Extreme City." "I've been getting indie movies made for 20 years," he said. "But I take a good look around and what I see is a barren, barren place -- in terms of the financial community, in terms of audiences, in terms of distribution. It's cold out there." In India, on the other hand, he says there are ways to gain both creative freedom and audiences. "City" is a cross-cultural tale that centers on an American man who travels to India to help resolve a kidnapping case for his father-in-law, only to get caught up in a gangster plot. In the Bollywood tradition, the film likely will contain some musical numbers. But Schrader says it's "not a Masala movie," referring to the term for a style of Bollywood film that combines action, romance, family drama and other genres in one big stew. Schrader is working on the script for the film, whose dialogue will be spoken in English and Hindi. "City" will be produced by Anubhav Sinha, the noted Indian director (he most recently directed the Bollywood action movie "Cash"). Schrader and Sinha are in talks with a number of Bollywood stars; the movie could get green-lighted at a bigger Bollywood studio or go the indie route. Schrader, who made his name as a writer on classics like "Raging Bull" and as a writer-director on Oscar winner "Affliction," is the latest film figure seeking to build a bridge to India. One of the fall's nascent hits is "Slumdog Millionaire," Danny Boyle's romantic action tale set in India. Indie director Jennifer Lynch is making the India-set mystery "Hisss," and last year's "The Darjeeling Limited," by Wes Anderson, was shot in India. Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment has a deal with Indian entertainment company UTV to produce two movies. And the DreamWorks studio is now financed by India-based Reliance Big Entertainment. Still, Schrader is the highest-profile contemporary U.S. writer or director to migrate to Bollywood. He said that, given the trajectory of both film cultures, the trend could continue. "Old Bollywood will never go away," he said, "but it's changing. Movies can be shorter than two hours. There doesn't need to be singing and dancing." In the meantime, "Adam Resurrected," a Holocaust drama that Schrader directed, is receiving Oscar-qualifying runs before it opens in early 2009. The film stars Jeff Goldblum as a German-Jewish performer who survives the war by performing for a Nazi commander. 
 
SCREENWRITER WHO PENNED "REAR WINDOW" DIES [BBC, 11/25/08]
John Michael Hayes, an American screenwriter associated with Hollywood blockbusters and who did four films with Alfred Hitchcock, has died. He was 89. Hayes died of natural causes Wednesday, November 19 at his retirement home in Hanover, N.H., according to John Wilson of Rand Wilson Funeral Home. Hayes worked with Hitchcock on To Catch a Thief, The Trouble with Harry and the 1956 remake of The Man Who Knew Too Much. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his script for Rear Window, the taut Hitchcock thriller starring Jimmy Stewart as a man confined to a wheelchair who witnesses a murder in a neighbouring apartment. It is considered one of Hitchcock's finest films and earned Hayes an Edgar Award. Hayes also wrote the screenplay for the 1958 Mark Robson-directed film Peyton Place, which won three Oscars and earned another three nominations, including one for scriptwriting. Hayes was born in Worcester, Mass., in 1919. He got his start writing for newspapers and radio and the Associated Press wire service. This earned him enough to pay his way through school at Massachusetts State College. After a stint in the U.S. Army, he moved to Hollywood and wrote for radio programs such as Lucille Ball's My Favorite Husband and the serial drama The Adventures of Sam Spade. He moved into film in 1952, writing melodramas such as Torch Song, Butterfield Eight and The Carpetbaggers. In the 1960s, Hayes tried his hand at TV writing, penning scripts for Winter Kill, Nevada Smith and Adams of Eagle Lake. He was a writing instructor at Dartmouth College's film studies program for several years and wrote his last screenplay, Iron Will, in 1994. Hayes donated his collection of scripts, photographs, letters and clippings from his Hollywood career to Dartmouth College in 1990.
 
STEVEN SEAGAL TO STAR ON A&E NEW SERIES [Aceshowbiz, 11/25/08]
Famous martial actor, Steven Seagal, will return to acting. It has been reported that the action hero actor has signed a deal with A&E network to star in a new reality series revolving his life in law enforcement. The new series where the 56-year-old actor will star in is entitled "Steven Seagal: Lawman". Featuring Seagal and a team of deputies investigating crimes, it also focuses on Seagal's off-duty ventures, including musical performances and philanthropic efforts in Jefferson Parish and New Orleans. The airdate of Seagal's new series is still to be determined. Seagal gives his statement regarding his new project on small screen, saying, "I believe it's important to show the nation all the positive work being accomplished here in Louisiana to see the passion and commitment that comes from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's office in this post-Katrina environment." For the past 20 years, Steven Seagal, who gets a black belt in aikido, has been working as a fully commissioned deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana.
 
BILLY RAY CYRUS JOINS JACKIE CHAN'S "THE SPY NEXT DOOR" [Aceshowbiz, 11/25/08]
Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus has landed a part in "The Spy Next Door". Joining Jackie Chan in the new action comedy feature film, he will trade his Robby Ray Stewart character in "Hannah Montana" with a CIA agent role, as The Hollywood Reporter claimed. In the movie, he will also share screen with other recently signed actors, George Lopez, Amber Valletta and Katherine Boecher. This role won't be Cyrus' first feature film credit as he has taken on minor role in 2001 mystery movie "Mulholland Drive" and 2004 Kim Basinger-starring film, "Elvis Has Left the Building". While Cyrus will play a CIA agent, Lopez is set to star as another agent who might not be all that he appears. Furthermore, Valletta will be portraying the kids' mother, and Boecher will take the role of a Russian underworld operative. Starring Jackie Chan, "The Spy Next Door" revolves around a man who is asked to baby-sit his neighbor's children. When one of the kids accidentally downloads a secret code, he is now forced to protect them from secret agents. Directed by Brian Levant for Relativity Media, the movie eyes for 2010 release.
 
NYC MURDER TRIAL OPENS FOR ACTOR BRANCATO [AP, 11/25/08]
A prosecutor at the murder trial of Lillo Brancato Jr. told jurors Monday, November 24 the former "Sopranos" actor got involved in the killing of an off-duty police officer during a desperate mission to steal drugs. But the defense said Monday in opening statements that the only culprit was the man already convicted in the shooting. Brancato, 32, is charged with second-degree murder in the 2005 death of Officer Daniel Enchautegui (En-chow-TAY'-gee). Both sides agreed he had a severe drug problem. Assistant District Attorney Theresa Gottlieb said Brancato and the other man, Steven Armento, had set out to steal prescription drugs. Brancato's attorney, Joseph Tacopina, said the only culprit was Armento, who was convicted of first-degree murder on Oct. 30 and has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. Authorities say the pair broke into an apartment to steal drugs after a night of drinking at a strip club. Enchautegui, who lived next door, came out to investigate and Armento shot the 28-year-old officer in the heart. Enchautegui fired back, wounding both men. "Lillo was there to satisfy his addiction. But he wasn't there to do violence — and that's important," Tacopina said in his opening statement. Tacopina denied that his client ever entered the apartment, and said Brancato did not know Armento had a gun. Brancato made his debut in 1993 in "A Bronx Tale" opposite Robert De Niro. He's appeared in more than a dozen other movies and played a doomed aspiring mobster in HBO's "The Sopranos."
 
CLIP FROM "NOTORIOUS B.I.G." BIOPIC [Aceshowbiz, 11/25/08]
USA Today has got an exclusive clip of the forthcoming Notorious B.I.G. biopic movie, "Notorious", and now the clip has come out. Focusing on the relationship between B.I.G. and his future wife, R 'n' B singer Faith Evans, the snippet gives out the time B.I.G. asks Evans could he be the man who makes her laughs. Apart from exposing the clip, USA Today also included an interview with Jamal Woolard, the actor who gets the chance to portray the legendary hip hop artist whose real name is Christopher Wallace. Of the essence of the film, he stated that it "is about manhood", explaining further, "It's about a boy turning into a man, and that is Christopher becoming The Notorious B.I.G." In "Notorious", Jamal Woolard is supported by Angela Bassett as B.I.G.'s mother Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as P. Diddy, Antonique Smith as Faith Evans, Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur, Anwan Glover as Snoop Dogg, Naturi Naughton as Lil' Kim and others. It will hit the U.S. big screen on January 16, 2009.
 
"NEW MOON" SCRIPT FINISHED, OFFICIALLY MOVING FORWARD [Aceshowbiz, 11/25/08]
Following a stunning opening day of "Twilight" on Friday, November 21, Summit Entertainment have come out with a great news for "New Moon", the sequel to the romantic vampire drama on Saturday, November 22. In a press release, the studio announced that the second "Twilight" movie are officially en route. Though mentioning no further detail, such as the cast, director, release date or an actual start of production date, about the movie based on Stephenie Meyer's second novel of her Twilight series, the press release included Meyer's comment on the "New Moon" adaptation. "I don't think any other author has had a more positive experience with the makers of her movie adaptation than I have had with Summit Entertainment," she said. "I'm thrilled to have the chance to work with them again on New Moon." On other "New Moon" news, Edward Cullen's depicter, Robert Pattinson, has told the Seattle Times earlier that the script for the sequel has been finished. "The script is already done for the second one," he explained when asked whether "New Moon" will get the green light this November. Previously, it has been reported that "Twilight" screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg has signed on to pen "New Moon" as well as proposed third installment, "Eclipse". Opening on Friday with an estimated $35.7 million, "Twilight" has scored the largest opening day total for a non-sequel, beating out the $35.2 million opening day of "Iron Man". The Catherine Hardwicke-directed movie then continues its amazing run by collecting an impressive $70.6 million over the weekend, making it to be the biggest opening ever for a female director.
 
LAND "WHITE CHRISTMAS" DILUTES ITS HOLIDAY CHEER [AP, 11/24/08]
Who diluted the holiday cheer? The festivities are muted and mild in "Irving Berlin's White Christmas," a lavish, yet surprisingly bland stage adaptation of the popular 1954 movie. This version, which opened Sunday at Broadway's Marquis Theatre, raids Berlin's considerable catalog of songs to augment the film score, which was centered around "White Christmas," the most iconic of the composer's melodies. It's a tale of two song-and-dance men (Stephen Bogardus and Jeffry Denman) who travel to Vermont and save a picturesque inn run by their former World War II commander, a retired general (Charles Dean). Along the way, the buddies find romance with two sisters (Kerry O'Malley and Meredith Patterson). And they put on a show — in a barn, of course — that helps the general's little granddaughter (Melody Hollis) discover what appears to be her inner "Annie" and the military man's long-suffering housekeeper (Susan Mansur) win over her boss. Bogardus, one of Broadway's most dependable leading men, scores with an affecting "How Deep Is the Ocean," which has been artfully entwined with "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me," torched to perfection by O'Malley. "White Christmas," which has played in various cities at holiday time since 2004, is a limited engagement, running on Broadway only through Jan. 4, 2009.
 
"THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON" [Aceshowbiz, 11/24/08]
Another look into drama mystery "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" has been unleashed through a fresh international trailer. Courtesy of Bad Taste, the two minutes plus video helps to explain the movie from Benjamin Button's perspective. Giving out many never-before-seen footage, it shows the building-up romance between him and the only woman he loves. Adapted from the classic 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, "Benjamin Button" is a traveler tale about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards. The story begins in New Orleans at the end of World War I in 1918 and continues to the twenty-first century, chronicling his journey when seeking a place where he fits in. Following the titular character as he travels the world meeting people along the way, finding love and losing it, and learning about the joys of life, the sadness of death and what lasts beyond time, this David Fincher-directed drama stars Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button. It also features also Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Julia Ormond and Elle Fanning, and will come out in U.S. theaters on December 25, 2008.
 
"TWILIGHT" TAKES $70.6 MILLION BITE OUT OF BOX OFFICE [AP, 11/24/08]
The vampire romance "Twilight" drained the box office in its opening weekend, taking in $70.6 million. Catherine Hardwicke's film also enjoyed the biggest opening ever for a female director, blowing away the previous standard of $41.1 million set by Mimi Leder's "Deep Impact" in 1998. Drawing from its huge fan base of teenage girls, who fell for Stephenie Meyer's novel of forbidden love between brooding vampire Edward Cullen and bookish high schooler Bella Swan, "Twilight" made a whopping $20,636 per theater, according to Sunday morning estimates. And the fangirls will get another taste soon enough: Summit Entertainment, which released "Twilight," announced during the weekend that it's going ahead with production of "New Moon," based on the second book in Meyer's internationally best-selling series. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart will return as its star-crossed lovers, but whether Hardwicke will be at the helm again is still being determined. The laid-back Hardwicke, who went bodyboarding at sunset Saturday, November 22 to take her mind off this high-pressure weekend, said Sunday morning that she was heading to a meeting later in the day to discuss her possible involvement in "New Moon." "I want to be sure that it's going to be done right. I don't want to rush into it," she said. "It's not like 'Friday the 13th' or 'Halloween,' you can't just do it super fast and knock another one out. I want to understand their plans and all that." Hardwicke, whose previous films include "Thirteen" and "Lords of Dogtown," also said she was thrilled about the prospect that the success of "Twilight" will inspire other women and young girls to pursue a career in filmmaking. "I hope not just women but all minorities get enthused and encouraged by it. I look at the (Directors Guild of America) calendar, at the pictures of everyone that had different movies each month, and it's usually 22-29 different directors, and almost every month there's one female and maybe one minority," she said. "We've been having a lot of events, talking to a lot of fans, and so many kids of course are madly in love with Robert but tons of kids of every kind (and) girls are coming up to me and saying 'I want to direct now, I'm writing a screenplay now, you're my inspiration.' I think it's great that people are getting excited." The big opening for "Twilight" also helps put Summit Entertainment on the map, said Richie Fay, the company's president of domestic distribution. Summit has only been around since April 2007 and "Twilight," its sixth release, cost just $37 million to make. "It certainly says what we've been saying all along, that we can do more with less," he said. Last weekend's No. 1 movie, "Quantum of Solace," came in second with $27.4 million. The latest James Bond extravaganza has now grossed $109.5 million, and it crossed the $100 million mark faster than any other film in the franchise, said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. It's also made $309 million internationally. The other major debut of the weekend, Walt Disney's 3-D animated "Bolt," made $27 million to take third place. Featuring the voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, "Bolt" follows the cross-country journey of a dog who plays a superhero on television, but sadly realizes he has no magical powers once he gets separated from his "person." Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
 
FIRST LOOK OF LAURENCE FISHBURNE'S RAYMOND LANGSTON ON "CSI" [Aceshowbiz, 11/23/08]
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" will soon switch faces from the beloved head of department, Gil Grissom, to well-known pathologist, Dr. Raymond Langston. A first look into Laurence Fishburne as Langston has been given out through some pictures and a new CBS promo for the episode 9.09, titled "19 Down" where Langston will make his first appearance. The switching was explained as William Petersen's departure from the show after 9 seasons playing Grissom. Langston's introduction to the show will be marked when Grissom secretly joins Langston's class to gain access to an infamous serial killer, "Dick & Jane Killer". The episode will air December 11 at 9/8c. On the characterization of Langston, CBS previously explained, "His focus is on understanding criminal behavior, how and why people commit acts of violence - tendencies he disturbingly sees within himself. In the course of a murder investigation, he comes into contact with the CSI team and ultimately joins the Las Vegas Crime Lab as a Level-1 CSI." Petersen will depart in early January 2009, in the middle of the ninth season. In a poll conducted by AOL, it is shown that viewers do not favor the departure of Grissom. 37 percent of the respondents said they would not watch once Petersen leaves while the other 41 percent said it depends on how good will Fishburne be.
 
TWILIGHT'S MONSTER $35 MILLION DEBUT [E! Online, 11/23/08]
Bigger than the latest Indiana Jones. Bigger than the biggest James Bond. That's how big Twilight was yesterday. November 22. The $37 million vampire flick, expected to have a killer opening day, had a monster opening day, grossing an estimated $35 million, Exhibitor Relations reported. One-fifth of that gross, or $7 million, came from Friday midnight screenings. The box office tracking firm said a $75 million Friday-Sunday gross was now a possibility. Going into Friday, $60 million was considered the movie's best-case scenario. When the counting's done, Twilight's Friday take may rank as the 14th or 15th biggest opener of all time, having surpassed the debuts of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($25 million) and Quantum of Solace ($27 million), to name two recent blockbusters. Bolt, the animated talking-dog movie, was curbed by Twilight, grossing $7 million on Friday, Exhibitor Relations said.
 
TWILIGHT" DRAWS FIRST BLOOD AT PACKED MIDNIGHT MOVIES [Reuters, 11/22/08]
Vampire romance "Twilight" sucked in more than $7 million at U.S. box offices from its first midnight showings, a strong take for the highly anticipated film, industry sources said on Friday, November 21. The movie, from independent studio Summit Entertainment, opened on Thursday at midnight and will play in more than 3,000 theaters over the weekend. "Twilight" is based on a book series of the same name by author Stephenie Meyer that have become wildly popular with teenage girls, who lined up outside theaters to see the movie. The film stars Robert Pattinson as an immortal vampire named Edward Cullen and Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, the teen girl who falls in love with him. Their star-crossed love affair is jeopardized by another vampire's lust for blood. "Clearly it wasn't all hype," said Brandon Gray, president of tracking firm Box Office Mojo. "To have over $7 million from midnight/early Friday screenings suggests there's a sizable audience for 'Twilight' and that it's going to have a huge weekend," he said. But critics have been split on the film, with review aggregating Web site Rottentomatoes.com on Friday evening giving the film a rating of 43 percent based on 118 reviews. In a positive review, Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan wrote, "I am not now nor have I ever been a 13-year-old girl, but 'Twilight' made me wish I could be, at least for a couple of hours, the better to appreciate a movie that has been targeted to that demographic with the delicious specificity of a laser weapon." On a more negative note, Christian Orr of the magazine The New Republic wrote that the film was "underwhelming" for anyone except teen girls.
 
ROAD DETOUR FOR DEPP MOVIE COSTS COUNTY [AP, 11/22/08]
County officials in Wisconsin are holding the bag following a movie shoot involving Johnny Depp as famed bank robber John Dillinger. During filming of "Public Enemies" — Wisconsin's first film under the governor's new movie incentives — state highway traffic was diverted away from the center of Columbus, 70 miles northwest of Milwaukee. The detour road couldn't stand the load — and collapsed. Dodge County was left with a $116,000 repair. It's filed a claim against the city of Columbus that could lead to a lawsuit. But Columbus Mayor Nancy Osterhaus says talks are ongoing between the city, county and film studio NBC Universal, with hopes that they might split the bill for the March mishap. "Public Enemies" is out July 2, 2009.
 
JASON BOURNE RENEWS "LICENSE TO KILL" JAMES BOND [E! Online, 11/22/08]
Is Matt Damon getting ready to be Bourne again...and again...and again? Universal has just inked a deal with Robert Ludlum's estate for exclusive rights to the Jason Bourne character and first look at his other novels. The agreement allows the studio to forge ahead with three more Bourne movies and continue a franchise that has so far spawned more than $1 billion in worldwide grosses and is widely considered to be kicking the crap out of a certain martini-mad rival spy guy. Damon, who has played the revenge-minded amnesiac in the first three movies, has already signed on to a fourth installment to be directed by Paul Greengrass, who helmed The Bourne Ultimatum and The Bourne Supremacy. It's not known whether Damon will play the role beyond the next film, or whether producers will go the Bond route and keep recasting. While Ludlum penned only two sequels, Supremacy and Ultimatum, before his death in 2001, his heirs commissioned novelist Eric Van Lustbader to continue the series with The Bourne Legacy, The Bourne Betrayal and The Bourne Sanction. No word if the new films will utilize those latter-day tales, but the estate reportedly has final approval on all screenplays and casting choices. Ludlum Entertainment will also develop other Ludlum-based non-Bourne conspiracy thrillers, such as The Sigma Protocol, as potential movies. The fourth Bourne flick is targeted to hit theaters in summer 2010.
 
WARREN BEATTY SUES TRIBUNE OVER "DICK TRACY" RIGHTS [Reuters, 11/22/08]
Actor Warren Beatty has sued a unit of Tribune Co over the film and television rights to comic strip detective Dick Tracy, a character he played in a 1990 hit film of the same name. The suit, made public on Friday, November 21, was filed in Los Angeles federal court and seeks to prevent Tribune from taking the movie and TV rights away from Beatty, who has held them since 1985. Beatty used the rights to make "Dick Tracy," which earned more than $160 million at worldwide box offices in 1990. Under the original agreement between Beatty and Tribune, the rights would revert to Tribune if "a certain period of time" lapsed without Beatty having produced another Dick Tracy movie, TV series or TV special, according to court papers. The suit said Tribune sent Beatty a letter on November 17, 2006, that gave him two years to begin production on Dick Tracy programming. Beatty began a Dick Tracy TV special on November 8 this year, the lawsuit said, and gave Tribune written notice. "Tribune responded by asserting that it still had the right to terminate Beatty's Tracy Rights and effect a reversion, and purported to do so," the lawsuit said. The lawsuit seeks a declaration that Beatty's work on the Dick Tracy TV special precludes Tribune from taking back the rights to the property. Tribune spokesman Gary Weitman declined to comment on the suit.
 
NEW TRAILER OF "ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS" [Aceshowbiz, 11/22/08]
A brand new trailer of "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" has been released. Courtesy of Apple, the video footage still puts its focus on the acorns-obsessed saber-toothed squirrel named Scrat. Unlike the earlier teaser where he has to walk through a snow storm to grab an acorn, this trailer presents a different kind of problem for Scrat. Sniffing his way to find another acorn, Scrat in the beginning of the trailer spots one acorn in a distance. Excited by his finding and determined as usual, he then quickly makes his way across a big gorge using a thin three root. But, when he finally gets across, the acorn has gone missing and its stealer is standing behind a tree. Using the tree to hide himself, he looks for his competition, who happens to be a lovely saber-toothed squirrel. Now, he has to take the acorn from her. "Dawn of Dinosaurs" is the third installment of the Academy Award-nominated computer-animated film "Ice Age". The film directed by Carlos Saldanha will once again hear the voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary as the three unlikely friends, Manfred, Sid and Diego respectively. Set for July 1, 2009 release in the U.S., it has yet to unveil its plot.
 
THE FRAY'S "YOU FOUND ME" MUSIC VIDEO FOR "LOST" SEASON [Aceshowbiz, 11/22/08]
Debuted November 20 during the airing of "Grey's Anatomy" is the promo video of "Lost" that features the new single "You Found Me" from The Fray. Produced by ABC and Epic Records, the video combines exclusive scenes from the upcoming fifth season of the drama thriller series plus the band's live performance footage on "You Found Me". Rooting from their successful debut album "How to Save a Life" (2005), The Fray will drop their self-titled sophomore effort on February 3, 2009 with "You Found Me" as the lead single. "The record definitely has some isolation and loneliness rolled into the fabric of the sound and lyrics," frontman Isaac Slade explains. "We'd been gone from our family and friends for more time than we'd been home. You start to lose sight of priorities and lose sight of balance and you don't really have the luxury of a routine. When that happens, naturally it comes out in the music." Set 108 days after the fateful plane crash, "Lost" picks up the story after 6 people successfully escape from the island and returns to their normal lives but they are haunted by the fact that many are still left on the now-vanished island. The new season will start invading the small screen on January 21 at 9/8c. This would be the second time that The Fray assist ABC in providing a promo score for their TV series. In 2006 they attached their popular hit "How to Save a Life" to "Grey's Anatomy". On the partnership ABC Entertainment executive president of marketing Michael Benson says that they look at ABC "as the biggest radio station in the world." Slade also explains the benefits for the band in gaining the partnership, saying "My goal is for those people to get to know us as a complete picture. We've always been very much about the word-of-mouth. ... If we do ever lose fans on either side of the extreme, I would hope that our core would stay with us."
 
CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY IN THE L.A. PREMIERE OF "FOUR CHRISTMASES" [Aceshowbiz, 11/22/08]
Less than a week away from the theatrical debut of "Four Christmases", New Line Cinema held a premiere event for the romantic comedy in Los Angeles on Thursday night, November 20. Bringing in a holiday season atmosphere to the event, the studio erected a few set of decorated Christmas trees along the red carpet in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater. The special evening gala saw the attendance of leading lady Reese Witherspoon, but Witherspoon's co-star, Vince Vaughn was not spotted on the red carpet. Joining Witherspoon though were co-stars Robert Duvall, Jon Favreau, Katy Mixon, Kristin Chenoweth, Mary Steenburgen and Sissy Spacek. Beside the cast ensemble, producer Jonathan Glickman was seen coming to the special occasion. Additionally, "Dancing with the Stars" performer Karina Smirnoff, actress Luciana Pedraza andactor Ted Danson were among the celebrity guests attending the premiere. A Christmas-themed movie, "Four Christmases" follows a young couple who has managed to spend their Christmas day with their families for years. But, in a twisting event, this Christmas day they could not avoid celebrating the holiday with their estranged parents and their new families going from one household to another. Directed by Seth Gordon, the comedy flick is set for November 26, 2008 U.S. release.
 
"MARY AND MAX" TO OPEN THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL [Reuters, 11/21/08]
The Sundance Film Festival, the top destination for U.S. independent filmmakers, on Wednesday, November 19 unveiled the opening-night movie for its 25th edition in January, the clay animation feature "Mary and Max." In keeping with the Sundance tradition of providing a platform for offbeat fare, "Mary and Max" tells the story of an 8-year-old Australian girl who becomes the pen pal of an obese, 44-year-old man living in New York. Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Adam Elliot, the film spans 20 years as the two delve into subjects including psychiatry, autism, taxidermy, kleptomania and agoraphobia. It features the voices of Toni Collette, Barry ("Dame Edna Everage") Humphries and Eric Bana. Sundance director Geoffrey Gilmore called it a "portrait of a global friendship between two marvelously dysfunctional people." Sundance, sponsored by Robert Redford's Sundance Institute, draws top stars, hordes of media and studio executives, and tens of thousands of moviegoers to Park City, Utah, east of Salt Lake City. Next year's event runs January 15-25, 2009. Many of the selections will hope to capitalize on their Sundance "buzz" to generate studio attention and box office sales. Films in the dramatic and documentary competitions, as well as other movies at the event, will be unveiled on December 3-4, 2008.
 
MEET "ASTRO BOY" NEWLY RELEASED TEASER [Aceshowbiz, 11/21/08]
The first look into "Astro Boy", a movie about a robot boy whose journey in search of his identity and destiny will fall into place in 2009. Set in futuristic Metro City, "Astro Boy" tells the story of a young robot with incredible powers. He is created by a brilliant scientist to replace the son he has lost, but when the scientist finds out the robot couldn't mend his grieving heart, he sends Astro Boy away. Alone and rejected, the young robot embarks in a journey in search of acceptance where he experiences betrayal and gets into a netherworld of robot gladiators, before he finally returns to save Metro City and reconcile with the scientist. An adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's classic manga, the Imagi Studios' animation is directed by David Bowers, who is famous of his work "Flushed Away", with the screenplay written by Timothy Harris, who wrote for "Trading Places" and "Kindergarten Cop". Featuring the voices of Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Donald Sutherland and Freddie Highmore, it will be released nationwide on October 23, 2009.
 
MILA KUNIS BOOKED FOR DENZEL WASHINGTON THRILLER [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 11/21/08]
"That '70s Show" veteran Mila Kunis, fresh from her breakout feature role in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," has joined the cast of the Denzel Washington action thriller "The Book of Eli." In the title role, Washington plays a lone hero who must fight his way across the wasteland of a near-future America to protect a sacred book that might hold the key to saving the future of humanity. Kunis plays a woman named Solara, at first enlisted to betray Eli, she ultimately joins him in his quest. Albert and Allen Hughes are directing the project for Warner Bros. and financier Alcon Entertainment. Principal photography begins in February in New Mexico. Kunis most recently starred opposite Mark Wahlberg in "Max Payne."
 
LIFETIME FASHIONS A PROJECT RUNWAY SUIT [E! Online, 11/21/08]
Lifetime isn't going to just sit and watch Project Runway pass it by. The female-favoring cable network has filed suit against Bravo parent NBC Universal, which in September successfully blocked Lifetime from going ahead with its planned winter premiere of the Peabody-winning competition series. Now, of all the fashion faux pas, it's looking as if the show's sixth season won't begin until summer 2009, despite the fact that the entire Los Angeles-set cycle, minus two episodes, has already been shot. In the suit filed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court and obtained by the Hollywood Reporter, Lifetime asserts that, through its deal with Runway producer, the Weinstein Co., the network holds the copyrights to the show and that any attempt by Bravo Media to hang onto it would be a violation of those rights. The Weinstein Co. is also listed as a nominal defendant because, per the complaint, Runway was supposed to have been "free and clear of any third-party obligations" by the time Lifetime, which paid $20 million for the privilege, took the reins. Although the current injunction also prohibits Bravo from airing more Project Runway, Lifetime is requesting yet another order preventing NBCU from promoting, marketing and showing any new episodes.
 
JAPANESE ANIMATION GURU 'EMBARRASSED' BY MANGA-LOVING PM [CBC, 11/21/08]
He may have won acclaim worldwide for his animated movies, but celebrated Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki would like to see kids today spend more time outside rather than in front of a screen. Speaking at a rare news conference Thursday, November 20, the Oscar-winner also criticized Japan's prime minister for repeatedly touting his love of manga. The 68-year-old Taro Aso, who previously as foreign minister and now as prime minister, publicly professes his penchant for the Japanese cartooning genre and helped spearhead the establishment of an international manga prize. "It's an embarrassment," the filmmaker said at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan when asked about Aso's manga mania. "That's something that should be done in private," he added. Miyazaki also scoffed at current politicians who assert that manga is among the country's most important exports. The filmmaker denounced today's society as "full of virtual reality: television, video games, e-mail, mobile phones and manga" that "saps children of their strength." The 67-year-old animator, who acknowledged that his opinion might be considered odd considering his vocation, harkened back to a more natural lifestyle and teaching children practical outdoor skills at a young age. "Instead of thinking about how to stimulate demand by creating bridges or roads, we should have the proper environment in place for future generations," he said, noting his involvement in a project to train 20 young animators in a studio away from Tokyo. Miyazaki, who creates hand-drawn artwork in a world obsessed with digital animation, won an Academy Award in 2003 for his film Spirited Away. His latest, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, made the rounds at a host of film festivals this year and is currently screening in Japanese theatres. Based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Little Mermaid, Ponyo tells the story of a little goldfish who longs to become human and live with a little boy on shore.
 
"TERMINATOR SALVATION" WILL "PUSH THE ENVELOPE" WITH ITS HI-TECH VISUAL EFFECTS [BBC, 11/20/08]
The new Terminator movie will "reinvigorate the franchise", Hollywood director McG - real name Joseph McGinty Nichol has promised at a preview of footage in central London. The film-maker also said the film, Terminator Salvation, would "push the envelope" with its hi-tech visual effects. Set in 2018 in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, the film depicts a "dirty, gritty, difficult" world in which human survivors are preyed upon by lethal robots. Batman actor Christian Bale plays John Connor, leader of the resistance against the cyborg army. "When he came on board I knew we had the chance to do something special," the director told reporters. Other cast members include Bryce Dallas Howard, Australian Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin, soon to be seen in the new Star Trek film. However, McG refused to confirm or deny reports that original star Arnold Schwarzenegger, now governor of California, would make a cameo appearance. "The T-800 is a big character in the film," he said cryptically, referring to the serial number given to the first Terminator model. But because he was forbidden from revealing more, he said we would have to "let your imaginations run riot". It has been rumoured that Schwarzenegger has allowed his likeness to be digitally mapped onto a Terminator's face. The five-minute extended trailer presented an action-packed montage of explosions, stunts, gunplay and car chases. It also revealed the range of robots featured in the film, among them two-wheeled machines dubbed Mototerminators, tentacled Hydrobots and giant, armoured Harvesters. The US director also revealed he had a plot in mind for a further two instalments in an envisioned second Terminator trilogy. Terminator Salvation will be released in the US on 22 May 2009 and in the UK on 5 June. The director joked he hoped his film would perform considerably better than Star Trek, which is to be released on both sides of the Atlantic on 8 May 2009.
 
THIRD "NUTTY PROFESSOR" COULD BE ON THE WAY [Aceshowbiz, 11/20/08]
Rumor has it, another sequel to "The Nutty Professor", the remake of Jerry Lewis-starring 1963 film, is brewing. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal and Imagine Entertainment are in the early stages of developing what could be "Nutty Professor 3" movie as the studio and production company put out an open call to writers for their take on the potential third installment. 
 
DISNEY EXPANDS 3D MOVIES WITH "BEAUTY", IMAX DEAL [Reuters, 11/20/08]
The Walt Disney Co, whose 2005 release "Chicken Little" was its first digital 3D movie, expanded its upcoming movie slate on Wednesday, November 19 with a 3D version of "Beauty and the Beast" and a deal to make 3D films with IMAX Corp. Disney has begun re-rendering in 3D the 1991 Oscar-nominated "Beauty" for a big-screen debut in 2010, bringing Disney's 3D slate for that year to 11 titles, Disney Studios President Mark Zoradi said at an event in Singapore. The company also announced a five-picture deal with IMAX, starting with the 2009 release of Robert Zemeckis' "A Christmas Carol" starring Jim Carrey. Hollywood studios began ramping up production of 3D films about a year ago to shore up theatrical attendance and prices because tickets for those releases sell at a premium. The coming bumper crop of those films may have trouble finding wide releases, however, because the global economic downturn has slowed plans by exhibitors to install digital 3D projection systems.
 
"HAIRSPRAY" SNAGS ORIGINAL TRACY FOR FINAL RUN [CBC, 11/20/08]
Like mother, like daughter: A week after Harvey Fierstein returned to his gender-bending, maternal role in Broadway's Hairspray for its final weeks, his stage daughter has announced she will join him. Marissa Jaret Winokur, who originated the role of dance-crazy teen Tracy Turnblad in the hit musical, is set to return to Hairspray beginning Dec. 9, 2008. Stage veteran Fierstein returned to the long-running musical last week to portray Edna Turnblad — Tracy's flamboyant mother — until the show's close in January. Based on the cult John Waters film, the musical adaptation of Hairspray opened on Broadway in August 2002. The 1960s-era show went on to win a whopping eight Tony Awards, including best musical, best original score and acting trophies for Winokur and Fierstein. The New York musical, in turn, inspired a new film version and also spawned a U.K. production as well as a North American tour. The curtain drops on Jan. 4, 2009. By that point, Hairspray will have had more than 2,600 performances at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre.
 
MICKEY MOUSE TURNS 80 [BBC, 11/20/08]
Mickey Mouse first appeared on cinema screens in Steamboat Willie, released in 1928. On Mickey's 80th birthday the writer, broadcaster and Mickey Mouse expert Brian Sibley explains some things about the world-famous rodent. If you go back to the origins of Mickey Mouse and look at the characters that appeared in those early films, there were all kinds of farmyard animals - pigs, cats, dogs, goats, horses, cows and mice, and they were all a realistic size. As  the characters became more rounded and more sophisticated over the years, their animal nature regressed and they became more like people. Mickey is a character who wears shoes, shorts and strange white gloves, he lives in a house, drives in a car and has a pet dog called Pluto. In itself, it is rather strange that a mouse has a dog as a pet. Even if it's a small dog, it still means Mickey is enormous for a mouse. Over the years Mickey Mouse has been a symbol of different things at different times. In the 1930s, the time of the great depression, Mickey represented something very American to do with endurance and the ability to rise above defeat. Alongside Charlie Chaplin, he was an icon of the little man. They symbolized hope, optimism and a kind of inbred spunkiness. In the first film, Steamboat Willie, he is rude to the authority figure, blows raspberries, thumbs his nose and is generally a little scamp. As life improved in the 1940s, Mickey became redundant. It was the first ever cartoon with synchronized sound and was a huge success. It established Disney and kick started Hollywood animation in a new direction.
 
"IMPRESSIONISM" SETS A MARCH 12 BROADWAY OPENING [AP, 11/20/08]
The opening date and Broadway theater have been set for the world premiere of "Impressionism," a play by Michael Jacobs starring Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen. The story of a photojournalist and a New York gallery owner will open March 12, 2009 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. Preview performances begin Feb. 28. Jack O'Brien directs. Additional casting will be announced. The production marks Irons' first Broadway performance in nearly 25 years. He last appeared there in 1984 in Tom Stoppard's "The Real Thing." Allen was last on Broadway in 1989 in a production of Wendy Wasserstein's "The Heidi Chronicles."
 
VAN GOGH MASTERPIECES COME TO IMAX THEATRES [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 11/19/08]
Art lovers who lack the means to visit such cities as New York, Paris or Amsterdam surely will be thrilled by the prospect of seeing "Van Gogh: Brush With Genius." This Imax Theater documentary, from MacGillivray Freeman Films, provides the visceral thrill of seeing numerous masterworks by the painter in visually dazzling fashion, even if its narrative style leaves something to be desired. The film is scheduled for release in Imax theaters in early 2009. Like so many giant screen films, "Van Gogh" feels the need to enhance its visuals with a prosaic story line. In this case, it takes the form of concentrating on figures like Peter Knapp, who conceived the idea for the film, and a fictional museum researcher (played by French actress Helen Seuzaret) delving into Van Gogh's numerous letters. More problematically, Marie Sellier's screenplay includes numerous observations by "Van Gogh" himself, who comments on the proceedings in, considering the mental illness that eventually led to his suicide, disarmingly chipper fashion. The images of these masterworks, which are frequently accompanied by beautiful shots of the actual landscapes in such places as Arles and Saint-Remy that inspired them, are so stunning that it's a wonder that no one thought to showcase them in this cinematic manner before now.
 
WHITAKER AND SUNDANCE TRYING TO SAVE NEWARK [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 11/19/08]
Sundance Channel is taking an in-depth look at the challenges facing Newark, N.J., in a new documentary series backed in part by Forest Whitaker. "Brick City" will center on Newark Mayor Cory Booker, local citizens and key figures -- from real estate developers to ex-gang members -- as they try to remake the city, working to stamp out violence, poverty and corruption and make improvements in housing, employment and education. Whitaker, the Oscar-winning star of "The Last King of Scotland," will serve as an executive producer with the series' directors, Marc Levin ("Slam") and Mark Benjamin ("The Last Party"). The series will debut with six half-hour episodes in the third quarter of 2009. The series will take place over the span of about a year so viewers can see whether things change. Sundance executive vp/GM Laura Michalchyshyn said Whitaker is a "huge supporter of this project and of Newark," but that it was too early to determine if he might provide voice-over for the series.
 
STARS WALK THE RED CARPET FOR "AUSTRALIA" PREMIERE [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 11/19/08]
Red carpets were rolled out in Sydney and the dusty outback on Tuesday, November 18 for the world premiere of the epic movie "Australia" which aims to showcase the rugged continent, its history and indigenous people to the world. Director Baz Luhrmann's ambitious and grandly named film, the most expensive made in Australia, was released amid a blaze of publicity and a race to finish the movie on time. Australian co-stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman have both carved out lucrative Hollywood careers but wanted to work with Luhrmann, a perfectionist who was so busy editing the film until the last moment that the cast did not see it before the premiere. "I knew we would get there but it has been a long time," Jackman told Reuters as he walked the red carpet in Sydney, while screenings were held in three other Australian locations. The two-hour 40-minute long movie, which is reported to have cost News Corp's 20th Century Fox about US$130 million, is a World War Two drama set in stunning Australian landscape. An English aristocrat (Kidman) travels to Australia and joins forces with a "drover" or cowboy (Jackman) and an Aboriginal child to drive a herd of cattle across Australia, falling in love along the way. Australia is pinning high hopes on the romantic adventure, which Luhrmann said he had filmed in the style of "Gone With The Wind" hoping to make his mark on Australian film history, but it remained to be seen if it would draw audiences globally. "There will be some (bad reviews), and there will be some people who really embrace it," said Luhrmann, admitting spending such a large amount on an old-fashioned style movie was a risk. The movie also focuses on "the stolen generation," when tens of thousands of Aboriginal children were taken away from their families between the 1880s and 1960s to be raised by whites. Australia's new Labor government this year issued a long-sought formal apology to Aborigines for past injustices, heralding a new era in race relations in the nation. Australia has 460,000 indigenous Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, or 2 percent of a 21 million population, who are the nation's most disadvantaged group with high rates of unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse, and domestic violence. Luhrmann said the release of the film in the same year as the national apology was coincidental, but in light of the apology, he felt he had to work the message into the story. "Australia" opens in the United States and Australia on November 26 and in Britain on December 26, 2008.
 
ROCK STARS TUNING UP FOR GUITAR DOCUMENTARY [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 11/19/08]
The Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White will be jamming at a theater near you next summer. Sony Pictures Classics will present the respective guitar heroes from U2, Led Zeppelin and the White Stripes cranking their instruments up to 11 in "It Might Get Loud." The rockumentary from Oscar-winning director Davis Guggenheim ("An Inconvenient Truth") looks at the electric guitar through the history of each musician, as told through their own words and sounds. The movie premiered at September's Toronto International Film Festival.
 
LOS ANGELES PREMIERE OF "BOLT" [Aceshowbiz, 11/19/08]
While "Twilight" held its world premiere in Westwood, California, "Bolt" threw down a Los Angeles premiere in celebration of its nearing theatrical premiere. Making use of El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood on Monday, November 17, the special screening event saw Bolt and his two friends, Mittens and Rhino, welcoming the guests. Joining the trio at the red carpet was two of the film's voice talents, Miley Cyrus and John Travolta. The "Hannah Montana" star and the "Wild Hogs" actor were spotted posing with Bolt and Rhino for the photographers. Apart from the two, other cast ensemble seen included Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Diedrich Bader, Brian Stepanek, Kari Wahlgren, Malcolm McDowell and Ronn Moss. The special event was also attended by director Chris Williams and Byron Howard, as well as other guest stars, naming some were Billy Ray Cyrus, Debby Ryan, Jenny Lewis, Mitchel Musso and Mr. T. Telling a tale of a lost dog finding his way home, "Bolt" follows the titular character whose daily life in front of the camera is filled with danger and intrigue. When one day he is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood sound stage to New York City, he is forced to face the fact that he doesn't need his imaginary superpower to be a real hero. It will run into U.S. theaters this coming Friday, November 21, 2008.
 
BOND FINDS "SOLACE" IN $70.4 M BOX OFFICE DEBUT [AP, 11/17/08]
James Bond's quantum of the weekend box office: $70.4 million. "Quantum of Solace," with Daniel Craig returning as Bond for the first direct sequel in the spy franchise, pulled in nearly $30 million more over opening weekend than its predecessor, 2006's "Casino Royale," according to studio estimates Sunday, November 16. The debut also topped the previous opening-weekend record for a Bond flick, $47 million for 2002's "Die Another Day." Adjusting for inflation, Sony's "Quantum of Solace" easily drew a bigger audience than that installment, the last Bond adventure featuring Pierce Brosnan. Based on 2002 admission prices, about 8.1 million tickets were sold for "Die Another Day" in the first weekend, compared to 9.8 million for "Quantum of Solace." Two years ago, Craig was an unknown quantity as Bond, a stage-trained actor with little action experience and a resume that tended toward small, artsier films. Many fans were unhappy with the casting choice, but the critical and commercial success of "Casino Royale" silenced the critics. "Quantum of Solace" began rolling out overseas two weekends before its U.S. debut, and its worldwide total now stands at $322 million. DreamWorks Animation's "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," which debuted at No. 1 the previous weekend, slipped to second place with $36.1 million, raising its 10-day total to $118 million. "Quantum of Solace" gave a huge boost to overall revenues as Hollywood heads toward Thanksgiving, one of the year's busiest weekends at theaters. The top 12 movies took in $142.9 million, up 54 percent from the same weekend a year ago, when "Beowulf" led the box office with $27.5 million. The next two weekends will bring more likely hits, including the vampire romance "Twilight," John Travolta and Miley Cyrus' animated comedy "Bolt" and Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn's holiday romp "Four Christmases." Fox Searchlight's "Slumdog Millionaire" had an impressive debut in limited release, taking in $350,434 in 10 theaters for a strong average of $35,043 a cinema. A film festival favorite, "Slumdog Millionaire" was directed by Danny Boyle ("Trainspotting," "28 Days Later"). and follows the alternately heartwarming and horrific life of a poor youth who becomes a contestant on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
 
"TWILIGHT" TIME: VAMP TALE SEEKS BLOCKBUSTER BITE [AP, 11/17/08]
Girl-meets-boy stories are not the usual stuff of Hollywood blockbusters, even when it's girl-meets-vampire. Neither are stories created by women, with a predominantly female audience, shot on a bargain budget with a cast of relative unknowns and released by an independent distributor trying to establish a niche among Hollywood's half-dozen studio behemoths. Yet Summit Entertainment has good reason to believe "Twilight" will have more box-office bite than your typical teen soap about an awkward high school babe and her cool new mystery beau. "Twilight" has a few stunts and clever visuals, but it's far from the special-effects extravaganzas that dominate the movie business. It was shot for $37 million, a pittance compared with big studio movies that can cost four or five times more. What "Twilight" does offer is epic star-crossed romance, melodrama, peril, an attractive young cast and an action-packed finale. But mostly, it has arguably the most passionate fan base of any literary adaptation since Harry Potter. "It's like a little bizarre, little perfect-storm phenomenon," said "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke, who began working on the project less than two years ago and has since seen the books grow from earnest cult status to rabid international fan base. "I knew some people loved it, but I didn't know it would get this kind of crazy buzz." "Twilight" tells the story of Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), an introspective teen who moves from sunny Phoenix to cloudy Forks, Wash., to live with her divorced dad. At her new school, she is swept up in a supernatural romance with aloof Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), part of a family of eternally young vampires fighting their nature by refusing to feed off humans. Danger looms: Bella and Edward must keep their passion in check so he won't succumb to the desire to drink her blood. Meantime, he and his family are forced into action to protect Bella against a savage band of roving vampires. The chief creative forces behind "Twilight" are women: director Hardwicke, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg ("Step Up," TV's "Dexter") and author Stephenie Meyer, whose four books in the "Twilight" series have sold 18 million copies. Schoolgirls were the first in the "Twilight" fold, drawn in by the all-consuming obsessiveness of Bella and Edward's forbidden love. "Twilight" reads like a confessional, a young girl's diary loaded with compulsive detail and teen angst.
 

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