Rep Moves For 12/6/13: ICM Partners, UTA, WME

December 6, 2013, 1:32 pm

≫ Next: Golden Globes Spotlights: Pamela Williams, Neal Dodson, Anthony Bregman & Stefanie Azpiazu, Exec Shuffle, Rep Moves

≪ Previous: Exec Shuffle For 12/6/13: Legendary Entertainment, Electus, APA, Vice Media

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Agencies

  APA: Screenwriter Barbara Curry is now repped by Ryan Saul, Lindsay Howard and Kyle Loftus. Her script The Boy Next Door is currently in production and will star Jennifer Lopez, Kristin Chenoweth and John Corbett. The Rob Cohen-directed feature marks Curry’s first produced film and originally landed on the 2011 Blood List, a yearly compilation of the industry’s best-liked genre scripts. Prior to embarking on her screenwriting career, Curry spent nearly a decade working as an assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, where she worked in the Major Violent Crimes unit and handled federal cases that included murder-for-hire, racketeering, bank robbery and conspiracy. Curry previously made waves for her script Talk of the Town, which was featured in UCLA’s prestigious Screenwriters Showcase Event. Altogether, Curry has won three Screenwriting Showcase Awards, as well as the George Burns & Gracie Allen Fellowship in Comedy Screenwriting and the Diane Thomas Screenwriting Award.   CAA: British actor Chris Geere is now repped by Jason Heyman, John Sacks and Sean Grumman.  Geere just wrapped playing the lead in Stephen Falk’s FX pilot You're The Worst, directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts.  He also appeared earlier this year in M. Night Shyamalan’s sci-fi flick After Earth opposite Will Smith and starred in the most recent season of the U.K. sitcom Trollied, which was created by Ash Atalla.  Geere began his career on stage in Royal Shakespeare Company’s All's Well That Ends Well, appearing opposite Dame Judi Dench.  He followed that with a small role in HBO’s Band of Brothers.  Geere’s feature credits include the lead in the third and fourth installment of the Prince & Me film series, MGM’s werewolf thriller Blood and Chocolate opposite Olivier Martinez, and Warner Bros.’ Cleanskin opposite Sean Bean.  Geere has worked consistently in U.K. television in both drama and comedy, including three seasons on the BBC award-winning series Waterloo Road.  Additionally, he was a series regular on Pete Vs. Life and appeared in the war drama Bombshell and the 2013 sitcom The Spa.  Geere continues to be repped by Beth McIntosh of Creative Partners Group and Daphne Waring of Waring and McKenna in the U.K.   Equitable Stewardship for Artists (ESA): Emmy-winning director, producer and editor Elodie Keene is now repped by Paul Alan Smith. Keene most recently directed episodes of The Mentalist, Glee, Necessary Roughness, The New Normal and Hart of Dixie. She originally got her start in the early eighties, working as an editor on various television series including St. Elsewhere, Tales of the Unexpected and L.A. Law.   Her work on L.A. Law eventually landed her directing and producing gigs on that series as well and altogether Keene directed a total of 18 episodes of L.A. Law.  Keene has since led a prolific career as a television director, helming multiple episodes of such series as ER, NYPD Blue, Ally McBeal, Popular, Family Law, Judging Amy, Nip/Tuck, The Closer, Glee, Pretty Little Liars, Huge, Switched at Birth, Necessary Roughness and The Mentalist. She has also directed single episodes of series as My So Called Life, The Practice, Scrubs, House M.D., Lie to Me, Hawaii Five-O, Covert Affairs and Animal Practice to name only a few. Keene won three Emmys for her work on L.A. Law, including one for Outstanding Editing for a Series – Single Camera Production, as well as two in her role as producer for Outstanding Drama Series. Keene continues to be co-repped by ICM Partners.   Gersh: Australian director and cinematographer Kim Mordaunt has signed with David Gersh and Sandra Luchessi. Mordaunt recently made his fiction debut with the feature film The Rocket, which will be this year’s Australian submission for the Best Foreign Language Academy Award.  Mordaunt’s film has already become a major hit on the festival circuit, racking up numerous awards, including the World Cinema Award at AFI Fest, as well as prizes at the Tribeca and Berlin film festivals. Mordaunt started his career as an actor, before embarking on a prolific career in documentaries working as both a director and cinematographer. His first documentary was 45 Years is Enough, which explored the life of some of Bulgaria’s leading artists after the fall of the Iron Curtain.  He followed that up with short form docs for SBS TV, ABC and Discovery, including the well-received Copyrites, Survival and Speed City. In 2007, Mordaunt directed his first feature length documentary Bomb Harvest, which explored the consequences of war in Laos. That film won numerous prizes, was screened at 20 international festivals and was shown on television in over 25 countries.  Mordaunt is currently developing two features with The Rocket producer Sylvia Wilczynski, Zig Zag and Pink Mist.   ICM Partners: Oscar-winning actor and director Al Pacino is now repped by John Burnham, Carol Goll, Adam Schweitzer, Laren Sellars and Chris Silverman. He was previously with CAA. Pacino currently has several projects in various stages of development including Manglehorn, which is now in production, and the Dan Fogelman-helmed feature Imagine, now in post. He also appeared earlier this year as Phil Spector in the HBO television movie Phil Spector. Arguably the greatest actor of his generation, Pacino began his career as a stage actor, making his film debut in 1969’s Me, Natalie.  A riveting performance in 1971’s The Panic in Needle Park caught the eye of Francis Ford Coppola who soon cast Pacino in the iconic role of Michael Corleone in his 1972 masterpiece The Godfather.  The role earned Pacino an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.  Going on to appear in cinematic classics that included Serpico The Godfather Part II, Dog Day Afternoon, …And Justice For All, Scarface and Glengarry Glen Ross, Pacino finally won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in 1992’s Scent of a Woman. In addition to numerous nominations, Pacino has won one Oscar, two Emmys and two Tony Awards. He is next slated to appear in Brian DePalma-directed Happy Valley, playing the late Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno.   UTA: Grammy-winning rapper, record producer and actor Cliff “Method Man” Smith is now repped by Blair Kohan, Ali Benmohamed and Scott Schachter. He is currently filming Tom McCarthy’s next film The Cobbler, which will star Adam Sandler and Dustin Hoffman. He will also appear in the feature Lucky N#mber, which is currently in post-production.  Starting off as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan and winning a Grammy in 1996 for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, Smith has led a prolific acting career in addition to his career in music. First appearing in roles in the late nineties that included the features Copland, One Eight Seven, Big Daddy and How High, Smith ventured into television as well with an appearance on HBO’s landmark series The Wire, as well as a recurring role on HBO’s OZ.  Smith’s subsequent film and television roles have included appearances in Garden State, Soul Plane, Scary Movie 3, Burn Notice, The Good Guys, The Sitter and multiple episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He also appeared last year in the George Lucas feature Red Tails.  Music-wise, Smith is one half of the rap duo Method Man & Redman and briefly appeared on the Fox sitcom Method & Red. Smith is next slated to appear in a voice role on the FX animated comedy Chozen, as well as the Ashley Greene feature Staten Island Summer.   WME Entertainment: Television personality, actress and fashion designer Nicole Richie is now a client.  Richie currently appears on the AOL web series #CandidlyNicole, based off her irreverent Twitter feed. Legally adopted by Lionel Richie and Brenda Harvey when she was nine years old, Richie got her big break appearing on the hit Fox reality series The Simple Life, alongside her childhood friend Paris Hilton.  Lasting for five seasons, Richie soon became a prominent television and media personality, eventually making her feature film debut in 2005’s Kids in America.  She has since appeared in numerous television series including Six Feet Under, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, The New Normal.  She also played a recurring character on Chuck. More recently, Richie appeared as a guest judge on Fashion Police and appeared as a mentor on Fashion Star.  Richie also has her own apparel line and wrote The Truth About Diamonds, a novel that was loosely based on her life.    

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Golden Globes Spotlights: Pamela Williams, Neal Dodson, Anthony Bregman & Stefanie Azpiazu, Exec Shuffle, Rep Moves

December 6, 2013, 3:29 pm

≫ Next: In Case You Missed It For The Week Of 12/2 – 12/6/13: SSN’s Top Original Stories

≪ Previous: Rep Moves For 12/6/13: ICM Partners, UTA, WME

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AWARDS ORIGINALS

GOLDEN GLOBES – BEST MOTION PICTURE: DRAMA & COMEDY OR MUSICAL

 

Globes Spotlight: ‘The Butler’ Producer Pamela Williams On Laura Ziskin’s Legacy & the Wild Ride of Working With Lee Daniels

Williams, director Lee Daniels, and producer Cassian Elwes worked tirelessly to make the movie happen, and the result is one of the year’s most talked about films. SSN spoke to Williams about The Butler’s difficult road to production. (SSN)

Globes Spotlight: ‘All is Lost’ Producer Neal Dodson on the Document that Excited Foreign Sales Agents & Got Robert Redford Attached

SSN spoke with Dodson about the film, the sparse screenplay and how the main character came to be called Our Man. (SSN)

Globes Spotlight: Likely Story’s Anthony Bregman & Stefanie Azpiazu on Producing ‘Enough Said’ & Foreign Sales

SSN spoke to Azpiazu and Bregman and working with Fox Searchlight, casting the film, and the reasons they’re drawn to Nicole Holofcener’s unique, identifiable voice. (SSN)

A History of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association & The Golden Globes

How did the Golden Globes come about, and who are the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, anyway? Well, it’s quite an interesting story…(SSN)

Best Golden Globe Winners Snubbed By The Oscars

On rare occasions, a Globe-winning film isn’t even nominated for an Oscar. Here are six recent times the Globes found films or performances worthy of recognition while the Oscars passed them over. (SSN)  

AWARDS ORIGINALS

 

ROI Insight: ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ & Into the Profitability of Coen Brothers’ Films

Mutli-hyphenate filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen are the most celebrated brother act in recent entertainment memory. SSN takes a look at the Top 10 Coen Bros. films, sorted by distributor’s theatrical revenue. (SSN)

Exec Shuffle For 12/6/13: Legendary Entertainment, Electus, APA, Vice Media

SSN’s weekly summary of the latest major corporate moves in entertainment and media. (SSN)

Rep Moves For 12/6/13: ICM Partners, UTA, WME

SSN’s weekly summary of the entertainment industry’s major rep changes. (SSN)  

In Case You Missed It For The Week Of 12/2 – 12/6/13: SSN’s Top Original Stories

December 8, 2013, 12:02 pm

≫ Next: On The Set For 12/9/13: ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Sequel’ Starts

≪ Previous: Golden Globes Spotlights: Pamela Williams, Neal Dodson, Anthony Bregman & Stefanie Azpiazu, Exec Shuffle, Rep Moves

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Globes Spotlight: Fruitvale Station’s Michael B. Jordan on “Getting to Know Oscar Through All the People Who Knew Him”

Jordan first came to the public’s notice during season one of The Wire before landing major roles in Friday Night Lights, Parenthood, and the 2012 sleeper Chronicle. Now, with his star on the rise, he’s rumored to be in the running for some of the biggest parts in Hollywood. (SSN)

Best Golden Globe Winners Snubbed By The Oscars

On rare occasions, a Globe-winning film isn’t even nominated for an Oscar. Here are six recent times the Globes found films or performances worthy of recognition while the Oscars passed them over. (SSN)

10 Myths About Making It in the Entertainment Industry

There is a lot of advice out there about how the entertainment industry works -some of it is solid, but some of it is just plain terrible. Here are some of the most commonly heard “nuggets of wisdom” which may not necessarily get you where you want to go. (SSN)

Ten Fast Facts on the Golden Globes Television Categories

Amidst the party atmosphere of Hollywood Foreign Press Association journalists and stars drinking champagne, 11 television awards will be handed out on the night of January 12 during the 71^st Annual Golden Globes. SSN presents 10 fast facts.  (SSN)

Why 2013 Didn’t Have a Breakout Foreign Hit

Usually, by now, there are at least two foreign language film hits: one that gains favor with the critics and arthouse; another that crosses over into the mainstream. The most lucrative is that rare foreign film that appeals to both casual moviegoers and discerning film fans. In 2013 there have been small waves but nothing even approaching a splash. (SSN)

Exec Spotlight: Turner President of Programming Michael Wright On Mob City, Falling Skies & The Pete Holmes Show

SSN checked in with Michael Wright, the President of Programming for TNT, TBS and TCM. Wright studied acting in college , wound up on the business side of television and is a genuine fan of the medium:  “Entertainment can be a cynical business. I don’t feel that way. I get paid to work on TV shows. If you can’t do this gig, and be enthused and grateful … don’t do it.” (SSN)

A History of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association & The Golden Globes

How did the Golden Globes come about, and who are the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, anyway? Well, it’s quite an interesting story…(SSN)  

On The Set For 12/9/13: ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Sequel’ Starts

December 9, 2013, 2:50 pm

≫ Next: SSN Awards Spotlights: Mary Zophres, Michael Wilkinson, Michael O’ Connor, Dave Anderson, Oscar Analysis, Part 1: 20th Century Fox

≪ Previous: In Case You Missed It For The Week Of 12/2 – 12/6/13: SSN’s Top Original Stories

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STARTS

  Ouija 12/09/2013 Logline: A group of teens anxiously try to undo what they have done after playing with a Ouija board and making contact with the evil spirit of their dead friend. Studio: Universal Pictures Production Companies: Platinum Dunes, Hasbro, Inc. , Blumhouse Productions Director: Stiles White, Juliet Snowden Producers: Jason Blum, Brian Goldner, Bennett Schneier, Brad Fuller, Andrew Form, Michael Bay Cast: Daren Kagasoff, Olivia Cooke, Douglas Smith Screenwriters: Stiles White, Juliet Snowden Details: Project is inspired by the board game Ouija produced by Hasbro's Parker Brothers since 1966. SSN Insight: Both Pierre Morel and McG were previously attached to direct.   Pale Blue Dot 12/04/2013 Logline: High school students and their parents deal with sexual pressures due to the Internet’s world of pornography, blogs and social networking. Studio: Paramount Pictures Production Company: Right of Way Films Director: Jason Reitman Producers: Jason Reitman, Helen Estabrook Cast: Adam Sandler, Rosemarie DeWitt, K.C. Hughes, Jennifer Garner Screenwriters: Jason Reitman, Erin Cressida Wilson Details: Based on the novel Men, Women and Children, written by Chad Kultgen and published by Harper Perennial in 2011. SSN Insight: Jason Reitman is reteaming with Jennifer Garner after their success with the edgy high school comedy Juno.   The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Sequel Logline: Storyline is under wraps. Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures Production Company: Blue Print Pictures Director:  John Madden Executive Producers: John Madden Producers: Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin Cast: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren Screenwriter: Ol Parker Details: Sequel to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (USA/2012), directed by John Madden and starring Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, and Maggie Smith. SSN Insight: John Madden is reteaming with Helen Mirren after the drama “The Debt” in 2011.

WRAPS

  Paddington Bear 12/03/2013 Logline: The adventures of a talking bear who is adopted by a London family when they find him lost at Paddington Station. Production Company: Heyday Films Director: Paul King Executive Producer: Rosie Allison Producers: David Heyman, Jeffrey Clifford Cast: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins Screenwriter: Hamish McColl Details: Based on the series of books Paddington Bear, written by Michael Bond and published between 1958 and 1979. SSN Insight: Previously in development at Warner Bros.    Cinderella 12/04/2013 Logline: "Cinder" Ella has to fight her way out of the enchanted forest to prevent the prince from entering into a marriage that will destroy the kingdom. Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Production Companies: Genre Films, Runaway Fridge Films, Ltd. Allison Shearmur Productions Director: Kenneth Branagh Producers: Simon Kinberg, Allison Shearmur, David Barron Cast: Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Holliday Grainger, Helena Bonham Carter, Richard Madden Screenwriters: Chris Weitz, Aline Brosh McKenna (previous draft) Details: Based on the classic fairy tale. SSN Insight: Aline Brosh McKenna sold the pitch to Disney in 2010 in a reported seven-figure deal.   The Man from U.N.C.L.E 12/07/2013 Logline: During the height of the Cold War, CIA agent Solo and KGB agent Kuryakin put aside their differences and work together to stop an international organization that could destroy the world. Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures Production Companies: Davis Entertainment, Big Kid Pictures, Ritchie/Wigram Productions, Wigram Productions Director:  Guy Ritchie Producers: David Dobkin, Jeff Kleeman, John Davis, Lionel Wigram, Guy Ritchie Cast: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander Screenwriters: Guy Ritchie Details: Based on the television series that ran from 1964-68, starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. SSN Insight: Quentin Tarantino considered writing the screenplay for the project in the mid-1990s.  

SSN Awards Spotlights: Mary Zophres, Michael Wilkinson, Michael O’ Connor, Dave Anderson, Oscar Analysis, Part 1: 20th Century Fox

December 9, 2013, 3:30 pm

≫ Next: TV Development For 12/10/13: Mark Burnett & Roma Downey To Exec Produce ‘The Dovekeepers’ For CBS

≪ Previous: On The Set For 12/9/13: ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Sequel’ Starts

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AWARDS ORIGINALS

BEST COSTUME DESIGN, MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

 

Awards Spotlight: Inside Llewyn Davis’ Mary Zophres on Being “The Luckiest Costume Designer in Hollywood”

Joel and Ethan Coen have worked with Zophres exclusively since Fargo in 1995. Their collaboration has thus far led to Zophres’s first Oscar nomination for True Grit in 2011.With her masterly work in the Coens’ Inside Llewyn Davis, in which she captures a sartorial snapshot of the 1950s transitioning into the 1960s, she’s being discussed for another one. (SSN)

Awards Spotlight: American Hustle’s Michael Wilkinson on Designing Costumes with 70′s Glamour & “Sinatra-Esque Appeal”

As Zack Snyder’s go-to costume designer, Wilkinson redesigned Superman’s iconic costume in this year’s Man of Steel, and it’s also his job to outfit Ben Affleck as he suits up. Wilkinson is responsible for creating the costumes in American Hustle, a real-life story set against the backdrop of the late ‘70s, bringing a sense of reality to the proceedings. (SSN)

Awards Spotlight: ‘The Invisible Woman’ Costume Designer Michael O’Connor on Fabricating the World of Dickens, “It’s Like a Dream.”

British costume designer Michael O’Connor won for his work on The Duchess in 2009, and was nominated again in 2012 for Cary Fukunaga’s Jane Eyre. Along the way, he’s designed costumes for films as diverse as The Last King of Scotland, Dredd, and the upcoming Suite Francaise. He’s now on the awards radar for his work on director and star Ralph Fiennes’ visually sumptuous, 19^th century love story, The Invisible Woman. (SSN)

Awards Spotlight: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ Key Makeup Dept. Head Dave Anderson Talks Klingons, Delivering Under Pressure & “Watermelon Head”

Anderson, himself a two-time Oscar winner for The Nutty Professor and Men in Black, discusses his work on the Star Trek sequel as he and his 87-person staff made each and every member of Starfleet look like dynamite, including a little-known crew member who holds a special place in Anderson’s heart. (SSN)

Oscar Analysis Part One: Fox Films Blended Box Office & Award Sensibility to Sweet Success

From the 2010 to 2012 Oscars, 20^th Century Fox was nominated for a total of 36 awards. But then along comes 2013, a year in which Fox racked up an astonishing 31 nominations, the most of any studio and almost as many as the previous three years combined. (SSN)

OTHER ORIGINALS

 

Rest in Fictional Peace – The Top 6 Characters We’ll Miss on TV

(Spoilers alert!) Once a nuclear-option plot twist, the death of a major character has suddenly become commonplace, with at least a dozen lead or central roles getting the axe in just the past few months. SSN looks at the deaths of major characters this season. (SSN)

On The Set For 12/9/13: 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Sequel' Starts

SSN’s weekly report on the latest films to start and wrap production. (SSN)  

TV Development For 12/10/13: Mark Burnett & Roma Downey To Exec Produce ‘The Dovekeepers’ For CBS

December 10, 2013, 3:02 pm

≫ Next: SSN Awards Spotlights: Jared Leto, Barkhad Abdi, John Goodman, Steve Coogan, Best Supporting Actor Underdogs, Oscar Analysis: Fox Films With The Most Award Buzz

≪ Previous: SSN Awards Spotlights: Mary Zophres, Michael Wilkinson, Michael O’ Connor, Dave Anderson, Oscar Analysis, Part 1: 20th Century Fox

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Club Life: Miami Network: HBO Executive Producers: John Singleton, Russell Simmons Writer: John Singleton Director: John Singleton Logline: Set against the South Beach club scene, a reformed criminal moves to Miami and gains a new lease on life as he embraces the vibrant, youthful and transgressive world. SSN Insight: Simmons is also developing an untitled project with Steve McQueen and Matthew Carnahan for HBO.   Untitled Steven S. DeKnight / Steve McPherson Project Network: Starz Studio: Lionsgate Production Company: Scripted World Executive Producers: Steven S. DeKnight, Steve Mcpherson, Alon Aranya, Robert Golenberg Writer: Steven S. DeKnight Logline: In Philadelphia during the turbulent era of the late sixties and early seventies, a gang of working-class criminals attempt to seize the American Dream by any means necessary. Details: Based on the Italian series Romazo Criminale, which was in turn based on the novel, Romanzo Criminale, written by Giancarlo De Cataldo. SSN Insight: Scripted World has five other projects in development: two at the CW, and one at Fox, TNT and ABC.   Jamestown Network: History Production Company: Head First Productions Executive Producers: John Shiban, Jim Head Writer: John Shiban Logline: At the beginnings of America, dreamers and schemers settle in the new colony of Jamestown. Details: Inspired by the book, Savage Kingdom: The True Story of Jamestown, 1607, and the Settlement of America, written by Benjamin Woolley.   Untitled Jenji Kohan Project Network: HBO Studio: Lionsgate TV Executive Producers: Jenji Kohan, Bruce Miller Supervising Producer: Tracy Miller Writer: Jenji Kohan, Bruce Miller, Tracy Miller Logline: Explores the circumstances surrounding a time when intolerance and repression set neighbor against neighbor and led the town of Salem to mass hysteria. SSN Insight: This marks the first sale for Kohan this season, who created and Executive Produces Netflix’s series Orange Is The New Black.   Shannara Network: MTV Production Company: Sonar Entertainment Executive Producers: Terry Brooks, Jon Favreau, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Dan Farah Writer: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar Director: Jon Favreau Logline: Set in our world thousands of years after the destruction of our civilization, the story is centered on the Shannara family, whose descendants are empowered with ancient magic and whose adventures continuously reshape the future of the world. Details: Based on the fantasy book series, Shannara, written by Terry Brooks. Planned as a script-to-series order. SSN Insight: Project was originally being developed as a feature for Warner Brothers back in 2007.   Lowdown Network: E! Production Company: Universal Cable Productions, High Wire Films Executive Producer: Adam Zwar, Amanda Brotchie, David Bartis, Doug Liman, Nicole Minchin Co-Executive Producer: Gene Klein Writer: Adam Zwar, Amanda Brotchie Logline: Revolves around Alex, a celebrity journalist, and his dysfunctional relationships with his ex-girlfriend, editor and celebrity subjects. He will do whatever it takes to get a great story out of them -- from exposing illicit text messages to outing gay athletes. Details: Based on the Australian comedy series Lowdown. SSN Insight: Zwar is behind the Australian adaptation of FX’s Wilfred. This marks the third scripted series in development at E!, which includes Songbyrd and The Royals.   The Dovekeepers Network: CBS Studio: CBS Television Studios Production Company: Lightworkers Media Executive Producers: Mark Burnett, Roma Downey Logline: Centers on four extraordinary women whose lives intersect in a fight for survival at the siege of Masada. Details: Based on the novel The Dovekeepers, written by Alice Hoffman. Planned as a four hour miniseries.  

SSN Awards Spotlights: Jared Leto, Barkhad Abdi, John Goodman, Steve Coogan, Best Supporting Actor Underdogs, Oscar Analysis: Fox Films With The Most Award Buzz

December 10, 2013, 3:12 pm

≫ Next: SAG Awards: ’12 Years a Slave’ Leads With 4 Noms, Brad Pitt and Brad Grey Split: Plan B to Exit Paramount, ‘Captain Phillips’ Getting January Re-Release

≪ Previous: TV Development For 12/10/13: Mark Burnett & Roma Downey To Exec Produce ‘The Dovekeepers’ For CBS

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AWARDS ORIGINALS

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

 

Awards Spotlight: Dallas Buyers Club's Jared Leto on Which Documentary "Blew My Mind"

At a recent luncheon for the film, the 41-year-old Leto talked to SSN about playing Rayon, and why he chose to focus on music over movies, until Dallas Buyers Club came along. (SSN)

Awards Spotlight: ‘Captain Phillips’ Supporting Actor Barkhad Abdi Talks Tom Hanks, His “Scariest Day” & Improvising Memorable Lines

From the first moment he boards the Maersk Alabama and enters the ship’s bridge, Abdi announced his presence not just to his co-stars, but also the movie-going public. Now, this neophyte is on many short lists for a Best Supporting Actor nomination.  (SSN)

Awards Spotlight: John Goodman on His Favorite Coen Brothers Role & Channeling His Inner “Gas Bag” in ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’

In Inside Llewyn Davis, in which Goodman makes a brief but forceful appearance as an itinerant, heroin-addicted jazz musician, marks his sixth collaboration with Joel and Ethan Coen. It might seem odd that Goodman has never received an Oscar nomination, but that could change this year. (SSN)

Awards Spotlight: Steve Coogan on Acting with Judi Dench & Breaking Out of the Comedy Straitjacket with ‘Philomena’

SSN spoke to Coogan about what drew him to Philomena’s story, why he decided to take on the role of Sixsmith and on the joys of working with Judi Dench. (SSN)

2014 Oscar Underdogs: Best Supporting Actor

From James Franco to Sam Rockwell, here’s a look at five of our favorite underdog performances. (SSN)

Oscar Analysis: The Fox Films with the Most Award Buzz this Year

While this might not be the most prolific awards year Fox has ever enjoyed, it shouldn’t be an empty one either. The studio’s different wings have put out some high quality work and, on balance, it’s bound for a degree of the Oscar recognition it’s aiming for. (SSN)

OTHER ORIGINALS

 

TV Development For 12/10/13: Mark Burnett & Roma Downey To Exec Produce ‘The Dovekeepers’ For CBS

SSN’s weekly report on the latest in television development across cable and broadcast. (SSN)    

SAG Awards: ’12 Years a Slave’ Leads With 4 Noms, Brad Pitt and Brad Grey Split: Plan B to Exit Paramount, ‘Captain Phillips’ Getting January Re-Release

December 11, 2013, 7:28 am

≫ Next: Tom Ascheim Tapped As New ABC Family President, SAG Awards: Reactions from Nominees, ABC, Fox, Discovery And Others Sign On To Comcast And Twitter’s SEEiT Initiative

≪ Previous: SSN Awards Spotlights: Jared Leto, Barkhad Abdi, John Goodman, Steve Coogan, Best Supporting Actor Underdogs, Oscar Analysis: Fox Films With The Most Award Buzz

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SAG Awards: '12 Years a Slave' Leads With 4 Noms

12 Years leads the SAG Awards nominations with four followed by August: Osage County, Lee Daniels’ The Butler and Dallas Buyers Club. (VAR)

Brad Pitt and Brad Grey Split: Plan B to Exit Paramount

Company is headed to New Regency when its deal expires at the end of the year, but a sequel to World War Z remains in development at Paramount. (THR)

Captain Phillips Getting January Re-Release

Sony is re-releasing itsTom Hanks-starring Oscar contender Captain Phillips on Wednesday, January 15 — the day before the Academy Awards nominations are announced. (DH)

The Fox Is YouTube's Top Trending Video of 2013

Psy, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Van Damme's "Epic Splits" are among the big winners. (THR)

Manohla Dargis’s Top Films of 2013

Some of the year’s Top 20 grossers are pretty good; others are awful. As a snapshot of where we’re at. (NYT)

NBC Orders a Rosemary's Baby Miniseries

Director Agnieszka Holland (Emmy nominated for Treme) will direct the project. (TV)

Why Paul Schrader May Not Open His Oscar Ballot This Year

In case you haven't noticed, the awards noise is reaching a crescendo about now. (TOH)

Mitch Hurwitz To Direct Guinea Pigging, His First Movie

Arrested Deveopment’s creator and superbrain is signing on with Fox 2000 to direct his first feature. (GLD)

Canana Options Alfredo Corchado’s Book Midnight in Mexico

Mexico and L.A.-based company has optioned big-screen rights to Midnight in Mexico: A Reporter’s Journey Through a Country’s Descent into Darkness. (VAR)

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Tom Ascheim Tapped As New ABC Family President, SAG Awards: Reactions from Nominees, ABC, Fox, Discovery And Others Sign On To Comcast And Twitter’s SEEiT Initiative

December 11, 2013, 2:01 pm

≫ Next: TV Castings For 12/11/13: Megan Mullally To Play Sean Hayes’ Sister On ‘Sean Saves The World’

≪ Previous: SAG Awards: ’12 Years a Slave’ Leads With 4 Noms, Brad Pitt and Brad Grey Split: Plan B to Exit Paramount, ‘Captain Phillips’ Getting January Re-Release

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Tom Ascheim Tapped As New ABC Family President

The former exec vp and GM of Nickelodeon TV and CEO of Newsweek will take over for Michael Riley. (THR)

SAG Awards: Reactions from Nominees

Bruce Dern, Julia Roberts and more talk about this morning's news. (VAR)

ABC, Fox, Discovery And Others Sign On To Comcast And Twitter’s SEEiT Initiative

This could provide an important boost for the effort that Comcast and Twitter announced in October to strengthen social media users’ bond with TV shows. (DH)

Jason Clarke in Talks for 'Terminator' Reboot

Alan Taylor is directing the reboot for Paramount, Annapurna Pictures and Skydance. (THR)

Tom Cruise in ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ trailer

Cruise finds himself in a life-and-death situation in the new trailer for  the latest film from director Doug Liman. (LAT)

2013: The Year in Animation

This year's films show a maturing field with a long way to go. (DIS)

Sundance Announces 20th Anniversary of Newly-Restored 'Hoop Dreams'

The newly-restored, acclaimed documentary will screen in the "From the Collection" program at the 2014 fest, 20 years after the film made its world premiere at the 1994 Festival. (IW)

5 Cable Networks In Need Of New Brands

Vulture thought it appropriate to identify five laggard networks — and try to figure out where they've gone wrong. (VUL)

Madonna Leads Top-Earning Women in Music

Madonna pulled in $125 million over the past year, making her music’s top earner of any genre or gender and the highest-paid celebrity of any stripe. (FOR)

Harvey And Bob Weinstein Suing Warner Bros. Over 'Hobbit' Profits

In a suit filed Wednesday in New York, the Weinsteins say their 1998 sale of the rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy to New Line applies to all subsequent Hobbit films. (HP)

TV Castings For 12/11/13: Megan Mullally To Play Sean Hayes’ Sister On ‘Sean Saves The World’

December 11, 2013, 3:07 pm

≫ Next: SSN Awards Spotlights: ‘Nebraska’s Phedon Papamichael, ‘Captain Phillips’ Barry Ackroyd, ‘All Is Lost’s Frankie DeMarco, Fox Oscar Analysis, Pt. 3

≪ Previous: Tom Ascheim Tapped As New ABC Family President, SAG Awards: Reactions from Nominees, ABC, Fox, Discovery And Others Sign On To Comcast And Twitter’s SEEiT Initiative

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Pilots

Esai Morales will play the President on HBO’s The Brink, that focuses on a geopolitical crisis and its effect on three disparate and desperate men. Mimi Kennedy and Ryan Curtona will recur. Patrick Heusinger is set for the lead of NBC’s Tin Man, about a fugitive robot accused of first-degree murder who may hold the key to the future of human evolution - and the young female public defender forced to fight for his cause.  

Current Series

Alexandra Metz will play the role of Rapunzel on ABC’s Once Upon a Time, while Rebecca Mader will play a fairy tale villain. Tom Everett Scott is set to recur on CW’s Beauty and the Beast as an archaeologist. Lance Reddick joins FX’s American Horror Story: Coven in a multi-episode arc. Brianne Howey will recur on ABC Family’s Twisted. Chris Elliott is set to appear on NBC’s Community. James Landry Hebert has booked a role on CW’s The Tomorrow People, playing a hitman. Jon Tenney will recur on ABC’s Scandal. Daniel Henney has booked a three episode arc on NBC’s Revloution. Frances Fisher will guest star on ABC’s Castle. Kevin Pollak is set to guest star on CBS’ Mom. Judith Light has been cast as Martha Plimpton’s boss on Fox’s Raising Hope. Megan Mullally will play Sean Hayes’ sister on NBC’s Sean Saves the World. Guy Pierce will guest star as a romantic interest. Patrick J. Adams will appear on BBC America’s Orphan Black. Robert Knepper is set to guest star on CW’s Arrow.  

New Series

Catherine Dent will recur on Fox’s Gang Related, playing the District Attorney. Alan Ruck and Byron Mann join USA’s The Novice. Regina King and Melanie Merkosky will recur on FX’s The Strain. John Ross Bowie and Jamie Denbo, who are married in real life, will play husband and wife on NBC’s About a Boy. Simon Callow joins the cast of Starz’s Odyssey as the Duke of Sandringham. Mimi Kennedy will guest star on ABC’s Mind Games. Martin Short and Eugene Levy are set to guest star on NBC’s Working the Engels.  

SSN Awards Spotlights: ‘Nebraska’s Phedon Papamichael, ‘Captain Phillips’ Barry Ackroyd, ‘All Is Lost’s Frankie DeMarco, Fox Oscar Analysis, Pt. 3

December 11, 2013, 3:53 pm

≫ Next: Film Development For 12/12/13: Patricia Riggen To Direct True-Life Chilean Miner Feature ‘The 33′

≪ Previous: TV Castings For 12/11/13: Megan Mullally To Play Sean Hayes’ Sister On ‘Sean Saves The World’

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AWARDS ORIGINALS

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

 

Awards Spotlight: ‘Nebraska’ Director of Photography Phedon Papamichael on “The Poetry of Black and White” Cinematography

Papamichael has a good shot at landing his first Academy nod—long overdue for a man who’s shot Sideways, The Descendants, 3:10 to Yuma, and The Ides of March, among many others. He also serves as cinematographer on George Clooney’s upcoming Monuments Men, due in theaters in February. (SSN)

Awards Spotlight: Director of Photography Barry Ackroyd on Getting Close to the Action in ‘Captain Phillips’

Paul Greengrass and Barry Ackroyd first worked together on United 93, for which Greengrass earned a Best Director nomination, and followed that up with The Green Zone. In their current collaboration, Captain Phillips, the film captures the drama and intensity of real-life events thanks in great part to Ackroyd’s confident photography, which rivets the audience close to the action. (SSN)

Awards Spotlight: All is Lost’s Director of Photography Frankie DeMarco on Making a “Silent Film”

All Is Lost has almost no dialogue, features long scenes of star Robert Redford—the movie’s only cast member—working on his dying vessel and battling the elements. The challenges allowed DeMarco to capture some of the year’s most arresting visuals. (SSN)

Oscar Analysis Part Three: Why Fox is the Studio to Beat Come the 2015 Academy Awards

While Fox probably won’t find itself awash in Oscar nominations this year, 2014 could mean a turn in fortunes. The films that Fox and Fox Searchlight have on their slates (tentatively, at least) suggest an enviable bounty of Oscar potentials. (SSN)  

OTHER ORIGINALS

 

SSN TV Development Season: Remakes, Updates & Maybe A Few Surprises

Even though TV development is year-round now, December is still a time when writers hunker down to finish their pilot scripts in the hope that January will bring good news about pilot pickups. As we watch reports of pilot orders roll in, we always hope there will be ones that make us excited for the next fall season. SSN takes a look. (SSN)

TV Castings For 12/11/13: Megan Mullally To Play Sean Hayes' Sister On 'Sean Saves The World'

SSN’s weekly roundup of the latest TV castings for cable and broadcast. This week’s report includes: Guy Pierce, Martin Short, Regina King, Eugene Levy, Judith Light, Frances Fisher, Esai Morales, and Kevin Pollak. (SSN)  

Film Development For 12/12/13: Patricia Riggen To Direct True-Life Chilean Miner Feature ‘The 33′

December 12, 2013, 10:42 am

≫ Next: Awards Spotlight: ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ Director John Lee Hancock, Which 5 Directors Will Make The Oscar Ballot?, Dual Writing & Directing Wins

≪ Previous: SSN Awards Spotlights: ‘Nebraska’s Phedon Papamichael, ‘Captain Phillips’ Barry Ackroyd, ‘All Is Lost’s Frankie DeMarco, Fox Oscar Analysis, Pt. 3

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NEW ATTACHMENTS

  Until I Say Goodbye Logline: A woman dying of ALS goes on a life-affirming journey with her daughter and husband. Studio/Distributor: Universal Production Company:  Bluegrass Films Producers:  Scott Stuber, Alexa Faigen (Executive Producer), Peter H. McGuigan (Executive Producer) Writer: Sarah Treem Details: Based on the memoir Until I Say Good-Bye: My Year Of Living With Joy, written by Susan Spencer-Wendel and Bret Witter and to be published by Harper Collins SSN Insight: Universal Pictures bought the project for a reported seven-figures.   The 33 Logline: Recounting the true-life story the collapse of the Chilean mine and the rescue of the 33 miners who were trapped underground for 69 days. Production Company:  Half Circle, Phoenix Pictures Producers:  Mike Medavoy, Edward McGurn, Bernie Williams, Carlos Eugino Lavin (Executive Producer), Leopoldo Enriquez (Executive Producer) Cast: Juliette Binoche, James Brolin, Oscar Nunez, Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro Writer: Mikko Alanne, Jose Rivera Director: Patricia Riggen Details: Mike Medavoy has acquired the life rights of the story of the 33 Chilean miners. SSN Insight: Jennifer Lopez was previously attached to star, but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with American Idol.   Pippin Logline: The son of 9th century ruler Charlemagne sets out to find his purpose in life. After looking for meaning in religion, art, politics, war and sex, he finally discovers a meaningful existence through true love. Studio/Distributor: The Weinstein Company Production Company:  Storyline Entertainment Producers:  Neil Moran, Craig Zadan Writer: James Ponsoldt Details: Feature film adaptation of the 1972 Broadway musical Pippin starring Ben Vereen and John Rubenstein with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, direction and choreography by Bob Fosse, and book by Roger Hirson. SSN Insight: This project re-teams Craig Zadan and Neil Meron with Weinstein Company, with whom they collaborated on Chicago, the 2002 screen adaptation that won Best Picture among six Oscars.  

NEW PROJECTS

  Time Tweaker Logline: This storyline about time travel is under wraps. Studio: Lionsgate Producer:  Erik Feig Writer: David Crabtree SSN Insight: Project marks the feature writing debut of David Crabtree, a music video and commercials director.   Untitled Fox 2000/Chernin Entertainment Drug Trafficking Project Logline:  The film is based on a true story about how U.S. federal agents from the IRS and the DEA set up a fake offshore bank to catch drug traffickers who were laundering money. Studio/Distributor: Fox 2000 Production Company: Chernin Entertainment Producers:  Peter Chernin, Chris Cowles, Chris Fenton (Executive Producer) Writer: Patrick Aison Details: Based on the NPR report by David Kestenbaum How the Government Set Up a Fake Bank to Launder Drug Money, broadcast on November 21, 2012. SSN Insight: Patrick Aison is a hot writer right now, selling his Blacklist script, Wunderkind which J.J. Abrams is now producing with Paramount distributing.   The Blood Spoon Council Logline: A vigilante group hunts and kills of serial killers. Production Company:  Voltage Pictures Producers:  Nicholas Chertier, Zev Foreman, Dominic Rustam Writer: Troy Duffy Director: Troy Duffy SSN Insight: This will be the first film that Duffy has directed since the Boondock Saints sequel in 2009.  

Awards Spotlight: ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ Director John Lee Hancock, Which 5 Directors Will Make The Oscar Ballot?, Dual Writing & Directing Wins

December 12, 2013, 2:40 pm

≫ Next: Rep Moves For 12/13/13: CAA, ICM Partners, WME, Brillstein Entertainment Partners

≪ Previous: Film Development For 12/12/13: Patricia Riggen To Direct True-Life Chilean Miner Feature ‘The 33′

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AWARDS ORIGINALS

BEST DIRECTOR

 

Awards Spotlight: ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ Director John Lee Hancock Talks Casting & What He Learned From Clint Eastwood

A lawyer before throwing caution to the wind to pursue a career in film, Hancock left his native Texas for L.A., where he found himself working as a screenwriter on Clint Eastwood’s A Perfect World and Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil. On The Alamo, The Rookie, and Oscar-winning The Blind Side – and now Saving Mr. Banks – he saddled up into the director’s chair himself. (SSN)

In a Heated Race, Which 5 Directors Will Make the Oscar Ballot?

It’s mostly true that Best Picture and Best Director go hand-in-hand during awards season, since the Academy now allows for up to 10 Best Picture nominees but still only five in the Best Director category, a director could walk away empty-handed even if their film takes home the top prize. SSN takes a look at the leading contenders to make the ballot for Best Director. (SSN)

Winning Writing and Directing Oscars in the Same Year Doesn’t Happen as Often as You’d Think

Only twelve have been awarded for this ultimate creative achievement, and while three members of the club are potential winners again this year—Woody Allen and the Coen Brothers—there are five others who have at least an outside shot at becoming lucky number thirteen. SSN takes a look. (SSN)  

OTHER ORIGINALS

 

Film Development For 12/12/13: Patricia Riggen To Direct True-Life Chilean Miner Feature ‘The 33′

SSN’s weekly report on the latest new attachments and projects in film development. (SSN)    

Rep Moves For 12/13/13: CAA, ICM Partners, WME, Brillstein Entertainment Partners

December 13, 2013, 2:34 pm

≫ Next: Exec Shuffle for 12/13/13: VH1, Pivot, Preferred Artists, Walden Media, Fox 2000

≪ Previous: Awards Spotlight: ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ Director John Lee Hancock, Which 5 Directors Will Make The Oscar Ballot?, Dual Writing & Directing Wins

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Agencies

  APA: Comedian, actress and author Paula Poundstone has signed with John Griffin for talent and literary representation. She continues to be repped by WME Entertainment for personal appearances.  Poundstone recently released her second comedy album I Heart Jokes: Paula Tells Them in Boston.  She also continues to be a regular panelist on the NPR weekly quiz show Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me.  Poundstone started her comedy career at open-mic nights in Boston in the late seventies, eventually moving to Los Angeles under the encouragement of Robin Williams. She soon landed a stand-up comedy set on Saturday Night Live and appeared in her first HBO comedy special Cats, Cops and Stuff.  For her performance on the HBO special, Poundstone became the first woman to win a CableACE best comedy special award.  She has since appeared in multiple comedy specials, including Paula Poundstone Goes to Harvard, the first time Harvard allowed its name to be used in conjunction with a television show. In addition to her talk show appearances, Poundstone worked as a political correspondent for The Tonight Show during the 1992 Presidential Campaig and also had a recurring role on the series Cybill.  She is an author as well and penned the humor book Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say in 2006. Poundstone was inducted into the Comedy Hall of Fame in 2010 and has been named one of Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All-Time. CAA: Actor Tony Danza is now repped by Jimmy Darmody, Matthew Del Piano, Michael Rosenfeld and Bryan Lourd. Danza is currently in the midst of a career comeback, after giving a memorable performance earlier this year in the Joseph Gordon-Levitt feature Don Jon.  He also earned raves playing Vegas kingpin Tommy Korman in the stage adaptation of Honeymoon in Vegas.  Danza started out as a professional boxer when a television producer discovered him at a boxing gym in New York.  Danza was soon cast in the iconic television series Taxi, playing the role of Tony Banta, a cab driver and part-time boxer. Immediately after Taxi’s run ended, Danza went on to star in another classic sitcom Who’s the Boss?, which ran for eight seasons. Danza’s subsequent television roles have included a voice role on the Look Who’s Talking follow-up, Baby Talk, as well as Hudson Street, The Tony Danza Show, The Practice and Family Law. On the feature side, Danza’s roles have included appearances in Cannonball Run II, She’s Out of Control, Angels in the Outfield and Meet Wally Sparks.  More recently, Danza became an author, writing I’d like to Apologize to Every Teacher I’ve Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High, a memoir about his year-long experience teaching in an inner city high school.  Award-wise, Danza was nominated in 1998 for an Emmy for his guest role on The Practice. He has also been nominated for four Golden Globes for his work on both Who’s The Boss? and Taxi. CAA: Writer and director Ben Lewin is now repped by Craig J. Brody and Spencer Baumgarten. Lewin recently returned to directing after almost a decade away from the screen, helming 2012’s indie hit The Sessions. The buzzed-about feature garnered its star Helen Hunt an Oscar nomination. It also won the 2012 Sundance Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Cast, as well as acting awards at the Independent Spirit Awards. Lewin originally started out as a criminal barrister before he joined National Film School in England. First making a splash with his episode of ITV Playhouse “The Case of Cruelty to Prawns,” Lewin began a prolific directing career in both the U.K. and Australia. Among his more notable credits were the feature film Georgia, starring Judy Davis, which received eight Australian Film Institute nominations and Dunera Boys starring Bob Hoskins, which won an Australian Writers’ Guild award. Lewin’s U.S. credits have included mostly comedies, such as Paperback Romance with Anthony LaPaglia, The Favor, the Watch and the Really Big Fish with Bob Hoskins and Jeff Goldblum, as well as the documentary Hollywood Gold. His U.S. television credits include an episode of Ally McBeal, as well as Touched by Angel.  Lewin currently has several projects in development. Equitable Stewardship for Artists (ESA): Busy television director and producer Sanford Bookstaver is now repped by Paul Alan Smith. Bookstaver most recently directed episodes of White Collar, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Graceland and The Night Shift. After graduating from the USC School of Cinema-Television in 1995, Bookstaver wrote and directed the indie feature Scriptfellas, which starred Paul Carafotes and Paul Sorvino. Soon after, Bookstaver landed his first television directing gigs, helming episodes of The Others and Manhattan, AZ. He quickly became a sought after director and producer of television dramas, handling multiple episodes of such series as The Chronicle and Fastlane.  More recently, he has directed multiple episodes series such as The OC, Bones, Jericho, Cane, Harper’s Island and Revenge. Over his career, he has also directed single episodes of Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill Burn Notice, Crash, Prison Break and many others. Bookstaver remains co-repped by CAA. ICM Partners: Actor Derek Luke is now repped by Carter Cohen, Brian Mann, Doug MacLaren and Dar Rollins. Luke will next be seen in the Ryan Reynolds sci-fi feature Self/Less, as well as an untitled feature directed by Chris Messina. Luke also appeared in the feature comedy Baggage Claim earlier this year, opposite Paula Patton.  Luke got his big break when he won the lead role as Antwone Fisher in 2002’s Antwone Fisher. The film was Denzel Washington’s directorial debut and Luke ended up winning an Independent Spirit Award for his performance. He subsequently went on to appear in features such as Pieces of April, Friday Night Lights, Catch a Fire, Glory Road, Lions for Lambs, Miracle at St. Anna, Notorious, Captain America: The First Avenger, Sparkle and Seeking A Friend for the End of the World. He also played the character Cameron Boone on the television series Trauma and has appeared in an arc on TNT’s Hawthorne. He also appeared in the CBS drama pilot Second Sight and had an arc on FX’s The Americans earlier this year. ICM Partners: Actor Jonas Armstrong is now repped by Carter Cohn, Dar Rollins and Andrew Kurland. Armstrong will next be seen in the Tom Cruise feature Edge of Tomorrow, currently in post-production.  Armstrong is also starring in the Mark Schmidt-directed feature Walking with the Enemy, which screened at this year’s Hamptons International Film Festival.  After graduating from Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2003, Armstrong worked as a stage actor before landing role in six episodes on the Channel 4 comedy-drama Teachers. Following that series, he landed his breakout role as the title character in the BBC One series Robin Hood. Armstrong has since gone on to appear in multiple episodes of series such as The Street, The Field of Blood, Prisoners Wives and Hit & Miss. He also appeared in the horror film Book of Blood and the thriller Twenty8k.  Armstrong will soon appear opposite Martin Sheen in the television film The Whale, which is slated to air on Animal Planet in the summer of 2014. WME Entertainment: British actress Michelle Dockery has been signed in all areas. Dockery currently stars as Lady Mary Crawley on PBS’ hit series Downton Abbey, a role for which she received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for the role, as well as a Golden Globe.  Dockery started out in theatre making her professional debut in His Dark Materials at the Royal National Theatre. She has since continued to lead a highly successful career as a stage actress, winning an Olivier nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in 2009’s Burnt by the Sun. In 2005, Dockery made her television debut, appearing as Betty on the BBC mini-series Fingersmith. She has appeared in many television roles since that point, including playing Kathryn Taylor in the Red Riding Trilogy, as well as guest role on Waking the Dead.  In 2012, Dockery landed her breakout role on Downton Abbey. She has subsequently appeared in the Joe Wright feature Hanna, as well as last year’s Anna Karenina.  Dockery will next appear in the feature Non-Stop, opposite Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore. She was also cast as Sir Ben Kingsley’s daughter in the Tarsem Singh-directed feature Self/Less.  

Management Companies

  Brillstein Entertainment Partners: Big Time Rush star James Maslow is now repped by Andrea Pett-Joseph and Colton Gramm.  Acting since childhood, Maslow began vocal training at the age of six and was cast in the San Diego Opera’s production of La bohème at only ten years old. After graduating from Coronado School of the Arts in 2007, Maslow garnered success early, landing a guest role on iCarly the very same year he graduated. Soon afterwards, Maslow was cast in the Nickelodeon series Big Time Rush, which became a hit with tween viewers and turned Maslow into a teen idol. Maslow starred on that series for four seasons and has even toured as a member of the band. He has also appeared on the series See Dad Run as Ricky and Marvin Marvin as himself. Maslow and Big Time Rush released a new album called 24/Seven earlier this year.    

Exec Shuffle for 12/13/13: VH1, Pivot, Preferred Artists, Walden Media, Fox 2000

December 13, 2013, 2:36 pm

≫ Next: SSN Awards Spotlights: Thelma Schoonmaker, Jay Cassidy, Pete Beaudreau, Tyler Perry & Lionsgate ROI, ‘Psych’s Musical, Exec Shuffle, Rep Moves

≪ Previous: Rep Moves For 12/13/13: CAA, ICM Partners, WME, Brillstein Entertainment Partners

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Company Launches

Assembly Entertainment: Christina Wayne has launched this company, with Miura Kite joining as Consultant.  Lauren Paget will come aboard as Coordinator in January.  Assembly Entertainment is based within Endemol Studios’ Los Angeles offices, and has a production deal with Endemol to develop and produce scripted projects for cable and other platforms. Edible Media: Lifestyle Media Partners Founder and Managing Partner Eric G. Thorkilsen have launched this subsidiary to generate and distribute multi-platform content focused on regional and farm-to-table cooking.  Varanya Vadakan has joined as Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Susan Wyland has joined as Chief Content Officer, and Brian Quinn has joined as Chief Revenue Officer. Sid Gentle Films: Sally Woodward Gentle has launched this London-based independent production company with financial backing from Ron Burkle’s The Yucaipa Group.  Henrietta Colvin has joined as Head, Development. Lee Morris will join as Managing Director in 2014.  

Studios, Networks, and Media Conglomerates

ABC Family: Tom Ascheim has been hired as President. CBS Television Network: Elizabeth Tumulty has been promoted to President, Affiliate Relations, in New York. Columbia Pictures: Michael De Luca has been named President, Production. Fox 2000: Greg Mooradian has joined as Executive Vice President, Production. Fox Music: Rebecca Morellato has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Music Production. NBCUniversal Television & New Media Distribution and NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution: Bear Fisher has joined as Senior Vice President, Marketing & Brand Strategy, in New York. Walden Media: Frank Smith has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Walden Media: Ryan Jones has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer. Warner Bros. Brand Networks: John O’Hara has joined as Executive Vice President, in New York. Warner Bros. Television Group: Bryon Schafer has joined as Senior Vice President, Media Research & Rights.

Film

Imagine Entertainment: Erica Huggins has been promoted to President.  

Television

Caryn Mandabach Productions: Michael Besman has been hired to head the London-based company’s new Los Angeles office. ITV Studios America: Jane Yusim has been promoted to Vice President, Development. Sirens Media: Stuart Zwagil has joinedas Chief Operating Officer. WWE: George Barrios has been promoted to Chief Strategy and Financial Officer. WWE: Stephanie McMahon has been promoted to Chief Brand Officer. WWE: Michelle D. Wilson has been promoted to Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer.  

Agencies, Management Companies, Public Relations, and Law Firms

Management 360: Lainie Sorkin has been promoted to Partner. Preferred Artists: Manal Hammad has been promoted to Coordinator, TV Literary.  

Cable

A+E Networks: Henry Hoberman has joined as Executive Vice President and General Counsel.  Douglas P. Jacobs has been appointed to a new role as Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel, beginning January, 2014. Pivot: Jerry Blake has joined as Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs. Pivot: Jennie Morris has joined as Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Operations. ReelzChannel: Gayle Allen has joined as Vice President, Marketing Solutions, in New York. ReelzChannel: Jessica Trumble has been promoted to Associate Director, Advertising Sales Marketing, in Albuquerque. TV Guide Network: David Mandell has joined as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. VH1: Fernando Mills has joined as Vice President, Production & Programming.  

Digital

Rocket Science 3D: Phil “Captain 3D” McNally has joined Rocket Science as its Global Stereoscopic Supervisor. Vubiquity: Darcy Antonellis will join as Chief Executive Officer, as of January 2nd, 2014.  

Publishing

The Hill: Adam Prather will join as Publisher, beginning January, 2014.  

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SSN Awards Spotlights: Thelma Schoonmaker, Jay Cassidy, Pete Beaudreau, Tyler Perry & Lionsgate ROI, ‘Psych’s Musical, Exec Shuffle, Rep Moves

December 13, 2013, 3:03 pm

≫ Next: ICYMI: SSN’S Top Original Stories For The Week of 12/9 – 12/13

≪ Previous: Exec Shuffle for 12/13/13: VH1, Pivot, Preferred Artists, Walden Media, Fox 2000

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AWARDS ORIGINALS

BEST EDITING

 

Awards Spotlight: 3 Time Oscar Winning Editor Thelma Schoonmaker Talks ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ & Martin Scorsese

A longtime collaborator with the legendary Martin Scorsese, she has cut every one of his narrative features since 1980’s Raging Bull, for which she won the first of her three Oscars for Best Editing. This month’s The Wolf of Wall Street marks their 17th collaboration together, and has Schoonmaker on the short list to get nomination number eight. (SSN)

Awards Spotlight: ‘American Hustle’ Editor Jay Cassidy Talks David O. Russell & Scenes Left on the Cutting Room Floor

Equally adept at documentaries as he is at narrative features, Cassidy edited the Oscar-winning An Inconvenient Truth as well as last year’s Silver Linings Playbook, for which he earned an Oscar nomination. He talks with SSN about editing American Hustle. (SSN)

Awards Spotlight: ‘All is Lost’ Editor Pete Beaudreau Talks First Reaction to Lack of Dialogue – “I Did a Spit Take”

Beaudreau was taken aback when he got the script for J.C. Chandor’s second film and found it was only 31 pages long with almost no dialogue. This was the first challenge Beaudreau would face on the project, but certainly not the last. (SSN)

Celebrating 26 Time Oscar Winner Walt Disney With His 10 Best Quotes

Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901, and passed away on December 15, 1966, so in honor of his life and work, here are 10 of his best quotes. (SSN)  

OTHER ORIGINALS

 

ROI Insight: Why Tyler Perry and Lionsgate will Continue to Make Madea Films

Madea goes to the bank: the revenue & ROI of the Madea franchise. (SSN)

Spotlight: ‘Psych’ Creator Steve Franks’ Musical Dream Finally Comes True

Franks wrote and directed the show, and worked with composer Adam Cohen to write the music. The two-hour episode airs Sunday, December 15 at 9:00 p.m. on the USA Network. SSN talked to Franks about how and why the episode finally came to fruition. (SSN)

Rep Moves For 12/13/13: CAA, ICM Partners, WME, Brillstein Entertainment Partners

SSN’s weekly summary of the entertainment industry’s major rep changes. (SSN)

Exec Shuffle for 12/13/13: VH1, Pivot, Preferred Artists, Walden Media, Fox 2000

SSN’s weekly summary of the latest major corporate moves in entertainment and media. (SSN)  

ICYMI: SSN’S Top Original Stories For The Week of 12/9 – 12/13

December 15, 2013, 11:40 am

≫ Next: On The Set For 12/16/13: ‘The Zone’– Sequel To ‘The Purge’– Starts For Universal Pictures

≪ Previous: SSN Awards Spotlights: Thelma Schoonmaker, Jay Cassidy, Pete Beaudreau, Tyler Perry & Lionsgate ROI, ‘Psych’s Musical, Exec Shuffle, Rep Moves

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2014 Oscar Underdogs: Best Supporting Actor

From James Franco to Sam Rockwell, here’s a look at five of our favorite underdog performances. (SSN)

In a Heated Race, Which 5 Directors Will Make the Oscar Ballot?

It’s mostly true that Best Picture and Best Director go hand-in-hand during awards season, since the Academy now allows for up to 10 Best Picture nominees but still only five in the Best Director category, a director could walk away empty-handed even if their film takes home the top prize. SSN takes a look at the leading contenders to make the ballot for Best Director. (SSN)

Winning Writing and Directing Oscars in the Same Year Doesn’t Happen as Often as You’d Think

Only twelve have been awarded for this ultimate creative achievement, and while three members of the club are potential winners again this year—Woody Allen and the Coen Brothers—there are five others who have at least an outside shot at becoming lucky number thirteen. (SSN)

SSN TV Development Season: Remakes, Updates & Maybe A Few Surprises

Even though TV development is year-round now, December is still a time when writers hunker down to finish their pilot scripts in the hope that January will bring good news about pilot pickups. As we watch reports of pilot orders roll in, we always hope there will be ones that make us excited for the next fall season. SSN takes a look. (SSN)

Celebrating 26 Time Oscar Winner Walt Disney With His 10 Best Quotes

Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901, and passed away on December 15, 1966, so in honor of his life and work, here are 10 of his best quotes. (SSN)

ROI Insight: Why Tyler Perry and Lionsgate will Continue to Make Madea Films

Madea goes to the bank: the revenue & ROI of the Madea franchise. (SSN)  

On The Set For 12/16/13: ‘The Zone’– Sequel To ‘The Purge’– Starts For Universal Pictures

December 16, 2013, 12:38 pm

≫ Next: SSN Awards Originals: Mid-Season Report, SSN’s Exclusive Academy Member Oscar Poll, Marketing For Oscar Gold, Oscar Analysis: Warner Bros.

≪ Previous: ICYMI: SSN’S Top Original Stories For The Week of 12/9 – 12/13

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STARTS

The Zone 12/16/2013 Logline: Storyline is under wraps. Studio: Universal Pictures Production Companies: Blumhouse Productions, Platinum Dunes Director: James DeMonaco Producers: Jason Blum, Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, Andrew Form, Sebastien Lemercier, James DeMonaco Cast: Frank Grillo Screenwriters: James DeMonaco Details: Sequel to The Purge (USA/2013), directed by James DeMonaco and starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey. SSN Insight: Sebastien Lemercier previously produced James DeMonaco’s directing debut Staten Island.

WRAPS

Barely Lethal 12/11/2013 Logline: A 16-year-old international assassin yearning for a “normal” adolescence fakes her own death and enrolls as a senior in a suburban high school. She quickly learns that being popular can be more painful than getting water-boarded. Studio: Pantelion Films Production Companies: RKO Pictures, Hopscotch Pictures, Rat Entertainment Director: Kyle Newman Executive Producer: Kevin Cornish Producers: Ted Hartley, Vanessa Coifman, Sukee Chew, John Cheng, Brett Ratner Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Alba Screenwriter: John M D’Arco SSN Insight: This is the first feature for writer John D’Arco and the sophomoric directorial effort for Kyle Newman. Annie 12/16/2013 Logline: An orphan girl is adopted by a wealthy businessman and eventually wins over his heart. Studio: Columbia Pictures Production Companies: Overbrook Entertainment, Marcy Media Films Director: Will Gluck Executive Producer: Celia D Costas Producers: Will Smith, Jay-Z, James Lassiter, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jay Brown, Tyran Smith, Will Gluck, Caleeb Pinkett Cast: Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Quvenzhan Wallis, Rose Byrne Screenwriters: Will Gluck, Aline Brosh McKenna (previous draft), Emma Thompson Details: Based on the 1977 stage musical Annie with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin and book by Thomas Meehan. The musical was based upon the comic strip Little Orphan Annie created by Howard Gray. SSN Insight: Sandra Bullock had been in talks to play Miss Hannigan, the cruel drunkard who manages the orphanage. The Interview 12/13/2013 Logline: A producer and his dashing talk show host wind up in the middle of an assassination conspiracy involving a high level North Korean official. Studio: Columbia Pictures Production Company: Point Grey Pictures Directors: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg Executive Producer: Shawn Williamson Producers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver Cast: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Lizzy Caplan Screenwriters: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg SSN Insight: James Franco starred with Seth Rogen in This is the End.  

SSN Awards Originals: Mid-Season Report, SSN’s Exclusive Academy Member Oscar Poll, Marketing For Oscar Gold, Oscar Analysis: Warner Bros.

December 16, 2013, 3:37 pm

≫ Next: TV Development For 12/17/13: Kurt Sutter’s ‘The Bastard Executioner’ Set For FX

≪ Previous: On The Set For 12/16/13: ‘The Zone’– Sequel To ‘The Purge’– Starts For Universal Pictures

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AWARDS ORIGINALS

MIDSEASON REPORT

 

SSN Awards Mid-Season Overview: Oscar Potential Contenders

We’re deep into awards season here at SSN and this year is proving to be a tough one. Not because there’s a dearth of great films and performances to debate about, but precisely because there are so many awards-worthy films out there. It has been a banner year for features - check out our midseason report here. (SSN)

SSN’s Exclusive Academy Member Oscar Poll

SSN is bringing you an insider look at the candid thoughts and uncensored perspectives of a handful of anonymous Academy members. Our esteemed group comes from all walks of industry life, representing a wide range of guilds, professions, and perspectives. Here’s a current take from our anonymous panel, as they let us in on what they’ve seen so far. (SSN)

Marketing Your Movie to Oscar Gold

Marketing strategies can begin as early as a film’s script stage or as late as its pickup at a fall festival. Here are some of the strategies that producers and distribs use in parlaying a film’s critical acclaim into boffo box office. (SSN)

Oscar Analysis Part One: Warner Bros. – The Big Box Office & The Elusive Oscar

Warner Bros. has consistently finished each of the last four years as one of the top-two highest-grossing studios, yet it’s failed to see a correspondingly impressive number of Oscar nominations. That might change this year though, thanks to the success of Gravity. (SSN)

OTHER ORIGINALS

 

On The Set For 12/16/13: 'The Zone' - Sequel To 'The Purge' - Starts For Universal Pictures

SSN’s weekly report on the latest films to start and wrap production. (SSN)  

TV Development For 12/17/13: Kurt Sutter’s ‘The Bastard Executioner’ Set For FX

December 17, 2013, 11:26 am

≫ Next: SSN Awards Spotlights: Asghar Farhadi, Haifaa Al-Mansour, Sebastian Lelio, Thomas Vinterberg, Oscar Analysis Part 2: Warner Bros.

≪ Previous: SSN Awards Originals: Mid-Season Report, SSN’s Exclusive Academy Member Oscar Poll, Marketing For Oscar Gold, Oscar Analysis: Warner Bros.

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The Odd Couple Network: CBS Studio: CBS Television Studios Production Companies: Timberman/Beverly Productions, Tannenbaum Company Executive Producers: Matthew Perry, Danny Jacobson, Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman, Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum. Writers: Matthew Perry, Danny Jacobson Cast: Matthew Perry Logline: A new take on two mismatched roommates — the messy Oscar Madison and the neat freak Felix Ungar. Details: The Odd Couple opened on Broadway in 1965, became a movie in 1968, and was adapted as a TV series for five seasons on ABC.   Into Thin Air Network: ABC Family Executive Producers: Elizabeth Weiss, Paul Stupin Creator: Elizabeth Weiss Logline: Storyline is under wraps. Details: Project has been described as a family drama with thriller elements. SSN Insight: Weiss and Stupin both currently executive produce ABC Family’s Switched at Birth.   American Dream Network: WGN America Studio: Sony Pictures Television Production Company: Shore Z Productions Executive Producers: David Shore, Rick Berg Co-Executive Producer: Wayne Beach Writer: Wayne Beach Logline: A cat-and-mouse game erupts when a Manhattan homicide cop suspects one of America’s top CEOs of being a killer - and the relationship becomes mutually dependent. SSN Insight: Shore Z Productions is also developing Battle Creek for CBS, an Untitled Fountain of Youth Project for NBC, and Stalker for ABC.   The Bastard Executioner Network: FX Studio: Fox 21 Production Companies: Imagine Television, FX Productions Executive Producer: Kurt Sutter, Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo Writer: Kurt Sutter Logline: A warrior knight in King Edward III’s charge is broken by the ravages of war and vows to lay down his sword. But when that violence finds him again he is forced to pick up the bloodiest sword of all. Details: Based on an idea by Brian Grazer. Ordered straight to pilot. SSN Insight: This project marks the first collaboration for FX and Imagine TV.   The Inn Network: NBC Studio: Universal Television Production Companies: Blumhouse Productions, Assembly Entertainment Executive Producers: Jason Blum, Christina Wayne, Gerard Bocaccio, Miura Kite Co-Executive Producer: Patrick MacManus Writer: Patrick MacManus Logline: A group of strangers is drawn to an isolated hotel by fate. Compelled to find the truth behind the horrors that haunt them and answer the question of why they were brought together, the ensemble soon discovers that The Inn is aware of their pasts and present and is using them to force the guests to confront themselves and each other. SSN Insight: Blumhouse, which is known for their genre movies, is revving up their TV business. They are also developing Sojourn at Syfy, an untitled reality project at ABC with Mike Darnell, and just wrapped the pilot Eye Candy for MTV.   Welcome To Paradise, Now Go To Hell Network: TBD Studio: Fox 21 Production Company: Television 360 Producer: Justin Manask Writer: Chas Smith Logline: For two months in the winter the Pacific storms create monstrous waves that draw surfers from all over the world in search of building-sized waves. It transforms the laid back coastal towns into a mecca for surfers, but often a nightmare for residents because of the collision of surf and crime. Details: Based on the book, Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell: A True Story of Violence, Corruption, and the Soul of Surfing written by Chas Smith.