AWARDS HEADLINES
The House of Mouse Rules at the Advanced Imaging Society Awards
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Martian and Inside Out were big winners at the Advanced Imaging Society’s Creative Arts Awards on Jan. 27 at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles. Here’s the complete winners list. (THR)
Studios Still Fear Pirates But are Taking Baby Steps Towards Digital Screeners
The film industry has been talking with vendors of streaming/digital screening for years, but wanted guarantees before they embraced a new system for Oscar voters. However, the piracy this year is a reminder that the DVD process has serious vulnerabilities, so many film execs expect streaming to become a major factor in 2016-17 Oscar campaigns. (VAR)
OTHER HEADLINES
Julia Roberts is Going Behind Bars for New HBO Film ‘ADX’
Julia Roberts is set to star in and produce ADX, a drama about the real life harrowing and potentially groundbreaking lawsuit against the U.S. Bureau of Prisons over the treatment of inmates at the infamous ADX supermax facility in the Rocky Mountains. (TB)
Byron Allen is Taking on the FCC as Entertainment Studios Files $10 Billion Lawsuit
The Federal Communications Commission and Charter Communications were sued for $10 billion in federal court by Allen’s Entertainment Studios and the National Association of African-American Owned Media for “racial discrimination in contracting for television channel carriage.” (DL)
Former History & MTV Exec Join Forces to Launch Talos Films
U.S. television producers Julian P. Hobbs, who most recently headed up scripted development and production at History, and Elli Hakami, who was formerly MTV’s exec VP of current series and programming, have launched Talos Films. The new company has the backing of distributor Sky Vision and independent producer October Films and will produce a diverse range of content suitable for a global audience. (VAR)
Paramount Breaks Out the Checkbook to Buy ‘The Intervention’ at Sundance for $2.5 Million
Paramount Pictures has closed a world rights deal in the vicinity of $2.5 million for The Intervention, the dramatic comedy starring Cobie Smulders, Natasha Lyonne, Jason Ritter, and Ben Schwartz. It also marks the directorial debut of Clea DuVall. (DL)
K5 Clinches Clive Owen to Star as a Detective in a World Without Anonymity
Clive Owen is set to star in Andrew Niccol’s Anon, a psychological thriller with sci-fi elements to be produced by K5. Owen will play a detective in a world without anonymity. However, when Owen’s character stumbles on a young woman who doesn’t exist, he discovers it may not be the end of crime. (DL)
Film Studio Scorecard: How Much Diversity Really Is There Among Decision Makers?
Here’s a handy chart that breaks down just how many top tier execs are either a person of color and/or a woman at the majors. The study found there are more women than persons of color among the leading executives. (THR)
Tyra Banks, Jessica Alba & Arnold Schwarzenegger Head to Silicon Beach for ‘The Apprentice’
NBC revealed the full line-up of stars set to participate in the eighth edition of the reality show (and 15th season of The Apprentice franchise) and the names run the gambit from sports stars to reality TV fixtures. (NBC)
Screenwriters: New Year’s Resolution – The Writing Exercise Workout
No matter where you are in developing your craft, there’s always room for strengthening existing muscles and building new ones. Here’s the best writing exercises to build muscle and enable you lift heavier weights with ever more ease. (SM)