Let’s Make a Deal! Verizon To Spend $4.4 Billion In Cash For AOL Purchase
The telecom giant is buying the one-time Internet powerhouse for its mobile video advertising technologies as the telco looks to expand its activity in that sector. AOL chairman CEO Tim Armstrong will remain at the helm. The deal values AOL at $50 a share. Verizon chairman-CEO Lowell McAdam emphasized the company’s goal of diving deeper into the video business. (VAR)
‘Castle’ Viewers Can Rest Easy Today, Stana Katic Will, In Fact, Return For Season Eight
In a deal that came down to the wire, the show's female lead agreed to a deal to appear in an eighth and — what one can assume — final season of the show. ABC had renewed the light-hearted cop drama two weeks ago, and announced co-star Nathan Fillion’s renewed deal at the same time. The show will also have new showrunners, as Alexi Hawley and Terence Paul Winter take the reins. (DH)
Anne Hathaway Makes ‘Colossal’ Decision To Star In a Movie Described as a Cross Between ‘Godzilla' and ‘Lost In Translation’
The Oscar-winning actress will take the lead in Colossal, in which she will play an ordinary woman who, after losing her job and her fiancé, decides to leave her life in New York to move back to her hometown. But when news reports surface that a giant lizard is destroying the city of Tokyo, Gloria gradually comes to realize that she is strangely connected to these far-off events via the power of her mind. Nacho Vigalondo is writing and directing for Voltage Pictures. (THR)
The Rise Of Alicia Vikander Continues, as the Actress Scores a Major Role In a Tom Hanks Movie
Vikander, who stars in the current release Ex Machina, joins The Circle, based on the Dave Eggers novel. The script, adapted by James Ponsoldt, is a thriller that exploits the dangers of a digital life where all personal data is collected and pervasive surveillance means that privacy is a thing of the past. And our heroine learns that she’s also at risk when she starts a relationship with the charismatic co-owner of the company. (EMP)
‘Empire’ Fans Will Have a Lot More To Watch In Season Two
Fox has announced that it will order 18 episodes of the hit music drama, which stars Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson. Season One had 12 episodes. Along with this news came word that Chris Rock, Lenny Kravitz and Alicia Keys will all guest star, and Ne-Yo will join Timbaland to write music for the show. (SC)
So, Apparently, This ‘Mallrats’ Sequel Is Going To Be Called ‘Mallbrats’
Writer-director Kevin Smith announced the news via his Instagram account, in which he displayed the cover page of the script’s first draft. He has also said that there are 18 characters returning from the first film, which was a box office failure upon its 1995 release, but has developed a cult following in the ensuing two decades. (CB)
Even Though We're Almost Halfway Through May, There Is Still Lots Of Time To Do the 73 Things On This Creative Calendar
Here we stand, at the precipice of an enormous crossroads; on one side of which Mad Men and Late Show with David Letterman are still actively delivering episodes, while on the other side, they have become faded relics of the inexorable march of time. Both landmark shows will bow next week, but our hearts will go on. Check out the list, which is always a lot of fun. (FCC)
As We Enter Smack Dab In the Middle Of Upfronts Week, Don’t Believe the Hype
The upfront has devolved into this peculiar spectator sport in which people with no firsthand knowledge of the negotiations have their snouts pressed against the glass, and they're fogging up the pane. There is no inherent value to this kind of uninformed voyeurism, and in many cases, the reports that begin circulating in the early stages of the upfront can have a significant impact on the marketplace itself. (AA)
Trailer Buzz: ‘Paper Towns’
Twentieth Century Fox has released a new TV spot for the upcoming adaptation of the John Green novel. The film stars Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne, and hits theaters July 24th. (CS)
Online Film School: Six Filmmaking Tips From Thomas Vinterberg
The director of the remake of Far From the Madding Crowd, the Danish filmmaker emerged on the scene in 1998 with the remarkable debut The Celebration. The versatile and unpredictable Vinterberg is a unique talent and has some interesting things to say about filmmaking. (FSR)