Etan Cohen chooses Boy Scouts Versus Zombies for directorial debut

Etan Cohen has switched for the demise of boy scouts and zombies to mark his directorial debut feature, according to Collider. With that, we mean he'll direct the appealingly titled Boy Scouts Versus Zombies.Effective film author Cohen has composed the type of Tropic Thunder, American Father as well as the approaching Males In Black III, that's prone to start to see the franchise return to form carrying out a disappointing second instalment.Presently in development, Boy Scouts Versus Zombies made the Hollywood Blacklist this season, an hallowed choice of unproduced scripts that frequently look at excellent accomplishments.Once the title of Cohen's directorial debut is almost anything to apply, make certain to anticipate a comic skewering of two strong American traditions.

Casey Affleck Leader to participate Revenge Thriller In The Furnace

EXCLUSIVE: Casey Affleck is poised to participate the cast of In the Furnace, the Scott Cooper-directed revenge thriller that Relativity Media will place in production later this year with Christian Bale starring. The script, which originated from just like a Kaira Ingelsby spec that offered with Leonardo DiCaprio and Ridley Scott attached in 2008, is finally joining together. Bale plays a guy who’s released from prison and wants only to get his existence back and marry his lady. Everything changes when his brother is wiped out, as well as the mission becomes revenge. Affleck, I hear, may have the unfortunate brother. Scott Free and Appian Way are coming up with. Affleck is repped by WME and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

U pulls 'Ouija' out of turnaround

"Ouija" is reaching out from the beyond, as Universal has pulled the pic from turnaround by slashing the budget and assigning it to Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse to produce. Now set for a 2013 release, the project that started out as a big-budget scarer has since been scaled down to something comparable to "Paranormal Activity" or "Insidious." Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller will produce through Platinum Dunes, with Jason Blum producing through Blumhouse and Brian Goldner and Bennett Schneir producing for Hasbro. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but would revolve around the board game that ostensibly lets players communicate with the spirit world. McG had been on board to direct before production was halted, but he's no longer involved. Talks were held with other major studios when U put "Ouija" into turnaround last year, but it was never picked up. Its revival is a rare glimmer of hope for the partnership between Universal and Hasbro, a multi-year pact that was envisioned as a vehicle for several tentpoles -- "Stretch Armstrong," "Candyland," "Clue" -- but has only produced "Battleship." However, project won't technically fall under the U/Hasbro agreement, which was structured to handle blockbuster-sized movies like "Battleship" (and "Ouija," when it was at a higher price-point). It's also a sign of the growing partnership between Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse, already in pre-production on the low-budget thriller "Vigilandia" at Universal. U has had a good experience doing low-budget pics with Blumhouse, like "Vigilandia," which is about to wrap, and "Not Safe For Work," which just got under way. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com

Redford To Offer The Most Wonderful Time

Diane Keaton also up for your Christmas picYou understand exactly what is a really underserved genre lately? Holiday-designed films with large ensembles. Yes, you'll be able to probably hear the sarcasm in every single strike in the secrets there. But even though latest effort, Garry Marshall's New Year's Eve, didn't enjoy the hottest critical reception, it did look at make around $142 million worldwide, and so the tide of treacly periodic comedy will not visit this time around. Especially since Robert Redford and Diane Keaton are circling the leads within the Lovliest Time.P.S. I like You/Stepmom author Steven Rogers has get the idea, which, according to Deadline he describes becoming an "Amelie-esque story about people who live money for hard times or keep yesteryear, which prevents them from dwelling in the moment, rather than appreciating what's in front of those.In . Err... Yay?Redford and Keaton are likely onto play in the leads in the plot that will feature multiple strands interlinking and a lot of heart-warming Christmas cheer. Which director Jessie Nelson will in all probability gather around the soundstage in the heart of a sweltering This summer time summer season. Nothing states Christmas like requiring to prevent the atmosphere conditioning to shoot!

Fassbender joins Your Film Festival team

Michael Fassbender has grew to become part of the Your Film Festival competition team to help pick the grand prize champion also to co-professional result in the winner's next film. Your competitors can be a formerly introduced partnership between YouTube, Emirates Airline carriers, the Venice Film Festival and Scott Free, Ridley and Tony Scott's production banner. Your competition, which remains open until March 31, requires distribution of 15-minute, story-driven videos. Fifty semi-final contestants will probably be selected YouTube clients will choose 10 final contestants, who'll go to the Venice Film Festival, where their videos will screen together with a great prize champion will probably be named. Fassbender will probably be seen next in Ridley Scott's "Prometheus." He won best actor at Venice a year ago for "Shame." Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

The Those who win Speak! Backstage in the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Honours

"There is little originate from this if won by you! joked Seth Rogen because he opened up his hosting gig in the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Honours. Practically nothing. This will not help you to get compensated any longer -- contrary, it proves you'll work with nothing. That might be shateringly true for most of the indie film nominees honored today in the annual Spirit Honours, in a tent around the beach in balmy Santa Monica. But exactly what does it imply that the nights large champion was the Harvey Weinstein-backed honours season juggernaut The Artist? The Oscar leader taken the Spirit Honours Saturday inside a precursor as to the most commentators expect will transpire Sunday evening in the Oscars the black and whitened quiet film required home four honours, including Best Feature, Best Director (Michel Hazanavicius), Best Actor (Jean Dujardin), and finest Cinematography, further sealing its grip around the 2012 honours race. Along the direction to Spirit Honours victory, the $15 million The Artist went facing the kind of more conventional indies. (Rules of qualifications includes films designed for a maximum of $20 million.) Within the Best Cinematography category, the Weinstein-backed favorite taken part against, for instance, Evan Glodells Bellflower, a movie shot on the production budget of $17,000 for the best Feature it vied with 50/50, Beginners, Drive, Take Shelter, and also the Descendants. Additional those who win around the evening incorporated Dee Rees Pariah, Alexander Paynes The Descendants (which won Best Script and finest Supporting Actress for Shailene Woodley), Asgar Farhadis A Separation, Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn, and Christopher Plummer for novices. (Full those who win list here.) Quite simply overall, less than so not the same as the area competing tomorrow in the mainstream Academy awards. Maybe for this reason, after Rogens fantastic Hollywood-skewering opening monologue, the Spirit Honours began to flag a little in, well, spirit. When the absent Jean Dujardin won about midway through (co-star Penelope Ann Burns, the flicks mascot for that evening, recognized on his account) the certainty of Artist domination appeared to loom in mid-air. Once Michel Hazanavicius showed up, fresh in the Poor runway having a police escort minutes before his title was known as as well as Director, the sweep was sealed. Would any non-Oscar frontrunning independent filmmaker honorees have become the Very important personel treatment completely lower the ten? Were these the Oscar rehearsals, or even the prominent celebration of yankee independent film? Well, a minimum of the show had its moments. Highlights incorporated Rogens monologue John Waters serving as MC for that evening Michelle Williams accepting her trophy having a jerk to the initial Spirit Honours she ever attended, when she used her very own clothes and cut her very own hair and felt in your own home within the room filled with misfits, outcast, loners, dreamers, mumblers, delinquents, dropouts like me. Backstage, those who win trickled in through the evening, discussing their very own perspectives on craft and also the honours show mania. Christopher Plummer, Best Supporting Actor: The jovial Plummer began the those who win room. [Michaels father, his character] would be a true character and was written with your affection, such deficiencies in self-pity. It had been fun to complete, it helped me so relaxed. His wonderful humor against all odds [is] a wonderful lesson to everybody who experiences cancer and dying. He treated it having a kind of lighthearted spontaneity, no self-pity whatsoever. Hinting at his next gig with an Cinemax project, Plummer addressed his ongoing career at 82. I must [keep acting] because I might croak at any time I must carry on! How did he avoid being upstaged by Cosmo your dog around the group of Beginners? We'd just a little private talk, now that you bring it up Cosmo and Uggie, I believe our Cosmo was a lot more human than Uggie. Uggie only agreed to be a trickster our dog had soul. Shailene Woodley, Best Supporting Actress: Im so grateful, Woodley started. I have no idea if surprised may be the right word. I believe gratitude type of fills everything. It has been this type of beautiful experience for me personally during my existence and totally changed me as a person, so Im grateful to possess been an element of the film and also to have discovered a lot of valuable amazing training. Each and every person active in the film was incredibly positive coupled with such gentle, kind, elegant souls. Standing on the film being an 18-year-old and going through that right when i was going to start my existence by myself, it had been type of the catalyst for me personally entering my very own. I dont think you will find words that i can express my gratitude for your. For the Academy awards, Woodley has fascination with the assistance star she went facing throughout the Golden Globes. I'm so stoked for Octavia [Spencer] she's so awesome! Shes this type of nice individual. [Pause] This really is crazy. I wasn't expecting it and that i woke up there and stated um a great deal, I know Im likely to be shocked after i watch it. The Artist crew, Best Feature/OrGreatest Cinematography/Best Director: What did producer Harvey Weinstein provide the film? His weight, joked producer Thomas Langmann, who credited Weinstein with going for a chance around the Artist when most backers balked. We stored going to try and finance this meeting and that we had very short conferences nobody desired to learn about that one. People explained this really is against the usual understanding. We handled to obtain the money and desired to shoot within Hollywood This movie is made to become a tribute to Hollywood and cinema and particularly American cinema. To return and become compensated through the Hollywood community, is really a dream become a reality. Hows existence dealing with director Hazanavicius, whos been in a nonstop tour with the home stretch of his award tour? It is not the worst job you'll find, he clarified. You come, you obtain honours, everybody is smiling to you and it is nice they let you know youre gifted and also have a very funny, charming French accent. [Law enforcement escort from Poor] was great. Which was the good thing. Its physically tiring however the energy is really good that you simply dont sense it, he stated. Were really excited and therefore are taking pleasure in every moment we are able to enjoy. Searching to the start of their journey, did Weinstein promise the Artist crew he could encourage them to the Academy awards? Harvey understands how to promise such things as that, yes. Sometimes hes right. Michelle Williams, Best Actress: My pal was joking that so far I've been the Susan Lucci from the Indie Spirit Honours!" Williams stated, beaming. "I've been luckier and luckier to become dealing with better people. How she found her distance to Lana Turner: In ways you needed to remove the truth that she was a symbol, because which was too daunting and think about her being an regular girl. There wasnt an immediate path directly into her, I discovered. The only real means by was time, a lot time, and in ways letting her dictate, letting her take shape -- letting all of this information take shape rather than me attempting to manage it. I simply perform some work. I simply kind of keep my mind lower, the industry very kind of Montana attitude. Theres this Amish factor, this Quaker factor I love Eyes down and heart towards the skies. I simply keep focused. Steve James, dir. The Interrupters, Best Documentary: This means a great deal for any film such as this since this is a movie about urban violence in Chicago, so when i was which makes it we never might have anticipated the response the film has become previously year. This means a great deal for which the flicks about as well as for us as independent filmmakers Ive been carrying this out let's focus on 27 years, therefore it means a great deal. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

Edi Gathegi & Martin Landau Among Latest Pilot Castings

Edi Gathegi (Twilight) is placed to co-star opposite Kyle Bornheimer in Basic steps comedy pilot Whitened Van Guy. The only-camera is really a blue collar ensemble in line with the British format and focuses on Jack (Kyle Bornheimer) who's instructed to put his dreams on hold to be able to dominate the household renovator business from his father Tony (J.K. Simmons). Gathegi will have Darren, certainly one of Tony’s employees. Also cast within the pilot is Johnny Pemberton as Tony’s teen nephew. The series got its title in the United kingdom phrase that describes the stereotype for motorists of sunshine commercial automobiles, frequently self-employed or possessing smaller businesses for example renovator services. The ABC Galleries-created adaptation was compiled by Bobby Bowman. Michael Fresco is pointing. Gathegi, repped by ICM and Framework, lately starred in Tracy Letts play Superior Inflatible donuts in the Geffen Playhouse. Veteran Martin Landau has became a member of ABC’s untitled Roland Emmerich drama pilot, from ABC Galleries and also the Mark Gordon Co. Compiled by Emmerich and Harold Kloser and also to be directed by Emmerich, the project focuses on Carter (Max Thieriot), an astrophysics grad student in New york city who discovers that he's the selected someone to destroy the forces of evil. Landau, repped by TalentWorks, will have Mr. Armin, a blind former German soldier in The Second World War who's the executor of Carter’s father’s estate and something of Carter’s only true buddies. Nicole Gale Anderson (Jonas) and newcomer Nina Lisandrello happen to be cast within the CW’s drama pilot Beauty And Also The Animal. Loosely in line with the eighties CBS series starring Linda Hamilton, CWs Beauty And Also The Animal is referred to like a modern-day romantic love story having a procedural twist. It focuses on Catherine (Kristin Kreuk), a difficult-minded NYPD homicide detective and also the Animal, Vincent Koslow, the survivor of the military experiment that went disastrously wrong. Lisandrello, repped by Leading Artists andInvictus Entertainment, will have Tess, Catherine’s partner and friend around the Homicide Squad. Anderson, repped by Paradigm and also the Marshak/Zachary Co., will have Catherine’s more youthful sister. She's been recurring on ABC Family’s Allow It To Be or Break It. Summer time Lyn Beard has became a member of Living Loaded, Foxs single-camera comedy pilot in the It's Usually Sunny In Philadelphia duo of Take advantage of McElhenney and Take advantage of Rosell and Forex Prods. In line with the book of the identical title by Serta Dunn, Living Loaded focuses on Serta (Mike Vogel), the loose hanging out blogger from the popular Living Loaded blog who's instructed to change his career plans as he becomes an NPR radio host. Beard will have Serta and Bobby’s (Michael Marc Friedman) Best friend.

Oxygen heads to 'Brooklyn 11223'

Oxygen is shifting its eye toward "Brooklyn 11223." Latest reality skein in the youth-skewing NBCUniversal cabler will launch March 26. Series checks the lives of twentysomethings whose relationships happen to be torn apart by unfaithfulness. Title refers back to the Zipcode of Brooklyn neighborhood Bay Ridge and surrounding areas which include Coney Island, Brighton Beach and Bensonhurst. Series is created by Ant Entertainment with Michael Hirschorn, Wendy Roth, Ethan Goldman and Lenid Rolov professional creating. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Friel Promises Allegiance To King Of Soho

With Tamsin Egerton and Imogen PootsMichael Winterbottom is busy gathering a great cast to surround Steve Coogan for his latest film, King Of Soho. He's just nabbed Anna Friel, Tamsin Egerton and Imogen Poots to co-star.Soho finds Winterbottom in round-the-clock Party People mode, while using the real story from the bigger-than-existence personality to operate a vehicle a film. In this particular situation, that's club owner and porn author Paul Raymond, whose energy and influence across London's seedier side elevated involving the late 19 fifties as well as the the 19 nineties. Beginning off his career just like a 22-year-old mind visitors on Clacton Pier, he graduated to running touring revue shows and launched the initial British strip club. More youthful crowd launched the type of Razzle and Mayfair. Named the "King of Soho" with the press, he'd run inches while using Master Chamberlain's office, police force, known as the prospective more than one extortion attempt.Control author Matt Greenhalgh has written the script, and Friel may have Raymond's first wife, Jean Bradley, Egerton his glamour model girlfriend Fiona Richmond and Poots his daughter Darlene, who died from the heroin overdose in 1992.

Actor Josie De Guzman Flies From Broadway to Chekhov's 'The Seagull'

You don't usually hear about actors who have been nominated for Tony Awards for "West Side Story" and "Guys and Dolls" performing in Chekhov. But Josie De Guzman is that rare hybrid, a Broadway musical star who also tackles the classics. Best known for her star turns in hit Main Stem revivals of the aforementioned evergreen tuners in 1980 and 1992 respectively, De Guzman is currently playing Arkadina, the flamboyant stage performer and negligent mother at the center of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull," at Houston's Alley Theater. Back Stage spoke with the actor about the differences between Broadway and regional theater and performing in musicals and straight plays. Back Stage: How were you cast as Arkadina? De Guzman: I've been doing quite a bit of work here at the Alley and Gregory Boyd asked me to do Arkadina. He knows my work really well and I said, "Sure." What a role to play, right? He's an excellent director and I know the company is very good, so I thought, "Why not?" It's an amazing opportunity. I did Chekhov a long time ago. I played Varya in "The Cherry Orchard" at Capital Rep. I love Chekhov so here I am. Back Stage: Are there differences between doing musicals and what we call "the classics," aside from the obvious requirements of singing and dancing? De Guzman: In this case, the text really is the music. In musicals, we have to condense everything, because the book is not as fleshed out as in a play. You have to fit in the musical numbers and so forth. In a play, you have to use the text instead of the music to make the character deeper. I do think some musicals are just as deep and complex as a straight play, not as deep as Chekhov though. Chekhov has these layers and layers and I feel we're just starting to get to the top. We started performing a week ago and need to keep digging. It's a very complicated role. Arkadina is an actor and she wants to entertain, but then she has these issues with her son and her lover and her family and the farm. Everyone in the play is a real human being and their emotions are right there on the surface. They say what they feel and they do what they say. So is it different, yes.Back Stage: And are the audiences different between the audiences and performing on Broadway and in regional theater? De Guzman: I find the audiences in Houston love the Alley and they are very smart. We're doing Chekhov in the small theater here. That's fun because the audience is right up close so they're kind of with us on stage. I love that. On Broadway, the energy has to hit the back wall. If it's a 1200-seat theater, the energy must be much bigger. Back Stage: Did you make a conscious choice to concentrate on regional theater rather than Broadway and NY or is that the way it just happened as your career progressed? De Guzman: What happened for me is that I never wanted to be just a musical theatre actor. I remember saying that right after "West Side Story." I remember Liviu Ciulei giving me an opportunity to come to the Guthrie to do "Peer Gynt" and Gerald Freedman gave me some chances at Great Lakes. I did "Tartuffe" there. I always wanted to do straight plays. On Broadway, it's very hard for a musical theater actor to go over to the straight plays, especially now that they use stars. Plus, I'm a soprano and musicals have changed. It's a lot more rock and roll and a different kind of singing than what I do. I've been lucky in that I've been able to do some wonderful roles I would never get considered for on Broadway. The Alley is a great regional theater. I wouldn't be going to just any regional theater. I would like to do good work in a good place. It's always been hard for me to sit around and wait for something. If a role comes along that I want to do, I'll go do it. I don't care if it's Broadway or not, as long as it's a good theater.Back Stage: Do you have any advice for actors just getting out of school and taking their first steps to a professional career? De Guzman: I think working is important. I remember talking to Jose Ferrer a long time ago. I was feeling guilty because I wasn't taking a lot of acting lessons. He said to me, "Josie, I never took an acting lesson in my life. I learned by doing, by working. And you're working and that's where you learn." So I worked and get exposure and start doing, because acting is about doing it. So that's my advice, is to go out there and work."The Seagull" is playing Neuhas Stage at the Alley Theater in Houston, Texas, through March 4. (713) 220-5700.

Sci-Tech Honours marked by remembrance

Saturday night's Academy Scientific and Technical Honours banquet was marked by emotional remembrances of departed buddies, a separate defense from the Academy's pursuit to encourage excellence, along with a call for the whole movie industry to find the spectacle and showmanship which makes watching movies in theaters irresistible.The evening incorporated the presentation of Oscar statuettes to Douglas Trumbull, who received the Sawyer Award for any career which includes groundbreaking visual effects, pointing, and pioneering technology and also to they that built the ARRI laser scanner, which in fact had received an Academy Plaque in 2001 but was "upgraded," because the Acad sometimes does when an innovation stands the ages. Because honorees are introduced ahead of time as well as their people are present, the Sci-Technicians will always be one of the most intimate of kudofests. Saturday's presentation was more emotional than most because two males were being honored posthumously: Dr. Jurgen Noffke, honored for that ARRI Zeiss Master Prime Contacts, died this past year and John Lowry, honored for that digital image restoration procedure that bears his title, died all of a sudden a 3 week period prior to the presentation. Noffke and Lowry were appreciated in the podium through the teams that shared their honours. Lowry's widow required to the level together with his fellow those who win to gather his Plaque. Trumbull, in the remarks, spoke of his future plans and stated sadly "I had been relying on John. This is a tough one."Trumbull's plans include creating a movie together with his Showscan Digital process and mixing high frame rates, laser projection, high-gain screens to upgrade the film experience. "I'm looking for a way to create a movie you're in, instead of searching at," he stated.He known as around the industry to re-think its next steps therefore it makes and presents movies that demand to appear around the bigscreen, this is not on mobile products, laptops and pills. "I believe we are able to make movies so individuals will (say) 'I wish to go to the films tonight, since it is so large, it is so grand, it is so spectacular, and there is a lot showmanship that I wish to go to the films.AInch Jonathan Erland, champion from the Bonner medal for plan to the Academy, spoken in more detail concerning the historic mission from the Academy to encourage excellence. He remembered the founders from the Academy itself, the prior those who win from the Bonner medal and also the tech pioneers he'd known and labored with, many now dead, including Doug Trumbull's father, Don TrumbullErland known as around the Acad to keep in mind the how important its mission is amongst the rapid technological and business change swirling round the movie industry. "There's an old Chinese curse: May you existence in interesting occasions," stated Bonner. "We are past interesting. We are completely to whitened-knuckle fascinating." He reminded the range the primary Oscarcast should really offer the Academy's mission and declined the concept that entire org requires a new vision. "If our Academy still means excellence in movies, also it must," he stated, "then your real task before us would be to manage the trends, so that movies stay highly relevant to the Academy's mission and also the ideals we espouse, not another way about. When all movies are fantastic, only then do we can discuss a brand new vision with this Academy."Erland noted he along with other founding people from the Acad's elevated Science Council are soon to term out. He stated he yet others are while establishing an institute for movie studies which will cooperate along with other orgs, such as the Acad. The Sci-Tech banquet used to be well known because of its gleefully cheesy entertainment, but individuals days have left. Saturday evening Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova carried out three tunes, including their Oscar-winning "Falling Gradually." Using the primary Oscarcast now likely to avoid song performances, that made the Sci-Technicians the only real Academy Award presentation this year to have a live show of the Best Song champion. Onstage, Hansard devoted a part of an audio lesson towards the late Whitney Houston, as well as saluted the late Ronnie Chasen, whom he stated "seemed to be super good to us."Milla Jovovich was the presenter and host for that evening. She battled sometimes using the jargon on her behalf teleprompter, as all Sci-Tech presenters do, but won within the participants together with her warmth and enthusiasm. Without any TV clock demanding they hustle offstage, every champion got his moment in the microphone to hail their fellow "brainiacs," and "nerds" and apologize to spouses and kids for that lengthy hrs they'd place in. Several honoree stated he wished this could inspire his children. Andy Jantzen of Vision Research, collecting a Plaque for that Phantom high-speed camera, stated to his children "The job your grandma and grandpa began in 1950 isn't done. The job continues." Acad prexy Tom Sherak, at his final Sci-Tech banquet before his term finishes, stated he'd had time for you to ponder the oft-repeated concept that Academy Leader is the greatest delinquent job in the market. He stated this Honours season, he recognized why it had been so: "I acquired to satisfy (Honorary Oscar champion) Richard Cruz, and that i reached meet Doug Trumbull." Contact David S. Cohen at david.cohen@variety.com

Harvest, Sun Redrock launch $800 mil film fund

LONDON -- Chinese investment companies Harvest Alternative Investment Group and Sun Redrock Investment Group have became a member of forces to create a media fund specific to boost $800 million of capital. The fund, named Harvest Seven Stars Media Fund, aims to purchase shot entertainment and cinema. It'll purchase three distinct areas: mergers and purchases, marketing and distribution, and content. Investment focus is going to be targeted mainly at British-language Chinese co-productions. The fund, now certainly one of China's biggest media funds, is settling filmmaker deals, three which are required to become introduced within the next thirty days. More to follow along with... Contact Diana Lodderhose at diana.lodderhose@variety.com

'Lovelace' Set Photos Reveal Sarah Jessica Parker

We're told that paparazzi photos from the set of "Lovelace" show the recently-cast Sarah Jessica Parker in the role of women's lib leader Gloria Steinem. The pictures are surprising considering the woman in the photo looks nothing like Sarah Jessica Parker. The photo from the set shows a 70s-ified Parker, large hair and all. The blonde hair looks oddly like a wig, and the actress' eyes look pulled back. It would have taken a moment to peg the person in the picture as Parker, if it had not been advertised as such. See the full photo after the jump! Parker replaced Demi Moore in the Linda Lovelace biopic shortly after the actress dropped out of the film due to personal issues related to a medical emergency. The real-life Steinem wrote an article for Ms. Magazine in 1980 titled "The Real Linda Lovelace" that examined the life of the famous porn star. What do you think of Sarah Jessica Parker as Gloria Steinem? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Public sets park season

An outdoor staging of Stephen Sondheim's fairy-tale tuner "Into the Woods" and a reunion of helmer Daniel Sullivan and thesp Lily Rabe are on tap for the 2012 Shakespeare in the Park season from Off Broadway's Public Theater. Frequent Shakespeare in the Park director Sullivan ("Twelfth Night," "All's Well That Ends Well") will helm Rabe in "As You Like It," with the actress cast as the cross-dressing central character in the Bard comedy about the daughter of an exiled duke and her rustic adventures in the Forest of Arden. Sullivan previously directed Rabe in the Al Pacino-toplined production of "The Merchant of Venice," which bowed as part of Shakespeare in the Park before moving to Broadway for an uber-profitable limited engagement. Rabe was nommed for a Tony for her perf. "Into the Woods," helmed by Timothy Sheader, had been rumored as a likely candidate for Central Park for a few weeks now. Sheader previously helmed a much-lauded outdoor staging of the musical in 2010 at London's Regent's Park Open Air Theater. New Gotham version, co-helmed by Liam Steel, will be designed by a team of U.S. creatives and star an American cast. Tuner, with songs by Sondheim and book by James Lapine, follows a group of fairy-tale characters beyond the happily-ever-after resolutions of their familiar stories. The 2012 edition of Shakespeare in the Park will rep the free summer theater initiative's 50th year. The annual slate, staged every year at the open-air Delacorte Theater in Central Park, is often dedicated to the Bard canon, but has occasionally included other well-known works including "The Seagull," "Mother Courage and her Children" and the 2008 revival of "Hair" that moved to Broadway for a successful run. "As You Like It" is targeted for a June opening, while "Into the Woods" will start perfs at the end of July, with exact dates to be announced. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Wikipedia to go to black Wednesday in protest of SOPA

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales mentioned the website will blackout on Wednesday in protest of pending anti-piracy legislation. Wales introduced the blackout in the tweet on Monday, calling it a "decision in the Wikipedia." Wikipedia is up to now the finest-profile of all of the sites to stage a blackout. Even though the White-colored House gave a sizable setback for the anti-piracy bills in the last weekend, announcing it had been towards portions from the legislation, champions in Congress still plan to proceed. Although supporters in the anti-piracy legislation, including Hollywood art galleries and several of the guilds, won significant bipartisan in Congress, they've had trouble in offerring their message round the P.R. front. The central argument the debts is required preserve jobs remains overshadowed by opponents' alarm the legislation expects the freedom from the web. Other popular sites including Reddit and Boing Boing offer introduced expects to seal lower. The Stop Online Piracy Act is pending in your home Judiciary Committee, as well as the Safeguard IP Act is facing the floor election inside the Senate. "Gossips in the dying of SOPA may be premature. But Senate version going strong," Wales written in one of numerous tweets. He even related the protest to Martin Luther King Junior. Wales written, "Freedom is not of your accord provided by the oppressor it ought to be needed with the oppressed." MLK -- on Wednesday, Wikipedia demands."Wikipedia's 24-hour protest will occur only on its domestic site. Wales noted that Wikipedia produces 25 million site site visitors every day all over the world, according to Comscore. Contact Ted Manley at ted.manley@variety.com

Twilights Ashley Greene Ready To Pass The Torch To Hunger Games Stars

First Published: January 12, 2012 3:22 PM EST Credit: Getty Images Caption Ashley Greene arrives at the 2012 Peoples Choice Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles on January 11, 2012LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- As The Twilight Saga draws to a close this year, young adult fiction fans are hungry for the next book-to-big screen hit and Ashley Greene thinks the upcoming The Hunger Games will fill the fans need for the next great story. Its really nice that Twilight is coming to an end and I think a lot of our fans are going to feel that same love and that same passion for The Hunger Games, the actress told AccessHollywood.coms Laura Saltman on Wednesday night at the Peoples Choice Awards. [The fans will] have something else to feel that way about, she explained. Im really excited for people to be able to go through what we went through. Im very excited for that one to come out. The 24-year-old actress, who plays Alice Cullen in the film adaptations of Stephenie Meyers novels, is also happy shes wrapped her franchise. All the hard work is done, were done filming it, Ashley said. Now we just get to kind of sit back and watch it unravel. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 hits theaters on November 16 and The Hunger Games debuts on March 23. Find out what it was like for Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson to kiss co-star Jennifer Lawrence, HERE! Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comcast, Disney see endless options

Executives from Comcast and Wally Disney Thursday patted on their own the rear for any major affiliate deal introduced the 2009 week they stated is excellent business for sides and might help preserve the tv ecosystem as you may know it -- for any decade a minimum of. "It is the embodiment of the deep, broad, multi-platform deal," stated Disney chief financial officer Jay Rasulo in a Citigroup media conference in Bay Area from the 10-year pact which will go ahead and take partners in to the next decade together. "If little else, it is a major reinforcement," he stated, from the marriage between content companies and video service companies -- as new newcomers like Netflix turn to edge out traditional gamers. It's "the next thing of enhanced television for any large content creator along with a large distributor," he stated. Comcast chief financial officer Michael Angelakis, speaking earlier within the trip to exactly the same event, stated, "What's most unique about this and various is it is extremely broad... It truly is about how exactly we are able to make use of the Disney suite of services over many platforms: in your home, outdoors the house, linear, when needed, mobile, TV Everywhere. It is where we're going." The pact covers 70 individual Wally Disney items provided to Comcast, the country's biggest cable operator, through all available formats. It offers the entire suite of ESPN systems, the recently released Disney Junior and retransmission consent for seven ABC-possessed television stations. Wall Street congratulated the offer too. Nomura Investments Michael Nathanson stated it shored up Disney's key supply of revenue -- affiliate costs. They totaled $8.79 billion in fiscal 2011, repping 21% of total revenue. Younger crowd stated it gives Disney a chance to service clients through its existing authenticated items like WatchESPN, in addition to approaching authenticated items like WatchDisneyChannel, WatchDisneyXD and WatchDisneyJunior. "By doing this, Disney and it is items possess the special capability to personally interact with their clients across multiple platforms." Younger crowd noted that there are less risk since ESPN is going to be tiered, or gone to live in a more compact package that customers purchase individually. Rasulo stated the size of the offer is really a plus because it guarantees revenue to pay for hefty lengthy-term sports privileges deals that ESPN has already been committed. He stated it'll add between $70 million to $80 million in revenue -- or a couple of a be part of earnings -- to both fiscal second and third quarters versus. the very first quarter ended Sept. 30. "For those who have an offer that you simply think has the thing you need and what your lover needs, why don't you extend it instead of get together again in 3 years?Inch he stated. David Joyce of Burns Tabak stated it implies that all systems really are a continue the "TV Everywhere" front which he needs Comcast to draw in to new subs faster using the deal. "Disney's TV+ initiative, and Comcast's authenticated XFinity TV When Needed platforms "happen to be designed specifically accommodate these wide-varying deals that provide verified customers use of basically all the content all the time. This can be a method to preserve the changing TV ecosystem, and really should help retain pay-TV customers." Burns stated he needs Comcast to pay for $39 million in retransmission costs for Disney's ABC stations in 2012, and the other $1.85 billion for that cable systems. He sees Comcast's total programming expense rising in an 8% compound rate for the following 5 years, using the Disney part of that rising in a 6.6% rate, then moving to 7.8% as Comcast eventually adds customers. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

'Simon' leads Swedish awards race

LONDON -- Lisa Ohlin's WWII drama "Simon and the Oaks" leads the race for the 2011 Guldbagge, Sweden's national film awards, with 13 nominations. "Simon and the Oaks" is vying with Ruben Ostlund's "Play" and Lisa Aschan's "She Monkeys" for the best picture crown. Ohlin, Ostlund and Aschan are also nominated for best director. "Play" and "She Monkeys" are contesting the best screenplay prize with Pernilla Oljelund's script for "Stockholm East." "Play" has seven nominations overall, followed by Ella Lemhagen's "The Crown Jewels" with five. Mikael Persbrandt ("Stockholm East"), Sven-Bertil Taube ("A One-Way to Antibes") and Kevin Vaz ("Play") are competing for best actor. Ann Petren ("Happy End"), Magdalena Poplawska ("Between 2 Fires") and Helen Sjoholm ("Simon and the Oaks") are nominated for best actress. The prize for best foreign film is contested by Debra Granik's "Winter's Bone," Asghar Farhadi's "A Separation" and Yorgos Lanthimos' "Dogtooth." The Guldbagge ceremony, organized by the Swedish Film Institute, will take place Jan. 21 at Cirkus in Stockholm. The nominations and winners are voted by a jury of 43 industry members. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Adam Goldberg shuts in on 'Inferno'

Adam Goldberg is at final discussions to see "Deep Throat" star Harry Reems in Matthew Wilder's "Inferno: A Linda Lovelace Story," which stars Malin Akerman ("Watchmen") since the title character.Carlucci Weyant's Split Vision Entertainment originates onto co-finance the film with Make the most of Simmons' JARS Prods. banner.Wilder will direct using their own script, using the 1980 memoir "Ordeal: An Autobiography," which Lovelace written with Mike McGrady. Lovelace increased being famous in 1972 due to the large success of "Deep Throat" but renounced her pornography career in "Ordeal" and alleged that it had been forced upon her by pornographer husband Chuck Traynor, who certainly are carried out by Matt Dillon. Besides Dillon and Goldberg ("Saving Private Ryan"), other notable cast people include Paz p la Huerta ("Boardwalk Empire"), former porn star Sasha Grey ("Entourage") and Harold Perrineau, who'll play Linda's sometimes-lover Sammy Davis Junior. Weyant ("The Youthful as well as the Restless") may also be expected to battle a supporting role.Pic will probably be produced by Chris Hanley and Jordan Gertner for Muse Prods., Weyant and Kevin Pugliese for Split Vision and Simmons and Peter O'Keefe for JARS. Timothy Wayne Peternel and Matt Kautz can also be associated with a producer capacity."Inferno" is skedded to start production noisy . February in Louisiana.Strangely enough, Split Vision's V . p . is Louis Peraino III, whose family produced and funded "Deep Throat." Split Vision, which has offices in La, NY and Louisiana, is putting together a slate of quality films including "Mike Stevens," a greater-concept action pic starring Booboo Stewart ("The Twilight Saga") which will be shot in 3d after "Inferno."On Monday, Adam Brody signed onto play Reems in "Lovelace," a competing project from "Howl" helmers Make the most of Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman that stars Amanda Seyfried.Goldberg has furthermore came out in "Zodiac," "A Stylish Mind" and "Dazed and Confused." He's repped by UTA and Luber Roklin Entertainment. Contact Rob Sneider at rob.sneider@variety.com

Demi Moore Looking for Gloria Steinem Cameo in 'Lovelace'

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