February 3, 2009 | 4:48 pm

SAG Goes to War…With Itself

Posted by Danielle Berrin

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All I want to know is: who’s buying the movie rights to the SAG drama?

The latest development in the SAG ordeal has president Alan Rosenberg filing a restraining order against fellow guild members. He’s trying to prevent the higher-ups who voted to oust national executive director Doug Allen last week from starting contract talks with the AMPTP.

Variety reports:

SAG prexy Alan Rosenberg has filed a motion seeking a temporary restraining order to bar other guild leaders from restarting contract negotiations with the majors.

A lawyer representing Rosenberg filed a motion in Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday ayem seeking the restraining order, filed with Judge James Chalfant. Rosenberg is listed as the plaintiff, along with SAG first VP Anne-Marie Johnson and board members Diane Ladd and Kent McCord.

Rosenberg and the others are taking the legal maneuver in protest of the decision made last week by a slim majority of SAG national board to fire national exec director Doug Allen and to relaunch contract talks with the AMPTP with a new task force of SAG negotiators. The SAG board members who voted for Allen’s ouster are listed on the motion as defendants.

It was not immediately clear when Chalfant would hear the motion.

February 2, 2009 | 8:33 pm

Poor Hollywood? Not $o Fast

Posted by Danielle Berrin

Every week there is more news that studios, agencies and production companies are tallying mounting layoffs. The assumption is that Hollywood has hit some choppy waters and the once flush Tinseltown is in danger of economic desiccation. Yet, even while economists predict that things will worsen, January box office numbers suggest that things aren’t quite as bad as they seem. And unsurprisingly, the industry is mum. There’s nary a mention of this news in any of the trades today, which is why we’re lucky to have Nikki Finke.

Here, Finke sets the record straight. She also suggests a motive for the tight-lipped numbers game—and rest assured, it has absolutely nothing to do with a pending SAG strike (yeah, right).

From Deadline Hollywood Daily:

...compliant Hollywood news outlets are hardly publicizing the latest big bold movie precedent set this month. MediaByNumbers.com was first to spread the news Sunday: from January 1, 209 to February 1st, 2009, year-to-date North American grosses were $1.028 billion, compared to 2008’s January take of $867.2 million. And let’s not forget that every week this January the studios boasted to me how cheaply they made and marketed all these films that did so well. So revenue was up 18.57%. Attendance was up 16.78%.

...

Yet there’s no lead story about this $1B gross benchmark in either Variety or The Hollywood Reporter. At the same time, NBC set a record and sold out its Super Bowl ads for $201 million. But that isn’t prominent in the trades either. Here’s what I think: the studios and networks want this good news played on the downlow in Hollywood (as opposed to the layoffs bulletins) when the AMPTP is restarting contract talks with SAG’s “task force”—aka the newly configured negotiating committee—on Tuesday. Because isn’t it amazing how Big Media can keep making so much money but never filter it down to either their staff or the showbiz guilds?

Sure enough, Variety reported on Superbowl ratings, but said nothing about its revenue.

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February 2, 2009 | 7:33 pm

MTV Courting Bar Refaeli to Host ‘House of Style’

Posted by Danielle Berrin

On the internet, the name Bar Refaeli is synonymous with “hottest Jewish girl alive.” Whether it’s true—or not—the notion that the Israeli supermodel is simply “hot” fails to acknowledge her other salient personality traits.

To be fair, Refaeli is an uber-ambitious supermodel who would do anything to nourish her career (even if it means dodging her country’s required military service and then saying, “I don’t regret not having been drafted . . .because I made out big,” as she told Yediot Achronot over a year ago. “Why is it good to die for one’s country? Isn’t it better to live in New York?”)

Apparently.

So far, her audacious methods are working: MTV is reportedly courting Refaeli to host the revival of “House of Style,” the popular fashion and design show of the 90s, then hosted by Cindy Crawford. Contracts are currently under negotiation, though nothing is final.

In any case, we should consider forgiving Refaeli for her shameless draft dodging; she’s obviously a pacifist. Otherwise, can you imagine the cat fights that might ensue between she and boyfriend Leonardo DiCaprio’s ex-flame, Gisele?

Besides, it’s substantially more challenging to express loyalty to your country when you’re so darned busy sustaining your boyfriend’s.

From the NY Post:

“HOUSE of Style” is making a comeback. The popular ‘90s show about fashion and design, which helped make a household name of original host Cindy Crawford, is being revived by MTV, says a source close to production. Contracts are out to Leonardo DiCaprio’s girlfriend Bar Refaeli and recent Page Six Magazine covergirl Chanel Iman to host, though neither has officially signed on yet. We hope some of Refaeli’s assignments will bring her to the beach, where she can show off her bikinis.

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February 2, 2009 | 1:49 pm

All Eyes on Oscar Night, But Who Really Cares?

Posted by Danielle Berrin

Oscar night has always been a ritual for me. And frankly, I don’t care that last year’s ratings were so pitiful, ABC is probably regretting that they signed a broadcast contract through 2014. Or that Walt Disney is hesitating to renew its deal for foreign rights. And furthermore, it means little to me that all five best picture nominees grossed less than half the earnings of “The Dark Knight,” which wasn’t nominated (while The Academy may prefer to award box office hits, those films are usually less nuanced and interesting than the smaller, art-house fare anyway; though, in this case, “The Dark Knight” was fantastic!). What bothers me is that the show’s producers are pulling out all the stops for a never-before-seen version of Hollywood’s biggest night and the media seems determined to ruin the surprise.

Last Friday, I posted a story published in USA Today featuring an interview with Academy Award producers Laurence Mark and Bill Condon. It was enough to peak my interest without thoroughly rendering the act of watching the Oscars obsolete. Not like this morning’s NY Times story, Oscars Suspense: Will People Watch?, which applies both sophisticated analysis and investigative journalism to decipher the top secret ceremony, but in the end, gives too much away.

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January 30, 2009 | 8:00 pm

Brand New Night for the Oscars

Posted by Danielle Berrin

When Sid Ganis hired Hollywood filmmakers Bill Condon and Laurence Mark to produce this year’s Academy Awards, Mark says Ganis was “open to new ideas.” But uninterrupted speeches? No cheesy opening monologue? A nightclub atmosphere? And a celebration of all 2008 movies, even the bad ones? That’s the kind of Oscar show revolution Condon and Mark have in mind. They’re flying by the seat of their pants, they say, and they’re willing to challenge the ultimate establishment in all of Hollywood.

Susan Wloszczyna from USA Today writes:

“The only thing you must do is give all the awards out live onstage,” Mark says. “You have to respect that. But there are many ways to do that, mind you.” What is in the works:

•The host from Oz. The producers were out to make a statement when they selected X-Men star Hugh Jackman after a string of comedians such as Jon Stewart and Ellen DeGeneres.

Yes, Wolverine has animal magnetism galore. But the Australian actor, who previously handled the Tony Awards with aplomb, also has some considerable musical chops after starring in The Boy From Oz and Oklahoma! on stage.

“He can sing, dance and looks great in a tuxedo,” Condon says. At some point in the evening, Jackman will perform in a production number that was conceived by his Australia director, Baz Luhrmann.

•A cozier atmosphere. Condon doesn’t just want a ceremony. He wants to throw a party.

If that means dismantling the Kodak Theatre to better encourage a sense of community among the attendees, so be it. “You don’t have to have large columns or a big staircase or 20-foot-tall Oscars on stage,” he says. “That’s not in the bylaws.”

They have hired David Rockwell, who designed the theater, to make adjustments and create sets.

•Room for spontaneity. Both producers believe the show has relied on too much pre-recorded material.

“That tradition started a few years ago, when they tried to avoid mistakes,” Condon says. “But we have decided that mistakes are our friends. Out of more live segments will hopefully spring more spontaneity.”

•Mystery presenters. When it was announced that the identity of the awards presenters would be kept secret, more than a few Oscar watchers questioned the move. Why not publicize who will appear?

“Do you actually think anyone tunes in to see someone present an award?” Mark says. “They suddenly hear so-and-so is presenting, and young males will watch? Well, no.”

One switch: Instead of lining up last year’s winners and stars with upcoming movies to tout, Condon and Mark are reaching out to those names associated with a 2008 movie. And there will be a few blasts from Hollywood’s past, too.

•Three-hour show, not three-hour speeches. Both vow to adhere to the three-hour mark. “We have done exercises to see what we can better speed along and streamline,” Condon says.

As for having the orchestra play off long-winded speechmakers, it’s a situation they would rather avoid.

“It’s so ungracious,” Condon says. “We will do everything we can not to have to do it. We will still put a little fear into the winners not to go on.” However, the 45-second rule still stands. Mark’s suggestion: “Don’t thank your laundress.”

•Jack Nicholson — probably. One connection Mark will try to capitalize on is his long association with the epitome of Oscar cool, whose mischievous leer is always welcome, even if he didn’t appear in a movie this year.

“He does embody Oscar,” says Mark, who was involved with Terms of Endearment and As Good as It Gets, for which Nicholson won two of his three Academy Awards.

“The show went way out of fashion in the ‘60s and ‘70s,” Condon says of the man behind the shades. “He singlehandedly brought it back when he was nominated for Easy Rider.”

•Applause-free “In Memoriam” tribute. Regular Oscar watchers often cringe when homage is paid to those in the movie business who died in the past year. That is because the audience can’t help but clap harder for better-known names, essentially turning the solemn segment into a popularity contest.

Not this year. “We can’t control the applause,” Condon says, “but we can control what you hear on TV.”

If Condon and Mark can manage to channel the spirit and drive they usually invest into what they do and put it into the Oscar show, it probably can’t help but make some sort of difference.

“It is fun putting on a show,” Condon says.

“Yeah,” Mark says. “He’s Judy Garland. I’m Mickey Rooney.”

Intermission is over. Back to work. “We have to dash and beg someone to present foreign film,” Mark says. “We are hoping for Hillary Clinton.”

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January 30, 2009 | 5:38 pm

Jason Segel: From ‘Sarah Marshall’ to Swift

Posted by Danielle Berrin

Last time we saw Jason Segel, he was pathetically stripped to his skivvies—OK, fine—absolutely threadbare, and desperately humiliating himself for love of a girl. That was the reckless and comic, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” which Segel wrote and Judd Apatow produced, and qualifies as a brand of movie-making that has earned a cult following and re-defined slacker syndrome for the 21st century. Which makes it all the more interesting that Segel is in talks to star in “Gulliver’s Travels” the classic epic satire by Jonathan Swift. More expectantly perhaps, is that this “modern re-imagining” will star Jack Black as Gulliver, in what can only be a surefire spoof, and Segel as Horatio, his Lilliputian sidekick. Emily Blunt, the sassy brunette from “The Devil Wears Prada” will spice things up as Horatio’s love interest.

The move to literary adaptation may require more sophisticated humor from Segel and will likely expand his fan pool, but I wonder if it’s a far enough break from his usual style to illuminate a deeper talent—that is, if there is one.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Jason Segel is in negotiations and Emily Blunt has been offered to sign up for “Gulliver’s Travels,” Fox’s Jack Black-starring modern re-imagining of Jonathan Swift’s classic tale.

Rob Letterman is directing the story of free-spirited travel writer Lemuel Gulliver (Black), who on an assignment to the Bermuda Triangle washes ashore on the hidden island of Lilliput, home to a population of industrious yet tiny people.

Blunt would play the island’s princess and the love interest of Horatio, Segel’s character, a Lilliputian who befriends Gulliver.

Nicholas Stoller, who directed Segel in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” wrote the screenplay with Joe Stillman.
...
Segel, one of the stars of CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother,” next appears on the big screen with Paul Rudd in John Hamburg’s “I Love You Man.” He is repped by Endeavor and Abrams Entertainment.

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January 29, 2009 | 6:40 pm

Can ‘The Wrap’ Trump the Trades?

Posted by Danielle Berrin

Sharon Waxman makes no secret of her disillusionment with print journalism. So like everybody else, the former New York Times Hollywood correspondent is running to the net. On the homepage of her new entertainment website, The Wrap, that launched this past Monday and for which she is editor-in-chief, Waxman posted her internet-only raison d’etre.

“A year ago I left The New York Times with a sinking feeling about what was happening to professional journalism,” she wrote. “Today we launch with great optimism what I hope will become an exciting new space to cover Hollywood in the digital age.”

In a paidcontent.org message posted at The Washington Post, The Wrap’s ambitions are made clear:

TheWrap.com, the entertainment news site founded by former NYT Hollywood correspondent Sharon Waxman, is now live. The launch is backed by an undisclosed amount of funding from Seattle-based Maveron; Waxman picked up $500,000 in seed funding last August from private investors.

The site aims to take on established publications like The Hollywood Reporter and Variety with news and commentary; it also aims to take on the other high profile indie journalist Nikki Finke, whose DeadlineHollywoodDaily has remained solo till now, though works loosely with LA Weekly. Entertainment trade pub vets make up the masthead: interim COO Kevin Davis held the same title at Hollywood.com, Managing Editor Tim Doyle is formerly of Variety, and Deputy Editor Maria Russo joins from the LAT.

TheWrap.com is also following HuffPo’s lead by bringing in both journalists and industry vets as contributors; there’s even a prominent call-to-action for guest bloggers via a “Tell Us Something” link on the homepage. And while this may not be the most opportune time to launch an ad-supported operation, Waxman told MarketWatch that TheWrap.com will profit from filling the gaps in entertainment coverage left by larger publications (particularly newspapers) as they cut back across the board. The site secured British Airways and the Four Seasons Hotel Beverly Hills as launch sponsors.

Waxman is certainly setting her sights high by challenging the most widely read media resources in the industry. And yet, her exclusive video of SAG President Alan Rosenberg singing a ditty made waves this morning, and was immediately picked up by Variety.

In the rapidly changing media, Waxman demonstrates the foresight to catch up with progress. Now, we’ll see if The Wrap can catch up with her.

From Waxman’s first editorial:

TheWrap seeks to use the myriad tools of the web to marry top quality journalism – breaking news, trends, features, interviews – with the input of the talented and sophisticated community that creates the world’s popular culture.

The time is fortuitous. As our lead story today indicates, the entertainment and media industries are at a fateful crossroads. TheWrap will be a resource for anyone who is interested in understanding the changes in our popular culture, and navigating what has become a global industry.

We need your help to do it. TheWrap seeks to build the best, most dynamic, most discerning community of entertainment professionals and enthusiasts around the world. We seek to be both authoritative and entertaining – yes, it can be done – and know that our content will be enriched by our readers as they comment on our stories, contribute their own blogs and connect to one another.

We believe entertainment matters. It matters because popular culture is a multi-billion dollar industry, American’s number one export, and a source of connection, employment, passion and aspiration for millions of people across the globe. Movies, television, music, games, media – these represent the common language that unites us as human beings. Entertainment reflects our world, and it shapes it.

So that’s why we built TheWrap. We believe it’s time for a substantive, independent and intelligent voice to write about the business of entertainment. And we believe that voice should be at home on the web.

Please consider this a conversation. A dialogue. We will make mistakes, and you will point them out. We will ruffle feathers, as that’s part of an honest conversation. But we hope most of all that you will participate. Write. Comment. Share. And join us in the digital age.

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January 29, 2009 | 4:17 pm

Alan Rosenberg Croons His Blues

Posted by Danielle Berrin

Is this the emblem incarnate of sheer desperation? Reality entertainment? Tragicomedy?

Desperate to unify SAG and renegotiate actor contracts (and thus far, failing quite miserably) Alan Rosenberg resorts to singing:

And the lyrics, thanks to Sharon Waxman and her new site The Wrap:

We don’t care about the future, we only care about us.
and if you don’t earn what I think I can earn,
I will throw you underneath a bus.

I sure do love my Union, it gave me my pension and my health,
but don’t expect me to stand up for nobody
till I’ve had a chance to accumulate some wealth.

I’ll stand up strong so that we might be weak
I insist you take that deal without even a tweak! (You bastards)

Al and Doug and Doug Allen?, they stand up way too hard.
If they keep fighting for my compensation,
I will bury them right in my own backyard.

Just tell my bosses that I’ll take what they’re willing to give,
‘cause I’m just so grateful that they even let me live!

I don’t care about nobody, I only care about me.
Lay down your weapons and stop all that nasty fighting,
don’t you know you should be glad to work for free!

I’ll stand up strong so that we might be weak,
I demand you take that deal without even a tweak.
Tell old CBS that I’ll take what they’re willing to give,
cause I’m just so grateful that they even let us live!

I don’t care about nobody.
No, I only care about me.

Lay down your weapons and stop all that nasty fighting,
don’t you know you should be glad to work,
shouldn’t even be mad to work,
sometimes you should prefer to work for free!

Sometimes as long as it ain’t me!
Meanwhile, come see me on TV!

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