Steve Carell goes from "Office" to end of the world

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After leaving television's 'The Office' last year, Steve Carell immediately began production on the indie film 'Seeking a Friend For the End of the World', which opens in U.S. movie theaters on Friday.

The film is about an asteroid headed toward Earth that will destroy the planet. Carell plays a newly single man who decides to go on a road trip to find his high school sweetheart. He is unexpectedly accompanied by his neighbor (Keira Knightley) who wants to find a plane to take her to her family in England.

Carell talked with Reuters about playing Knightley's love interest, and life after 'The Office'.

Q: After six years on 'The Office' the first thing you do is a quirky little movie. Why?

A: I thought the script was oddly funny and dark and absurd, but also moving and relevant. I thought it would be very challenging to try and mine any sort of comedy based on this dark premise.

Q: You mean the premise that an asteroid is about to hit Earth and everyone will die?

A: It's the flip side of one of these big asteroid movies that we've all seen with the President and the hotline and the astronauts. This is a story of what everybody else is going through. Few people know how much time they have left. Given the time you have, how do you chose to use it? Where do you find your joy? That's very present in me on a daily basis. I have my wife and two little kids. I try to live in the moment and embrace what I've got.

Q: You're 49, Keira is 27. Is she the youngest woman you've kissed on screen?

A: Boy, that's a tough one, because there have been so many!

Q: But in real life, a girl like that would never go for a guy like him.

A: Never! It would take the apocalypse to make it work. These are two people that, given any other circumstance, wouldn't become friends, let alone drawn together in a soulful way. ... All of those things melt away and it becomes about who they are, what they need and what they care about.

Q: Your other co-star is a dog who is a constant companion. What was he like to work with?

A: There were a few dogs, actually. There was the main hero dog, the junior varsity dog and a third dog. ... They got increasingly stinky the lower you went on the ladder. Their breath became worse. Their dispositions became more ornery. Our main dog seemed to have an awareness that he was being filmed and would favor the lens. He would know how to compose himself in the shots. Dog Number Two and Three just wanted out by any way possible.

Q: In August, you play a non-comedic role as a therapist to Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones in 'Hope Springs'. What was that like?

A: It was an interesting acting exercise because you have to limit any sort of impulse to judge, which is what a good therapist would do. There are no raised eyebrows, no cynicism. I tried to be almost faceless in it because it's not how he feels about them, but about how he wants to help this couple.

Q: The first season of 'The Office' without your character Michael Scott ended in May. Any regrets about leaving the show?

A: No. I felt like it was the right thing to do and the right time for me to go. It's very much akin to when I left 'The Daily Show'. I had a great job and good friends and a solid income .... I just felt like if I'm going to leave, I better leave now before I get too comfortable. I figured it was time to try something else. You never know what might be on the other side.

Q: You recently wrapped 'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone' with Jim Carrey and 'Anchorman 2' is about to start. Excited about reprising your role of meteorologist Brick Tamland?

A: They just officially green lit and we're starting in February or March. We did a teaser trailer about two months ago. That was the most fun day. We hadn't been in these characters' costumes in 8 years. It was like no time has passed. We'd all wanted to do a sequel for years, so I feel like we're all going to camp in February.

Q: You will also be playing real life millionaire John du Pont who murdered an Olympic wrestler. Do you consciously plan out your roles and your career path?

A: I can't say that I do. ... It's just by virtue of what's come along. I was stunned, frankly, that I'm the person (director Bennett Miller) thought of to play a paranoid schizophrenic murderer. I'm glad he did, but I don't think I'm first on the list in that way.

(Reporting by Zorianna Kit, Editing by Jill Serjeant and Richard Chang)



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David Geffen to get the "American Masters" treatment

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - He helped bring Nirvana to the mainstream, co-founded DreamWorks SKG, and backed seminal Broadway shows like 'Cats' and 'Dreamgirls.'

Now David Geffen is receiving the 'American Masters' treatment courtesy of PBS, joining the likes of Woody Allen, Martha Graham, Norman Rockwell and Johnny Carson.

In addition, PBS said that it will air segments on Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and poet Carl Sandburg and Joffrey Ballet, the dance company founded by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino.

Unlike those other subjects, Geffen's contributions come not for his art, but for his keen eye for finding talent and for deal-making. He created both Geffen Records and Asylum Records, the homes to the likes of Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Aerosmith and Sonic Youth.

But he did not just remain a music titan. Geffen produced films like 'Interview with the Vampire' and 'Risky Business,' before joining with Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg to launch DreamWorks SKG in 1994.

In its early years, while Geffen was still involved, the studio fielded such commercial and critical successes as 'American Beauty' and 'Saving Private Ryan.'

In addition to his work as a media mogul, Geffen, who was openly gay long before it was fashionable, let alone safe to be so, is also frequently linked with liberal causes and politicians like Bill Clinton.

He has also given money to AIDS groups and art foundations. Geffen's 'American Masters' episode will air on November 20 at 8 p.m.

The Sandburg segment will air on September 24 at 10 p.m. and the Joffrey Ballet episode will air on December 28 at 9 p.m.



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"Moesha" actress Yvette Wilson dies at age 48

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Yvette Wilson, best known for her role in 1990s TV comedy 'Moesha,' has died at age 48 after a long battle with cervical cancer, a close friend of the actress said on Friday.

Wilson, who also appeared in the TV series 'The Parkers' and the movie 'House Party 2', suffered kidney failure and had undergone a kidney transplant before her cancer returned recently after several years in remission, Jeffrey Pittle said.

Pittle made the announcement on a website he had set up to raise funds for Wilson's medical treatment.

'It is with a heavy heart that I can verify that Yvette passed away last evening after a lengthy and hard battle. She was a fighter to the end, and her talent, humor and amazing friendship will be sorely missed. She will live on through her awesome body of work. I would ask that you continue to donate on this page to support her family in this trying and sad time,' Pittle wrote on the Giveforward.com website.

Wilson's 'Moesha' co-star Shar Jackson said on Twitter on Thursday 'Oh god...My heart is soooo unbelievably broken,' adding later 'I wanna thank all my tweeties for their prayers but god has chosen to take my sister Yvette home...'.

Los Angeles-born Wilson began her career as a stand-up comedian and played Andell Wilkerson, owner of a neighborhood teen hangout in the 1996-2000 comedy 'Moesha' which starred singer Brandy Norwood. She went on to appear in the spin-off TV show 'The Parkers' and HBO's 'Def Comedy Jam.'

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte, Bernard Orr)



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Allen's "To Rome with Love" launches LA film fest

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Film Festival kicked off Thursday night with the North American premiere of Woody Allen's 'To Rome with Love,' an ensemble comedy that is the veteran director's follow-up to last year's successful 'Midnight in Paris.'

The 76-year-old filmmaker's 2011 tale of romance in the City of Light was Allen's most successful box office performer to date over a long career, earning more than $150 million at worldwide box offices and winning Allen an Oscar for screenwriting.

'To Rome with Love' drew mixed reviews in Europe where it debuted earlier this year, but Allen and the film's distributor, Sony Pictures Classics, are hoping the Los Angeles Film Festival in Hollywood's hometown and the North American release on June 22 will offer a fresh start for the movie.

'If you like the picture, I'm thrilled,' Allen told the packed house before the lights went down, then added with his wry sense of humor. 'If you hate it and think it was a waste of time coming, don't let me know cause I get depressed easily.'

In its 18th year, the Los Angeles Film Festival, which is organized by non-profit group Film Independent continues to lure ever bigger movies and crowds. This year's event from June 14-24 features over 200 films, shorts and videos from 30 countries.

Independent and international filmmakers get the chance to mingle with directors such as William Friedkin ('The Exorcist'), Steven Soderbergh and Allen at panels, screenings and parties.

'Woody Allen, Steve Soderbergh, even the studio fare, it's visionary, it's a unique voice,' festival director Stephanie Allain told Reuters. 'That's really what's celebrated.'

Making its world premiere on closing night, Steven Soderbergh's 'Magic Mike,' starring Channing Tatum, is loosely based on the actor's experience as a male stripper.

Between Allen's opening film and Soderbergh's closing night movie, gala screenings followed by star-studded parties will be held for Pixar's summer movie, 'Brave,' and Fox Searchlight's Sundance favorite 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' as well as the Steve Carell-Keira Knightley apocalyptic comedy, 'Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.'

Guest Director William Friedkin will introduce his new movie, 'Killer Joe' starring Matthew McConaughey as a matricidal cowboy. And film composer and frequent Tim Burton collaborator Danny Elfman will lead a conversation about movies and music.

Lesser-known films from independent writers and directors will compete for prizes - feature film and documentary category winners take home a top prize of $15,000 each.

Among this year's feature narrative competition, alienation is explored in movies like Portugal's 'All is Well' about two Angolan sisters who immigrate to Lisbon where they struggle on the fringes of society, and 'Four' in which a father and daughter find themselves trapped by lies they tell themselves.

If there's a unifying theme in the documentary competition, it seems to be films about outcasts and rebels. Two titles making their world premieres are 'A Band Called Death,' a look at the first African American punk band from the 1970s, and 'Vampira and Me,' about a cult TV icon from the fifties.

Younger filmmakers can learn from industry stalwarts during Sunday 'Coffee Talks,' a series of panels with actors, directors, composers and screenwriters.

'We really do try to give them the access to established filmmakers,' said Allain. 'We give them something that you can't usually get when you show up as a filmmaker at a festival.'

(Editing By Bob Tourtellotte and Marguerita Choy)



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Mary J. Blige sings for Justice in "Rock of Ages"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Grammy-winning R&B singer Mary J. Blige has always sung from her heart, telling of personal struggles on albums such as 'No More Drama' and 'Stronger with Each Tear.' She also has dabbled in acting with guest roles on TV's 'Ghost Whisperer' and in the Tyler Perry film 'I Can Do Bad All By Myself.'

On Friday, her acting and singing skills will both be on display in her most high-profile film role yet - Justice, owner of the Venus Gentlemen's Club in the rock musical 'Rock of Ages.'

In the adaptation of the Broadway musical, Blige belts out tunes like Journey's 'Any Way You Want It' and Pat Benatar's 'Shadows of the Night' while taking in an aspiring young singer named Sherrie (Julianne Hough) whose own Hollywood dreams have hit a low point.

Blige, 41, sat down with Reuters to talk about the role, her strong desire to mentor young women and the recent scandal that has plagued her female empowerment foundation.

Q: You play the owner of strip club in the film. Did you try and find some commonality between yourself and your character?

A: We have a lot in common. She was a protector of young women in that environment. She saw herself in Sherrie and wanted Sherrie to be better than her. And not be stuck in a place like a strip club.

Q: How does that relate to you?

A: The back story I gave Justice was that some man took the power from her when she was younger. And they kept taking it from her to the point that she ended up in place like (a strip club) to take the power back from them. A lot of that is Mary.

Q: Explain taking the power back?

A: Stand up for your rights, learning to not let your environment control how you feel about yourself, staying confident no matter where you are. Nurturing young women, being an inspiration to them. That's Mary.

Q: You lent one of your songs, 'Need Someone to Love You,' to the upcoming documentary 'The Invisible War,' which is about the rape of women within the U.S. military. How did that happen?

A: When they approached me about it, I was like, that's fine because people are hurting. It was a way of giving back. When you're lending your voice, you're saving a life.

Q: Why is helping others so important to you?

A: I think the more you have, the more you're supposed to give. It would be real selfish of people like myself not to give, not to want to help someone. I remember when I was that girl, so why wouldn't I want to help? To sit and be selfish, to sit on all (your success), what are you doing with it? It's not moving, it's not going anywhere, so you're not growing. When you help others, you grow.

Q: With that said, it must have been tough to learn last month that your charity, The Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute Foundation For the Advancement Of Women Now Inc, was being accused of mishandling funds and cheating scholarship students.

A: The lives of young women are at stake. I feel what they feel. I don't want them to suffer. I promised them something and I'm gonna deliver. Period.

Q: For your music fans, when will you deliver the sequel to last fall's album, 'My Life II ... The Journey Continues (Act 1)'?

A: We already have songs for 'Act 2' and we're still recording a couple of new ones. Right now, we're rehearsing a tour for 'Act 1,' which starts in August. The sequel will be next year.

Q: Any more plans to act?

A: I'm going to do a Lifetime movie called 'Parallel Lives' about the lives of Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz, the widows of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. It's about what they had to deal with when their men were fighting for freedom. It's powerful.

Q: Who will you play?

A: 'I'm supposed to play Betty but I'm on the fence. Betty, or Coretta? We'll figure it out. It's Betty for now, but when you see the movie and I'm Coretta...(laughs)

Q: Getting back to 'Rock of Ages,' what do you hope to get out of it? It's your first time as part of such a high-profile cast with actors like Tom Cruise and Alec Baldwin.

A: This is my big break for people to see me not as the greatest actress but as someone who is on her way to doing something great. Because she's trying to do the work.

(Reporting By Zorianna Kit; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Bill Trott)



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"That's My Boy": Terrible, but not Adam Sandler's worst

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - First, the good news: I laughed twice at 'That's My Boy,' which is two more times than I did while watching Sandler's 2011 efforts 'Just Go With It,' 'Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star' and 'Jack and Jill.' Combined.

One of those laughs involves a bacchanalian bachelor party featuring Vanilla Ice (as himself) and the other comes from an eleventh-hour cameo by an Oscar-winning actress (whose third-act reveal won't be too much of a surprise to anyone paying attention to the rest of the film's casting).

Too bad that, like most Adam Sandler movies that don't involve Judd Apatow, Paul Thomas Anderson or James L. Brooks, 'That's My Boy' is far longer than it needs to be (114 minutes, if you're keeping score at home.) And, like the aforementioned subset of Sandler films, it's vulgar, trite, sexist, misogynist, hacky, tacky, gross, sentimental and stupid, with occasional flourishes of racism and veiled homophobia thrown in to boot.

In other words, whether you love Adam Sandler or you hate him, he's done it again!

Sandler stars as Donny Berger, who gained notoriety as a 13-year-old in 1984 when he impregnated his sexy math teacher Miss McGarricle (Eva Amurri Martino). Young Donny got rich selling his life story for a TV movie and got custody of their child, Han Solo Berger.

Cut to the present: Donny's broke and facing jail time for back taxes owed, and the only way he can get back on TV (with a fat paycheck) is to stage a jailhouse reunion with his former lover and their kid on a sleazy daytime talk show. But the now-grown son, who now goes by the name Todd (Andy Samberg, who's way too good for this) and who claims his parents were killed in an explosion, has moved on and plans to marry his girlfriend Jamie (Leighton Meester) that very weekend.

Cue the arrival of the beer-swilling Donny, with no manners whatsoever and a Massachusetts accent thick as chowdah, at the fancy wedding being held at the seaside home of Todd's boss Steve (Tony Orlando - yes, that Tony Orlando). Drunken partying, embarrassing revelations and the usual sappy Sandlerian family-is-important homilies ensue.

A mere plot synopsis, however, doesn't capture the film's wall-to-wall horror at, and amusement with, female sexuality. From a seemingly endless supply of women characters inappropriately seducing younger men to sight gags involving overweight or partially-paralyzed strippers, 'That's My Boy' operates on a horny 12-year-old's mentality from start to finish.

The nadir comes with a final-act twist that won't be given away here, that ranks among the most desperate and tasteless comedic plot twists in Hollywood history. In a smarter movie, this gambit might have come off as bold or audacious, but here it's just nauseating.

So yes, two laughs, sprinkled over a giant bowl of revulsion. But if this is your sort of thing, eat up.



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When Tom Cruise's baboon ran amok on the "Rock of Ages" set

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - It's never easy directing Tom Cruise and his baboon.

Ask Adam Shankman, the director of 'Rock of Ages,' who lived many perilous moments in the filming of the rock musical that opens Friday, but none so much as when 'Hey-man' the baboon got loose and then bared his fangs a centimeter from the face of his leading man.

WaxWord tracked down Shankman in London to discuss the star-studded tribute to '80s hard rock.

Q: Your father was in the record business. In the film, Paul Giamatti plays a sleazy music manager with a bad sweater and a ponytail. Is that based on him?

A: 'That's not how I see my father. That character is an amalgamation of a lot of associates of him from the record business. But my father - he worked with everybody from David Foster to Barry White to X - I won't say he never wore that sweater.'

Q: So basically you had to make this movie.

A: 'It was not foreign to me in any way shape or form. My father's office was at 9200 Sunset at the edge of the Sunset Strip. I grew up at the Whisky, listening to rock bands. I was an MTV addict. This music was a soundtrack of my life, and all I can remember is a life without consequences, all about having fun. I was totally irresponsible.'

Q: You didn't do the Broadway show -

A: 'No, but I made 'Hairspray' with New Line. And I'm the one they go to for the comedies.'

Q: Tom Cruise really sings?

A: 'One thousand percent. We were very, very clear with each other: We would not do this if he couldn't do something great. I didn't want people laughing at him.'

'We ran into each other at a birthday party for a toddler of a friend of ours. We were talking about his loving 'Hairspray,' and he said, 'When are we gonna do our musical?' I thought, 'Never.' Then this came up; it was irresistible to ask him.'

Q: Has he sung before?

A: 'Not seriously. He has some opera singers in his family, so he's genetically predisposed. He studied his brains out and found a whole new skill set. If the man wanted to perform in a circus, I bet he could.'

Q: Well - was it 'sweetened'?

A: 'He was insistent on that. No sweetening, no autotune.'

Q: Did he show up fully formed as Stacee Jaxx?

A: 'It totally evolved. It's all based on documentaries we watched. The monkey is based on Bubbles, Michael Jackson's chimpanzee. There was some Jim Morrison. It was one piece at a time.'

Q: Hmm, a monkey. Did you have any disasters on the set?

A: 'One day the baboon got loose, and he was running up and down the street yelling at extras. We had to stop for 20 minutes and wrangle him.'

'Those are canines on that baby. He's very sweet. Very sensitive.'

'Tom Cruise did a scene where he was actually talking to the baboon - it's not currently in the movie - and he had his face really, really close. Forehead to forehead. I was shivering. But the baboon loves him. Every day we wrapped, Tom would hug me and shake me and say, 'I am having the best time, thank you.''

Q: How did you cast the rest of the movie?

A: 'They were all curious. 'Hairspray' brought me cred. And as soon as they heard Tom was doing it, basically anybody I asked said 'Yes.''

'I told Alec Baldwin, 'You play a club owner on the Sunset Strip, and you've been stoned for so long you didn't realize you were gay.' And he was in. I said to Russell Brand: 'You play a sweet, lovely sidekick to Alec Baldwin who then becomes his boyfriend. And Russell said, 'I'm in.''

'I said to Catherine Zeta-Jones: 'Just play Eva Peron.' It's my little wink at the musicals.'

Q: What about Diego Bonato, who plays Drew?

A: 'It was just like 'Hairspray,' with Nikki Blonski. I'd be combing through auditions on a casting website, and one day, there he was. I said, 'Oh my gosh, I think this is the guy.' I auditioned him, he came in six times for me. He finally got the part. He's from Mexico.'

Q: Was there a lot of rehearsal?

A: 'Unfortunately there wasn't nearly as much rehearsal as I'd like. It was the same budget as 'Hairspray,' six years later with a shorter shooting schedule. The budget was $74 million. Everyone took pay cuts. And we were working seven days a week to play catch-up. I was trying to save up money every week in order to afford to bring dancers from Los Angeles and New York to the shoot in Miami.'

'That was the most challenging part: It's all about how few dancers can I get away with to keep the sense of size. How many drivers can I not have driving cars on the Sunset Strip. It was huge pressure of how much to shoot every day.'

Q: And you got the dancers?

A: 'I got 'em. They'd come in two days before, learn the number in a day.'

Q: Those were the girls on the poles in the strip club?

A: 'The girls on the poles I found on YouTube. They're not strippers. It's a niche world. They compete professionally.'

Q: Are you happy with how the movie turned out?

A: 'It's all supposed to be a party - full of laughter and joy. But it's a cautionary tale. There's some of my cynicism in there about the nature of fame. And at the end, it's 'Don't Stop Believing' - you can't squash freedom of speech. Everyone wants to be free to say what they want when they want. That's the American dream.'



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Meryl Streep scolds studios for "big tentpole failures"

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The studio bean counters behind 'Battleship' and 'John Carter' should listen up: Meryl Streep wants your job.

'In the last five years, five little movies aimed at women have brought in over 1.6 b-b-billion dollars at the worldwide box office,' the three-time Best Actress Oscar winner told a ballroom full of the most prominent women in the entertainment industry on Tuesday night.

'Five little movies - 'The Help,' 'The Iron Lady' believe it or not, 'Bridesmaids,' 'Mamma Mia' and 'The Devil Wears Prada.' And I will bet you that their profits were significant because they cost a fraction of what the big tentpole failures cost,' Streep said.

'So why why why (don't studios make these)?' she continued to laughter. 'Don't they want the money? Why is it so hard to get these movies made?'

Streep appeared with Viola Davis, NBCUniversal Cable Chairman Bonnie Hammer, actresses Chloe Grace Moretz and Christina Applegate, and the five female film division presidents from Fox as they toplined Women In Film's annual Crystal + Lucy Awards hosted by Jenna Elfman at the Beverly Hilton.

Though not an honoree, Streep's presence - sitting next to her 'Doubt' co-star Viola Davis and within the sightline of every speaker - dominated the three-hour dinner and permeated nearly every speech within the International Ballroom.

'She's like our own Queen of England,' one WIF executive tells TheWrap.

The tributes began with WIF president Cathy Schulman's welcome ('Meryl Streep said to me while we standing outside, 'every year you guys publish these really discouraging statistics' (on female hires...)'' and concluded with top honoree Davis' public confession in her closing acceptance speech that she framed a card Streep sent her after wrapping 'Doubt.'

Only five nights earlier, Streep presented Shirley MacLaine with the AFI Life Achievement Award in front of a similar crowd of Hollywood luminaries including Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Julia Roberts and nearly every major studio head.

As an actual honoree, Applegate delivered the most powerful appearance of the night.

Applegate tempered her teary speech detailing her breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent advocacy for early detection via MRI's with humor: 'I have a voice, I might be heard.not like at home,' relating her inability to convince her daughter that crayons are not a food group.

She related intimate details of learning her breast cancer diagnosis at Cedars-Sinai. Because of a high-risk family history, her doctor-ordered MRI was the exception to the rule. For most, this advanced detection method is cost-prohibitive. Her advocacy since recovering has focused on making the early detection procedure routine.

'I have a voice because of this gig that I've had with all of you, for the last - I think it's been 50 years,' she said. 'My SAG card says 'Member since 1963', which is weird because I was born in '71.'

Her former on-screen dad, Ed O'Neill, presented her with the Norma Zarky Humanitarian Award.

'I never want to look in the face of a young actress of a color and wonder what's out there for her,' Crystal award winner Davis said.

Davis challenged the custom of actresses aging out of the industry. 'People always say 'what ever happened to so-and-so, and the next response is always 'oh, she's over 40', that's what happened to her,' she said.

'At the age of 46, I'm very proud to be Viola Davis. The higher purpose in my life is not just to do the song and dance, but it's also to rise up and to pull up (others), and to leave the world and the industry a little bit better.'

NBCUniversal Cable Chairman Hammer highlighted her roots as a production assistant in Boston public television as she accepted the 'Lucy' award, named after Lucille Ball.

It was a big night for Fox, as the honorees included the five female film division presidents that collectively have logged 99 years at the studio: Nancy Utley (President, Fox Searchlight), Emma Watts (President of Production, Twentieth Century Fox), Elizabeth Gabler (President of Production, Fox 2000), Claudia Lewis (President of Production, Fox Searchlight), and Vanessa Morrison Murchison (President of Animation, Fox Animation).

'Our business now desperately needs to stick up for what is a true minority,' Fox Film CEO Tom Rothman quipped. 'That would be male Jews at Fox.'

'I have a Greek partner, I have gentile bosses, and I have five female heads of production,' he added (He was referencing co-CEO Jim Gianapolous and Rupert Murdoch respectively.)

'I'm finishing up ninth grade, and I'm in high school,' 'Hugo' star Moretz reminded the gathering, giving context to her honor as the Max Mara Face of the Future.

'In high school, we have a name for the group that is assembled here. We call you smart girls. And I want to be a smart girl.'

And she had her own Streep-starstruck-confession: They discovered they had once been housed in the same 'star-rental' flat on location and bonded over a shared love of its oven.

By 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the 15-year-old Moretz would literally be a woman in film again. She was bound for the set of 'Carrie,' where she stars as the titular character in the Stephen King remake.



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Spider-Man swings into Tokyo for "Amazing" premiere

TOKYO (Reuters) - Andrew Garfield and the stars of 'The Amazing Spider-Man' swung into Tokyo on Wednesday, bringing the comic book crime-fighter back to the big screen in the world premiere of one of the summer's most anticipated movies.

Fans swarmed around the red carpet in Tokyo's posh Roppongi Hills area for a glimpse of Garfield, co-star Emma Stone and other cast members as a stuntman dressed as Spider-Man swung over the crowd, then scaled a wall into a large 'web.'

Garfield, who plays Peter Parker said the role had appealed for many reasons.

'Spider-Man has always been the only teenage superhero, and the most human one in my humble opinion, and that's just one of the things that sets him apart,' he told Reuters.

'He's all too human, that's what's wonderful about him.'

The Amazing Spider-Man, which opens on limited release in Japan on June 23 and hits North American theaters on July 3, reboots the franchise that started in 2002 with Tobey Maguire in the lead role.

Now it is Garfield, 28, who dons Spider-Man's famous red-and-blue suit in a story that explores the origins of teenager Peter Parker and how he became a superhero.

Stone, who portrays Gwen Stacy, Parker's first love interest and has been linked romantically with Garfield off-screen, said the change offered fresh perspective on the tale.

'New love interest, the story of Peter's life, there's a lot of stuff to learn about Peter Parker,' said Stone, 23, who wore a burgundy dress.

'He's a real underdog, and he's bullied, and I think everyone can relate ... He's an incredibly inspirational character.'

Among the changes was the use of 3D, made possible due to recent advances in technology, said producer Matt Tolmach at a news conference earlier in the day.

'In so many ways, what's magical about Spider-Man is that we all identify with this character - he's all of us, he's everyman. So what would it feel like if you could experience flight, and sailing through the city, what it feels like to swing on a web through New York?' he said.

'It was very, very clear to all of us that this is a movie that was meant to be told in 3D. 3D is a form of storytelling, not just a way to sell the movie to audiences.'

Japan has proved to be a strong draw for the Spider-Man movies. It was the top overseas market for the first two movies, according to Box Office Mojo, and Spider-Man 3 premiered in Tokyo in 2007.

'I came to see Emma, she's gorgeous,' said Keita Fukushima, 23, who said he was interested in seeing the new Gwen Stacy role. Mary Jane Watson had been Parker's girlfriend in the other movies.

But eight-year-old Yu Suguro, who wore a red Spider-Man costume, was there for his hero. 'I love Spider-Man,' he said.

Though Garfield said at the news conference that being named Spider-Man gave him 'the purest joy you could ever feel,' he added that the role was not without difficulties.

'When I put on the suit, I got very itchy and uncomfortable, and it took me a long time to go to the restroom.'

(Reporting by Elaine Lies and Chris Gallagher; editing by)



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Lindsay Lohan set for indie thriller "The Canyons"

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Lindsay Lohan is in negotiations to star in Paul Schrader's upcoming film 'The Canyons,' a thriller penned by Bret Easton Ellis. Ellis wrote the novel 'American Psycho,' which was later adapted into a film.

Adult film star James Deen has already signed up for the role of Christian, while Lohan would co-star as Tara.

Lohan would like to do the film and the filmmakers like her for it, as evidenced by Ellis' tweet announcing her joining the cast earlier today.

'I am beyond thrilled that James Deen and Lindsay Lohan will be playing the parts of Christian and Tara,' he tweeted.

Braxton Pope, a producer on the film, said that the 'Mean Girls' star's talent has been lost amidst all the reports about her personal life. They have been looking at her for some time.

'This gets overwhelmed by publicity and her personal tumult, but Lindsay is a very talented actress,' producer Pope told TheWrap. 'She's not in the same genus as Kim Kardashian or Paris Hilton. She's the real deal.'

Lohan has already come in to do work with Schrader, which a cinematographer filmed.

That said, her place in the project is not set in stone, as it is incumbent upon Lohan's absolute commitment once filming begins July 9. Lohan is currently filming 'Liz & Dick,' and a recent car accident again raised questions about her personal life impacting production.

Schrader, Ellis and Pope have all put money into the film, and they also used Kickstarter to raise funds. Given the smaller budget for this independent film, delays in shooting are not an option.



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Ben Affleck joins Hillary Clinton for Congo event

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Ben Affleck will join Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday in Washington D.C. to draw attention to the high rate of preventable child mortality in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The event, which will also involve USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, is being called Child Survival: Call to Action.

Affleck is not there in his capacity as a Hollywood star, but in his role as the founder of Eastern Congo Initiative, a non-profit group that was formed in 2010 to foster economic and social development for the Congolese people.

Thursday's event will focus on the country's dubious distinction of having the fifth highest mortality rate in the world for children under five years old, the Eastern Congo Initiative said.

'We wouldn't allow four year-olds to die from preventable diseases in the U.S. - nor should we let it happen in Congo or anywhere else,' Affleck said in a statement.

Affleck next stars in and directs 'Argo,' a political thriller about the Iranian Revolution that debuts on October 12.



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Warner Bros launches $155 million UK movie studio

LONDON (Reuters) - The Harry Potter film franchise is at an end, but Hollywood studio Warner Bros has extended its involvement in British cinema with the launch this week of a new 100 million pound ($155 million) studio complex just outside London.

The state-of-the-art film and television studios are set on a 200-acre site and include huge sound stages, one of the largest heated underwater filming tanks in Europe and a 100-acre 'clear horizon' back-lot for outdoor scenes.

Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, where much of the eight-film Harry Potter series was shot, goes head-to-head with other major British facilities, including Pinewood Studios located just a few miles away.

The investment by the Time Warner Inc-owned Hollywood studio, which acquired Leavesden in 2010, has been seen as a vote of confidence in British film-making at a time of economic uncertainty in across Europe.

'We have confidence in the future of the British film industry and the production business generally, and we intend to continue to make movies and TV shows here,' said Josh Berger, president of Warner Bros UK, Ireland and Spain.

'We're coming off a very strong period for British film - global blockbusters made alongside smaller but incredibly successful films,' he told Reuters.

'There is no reason to think that that should change dramatically in the future and our investment in Leavesden is another of those reasons to be bullish.'

In addition to Harry Potter, a record-breaking franchise which grossed $7.7 billion in global ticket sales, Warner Bros has filmed 'Sherlock Holmes', 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' and 'Wrath of the Titans' at Leavesden.

The facility, which can handle two blockbusters shooting at the same time, is the only one in Britain to be owned and operated by a major Hollywood studio and is one-and-a-half times the size of Warner's studios in Burbank, Los Angeles.

It will be available to rival film production companies, as well as for television shows and music videos.

On the movie side, Warner has enjoyed huge success in Britain in recent years, and in 2011 topped the national box office rankings with ticket sales of 206 million pounds or an 18 percent market share.

It is also a major player in television in Britain, particularly through its majority stake in Shed Media which makes hit reality TV shows 'The Voice' and 'Supernanny'.

Berger said Warner would make an announcement in the near future about its first deal at the refurbished facility, but declined to give any more details.

The new Leavesden Studios are adjacent to Warner's recently opened Harry Potter tour which the company hopes will be a major visitor attraction for fans wanting to experience the original sets, costumes, special effects and animatronics.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)



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Comcast studio hunts for new COO: sources

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Universal Pictures Vice Chairman Rick Finkelstein, the studio's chief operating officer for 12 years, decided to retire, sources told Reuters, a move that will allow Comcast Corp to put its imprint on leadership of the studio it acquired in 2009 along with parent NBC Universal.

Universal hired Spencer Stuart's Jim Citrin this spring to find a new COO to replace Finkelstein, according to two people with knowledge of the search.

Comcast overhauled top executives at its NBC TV operations soon after making the acquisition, but resisted making changes at the movie studio.

Finkelstein will spend the final two years of his contract working on special projects for Ron Meyer, head of the Universal Studios unit that oversees the studio and theme park operations, those people told Reuters.

Universal Pictures Chairman Adam Fogelson will make the hire, although NBC Universal CEO Steve Burke, a Comcast executive vice president, will have input on the selection. NBCU, the studio and Finkelstein had no comment.

Universal has had a mixed record since Comcast acquired a 51 percent stake. This year, the studio had a blockbuster with 'Dr. Suess' The Lorax', which collected domestic ticket sales of $212 million, and 'Safe House' with over $126 million.

It ranks third among Hollywood studios with a 14.6 percent share of the box office this year, according to Box Office Mojo. It released the mega-dud 'Battleship', which cost $209 million to make, but has collected only $60 million domestically and $295 million worldwide. Studios get roughly half the ticket sales.

NBC Universal will record a 'negative quarter,' Comcast CEO Brian Roberts told an investor conference in May, as a result of 'Battleship' and the comedy 'The Five Year Engagement', which also did poorly. Roberts called 'Battleship' 'an unfortunate, large miss.'

No other changes are expected in Universal's leadership. Burke extended Meyer's contract last year through 2015. Folgeson's contract and that of co-chair Donna Langely was extended to 2014.

Finkelstein, 62, is expected to help in the transition while he works with Meyer, according to a person with knowledge of the decision.

His responsibilities include overseeing the studio's theatrical and home video distribution. He is also the studio's representative on the board of the Motion Picture Association of America, the industry trade group.

The Universal vice-chairman was paralyzed in a 2004 skiing accident in Aspen and works from a motorized wheelchair. Finkelstein learned to ski again in 2011, an achievement that is the subject of a 40-minute film, 'The Movement', narrated by Robert Redford and now being shown in film festivals.

(Editing by Andre Grenon and David Gregorio)



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Tim Burton's art to be exhibited by Disney

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Sets and puppets from Tim Burton's upcoming 'Frankenweenie' will be displayed as part of a touring exhibition on the making of the stop-motion animated film, Walt Disney Studios said Monday.

In addition to props and puppets, the show will include original sketches drawn by Burton that helped inspire the homage to classic horror films.

'Frankenweenie' tells the story of a boy who brings his beloved dog Sparky back to life after it gets hit by a car. The voice cast include previous Burton collaborators like 'Ed Wood's' Martin Landau and 'Beetlejuice's' Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder. It opens domestically on October 5, 2012.

The Art of Frankenweenie Exhibition will premiere in Barcelona, Spain, at CineEurope, from June 18 to 21, and in the U.S. at Comic-Con 2012 in San Diego, California, from July 11 to 15.

Disney plans to take the exhibition to seven countries, including France, England, Japan, Mexico and Canada.

This isn't the first time that Burton's artwork has been on display outside of a movie theater. His sculptures, drawings and paintings were the subject of hit exhibitions at New York's Museum of Modern Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2009 and 2011.



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Matthew McConaughey weds Camila Alves in Texas

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Actor Matthew McConaughey and Brazilian model Camila Alves tied the knot on Saturday in an intimate wedding at the couple's home in Austin, Texas, according to media reports.

The wedding incorporated the couple's roots with an 'island beach meets Texas' theme that included Brazilian food, celebrity news outlet Entertainment Tonight reported on Sunday.

A Texas native, McConaughey announced at the Texas Hall of Fame gala in March that he and Alves were relocating from California to Texas to raise their almost 4-year-old son, Levi, and 2-year-old daughter, Vida.

Alves is a model and handbag designer originally from Brazil where she spent much of her childhood on the beaches of the country's Bahia state.

A representative for McConaughey told People magazine that Alves will take the actor's last name, becoming Camila McConaughey.

McConaughey, 42 and Alves, 30, met in 2006 at a bar in Los Angeles and have been dating ever since.

McConaughey announced the couple's engagement on December 25, 2011, via his WhoSay web page, where he posted a picture of the couple kissing with the message, 'just asked camila to marry me, merry Christmas.'

'Magic Mike,' McConaughey's latest film in which he plays a strip club manager, is set to hit theaters on June 29.

(Reporting By Andrea Burzynski; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Eric Beech)



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Lindsay Lohan escapes injury after major car crash

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Lindsay Lohan escaped injury in a major car crash on Friday after her Porsche collided with an dump truck on a Southern California highway.

Police said Lohan was driving her black Porsche with an unidentified male passenger on the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica on her way to the set of her latest movie project, and collided with a dump truck.

The actress and her passenger were taken to the hospital as a precaution, and released shortly after. Neither Lohan or the driver of the truck were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, police said.

'Lindsay was involved in an automobile accident today on her way to the set....She is fine and was released less than two hours later and is already headed back to the set to resume work. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in the accident,' Lohan's publicist, Steve Honig, said in a statement.

Celebrity news website TMZ posted pictures of Lohan's Porsche following the incident, showing a crushed front and smashed windows.

Lohan, 26, is forging ahead with a comeback after a string of legal and personal troubles since 2007, including stints in jail, rehab and court. She was released in March from almost five years of formal probation stemming from a 2007 drunken driving and cocaine possession arrest.

The actress is currently playing late screen legend Elizabeth Taylor for a Lifetime TV movie 'Liz & Dick,' based on Taylor's love affair with actor Richard Burton.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bob Burgdorfer)



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Lindsay Lohan taken to hospital after car crash

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Lindsay Lohan was taken to a hospital on Friday after crashing her Porsche into an 18-wheel truck on a Southern California highway, celebrity news website TMZ reported.

Police confirmed Lohan was involved in the accident but had no further details about her condition or the wreck. TMZ said she was not seriously injured and was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

TMZ, citing unnamed sources, said Lohan was driving her black Porsche on the Pacific Coast Highway west of Los Angeles and collided with the truck.

Lohan's spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Lohan, 26, is forging ahead with a comeback after a string of legal and personal troubles since 2007, including stints in jail, rehab and court. She was released in March from almost five years of formal probation stemming from a 2007 drunken driving and cocaine possession arrest.

The actress is currently playing screen legend Elizabeth Taylor for the Lifetime TV movie 'Liz & Dick,' based on Taylor's love affair with actor Richard Burton. Recently, Lohan was the host of NBC's sketch comedy show 'Saturday Night Live' and made a guest appearance on Fox's hit TV musical comedy 'Glee.'

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Bill Trott)



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Lionsgate, Grindstone extend deal with Emmett/Furla Films

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Lionsgate and its Grindstone Entertainment Group have renewed a slate deal with Emmett/Furla Films to cover an additional 10 films, the partners said Thursday.

The collaboration between the Hollywood mini-major and the film producer has included such titles as 'Set Up,' starring Bruce Willis and Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson; 'Freelancers,' starring Robert De Niro and Forrest Whitaker; 'The Frozen Ground,' starring Nicolas Cage and John Cusack; and 'Empire State,' with Liam Hemsworth and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

Emmett/Furla and Lionsgate are also producing 'The Tomb,' an upcoming thriller starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

'Grindstone has been an important supplier of content for our filmed entertainment business in recent years, and their pipeline of commercially exciting, quality films from Emmett/Furla has been a key element of their success,' Lionsgate Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President Steve Beeks said in a statement.



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Obama's famous friends rally Hollywood's gay community

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - President Obama made his second campaign stop in Los Angeles in as many months on Wednesday, capitalizing on the goodwill he gained from his recent marriage-equality endorsement with two fundraisers geared toward the LGBT community.

The first event drew around 600 supporters to the Beverly Wilshire hotel, while the second was a much smaller affair at the Beverly Hills home of 'Glee' creator Ryan Murphy.

At the Beverly Wilshire, the president stressed the progress his administration made over his first term and cased out the challenges ahead. 'I could not be prouder of the work that we've done on behalf of the LGBT community,' Obama said, following a series of opening acts and a boisterous standing ovation.

During his half-hour speech, the president blended familiar campaign slogans from 2008 with themes targeting his audience's interests. He recalled a memorable workout at a Marine base in Hawaii during which several Marines paused to thank him for ending the U.S. military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy.

'I tell that story so that if anybody out there asks you what this campaign's about, you tell 'em it's still about hope and change,' he said.

Obama also predicted that he would be taken to task, as he makes another play for the presidency, for the ongoing economic challenges Americans have faced since he took office. 'The good news is, it turns out that Americans are tougher than tough times,' he said.

Before the president took the stage, 'Glee' star Darrin Criss was on hand to warm up the crowd, along with Ellen DeGeneres, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and California Attorney General Kamala Harris, among others.

Peter Roth, CEO of Warner Bros. Television; Dana Perlman, co-chair of the LGBT Leadership Council; Chad Griffin, incoming president of the Human Rights Campaign and 'Modern Family' star Jesse Tyler Ferguson showed up at the Beverly Wilshire. And fittingly, Cher was also spotted there.

Obama told his story of the grateful Marines again at his next stop, an intimate fund-raiser at the home of 'Glee' creator Murphy and fiancé David Miller in Beverly Hills.

'I will not be singing tonight,' the president joked following his host's introduction, as roughly 70 guests gathered at tables arranged around a fountain in Murphy's courtyard.

'A whole lot of progress has been made but ... you recognize that the journey we started in 2008 isn't finished' Obama said, calling for supporters to drum up 'even greater determination' than they did four years ago.

Guests at the second event included Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon, 'Glee' actress Jane Lynch, Banana Republic/Gap Inc. president Jack Calhoun, and HBO executive Michael Lombardo, according to the White House pool report.

These two latest Hollywood-heavy events follow on the heels of Obama's hugely successful May 10 fund-raiser at George Clooney's Studio City home, which raised $15 million for the president's re-election campaign.



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Morgan Freeman on God, aliens and "Dark Knight"

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Morgan Freeman exudes gravitas. He has played the president and God. His name is almost synonymous with authority.

So as he patiently explains that aliens might be traveling to Earth to eat us, you can't help but feel a little nervous.

The man-eating alien scenario is just one of the possibilities Freeman explores with his Science series 'Through the Wormhole,' returning for its third season tonight. Each episode addresses a different question about the universe, no matter how difficult or contentious. Tonight's premiere, for example, is titled, 'Is There a Superior Race?'

We asked the Oscar winner, 75, his thoughts on that and other questions upcoming shows will address, including, 'Did We Invent God?' and 'Can We Eliminate Evil?'

We also asked about a certain evil eliminator for whom he plays inventor-in-chief in 'The Dark Knight Rises.' He surprised us by answering very directly when asked if his character survives the upcoming film.

Q: You're asked to do projects like 'Through the Wormhole' because have such an authoritative presence. Is that something you aspired to as a young actor?

A: Oh heavens no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. When I was a young actor I just set out to get work. Like the rest of us.

Q: What drew you to answering life's big questions?

A: I think I just fall into a huge pot of people who are fascinated with what's out there. I used to read a lot of science fiction... particularly that of Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein and some other very interesting people, and they came up with thoughts about what's possible on Earth.

Q: I was hoping to ask for your personal answers to some of the questions raised in upcoming episodes. The season premiere asks, 'Is there a superior race?' I'm not sure if that refers to an alien race or races on Earth.

A: We discuss the idea of a superior race coming here. Professor Michio Kaku has an interesting discussion on it. Intelligence apparently requires an enormous amount of protein, which is why we eat meat instead of being vegetarians. We have this enormous brain capacity.

Suppose a superior race did come from outer space and land here. It would need a food supply because if they were superior, they would have an even larger brain than we do. So we might - might - qualify as sustenance.

Q: Do you think that meat-eating humans are smarter than vegetarian humans?

A: Ehhh. You don't want to get me in trouble here. ... I don't know. The question is evolutionary. Whoever is a vegetarian today, they didn't evolve as vegetarians. They became vegetarians.

Q: Another question from the show: Can we eliminate evil?

A: No. You cannot. Because if you eliminate evil you'll also eliminate good.

Q: What is evil?

A: Evil is the opposite of good. Like up is the opposite of down, left is the opposite of right. You only have one because you have the other.

Q: You don't play a lot of villains, but do you think there are villains? Because we always hear that villains don't think that they're villains?

A: I think that there is balance in the universe. And these questions are the questions of balance.

Q: This next question may be the hardest, and I'm especially curious about your answer because you've played God, and had to guess how God would act...

A: Well, I need to play the devil now, to balance it out.

Q: Did we invent God?

A: Yes.

Q: So there isn't a God up in the sky somewhere. We came up with God ourselves.

A: Well, here's a scientific question: Has anybody ever seen hard evidence? What we get is theories from our earlier prophets. Now, people who think that God invented us think that the Earth can't be more than 6,000 years old. So I guess it's a question of belief. My belief system doesn't support a creator as such, as we can call God, who created us in His/Her/Its image.

Q: Would you consider yourself an atheist, or agnostic?

A: It's a hard question because as I said at the start, I think we invented God. So if I believe in God, and I do, it's because I think I'm God.

Q: Of the questions you ask on the show, which one was the closest to you? What did you think about the most?

A: Travel. The idea of travel. That incorporates two or three different questions. One is how long can we live? Is it possible for us to extend our lifespan into, I don't know, not infinity, but let's say a thousand years? If we could, the idea of space travel would become much more plausible.

Q: Would you like to live a thousand years?

A: Absolutely. ... You're just satisfying your curiosity. Imagine if you could live for a thousand years. Considering that - when did the Wright Brothers fly? In the next 200 years, what will we be doing?

Q: Do you think we'll still be going to movie theaters and watching TV?

A: I could foresee holograms in your living room.

Q: One of the big questions in my little universe: Will your character, Lucius Fox, make it out of the 'Dark Knight Rises' alive?

A: Yeah.

Q: How does it feel to be done with the Batman series?

A: I don't see it so much as being done with it. It's the end of a chapter, that's all.

The third season of Science's 'Through the Wormhole' premieres tonight at 10/9 c.



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Reliance buys trilogy from "Twin Peaks" creator

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Reliance Entertainment and Kintop Pictures have paid seven figures for the film rights to 'The Paladin Prophecy,' an upcoming young adult trilogy written by Mark Frost, co-creator of 'Twin Peaks.'

Random House will publish the first book in the 'Paladin' series this September and Reliance hopes to release the first film in 2014.

'We are thrilled to be in business with a master storyteller like Mark Frost,' producer Deepak Nayar of Kintop/Reliance said in a statement. 'These books align perfectly with what the international motion picture audience is looking for.'

The literary series chronicles Will West, a teenager who initially tries to hide his 'unusual abilities' before entering 'a complex world of secret societies and supernatural conflicts.'

Reliance will develop the screenplay of the first book with Frost, a best-selling author whose other screenwriting credits include 'Fantastic Four' and numerous episodes of 'Hill Street Blues.' Frost will also be executive producer.



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Oscilloscope gets rights to "Tchoupitoulas"

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Oscilloscope Laboratories said Tuesday that it has acquired North American rights to 'Tchoupitoulas.'

The documentary by Bill and Turner Ross captures New Orleans' rich nightlife.

'Tchoupitoulas,' pronounced chop-ih-tou-less, follows three adolescent brothers' nocturnal journey through the Big Easy, where they discover its distinctive music, dance hall and party scene.

It premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival this past March, and has screened at The Dallas International Film Festival and The Ashland Independent Film Festival.

The Ross Brothers, best known for the 2009 documentary '45365,' raised roughly $56,000 from more than 720 backers using the crowd-funding site Kickstarter.

Oscilloscope will show 'Tchoupitoulas' at festivals and select theatrical engagements later this year, with a digital release to follow.

'We're terribly excited to be working with Oscilloscope, a creative company with a unique and individual philosophy that is ideal for our film,' the Ross Brothers said in a statement. 'They're our kind of people, doing our kind of business.'

The deal was finalized at the recently completed Cannes Film Festival. David Laub and Dan Berger of Oscilloscope negotiated the deal with George Rush on behalf of the filmmakers. The film is produced by the Ross Brothers along with Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, and Josh Penn of Court 13.



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Clive Barker to rewrite "Zombies vs. Gladiators"

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Amazon Studios has hired horror and fantasy cult hero Clive Barker to rewrite 'Zombies vs. Gladiators,' an action horror project.

Barker, a British filmmaker, artist and author, is known in Hollywood for films like 'Hellraiser,' which he directed, and 'Gods and Monsters,' which he executive produced.

With 'Zombies,' Barker will get to revisit his horror roots only with a slightly different take. The story follows a gladiator who must stop a zombie infestation in ancient Rome.

'I'm excited by the opportunity to interweave two very rich narrative threads,' Barker said in a statement. 'One of them concerns itself with the reality of the decadence of Rome and its rise and fall. The other is a fantastical narrative element - the living dead. My brief to myself on this project is to give the audience not only zombies they have never seen before but also a Rome they have never seen before.'

Launched in November of 2010, Amazon Studios has accepted more than 9,000 movie scripts and 1,000 series pilot scripts. Sixteen film projects are currently in development.

''Zombies vs. Gladiators' is now in the hands of someone who has written genre-defining material throughout his career,' Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, said in a statement. 'We are excited to see how Clive will add his unique narrative to capture the essence of this story and propel the project into something unique and original that could one day be enjoyed by all audiences.'



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"Hunger Games" scoops up four MTV movie awards

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - 'The Hunger Games' won four MTV Movie Awards on Sunday but a 'Twilight' film picked up the best movie honor for the fourth straight year in what proved to be a tame evening at the typically outrageous awards show.

Post-apocalyptic film 'The Hunger Games' nabbed MTV's golden popcorn trophies for best male performance by Josh Hutcherson, best female performance by Jennifer Lawrence, best transformation by Elizabeth Banks and best fight.

The movie of the year award, voted for by fans online throughout the show, went to vampire romance 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1,' beating out 'The Hunger Games' and 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.'

Female-led comedy 'Bridesmaids' picked up two awards for best comedic performance by Melissa McCarthy and best gut-wrenching performance for its stomach-turning food poisoning scene, while the final installment of the 'Harry Potter' franchise won for best cast and best hero.

Host Russell Brand, known for raunchy humor, launched into jokes about his short-lived marriage to singer Katy Perry, thanking Kim Kardashian for 'taking the pressure off me' due to her brief marriage to basketball player Kris Humphries and joking about keeping his 'eyes peeled' for a new wife.

His barbs also were directed at pop star Justin Bieber, Charlie Sheen, John Travolta, Kanye West and 'Shame' actor Michael Fassbender for 'profiting from sex addiction.'

DEPP ROCKS

'The Descendants' star Shailene Woodley picked up the breakthrough performance award. 'Spiderman' actress Emma Stone was given the trailblazer trophy and Johnny Depp was honored with the generation award for a career spanning three decades.

'It's like the get-out-of-the-business award basically, when you've done too much ... There's obviously something wrong with me,' Depp joked in his acceptance speech.

The 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor showed off his guitar skills, joining rockers The Black Keys for their hit singles 'Gold On The Ceiling' and 'Lonely Boy.'

In some of the night's more irreverent categories, Jennifer Aniston picked up the best on-screen dirtbag award for her role as a foul-mouthed, blackmailing dentist in 'Horrible Bosses.'

The best kiss trophy was again given to 'Twilight' leads Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, who have won for their steamy on-screen clinches for the past three years.

Despite its billing an outrageous event, the show seemed more tame than in previous years with little foul language or onstage antics. Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey and Joe Manganiello did some spicing up with a near strip tease. The trio stars in an upcoming film, 'Magic Mike,' about male strippers.

Notable moments came from 'Batman' star Christian Bale, who gave an emotional introduction to an exclusive trailer for the upcoming film, 'The Dark Knight Rises,' after footage of the late Heath Ledger as the Joker character was shown from the second installment of the Christopher Nolan 'Batman' franchise.

Music, the foundation of MTV, played a key role throughout the show with first-ever house DJ, Martin Solveig, providing movie score mash-ups from 'Jaws,' 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Drive' between awards.

Rapper Wiz Khalifa performed new song 'Work Hard, Play Hard' and indie band fun. sang their hit single 'We Are Young' with Janelle Monae to open the program.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Bill Trott)



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Drew Barrymore marries art dealer Will Kopelman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Drew Barrymore has tied the knot for the third time, marrying her art dealer fiance Will Kopelman this weekend in Southern California, media outlets reported on Sunday.

The 'Charlie's Angels' actress, 37, wore a Chanel gown and wed Kopelman on Saturday in a Jewish ceremony at their estate in Montecito, California, outside Los Angeles, with guests including Reese Witherspoon, Cameron Diaz, Jimmy Fallon and Busy Philips, according to People Magazine.

The celebrity magazine also said Barrymore is pregnant with the couple's first child. Representatives for the actress did not immediately return calls for comment on Sunday.

This is the third wedding for Barrymore, who was previously married to bar owner Jeremy Thomas in March 1994, filing for divorce less than two months later, and comedian Tom Green in July 2001, with Green filing for divorce less than six months later.

Barrymore, a member of the famous family of actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore, first gained fame as a child actress in Steven Spielberg's 'E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.'

Over the years, she has forged a successful career in romantic comedies such as 'Never Been Kissed' and 'He's Just Not That Into You,' as well as the 'Charlie's Angels' action films based on the 1970s TV show. She founded her own production company, Flower Films, and made her directorial debut in 2009 with roller-derby comedy 'Whip It.'

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Eric Beech)



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Venice environmentalists ask Sophia Loren to renounce ship

MILAN, Italy (Reuters) - Environmentalists on Saturday urged film diva Sophia Loren to help stop a big cruise ship named in her honor from ever entering the Venice lagoon because of potential damage to the city and the lagoon's delicate ecosystem.

The MSC Divina (Divine), which the actress christened last month in France, is a 139,500-tonne ship that can carry 3,500 passengers and nearly 1,000 crew.

'We can't believe that you want your name, which is a legend in Italy and the world, to be associated with a ship that contributes to the destruction of Venice, part of humanity's heritage,' said an open letter from the group, called the No Big Ships Venice Committee.

'We are asking you to give up your role as godmother of the ship. Venice and the world would see that as a divine gesture. Venice belongs to the world. Help us save it,' the group said in the letter to the Italian screen legend.

A handful of protesters held up a banner that read 'No Big Ships' as the Divina passed by St Mark's Square on Saturday.

Since the wreck of the Costa Concordia last January, environmentalists have stepped their efforts to have large cruise ships banned from the lagoon which surrounds the historic centre of the canal city.

The Concordia capsized off the coast of the Tuscan island of Giglio after it hit rocks. At least 30 people were killed and two are still unaccounted for.

That disaster put the spotlight on the Venice lagoon, perhaps Italy's most delicate maritime area, which big cruise ships enter to drop off passengers conveniently close to the historic centre and the Grand Canal.

The letter to Loren said the big ships pollute the air and their vibrations and the lapping waves caused by the wakes of their passage hurt the foundations of historic palaces and churches.

'Venice and its lagoon are both world heritage sites and risk an environmental disaster every day because of the passage of these monsters of the sea,' the letter said.

Italia Nostra (Our Italy), the country's leading conservation group has also long been opposing the entry of large cruise ships into the lagoon.

The Divina has a first-class suite named after Loren which is decorated with large pictures of the Oscar-winning actress at various stages of her film career.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Anthony Boadle)



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How "Lord of the Rings" inspired "Snow White"

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - What does Snow White, a fairly tale about the fairest woman in the land, have to do with 'Lord of the Rings' and the battle for Middle-earth?

Quite a bit, according to Evan Daugherty, who wrote a spec script nearly a decade ago that blended the two tales.

Daughtery was enamored of the film version of 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy while an undergraduate at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Lucky for him, Joe Roth and Universal soon shared his affinity for this fairy-fantasy blend, turning Daugherty's script into director Rupert Sanders' 'Snow White and the Huntsman.'

TheWrap spoke with Daugherty about how Peter Jackson's epic inspired his rendition of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, the surprising casting of the leads and what it was like getting kicked off his own project.

Q: By the time this is published, your first feature will have debuted, but this project dates to your time at NYU. You haven't been a student for years. What took so long?

A: I wrote it for fun. This was only the second or third script I wrote, but I tried to make some things happen with it, with friends or contacts in the industry, and no one quite got what I was trying to do - an action-adventure version of Snow White. No one saw where that would fit into the marketplace.

It existed on my hard drive for six or seven years and then Joe Roth's 'Alice in Wonderland' came out and it did really well at the box office. That sparked a bit of a trend, and I sold the script a year and a half ago.

Q: Did you want to write about Snow White in particular or were you just interested in the idea of turning any fairy tale into an action adventure movie?

A: Snow White for some reason is the resident, evocative fairy tale. It's the first movie that Walt Disney made, and Disney for the 20th century has been the primary interpreter of the fairytale. It's the first fairy tale anyone would list.

I also chose it because it's so simple. Some of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales are really out there and don't make any sense. They're about talking animals and other things that don't feel like simple stories.

Q: As you say, revisionist versions of classic tales have become quite popular, but you wrote this almost a decade ago. Why take that approach?

A: I'd be lying if I said I wasn't inspired by 'Lord of the Rings.' I was in college and my sophomore year 'Fellowship of the Ring' came out. My junior year was 'Two Towers.' My senior year was 'Return of the King.' College was four years of Lord of the Rings fever.

Q: So then what do you see as the audience for this movie? It seems like Universal has targeted women in particular, but it has a 'Lord of the Rings' feel . not exactly your 'Twilight' audience.

A: The Brothers Grimm intended Snow White to be for boys and girls, but because of the Disney filter - it's one of the branded Disney princesses - it's seen as a girl's story.

I'm very proud of the script taking that more female, feminine character and making it appeal to guys as well, particularly with the huntsman character. Hopefully it will. That was one of big reasons I wrote the movie.

I'll do my small part to insist it was written by a dude in his 20s who was very into 'Lord of the Rings' and into muscular action-adventure movies.

Q: How different is what you turned in from what's on screen?

A: The script I sold to Universal is fairly different from the movie that you see. At same time, it's the same structure and same plot: Snow White will be killed by the huntsman, and instead the huntsman decides to protect her, crafts her into a warrior who then takes on the queen. The very concept of an action-adventure Snow White is mine.

Q: So what's different?

A: When I sold the script I was also hired to stay on board and rewrite. Rupert Sanders and the studio had strong opinions about the direction it could go, and I worked on couple of drafts closely with Rupert. At about that point Rupert was executing his vision of the movie, seeing the visual.

Q: And how did you feel when they brought in other writers to finish the job?

A: It wasn't fun. I worked on the script for a number of months, and it was fairly close to a finished product. That said, had that movie been given a green light, they'd be green lighting a movie written by a first-time writer and directed by a first-time director. With a $150 million movie, that's just very unlikely.

Ultimately they brought in a number of very talented, very esteemed A-list writers.. The biggest change is my original script had a more humorous tone like 'Princess Bride.' As people will see in the movie, it doesn't really have that vibe anymore. It's very intense and gritty.

Q: That's especially true with the dwarves. They've evolved a little bit from Sleepy and Dopey.

A: 'Lord of the Rings' struck me as a way to have tougher, more warrior dwarves. People will be surprised and intrigued by their grit and toughness.

One of the things that was really cool in the casting of it was that all the guys in the movie who play dwarves, with exception of Nick Frost, are really well known, well-respected British gangsters. It enables them to be these tough cockney kind of dwarves.

Q: You brought up the casting decisions. Of the stars, who did you see as being perfect for the role and who made you cringe?

A: The first person cast was Charlize as the queen.

It sounds like hyperbole, but there's maybe three actresses in Hollywood who could play that queen and Charlize ranks as the very best. Beauty is integral to that character given her obsession with beauty and youth. She is also like a crazy killer and Charlize Theron won an Academy Award for playing a very real life serial killer.

Q: And the cringe?

A: The casting of the other two leads was a little surprising. With Chris Hemsworth, I love 'Thor' and am obsessed with Norse mythology but the Huntsman began as more of a mentor with hints of love in my original script. With Hemsworth, he's younger so they said, 'Let's shift that paradigm a little. He's still a mentor, but play up the love story.'

Kristen Stewart is the wild card. It's a tough role; you need someone with oomph and grit. The director flew to Louisiana where they were shooting 'Twilight' and was instantly won over. I'm not the target audience for 'Twilight.' In 'Twilight' it's mainly romance she's dealing with, so the question was, 'Can she strap on armor and lead men into battle and do an English accent?'

When I saw the movie, she is probably my favorite and the most surprising part. Thankfully, as I'm reading some of these reviews, some people are realizing that. Some people still unfairly have some kind of hang-up with Kristen Stewart because of the 'Twilight' movies or something.

Q: Having brought up reviews, are you nervous at all about the opening?

A: I am interested in how well the movie does mainly for the sake of the movie. The plight of the screenwriter in Hollywood is a difficult one. There are a lot of legendary horror stories about how the screenwriter is treated. This has been by all accounts a very good process. One of nice things about it is that I don't think the success or failure of movie at the box office impacts me as a writer too much.

I'd hope to make more 'Snow White and the Huntsman' movies, but obviously I'm working on other projects.

Q: You've got 'The Killing Season' with Robert De Niro and John Travolta coming out next year. What else?

A: An adaptation of the young adult novel 'Divergent.' I have to turn in a second draft to that movie, which Lionsgate/Summit is keen on making. Supposedly they really want to make it in tradition of 'Hunger Games' and 'Twilight.' That's the big thing I'm most excited about at the moment.

I've also got a spec that I'm going to keep slightly under wraps. Suffice it to say it's sort of in the vein of Snow White in terms of a reinterpretation. It's not a fairy tale, but a revision of a story of story that people know and love.

I love to explore and build and create these exotic worlds. That's a huge part of the fun of writing for me. It's not the real hard work - the meat of screenwriting. It's the special sauce you lay on top. But it's the real fun part of writing.



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