Disney Hires Brian Beletic to Direct Matterhorn Movie

ABC?s Shawn Ryan Drama On Verge Of Pilot Order, Martin Campbell Set To Direct

Last Resort, the large-scale drama from The Shield creator Shawn Ryan and feature writer Karl Gajdusek, has been given a pilot order. The news comes 2 days after the the Sony TV-produced project, which already had a hefty pilot production commitment, tapped Casino Royale helmer Martin Campbell to direct the pilot. The pilot also has a line producer and a casting director already on board. Last Resort is a thriller set in the near future when the country is very fractured and revolves around the crew of a U.S. nuclear submarine who become hunted after ignoring an order to shoot nuclear missiles. They escape to a NATO listening outpost where they publicly declare themselves to be the world?s smallest nuclear nation with 24 nuclear warheads. The show explores the society the fugitives create, the natives they meet and how what they?ve done affects the group and its unity. At ABC, Last Resort joins Roland Emmerich one-hour, metaphysical drama pilot set against the backdrop of the 2012 Presidential race. In addition to Last Resort, Ryan has another high-profile project in contention, a crime procedural with Criminal Minds creator Simon Mirren, ? Read More ?

Ray Richmond is contributing to Deadline?s coverage of TCA.

There was some playfully feigned confusion this afternoon as to who the star of the new NBC multicamera sitcom Are You There, Chelsea? is. Chelsea Handler, on whose bestselling memoir Are You There, Vodka? It?s Me, Chelsea the show is based, is featured prominently in the promos for the series, which premieres later this month. Are You There, Chelsea? centers on a twentysomething bad-girl version of Handler who is played by Laura Prepon while Handler appears in seven of the 13 episodes as her Born-Again Christian sister. Handler, who executive produces the series, was quick to set the record straight. ?We want people to know that I?m part of the show but that this is the star of the show,? Handler said, motioning to Prepon. She stressed that any advertising for the show should be crystal clear. ?We don?t want anyone to get confused or think I?m the star? It?s a lot more fun for me to play my sister than it would be to play myself. (Handler has a sister in real life). It?s a lot more challenging ? But it?s Laura?s show ultimately? I?d love to be in it as often as possible, but I seriously don?t have the time. I like my E! show, I like being under the radar.? The last comment evoked some groans as it came out as a jab at the cable network.

Another ? Read More ?

Scott Thompson will receive an annual salary of $1 million as Yahoo?s new president and CEO, the company said in a Security and Exchange Commission filing today. His total deal with bonuses and grants could reach as high as $27 million during his first year with the struggling Internet giant. Yahoo said the former PayPal chief will be eligible for a bonus twice his salary each year, along with an annual equity grant with a 2012 target value of $11 million. One-time items include a $1.5 million cash bonus, an inducement grant of $5 million and a grant of restricted stock units with a value of $6.5 million. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Yahoo has hired a search firm to identify possible additions ? and likely replacements ? to the board of directors. The group that includes chairman Roy Bostock and co-founder Jerry Yang has been criticized by shareholders as the company contemplates its future. Today?s SEC filing also said Yahoo has increased the size of its board from nine to 10 members, adding Thompson as a director.

Diane Haithman is contributing to Deadline?s TCA coverage.

After a dismal fall, NBC is pinning its hopes for a ratings turnaround on a slew of midseason series. One of them is legal drama The Firm, based on the John Grisham bestseller, which the network acquired in the spring. The series, premiering Sunday, continues the story of attorney Mitchell McDeere a decade later.

Writer-executive producer Lukas Reiter said that author Grisham was on board from the very beginning, liking the idea of doing a new chapter in the McDeere story. ?He really didn?t (have reservations),? said Reiter, a former co-executive producer of NBC?s Law & Order.? ?I have been writing legal drama for most of my career, and The Firm has always been at the top of my list. Why didn?t John Grisham continue the story? I had a thought about how we might do that.? He added that writers and lawyers have one thing in common: ?The ability to think about the same thing for an irrational amount of time.? Read More ?

More NBC at TCA:
Ben Silverman ?Betting On Bob? To Turn Around NBC
NBC Wants To Keep Lauer & Seacrest In The Fold

There was no elephant in the room during NBC?s executive session at TCA?s winter press tour today because chairman Bob Greenblatt shot it down right away. ?We had a really bad fall, worse than I?d hoped for but about as I expected,? was Greenblatt?s first line onstage. ?People say the only way to go is up which I believe is true, but there is a long way to get there.? The new NBC chairman made no bones about the network?s poor ratings performance this season, including from NBC?s new shows, which he blamed on a lack of strong lead-ins, an aging returning lineup and major cast changes on flagship series Law & Order: SVU and The Office. But ?the good news is that we have new owners willing to invest not only with financial resources but with patience,? Greenblatt said, referring to Comcast and NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke.

Greenblatt, who comes from running pay cable network Showtime, attributed the demise of some of NBC?s new shows to the challenges of the the broadcast model, noting that canceled Prime Suspect would?ve been renewed at Showtime after three episodes and would?ve probably run on the cable network for 4-5 seasons. Greenblatt started several sentences with ?The beauty of cable?, playing up pay cable?s advantage with a smaller volume of shows that allows all of them to get a significant marketing push and cut through the clutter as well as the different cable economics that allow quality shows to run for years despite low ratings. Greenblatt said that in his first season at NBC he delivered ?four times as many good shows as I ever delivered at Showtime? in one year, listing such series as Prime Suspect, Whitney, Up All Night, Grimm and the upcoming Awake and Smash. But he was quick to note that he is not sure if ?these shows are enough to turn NBC around. I hope they?re the beginning of new foundation to move us in the right direction.?

Prime Suspect?s failure to click with viewers ?was probably the biggest disappointment,? Greenblatt said. ?Was it too cable, was (Maria Bello?s character) too abrasive? Maybe I should say it was the hat and move on.? In the final analysis, it seems like ?the audience wanted to be entertained with comedy and fairytales? this fall, ?and there wasn?t appetite in the country for a hard-hitting cop show.? Greenblatt was more blunt about NBC?s other canceled new fall drama, The Playboy Club. ?Playboy was a just a rejected concept,? he said. ?We thought going into the period would interest people, but I don?t think people were that fascinated by that milieu and place.? As for the high-profile midseason entry Smash, Greenblatt tried to downplay expectations. ?I don?t think it?s a make-or-break show, but it?s a really good potentially long-term asset for us.?

Greenblatt also dispelled any notion that Community has been effectively canceled when the network pulled the cult favorite on its midseason schedule. Read More ?

EXCLUSIVE: Disney has tapped Robert Stromberg to make his feature directorial debut on Maleficent, the Linda Woolverton-scripted revisionist take on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale that is being constructed as a star vehicle for Angelina Jolie to play the villainess. While Stromberg is new to the director?s chair, he is no stranger to dealing with big-ticket spectacle films. He has been production designer on Avatar and Alice In Wonderland, and Disney?s upcoming Oz The Great And Powerful. He also worked on visual effects for such films as 2012, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World?s End and Master And Commander. Joe Roth is producing.

This gives Disney feature heads Sean Bailey and Rich Ross another tentpole feature to complement the Marvel product, with A-list talent. Maleficent stacks up alongside Oz The Great And Powerful, and the Johnny Depp-starrer The Lone Ranger. Stromberg?s repped by UTA.

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros just issued an email to the members of the Writers Branch of the Academy in an attempt to fix its mistake of sending some of them the wrong version of the script for J Edgar by Oscar-winning Milk scribe Dustin Lance Black. Instead of Black?s final shooting script, the studio sent a version given it by Malpaiso that was used in post-production and for continuity, not the final version by which the writer?s awards-season chances should be judged.?(For instance, it is missing the writer?s signature descriptions of action between the dialogue). I?d heard that Black was upset by the mistake and concerned it could hurt his Oscar nomination chances. While anything having to do with J. Edgar Hoover smacks of conspiracy, I?m told that the scribe is feeling better after the studio?s fast fix and chalks it up to being an honest mistake. The wrong scripts were sent to about one-third of the writer?s branch who specifically requested a script. Here?s the missive that Warner Bros sent today:

Dear Member of the Writers Branch:

It has just come to our attention that the version of the screenplay for ?J. Edgar? that was sent for your consideration was not the shooting script written by Dustin Lance Black, but rather what is known as a continuity draft. The language in this continuity draft was not written by Mr.

? Read More ?

Well, this has to feel good to organizations like the MPAA, who have been banging the drum about antipiracy laws that have some teeth. The first of five convicted operators behind the illegal file-sharing site NinjaVideo.net has been sentenced after all pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy and copyright infringement. Co-founder Hana Amal Beshara, 30, of North Brunswick, N.J., will serve 22 months in prison, two years of supervised release, complete 500 hours of community service, repay $209,826.95 that she personally obtained from her work and hand over financial accounts and computer equipment. She was one of the main operators of the site, which gave users the ability to download movies still in theaters or yet to be released, with that business taking in more than $505,000 in income. The site was one of nine taken down in June by Operation In Our Sites, an initiative targeting online piracy that involves Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga in the Eastern District of Virginia made the ruling.

Ray Richmond is contributing to Deadline?s TCA coverage.

Ex-NBC programming chief Ben Silverman was back in a familiar and frightening spot this morning: At TCA in Pasadena, representing NBC. But this isn?t 2009, and there is a different guy atop of NBC Entertainment in Bob Greenblatt. Silverman was here as executive producer of the new NBC reality competition series Fashion Star that features host Elle Macpherson and mentors Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos. So it was a different Silverman ? more relaxed to be sure ? but also in many ways the same guy: He still looked fashion-plate lean and the epitome of shrewd salesman. Silverman admitted that he didn?t see Greenblatt?s session earlier in the morning, quipping, ?They were doing my hair.? Also not changed from the time Silverman was in Greenblatt?s chair is the plight of NBC, which continues to be stuck in fourth place, something the Jeff Zucker-Ben Silverman regime contributed to. When a critic pointed out that Greenblatt painted ?such a sad picture? of NBC during his presentation, Silverman replied: ?I?m thrilled to be making this show on NBC. I can?t imagine a better time period on television than following The Biggest Loser (also produced by Silverman) for the audience we want. ? I feel incredibly happy and excited, and I?m betting on Bob. I love his creativity.? And how does it feel for Silverman to be back with so many of his ?friends? in ? Read More ?

EXCLUSIVE: TBS has picked up to series Men At Work, a multicamera sitcom created by Breckin Meyer, star of TNT?s dramedy Franklin & Bash, which originated at TBS. The series, picked up for 10 episodes, is being produced by Sony Pictures TV and Jamie Tarses? studio-based Fanfare, which also produce Franklin & Bash, which has been renewed for a second season. Men at Work is an ensemble multi-camera comedy that explores bromance, sexcapades and office adventures of four buddies who work at a magazine. It centers on Milo (Danny Masterson), who finds comfort in his three best friends (James Lesure, Michael Cassidy and Adam Busch). They help reinvent his manhood after being dumped by his girlfriend while navigating their own personal and professional lives. As for TBS? other 2 multi-camera comedy pilot, Sullivan & Son and BFF, the network is expected to wait to see both before making a decision.

With the contracts of two of NBCUniversal?s highest-profile pieces of talent, producer Ryan Seacrest and Today Show co-host? Matt Lauer, coming up, the company will do everything possible to keep both, according to NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt. The commens came on the heels of reports about a meeting between NBC News and Seacrest, whose rich deal with E! Entertainment is up this month, about him potentially replacing Lauer on Today.

?We?d love to keep (Seacrest) in the family mostly because of his value to E!, he has become this incredible star,? Greenblatt said. But that will not come at the expense of losing Lauer, whose Today contract is up at the end of the year. ?The No.1 priority is keeping Matt on Today and figuring way to keep Ryan in the family,? Greenblatt said. ?It is our hope and belief that Matt will stay beyond his contract.? As for the different possible ways to keep Seacrest at NBCUniversal, there will be high-level company-wide executive meetings about that coming up, and NBC is ready to pitch in, Greenblatt said. ?There is a desire on (Seacrest?s) part to do scripted shows,? he said. Greenblatt personally likes the idea of having Seacrest do interview specials for the network in the mold of Barbara Walters.

One of the long-serving TV scheduling executives, Fox?s Preston Beckman, is stepping down from active duty to take on an advisory role for Fox Networks Group. Here is the release:

Preston Beckman, Fox Broadcasting Company?s EVP of strategic program planning and research, will transition into a new role as Senior Strategist for Fox Networks Group, it was announced today by Peter Rice, Chairman of Entertainment, Fox Networks Group.?In this new role beginning June 2012, Dr. Beckman will provide his expertise and strategic insight in scheduling, programming and research across all FNG entertainment divisions, reporting directly to Rice.

?FOX has been incredibly fortunate to have Preston guiding our schedule for the past decade and seven consecutive years of No. 1 finishes,? said Rice. ?His strategic mind and love of television make him the Muhammad Ali of scheduling executives, and we all look forward to working closely with him, here at Fox, for many more years.?

Read More ?

UPDATE, 1:45 PM: Redbox just issued this statement about the alleged deal. ?The current agreement Coinstar has with Warner Bros. is to receive movie titles 28-days after their release. No revised agreements are in place.?

PREVIOUS, 12:03 PM: Warner Bros has sealed a deal with Netflix, Redbox and Blockbuster that will expand the studio?s release window for new DVDs to 56 days, the tech blog AllThingsD is reporting. The current window is 28 days between when the discs first go on sale and when customers can rent from the retailers. Warner Bros is saying it isn?t going to comment on speculation, but it has been exploring seeking wider window in an effort to offset declining DVD sales, and it is pushing the nascent UltraViolet format that allows users to rent or buy movies that can be viewed on multiple platforms. (The company said during the Citibank conference yesterday that UltraViolet, which is available via the company?s recently acquired Flixster site, is still in the growing stages. ?The product is not where we want it to be, but someone has to take a leadership position,? CFO John Martin says.) The latest report says the deal for the new window is expected to be unveiled during the Consumer Electronics Show, which begins Monday in Las Vegas. The question that remains, though, is what?s stopping retailers from buying discs on the open market and making them available day-and-date, ? Read More ?

EXCLUSIVE: TNT is re-entering the reality arena with The Great Escape, a new action adventure series from Oscar-winning filmmakers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard and Emmy-winning Amazing Race creators Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri. The show, which has been picked up for 10 episodes for summer premiere, will be hosted by Rich Eisen (NFL Total Access). The Great Escape puts teams of ordinary people in the middle of their own epic action/adventure movie. Players must work together to evade pursuers, overcome obstacles, solve puzzles and be the first to reach freedom to win a cash prize. The Great Escape is produced by Fox TV Studios, Imagine Entertainment, The Hochberg Ebersol Co., Profiles TV Prods. and executive produced by Imagine?s Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo, Elise Doganieri, Bertram van Munster, Justin Hochberg and Charlie Ebersol. This marks TNT?s biggest foray into reality since the 2009 series Wedding Day, which was executive produced by Mark Burnett. The network has been ramping up unscripted development over the past year, with The Great Escape part of TNT?s development slate announced at the May upfront.

EXCLUSIVE: Martin Campbell has been set to direct Umbra, the Endgame Entertainment-funded drama that Joe Carnahan has dropped out of. Paul Haggis, who came on to do rewrite work on the Campbell-directed Casino Royale, has also been brought on to do a rewrite on the drama about a business man who gets a mysterious package in the mail and gets caught up in a government conspiracy. Shooting will begin in the spring.

Endgame?s James Stern is producing with Hal Lieberman and Campbell?s production partner Lucienne Papon has also joined as producer. Carnahan dropped out of the film, in what I?m told was an amicable parting for personal reasons for Carnahan, who directed the upcoming Liam Neeson-starrer The Grey, which Open Road releases January 27. The script was written by Steven Karczynski and Carnahan had done re-write work on the most recent draft. Campbell?s repped by CAA. Campbell and Haggis are repped by CAA and Haggis is managed by IPG. Campbell last directed Green Lantern.

Diane Haithman is contributing to Deadline?s TCA coverage.

The troubled NBC network will be taking on more serious issues later in the day, but it kicked off its TCA sessions in Pasadena today with a breakfast with the ubiquitous Betty White, 89, who is adding to her work schedule on TV Land?s sitcom Hot In Cleveland by hosting and executive producing the new NBC reality show Betty White?s Off Their Rockers. The show is about the elder generation pulling pranks on unsuspecting members of the younger generation. It is adapted from the International Emmy-winning Belgium series Benidorm Bastards.

As usual, this popular member of TV?s least desirable demographic was full of quips, including this reply to a question about whether there?s anything the soon-to-be 90 actress still wants to do: ?I?m not going to say Robert Redford, as much as you might expect it.? The network will celebrate White?s birthday with the previously announced 90-minute special January 16, Betty White?s 90th Birthday: A Tribute To America?s Golden Girl, followed by a sneak peak of Off Their Rockers at 9:30 PM. (The network today announced that Ellen DeGeneres, Morgan Freeman, Tina Fey and Carl Reiner are among those who have been added to the birthday salute roster, joining Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Asner and White?s fellow Hot In Cleveland cast members.) Read More ?

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1924268/news/1924268/

giants patriots yolo steelers vs ravens jack dempsey lake malawi hines ward warren jeffs