'Descendants' scribes sell pitch to Paintbrush

'The Descendants' scribes Jim Rash & Nat Faxon won the Oscar for modified script on Sunday. WiigFresh business Oscar win for "The Descendants," scribes Nat Faxon and Jim Rash have provided to Indian Paintbrush a geniune action-comedy pitch that has Kristen Wiig installed on star. Purchase will be a competitive situation that came multiple offers from art galleries. Kevin Walsh will produce through his banner, the Walsh Co., along with Indian Paintbrush's Steven Rales and Mark Roybal. Faxon and Rash may even work as executive producers. Wiig's deal continues to be talked about. The authors have a very extended working relationship with Wiig utilizing their days undertaking with La improv troupe the Groundlings. Roybal and Walsh both started their film careers utilized by Scott Rudin. Furthermore to writing another script for Fox Searchlight and Alexander Payne, Jim Burke and Jim Taylor's Ad Hominem Companies, Faxon and Rash could make their directorial debut this summer season utilizing their Black List script "The Means By Which, Sometime Ago,Inch with Mike Rockwell and Allison Janney set to star. The pair work as you're watching camera. Rash can be a series regular on NBC's "Community." Faxon on Tuesday was cast since the co-lead inside the Fox comedy pilot "Ben Fox is My Manny." Walsh, who was simply among Variety's 10 Producers to check out a year ago, is creating that pic, additionally to James McTeigue's revenge thriller "The Gringo." Walsh may also be allowing the political action-thriller "Patriot Lower" as well as the comedy "King Dom," co-put together by "The Split UpInch scribe Jay Lavender. Wiig is coming initially from off an Oscar nomination for co-writing "Bridesmaids." The laffer made greater than $288 million worldwide. Indian Paintbrush is poised for just about any busy year, backing Vital Vantage's "Rob Who Lives in your homeInch and David Chase's "Not Disappear," Focus' "Moonrise Kingdom" and "Seeking a pal for your Finish round the globeInch and Fox Searchlight's "Stoker." Customers are planning to shoot Jason Reitman's "Labor Day" with Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin set to star. Faxon and Rash are repped by CAA and Principato-Youthful Entertainment, while Wiig is repped by UTA and manager Naomi Odenkirk. Walsh may also be repped by CAA. Peter McPartlin of Indian Paintbrush talked about the deals. Contact Rob Sneider at rob.sneider@variety.com

The Winners Speak! Backstage at the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards

"Nothing will come from this if you win! joked Seth Rogen as he opened his hosting gig at the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Absolutely nothing. This won't help you get paid anymore -- if anything, it proves you'll work for nothing. That may be painfully true for many of the indie film nominees honored today at the annual Spirit Awards, held in a tent on the beach in balmy Santa Monica. But what does it mean that the nights big winner was the Harvey Weinstein-backed awards season juggernaut The Artist? The Oscar frontrunner swept the Spirit Awards Saturday in a precursor to what most pundits expect will transpire Sunday night at the Academy Awards; the black and white silent film took home four awards, including Best Feature, Best Director (Michel Hazanavicius), Best Actor (Jean Dujardin), and Best Cinematography, further sealing its grip on the 2012 awards race. Along the road to Spirit Awards victory, the $15 million The Artist went up against the likes of more conventional indies. (Rules of eligibility includes films made for no more than $20 million.) In the Best Cinematography category, the Weinstein-backed favorite competed against, for example, Evan Glodells Bellflower, a film shot on a production budget of $17,000; for Best Feature it vied with 50/50, Beginners, Drive, Take Shelter, and The Descendants. Additional winners on the night included Dee Rees Pariah, Alexander Paynes The Descendants (which won Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Shailene Woodley), Asgar Farhadis A Separation, Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn, and Christopher Plummer for Beginners. (Full winners list here.) In other words on the whole, not quite so different from the field competing tomorrow at the mainstream Oscars. Maybe thats why, after Rogens fantastic Hollywood-skewering opening monologue, the Spirit Awards started to flag a bit in, well, spirit. By the time the absent Jean Dujardin won Best Actor about halfway through (co-star Penelope Ann Miller, the films mascot for the night, accepted on his behalf) the certainty of Artist domination seemed to loom in the air. Once Michel Hazanavicius arrived, fresh from the LAX runway with a police escort minutes before his name was called as Best Director, the sweep was sealed. Would any non-Oscar frontrunning independent filmmaker honorees have gotten the VIP treatment all the way down the 10? Were these the Oscar rehearsals, or the preeminent celebration of American independent film? Well, at least the show had its moments. Highlights included Rogens monologue; John Waters acting as MC for the night; Michelle Williams accepting her trophy with a nod to the very first Spirit Awards she ever attended, back when she wore her own clothes and cut her own hair and felt at home in the room full of misfits, outcast, loners, dreamers, mumblers, delinquents, dropouts just like me. Backstage, winners trickled in throughout the night, sharing their own perspectives on craft and the awards show mania. Christopher Plummer, Best Supporting Actor: The jovial Plummer kicked off the winners room. [Michaels father, his character] was a true character and was written with such affection, such a lack of self-pity. It was fun to do, it made me so relaxed. His marvelous humor against all odds [is] a marvelous lesson to everyone who goes through cancer and dying. He treated it with a sort of carefree sense of humor, no self-pity at all. Hinting at his next gig on an HBO project, Plummer addressed his continuing career at age 82. I have to [keep acting] because I may croak at any moment I have to keep going! How did he keep from being upstaged by Cosmo the dog on the set of Beginners? We had a little private talk, and now that you mention it Cosmo and Uggie, I think our Cosmo was much more human than Uggie. Uggie was just a trickster our dog had soul. Shailene Woodley, Best Supporting Actress: Im so grateful, Woodley began. I dont know if surprised is the right word. I think gratitude kind of fills it all. Its been such a beautiful experience for me in my life and totally transformed me as a human being, so Im grateful to have been a part of the film and to have learned so many valuable amazing lessons. Every single person involved in the film was incredibly positive and had such gentle, kind, graceful souls. Being on the film as an 18-year-old and experiencing that right as I was about to start my life on my own, it was kind of the catalyst for me coming into my own. I dont think there are words for me to express my gratitude for that. As for the Oscars, Woodley has love for the Help star she went up against during the Golden Globes. I am so stoked for Octavia [Spencer] she is so awesome! Shes such a nice human being. [Pause] This is crazy. I was not expecting it and I got up there and said um a lot, Im sure Im going to be mortified when I watch it. The Artist crew, Best Feature/Best Actor/Best Cinematography/Best Director: What did producer Harvey Weinstein bring to the film? His weight, joked producer Thomas Langmann, who credited Weinstein with taking a chance on The Artist when most backers balked. We kept going to try to finance this meeting and we had very short meetings nobody wanted to hear about this one. People told me this is against conventional wisdom. We managed to find the money and wanted to shoot here in Hollywood This movie was made to be a tribute to Hollywood and cinema and especially American cinema. So to come back and be rewarded by the Hollywood community, is a dream come true. Hows life treating director Hazanavicius, whos been on a nonstop tour through the home stretch of his award tour? Its not the worst job you can find, he answered. You come, you receive awards, everyone is smiling at you and is nice and they tell you youre talented and have a very funny, charming French accent. [The police escort from LAX] was great. That was the best part. Its physically tiring but the energy is so good that you dont really feel it, he said. Were really excited and are enjoying every moment we can enjoy. Looking back to the beginning of their journey, did Weinstein promise the Artist crew he could get them to the Oscars? Harvey knows how to promise things like that, yes. Sometimes hes right. Michelle Williams, Best Actress: My friend was joking that until now I have been the Susan Lucci of the Indie Spirit Awards!" Williams said, beaming. "I have been luckier and luckier to be working with better and better people. On how she found her way into Marilyn Monroe: In a way you had to remove the fact that she was an icon, because that was too daunting and think of her as an ordinary girl. There wasnt a direct path in to her, I found. The only way in was time, so much time, and in a way letting her dictate, letting her take shape -- letting all this information take shape instead of me trying to control it. I just do some work. I just sort of keep my head down, which is a very sort of Montana attitude. Theres this Amish thing, this Quaker thing I like Eyes to the ground and heart to the skies. I just keep focused. Steve James, dir. The Interrupters, Best Documentary: It means a lot for a film like this because this is a film about urban violence in Chicago, and when we were making it we never would have anticipated the reaction the film has gotten in the past year. It means a lot for what the films about and for us as independent filmmakers Ive been doing this now for 27 years, so it means a lot. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

Vuguru president Larry Tanz to CEO

Tanz Vuguru president Larry Tanz has been upped to a newly created post as CEO.Tanz has served as president of the digital-minded independent studio, launched by Michael Eisner's Tornante Co. with financial backing from Rogers Media, for all three years of its existence. He's grown Vuguru into one of the biggest suppliers of cross-platform scripted content for the likes of AOL, Hulu and YouTube, in addition to numerous international buyers."Larry's exceptional leadership, ability to attract high-profile talent, identify outstanding material and produce content that consumers want is why we chose to promote him to the position of CEO," Eisner said.Among the Vuguru projects Tanz oversees is an upcoming YouTube channel in collaboration with Stan Lee's Pow! Entertainment and an entire slate of female-targeted programming for AOL. Vuguru's next scripted offerings will include thrillers "The Millionaire Tour," starring Dominic Monaghan, and "Crawlspace," with Steven Weber."I just take it as a vote of confidence from the board and Michael that I'm the person to lead this company forward," said Tanz.Prior to Vuguru, Tanz was founder of multiplatform studio Agility Studios. He's served in past stints as CEO of LivePlanet, the production company led by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon where he produced the Bravo/HBO series "Project Greenlight." Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

'Battleship' Director Peter Berg Always Wanted To Make A Navy Movie

It's sort of hard to figure out what Peter Berg's angle is. The same guy who directed the original superhero flick "Hancock" also gave us the wonderful teen TV drama and movie "Friday Night Lights." He also gave us serious thrillers like "The Kingdom." His latest film "Battleship" -- a blockbuster adaptation of the classic game -- also seems at first to come out of left field, but Berg promised MTV News that his involvement in the veritable "Transformers"-meets-"Armageddon" blockbuster actually makes sense. Turns out that this type of film has been a cause close to his heart for a while now. Even though Berg has directed a variety of movies, he's always wanted to do one set in the ocean, and "Battleship" gave him the opportunity to do that. "I've been trying to do a movie set in the water for a long time. My dad was a naval historian, he used to drag me to every Navy museum in the world, anywhere we could go," Berg told MTV News at Toy Fair. "I've always wanted to do a movie about the Navy." But it was more than that. Berg said that he also has always wanted to do a big movie, something even bigger than "Hancock." Berg felt that it was his time to do a summer blockbuster, and that "Battleship" was the film to do it with. "I call these movies, they're like kind of 'super' movies now and they go out all around the world. Movies like 'Transformers,' 'G.I. Joe,' 'Battleship;' these films have such big reach. For me it made sense," Berg said. "Now to actually see all this kind of cross-marketing and see with the Hasbro machine kicking in, it's kind of awesome." Is "Battleship" a movie you're looking forward to? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

OSCARS: Janet McTeer Albert Nobbs

On the morning of Oscar nominations, most actors wait nervously to hear their own name announced. But Janet McTeer, Best Supporting Actress nominee for Albert Nobbs, was hoping to hear another name first: Glenn Close, who stars as Nobbs and has spent 30 years trying to bring this unusual tale to the big screen. The British actress got her wish: Close was nominated for best actress, so the two can enjoy the moment together. She spoke with AwardsLine contributor Diane Haithman. AWARDSLINE: You were nominated for a Golden Globe for portraying Hubert, a woman living as a man in 19th century Ireland, but Close was not nominated for playing Nobbs, also a woman masquerading as a man. You are also in the cast of Closes FX series Damages. You must have breathed a sigh of relief when both of you made the cut for the Oscars. McTEER: If she hadnt been nominated I would have cut my wrists. Oh, yeah. That would have been horrible. I wouldnt have wanted it either. I was watching the announcements on the sofa in the green room at the Todayshow, and I was just sort of holding my breath to see whether Glenn was nominated, and she was. Then I was very excited. AWARDSLINE: I guess for a film like this, awards mean more than they do for, say, a hit film like The Help. Are the nominations alone enough to spur box office for Albert Nobbs? McTEER: Absolutely. All it needs is for people to be made aware of it. Theyll say, “Ooh, gosh, if its got nominations, it must be really good.” Weve already won. AWARDSLINE: We talked to Close before the Oscar nominations, and she spoke about the challenge of promoting the film but still maintaining some elements of surprise, particularly in the case of your character. McTEER: These days were on the Internet — you cant keep things secret in a film anymore. Once you realize the secrets out, you might as well go with it and not pretend that its not there. AWARDSLINE: Glenn described the scene where you reveal yourself as a woman to Nobbs as the surprise appearance of your incredible breasts. Its a very bold move, so opposite of the way the timid Mr. Nobbs would behave. Did you have any hesitation in doing that scene? McTEER: No, not at all. I pushed for it to be as funny as we could make it, like smoking the cigarette, so that the whole thing was funny instead of, “Oh, my God!” — hitting you over the head with a hammer. And it wasnt for cheap thrills. The audience has to understand Albert, the idea that Albert might be exposed by somebody, and how scary that was for him. AWARDSLINE: You have said that in creating the character of Hubert you tried to appear as large as possible, to take up as much space as possible. Were there any costuming or camera tricks employed to play up the contrast of your stature and Glenn Closes Albert? McTEER: The thing is, she actually is just really little, and Im really tall. Im 6 foot and a half-inch and shes 4-foot-1 — no, but shes 5-foot-4 if shes lucky. And she was wearing flat shoes, which she normally never does. But because shes so powerful, you think of her as being bigger than she actually is. I also bought quite big boots, with quite big heels. And I used quite a lot of padding. AWARDSLINE: In interviews, Glenn always seems to refer to Albert Nobbs as he. Do you refer to your character, Hubert, as he or she? McTEER: He. Really. Yeah. I think Hubert just thinks of Hubert as Hubert. I mean, if she had a choice she would still live as a man, so I think Hubert thinks of herself as more male than female. What I wanted to create was somebody who was a little bit the best of both worlds, who had all the great qualities of manliness, you know, that freedom and the confidence and the Alpha maleness, but also the great qualities of femaleness, the nurturing and kindness. AWARDSLINE: Your character is so much less tragic than poor Mr. Nobbs. McTEER: My character isnt tragic at all. He suffers a tragedy, but isnt a tragic character by definition. I think Hubert is upbeat. AWARDSLINE: Even though now weve seen you at the Golden Globes and other awards shows, people will surely be more curious to see you in your evening gown than they will the other actresses. The who are you wearing thing will be elevated to a whole new level. McTEER: Yeah, because the difference will be extraordinary. AWARDSLINE: Have you written a speech? McTEER: I havent even found a dress. Just let me get over this week. (McTeer photo: Getty Images)

Cheers & Jeers: Southland's Above-Person With Average Skills

Michael Cudlitz Cheers to Southland for enabling TV veterans to demonstrate their range. Want more Cheers & Jeers? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now! A few days after Marla Gibbs' impressive guest appearance becoming an addled grandmother, another sitcom alum - Murphy Brown's Joe Regalbuto - shipped a devastating dramatic turn just like a father who fatally shot his still-at-home thirtysomething boy for fear he might turn that need considering a killer. Before his heart-wrenching confession, his character feigned grief using what Det. Lydia Adams (Regina King) referred to as "an Academy Award-winning performance." He is not qualified with an Oscar, but Regalbuto might have an Emmy. Meanwhile, Michael Cudlitz - late in the original Beverly Slopes, 90210 - is constantly impress along with his nuanced behave as gay patrol cop John Cooper. His moments getting a suicidal teen in this particular week's episode were particularly poignant. Coop tried to reassure him that "It'll improve.Inch That is really true for Southland, each and every week. What can you consider last night's Southland? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

FilmDistrict requires a 'Safety' course

'Safety Not Guaranteed'In its first and likely only pickup from Sundance, FilmDistrict has acquired U.S. right sto "Safety Not Guaranteed," plotting a strong theatrical release for that sci-fi-tinged oddball comedy that marks the feature debuts of helmer Colin Trevorrow and scribe Derek Connolly.Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass topline the Large Beach Films production, whose purchase was repped by ICM and Cinetic. Deal incorporated a seven-figure advance having a significant P&A agreement.As Jeanney and Bob Berney are exiting FilmDistrict, the pickup was somewhat unpredicted, although the distributor that discovered the critics' darling "Drive" could not resist the Sundance Fest script champion.Like "Drive," "Safety" informs the storyline of some other loner -Body who places a free classified for some time-travel partner -- and first showed Sunday within the U.S. dramatic competition. It had been considered one of the most in a commercial sense skewing game titles despite deficiencies in major celebrities.Canada privileges were acquired by Canuck distribber Alliance.Variety's Justin Chang known as it a "scrappy and romantic romp that delivers some nice soul-searching moments alongside a steady flow of laughs" and shuts by having an "suddenly exhilarating finale."ICM, which initially packed the film, reps Trevorrow, Connolly, Mark & Jay Duplass and castmember Shaun Garlin. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Grey's Anatomy's Sarah Came Welcomes First Child

Sarah Came Grey's Anatomy cast member Sarah Came delivered an infant boy Wednesday in La, People reviews. Came, 31, shipped boy Micah Emmanuel Lanfer at 6:21 p.m. on Jan. 18, coming in at 7 pounds, 4 oz .. "She and her husband, Peter Lanfer, are deeply in love with him," her repetition stated inside a statement to individuals. Grey's Anatomy star Jessica Capshaw expecting third baby This is actually the first child for Came and Lanfer, who get married in 2002. Drew's Grey's Anatomy co-star, Jessica Capshaw, lately introduced she's pregnant together with her third child.

CAS reveals pic, TV nominees

Five films will vie to get the best honors within the 48th annual Cinema Audio Society Honours, the CAS introduced Thursday.The quintet of film nominees includes "Hanna," "Hugo," "Moneyball," "Pirates in the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and "Super 8," which are actually nommed for outstanding achievement in appear mixing with the philanthropic nonprofit group.The CAS also introduced its technical honours and tv honors, including miniseries, special and series.Nominated TV series include "Boardwalk Empire," "Breaking Bad," "Dexter," "Wager on Thrones" and "The Walking Dead.""Our nominees this year reflect the most effective work carried out movies and television as in line with the voting membership in the Cinema Audio Society. I offer my sincere congratulations to all the nominees," mentioned CAS prexy David E. Fluhr.Honours is going to be provided Feb. 18 inside the Very Ballroom in the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.Work achievement award is going to be presented to re-recording mixer Scott Millan, as well as the CAS Filmmaker Award would go to director Make the most of Marshall within the ceremony.The whole report on nominees for outstanding achievement in appear mixing for 2011 are:Movies"Hanna": production mixer: Roland Winke re-recording mixers: Christopher Scarabosio, Craig Berkey, CAS scoring mixer: Andrew Dudman"Hugo": production mixer: John Midgley re-recording mixer: Tom Fleischman, CAS scoring mixer: Simon Rhodes"Moneyball": production mixer: Erection dysfunction Novick re-recording mixers: N Adair, CAS Ron Bochar, CAS David Giammarco scoring mixer: Kaira Haenel"Pirates in the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides": production mixer: Lee Orloff, CAS re-recording mixers: Paul Massey, CAS, Chris Boyes scoring mixer: Alan Meyerson"Super 8": production mixer: Mark Ulano, CAS re-recording Mixers: Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer scoring mixer: Serta WallinTelevision (Series)"Boardwalk Empire -- For the Lost": production mixer: Franklin D. Stettner, CAS re-recording mixers: Tom Fleischman, CAS"Breaking Bad -- Face Off": production mixer: Darryl L. Frank, CASre-recording mixers: Jeffery Perkins, Eric Justen"Dexter -- Just ReleaseInch: production mixer: Greg Agalsoff re-recording mixers: Pete Elia, CAS, Kevin Roache, CAS"Wager on Thrones -- Baelor": production mixer: Ronan Hill re-recording mixers: Mark Taylor, Doug Andham, CAS"The Walking Dead -- What's Approaching NextInch: production mixer: Bartek Swiatek, CAS re-recording mixers: Gary D. Rogers, CAS, Daniel J. Hiland, CASTelevision (Movies and Small-Series)"Cinema Verite": production mixer: Petur Hliddal re-recording mixers: Lora Hirschberg, Scott Lewis, Douglas Murray scoring mixer: Greg Townley"Innocent": production mixer: Shane Connelly re-recording mixers: Mark Hensley, Tamara Manley, CAS"The Kennedys: Hour 7": production mixer: Henry Embry, CAS re-recording mixer: Frank Morrone, CAS, Stephen Traub scoring mixer: Larold Rebhun"Mildred Pierce : Part 5": production mixer: Came Kunin re-recording mixer: Leslie Shatz scoring mixer: Todd Whitelock"Too Big to Fail": production mixer: James J. Sabat, CAS re-recording mixers: Chris Jenkins, Robert J. Beemer, CAS scoring mixer: Chris FogelTelevision (Non-Fiction, Variety or Music -- Series or Special deals)"American Experience -- Triangular Fire": production mixer: G. John Garrett, CAS production mixer: Ron Angelella production mixer: Everett Wong re-recording mixer: Coll Anderson"Bobby Fischer In the World": production appear: Mark Maloof re-recording mixer: Bill Marino"Most dangerous Catch: New Blood stream": re-recording mixer: Bob Bronow, CAS"Great Performances within the Met: Nixon in China": re-recording mixer: Ken Hahn, CAS music mixer: Jay Saks"Rhianna Monster Ball Tour" production mixer: John Harris re-recording mixer: John Riordan, CASTechnical AwardsProductionCalrec Apollo Broadcast Mixing Console (software release 1.6 after which)Movie Slate Appear Dept. Wordpress wordpress plugin by Pureblend SoftwareRemote Audio Meon LiFeYamaha 01V96i Digital MixerZaxcom Nomad Production Appear SystemPost-ProductionAcheron Designer Screen Funnel LoudspeakerAvid Professional Tools 10Avid Eucon Protocol Version 5.6.2Dolby Media Meter 2Izotope Ozone 5 Advanced Contact Christy Grosz at christy.grosz@variety.com

Digital screens in Europe pass half-way point

BERLIN -- More than 52% of theatrical screens in Europe have been converted to digital, up from just 4% three years ago, yet single-screen cinemas are still struggling. According to a report by the Council of Europe's European Audiovisual Observatory and Media Salles, part of the EU's Media Program, some 18,500 digital screens had been installed in Europe by the end of last year. While the initial phase of large-scale digital conversion during 2009 and 2010 was largely driven by 3D installations, it was 2D screens that for the first time propelled the rollout in 2011. This second major phase of the digital roll-out, according to the report, is now driven primarily by full conversions of larger circuits under virtual print fee schemes with the major studios, and by public initiatives, ranging from legislation (such as in France), and publicly funded industry-wide conversion schemes (as seen in Norway and the Netherlands) to direct public-funding programs. Not all theaters have been able to convert, however. The study shows that small cinemas and exhibitors have significant problems converting to digital. By the end of 2010 only 11% of single-screen cinemas had installed a digital screen, compared to 89% of multiplexes. Small cinemas form a characteristic part of the European cinema landscape, with single-screen cinemas alone accounting for almost 60% of all European theaters. "Though presumably not vital for overall box office results, these smaller cinemas play an important social and cultural role in many communities. The fact that these screens have not yet converted highlights the fact that commercial financing models cannot cover all European cinemas, causing a funding gap for between 15% and 20% of European screens," the report said. Nevertheless, the high penetration rates in various European markets means the end of 35mm distribution is rapidly approaching. Distribs in Belgium, Luxembourg and Norway (which became the first country worldwide to go fully digital in 2011), were expected to end 35mm distribution as early as 2011 and 2012. A total of 11 territories had converted at least 50% of their screens by mid-2011, including France and the U.K., Europe's two leading markets. The report warns that Europe's theatrical landscape could suffer major upheaval as a result of the fast-moving digital rollout. "Once large distributors switch to digital distribution in such major markets, demand for film stock will drop significantly, putting pressure on 35mm economics on a pan-European level. This could cause financial strain for those distributors and exhibitors still depending on it." Bigger companies are set to benefit more than smaller players from the transition to digital, leading to a "fundamental change in the fragmented European theatrical landscape" and posing "a challenge to the European independent sector, characterized as it is by a large number of small exhibitors and distributors." Contact Ed Meza at staff@variety.com

Alec Baldwin Rejoined Twitter To Put A Stop To Imposters

First Published: January 11, 2012 4:57 PM EST Credit: Access Hollywood Caption Alec Baldwin Talks 30 Rock Season 6 Premiere LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Alec Baldwin famously resigned from Twitter following his feud with American Airlines last month, but after just a few weeks off, the 30 Rock star began Tweeting, yet again. According to the actor, he returned to the social media networking site because of the high number of Alec Baldwin Twitter imposters. Theres a lot of people who have different variations thats very common, Alec told Access Hollywood of faux Alecs Tweeting at The National Board of Review Awards in NY City on Tuesday. I think I [went back] for that reason Im so tired of people writing the wrong thing. The 53-year-old star will soon return to the small screen when 30 Rock Season 6 premieres on NBC on Thursday, and Alec is proud of the new episodes. I am excited, he told Access. We start late this year, which is weird but I think that the shows have been funny. As for those pesky rumors hell soon leave the Tina Fey-led hit, Alec said hes still having way too much fun playing narcissistic TV exec Jack Donaghy. Were in our sixth year and I still go to work and they hand me the scripts and I go, Youve gotta be kidding me! he told Access. Its been a lot of fun. The sixth season of 30 Rock premieres on Thursday at 8 PM on NBC. Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tech gear revs engines at CES

Fords Evos concept car connects to the cloud to deliver drivers entertainment. Talk to designers of a car company's entertainment system and they're quick to bring up two devices: smartphones and tablets.Around 24% of car owners use an iPod or MP3 player to listen to music in their vehicles, although that increases to around half when asking 18- to 24-year-olds, according to Arbitron, Edison Research and Scarborough Research. Around 6% stream Pandora from a phone; up to 19% among the younger set. Of those questioned, 38% are interested in connecting phones to interact with apps on an infotainment system.Not all infotainment designers are app-obsessed, however. Most caution that the point of driving should still be about focusing on watching the road and controlling the car.With the ubiquitous adoption of the app-filled devices around the world, "entertainment is mobile," says Stuart Norris, senior design manager at General Motors' Cadillac division. "We're expecting so much from our cars now. You want connectivity wherever you live and you can't get more mobile than being in the car."As a result, the car is yet another platform Steve Jobs and his team at Apple have influenced forever.Nearly every automaker has revamped or is readying to roll out new infotainment systems that easily connect to cell phones, tablets, offer WiFi and a variety of apps through large touchscreens that look and operate like the graphically slick software on most mobile devices.The auto industry prefers the term infotainment because in addition to a variety of audio platforms, the systems are adding more information to traditional navigation systems (naturally, now in 3D!) like live traffic, weather, news, sports and stock updates, local gas prices and restaurant recommendations.Providing that mix of info and entertainment are versions of familiar apps that fill up iPhones, iPads and Android devices.Online music service Pandora, for example, has made itself at home in cars as it has on smart TVs, videogame consoles and mobile devices. Other app makers are also going along for the ride. BMW recently brokered a deal with Yelp to provide restaurant reviews and local eatery suggestions to drivers. Audi has Google Earth in its newer vehicles. And Toyota's Entune features Bing, iheartradio, MovieTickets.com, and OpenTable, along with Pandora. It's only a matter of time before Netflix also hits the road.This week's Consumer Electronics Show introduces even more features, with a keynote by Daimler's Dieter Zetsche outlining Mercedes-Benz's moves to catch up to its competitors with new infotainment offerings that include gesture controls, 3D displays, handwriting recognition and software developed specifically for the iPhone that will incorporate such social networking tools as Facebook.CES has become more car-friendly over the years, with Ford and Audi chiefs added to the confab's roster of official keynotes and the show hosting a pavilion for auto-related technology.Ford will promote its futuristic Evos concept, a vehicle that connects to cloud-based services to deliver information and entertainment, but also track a driver's behaviors and predict preferences.The Evos "shows the future of where we see connectivity going," says Jim Buczkowski, director of electronic research at Ford Motor Co.Ford also will showcase updates of its popular MyFord Touch system, which enables apps from companies such as Pandora, Stitcher and OpenBeak to be accessed in its cars through SYNC and voice controls, and will soon double that to include iHeartRadio, Slacker Radio, TuneIn and NPR.In making the deals, Ford and other automakers aren't necessarily doing the heavy lifting. They want drivers to be able to access the entertainment they're already carrying around on their phones and are providing that connection in the car -- any software updates are carried out when a driver updates the apps on their phone."We think that the phone is going to be very central to many people's lives today and many people's lives in the future," Buczkowski says. "The phone will be the access point to experiences."Cadillac recently spent the past three years designing its new CUE system (or Cadillac User Experience) after iPhone sales had taken off and the iPad was still two years away. The result is a system that could easily be mistaken for one, with its large 8-inch touchscreen housed in a shiny piano black frame mounted on the centerstack."We were already inundated with our iPhones in 2008 and wanted to figure out ways to scale this kind of (touch) interface for automotive," says Norris, who knew CUE's success would be dependent upon seamless connections to smartphones to deliver entertainment.CUE will debut in 2012 in the Cadillac XTS and ATS luxury sedans and SRX luxury crossover."We went through a period where we were offering 40 gigabyte hard drives that people ripped their music to in order to play it in their cars," Norris says. "People don't want 15 different places where they have to save their music."If an app is offered, it "should be related to driving," says Filip Brabec, general manager of product planning for Audi of America. He considers apps "a new area that still needs to be looked at deeper. There are early examples of where the industry is going but it's a matter of time before we see that in more cars.""For us the key thing is the driving experience and that's one thing we're going to expand on," Brabec says. "We want to make sure it's entertainment that's meant for driving. There are only so many things you can carry out as a driver. That's only getting more complex with more traffic and people getting busier. People want to increasingly do things inside their car and we want to enable them in a safe environment that's keeping in mind all of the things that are distracting to drivers."As a result, designers are adding more voice controls or text-to-speech translations to their infotainment systems "to make information available but in a way that makes drivers focused on what's important, to drive and keep your eyes on the road," Buczkowski says.Because of that, automakers have primarily focused on new audio features due to safe driving concerns."We completely support a ban on handed operation of the phone," Buczkowski says. "You should be able to get in your car and through voice command get access to features without having to pull out your phone."But new video options aren't too far behind. While flip-down screens in SUVs and minivans and seatback screens inside luxury cars have been playing DVDs, Cadillac has become the first carmaker to support Blu-ray."People are buying Blu-ray," Norris says. "It's about giving people access to what they've already got and making sure people who have a library of Blu-rays at home can play them wherever they go."Others like Audi are looking to provide faster Internet connections that will enable video from such services as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and UltraViolet to be streamed directly to devices."Once people will be able to stream movies in their back seat, that will completely change the landscape of in-car entertainment," especially when it comes to entertaining kids, Brabec says. While Audi, of course, doesn't encourage drivers to view video in the front seat, "there's no way to limit it in the car," he says.In fact, future innovation of infotainment systems will rely heavily on the Internet down the road, with Ford and Mercedes' concept cars turning to cloud-based storage to deliver entertainment similar to what Apple and Amazon now offer and studios are promoting through UltraViolet's digital lockers, to access movies, games, books and music.Audi is considering other options, like connecting its cars wirelessly to parking meters and garages to make payments at the press of a button."Again it's relevant to the driving task," Brabec says. "We've had these kinds of thoughts for a long time, but one thing that prevented us from doing it was the wireless networks. They weren't in place with the speeds where we wanted to accomplish things faster."Audi needed faster Internet speeds, of which it turns to T-Mobile, and faster chips from NVIDIA to be able to add Google Earth maps onto its cars' navigation system in 2011, given the bandwidth requirements of the software.The automaker doesn't want to get to the point where it will have full Google search functions inside its cars, instead, limiting search to specific terms while driving, leaving full Internet accessibility to cell phones and tablets that connect to its WiFi service."There are some things that don't make sense in the car," such as traditional Google searches, Brabec says. "You're far better doing that on your tablet or smartphone. It's not suitable for driving."Cadillac also hopes Internet speeds will help it beef up CUE in the future."We've already passed the point of relying on people's smartphones to provide entertainment," Norris says. "Now we're focused on how to get 3G and 4G into our vehicles."All of this innovation is paying off for automakers, factoring into consumers' buying decisions when choosing which vehicle to purchase, key for brands in a competitive market. According to the Consumer Electronics Assn., in-car entertainment systems generated $5.9 billion in 2011, up from $5.5 billion in 2010.For Ford, half of SYNC owners say the system played a critical role in their purchase, with a survey of 2011 Ford Edge owners showing that four of the top seven purchase reasons were elements of the MyFord Touch system: the touchscreen, steering wheel controls, voice recognition and dashboard styling. One-third of Ford customers said their impressions of Ford improved after experiencing a SYNC demo.There are now more than 3 million Ford vehicles on the road running the original SYNC software, which launched for the late 2007 models, and was updated with MyFord Touch in 2010. Similar options are available in Ford's Lincoln luxury brand."It's been very important for us," Buczkowski says. "When SYNC first launched it democratized telematics and was a low cost option to leverage their phone. We have found it's a differentiating experience."WiFi is followed by Google Earth among the top options Audi's buyers consider, the company claims, given that over a third of its customers own a tablet, more than the average of luxury car buyers.One key selling point, however, is making sure that these systems work.Although praised for SYNC and MyFord Touch, Ford hit some bumps in the road for cumbersome controls, which led it to update the system this year with faster software that features simpler graphics that are easier to use.Naturally, these new entertainment options threaten Sirius XM's satellite radio's subscription-based service, and the aging CD and advertising-dependent AM and FM radio channels.But there's still time."Once network speeds continue to increase, more people will gravitate toward their mobile devices," Brabec says. "But we don't expect that until more 4G speeds come along," which won't become "ubiquitous" until after 2014. n Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

Michael Shannon Is Adorable In The Latest Edition Of After Hours

When asked to think of the most adorable actor we could possibly come up with to guest star on After Hours' latest program, "Adorable Things," only one name could come to mind for the MTV Movies team: Michael Shannon. The "Man of Steel" star has made a name for himself being cute and cuddly in projects like "Boardwalk Empire," "Revolutionary Road" and "Take Shelter." The lovable actor came on the show recently to have his cheeks pinched, side tickled and be barked at, and provide us with the best use of five minutes we've had all day. Needless to say, if you're a fan of Shannon's work, this is not an After Hours to miss. Our favorite part of the segment? When MTV's Josh Horowitz brings up the little-known (read: fake) fact that Shannon had shot for two weeks on "The Notebook" before director Nick Cassavetes replaced him with Ryan Gosling. Apparently he was booted off the project because Rachel McAdams didn't like how he kissed. "She said I wasn't a good kisser. What are you gonna do? No one ever showed me how to kiss. I had to learn myself," Shannon deadpanned. If that wasn't enough to get you chuckling, then stay tuned for the part where Horowitz gets Shannon to do his best cute puppy impressions. That's certainly not something you're going to see happen on "Boardwalk Empire" any time soon. Were you laughing as hard at this installment of After Hours as we were? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!