Can't Live Without Movies: April 2012

Monday, April 30, 2012

Hot Trailer: The Dark Knight Rises

Here’s Warner Bros’ third and final theatrical trailer for The Dark Knight Rises before the movie opens July 20. As expected the trailer will have prime theatrical positioning in front of Disney-Marvel’s The Avengers when that hotly anticipated movie officially kicks off summer season late Thursday/early Friday.

HBO Picks Up Matthew-Woody Series ‘True Detective’ With Eight-Episode Order

EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation, True Detective, an eight-part event drama series project starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, has landed at HBO with a straight-to-series order. I hear the pay cable network is finalizing a deal for an eight-episode order to the high-concept cop drama written on spec by Nic Pizzolatto, with Cary Fukunaga (Jane Eyre) on board to direct all episodes.
True Detective, which sparked heated bidding after it was taken out to the top cable networks earlier this month, is descried as an elevated serial narrative with multiple perspectives and time frames. It centers on two detectives, Rust Cohle (McConaughey) and Martin Hart (Harrelson), whose lives collide and entwine during a seventeen-year hunt for a serial killer in Louisiana. The investigation of a bizarre murder in 1995 is framed and interlaced with testimony from the detectives in 2012, when the case has been reopened. The concept is for the 8-episode first season to resolve the mystery at hand, with subsequent seasons using same structure but new characters and story. True Detective is gearing up to start production right away. It is ready to do so with director and stars already on board as well as two written episodes and a bible, which were part of the project’s pitch. Anonymous Content, which manages Pizzolatto and Fukunaga, developed True Detective in-house and will be producing the series for HBO. Anonymous president Paul Green negotiated the deal with the pay cable network, with the company’s Richard Brown and Steve Golin executive producing alongside Pizzolatto and Fukunaga and Bard Dorros also set to serve in some producing capacity. As part of the pickup of True Detective, HBO also has signed a development deal with Pizzolatto for other projects.
RELATED: Matthew McConaughey & Woody Harrelson Pair For Cable Cop Series
This is the second pickup of a hot spec project by HBO. The network’s sister network Cinemax recently gave a pilot order to Hurt People, GK-tv’s drama project starring and executive produced by William Petersen. This is the first TV collaboration for best friends McConaughey and Harrelson who have done two features together, Edtv and Surfer, Dude. For McConaughey, this marks the first regular TV series gig, for Harrelson, it marks a return to the medium where he became a household name as one of the stars of Cheers. True Detective reunites HBO with McConaughey and Harrelson who both appeared on HBO programs recently — McConaughey guest starred on comedy Eastbound & Down, Harrelson starred in the movie Game Change. RWSG Agency-repped Pizzolatto, an award-winning novelist and short-story writer, recently worked on AMC’s The Killing. McConaughey and Harrelson are with CAA, Fukunaga with WME.

Battleship’ Slows To $170.9M Overseas

Peter Berg’s military vs aliens actioner from Universal moved into its 3rd weekend of international release and grossed an estimated $22.5M at 9,604 dates in 50 territories. That now brings the international total grosses for Battleship to $170.9M. Or, to put it in perspective, still less than what Marvel’s The Avengers from Disney made in its first 5 days of release in 39 territories last week. And with Russia and China and Japan still to come! Rival studios tell me that Battleship‘s foreign progress slowed considerably overseas because of The Avengers. But there was still some good news. Russia held at #1 for the second week in a row. In Japan, Battleship is the #1 English-language film for the 3rd week in a row. And China should do well on the Tuesday holiday May Day there and in Russia. The pic has 14 territories still to release — including Israel on May 3, South Africa on May 4 and Latin America starting on May 10 — until it opens in the U.S. and Canada on May 18. The studio set a strategy to open overseas first because of its advance bad buzz and very expensive budget. (The studio claims the cost was $209M.)
Related: Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’ $185.1M Overseas: Continues Breaking Box Office Records

Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’ $185.1M Overseas: Continues Breaking Box Office Records

‘Avengers’ Pre-Sales Bigger Than Previous Marvel Films Combined
BREAKING… MONDAY 7TH UPDATE: Still more countries

are reporting grosses, and the superhero super-blockbuster opened #1 in every foreign market. It doesn’t come out in the U.S. until May 4th but already it’s scooping up 60+% of all pre-sold movie tickets online and more than all the previous Marvel films combined. Overseas, Disney is reporting $185.1M box office in the film’s first 5 days of release in 39 territories. Marvel‘s The Avengers from Disney now is playing in approximately 70% of its foreign run. Latin and South America dominated with the highest opening weekend of all time in major markets like Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Central America, Peru, and Boliva. As well as the Asian makets which had the highest opening weekends in Hong King, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines. Big ticket nations like Russia, China and Japan are still to open, and upcoming May Day is a huge holiday. The pic is already grossing ahead of Alice In Wonderland, Pirates Of the Caribbean 4, Iron Man 2, and The Dark Knight. The Avengers scoored the biggest opening days in New Zealand, Taiwan, Iceland and Malaysia. Cumes for key territories include: UK $25.5M, Australia $19.8M, Mexico $16.9M, France $13.9M, Korea $13.0M, Brazil $11.3M, Italy $11.0M, Germany $8.1M, Taiwan $7.5M, Spain $6.9M, Philippines $6.6M, and Hong Kong $4.7M.

SATURDAY: Performance to date in key territories include: Australia $11.1M, UK $9.4M, France $6.8M, Italy $5.8M, Mexico $4.7M, Korea $4.5M, Taiwan $3.6M, Germany $3.4M, Philippines $3.4M, Brazil $2.8M, Hong Kong $1.8M, and Spain $1.7M. Throughout the smaller Latin American territories opening Thursday, the Friday opening was the best ever Disney and Marvel opening day. Mexico represented the second highest opening day of all time. Brazil was the third highest opening day of all time. In the UK, the 2 days to date have exceeded the opening weekends of previous Marvel films Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America. Taiwan was the second highest Friday of all time. Hong Kong was the highest non-holiday Friday result of all time. India opened on Friday to the third biggest opening day for all Hollywood titles ever and highest ever for a Disney and Marvel opening day. Malaysia opened Friday to the #1 biggest opening day of all-time. Vietnam opened Friday to the 2nd biggest opening day of all time. And Iceland opened Friday to the #1 biggest opening day of all-time.
FRIDAY AM, 4TH UPDATE: My sources say Marvel’s The Avengers posted an estimated $36.0M in its first two days of overseas release from 25 territories. This represents approximately 45% of its international run. Performance to date in key territories: Australia $8.2M, France $4.9M, Italy $4.6M, UK $4.1M, Taiwan $2.4M, Philippines $2.4M, Korea $2.3M, Germany $1.4M, New Zealand $1.1M. The UK opening was the third biggest Thursday opening ever. In Germany it opened #1 in the market and is the biggest opening day of 2012. Korea’s opening represents the 3rd biggest non-local title opening of all time. Hong Kong’s opening is the 4th biggest debut day of all time and the biggest non-holiday opening of all time. Argentina was the third highest opening day of all time. Denmark opened Thursday to the 2nd highest Marvel opening day ever and biggest opening day of 2012. South Africa opened Thursday to the 2nd biggest Thursday opening day of all-time (only behind Twilight 3). Austria opened Thursday to the biggest opening day of 2012. Hungary opened Thursday to the biggest Marvel opening day ever. Chile opened Thursday to the 5th highest opening day of all-time and the biggest Disney and Marvel day ever. Peru opened Thursday to the 3rd highest opening day of all-time and the biggest Disney and Marvel day ever.
THURSDAY AM, 3RD UPDATE: My sources say Marvel’s The Avengers has made a total $17.1M overseas already. And the hotly anticipated actioner is already shattering box office records overseas. It earned in U.S. dollar estimates $17.1M from 10 countries: including $6.2M in Australia, $2.7M in Italy, $2.9 in France, $1.3M in the Philippines, $1.3M in Taiwan, $800K in New Zealand, and $900K others. MovieTickets.com reports the superhero actioner in the United States ”is pre-selling more tickets for the upcoming release than the online ticketing company sold for Captain America, Thor, Iron Man 2, and Iron Man combined at the same point in the sales cycle for each film. In fact, pre-sales are over 1 1/2-times that of these past Marvel films combined sales at the same point in the sales cycle”. MovieTickets.com reports that 56% of Avengers pre-sales are from fans wanting to see the film in 3D. And nearly 37% are from moviegoers buying tickets to see the film in IMAX 3D.
Internationally, two nations, Australia and New Zealand, having were holidays: ANZAC Day, so that helped boost box office. Australia’s opening day is the second-highest opening of all time there behind only the final Harry Potter (A$7M). It is also the highest Marvel opening day ever, 214% ahead of Iron Man 2 (A$1.8M Thursday opening) and 136% ahead of The Dark Knight (A$2.5M Thursday opening), and the highest Disney opening day ever for a Disney film. The pic playing in Taiwan is the biggest industry Wednesday opening ever, the biggest opening day of 2012 (173% above Battleship) and the second-biggest opening day for any Marvel film (after only Spider-Man 3). In New Zealand, pic scored highest grossing opening day ever, beating Harrry Potter finale (NZ$975L). The pic isnt even pen yet in China, Russia, or japan. The Avengers is the first Marvel film to be marketed and distributed by Disney, so this is great news for the studio.
Related: ‘Avengers’ Tracking Like Superhero: $125+M Opening Weekend With 4-Quadrant Appeal
The pic has been tracking incredibly high because so many well-known characters are coming together for the first time in this PG-13 film directed by Joss Whedon in Digital 3D, RealD & IMAX 3D. So the movie’s North American opening on May 4th timed to the official summer season start will be an event. As a result, not only will this type of action film normally skew young and older male, but the tracking is looking strong as a three- and possibly four-quadrant movie, too. Right now Disney and theatre owners are adding screens every day for the U.S./Canada release whose online pre-sales of tickets were selling out weeks in advance. Midnight show business is expected to be phenomenal. Exactly how much the studio can gross for the first weekend depends on how many screenings each theater can pack into 72 hours by finding enough staff willing to work the extra hours and keep the pic running continuously.

Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.

Dick Clark Productions Wins Golden Globes Lawsuit

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By Tim Kenneally & Pamela Chelin

Dick Clark Productions has won the lawsuit that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association launched against the company over who owns the broadcast rights to the Golden Globes awards show.
In a ruling issued Monday, Judge Howard A. Matz decided in favor of Dick Clark Productions. The suit was filed against Dick Clark Productions and its parent company, Red Zone Capital Partners II, by the HFPA in 2010, leading to a particularly ugly legal battle.
Also read: Golden Globes Trial Exposes Dick Clark Productions CEO's Misleading Negotiating Tactics
The HFPA alleged that Dick Clark Productions had negotiated a new contract to air the Golden Globes with NBC without the HFPA's consent, and that the negotiations potentially cost HFPA millions of dollars, because the rights were not put out for bid to other networks.
Dick Clark Productions countered that an amendment in its contract allows it to retain the rights to the Golden Globes broadcast each time it reaches a new deal with NBC. DCP also asserted that it didn't require the HFPA"s blessing to extend its agreement with NBC.
Also read: Golden Globes Lawsuit: Does it Come Down to 6 Words?
Judge Mantz sided with Dick Clark Productions' interpretation of the facts in his ruling Monday, noting, "Defendants are entitled to a judicial declaration that the 1993 Amendment grants DCP the option to extend its rights to produce and distribute the Golden Globe Awards show beyond 2005 for 'any extensions, renewals, substitutions or modifications of the NBC Agreement,' with or without HFPA's approval.
"Because the plain meaning and the intrinsic evidence support DCP's interpretation of the 1993 Amendment, dcp's counterclaim for declaratory relief is granted and HFPA's claim for declaratory relief is denied," Judge Matz's ruling added.
Also read: Golden Globes Trial Exposes Dick Clark CEO's Misleading Negotiating Tactics
"We're incredibly pleased by the result," Dick Clark Productions' lawyer, Marty Katz, told TheWrap. "The decision reflects very careful thought by Judge Matz and is entirely consistent with the overwhelming factual record.
"We're incredibly pleased that our client's rights have been vindicated," Katz added. "The opinion is very thorough and well thought out."
Dick Clark Productions added, "We are pleased the court affirmed our contract and look forward to working with the HFPA and NBC to nurture and expand the Golden Globes franchise for years to come."
The HFPA's attorney in the matter has not yet responded to TheWrap's request for comment.
Though DCP ultimately prevailed in the suit, the company didn't come out of the situation without its lumps. During the trial, Dick Clark Productions CEO Mark Shapiro was compelled to admit on the stand that he used misleading statements while negotiating with NBC, leading network executives to believe that he had HFPA's blessing to extend the agreement.
At one point, asked by Judge Matz if he had made false statements while negotiating with the network, Shapiro replied, "Right."

Cannes Festival adds seven more films

by Lanford Beard

Image Credit: Marilyn Monroe photo by Otto L. Bettmann

The Cannes Film Festival has announced the addition of seven new films. British garbage documentary Trashed, featuring Jeremy Irons, joins the line-up of special screenings. Wayne Blair’s The Sapphires, about an aboriginal Australian pop group from the 1960s, and Franck Khalfoun’s horror flick Maniac, starring Elijah Wood, have been added to the Midnight Screening roster.
There will now be 20 films in the Un Certain Regard selection, including Bosnian entry Djeca, American debut Gimme the Loot, and French art biopic Renoir. Finally, the Cannes Classics segment on May 25 has opened a slot for Final Cut – Hölgyeim És Uraim, György Pálfi’s “montage film” cut from 400 films. The festival takes place from May 16-27.

First Scripted Slate, Jonas Brother Reality Show Coming to E!

Kevin Spacey and John Wells are among the names involved in E!'s first slate of scripted series, the network announced on Monday.

Not that they've given up on reality shows altogether. Among E!'s new reality series: "Married to Jonas," starring Kevin Jonas, the oldest member of Grammy-nominated pop music trio the Jonas Brothers, and his wife, Danielle, as well as a weekly talk show hosted by comedian/NBC sitcom star Whitney Cummings.
In the announcement for the new series, the network also unveiled a new logo, which includes the slogan "Pop of Culture" (pictured).
The new scripted series include Wells' "Anne of Hollywood," the story of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII reset in present-day Hollywood, and the Spacey-produced Silicon Valley drama "Upstarts."

The Jonas show has the ever-present Ryan Seacrest as executive producer. It premieres Aug. 19 and follows the pop star and his wife as they navigate their daily lives at their New Jersey home while also dealing with his recording and touring schedule and interference from both their families.
Also read: Kim Kardashian Divorce: $250K for Each Day of Marriage (Update)
And just as the Kardashians have to make room in the family reality show roost at E!, Cummings' talk show -- "Love You, Mean It With Whitney Cummings" -- means Chelsea Handler will no longer be the network's sole talk show presence.
"Love You, Mean It" will air on Wednesday nights on E!, paired with Joel McHale's "The Soup," and will feature Cummings, sidekick Julian McCullough and a rotating schedule of celebrity guests who will help her riff on pop culture happenings.

The list of E!'s one-hour series in development, with the network's descriptions:
AMY DEVLIN MYSTERIES – A modern take on procedural storytelling, Amy Devlin is a late 20-something, culturally-obsessed detective who brings her own style and POV to police work. Based on the graphic novel of the same name. From writer Daniel Barnz, who wrote and directed "Won't Back Down," starring Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Holly Hunter, it hits in September. Executive Producers are Daniel Barnz, Eric Gitter from Oni Press and Andy Bourne from CBS Productions.
ANNE OF HOLLYWOOD –Based on the bestselling novel by Carol Wolper, the story of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII is reset in present-day Hollywood ... "the flashiest, most treacherous court of all." The elements of Anne's true story -- love, passion, intrigue, betrayal, infidelity and conspiracy -- remain fully intact, and become truly relatable to today's audience. From John Wells Productions and Warner Horizon Television.
DOROTHY – Inspired by the books “Dorothy” and “The Wizard of Oz,” a girl from Kansas City falls for a man and moves with him to the Emerald City to work at his Emerald Hotel. From writer Natalie Krinsky ("Gossip Girl," "Grey's Anatomy") and Warner Horizon Television.
FASCINATION STREET – A then-and-now look at the tumultuous relationship between two brothers as they work to make their band a success in the past and struggle to find who is behind the disappearance of the lead singer in the present.

MTV Movie Award Nominations: Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Breaking Dawn, Bridesmaids Up for Top Prize

The Hunger Games tributes are beyond fierce, but taking on Bridesmaids could be just as daunting as any challenge they faced in the arena. Nominations for the 2012 MTV Movie Awards just came out and the two blockbusters are up for the most Golden Popcorns, snagging 8 nods a piece, including Movie of the Year. So who else is up for top prize at the hip awards show?
PHOTOS: Movies From the Future!
Of course, some supernatural stars are also in the running for best picture. Breaking Dawn Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 also picked up noms for top prize at the hip awards show. Rounding out the best picture category is The Help, which is up for three additional Golden Popcorns.
The flicks up for best picture also duke it out in a few more categories: Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Watson and Kristen Wiig are all up for Best Female Performance. Leading lads Daniel Radcliffe and Josh Hutcherson received nods for Best Male Performance.
Curious about which of your favorite flicks scored nominations? Peep the full list of nominations for the 2012 MTV Awards below:
Movie of the Year:

Bridesmaids
The Hunger Games
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Help
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

Best Female Performance

Emma Stone, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Best Male Performance

Channing Tatum, The Vow
Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games
Ryan Gosling, Drive

Breakthrough Performance

Elle Fanning, Super 8
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Liam Hemsworth, The Hunger Games
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Comedic Performance

Jonah Hill, 21 Jump Street
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Oliver Cooper, Project X
Zach Galifianakis, The Hangover Part II

Best Cast

21 Jump Street
Bridesmaids
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Help
The Hunger Games

Best On-Screen Transformation

Colin Farrell, Horrible Bosses
Elizabeth Banks, The Hunger Games
Johnny Depp, 21 Jump Street
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Best Fight

Channing Tatum & Jonah Hill vs Kid Gang, 21 Jump Street
Daniel Radcliffe vs. Ralph Fiennes, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson vs. Alexander Ludwig, The Hunger Games
Tom Cruise vs. Michael Nyqvist, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Tom Hardy vs. Joel Edgerton, Warrior

Best Kiss

Channing Tatum & Rachel McAdams, The Vow
Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games
Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1
Rupert Grint & Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone, Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Best Gun-Wrenching Performance

21 Jump Street (Schmidt shoots Coach Walters in the d--k)
Bridesmaids (Food poisoning at the bridal shop)
Drive (Elevator beatdown)
The Help (Minny bakes a memorable pie)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (Scaling a high-rise building)

Best On-Screen Dirtbag

Bryce Dallas Howard, The Help
Colin Farrell, Horrible Bosses
Jennifer Aniston, Horrible Bosses
Jon Hamm, Bridesmaids
Oliver Cooper, Project X

Best Music

"The Devil is in the Details," Chemical Brothers, Hanna
"Impossible," Figurine, Like Crazy
"Party Rock Anthem," LMFAO, 21 Jump Street
"Pursuit of Happiness," Kid Cudi (Steve Aoki Remix), Project X
"A Real Hero," College with Electric Youth, Drive

Which flicks are you rooting for? Sound off in the comments!
PHOTOS: 2012 MTV Movie Awards: Notable Nominees

Gossip Girl Redux: Chuck and Blair Reunite and [Spoiler] Returns!

Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick, Gossip Girl

GIOVANNI RUFINO / THE CW

Just when you think Chuck's (Ed Westwick) family drama couldn't get any more complicated.
Gossip Girl finally played a card they were holding close to the vest for a very, very long time: what really happened to Bart Bass (Robert John Burke), Chuck's father. Here's hoping your jaws didn't permanently damage the floor when they hit the ground after the big reveal!
So, who returned from the dead? And who said "I love you" to Blair (Leighton Meester) tonight? Plus, did Chace Crawford give away the CW's plans for the next season of GG?
MORE: Gossip Girl: Hottie Singer to Make Acting Debut in Finale!
Bart Bass is Alive! Executive producer Josh Safran, who is reportedly heading to NBC's Smash after the season ends, teased that tonight's episode would feature the "biggest surprise of the year" and he wasn't lying! While viewers were led to believe Chuck's father died in a tragic car crash in season two, turns out he's alive —unless Diana (Elizabeth Hurley) hired the guys behind the Tupac hologram at Coachella—because Chuck walked in on the duo at the very end of tonight's episode.
"We've been waiting months for you to see it!!," the Gossip Girl writers tweeted after the big reveal. "Years, actually." Yes, the writers have had this trick up their sleeve for years. Kudos!
Three Little Words: Yes Dair fans, Dan (Penn Badgley) dropped said those three little, but oh-so-very-important words to Blair. Her response? "I knew that." Yeah, not exactly the most desirable reaction to an "I love you." What led to Dan's love-bomb? Dan was offered a highly sought-after and prestigious summer writing program in Rome, but pulled an L.C. circa-The Hills season one when he turned it down for Blair (and his unwillingness to leave Blair along in the city with a certain dapper, purple-wearing young millionaire). Alas, Dan didn't tell Blair she was the reason he chose to stay in New York; he says the program went with another candidate. Blair's inability to say those three words back to Dan may have something to do with...
MORE: Exclusive Secret Circle Sneak Peek: Watch Nick and Melissa's Intense Reunion!
Viva La Chair: Unable to crack the code in Diana's day planner (and having Nate, not the brightest crayon in the box, as his research assistant), Chuck turns to the smartest person he knows for help: his ex, Blair. After channeling her inner Diana (and turning Chuck on in the process!), Blair is able to decipher the code thanks to her "cipher slide," which she started using in third grade. After everything these two have been through, it was nice to see them go back to their scheming ways of old, non? (Chuck's "She likes to watch!" line? A+!)
She's Ba-aaack: Gossip Girl finally got her site back, thanks to an assist from Nate and Lola (Ella Rae Peck) who tricked Serena (Blake Lively) into giving up control of the site, much to her chagrin. "Writing is my new outlet," Serena tells Dorota of her laptop obsession. Wow, the girl who claims Gossip Girl ruined her life back in the day now only looks forward to being Gossip Girl these days. How's that for ironic? (But how awesome was it when Serena, Blair, Nate and Chuck all teamed up again, just like old times?)
MORE: Game of Thrones Scoop: Get Ready For a Dangerous New Episode!
WHAT'S AHEAD
Good Girls Go Bad! In case you missed the news earlier, Cobra Starship frontman Gabe Saporta, who collaborated with Meester on the band's hit song "Good Girls Go Bad," is set to make his acting debut in the season finale and get this he's not playing himself...or a musician! Hm...could he be one of Serena's possible new love interests?
The Love Triangle Is So On: Blair is clearly back on the Bass train after their day of scheming together (and Blair's obvious jealousy over that lingerie girl putting a move on Chuck), and she will make a choice (How very TVD's Elena of her!) between the two men of her life in the finale, "The Return of the Ring." I think we all know which ring that title is referring to now, don't we? If it isn't obvious yet, Meester and Westwick recently made an appearance at a Harry Winston event. Are you there yet?
Is the End Near? In an interview with Australia's ATV, Chace Crawford might have given away a very big clue about the CW's plans for next year. "We're all contracted for six seasons, so the sixth is coming up and they might do a truncated 13 episodes to really tie a nice bow and ending on it. We've had a good run," he says.
What did you think of tonight's GG outing? Sound off in the comments!

Did Jennifer Lopez's Chauffeur Get Taken for a Ride?

FOX via Getty Images

Jennifer Lopez's former driver is claiming that, when the diva was in the backseat, he didn't eat.
A lack of meal breaks is one of the indignities Hakom Manoukian is alleging in a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed today against Lopez, Nuyorican Productions and her manager, Benny Medina.
Manoukian says he had been driving Lopez and Marc Anthony part-time since 2005—but that it all went wrong when he was encouraged to give up his private limo company and go to work for them as their full-time chauffeur last year.
MORE: Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony Aren't Really in for a Messy Custody Battle—Are They?
A rep for the increasingly busy Lopez did not immediately return a request for comment.
Manoukian's suit states that, once he was given the full-time position in April 2011, he was promised a yearly salary of $72,000 plus "production pay" whenever Lopez was filming, performing or busy with professional engagements. Based on her schedule, it was estimated that his actual salary would amount to $200,000, according to the complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by E! News.
View the lawsuit
But during the next few months, Manoukian claims, he received no production pay or overtime whatsoever and was treated unfairly by Medina, who during one job in Atlanta allegedly "chastised and humiliated" Manoukian by telling the driver it was a big mistake to hire him and that he was "not 'presentable'" and didn't speak English well enough to handle such a big job.
MORE: Jennifer Lopez Hitting the Road With Enrique Iglesias
The plaintiff states that he was demoted to Lopez's L.A.-only driver after he complained about Medina, and his term of employment ultimately ended at the end of September.
In addition to breach of contract, Manoukian alleges deceit, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, constructive fraud, failure to pay overtime, failure to provide meal periods, unfair business practices and wrongful termination. He is seeking unspecified damages and overtime compensation.
—Reporting by Claudia Rosenbaum

The Voice Recap: Final Eight Singers Give Blowout Performances During Semifinals

The Voice, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Carson Daly, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine

Chris Haston/NBC

Can you believe it's almost time to crown The Voice for season two already?
The remaining two members from each team gave it their all tonight during the semifinals, in hopes that their performances will earn enough of America's votes and a high score from their coach, because both components will determine who competes in the finals and who goes home.
We won't know any of that until tomorrow night, so for now, let's see how everyone did.
MORE: The Voice Eliminations: Who's Going Into the Semifinals
Team Adam
Tony Lucca gave an energetic performance of "How Do You Like Me Now" by The Heavy, which was "badass" according to Blake Shelton. Fellow former Mousketeer Christina Aguilera mentioned that if this show doesn't work out for Lucca, he and Levine can start a Britney Spears cover band together, and Cee Lo Green shared that he became a fan tonight.
Katrina Parker sang "Killing Me Softly With his Song," working off the Fugees rendition of the Roberta Flack hit; Shelton commented on her tone and seasoned sound. Meanwhile, Xtina offered immense praise for Parker and added that she wished she was Katrina's coach for this song, making it clear that she'd prefer to see Katrina move on from Team Adam.
Team Blake
An emotional Erin Willett gave a soulful rendition of Usher's "Without You." Afterward, she couldn't help but let the tears flow, thinking of her deceased father who continuously supported her appearance on the show. Shelton told her that he wished he had a tenth of the talent she had, but even more, wished he had her strength.
Jermaine Paul reminded us that there's still a very strong powerhouse singer in the competition. Belting Journey's "Open Arms," J.P. gained the praise from all four coaches, and an extra reaffirmation from Adam, who said, "I'd like to congratulate you because you are no longer a background singer, my friend."
READ: Jennifer Love Hewitt Feels Like "Total Fool" for Revealing Adam Levine Crush

Chris Haston/NBC

Team Christina
Chris Mann went back to his roots for the semifinals, giving an operatic performance of "Ave Maria." Cee Lo thought it was a "stellar" performance, while Levine found it classic, simple and beautiful. Coach Xtina said she felt the heavens open up.
A guitar-strumming Lindsey Pavao did what she does best—offer a unique show. Tonight it was a creative take to Bon Iver's "Skinny Love." Blake mentioned that it was a "refreshing" performance and Cee Lo pointed out that her voice has a "shy, innocent quality" which we all love, and he's totally right about that.
Team Cee Lo
Jamar Rogers put his own original spin on Harold Melvin's "If You Don't Know Me By Now," really—maybe for the first time this season—showing off his range by hitting (and holding) the high notes, and then finishing it up by dropping to the low notes. Levine stated he is "purely a fan of what you do," and Blake appreciated the laid-back performance.
What can we say about Juliet Simms' performance? She provided another powerful, gritty, rock rendition, this time of James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," that got the energy up in the crowd and a standing ovation from her coach. "You murdered it," Cee Lo said.
Who do you think will make it to the finals? Let us know in the comments.
GALLERY: The Voice: Musical Memories

Kelly Clarkson's Duets Loses Musical Icon Lionel Richie—and Gains a Legend

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Duets hasn't even aired yet and there's already a cast shakeup (but nothing as intense as this).
E! News confirms that Lionel Richie, who was slated to be featured on the series, pulled out from the ABC singing competition show due to scheduling conflicts.
So who's taking his place?
MORE: Watch Out, Christina Aguilera! Kelly Clarkson Headlining Rival Singing Competition
According to an ABC press release, John Legend has already filled the spot.
"I'm thrilled to be part of Duets and I'm looking forward to finding an undiscovered gem out there. This is going be a lot of fun," he said.
Legend will join Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Nettles and Robin Thicke in a journey to find undiscovered talent that's worthy of being their ultimate duet partner.
The show premieres on May 24 at 10 p.m. PST on ABC.
Do you think John Legend will be a good fit for the reality show? Sound off in the comments!

American Idol's Kris Allen Explains Santa Monica Concert Snafu: "I Just Wanted to Go Out and Play"

Michael Hickey/WireImage

Kris Allen wasn't trying to cause any trouble, he just wanted to share his love of music. Unfortunately, doing that at the Santa Monica pier requires some paperwork.
The American Idol winner explains what exactly happened with the impromptu concert that got shut down by police on Sunday, by telling E! News, "The idea was wrong. I probably was doing something I shouldn't have. I didn't mean to disrespect anybody or break the law."
MORE: American Idol Winner Kris Allen's Seaside Serenade Shut Down by Police
"I got kind of bored yesterday and wanted to play some music and let my fans hear some stuff," he told us. "I just wanted to set up and play some music. I didn't know the rules. I thought the rule was if I wasn't selling anything I could do it. I just wanted to go out and play."
Which is totally understandable, except this guy has a pretty big fanbase, so you can guess how many people showed up.
"The crowd kind of got progressively bigger and I was actually playing the last song and this cop comes up, and he has got to be biggest dude I have ever seen, and he is pissed at me, just so mad. He is like, 'Stop man, stop it—you're not supposed to be here.' I'm like, 'Sorry man, I didn't know.' I went to go shake his hand and he was like, 'I don't shake hands with anybody.'"
Ouch!
"I just wasn't supposed to be there," he continued. "I was causing more of a ruckus than they wanted. You are supposed to have a permit and I had no idea. Oops. Rock 'n' roll."
And Allen makes sure to clear up some miscommunication to his fans about the consequences he faced, "People thought I got arrested, but I didn't. I didn't even get a ticket. I think that guy [cop] was scared of me."
Now there's a theory.
GALLERY: American Idol Season 11: OMG Moments!

Dancing With the Stars Backstage Scoop: Who's Complaining For More Compliments?

ABC/ADAM TAYLOR

Monday night's Dancing With The Stars was on fire!
With the finale less than a month away, there's no room for low scores and heavy criticism. The final seven gave it their all, but not everyone got a glowing review.
So who did the judges make mad, spiraling them into an angry rant, and what dancing duo was celebrating a season first? We got the stars to spill after the show!
MORE: Scripted TV Is Coming to E!—From Notable Names Like Kevin Spacey, Michael De Luca and John Wells
There's no doubt Derek Hough and Maria Menounos owned the night. Grabbing the season's first perfect score of 30 with a sizzling paso doble, they had major bragging rights. When we caught up with the unstoppable two, they were still on cloud nine!
"It's really crazy, it hasn't even sunk in yet!" Derek told us. "It was just a really, really great night. First perfect score!"
"I think I might bawl my brains out after this," Maria added. "The rumba was one of my favorite dances because I felt like I was in a movie!"
So what was the secret to their massive success? Derek said it's all in the method to his madness.
"I break 'em down," Derek joked. "To find this sort of inner demon. I think what it is, I never tell [Maria], 'I think you could get a ten with this dance,' but inside I was telling her that. I think that pressure on myself to wanting to make her good and pushing her [makes it happen]. With all my previous partners, all the weeks I've gotten really hard on my partners and they kinda hated me is weeks when we've done really well."
MORE: Watch Now! The CW's The Catalina Looks Like a Wild Summer Ride
However, not everyone was riding high at the end of the night. Jaleel White and Kym Johnson told us they felt slighted by the judges and dished about their disappointment.
"It's a mixed sort of feeling," Kym said. "Because we won the team tango, but didn't do as well on our individual dance. So our scores are not great, we're second to last. We've taken a massive drop."
Whatever the score, Jaleel says he's dancing for the fans no matter what the judges acknowledge…or not.
"Ultimately that's what I do it for, that's why I was so pumped up for the team dance, which we won by the way," Jaleel said. Growing increasingly annoyed, he continued, "We didn't get any accolade for that. They just started playing the music like we were at the Oscars and they wanted to get us off the stage! I'm like, 'Hold on, hold on, we've been working on this team dance for a week! We don't get a hooray at the end or something?'"
Uh oh! Looks like the judges better watch out!
Tomorrow is another elimination; who do you think will be going home? Do you think Jaleel had a right to be mad? Sound off in the comments!
PHOTOS: Dancing With the Stars: Injured Hoofers

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Some Updates on the upcoming movies like Avatar 2, Fast 6 and more

Pre-production

· The Fast and the Furious 6 Release Date: 24 May 2013

Cast STARmeter™
Gina Carano 34
Dwayne Johnson ... Luke Hobbs 93
Vin Diesel ... Dominic Toretto 95 Paul Walker ... Brian O'Conner (rumored)276 Michelle Rodriguez ... Letty (rumored)344 Jordana Brewster ... Mia Toretto 454 Tyrese Gibson

· Iron Man 3 Release Date: 3 May 2013

Robert Downey Jr. ... Tony Stark/Iron Man 13
Guy Pearce ... Aldrich Killian 55
Gwyneth Paltrow ... Pepper Potts 212
Jessica Chastain ... (rumored)334
Ben Kingsley ... The Mandarin (rumored)537
Don Cheadle ... Lt. Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes/War Machine

· The Wolverine

· The Hangover Part III

The Counselor

Development

·	Catching Fire Release Date: 22 November 2013
·	Thor 2
·	Avatar 2 Script is being written. James Cameron plans to film both Avatar sequels concurrently Industry News: 'Avatar 2' Delayed Until at Least 2015, Says Jon Landau (From The Hollywood Reporter. 5 April 2012, 11:39 AM, PDT) King Of The World: The Films Of James Cameron (From The Playlist. 4 April 2012, 8:35 AM, PDT)
·	Pirates of the Caribbean 5
·	Anchorman 2