Update: Hitfix is reporting that John Dimaggio and Billy West haven’t signed yet, but they’re close. As probably the most iconic of the voices, perhaps they’re trying to work out a slightly better deal?
While many of us were prepping to tackle Comic-Con a few weeks ago, news broke that Fox was planning to recast the main actors for Futurama’s return to television next year. Unsurprisingly, the issue revolved around the actor’s pay. The news cast a shadow over the Futurama panel at Comic-Con, where none of the cast were present even though they were readily available at the con. Today, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief: The Toronto Star is reporting that all of the cast members are back on board with new contracts.
Many figured that this pay dispute could have merely been an underhanded way for Fox to generate more publicity for the show, but then again Fox has a way of making incredibly stupid decisions when it comes to amazing television properties. I honestly couldn’t have imagined Futurama without the original cast. After all, they had a hard enough time maintaining their former level of quality with the DVD films. Replacing the cast would have made me give up on the new Futurama episodes altogether.
The new cast contracts seem like a decent compromise; the actors are getting less than they initially wanted, but more than Fox was offering at the start. Creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen issued the following statement to the Star:
We are thrilled to have our incredible cast back. The call has already gone out to the animators to put the mouths back on the characters.
With this news, I have high hopes for Futurama’s reentry to television. I think many of the DVD films suffered from trying to craft a coherent story within four episodes (the films were split up as individual eps for TV), and I’m glad that the writers will be able to return to the format they know best.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Say Anything Lighten Up On New Album
On L.A.-based, pop-punk outfit Say Anything's 2007 album, "In Defense of the Genre," the band tackled some pretty dark fare. Saints were sent to hell, abusive relationships earned comparisons to cancer, and lead singer/songwriter Max Bemis' continued to address his past history with drug addiction. But Say Anything wants fans to know that it has lightened up -- a little bit, at least -- on its third album, self-titled and due Oct. 13 on RCA.
"It's not that this record isn't dark," says Bemis in a statement. "It's just more fun and not in a mindless way. I'd say it's easily the closest our band has gotten to writing a record that our fans would want us to write."
Producer Neal Avron (Weezer, Fall Out Boy) worked on Say Anything's new album, which was recorded earlier this year at Los Angeles' Boat Studio. The lead single is entitled "Hate Everyone," perhaps proving that the band's new material won't be drastically sunnier than the old songs. But Bemis says that the album definitely reflects a positive turning point in his life.
"The songs on this record were inspired by an amazing adventure I had actually becoming a worthwhile person again," he explains. "I had to let go of my self-loathing and general sense of self-imposed alienation, which led me through a journey of self-discovery, at the end of which I fell in love and got married."
Say Anything's new album is its first since 2007's "In Defense of the Genre," which sold 117,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. " 'In Defense' was our opportunity to pay homage to our fans, to the bands we grew up listening to, even to our own artistic abilities," says Bemis. "Our new album steps out of tradition and tries to do things differently…it's a bigger, more accessible undertaking, but it's twice as complex."
"It's not that this record isn't dark," says Bemis in a statement. "It's just more fun and not in a mindless way. I'd say it's easily the closest our band has gotten to writing a record that our fans would want us to write."
Producer Neal Avron (Weezer, Fall Out Boy) worked on Say Anything's new album, which was recorded earlier this year at Los Angeles' Boat Studio. The lead single is entitled "Hate Everyone," perhaps proving that the band's new material won't be drastically sunnier than the old songs. But Bemis says that the album definitely reflects a positive turning point in his life.
"The songs on this record were inspired by an amazing adventure I had actually becoming a worthwhile person again," he explains. "I had to let go of my self-loathing and general sense of self-imposed alienation, which led me through a journey of self-discovery, at the end of which I fell in love and got married."
Say Anything's new album is its first since 2007's "In Defense of the Genre," which sold 117,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. " 'In Defense' was our opportunity to pay homage to our fans, to the bands we grew up listening to, even to our own artistic abilities," says Bemis. "Our new album steps out of tradition and tries to do things differently…it's a bigger, more accessible undertaking, but it's twice as complex."
Ridley Scott To Direct Alien Prequel
In May, it was revealed that commercial director Carl Erik Rinsch was attached to direct a remake of Alien. We have since learned that it is more of a prequel than a remake. I was one of the few people actually interested in Rinsch’s involvement. Rinsch’s commercials show an amazing sense of imagination, visual effects artistry and composition (we’ve profiled his amazing commercials on the site). But apparently 20th Century Fox wasn’t happy with the Scott’s choice of director, holding out for the original helmer — Ridley Scott.
At the time I believed that would never happen. Why would Scott return to film a prequel of the most popular sci-fi film franchises of all time? Why compete with yourself? Producing the film seems like a much safer bet. Who knows why, but Ridley Scott has signed on to direct a prequel to Alien.
The film will be a direct prequel to Scott’s original 1979 film. This leads me to believe that the film will tell the story of the crew of the empty ship that is discovered in the first film. In a 2002 interview, Scott wanted to return “to where the alien creatures were first found and explain how they were created.” Chances are this idea would also be incorporated into the reboot. Jon Spaihts will write the screenplay, a job he earned after pitching the studio and production company Scott Free. Spaihts has no produced credits, but has written Shadow 19 and Passengers, both of which are also sci-fi space thrillers.
Strangely, I feel a lot different about this project now that Scott is at the helm. Not only is Scott experienced, but he has done this before. So why is it that I feel less comfortable with Scott at the helm than an experienced commercial director? Maybe it is fear that Scott won’t be able to create something better than the original. Maybe it is fear that the film will be too much like the original, and I would have liked to see a completely different take. And maybe it is that I just don’t understand the idea of a filmmaker returning 30 years later to film a reboot.
And maybe it is that I fear that a Body of Lies-era Ridley Scott won’t produce anything close to the level of the original feature. I don’t think I’d ever want to see Martin Scorsese to film a prequel/reboot of Goodfellas. I expect a lot of the /Film commenters will disagree… so please explain to me why I should be excited about this.
At the time I believed that would never happen. Why would Scott return to film a prequel of the most popular sci-fi film franchises of all time? Why compete with yourself? Producing the film seems like a much safer bet. Who knows why, but Ridley Scott has signed on to direct a prequel to Alien.
The film will be a direct prequel to Scott’s original 1979 film. This leads me to believe that the film will tell the story of the crew of the empty ship that is discovered in the first film. In a 2002 interview, Scott wanted to return “to where the alien creatures were first found and explain how they were created.” Chances are this idea would also be incorporated into the reboot. Jon Spaihts will write the screenplay, a job he earned after pitching the studio and production company Scott Free. Spaihts has no produced credits, but has written Shadow 19 and Passengers, both of which are also sci-fi space thrillers.
Strangely, I feel a lot different about this project now that Scott is at the helm. Not only is Scott experienced, but he has done this before. So why is it that I feel less comfortable with Scott at the helm than an experienced commercial director? Maybe it is fear that Scott won’t be able to create something better than the original. Maybe it is fear that the film will be too much like the original, and I would have liked to see a completely different take. And maybe it is that I just don’t understand the idea of a filmmaker returning 30 years later to film a reboot.
And maybe it is that I fear that a Body of Lies-era Ridley Scott won’t produce anything close to the level of the original feature. I don’t think I’d ever want to see Martin Scorsese to film a prequel/reboot of Goodfellas. I expect a lot of the /Film commenters will disagree… so please explain to me why I should be excited about this.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
USA Renews Burn Notice, Royal Pains
USA's summer hits Burn Notice and Royal Pains have both been picked up for additional seasons, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The pickups follow on the heels of sizzling numbers for both series: In recent airings, Burn Notice (now in its third season) pulled in a robust 7.3 million total viewers, while freshman breakout Royal Pains drew an equally strong 7.1 million.
The dynamic Thursday duo helped USA finish first in the second-quarter ratings race and emerge as the most-watched cable network in July.
The pickups follow on the heels of sizzling numbers for both series: In recent airings, Burn Notice (now in its third season) pulled in a robust 7.3 million total viewers, while freshman breakout Royal Pains drew an equally strong 7.1 million.
The dynamic Thursday duo helped USA finish first in the second-quarter ratings race and emerge as the most-watched cable network in July.
Possibly No Monsters vs. Aliens Sequel
The Hollywood Reporter talked to DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, who said that they are not sure if a sequel to Monsters vs. Aliens will move forward because of its underperformance in some major international markets.
"This is the first movie we've had that's right on the bubble," Katzenberg said.
Katzenberg said executives will make discussions of a possible "Monsters" sequel part of their annual worldwide marketing tour.
"Monsters" has grossed $377 million worldwide at the boxoffice, with $198 million coming domestically. Some territories performed well, while others were "very big misses," Katzenberg said.
"Domestically it has performed at a level that would surely qualify it as a sequel, and internationally it did not," he said.
"This is the first movie we've had that's right on the bubble," Katzenberg said.
Katzenberg said executives will make discussions of a possible "Monsters" sequel part of their annual worldwide marketing tour.
"Monsters" has grossed $377 million worldwide at the boxoffice, with $198 million coming domestically. Some territories performed well, while others were "very big misses," Katzenberg said.
"Domestically it has performed at a level that would surely qualify it as a sequel, and internationally it did not," he said.
Sony Buys Pitch For inFAMOUS Video Game Adaptation
Sony Pictures and Sony Computer Entertainment of America are working out a deal to produce a film based on the recent PlayStation 3 exclusive game inFAMOUS, and THR reports that writer Sheldon Turner’s (The Longest Yard, Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air) pitch to adapt the game has been bought by the studio. The game follows Cole McGrath, a bike messenger who is gifted with extraordinary electrical powers when he is caught at the epicenter of a bomb blast that destroys much of his hometown Empire City.
“What excited me most about the game was it was the first of which I’ve come across that had a big idea and a character arc,” Turner tells THR. “It is, I believe, the future of gaming. The game, while big and fun, is at its core a love ballad to the underachiever, which is what our hero, Cole McGrath, is.”
I don’t agree with that take at all. At it’s core, inFAMOUS is exactly like the original Marvel comics, with a few modern storytelling tropes thrown in. Cole faces the classic ‘great power = great responsibility’ equation, and the game allows players to rise or fall with respect to the moral imperative by taking good or evil routes through the game. They’re nudged by Cole’s former fiancee, who believes he’s responsible for the bomb blast and has to be convinced of Cole’s good nature and by a best friend that increasingly attempts to trade on Cole’s new fame as Empire City’s superpower.
There’s a lot more story here than in a game like Dead Space, and a twist worthy of M. Night Shyamalan that occurs towards the end. Visually, the hook of the game was the explosive electrical powers, odd mutant gangs that plauge Empire City and Cole’s parkour-like ability to scale walls and rooftops. There’s a lot of good action to put on screen, and the story is solid enough that this could be one of the better game-to-film adaptations.
“What excited me most about the game was it was the first of which I’ve come across that had a big idea and a character arc,” Turner tells THR. “It is, I believe, the future of gaming. The game, while big and fun, is at its core a love ballad to the underachiever, which is what our hero, Cole McGrath, is.”
I don’t agree with that take at all. At it’s core, inFAMOUS is exactly like the original Marvel comics, with a few modern storytelling tropes thrown in. Cole faces the classic ‘great power = great responsibility’ equation, and the game allows players to rise or fall with respect to the moral imperative by taking good or evil routes through the game. They’re nudged by Cole’s former fiancee, who believes he’s responsible for the bomb blast and has to be convinced of Cole’s good nature and by a best friend that increasingly attempts to trade on Cole’s new fame as Empire City’s superpower.
There’s a lot more story here than in a game like Dead Space, and a twist worthy of M. Night Shyamalan that occurs towards the end. Visually, the hook of the game was the explosive electrical powers, odd mutant gangs that plauge Empire City and Cole’s parkour-like ability to scale walls and rooftops. There’s a lot of good action to put on screen, and the story is solid enough that this could be one of the better game-to-film adaptations.
Universal Goes Green With An Adaptation Of The Lorax
The latest Dr. Suess tale to go before cameras (or, in this case, rendering software) will be The Lorax, as Variety reports that Universal has started work on a 3D animated feature based on the book. Chris Meledandri is heading up the project for the Universal family film division Illumination Entertainment. Meledandri was the guy who got the last Suess movie adaptation, Horton Hears a Who!, to work while at Fox. That movie was better than anyone had reason to expect it might be, so perhaps the same alchemy will work on The Lorax.
Dr. Suess first published The Lorax in 1971. The book features a story within a story, where a man called the Once-ler tells a boy how he was mesmerized by giant forests of tufted Triffula trees, and how he chopped one down to create an object that everyone needs. The Lorax emerges from the stump of the tree to protest the Once-ler’s action, but soon the man is cutting down the entire forest to feed his business, and pollution reigns. But eventually the forest is gone and the Once-ler’s business dies, and he’s left with the Lorax among his decrepit factories. Not much ambiguity there, and the book has even faced opposition from the logging industry, which claimed that it was unfairly representing the business. That’s worthy of note only because if Universal is going to sink a bajillion dollars into creating a family film based on the story they won’t want any such controversy to spring up. Wonder if anything will be changed?
As with so many of the most notable Dr. Suess books, The Lorax has previously been adapted into animated form. The first version was a television special released in 1972, with production design by the great Maurice Noble and the voice talents of Eddie Albert and Bob Holt. You can see the first few minutes of that version embedded below.
Dr. Suess first published The Lorax in 1971. The book features a story within a story, where a man called the Once-ler tells a boy how he was mesmerized by giant forests of tufted Triffula trees, and how he chopped one down to create an object that everyone needs. The Lorax emerges from the stump of the tree to protest the Once-ler’s action, but soon the man is cutting down the entire forest to feed his business, and pollution reigns. But eventually the forest is gone and the Once-ler’s business dies, and he’s left with the Lorax among his decrepit factories. Not much ambiguity there, and the book has even faced opposition from the logging industry, which claimed that it was unfairly representing the business. That’s worthy of note only because if Universal is going to sink a bajillion dollars into creating a family film based on the story they won’t want any such controversy to spring up. Wonder if anything will be changed?
As with so many of the most notable Dr. Suess books, The Lorax has previously been adapted into animated form. The first version was a television special released in 1972, with production design by the great Maurice Noble and the voice talents of Eddie Albert and Bob Holt. You can see the first few minutes of that version embedded below.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Timothy Olyphant to Lay Down the Law for FX
FX has ordered 13 episodes of Lawman, a new drama starring Timothy Olyphant as a modern-day lawman with a 19th century attitude.
The show is based around U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a character in the Elmore Leonard short story "Fire in the Hole." The show was developed by Graham Yost (Boomtown), who wrote the pilot and will serve as executive producer of the series.
Check out more new shows coming soon to your TV
"Graham began with a memorable character from one of America's foremost crime novelists, Elmore Leonard, and we scored the hat trick, signing Tim Olyphant, who is absolutely pitch-perfect in the role of Raylan Givens," FX president John Landgraf said in a statement.
As Givens, Olyphant (Deadwood, Damages) employs a brash brand of justice that makes him a target of criminals. But he irritates his Marshal superiors, and soon finds himself reassigned to the district that covers the town where he grew up.
See photos of Olyphant in Deadwood and Damages
The series also stars Nick Searcy (CSI) as Givens' friend and boss and Jacob Pitts and Erica Tazel as Deputy Marshals. Walton Goggins (The Shield), Joelle Carter (CSI: Miami) and Natalie Zea (Dirty Sexy Money) are all set to guest star.
Production is slated to begin in Southern California this fall, and the series is set to premiere spring 2010.
The show is based around U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a character in the Elmore Leonard short story "Fire in the Hole." The show was developed by Graham Yost (Boomtown), who wrote the pilot and will serve as executive producer of the series.
Check out more new shows coming soon to your TV
"Graham began with a memorable character from one of America's foremost crime novelists, Elmore Leonard, and we scored the hat trick, signing Tim Olyphant, who is absolutely pitch-perfect in the role of Raylan Givens," FX president John Landgraf said in a statement.
As Givens, Olyphant (Deadwood, Damages) employs a brash brand of justice that makes him a target of criminals. But he irritates his Marshal superiors, and soon finds himself reassigned to the district that covers the town where he grew up.
See photos of Olyphant in Deadwood and Damages
The series also stars Nick Searcy (CSI) as Givens' friend and boss and Jacob Pitts and Erica Tazel as Deputy Marshals. Walton Goggins (The Shield), Joelle Carter (CSI: Miami) and Natalie Zea (Dirty Sexy Money) are all set to guest star.
Production is slated to begin in Southern California this fall, and the series is set to premiere spring 2010.
Bobcats, Hornets swap centers Okafor, Chandler
The New Orleans Hornets have finally found a taker for Tyson Chandler. It took a deal with tinkering Charlotte coach Larry Brown, who was willing to jettison the Bobcats' first draft pick.
Emeka Okafor was dealt to the Hornets on Tuesday for Chandler in a deal involving 26-year-old centers, a trade that brought different financial relief to both teams and hopes they'll thrive under different big men.
The Hornets have been trying to unload the 7-foot-1 Chandler for several months. Last season they sent him to Oklahoma City, but the trade was rescinded after Chandler failed a physical amid concerns aver a lingering toe injury.
Brown was willing to gamble on the injury-prone big man who is more athletic and can also play power forward. It comes at the expense of Okafor, who at 6-foot-10 is shorter than Chandler and had trouble guarding the NBA's top big men.
"We're getting a young kid who is long and athletic and can play multiple positions and fills a need that we obviously have," Brown said.
But the Hornets were intrigued by Okafor's superior rebounding and durability, giving New Orleans a reliable big man with a longer contract as they try to recover from last season's first-round playoff exit.
"Emeka is one of the premier centers in the NBA with All-Star caliber scoring and rebounding averages throughout his career," Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said. "His potential to improve is endless once you put him on the court running with Chris Paul."
The deal is the fourth trade Charlotte has made since managing partner Michael Jordan hired Brown before last season. Brown, in his record ninth NBA head coaching job, has continued his history of numerous trades to mold the team into his versatile, defensive-minded liking.
Now it includes sending the centerpiece of Charlotte's new franchise to the city's old team.
Two years after the Hornets left Charlotte for New Orleans, the expansion Bobcats took Okafor with the No. 2 pick in the 2004 draft -- after Orlando grabbed Dwight Howard.
Okafor, who won a national championship at Connecticut, had injury problems early in his career. But he has played all 82 games in each of the last two seasons while providing Charlotte with solid, if unspectacular, play.
Okafor averaged 13.2 points and 10.1 rebounds last season, but his style didn't mesh with Brown, who questioned his basketball fire at the end of the season.
"I wanted him to have a passion and work on his game," Brown said Tuesday. "I think he made unbelievable progress in that regard. When we had an exit meeting this past season he told me he was going to do that, he was going to work on his game. ... This was a basketball decision. It had nothing to do with Emeka."
But Chandler is coming off surgery, and despite their identical ages, Chandler has played four more seasons than Okafor because he came to the NBA directly from high school in 2001.
"We appreciate what Tyson has done for our club in the past and wish him the best, but our intention this summer was to improve our team and this trade is definitely a positive move in that direction," Bower said.
Chandler, averaged 8.8 points and 8.7 rebounds in only 45 games last season. He then underwent procedures on his left ankle and toe in May after being ineffective in the first-round series loss to Denver.
General manager Rod Higgins said Chandler will be in Charlotte for a physical later this week, but they're confident he'll be ready for the start of training camp.
For the Hornets, it immediately lowers their payroll would reduce luxury tax payments. Okafor is scheduled to make $10.5 million next season and Chandler $11.8 million. The Hornets entered the week with a payroll of about $78 million, triggering a dollar-for-dollar tax over the NBA's luxury tax threshold of $69.9 million.
But the Bobcats unload a much longer long-term commitment. Okafor still has five years left on a six-year, $72 million deal he signed last year. Chandler would make $12.7 million in a player option in 2010-11, the final season of his deal.
Bobcats owner Bob Johnson, who is looking to sell the team after losing millions of dollars, has ordered management not to reach the luxury tax threshold. Getting Okafor's big contract off the books will help achieve that goal in future seasons.
"Emeka is a great kid, but we all felt that with the way Tyson plays, with his quickness and his ability to handle the ball and his length, that was something that was very important to us," Brown said. "That was the overriding factor."
Emeka Okafor was dealt to the Hornets on Tuesday for Chandler in a deal involving 26-year-old centers, a trade that brought different financial relief to both teams and hopes they'll thrive under different big men.
The Hornets have been trying to unload the 7-foot-1 Chandler for several months. Last season they sent him to Oklahoma City, but the trade was rescinded after Chandler failed a physical amid concerns aver a lingering toe injury.
Brown was willing to gamble on the injury-prone big man who is more athletic and can also play power forward. It comes at the expense of Okafor, who at 6-foot-10 is shorter than Chandler and had trouble guarding the NBA's top big men.
"We're getting a young kid who is long and athletic and can play multiple positions and fills a need that we obviously have," Brown said.
But the Hornets were intrigued by Okafor's superior rebounding and durability, giving New Orleans a reliable big man with a longer contract as they try to recover from last season's first-round playoff exit.
"Emeka is one of the premier centers in the NBA with All-Star caliber scoring and rebounding averages throughout his career," Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said. "His potential to improve is endless once you put him on the court running with Chris Paul."
The deal is the fourth trade Charlotte has made since managing partner Michael Jordan hired Brown before last season. Brown, in his record ninth NBA head coaching job, has continued his history of numerous trades to mold the team into his versatile, defensive-minded liking.
Now it includes sending the centerpiece of Charlotte's new franchise to the city's old team.
Two years after the Hornets left Charlotte for New Orleans, the expansion Bobcats took Okafor with the No. 2 pick in the 2004 draft -- after Orlando grabbed Dwight Howard.
Okafor, who won a national championship at Connecticut, had injury problems early in his career. But he has played all 82 games in each of the last two seasons while providing Charlotte with solid, if unspectacular, play.
Okafor averaged 13.2 points and 10.1 rebounds last season, but his style didn't mesh with Brown, who questioned his basketball fire at the end of the season.
"I wanted him to have a passion and work on his game," Brown said Tuesday. "I think he made unbelievable progress in that regard. When we had an exit meeting this past season he told me he was going to do that, he was going to work on his game. ... This was a basketball decision. It had nothing to do with Emeka."
But Chandler is coming off surgery, and despite their identical ages, Chandler has played four more seasons than Okafor because he came to the NBA directly from high school in 2001.
"We appreciate what Tyson has done for our club in the past and wish him the best, but our intention this summer was to improve our team and this trade is definitely a positive move in that direction," Bower said.
Chandler, averaged 8.8 points and 8.7 rebounds in only 45 games last season. He then underwent procedures on his left ankle and toe in May after being ineffective in the first-round series loss to Denver.
General manager Rod Higgins said Chandler will be in Charlotte for a physical later this week, but they're confident he'll be ready for the start of training camp.
For the Hornets, it immediately lowers their payroll would reduce luxury tax payments. Okafor is scheduled to make $10.5 million next season and Chandler $11.8 million. The Hornets entered the week with a payroll of about $78 million, triggering a dollar-for-dollar tax over the NBA's luxury tax threshold of $69.9 million.
But the Bobcats unload a much longer long-term commitment. Okafor still has five years left on a six-year, $72 million deal he signed last year. Chandler would make $12.7 million in a player option in 2010-11, the final season of his deal.
Bobcats owner Bob Johnson, who is looking to sell the team after losing millions of dollars, has ordered management not to reach the luxury tax threshold. Getting Okafor's big contract off the books will help achieve that goal in future seasons.
"Emeka is a great kid, but we all felt that with the way Tyson plays, with his quickness and his ability to handle the ball and his length, that was something that was very important to us," Brown said. "That was the overriding factor."
LAPD Source: Doctor's Shot Killed Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson's personal doctor administered a powerful anesthetic to help him sleep, and authorities believe the drug is what killed the pop singer, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Monday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said Jackson regularly received propofol to sleep, a practice far outside the drug's intended purpose. On June 25, the day Jackson died, Dr. Conrad Murray gave him the drug sometime after midnight, the official said.
Though toxicology reports are pending, investigators are working under the theory that propofol caused Jackson's heart to stop, the official said.
Murray, 51, has been identified in court papers as the subject of a manslaughter investigation and authorities last week raided his office and a storage unit in Houston. Police say Murray is cooperating and have not labeled him a suspect.
Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff, has said the doctor "didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson." When asked Monday about the law enforcement official's statements he said: "We will not be commenting on rumors, innuendo or unnamed sources."
Murray became Jackson's personal physician in May and was to accompany him to London for a series of concerts starting in July. He was staying with Jackson in a rented Los Angeles mansion and, according to Chernoff, found an unconscious Jackson in the pop star's bedroom the morning of June 25. Murray attempted to revive him but could not.
Police searching Jackson's home after his death found propofol and other drugs, an IV line and three tanks of oxygen in Jackson's bedroom, and 15 more oxygen tanks in a security guard's shack.
Propofol can depress breathing and lower heart rates and blood pressure. Because of the risks, propofol is only supposed to be administered in hospitals. Instructions on the drug's package warn that patients must be continuously monitored, and that equipment to maintain breathing, to provide artificial ventilation, and to administer oxygen if needed "must be immediately available."
Jackson had trouble sleeping and the official said he enlisted various doctors to administer propofol, relying on the drug like an alarm clock. He would decide what time he wanted to awaken and at the appointed hour a doctor would stop the intravenous drip that delivered the drug, the official said.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said Jackson regularly received propofol to sleep, a practice far outside the drug's intended purpose. On June 25, the day Jackson died, Dr. Conrad Murray gave him the drug sometime after midnight, the official said.
Though toxicology reports are pending, investigators are working under the theory that propofol caused Jackson's heart to stop, the official said.
Murray, 51, has been identified in court papers as the subject of a manslaughter investigation and authorities last week raided his office and a storage unit in Houston. Police say Murray is cooperating and have not labeled him a suspect.
Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff, has said the doctor "didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson." When asked Monday about the law enforcement official's statements he said: "We will not be commenting on rumors, innuendo or unnamed sources."
Murray became Jackson's personal physician in May and was to accompany him to London for a series of concerts starting in July. He was staying with Jackson in a rented Los Angeles mansion and, according to Chernoff, found an unconscious Jackson in the pop star's bedroom the morning of June 25. Murray attempted to revive him but could not.
Police searching Jackson's home after his death found propofol and other drugs, an IV line and three tanks of oxygen in Jackson's bedroom, and 15 more oxygen tanks in a security guard's shack.
Propofol can depress breathing and lower heart rates and blood pressure. Because of the risks, propofol is only supposed to be administered in hospitals. Instructions on the drug's package warn that patients must be continuously monitored, and that equipment to maintain breathing, to provide artificial ventilation, and to administer oxygen if needed "must be immediately available."
Jackson had trouble sleeping and the official said he enlisted various doctors to administer propofol, relying on the drug like an alarm clock. He would decide what time he wanted to awaken and at the appointed hour a doctor would stop the intravenous drip that delivered the drug, the official said.
Avril Lavigne Takes Stripped-Down Approach On Next Album
Get ready to hear a softer side of Avril Lavigne. The Canadian pop singer tells Billboard.com that she's taking a more serious, stripped-down approach to her fourth studio album, tentatively slated for a November release on RCA. "A lot of the songs are mainly the acoustic and my vocal," says Lavigne of the as-yet-untitled project. "It's a lot different from anything I've done before. It's not a pop rock record. This is more about emotion and feeling."
Lavigne's husband (and Sum 41 frontman) Deryck Whibley produced eight of the album's projected 12 tracks, half of which she says were were written by her alone. On the other half, she's been working with former bandmate Evan Taubenfield and songwriter/producer Butch Walker, who co-penned her 2004 single "My Happy Ending."
"I'm kind of just keeping it in the family with all of my close friends," says Lavigne, whose last album, 2007's "The Best Damn Thing," has sold 1.6 million copies according to Nielsen SoundScan. "I started this record off really slow, just writing songs at home on my piano. I didn't work with a ton of people this time."
Though the album's first single hasn't been confirmed, the 25-year-old says it could "possibly" be a song that emerged from the TV commercial for her new "Black Star" fragrance, which will also launch in the U.S. this fall.
"It's the first song that I recorded for this record," she says. "A lot of people like it. It's kind of like a lullaby." The ethereal, piano-driven chorus was originally written just for the ad, but Lavigne has since decided to turn it into a full recording.
One of the album's other standout tracks, "Darlin,' " was written when Lavigne was 15 years old and still unsigned. "It was probably the second song I [ever] wrote; I was trying to figure it all out," she recalls. "It's really special to me." The more mature-sounding "Everybody Hurts," meanwhile, boasts weighty guitar riffs, impressive vocals and comforting lyrics like, "It's okay to be afraid." Lavigne describes the track as "different…but not different to stray away from who I am and what I am."
Lavigne is also keeping busy these days with Abbey Dawn, a juniors clothing line that sells at Kohl's stores in the U.S. "The design process has been crazy," says Lavigne, who conceptualizes all the items in the line herself. "I just love clothes and colors and patterns. I'm very visual and very hands-on." The singer will launch the line in Canada next month and hopes to bring it to Europe and Japan.
For now, though, Lavigne's primary focus remains her music. Once her album drops, she expects to tour North America in February of next year, and she won't be bringing any backup dancers on the road this time. Instead, she'd like to keep the vibe of her live shows similar to that of the album. "I want to do a cool theater tour in America because I feel it will really suit this record," she says. "I'm ready to go out there and just mellow out and sing."
Lavigne's husband (and Sum 41 frontman) Deryck Whibley produced eight of the album's projected 12 tracks, half of which she says were were written by her alone. On the other half, she's been working with former bandmate Evan Taubenfield and songwriter/producer Butch Walker, who co-penned her 2004 single "My Happy Ending."
"I'm kind of just keeping it in the family with all of my close friends," says Lavigne, whose last album, 2007's "The Best Damn Thing," has sold 1.6 million copies according to Nielsen SoundScan. "I started this record off really slow, just writing songs at home on my piano. I didn't work with a ton of people this time."
Though the album's first single hasn't been confirmed, the 25-year-old says it could "possibly" be a song that emerged from the TV commercial for her new "Black Star" fragrance, which will also launch in the U.S. this fall.
"It's the first song that I recorded for this record," she says. "A lot of people like it. It's kind of like a lullaby." The ethereal, piano-driven chorus was originally written just for the ad, but Lavigne has since decided to turn it into a full recording.
One of the album's other standout tracks, "Darlin,' " was written when Lavigne was 15 years old and still unsigned. "It was probably the second song I [ever] wrote; I was trying to figure it all out," she recalls. "It's really special to me." The more mature-sounding "Everybody Hurts," meanwhile, boasts weighty guitar riffs, impressive vocals and comforting lyrics like, "It's okay to be afraid." Lavigne describes the track as "different…but not different to stray away from who I am and what I am."
Lavigne is also keeping busy these days with Abbey Dawn, a juniors clothing line that sells at Kohl's stores in the U.S. "The design process has been crazy," says Lavigne, who conceptualizes all the items in the line herself. "I just love clothes and colors and patterns. I'm very visual and very hands-on." The singer will launch the line in Canada next month and hopes to bring it to Europe and Japan.
For now, though, Lavigne's primary focus remains her music. Once her album drops, she expects to tour North America in February of next year, and she won't be bringing any backup dancers on the road this time. Instead, she'd like to keep the vibe of her live shows similar to that of the album. "I want to do a cool theater tour in America because I feel it will really suit this record," she says. "I'm ready to go out there and just mellow out and sing."
Monday, July 27, 2009
Nike giving back LeBron James dunk tapes
Nike says it is returning videotapes it confiscated of NBA star LeBron James getting dunked on at a recent basketball camp.
Nike said it is giving back tapes to two accredited journalists who filmed Xavier's Jordan Crawford dunking over James during a recent pickup game at a skills academy run by the superstar at the University of Akron. The sports apparel giant said only one of the tapes captured the infamous dunk, which has been an Internet sensation.
Nike said it took the tapes based on its media guidelines that no pickup games be filmed.
This week, videos emerged of Crawford's dunk in which he drove the lane and slammed over James, who was not guarding him and was the last defender between Crawford and the basket.
In its statement, Nike said it did not take the footage because James was dunked on.
"It was never about the play or the player, it was always about our media policy," Nike said. "The interest in the tapes has greatly overshadowed the focus of the camp, which is to help young athletes improve their skills, and that is regrettable. It was Nike's decision to take these tapes based on our media guidelines, which we will continue to enforce."
There was general disappointment in Crawford's dunk among online viewers when it began appearing on various Web sites in recent days. Crawford beat another defender down the lane and was able to gather himself before finishing over James, the current league MVP who has been subjected to worse treatment by his pro peers.
Nike said it is giving back tapes to two accredited journalists who filmed Xavier's Jordan Crawford dunking over James during a recent pickup game at a skills academy run by the superstar at the University of Akron. The sports apparel giant said only one of the tapes captured the infamous dunk, which has been an Internet sensation.
Nike said it took the tapes based on its media guidelines that no pickup games be filmed.
This week, videos emerged of Crawford's dunk in which he drove the lane and slammed over James, who was not guarding him and was the last defender between Crawford and the basket.
In its statement, Nike said it did not take the footage because James was dunked on.
"It was never about the play or the player, it was always about our media policy," Nike said. "The interest in the tapes has greatly overshadowed the focus of the camp, which is to help young athletes improve their skills, and that is regrettable. It was Nike's decision to take these tapes based on our media guidelines, which we will continue to enforce."
There was general disappointment in Crawford's dunk among online viewers when it began appearing on various Web sites in recent days. Crawford beat another defender down the lane and was able to gather himself before finishing over James, the current league MVP who has been subjected to worse treatment by his pro peers.
New King Kong Movie in Development
Variety reports that Spirit Pictures is looking to breathe new life into King Kong and a project initially developed by effects legend Ray Harryhausen.
Producers at the company have picked up the rights to the book "Kong: King of Skull Island," a prequel to the well-known tale of the big ape.
Written by Joe DeVito and Brad Strickland, the book focuses on the backstory of Skull Island and how the giant gorilla became king there. It introduces other giant gorillas and dinosaurs only hinted at in the previous films.
The plan is to produce the film using motion-capture technology such as Robert Zemeckis used to make The Polar Express, Beowulf and the upcoming Disney's A Christmas Carol.
Spirit also is developing War Eagles a project original King Kong co-director Merian C. Cooper and Harryhausen had developed together and were nearly set to produce before the outbreak of WWII. The period actioner is set in 1939 and revolves around an ace fighter-pilot who tests a new jet and winds up crash-landing in the arctic, where he encounters a lost civilization that's been thriving there for centuries.
Andy Briggs is working on the scripts for both films.
Producers at the company have picked up the rights to the book "Kong: King of Skull Island," a prequel to the well-known tale of the big ape.
Written by Joe DeVito and Brad Strickland, the book focuses on the backstory of Skull Island and how the giant gorilla became king there. It introduces other giant gorillas and dinosaurs only hinted at in the previous films.
The plan is to produce the film using motion-capture technology such as Robert Zemeckis used to make The Polar Express, Beowulf and the upcoming Disney's A Christmas Carol.
Spirit also is developing War Eagles a project original King Kong co-director Merian C. Cooper and Harryhausen had developed together and were nearly set to produce before the outbreak of WWII. The period actioner is set in 1939 and revolves around an ace fighter-pilot who tests a new jet and winds up crash-landing in the arctic, where he encounters a lost civilization that's been thriving there for centuries.
Andy Briggs is working on the scripts for both films.
D.J. Caruso to Direct Dead Space
The Electronic Arts hit video game "Dead Space" is on course to become a sci-fi/horror film, with Eagle Eye helmer D.J. Caruso attached to direct, reports Variety.
EA will produce the film with Temple Hill partners Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey.
The producers, EA and Caruso have been listening to takes from prospective screenwriters, and once they set a writer and EA signs off on a creative direction, they will auction the property to studios. That will likely happen in early September.
Dead Space is set in the 26th century in deep space, where an engineer who responds to a distress signal from a mining ship finds the vessel infested with monstrous creatures called Necromorphs. The creatures are human corpses, reanimated by an alien virus.
EA launched the game in 2008 and is working on the second and third installments.
EA will produce the film with Temple Hill partners Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey.
The producers, EA and Caruso have been listening to takes from prospective screenwriters, and once they set a writer and EA signs off on a creative direction, they will auction the property to studios. That will likely happen in early September.
Dead Space is set in the 26th century in deep space, where an engineer who responds to a distress signal from a mining ship finds the vessel infested with monstrous creatures called Necromorphs. The creatures are human corpses, reanimated by an alien virus.
EA launched the game in 2008 and is working on the second and third installments.
Guinea Pigs Take Down Harry Potter
The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.
Walt Disney Pictures' G-Force, producer Jerry Bruckheimer's first 3-D film, debuted in the top spot at the domestic box office with an estimated $32.2 million from 3,697 theaters. The comedy adventure, about highly trained guinea pigs, was directed by visual effects guru Hoyt Yeatman and stars Bill Nighy, Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Penelope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, Tracy Morgan and Kelli Garner. It averaged $8,697 per theater for the three days.
Warner Bros. Pictures' Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince dropped to second and lost a hefty 61.5% in ticket sales its second weekend, adding $30 million for a 12-day total of $221.8 million domestically. That's $14 million ahead of what the fifth installment Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix had made the same amount of days. "Half-Blood Prince" will start showing on 166 IMAX theaters this week, which "Order of the Phoenix" did from the start. Internationally, the sixth installment easily remained in first place with $84.4 million. The film's overseas total is $405.3 million and worldwide take is $627.2 million, making it the 39th biggest-grossing title worldwide already.
Sony's new battle-of-the-sexes comedy The Ugly Truth opened to $27 million in third place. Starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler, the film played in 2,882 theaters and averaged $9,368 per site. It cost about $38 million to make.
Warner Bros.' new horror-thriller Orphan debuted in fourth place with $12.8 million from 2,750 theaters. The movie stars Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard and Isabelle Fuhrman.
20th Century Fox's Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs rounded out the top five, earning $8.2 million in its fourth weekend. The threequel has brought in $171.3 million domestically so far. Overseas, "Dawn of the Dinosaurs" took second with $40.6 million. The film is the top earner internationally this year with $505.4 million.
In sixth, Paramount/DreamWorks' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen added another $8 million in its fifth week to push its domestic total to $379.1 million. The Michael Bay-directed sequel is now the 10th-highest grossing film of all time domestically, surpassing 2003's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which made $377 million. "Revenge of the Fallen" earned $7.5 million internationally this weekend, pushing its foreign total to $413.2 million. The film's worldwide box office total is $792.3 million.
Fifth on the weekend was DreamWorks/Paramount's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," which grossed $7.5 million from 6,891 spots in 63 territories. The sequel's foreign cume is at $413.2 million, compared with the $389 million grossed by the 2007 original during its entire foreign run.
Meanwhile, The Hangover and The Proposal continue to do well, both making about $6.4 million. The former has reached $247 million after eight weeks, while the latter is up to $140 million after six weeks.
Walt Disney Pictures' G-Force, producer Jerry Bruckheimer's first 3-D film, debuted in the top spot at the domestic box office with an estimated $32.2 million from 3,697 theaters. The comedy adventure, about highly trained guinea pigs, was directed by visual effects guru Hoyt Yeatman and stars Bill Nighy, Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Penelope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, Tracy Morgan and Kelli Garner. It averaged $8,697 per theater for the three days.
Warner Bros. Pictures' Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince dropped to second and lost a hefty 61.5% in ticket sales its second weekend, adding $30 million for a 12-day total of $221.8 million domestically. That's $14 million ahead of what the fifth installment Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix had made the same amount of days. "Half-Blood Prince" will start showing on 166 IMAX theaters this week, which "Order of the Phoenix" did from the start. Internationally, the sixth installment easily remained in first place with $84.4 million. The film's overseas total is $405.3 million and worldwide take is $627.2 million, making it the 39th biggest-grossing title worldwide already.
Sony's new battle-of-the-sexes comedy The Ugly Truth opened to $27 million in third place. Starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler, the film played in 2,882 theaters and averaged $9,368 per site. It cost about $38 million to make.
Warner Bros.' new horror-thriller Orphan debuted in fourth place with $12.8 million from 2,750 theaters. The movie stars Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard and Isabelle Fuhrman.
20th Century Fox's Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs rounded out the top five, earning $8.2 million in its fourth weekend. The threequel has brought in $171.3 million domestically so far. Overseas, "Dawn of the Dinosaurs" took second with $40.6 million. The film is the top earner internationally this year with $505.4 million.
In sixth, Paramount/DreamWorks' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen added another $8 million in its fifth week to push its domestic total to $379.1 million. The Michael Bay-directed sequel is now the 10th-highest grossing film of all time domestically, surpassing 2003's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which made $377 million. "Revenge of the Fallen" earned $7.5 million internationally this weekend, pushing its foreign total to $413.2 million. The film's worldwide box office total is $792.3 million.
Fifth on the weekend was DreamWorks/Paramount's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," which grossed $7.5 million from 6,891 spots in 63 territories. The sequel's foreign cume is at $413.2 million, compared with the $389 million grossed by the 2007 original during its entire foreign run.
Meanwhile, The Hangover and The Proposal continue to do well, both making about $6.4 million. The former has reached $247 million after eight weeks, while the latter is up to $140 million after six weeks.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Kevin Smith’s A Couple of Dicks Might Be Forced To Find a New Title
Kevin Smith revealed during his panel at Comic-Con that his new buddy cop comedy might not be titled A Couple of Dicks after all. You might remember that Smith had some trouble with his last film Zack and Miri Make a Porno, which was forced to call itself “Zack and Miri” in some television advertisements. Smith says that Warner Bros took some steps to avoid the problem with the new film and polled television networks to see if they would have a problem advertising a film with the word “Dick” in the title.
TBS and Fox said they would run the advertisements at any time during the day, but “the big three” (ABC, NBC, and CBS) said that they would not allow a film with that title to advertise until after 9:00pm. Smith blames the move on Janet Jackson: “We’re all still paying for Janet Jackson’s tit. that boob haunts me.” Even though the film is clearly about a couple of police detectives, the networks are scared to run an advertisement with the word “dicks” in the title.
This is a damn shame. Warner Bros breifly changed the film’s title to “A Couple of Cops,” which just sounds like a bad movie you’d find on Cinemax. I hope they can come up with a more creative title. The reason why A Couple of Dicks works is because of the double meaning.
TBS and Fox said they would run the advertisements at any time during the day, but “the big three” (ABC, NBC, and CBS) said that they would not allow a film with that title to advertise until after 9:00pm. Smith blames the move on Janet Jackson: “We’re all still paying for Janet Jackson’s tit. that boob haunts me.” Even though the film is clearly about a couple of police detectives, the networks are scared to run an advertisement with the word “dicks” in the title.
This is a damn shame. Warner Bros breifly changed the film’s title to “A Couple of Cops,” which just sounds like a bad movie you’d find on Cinemax. I hope they can come up with a more creative title. The reason why A Couple of Dicks works is because of the double meaning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
