Universal has won a four-studio bidding war to pick up the film rights to the classic Atari video game "Asteroids," says The Hollywood Reporter. Matthew Lopez will write the script for the feature adaptation, which will be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura.
In "Asteroids," initially released as an arcade game in 1979, a player controlled a triangular space ship in an asteroid field. You can play an unofficial version of the game below!
Universal is also developing movies based on Hasbro board game properties such as "Battleship," "Candyland," "Ouija," "Monopoly" and "Clue."
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Ratings: Talent Is Tops, But Philanthropist May Need Help
Wednesday's ratings recap:
8 pm/ET
ABC's Wipeout topped the hour with 7.8 million total viewers, up 100K week-to-week. So You Think You Can Dance's Top 14 performance show, however, led the demos, and averaged 7.65 mil over its two-hour run.
9 pm
America's Got Talent was the night's most-watched program, delivering 11.3 million viewers (up 9 percent week-to-week). Me, I'd prefer to see the Hoff drink, like, six fewer Red Bulls before each show. ABC's I Survived a Japanese Game Show (3.83 mil) dropped 350K.
10 pm
Despite having an even stronger lead-in this week, NBC's The Philanthropist (5.7 mil) plunged 23 percent from its premiere, placing a distant second behind a CSI: NY repeat (8.1 mil).
8 pm/ET
ABC's Wipeout topped the hour with 7.8 million total viewers, up 100K week-to-week. So You Think You Can Dance's Top 14 performance show, however, led the demos, and averaged 7.65 mil over its two-hour run.
9 pm
America's Got Talent was the night's most-watched program, delivering 11.3 million viewers (up 9 percent week-to-week). Me, I'd prefer to see the Hoff drink, like, six fewer Red Bulls before each show. ABC's I Survived a Japanese Game Show (3.83 mil) dropped 350K.
10 pm
Despite having an even stronger lead-in this week, NBC's The Philanthropist (5.7 mil) plunged 23 percent from its premiere, placing a distant second behind a CSI: NY repeat (8.1 mil).
Aldridge: Pistons agree to terms with Gordon, Villanueva
The Detroit Pistons agreed to terms with two of the NBA's top free agents on the first day of free agency Wednesday, getting commitments from Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon and Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva on multi-year deals. Gordon agreed to terms on a five-year deal worth $58 million, according to sources, and Villanueva agreed a five-year deal worth $40 million. The deals used up all of the $19 million the Pistons had under next year's likely salary cap, but makes Detroit a deep, versatile team after the Pistons were spanked in the first round of the playoffs.
Gordon had been on the Pistons' radar for some time, and had been linked to them soon after Chicago's first-round playoff loss to Boston, and Villanueva became free after Milwaukee declined to make him a qualifying offer on Monday, which would have made Villanueva a restricted free agent, allowing the Bucks to match any offer he received. Failing to make the offer made Villanueva an unrestricted free agent, allowing him to sign with any team.
Several contending teams, including Cleveland and San Antonio, had hoped to sign the 24-year-old Villanueva, who had career highs in points (16.2) and rebounds (6.7) for Milwaukee last season.
The Pistons brought in Gordon, 26, and Villanueva together, figuring the two former University of Connecticut teammates -- they won the national championship together in 2004 -- would feel more comfortable seeing one another. It worked.
Last season, the Pistons fell apart internally, with players openly sniping against former coach Michael Curry, who was fired Tuesday. At issue was Curry's decision to bench veteran guard Rip Hamilton in favor of newcomer Allen Iverson, who'd been acquired from Denver for guard Chauncey Billups. Iverson quickly wore out his welcome in Detroit, missing the final few weeks of the season with a back injury, and the Pistons had no interest in re-signing him.
Gordon's arrival is different, a team source said.
"Ben agreed to come here knowing he would come off the bench," the source said. "That makes it completely different than Iverson coming here ... Gordon is choosing to come here and play the super sub role."
Gordon and Villanueva's arrivals continue the makeover of the team that reached six straight Eastern Conference finals between 2002 and 2008. President of basketball operations Joe Dumars had said after the 2008 conference finals loss to Boston that he thought his team had grown stale and needed to be broken up. He's been as good as his word, with Billups already gone and free agents Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess less likely to return.
Now, Detroit sports a three-guard rotation of Rodney Stuckey, Hamilton and Gordon, with Tayshaun Prince and first-round pick Austin Daye at small forward, with Villanueva starting at power forward. If Wallace and McDyess both leave, Detroit would have a hole to fill at center, with veteran Kwame Brown the most likely candidate at the moment.
Gordon's deal ended two offseasons of sometimes contentious negotiations with his former team over a contract. He started his career in Chicago as a sixth man, but soon became a starter, and led the team in scoring this season, including a 24.3 point average in the Boston series. But the Bulls claimed he turned down several offers for a new contract in each of the last two summers. Gordon's camp denied that he had gotten significant offers from Chicago. At any rate, he signed a one-year deal worth $6.4 million last year.
Gordon's agent, Ray Brothers, said that 17 teams contacted him Wednesday about Gordon, but most were looking to sign Gordon to the mid-level exception or looking to do a sign-and-trade with Chicago. And after the last two summers of trying to negotiate deals with Chicago, Gordon was leery of yet more delay in trying to work something out down the road when Detroit came through so quickly with a tangible offer.
Gordon had been on the Pistons' radar for some time, and had been linked to them soon after Chicago's first-round playoff loss to Boston, and Villanueva became free after Milwaukee declined to make him a qualifying offer on Monday, which would have made Villanueva a restricted free agent, allowing the Bucks to match any offer he received. Failing to make the offer made Villanueva an unrestricted free agent, allowing him to sign with any team.
Several contending teams, including Cleveland and San Antonio, had hoped to sign the 24-year-old Villanueva, who had career highs in points (16.2) and rebounds (6.7) for Milwaukee last season.
The Pistons brought in Gordon, 26, and Villanueva together, figuring the two former University of Connecticut teammates -- they won the national championship together in 2004 -- would feel more comfortable seeing one another. It worked.
Last season, the Pistons fell apart internally, with players openly sniping against former coach Michael Curry, who was fired Tuesday. At issue was Curry's decision to bench veteran guard Rip Hamilton in favor of newcomer Allen Iverson, who'd been acquired from Denver for guard Chauncey Billups. Iverson quickly wore out his welcome in Detroit, missing the final few weeks of the season with a back injury, and the Pistons had no interest in re-signing him.
Gordon's arrival is different, a team source said.
"Ben agreed to come here knowing he would come off the bench," the source said. "That makes it completely different than Iverson coming here ... Gordon is choosing to come here and play the super sub role."
Gordon and Villanueva's arrivals continue the makeover of the team that reached six straight Eastern Conference finals between 2002 and 2008. President of basketball operations Joe Dumars had said after the 2008 conference finals loss to Boston that he thought his team had grown stale and needed to be broken up. He's been as good as his word, with Billups already gone and free agents Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess less likely to return.
Now, Detroit sports a three-guard rotation of Rodney Stuckey, Hamilton and Gordon, with Tayshaun Prince and first-round pick Austin Daye at small forward, with Villanueva starting at power forward. If Wallace and McDyess both leave, Detroit would have a hole to fill at center, with veteran Kwame Brown the most likely candidate at the moment.
Gordon's deal ended two offseasons of sometimes contentious negotiations with his former team over a contract. He started his career in Chicago as a sixth man, but soon became a starter, and led the team in scoring this season, including a 24.3 point average in the Boston series. But the Bulls claimed he turned down several offers for a new contract in each of the last two summers. Gordon's camp denied that he had gotten significant offers from Chicago. At any rate, he signed a one-year deal worth $6.4 million last year.
Gordon's agent, Ray Brothers, said that 17 teams contacted him Wednesday about Gordon, but most were looking to sign Gordon to the mid-level exception or looking to do a sign-and-trade with Chicago. And after the last two summers of trying to negotiate deals with Chicago, Gordon was leery of yet more delay in trying to work something out down the road when Detroit came through so quickly with a tangible offer.
Clippers agree to deal Randolph to Grizzlies for Richardson
A week after the Los Angeles Clippers backed out of a proposed trade that would have sent forward Zach Randolph to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Clippers have changed their minds and will now agree to the deal, with newly acquired Memphis swingman Quentin Richardson going to the Clippers, TNT's David Aldridge reports. The deal can't officially be announced until next week.
The deal would clear a logjam for the Clippers' frontcourt. The team was determined to make room for its first-round pick, overall number one selection Blake Griffin, but playing time was split up between Randolph, center Chris Kaman and forward/center Marcus Camby. It was believed that Randolph, with his low-post skills, was the safest of the three, because halfcourt basketball is the preference of Coach Mike Dunleavy. But Kaman's contract, with an expensive trade kicker, may have made him more difficult to deal.
The trade probably wouldn't have been made if the Clippers hadn't won the Lottery, but they did, and Griffin's presence signals a likely change to a more up-tempo attack in Los Angeles next season.
The 27-year-old Randolph averaged 20.8 points and 10.8 rebounds last season, playing the first 11 games in New York and 39 in Los Angeles after being dealt by the Knicks in a package for Cuttino Mobley and forward Tim Thomas. It was the second straight season Randolph averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds.
It's a low-risk deal for Memphis, which hasn't had a legitimate low-post option since dealing Pau Gasol to the Lakers in that often-vilified deal in early 2008. But that deal brought forward Marc Gasol, Pau's brother and the team's starting center last season, and the other pieces in the deal ultimately led to the Grizzlies getting a draft pick in last week's draft that turned into Pittsburgh forward Sam Young. Young was one of three solid picks in last week's draft, along with center Hasheem Thabeet and forward DeMarre Carroll.
The deal also makes the Clippers yet another team that could be a player in the summer of 2010. With the final two years and $33.3 million of Randolph's deal off their books (Richardson has one year at $8.7 million left on his contract), Los Angeles will only have a little more than $36 million committed in team salaries, including Griffin's second-year salary of $4.4 million, for 2010.
The Grizzlies changed potential players in the deal to make it work. Last week, they had offered forward Marco Jaric for Randolph, but with two years and $14.7 million left on his deal, he wouldn't have given the Clippers with the potential to get involved in 2010 that Richardson's contract provides, and owner Donald Sterling nixed the deal.
Richardson, 29, has seen his production fall off in recent seasons. He averaged just 10.2 points in 72 games for New York last season. The Grizzlies traded center Darko Milicic to the Knicks last week for Richardson, but there was no place for him in Memphis with O.J. Mayo well set at the shooting guard spot and Rudy Gay the incumbent at small forward. So in essence, the Grizzlies were able to turn Milicic into Randolph.
Richardson spent his first four seasons with the Clippers after being drafted by them in 2000.
Hoopsworld and the Los Angeles Times first reported the potential trade.
The deal would clear a logjam for the Clippers' frontcourt. The team was determined to make room for its first-round pick, overall number one selection Blake Griffin, but playing time was split up between Randolph, center Chris Kaman and forward/center Marcus Camby. It was believed that Randolph, with his low-post skills, was the safest of the three, because halfcourt basketball is the preference of Coach Mike Dunleavy. But Kaman's contract, with an expensive trade kicker, may have made him more difficult to deal.
The trade probably wouldn't have been made if the Clippers hadn't won the Lottery, but they did, and Griffin's presence signals a likely change to a more up-tempo attack in Los Angeles next season.
The 27-year-old Randolph averaged 20.8 points and 10.8 rebounds last season, playing the first 11 games in New York and 39 in Los Angeles after being dealt by the Knicks in a package for Cuttino Mobley and forward Tim Thomas. It was the second straight season Randolph averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds.
It's a low-risk deal for Memphis, which hasn't had a legitimate low-post option since dealing Pau Gasol to the Lakers in that often-vilified deal in early 2008. But that deal brought forward Marc Gasol, Pau's brother and the team's starting center last season, and the other pieces in the deal ultimately led to the Grizzlies getting a draft pick in last week's draft that turned into Pittsburgh forward Sam Young. Young was one of three solid picks in last week's draft, along with center Hasheem Thabeet and forward DeMarre Carroll.
The deal also makes the Clippers yet another team that could be a player in the summer of 2010. With the final two years and $33.3 million of Randolph's deal off their books (Richardson has one year at $8.7 million left on his contract), Los Angeles will only have a little more than $36 million committed in team salaries, including Griffin's second-year salary of $4.4 million, for 2010.
The Grizzlies changed potential players in the deal to make it work. Last week, they had offered forward Marco Jaric for Randolph, but with two years and $14.7 million left on his deal, he wouldn't have given the Clippers with the potential to get involved in 2010 that Richardson's contract provides, and owner Donald Sterling nixed the deal.
Richardson, 29, has seen his production fall off in recent seasons. He averaged just 10.2 points in 72 games for New York last season. The Grizzlies traded center Darko Milicic to the Knicks last week for Richardson, but there was no place for him in Memphis with O.J. Mayo well set at the shooting guard spot and Rudy Gay the incumbent at small forward. So in essence, the Grizzlies were able to turn Milicic into Randolph.
Richardson spent his first four seasons with the Clippers after being drafted by them in 2000.
Hoopsworld and the Los Angeles Times first reported the potential trade.
Ratings: True Blood Stakes New High, Hung Bows Big, More
Some recent ratings highlights:
• HBO's True Blood on Sunday hit a new all-time high, drawing 3.7 million total viewers. Lead-out Hung, in turn, enjoyed a premiere audience of 2.8 mil, making it the pay channel's most-watched series debut in two years (since John from Cincinnati).
• America's Got Talent was Tuesday's most-watched program with 12.9 million viewers, a 14 percent increase from its season opener.
• ABC's The Superstars scored 4 mil in its second week, dipping 340K. Lead-out Better Off Ted slipped to 1.78 mil.
• During Tuesday's 10 o'clock hour, CBS' 48 Hours Mystery special about the death of Michael Jackson was No. 1 with 8.15 mil.
• HBO's True Blood on Sunday hit a new all-time high, drawing 3.7 million total viewers. Lead-out Hung, in turn, enjoyed a premiere audience of 2.8 mil, making it the pay channel's most-watched series debut in two years (since John from Cincinnati).
• America's Got Talent was Tuesday's most-watched program with 12.9 million viewers, a 14 percent increase from its season opener.
• ABC's The Superstars scored 4 mil in its second week, dipping 340K. Lead-out Better Off Ted slipped to 1.78 mil.
• During Tuesday's 10 o'clock hour, CBS' 48 Hours Mystery special about the death of Michael Jackson was No. 1 with 8.15 mil.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Boys Like Girls Is 'Love Drunk' On Sophomore Album
Boys Like Girls mined a universe of nearly 80s songs for its sophomore album, "Love Drunk," which drops Sept. 8 with the first single -- the title track -- already out on MySpace Music and headed to Top 40 radio outlets on July 7.
"I had three records written and I wrote a whole new one and wasn't satisfied yet," Martin Johnson, the Boston pop quartet's prolific frontman, tells Billboard.com. "I wanted to really step up the bar and keep our current fans but at the same time expand it so that we're happy and we could maybe get some other age ranges happy, too."
Johnson said "Love Drunk" -- the follow-up to BLG's gold-certified self-titled 2007 debut -- is "still definitely BLG. It doesn't stray off the path too much, but, it doesn't sound as youthy, angsty, whiny. It's more grown-up lyrically and musically and taking influences from all across the board, from every type of music and putting it into one and having a lot of fun. I think a lot more people will be able to relate to it."
BLG worked on the album with producers Brian Howes (Puddle of Mudd, Hinder, Chris Cornell) in Vancouver and S*A*M & Sluggo (Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes, Metro Station) in New York. The group has been playing some of its new songs during its current tour of clubs and Six Flags amusement parks and getting a "really good reaction," according to Johnson. "We toured for pretty much three straight years on ('Boys Like Girls'), so it's been really amazing to whip out some new tracks and see the crowd's response," he says.
BLG is booked through Aug. 7, including a slot on the mtvU Sunblock Music Festival, some opening dates for "The Academy Is..." and a pair of Summer Sonic shows in Japan. The group plans to shoot a video for "Love Drunk" and plans to tour well into 2010 to support the album.
"I had three records written and I wrote a whole new one and wasn't satisfied yet," Martin Johnson, the Boston pop quartet's prolific frontman, tells Billboard.com. "I wanted to really step up the bar and keep our current fans but at the same time expand it so that we're happy and we could maybe get some other age ranges happy, too."
Johnson said "Love Drunk" -- the follow-up to BLG's gold-certified self-titled 2007 debut -- is "still definitely BLG. It doesn't stray off the path too much, but, it doesn't sound as youthy, angsty, whiny. It's more grown-up lyrically and musically and taking influences from all across the board, from every type of music and putting it into one and having a lot of fun. I think a lot more people will be able to relate to it."
BLG worked on the album with producers Brian Howes (Puddle of Mudd, Hinder, Chris Cornell) in Vancouver and S*A*M & Sluggo (Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes, Metro Station) in New York. The group has been playing some of its new songs during its current tour of clubs and Six Flags amusement parks and getting a "really good reaction," according to Johnson. "We toured for pretty much three straight years on ('Boys Like Girls'), so it's been really amazing to whip out some new tracks and see the crowd's response," he says.
BLG is booked through Aug. 7, including a slot on the mtvU Sunblock Music Festival, some opening dates for "The Academy Is..." and a pair of Summer Sonic shows in Japan. The group plans to shoot a video for "Love Drunk" and plans to tour well into 2010 to support the album.
Michael Jackson Breaks Billboard Charts Records
As predicted, Michael Jackson is once again the King of the Pop charts.
Based on preliminary sales numbers from Nielsen SoundScan, the entire top nine positions on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart will house Jackson-related titles when the tally is released in the early morning on Wednesday (July 1). Nielsen SoundScan's sales tracking week ended at the close of business on Sunday (June 28) night.
Jackson himself has a record eight out of the top 10, while a Jackson 5 compilation also finds its way into the upper tier.
The King of Pop's "Number Ones" will fittingly lead the pack at No. 1 with 108,000 (an increase of 2,340%) while "The Essential Michael Jackson" and "Thriller" are in the Nos. 2 and 3 slots with 102,000 and 101,000, respectively. Last week "Number Ones" was the only Jackson title on the chart, at No. 20 with 4,000 copies; both "Essential" and "Thriller" re-enter the tally this week.
Additionally, his classic 1979 studio set "Off the Wall" re-enters at No. 4 with 33,000 while his 1987 album "Bad" returns at No. 6 with 17,000. At No. 5, the Jackson 5's "The Ultimate Collection" debuts with 18,000. Jackson's fourth studio album for Epic Records, 1991's "Dangerous," re-enters at No. 7 with 14,000 while his 2001 compilation "Greatest Hits: HIStory -- Volume 1" also comes back to the list at No. 8 with 12,000. Finally, Jackson's 2004 box set "The Ultimate Collection" charts its first week on the Pop Catalog chart, arriving at No. 9 with 11,000.
The lone non-Jackson-related set in the top 10 is a reissue of the "Woodstock" movie soundtrack, which bows at No. 10 with 8,000.
Collectively, Jackson's solo albums sold 415,000 this past week. That's extraordinary, since his titles sold a combined 10,000 in the week that ended June 21. Of the 415,000 total, 58% were digital downloads.
Additionally, the 415,000 albums sold just last week is nearly 40% more than what Jackson's catalog had sold the the entire year up through June 21 (297,000).
Speaking of digital albums, on the Top Digital Albums chart, Jackson has a record six out of the top 10 slots, including the entire top four. "The Essential Michael Jackson" leads the Top Digital Albums list with 80,000 downloads sold, while "Thriller" is No. 2 with 57,000.
With the Black Eyed Peas' "The E.N.D." moving back to the No. 1 slot on the Billboard 200 chart with 88,000, this week marks the first time that a catalog album has sold more than the No. 1 current set on the Billboard 200 albums chart. (All three of Jackson's top sellers on the Pop Catalog chart outsell "The E.N.D.")
Ironically, the feat almost occurred when Jackson re-issued "Thriller" in February 2008. The set relaunched with 166,000, re-entering at No. 1 on the Top Pop Catalog chart. That week, Jack Johnson's "Sleep Through the Static" led the Billboard 200 chart with 180,000 while Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" was at No. 2 with 115,000.
Catalog albums are ineligible to appear on the Billboard 200 albums chart, though they can chart on the all-encompassing Top Comprehensive Albums list. On the latter chart, Jackson's "Number Ones," "Essential" and "Thriller" are at Nos. 1-3, followed by the Black Eyed Peas' "The E.N.D." at No. 4.
Jackson places a record 25 songs on the 75-position Hot Digital Songs chart (21 solo hits and four with his siblings), smashing the mark of 14 charting titles established by David Cook in the June 7, 2008 issue. Jackson's Halloween radio staple, "Thriller," moves 167,000, which is good for second place on the chart behind the 203,000 shifted by the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling."
"Thriller" was also Jackson's best seller in the week before his death with 5,000 downloads, which translates to a 3,551% jump. Jackson's total volume of downloads this week -- including his tracks with the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons -- account for 2.6 million downloads, a remarkable number considering last week's cumulative sum was 48,000. Moreover, Jackson becomes the first act to sell more than 1 million song downloads in a week.
Besides "Thriller," Jackson places five other songs in the top 10 including "Man In The Mirror" (No. 3, 165,000), "Billie Jean" (No. 4, 158,000), "The Way You Make Me Feel" (No. 6, 136,000), "Beat It" (No. 7, 134,000) and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (No. 8, 125,000).
Not surprisingly, each of the tracks in the top 10 of Hot Digital Songs were among the top 10 most-played Jackson selections at radio following his passing. According to research provided by Nielsen BDS of monitored airplay from over 1,600 terrestrial and satellite radio stations and cable music channels, "Billie Jean" was the Jackson track with the most spins for the week ending June 28 with 4,540 -- 97% of which occurred after news of his death became public. The track posted only 318 plays in the prior week.
Based on preliminary sales numbers from Nielsen SoundScan, the entire top nine positions on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart will house Jackson-related titles when the tally is released in the early morning on Wednesday (July 1). Nielsen SoundScan's sales tracking week ended at the close of business on Sunday (June 28) night.
Jackson himself has a record eight out of the top 10, while a Jackson 5 compilation also finds its way into the upper tier.
The King of Pop's "Number Ones" will fittingly lead the pack at No. 1 with 108,000 (an increase of 2,340%) while "The Essential Michael Jackson" and "Thriller" are in the Nos. 2 and 3 slots with 102,000 and 101,000, respectively. Last week "Number Ones" was the only Jackson title on the chart, at No. 20 with 4,000 copies; both "Essential" and "Thriller" re-enter the tally this week.
Additionally, his classic 1979 studio set "Off the Wall" re-enters at No. 4 with 33,000 while his 1987 album "Bad" returns at No. 6 with 17,000. At No. 5, the Jackson 5's "The Ultimate Collection" debuts with 18,000. Jackson's fourth studio album for Epic Records, 1991's "Dangerous," re-enters at No. 7 with 14,000 while his 2001 compilation "Greatest Hits: HIStory -- Volume 1" also comes back to the list at No. 8 with 12,000. Finally, Jackson's 2004 box set "The Ultimate Collection" charts its first week on the Pop Catalog chart, arriving at No. 9 with 11,000.
The lone non-Jackson-related set in the top 10 is a reissue of the "Woodstock" movie soundtrack, which bows at No. 10 with 8,000.
Collectively, Jackson's solo albums sold 415,000 this past week. That's extraordinary, since his titles sold a combined 10,000 in the week that ended June 21. Of the 415,000 total, 58% were digital downloads.
Additionally, the 415,000 albums sold just last week is nearly 40% more than what Jackson's catalog had sold the the entire year up through June 21 (297,000).
Speaking of digital albums, on the Top Digital Albums chart, Jackson has a record six out of the top 10 slots, including the entire top four. "The Essential Michael Jackson" leads the Top Digital Albums list with 80,000 downloads sold, while "Thriller" is No. 2 with 57,000.
With the Black Eyed Peas' "The E.N.D." moving back to the No. 1 slot on the Billboard 200 chart with 88,000, this week marks the first time that a catalog album has sold more than the No. 1 current set on the Billboard 200 albums chart. (All three of Jackson's top sellers on the Pop Catalog chart outsell "The E.N.D.")
Ironically, the feat almost occurred when Jackson re-issued "Thriller" in February 2008. The set relaunched with 166,000, re-entering at No. 1 on the Top Pop Catalog chart. That week, Jack Johnson's "Sleep Through the Static" led the Billboard 200 chart with 180,000 while Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" was at No. 2 with 115,000.
Catalog albums are ineligible to appear on the Billboard 200 albums chart, though they can chart on the all-encompassing Top Comprehensive Albums list. On the latter chart, Jackson's "Number Ones," "Essential" and "Thriller" are at Nos. 1-3, followed by the Black Eyed Peas' "The E.N.D." at No. 4.
Jackson places a record 25 songs on the 75-position Hot Digital Songs chart (21 solo hits and four with his siblings), smashing the mark of 14 charting titles established by David Cook in the June 7, 2008 issue. Jackson's Halloween radio staple, "Thriller," moves 167,000, which is good for second place on the chart behind the 203,000 shifted by the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling."
"Thriller" was also Jackson's best seller in the week before his death with 5,000 downloads, which translates to a 3,551% jump. Jackson's total volume of downloads this week -- including his tracks with the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons -- account for 2.6 million downloads, a remarkable number considering last week's cumulative sum was 48,000. Moreover, Jackson becomes the first act to sell more than 1 million song downloads in a week.
Besides "Thriller," Jackson places five other songs in the top 10 including "Man In The Mirror" (No. 3, 165,000), "Billie Jean" (No. 4, 158,000), "The Way You Make Me Feel" (No. 6, 136,000), "Beat It" (No. 7, 134,000) and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (No. 8, 125,000).
Not surprisingly, each of the tracks in the top 10 of Hot Digital Songs were among the top 10 most-played Jackson selections at radio following his passing. According to research provided by Nielsen BDS of monitored airplay from over 1,600 terrestrial and satellite radio stations and cable music channels, "Billie Jean" was the Jackson track with the most spins for the week ending June 28 with 4,540 -- 97% of which occurred after news of his death became public. The track posted only 318 plays in the prior week.
Pistons fire Curry after one season on job
All or nothing seems to be the formula for coaching the Detroit Pistons. Bring home an NBA championship or hit the road.
First-year coach Michael Curry became the latest Pistons coach to get the ax as president for basketball operations Joe Dumars fired him Tuesday after watching his team stumble to a sub-.500 record and an embarrassing first-round exit from the playoffs.
But winning playoff games hasn't been enough to keep Pistons management happy. Just ask Flip Saunders.
Dumars fired Saunders last season after he led the team to the Eastern Conference finals in each of his three seasons. Curry was an assistant under Saunders for one season.
In 2005, the Pistons parted ways with Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown after he helped them win a title and almost repeat during his two years with the team. And Rick Carlisle was fired after two years with the Pistons following a conference finals appearance in 2003 in his second season and NBA Coach of the Year honors in his first.
Curry and Dumars shared playing days together with Detroit. That may have helped Curry land the coaching job last year, but it wasn't enough to keep him it.
The Pistons went 39-43 in 2008-09 and were swept in the postseason in four lopsided losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers after six straight conference finals appearances. Dumars said after that series that Curry would return, but changed his mind by Tuesday.
"This was a difficult decision to make," Dumars said in a statement. "I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change."
Pistons spokesman Kevin Grigg said the timetable for naming a new coach was up in the air.
"Obviously with the free agency period starting tomorrow (Wednesday), we don't know quite the speed of it," Grigg said.
Another ex-Pistons player and former Dumars teammate, Bill Laimbeer, stepped down in June as coach of the WNBA's Detroit Shock, saying he wanted a shot at coaching in the NBA. An e-mail message was left for Laimbeer seeking comment Tuesday.
The Pistons began the season with big hopes but couldn't recover from the loss of All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups in a November trade to Denver for Allen Iverson -- a move intended to feature Iverson's creativity and create time for emerging guard Rodney Stuckey.
Instead, the Pistons fell apart. They won just three games in February and three in April, plummeting to the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff seeding and a no-win matchup with LeBron James and the Cavs.
The playoff series loss ended a dominant run: The Pistons and the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers are the only franchises to play in six straight conference finals since 1970-71, when teams had to win two series to advance that far.
Immediately after the season, Dumars defended Curry.
"It was an up-and-down season for him," Dumars said then. "And, an up-and down-season for us. ... The fact that we made so many changes for a first-year coach, I had to step back and be a little more patient than I have been. ... I tried to put myself in his shoes."
A telephone message seeking comment was left for Curry on Tuesday. In January, he said he expected to be held responsible for the team's fortunes.
"It's part of the job," he said. "When you lose, it's the coach's fault. When you win, the players get the praise."
Dumars last week started rebuilding the roster. The Pistons may very well part with unrestricted free agents Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess, and they picked up forwards Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko in last week's draft.
Curry, who played for the Pistons in 1995-1997 and 1999-2003, started his playing career as an undrafted free agent during the 1993-94 season in Philadelphia and ended during the 2004-05 season with the Indiana Pacers.
Near the end of his playing career, Curry headed the NBA players' association, leading it from 2001-2003. He later served as the NBA Development League's vice president for player development and the NBA's vice president for basketball operations.
Curry averaged 4 1/2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 20 minutes a game over his career, which also included stints in Milwaukee, Toronto and Washington. His defense and leadership kept him in the league despite averaging less than seven points a season.
First-year coach Michael Curry became the latest Pistons coach to get the ax as president for basketball operations Joe Dumars fired him Tuesday after watching his team stumble to a sub-.500 record and an embarrassing first-round exit from the playoffs.
But winning playoff games hasn't been enough to keep Pistons management happy. Just ask Flip Saunders.
Dumars fired Saunders last season after he led the team to the Eastern Conference finals in each of his three seasons. Curry was an assistant under Saunders for one season.
In 2005, the Pistons parted ways with Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown after he helped them win a title and almost repeat during his two years with the team. And Rick Carlisle was fired after two years with the Pistons following a conference finals appearance in 2003 in his second season and NBA Coach of the Year honors in his first.
Curry and Dumars shared playing days together with Detroit. That may have helped Curry land the coaching job last year, but it wasn't enough to keep him it.
The Pistons went 39-43 in 2008-09 and were swept in the postseason in four lopsided losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers after six straight conference finals appearances. Dumars said after that series that Curry would return, but changed his mind by Tuesday.
"This was a difficult decision to make," Dumars said in a statement. "I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change."
Pistons spokesman Kevin Grigg said the timetable for naming a new coach was up in the air.
"Obviously with the free agency period starting tomorrow (Wednesday), we don't know quite the speed of it," Grigg said.
Another ex-Pistons player and former Dumars teammate, Bill Laimbeer, stepped down in June as coach of the WNBA's Detroit Shock, saying he wanted a shot at coaching in the NBA. An e-mail message was left for Laimbeer seeking comment Tuesday.
The Pistons began the season with big hopes but couldn't recover from the loss of All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups in a November trade to Denver for Allen Iverson -- a move intended to feature Iverson's creativity and create time for emerging guard Rodney Stuckey.
Instead, the Pistons fell apart. They won just three games in February and three in April, plummeting to the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff seeding and a no-win matchup with LeBron James and the Cavs.
The playoff series loss ended a dominant run: The Pistons and the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers are the only franchises to play in six straight conference finals since 1970-71, when teams had to win two series to advance that far.
Immediately after the season, Dumars defended Curry.
"It was an up-and-down season for him," Dumars said then. "And, an up-and down-season for us. ... The fact that we made so many changes for a first-year coach, I had to step back and be a little more patient than I have been. ... I tried to put myself in his shoes."
A telephone message seeking comment was left for Curry on Tuesday. In January, he said he expected to be held responsible for the team's fortunes.
"It's part of the job," he said. "When you lose, it's the coach's fault. When you win, the players get the praise."
Dumars last week started rebuilding the roster. The Pistons may very well part with unrestricted free agents Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess, and they picked up forwards Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko in last week's draft.
Curry, who played for the Pistons in 1995-1997 and 1999-2003, started his playing career as an undrafted free agent during the 1993-94 season in Philadelphia and ended during the 2004-05 season with the Indiana Pacers.
Near the end of his playing career, Curry headed the NBA players' association, leading it from 2001-2003. He later served as the NBA Development League's vice president for player development and the NBA's vice president for basketball operations.
Curry averaged 4 1/2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 20 minutes a game over his career, which also included stints in Milwaukee, Toronto and Washington. His defense and leadership kept him in the league despite averaging less than seven points a season.
Ratings: Jackson Tribute Leads BET Awards to All-Time High, Disney Queens Rule, and More
Some recent ratings highlights:
• The Friday premiere of the Disney Channel's Princess Protection Program movie, starring Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez, delivered 8.5 million total viewers, becoming cable's top-rated scripted program of the year-to-date. In its time slot, it bested all comers and nearly doubled runner-up NBC's audience (4.6 mil). Princess is Disney's No. 3 original movie of all time, trailing only High School Musical 2 and Camp Rock.
• On Saturday, Kings (1.54 mil, -400K) and Harper's Island (3.54 mil, -240K) both dipped, while Eli Stone (2.7 mil) gained 200 thou.
• On Sunday, the BET Awards — reformatted to serve as an all-star tribute to the late Michael Jackson — saw a 61 percent increase over its 2008 telecast, delivering a 5.8 rating (versus the program's previous all-time high of 3.7 mil).
• Also on Sunday, Week 2 of NBC's Merlin conjured up 4.27 mil, dropping 20 percent from its premiere.
• On Monday, The Bachelorette (7.96 mil) was up 17 percent week-to-week, NBC repeats fared markedly better than I'm a Celebrity had been doing, and Fox's rebroadcast of the Michael Jackson-themed American Idol performance show drew 4.22 mil.
• The Friday premiere of the Disney Channel's Princess Protection Program movie, starring Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez, delivered 8.5 million total viewers, becoming cable's top-rated scripted program of the year-to-date. In its time slot, it bested all comers and nearly doubled runner-up NBC's audience (4.6 mil). Princess is Disney's No. 3 original movie of all time, trailing only High School Musical 2 and Camp Rock.
• On Saturday, Kings (1.54 mil, -400K) and Harper's Island (3.54 mil, -240K) both dipped, while Eli Stone (2.7 mil) gained 200 thou.
• On Sunday, the BET Awards — reformatted to serve as an all-star tribute to the late Michael Jackson — saw a 61 percent increase over its 2008 telecast, delivering a 5.8 rating (versus the program's previous all-time high of 3.7 mil).
• Also on Sunday, Week 2 of NBC's Merlin conjured up 4.27 mil, dropping 20 percent from its premiere.
• On Monday, The Bachelorette (7.96 mil) was up 17 percent week-to-week, NBC repeats fared markedly better than I'm a Celebrity had been doing, and Fox's rebroadcast of the Michael Jackson-themed American Idol performance show drew 4.22 mil.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Michael Jackson Shot 3D Video Project Before Death
Two weeks before he died, Michael Jackson wrapped up work on an elaborate production dubbed the "Dome Project" that could be the final finished video piece overseen by the King of Pop, The Associated Press has learned.
Jackson was apparently preparing to dazzle concert audiences in London with a high-tech show in which 3D images — some inspired by his "Thriller" era — would flash behind him as he performed on stage.
"It was a groundbreaking effort," said Vince Pace, whose company provided cameras for the shoot, a 3D system he created with filmmaker James Cameron.
"To think that Michael's gone now, that's probably the last documented footage of him to be shot in that manner," Pace said.
Two people with knowledge of the secretive project confirmed its existence Monday to the AP on condition they not be identified because they signed confidentiality agreements.
They said it was a five-week project filmed at Culver Studios, which 70 years ago was the set for the classic film "Gone With the Wind." Four sets were constructed for Jackson's production, including a cemetery recalling his 1983 "Thriller" video.
With 3D technology "the audience would have felt like they were visiting the 'Thriller' experience, like they were there," Pace said.
Shooting for the project lasted from June 1-9, with Jackson on the set most days. The project was in post-production, at the time of Jackson's death, and had been expected to be completed next month. It was not immediately clear what would be made of the video footage now.
Producer Robb Wagner, founder of music-video company Stimulated Inc., did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the project.
Michael Roth, a spokesman for Jackson's Los Angeles-based promoter AEG Live, said he hadn't heard about the production but did not rule that it could be part of the company's contract with the entertainer.
According to one of the people with knowledge of the project, a willow-thin, pallid Jackson left a memorable impression on the crew, arriving in a caravan of SUVs with hulking security guards in tow. The person said Jackson introduced himself to workers on the set and walked with a spring in his step but at one point needed assistance as he descended steps off a stage.
Besides the cemetery, one set was draped in black with an oversized portrait of Jackson in his "Thriller" werewolf costume. Another set was designed to simulate a lush jungle, and a fourth was built to replicate a construction site, with a screen in the back to allow projection of different backgrounds.
Taping took place in marathon sessions ending early in the morning. One scene filmed on the construction site set included scantily clad male dancers wearing carpenter's belts.
According to Stimulated's Web site, the company was hired to produce screen content for Jackson's planned comeback concerts in London. Stimulated has worked with Def Leppard and the Pussycat Dolls, and produced content for the Academy Awards and the Emmys.
Last year, U2 released the concert film "U2 3D," a film of the band's 2005-06 Vertigo tour, shot at several shows in South America with 3-D technology.
At the time, guitarist The Edge told The Associated Press the 3-D technology allowed "the songs to shine through."
Jackson was apparently preparing to dazzle concert audiences in London with a high-tech show in which 3D images — some inspired by his "Thriller" era — would flash behind him as he performed on stage.
"It was a groundbreaking effort," said Vince Pace, whose company provided cameras for the shoot, a 3D system he created with filmmaker James Cameron.
"To think that Michael's gone now, that's probably the last documented footage of him to be shot in that manner," Pace said.
Two people with knowledge of the secretive project confirmed its existence Monday to the AP on condition they not be identified because they signed confidentiality agreements.
They said it was a five-week project filmed at Culver Studios, which 70 years ago was the set for the classic film "Gone With the Wind." Four sets were constructed for Jackson's production, including a cemetery recalling his 1983 "Thriller" video.
With 3D technology "the audience would have felt like they were visiting the 'Thriller' experience, like they were there," Pace said.
Shooting for the project lasted from June 1-9, with Jackson on the set most days. The project was in post-production, at the time of Jackson's death, and had been expected to be completed next month. It was not immediately clear what would be made of the video footage now.
Producer Robb Wagner, founder of music-video company Stimulated Inc., did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the project.
Michael Roth, a spokesman for Jackson's Los Angeles-based promoter AEG Live, said he hadn't heard about the production but did not rule that it could be part of the company's contract with the entertainer.
According to one of the people with knowledge of the project, a willow-thin, pallid Jackson left a memorable impression on the crew, arriving in a caravan of SUVs with hulking security guards in tow. The person said Jackson introduced himself to workers on the set and walked with a spring in his step but at one point needed assistance as he descended steps off a stage.
Besides the cemetery, one set was draped in black with an oversized portrait of Jackson in his "Thriller" werewolf costume. Another set was designed to simulate a lush jungle, and a fourth was built to replicate a construction site, with a screen in the back to allow projection of different backgrounds.
Taping took place in marathon sessions ending early in the morning. One scene filmed on the construction site set included scantily clad male dancers wearing carpenter's belts.
According to Stimulated's Web site, the company was hired to produce screen content for Jackson's planned comeback concerts in London. Stimulated has worked with Def Leppard and the Pussycat Dolls, and produced content for the Academy Awards and the Emmys.
Last year, U2 released the concert film "U2 3D," a film of the band's 2005-06 Vertigo tour, shot at several shows in South America with 3-D technology.
At the time, guitarist The Edge told The Associated Press the 3-D technology allowed "the songs to shine through."
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