Pakenham to be exec producer at Donmar

PakenhamLONDON -- Kate Pakenham, producer at London's The Old Vic theater, has been appointed as exec producer at the Donmar Warehouse. Pakenham will join the 250-seat Covent Garden theater on Jan. 30, one month after Josie Rourke formally takes over as a.d. from exiting Michael Grandage. As Old Vic producer for a.d. Kevin Spacey, Pakenham's work included producing for Sam Mendes' transatlantic company The Bridge Project, and producing "The Norman Conquests," which transferred to Broadway, winning the Tony for Best Revival. She previously directed and produced factual TV for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. Pakenham replaces Nick Giles, who ankled the Donmar after six months on July 31. He has recently been appointed chief exec of Shoreditch Town Hall, a mixed events venue in East London. Contact David Benedict at benedictdavid@mac.com

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Anthony Zuiker Sells First Project To ABC: FBI Drama Compiled By Andrea Berloff

EXCLUSIVE: In the first purchase underneath the 3-year overall cope with ABC Galleries he signed in This summer, CSI creator Anthony Zuiker provides a drama project at ABC from World Trade Center author Andrea Berloff. Entitled Chameleon, the project focuses on a lady undercover FBI agent who's an expert of disguise. Per the relation to his ABC Galleries deal, Zuiker developed the project with studio-based Brillstein Entertainment Partners, that will co-produce it with Zuiker’s Dare to pass through banner and ABC Galleries. Additionally to writing, Berloff will executive produce Chameleon with Zuiker, Brillstein’s TV leader JoAnn Alfano and Zuiker’s manager, Brillstein’s Margaret Riley, while Dare to pass through leader of production Matthew Weinberg is anticipated to obtain some kind of creating credit. Chameleon reunites Berloff, repped by UTA and Management 360, with ABC and ABC Galleries, where she created a Romeo & Juliet reboot last season.

Shutter Island, Up in the Air, True Grit Bundle Pack Contest: We Have a Winner!

Let’s hear it for all of the readers who submitted some of the most thoughtful and hilarious 10-word reviews that Movieline HQ has ever read in honor of our Deadline Hollywood Game giveaway! As much as we’d love to send you all copies of The Fighter, True Grit, Shutter Island and Up in the Air, we can only gift the DVD bundle pack to one lucky reviewer. And the winner is… …Movieline commenter and clever guest critic Owlfriend for the following review of Shutter Island: “Shuttered windows, padlocked doors, mad mind games upon the moors.” Please e-mail your contact information to tips@movieline.com so that we can send you your prize. To everyone else, thank you for making this giveaway one of our most competitive events yet. When you’re not playing guest critic for Movieline in a future review contest, head over to Deadline Hollywood’s Facebook game to play the part of actor, agent, producer and director while clawing your way up the industry ranks. It’s a more productive use of your time than tracking the weight gain of your high school classmates, I promise!

Smuggler

A Grasshoppa! and Django Film production. (Worldwide sales: SDP, Tokyo, japan, japan.) Produced by Hideaki Endo, Masatoshi Yamaguchi, Kazuto Takida, Akira Yamamoto. Directed, edited by Katsuhito Ishii. Script, Ishii, Masatoshi Yamaguchi, Kensuke Yamamoto, good graphic novel by Shohei Manabe.With: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Masatoshi Nagase, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Tsuyoshi Abe, Hikari Mitsushima, Masanobu Ando, Tatsuya Gashuin, Yohachi Shimada, Kanji Tsuda, Ryushin Tei, Fumiyo Kohinata, Masahiro Takashima, Hitoshi Kiyokawa.In some manner simultaneously entertainingly crazy together with just a little underwhelming, manga adaptation "Smuggler" mingles yakuza melodrama, grotesquerie, the near-fantastical, black comedy, hyperstylized action plus much more in to a goulash which will in all probability enthrall some fans but leave others cold. Latest within the ever-unpredictable Katsuhito Ishii ("Shark Skin Guy and Peach Stylish Girl," "Party 7," "The Flavors of Tea") can be a solely Japanese genre mash-up destined for home-format appreciation with the usual suspects wherever it proves too out-there for theatrical distribs. Attracted from Shohei Manabe's 2000 graphic novel, and repping probably the best live-action link so far with Ishii's periodic anime work, pic features a "Dick Tracy"-worthy gallery more than-the-top criminal types surrounding one timid, naturally panicked regular guy. That could be Kinuta (Satoshi Tsumabuki), a not successful would-be actor who's stupidly become themselves in hock for the wrong people. To produce good on his debt, he's forced in to a job as ride-along flunky with hard-boiled quiet type Joe (Masatoshi Nagase) and crass, clownish Masako (Tatsuya Gashuin), who locate and transport questionable items with no questions asked for. They get in the heart of a convoluted crime war including Japanese and Chinese methods one boss and also the minions are destroyed within the start, as well as the spoils in the planned drug exchange are spirited away. The hired causes immediately responsible are outre hitmen Vertebre (a broken, inked, platinum-haired Masanobu Ando) and Viscera (extended-haired, shades-wearing Ryushin Tei), almost supernaturally invincible assassins who are also really quarrelsome longtime fanatics. It falls up to the more earthbound lead trio to apprehend this duo and convey these to people anxious to exact revenge. Double-crossings abound, however, as well as the fateful trip ultimately puts guileless Kinuta into the clutches of sadistic interrogator "Mad Dog" Kamashima (Masahiro Takashima). Others round the playing area include Mrs. Tanuma (Hikari Mitsushima), femme-fatale widow in the slain boss Yamaoka (Yasuko Matsuyuki), a allegedly neutral banker along with her own murky agenda and much more funhouse-exaggerated archetypes. Helmer draws a number of performance styles in the starry cast of music artist-stars, veteran screen thesps, ex-teen idols, etc., variably apt for Keystone Kops, Sergio Leone, film noir, superheroics and Tarantino-esque actioners, additionally for their alternatives throughout Japanese genre cinema. Credited onscreen as storyboarder additionally to editor and co-scenarist, Ishii devotes maximum concentrate on fancy yet intimate action setpieces that frequently push slo-mo f/x to "Matrix"-like extremes of physical impossibility. Very possible, however, will be the agonies Kinuta suffers at Mad Dog's hands, in the torture interlude that will get caught up too extended for a number of. Chameleonic in tone, deliberately drab in production design, "Smuggler" is numerous individually vivid episodes that never quite gel in to a whole. The final results happen to be stimulating, sometimes memorable, but missing a throughline of emotional engagement, they could bore slightly whilst they dazzle. It's a movie that feels inorganically produced and carried out becoming an summation of all current Japanese cult-cinema tropes. Although not spectacular in scale, tech and aspects of design are thought for the last witty detail.Camera (color), Hiroshi Machida music, Toshio Nakagawa production designer, Yuji Tsuzuki costume designer, Kuko Utsunomiya appear (Dolby Digital), Kohichi Mori. Examined at Toronto Film Festival (Evening time Madness), Sept. 10, 2011. Running time: 114 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

The Playboy Club: The Rabbits Do Lunch

The Playboy Club "Should all of us perform the Bunny Stance?" requested The Playboy Club's Jenna Dewan Tatum, who plays rule-breaking Janie around the NBC drama, in a September 10 event held at Chicago's Drake Hotel. The lunch u . s . four stars in the show with six real-existence former rabbits who labored in Hugh Hefner's glamorous clubs within the '60s. "Remember your Bunny Smile!" added Gloria Hendry, who labored for seven years in the NY Playboy Club and continued to look within the Mission Impossible thriller Live and Let Die.Apart from their official training with Pat Lacey, an experienced from the La Bunny Club, it had been the very first time the stars - Laura Benanti, Naturi Naughton, Leah Renee and Dewan Tatum - had the opportunity to trade tales with a few real rabbits."Your wardrobe is ideal,Inch stated Sharon Rizzo, who started like a bunny in Chicago when she was 18 and labored for Playboy in a variety of capabilities for 25 years. The group had viewed The Playboy Club pilot, and all sorts of agreed the show gets the particulars right."I did not use ice baths, but many of women did," stated Scott, mentioning to some scene where the women dip their tired ft in freezing containers in the finish of the 10-hour change. "And individuals trays! Oh, your arm would hurt," added Hendry.Benanti, who plays Bunny Mother Carol-Lynne, known as the private connection "incredibly informative. Seeing the gorgeous, intelligent, effective and stylish people who they are - we owe them a great deal.Inch She'll keep in mind that, she stated, throughout evening shoot when she's freezing in her own costume.A living room mother both off and on the show, Benanti - who seems around the cover from the October commemorative problem of Playboy magazine - states the stars took on the roles off screen, too. "It takes place a great deal,Inch she stated. "I certainly feel protective from the women, and I am the main one to rally us for social occasions and wrangle us when we have to create a change on set. I really like them, and that i attempt to take proper care of them around I'm able to.InchThe Playboy Club premieres tonight, 10/9c on NBC. Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now!

Lion King Feels The Love With $29.3M Opening

La, Calif. -- Its 1994 once more, getting a re-relieve The Lion King opening near the top of el born area office. A 3-D version in the very popular Disney animated musical acquired an unpredicted $29.3 million within the first weekend in theaters, according to Sunday estimations. The first film made greater than $40 million if the opened up up country wide 17 in the past. This huge amounts stunned many individuals, like the folks at Disney, who figured The Lion King can make roughly $hundreds of an incredible number of and $12 million, mentioned Dork Hollis, the art galleries executive v . p . of distribution. He mentioned the film remains relevant to ensure that as enjoyable since it was if the first showed up in this area. But taking a page within the movie, there is a circle of existence factor happening, he mentioned, mentioning to one of the films styles. You've kids from the 90s that are now parents in the 2010s and they're taking their kids to discuss the thing that was, on the account, a great experience 20 years ago. It assists to there arent several options for families within the multiplex at this time around, mentioned Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. The publish-summer season period brings a preponderance of R-rated films plus much more challenging, esoteric, Oscar-quality fare, he mentioned. For kids this really is kind of an aspiration be realized too for parents to be capable of revisit The Lion King specifically in 3-D, even though 3-D has already established an undesirable rap within the this past year just notifies the power this movie has, how strong it resonates with people. Hollis mentioned that even though film appeared to become accessible by 50 percent-D, 92 percent in the opening weekends business came from from three-D showings. The story from the wrongly exiled lion prince (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas just like a cub and Matthew Broderick becoming an adult) who must return home to say his throne, The Lion King was the second-finest-grossing film of 1994, behind Forrest Gump. It ranks fourth round the all-time animated list using more than $784 million. It acquired Academy awards for Hendes Zimmers original score too for original song for Elton John and Tim Rices Is It Possible To Possess the Love Tonight. Last days No. 1 movie, Steven Soderberghs Contagion, dropped a location within the second weekend. The Warner Bros. viral thriller made about $14.5 million for just about any total of $44.2 million. Among the other new releases, the critical darling Drive showed up at No. 3 using more than $11 million. Ryan Gosling stars just like a stoic wheelman inside the retro action picture from FilmDistrict. Hay Dogs, a remake in the 1971 Mike Peckinpah thriller in the new the new sony Screen Gems, opened up up in fifth place with only $5 million. It stars James Marsden and Kate Bosworth just like a couple under siege inside the rural South. I've No Clue How She'll It, good best-seller of the title, showed up at No. 6 with only $4.5 million. The Weinstein Co. comedy stars Nicole Kidman just like a wife and mother of two fighting to balance her home existence along with her demanding job. Dergarabedian mentioned such disappointing showings arent everything surprising this time around around of the season. Last weekend was the slowest up to now this year within the box office. It's been tough sell for wide releases. The beginners are increasingly being met having a couple of indifference, he mentioned. Everyone else was clearly a family group audience that needed inside the multiplex a couple of days ago. ___ Thought ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest worldwide amounts may also be incorporated. Final domestic figures will probably be released Monday. 1. The Lion King 3d, $29.3 million. ($700,000 worldwide.) 2. Contagion, $14.5 million. ($1.3 million worldwide.) 3. Drive, $11 million. 4. The Help, $6.4 million. ($1.millions of worldwide.) 5. Hay Dogs, $5 million. 6. I've No Clue How She'll It, $4.5 million. ($800,000 worldwide.) 7. Your Financial Troubles, $2.9 million. ($millions of worldwide.) 8. Warrior, $2.8 million.($400,000 worldwide.) 9. Rise in the Planet in the Apes, $2.6 000 0000. 10. Colombiana, $2.3 million. Copyright 2011 by Connected Press. All rights reserved.These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Nigel Lythgoe Launches New Production Company

Nigel Lythgoe Nigel Lythgoe has started a completely new production company, in line with the Hollywood Reporter. Nigel Lythgoe Productions, a partnership with American Idol's 19 Entertainment, already has reality projects in development for Alice Cooper, Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin, sex and relationship expert Dr. Laura Berman and Kim Kardashian. A couple of from the systems Lythgoe is coping with include CBS, E! and TruTV. Have a look at our fall preview for galleries, scoop, premiere calendars plus much more! "Audiences desire to feel psychologically devoted to what they are watching n the purest sense and NLP will concentrate on that desire," Lythgoe mentioned. Besides creating Idol, Lythgoe might be the creator, executive producer together with a judge on And That Means You Think You'll Be Able To Dance.

Trueba's 'Chico' tops Douro fest

MADRID -- Latin jazz scene-set "Chico and Rita," Spanish helmer Fernando Trueba's first animated film, nabbed the Turismo de Douro prize at Portugal's third Douro Film Harvest, which wrapped on Saturday. The prize for the fest's Wine and Food Films sidebar went to "Escaping Robert Parker," by Ed Burley, who picked up the award in person. A seven-day umbrella event, organized in Portugal's picturesque Douro wine valley, the DFH saw a major hike in Portuguese premieres, which made up 80% of the program, alongside fest favorites that included Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" and Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life." Directors in attendance included Solveig Nordlund ("The Death of Carlos Gardel," which opened the fest), Brazil's Carlos Diegues (for a Tawny Tribute), Canadian-British artist-turned-helmer Zev Robinson ("Life on the Douro") and helming duo Elena Gugliuzza and Patricia Boillart ("Isola, Where Bacchus' Language is Spoken"). Douro's first Ibero-American Lab, organized by Madrid-based Ocean Communications CEO Annabelle Aramburu, was an industry event focused on co-production between Portugal, Spain, Latin America and Africa, maximizing access to distribution channels, especially new media. Illustrating how Argentina's film sector taps into international co-productions, Ukbar Filmes' Pablo Iraolo argued that Portugal, with low production costs, could follow suit. Aramburu discussed an interactive documentary about pregnancy, "Mother Today," financed by an Icaa Spanish Film Institute subsidy and pre-buys from regional TV stations in Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha and Aragon. Portuguese producers Fernando Vendrell and Pandora da Cunha Telles discussed their Africa-shot projects, co-funded by the EU's African, Caribbean and Pacific support fund. Other examples of co-productions under the Lab microscope included Zeze Gamboa's "The Great Kilapy," a Portugal-Mozambique-Angola-Brazil co-production, and Licinio Azevedo's debut feature, "Margarida," linking Portugal, Mozambique and France. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

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Toronto 2011: Myriad Accumulates Take advantage of Lowe's 'Knife Fight' for Worldwide Sales

Myriad Pictures will handle the worldwide sales from the Take advantage of Lowe political satire Knife Fight.Related Subjects•Toronto Worldwide Fil... Bill Guttentag directed and co-authored the pic, that also stars Julie Bowen, Jamie Chung, Barbara-Anne Moss, Eric McCormack and Richard Schiff. The film follows three political candidates running for public office, with Lowe like a hard-ball political crisis manager in the center of some dirty campaigns, Chung his wise administrative aid, and Bowen a hot shot reporter who sleeps her method to major news tales. Political consultant Chris Lehane, who had been a Whitened House consultant to Leader Bill Clinton and then behaved as Al Gore's press secretary. co-authored the script with Guttentag. Myriad's Kirk D'Amico is wishing to take advantage of 2012 becoming an election year within the U.S. and was careful to include it may play to each side from the political spectrum: "Chris' script is particularly non-partisan for the reason that it skewers political figures on sides from the aisle." Myriad plans to produce a trailer for that American Film Market in November. The film you will need to screen for that early 2012 festival season. Related Subjects Toronto Worldwide Film Festival Julie Bowen Richard Schiff Worldwide Take advantage of Lowe

CW really wants to be what women want

The term from new CW prexy Mark Pedowitz on his plans for fall: Stay the course."Our bread and butter are women 18-34, and also to deny that's an error,Inch Pedowitz states. "Our goal would be to service them, after which get other age ranges to sample us."And merely exactly what do individuals women want? "They need romance," he states. "They need a guy who appears like a guy. They need hope, plus they want transparency."The battling CW must shake some misconception to conquer a serious rankings slump with shows landing not just at the end from the major broadcast pile, but additionally frequently losing to Univision plus some high-ranked cable shows. At this time, the network's actual demo centers around 35 -- that is near to the same age as "Ringer" star Sarah Michelle Gellar, fondly appreciated as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." What Pedowitz hopes to complete with "Ringer" and also the Rachel Bilson-driven light drama "Hart of Dixie" would be to satisfy their more youthful target group while wishing to attract slightly older ladies who happen to be predisposed to liking CW programs.The CW looks to take advantage of Kevin Williamson's "The Vampire Journals" success with another supernatural offering, "The Key Circle," also is with different number of popular youthful adult books.As the netlet has opened up the doorway for comedies again and perhaps a super hero show, the first kind ABC professional does not appear to stay in any hurry to alter.InchWe will move very gradually, very smartly," states Pedowitz. "We'll be taking small steps."SPOTLIGHTS"Ringer"Snagging Sarah Michelle Gellar most likely appeared as an response to the CW's rankings hopes. The beloved actress from "Buffy" should generate a powerful initial sampling. The suspense drama was initially slated for CBS, but fits here better. The premise of the twin overtaking the existence of her identical sister, unknowingly to individuals who know her, is shaky at best. However the sudsy drama full of seduction and intrigue -- as well as the smoking hot males in her own orbit including Ioan Gruffudd, Nestor Carbonell and Mike Colter -- could offer an irresistible magnet towards the target demo.NEW FOR 2011-12"Hart of Dixie"This seafood-out-of-water tale with Bilson being an obnoxious city physician going country does not possess the grit of "House" -- which shares exactly the same timeslot on Fox. Maybe it's a try to sell you for more youthful female audiences who're more inclined toward fantasy fare than the usual sassy version of "The Waltons." "The Key Circle"The CW produces an attractive spirits-in-the-evening block with "The Vampire Journals" leading into "Secret Circle," featuring rising star Britt Robertson like a teen who just lost her mother and returns to some spooky home town full of ghouls -- finding she's one of these. Plenty of gossipy good fun and handsome men like Thomas Dekker. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Mark Gordon, Candace Bushnell set ABC drama

Producers Mark Gordon and Candace Bushnell have setup a drama project at ABC according to her book "One Fifth Avenue." Project involves a writer who starts looking into the scandal that erupts among citizens in her own building after she moves to her old apartment carrying out a breakup. It's charged as "Sex and also the City" meets "The Great Wife." "Gossip Girl" professional producer Josh Safran is penning the script and can professional produce with Gordon and Bushnell for ABC Galleries. The ABC Galleries-based Mark Gordon Co. continues to be on the tear yesteryear couple of days, establishing greater than a half-dozen comedy and drama projects spread among ABC, USA and TNT. Recently the banner also nabbed a drama pilot order from Showtime for "Ray Donovan," composed by Ann Biderman. Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

True Blood Episode Recap: "Soul of Fire"

On Sunday's episode of True Blood, the war between the witches and the vampires comes to a tentative resolution, with Bill and Eric narrowly avoiding the true death. Debbie and Marcus make a terrible pair. Andy makes a new friend... and a new vow. Jason and Jessica are, of course, still in love. Lafayette and Jesus' relationship, unfortunately, just became a threesome. "F---IN' SOOKIE!" So... that was it? The much-anticipated stand-off at Ye Olde Shoppe of Sandalwood Candles and Reanimation between Marnie/Antonia and the vampires was kind of a bore. First of all, with Marnie's force field surrounding the shop, there wasn't much direct contact between the opposing sides. Second, the vampires didn't really do much. Hell, Bill and Eric even agreed to commit suicide if Marnie released Sookie, which, well, as Pam pointed out, that was just ridiculous. In the end, it was Jesus the brujo who saved the day, by forcibly expelling Antonia from Marnie, thus reducing her power enough to knock out the force field. The vampires then entered the shop and made quick work of shooting Marnie through the forehead, just as her prophetic pool of blood told her they would. So... R.I.P, Marnie? (Actually, no? See below.) THE BRIEF, MISGUIDED COURTSHIP OF DEBBIE AND MARCUS Since Debbie's relapse last week, she hasn't made too many great decisions, including hitching her star to Marcus' wagon. You see, Marcus is a delusional deadbeat dad who thinks that Debbie would make a great stepmom for little Emma, so he kidnaps his daughter and makes plans to start a new life with Debbie at his side. Meanwhile, Sam is looking for Marcus, not to rescue Emma (that happens to be an unintended side effect), but to avenge the accidental death of the brother he hated. But when Sam is in the clutch - and has Marcus in his clutches - he decides instead to let Marcus live with himself. Alcide, on the other hand, is kind of miffed that Marcus has stolen his "bitch," so he chokes him to death. He also "abcures" Debbie, which I think is wolf-speak for "banish." She is naturally very sad about this development, but I'm guessing that by next week, she'll be back to her old treacherous self. It's funny, now that Tommy is gone, I don't really mind if Alcide and Sam hang out together. ANDY = "HANDSOME AND MUSCULAR"? After Terry's tough-love intervention, Andy has a long walk back to civilization. Along the way, he meets a faerie named Maurella, who thinks he's handsome and muscular. (Cue Andy's awkward grunting.) He is, naturally, spellbound by Maurella, so when she asks him to "swear to the light," he does so without question. Then they make love. He tells Arlene what happened, but she doesn't believe him, going as far as to suggest a trip to the same booby hatch that Terry once enjoyed. Where are they going with this? I thought we were done with the faeries? Why Andy? JS + JH 4-EVA Hey, guess what? Just when Jason regained enough strength of character to turn down Jessica for the sake of his friendship with Hoyt, he got caught in the crossfire of Pam's shoulder-mounted assault on the shop, necessitating yet another vampire-blood transfusion. Guess who's going to be all moony-eyed for Jessie again next week? Poor Hoyt. "YOU IN DANGER, GIRL." "You may hear and see things you really don't want to," Jesus warns his boyfriend as they begin the process to separate Marnie and Antonia. "That ship has f---ing sailed," Lafayette replies. And how! In the final moments of the episode, while Jesus and Lafayette snuggle in bed, a spectral Marnie appears and appears to "enter" Lafayette's mouth, suggesting that she now possesses him. (This is a development that - ask my friends, I swear - I predicted might happen before the season's end.) So what happens in next week's finale? Are there more twists and turns to come? Or will it be more like the Season 3 finale, a quiet hour that looked ahead to this season's central story lines? What do you think of this season so far? Let me know in the comments section below. show less

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