'Immortals' Star Luke Evans 'Can't Wait to Go Back to Work' on 'The Hobbit'

Luke Evans is having an epic moment: He plays Aramis in 'The Three Musketeers,' Zeus in the upcoming 'Immortals,' and he's also been cast in a strategic role in Peter Jackson's 'Hobbit' films as Bard the Bowman, a heroic human who comes to Bilbo Baggins' aid. Evans talked to Moviefone about 'Immortals' (look for our interview with him about playing the youngest version of the Greek God closer to the movie's release on Nov. 11) and how much he's enjoying shooting the "longest job of his life" in New Zealand. Your character, Bard the Bowman, has a very pivotal role. That's a big moment there at the end of the story. There's an epic moment there, yeah. Have you been practicing your archery skills? Yes, I was trained for three weeks in New Zealand with a stunt coordinator, learning my new weapon. I've gone from swords in 'Musketeers' and a bow -- a long bow at that -- for 'The Hobbit,' so it's been a really interesting education, because there's very different ways of using a bow and arrow, so I've learned lots of them to make it look realistic. When do you go back to work on it? I go back in three weeks for my second block. Taking a little break to open 'Musketeers' and 'Immortals' and talk to you lovely people. The actors who made 'The Lord of the Rings' films had this amazing camaraderie, are you experiencing that on 'The Hobbit?' Yes, I am. It's interesting because the boys -- and when I say the boys, I mean the dwarves -- have been there since February, so they already had their team set up. But there's a lovely energy when you go to Wellington and you meet the whole team, including Fran [Walsh] and Philippa [Boyens] and the whole crew. Everybody. It's a Kiwi quality which I absolutely love and they immediately embrace you and you're part of the family. It just sort of transcends all the way through the layers [of the production], from the runners up to the top. Everybody's there loving the fact they're doing something incredibly special and I feel very honored to be in this family. I feel part of it now and I miss them very much and I can't wait to go back, to be honest. How much longer do you have to film your part? I'm there until the middle of next year. It's the longest job of my life. We can't wait to see it. Neither can I. [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

CNN Revamping Morning Selection (Report)

NY - After rejigging its mid-day and evening programming schedule, Time Warner's CNN has become searching to unveil a brand new morning selection with the kind of Soledad O'Brien, the NY Occasions reported. The cable news network's new plans will effectively dismantle its current American Morning block, that has been an inadequate rankings artist, the paper stated. The brand new early schedule, that could be revealed as soon as now, might find O'Brien, among CNN's former morning anchors, anchor from 7am to 9am on mondays to fridays, while Ashleigh Banfield, an old correspondent for ABC News, will co-anchor with someone else from 5am to 7am. One co-anchor possibility is Zoraida Sambolin, an old morning hours anchor from Chicago, based on the Occasions. A CNN speaker rejected to discuss possible changes on Sunday, the Occasions stated. American Morning has battled within the rankings, it outlined, pointing towards the dominance from the Today show and Hello America on network TV and Fox & Buddies and Morning Joe on CNN's cable news rivals. The morning selection has additionally routinely underperformed the rankings of Morning Express With Robin Meade on CNN sister funnel HLN. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Subjects Time Warner CNN

ABC Buys Interracial-Themed Comedy From Lisa Ling, DreamWorks TV

Lisa Ling Lisa Ling, who currently hosts OWN's Our America documentary series, is getting into the comedy game. ABC has bought the comedy No. One Son from Ling, DreamWorks TV and Saturday Night Live writer Cindy Caponera, Deadline reports. Lisa Ling kicks off Season 2 of Our America with amateur porn stars In the single-camera show, a Chinese family and an Irish-Italian family must learn how to navigate their cultural differences after their two eldest children have married and merged the clans. Caponera will executive-produce with Ling and DreamWorks TV's Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. ABC Studios will produce.

Componen, Lovefilm ink German pact

BERLIN -- Vital Pictures has inked a multi-year content deal for Germany with Lovefilm, Europe's leading online entertainment subscription service.The agreement provides Lovefilm customers in Germany exclusive streaming use of Vital game titles throughout the very first subscription TV window beginning this fall.The offer means Lovefilm people in Germany will get access to Paramount's approaching game titles before every other pay TV provider within the territory, including such films because the Coen Brothers' "True Grit," J.J. Abrams' sci-fi thriller "Super 8" and Michael Bay's "Transformers: Dark from the Moon." Customers will have the ability to instantly stream all Paramount's new and future releases through the Lovefilm Player, either on PC, via in-home connected family room products or on PlayStation3.Later this season, German people will even have the ability to watch films instantly with the Xbox 360 360.It the most recent content agreement to enhance Lovefilm's European offering and follows other recent deals, including first subscription pacts within the U.K. with eOne and Studiocanal. Contact Erectile dysfunction Meza at staff@variety.com

Energy Shopping: Eco-friendly Expert Danny Seo's 5 Best L.A. Spots to buy Home

Eco-friendly interior designer Danny Search engine optimization, 34, lately released a type of sustainable home items -- quick-drying out towels, plush bath mats, smooth soft bedding -- that's offered countrywide in shops like TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods.our editor recommendsION Existence Adds Eco-Friendly Lifestyle Series to LineupDo Something Honours 2011: Sophia Rose bush Describes Why She Fights for that Atmosphere (Video)'Mad Men' Actor Debuts Design Book A tight schedule-to eco-friendly guy for stars like Kerry Washington, Amy Wise and Emmanuelle Chriqui lately composed his seventh bookUpcycling,which showcases his "MacGyver-meets-HGTV" approach towards crafting that can take everyday products and transforms them into gorgeous new things around the house. He spoke withThe Hollywood Reporter about his favorite places to look in La. Vintageweave Inside "This really is my go-to put whenever I'm re-carrying out a client's home or styling a photograph shoot. Owner Kathleen Delgado mixes hard-to-find French antiques with new add-ons plenty of repurposed products should be found like vintage luggage converted to canine beds. Art work photography around the walls comes from actor Scott Caan and the likelihood of running into Sharon Osbourne are nearly 1:1. She j'adores the store.Inch 7928 West Third, La 90048 Inheritance "Think Anthropologie decor for men -- so no bird imprinted tea cups or bohemian jewel encrusted chandeliers here. In my opinion every home requires a couple of "strange" pieces to help keep it interesting a light produced from gnarly driftwood, a classic chair colored glossy orange, a pouf side table produced from old sake barrels. Inheritance mixes the improbably perfectly: taxidermy with flatware on the top of antique stools with worn boxing mitts quietly, all styled perfectly and in some way influencing you to definitely bring 'em all home." 8055 Beverly Boulevard, La, CA 90048 Matteo Bedding "It's well worth the trek todowntown L.A. to check on-out this La-made, pure Americana type of luxe bedding. You won't find super ornate, shiny bedding here. Rather, founder Matthew Lenoci produced Matteo to fill a void for straightforward, well-made bedding using the best materials. I'm speaking tea-stained florals, blue-and-whitened ticking and crisp whitened sheets Rob Lauren wishes he designed. Insider tip: become buddies with Matteo and register to be informed of the periodic sample sales." 917 East Third Street, La, CA 90013 Atmosphere Furniture "Eco-friendly style was previously a contradiction, particularly in interior decor.Atmosphere Furniture removes that misunderstanding with simple, upcycled pieces. The Pacficia Sofa is really a fave, produced from repurposed Military tent fabric and thus may be the Beam Bench, simply made with 100-year-old planks of wood." 8126 Beverly Boulevard,La, CA 90048 Related Subjects Atmosphere

Shawn Stockmans Sing-Off Blog: A Day To Celebrate

First Published: October 25, 2011 3:14 PM EDT Credit: Getty Premium LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption Shawn Stockman performing at the 2011 Essence Music Festival at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans on July 1, 2011. Today is a special day for me! Not only did we experience another incredible display of talent on The Sing-Off, but today, new music from my group Boyz II Men is released from our new album entitled Twenty. This marks a milestone in our career making this 20 years of being a group. Most marriages dont even last that long! This is a proud moment! Outside of the music weve made through the years, Im most grateful for what this journey has taught me so far! I was a frail, shy little guy when I first came out, an introvert to some degree. The only friends I had were my group members, which, with some exceptions, is still the truth. But what this experience has done was force me into situations where I had to shed my skin, be more assertive, change from being a boy to a man. Part of that growth I owe to my father Thurman Sanders, who, not through his triumphs, but through his mistakes, and how he dealt with them and his candor with me about them, I witnessed who is to me one of the greatest men Ive ever seen! I tell this one story a lot because it, in my mind, is one of the most profound moments in my younger life! I was sitting at home one Friday night watching TV on the couch. My father on Fridays never comes home till late because he takes his normal trip to the local lounge where he has a few drinks and relaxes! This night, he comes home a bit inebriated. Now, Im normally used to my dad having impromptu convos with me about pretty much everything school, his job, sex, the whole nine. At times, they can be pretty embarrassing, but tonight was different. My dad comes walking in slowly, even when he was drunk he was never sloppy, and he plops down on the couch next to me. He tells me to make him another drink, his favorite, Windsor whiskey with three ice cubes and a bit of water. I come back from the kitchen with his drink and as he sips it, he gives me a smile of approval. Just right. We watch TV a bit and then he turns to me and says: Son, as you go through life youre going to mess up! (He actually used a word that starts with a f and ends with a k). Youre going to do things that may hurt someone emotionally! You are GOING to make mistakes! I didnt know how to take what he was saying to me. I was flabbergasted, and somewhat disturbed! Until he leaned closer to me and said, With all that you will do, and you WILL do it, it is NOT the end of the world! Get up when you fall, dust your shoulders off, and try again! He finished his drink, gave me the empty glass with half melted ice cubes, and went upstairs to bed. I sat there with the TV playing in the background of my thoughts of what he said. And he changed me. Changed my thinking. I was always the type that tries to please everyone. Even now still to some degree. But I found equanimity in understanding that when all falls down, I start the healing process by not panicking, but generating the state of mind that only maturity, wisdom, and understanding brings! I thought the idea of life was to go through it unbruised, to do everything right and make everybody happy! So far, Ive learned the opposite! A shower is for the dirty. And I really do enjoy the sunlight more right after a thunderstorm! Life is pain AND pleasure, sadness AND happiness! U cant have one without the other. Its what teaches us to appreciate whats around us. And Im so glad to say Ive enjoyed my life thus far of experiencing a little bit of ALL of it! These are the things that change boys to men!! - SHAWN Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Ratings: Dancing with the Stars Stomps World Series

Dancing With The Stars Dancing with the Stars stomped Game 5 of the World Series, averaging 17.17 million fans vs. 14.32 million. In the 18-to-49 demographic, though, Fox's baseball coverage beat ABC's program, which was spiced up Monday night by a spat between Maksim Chmerkovskiy and judge Len Goodman, 4.2 to 3.2. NBC's The Sing-Off pulled in 4.18 million (1.6) over two hours, Nielsen data shows. Read our Dancing with the Stars recap Castle nabbed the most viewers in the final hour of Monday's prime time for the sixth consecutive week of the new season - 10.81 million vs. 10.70 million for CBS' Hawaii Five-0, which won the demo battle, 3.1 to 2.4. AndNBC's repeat of Prime Suspect snagged 2.43 million people (0.7). Fall TV Popularity Contest: What new shows have won you over? CBS scored with its comedy block: How I Met Your Mother (9.79 million/4.3 demo rating); 2 Broke Girls (11.19 million/4.5); Two and a Half Men (15.29 million/5.5), a notable increase after four straight weeks of declines following its huge season premiere); and Mike & Molly (12.16 million/4.2). Check out the rest of the day's news on TVGuide.com The CW's Gossip Girl got a steady 1.36 million (0.7), and Hart of Dixie 2.01 million (0.8) - the freshman series' most-watched (and highest-rated) so far. Both shows saw week-to-week gains and gave the network its most-viewed Monday of the season.

Dolby, Barco set ShowEast demo

Dolby and global tech company Barco have planned a demo for ShowEast 2011 designed to demonstrate that only one projector can playback at nearly three occasions the frame rate of traditional movie exhibition rates of 24 fps. Barco and Dolby have scheduled demos that will present 2D 2K high frame rate at 48 fps 2D 4K at 24 fps and 2K high frame rate at 48 and 60 fps per eye for 3 dimensional. Every one of these demos will probably be done employing a single Barco DP2K-20C projector getting a prototype 2K/4K Dolby Integrated Media Block (IMB) and Dolby DSS200 cinema server. There is industry fascination with greater frame rates for several years, only recently -- using the roll-out of digital cinema technology -- has it even become thinkable within the exhibition level. Right before that, showing films inside a greater frame rate moved a massive cost barrier to participants. Barco and Dolby goal showing their ultra-vibrant DLP projectors and 3d cinema system, correspondingly, can effectively playback inside a high frame rate while still maintaining a greater-level experience for your audience. "Dolby's wealthy heritage when controling content designers and partners like Barco provides the understanding and perspective can be expected future market needs for your cinema industry," mentioned Ramzi Haidamus, Dolby Labs professional V . p . of advertising and marketing. "Dolby and Barco's technical illustration showing high frame rate in a variety of formats means our goal to provide filmmakers a choice that meets their creative vision while delivering audiences the finest-quality presentation possible in emerging digital cinema conditions." Barco's "High Frame Rate" presentation will occur today between 8:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. throughout ShowEast 2011 within the Westin Diplomat Hotel, Miami/Hollywood, Fla. You will notice another presentation at Barco's Belgian Beer Bar on Wednesday from 5 to eight p.m. within the Marriott Hollywood Beach Hotel, by invitation only. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Do Hollywood Celebrities Have a Right to Occupy Wall Street?

Kim Kardashian has a reported net worth of over $35 million; Tyler Perry earned $130 million from May 2010 to May 2011. Which is to say that these are two stars who treat fame like Donald Trump treated real estate properties in the '80s: by turning it into a lucrative business. As such, their accountants are probably happy about this one: Deadline reports that Kardashian has been added to the cast of Perry's new film, 'The Marriage Counselor.' Based on one of Perry's stage plays, the film focuses on an Ivy League-educated marriage counselor ('Friday Night Lights' star Jurnee Smollett) who cheats on her long-time husband (never mind that Smollett is only 25; just go with it). Kardashian would play her friend Ava, who gives the woman a "big-city makeover." Kardashian made her official screen debut in 'Disaster Movie' in 2008, and has appeared as an actress in three other projects: two television shows ('CSI: NY' and 'Beyond the Break') and the little-seen film 'Deep in the Valley.' She stars with her sisters on the wildly popular reality show 'Keeping up with the Kardashians.' Here's guessing Kourtney and Khloe will be a little jealous with this bit of news. [via Deadline] [Photo: WireImage] Kim Kardashian at AOL/Huffington Post Game Changers Awards See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Guillermo del Toro's 'Pacific Rim' Moves Around May 10, 2013

Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures are very thinking about the very first effects from Guillermo del Toro's Off-shoreline Rim they're improving the film's release out of this summer time 12, 2013, to May 10, 2013.our editor recommendsComic-Disadvantage 2011: Guillermo del Toro Vows 'Pacific Rim' Will Feature 'Finest F--king Monsters Ever Dedicated to Film''Pacific Rim': Idris Elba Joins Guillermo del Toro ProjectCharlie Hunnam Lands Lead Role in Guillermo del Toro's 'Pacific Rim' Del Toro begins shooting the Godzilla-meets-Transformers pic begins this fall in Toronto. Thomas Tull's Legendary takes charge round the project. The moving to May 10 will take off-shoreline Rim taken proper care of of Steven Spielberg's Robopocalypse, that's scheduled striking theaters about this summer time 5. Off-shoreline Rim stars Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba and Charlie Day, among others. Producers are Tull, del Toro, Jon Jashni and Mary Parent. Off-shoreline Rim will be the first film del Toro has helmed since Hellboy II: The Golden Military in 2008. Related Subjects Guillermo del Toro Worldwide Off-shoreline Rim

Hayden Panettiere Excited Amanda Knox Gets A Second Chance At Life

First Published: October 13, 2011 2:12 PM EDT Credit: Access Hollywood Caption Hayden Panettiere chats with Billy Bush and Kit Hoover on Access Hollywood Live, Burbank, Calif., on October 13, 2011 LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The Amanda Knox case caused a great deal of emotion when an Italian appeals court threw out her murder conviction earlier this month, especially for Hayden Panettiere, who played the 24-year-old on the small screen. I was on the edge of my bed, my eyes welled up when I heard the verdict read, the actress, who starred in the Lifetimes Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy, told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover on Thursdays Access Hollywood Live. Its hard for me because I played her. I do feel like I have a certain connection with her, the 22-year-old actress who currently stars opposite Julia Roberts and Ryan Reynolds on the big screen in Fireflies in the Garden continued. Its difficult for me to say that Im not excited to see a young girl get a second chance at life and she does have a second chance, and I hope she makes the best of it. Hayden feels like her Lifetime movie stands on its own and doesnt need to shoot a new ending. I think the great thing about that film was that it ended. It was so fact based that it ended when she went to jail, regardless the ending wouldnt change, she explained. But would the actress consider doing a second movie about Amanda? I just dont know how differently theyd do the story or what theyd do it about and because it was such public knowledge. They had such facts and information, she told Billy and Kit. Now, if they did it about her being in jail, I feel like they would have to get her involved. Adding, Id definitely read [another script about her [but doing another movie] would depend on a whole lot of things though. confused on the double brackets Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

In Their Own Words

In Their Own Words October 12, 2011 Photo by Getty Images Idina Menzel On Big Breaks... "First big breakhard to say. Could be Mabel in 'The Pirates of Penzance,' 4th grade, Baylis Elementary School, where I discovered the warmth and exhilaration of the spotlight. Or perhaps getting hired as a professional wedding/bar mitzvah singer at the age of 15 for Tony Saitta and the Echoes, where I learned the true meaning of rejection, as a drunk audience ate their salads to the tune of 'I'm So Excited' by the Pointer Sisters. But I guess the most significant break was in December 1995, when I was cast in the Off-Broadway production of the musical 'Rent.' I met my husband; I learned the endurance and discipline it takes to do eight shows a week, the fragility of life, and the importance of being in the moment." Idina Menzel"'Big break' implies that it's done now, you've gotten it, and now you're in. We know you're never in. You're in, then you're not in. Then you're back in, then you're out again. You're always on some part of that scale. There are very few actorsyou could probably count them on one handthat you know aren't going anywhere." Don Cheadle"Waiting for a big break is a mistake. I knew I would go to seed waiting for a break, and I didn't go full time as an actor until I was 34. And after I did my first thing as a full-time actor, I realized I had nothing else lined up. So I did a one-man show. You can't sit around waiting for the phone to ring; you have to make your own work. Just do it, do it, do it." Brendan GleesonOn Auditioning... "One of the things I've recently discovered is the way I get through the nerves of auditions is telling myself it's a workday. I know my lines, I know my character, and I'm going to work with the director. And sometimes it goes terribly, terribly wrong, but it frees me up a little bit." Connie Britton"I've met some wonderful actors who found the audition process just too terrifying, even painful, and gave up. That nerve-jangling stretch before the reading can seem downright flulike. Well-meaning efforts to convince you that 'It's just energy!' are pointless. It feels like fear, so it's fear. But what are we afraid of? What's the worst that can happen? They don't give you the job? Guess what: You already don't have the job. The worst has happened! Pressure's off, so have fun. The main reason we wanted to do this is that it looked like it would be fun, right?" Michael McKean"I was attending NYU. They have a strict absence policy: Three absences and you're kicked out. I was auditioning on the side and had about 10 absences and begged them to let me stay. I had been auditioning for almost a year and hadn't booked anything. At the start of my final semester, I booked a lead guest-starring role in a 'Law & Order' episode. I was going to have to miss a week of school. Crap. It was a new semester, so I'd already have five absences. Two over the limit. I figured I'd take the job and beg NYU to let me stay later. On the set, I met Dick Wolf and we got along well. I guess he liked what I was doing, because he asked me if I would be interested in doing another guest-starring role in a new show he had, a short-lived series named 'The Wright Verdicts.' I would have to take off another two weeks of school. I knew there was no way NYU would go for it, so I decided to take the semester off and finish up my last 15 credits the next semester. But I kept booking jobs, and I never went back. About 10 years later, I was up for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series at the SAG Awards for 'Six Feet Under,' which I had guest-starred on that season. I saw Dick Wolf there and we started talking. I said, 'You know, Dick, I was 15 credits from graduating and dropped out of college to do your shows. So you're the reason I don't have my diploma. But...you're the reason I got my SAG card. So it's a good tradeoff." - Peter Facinelli"One of the greatest I think was Tom Hanks [for 'Forrest Gump']. That screen test with him washe was just so sweet and warm and I wasn't scared. I felt at ease. He was so loving, and that was a great experience, and I got the part. It all works out." Robin Wright"I remember going to one of those casting workshops, where you pay 50 bucks and go off and work on scenes. I came back and they evaluated me, and the guy was like, 'Conservatively speaking, you need three more years of work, probably working at our workshops.' I was like, 'Uh-huh, okay.' Not to say that he was wrong and I was really good, but it just felt creepy and weird. Also, in the limited amount of commercial auditions I used to do, I swear, every time I went in, the person in front of me would come out laughing with the casting director. They'd be hugging each other: 'Bye, Bob! Great to see you! Say hi to the wife!' Then they'd be like: 'Next! Phil Ferrell.' 'Uh, it's Will, actually.' 'Whatever.' " Will Ferrell"There are two of them. I won't name who they were. One was a producer, and one was a director. I went in and read for a director, and I was to read the role of a bad guy, and I read it and he looked at me and he said, 'Ooooh, scary,' but in such a cynical, awful way. How do you even react to that? I just kind of laughed or something and it was over, and I didn't get the part, thank God. The other one was, I was auditioning for something, and a producer sat there reading the NY Post while I was auditioning. So when I started directing, I vowed that I would maybe try to compensate for people like that." Stanley Tucci"I don't get starstruck. I'm fine. Especially Ben [Affleck]he's a Boston guy; I should be fine. I walked in [to audition for 'Gone Baby Gone'], and I'm walking down the halls looking for this room, and as I passed a room I heard, 'There he is.' In my head I was like, 'That's Ben.' I turned around and it was, and for some reason I instantly was nervous. I went in and shook his hand, and the first thing I said was 'Hey, how ya doing? Am I gonna be okay where I parked?' And he said, 'Where'd you park?' And I said, 'At one of the meters.' And he said, 'Did you put money in it?' And I said, 'Yeah.' And he said, 'I think you'll be all right.' From that moment, I just wanted to get the f--k out of the room. I just wanted to be anywhere but there. I sat down with my heart beating out of my chest. I was so mortified that I started this meeting off that way. I started giving him one-word answers. They put me in a rocking chair, so I'm just rocking and twisting, just nervous. 'So, what was your last movie like?' 'Good.' 'What was it like to work with Danny Boyle?' 'Good.' I just wanted to get out of there. It was horrible, a complete disaster. So, obviously, I did not get that job." Chris Evans"I've had so many bad auditions. 'Dawson's Creek' was probably the worst. I had just gotten back from Toronto doing this Disney show, and I had a video camera, and I'd directed some plays and I really, really wanted to direct. For a birthday, I got one of those little viewfinders, and I was 15. I went to network for 'Dawson's Creek,' and on the last one I realized I was really going to knock it out of the park. I wanted this show more than anything, because it was a kid who loved movies and he had some problems with a girlfriend. And I could relate. I liked movies, and I had a problem with a girl."So I came in with a viewfinder around my neck, and I wanted to show them that I liked movies, and I wore my Sundance cap. This is for network. And they said, 'Okay, do these scenes.' And I did them pretty good. It was like a mix-and-match and then I did it again. And they said, 'Okay, thanks, Ben.' And I thanked them. 'So when do you think there's going to be a callback, because I may be going out of town or something.' And that's a huge no-no, but you don't know until you do that. And they said, 'Yeah, we'll get back to you. Thanks, it was a great read.' I was like, 'Okay, great. Do you want me to do it again in another way?' They said, 'No, no, that was fine, thank you.' And there were, like, 20 people in the room. So I then shook 20 people's hands. I refused to leave a single person without looking them in the eye. Then I knew something was building, but I thought it was my courage rather than these people really wanting me to get the f--k out of their room. So I leave the room and I wait two minutes outside the door, and I'm sweating. I'm like, 'I didn't do enough. I didn't give enough.' So I knocked on the door, and they're like, 'Yeah, come in.' And they were shocked to see that I came back in. I was like, 'I'm so sorry,' and I adjusted the chair that I was sitting on in the room, because I kind of left it askew. And then I said, 'Thanks so much. This was terrific, and I can't wait to hear back.' So I walked outside, and I couldn't drive at the time, and my dad was supposed to pick me up. I was like, 'You know what? Don't come. Don't pick me up yet.' And he was like, 'Why?' I was like, 'I'm going to really let them have it. Pick me up in two hours.' So I sit and I wait outside, because it's, like, 10 in the morning and I wait until, like, 12:30 for them to go to lunch. And I watch them all walk out of the office, and I'm there sitting with my viewfinder and a Sundance cap, and I just wave at them. So I get in the carno, it wasn't my dad; it was my girlfriend at the time's mom, actually. She drove me back, and she's like, 'How'd it go?' And I was like, 'Really well. I really, like, committed.' And I get back to the Oakwood Apartments, where I was living. And I'm waiting by the phone. Five o'clock, 6 o'clock rolls around, and you're sweating by the phone, being like, 'I got it. I know I got this.' My manager calls up and I say, 'Hey!' and he says, 'Hey. What the f--k did you do in there?' I was like, 'It went great, right?' And he just said, 'Whatever you just did, don't ever do it again.'"And I've heard that a few times in my life. I guess I haven't learned it. Maybe I've become a little less desperate or a lot less desperate in terms of trying to prove myself to other people, but that was a rough one. I learned that it doesn't matter what they think, as long as you give your performance and you can be pleasant, but you don't have to give your person to them. You just do that through the work. If I had left, maybe things would have been different. There are no regrets, of course, but as actors we have so much heart, and we just want to give pieces of ourselves away so badly: 'See? I feel, I feel, I feel so much. I want to feel for you. I want to feel for the world.' It's a city filled with people who want to give their hearts away, and sometimes like human beings we're not so calloused, and that's beautiful. It can work in the opposite way: 'I'm too callous, and I can't give anymore because you don't deserve my heart,' and that's bullshit, too." - Ben FosterOn Getting Their SAG Card... "I got my SAG card with a T.J. Maxx commercial. 'You get the max for the minimum at T.J. Maxx.' It was a back-to-school ad. Ben [Affleck] and I were in it together, and our part got cut, but we still got the checks. It was 1986 when I got my SAG card, and they raised the rate from $600 to $800, and I only had $600, and I was on my way to get my SAG card and I found out that it was $200 more than I had, and my father gave me the money. And I've always been really grateful about that." Matt Damon"Oh, GodI did an episode of 'Spenser: For Hire.' I remember some controversy over doing 'Spenser: For Hire,' because I didn't have [the card]. But I got it in 1985." Patricia Clarkson"I got my SAG card as an extra on an ABC Afterschool Special where I had to play spin the bottle, and I got my first kiss and SAG card. They weren't going to give anyone lines, but then they gave me a line and a kiss, and so they gave me my SAG card." Kyra SedgwickOn Training... "I took classes for technical reasons, like knowing how to count. I could not count for the life of me when I first started. I was like, 'Five and nine!' 'No, there's no nine.' " Harry Shum, Jr. On Acting... "I'm so lucky to be doing what I'm doing. I will tell anyone that. Acting is no easy feat, though.... It truly requires more focus, dedication, tenacity, and perseverance than most paths. Telling stories allows you to truly see the power of the human spirit and mind, but also to understand that we can use humor as a medicine for pain. It's this simple: The only way to weave the thread of life into a character is to pull from your own life's past, present, and future. I tried with some success but never really got it until reading Ivana Chubbuck's book 'The Power of the Actor' and studying this type of acting, using real-to-me connective tissue between me and whomever I'm playing. Then it all made sense." Ian SomerhalderOn Wanting to be an Actor... "I'm one of those obnoxious, annoying people who will tell you there was never any question that's always what I was going to be. I didn't have a backup career." Ginnifer Goodwin"I still wake up some days thinking, 'What in the hell am I doing?' I often pass between anxiety and amusement at some of the situations my life as an actor has put me in. But when I think back to 10 or 11 years ago, I am amazed at how lost I really was. I showed up in NY knowing everything and absolutely nothing, all at the same time. I knew I wanted to be an actor. That was it. Fortunately for me, I came across a copy of Back Stage at a newsstand and it became my handbook. The first thing I would do every Thursday morning (after some Tylenol and a ton of water; I bartended Wednesday nights) was get my copy and open up to the submissions page. These were my first auditions. My first work experiences. The student films I booked out of there were my training. And I'm still trying to get copies of a couple of those!" Jeff Hephner In Their Own Words October 12, 2011 Idina Menzel PHOTO CREDIT Getty Images On Big Breaks... "First big breakhard to say. Could be Mabel in 'The Pirates of Penzance,' 4th grade, Baylis Elementary School, where I discovered the warmth and exhilaration of the spotlight. Or perhaps getting hired as a professional wedding/bar mitzvah singer at the age of 15 for Tony Saitta and the Echoes, where I learned the true meaning of rejection, as a drunk audience ate their salads to the tune of 'I'm So Excited' by the Pointer Sisters. But I guess the most significant break was in December 1995, when I was cast in the Off-Broadway production of the musical 'Rent.' I met my husband; I learned the endurance and discipline it takes to do eight shows a week, the fragility of life, and the importance of being in the moment." Idina Menzel"'Big break' implies that it's done now, you've gotten it, and now you're in. We know you're never in. You're in, then you're not in. Then you're back in, then you're out again. You're always on some part of that scale. There are very few actorsyou could probably count them on one handthat you know aren't going anywhere." Don Cheadle"Waiting for a big break is a mistake. I knew I would go to seed waiting for a break, and I didn't go full time as an actor until I was 34. And after I did my first thing as a full-time actor, I realized I had nothing else lined up. So I did a one-man show. You can't sit around waiting for the phone to ring; you have to make your own work. Just do it, do it, do it." Brendan GleesonOn Auditioning... "One of the things I've recently discovered is the way I get through the nerves of auditions is telling myself it's a workday. I know my lines, I know my character, and I'm going to work with the director. And sometimes it goes terribly, terribly wrong, but it frees me up a little bit." Connie Britton"I've met some wonderful actors who found the audition process just too terrifying, even painful, and gave up. That nerve-jangling stretch before the reading can seem downright flulike. Well-meaning efforts to convince you that 'It's just energy!' are pointless. It feels like fear, so it's fear. But what are we afraid of? What's the worst that can happen? They don't give you the job? Guess what: You already don't have the job. The worst has happened! Pressure's off, so have fun. The main reason we wanted to do this is that it looked like it would be fun, right?" Michael McKean"I was attending NYU. They have a strict absence policy: Three absences and you're kicked out. I was auditioning on the side and had about 10 absences and begged them to let me stay. I had been auditioning for almost a year and hadn't booked anything. At the start of my final semester, I booked a lead guest-starring role in a 'Law & Order' episode. I was going to have to miss a week of school. Crap. It was a new semester, so I'd already have five absences. Two over the limit. I figured I'd take the job and beg NYU to let me stay later. On the set, I met Dick Wolf and we got along well. I guess he liked what I was doing, because he asked me if I would be interested in doing another guest-starring role in a new show he had, a short-lived series named 'The Wright Verdicts.' I would have to take off another two weeks of school. I knew there was no way NYU would go for it, so I decided to take the semester off and finish up my last 15 credits the next semester. But I kept booking jobs, and I never went back. About 10 years later, I was up for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series at the SAG Awards for 'Six Feet Under,' which I had guest-starred on that season. I saw Dick Wolf there and we started talking. I said, 'You know, Dick, I was 15 credits from graduating and dropped out of college to do your shows. So you're the reason I don't have my diploma. But...you're the reason I got my SAG card. So it's a good tradeoff." - Peter Facinelli"One of the greatest I think was Tom Hanks [for 'Forrest Gump']. That screen test with him washe was just so sweet and warm and I wasn't scared. I felt at ease. He was so loving, and that was a great experience, and I got the part. It all works out." Robin Wright"I remember going to one of those casting workshops, where you pay 50 bucks and go off and work on scenes. I came back and they evaluated me, and the guy was like, 'Conservatively speaking, you need three more years of work, probably working at our workshops.' I was like, 'Uh-huh, okay.' Not to say that he was wrong and I was really good, but it just felt creepy and weird. Also, in the limited amount of commercial auditions I used to do, I swear, every time I went in, the person in front of me would come out laughing with the casting director. They'd be hugging each other: 'Bye, Bob! Great to see you! Say hi to the wife!' Then they'd be like: 'Next! Phil Ferrell.' 'Uh, it's Will, actually.' 'Whatever.' " Will Ferrell"There are two of them. I won't name who they were. One was a producer, and one was a director. I went in and read for a director, and I was to read the role of a bad guy, and I read it and he looked at me and he said, 'Ooooh, scary,' but in such a cynical, awful way. How do you even react to that? I just kind of laughed or something and it was over, and I didn't get the part, thank God. The other one was, I was auditioning for something, and a producer sat there reading the NY Post while I was auditioning. So when I started directing, I vowed that I would maybe try to compensate for people like that." Stanley Tucci"I don't get starstruck. I'm fine. Especially Ben [Affleck]he's a Boston guy; I should be fine. I walked in [to audition for 'Gone Baby Gone'], and I'm walking down the halls looking for this room, and as I passed a room I heard, 'There he is.' In my head I was like, 'That's Ben.' I turned around and it was, and for some reason I instantly was nervous. I went in and shook his hand, and the first thing I said was 'Hey, how ya doing? Am I gonna be okay where I parked?' And he said, 'Where'd you park?' And I said, 'At one of the meters.' And he said, 'Did you put money in it?' And I said, 'Yeah.' And he said, 'I think you'll be all right.' From that moment, I just wanted to get the f--k out of the room. I just wanted to be anywhere but there. I sat down with my heart beating out of my chest. I was so mortified that I started this meeting off that way. I started giving him one-word answers. They put me in a rocking chair, so I'm just rocking and twisting, just nervous. 'So, what was your last movie like?' 'Good.' 'What was it like to work with Danny Boyle?' 'Good.' I just wanted to get out of there. It was horrible, a complete disaster. So, obviously, I did not get that job." Chris Evans"I've had so many bad auditions. 'Dawson's Creek' was probably the worst. I had just gotten back from Toronto doing this Disney show, and I had a video camera, and I'd directed some plays and I really, really wanted to direct. For a birthday, I got one of those little viewfinders, and I was 15. I went to network for 'Dawson's Creek,' and on the last one I realized I was really going to knock it out of the park. I wanted this show more than anything, because it was a kid who loved movies and he had some problems with a girlfriend. And I could relate. I liked movies, and I had a problem with a girl."So I came in with a viewfinder around my neck, and I wanted to show them that I liked movies, and I wore my Sundance cap. This is for network. And they said, 'Okay, do these scenes.' And I did them pretty good. It was like a mix-and-match and then I did it again. And they said, 'Okay, thanks, Ben.' And I thanked them. 'So when do you think there's going to be a callback, because I may be going out of town or something.' And that's a huge no-no, but you don't know until you do that. And they said, 'Yeah, we'll get back to you. Thanks, it was a great read.' I was like, 'Okay, great. Do you want me to do it again in another way?' They said, 'No, no, that was fine, thank you.' And there were, like, 20 people in the room. So I then shook 20 people's hands. I refused to leave a single person without looking them in the eye. Then I knew something was building, but I thought it was my courage rather than these people really wanting me to get the f--k out of their room. So I leave the room and I wait two minutes outside the door, and I'm sweating. I'm like, 'I didn't do enough. I didn't give enough.' So I knocked on the door, and they're like, 'Yeah, come in.' And they were shocked to see that I came back in. I was like, 'I'm so sorry,' and I adjusted the chair that I was sitting on in the room, because I kind of left it askew. And then I said, 'Thanks so much. This was terrific, and I can't wait to hear back.' So I walked outside, and I couldn't drive at the time, and my dad was supposed to pick me up. I was like, 'You know what? Don't come. Don't pick me up yet.' And he was like, 'Why?' I was like, 'I'm going to really let them have it. Pick me up in two hours.' So I sit and I wait outside, because it's, like, 10 in the morning and I wait until, like, 12:30 for them to go to lunch. And I watch them all walk out of the office, and I'm there sitting with my viewfinder and a Sundance cap, and I just wave at them. So I get in the carno, it wasn't my dad; it was my girlfriend at the time's mom, actually. She drove me back, and she's like, 'How'd it go?' And I was like, 'Really well. I really, like, committed.' And I get back to the Oakwood Apartments, where I was living. And I'm waiting by the phone. Five o'clock, 6 o'clock rolls around, and you're sweating by the phone, being like, 'I got it. I know I got this.' My manager calls up and I say, 'Hey!' and he says, 'Hey. What the f--k did you do in there?' I was like, 'It went great, right?' And he just said, 'Whatever you just did, don't ever do it again.'"And I've heard that a few times in my life. I guess I haven't learned it. Maybe I've become a little less desperate or a lot less desperate in terms of trying to prove myself to other people, but that was a rough one. I learned that it doesn't matter what they think, as long as you give your performance and you can be pleasant, but you don't have to give your person to them. You just do that through the work. If I had left, maybe things would have been different. There are no regrets, of course, but as actors we have so much heart, and we just want to give pieces of ourselves away so badly: 'See? I feel, I feel, I feel so much. I want to feel for you. I want to feel for the world.' It's a city filled with people who want to give their hearts away, and sometimes like human beings we're not so calloused, and that's beautiful. It can work in the opposite way: 'I'm too callous, and I can't give anymore because you don't deserve my heart,' and that's bullshit, too." - Ben FosterOn Getting Their SAG Card... "I got my SAG card with a T.J. Maxx commercial. 'You get the max for the minimum at T.J. Maxx.' It was a back-to-school ad. Ben [Affleck] and I were in it together, and our part got cut, but we still got the checks. It was 1986 when I got my SAG card, and they raised the rate from $600 to $800, and I only had $600, and I was on my way to get my SAG card and I found out that it was $200 more than I had, and my father gave me the money. And I've always been really grateful about that." Matt Damon"Oh, GodI did an episode of 'Spenser: For Hire.' I remember some controversy over doing 'Spenser: For Hire,' because I didn't have [the card]. But I got it in 1985." Patricia Clarkson"I got my SAG card as an extra on an ABC Afterschool Special where I had to play spin the bottle, and I got my first kiss and SAG card. They weren't going to give anyone lines, but then they gave me a line and a kiss, and so they gave me my SAG card." Kyra SedgwickOn Training... "I took classes for technical reasons, like knowing how to count. I could not count for the life of me when I first started. I was like, 'Five and nine!' 'No, there's no nine.' " Harry Shum, Jr. On Acting... "I'm so lucky to be doing what I'm doing. I will tell anyone that. Acting is no easy feat, though.... It truly requires more focus, dedication, tenacity, and perseverance than most paths. Telling stories allows you to truly see the power of the human spirit and mind, but also to understand that we can use humor as a medicine for pain. It's this simple: The only way to weave the thread of life into a character is to pull from your own life's past, present, and future. I tried with some success but never really got it until reading Ivana Chubbuck's book 'The Power of the Actor' and studying this type of acting, using real-to-me connective tissue between me and whomever I'm playing. Then it all made sense." Ian SomerhalderOn Wanting to be an Actor... "I'm one of those obnoxious, annoying people who will tell you there was never any question that's always what I was going to be. I didn't have a backup career." Ginnifer Goodwin"I still wake up some days thinking, 'What in the hell am I doing?' I often pass between anxiety and amusement at some of the situations my life as an actor has put me in. But when I think back to 10 or 11 years ago, I am amazed at how lost I really was. I showed up in NY knowing everything and absolutely nothing, all at the same time. I knew I wanted to be an actor. That was it. Fortunately for me, I came across a copy of Back Stage at a newsstand and it became my handbook. The first thing I would do every Thursday morning (after some Tylenol and a ton of water; I bartended Wednesday nights) was get my copy and open up to the submissions page. These were my first auditions. My first work experiences. The student films I booked out of there were my training. And I'm still trying to get copies of a couple of those!" Jeff Hephner

Wall Street Journal Europes Writer Resigns After Scandal

Another executive employed by a News Corp.-possessed European newspaper has resigned within cloud of scandal, nevertheless it's unrelated towards the phone hacking situation ongoing in England.our editor recommendsNews Corp.-Possessed Wall Street Journal Polls Visitors on Scams ImpactNews Corp. Creates Worker Hotline to Report 'Illegal Activity' (Report) The NY Occasions reviews Andrew Langhoff, controlling director of Dow Johnson & Co.'s European, African and Middle East procedures (one of News Corp.) and also the writer from the Wall Street Journal Europe, has vacated his publish immediately. The resignation came after it had been learned that the paper's circulation department had struck an offer using the Netherlands-based talking to firm Executive Learning Partnership that led to two articles being designed in the Wall Street Journal Europe's Special Report section. Within an e-mail to his staff Langhoff stated, "Since the agreement could leave the sense that news coverage could be affected by commercial associations, as writer with executive oversight, In my opinion that my resignation has become probably the most honorable course." PHOTOS: News around the globe's Top Ten Scams The newspaper released a clarification to visitors on Wednesday that referred to the details behind the origination from the tales and described the "confirming and writing were exclusively down to this news Department. However, any pursuit that produces an impact that news coverage could be affected by commercial interests is really a breach from the ethical standards of Dow Johnson & Co." Langhoff's resignation was another dark place in News Corp's ongoing troubles in Europe. On the day that as Langhoff's resignation, British government bodies confirmed that the former Dow Johnson and Wall Street Journal writer, L'ensemble des Hinton, could be designed to testify within the phone-hacking scandal that led to Murdoch shuttering the newspaper News around the globe. Hinton, who resigned from the organization in This summer, was formerly mind of News Worldwide and oversaw News Corp.'s European papers throughout time from the alleged phone hacking. The organization is presently hunting for a alternative for Langhoff, with senior v . p . and mind of strategy Kelly Leach managing the location within the interim. Related Subjects News Corp. The Wall Street Journal

Winning and losing on stage in Vegas

Ciruqe du Soleil's 'Viva Elvis!' closes in early 2012 for a major overhaul before reopening sometime in the future.After the surprising failure of shows like "The Producers" and "Hairspray," Vegas today hosts only two real Broadway musicals on the Strip. The good news is that both tuners are doing well."Phantom -- the Las Vegas Spectacular," as it's been dubbed, celebrated its fifth anniversary in June at the Venetian. Although it has occasionally had to resort to discount tickets, like all of Vegas in recent years, it's in for the long haul.The other show with staying power is "Jersey Boys," which opened 3 1/2 years ago at the Palazzo and is moving to the Paris as of January. Director Des McAnuff says the show works well in Vegas "partially because of the elements that make it work everywhere -- the story, the music -- but they're all somehow amplified in Vegas. All those things that make up the subtext of Vegas -- the mob, rock 'n' roll, gambling, sex, success -- they're all front and center in 'Jersey Boys.' It's a show that feel right at home in the city."Cirque du Soleil's "Viva Elvis!," on the other hand, has proven to be a major disappointment, never playing to more than 60% houses since its opening in February 2009. "Viva Elvis!" needs such drastic surgery ($10 million worth) that it's stopping perfs for an indefinite period in early 2012 to allow the changes to be made.Cirque's latest, "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour," enters the Mandalay Bay for a limited run of 30 perfs in December. Then it goes back on the road, but Cirque's Renee-Claude Menard indicates a permanent version will be returning to Vegas "in the last quarter of 2013" and that Mandalay Bay itself "would become part of an entire Michael Jackson experience."On a smaller scale, in the longrunning "Blue Man Group" and "Menopause, the Musical"-style of entertainment, there's the new "Name That Tune -- Live," a reincarnation of the famed TV show. Superannuated boomers can play it, live, at the Imperial Palace Hotel, every afternoon and then make their way to "Phantom" or "Jersey Boys" in the evening.BROADWAY AND THE ROAD 2011Road presenters bank on 'Book' | Tuners dream of Broadway landing | Winning and losing on stage in Vegas | Curtains up for Toronto legit | Tour is booked, options are open Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Exclusive: Lord of the Rings, Dark Tower and More Rare Looks at Poster Genius Drew Struzan's Oeuvre

As a fledgling artist in his teens, Drew Struzan took to illustrating movie posters to make a living; decades later, his work in the world of visual film art has become not only iconic, but a part of the way we celebrate many modern cinema classics of the past few decades. This month’s release Drew Struzan: Oeuvre collects more than 250 pieces of Struzan’s art from films including Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings, and Movieline has a special exclusive preview of rare pieces from the forthcoming book. Drew Struzan: Oeuvre, in hardcover with a foreword by George Lucas, also includes selections of the artist’s more recent work ranging from Pan’s Labyrinth to Cowboys & Aliens to The Walking Dead, along with “record album, book, and comic book covers, to stamps, trading cards, promotional artwork and very personal original works.” The book is written by Struzan and wife Dylan and retails for $49.95. Movieline’s exclusive gallery holds a few special treats, among them a look at Struzan’s Empire Strikes Back re-release special edition poster. Click here to launch our gallery of exclusive images. [Pictured: Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (Special Edition) & 1997 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. Used under authorization; The Lord of the Rings Masterpieces (1) Copyright Drew Struzan 2006; The Dark Tower Copyright Drew Struzan 2007]

Jennifer Aniston: There's No Desperation To Experience A Baby

First Launched: October 5, 2011 6:14 PM EDT Credit: Getty Images La, Calif. -- Caption Jennifer Aniston poses for photos through the Breast Care Center within the Inova Alexandria Hospital at Mark Center, Alexandria, Virtual assistant., on October 3, 2011Jennifer Aniston can be obtained to allow character take its course if the involves getting children. It's not everything you read. There's no desperation, the actress told ELLE magazine throughout the interview due to its Women in Hollywood 2011 problem. Whether it will probably be, its supposed to have been. Im peaceful with no matter the plan's. And frequently are you going to hate me if I believe that I should not discuss my relationship? she added, mentioning to her romance with new love, fellow actor Justin Theroux. Jennifer also revealed she once got very, very angry around the film set so mad, she thrown furniture at someone. I put a chair inside a director, Jennifer mentioned in excerpts within the interview released with the magazine now. It wasnt my proudest moment. He was handling a script supervisor horribly When the director walked in, I put a chair at him. I missed, clearly. I used to be like, You can't speak with people such as this. I cant tolerate it. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Facebook's Private Market Cost Has Fallen 8% Because This summer time

NEW You'll be able to - Following a long term-up, Facebook's private market cost has declined recently among economic concerns that have drawn lower stock areas, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. Shares inside the independently possessed social media, introduced by Boss Mark Zuckerberg, are available to wealthy traders and institutions on secondary places that former employees sell them. Throughout the time of the extremely first quarter of year, Facebook's private business cost rose seventy percent to $34 before striking around $35, the Journal mentioned, stating data from purchasing and selling platform SharesPost. However, Facebook's cost has fallen 8 percent because this summer time to $32.10 inside an auction held the other day, prices the entire company around $77 billion, in line with the paper. Facebook remains prone to go public next season using what the Journal mentioned sometimes seems one of the greatest U.S. initial public options ever. where can purchase shares offered mostly by former employees. Jim Friedland, Internet analyst at Cowen & Co., told the Journal that Facebook and Google are for sale to battling having a possible recession in advertising just just in case from the restored recession. But he together with other experts say there is little symbol of a recession in Facebook's longer-term growth trajectory, the Journal mentioned. Still, some have decreased their predictions for Facebook's 2011 advertising revenue. Research firm eMarketer has cut its estimate by 6.one percent right from the start of year to $3.8 billion, the paper mentioned. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Subjects Mark Zuckerberg Facebook

A Letter to Momo (Momo e no tegami)

An "A Letter to Momo" Film Partners presentation of a Production I.G production. Produced by Keiko Matsushita, Motoki Mukaichi, Mariko Noguchi, Arimasa Okada. Directed, written by Hiroyuki Okura.A girl mourning the death of her father is visited by three mischievous spirits only she can see in "A Letter to Momo." Marking a dramatic departure from his bloody 1999 debut, "Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade," director Hiroyuki Okiura brings a dash of magic to this modern-day story, crafting precisely the sort of imaginative family-friendly toon auds expect from Studio Ghibli -- only this one hails from Production I.G, the outfit responsible for the more adult-skewing "Ghost in the Shell" series. So meticulously conceived and rendered is the result, "Momo" should find avid support in anime-friendly markets and homevid. Borrowing a number of the elements that make anime classic "My Neighbor Totoro" one of Japan's most beloved toons, the film opens with a family's move from Tokyo to the island of Shio. While her widowed mother tends to adult concerns, 13-year-old Momo occupies herself exploring the unfamiliar house and rural surroundings -- a task complicated by the spirits of three former goblins: grinning giant Iwa, frog-like Kawa and baby-looking Mame. Unlike the benign forest spirits in "Totoro," however, this trio is pure mischief. With their insatiable appetites and nasty habit of stealing keepsakes from the locals, the silly-looking creatures are constantly getting into trouble, with Momo often taking the blame. Normally, humans would not be able to see these spirits, who have been sent from above to watch over Momo and her mother during the time it takes her recently deceased father's soul to reach heaven. As it turns out, this is the first time these three have been sent on such a mission, and they accidentally made their presence known by coming into contact with Momo on their initial descent, allowing for a series of unique adventures around the island. While the supernatural element makes for the film's most entertaining sequences, including an exciting setpiece in which wild boars chase Momo and her crop-raiding friends through an orchard, the story distinguishes itself from other anime offerings through its attention to both visual and emotional realism. Director Okiura's nuanced sense of gesture and body language yields such true-to-life movement, it suggests either extensive work with actor-models or the classic rotoscoping technique Walt Disney used to animate Snow White -- a style further enriched by placing the action against detailed, painterly backgrounds. (That said, auds who've had their expectations of anime shaped by Studio Ghibli fare may be disappointed by the pic's muted palette and low-key facial expressiveness.) As gorgeous as "Momo" is to behold, the film's sensitive portrayal of a teenager dealing with grief proves its most compelling element. Devastated that her final words to her father were spoken in anger, Momo ponders an unfinished letter left in her father's drawer, wondering what he intended to say. Okiura is so finely attuned to capturing the girl's experience in an authentic way that "Momo" seems as likely to interest child psychologists as it is to entertain actual children. With its complex characterizations and multiple storylines, the toon rivals mature live-action drama. Even so, the animation medium is essential to its unique surreal touches -- especially the stunning climactic sequence, which rivals even "Spirited Away" as Momo's mother falls ill and the spirits must intervene to help save her life.Camera (color, HD), Koji Tanaka; editor, Junichi Uematsu; music, Mina Kubota; art director, Hiroshi Ono; sound (Dolby Digital), Kazuhiro Wakabayashi; animation director, Naoko Kusumi. Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival (TIFF Kids), Sept. 15, 2011. (Also in Busan, Hawaii film festivals.) Running time: 120 MIN. Contact Peter Debruge at peter.debruge@variety.com

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Olivia Wilde Lands Hurry Role Of Suzy Burns Russell Crowe For Richard Burton Cameo?

EXCLUSIVE: It’s employment that lots of stars wanted, however’m told that Olivia Wilde may have seventies supermodel Suzy Burns in Hurry, the Ron Howard-directed F1 drama in regards to the competition between drivers Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) and James Search (Chris Hemsworth). Mix Creek’s John Oliver is creating with Imagine’s John Grazer and dealing Title partners Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Mix Creek funded the film with Exclusive Media Group. Burns fell deeply deeply in love with and married Search, a handsome, womanizing driver, nevertheless the best part of their relationship happens when Burns soon fell deeply deeply in love with Search’s actor friend, Richard Burton. Search and Burton infamously talked about a “transfer” of assets, with Burton needing to spend the money for $millions of divorce settlement that Search owed Burns. Burton and Burns were married right after. I’m told that Howard hopes to recruit his A Stylish Mind star Russell Crowe to see the small role of Burton inside the Peter Morgan-scripted film. Wilde, who’ll next be seen starring in Butter, is repped by WME and Untitled along with Uk-based Hamilton Hodell.

Fox: Black Swan Interns Didnt Use Us

Black Swan Delinquent Interns File Suit Fox Shot Entertainment today finally gave itsside of the suit filed by two interns against Fox Searchlight over their target the hit indieBlack Swan. The studio keeps the interns were utilized by director Darren Aronofsky’s production companywell before Fox Searchlight ever increased being the distributor. Since we've had an chance to examine this suit, it's apparent they are completely meritless claims specific solely at getting press coverage for your litigants in addition to their lawyers. These interns were not even maintained by Fox Searchlight and, really, were utilized by the expansion company that made Black Swan just before Fox Searchlight even acquired its rights inside the film. These folks were never employed as interns or maintained inside a capacity by Fox Searchlight, having a proud good status for supporting and fostering productive internships.We anticipate strongly fighting these groundless, opportunistic accusations. The Two former interns who done Black Swan want to complete whatever they need to have to say is the studio’s incorrect utilization of delinquent interns. The litigants, Alex Footman and Eric Glatt, claim the studio violated federal and condition wage laws and regulations and rules and so are seeking back purchase work that they say should have occurred by paid out Searchlight employees. The U.S. Department at the office requires businesses that use delinquent interns to provide training similar to individuals of the academic institution, among other criteria. Footman mentioned that they like a production intern, he gained coffee, cleaned, and needed lunch orders for your staff. The litigants are definately not really the only college graduates who needed an delinquent internship to obtain a ft in inside the film industry. Their suit is searching to obtain class action lawsuit suit status regarding greater than 100 delinquent interns on Fox Searchlight film productions.

Finding Joe

A Balcony Releasing release of a Pat and Pat production. Produced by Patrick Takaya Solomon. Executive producers, Patricia Frazier, Solomon. Directed, written by Patrick Takaya Solomon.With: Deepak Chopra, Mick Fleetwood, Rashida Jones, Tony Hawk, Catherine Hardwicke, Laird Hamilton, Robert Walter, Akiva Goldsman, Sir Ken Robinson, Robin Sharma, Lynne Kaufman, Alan Cohen, Brian Johnson, Joseph Marshall III, Rebecca Armstrong, Chungliang Al Huang, David L. Miller, Gay Hendricks, David Loy, Norman Ollestad."Finding Joe" doesn't provide a biography of or critical perspective on late author, mythologist and speaker Joseph Campbell, instead offering an easily digestible introduction to his key ideas. Patrick Takaya Solomon's docu will likely appeal primarily to the previously converted in initial theatrical/home-format exposure, then enjoy a long life as a workshop primer. Moderately interesting pic opened Sept. 30 in Los Angeles, with other U.S. cities to follow. After an eyeblink overview of Campbell's personal history, the globe-trotting docu plunges into the major theme of his life's work, which was the distillation of all cultures' essential mythologies into what he termed "the hero's journey" -- a universal odyssey whose primary identified phases (separation, initiation, return) provide the Everyman protagonist with an adventure through adversity from which he or she emerges transformed. A hefty number of film clips, suggesting either a liberal borrowed-footage budget or lots of studio-connected friends, finds this narrative blueprint translated to popular entertainment in "Star Wars," "The Lord of the Rings," "The Wizard of Oz," "The Matrix," "Batman Begins," "Rocky," the "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" movies, et al. In a rather precious attempt at further illustration, staged sequences have costumed children play-acting elemental myths on L.A. beaches and streets. But most of the docu features an array of authorities and celebrities describing Campbell's ideas and how they have personally effected them. (The majority of those interviewed were either close to Campbell and/or are authors of New Age/self-help books, though the film doesn't point that out.) "Slaying the dragon" of one's own perceived limits to "become the hero of your own life" is a potent metaphor, and advice on how to achieve that by not worrying about rules, status and what other people think is always useful. But being told to "follow your bliss" by vastly successful stars in rarefied fields, like skateboarding mogul Tony Hawk and surfing legend Laird Hamilton, may strike some as having a certain let-them-eat-cake hubris. Nobody here mentions such everyday potential roadblocks to realizing one's ideal self as, say, needing to pay the rent or feed your kids; it seems assumed anyone can/should transcend any such limitations if they really, really want to. Are these concepts equally valuable to the individual who doesn't have a world-class talent or infinite ambition? By omitting any such discussion, "Finding Joe" suggests ordinary lives -- that would be most of humanity's -- are mere treadmills that true "heroes" should ignore and/or escape. Campbell's career and influence encompass much wider fields of interest than are considered here, despite the pic's colorful surface. Narrowing its focus to the simplest inspirational gist, with zero insight into the man behind it, "Finding Joe" winds up seeming like an infomercial for a personal-growth program; one half expects a 1-800 number to be listed at the end. Perhaps Solomon is such an enthusiast he didn't realize he'd made something nonconverts might perceive as a hard sell akin to those often made by motivational speakers and paid celebrities on behalf of transformative snake-oil products. With nearly a quarter-century having passed since Campbell participated in two documentaries about his work (the same year that he died), surely it's time for new cinematic studies less sycophantic than this one. Production values are high.Camera (color, HD-to-35mm), Ezra Migel; editor, Paul Forte; music, Isaac Sprintis; music supervisors, Greg Danylyshyn, Lori Vincent; sound, Greg Conway. Reviewed on DVD, San Francisco, Aug. 14, 2011. Running time: 83 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com