Variety.com

'Dance' finale fuels Fox

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:31:00 EST

TV Ratings: Reality competish lifts net to easy victory -- The two-hour season finale of "So You Think You Can Dance" dominated the Thursday ratings race, lifting Fox to an easy victory. According to preliminary affiliate-based Nielsen nationals, "So You Think You Can Dance" averaged a hearty 3.4 rating/11 share in adults 18-49 and 9.9 million viewers overall, peaking in the 9:30 half-hour with a 3.8/11 in the demo and 11.3 million viewers overall. This reps the strongest demo delivery for the program's results show edition this summer, while its total-viewer delivery is the best for any night. (Note: The finale national numbers for each broadcast network could come down a bit due to local preemptions for preseason football in various markets.) Elsewhere, the finale of "Last Comic Standing" on NBC settled for a 2.0/7 in 18-49 and 5.8 million viewers overall from 8 to 9:30 p.m., followed by a 90-minute telecast of "America's Got Talent" on a special night (2.7/8 in 18-49, 8.6 million viewers overall). For CBS, "Big Brother" was down week to week (2.1/7 in 18-49, 6.2 million viewers overall) -- likely affected by the stronger Fox competition in the night's opening hour. And following a repeat "CSI" (1.7/5 in 18-49, 6.9 million viewers overall), "Flashpoint" hit a Thursday high (2.1/6 in 18-49, 7.2 million viewers overall). And at ABC, "Hopkins" ended its season at 10 o'clock with a 1.7/5 in 18-49 and 5.3 million viewers overall. Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: Fox, 3.4/11; NBC, 2.3/7; CBS, 1.9/6; Univision, 1.5/5; ABC, 1.4/4; CW, 0.7/2. In total viewers:Fox, 9.9 million; NBC, 7.2 million; CBS, 6.8 million; ABC, 4.5 million; Univision, 3.6 million; CW, 1.8 million.

Match Factory strikes 'Flame' deals

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:07:49 EST

International News: Danish pic is biggest domestic hit of 08 -- Danish hit movie “Flame & Citron” has been sold to 17 countries.

Oldenburg plans Toback retrospective

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:00:57 EST

International News: New doc 'Tyson' to unspool at German fest -- The upcoming Filmfest Oldenburg will honor multihyphenate filmmaker James Toback with a retrospective of his work.

More delays for Kangaroo

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 10:52:31 EST

International News: Investigation into VOD venture extended -- The proposed VOD joint venture between ITV, Channel 4 and BBC Worldwide has been dealt another setback, with U.K. competition regulators extending the deadline for their investigation into the service.

'Mummy' takes on 'Dark Knight' in U.K.

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 10:44:24 EST

International News: 'Wall-E' off to promising start in Spain -- “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” continues its assault on the European box office this weekend with openings in the U.K., Germany and France.

Industry icon Bernie Brillstein dies

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 09:22:33 EST

Front Page: Pioneering manager had an eye for talent -- Bernie Brillstein, pioneering manager and producer whose keen eye for talent led him to steer the careers of such stars and creatives as John Belushi and Jim Henson, died Thursday night of chronic pulmonary disease. He was 77.

Clash overshadows 'Captive' opening

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 09:09:17 EST

International News: Chechen war pic unspools in Vyborg -- An award-winning Russian film set during the Chechen war, “Captive” by Alexei Uchitel, was due to open Russia’s Window on Europe festival Friday (August 8) – on the day Russian tanks entered Georgia in a dispute over break-away territory Southern Ossetia.

BBC invests in Clarkson's company

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 08:32:17 EST

International News: 'Top Gear' host will drive brand's global rollout -- The BBC’s commercial arm has taken a stake in a new venture set up by the presenter of the pubcaster’s hit motoring show “Top Gear,” as part of a strategy to better exploit the skein around the world.

Sundance takes 'Eco-Trip'

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST

Pilot Watch: Network greenlights eight-part documentary -- Sundance Channel has greenlit "Eco-Trip: The Real Cost of Living," from Peacock Prods., NBC's nonfiction shingle.

Tatum jumps into Parkour picture

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST

Exclusives: Richie Smyth to direct New Line's heist drama -- New Line is planning production early next year on an untitled drama about Parkour -- a free-jumping extreme sport in which agile practitioners run and jump from rooftops -- with Richie Smyth making his feature helming bow and Channing Tatum to star.

EA developing 'Godfather II' game

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST

Home Ent News: All except Pacino to appear in Feb. sequel -- Electronic Arts is looking to pull gamers back in. Publisher is developing "The Godfather II," a sequel to its 2006 videogame based on the classic Paramount film, for release in February.

Buscemi, Malco head to 'Las Vegas'

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST

Exclusives: Hue Rhodes' drama based on Dante's 'Inferno' -- Production has begun on "Saint John of Las Vegas," a drama that stars Steve Buscemi, Romany Malco, Emily Mortimer, Tim Blake Nelson, John Cho, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Peter Dinklage.

Maverick Films splits

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST

Exclusives: Morgan gets projects, Oseary keeps name -- Maverick Films topper Mark Morgan is parting ways with partner Guy Oseary and relaunching the company under a new name.

Coto, Ratner team for 'Wild Boys'

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST

Pilot Watch: Fox gives action comedy a script order -- Carlos Coto, co-exec producer of "24," has teamed with Brett Ratner on an hourlong action comedy project for Fox.

Columbia takes 'Maximum Ride'

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 20:30:00 EST

Los Angeles: Payne to adapt Patterson's young adult series -- Columbia Pictures has acquired screen rights to "Maximum Ride," the bestselling young adult novel series by James Patterson.

T-Joy, CJ to screen each other's pics

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 19:44:17 EST

Web Exclusive: New set-up will kick off on August 9 -- Tokyo-based distrib and exhib T-Joy has inked an unusual deal with Korean counterpart CJ Entertainment to screen pics from each other's line-ups in their theaters.

Bergman gets Indian retrospective

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 19:27:06 EST

International News: 'Wild Strawberries,' 'Silence' to screen -- India's Palador Pictures is working with the Swedish Embassy in India to commemorate helmer Ingmar Bergman, who died last summer.

Sky One cuts deal for 'Fringe'

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 18:59:59 EST

International News: J.J. Abrams drama to pair with 'Lost' -- Satcaster BSkyB's general entertainment web Sky One has acquired the TV rights to J.J. Abrams' drama series "Fringe" from Warner Bros. Intl. TV Distribution.

Toon Disney to rebrand

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 18:59:52 EST

Web Exclusive: Disney XD will refocus on boys 6-14 -- Toon Disney will be relaunched in February as Disney XD, narrowing its focus to boys 6-14 with a mix of action-adventure and comedy series, movies, animation and sports-themed programming.

Canwest's Dore open to new gig

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 18:42:19 EST

International News: President will exit after four year tenure -- Canwest Broadcasting prexy Kathy Dore will exit when her contract expires this year, Canwest Global Communications prexy and CEO Leonard Asper announced Thursday.

Hair

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST

Legit Reviews: Directed by Diane Paulus with fluid physicality and performed with passionate conviction by its young cast, the presentation demonstrated that this landmark Vietnam-era rock musical -- so often neutered by revival companies that substitute embarrassed flower-power affectation for the social commitment, political disillusionment, pacifism and bittersweet optimism that are its foundations -- could still foster an urgent connection today.

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 15:15:20 EST

Legit Reviews: Setting "The Merry Wives of Windsor" in the American Wild West invests Shakespeare's thinnest, most weakly plotted comedy with pleasant heft.

Hope for Your Home

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 14:21:47 EST

TV Reviews: The latest addition to the home makeover/real estate genre is, at best, a conceptual fixer-upper and at worst a tone-deaf version of "The Price Is Right" -- with the "prize" being the freedom to stay a while longer in your over-leveraged house.

True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 14:14:14 EST

TV Reviews: "True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet" was based on a novel but essentially feels like a cautionary "Hannah Montana" episode, with a wildly uneven tone that awkwardly tips from whimsy into melodrama at a moment's notice.

Primeval

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 13:58:56 EST

TV Reviews: Using scientific mumbo-jumbo as an excuse to do "Jurassic Park Lite," "Primeval" stirs up a strange but mostly entertaining brew.

Half a Sixpence

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 13:11:27 EST

Legit Reviews: When "Half a Sixpence" transferred from the West End to Broadway in 1965, the tuner had the ingratiating Brit charmer Tommy Steele as rags-to-riches-to-rags shop clerk Arthur Kipps, the exuberant choreography of Onna White and some dandy music hall ditties.

Project Runway: Season 5 - Episode 4 (Going for the gold. Kind of. )

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 12:58:18 EST

TV Reviews: Apparently, many designers have no idea what the term "sportswear" means. The folks on this season believe that athletes would wear purple cocktail attire and that patriotic means gold and white stripped girlie wear.

Paula's Secret (Paulas geheimnis)

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:55:50 EST

Film Reviews: Nifty kidpic "Paula's Secret" handles strong stuff within a clever, frequently humorous tale.