Thompson on Hollywood

Polanski Directing 'Venus in Fur' in France This November, Latest Doc Unspools at NYFF

News

Roman Polanski will direct "Venus in Fur," an adaptation of the play by David Ivs. The erotic black comedy was a Broadway success, earning a Tony nomination for Best Play and a win for actress Nina Arianda (who subsequently scored the role of Janis Joplin in Sean Durkin's upcoming biopic)...

By Sophia Savage
|
September 20, 2012 12:54 PM
|
1 Comment

More:

Robin Swicord Replaces Frank Pierson, Joins Few Women on Academy's Board of Governors

News

The Academy's Board of Governors has elected screenwriter Robin Swicord ("Memoirs of a Geisha," "Little Women" ) to replace the late Frank Pierson and represent the Writers Branch along with Bill Condon and Phil Robinson. She will serve until the next election, which is in June of next year. She joins the few women on the board of 43; they are Academy CEO Dawn Hudson, first vice president Cheryl Boone-Isaacs, vice president Kathleen Kennedy, producer Gale Anne Hurd, actress Annette Bening, editor Anne V. Coates, directors Kathryn Bigelow and Lisa Cholodenko and designer Rosemary Brandberg.

By Sophia Savage
|
September 20, 2012 12:29 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Rudin and Diller Go Into the E-Book and (Gasp!) Real Book Business

News

Media titan Barry Diller and uber-producer Scott Rudin are joining forces for a new e-book publishing house, Brightline; they are partnering with Brooklyn-based start-up Atavist, already well known for publishing long-form articles for tablets.

By Beth Hanna
|
September 19, 2012 12:58 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Oscar Watch: Canada Picks 'War Witch' as Foreign Film Entry

Awards

Canada has selected Kim Nguyen's "War Witch" (aka "Rebelle") as its entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. Telefilm Canada chairs the pan-Canadian Oscar selection committee that chose the film.

By Sophia Savage
|
September 18, 2012 4:41 PM
|
1 Comment

More:

In the Works: Del Toro's 'Nutshell Studies' at HBO, 'Arbitrage' Director Jarecki's Next, and Gong Li as the 'Last Empress'

News

HBO has optioned the rights to Corinne May Botz' 2004 book "The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death" for Sara Gran to adapt and exec produce with Guillermo del Toro, who will direct.

By Sophia Savage
|
September 18, 2012 4:22 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Twentieth Century Fox Launches DIGITAL HD, Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus' Available Now

News

In a sign of the changing times, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has launched DIGITAL HD, which allows people to download or stream movies on HDTVs, tablets and smartphones. Over 600 titles from the Fox library, including "Prometheus" (three weeks before the Blu-ray and DVD release), are now available in high-definition from Amazon, CinemaNow, Google Play, iTunes, PlayStation, VUDU, Xbox Live and YouTube.

By Sophia Savage
|
September 18, 2012 2:51 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Universal Moving 'Les Miserables' to December 25 Could Have Oscar Impact

News

Universal Pictures would have loved to put "Les Miserables," Tom Hooper's follow-up to the Oscar-winning "The King's Speech," onto the fall festival circuit to build support and buzz. But the Working Title/Cameron Mackintosh epic period film adaptation of the global hit musical wasn't anywhere near ready.

By Anne Thompson
|
September 18, 2012 1:44 PM
|
2 Comments

More:

The French Choose Weinstein's 'The Intouchables' for Foreign Oscar Race

Awards

In a change of direction, a markedly younger seven-member film commission including Cannes director Thierry Fremaux has chosen heart-tugging crowdpleaser "The Intouchables" as their official Oscar submission, their first comedy.

By Anne Thompson and Sophia Savage
|
September 18, 2012 1:09 PM
|
2 Comments

More:

Fest Buyer Sony Pictures Classics Heads to the Middle East (VIDEO)

News

Sony Pictures Classics has always leaned heavily on foreign acquisitions in advance of the awards season. Michael Barker and Tom Bernard are often betting on the likely submissions for the best foreign film entry, and can be counted upon to wind up with more than one in the final five. At the same time they can't handle too many movies at once, so they must pick well.

By Anne Thompson
|
September 16, 2012 5:02 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

HBO Documentary Films Picks Up 'Love, Marilyn,' Featuring Array of Stars Reading Monroe's Letters & Diaries

News

HBO Documentary Films has acquired the U.S. rights to Liz Garbus' Telluride and TIFF entry "Love, Marilyn." Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the iconic star's death, Garbus' doc features contemporary actresses (Viola Davis, Glenn Close and Lindsay Lohan among them) reading entries from Monroe's never-before-seen diaries and letters.