Thompson on Hollywood

Weekly Wrap: Oscar Talk, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Moneyball, Gordon-Levitt Interviewed on 50/50

WEEKEND PREVIEW:

By Maggie Lange
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September 23, 2011 10:29 AM
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First Look: Depp, Pfeiffer, Bonham Carter in Burton's Unearthly Dark Shadows Ensemble

With Johnny Depp background and center as a centuries-old vampire, this "family photo" from the upcoming Dark Shadows film, directed by Tim Burton, reveals an unearthly ensemble. Dark Shadows will revamp the ABC 1966-1971 soap opera, which focused on the lives of supernatural siblings and their extended family, including witches, ghosts, and all manners of gothic horrors.

By Maggie Lange
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September 23, 2011 3:16 AM
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Film Independent at LACMA Starts With World Premiere of Rum Diary, Reitman Breakfast Club Reading

Elvis Mitchell is in the building!

By Sophia Savage
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September 14, 2011 1:07 AM
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Lone Ranger: Inflated Budget Drama Pits Risk-Averse Disney Against Verbinski Loyalist Depp UPDATE

UPDATE 9/29: The Lone Ranger is set to ride again, with budget issues being worked out between the studio and director Gore Verbinski and his loyal star, Johnny Depp. Deadline has the good news details (though an official announcement is yet to be made).

By Anne Thompson and Sophia Savage
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September 1, 2011 11:06 AM
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Telluride 2011: Lineup Includes Descendants, Albert Nobbs, Dangerous Method and The Artist

Festivals

The annual LA to Montrose charter flight was packed with the usual suspects Thursday (plus first-timers Tilda Swinton and Penelope Ann Miller), who opened up their copies of The Telluride Watch, one per seat, and eagerly checked out the line-up.

By Anne Thompson
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September 1, 2011 10:38 AM
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Trailer Watch: Johnny Depp Reunites with Hunter S. Thompson

One of the movies that is not hitting the fall fest circuit this year is The Rum Diary, Bruce Robinson's long-delayed film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's semi-autobiographical novel. The new trailer (below, which will be attached to new release Don't Be Afraid of the Dark) begins with a burp. FilmDistrict opens the film October 28.

By Maggie Lange
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August 26, 2011 4:40 AM
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Studios Rethink Big-Budget Producers and Their Pricey Tentpoles--and Westerns

Blame Cowboys & Aliens.

By Anne Thompson
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August 19, 2011 3:14 AM
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Johnny Depp and Pirates Crew Reinvent Western Lone Ranger, Tonto

Now that Cowboys & Aliens can be viewed as a too-pricey western tentpole wannabe, how does Disney feel about Jerry Bruckheimer's Lone Ranger going into pre-production? They've ditched "the," and buttressed themselves from criticism by staffing up with their tried-and-true --but pricey-- Pirates gang, now that #4 yielded a satisfactory $1.03 billion worldwide and Johnny Depp is considered a major movie star. Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio penned the script, rewritten by Justin Haythe. Gore Verbinski has worked with Depp four times, including the modestly successful but costly animated western Rango ($242.8 million worldwide to date). And what marquee loyalty does Depp command when he's not Jack Sparrow? Neither Sweeney Todd nor The Tourist was a slamdunk, topping out at $153.3 million and $278.7 million (mostly foreign) worldwide, respectively.

By Anne Thompson
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August 8, 2011 10:15 AM
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Paramount's Grey Gets Tough with DreamWorks Animation's Katzenberg, Launches Paramount Animation

One of the reasons that Paramount Pictures ventured into its first CG animated movie, Rango, with Gore Verbinski and ILM, was to back itself up in case Jeffrey Katzenberg's DreamWorks Animation chose not to renew its distribution deal, which expires at the end of 2012. Since 2000, when DreamWorks Animation was created out of DreamWorks SKG, the label's 20 releases have grossed more than $8.2 billion worldwide. This summer's Kung Fu Panda 2 has grossed $535 million worldwide. Katzenberg has been shopping for a new home; the most logical place is Warner Bros.; the other studios have their own animation units.