Thompson on Hollywood

FilmDistrict Will Launch with Toronto Hit Insidious on April 1; Early Reviews

New distributor FilmDistrict is launching its 2011 slate April 1 with horror-flick Insidious (trailer below), a seven-figure Toronto Fest Midnight Madness pick-up from Sony Worldwide Acquisitions Group that many expected to be a Sony genre label Screen Gems release. Sure, Sony is making nice to new distribution partner--and ex-Sony exec--Peter Schlessel. UPDATE: But, it turns out, SWAG doesn't acquire films for Clint Culpepper's Screen Gems; District 9 and 88 Minutes went through Sony's Tri-Star. SWAG knew in Toronto that FilmDistrict was eager to release Insidious.

By Anne Thompson
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December 30, 2010 5:23 AM
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IFC's Ott Joins Film Society of Lincoln Center as Marketing and PR Director

Rose Kuo continues to make moves as executive director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, not only importing indieWIRE founder Eugene Hernandez as digital strategy director, but now pulling in respected IFC Entertainment PR heavyweight Courtney Ott to run marketing and publicity at the Film Society: Ott will head a PR and Marketing team charged with working on several fronts on behalf of the Film Society of Lincoln Center; its programs, film festivals, theaters, educational outreach and community involvement. Most immediately, Ott will focus on the transition from a single screen to a multi-screen programming strategy with the highly anticipated opening of the Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center next summer.

By Anne Thompson
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December 29, 2010 9:47 AM
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IFC to Release The Other Woman, Starring Pregnant Natalie Portman

Just as we are all trying to get used to the idea of wraith-like Natalie Portman as a pregnant soon-to-be new mom, she turns up pregnant in a movie filmed two years ago that was recently picked up by IFC, The Other Woman. Written and directed by Don Roos (The Opposite of Sex) and produced by Marc Platt (Wanted), The Other Woman stars Portman as a woman trying not to be a wicked stepmom. See the trailer below.

By Anne Thompson
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December 28, 2010 10:26 AM
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Variety Loses Two Players in One Week, McClintock and Harris

Pamela McClintock was in a good mood the other night at a Sundance holiday party at the Soho House, and now I know why. McClintock, with whom I worked at Variety for two years, is one of the paper's senior reporters, a veteran pro who can report, break news, write fast, and get anyone on the phone on any topic. The Hollywood Reporter has hired her away as a senior film reporter, which is a serious loss for Variety, which over the past year has seen vet reporters Michael Fleming defect to Deadline, Tatiana Siegel move to Providence, and Dana Harris move to indieWIRE. Variety has let other talent go in a series of layoffs. Critic Todd McCarthy and party reporter Bill Higgins are now at the Hollywood Reporter; Ben Fritz is at the Los Angeles Times; Daniel Frankel is at The Wrap. Variety has not replaced their lost talent with strong news reporters.

By Anne Thompson
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December 11, 2010 1:21 AM
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Ronni Chasen was Killed by Harold Martin Smith, Who Likely Acted Alone

The Ronni Chasen murder mystery that has ignited so much speculation is finally solved. No, there was no mysterious secret life, or a hit man, or any sort of organized crime. It makes so much more sense, to anyone who knew Chasen, who worked tirelessly for her clients around the clock, that she wouldn't submit easily to a haphazard robbery attempt--and got shot through her car window by a robber on a bicycle.

By Anne Thompson
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December 9, 2010 2:09 AM
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Blue Valentine's NC-17 Rating Overturned by MPAA

Sometimes the right thing happens. Harvey Weinstein milked the controversy surrounding the NC-17 rating for Blue Valentine to bring attention to the movie. Director Derek Cianfrance had refused to trim an intimate sex scene with implied oral sex between Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling from the realistic relationship drama. Finally Wednesday, after Weinstein led 40 minutes of appeals arguments and screened the film at the MPAA's Sherman Oaks offices, the MPAA appeals board overturned the rating.

By Anne Thompson
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December 8, 2010 9:16 AM
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Economist Film Project Selects Docs for PBS

The Economist Magazine is launching a collaboration with PBS News Hour called The Economist Film Project. The year-long initiative, which starts in January, seeks to showcase thoughtful and provocative documentary films from around the world. The Economist will select short and feature length films from established and emerging filmmakers on subjects that are in line with the mag's interest in economics, the environment, social and human rights, government and politics, religion, media and culture. Selected film segments will air on PBS NewsHour and online for the following year, and will be put in context with related Economist articles. The magazine's deputy editor, Gideon Lichfield, says the project:

By Sophia Savage
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December 6, 2010 7:46 AM
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Trailer Watch: Columbia Pulls Restless from Sundance

Columbia pulled Restless, directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Jason Lew, from the Sundance Premiere line-up at the last moment. Why? The film was finished long ago, although the fest says the director wants to keep working on it. He seems to be harboring hopes for Cannes, which has debuted his films in the past. But Sundance would seem to be the perfect launch pad for a teen drama that has all the earmarks of a Sony Pictures Classics release (at one time it was slotted to go there for March release, but Columbia took it back). SPC could yet retrieve the title, which "looks and plays totally like an independent," according to one source.

By Anne Thompson
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December 2, 2010 9:07 AM
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New MGM Chairmen Birnbaum and Barber Will Turn On Green Light by Mid-December. Whither Bond?

Now that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York has approved MGM's reorganization plan, by mid-December, if all goes smoothly, the lean and mean MGM will have emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, MGM's secured lenders will exchange some $5 billion (which includes accrued interest and fees) for most of the equity in MGM, JPMorgan Chase will have raised $500 million for operations funding, and Spyglass partners Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum will take over the studio as co-chairman and chief executive officers of MGM Inc. That means they can start greenlighting movies and TV shows.

By Anne Thompson
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December 2, 2010 6:04 AM
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Suspect in Ronni Chasen Slaying Shoots Self

The LA Times is reporting that around 6 PM Wednesday, as Beverly Hills police were serving a search warrant at the Harvey Apartments on a man suspected to be connected to the slaying of publicist Ronni Chasen, the man shot himself. The identity of the man and the nature of his connection to Chasen were not reported. UPDATE: The Wrap uncovers more details.