FILM/KULTUR: Hollywoods Drehbuchschreiber tun sich zusammen!

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Quelle: Movie Database.
Text auf Englisch.
15 August 2007
Screenwriters Writing Their Own Ticket

Several of Hollywood’s top screenwriters are banding together as „collectives“ to negotiate deals with studios under which they accept lower upfront fees for their scripts but receive a percentage of the movie’s gross plus greater control over their material, the Los Angeles Times reported today (Wednesday). The latest deal, the newspaper observed, was signed with Fox and a group called Writing Partners, who include the writers of such films as Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Little Miss Sunshine, Collateral, Scary Movie 3, and Big Fish.Each writer receives a $300,000 fee for his script, 2.5 percent of the gross, and will have a say over which notes from studio brass he’s willing to accept and whether to allow another writer to come on board to work on his script.
Pitt Helps Preserve Historical House

Film star Brad Pitt, an architecture buff who has sometimes designed the alterations of his own homes, has sponsored architecture competitions, and counts the architect Frank Gehry among his friends, has managed to raise $50,000 to help pay for the upkeep of a historical house near Chicago. Pitt reportedly insisted that architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House in suburban Plano be used as the location site for a TV commercial he was appearing in for a Japanese jeans company. (Pitt does not appear in U.S. commercials.) The four-day shoot called for the producers of the commercial to pay the Landmark Preservation Council of Illinois $50,000 for use of the house. David Bahlman, president of the council, remarked, „This is a wonderful thing that Pitt did.“
Controversial Chinese Flick Delayed Again

Lost in Beijing, the Chinese film that was nearly yanked from the Berlin Film Festival after Chinese censors demanded that wholesale cuts be made in it, has encountered new problems in China itself. The Associated Press reported today (Wednesday) that authorities have delayed the release of the movie because of the upcoming Communist Party Congress, when only „ethically inspiring“ movies are scheduled to be shown. The film describes the growing bitterness of the poor living in the countryside while those in the city experience stunning economic progress. Producer Fang Li said that China’s Film Bureau is worried that the movie will provoke a „negative social reaction.“
Federline Fired Before Showing Up for Work

Dancer/rapper Kevin Federline, who got his 15 minutes of fame while he was married to Britney Spears, was turned away from the set of the Keanu Reeves movie The Night Watchman when he arrived for a wardrobe call, published reports said Tuesday. According to the reports, Federline’s manager had forgotten to inform his client that the producers had decided at the last minute against using him in the movie.
Ratings Confusion

All three episodes of CBS’s Big Brother made Nielsen’s top-ten ratings list among 18-49-year-olds last week, but not one of them ended up in the overall household category. Indeed, while CBS dominated among overall viewers, Fox was the winner among the 18-49 set, nabbing five of the top-ten positions, including No. 1 — for Hell’s Kitchen. The most-watched show among the general population, however, was NBC’s America’s Got Talent, which drew 10.84 million viewers, edging out CBS’s 60 Minutes, with 10.22 million. Nevertheless, in a confusing ratings anomaly, 60 Minutes landed at the top of the Nielsen list. (Ratings are based on percentages of viewers.) ABC once again was unable to place a single show in the top 20 (let alone the Top 10). It’s top-rated show was Tuesday’s debut of the newsmagazine Primetime: Crime which wound up at No. 23. In overall household ratings, CBS took first place with an average 4.8 rating and a 9 share. NBC placed second with a 3.7/7, edging out Fox with a 3.5/6. ABC brought up the rear with a 3.0/5.
The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research: 1. 60 Minutes, CBS, 6.8/12; 2. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 6.6/12; 3. America’s Got Talent, NBC, 6.5/11; 4. Without a Trace, CBS, 6.4/12; 5. Criminal Minds, CBS, 6.2/11; 6. Power of 10 (Preview), CBS, 6/11; 7. CSI: NY, CBS, 5.9/11; 7. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 5.9/10; 9. Hell’s Kitchen, Fox, 5.6/9; 10. Dateline (Monday), NBC, 5.5/9; 10. (Tie) The Singing Bee, NBC, 5.5/9.

Patinkin Films Final ‚Minds‘ Scene Solo

Mandy Patinkin, who famously quit CBS’s Criminal Minds without notice last month, will return to the show for a single episode on October 3, published reports said Tuesday. TV Guide reported on its website that the episode will provide „some closure“ for Patinkin’s character, Jason Gideon. However, it noted, Patinkin filmed his single scene without other actors — he will reportedly be seen getting into a car and driving away — because „no one in the cast wanted to work opposite him again after he brought production to a standstill by pulling a no-show.“ Moreover, the magazine reported, „Minds‘ producers were forced to use a special crew to shoot the pariah’s scene because the show’s regular staff refused to be on set with him.“
…The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Funny Truth

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert may be returning to YouTube — if someone decides to post the upcoming depositions that YouTube intends to take from them in defending itself against Viacom’s copyright-infringement lawsuit. Google, which owns YouTube, said Tuesday that it intends to depose 32 people, with Stewart and Colbert listed third and fourth on the list. Theirs were some of the most popular videos posted on YouTube until Viacom demanded that all videos produced by its cable systems be removed from the website and filed a lawsuit against the video-sharing website. Mitch Weinstein, an intellectual-property attorney at Levenfeld Pearlstein in Chicago, told the San Jose Mercury News Tuesday that YouTube provided an effective marketing tool for Stewart and Colbert. At their deposition, he said, „These guys are going to stand up there and say YouTube is great. And they’re going to say it while they’re on the Viacom payroll, and that’s what YouTube wants.“
Branson and Colbert in On-Air Water Fight

In an apparently unscripted fracas, Virgin mogul Richard Branson doused comic Stephen Colbert with a glass of water Tuesday when he was not permitted to discuss his new airline, Virgin America. A few minutes later Colbert retaliated with another glass of water. A member of the studio audience told the FishbowlNY blog: „Branson was apparently upset that he wasn’t able to give a direct plug to the new Virgin service and doused Colbert with his guest mug of water. Stephen was drenched. … I really don’t think it was planned, since Stephen had another bit to introduce and a full interview left to do.“ A Virgin spokesman told the London Sun, „Richard did throw his water over Stephen. As most people know, Richard can be unpredictable.“ The episode of The Colbert Report is due to air on August 22.
Don Imus’s Big Day

Don Imus was back in the news — if not on the air — in a big way Tuesday. First, it was announced that Imus had settled his $120-million lawsuit against CBS Radio, which fired him. The Associated Press reported that the amount was $40 million, the amount he would have received as salary. Daily Variety said that the figure was „a fraction“ of that amount. Next, there were reports that he was negotiating a return to radio, probably on WABC-AM in New York and possibly on other talk radio stations. Still later came word that Kia Vaughn, a member of the Rutgers women’s basketball team, had sued Imus, CBS, and MSNBC (which simulcast his program) for defamation. Meanwhile, Advertising Age reported that if Imus does return to the air, many ad buyers would return and buy commercials on his program. AdAge commented: „Mr. Imus has apologized several times for his remarks and advertisers could conclude that he has been punished enough.“

Will Tribune Sale Be Completed?

Plummeting share prices of Tribune Co., which owns the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles TV station KTLA and other newspapers and TV stations as well as the Chicago Cubs, have raised questions about whether the $8.2-billion sale of the company to a group led by billionaire Sam Zell will actually be completed. On Tuesday Lehman Brothers Holdings analyst Craig Huber cut his earnings estimates for Tribune and expressed doubt that the sale will occur, warning that if it fell apart, Tribune shares could fall to as little as $4-5 a share. Tribune closed Tuesday at $25.38, its lowest point since 1998 and $10 below what Zell had offered to pay for it. „The likelihood of the Tribune privatization deal happening in the upcoming months is no better than 50-50,“ Huber wrote.