Palm Springs to recognition Chastain, Shoreline

Thesp Jessica Chastain and composer Howard Shoreline will be the final addendums to the slate of honorees for your 23rd Palm Springs Film Festival. Both will probably be recognized inside a Jan. 7 gala in the users hand Springs Convention Center. Chastain caught the eye of fest planners this year on her behalf roles in "The Help,In . "The Tree of Existence" and "Take Shelter." "Through numerous virtuoso performances, Jessica Chastain has generated herself one of the cinema's most versatile and several preferred youthful stars," mentioned festival chairman Harold Matzner. Shoreline will need home the Ernest Loewe Award for Film Creating for his concentrate on "Hugo." The composer won the identical award in 2005 for "The Aviator," also directed by Martin Scorsese. "The labyrinthine setting from the Paris railway station, where a youthful boy lives alone, doing what she must to live, as well as the discovery from the aging filmmaker gifted getting another chance give you the perfect inspiration for Shore's haunting score," Matzner mentioned. The fest runs Jan. 5-16. Chastain and Shoreline join formerly introduced honorees George Clooney, Glenn Close, Gary Oldman, Kaira Pitt, Octavia Spencer and Michelle Williams helmers Stephen Daldry and Michel Hazanavicius as well as the film "Youthful Adult." Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Animator Vincent Cafarelli dies

Vincent Cafarelli, a mainstay within the NY animation industry in excess of six decades, died of natural causes in Brooklyn on 12 ,. 1. He was 81. Cafarelli started in the market in 1948 while still a teen, being employed as an assistant animator at Paramount's Famous Galleries on qualities including classic figures for example Popeye, Little Audrey and Baby Huey. He eventually found act as an animator-director at almost all of the main galleries in Manhattan including UPA, Gifford Animation, Stars and Stripes Prods. (where he directed and animated over 300 place advertisements) and Perpetual Movies. In early sixties Cafarelli labored with Pablo Ferro on film graphics for Stanley Kubrick working in london, where they produced game titles for that 1964 Tulsi Dearden-directed feature "Lady of Hay," starring Sean Connery, among other projects. In NY at Animation Central and then at Kim & Gifford Studio, he animated radio stations comics Bob and Ray in a number of advertisements for Piel's beer advertisements and actress Margaret Hamilton for Great Bread. Almost 30 Years Ago, Cafarelli and Chocolate Kugel grew to become the creative team at Buzzco Prods., that they and Marilyn Kraemer created Buzzco Affiliates in 1985, with Cafarelli as leader/co-creative director. Cafarelli directed 100s of spots for major ad campaigns and tv special offers throughout his career, including some featuring famous figures like the Berenstain Bears and Strawberry Shortcake. Their manufacture of advertisements aside, Cafarelli and Kugel created, animated and director numerous independent shorts that won critical acclaim in addition to honours at film festivals including Annecy, Stuttgart, Rome, Rio and London. "KnitWits" opened on opening evening from the 1997 NY Film Festival with Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm." A number of their shorts have been in the film assortment of the Museum of contemporary Art. Vincent Frederick Cafarelli was created in 1930 in Brooklyn and offered 2 yrs within the Military from 1951-53, employed in Fort Benning's graphics department. He's made it by his wife, Francisca a daughter and five grandchildren. A memorial service is going to be held on Jan. 6, with particulars to become introduced later. Donations might be designed to the Brooklyn Museum. Correspondence might be delivered to (and additional information received from) Chocolate Kugel, Buzzco Affiliates, 33 Bleecker St., NY, NY 10012 or at 212-473-8800 or 917-309-5449. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

'Mission: Impossible' wins Christmas frame

With Christmas Day totals in hand, film companies have a better sense of how their domestic horses are running: Paramount's ''Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol'' came in at first place, with a revised $46.2 million Friday-to-Monday gross, followed by Warner Bros.' holdover ''Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,'' collecting $31.8 million in four days.Overall domestically, bizzers project this year's four-day holiday frame to be up approximately 8% over last year.Most are predicting a sizable uptick today vs. Sunday's grosses -- typical of the day after Christmas, when kidpics see the largest bump between 60%-70%, while grosses for all other fare usually have increases that day at around 30%.''Ghost Protocol,'' which launched last weekend exclusively at large-format houses, has cumed domestically $78.6 million; ''Shadows,'' in its second frame, reached as of Monday $90.6 million.Another holdover that made good over the long holiday weekend, Fox's ''Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked'' scored an estimated four-day gross of $20 million, bringing its total Stateside tally to $56.9 million. ''Chipwrecked'' outdid the market's other kidpic, Par's ''The Adventures of Tintin,'' which bowed with a four-day estimate of $16.1 million. In North America, ''Tintin'' has cumed $24.1 million, including Canadian grosses, with $240 million internationally going into the weekend. ''Now you're headed into the best weekend of the year in terms of moviegoing,'' said Par vice chairman Rob Moore.Among the holiday's other wide releases, Fox's family drama ''We Bought a Zoo'' opened Friday with an estimated take of $15.6 million through Monday. Sony's ''The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo'' posted an estimated $19.4 million in four days, with a domestic cume of $27.7 million. Sony launched the film latenight Tuesday.''Tattoo'' came in softer than expected, while Disney-DreamWorks' Christmas Day entry, ''War Horse,'' more than doubled industry expectations, having grossed just north $15 million for two days. Disney is predicting the film to stay flat from Sunday to Monday, given that ''War Horse'' isn't strictly a family film (though an uptick is entirely possible). Couples made up two-thirds of the pic's opening-day tally, according to the studio.Also bowing on Christmas Day, Summit's sci-fier ''The Darkest Hour'' posted a more modest -- but still in line with expectations -- $5.5 million in two days.At the specialty B.O., Warner Bros.' ''Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close'' scored a solid opening day per-screen average of $11,753 from six locations. Pic launched Christmas day and will also benefit from increased film going this week. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

Trump Takes Credit For Locating Gaga

First Launched: December 22, 2011 3:49 PM EST Credit: Getty Images Caption Rhianna / Jesse TrumpLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- When the Little Monsters be saying because of Jesse Trump for locating Mother Monster? The reality TV star/property mogul states the Miss World pageant aided launch Rhianna to fame. I own the Miss World pageant, he produces within the new book, Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again. 4 years back, throughout everything you call half-time, we have an artist. Weve had a whole lot people, and you also dont pay them back anything because its one of the finest audiences and my people described, Nobody knows who she's, but theres this lady with good talent named Rhianna. I mentioned, I dont care if you would like her, put her on. And then we put her on it absolutely was live throughout the united states . States and round the globe and subsequently day, nobody was talking about Miss World, everybody was speaking, Who was simply the woman, who was simply the artist? She was unbelievable, Trump ongoing within the book. The singer completed a sum become her first hit, Just Dance, through the ceremony in Vietnam, where Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza needed home the crown. Shes been very gracious relating to this, he added. I should not say we made Rhianna, but she was incredible that was her break. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wrath In The Leaders Trailer Rages Online

Feel! The! Wrath!Sweet dreams are built with this particular. That are we to disagree? Under couple of years ago, the Clash In The Leaders remake opened up as much as colossal box office, and immediately increased to become well-known watchword in the best way to cock up a 3 dimensional publish-conversion and completely annoy an audience. However this is a spanking new trailer for follow-up Wrath In The Leaders, plus it seems to become if all might potentially be pardoned.Same territory as before, clearly. Major battles with numerous CGI monsters inside the offing, but, on first inspection, the appearance work this time around around doesn't look as up to be it happen through getting someone crane over Guillermo Del Toro's shoulder to look at his sketchbook. Jonathan Liebesman (Fight: LA) might be the director, overpowering from Louis Leterrier, plus it does look as if he's shipped the grittier undertake the material he guaranteed a few several days ago.Oh, and you'll find really leaders for the reason that one. The plot happens ten years after Clash, and sees a mullet-haired Perseus, on on his Kraken-killer pension, trying to remain anonymous just like a fisherman, until Kronos busts his wrathful troops from Tartatarus to remonstrate with Zeus, Hades and Poseidon (Liam Neeson, Take advantage of Fiennes and Danny Huston). They're his sons and so they jailed him. Families right?Signal a Perseus-introduced mission for the underworld in order to save Zeus and stop the earth as being a blasted cinder, whereupon we'll encouter cyclops, minotaur, shifting architecture and enormous explosions. It's all regulated controlled cut to Marilyn Manson's Eurythmics cover inside the trailer, but we're able to not help wanting it absolutely was The Ideal Song.Wrath In The Leaders also stars Edgar Ramirez as war god Ares, and Rosamund Pike as Andromeda, along with Toby Kebbell as Argenor and Bill Nighy as Hephaestus. In several ways it's had its thunder stolen by Tarsem's Immortals. We'll be capable of observe Wrath evaluates when it's released on March 30.

Matt Damon on Tony Gilroy's Original 'Bourne Ultimatum' Script: 'A Career-Ender'

The production woes during the three 'Bourne' films are the stuff of moviemaking legend. Doug Liman butted heads with studio executives during 'The Bourne Identity,' and things didn't go that much smoother for 'The Bourne Supremacy' and director Paul Greengrass. Which is to say nothing of the mess that was the pre-production period during 'The Bourne Ultimatum,' the final installment in the franchise, to date, with Matt Damon. How bad did things get on 'Bourne 3'? Bad enough that Damon just told GQ in a new interview that writer Tony Gilroy's initial script draft was "unreadable." "It's really the studio's fault for putting themselves in that position," Damon told GQ about the studio cutting a deal with Gilroy to do one script for 'Ultimatum' for "an exorbitant of money." "I don't blame Tony for taking a boatload of money and handing in what he handed in. It's just that it was unreadable. This is a career-ender. I mean, I could put this thing up on eBay and it would be game over for that dude. It's terrible. It's really embarrassing. He was having a go, basically, and he took his money and left." Damon and Greengrass brought in Scott Z. Burns (who wrote 'Contagion' for Steven Soderbergh) and George Nolfi to touch things up -- which they did. 'Ultimatum' was a smash hit with critics and audiences alike -- something that Damon perhaps remembered when calling up GQ to clarify his Gilroy-focused slams. "If I didn't respect him and appreciate his talent, then I really wouldn't have cared," he said. "My feelings were hurt. That's all. And that's exactly why I shouldn't have said anything. This is between me and him. So saying anything publicly is fucking stupid and unprofessional and just kind of douchey of me." 'The Bourne Legacy' -- which stars Jeremy Renner and leaves the door open for Damon's Jason Bourne to return -- arrives in theaters in August of 2012. Tony Gilroy is the director. [via GQ] [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Jessica Simpson's $3 Big Weight Audiences Gig Not just a Done Deal

NY - Activision Blizzard mentioned Monday that Cod: Modern Warfare 3 has joined the $1 billion mark in sales after 16 days, eclipsing accurate documentation occur 2009 with the film release Avatar, which showed up in the $1 billion milestone in 17 days.our editor recommendsActivision: 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3' Sets Five-Day Sales RecordCall of Duty Elite Will Generate $50 Mil in 2012, States Analyst The newest edition in the Cod franchise launched on November. 8 getting a 1-day sales record of $400 million within the U . s . States as well as the U.K. The gaming giant's Activision Posting arm reported sales data from Charttrack and retail customer sell-through information. Exceeding Thirty Dollars million gamers, the Cod community now exceeds the combined populations in the urban centers of NY, London, Tokyo, japan, japan, Paris and Madrid, the firm mentioned. PHOTOS: 10 Broadcast and Cable Tv Shows Most Seen by Males "Engagement within our Cod audience carries on growing all around the worldInch mentioned Bobby Kotick, Boss of Activision Blizzard."Cod becoming an entertainment franchise bakes an indelible mark on popular culture which is broad and continuing success is further validation that audiences progressively value interactive encounters over passive encounters." He mentioned the gaming series is a type of that "rarified quantity of sustained franchises such as the Exorcist, Harry Potter, Master in the Rings as well as the National football league (Nfl) that attract or engage 100s of enormous amounts of individuals every year or every era.Inch Activision also mentioned the Cod Elite online service has registered greater than 6 000 0000 players since the sport's launch using more than millions of premium monthly monthly subscriptions offered so far. In contrast, Netflix, Hulu Plus and Xbox 360 360 Live each showed up in the millions of paid out customer milestone after of a year, it layed out. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Subjects Activision Blizzard Cod: Modern Warfare 3

'Big Bang' paces CBS Thursday victory

Inside a fight of-original lineups, the ''Big Bang Theory''-brought CBS won in key demos over Fox's combo of ''X Factor'' and ''Bones.'' NBC broadcast a unique episode of Friday rookie drama ''Grimm'' to nothing-special amounts.(Observe that because of preemptions for football in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, correspondingly, rankings for CBS and Fox are susceptible to revision within the excellent.)Based on preliminary national estimations from Nielsen, CBS opened up a champion with ''The Large Bang Theory'' (4.7 rating/14 be part of 18-49, 14.4 million audiences overall), no. 1 show from the evening but lower from the recent high levels. It had been then ''Rules of Engagement'' (3.2/9 in 18-49, 11. million audiences overall), ''Person of Interest'' (3./8 in 18-49, 13.4 million audiences overall) and ''The Mentalist'' (3./8 in 18-49, 13.7 million audiences overall), using the latter two dramas at or near season levels (though likely to come lower some within the excellent because of football).A minimum of within the preliminaries, CBS taken the evening in 18-49, 25-54 and total audiences.Elsewhere, Fox's ''The X Factor'' results show (3./8 in 18-49, 9.9 million audiences overall) and ''Bones'' (2.7/7 in 18-49, 9. million audiences overall) were consistent with a week ago but tend to come lower a little within the excellent because of football. ''X Factor'' removed among its final five participants because it approaches its 12 ,. 22 season finale.NBC broadcast original instances of comedies ''Community'' (1.5/4 in 18-49, 3.six million audiences overall), ''Parks and Recreation'' (1.7/5 in 18-49, 3.7 million audiences overall), ''The Office'' (2.9/8 in 18-49, 5.8 million audiences overall) and ''Whitney'' (1.9/5 in 18-49, 4.a million audiences overall) , all around the low finish of the range. ''Office'' was easily no. 1 broadcast enter in its timeslot among grown ups 18-34 (3.4/10) also it, ''Parks'' and ''Whitney'' all brought their half-hrs among males 18-34.At 10, a unique episode of drama ''Grimm'' (1.6/4 in 18-49, 4.a million audiences overall) matched up its most original perf on Friday but did fare best than basically the premiere episode of ''Prime Suspect'' to air within the timeslot this fall. Another original ''Grimm'' airs tonight.ABC were built with a fairly quiet evening but hung inside with special offers ''Winter Wipeout'' (1.9/5 in 18-49, 6.six million audiences overall), ''America's Funniest Home Videos Christmas Spectacular'' (1.9/5 in 18-49, 6.5 million audiences overall) and ''The Great Large American Auction'' (1.4/4 in 18-49, 4.8 million audiences overall).CW broadcast repeats of ''The Vampire Diaries'' (.4/one in 18-49, 1.two million audiences overall) and ''The Secret Circle'' (.3/one in 18-49, .9 million audiences overall).And Univision were built with a solid showing because of its 10 p.m. special ''La Amenaza Irani'' (The Iranian Threat), the most recent production from Documentales Univision. It averaged single.1/3 in 18-49 and a pair of.5 million audiences overall.Preliminary 18-49 earnings for that evening: CBS, 3.3/9 Fox, 2.8/8 NBC, 1.9/5 ABC, 1.7/5 Univision, 1.4/4 CW, .4/1.As a whole audiences: CBS, 13.3 million Fox, 9.5 million ABC, 6. million NBC, 4.two million Univision, 3.two million CW, 1.a million. Contact Ron Kissell at ron.kissell@variety.com

Swiss piracy plan irks Italia

The Swiss government's decision to uphold legislation that setting up copyrighted content for individual use is legal is drawing fire from neighboring Italia.The Swiss ruling, introduced Monday, is founded on a federal study which, among other findings, claims the economical loss from piracy does not impact the nation, "only large foreign companies.""This really is really the nation that hid the loot of history's finest crooks, and whose banks shield tax evaders. This is their explanation safeguard Web thieves," Enzo Mazza, topper of Italy's music business org Fimi, thundered on Tuesday.The report also demands that, while around another of Swiss people over the age of 15 download unlicensed content, these people don't cut in your neighborhood on entertainment consequently.Report also criticizes other countries' anti-piracy measures as repressive, questioning the authenticity of laws and regulations and rules such as the three-strikes method in France where repeat causes can lose their Internet access.Absolutely no-piracy legislation using the French model is about the agenda in Italia. Contact Nick Vivarelli at nvivarelli@gmail.com

Trio win Caucus honors

Chetwynd Mancuso JohnsonCharles Floyd Manley, Lionel Chetwynd and Gail Mancuso won the competitive honors Sunday within the 29th annual Caucus for Producers, Authors and Company company directors Honours.Manley won producer of year for his behave as an professional producer in the CBS hit "NCIS."Chetwynd was recognized while using author kudo for his body at work, particularly such historic telepics as "Ove: Countdown toD-Day" and "Electricity 9/11: Amount of Crisis."Mancuso won inside the director warmth on her behalf concentrate on ABC's "Modern Family."The honours dinner, situated by thesp Bruce Boxleitner within the BevHills Hotel, also feted ''Friends'' alum Kevin Vibrant with theCaucus' Chair Award. Dennis Doty received the org's lifetime achievement kudo, while Syd Vinnedge was recognized with itsDistinguished Service laurel. Tanya and Philip Hart were the visitors in the Diversity Award.Lionsgate TV topper Kevin Beggs was feted while using Executive of year recognition. Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

Strikes, Call for Boycott Threatened at NYC Opera

NY (AP) NY City Opera declared an impasse Thursday in contract negotiations with unions for its singers and musicians, threatening to present its abbreviated season without them.The unions for the company's singers, chorus and ballet dancers responded by saying they may strike, and they asked individuals and corporations to boycott buying tickets and withhold donations to the financially troubled company.General Manager George Steel said the City Opera planned to present a season "one way or another."In response, "We would tell our members they can't work," Alan Gordon, national executive director of the American Guild of Musical Artists, said during a telephone interview. "Maybe George will sing?"The unions filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board in May, one week after the company announced it was leaving Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, its home since 1966. The NLRB has not ruled on the charge, which alleged management illegally decided on the move without bargaining. The unions say they will file a second charge over new work rules.Founded as "the people's opera" by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1944, City Opera spent decades across Lincoln Center Plaza overshadowed by the Metropolitan Opera. Still, it helped build the careers of Beverly Sills, Placido Domingo and Renee Fleming, and it typically presented 12-16 operas with a peak of about 130 performances in a season.The company announced in 2007 that Gerard Mortier would become general manager for the 2009-10 season, but he backed out in 2008 after complaining he wasn't given a sufficient budget. The company missed the 2008-9 season at Lincoln Center because of the reconstruction of its theater, then presented an abbreviated schedule of five operas and 33 performances last season.Since the spring, City Opera has eliminated 42 percent of its administrative staff.City Opera, which claims deficits of $44 million over a decade, announced in July a schedule of four operas at three venues from February to May next year.According to the implemented terms, obtained by The Associated Press, there would be no salary increase this season, a 1 percent raise in 2012-13 and a 2 percent increase the following season.In a letter to contributors, Gordon said a strike against all performances was likely, and he urged the public not to buy tickets."You need to be aware that every dollar that you contribute to City Opera is being wasted," Gordon wrote. He said "it would be a travesty to allow the itinerant, small scale opera company" to perform "in bizarre venues with volunteer and student singers."Chuck Wall, who became the company's chairman last December, said "the board is 100 percent committed to continuing the work of City Opera and we look forward to continuing to work with our contributors."Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. By Ronald Blum December 2, 2011 NY (AP) NY City Opera declared an impasse Thursday in contract negotiations with unions for its singers and musicians, threatening to present its abbreviated season without them.The unions for the company's singers, chorus and ballet dancers responded by saying they may strike, and they asked individuals and corporations to boycott buying tickets and withhold donations to the financially troubled company.General Manager George Steel said the City Opera planned to present a season "one way or another."In response, "We would tell our members they can't work," Alan Gordon, national executive director of the American Guild of Musical Artists, said during a telephone interview. "Maybe George will sing?"The unions filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board in May, one week after the company announced it was leaving Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, its home since 1966. The NLRB has not ruled on the charge, which alleged management illegally decided on the move without bargaining. The unions say they will file a second charge over new work rules.Founded as "the people's opera" by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1944, City Opera spent decades across Lincoln Center Plaza overshadowed by the Metropolitan Opera. Still, it helped build the careers of Beverly Sills, Placido Domingo and Renee Fleming, and it typically presented 12-16 operas with a peak of about 130 performances in a season.The company announced in 2007 that Gerard Mortier would become general manager for the 2009-10 season, but he backed out in 2008 after complaining he wasn't given a sufficient budget. The company missed the 2008-9 season at Lincoln Center because of the reconstruction of its theater, then presented an abbreviated schedule of five operas and 33 performances last season.Since the spring, City Opera has eliminated 42 percent of its administrative staff.City Opera, which claims deficits of $44 million over a decade, announced in July a schedule of four operas at three venues from February to May next year.According to the implemented terms, obtained by The Associated Press, there would be no salary increase this season, a 1 percent raise in 2012-13 and a 2 percent increase the following season.In a letter to contributors, Gordon said a strike against all performances was likely, and he urged the public not to buy tickets."You need to be aware that every dollar that you contribute to City Opera is being wasted," Gordon wrote. He said "it would be a travesty to allow the itinerant, small scale opera company" to perform "in bizarre venues with volunteer and student singers."Chuck Wall, who became the company's chairman last December, said "the board is 100 percent committed to continuing the work of City Opera and we look forward to continuing to work with our contributors."Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.