Hollywood Highlights

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Showbiz buzz: Chris Rock’s script deal & “Spidey 4” film scrapped

Chris Rock to write and produce new comedy flick Entertainer Chris Rock has caught the remake fever. Many in Hollywood have been afflicted with the desire to redo films and TV series. Today there’s a report on the Done Deal site (paid membership required) that says actor/comic/writer has optioned the French movie,  “La Première étoile” ( “The First Star”) for a remake. The comedy centers […]
Tuesday, January 12, 2010

More trouble for NBC: Conan O’Brien rejects new late night scheme

The plot thickens over at troubled NBC. “Tonight Show” host, Conan O’Brien, issued a statement today, in which he turns thumbs down on the NBC plan to give Jay Leno a half-hour comedy show at 11:35 p.m. In the statement, O’Brien claims shifting the  “Tonight Show” to 12:05 a.m. is not an option he can accept:”For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately […]
Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Verve Talent and Literary Agency has an official website

I’m getting a lot of questions, e-mails, and searches on this blog for more information about that hot new agency in Tinseltown. After some investigating, I’ve discovered Verve Talent and Literary Agency has a website up and running. Not much to it yet, but give them time. The partners Bryan Besser, Adam Levine, and Bill Weinstein just hung out their shingle a few days […]
Monday, January 11, 2010

WGA screen award nominees revealed

Some very familiar names and some fresh talent on the Writers Guild of America’s list of nominees for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen. Here are the nominations released today. ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (500) Days of Summer, Written by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber; Fox Searchlight Avatar, Written by James Cameron; 20th Century Fox The Hangover, Written by Jon […]
Monday, January 11, 2010

“Avatar” smashes more Box Office records

Moviegoers keep shelling out the bucks for tickets to James Camerons’ 3D epic, “Avatar.” For the fourth straight week “Avatar” is the number one at the domestic Box Office. Last weekend, “Avatar” scooped up a hefty $50.3 million. Also, “Avatar” snatched the record for the best fourth week showing from “Titanic,” which earned $28.7 million on the same weekend during its theater […]
Friday, January 8, 2010

Verve agency signs a slew of new clients

Verve, that new Hollywood talent and literary agency, is wasting no time in getting down to business. On Monday the agency, headed by former WME motion picture agents Bryan Besser, Adam Levine, and Bill Weinstein, announced it was up and running. Today Nikki Finke reports, the agency has signed 24 working writers and/or directors. Joining Verve’s new client list are David […]
Thursday, January 7, 2010

DGA announces best film director nominees & the People’s Choice Awards

DGA picks top five film directors of 2009 Today the Directors Guild of America announced a solid list of contenders for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2009. The nominees for the award are: Kathryn Bigelow “The Hurt Locker,” James Cameron “Avatar,” Lee Daniels “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” James Reitman “Up In The Air,” and Quentin Tarantino […]
Wednesday, January 6, 2010

NAACP Image Award nominees & two Hollywood superstars eye movie remake

“Michael Jackson’s This Is It” in the running for NAACP Image Award “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” a behind the scenes look at the King of Pop rehearsing and prepping for a series of concerts, is up against four other films for the NAACP ‘s Outstanding Motion Picture Image Award. The other contenders are: “The Blind Side,” “Invictus,”  “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ […]