The Oscar telecast is the biggest event in Hollywood. The 84th Academy Awards ceremony is not until next February, but there is already plenty of real life drama surrounding it. The spark in a firestorm of controversy was lit over the weekend by movie director Brett Ratner who made an anti-gay slur and resigned on Monday as the producer of the upcoming Oscar broadcast because of it. The Los Angeles Times website has the back story on that here.

Ratner decision to step aside prompted actor/comedian Eddie Murphy to bow out as Oscar host. In a statement released by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences today, Murphy said,”… I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I’m sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job.”

Late today, The Academy announced Oscar winning producer Brian Grazer would be taking over as the producer of the prestigious award show: “”Brian Grazer is a renowned filmmaker who over the past 25 years has produced a diverse and extraordinary body of work,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “He will certainly bring his tremendous talent, creativity and relationships to the Oscars…”

“It’s very gratifying to be part of a show that honors excellence in the medium to which I have devoted so much of my career,” said Grazer in that announcement. In 2001, Grazer won a Best Picture Oscar for “A Beautiful Mind.” His numerous film credits include “Apollo 13,” “Kindergarten Cop,” “8 Mile,” and current projects “Tower Heist,” and “J.Edgar.” This will be his first time as producer of the Oscar telecast. The Academy Awards will be televised live on February 26, 2012 in more than 200 countries around the world.

Final Harry Potter movie breaking records

The end is near for the zillions of Harry Potter movie fans. The eighth and final installment in the Potter film series opens tomorrow at midnight. All ready, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2″ is breaking records for movie screens and ticket sales.  Nikki Finke has the scoop over on deadline.com

Jaycee Dugard’s book sells 175,000 copies 1st day

The 18-year kidnap ordeal of Jaycee Dugard has really grabbed public interest. Dugard’s interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer last Sunday brought in huge ratings  last Sunday. Nearly 15 million viewers reportedly watched the two- hour special. Yesterday, her memior detailing her years held captive in a tent by convicted sex offender, Phillip Craig Garrido and his wife, Nancy, debuted.  “A Stolen Life” sold 175,000 copies on Tuesday, according to Galleycat.  More here.

Hollywood & Carmageddon

Some folks in Hollywood are making plans to  avoid what may be a real life disaster. The shutdown of  the 405 freeway, between the 10 and 101, this weekend. It has been dubbed Carmageddon. The Wrap has details on what some local entertainment companies are doing.

Another spec script sale to report, the 34th this year, according to Scott Myers over on the Go Into The Story blog. Twentieth Century Fox picked up, “From Mia With Love,” a comedy about three dudes who are eager to part with their virginity. So they send-off for a Russian mail order bride, but as you can probably imagine, things do not work out the way the guys plan.

The screenwriters are Seth Grahame-Smith, Bryan Shukoff, Kevin Chesley, and David Katzenberg who will direct. Katzenberg’s father is DreamWorks big shot, Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Myers is tracking the script sales over on his screenwriting site. He says the spec script market is doing a whole lot better than in 2010. It wasn’t until August 17 that the 34th spec script sold last year. More on this script sale here.

Photo: Liz O. Baylen/Los Angeles Times -- Actress Halle Berry posed on the Oscar red carpet at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood February 27, 2011

As expected, “The King’s Speech” captured the best picture Oscar at the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood tonight. The surprise, the historic British drama was nominated for a record 12 awards, but only won four. Along with best picture, Colin Firth grabbed best actor, Tom Hooper best director, and David Seidler walked off with the best original screenplay trophy.

 Aaron Sorkin took home the best adapted screenplay statuette for the Facebook movie, ”The Social Network.” Best actress went to Natalie Portman for the dance thriller, “Black Swan,” best supporting actress to Melissa Leo for her role in the sports drama, “The Fighter,” and Christian Bale got the best supporting actor for “The Fighter” as well.  A full list of the winners is on the Academy of  Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Oscars website.

The Los Angeles Times has more on the winners, the awards, and photos — including some nice snapshots of the fashions on the red carpet. I admit it: I checked out   the celebrity fashions at the glittery affair. The temperature in Hollywood during the red carpet parade of stars was in the 50s — still springtime colors and skin-baring designs were the norm. My favorite: Actress Halle Berry’s stunning champagne-colored sparkly gown with ruffled train by Marchesa.  Hollywood glamour definitely on display at the Oscars.

Photo: Jay Clendenin/Los Angeles Times -- A body is removed from a Los Angeles apartment building where a man reportedly connected to the killing of publicist Ronni Chasen allegedly committed suicide December 2, 2010

UPDATED: 4:39 p.m.  A report on deadline.com claims the dead man has been identified as Harold Smith. Also, it says the hit on PR maven, Ronni Chasen, was the result of a business deal gone bad.

 A bizarre and deadly twist in the killing of well-known Hollywood publicist, Ronni Chasen. Late yesterday at the Harvey Apartments, 5640 Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, a man the Beverly Hills Police are calling “a person of interest” reportedly committed suicide in the lobby of the complex.

Beverly Hills Police, who are handling the investigation into the shooting death of Chasen on November 16, continued to be tightlipped about their investigation. Los Angeles Police say Beverly Hills detectives attempted to serve the man with a search warrant in the lobby — that is when the man pulled out a handgun and shot himself in the head. It happened around 6 p.m. yesterday.

The Los Angeles Times called the man a “suspect’ and said he was “believed to be in his 40s” and residents at the complex “knew him only as Harold.”  The Wrap added to the description by saying the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office had confirmed the man was “African American.”

On KNX 1070 newsradio this morning, some Harvey Apartment tenants said the man bragged about being involved in the Chasen killing and that he was about to get paid $10,000. Also, the man admitted to being an ex-convict and vowed never to go back to the ”pen.”

A little over two weeks ago, Chasen was gunned down in her Mercedes on Whittier Drive, south of Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, shortly after attending an after party for the movie premiere of  “Burlesque” in Hollywood.

The 64-year-old press agent was shot several times. Recently, a report came out describing one of the bullets as a hollow point – which is designed to expand once inside the body– causing more damage than a regular bullet. The shooter reportedly had “a steady hand,” according to Hollywood journalist, Allison Hope Weiner, on deadline.com.

The killer’s ability to shoot through a passenger window and hit the victim in the chest area repeatedly, indicates a high skill with firearms. That’s one of the reason there is so much speculation that the killing was a professional hit.  Yet, who would want to pay to have a popular publicist kill? One of the answers, the Beverly Hills police are probably hoping the dead man will not take with him to the grave.

Another big search for new talent. Entertainment heavyweight DreamWorks is holding an open casting call for a lead role in its upcoming film, “Welcome To People,” starring Elizabeth Banks and Chris Pine.

The casting folks are looking for someone to play the character, “Josh.” Some of the requirements include age 11-13, Caucasian, and able to remember large chunks of dialogue. Also, no acting experience is required.

The casting call is this Saturday, December 4, at the Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  Details over on deadline.com

Photo: mediabistro.com -- Publicist Ronni Chasen

The murder of Hollywood publicist,  Ronni Chasen, is looking more and more like a professional hit. Two weeks ago today, Chasen was gunned down in her Mercedes on Whittier Drive, south of Sunset Boulevard, in Beverly Hills at around 12:30 a.m.  A short time earlier, Chasen had attended a Hollywood party celebrating a the movie premiere of the musical, “Burlesque.”

Several gunshots hit the 64-year-old press agent and according to The Wrap, a leaked coroner’s report says at least one of those was a hollow-point bullet. That type of bullet is designed to expand once inside the body- - causing more damage than a normal bullet. The coroner’s report was obtained  by local station KTTV Fox 11.

So far, no information on the murder investigation from the Beverly Hills Police. A check of its website today — shows a couple of recent press releases from the BHPD — but none deal with the Chasen case.

This brutal murder has shocked and frightened many in the entertainment industry. Hopefully, the BH Police investigators are running down some hot leads and are not allowing the trail of killer or killers to grow cold.

Photo: mediabistro.com -- Publicist Ronni Chasen

Beverly Hills Police reportedly have a ”working theory” about the murder mystery surrounding the death of well-known Hollywood Publicist, Ronni Chasen.  The Hollywood Reporter posted an article on its website today saying investigators believe the fatal shooting of Chasen was planned and not “the result of road rage or a carjacking gone awry.” This fuels speculation that the attack was a professional hit.

The Hollywood Reporter attributed its information to a “Beverly Hills city official” who was allegedly briefed on the case by Beverly Hills Police Chief, David Snowden.  Also, THR is reporting investigators are reviewing video from a security camera at the Whittier Drive home of the late comedian, Buddy Hackett and are “actively” hunting for other video that might provide clues to what happened in the fatal assault on Chasen early Tuesday morning.

Chasen reportedly attended an after-party in Hollywood for the movie premiere of, “Burlesque,” before calling it a night and heading for home. The 64 -year-old press agent was apparently taking a shortcut to her Westside condo when she was gunned down. Chasen’s late model Mercedes-Benz crashed into a light pole on Whittier Drive just south of  Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, at around 12:30 a.m. on November 16. Chasen was shot five times in the chest and was pronounced dead at Cedars Sinai Medical Center a short time later.

Since the murder, police have searched Chasen’s home and her West Hollywood business, Chasen & Company, for potential evidence.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter. Meanwhile, a funeral for Chasen is set for 11 a.m. this Sunday, November 21, at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Culver City. It will be followed by a private reception.

Some good labor news in Tinseltown. Early this morning it was announced a tentative deal on a new contract had been reached with the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the Hollywood producers.

Talks began on Monday, September 27, between the actors’ representatives and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. During a marathon bargaining session over the weekend, negotiators hammered out the details of  a three-year pact, which begins on July first of next year.  Some the highlights: 2 percent wage hike for each year, increases in the pension plan, and improvements in new media.

More details on sagwatch.net .

President Obama raises $1 million & snarls traffic in Southland  

It happens almost every time a U.S. President visits the Southland. The bad traffic situation gets worse. That’s what occurred today, when President Barack Obama dropped in for one of those high-ticket priced Hollywood -type fundraisers.

Obama reportedly raised $1 million dollars for the Democrats and the ire of some Southlanders over the traffic problems caused by his visit. Nice report and photo on the Los Angeles Times website.

“The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”

Photo: PR NewsFoto/Columbia Pictures/Merrick Morton -- Actress Rooney Mara

 Actress Rooney Mara has won one of the most sought after roles in Hollywood. Columbia Pictures announced today that Mara has been selected to star in the film version of  Stieg Larsson’s mystery blockbuster, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” and the other two adaptations in The Millennium Trilogy. David Fincher will direct.

Since being published in the U.S., “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” has sold over 5 million copies. The Millennium Trilogy has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, according to a PR Newswire press release.

 All three books, including “The Girl Who Played With Fire” and “THe Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest” currently are at the top of the New York Times Best Sellers List.  The  Millennium Triology is considered a literary phenomenon.

Photo: PR NewFoto/Columbia Pictures/Merrick Morton -- Actor Daniel Craig

Also, Actor Daniel Craig is set to star in “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.” Deadline.com has more on the casting and the upcoming productions.

Sylvester Stallone king of the Box Office

Actor and Filmmaker, Sylvester Stallone, is hot again. Stallone co-wrote, directed, and starred in the number one film in country right now, “The Expendables.” The action flick about a group of mercenaries out to take down a South American dictator, debuted over the weekend with a winning $34.8 million.  The cast includes Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, and Jet Li as well.

“Eat Pray Love,” the move version of Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling memoir about her adventures traveling the world, opened in second place with $23 million. Julia Roberts stars, but that was not enough for this chick flick to win the race to number one.

The action-comedy, “The Other Guys” grabbed third with  $17.4 million, the sci-fi thriller, “Inception” earned $11.4 million for fourth and rounding out the top five, the new action-comedy, “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World ” with $10.6 million. Based on a graphic novel, “Scott Pilgrim”  is about a 20-something musician who’s life chances dramatically when he falls for a mysterious woman. Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead star.

It’s a wrap for Burbank Mayor Gary Bric

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Burbank Mayor Gary Bric read a statement about the lawsuits and investigations swirling around the Burbank Police Department at the September 29, 2009 city council meeting. 

Mayor Gary Bric is off the hook… somewhat. Last night, Bric presided over his last Burbank City Council meeting. Over the past months, Bric has improved in his job. The soon-to-be-ex-mayor still needs work in some areas, like when it comes to handling the public comment sections of the meeting. 

The way it’s set up, each person gets five minutes to speak on matters related to Burbank or city business in the first comment section. There were 24 cards from people who wanted to step to the podium last night.  As he has in the past, Bric suggested the speakers be brief and not take all of their allotted time. I think folks who come down to city hall and go before the council with their concerns and issues, should not be discouraged from speaking the entire five minutes. It’s their right. The council members have the responsibility and duty to listen and take those concerns seriously — even if the number of commenters push the meeting to a late hour.

Also, Bric has gained the confidence to stand-up to Councilman/tough guy, Dave Golonski. Last night, Golonski became impatient with Burbank resident Eden Rosen’s explanation of the problems in her apartment building and interrupted her. Golonski claimed Rosen’s complaints did not rise to the level of city business. Rosen insisted it was Burbank business because the building on Olive Avenue was subsidized with taxpayer funds. Bric decided Rosen had a right to speak. Council members Anja Reinke, Jess Talamantes, and Dr. David Gordon refused to get involved — so Bric’s opinion won out.

Over on The Burbank Leader website, there’s a farewell statement from Mayor Gary Bric. The mayor doesn’t mention the Burbank police mess (those lawsuits and investigations), instead focusing on events such as the unveiling of the Dr. David Burbank statue and his trip to South Korea with Vice-Mayor Reinke.

Speaking of Reinke, she has the inside track to become the city’s next mayor. That’s reason to worry. Frequently, Reinke is barely attentive at council meetings and has not shown a lot of sensitivity to the concerns of regular Burbank citizens. 

Example, Reinke has been dancing around scheduling a town hall meeting for the Burbank Police Commission to hear citizen concerns. At the Wednesday, April 21 Burbank Police Commission meeting, the Vice-Mayor did a clumsy tap-dance around why she hadn’t made any progress in scheduling the town hall meeting. Reinke seems more intent on getting “answers” and “plans” together to defend the city rather than giving citizens the opportunity to speak their minds.

Last night Reinke, who is the liaison from the council to the police commission, brought up the town hall meeting, hinting she might have something relevant to say about it at the next police commission meeting, Wednesday, May 19, 2010. Reinke is a fast talker. I just wish there was more substance in what she says.

Oh, if Reinke is having trouble figuring out how to organize a town hall meeting, perhaps she should ask those who put together the two city council town hall meetings in 2008, which she attended. Below, are a couple of photos from those town hall gatherings.

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Then Mayor Marsha Ramos, Council members Anja Reinke and Dr. David Gordon listen to speakers at a town hall meeting back in the winter of 2008.

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — A full house at a town hall meeting held at the Burbank Buena Vista Library in the winter of 2008.

Another controversial firing at a top Hollywood agency

 Nikki Finke is reporting on her  Deadline.com Hollywood that another talent agency controversy is brewing involving a minority assistant. This time the assistant, Katrina Lopez, was shown the door by United Talent Agency for a writing a blog or blog post called “Confessions of a Hollywood Serial Dater.”  According to Finke’s sources, Lopez did not mention names or where she worked. However, a UTA executive is quoted in Finke’s post as saying the assistant violated a number of company policies (probably some they are busy creating now) as well as she “…chronicled personal details of a UTA employee she was dating.” The UTA executive thinks the firing puts an “…end to the story.”  No way. It’s being talked about on the Internet, and according to Finke, the assistant is considering legal action.

Burbank student wins major scholarship

 Burbank High School student Heawon Yang is one of the 2010 Gates Millennium Scholars!  One thousand outstanding minority students were selected from 45 states, Washington, DC, and three U.S. territories. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation shelled out $1.6 billion for the scholarship program, which is administered by the United Negro College Fund.

Gates Millennium Scholars receive financial assistance, academic support, mentoring and leadership training. The program was established in 1999 by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda. Wow, talking about putting your money to work to help others. These scholars, who come from low-income homes, reportedly have an average graduation rate of almost 80 percent — 45 percent higher than the six year rate for all college students.

“By supporting a diverse cadre of students to earn their degrees, we can help develop the next generation of leaders in communities across the country,” according to Senior Program Officer at the Gates Foundation, Margaret Daniels Tyler.

Bees buzzing Burbank and beyond

I spotted some of those eager pollinators in my flower garden during the past few days. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees — the most prolific pollinators. Bees are being watched very carefully not just by researchers, but by average gardeners. In 2006, millions of bees died or mysteriously disappeared. Some experts have labeled it “Colony Collapse Disorder.”

The phenomenon could be the result of a virus, predatory mites or even pesticide. Scientists haven’t reached a definitive conclusion.  The bee decline continues, but has slowed down some. The other pollinators such as wasps and butterflies have suffered as well — but none has been as hard hit as the bees.

Bees help plants and flowers flourish our gardens, as well as  pollinate one third of the crops in our food supply. Due to the bee die-off and its ramifications, I appreciate bees more when I see them at work in my yard.  

Meanwhile, researchers up north at U.C. Berkeley have been studying the diversity and habits of native bees in the state since 2005. La Canãda Flintridge is a part of that survey, which is an extension of the Urban Bee Project that’s being ongoing since 1987. The other cities in the survey are Ukiah, Sacramento, Berkeley, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara.

So far, La Canãda Flintridge has scored the largest number of bees with 94 species. Probably some of those species go hunting for pollen and nectar in the flower beds and landscaped areas of Burbank as well.  Want to learn more? Loads of bees-in-your-garden tips here.

Probably a lot of talk and cautious e-mailing in Tinsletown and Media City today about the reported  WME  reprimands and firings over a farewell e-mail sent by an employee. On Deadline.com/Hollywood Nikki Finke posted Marcus Washington’s good-bye to the New York office of William Morris Endeavor on Sunday, April 11, 2010.

Apparently the WME management went ballistic and launched a witch hunt for the culprit who leaked the internal e-mail to Finke who says four employees were fired and around 75 reprimanded. This is not the first time agency bosses have tried to track down a leak to Finke’s site. Finke has some choice words for these entertainment honchos. Plenty of comments and chatter about this on Deadline.com/Hollywood.

Photo: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters– Director/Producer Kathryn Bigelow and Screenwriter/Producer Mark Boal of “The Hurt Locker”

She did it!  Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the best director Oscar at last night’s 82nd Annual Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood. Bigelow’s name was announced by Superstar Entertainer/Filmmaker Barbra Streisand, who was overlooked as a contender for the award back when she directed “Yentl” (1983), “The Prince of Tides” (1991), and “The Mirror Has Two Faces” (1996).

Bigelow’s best director Oscar was one of six wins for “The Hurt Locker,” which included  best original screenplay, picked up by screenwriter/producer Mark Boal, and best picture. 

The winners in the other top categories were Sandra Bullock, best actress for her performance in “The Blind Side,” Mo’Nique best supporting actress for her role in  “Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” best actor trophy went to Jeff Bridges for his performance in “Crazy Heart,” and best supporting actor award to Christoph Waltz for his role in “Inglourious Basterds.”     

 A complete list of the winners on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences website.

Good coverage of the Oscars on Reuters, CNN, The Hollywood Reporter, and a ton of photos and video moments from the telecast over on oscars.org  

UPDATED:  Latest figures from the rating giant Nielsen shows 41.3 million people watched Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony. That’s the best rating for the Oscars since 2005. Last year, 35.3 million tuned into the Academy Awards to see ”Slumdog Millionaire” win best picture.

File Photo: Kodak Theatre in Hollywood

The stormy weather is out of here!  On Oscar Sunday, sunshine and maybe some partly cloudy skies, but very little chance of raindrops, according to weather reports. Southland temperatures will be cool — in the 50s and 60s today. The live ABC broadcast of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards ceremony at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Before that, the red carpet coverage with the hype, the fans, the stars, and those fancy designer gowns. Bring it on!

UPDATE: A few raindrops and dark clouds in Burbank around noon. Hope that’s not a bad omen for the Oscar parade of stars on the red carpet a few hours from now.

Justin Timberlake & Cameron Diaz back together again?

They were once part of a hot Hollywood couple before splitting up a few years back, now Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz are making a movie together. MTV.com is reporting that Timberlake just signed on as the male interest in a raunchy comedy called, “Bad Teacher.”

Diaz takes on the role of a foul-mouthed grade school teacher who gets dumped by her boyfriend and then goes after a co-worker’s guy, played by Timberlake. The script is by film/TV writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, co-executive producers of “The Office” sitcom.  Filming on “Bad Teacher” set to get underway this month in Los Angeles.

Spec script market heating up

stack of screenplays

More spec screenplays are being shopped this week. Spec Chaser is a great website for tracking specs. You can check out the loglines for thrillers, dramas, action-adventures, horror, sci-fi, supernatural specs, and yes, some comedies as well.

The spec that caught my eye today, “Stuck at 7″ by Jason and Geoff Hart. This is a family comedy about an irresponsible husband who finally has to grow up after his wife undergoes hypnosis, something goes wrong, and she gets stuck in the mind-set of a 7-year-old. The screenwriters are managed by Kathy Muraviov.

Spec Sale 

On Monday, the  Done Deal website reported another comedy spec, “The Escort,” sold to DreamWorks Pictures. The screenplay focuses on an unreliable flight attendant who is forced to escort a 14-year-old passenger to Boston after their plane gets grounded. The screenplay is by Justin Adler, a TV writer and producer, who is repped by Julien Thuan at UTA.   

Academy Award winning director set to make a film about adultery

Director Ron Howard is reportedly lining up a comedy, written by Allan Loeb, about infidelity as his next project. The Hollywood Reporter says Vince Vaughn has committed to play a guy who learns his best friend’s wife is a cheater. Kevin James is in negotiations to take on the role of the best friend.

Imagine Producer Brian Grazer came up with the idea. Grazer did not have far to look for inspiration with all the cheating celebrities and politicians in the news these days. And have you checked out the everyday lying cheats, women and men, on TV’s “The Maury Povich Show” lately? Plenty of material there, too.

The cheating comedy could go before the cameras as early as this spring. Oh, you might remember, Howard won the Oscar for directing “A Beautiful Mind” (2001). He shared the best picture Academy Award for the same film with Producers Grazer and Eric Fellner.

Rapper “50 Cent” is now a screenwriter

Big time rapper-turned-actor-turned-screenwriter, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson or “Ffity,” is firing up a new project through his production company, Cheetah Vision. ”Ffity” has co-written a sports drama, “Things Fall Apart,” with writer Brian Miller. The Donedealpro website says the script is about a star college football player who faces personal tragedy and his own mortality in his senior year.

“Ffity” will star. Mario Van Pebbles has reportedly come aboard to direct.

A “Killer” spec screenplay sold

The spec script market continues to show signs of life. Hyde Park Entertainment and Parkes-MacDonald Productions have teamed up to purchase and develop the spec script, “Killer.”  Kenny Golde’s screenplay is a cat-and-mouse thriller about a rogue police investigator who discovers a video left by a killer and sets out to capture the culprit. The script sold for six figures, according to Donedealpro.

A first spec script sale for two TV writers

Successful TV scribes, Sonny Lee and Patrick Walsh, have made the move to writing for the big screen. Lee and Walsh have written for the FX comedy series, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Nikki Finke is reporting that the writers have sold their first spec screenplay called,”21 Shots” about a guy who loses his I.D. on his 21st birthday and has only one day to find it. Some folks who have read it, say this script is very funny.  It was bought by Montecito over at Paramount. No word on the selling price, however, since the writers are repped by CAA it was probably a nice deal with plenty of dollar signs.

“The Hurt Locker” nominated for Best Picture Oscar

Final voting ballots for the 82nd Academy Awards are in the mail. Ballots were carefully sorted, counted, and mailed out yesterday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with an assist from the high-powered accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The ballots should be arriving soon at the mailboxes of the academy’s 5,777 members. The completed ballots must reach PricewaterhouseCoopers no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 2. The votes will be tabulated and the winners announced on Oscar night, Sunday ,March 7 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. ABC will carry the Academy Awards Ceremony, which honors outstanding film achievements in 2009, live beginning at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. According to the academy, the ceremony will be seen live in more than 200 countries around the globe.

Oh, and the matter of the producer credit dilemma on two of the best picture nominees has been cleared up. Last week, the Academy’s Producers Branch Executive Committee announced the credits for “The Blind Side” and “The Hurt Locker.”

“The Blind Side”  Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove, and Broderick Johnson, producers.

“The Hurt Locker”  Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier, and Greg Shapiro, producers.

Normally, the academy only allows three producers to be credited on best picture nominees, however,  under “extraordinary circumstances” an additional producer may be listed. The academy’s committee determined “The Hurt Locker” met the requirements to have four people listed as producers. 

“The Blind Side” nominated for best picture

Some surprises when the nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards were announced in Beverly Hills today. It was pretty much a given that sci-fi epic “Avatar” and the gritty Iraq drama “The Hurt Locker” would be in the best picture category. However, eight other films made the cut as well including the provocative sci-fi thriller, “District 9,” and that heartwarming football drama, “The Blind Side.”  Both surprises and good examples of the kind of variety in the best picture category we like to see.  

The other best picture nominees are the animated comedy, “Up,” the Nazi drama “Inglourious Basterds,” the British coming of age drama, “An Education,” the dark comedy, “A Serious Man,”  the teenage mother drama “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” and the comedy/drama, “Up in the Air.”

Already there is controversy and competition underway for the best director and best picture Oscars. Kathryn Bigelow scooped up the best feature film director award from the DGA a few days ago and a number of other accolades, while James Cameron’s “Avatar” has been breaking all kinds of records at the Box Office and making a ton of money. Cameron and Bigelow were once married to each other. That adds an interesting twist to the Oscar race.

Also, Nikki Finke is reporting over on her Deadline.com Hollywood site about the behind-the-scenes drama over producer credits on some of the nominated films. In the past, the jockeying for  the chance to be on stage to pick up a best picture Oscar has turned ugly and in at least one case, ended up in court.

Here are the nominees in the other top categories: 

For best director: James Cameron “Avatar,” Kathryn Bigelow “The Hurt Locker,” Quentin Tarantino “Inglourious Basterds,” Lee Daniels “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” and Jason Reitman for “Up in the Air.”

For best actresses the Academy voters selected Sandra Bullock for “The Blind Side,” Helen Mirren “The Last Station,” Carey Mulligan for “An Education” Gabourey Sidibe for “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” and Meryl Streep for “Julie & Julia.”

Best actor nominees:  Jeff Bridges “Crazy Heart,” Colin Firth “A Single Man,”  George Clooney “Up in the Air,” Jeremy Renner “The Hurt Locker,” and Morgan Freeman for “Invictus.”

Best supporting actor: Matt Damon “Invictus,” Woody Harrelson “The Messenger,” Christopher Plummer “The Last Station,” Stanley Tucci “The Lovely Bones,” and Christoph Waltz “Inglourious Basterds.” 

Best supporting actress: Penélope Cruz “Nine,” Vera Farmiga “Up in the Air,” Maggie Gyllenhaal “Crazy Heart,” Anna Kendrick “Up in the Air,” and Mo’Nique “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”

Best adapted screenplay: “District 9″ Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, “An Education” Nick Hornby, “In the Loop” Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, “Precious: Based on The Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Geoffrey Fletcher, “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner.

Best original screenplay: “The Hurt Locker” Mark Boal, “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino, “The Messenger” Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, “A Serious Man” Joel and Ethan Coen, “Up” Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, and Tom McCarthy.

For a complete list of the nominees click here.

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards ceremony will be Sunday, March 7, 2010 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. 

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 ago. Apparently, their first priorities are signing clients and making deals. I can understand that. 

Here’s the link http://www.vervetla.com/

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 Elliot & Paul Lovett, scripters on last year’s blockbuster  ”GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” and Darren Lynn Bousman, director of “Saw II,”  Saw III,” and “Saw IV.” Finke has the scoop on the other new clients on her Deadline.com/ Hollywood site. Also, Verve is apparently actively on the hunt for even more talent to add to its roster.