More kudos for Tony Kushner, the creator of “Angels in America.” The highly-acclaimed cable TV movie  version won a staggering 11 Emmy Awards in 2004. Kushner wrote the screenplay as well as the play that the movie is based on. It is about the AIDS crisis during the mid-1980s.

Now, Kushner has been named as the first recipient for a new $200,000 playwright prize. Established by the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, this is the largest theater award in the country and one of the largest cash awards for individual achievements in the arts, according to Philanthropy News Digest.

Along with winning an Emmy, Kushner has won a Pulitzer, two Tonys, and an Olivier Award for “Angels in America.” Kushner, who lives in New York and Hollywood, says he works on screenplays, “to buy me time to work on plays.”

Kushner’s other works include, “A Bright Room Called Day,” “Homebody/Kabul”, and “Caroline or Change.”

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Tyler Perry is expanding his mega-operations. Perry, a prolific actor/ writer/producer/director/, has formed 34th Street Films. It will focus on producing projects written and directed by outside talent.

The new film unit will be based in Los Angeles. Perry will remain headquartered in Atlanta. In July, Perry signed a new three-year first look deal with Lionsgate. The distributor has handled six Perry films including, “The Family That Preys,” which is out now and has earned nearly $30 million in 10 days.

“Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work,” that was the motto of legendary actress and Hollywood grand diva, Bette Davis. The two-time Academy Award winning actress appeared in more than 100 films.

In honor of her vast contribution to entertainment, the U.S. Postal Service is issuing a special 42 cents stamp in honor of Davis. The commemorative Davis stamp is part of the Legends of Hollywood series. Today, it goes on sale at Boston University in Boston. Davis was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on April 5, 1908.

The print of Davis on the stamp is based on her highly acclaimed performance as the aging Broadway star Margo Channing in the movie, “All About Eve” (1950).  Davis won the best actress Oscar for her roles in “Dangerous” (1935) and “Jezebel” (1938). 

Davis continued to act up until her death on October 6, 1989. Along with her enormous body of work, Davis left behind a number of original quotes and quips. Here’s one that probably reflected her feelings about the acting profession, “to fulfill a dream, to be allowed to sweat over lonely labor, to be given a chance to create, is the meat and potatoes of life. The money is the gravy.”

Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign coffers reportedly are $10 million richer after two star-studded fundraisers in Beverly Hills last night. That according to Variety, which has a detailed story about Obama’s appearances on its website today.

Some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry attended a $28,500 a person courtyard dinner at the historic Greystone Mansion. Others paid $2,500 apiece for an affair at the Beverly Wilshire, which included a performance by Barbra Streisand.

Some of the celebrities spotted at the Obama events; Jamie Lee Curtis, Will Ferrell, Chris Rock, Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jodie Foster.

Graphic novels along with comic books are the favorite go-to-sources for movies in Hollywood these days. There is serious dough to be made, two examples: comic-turned-film “The Dark Knight” has a domestic gross nearing $500 million and “300″ the movie based on a graphic novel has raked in more than $450 million worldwide since 2006.

So it is no surprise that Warner Bros. and 20^th Century Fox are locked in a legal battle over the rights to the classic graphic novel “Watchmen,” and the film based on it, which is set for release next March.

William Shakespeare 1564-1616 – thought to have written “Julius Caesar” in 1599.

Meanwhile, other studios and production companies continue to snatch up the illustrated stories.  Mandalay Pictures just made a deal for the rights to the Oni Press graphic novel “Julius,” which is described as a contemporary urban crime drama based on William Shakespeare’s play, ”Julius Caesar.”

F.Gary Gray will direct.  His credits include, “The Italian Job” and “The Negotiator.”

Oni Press has at least six other projects based on its publications in various stages of Hollywood development.

Novelist and Screenwriter James Dalessandro makes a point.

Writer James Dalessandro has been pitching to Hollywood for years and knows how the game is played. Dalessandro shared some of what he has learned with wit, charm and a straight chaser of blunt reality at the Scriptscene mini-conference, July 30, held during the Romance Writers of America 28^th Annual Conference in San Francisco.

The Bay Area writer has sold a number of pitches, screenplays, and books. In 2004 his epic novel about the great San Francisco earthquake and fire, “1906,” was published. He sold both the novel and the screenplay. Warner Bros began production in 2005 on “1906″ with a $250 million budget.

 Dalessandro is a skilled pitchman who strongly believes in being prepared and delivering a great presentation whether it is at a meeting or on the page. Here are some points from his workshop Novels, Romance, Hollywood: Adapting Your Ideas to Film (And Surviving Hollywood):

–Books are more demanding to write than screenplays.  If you want to do both, start off concentrating on one or the other. 

–Focus on the heart of your story – the central theme.

–It is good to have humor in your writing. 

– For a pitch, tell them just enough that they want to know more. Remember, it is not about the details… about the emotion.

– Characters catch people’s imagination, example, the Academy Award winning screenplay for the movie “Witness” which is a romance wrapped in a police drama.

–All drama based on conflict and problems.

– At a pitch, the writer needs to be the smartest person in the room.

–Advice — do your homework; then ask for more money.

Agent Nathan Bransford raves about RWA conference.

Literary agent Nathan Bransford lives in San Francisco, but works for the New York agency, Curtis Brown Ltd.

Bransford runs one of the best blogs for writers. It is packed with the basics, from query writing to submissions, as well as tidbits about the publishing biz. Also, he’s an agent who seems to really like getting queries and reading them, too! Bransford’s blog is on my list of favorites.

Bransford attended the recent RWA conference. On his blog, he described the experience as quote “…pretty great…”

Bransford explains how romance fits into his manuscript interests, what he likes about writer conferences, and gives a recap of the RWA conference in two posts on August 4^th and August 5^th. Well worth the read.

Comic/Actor Bernie Mac dies at the age of 50

There’s a little less laughter in Hollywood today. Actor/comedian Bernie Mac died in a Chicago hospital this morning, after what his publicist says were complications brought on by pneumonia.

Cool Mac was an original. He could set up and deliver a joke with impeccable timing or crack-up an audience with just a look.

Born into poverty on the tough South Side of Chicago, Bernard Jeffrey McCullough honed his stand-up skills at a young age.  He gained attention as an actor in small films like Damon Wayans’ “Mo’ Money,” and Spike Lee’s “Get on the Bus.”

In his later years, Mac was at the top of his game and living large. His popular television series, “The Bernie Mac Show,” won a Peabody Award in 2002. Also, Mac starred in a string of successful box office movies including “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Bad Santa,” “Guess Who,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” and “Transformers.”

Manager/producer Bernie Brillstein passed away on Thursday

Bernie Brillstein was a heavyweight in Hollywood with a keen eye for talent and it paid off for him big time. At one point, Brillstein had a hand in managing the careers of Brad Pitt, Geena Davis, Adam Sandler, John Belushi, Nicholas Cage, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and many other Hollywood stars.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Brillstein headed one of Hollywood’s most successful management companies and eventually took on a partner, Brad Grey, who is now chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures. 

Brillstein had double-bypass heart surgery in February. He died Thursday, August 7, from complications of that surgery.  He was 77.

Screenwriter Jason Sullivan is probably somewhere whooping it up and I don’t blame him one bit. Sullivan sold a comedy pitch to Columbia Pictures for real money, six-figures according to reports. This is his first screenplay sale.

The Sullivan comedy is about three friends in their 30s who try to make up for an experience they missed — summer camp.  So they rent a camp and invite some adult friends to share the fun.

Sullivan reportedly has been kicking around town, writing spec scripts and holding down several jobs. His car is in such bad shape it dies if you push it over 45 miles per hour.

Asked what he will do with his script paycheck, he said “… pimp my car.”

More about Sullivan and his deal on the Hollywood Reporter   website.

Another superhero project is on the fast track to the Big Screen.

Recently, Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson sold a pitch called, “The Transplants” to Walt Disney Pictures for mid-six against high-six figures.

The action-adventure comedy focuses on four superheroes. I know, the logline is lacking in details, but this very brief description of the story is all that is being reported.

Prolific actor/writer/producer/director Sam Raimi will produce. Raimi directed the extremely successful “Spider-Man” trilogy.

Script sold by dead screenwriter.

Philip Railsback’s dark comedy, “Barstow” has been picked up by Universal Pictures. “Barstow” is about three desperate characters and how one of them finds hope in Barstow, California.

Railsback is said to have lived in the small desert town while writing the screenplay. He died three years ago. Another one of his scripts is the basis for the upcoming film, “Flash of Genius” which is set for release this fall. Several of Railsback’s other screenplays are in development as well.

The screenwriter’s brother Steve Railsback will direct, “Barstow.” Keith Carradine and Scott Wilson have reportedly signed on for key roles.

More details at Done Deal.

The Primetime TV Emmy nominations were announced this morning. The biggest surprise — a very impressive showing by basic cable programmers. In fact, the HBO presidential series, “John Adams” received the most nominations of any program with 23.

Also, up for best drama series two first-year cable shows AMC’s “Mad Men,” and FX’s “Damages.” This is the first time cable has cracked the drama series category. “Mad Men” collected the most nominations of any drama with 16. “Damages” earned seven nominations including best actress for Glenn Close.

A full list of the nominees for the 60th Annual Emmy Awards is over at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences website.

Movies aimed at the younger generation will soon carry anti-smoking public service announcements when they are released on DVD. The Los Angeles-based Entertainment Industry Foundation announced a new initiative to include the special PSAs on movies that have scenes of tobacco use and are rated G, PG, and PG-13.

The PSAs will appear in the opening minutes of all new youth-friendly films released by Paramount, Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal, the Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros.

At the end of each thirty second anti-smoking PSA there will be details about the Tobacco Free website; which contains information on the dangers of smoking, how to quite, and how to help others kick the habit.

From Philanthropy News Digest 

Author of the bestselling “Marley & Me” John Grogan’s new memoir, “The Longest Trip Home”, has been announced for publication on October 21 by William Morrow.

“From his troublemaking childhood to his courtship of a fiery blond named Jenny, Grogan writes about how he came to terms with who he is and what he believes.” It’s called the “story of a son in the making, and of growing up in a loving, but comically old-school Catholic family.”

The film version of “Marley & Me” starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson is set for release on Christmas Day 2008.

From the free lunch edition of Publishersmarketplace.com

Big Hollywood Screenplay Money

Rogue Pictures reportedly shells out seven figures for writer Ehren Kruger’s script, “The Keep.” The screenplay is an adaptation of the Jennifer Egan novel of the same name.

The thriller is about a mysterious prisoner who seduces a local woman with his tale of a supernatural secret that can transform her life.

Kruger is in demand. He wrote “The Ring,” “The Ring Two,” and the recent sequel to the mega-hit “Transformers” among other movie scripts. See Variety.com