“Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.” — Casey Kasem Radio D.J., actor, and producer April 27, 1932 – June 15, 2014
Quote of the Day: Casey Kasem
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Tag Archives | producers
Actor/producer/writer Seth Green joins forces with NASA
You might need to give NASA some kudos for the comfortable high-tech seats in your ride. NASA has made great strides in long distance travel in space as well as here on Earth. NASA’s Technology Transfer Program is responsible for finding the widest possible applications for the agency’s research. “NASA technologies improve our everyday lives, including providing us with safer, cleaner modes of transportation, supporting millions of passengers and packages traveling by air and ground everyday with efficiencies, comfort and safety,” said Daniel Lockney, NASA’s Technology Transfer Program executive,... Read More →
“Pretty Woman” movie to be revived as a Broadway musical
On New Year’s Day, director Garry Marshall, rode on the award-winning Burbank Rose float, “Lights! Camera! Action!,” weeks later, he’s reportedly in New York working on turning one of his movie hits into a Broadway musical. Marshall and producer Paula Wagner are said to be meeting with potential composers, lyricists, and directors for a “Pretty Woman” stage production, according to the New York Post. The 1990 film starring Julia Roberts, and, Richard Gere, made big bucks at the box office, somewhere in the range of $500 million. Also,... Read More →
TV producer Lena Dunham writing Archie comic book series
TV actress/producer and creator of the HBO comedy-drama, “Girls,” Lena Dunham, is branching out into comics. Dunham has signed on to write a four-part series for the Archie Comics. The 27-year-old Dunham talked about being a long-time time fan of the comics, in a quote from a statement, which appeared on Galleycat:”I was an avid Archie collector as a child — conventions, first editions that I kept in plastic sleeves, the whole shebang. It has so much cultural significance but also so much personal significance, and... Read More →
Around the Southland: Creator of TV drama “Scandal” buys Hancock Park estate
The former Hancock Park estate of actress, Patricia Heaton, has sold again. This time to behind the camera super talent and TV writer/ producer, Shonda Rhimes. The deal for the 50,000 square foot property closed earlier this month for $8.8 million, according to the Trulia blog. The “Everybody Loves Raymond” star sold the property last May for $8 million. The new buyer put it back on the market in November for $8.99 million. The huge house has six bedrooms, library and gourmet kitchen. Outside, a guest... Read More →
“Lone Survivor” leads box office as producers attempt damage control
“Lone Survivor” fought its way to the top of the box office over the weekend. The military action/drama debuted with $37.8 million becoming the number one film in the U.S. That’s the second largest January opening ever. “Lone Survivor” is based on the real-life story of four Navy Seals on a covert mission in Afghanistan who must make some tough decisions when it goes wrong and they’re ambushed by the Taliban. Mark Wahlberg leads the cast. The film has sparked some award buzz and that’s a good thing.... Read More →
Kevin Costner snags new adventure series book deal
Actor/director/producer, Kevin Costner, reportedly has a new book series deal with Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books. The first book in the adventure series, “The Explorers Guild, Volume One: Passage to Shambhala,” is set for release in 2014. Costner told Deadline.com’s Mike Fleming he feels “… the book has the sweep of adventure classics he grew up reading, including “Arabian Nights” and “The Red Badge Of Courage.” Costner hopes the book will connect with young and adult lovers of adventure and lead to a movie based on it.... Read More →
Disney launches The Art of “Frankenweenie” Exhibition
Walt Disney Studios has launched a special exhibit to promote director Tim Burton’s upcoming stop-motion animated feature film, “Frankenweenie.” The Art of “Frankenweenie” Exhibition is set to premiere in Barcelona, Spain, at CineEurope, June 18-21, and in the U.S. at Comic-Con 2012 in San Diego, California, July 11-15, according to a PRNewswire release. During the tour, the exhibition will be making stops in seven countries. This rare visual experience will give audiences “… an exclusive glimpse into the stop-motion animation process brought to life by visionary filmmaker Tim Burton. From original sketches drawn... Read More →
Script sales and deals: Action screenplays sell for big money
“White House Down” — Huge payday for hot screenwriter James Vanderbilt. In fact, the $3 million dollar script deal is being called the biggest so far this year. The action spec script is described as a cross between “Die Hard” and “Air Force One.” Apparently there was some heated bidding for the script with Sony Pictures finally closing a deal this week. Vanderbilt was the scribe on the reboot of “Amazing Spider-Man” and “Total Recall.” Also, he got the gig to pen the remake of “RoboCop.”... Read More →
Producers Guild Awards winners
The silent French film, “The Artist,” begins the week with some extra Oscar heat. Last Saturday the feature, about an aging silent male film star and and a rising young actress, picked up the top trophy at the 23rd Producers Guild Awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. In the past two years, the winner of the PGA honor for the best produced motion picture has gone on to win the Best Picture Academy Award. Last year, “The King’s Speech” — in 2010 “The... Read More →
Producers Guild announces final nominees for 2012 awards
The Producers Guild of America’s list of best motion picture producer nominees of 2011 include some of the year’s most talked about films. Yesterday, the PGA released the names of the nominees for the Producer of the Year Award in theatrical motion pictures, animated theatrical motion pictures, and in long-form television. The documentary film category and other television category nominations were releaved by the Guild last month. Here are the nominees for The Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures: THE ARTIST... Read More →
Photo Gallery: Chuck Fries, Hollywood movie maker turned book author
Prolific television producer, Chuck Fries, was in the spotlight recently at the Burbank public library sponsored “An Evening with Hollywood Movers & Shaker.” The event on March 22, drew a crowd to the Buena Vista Library. Fries was introduced by popular radio personality and disc jockey, Rick Dees, who has the #1 rated internationally syndicated radio show, “Rick Dees Weekly Top 40.” Chuck Fries has produced over 100 movies for television. His credits include a wide variety of films like, “She Waits” (1972), “The Secret Night Caller” (1975),”Cat People” (1982), “Sins of... Read More →
ShowBiz Bits:More awards nominations, Oprah’s new TV network & holiday Box Office
The 2011 WGA screen award nominees The Writers Guild of America today announced its nominees for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen in 2010. Here are some of the big screen nominees: Original Screenplay Black Swan, Screenplay by Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin; Story by Andres Heinz; Fox Searchlight The Fighter, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Paramount Pictures Inception, Written by Christopher Nolan; Warner Bros. The Kids Are All... Read More →
New book deal for Producer/Actor Paul Reiser
TV producer/Actor/Writer Paul Reiser is going after his third bestseller. Reiser just inked a deal with Hyperion Books for “Parenthood.” According to the publishing website, Galleycat, “Parenthood” is a follow-up to his other successful books about family. Reiser’s two previous bestsellers from the 1990s are : “Couplehood,” a funny look at romance and marriage, and “Babyhood,” a hilarious take on becoming a father for the first time. The stand-up comic has two sons, ages 10 and 15. In the new book, “Parenthood,” Reiser will reportedly meditate... Read More →
Weekend Catch-up: Mel Gibson’s racist rant/abuse allegations, Best selling summer reads & Lottery dreams come true for a SoCal player
Mel Gibson’s mouth gets him in trouble again The Internet and Hollywood are buzzing about Actor/Director/Producer Mel Gibson’s latest foot-in-mouth performance. An audio recording of Gibson using the “N-word” in a tirade against his ex-girlfriend, Russian singer, Oksana Grigorieva, was followed by reports that the entertainer is being investigated for domestic violence. And there’s more. WME agency has confirmed it recently fired Gibson as a client. Remember, Gibson was hit by an onslaught of bad publicity after a tape revealed the drunken actor making anti-Semitic remarks during a DUI stop in Malibu, back in 2006.... Read More →
Money bits: Southland lottery winner going to Disney World, Demi Moore’s book deal & new “Monster High” musical
A Southland lottery winner cashed in that missing $7 million SuperLotto Plus jackpot winning ticket last Monday, June 14. This is the unclaimed jackpot I posted about a few days ago. The ticket was bought in the 7-Eleven store at 3450 Overland Avenue in Los Angeles for the June 5 draw. Oh, the 7-Eleven gets a $35,000 bonus for selling that winning ticket. The owner of the lucky ticket wants to remain anonymous. According to lottery officials, the winner chose the annuity option and will receive increasing payments over 26 years, beginning with the... Read More →
“The Karate Kid” kicks butt at the Box Office
The domestic Box Office is on fire again, thanks to the remake of “The Karate Kid.” Over the weekend the re-do of the 1984 hit, starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, demolished the competition with a debut of $55.7 million — to become the number one movie in the country. The updated “Karate Kid” probably should have been called, “The Kung Fu Kid.” In the plot, a 12-year-old kid from Detroit and his single working mother move to China, where he’s bullied and eventually hooks up with a Kung Fu master who... Read More →
Quick-bits: Michael Jackson, Woody Allen, Atlantis, and catching the compost bug
Sunflowers for the King of Pop Photo: Lisa Burks/Freelance photographer — A generous flower merchant donates hundreds of sunflowers to brighten the Glendale crypt of Michael Jackson The late King of Pop’s tomb is now filled with a huge collection of sunflowers — thanks to Jason Levin who runs a San Diego company called Sunflowerguy.com. On Friday, May 14, Levin loaded up a truck with 15-hundred happy face sunflowers and drove to Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale to deliver the special gift. Levin’s company is known for donating bunches of what the website calls “the happiest flower... Read More →
President Obama, Hollywood power players Hanks, Spielberg, and a new HBO mini-series
Photo: Pete Souza/White House — President Barack Obama speaks to an audience in the Family Theater of the White House just before the screening of the first hour of a new HBO World War II mini-series,”The Pacific,” last Thursday, March 11, 2010. In the front row, the two executive producers of the mini-series, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. The 10-part mini-series, “The Pacific,” began airing on HBO last night. The cable TV mini-series focuses on the stories of three U.S. Marines during America’s World War II battle with Japan. It’s from... Read More →
Hollywood Buzz: Actor Corey Haim dies & Verve Agency signs new clients
Corey Haim: Photo courtesy Bree Bailey Another young actor gone way too soon. Corey Haim reportedly died this morning at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank. According to The Wrap, a drug overdose is suspected. Haim, a former teen idol during the 1980s, has had a well-known struggle with drugs. Haim starred in a number of films including “Lucas” (1986), “The Lost Boys” (1987), and “License to Drive” (1988). Also, he appeared on television in the TV series “Roomies” (1987), and more recently the reality show,... Read More →
History made at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards
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... Read More →
Hollywood buzz: celebrities, writers, scripts, and Spec Chaser
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... Read More →
