Daily News Digest: Entertainment - Reuters Celebrity/Gossip News Headlines - Yahoo! News

Yahoo! Alerts

Yahoo! News | My Alerts | Edit Alert

Thursday, August 30, 2012 12:03 AM PDT

Today's Entertainment - Reuters Celebrity/Gossip News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Rapper Beanie Sigel arrested for drug, gun possession: report Thrills, chills, dramatic films dominate fall season Michael Keaton cast as "RoboCop" CEO in remake Clint Eastwood may be RNC mystery speaker TV audiences go social as Republican convention coverage wanes Kim Kardashian settles lawsuit with Old Navy Navy SEAL's book gives different account of bin Laden death Trey Songz's latest "Chapter" takes Billboard No. 1 Yahoo! fires Washington news chief over Republican joke Michelle Obama makes "Rachel Ray," "Dr. Oz," "Late Show" cameos "The Good Wife" creators developing military drama Missing producer Brian Gerber found dead Government communicated with "Zero Dark Thirty" makers "Eden" to get North American release Ryan Gosling to direct Christina Hendricks Yahoo News fires D.C. bureau chief for comment on Romney, race Sheen's "Anger Management" gets 90-episode order California film, TV tax credit bill heads to full Senate for vote "Homeland" gets an alternate reality game Inferno, producer of "Killing Them Softly," files for bankruptcy John Lennon's killer was offered help upon release ABC buys Marvel S.H.I.E.L.D Pilot with Joss Whedon co-writing Mads Brüggers is a bit too convincing in "The Ambassador" James Bond Day announced to mark 007's 50th anniversary MPAA supports GOP platform's opposition to piracy Ann Romney invited on "Modern Family" - with a catch Spike Lee's Michael Jackson documentary to run on ABC Seth MacFarlane, Frank Ocean to open "SNL" season Venice opens with 9/11 film, aims to build bridges Record auction price up to $30 million eyed for Kandinsky A Minute With: Sam Raimi's truly haunting "Possession" Shakespeare flashmobs ambush London's streets "Little Birds" review: Innocence lost, yada, yada Actress Lindsay Lohan not charged in theft from California home Factbox: Venice, the world's oldest film festival Factbox: Ten films to watch for at Venice film festival Slain dictator's daughter turns to mother's legacy in bid to lead South Korea GKids to qualify four films for the Oscars ESPN in $5.6 billion deal for baseball TV rights: sources Palestinian Authority prime minister attending TIFF Rapper Beanie Sigel arrested for drug, gun possession: report Wed,29 Aug 2012 05:32 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Philadelphia rapper Beanie Sigel was arrested on Wednesday on drug and gun possession charges, celebrity website TMZ.com reported, days before he was headed to prison for tax evasion. The rapper, whose real name is Dwight Grant, was arrested during a traffic stop during which police found prescription pills, marijuana, a gun and cash in his car, TMZ.com said. Sigel, 38, best known for his collaborations with rapper Jay-Z and R&B artist R. ... Full Story Top Thrills, chills, dramatic films dominate fall season Wed,29 Aug 2012 05:15 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Fall brings colder weather across the Northern Hemisphere and Hollywood's major studios will usher into theaters cool action thrillers, chilly horror movies and some dramatic Oscar hopefuls looking for a head start on awards season. From new James Bond flick "Skyfall" to another scary "Paranormal" installment and the long-awaited Paul Thomas Anderson Scientology drama, "The Master," there is plenty for cinephiles to dissect in the season, which begins after this weekend's U.S. Labor Day holiday and runs roughly to Thanksgiving. The pace of movies is slower than the U.S. ... Full Story Top Michael Keaton cast as "RoboCop" CEO in remake Wed,29 Aug 2012 05:10 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Michael Keaton is joining the cast of the upcoming remake of Paul Verhoeven's 1987 cult classic, "RoboCop," for MGM and Columbia Pictures, MGM announced Wednesday. Keaton will play the CEO of the corporation that builds RoboCop. He joins previously announced stars Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman and Samuel L. Jackson in the film, which is being directed by José Padilha. The project is due to begin filming next month, and is scheduled to be released on August 19, 2013. ... Full Story Top Clint Eastwood may be RNC mystery speaker Wed,29 Aug 2012 04:55 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Mitt Romney may have a gravelly voiced act to follow on Thursday. Clint Eastwood could be the mystery speaker expected to address the RNC crowd before the Republican presidential hopeful takes the podium on the last night of the GOP convention in Tampa, Fla., according to Fox News. Republicans have managed to inject some drama into their convention - amid widespread complaints that national conventions have become stagey, boring multi-day commercials - by allowing speculation to run rampant about who will share the stage with Romney Thursday. ... Full Story Top TV audiences go social as Republican convention coverage wanes Wed,29 Aug 2012 04:46 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Howling wind, driving rain and potential damage in New Orleans from Hurricane Isaac hasn't yet dampened U.S. Republican convention media coverage, but early TV ratings proved only so-so while many people instead "tuned in" to social networks. Republican fears that Isaac's battering of the U.S. Gulf Coast would steal the spotlight eased on Wednesday, a day after a key speech by Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, stole the show from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. ... Full Story Top Kim Kardashian settles lawsuit with Old Navy Wed,29 Aug 2012 04:30 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Kim Kardashian has made nice with Old Navy, ending a year-long battle with the clothing company over ads that allegedly used a Kim K. look-alike actress to flog its togs. The "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star has settled her lawsuit with Old Navy, according to her attorney, who told TheWrap that the suit "was resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties." The attorney did not disclose the specifics of the settlement. Kardashian filed suit against Old Navy and its parent company, The Gap, last July in U.S. District Court in Central California. ... Full Story Top Navy SEAL's book gives different account of bin Laden death Wed,29 Aug 2012 04:24 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy SEAL who has authored a first-hand account of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden says the al Qaeda leader was shot in the head as he peeked from a bedroom door, an account that diverges from the Obama administration's original description of the incident. The book, "No Easy Day," says bin Laden was unarmed when Navy SEALs found him during the raid on his Pakistan compound, according to a source who read the book, which is due to be released on September 4. ... Full Story Top Trey Songz's latest "Chapter" takes Billboard No. 1 Wed,29 Aug 2012 04:23 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B artist Trey Songz topped the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday with his latest album "Chapter V," edging out three other new entries on the chart this week. Songz's fifth studio album sold 135,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan, pushing last week's chart-topper "Based On A T.R.U. Story" from rapper 2 Chainz to No. 2 with 48,000 copies. DJ Khaled's sixth studio album "Kiss The Ring" debuted at No. 4 with 41,000 copies sold, behind the compilation of various artists on the "Now 43" album, which dropped one spot to No. 3 this week with sales of 45,000 ... Full Story Top Yahoo! fires Washington news chief over Republican joke Wed,29 Aug 2012 04:11 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Yahoo! News fired its chief political correspondent on Wednesday for an off the cuff remark about Republicans partying "with black people drowning". David Chalian, the Yahoo! News Washington Bureau Chief, made the comment privately during a webcast of the Republican National convention on Monday in partnership with ABC News, but it was picked up by a live microphone. With Hurricane Isaac approaching New Orleans as the convention got underway, Chalian was heard saying to an unidentified guest, "Feel free to say, 'They're not concerned at all. ... Full Story Top Michelle Obama makes "Rachel Ray," "Dr. Oz," "Late Show" cameos Wed,29 Aug 2012 03:57 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - First Lady Michelle Obama is taking to the airwaves as her husband's newly sanctioned presidential rival, Mitt Romney, and his cohorts continued their power-huddle at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. In addition to a previously booked visit on Wednesday to the "Late Show with David Letterman," airing that evening, Mrs. Obama was also scheduled to drop in for her first visits to "The Dr. Oz Show" and "Rachel Ray," according to a press release issued by the White House. ... Full Story Top "The Good Wife" creators developing military drama Wed,29 Aug 2012 03:54 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Showtime is developing a military drama from Robert and Michelle King, the creators of CBS's "The Good Wife," the network told TheWrap on Wednesday. The project, which bears the working title "Girls With Guns," centers on a pair of Los Angeles sisters whose family moves to Israel, where women are drafted into the military. The drama will be produced by Scott Free Productions and CBS Television Studios, and is the first project for the Kings under their recent overall deal with CBS Television Studios. ... Full Story Top Missing producer Brian Gerber found dead Wed,29 Aug 2012 03:54 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Brian Gerber, a film producer missing since Monday afternoon, was found dead by the Angeles Crest Highway Wednesday morning, an individual with knowledge of his case told TheWrap. The Los Angeles Coroner's office told TheWrap it is investigating the death of a Brian Gerber, age 41. That is the same name and age as the film producer, who left behind a suicide note, individuals with knowledge of the case told TheWrap. On Facebook, a post on Gerber's page, written under his name, said: "Our worst fears regarding Brian Gerber have been confirmed. ... Full Story Top Government communicated with "Zero Dark Thirty" makers Wed,29 Aug 2012 03:53 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Do CIA and Pentagon documents released this week prove that Kathryn Bigelow and the "Zero Dark Thirty" filmmakers received special access to information related to the killing of Osama bin Laden? Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch, which published a trove of email exchanges between government officials and screenwriter Mark Boal, seems to think so. ... Full Story Top "Eden" to get North American release Wed,29 Aug 2012 02:57 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Toronto-based distributor Phase 4 Films has acquired all North American rights to director Megan Griffiths' drama "Eden," Phase 4 announced on Wednesday. Griffiths and Richard B. Phillips Jr. wrote the screenplay for the project, and Jamie Chung, Beau Bridges and Matt O'Leary are set to star in the film, produced by Colin Harper Plank and Jacob Mosler. The story follows a Korean-American teenager who is abducted and forced to work as a sex slave in Las Vegas after getting a ride home from a bar in New Mexico. Phase 4 is planning to release the film early in ... Full Story Top Ryan Gosling to direct Christina Hendricks Wed,29 Aug 2012 02:23 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Ryan Gosling is moving behind the camera to direct his "Drive" co-star Christina Hendricks in "How to Catch a Monster." The Oscar nominee wrote the film, which is described as a "fantasy noir." It centers on a single mother of two, who is swept into a dark underworld while her teenage son discovers a secret road leading to an underwater town. It marks the directorial debut for Gosling, who is best known for his starring roles in "Half Nelson" and "The Notebook." The film will start shooting in the spring of 2013. ... Full Story Top Yahoo News fires D.C. bureau chief for comment on Romney, race Wed,29 Aug 2012 01:34 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Yahoo News fired Washington bureau chief David Chalian after he said on Wednesday during an online video broadcast that GOP nominee Mitt Romney and his wife Ann did not care about African Americans suffering in the wake of Hurricane Isaac. Chalian seemed to not notice that a microphone was on when he made the comments that Yahoo later called "inappropriate." "They're not concerned at all," Chalian said during an ABC News/Yahoo News broadcast, eliciting laughs from his colleagues. "They're happy to have a party with black people drowning. ... Full Story Top Sheen's "Anger Management" gets 90-episode order Wed,29 Aug 2012 01:33 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - FX isn't mad at Charlie Sheen: his "Anger Management" has received an order for another 90 episodes. Under an unusual arrangement with the network, the show was assured the massive episode order if its first 10 episodes hit a certain ratings threshold. Its June 28 premiere was the most-watched primetime scripted comedy series premiere in cable history. Ratings fell for the next two weeks, then stabilized. The show, which marked Sheen's return to television after his tumultuous exit from CBS's "Two and a Half Men," was the year's highest-rated new comedy series on ... Full Story Top California film, TV tax credit bill heads to full Senate for vote Wed,29 Aug 2012 01:31 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - A bill extending California's TV and film production tax credits cleared two key state Senate panels Wednesday, with the clock on the legislative year ticking loudly. A coalition of industry and labor is supporting the measure, AB 2026, authored by Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Los Angeles). It sailed through the Senate Government and Finance Committee by a 7-0 vote and then was passed on a 4-0 vote by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Backers are racing to win approval before lawmakers go home on Friday. ... Full Story Top "Homeland" gets an alternate reality game Wed,29 Aug 2012 01:30 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - "Homeland" fans who can't wait for the show's second season to get their fix of creepy espionage are in luck: Showtime is debuting a new alternate reality game to tide them over. The game, playable now on ItHitsHome.com, offers fans a storyline that connects the show's first and second seasons. It finds Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) about to undergo her first round of electroconvulsive therapy. She gives fans a mission that involves digging through video and audio, documents, and unique interactive events. ... Full Story Top Inferno, producer of "Killing Them Softly," files for bankruptcy Wed,29 Aug 2012 01:29 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Inferno International, an executive producer on the upcoming Brad Pitt drama "Killing Them Softly," filed for bankruptcy protection last week in Los Angeles. The company, which has also produced "The Kids Are All Right" and "Missing William," cited a legal judgment related to the 2005 release of the Ryan Reynolds comedy "Just Friends" as the reason for the filing. Inferno has been involved in litigation regarding financial losses associated with "Just Friends." Inferno said it is appealing a ruling that left it on the hook for millions of dollars. ... Full Story Top John Lennon's killer was offered help upon release Wed,29 Aug 2012 01:10 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - A minister in western New York offered John Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman, a job and a place to stay following his possible release from prison, Chapman told the New York parole board earlier this month. Chapman, 57, is serving a prison sentence of 20 years to life for shooting the former Beatle four times in the back outside Lennon's New York City apartment building on December 8, 1980. Earlier this month he was denied parole for a seventh time. If Chapman had been granted parole and released, he said he had been offered help by a New York minister. ... Full Story Top ABC buys Marvel S.H.I.E.L.D Pilot with Joss Whedon co-writing Wed,29 Aug 2012 12:14 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.co,) - Nick Fury and the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D could be coming to ABC. The network has entered an agreement for a pilot revolving around the peace-keeping organization S.H.I.E.L.D, which is featured in both Marvel comics and the superhero films which they spawned, including this year's "The Avengers." Joss Whedon, who wrote and directed the big-screen version of "The Avengers," is also writing the pilot, along with brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen ("Dollhouse"). ... Full Story Top Mads Brüggers is a bit too convincing in "The Ambassador" Wed,29 Aug 2012 11:39 AM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Danish journalist and documentarian Mads Brüggers has no intention of hiding behind his notebook or camera. Part Michael Moore and part Sacha Baron Cohen, Brüggers in his earlier film, "Red Chapel," talked his way into secretive North Korea by pretending to be the manager of a Korean-Danish theatrical troupe committed to radical political theater. He puts himself front and center - often clad in knee-high polished boots, a safari jacket and wielding a cigarette holder - in "The Ambassador," his intriguing documentary about corruption in Africa. ... Full Story Top James Bond Day announced to mark 007's 50th anniversary Wed,29 Aug 2012 11:37 AM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - James Bond, the skirt-chasing, gadget-laden superspy, has an important anniversary coming up. To mark 50 years of Bond films, the backers of the 007 series are declaring October 5 "Global James Bond Day." The date is tied to the 1962 release of "Dr. No," the first film in the long-running franchise. The latest adventure for the "shaken not stirred" martini lover, "Skyfall," hits theaters in the U.S. on November 9. Albert R. ... Full Story Top MPAA supports GOP platform's opposition to piracy Wed,29 Aug 2012 11:33 AM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Motion Picture Association of America is supporting the Republican party's platform to protect intellectual property from online piracy, MPAA CEO Chris Dodd said in a statement Wednesday. "Copyright is the cornerstone of innovation: it allows creators to benefit from what they create," Dodd, a former Democratic senator from Connecticut, said. The GOP the platform was set Tuesday at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. yesterday. "Victimized private firms will be encouraged to raise claims in both U.S. ... Full Story Top Ann Romney invited on "Modern Family" - with a catch Wed,29 Aug 2012 10:35 AM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - "Modern Family" co-creator Steve Levitan says he'd love to have Ann Romney officiate a same-sex marriage on "Modern Family." After the prospective first lady called the ABC hit her favorite show, Levitan tweeted that she would be welcome as a guest - with a catch. "Thrilled Ann Romney says ModFam is her favorite show," Levitan tweeted. "We'll offer her the role of officiant at Mitch & Cam's wedding. As soon as it's legal." Ann Romney's husband, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, opposes same-sex marriage. ... Full Story Top Spike Lee's Michael Jackson documentary to run on ABC Wed,29 Aug 2012 10:34 AM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Michael Jackson is coming to ABC, easy as 1-2-3. The network said Tuesday that it will air "BAD25," a documentary about the deceased King of Pop directed by Spike Lee. The documentary, which chronicles the creation of Jackson's 1987 album "Bad," will air on Thanksgiving. Further details will be released at a future date. Using archival footage from the Michael Jackson estate, the film "focuses on the creative forces that pushed Jackson to make the 'Bad' album and launch the Bad Worldwide Tour," according to ABC. ... Full Story Top Seth MacFarlane, Frank Ocean to open "SNL" season Wed,29 Aug 2012 10:13 AM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Seth MacFarlane will host the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" as it begins its 38th season September 15, while Frank Ocean will be the musical guest. The choices reflect the success of MacFarlane's summer hit "Ted" and the buzz around Ocean's coming out over the summer. MacFarlane's slate of Fox shows, including "The Family Guy," return this fall. Joseph Gordon-Levitt returns on September 22 for his second time as host, with Mumford & Sons as musical guests. Daniel Craig will host October 6 to promote the new James Bond film November 9. ... Full Story Top Venice opens with 9/11 film, aims to build bridges Wed,29 Aug 2012 07:38 AM PDT Reuters - VENICE, Italy (Reuters) - The Venice film festival opens on Wednesday with "The Reluctant Fundamentalist", based on a novel of the same name which traces a young Pakistani's journey from Wall Street high flyer to suspected Islamist radical targeted by American intelligence. The adaptation of Mohsin Hamid's 2007 novel was directed by Mira Nair, an Indian who lives in New York where she said attitudes towards her and others from Asia quickly changed following the 9/11 attacks. ... Full Story Top Record auction price up to $30 million eyed for Kandinsky Wed,29 Aug 2012 06:15 AM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - A 1909 oil painting by Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky is poised to sell for as much as $30 million when it hits the auction block at Christie's this fall, the auction house said on Wednesday. "Study For Improvisation 8," a vibrant work on cardboard and canvas from the pioneering abstract artist's "Improvisations" series, is being sold by the Volkart Foundation, a charitable trust founded by 160-year-old Swiss commodities trading firm Volkart Brothers. ... Full Story Top A Minute With: Sam Raimi's truly haunting "Possession" Wed,29 Aug 2012 02:04 AM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Film director and producer Sam Raimi, for the first time in a long career of spooking audiences with his horror films, has turned to real-life events for supernatural thriller "The Possession," opening in the United States on Friday. Raimi, whose credits range from directing 2002's "Spider-Man" to producing horror flicks such as "The Grudge" and "The Grudge 2," produces "The Possession." The movie, directed by Ole Bornedal, is inspired by a newspaper account of a family that fights a demon known as a Dibbuk in ancient Yiddish folklore. ... Full Story Top Shakespeare flashmobs ambush London's streets Wed,29 Aug 2012 01:33 AM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Tourists and shoppers in London's bustling Covent Garden fell silent and grappled for their cameras as one man sang lines from Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and a flash mob of wig-wearing actors boogied to pop songs before melting into the crowd. Over in minutes, the "Shakespeare pop-up" is one of a series taking place on London's streets this week, as actors ambush the public, giving personalized one-to-one performances of some of the Bard's most famous passages to mark the start of the Paralympic Games on Wednesday. ... Full Story Top "Little Birds" review: Innocence lost, yada, yada Tue,28 Aug 2012 06:19 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - You know those creative-writing exercises where students are given three random items - say, a bugle, a beaded dress and the word "avoirdupois" - and then assigned to work them all into a short story? "Little Birds" gives the impression that someone told writer-director Elgin James, "Okay, you've got the crumbling neighborhoods by the Salton Sea and a burned-out East L.A. motel. ... Full Story Top Actress Lindsay Lohan not charged in theft from California home Tue,28 Aug 2012 06:02 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles prosecutors on Tuesday declined to charge actress Lindsay Lohan or her assistant with theft from a Hollywood Hills home where they recently stayed, citing insufficient evidence. Lohan, 26, was questioned by police after the home's owner named her in connection with the alleged theft of about $6,400 worth of property. But after investigators completed their probe, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Deborah L. Kranze declined to charge anyone, including Lohan and an assistant who was with her. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Venice, the world's oldest film festival Tue,28 Aug 2012 06:00 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Here are some details about the Venice film festival, the world's oldest, which has its 69th edition from Wednesday to September 8 on the Lido seafront. * The first "Esposizione d'Arte Cinematografica" was in 1932. The first film to be shown was Rouben Mamoulian's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", screened in August of that year. The second festival, held in August 1934, included the first competition. Nineteen countries took part with more than 300 accredited journalists. The "Coppa Mussolini" was also introduced for best foreign film and best Italian film. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Ten films to watch for at Venice film festival Tue,28 Aug 2012 06:00 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - The Venice film festival opens on Wednesday. Following is a selection of movies to look out for, both in the main competition and screening in other line-ups at the August 29-September 8 event. - "At Any Price" Former "High School Musical" heartthrob Zac Efron continues his quest for roles in small-budget, cutting-edge movies in a father-and-son tale set against the competitive world of modern agriculture. ... Full Story Top Slain dictator's daughter turns to mother's legacy in bid to lead South Korea Tue,28 Aug 2012 05:08 PM PDT Reuters - OKCHEON, South Korea (Reuters) - Park Geun-hye was 22 years old when she washed the blood from her assassinated mother's dress. Five years later, she recalls in her autobiography, she held her father's blood-soaked shirt after the South Korean strongman was shot dead. Now, both hampered and helped by the contrasting legacies of her murdered parents, the 60-year-old Park appears on the cusp of becoming South Korea's first female president. Park was chosen as presidential candidate for the ruling conservatives last week and polls show she is the front-runner for a December election. ... Full Story Top GKids to qualify four films for the Oscars Tue,28 Aug 2012 05:05 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The animation distributor GKids, an unexpected heavyweight in last year's Oscar animation race, is qualifying four different films for the Oscars this year. By doing so, they've pushed the animation field to the brink of the number required for a full slate of five nominees. GKids announced on Tuesday that it plans to give Oscar-qualifying runs to the films: "Zarafa" (Pathe, France), "The Rabbi's Cat" (TF1, France), "Le Tableau" (Rezo, France) and "From Up on Poppy Hill. ... Full Story Top ESPN in $5.6 billion deal for baseball TV rights: sources Tue,28 Aug 2012 04:52 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - The ESPN sports network agreed to pay Major League Baseball $5.6 billion over eight years for a package of television and digital rights through the 2021 season, a deal that reflects the strong demand for live sports content. ESPN, a major profit driver for owner Walt Disney Co, will pay baseball an average of $700 million a year, three sources who asked to remain anonymous said on Tuesday. The sum is nearly double the fee the cable network pays now. ... Full Story Top Palestinian Authority prime minister attending TIFF Tue,28 Aug 2012 04:33 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Palestinian Authority prime minister Salam Fayyad will make the argument for statehood at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Fayyad will appear at a press conference on September 11 in conjunction with the Toronto premiere of "State 194," producer Participant Media said Tuesday. The documentary by Dan Setton ("Shattered Dreams of Peace") follows the Palestinian leader's efforts to gain United Nations recognition as the 194th independent state. ... Full Story Top

You received this email because you subscribed to Yahoo! Alerts. Use this link to unsubscribe from this alert. To change your communications preferences for other Yahoo! business lines, please visit your Marketing Preferences. To learn more about Yahoo!'s use of personal information, including the use of web beacons in HTML-based email, please read our Privacy Policy. Yahoo! is located at 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089.