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| Broadcaster CME Q3 core profit drops sharply Wednesday, Oct 31, 2012 12:20 AM PDT PRAGUE (Reuters) - Broadcaster Central European Media Enterprises (CME) reported a 60.6 percent drop in third-quarter core profit to $3.5 million, hit by poor advertising spending in Emerging European markets. The figure was far worse than the average estimate of $8.2 million in a Reuters poll of analysts, against operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) of $8.9 million a year ago. "Our third-quarter results and the prospects for the full year indicate that our markets are not recovering." CME's Chief Executive Adrian Sarbu said. ... Full Story | Top |
| News Corp seals $2.1 billion Australia pay-TV deal Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 10:40 PM PDT  MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch's News Corp boosted its share of Australia's pay-TV market after shareholders in Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd voted in favor of a A$2 billion ($2.1 billion) takeover offer from News. The deal will double the stake of News Corp's Australian arm in dominant pay-TV operator Foxtel to 50 percent and give it 100 percent of content provider Fox Sports, increasing its pay-TV exposure at the same time as it cuts costs at its print operations. Consolidated Media said shareholders at a meeting on Wednesday voted 99.9 percent in favor of the takeover. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kate Moss opens up about modeling misery Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 09:08 PM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - If you hate having your picture taken, you're in good company - British supermodel Kate Moss does as well. "I'm terrible at a snapshot. Terrible. I blink all the time. I've got facial Tourette's," she told Vanity Fair in the December issue, out on Wednesday. Moss, who has graced countless magazine covers and was emblematic of the waif look popular in the 1990s, added "Unless I'm working and in that zone, I'm not very good at pictures." Moss, 38, opened up about her years spent before the camera, including now-legendary shoots that left her anxious, demoralized, and hungry. ... Full Story | Top |
| Disney to buy "Star Wars" producer for $4.05 billion Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 08:58 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co agreed to buy filmmaker George Lucas's Lucasfilm Ltd and its "Star Wars" franchise for $4.05 billion in cash and stock, a blockbuster deal that includes the surprise promise of a new film in the series in 2015. The deal unites a boutique Northern California film studio that brought special effects into the digital era with a venerable Hollywood powerhouse that has shown a knack for getting the most out of big-name entertainment brands. ... Full Story | Top |
| Top Canadian book prize awarded to humorist, travel writer Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 08:25 PM PDT  TORONTO (Reuters) - A humorist, travel writer and novelist who penned a fictional tale about the inner workings of Nigerian email scams won Canada's most prestigious and lucrative literary prize on Tuesday. Will Ferguson won the C$50,000 ($50,000) Scotiabank Giller prize for his novel "419," published by Penguin Canada. "I'd like to raise a toast to the written word," Ferguson, said in his acceptance speech as he drank from a flask at the podium. ... Full Story | Top |
| New "Star Wars" movies - dream come true, or cosmic yawn? Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 07:02 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - For years, it seemed like another "Star Wars" movie was just a dream, stillborn in a galaxy far, far away. But down on Earth, the Walt Disney movie studio had different ideas, announcing on Tuesday that it planned not one but at least three new "Star Wars" movies, starting in three years' time. Disney's $4 billion acquisition of George Lucas' Lucasfilm and the multibillion-dollar "Star Wars" franchise surprised investors and caused mixed reactions among movie fans, many of whom had little appetite for more Luke Skywalkers and Jedis. "The series had stagnated creatively. ... Full Story | Top |
| Taylor Swift's "Red" has highest first week sales since 2002 Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 06:47 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Country-pop star Taylor Swift's latest album "Red" has notched up the highest first week U.S. sales figures in a decade. According to Nielsen SoundScan figures, "Red" sold 1.2 million copies in its first week of release, giving Swift her biggest debut numbers in an already stellar career. Swift's album, which will land at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 on Wednesday, will be the 22-year-old singer's third album to top the chart, following 2008's "Fearless" and 2010's "Speak Now. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bryan Singer back in "X-Men" director's chair with "Days of Future Past" Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 06:25 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Bryan Singer, who directed "X-Men" and "X2," will be running the mutant show again. Singer will helm "X-Men: Days of Future Past," for Fox, the studio confirmed on Tuesday. Matthew Vaughn, who directed "X-Men: First Class" - to which "Future Past" is a sequel - was initially attached to direct but dropped out. Singer was originally slated to serve as a producer on the film, alongside Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg. Most of the "First Class" cast is set to return, including Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russell Brand is a decent guy, says lawyer suing him for big bucks Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 06:22 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Russell Brand isn't as bad a guy as the media is making him out to be, according to the lawyer of a man who's suing the comedian and actor for allegedly hitting him with a car in Los Angeles in January. But that doesn't mean that the attorney doesn't want hundreds of thousands of dollars from the "Brand X With Russell Brand" star anyway. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hurricane Sandy slams entertainment industry with production delays, lost ticket sales Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 06:21 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Hurricane Sandy pummeled the East Coast throughout Monday leaving behind it a trail of devastation that had major cities like New York and Washington, D.C. reeling. But the storm's impact had a much wider reach, with economic fallout expected to cost the entertainment industry millions of dollars. Executives in Los Angeles stress that their headaches pale in comparison to the loss of lives and damaged property wrought by the storm, but production delays and lost box office are being keenly felt by an industry headquartered on the other side of the continent. ... Full Story | Top |
| NBC Sets Premiere Dates for "1600 Penn," Eva Longoria Series Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 06:20 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - NBC announced midseason premiere dates Tuesday for three new series, including the Bill Pullman presidential comedy "1600 Penn" and the new Eva Longoria relationship series "Ready for Love." The network also announced the premiere date for the drama "Deception," which was formerly known as "Infamous." In addition to the series premieres, the network announced return dates for several shows, including the on-the-bubble comedy "Community," which will return to its previous Thursday night timeslot. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Community" returning to old time slot in February Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 06:19 PM PDT NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - "Community" will return Thursday, February 7 to its previous timeslot after a long absence from NBC's lineup. NBC confirmed the show's return date soon after star Yvette Nicole Brown, who plays Shirley on the ensemble comedy, announced the news on Twitter. "Guys, #Community officially has an airdate: Thursday, February 7th at 8pm!," tweeted the actress. NBC also announced several others return and premiere dates Tuesday. The move means the network has abandoned its plans to move the show to Friday nights. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Storage Wars" star Brandi Passante files real lawsuit over fake porn video Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 06:18 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Brandi Passante wants the world to know that she won't get naked and give anybody a virus. And she's willing to go to court to prove it. Passante, a buyer on the A&E reality show "Storage Wars," filed suit in U.S. District Court in Central California last week against Hunter Moore, former operator of the website Is Anyone Up, claiming that he published fake photos and video purporting to depict Passante in pornographic situations. And, perhaps worse, the suit alleges, the video placed a virus on viewers' computers. ... Full Story | Top |
| Olivia Wilde heads "The Keeping Room" cast Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 06:17 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Olivia Wilde, Hailee Steinfeld and Nicole Beharie have signed on to star in "The Keeping Room" for Wind Dancer Films with Gilbert Films and Anonymous Content, the companies announced on Tuesday. The film, written by Julia Hart and to be directed by Daniel Barber, tells the story of three Southern women - two sisters and one African American slave - who, left without men in the dying days of the Civil War, are forced to defend their home from the onslaught of a band of soldiers who have broken off from the fast approaching Union Army. ... Full Story | Top |
| Nic Cage starrer, Christian best-seller "Left Behind," tops Arclight's AFM lineup Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 04:22 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - On the eve of the AFM, Arclight Films has taken on international sales duties for the film adaptation of the Christian-themed best-seller, "Left Behind," a representative for the film told TheWrap on Tuesday. The film, which will star Nicolas Cage and will be directed by Vic Armstrong, is looking for an early 2013 start date. The book about the end of the world hit the top of the New York Times best-seller list, with more than 65 million novels sold. It went on to be translated into 30 languages. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Skyfall" shatters UK record for Monday box office Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 04:20 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The UK's fascination with James Bond has never been more intense, at least at the box office. "Skyfall," the latest entry in the super spy franchise, has set the record for that country's biggest Monday ever, taking in $6.8 million. That tops the previous Monday all-time high, set by last year's "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" with $5.1 million. The 23rd film in the 50-year-old Bond film franchise has now taken in more than $96 million in four days and should pass the $100 million mark Thursday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton, Jacki Weaver join JFK feature "Parkland" Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 04:19 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton, and Jacki Weaver have signed on to the John F. Kennedy feature film "Parkland," the filmmakers announced on Tuesday. Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman are producing the film in association with Exclusive Media, who will also be financing. The movie is based on Vincent Bugliosi's 2007 book, "Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy." A former L.A. County Deputy D.A. Bugliosi was best known for prosecuting Charles Manson. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Wreck-It Ralph" review: arcade-generation "Roger Rabbit" is worth every quarter Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 04:17 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - If you've suffered through "Super Mario Bros." or "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li" or almost anything from the oeuvre of Uwe Boll, you know that videogames have had a hard time transitioning to the big screen. What's exciting and interactive on your home system somehow turns stiff and unengaging when adapted to a single-path narrative. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Neighbors," "Scandal" get full-season orders Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 04:16 PM PDT NEW YORK, Oct 30 (TheWrap.com) - ABC has given full season orders to the aliens-next-door drama "The Neighbors" and the political drama "Scandal." "Neighbors," a freshman comedy, has benefitted from a Wednesday time slot between "The Middle" and "Modern Family," ABC's biggest hit. "Scandal," a Shonda Rhimes series that stars Kerry Washington (pictured) as a crisis management specialist, debuted in midseason last year and returned last month for its second season. The two series are the first to receive full-season pickups from ABC this fall. Full Story | Top |
| Ratings: 'The Voice' rises as NBC takes night Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 03:10 PM PDT LOS ANGELES, Oct 30 (TheWrap.com) - "The Voice's" first-ever knockout round Monday raised the singing competition's ratings enough to give NBC a win for the night, according to preliminary numbers. While preemptions for coverage of Hurricane Sandy and power outages render the ratings for all of the networks approximate, NBC so far shows a commanding lead in the advertiser-cherished 18-49 demographic with a 4.4 rating/11 share and second in total viewers with 11.4 million. "The Voice" from 8 to 10 p.m. rose 16 percent from last week's one-hour episode, delivering a 5. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Homeland' hits series high, Showtime sets record Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 03:10 PM PDT LOS ANGELES, Oct 30 (TheWrap.com) - Showtime's "Homeland" hit a series high with its Sunday episode -- and it helped to deliver a first-time honor for the network, Showtime said Tuesday. With "Dexter," in its seventh season, inching up 5 percent from last week to score 2.28 million total viewers, Sunday marked the first time that Showtime has aired two back-to-back episodes of original series that have drawn more than 2 million viewers each in a single night. "Homeland" drew 2.07 million viewers with its 10 p.m. ... Full Story | Top |
| Michael Madsen joins "The Lost Tree" Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 03:09 PM PDT LOS ANGELES, Oct 30 (TheWrap.com) - Michael Madsen, Lacey Chabert, Scott Grimes and Clare Kramer will star alongside Thomas Ian Nicholas in Brian A. Metcalf's new horror/drama "The Lost Tree," the filmmakers announced on Tuesday. Written, directed and produced by Metcalf, "The Lost Tree" revolves around a man, Noah (Nicholas), who is guilt-ridden following the death of his wife, Emma (Kramer). He travels to an isolated cabin in search of peace and isolation, but he soon learns his surroundings are dangerous. Madsen is set to play the role of John, Noah's dad. ... Full Story | Top |
| New James Bond film gets five-star Vatican blessing Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 02:49 PM PDT  VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - If anyone thinks the Vatican newspaper is still a staid broadsheet that publishes only religious news and harsh papal edicts, consider this: On Tuesday it ran not one but five articles about the new James Bond film. "Skyfall" gets a rave review in l'Osservatore Romano, which calls it one of the best of the 23 James Bond films made over the past 50 years. ... Full Story | Top |
| How 9/11, Mormons inspired Matthew Modine to make "Jesus Was a Commie" Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 01:58 PM PDT NEW YORK, Oct 30 (TheWrap.com) - Matthew Modine is a card-carrying liberal. The actor actually carries around a card that says as much, with issues on the back that he cares about, such as racial equality and universal suffrage. Modine is also certain Jesus was a Communist, capitalism is corrupted and Barack Obama is going to get reelected, which is a big reason his short, "Jesus Was a Commie," has outraged Glenn Beck, conservative radio hosts and religious conservatives across the country. "I just did a radio interview with a guy from Colorado," he said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Instant View: Disney to buy Lucasfilm, plans new "Star Wars" movies Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 01:36 PM PDT (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co will buy George Lucas' Lucasfilm Ltd for $4.05 billion and plans to add three more films to the "Star Wars" franchise starting 2015. Commentary: MICHAEL CORTY, ANALYST, MORNINGSTAR "From Disney's point of view it adds more valuable franchises to their portfolio essentially, with Star Wars being the key asset in this deal. There is already one movie scheduled to be made. It has potential for future movies, merchandising and with their parks franchises, spreading Star Wars across Disney, is where the upside would be for Disney. ... Full Story | Top |
| Weather Channel leads cable news ratings with Sandy coverage Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 01:14 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Viewers looking for an update as Hurricane Sandy approached the U.S. East Coast made The Weather Channel the most-watched cable news channel on Sunday. An average of more than 1.4 million people watched The Weather Channel at some point during the day, according to Nielsen data supplied by the network. The Weather Channel beat rivals including Fox News Channel and CNN among viewers aged 25 to 54, the primary age group of interest to cable news advertisers. An average of 590,000 viewers in that age group tuned in from 3 a.m. Sunday to 3 a.m. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sarah Silverman shows soft side in "Wreck-It Ralph" Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 11:56 AM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian Sarah Silverman has built her career largely on raunchy jokes about sex and other decidedly adult topics. So it may come as a surprise that a woman famous for an R-rated song about sleeping with actor Matt Damon and for pro-Obama viral videos is now voicing the role of an adorable 9-year-old girl in a Walt Disney family film. The animated film, "Wreck-It Ralph," comes out in U.S. movie theaters on Friday. It is about a video game character named Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) who is tired of always being the bad guy. ... Full Story | Top |
| Photography's art history laid bare in UK show Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 11:54 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Photography's artistic roots are laid bare in a new show which brings historical paintings, early photographs and contemporary pictures together in a new show at Britain's National Gallery. "Seduced by Art: Photography Past & Present" explores how photographers from the medium's earliest beginnings to the present day stand on the shoulders of artistic predecessors stretching back to ancient Greece. "They had no history, they had no template, so where would they go to find their direction," Curator Hope Kingsley told Reuters on a tour of the show. ... Full Story | Top |
| James Bond fans beware: Wikipedia reveals major 'Skyfall' spoiler Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 09:20 AM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - James Bond fans beware - Wikipedia's entry for the latest 007 film "Skyfall" contains spoilers big enough to drive an Aston Martin through. It's a posting that includes a full plot summary, which jeopardizes major twists involving the fate of one character and the future of MI6, the agency Bond calls home. Seriously, reading Wikipedia will have Bond devotees reaching for their vodka martinis. Don't worry, we won't spoil it, but best to steer clear of the web's encyclopedia if you want to stay in the dark. ... Full Story | Top |
| Stravinsky feted in top London dance house season Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 09:04 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - London dance house Sadler's Wells will mark the centenary of the riotous premiere of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" with a commission that uses neither the original music or scandalous choreography, opting instead for a piece inspired by it. Olympics opening ceremony choreographer Akram Khan's "ITMOi (in the mind of Igor)", with music by three composers that will in part draw on Stravinsky's groundbreaking work of musical brutalism, will have its first public performance on May 29, 2013, Sadler's Wells said on Tuesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Naked men exhibition arouses Viennese interest Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 08:48 AM PDT  VIENNA (Reuters) - People in Vienna have flocked to an art exhibition on male nudity which sparked controversy before it opened this month with posters of three naked football players across the Austrian capital. The Leopold Museum said on Tuesday that the "nude men" show was drawing more visitors than one devoted to Gustav Klimt earlier this year to mark the Austrian symbolist painter's 150th birthday. "You could not expect this because Klimt is a highlight of Vienna," museum spokesman Klaus Pokorny said, adding that the current exhibition had not been done before. "People are curious. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood engaged to marry Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 08:40 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood is engaged to be married to a 34-year-old theatre producer named Sally Humphreys, his spokesperson said on Tuesday. The twice-married, 65-year-old musician and artist separated from his second wife Jo Wood in 2008 and had a public disagreement with her over the auction of some memorabilia in Los Angeles which went ahead earlier this month. News of the impending wedding comes just after the Stones played a warm-up gig in Paris for 350 people and announced four dates in London and New York to celebrate their 50th anniversary. ... Full Story | Top |
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