TV Writers to Get $70M in Age-discrimination Case
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Two dozen entertainment firms said Friday they have agreed to pay $70 million to settle age discrimination claims by 165 television writers over the age of 40 in the largest settlement of its kind.
The defendants include 17 television networks and production companies, including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, and seven talent agencies including the now-merged William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, Gersh and UTA.
The settlement caps nearly a decade of court battles. Just one outstanding case, against Creative Artists Agency, remains.
The writers said the defendants refused to hire or represent them because of their age. When they were represented, the writers alleged their agents didn’t present them aggressively to studios for job openings.
The money covers attorneys’ fees and damages, and writers must apply to access the funds. It was not immediately clear how much each plaintiff was entitled to receive.
About $2.5 mil lion will go to a fund that will give writers grants and loans to further their careers, and to study ways to supplement pensions and improve medical coverage.
Two-thirds of the settlement money is being covered by insurance carriers.
‘Basterds,’ ‘Precious,’ ’30 Rock’ lead SAG Awards
Sandy Cohen, Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Three is the lucky number at the Screen Actors Guild Awards – that’s how many nominations the leading contenders in film and television have coming into Saturday’s ceremony.
“Inglorious Basterds,” ”Precious” and “Up in the Air” lead film nominees, while “Dexter,” ”30 Rock” and “The Closer” are the top TV competitors.
“Basterds” earned nods for its cast and supporting stars Christoph Waltz and Diane Kruger. “Precious” was also nominated for outstanding performance by a film cast, along with nods for star Gabourey Sidibe and supporting actress Mo’Nique. “Up in the Air” collected nominations for star George Clooney and supporting actresses Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick.
Other films competing for best cast – SAG’s equivalent of a best-picture prize – include “The Hurt Locker,” ”An Education” and “Nine,” which also earned a nod for supporting actress Penelope Cruz.
“Dexter” and “The Closer” are up for best performance by a cast in a drama series, along with “Mad Men,” ”The Good Wife” and “True Blood.”
Michael C. Hall, who plays Dexter, is nominated for best actor and the show’s stunt team is up for outstanding performance by a stunt ensemble on TV. “The Closer” earned nods for its stunt team and star Kyra Sedgwick.
“30 Rock” collected nominations for its cast and stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. Other comedies up for cast honors are “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” ”Modern Family,” ”Glee” and “The Office.”
The actors union will present 13 awards during the two-hour dinner-party ceremony: Eight in television, five in film and a lifetime achievement award to 88-year-old Betty White.
“Our show is so special compared to other awards shows,” said SAG Awards executive producer and director Jeff Margolis. “The fact that it is a show for actors, and it’s actors voting for actors for doing good work. It’s just different from the other shows, so we take great pride in keeping it different and special.”
‘Slumdog’ Director To Stage ‘Frankenstein’
LONDON (AP) – “Slumdog Millionaire” director Danny Boyle is lined up to mount a stage adaptation of “Frankenstein” at Britain’s National Theatre.
The theater announced the production Thursday as part of its 2010-2011 schedule.
Boyle got his start in theater in Scotland before making films including “Trainspotting” and “28 Days Later.” He won a best-director Academy Award for “Slumdog,” one of the movie’s eight Oscars.
The play, adapted from Mary Shelly’s Gothic horror story, will be staged late this year or early in 2011.
Other new productions announced by the National include a production of “Twelfth Night” with Peter Hall directing his daughter Rebecca Hall, and a series of events next year to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James version of the Bible.
Workers Transform Empty Hall Into Elegant SAG Site
Sandy Cohen, Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Four crystal chandeliers dangle near the ground, waiting to be hoisted into place. Stacks of silver seat cushions sit in plastic-wrapped stacks apart from the chairs that need them. A series of plywood folding tables look decidedly unglamorous without their crushed taffeta tablecloths and fancy silverware.
Workers were busy Wednesday transforming the Shrine Exhibition Hall, a big empty space that looks like a giant basketball court without hoops, into one of the most elegant sites in the city, fit to welcome scores of A-list guests attending Saturday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards.
“It happens really fast,” says production designer Joe Stewart. “It’s like a whole lot of makeup on an old lady.”
With a soundtrack of drills and the occasional forklift, dozens of workers milled about the 34,000-square-foot space. Nearly 10 were on stage, screwing pieces into place on the art deco-inspired set. Others were setting up the show’s green room, where massive tool crates labeled “rigging,” ”dollys,” ”power tools” and “hardware” stood side by side. The floor was already covered in black carpet and the walls draped to match.
The hallway where winners will claim their statuettes still looked like an old concession area Wednesday, complete with popcorn machine. By Saturday, it, too, will be draped in black curtains, ready for its close-up.
Just as most of the actors attending the SAG Awards will spend extra time to look their best at the ceremony, so will the cavernous Shrine, Stewart says: “It just goes to show you that any space can look really good if you decorate it.”
Polanski Victim Wants Director Given Time ServedLOS ANGELES (AP) — The attorney for the victim in Roman Polanski’s 32-year-old sex case is joining his lawyers’ bid to have the director sentenced in absentia to time served.
Attorney Lawrence Silver on Wednesday faxed to other lawyers in the case a motion he planned to file Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, asking that the director be sentence in absentia. On behalf of the victim, Samantha Geimer, Silver also is supporting a motion by Polanski’s lawyers urging that Polanski be sentenced to time served.
Silver accused prosecutors of violating the California Constitution when they failed to tell Geimer of their plans to seek Polanski’s extradition to the U.S.
Geimer was 13 when she met Polanski for a modeling shoot in Los Angeles in 1977.
Polanski ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse as part of a plea deal.
YouTube Getting Into Movie Rental BusinessSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Movie rentals are coming to the Internet’s most popular video site.
YouTube is making its debut as a rental outlet Friday to help promote some of the movies that will be shown at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival.
It’s part of a test that YouTube hopes will encourage more movie studios to rent movies through its site.
The expansion announced Wednesday thrusts Google Inc.-owned YouTube into competition with more established vendors such as Apple Inc.’s iTunes store, Amazon.com Inc., Netflix Inc. and Blockbuster Inc.
The first batch of YouTube’s rentals will cost $3.99 for a 48-hour viewing period. Movie studios will be able to set their own prices, with rental viewing windows ranging from one to 90 days. YouTube will get an unspecified commission from each rental.
9 Foreign-Language Films Advance in Oscar Race
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nine foreign-language films are on the short list in this year’s Oscar race.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says a committee of “several hundred” members selected the nine films from 65 that qualified in the category.
Still in contention for an Academy Award nomination are “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” from Argentina, “Samson & Delilah” from Australia, Bulgaria’s “The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner,” ”Un Prophete” from France, Golden Globe winner “The White Ribbon” from Germany, Israel’s “Ajami,” Kazakhstan’s “Kelin,” ”Winter in Wartime” from the Netherlands and Peru’s “Milk of Sorrow.”
Nominations for the 82nd annual Academy Awards will be announced Feb. 2.
Simon Cowell To Produce Charity Single For HaitiLONDON (AP) — TV mogul Simon Cowell said Thursday he would produce a charity single within 10 days to benefit victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
The “American Idol” and “X-Factor” judge said he was asked by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to help with the relief effort.
Performers have yet to be chosen, but may include British singers Susan Boyle, Leona Lewis and Cheryl Cole, Cowell said.
“I don’t know who’s available, but I will get a record out within seven to 10 days,” he said, adding that the goal was to raise as much money as possible in a short period of time.
Brown said the government had agreed to exempt the single from sales tax, so more money would go to Haiti.
“Simon Cowell can make a huge amount of money to help the people of Haiti,” Brown said.
The British government and many private agencies were sending large aid shipments to the stricken Caribbean nation.
Microsoft backs AT&T, sues TiVo over TV technology
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Microsoft is backing AT&T in a patent lawsuit that TiVo has filed against the phone company. Microsoft’s tactic: Filing a lawsuit of its own against TiVo.
Microsoft is suing TiVo for allegedly infringing on patents that cover an on-screen TV guide and a technology for letting viewers order and view shows. This comes in response to TiVo’s lawsuit against AT&T last year for allegedly infringing on a technology that lets viewers pause and rewind live TV.
Microsoft’s Mediaroom software is used in AT&T’s set-top boxes and the company could be held financially liable if TiVo prevails.
TiVo has also sued Verizon over the same patents and won a string of court victories against Dish Network. That case is being appealed.
FCC Set to Close Cable Program Access Loophole
The Federal Communications Commission is likely to eliminate the so-called “terrestrial loophole” at a meeting Wednesday.
The provision has allowed cable TV companies such as Comcast Corp., Cox Communications Inc. and Cablevision Systems Corp. to get around access requirements in a 1992 federal cable law by distributing programming over land-based rather than satellite connections.
Those companies have been able to deny programming to competitors such as DirecTV Inc., Echostar Corp.’s Dish Network, AT&T Inc.’s U-Verse video service and Verizon Communications Inc.’s FiOS video service.
‘Avatar’ Tops $500 Million on Domestic ChartLOS ANGELES (AP) – James Cameron’s “Avatar” continues to close in on his own box-office champ “Titanic.”
“Avatar” took in $54.4 million over the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, raising its domestic total to $504.9 million, as compiled Tuesday by Hollywood.com.
On the all-time domestic chart, the sci-fi blockbuster trails only “The Dark Knight” at $533 million and “Titanic” at $600 million.
Worldwide, “Avatar” has taken in $1.6 billion, second only to “Titanic” at $1.8 billion.
Fourth ‘Pirates’ To Be Filmed in HawaiiBy Jaymes Song
HONOLULU (AP) – Aloha, Captain Jack.
The fourth installment of Disney’s popular “Pirates of the Caribbean” series will be filmed in Hawaii.
Johnny Depp will return to his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” which will begin shooting this summer on Oahu and Kauai and be released in 2011.
The film is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall.
The announcement was made by Gov. Linda Lingle, who recently met with Disney President and CEO Bob Iger.
Lingle’s office estimates the production will generate $85 million in spending in Hawaii.
“Pirates” is the latest of three big-budget films being shot in the islands this year. “Hereafter,” directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Matt Damon, wrapped up shooting on Maui last week. Pre-production has begun for “The Descendants,” starring George Clooney, with filming scheduled to begin in March.
Berlin Film Festival to Open with Chinese MovieBERLIN (AP) – The annual Berlin film festival will open next month with the premiere of a new movie from Chinese director Wang Quan’an, “Apart Together.”
Organizers said Tuesday that the latest film from Wang – whose “Tuya’s Marriage” won Berlin’s top Golden Bear award in 2007 – will kick off the festival Feb. 11.
The Berlin event – in its 60th edition this year – is the first of the year’s major European film festivals. It runs through Feb. 21.
The closing film will be Japanese director Yoji Yamada’s “About Her Brother,” screening out of competition.
Organizers have already announced that this year’s festival will feature premieres of Roman Polanski’s “The Ghost Writer” and Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island.” This year’s event will feature new movies from U.S. directors Noah Baumbach and Nicole Holofcener.
The world premiere of Baumbach’s “Greenberg,” starring Ben Stiller among others, was among several festival entries announced Wednesday. Baumbach wrote and directed 2005’s “The Squid and the Whale.”
Holofcener’s “Please Give” will have its international premiere in Berlin, as will Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s “Howl.”
Organizers say the festival will include a world premiere of French director Benoit Delepine’s “Mammuth,” starring Gerard Depardieu.
The Berlin event is the first of the year’s major European film festivals. It runs Feb. 11-21.
Golden Globes Shines with TV Audience BoostBy Frazier Moore, Television Writer
NEW YORK (AP) – NBC’s Golden Globes broadcast shined a little brighter in the ratings this year, according to Nielsen numbers released Monday.
“The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards” had 14 percent more viewers than last year’s show. The three-hour shindig won its time slot and drew 16.9 million viewers, beating an audience of 14.9 million viewers in 2009.
Originating from Los Angeles at 5 p.m. local time, the event was aired live by NBC in all time zones, rather than delayed for prime-time broadcast in the West, as in past years.
But even with the audience upswing, viewership remained far below the biggest year for the show. In 2004, 26.8 million viewers tuned in.
Two years ago, the awards were slammed by the Hollywood writers strike, which left the broadcast a shell of itself: a laundry list of the winners read aloud, de void of glitz, celebrities or ceremony. Only 6 million viewers bothered to watch.
Sunday’s show got a mixed reaction from critics, as did the performance of its first host in 15 years.
“Not a great night for Ricky Gervais,” wrote Los Angeles Times TV critic Mary McNamara, citing the British actor-comedian.
But she added that almost every winner (with the exception of multiple “Avatar” honoree James Cameron, who, on stage, was as vocally focused on his over-full bladder as his trophies) displayed “an air of grateful humility.”
The modesty that seemed to rule the evening represented a downside for some observers, who love the Globes for its customary boozed-up party mood.
Maybe last week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti kept things more sober than usual.
Or maybe, for better or worse, the Golden Globes have gone straight.
“Perhaps it’s finally time the Golden Globes stops cultivating a reputation as a wild and woolly affair,” wrote The Hollywood Reporter’s Andrew Wallenstein, who called Sunday’s show “leaden even by Oscar standards, weighed down by surprisingly uninspired hosting from Ricky Gervais.”
