January 4, 2013
‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas engaged
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Star Wars” creator George Lucas is engaged.
A spokeswoman for Lucasfilm Ltd. says the 68-year-old director is engaged to 43-year-old investment firm president Mellody Hobson. No other details were provided.
Hobson serves as chairman of DreamWorks Animation and is a financial contributor to ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Lucas helped to launch the modern blockbuster age with his “Star Wars” sagas and “Indiana Jones” adventures. The original “Star Wars” still stands as the No. 2 film in terms of tickets sold domestically, behind only “Gone with the Wind.”
Lucas has three children: Amanda, Katie and Jett. He was previously married to film editor Marcia Lucas from 1969 to 1983.
Disney completed its acquisition of Lucasfilm and the “Star Wars” franchise from Lucas for $4.06 billion in cash and stock last month.
Lawmakers say CIA may have misled filmmakers
By Kimberly Dozier, Intelligence Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers accused the CIA of misleading the makers of the Osama bin Laden raid film “Zero Dark Thirty” by allegedly telling them that harsh interrogation methods helped track down the terrorist mastermind.
The film shows waterboarding and similar techniques as important, if not key, to finding bin Laden in Pakistan, where he was killed by Navy SEALs in 2011.
A Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into the CIA’s detainee program showed that such methods produced no useful intelligence.
The CIA’s acting director, Michael Morell, recently contradicted that finding. In a statement last month to employees, he said that while the film was wrong to depict harsh techniques as key to finding bin Laden, those interrogations did produce some useful intelligence.
“Some came from detainees subjected to enhanced techniques, but there were many other sources as well,” Morell said.
In a letter to the CIA this week, Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., John McCain, R-Ariz., and others asked Morell to back up his claim and to share documents showing what the filmmakers were told.
They asked him to provide what information was acquired from CIA detainees and when. “Prior to, during, or after the detainee was subjected to the CIA’s enhanced interrogation techniques? If after, how long after?”
The senators contend that that the CIA detainee “who provided the most accurate information about the courier provided the information prior to being subjected to coercive interrogation techniques,” according to a statement Thursday from Feinstein. The senators sent the agency a similar letter last month.
The CIA says it will cooperate.
“As we’ve said before, we take very seriously our responsibility to keep our oversight committees informed and value our relationship with Congress,” CIA spokesman John Tomczyk said.
“Zero Dark Thirty” opens nationally in mid-January.
Lawsuit alleges horses mistreated on HBO’s “Luck”LOS ANGELES (AP) — Several of the horses used on HBO’s canceled series “Luck” were drugged, underweight and sick during production, an animal rights worker who oversaw conditions on the show alleges in a lawsuit.
Barbara Casey’s suit filed Monday says she was wrongfully fired from her post at the American Humane Association after complaining about the conditions horses faced on the show, which was canceled after a series of high-profile animal deaths.
The suit claims four horses died during the show’s production, not three as previously reported. Horses were “often drugged to perform,” and “underweight and sick horses unsuited for work were routinely used” by producers, her lawsuit alleges.
Casey is suing HBO, which has repeatedly denied abusing horses on the show, and the humane association. The association declined to comment, citing the pending lawsuit.
“We took every precaution to ensure that our horses were treated humanely and with the utmost care, exceeding every safeguard of all protocols and guidelines required of the production,” HBO wrote in a statement.
Casey’s suit states she urged the humane association to report HBO and producers to authorities for possible animal-cruelty criminal charges.
The association “bowed to political and financial pressure and refused to report the production defendants’ conduct to the authorities,” the lawsuit states.
Casey served as director of the association’s Film and Television Unit, which oversees animal welfare and often allows a notice to be attached to the end of films and television shows that says no animals were harmed during production. The nonprofit association’s film- and TV-monitoring efforts are paid for through entertainment industry grants, according to the lawsuit.
HBO canceled “Luck,” starring Dustin Hoffman, in March 2012 after three horse deaths were reported during production. Casey claims a fourth horse, named Hometrader, was killed in summer 2011 but its demise wasn’t documented because it occurred during a hiatus in filming.
The final horse that died during the series’ production had been examined by a California Horse Racing Board veterinarian shortly before it suffered a head injury while being led by a groomer to a stable.
By that point, the humane association and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals had both been critical of the show’s safety record and praised its cancellation.
Casey’s lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
Romanian film director Sergiu Nicolaescu dies
By Alison Mutler
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Sergiu Nicolaescu, a prolific and popular Romanian director known for his historical epics who also served as a Senator, died Thursday. He was 82.
The Elias Hospital said Nicolaescu died from heart and lung complications following surgery for digestive problems.
Nicolaescu quit politics in December, having been Senator for the Social Democracy Party since 1992.
Nicolaescu made some 50 movies in his lifetime, and despite his career in politics, continued to direct films such as the “Orient Express” in 2004.
He was best known for historical films which found favor with the Communist regime before it collapsed in 1989. His 1979 movie “Mihai the Brave” is considered a cinematic classic in Romania.
“A star of Romania has been extinguished,” said Prime Minister Victor Ponta.
Nicolaescu was also an actor, and had several leading roles during his career, notably playing King Carol I in “Carol I,” a movie he also directed that was released in 2010.
Nicolaescu is survived by his widow Dana, who said in a statement that journalists were barred from taking photos or filming his funeral on Saturday.
Crew labor expert Carl Zucker Joins The TEAM Companies
NEW YORK–The TEAM Companies have added payroll veteran Carl Zucker to their ranks. As VP of production business affairs for the flagship company, TEAM, Zucker will be instrumental in growing TEAM’s expanding Production division spanning the advertising and entertainment industries.
“The two things that attract me most to TEAM are that they’re in so many areas of the industry and that there are such knowledgeable people here. Also, I’ve known a lot of these folks for a long time, so it will be nice to be working with friends,” said Zucker, who, in addition to his new role, will maintain his seat on AICP’s National Board of Directors and continue to be active with AICP’s East chapter and the New York Production Alliance.
TEAM’s Production division provides payroll management for crews of live action and print projects as well as for visual effects artists, animators, video game designers, editorial, staff and freelance personnel. In addition to Production, TEAM has divisions that provide payroll management for Talent, Music, and concert Tours and Live Events. Rounding out The Team Companies are TPS (Talent Payment Services) in Toronto, which provides payroll and business affairs services covering talent and concert tours. And New York based Talent Solutions, the business affairs arm of the organization, offers talent business affairs, signatory services, rights management and music licensing among other services that support the business of production.
The TEAM Companies are headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Detroit, Toronto and New York with key personnel and subject matter experts in Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas and St. Petersburg, Florida.
Los Angeles photog killed shooting Bieber’s car
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Bieber says his thoughts and prayers are with the family of a paparazzo who was fatally struck by a car after taking pictures of the singer’s Ferrari sports car in Los Angeles.
In a statement released Wednesday by Island Def Jam Music Group, Bieber says he hopes the tragedy will inspire legislation to protect the lives of celebrities, police, bystanders and photographers themselves.
Police Officer James Stoughton says the photographer died Tuesday evening at a hospital. Stoughton says Bieber was not in the Ferrari at the time.
Sgt. Rudy Lopez told the Los Angeles Times that the pop star’s friend was driving the car when it was pulled over for a traffic stop.
Police say the paparazzo was struck by another motorist while returning to his own car.
Jon Stewart to host Grammy’s MusiCares tributeLOS ANGELES (AP) — Jon Stewart is hosting the MusiCares salute to Bruce Springsteen.
The Recording Academy also announced Wednesday that Elton John, Neil Young, Mumford & Sons, Sting, Mavis Staples and Kenny Chesney will be among more than a dozen performers who will help pay tribute to Springsteen during the Feb. 8 benefit concert, held in Los Angeles two days before the Grammy Awards.
Springsteen is MusiCare’s person of the year, an award given to a performer who is notable both artistically and philanthropically. The sold-out concert will benefit MusiCare’s emergency financial assistance and addiction recovery programs.
Other performers scheduled to appear include Juanes, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Jackson Browne and Alabama Shakes.
Stewart is the host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.”
Theater shooting relatives reject movie invitationBy Dan Elliott
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — Relatives of the majority of people killed in a Colorado movie theater are rejecting an invitation to attend its reopening, calling it a “disgusting offer.”
The parents, grandparents, cousins and widow of nine of the 12 people killed released a letter Wednesday sent to the theater’s owner, Cinemark. The Plano, Texas-based company has been renovating the Aurora theater and plans to re-open it Jan. 17.
The company had no immediate comment.
The families said they were invited to an “evening of remembrance” followed by a movie. They said the company’s timing was “awful” in sending the invitations two days after Christmas.
Low-cost Chinese film sets new recordBEIJING (AP) — A low-budget, domestically produced comedy has unexpectedly become the highest-grossing Chinese film to date.
Chinese state media say the wacky road movie “Lost in Thailand” has grossed more than 1 billion yuan ($160 million) since its Dec. 12 debut. The official Xinhua News Agency, citing an independent monitor of box office figures, said Wednesday that it also beat James Cameron’s “Titanic” in 3-D, the most popular foreign film in 2012, in Chinese theaters.
Set in Thailand, the film tells the story of two businessmen who go searching for their boss in the north, and then link up with a tourist eager to explore the country. It is filled with slapstick humor and action scenes.
The previous record for a domestic film was 726 million yuan set by “Painted Skin 2.”
Concern over Oscar voting extends deadlineBy Derrik J. Lang, Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Growing concern that problems with the new electronic Oscar voting system could lead to record-low turnout has prompted the motion picture academy to extend the deadline for members to vote for Oscar nominations.
But with next week’s highly anticipated announcements looming, the extension is only for a day, until Friday. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Monday any votes received after the new deadline will not be counted.
“By extending the voting deadline we are providing every opportunity available to make the transition to online balloting as smooth as possible,” said the academy’s chief operating officer, Ric Robertson, in a statement. “We’re grateful to our global membership for joining us in this process.”
Reports of difficulty accessing the Oscars’ first-ever online voting system and fears that it could be hacked have raised questions about balloting for the 85th annual contest. Earlier this year, the academy and its longtime accountants, PricewaterhouseCoopers, partnered with the electronic voting firm Everyone Counts Inc. to develop the system.
“There’s considerable concern from many members that voter participation will be at record lows this year because the people who wanted to take a chance on this new cutting-edge system are either giving up on it or worried they won’t be able to cast their votes,” said Scott Feinberg, awards analyst and blogger for The Hollywood Reporter.
In the past, Oscar voting has been compiled strictly through paper ballots sent through the mail. The new system allows members to choose between voting online or sticking with a traditional mail-in ballot.
Morgan Spurlock, the documentary filmmaker whose 2004 film “Super Size Me” was nominated for best documentary, posted on Twitter last week that he wasn’t able to log on to vote electronically and his ballot was instead mailed to him.
“The password they sent didn’t work for my log-in — and they couldn’t email me a new log-in, only snail mail,” tweeted the 42-year-old director.
The academy said it has made several voting resources available to members, including assisted voting stations in Los Angeles, New York and London, and a 24-hour support line.
A spokesman for Everyone Counts didn’t immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
Besides online voting, a retooled nomination period could also affect the competition.
Organizers moved up the unveiling of the Oscar nominations to Jan. 10. That change puts the announcement three days before Hollywood’s second-biggest awards ceremony, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Golden Globes, which are scheduled for Jan. 13.
Oscar overseers originally said the switcheroo would give the academy’s nearly 6,000 members more time to see nominated films before the Feb. 24 awards ceremony, but Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter noted that the change gave voters less time to see potential contenders during the first phase of voting, when members decide on nominees.
“If the turnout is lower among older members, more traditional Oscar contenders will probably receive fewer votes, and otherwise edgier films that appeal more to younger people could fare better,” said Feinberg. “Because of the way that best-picture voting works, it could increase the chances of a movie like ‘The Master’ or ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ getting in.”
Ultimately, because of the inherent secrecy involved in selecting Oscar winners, Feinberg said it will be impossible to know what effects — if any — this year’s voting changes have on the ceremony, where as many as 10 films could be vying for the best-picture award.
‘Rings’ trilogy sound editor Hopkins dies in NZ
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Oscar-winning sound editor Mike Hopkins, who worked on the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and other Peter Jackson films, has died in a rafting accident in New Zealand. He was 53.
Hopkins drowned on Sunday when his inflatable raft capsized during a flash flood in a river on New Zealand’s North Island, police senior Sgt. Carolyn Watson said. His wife survived.
The New Zealand Herald newspaper quoted “Rings” director Peter Jackson as saying many actors, directors and film crew members who were lucky enough to work with Hopkins would miss him deeply.
“Mike was a very genuine, caring and warm-hearted guy with a great sense of humor,” Jackson said.
A native New Zealander, Hopkins shared Oscars with sound editing partner Ethan Van der Ryn in 2006 for “King Kong” and in 2003 for “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.” They also were nominated for 2007’s “Transformers.”
Hopkins also was sound editor on the two other “Rings” films and had worked on earlier Jackson movies including “Heavenly Creatures” and “The Frighteners.”
The Herald reported a family celebration of Hopkins’ life was planned on Thursday.
A river contractor, Bruce Slater, and his son used a jet boat to rescue Hopkins’ wife. Nicci Hopkins had been in the Waiohine River two hours and was clinging to a ledge in a narrow part of the gorge too dangerous for bigger boats or a helicopter.
Watson called the Slaters heroic. Slater told Fairfax New Zealand the flash flood raised the river 2 to 3 meters (9.8 feet) while the rafters were in the water.
“If they’d been half an hour earlier, they would have been clear of the gorge,” he said. And a half hour later, the water levels would have been noticeably dangerous before the rafters launched, Slater said.
Tribune exits bankruptcy with new TV-focused boardCHICAGO (AP) — More than four years after crushing debt and plunging advertising sales forced it to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Tribune Co. has emerged with a new television-focused board and over $1 billion in new financing.
Led by such creative and technology heavyweights as Ross Levinsohn, the former interim CEO of Yahoo Inc., and Peter Murphy, former strategic officer of The Walt Disney Co., the board’s roster suggests a focus on the company’s TV assets rather than newspapers, which haven’t managed to turn around declines in readership and advertising. Peter Liguori, a former TV executive at Discovery Communications Inc. and News Corp.’s Fox, is expected to be named CEO in the next several weeks.
The exit closes a dark period for Tribune, which was founded in 1847 with a hand-cranked print run of 400 copies of the Chicago Tribune. It founded the WGN broadcasting brand with a radio station in 1924 and a TV station in 1948. The call letters stood for “World’s Greatest Newspaper.” Tribune first went public in 1983 valued at $206 million — one of the biggest IPOs of its day — and expanded over the years into a media giant through acquisitions of TV stations such as KTLA in Los Angeles and newspapers such as the Los Angeles Times, The Baltimore Sun and Newsday. It also owns a stake in the Food Network and online job site CareerBuilder.com.
In 2006, pressured by its long-sagging stock price and dissident shareholders, Tribune put itself on the block. Sam Zell, a Chicago real estate mogul who made his fortune in commercial real estate but had little experience with the media industry, took the company private in a leveraged buyout that valued Tribune at about $8.2 billion.
But the deal ballooned Tribune’s debt load from $5 billion to more than $13 billion just as the Great Recession hit. Advertising revenue plummeted across the industry, which was also struggling with steep declines in circulation as readers found free access to news, sports and entertainment online. Less than a year after Zell closed the deal, Tribune filed for Chapter 11 protection.
The company’s restructuring dragged on for years due to fraud allegations and dueling lawsuits between creditors. In the end, the parties agreed to a plan that included payouts of nearly $3 billion in cash to creditors and turned ownership over to senior lenders including Oaktree Capital Management, Angelo Gordon and Co., and JPMorgan Chase and Co.
The emerging Tribune is estimated to be worth about $4.5 billion, with television assets generating most of its value. Newspapers — seen as accounting for less than 15 percent of its value today — are expected to be sold off in a process that will likely see several bidders.
“Tribune is the poster child for the demise of the metropolitan newspaper,” said Ken Doctor, a newspaper industry analyst with Outsell Inc. “Tribune remains a media company but likely drops the part of media that gave it its name and its birth, which is its newspapers.”
Doctor says he expects that the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune could be sold for around $600 million to $700 million. Interested bidders include News Corp.’s Rupert Murdoch, Freedom Communications owner Aaron Kusher, who bought the Orange County Register this summer, and Carlos Slim, the Mexican billionaire who invested in The New York Times Co., Doctor said.
As part of the restructuring, Tribune closed on a new $1.1 billion senior secured term loan and a $300 million revolving credit line. The loan will fund payments required under the reorganization plan, and the credit line will pay for its ongoing operations.
CEO Eddy Hartenstein said Monday that Tribune “emerges from the bankruptcy process as a multimedia company with a great mix of profitable assets, strong brands in major markets and a much-improved capital structure.” He noted that the company’s restructuring ensures that Tribune’s subsidiary creditors and vendors receive payment “in full-100 percent recovery of what they are owed.”
Hartenstein will remain at the helm for the next several weeks until the new board meets to designate executive officers.
