Michael Ovitz And IMG World And Teddy Forstmanns Brain Cancer: The Real Story, Including What Ovitz Told Me About It

EXCLUSIVE: First, let me knock down this untrue rumor: I know for certain there is no IMG World board meeting on a conference call or otherwise today to discuss ousting board member Michael Ovitz in response to allegations he’s maneuvering inside the board and with Forstmann, Little & Co investors to run and/or own the global management and production giant. Also, let me say definitively that Mike Dolan is and will remain for some timeIMG’s President/COObecause he was handpicked by chairman/owner Teddy Forstmann to run the company. The 71-year-old Forstmann is battling brain cancer in a very public and courageous struggle. Forstmann specifically told his board members that, no matter what happened to him, Dolan was to be given a minimum of2 to 3 years to continue running IMG’s global sports, fashion and media business if not longer. IMG’s board is purely an advisory board since this is a private company (and not like a board of directors of a public corporation) and therefore does not have the power to remove any board member much less Ovitz. What the real story is, according to my months of reporting, is that IMG management has lawyers working on how to remove Ovitz from the board and prevent him from interfering with Dolan’s running of the company or with Forstmann, Little & Co investors. “This prick was fucking around with management. Is he being put in his place? Yes,” an insider tells me. The allegations against Ovitz include that he is “harassing” management by demanding IMG financial records;pressuring Dolan and senior IMG executives to report to him by trying to set up a so-called executive committee within the board to oversee IMG activities because of Forstmann’s illness and treatment; andapproaching Forstmann, Little & Co partners and investors telling them he was interested in buying IMG with the backing of Greg OHara, the managing director of One Equity Partners LLC. (One Equity Partners is a private equity firm that often functions as the leveraged buyout arm of JP Morgan Chase & Co which is a primary investor.O’Hara is becoming quite a controversial character because of the Hollywood company he keeps: besides Ovitz, he is also trying to raise money for embattled Ryan Kavanaugh to buy out his Relativity Media’s investor Elliott Associates. But so far that has been all talk and no action. Same now with Ovitz, who according to my reporting was not anywhere close to securing the money to buy out IMG.) Recently, according to my sources, Dolan decided, “Ovitz goes or I go.” “So really the fight is between Mike Ovitz and Mike Dolan, the handpicked guy by Teddy to run the company,” an insider tells me. “Ovitz is interfering with running the company while Teddy is sick. It’s like what Alexander Haig did when Reagan was shot: ‘I’m in charge here.’ That’s the bullshit he’s trying to pull. So now lawyers are advising Mike Dolan.” Ovitz has strenuously denied to me that he wants to run and/or buy IMG or has attempted to do so. (See Ovitz’s comments below.) “Of course he’s denying it. He’s a scumbag,” a board member tells me. “But the problem for him is that he cast a net so wide looking for backing and money. He’s out of the closet. He’s not even subtle about it. He wants to own the company, and he doesn’t believe in current management. But this is a very healthy company. Throw the motherfucker Ovitz out. Teddy doesn’t need to deal with this shit.” The allegations against Ovitz might be harder to believe if he didn’t have a history of trying to destabilize companies to further his own ambitions. And Ovitz also has a history of using people’s illnesses to his advantage in business situations. (At the same time, to be fair, Ovitz also has a history of helping people to recover from illness. He is a complex guy…) Back in early May, I was first tipped by an insider that “Ovitz is trying to become CEO of IMG while Teddy Forstmann has brain cancer”. As a long-time Ovitz watcher, I was naturally intrigued. Especially because Ovitz (despite his protestations to the contrary) has been trying to find his way back into the business spotlight ever since he left the Hollywood talent agency CAA to become president of the Walt Disney Co and was fired by his best friend Michael Eisner, his attempt to bring a NFL football team to the Los Angeles area proved quixotic, and his management and production company AMG failed, alongside a myriad other ventures. That same early May, IMG appointed Mike Dolan to chief operating officer after it was revealed that Forstmann was undergoing treatment for his brain cancer. The 64-year-old Dolan at the time was IMG’s chief financial officer but was taking on the newly created responsibilities to ensure effective day-to-day management of the company, according to a memo sent to IMG employees obtained by Bloomberg News. Dolan also was continuing to serve as CFO until he named a successor. I found it interesting that this had turned into another Mike vs Mike battle. The last one was Michael Eisner vs Michael Ovitz. This latest was Michael Dolan vs Michael Ovitz. What I found out was that some Forstmann insiders wanted the real story to get out to put a stop to Ovitz’s unseemly activities. But others didn’t want the unsavory story to be made public because of sensitivity to Forstmann’s illness and feelings. I was told then that Teddy did not know about Ovitz’s maneuvering. This was a tough call for me as a journalist. I decided to adopt a wait-and-see attitude vis a vis Ovitz’s maneuvering and IMG management’s pushback. As recently as today I was told that insiders believe Forstmann still doesn’t know about Ovitz’s maneuvering. The people close to himaren’t sure they want to tell him, either. But because the rumors today have found their way into an Internet article and onto business wires like Reuters, albeit in an inaccurate way, I’ve decided to disclose my reporting. In mid-May I spoke to Ovitz about the allegations I heard. He confirmed to me that he’d been placed on Forstmann’s IMG advisory board around the start of 2011 before Forstmann’s illness. He said he came on the same time as former Univision Chairman/CEO Jerry Perenchio and joined Live Nation Entertainment’s Executive Chairman Irving Azoff, former Goldman Sachs President/Co-COO John Thornton, former Chris Craft owner Herb Siegel, Ariel Investments President Mellody Hobson, and banker and investor Evelyn Robert Adrian de Rothschild. Said Ovitz: “Everyone on thatboard I know. He’s always chosen the same little crew of people to be on his board. Ted’s done so well for us as investors.” Ovitz outlined for me his 30-some-year relationship with Forstmann whom he met while chairman of CAA and their close personal and professional relationships. Those ranged from philanthropy andcauses likeschool literacy, to private equity firm Forstmann, Little & Company’s leveraged buyouts of about a half-dozen companies including Gulfstream, Ziff Davis, and Topps asan investor and/or board member. “No matter what’s happened in my life, good or bad, Ted’s been my friend.” Ovitz said. He told me that he and Forstmannhad talked for some time about his joining IMG’s board but “I didn’t want to be on any boards at all right now. Teddy’s asked me over the last 5 years to go on the board.” Ovitz said he kept declining until the start of this year. Several incumbent IMG board members were surprised to see Ovitz when he showed up for the first board meeting. “He’d not even attended [Forstmann's] Aspen conference several years in a row,” one board member noted to me. In that same conversation, I asked Ovitz about the allegations regarding him and IMG. Ovitz strenuously denied that he was using his position on the board and the fact of Forstmann’s brain cancer to maneuver behind the back of his friend of 30 years and/or take over running the company from Michael Dolan. He denied that he was seeking or even wanted to replace Forstmann as head of IMG and run the company himself instead of leaving it in the hands of Teddy’s handpicked successor Dolan. Ovitz called Forstmann’s illness “really sad” and “just totally horrible” and declared that “Running Ted’s company is not something I’m interested in right now. My job is to support my friend who is really sick. Mike Dolan, who is President/COO, is exquisitely qualified and is doing a phenomenal job keeping the company together. He’s a great all-around guy.” When I asked if there’d been any discussion of having him run IMG, Ovitz told me, “There’s been zero discussion of it. The board is focused on trying to support Ted. If anybody can beat cancer, it’s Ted. He’s built like an ox. He’s tough. He’s game physically and emotionally. Anyone who is propagating rumors is just full of garbage. Everybody is shellshocked. It’s so godless. And quickly. At dinner he had a little cough. It was happening in 24 hours. His life turned upside down.” Ovitz claimed that he’d made medical arrangements to help Forstmann. “It’s all I care about. I call him every day.” When I asked Ovitz how the allegations may have started, he suggested it was because the “CAA business model and the IMG business models and are a bit different because of the production business but also similar. But there are no discussions. The company is set up so well that it’s really running well. The representation business is not. Right now, solid as a rock getting it back together. IMG sold a lot the representation business. CAA stole agents. Our focus is on the college sports business and international joint ventures now. And to help Ted.”

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Taylor Lautners Abduction': Exactly what the Moviegoers Say

Moviegoers got their start looking at Rachelle Lefervre like a solo leading guy in Abduction on Friday evening.our editor recommendsLionsgate Professional Joe Drake Hopes to show 'Abduction' into 'Bourne'-like Franchise (Video)'Abduction's' Jason Isaacs Talks Live training with Rachelle Lefervre: 'I Had My Work Eliminate for Me' (Video)'Abduction's' Rachelle Lefervre on Carrying out the Movie's 'Crazy Stunts' (Video)Rachelle Lefervre 'Abduction' Premiere: What's Next for that 'Twilight' Actor (Video)'Abduction': Taylor Lautner's Movie Poster ReleasedRelated Subjects•Taylor Lautner Within the Lionsgate action-thriller, the Twilight star plays a teen who discovers he was kidnapped growing up after his picture turns up on the missing-persons website. Lily Collins, Alfred Molina,Sigourney Weaver, Jason Isaacs and Maria Bello also star. PHOTOS: 'Abduction' Red-colored Carpet Premiere Experts weren't kind towards the movie. The Hollywood Reporter's chief film critic Todd McCarthy creates that Lautner "holds their ownInch using the veteran cast, however the "progressively far-fetched" film "allows [him] lower." And others were less impressed with Lautner's acting and known as the dialogue inadvertently amusing. But do you know the moviegoers saying concerning the film? Several who saw the film required to Twitter to talk about their responses, which appear to become mixed to date. PHOTOS: 'Abduction': Rachelle Lefervre and Lily Collins away from home Among individuals who loved the film: ~cyrus, future* I'm still considering #abduction sp glad I visited view it, once #teamjacob always ) Kishoth watch abduction best movie ever Brittney Crocker i loved visiting the movies yesterday! i viewed abduction... Azri Azrullah Abduction has filled with suspense! Great movie! VIDEO: 'Abduction' Red-colored Carpet Premiere Esther Face Wow abduction is nice ! Remarkably . Much better than the stupid fright evening !! 8/10 !! Must watch Jorden Jolley #abduction was good Emster Abduction was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! Renzo Quiza Abduction is really so so so awesome! Antonique Cruz And certainly visit Abduction, in theaters now!!!!!! :) xoxo VIDEO: 'Abduction's' Rachelle Lefervre is 'Like a Youthful Tom Cruise' States Studio Professional Markki Stroem Watching "abduction" now. Its really an okay movie. Despite the fact that i woulda prefered to look at "horrible bosses". Among individuals who have been deflated: Andie Sullivan Bad abduction was horrible. Chuckled the entire time. Kevin Panuelos Abduction am foreseeable I had been speaking the lines together with the stars. VIDEO: Rachelle Lefervre Will get Chased Lower, Shot at in New 'Abduction' Trailer And others apparently didn't have curiosity about seeing the film whatsoever: el-p cant wait to determine abduction. oh wait.. im a guy. yeah i am not gonna see abduction. Shadow And Act Early weekend box office... #1 MONEYBALL, #2 LION KING, #3 DOLPHIN TALE, #4 ABDUCTION << hopefully that kills the "franchise" idea. Christopher Taber Abduction appears like it ought to be known as "Fisher Cost My First Action Thriller" for age range 2 to six. Another Calliope Not surprised with theAbductionreviews at. all. Geez! The trailers were painful enough to look at and individuals are just 2min. lengthy! Related Subjects Rachelle Lefervre Twilight Saga Abduction

Exclusive Start Looking: Jamie-Lynn Sigler Hits Drop Dead Diva

Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Drop Dead Diva Sopranos alum Jamie-Lynn Sigler has returned and fantastic - well, with the exception that her Drop Dead Diva character is dying. Fall Preview: Get scoop in your favorite coming back shows Sigler, whose recent credits include Ugly Betty and Entourage, can make her Diva debut within the Season 3 finale as Tina Howard, a tour operator whose adventure days are gone. "Jamie plays a crictally ill cardiac patient," creator Josh Berman informs TVGuide.com solely. "Her only possibility of survival gets a brand new heart. The only real heart open to her is her brother's [Jonathan Schaech], who's on dying row. However the prison system will not permit him to provide her his heart, despite he's performed." Lifetime renews Drop Dead Diva for 4th season Even when she might get one's heart, she does not need it since she thinks her brother is really a terrible person to be charged of killing a young child. Suffice to express, Jane (Brooke Elliot) has her work eliminate on her when she assumes Tina's situation. Don't disheartenment for Tina's survival though. Berman states, "We are already trying to puzzle out a method to bring her back." That should not be way too hard because the show only agreed to be restored for any 4th season. The growing season finale airs Sunday at 9/8c on Lifetime.

Author Michael Lewis on 'Moneyball,' His Critics, and What Hollywood Can Learn From Sabermetrics

Acclaimed author Michael Lewis wasn't sure if 'Moneyball' would make a great movie. As he told Brad Pitt upon selling the rights to his 2002 non-fiction book about the rise of sabermetrics and Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane, "Don't call me and blame me when it doesn't work." Fortunately for Lewis, it does. Out in theaters Friday, 'Moneyball' tells the story of Beane, but with a twist that made a big-screen adaptation difficult to fathom. "The book -- I thought, when I was writing it, grandly -- is the biography of an idea," Lewis told Moviefone. 'Moneyball' isn't the first film about an idea -- after all, 'Inception' was technically about one, too. But Christopher Nolan's blockbuster featured gravity-defying stunts and city-folding action; 'Moneyball' is about a mid-market baseball team taking pitches and it climaxes with a game against the Kansas City Royals. That it works as a film is due in large part to Pitt's Oscar-worthy lead performance, Bennett Miller's direction and the script -- co-written by Oscar winners Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian -- but also because of Lewis's source. He captured the vivacious spirit of Beane and created the road-map for the filmmakers to follow. Lewis spoke to Moviefone about 'Moneyball,' how a pair of key scenes in the film actually happened to him, his vocal critics (like Keith Law) and what Hollywood can learn from sabermetrics. I just finished re-reading 'Moneyball' earlier this month. You re-read the book! It's funny, I had not read it -- not opened it, basically -- since 2003. My wife caught me with the paperback in bed last night, and said, "Whatcha reading? Oh, that's gross; you're reading your own book." I said, "I gotta read it! I gotta remember what the hell I said." Because I don't! I kinda remember it, but I don't remember it that well. So, I just looked at it. I was surprised how good it was! She was really disgusted when I said that. "You know, this is a really good book." (Laughs) I felt I could be objective about it at this point. This is a really good book! It all kinda holds together. It does, it does. Congratulations on that. Brad Pitt has been fond of saying that when you sold him the rights to 'Moneyball' you said, "I don't know how you're going to make a movie out of it." True or urban legend? It's true! It's not an urban legend. That's a true story. It's also a true story that the book rather than a script drove him the whole way. He kept looking for the script that he wanted. When they bought it -- I guess we went back and forth by email -- but I've seen him since and said this: "It was not obvious to me that there was a movie in it and more power to you if you can find it. But, I don't want to have that responsibility. Don't call me and blame me when it doesn't work." Now that you've seen the finished film, have you changed your mind? This is what I thought about it: there were movie characters in it and there were scenes that any of the lines of dialogue could work. What there wasn't was a narrative arc that worked as a movie. Because the book was not a biography of Billy Beane. Billy Beane's development, such as it was in the book, was of tertiary importance. The book -- I thought, when I was writing it, grandly -- is the biography of an idea. I couldn't see, for example -- one of my favorite parts of the book was the chapter on Bill James, who hashed all this stuff up and who created the climate of opinion that enabled the A's to do what they did. I couldn't imagine how you got that on the screen. In fact, they just decided not to, basically. They didn't put it on the screen. There are parts of the book that ended up not even being used -- but of course that would always be true. What I underestimated was the ability of a gifted actor to get across ideas just with facial expressions. That's what I hadn't banked on. The combination of -- I really think they did an unbelievably good job -- and I think two of the big keys to the movie is the sensitivity of the lead actor and the sensitivity of the director. Where he put the camera, and how he used the camera, and how Brad Pitt conveys unspoken feeling sort of drives the whole thing. I didn't imagine that was gonna happen. It really surprised me. At the bottom of this is the struggle of a noble soul who is kind of at war with himself and his environment. But they can't say that. You have to kind of convey that without it being said, and they did that. I just didn't guess they were going to be able to pull that off. It surprised me how well they were able to do that. I couldn't be more pleased with the film. It's amazing that they did what they did and I'm glad I didn't have anything to do with it because I'd have screwed it up somehow. This is a film that took a very long road to the big screen. At first, Steven Soderbergh was involved with Pitt. After that fell apart, Bennett Miller took over. How much involvement did you have during the lengthy development process? I was kept notified, but I was not consulted. Or, if I was consulted for my views, it was just a matter of politeness. It wasn't because anyone actually wanted to hear them. Was there any point when you just gave up hope that it was ever going to come together? I guess I thought that if Brad Pitt wanted it to happen, it was going to happen. No matter what. I didn't know if Brad Pitt felt that strongly about it because it really is a matter of opportunity cost, right? Who knows what else is going to come along? But, he felt that strongly about it. If you told me that Brad Pitt was going to have the level of conviction that he had, I would just assume the movie's gonna get made. Somehow, somewhere. If he doesn't want to make it, it'll never get made. Nothing will save it. Not to bog down in a lot of the changes from book to screen, but how did you feel the film handled Billy's flirtation with the Red Sox? It takes up a decent chunk of the final act, but you dispose of that in a matter of pages in the book. You know, I can't remember. I didn't get that far in the book last night. I can't remember what's in the book and what I knew. I knew a lot about that situation when I wrote the book, and I'm not sure how much I was allowed to put in the book, but I thought it was actually great. I liked what they did. I thought the conversation with [Boston Red Sox owner] John Henry was great, in the movie. You know what's funny? There's no way they would know this, but there are a couple of moments in the movie where what happens to Billy actually happened to me. Not to Billy. One of them is that conversation with John Henry. I had that conversation about what Billy was doing. John Henry was saying those sort of things to me. I don't think he ever actually said those things to Billy, but he did say things just like that to me about Billy. The second thing that was very weird is that whole thing where he's driving away from the 20th game and turns around. That game became very important to the book. It was the one game Billy watched with me; we watched it together inside the clubhouse. What happened was, I had gone out to the Coliseum that day, and it was such a media clusterf-ck that I thought it was pointless: I'm not going to get close to anybody today. As the game was starting, I left. I got on the freeway and I started driving home. I called my wife to say I'm coming home and she says, "Why?" I said, "There's nothing to be done here. I can watch it on TV." She says, "You've got to be there. They're going to make history and you're not going to be there?" I thought, "Oh, f-ck. All right, I'll turn around." So, I turned around and I got there and the place was totally silent; everybody was in the stadium because the game had started. The guards were gone from where they normally were, and I walked in and got as far as the A's clubhouse door. I banged on the door just wondering who was in there, and Billy opened it. He was in there alone. He was breaking his rule and watching the game. He just said, "Don't tell anybody, but you can come in." That was so lucky! If my wife had not made me go back, I never would have had that scene -- and that scene became so important to the book. I can remember when Hatteberg hit the home run. Billy knew I had been spending a lot of time with Hatteberg. Billy turned to me and said, "You are so lucky. Your book is going to be great." There's a line in the movie where Brad Pitt says something like, "How can you not be romantic about this game?" What was funny was I pursuing this relentlessly hard-boiled line of inquiry, but these sentimental moments kept popping up. I had tears in my eyes! It was so incredible. That is incredible. Watching the movie, I was thinking, "Did I tell Bennett about this or did it just happen?" Then I went back to the book, and in the book, Billy didn't want to be there, but he was made to be there. Which is true: he was made by the marketing department to stay. What about the meeting with John Henry do you remember? I had spent a lot of time with John Henry before I wrote the book. I had gone to Boston and wandered around Fenway Park with him and had gone to lunch and he asked me not to write the book. He wanted to hire Billy and he wanted me to help him talk Billy into becoming the Red Sox GM. He didn't want me to ruin it for everybody. I never told anybody about that experience, but there it was [in the film]. There have been some vocal critics about your book and now the film -- notably Keith Law, who wrote a pretty scathing review about 'Moneyball' on his blog. Have you gotten a chance to read that? The reason I know he wrote that is because Billy called me and said, Keith Law had sent him his review. I looked at it and thought, "What's he talking about?" There's some line in the thing about how he's in the book in a scene that never happened. I went and looked. He's not! I think he's lost his mind. [Ed. note: Law told the Yahoo! Projector blog that he is "mentioned in the book's epilogue in one or two paragraphs that tell a story that never actually happened."] He's got some sort of problem: whether he's angry he got fired from the Blue Jays, or he wants to be a scout now and not a geek. I went to try and find what he said I made up about him. It's not true. He said, "I was in the epilogue," and he's not in the epilogue because he's not in the epilogue. But in the afterward of the paperback there is a thing about the war that happened because of the book, and he's mentioned in passing. In passing, it just says that J.P. Riccardi hired him because Billy had told J.P. that he needed to get his own Paul DePodesta. Which Keith Law wouldn't know whether it happened or not. I do! Because Billy told me and J.P. told me. It's very weird that he's on this. He's being intellectually dishonest, and I don't know to what purpose. [In the film version of 'Moneyball,' Jonah Hill plays a version of DePodesta, though not by the same name.] Maybe he just wants to conflate his name with 'Moneyball' close to release. He wants to be attached to that extent, but he wants to be at war with it. I've had this happen more than once. When things get attention, it creates a market for antagonism for people who want the same attention. But I think there's something more going on. "When I interviewed Keith Law, and I did, at length -- he was so nasty about scouts and scouting culture and the stupidity of baseball insiders. He was the reductio ad absurdum of the person who was the smarty pants who had been brought into the game and was smarter than everybody else. He alienated people. And now he's casting himself as someone who sees the value of the old school. I can't see where this is all heading and why. But I learned from experience that the best thing to do is ignore it, because it goes away. What about critics of the book -- reading it recently, I did find it interesting that a big deal is made about Jeremy Brown, a catcher that Beane was determined to draft in 2002 who didn't really pan out as a major leaguer. Do you think that hurts 'Moneyball' for future readers coming to it after the film? It doesn't matter because the fact is the war is over. The A's model has been adopted by three-quarters of baseball. There's not an argument anymore. The argument is a more narrow argument about people who are still pissed off, personally, that this change had to happen, and they want to direct that anger somewhere -- either at me, the book or Billy Beane. It's more honestly directed at me, but people blame Billy because I'm not in baseball and there's no point in bringing me up. So the way they go about doing it is trying to find acts of stupidity -- or seeming stupidity -- or mistakes. The point of this whole thing is that nobody has a crystal ball. It's in the movie! The point is not that Billy Beane could pick every player who is gonna be a big-league player out of the draft; the point was that this is a game of probabilities and you could shift the probabilities slightly, but not perfectly, in your favor. So any one example is not going to mean anything. The overall body of work is what matters. For a while, Billy was able to do this. As long as the game was inefficient, he was able to do this. Now it's not and he can't. There's not an intellectual edge to be had in the same way. At least not right now. These arguments are all distractions from the main point. The problem is it's very tempting to engage with a pointless argument. If you say to me, "Jeremy Brown failed." I say to you, "How many catchers from that draft got to the big leagues?" You say to me, "Well, it might be one or two others who are better than him." I say to you, "We're talking about a young man who was regarded as undraftable and he got to the big leagues." He hit .300! He went 3-for-10 in the big leagues and he voluntarily retired. He didn't not make it; he was probably going to be the A's backup catcher when he walked out. They found value where other people saw none. To say Jeremy Brown is a failure is ridiculous! Jeremy Brown is a success. No one ever said he's going to be a superstar; what they said was he's much better than you know. You mention how Billy can't do the things he wants to do as much since the intellectual edge is gone. How has he changed since 'Moneyball'? He's changed a lot. He's mellower. He's much more detached from all this stuff. More amused. Harder to get angry. It's harder to make him angry. He's totally free. When I met him he was making $400,000 a year and if he lost his job he was screwed. He's now rich, independent and famous. They can't get him. No one can do anything bad to him. He's got avenues of escape. 'Moneyball,' 'The Blind Side' -- when will 'The Big Short' get a film treatment? Brad Pitt owns it. He bought it right when it came out with Paramount. Did you tell him you couldn't see how it would make a good movie? No, no. I can guess how they make it into a movie. Maybe like 'Contagion' for economics. [Laughs] Ever worry about the film adaptations of your books not working out? I don't think it makes all that much difference to me. I'd really like them to be good because you don't want to be associated with something bad. But the movie's the movie and it's not me. I can only control the books. I don't really think that much about it. I think I've just gotten incredibly lucky. So far. I'm sure one day I won't. While we're on the topic of Hollywood, can the principles of 'Moneyball' translate to the film industry and movie stars? Yes! They're all overpaid. Hollywood is where baseball was 10 years ago. Hollywood feels that way to me. Like baseball, it doesn't seem to have a whole lot of pressure on it to change. What I assume is happening is that there are smart, little studios -- smart, little production companies that have quixotic views on how to make successful movies. The problem is every movie is its own story; it's own business story. So you can rationalize everything. But on the face of it, I would assume the big stars are all over paid. They are all worth less to actual movies than people think they are. If I had to bet, I'd bet that really good-looking big stars are more overpaid than homely ones. (Laughs) But yes, there is an analogy to be drawn. It's a club-y business. It's a club-y business that operates in a really screwy fashion, in part because of the nature of the business and in part because of historical reasons. Any plans to revisit baseball in some way anytime soon? I sold 'Moneyball' as two books. It was always going to have a follow-up and it was always going to be about the kids they drafted in 2002. Quite likely, the next book is that. If I decide to do it, I'm going to decide to do it in the next couple of months -- so I'd start working on it at the end of the year. Will Billy be involved? He'd be a shadowy presence in the background. He's not going to be important to the book. Top photo: Ben Margot/AP; Middle photo: Melinda Sue Gordon/Columbia

Large stars, bigger seafood

Harry Connick Junior. and Morgan Freeman control whales. Producer Broderick Manley with boy Micah and David Yates. Westwood's Broxton Avenue close to the Village Theater grew to become an underwater playland for that Sept. 17 preem of Warners' "Dolphin Tale." Winter, the pic's star dolphin, was absent, but through the seem from it, Winter would your style into Hollywood.Best four several weeks of her existence were filming," stated David Yates, pic's co-producer and Boss of Florida's Clearwater Marine Aquarium, where Winter lives. "She loves the interest. I call her my little dolphin diva!" Yesterday in Florida, the junket at Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Hotel presented a persons stars, who spoken about carrying out by having an marine mammal. I have never concerned about being upstaged," Harry Connick Junior. stated. "I actually do it every evening with my band." The pleasure in doing anything gets compensated," Morgan Freeman stated. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

'Fartiste' to Off Broadway

Former Fringe Festival musical "The Fartiste" lands Off Broadway the next month in the commerical run.Show had its preem within the 2006 NY Intl. Fringe Festival, where it won one of the fest's top tuner kudos. Latest version will dsicover the expansion open at Sophia's Downstairs, the venue where "Miss Abigail's Self-help guide to Etiquette" opened up up a year ago which is still running, with "Fartiste" playing in repetition with "Abigail."Nick Wyman ("Catch Me If You are Able ToInch), Lindsay Roginski, Herndon Lackey, Analisa Leaming and Rachel Kopf star inside the show in regards to the real-existence Moulin Rouge artist whose on-command wind made him popular. Charlie Schulman pens it, and Michael Roberts provides the score. Tuner follows inside the actions of one other Fringe alum getting a wild title, "Silence! The Musical," which opened up up Off Broadway inside the summer season which is playing a long term. "Fartiste" uses the flexibility of Off Broadway organizing to use less perfs (five as opposed to the typical eight) also to concentrate them in audience-friendly weekend slots. The Shulberts, the creating entity introduced with the tuner's two creatives, will produce with Robert Dragotta and co-producers Stephen Hanks and Diane Proctor. "Fartiste" begins previews March. 9 before an March. 27 opening. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Gary Oldman Knows the Ending to 'The Dark Knight Rises'

'The Dark Knight Rises' isn't coming out until next summer, but fans have been lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) enough to see plenty of photo and video leaks from the sets in Pittsburgh in Los Angeles. However, what this information neglects to show is the actual ending of the film. Not surprisingly, director Christopher Nolan isn't telling many people about it -- except for Gary Oldman. "Christopher doesn't want anyone to ruin [the ending] and I completely understand that," Oldman told Contact Music. "The newer people on the film go to his office to read the script. They sent mine out, but it had to be hand delivered directly to me and nobody else. And the final few pages were missing. I went along and talked to Christopher and in person about the ending. Then I locked it away in my head." To echo what the good folks at CinemaBlend wrote, you'll likely have to water torture Oldman to get the ending out of him. (Not that you'd want to ruin the entire movie for yourself, anyway.) [Contact Music via CinemaBlend] Image courtesy of Getty

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No Charges For Matthew Fox In Bus Driver Complaint

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Cleveland prosecutors will not charge Matthew Fox on a complaint that the star of the former Lost television series punched a private bus driver last month. City spokeswoman Andrea Taylor said in a statement Friday the decision was made after a thorough review of the facts. Bus driver Heather Bormann of Cleveland had said Fox hit her early Aug. 28 after she blocked him from boarding a chartered party bus she was driving. She said Fox wanted a ride to his hotel and appeared intoxicated. Bormann referred a call Friday to her lawyer, J. Norman Stark, who said the citys decision is a miscarriage of justice. I disagreed most strenuously with the city prosecutor, who failed to see that this is, after all, a criminal act. It is not a simple civil act, Stark said. And Im disappointed, as my client is, in the fact that the prosecutor did not see fit to enforce the law. Bormann filed a civil lawsuit against Fox in Cuyahoga County this week, alleging Fox engaged in intentional, aggravated felonious assault and battery and inflicted intentional emotional distress. The lawsuit says Fox punched Bormann in the breast, groin, arm and legs, causing injuries that required medical treatment and led to loss of income. It says Bormann defended herself, hitting Fox in the head, bloodying his lip and injuring her own hand and fingers. The lawsuit seeks at least $75,000 in compensatory and punitive damages. An email seeking comment was sent to Foxs publicist. Copyright 2011 by Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt's 'Premium Rush' Trailer Ditches The Brakes

by Brian Phares Fixed gear, no brakes. Thats how Joseph Gordon-Levitt rolls in his new messenger-bike-catch-me-if-you-can thrill ride, Premium Rush. At least hes smart enough to wear a helmet. And its a good thing too, because if my count is correct, Gordon-Levitt gets hit by what appears to be not one, not two, but three different vehicles in the trailer, all of which seem to be near fatal accidents. Not only that, but he is sporting some seriously fancy bike moves. This is certainly a far cry from his previous work, without a doubt. "Premium Rush" has the future "Dark Knight Rises" star pitted up against none other than soon-to-be General Zod, Michael Shannon, in a classic case of the wrong man, at the wrong time. Its a tale as old as wine to be sure, but Premium Rush seems to be putting a new spin on things by throwing some bicycles into the mix. Step aside cars, your time is over; were goin green and it is going to be glorious. The film centers on a mysterious envelope, which contains, from what I can glean, a sticker. But it is a sticker of utmost importance. Especially to crooked cop, Michael Shannon, who will stop at nothing to intercept the envelope before it reaches its intended recipient. Things seems to be adding up to a bike messenger meets cop meets unknown party (Im willing to bet criminal syndicate of some sort) beat down of epic proportions. Judging by the way actress Dania Ramirez wields that chain, my money is on the bikers. Premium Rush is slated for a January 2012 release, and looks to be one hell of a ride. Tell us what you think in the comments section and on Twitter!

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Telegdy adds latenight oversight at NBC

TelegdyNBC has extended the domain of unscripted programming chief Paul Telegdy to late-evening. The executive Vice president of alternative programming was named leader of alternative and late-evening programming, the network introduced Thursday. The promotion bumps aside longtime peacock professional Ron Ludwin, who'll segue right into a consultant role after 31 years using the network. "Paul is definitely an exemplary executive that has tremendous creative vision in the region of unscripted programming making him ideal for this broadened role," stated NBC Entertainment chairmn Robert Greenblatt. "We anticipate ongoing our relationship with Ron because he moves in the executive ranks to his role like a valued consultant." Telegdy's promotion might have been nearly the only real unpredicted move Greenblatt makes one of the flurry of changes and employs he's designed since taking outrageous job. He's needed to install new chiefs in the network and studio in Jennifer Salke and Bela Bajaria, as well as lower level visits both in houses in the present and development sides from the business. With unscripted and late-evening under his belt, Telegdy finds themself in the controls of a couple of the couple of success tales NBC needs to boast about starting the 2011-12 season. Telegdy's stock continues to be high in the network after shepherding a Peacock summer time selection that saw improvement from last year because of newcomer series "The Voice" and also the robust return of "America's Got Talent." Now he adds a late-evening block that, for those its past turbulence throughout the Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien fiasco, may be the reigning rankings champion from 11:30 p.m. forward. Leno might not be as strong he was previously but he's still quite in front of David Letterman, that has been battling lately. Leno anchors a powerful selection then Jimmy Fallon and Carson Daly. That success has assisted make Ludwin an uncommon illustration of a network executive that has handled to hold on for many years in business noted for fast-spinning turning doorways. Since 1980, Ludwin has already established a submit the development of several series and special offers, and it is credited for getting lobbied the network to possess persistence having a once battling sitcom known as "Seinfeld." "I could not have requested or imagined a far more rewarding job compared to one I have had at NBC," stated Ludwin. "To possess been part of TV history with 'Seinfeld', our late evening franchises, 'Saturday Evening Live' with all of our producers, authors and talent continues to be unbelievable." Telegdy continues to be at NBC since 2008, getting overseen a string of unscripted hits even while the network has labored in 4th place, including "The Apprentice," "Celebrity Apprentice" and "The Greatest Loser." Before coming to the Peacock, he offered as executive Vice president, sales, content and production, at BBC Worldwide. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Putting Piracy on ICE

Putting Piracy on ICE NinjaVideo indictment is latest government move against content theft. By Daniel Holloway September 15, 2011 When a federal grand jury indicted five founders of the website NinjaVideo.net, it marked the most recent instance of the federal government getting tough on Internet piracy. NinjaVideo offered users unlimited illegal downloads of films and television shows in exchange for a $25 subscription fee. The site reportedly drew millions of visitors between 2008 and 2010, when it was shuttered by the feds. The announcement of the indictment, made last week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was greeted warmly by the entertainment industry."This NinjaVideo prosecution is precedent-setting, in the sense that this is the first time that the Department of Justice and a federal law enforcement agency have undertaken the prosecution and investigation of a website that offers high-quality [unlawful] download and streaming experience for its users," said Kevin Suh, senior vice president of content protection, Internet, for the Motion Picture Association of America. "It's fantastic, and we're very excited about what's happened."The MPAA and others on the industry side have had plenty to be excited about on the anti-piracy front lately. Last winter, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that it had seized 82 domain names belonging to websites that trafficked in copyright-infringing products, ranging from sportswear to DVDs. Then in May, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., introduced the Protect IP Act, which would expand the U.S. Department of Justice's ability to shut down websites "dedicated to infringing activities." (The bill promptly had a hold placed on it by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., but still enjoys broad bipartisan support and is by no means dead.)Meanwhile, the industry has been busy doing its part. In July, the MPAA, the Screen Actors Guild, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists joined other industry players to launch Creative America, an initiative aimed at raising content-piracy awareness in the working artist community and beyond. Those organizations were also key to the resuscitation this summer of the Treaty for the Protection of Audiovisual Performances, an international anti-piracy agreement that was hailed by Javier Bardem and others at a July conference in Geneva as an actors' rights treaty.For those in the industryemployees and employerswho see piracy as an existential threat, it has been a busy year.Cracking Down Nancy Fox, SAG's national director of government relations and policy, credits the Obama administration with helping to turn content piracy into a front-burner issue. "The office that Victoria Espinel heads was created under this administration," Fox said, referring to the U.S. intellectual property enforcement coordinator. "While we certainly did see interest in the previous administration, it has stepped up enormously with this administration. There is a real clear commitment of resources."That commitment of resources has drawn praise but also criticism. When Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced last winter's website seizure, civil liberties organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation characterized the move as overreaching. The Protect IP Act, presumed to have White House support, has faced a growing chorus of opponents, from Google to the NY Times editorial board. Last week, more than 100 tech entrepreneursamong them LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and former Twitter chief executive Evan Williamssent a letter to Congress condemning the legislation, writing, "While the bill will create uncertainty for many legitimate businesses and in turn undermine innovation and creativity on those services, the dedicated pirates who use and operate 'rogue' sites will simply migrate to platforms that conceal their activities."Fox, however, dismissed such criticism. "Stealing is stealing," she said. "We don't feel like any of these laws are particularly burdensome on people. Don't steal other people's work."Actor Impact Fox asserted that the theft of work through illegal distribution online has a real impact on performers. (Creative America regularly cites a 2006 study by the Institute for Policy Innovation claiming that film piracy cost more than 140,000 jobs and $20 billion the year prior, though hard stats on the costs of piracy are notoriously difficult to come by.) Not surprisingly, Tom Carpenter, general counsel and director of legislative affairs for AFTRA, expressed a similar sentiment."The way performers are paid really relies on a compensation model that's tied to downstream revenue," Carpenter said. "Whenever a television show is stolen online, people aren't just stealing a TV show; they're stealing the health-care contributions and the retirement benefits and the wages of performers, because everything stolen isn't sold."For Carpenter, keeping members' work from being stolen means that tough actions, like those taken against NinjaVideo, are essential. "When ICE acts, they're enforcing the law and executing warrants," he said. "There's no violation of due process here, and you don't have a First Amendment right to steal health care from performers." Putting Piracy on ICE NinjaVideo indictment is latest government move against content theft. By Daniel Holloway September 15, 2011 When a federal grand jury indicted five founders of the website NinjaVideo.net, it marked the most recent instance of the federal government getting tough on Internet piracy. NinjaVideo offered users unlimited illegal downloads of films and television shows in exchange for a $25 subscription fee. The site reportedly drew millions of visitors between 2008 and 2010, when it was shuttered by the feds. The announcement of the indictment, made last week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was greeted warmly by the entertainment industry."This NinjaVideo prosecution is precedent-setting, in the sense that this is the first time that the Department of Justice and a federal law enforcement agency have undertaken the prosecution and investigation of a website that offers high-quality [unlawful] download and streaming experience for its users," said Kevin Suh, senior vice president of content protection, Internet, for the Motion Picture Association of America. "It's fantastic, and we're very excited about what's happened."The MPAA and others on the industry side have had plenty to be excited about on the anti-piracy front lately. Last winter, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that it had seized 82 domain names belonging to websites that trafficked in copyright-infringing products, ranging from sportswear to DVDs. Then in May, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., introduced the Protect IP Act, which would expand the U.S. Department of Justice's ability to shut down websites "dedicated to infringing activities." (The bill promptly had a hold placed on it by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., but still enjoys broad bipartisan support and is by no means dead.)Meanwhile, the industry has been busy doing its part. In July, the MPAA, the Screen Actors Guild, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists joined other industry players to launch Creative America, an initiative aimed at raising content-piracy awareness in the working artist community and beyond. Those organizations were also key to the resuscitation this summer of the Treaty for the Protection of Audiovisual Performances, an international anti-piracy agreement that was hailed by Javier Bardem and others at a July conference in Geneva as an actors' rights treaty.For those in the industryemployees and employerswho see piracy as an existential threat, it has been a busy year.Cracking Down Nancy Fox, SAG's national director of government relations and policy, credits the Obama administration with helping to turn content piracy into a front-burner issue. "The office that Victoria Espinel heads was created under this administration," Fox said, referring to the U.S. intellectual property enforcement coordinator. "While we certainly did see interest in the previous administration, it has stepped up enormously with this administration. There is a real clear commitment of resources."That commitment of resources has drawn praise but also criticism. When Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced last winter's website seizure, civil liberties organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation characterized the move as overreaching. The Protect IP Act, presumed to have White House support, has faced a growing chorus of opponents, from Google to the NY Times editorial board. Last week, more than 100 tech entrepreneursamong them LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and former Twitter chief executive Evan Williamssent a letter to Congress condemning the legislation, writing, "While the bill will create uncertainty for many legitimate businesses and in turn undermine innovation and creativity on those services, the dedicated pirates who use and operate 'rogue' sites will simply migrate to platforms that conceal their activities."Fox, however, dismissed such criticism. "Stealing is stealing," she said. "We don't feel like any of these laws are particularly burdensome on people. Don't steal other people's work."Actor Impact Fox asserted that the theft of work through illegal distribution online has a real impact on performers. (Creative America regularly cites a 2006 study by the Institute for Policy Innovation claiming that film piracy cost more than 140,000 jobs and $20 billion the year prior, though hard stats on the costs of piracy are notoriously difficult to come by.) Not surprisingly, Tom Carpenter, general counsel and director of legislative affairs for AFTRA, expressed a similar sentiment."The way performers are paid really relies on a compensation model that's tied to downstream revenue," Carpenter said. "Whenever a television show is stolen online, people aren't just stealing a TV show; they're stealing the health-care contributions and the retirement benefits and the wages of performers, because everything stolen isn't sold."For Carpenter, keeping members' work from being stolen means that tough actions, like those taken against NinjaVideo, are essential. "When ICE acts, they're enforcing the law and executing warrants," he said. "There's no violation of due process here, and you don't have a First Amendment right to steal health care from performers."

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George Clooney Is Sorta Useless within this New Clip From 'The Descendants' (VIDEO)

When many people think about George Clooney, "deadbeat father" does not usually spring to mind. But knowing through the clips from his approaching submit Alexander Payne's Oscar buzz-y 'The Descendants,' Clooney is fitting the balance quite nicely. He'll most likely obtain a third-act redemption, but click right through to begin to see the latest clip of Clooney's fatherly mess for action in 'The Descendants.' Search for 'The Descendants' in theaters on November. 18 and look for what our very own Mike Hogan needed to say about this in the Toronto Worldwide Film Festival. [via Movieline]

Tyler Perry Is Forbes' Finest-Paid out Guy in Entertainment

Forbes has created its annual report on the finest-paid out males in entertainment -- nearly 5 days after it launched its report on finest paid out stars (Leonardo DiCaprio assigned that list) -- and heading individuals is producer-author-director-actor Tyler Perry, with $130 million acquired between May 2010 and may 2011. Perry can be a one-guy cottage industry, with plays, movies and TV series to his credit. On his bio this year-11: 'For Better or Worse' TV series (in pre-production), 'A Madea Christmas,' 'Madea's Large Happy Family,' 'For Colored Girls' and 'Why Did I Acquired Married Too?' Really the only other movie-related large-hair pieces available are Jerry Bruckheimer (with $113 million) and Steven Spielberg (with $107 million). Really the only actor, not remarkably, Leonardo DiCaprio, with $77 million. Start to see the full list ahead. 1. Tyler Perry ($130 million) 2. Jerry Bruckheimer ($113 million) 3. Steven Spielberg ($107 million) 4. Elton John ($100 million) 5. Simon Cowel ($90 million) 6. James Patterson ($84 million) 7. Dr. Phil McGraw ($80 million) 8. Leonardo DiCaprio ($77 million) 9. Howard Stern ($76 million) 10. Tiger Forest ($75 million Another Hollywood-types sometimes you may feel needs to be relating to this list? George Clooney? Kaira Pitt? Leave your opinions below. [via Forbes]

Seeking Actorfest NY Volunteers

Back Stage is seeking males and ladies volunteers to help at its annual Actorfest NY event. Actorfest NY will probably be held October 23, 2011 within the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street (sixth & seventh Aves), New you are able to city. Volunteers is going to be set-up, help with casting calls, and help with courses. The large event lasts 10 to 12 several hours.In return, volunteers can get free lunch then one-year subscription to BackStage.com. To volunteer, please email your title, phone number, and resume (or back-link aimed at your website) to actorfestny@backstage.com. To learn more in regards to the event, visit internet.actorfest.com.

Letter from Toronto: Coppola's Twixt Is Stubborn Old-Coot Filmmaking; Stillman's Damsels Hardly Dazzles

Francis Ford Coppola’s Twixt is kind of stupid and kind of amazing, a horror movie-fairytale hybrid with an inscrutable plot, some gorgeous images and two brief sections shot in 3-D. This isn’t the great film Coppola’s devotees have been waiting for him to make. But it’s infused with more of Coppola’s spirit, as we know it, than Youth Without Youth and Tetro, both of which were sluggish and self-serious. Twixt is a bit of a mess, but it’s also joyful and wicked, with a great, roly-poly sense of humor about itself. In its imaginative WTF-ness, it reminds me of Bob Dylan’s gloriously whacked-out Masked and Anonymous, just the sort of thing you’d expect a crackpot genius left to his own devices to make. Val Kilmer plays washed-up horror novelist Hall Baltimore, who, when he arrives in the small town of Swan Valley to hawk his new book, discovers that the local bookstore is actually a corner’s worth of shelves in the hardware store. Local sheriff Bobby La Grange (an extra-grizzly Bruce Dern) drops by to say “hi” and to ask Hall how it feels to be “the bargain-basement Stephen King.” But he also, it turns out, may have an idea for Hall’s next book: Down at the morgue, he’s got the body of a young woman with a stake through her heart. Plus, this is a town where strange and horrible things have been known to happen. You know this because there’s a clock tower with seven faces, each one showing a different time. Plus, Tom Waits steps in occasionally to narrate the thing. And there are ghosts here for sure, which Hall encounters in his sleep: Edgar Allen Poe (a perfectly cast Ben Chaplin) knocks around giving writing tips; husband-and-wife motel managers harbor weird secrets under their floorboards (and she treats us to a rousingly creepy rendition of “Big Rock Candy Mountain,” a bit of goth-Americana that would have been right at home in Masked and Anonymous); and, most notably, an adolescent ghost shimmers through the landscape in a white dress, her eyes rimmed in red, braces flashing on her possible vampire teeth. Her name is Virginia (she’s played by a luminous Elle Fanning) and she could be one of the potential victims of a local child murderer; or she could be Poe’s long-lost cousin/wife; or she could be a stand-in for Hall’s own daughter, whom he lost in a boating accident (a detail that’s hard to parse in this otherwise purely fanciful film, given that Coppola lost his own son in a boating accident). You’re probably wondering how all this comes together. The answer is, it kind of doesn’t. And the real-life sections of the movie are something of a drag, a bit too much of Bruce Dern shaking his wattles for my taste. But the dream sequences — if they actually are dreams, that is — are gorgeous to look at, rendered in satiny black-and-white with spots of significant color (blood red, lemon yellow) painted in. And Coppola’s method of signaling the audience when it’s time to put on the glasses is both silly and brilliant in its straightforwardness. Twixt is a mess, plotwise, but it’s hardly torture to watch. And Coppola — who, it’s worth remembering, got his start with schlock king Roger Corman — seems to be having a good time instead of just trying to impress us with his artiste schtick. How can we deny him? Twixt isn’t the return of the great master, but it’s a fine example of stubborn old-coot filmmaking. Coppola does what he wants, how he wants. He sells no wine before its time — only when he’s good and ready. Another old-timer of sorts returns to Toronto this year: Whit Stillman, who hasn’t made a film since The Last Days of Disco in 1998, is now back with Damsels in Distress, an arch and vacant little comedy that follows a clique of young college women through their ho-hum romantic travails. The characters, and the movie itself, seem lost in time, which may be part of the point: Greta Gerwig, as the somewhat unstable leader of the girls’ clique, favors full skirts and ballet slippers, like a ’50s debutante. Stillman’s camera seems to appreciate Gerwig’s preternaturally honest, questioning face. But he doesn’t know what to do with her gangly-graceful physical and comic timing — too often she just seems stilted and awkward. Analeigh Tipton (recently seen in Crazy, Stupid, Love.) fares a little better — she’s the most appealing of the bunch. But the movie is confused and wayward, featuring slapdash musical numbers for no good reason other than to try to inject a shot of much-needed romantic charm. The vaccine doesn’t take. Read more of Stephanie Zacharek’s 2011 Toronto International Film Festival coverage here.

Rampart

A Lightstream Pictures, Waypoint Entertainment presentation in colaboration with the 3rd Mind Pictures. (Worldwide sales: Sierra-Affinity.) Created by Lawrence Inglee, Clark Billings, Ben Promote, Ken Kao. Executive producers, Michael DeFranco, Lila Yacoub, Mark Gordon, Paul Currie, Garrett Kelleher. Co-producers, Luca Borghese, Ross Ioppolo. Directed by Oren Moverman. Script, James Ellroy, Moverman.With: Woodsy Harrelson, Ned Beatty, Francis Capra, Ben Promote, Anne Heche, Ice Cube, Brie Larson, Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Sigourney Weaver, Robert Knowledge, Robin Wright, Steve Buscemi, Jon Bernthal, Jon Promote, Stella Schnabel, Sammy Boyarsky.Casting a cynical backward look at the police scams that rocked La within the late 1990's, author-director Oren Moverman ("The Messenger") and resident crime-fiction specialist James Ellroy deliver a highly-wrought but significantly narrow account of the scuzzy cop's personal and professional meltdown in "Rampart." Woodsy Harrelson is great like a cynical, trigger-happy officer oblivious towards the fresh winds of change and accountability sweeping through his embattled department. But as the film is drenched in atmosphere and packs a verbal and visceral punch, its relentless volitile manner creates an overdetermined, not entirely satisfying character study with modest niche-release prospects. The title alone would appear to promise a dense, meaty ensemble piece analyzing the huge network of corruption and misconduct that found light inside the La Police Dept.'s Rampart division, that a lot more than 70 cops were billed with functions of unprovoked brutality, evidence falsification along with other crimes. But while Ellroy has written lots of books within this intricate, layer-by-seedy-layer vein (and formerly co-scripted the 2008 L.A. corrupt-cops thriller "Street Nobleman"), his collaboration with Moverman keeps the scams largely without anyone's knowledge from the Rampart cop who drives the film's every scene. It's 1999, and Officer Dork Brown (Harrelson) is really a rough-justice type whose 24 years about the pressure have trained him involve bending the guidelines every once in awhile. Early moments provide a quick sketch of the charismatically crooked figure, from his combative associations together with his fellow officials, laced with delicately racist and chauvinist put-downs, to his strangely functional associations together with his ex-spouses (Anne Heche and Cynthia Nixon), who still accept him and every possess a daughter by him. (Also, they are siblings.) It's implied that Dave's fierce protectiveness of his kids partially motivated his alleged killing of the serial rapist years back. That tendency for boundary-pushing violence again rears its mind when Dork chases lower and frequently beats a suspect, an action caught on video and quickly disseminated in the news, threatening to fire up the kind of Rodney King-like embarrassment the LAPD does not need within the wake of Rampart. Soon he's being pressed to retire by assistant da Joan Confrey (a marvelous Sigourney Weaver), probably the most satisfying of the numerous distaff nemeses Dork squares served by these guys Linda Fentress (Robin Wright), a foxy defense lawyer whom he ill-advisedly accumulates inside a bar. Tightening the noose round his own neck, Dork surprises a trio of armed thieves inside a tense, terse setpiece that invites the scrutiny of D.A. Investigator Kyle Timkins (Ice Cube). After making some off-color insinuations about Timkins, Dork provides a very cynical self-justification: "Keep in mind that i'm not really a racist. Generally I dispise everybody.Inch The sensation would appear to become mutual, as everybody you never know Dork activates him within the film's other half. Pic a lot more than bears the intelligence and moral toughness of Moverman's 2009 pointing debut, "The Messenger," that also featured Harrelson and Ben Promote (almost unrecognizable because a destitute informant). But that can be a film were built with a searching quality that uncovered new depths in each and every scene, "Rampart" appears to choke off feeling because it progresses, as though the filmmakers, getting determined humanity's cynical equation, had nothing left to provide psychologically. Getting spent its first half establishing its antihero for defeat, the pic has nowhere to visit but lower, punching the same punishing note to ever-diminishing returns. But even if he appears to stay in permanent moral free-fall, Harrelson keeps you watching his unmanageable energy and demon-may-care attitude make Dork as pleasant because he is wretched, and the refusal to buckle to forces of political correctness and hypocrisy instructions some admiration. Harrelson slimmed lower by 25 pounds to experience a man who, the overall status of cops notwithstanding, has very little time to consume, and the dedication is displayed in a number of sex moments performed having a complete lack of vanity. Except for one immersive latenight club sequence, the raw, handheld lensing and fleet editing never call focus on themselves within the expert tech package. The city's sun-bleached outside undertake a tough, hellish cast in d.p. Bobby Bukowski's color-saturated HD lensing, and also the pic fairly teems with local atmosphere, particularly in its number of moments in the original Tommy's hamburger joint at a corner of Beverly and Rampart.Camera (color, widescreen, HD), Bobby Bukowski editor, Jay Rabinowitz music, Dickon Hinchliffe music supervisor, Jim Black production designer, David Wasco art director, Austin Gorg set decorator, Sandy Wasco costume designer, Catherine George seem (Dolby Digital), Lisa Pinero seem designer/supervisory seem editor, Javier Bennassar effects coordinator, Larz Anderson visual effects supervisor, Dottie Starling visual effects, Wildfire Visual Effects stunt coordinator, Tim Trella connect producers, Charlie O'Carroll, William Paul Clark assistant director, William Paul Clark casting, Laura Rosenthal, Rachel Tenner. Examined at Toronto Film Festival (Special Presentations), Sept. 10, 2011. Running time: 103 MIN. Contact Justin Chang at justin.chang@variety.com

Sarah Polley Is Married and Pregnant

Sarah Polley Sarah Polley is married and pregnant, she revealed to Toronto.com. "I'm really excited, super excited," the Canadian actress said. Polley, 32, is known for her role in 2004's Dawn of the Dead and her other credits include eXistenZ and The Sweet Hereafter. She also received an Oscar nomination for writing the 2006 film Away From Her. See other celebs who are expecting The mom-to-be is also celebrating her recent wedding to David Sandomierski. The pair said "I do" two weeks ago in a small ceremony north of Toronto. "It was pretty much the best wedding of all time," Polley said. "Lots of great food."

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Rankings Corporate Jungle: Talent And Hidden Treasure Rise, Your Government Slips

Summer time staples America’s Got Talent and Your Government moved in opposite rankings directions last evening. NBC’s Talent results show (2.8/8, 11.8 million audiences) at 9 PM was up 12% from the fast national 18-49 number a week ago (up 8% in the finals because the reality series always will get modified up). Its lead-in, Minute to Win It (1.3/4) was lower a tenth. Meanwhile, CBS’ Your Government (2.8/9) at 9 PM was lower 12% from the season high a week ago to tie Talent because the greatest-ranked program from the evening. NBC (1.9/5, 7.9 million) also tied CBS (1.9/5, 6.5 million) within the demo for that evening while finishing No. one in audiences. There is encouraging news for Fox’s underperforming new reality series Hidden Treasure (1.2/4), that was up 20% from a week ago to some series high. ABC’s special Primetime Nightline: My Extra Regular Family published single.4/4 18-49 rating at 10 PM.

TNT Orders Drama Pilot from 'CSI's' Carol Mendelsohn

CSI showrunner Carol Mendelsohn has obtained an airplane pilot order on her latest effort, Scent from the Missing, at TNT.our editor recommendsCarol Mendelsohn taps Weitz as leader STORY: TNT Uncovers 'The Closer' Spinoff 'Major Crimes' The drama project, according to Susannah Charleson book through the same title, focuses on searching-and-save officer who braves the toughest conditions together with her closest friend and partner, a Labrador retriever. Missing originates from CBS TV Galleries, with Melissa R. Byerand Treena Hancock(CSI, Flashpoint) aboard as authors and executive producers. Joining them as Expanded polystyrene areBarry Josephson (Bones) and Julie Weitz, with Diane Nabatoff (Move forward)and Shelly Glasser (The Great Girl) becoming co-executive producers. STORY: 'CSI' Books 'Switched at Birth's' Vanessa Marano for Harrowing Role (Exclusive) This news comes some three days following the Turner-possessed cable network purchased Civil War era western Gateway to pilot. When they reach series, they'll joina schedule populated by other hit dramas, includingRizzoli & Isles, The Closerand more recent entryFalling Skies. Mendelsohn is repped by WME. Related Subjects TNT TV Development