Horrible Bosses Director Seth Gordon Signs Overall Cope With The new sony Pictures TV

Horrible Bosses director Seth Gordon has signed a 2-year overall cope with The new sony Pictures Television. Gordon already comes with an existing relationship using the TV studio — he's the co-creator/executive producer from the The new sony/Happy Madison-created Fox comedy series Breaking In, that was lately restored for any second season. Gordon directed 3 from the 7 episodes in the series’ first season, such as the pilot and also the season finale. Gordon, who co-produced Breaking Along with author Adam F. Goldberg, continues for everyone being an executive producer around the Christian Slater-starring comedy in season 2 whilst developing new projects for The new sony TV. Furthermore, Gordon is getting back with Goldberg and Happy Madison. He's seriously board to direct the untitled eighties family comedy Goldberg has in development at Fox with Happy Madison and The new sony TV creating. Outside of the The new sony deal, Gordon has named Mary Rohlich his development executive. In TV, Gordon has directed instances of ABC’s Modern Family and NBC’s Work, Parks & Entertainment and Community. Gordon, who began off like a documentary filmmaker, pointing the gaming documentary The King of Kong amongst others, made his feature pointing debut with Four Christmases. His sophomore effort, Horrible Bosses, has made a lot more than $200 million worldwide. Gordon, repped by WME and Brillstein Entertainment, is presently creating a reboot from the 1983 thriller Free War Games for MGM.

From Brian's Song to Relation to Endearment, Cancer's 5 Finest Screen Performances

Single-named phenomenon Cancer includes a by divine intention chilly status outdoors of Hollywood, however in films, the heterogeneous class of illnesses inhabits a global its own like a artist, provocateur and villain. Within this week’s 50/50, Cancer arrives having a harrumph and remains just like a poisonous haze, which makes it the Joan Crawford of 2011. This begs the question: What exactly are Cancer’s five finest performances in cinema? The solution will pressure you right into a beautiful monologue. 5. John’s Song Cancer smartly become a huge hit towards the male population in a single of their first starring excursions, selecting to light up the plight of football icon John Piccolo. Within this landmark TV movie, James Caan plays the sick star, and Billy Dee Williams plays Gale Sayers, the Bears legend who provides a thoughtful, poignant speech about uncle. Note the fearsome presence of Cancer, which pervades the area with real star potential. 4. Dying Youthful Here you go: Cancer’s guilty pleasure. Although tearjerker illness films softly tread on past achievements within the same subgenre, Jennifer Aniston cries ultra-noisally within this romantic yarn with Campbell Scott. It’s the best movie to cry at, even when the figures tend to be more interesting compared to predicament they’re in. Cancer loves to pretend it did many of the work here, but our titular duo is compelling enough with no existence-threatening conditions. You’re righteous, Cancer, however, you’re not the real star here! 3. One True Factor Realism is essential, and nobody knows it much better than Cancer. Within this family drama, we watch as Renee Zellweger involves grips together with her parents — especially her mother (Meryl Streep), whose sickness takes a chilled Zellweger to maneuver in and learn to take proper care of her. It’s a film that won’t wow you with Cancer’s range, nevertheless its fiery antagonism isn't under consideration, even when Cancer is frequently soft-spoken throughout this movie. 2. Relation to Endearment Cancer barely even browse the script for that first 1 / 2 of Relation to Endearment, as well as in the other half, it hogged all of the attention and forced Debra Winger and Shirley MacLaine to schedule around it. This is when it might be a tale having a semblance of the spine. Sure, MacLaine and Nicholson obtained Academy wins, however it’s Cancer that introduced these phones their finest point. It’s the performance which makes you forgive Cancer’s gimmicky, cloying performances in movies like Love Story and also the Family Stone. 1. Wit After Cancer recognized it was not going to win the Oscar, it downgraded itself towards the small screen foreseeing its polarizing technique works on pay-cable. Cancer was right. Within this Mike Nichols-helmed Cinemax adaptation of Margaret Edson’s Pulitzer-winning play, Emma Thompson triumphs because the crictally ill professor Vivian Bearing, whose idea of John Donne’s works helps propel her through incessant models of chemotherapy. Cancer is really a jack-of-all-trades within this movie, moving beautifully from lighthearted moments into utter devastation, which’s why Wit topples a Best Picture like Relation to Endearment. It’s poetic, but unpretentious. And also the Cancer finds a means into every verse, breath and punctuation mark of Vivian’s journey, dealing with layered meanings as she deciphers the segue (or perhaps is it a comma?) between existence and dying. C’mon, Cancer deserved a Saturn Award here. A minimum of.

Ex-Mobster: John Travolta Isn't Man Enough To Play John Gotti

“For John Gotti Sr, you need a man’s man to play that role,” critiqued former mobster Lewis Kasman about John Travolta’s casting in the upcoming crime-boss biopic from Barry Levinson. “He’s a thug, so you need someone who’s a thug… a guy who grew up in that life.” Apparently, Travolta’s Oscar-nominated Saturday Night Fever performance doesn’t hold much weight among the mob set either: “John Gotti Sr. never danced a dance in his life.” [Daily Mail]

Corey Stoll on Midnight in Paris, Being Ernest Hemingway and the Audition of a Lifetime

If you haven’t yet seen Woody Allen’s fantastic Midnight in Paris, do yourself a favor and stop reading this now. (Then do yourself a bigger favor and go check it out.) Arguably the best way to enjoy the film is knowing little to nothing about its protagonist Gil (Owen Wilson) or his late-night exploits around the City of Light, which culminate in encounters with Gil’s literary and artistic heroes. Sort of. Corey Stoll knows what I’m talking about. That’s because Stoll has the most memorable of Midnight’s many showcases: As Ernest Hemingway, the native NYer brings clipped, piercing levity to Gil’s disbelieving romp through the Jazz Era and beyond. It’s a role as transformative as the film itself, with the 35-year-old actor best known as detective “TJ” Jaruszalski on Law & Order: LA rocking a Hemingway hairpiece and stalking around the salons and saloons of Paris with outsized aplomb. It’s a game-changer for Stoll to say the least, bumping the film and TV veteran into a new echelon of not just visibility, but also versatility. Movieline met up with Stoll recently to talk over the Midnight factor, balancing man versus myth, and why his parents can’t stop watching (and re-watching, and re-watching). Midnight in Paris is pretty much a phenomenon by this point. What’s your take on that phenomenon, how it’s developed and your place within it? It’s all very surprising. I think from the second I got the role — or from the second I auditioned for the role — I though, “This is awesome.” But it’s weird: It’s hard as an actor not to think about what some things will do for your career. Shockingly, it wasn’t what I was thinking about at all with this — this dream chance to play one of the most amazing Americans ever for one of my heroes. For Woody Allen! So I thought, “Yeah, this is just great.” But his movies haven’t been making huge splashes over the last few years, so I wasn’t expecting this to be any sort of a hit. But I also knew it’s a Woody Allen movie, so it’s going to last. It’s going to be part of film history. So all of this — that it’s his biggest hit ever, at least in terms of gross and all that — it’s cool, but I was not expecting it. So you approached it as a creative opportunity? Absolutely. I had so much time to prepare, which was so great. Often when you have time to prepare, you don’t necessarily know what to do. But it all sort of worked out for me to just read Hemingway and find out about him. I could have prepared for a year or two years. It was limitless. How did you prepare? Reading was the bulk of it. I read about him and about the other figure in that circle, but the I was daily listening to the sounds — the rhythms — of his writing, the muscularity of that. Actually speaking it aloud often was the most effective and useful thing that I did. Is there any film or video footage of Hemingway available? I’ve never thought to look. I’m not sure. I only listened to one little audio thing, and it was so not the Hemingway you think of when you imagine him. Obviously it is him. It’s his real voice, but… So was your approach to play Hemingway as we’ve mythologized him versus Hemingway the historical figure? Well, he mythologized himself. But yes, it’s the former. It’s not a biopic. Some people have said, “It would be so cool if the whole movie was about him.” I’m not sure — at least the way the scenes I had were written — if my performance would have been sustainable for a whole movie. I think part of what’s successful about it is that you just get a taste of it — probably similar to Hemingway himself. I think he’d probably be fun to hang out with for a weekend. I don’t think you’d want to travel with him to Kilimanjaro. He alienated pretty much everyone he knew in his life. So I was looking at your rsum going back a few years. Your roles include a detective, agent, sergeant, detective, “Intel type,” agent… How do you think the hard-boiled characters you’ve played inform playing a guy like Hemingway — even if it’s essentially sending them up? That’s interesting. Actually, I was just looking at a clip where I played this hit man — in Lucky Number Slevin. He was this orthodox Jewish hit man, super deadpan. I was watching it and thinking, “That’s sort of what I’m doing with Hemingway.” It was kind of shocking to me. But that stillness and directness is one thing that I’ve been able to capitalize on a bit. It actually comes more from theater: that ability to plant yourself and really be present. Going further back, what is your background? Where are from, how did you get your start? I’m from here[NY City]. I was born on the Upper West Side. I went to the High School for Performing Arts here, then went away to liberal arts college and came back. When I was in college, I was doing a lot more experimental, performance-arty sorts of stuff. But I cam back and started working in theater. I went to grad school for theater and was working here for a while, and then I went out to L.A. with a play that had moved out from NY. That’s when I started doing film and television. I’ve come back a few times to do some theater. But you’d say that your principal interest now is doing film and TV? I think in the short term, it is. Right now there are opportunities opening for me in a way that they hadn’t before in film and television — especially film. I’d like to concentrate on that. But it’s all about the best project to be involved in. Obviously there’s some calculus in the career stuff that you have to think about, but it’s not necessarily about which medium it is. Film is this sort of rarefied, more difficult thing to get good jobs in, but theater and television can also offer the chance to play great roles and work with great people. I definitely am not cutting myself off from that.

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Eight Sections inside the Origin Story of Kaira Pitt

There's an over-all assumption that Kaira Pitt's career began in 1991 while using relieve 'Thelma & Louise.' It is not really surprising that Pitt -- who stars in this weekend's 'Moneyball' -- stood a career before his turn since the handsome criminal who steals Louise's existence savings. It's surprising just the amount of roles he carried out before finally penetrating. It definitely is interesting to look in the foundation from the actor because even though some roles are inevitably embarrassing, others give a look at what's yet later on. With William Bradley Pitt, his origin starts in Large D. 'Dallas' (1987) Pitt plays Andy, a polite youthful Dallas resident who attempts to accept full blame for your promiscuous relationship he's getting a girlfriend. Consequently, ignore "studying inside the mattress room," if you know what happens I'm speaking about. But he finds out a lesson! He finds out it isn't about fault, it comes down lower to being responsible for his actions. This lesson assists Pitt well a direct consequence of 'Meet Joe Black.' '21 Jump Street' (1988) Pitt sports virtually the identical haircut he's doing today in this episode in the The Actor-kaira Pitt favorite. (Note: Not connected with Pitt, however when you need to visit among terrible overacting, take notice within the 25-second mark.) Also, why nobody produce a bigger deal about Kaira Pitt and also the Actor-kaira Pitt in the identical scene? 'A Stoning in Fulham County' (1988) According to IMDb, the plot from the movie is: "Religious values clash while using law when an Amish infant is destroyed in the rural community." Which kind of appears like 'Witness.' Only it's a made-for-TV movie starring Kaira Pitt, so possibly it must be referred to as 'Pittness.' Can remember the scene near to the finish 'The Curious Situation of Benjamin Button' when Pitt vanishes for a while -- after which it when he returns, he's a teenager with flowing locks? That's precisely how Pitt looks in this movie. 'Dark Side in the Sun' (1988) Kaira Pitt gone after Hollywood from Missouri, to make sure that might explain the St. Louis Cardinals cap that he's wearing in this clip. Sadly, it doesn't help explain other activities that's happening as Pitt can get the living garbage outshine of him. Eleven years later, Pitt will need to learn to fight much better than this for his starring role in 'Seven Years in Tibet.' Wait, strike that: 'Fight Club.' (Sorry, It's my job to get people two movies confused.) 'Growing Pains' (1989) New kid at school Kaira Pitt helps to make the progresses Carol Seaver (beginning at 1:25), going as far to even compare themselves to James Dean. It definitely is interesting to think about a glance as of this world that individuals used to exist in, where Kirk Cameron will be a bigger star than Kaira Pitt. 'Cutting Class (1989) Pitt's first lead role in the movie. Roddy McDowall may also be in this movie, for reasons uknown. Oddly, 'Cutting Class' can be a horror movie together with a recently released mental patient named John who returns to his local secondary school to wreak havoc like only former mental patients is capable of doing. Pitt plays Dwight, who may not have experienced a mental institution, to date as everyone knows. But he's doing invoke the wrath of John to get the audacity to go to steady while using girl that John occurs like, too. Don't get worried, Kaira, only two more years until 'Thelma & Louise'! 'thirtysomething' (1989) Pitt plays Bernard in this clip. Bernard likes to sit back on motorcycles making by helping cover their women. Bernard is clearly not inside the demographic that comprises the title from the show. 'Glory Days' (1990) After Pitt's appearance on Fox's '21 Jump Street,' Pitt was offered a starring vehicle that belongs to them with 'Glory Days' -- which wound up lasting only six episodes. As this commercial states, "Those are the best of pals, within the best occasions from the existence." Awesome. Appears just like a show about happy people inside a happy in time their lives with no conflict whatsoever. A very long time later this show would air again beneath the title 'Entourage.' You'll be able to contact Mike Ryan on Twitter. Follow Moviefone on Twitter.

Cheers & Jeers: Delivering a Playboy to carry out a Man's Job

Eddie Cibrian Jeers to Eddie Cibrian for submitting his acting flaws round the Playboy Club. Want more Cheers & Jeers? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine. The role of Nick Dalton - a politically ambitious Chicago attorney with gangland ties on NBC's overheated period drama - requires an actress getting a Jon Hamm-esque heft. Cibrian, who's possibly sometimes known for his tabloid-magnet romance with LeAnn Rimes than his concentrate on previous Monday-at-10 pm dramas like CSI: Miami, Third Watch, and Chase, is a lot more like a pork-and-cheese sandwich. Cibrian is definately not The Playboy Club's only problem: Studying history to make sure that scantily clad, sexually bothered nightclub waitresses are really referred to as some form of proto-feminist trailblazers can be a achieve, understandably (ABC's new Pan Am makes a much more convincing situation for stewardesses as pioneers). And Hugh Hefner's croaking narration makes Club appear as an especially deadly episode of Tales within the Crypt. Whoever else consider Eddie Cibrian - as well as the Playboy Club? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Dolphin Tale

Warners Dolphin Tale is loosely according to Winter, the very first dolphin to become fitted having a prosthetic tail.A Warner Bros. discharge of an Alcon Entertainment presentation. Created by Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Manley, Richard Ingber. Executive producers, Robert Engelman, Steven P. Wegner. Connect producers, Kaira Arensman, Carl Rogers. Co-producers, Yolanda T. Cochran, David Yates. Directed by Charles Martin Cruz. Script, Karen Janszen, Noam Dromi.Dr. Clay Haskett - Harry Connick, Junior. Lorraine Nelson - Ashley Judd Sawyer Nelson - Nathan Gamble Reed Haskett - Kris Kristofferson Hazel Haskett - Cozi Zuehlsdorff Dr. Cameron McCarthy - Morgan Freeman Kyle Connellian - Austin StowellThough garnished with a few heavy dollops of cheese, "Dolphin Tale" is really a remarkably solid, serious family pic, based very loosely around the story of Winter, the very first dolphin to become effectively fitted having a prosthetic tail. As the film piles on various backstories and morals a little aimlessly, parents will certainly applaud its underlying message of adolescent empowerment, and also the much better than average cast gives that one a powerful emotional undercurrent. Pic should succeed in the B.O., with better still returns on homevid. As protagonist Sawyer, a imaginary, fatherless 11-year-old, youthful thesp Nathan Gamble ("Babel," "The Dark Dark night") ably carries the Florida-set film. An analog whiz kid, Sawyer nevertheless struggles via a remedial summer time school class, doesn't have buddies and it is so unsociable he is able to hardly bother to find information about from his Manufacturers DS in a going-away party for his soldier cousin (Austin Stowell), headed on serve in Afghanistan. His zombie-like trudge to college the following day is interrupted by an encounter having a beached dolphin twisted inside a crab trap. Intrigued through the crack task pressure of marine biologists who appear to save her, Sawyer skips school to sneak to the nearby marine hospital, in which the aquarium's home-trained youthful gopher Hazel (Cozi Zuehlsdorff) takes an instantaneous liking to him. The creaky-yet-homey aquarium operates by Hazel's father Clay (Harry Connick Junior.), who endures a close houseboat together with his own father, Reed (Kris Kristofferson). The 3 decades of the family function as endless fonts of some rather hackneyed homespun knowledge, however with stars as appealing because these (youthful debutante Zuehlsdorff holds her very own using the elder two nicely), everything goes lower not hard. The injuries towards the dolphin (now named Winter) necessitate amputation of her tail, which within the wild means almost certain dying. With Sawyer progressively shedding from summer time school and hanging out the aquarium full-time, Winter eventually evolves a strange new swimming technique, swinging her tail-stub laterally. This produces problems of their own, however, and Sawyer recruits a prosthetics expert from the Veterans administration hospital (Morgan Freeman) to create an artificial tail, all as the marine hospital faces closure. The central notion here's one parents will appreciate, as Sawyer involves learn the significance of education and engagement using the world in the own way. The film limns this lesson with subtlety, and Gamble's strong performance helps provide the film an authentic character arc high otherwise might have simply been huge-handed moral. (Other strands -- especially one including Sawyer's cousin -- appear a little more forced, although the filmmakers continue to be to become recommended for dealing with such subjects as disability and debt with unusual frankness.) Apart from two gimmicky CGI sequences clearly meant for three dimensional (and rather cartoonish-searching without them), the pic is smartly built and trusts its youthful audience to give consideration through lengthy spells with no unnecessary slapstick a treadmill-inserts (a sadly rare quality in contemporary family photos). Animal wranglers place in terrific use the central creature (described through the actual dolphin the pic relies upon), and placement scouting in Clearwater, Fla., offers some credible scenery.Camera (color), Karl Walter Lindenlaub editor, Harvey Rosenstock music, Mark Isham music supervisor, Deva Anderson production designer, Michael Corenblith costume designer, Hope Hanafin art director, Richard Fojo seem (Dolby Digital/Datasat/SDDS), Scott Clements supervisory seem editor, Kelly Cabral re-recording mixers, Timothy O. Le Blanc, Michael Babcock effects coordinator, James L. Roberts II visual effects supervisor, Robert Munroe stereographer, Max H. Penner assistant director, Philip Paterson casting, Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee. Examined at Warner Bros. galleries, Burbank, Sept. 12, 2011. MPAA rating: PG. Running time: 112 MIN.With: Frances Sternhagen, Austin Highsmith, Betsy Landin, Juliana Harkavy, Megan Lozicki, Richard Libertini. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Report: Bravo Axes Three Housewives of New York City Cast Members

Kelly Bensimon, Alex McCord, Jill Zarin Jill Zarin, Alex McCord and Kelly Bensimon have been fired from Bravo's The Real Housewives of NY City, Huffington Post reports. What's next? Running away with a guitarist from an '80s arena rock band? Michaele Salahi kidnapped? No, She's on a Journey According to sources, the three women were told on Thursday that they were not invited back for Season 5, but could possibly return the following season if their replacements don't work out. Bravo takes The Real Housewives on tour Zarin and McCord are both original cast members while Bensimon joined in Season 2. Ramona Singer and LuAnn de Lesseps will remain on the show as well as Sonja Morgan, who was cast for Season 3. It's unknown whether the newest addition, Cindy Barshop, is in or out. Bravo - still reeling from Russell Armstrong's suicide from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills - only said when contacted: "No decisions have been made yet."

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A Guide to Exactly How Sarah Jessica Parker Does It in Every Chick Flick

In this week’s new chick flick I Don’t Know How She Does It, Sarah Jessica Parker — she who had sex in the city, a bastion of modern female fabulosity and our generation’s go-to, couture-sheathed screen heroine in heels — attempts to solve the plight of the 21st century woman once more as Kate Reddy, a wife, mother of two, and financial analyst for a high-powered investment firm trying desperately to juggle “it all.” How many times do co-workers and colleagues ask her how she “does it?” A lot. That’s how much she’s doing. But it’s not the first time SJP’s put her plucky feminine know-how to use in the movies to solve the routine problems of the modern woman. Ed Wood (1994) (Not a chick flick, but still — see how she does it! Groan…) Character: Dolores Fuller Challenge to Overcome: Boyfriend doesn’t keep his word, is holding her back from her career, wears her angora sweaters. How Does She Do It? Dumps his ass. Life Without Dick (2002) Character: Colleen Gibson Challenge to Overcome: Her boyfriend (whose name is Dick, get it?) is cheating on her. How Does She Do It? Accidentally-on-purpose shoots him with his own gun. Problem solved! The Family Stone (2005) Character: Meredith Morton, an uptight exec Challenge to Overcome: Being stuck with her boyfriend’s family for the holidays. How Does She Do It? By having a near-total meltdown, falling for another man, then picking up the pieces. Failure to Launch (2006) Character: Paula, an expert who specializes in hooking live-at-home men into fake relationships in order to make them move out of their parents’ houses. Challenge to Overcome: Tripp (Matthew McConaughey), a well-adjusted live-at-homer who resists her “therapy.” How Does She Do It? By falling in love with her emotionally-crippled charge. Smart People (2008) Character: Dr. Janet Hartigan, who falls for her former college professor (Dennis Quaid) Challenge to Overcome: He’s a self-involved asshole, and she’s pregnant. How Does She Do It? Leaves him without telling him the news, waits for him to come to his senses and reunites with him to co-parent twin babies. Sex and the City (2008) Character: Carrie Bradshaw, NY columnist extraordinaire Challenge to Overcome: Left at the altar when Mr. Big gets cold feet. How Does She Do It? Takes her honeymoon to Mexico anyway with her three closest girlfriends before Big realizes the way to a woman’s heart is through a giant Manolo-filled shoe closet. Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009) Character: Meryl Morgan, successful Manhattan real estate agent Challenge to Overcome: Marriage to Paul (Hugh Grant) is in shambles due to mutual infidelity and workaholism How Does She Do It? Reconnects with equally douchey husband while forced into hiding in a small town in the country, where surviving bears and a hitman reignites their love. Ugh. Sex and the City 2 (2010) Character: Carrie Preston (nee Bradshaw) Challenge to Overcome: Marriage to Big is now too boring! Mustn’t… cheat.. with Aidan… in Abu Dhabi! How Does She Do It? She cheats on Big, but then feels bad about it. They make up when Big buys her a new diamond ring. Wait, what?!

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Charlie's Angels' Cheryl Ladd to locate Romance on NCIS

Cheryl Ladd Charlie's crime-fighting angels continue to be extremely popular! Not simply will ABC possess a new trio of femme fatales within the Charlie's Angels reboot, but CBS' NCIS just snagged among the alums for any hot role. Fall TV: Retrace three decades of Charlie's Angels Cheryl Ladd, who performed Kris Munroe from 1977 to 1981 about the original Angels series, will join the cast of NCIS like a love interest for Ducky (David McCallum), Entertainment Weekly reviews. NCIS premieres Tuesday, Sept 20, at 8/7c. Ladd, 60, can look within an episode slated for late October.

Toronto: Tribeca Attaches Itself To Tony Kayes Detachment

Tribeca Film has acquired U.S. distribution privileges to Tony Kaye’s ensemble drama Detachment and plans a 2012 theatrical release which will run day-and-date with VOD and digital distribution. Adrien Brody stars as an alternative teacher who finds his purpose when he’s designated to some public school, being a role model towards the disaffected youth. Christina Hendricks, James Caan, Marcia Gay Harden, Lucy Liu, Blythe Danner,Tim Blake Nelson, Bryan Cranston and William Petersen also star within the film, which opened this season in the Tribeca fest.Detachment is created by Paper Street Films Austin Stark, Benji Kohn, Chris Papavasiliou and Bingo Gubelmann Kingsgate Films Greg Shapiro and Carl Lund, who authored the script. It's executive created by Brody, Peter Sterling and Andre Laport. Marco Frigeri is co-executive producer. The film from Kaye, the director of yankee History X, was offered by ICM, that also reps Kaye ICM also offered Canadian privileges about the film to Mongrel Media and French privileges to Pretty Pictures. Tribeca’s Nick Savva and Randy Manis discussed the U.S. deal.

When Shooting One Ad Can Prevent You From Shooting Another

When Shooting One Ad Can Prevent You From Shooting Another By Paul Haber September 7, 2011 "Sometimes, with a smaller, regional spot to cast, it's hard to get the best talent in to audition," says commercial casting director David Bellantoni.That statement may seem surprising, especially in a tight job market. Wouldn't most commercial actors want to take a job, any job, that pays a union wage and potential residuals? The answer, for many experienced actors, is no, not necessarily. Why?Bellantoni, who works with Beth Melsky Casting in New York, says actors are reluctant to do a regional commercial because it would prevent them from doing a larger ad campaign that could air nationally. Or, in the parlance of the commercial world, it creates a conflict.In other words, if you book a job for the Bank of Whovillea spot that will air only in one or a few small marketsyou've potentially bumped yourself out of the running for, say, a Bank of America campaign, which would run nationally and pay residuals far exceeding those of the Whoville job. If Bank of America wants you as the face of its multimillion-dollar ad campaign, it doesn't want you also promoting another financial institution, however small. Moreover, Bank of America's national campaign may include print, radio, and Internet ads, which would translate into many thousands of dollars for the actor, above and beyond residuals.But ascertaining what is or isn't a conflict can be tricky. Susan Bott, an actor recognizable from dozens of commercials, including a campaign for Swiffer as Beth, has often found herself facing somewhat convoluted, overlapping conflicts."I shot a Febreze spot," she says, "but I got the vibe on the set that although it was in the can, it wasn't going to run." And indeed, that's exactly what happened. Soon after, she auditioned and got a callback for a Glade campaign, playing "the Glade lady." Before the callback, Bott asked her agents to check with the Febreze people to see if they would let go of the conflict. But the ensuing conversation devolved into something that sounded like it was penned by Gilbert and Sullivan."Even though Febreze affects the air, technically it's a fabric freshener, though Glade would say it affects the air," says the commercial and voiceover veteran. "At the same time, I was doing an on-camera [for] Arm & Hammer Fridge Fresh, but the company kept me on to do the voiceover for their laundry product, and they also make a fabric freshener." So, says Bott with a laugh, "Febreze makes fabric freshener, which also freshens the air, which conflicts with Glade, which is an air-only freshener, while Arm & Hammer freshens clothing." But Bott is philosophical. Sometimes, she adds, "it gets down to the most minute details."Ultimately, Febreze wouldn't let her gothe company held her for another 13 weeks, even though the commercial never airedand she didn't go to the Glade callback. That's a move Bellantoni agrees with."We've had people pulled out right in the middle of callbacks, someone they really wanted," the CD says. "We don't want to show a director someone they can't have." That would make the casting director look bad in front of the client, and it wouldn't endear the actor to anyone.Your agents should keep track of your conflicts, though some are better at it than others. When you get a call for an audition, if the agent doesn't mention what the commercial's conflicts are, ask, as he or she may not recall your conflicts. And there's a lot of overlap. "Telecommunications" once meant the phone companies, for example, but now it could include the Internet, cable, or handsets. "Financial institutions" may (or may not) include banks, credit cards, or brokerages. And "air fresheners"well, it's not so simple."It's frustrating being held for one spot, knowing there won't be any residuals but being prevented from taking another job that will pay," says Bott. In the end, what you audition for should be a carefully considered career decision, with an eye on the long term. "You may book a job that will pay your mortgage right now," she says, "but it could prevent you from making a lot more later on." When Shooting One Ad Can Prevent You From Shooting Another By Paul Haber September 7, 2011 "Sometimes, with a smaller, regional spot to cast, it's hard to get the best talent in to audition," says commercial casting director David Bellantoni.That statement may seem surprising, especially in a tight job market. Wouldn't most commercial actors want to take a job, any job, that pays a union wage and potential residuals? The answer, for many experienced actors, is no, not necessarily. Why?Bellantoni, who works with Beth Melsky Casting in New York, says actors are reluctant to do a regional commercial because it would prevent them from doing a larger ad campaign that could air nationally. Or, in the parlance of the commercial world, it creates a conflict.In other words, if you book a job for the Bank of Whovillea spot that will air only in one or a few small marketsyou've potentially bumped yourself out of the running for, say, a Bank of America campaign, which would run nationally and pay residuals far exceeding those of the Whoville job. If Bank of America wants you as the face of its multimillion-dollar ad campaign, it doesn't want you also promoting another financial institution, however small. Moreover, Bank of America's national campaign may include print, radio, and Internet ads, which would translate into many thousands of dollars for the actor, above and beyond residuals.But ascertaining what is or isn't a conflict can be tricky. Susan Bott, an actor recognizable from dozens of commercials, including a campaign for Swiffer as Beth, has often found herself facing somewhat convoluted, overlapping conflicts."I shot a Febreze spot," she says, "but I got the vibe on the set that although it was in the can, it wasn't going to run." And indeed, that's exactly what happened. Soon after, she auditioned and got a callback for a Glade campaign, playing "the Glade lady." Before the callback, Bott asked her agents to check with the Febreze people to see if they would let go of the conflict. But the ensuing conversation devolved into something that sounded like it was penned by Gilbert and Sullivan."Even though Febreze affects the air, technically it's a fabric freshener, though Glade would say it affects the air," says the commercial and voiceover veteran. "At the same time, I was doing an on-camera [for] Arm & Hammer Fridge Fresh, but the company kept me on to do the voiceover for their laundry product, and they also make a fabric freshener." So, says Bott with a laugh, "Febreze makes fabric freshener, which also freshens the air, which conflicts with Glade, which is an air-only freshener, while Arm & Hammer freshens clothing." But Bott is philosophical. Sometimes, she adds, "it gets down to the most minute details."Ultimately, Febreze wouldn't let her gothe company held her for another 13 weeks, even though the commercial never airedand she didn't go to the Glade callback. That's a move Bellantoni agrees with."We've had people pulled out right in the middle of callbacks, someone they really wanted," the CD says. "We don't want to show a director someone they can't have." That would make the casting director look bad in front of the client, and it wouldn't endear the actor to anyone.Your agents should keep track of your conflicts, though some are better at it than others. When you get a call for an audition, if the agent doesn't mention what the commercial's conflicts are, ask, as he or she may not recall your conflicts. And there's a lot of overlap. "Telecommunications" once meant the phone companies, for example, but now it could include the Internet, cable, or handsets. "Financial institutions" may (or may not) include banks, credit cards, or brokerages. And "air fresheners"well, it's not so simple."It's frustrating being held for one spot, knowing there won't be any residuals but being prevented from taking another job that will pay," says Bott. In the end, what you audition for should be a carefully considered career decision, with an eye on the long term. "You may book a job that will pay your mortgage right now," she says, "but it could prevent you from making a lot more later on."

Strand Releasing nabs 'Michael'

Strand Releasing has acquired all US rights to Markus Schleinzer's drama "Michael" from Les Films du Losange."Michael," which had its world premiere in the main competition at Cannes, focuses in on the last five months of a 10-year-old boy's life under the control of a man who keeps him locked away in a room in a basement.The film will have its North American premiere Friday at the Toronto International Film Festival. It's the debut feature for Schleinzer, whose previous efforts as a casting director include "Dog Days," "white Ribbon and "LOvely Rita."The film has been sold to more than 14 European territories including Artificial Eye in UK, Wild Bunch Benelux , Fidalgo in Norway, Filmcoopi in Switzerland. Films du Losange will release the film in France on Nov. 2.Strand is planning a February release for "Michael' in the U.S. The deal was done between Strand's Jon Gerrans and Les Films du Losange's Agathe Valentin. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

'Funny or Die' Gives Darth Vader Some Extra Lines for the 'Star Wars' Blu-rays (VIDEO)

Remember how that egomaniac George Lucas started changing stuff around in his 'Star Wars' movies even though no one wanted him to? Yeah, that was a bad idea. Luckily, the folks over at Funny or Die have taken issue with Darth Vader's new lines in 'Return of the Jedi' and given him even more lines to work with. So if you were ever wondering what was going through Anakin's head when the Emperor was zapping his son, then wait no longer and click through to see the best thing that's come out of this 'Star Wars' Blu-rays fiasco. Just imagine what Funny or Die could do with the prequels. Would you buy the 'Star Wars' Blu-rays if Funny or Die added voices for the whole cast? [via Funny or Die]